What size clothes to buy? For the losers

Ok gentlemen,

I'm hitting up thrift shops, as my wardrobe has been depleted.  I am still a bit lost as to what sizes to buy though.  Maybe you can help me by sharing your experience.

Right now, I'm at 220ish pounds and have found that I can fit in some L sizes, and some XL.  However, I can't even imagine myself in a mens M.  With my initial goal being to get under 200, I don't know what size to expect.  What size does a 200 pound man wear?  (I'm just under 6-ft tall, by the way.)  And, if I fall below that goal through exercise, what about a 180 pounder?

And, while we're at it, what about pant size?  I've been able to squeeze into a 34 waist jean, but feel comfortable in 36s.  Wonder if there's anyway to project out just what sizes I'll need.  Is 32 a possibility?

Thank you, and have a great weekend.

Chad

Chad, I'm about your height 5'11, and was 330#.  I never imagined that I would be smaller than a 36" waist and 220# so when I hit 36" I bought several pairs of pants -WRONG.  I ended up at 32" waist and med - lg shirts.  Buy a couple pair of pants that fit and 5 or 6 shirts for now.  Luckily we lose our weight fast so in a couple of months you will be buying again for the next season at a smaller size. 

I eventually hit a weight (160) that felt too light and I could tell I didn't feel good.  When I got back up to 175 I felt better and could see that is where I belonged.  Then I turned into a clothes *****  They still fit 6 years later.

Thank you for the advice.  I keep thinking that 36s are what 'normal' people wear...but that's probably just a remnant of my younger days when I was in denial that I was overweight at size 36...

I won't go stocking up on anything just yet.  But I also might not pass over those smaller L shirts that catch my eye in the thrift shops.

Dittos to what Robert said.  Don't go whole hog apes--t crazy on the clothes.  Buy what you have to have new and supplement with thrift store purchases.  32's are a very real possiblility! 

Thanks Don.  I see you, and think, "I could never be that small."  I guess the mind hasn't caught up to reality...and may forever lag behind.

I think the only nen stuff I've bought has been compression shirts--Can't get enough of those!  I love 'em.

Everything else has been from the thrift store.  I have made the mistake of buying a couple of size 18 (neck) dress shirts only to shrink right past them before I have a chance to wear them...Oh well, it was only $1/shirt, right!

You called me "small"!   You called me "small"!

I was in the TSC store in Dawsonville when I tried on a pair of 40 jeans.  By the shriek that slipped past my lips at my excitement you'd of thought I was getting my freak on with the GF in the dressing room!   Every time, and I mean every time, I would try on a smaller size I'd ask myself "How am I supposed to get my fat ass in these?"  But they would fit!  Gets into that mindf**k thing that goes along with losing the weight.

I still have troubles thinking I'm that small now.  Really hits when I put on a uniform, vest and a duty belt.  34 cargo pocketed pants, medium shirt and medium duty rig and I still have some squirming room!   As a former "client" put it I lost my "intimidation factor" when I lost weight. 

You are small...and rockin' it!  Thanks for the input.

Chad

Don't throw away the 36" even if you drop down to a 32".  For most people there is some bounce back.  I got down to 187 then over 4 years got up to about 235.  I'm now down to 210-212.  Hope you get below 200 and stay there.  The thing is The Carb Monster is real and he's looking to get you!!  You'll know what I mean in about a year.  Keep fighting the good fight.  Brian

I had been buying most of my smaller clothes at the thrift shop.. It was really a good deal when I needed a suit for wedding... and I too shrunk so fast that there were some clothes that I never wore before they were too big..
Once I hit 200 the weight loss slowed down, so when I was in Myrtle Beach in October I bought a bunch of new clothes at the Discount Outlets.. figuring that even if I lost more weight, it wouldn't be as fast and I'd still get some wear out of the new stuff..

What I didn't realize is that 5 or 10 pounds, makes a more significant difference when you are closer to goal than it does when you are 300 pounds.

Most retail prices in the states are pretty comparable to Canadian prices except for clothes!. Your big retail outlets discount clothes until they are practically giving them away. On a recent trip. I went a little nuts.. possibly because I now had all these choices... I bought pants that are a size 34. medium shirts.. I often felt more "comfortable" in the Large shirt,, but that's just because I was used to wearing clothes big.. (used to figure it hid the rolls of fat ).. I was a little worried that if I washed some of this stuff and it shrunk at all, they'd be too tight.. but... I'm still dropping.. maybe a pound a week.. so my advice...
1) don't buy a ton.. you WILL still get smaller
2) given a choice  between two sizes.. pick the smaller size.

John

Good info, John.  I've seen what you mean with the smaller sizes being closer to each other than we think.  When I snuck into an XL, I thought there's no way I'll be wearing Ls any time soon...lo, and behold, I can find some Ls that fit perfectly.

Thanks,
Chad