Preparing for spring when you feel overweight

Glory

I change over the majority of my clothing 2 x year: fall&winter, and then spring&summer. I store the off season in the same closet but tucked away in containers.
I am just starting the process and feel so discouraged. Very little of my spring/summer items fit me due to weight gain. That gain has been inching up and although I work out like a mad woman the weight has redistributed itself in the stomach area.

I like to try on and review the items but if virtually nothing works it feels quite discouraging. I have the closet emptied out but not sure what I should do.
I am not sure I want to exceed my storage area as I would now have to store all winter items and most spring items.
Should I weed through/cull the spring items or simply put it all away for now?
All advice very gratefully accepted.

11 years ago

Dressing

11 replies

Latest reply was from AviaMariah

Caro in Oz

Veteran

This is hard My feeling would be to only keep the very, very best of your spring/summer clothes. The other thing I would do is to keep any replacements to a minimum. Work out what you need (can get by with) & just buy those items. A couple of great outfits that fit you really well are better than masses of things that don't imo.

11 years ago

magpie

Active Member

I totally sympathize with your discouragement over your spring/summer clothes not fitting, though am giving you a little (gentle, well-intentioned) stinkeye over the phrase "feeling overweight" -- fat is not a feeling, it's a physical descriptor.

I like caro in oz's advice, and would add that you may want to take a similar approach to your body as to your closet -- put less in, but higher quality, and be gentle with yourself.

11 years ago

kellygirl

Veteran

I can sympathize. I have varying sizes in my closet. I like what Caro said about finding a couple of really great outfits even if you have to buy them. If it were me, I would store the spring clothes and tackle that after you have had a few weeks of spring under your belt. I think this would be a great opportunity to build a small capsule.

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Hugs, Glory. The transition can be difficult enough -- so much worse when you're dealing with things not fitting. I like what Caro said about just choosing a few good outfits for now. Store the other spring things somehow...of course, culling stuff that's worn and that you can't imagine wearing again even if it still fit. Capsule dressing rules in these situations, and I hope you will treat yourself with a little shop. You deserve it.

11 years ago

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Buy some fabulous shoes!

11 years ago

Desmo April

(website)

Veteran

Intentianally keeping clothes that don't fit is a black pit of despair. It is absolutely essential that you have things to wear that make you feel fantastic regardless of your current size. Look I'm a size 22 and I love a good chunk of my closet and I feel great in all of my stuff.

I would cull the things that are dated or worn or that you are just tired of. I would keep some favorites that might be a bit too tight but I'm pretty hardcore about getting rid of anything that requires major weight loss. Even with weight loss there is no guarantee that you will go back to the same shape. Go through what still works and use that to start the basis of a capsule wardrobe for spring and summer.

Good luck and be nicer to yourself.

11 years ago

rabbit

Veteran

The one thing I'd add is does your body go through seasonal weight gain swings? Mine tends to, I'm a lot hungrier (and colder) in the winter so my metabolism is always trying to add padding. How hungry I feel and therefore how much I eat really shifts with greater sunlight and warmth, and of course it's easier to be active.

If this happens for you and you tend to lose weight over the course of spring/summer, I'd be cautious about purging clothes you love that are just a little tight early in the season as opposed to later on.

11 years ago

Adelfa

Veteran

Sometimes if nothing fits I buy some cute things at Target or H&M. You can actually find some great stuff there and the low prices help me feel okay about clothing the body I have.

11 years ago

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

I would weed and cull. For some people, smaller sized loathes can be motivating, but when you're doing everything right, or can't pinpoint what's wrong, the clothes become a source of stress.

11 years ago

Thirkellgirl

Veteran

I strongly urge you to weed through the stuff you wouldn't be excited to wear even if it did fit, pack away the stuff that definitely can't be worn but that you really really love, keep a few things in your closet that might fit with just a few pounds of weight loss (which, as mentioned above, might very well happen just as you get outside more in the warmer weather!), and get yourself a few things that you like that fit now. Don't punish yourself, your body is designed to hold onto weight in the cold months, and you deserve to think you look good NOW, no matter what your size.

11 years ago

AviaMariah

Veteran

I think you should store the too small stuff if you can find the room. Maybe if they are too small next spring you should think about passing them on. I have a lot of weight fluctuation and that's what I've been trying to do. Just make sure you have at least a couple outfits that fit your current body really well. And like Anna said, buy shoes!!

11 years ago

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