To keep my "thin" clothes or accept that I'll never wear my Levi's again?

[lou967]

Hi all. I used to weigh 10st a few years ago after successfully slimming down from 16st. I'm 5ft8. Over the last year through working, life etc I've gained 3st back. I've been sorting through my wardrobe over the last few weeks and came across my "thin clothes". Once I'd slimmed down, I bought lots of designer jeans such as Levi's, Diesel and 7 For All Mankind in a 28 waist. I recently tried them on and I cant get them past my thighs. I absoloutely love my Levi's 501 and I don't want to part with them or any of my "thin clothes".

I love eating and would love some advice on whether to keep or bin/sell my thin clothes. I did calorie counting to lose the weight last time, but I can't seem to get motivated. Also, once I lose the weight, how do I make sure I don't gain it back? Do any of you weigh regular? If your jeans get tight, do you cut back until they fit?

As its lockdown, I want to try and slim back down. Any help, tips or ideas are welcome. Thanks

[Pimmsypimms]

Ah I'm the same boat op. I've put on so much weight that none of my last years summer clothes fit me and they were bigger than the previous years!! I probably need to lose a good 3 stone. I've listed a few bits on eBay tonight but I'll keep the good stuff in the hope that I'll find the willpower to start my weight loss journey again.
I had started to lose weight at the beginning year but isolation put a stop to that 😭

[lou967]

Pimmsypimms - Well its shocked me that none of mine fit. I'm sure you'll get motivated.

[Yellowsubmarinedreams]

Also, once I lose the weight, how do I make sure I don't gain it back? Do any of you weigh regular?

I dont weigh myself regularly but can tell roughly by how my clothes feel. What stops me very simply is I like being and want to be slim more than I like food. And I LOVE food. But stuffing your face all the time has consequences I don't want!

[MissMarks]

It was probably quite unrealistic that at 13 stone you would fit in to a 28 inch jean. I am same height as you and just about in at 9 and a half stone although I do have a big bum!
That’s a fair amount of weight to lose so you would need to be really motivated. I would maybe start with the view to get down to 11.5 stone, eat healthily and get out walking every day!

[lou967]

Missmarks - Yes it was unrealistic but I wanted to see how far off they were from fitting. I'll start walking more. I'm not going to snack anymore either.

[lou967]

Yellowsubmarinedreams - that is a good way of thinking.

[ArriettyJones]

No don’t bin them! You can do it!

I’m not sure calorie counting really works on its own, though.

Have you looked at low carbing or paleo plus exercise?

[Hipsterjoe]

Get some WiFi scales that automatically plot your weight on a graph and show a trend line, Nokia sell some. Do not sell the jeans, you can fit into them again. I believe in you!

[misskatamari]

I'm in the same boat, and have loads of "thin clothes" up in the loft. I've never been skinny, but years ago, did Rosemary Conley and lost a couple of stone. I managed to maintain a fairly constant weight, until i got pregnant, and had 2 babies in the space of a few years, and since then, just haven't managed to lose it (not that i have tried very hard). I'm keeping things for now, as hope that now the kids are bigger, and actually sleep, I might manage to lose weight finally. I can't quite let go of the dream yet. Plus I've got some gorgeous clothes I would love to wear again.

[bloodyhellsbellsx]

No don’t bin them! If you get rid then you are accepting that your going to stay fat and not ever get back into them!
Low carb with IF is great for weight loss, I’ve used it to lose my 4 stone baby weight and now back in my size 10 jeans so it is possible! Good luck!

[lou967]

Arriettyjones- I'll have a look at low carb. I stuck to around 1200 calories last time I got to 10st. Plus I did some walking/jogging.

Hipsterjoe - I will take a look at them. They sound really cool. I was going to sell the jeans but I spent so much money on them, I cannot let them go.

Misskatamari - I've never tried Rosemary Conley. What does it involve?

[lou967]

bloodyhellsbellsx - Well done you. I don't want to stay fat. I really want to wear my Levi's as well as my 7FAM's.

[letmethinkaboutitfornow]

Listening with interest! Same boat. Cannot stop eating!!! I do not even go out for days.... I just want a whole cake, whole pack of biscuits, loads of snacks and sleep!
Wish I had a job and some level of motivation at the moment.
@lou967 - good luck OP!

[lou967]

letmethinkaboutitfornow - thats me at the moment. Eating lots and paying the price. I should have tried to nip it in the bud once my jeans stopped fitting. But with work, life etc I just gave up.

[Sandybval]

Many people gain weight after losing it, but also manage to lose it again so don't feel bad. It depends really whether the weight you were when you bought them is sustainable for you, if so and you were eating enough etc at the time and not restricting too heavily or over excercising then I would keep them as it is realistic to safely fit back into them. If though it wasn't then sell them, it could be that your happy, sustainable weight is between there and where you are now. Either way, good luck!

[GrumpyHoonMain]

I’m 5 ft 7 and weigh nearly 12 stones, have pcos and hypothyroid (so low metabolism) and have always been able to lose weight on 2-2.1k calories. The trick is to include exercise that burns 200-500 cals per day - for me that was always daily yoga / 5 mile walks in one go (possible even as a London commuter in a high stress job) plus something fun like climbing or hiking once or twice a week.

[lou967]

@Sandybval - I was eating enough as I wasn't hungry. I was eating roughly 1200 calories but ensuring that my meals were balanced with plenty of fruit, vegetables, fish, chicken, pasta, potatoes, etc

Thank you for your kind words. I'm feeling motivated.

[HopeClearwater]

I binned my smaller-size old jeans and I wish I hadn’t. I should have taken notice of what they were telling me - that is, stop eating so much!

[lou967]

Hopeclearwater - I've been very tempted to ebay them or bin them. But I agree, mine are also telling me to stop eating so much!!

[LakeTittyHaHa]

Don’t do it! My weight has fluctuated my entire adult life and I gave away some gorgeous clothes to charity when I thought I’d never lose weight... and low and behold I started running and lost weight and would have fit into them! Sob!

I’ve done this several times over the years and always regret it. I’m 2 stone overweight now after the birth of first DC and I have all my pre-pregnancy clothes all sat in the spare wardrobe, taunting me... but I will get back into them! Not going to make the same mistake again!

You will fit back into those jeans again OP, I believe in you!

[LakeTittyHaHa]

Also 7 For All Mankind are the absolute best jeans in the world IMO so definitely don’t get rid!

[CheshireDing]

I have some thin jeans , got them when breastfeeding my 3 DC (they were all mad feeders so I could eat loads and be the thinnest ever)!! but as the youngest is now 4 years old I am not thin now

Have lost a bit of weight during lockdown as basically just trying to hardly eat, seems the only way for me.

When I think about when I lived alone I used to snack and just eat a big plate of veg with some kind of sauce/dressing at night, once I moved in with DH I was eating bigger ‘proper’ meals. I think a lot of women do this and I don’t know whether it’s not right in terms of the differences between male/female dietary needs or something else.

I am only 5ft1 so have basically concluded to get back in my thin jeans I need to starve pretty much, I know it sounds ridiculous but otherwise it’s depressing as I look old, knackered, embarrassing mid aged fat etc

Due to Coronavirus DH and I are also trying to be healthier as it does affect unhealthier people easier (obv among many other reasons for it) and it looks like Cv will be around generally for a long time to come.

Sorry but waffly but solidarity fist pump OP.

[Hollyhead]

I maintain my weight by being very strict on clothing - I’m miserable over a certain size so as soon as my clothes feel tight I cut back for 2-3 weeks and pick up the exercise.

I literally am not allowed to buy bigger clothes, it’s a slippery slope.

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

I lost three stone low-carbing - and I'm now wearing my thin clothes I thankfully kept from nearly 20 years ago!

Low-carb/high fat works for me because you don't go hungry - anything which makes me feel deprived inevitably leads to bingeing when I "crack". Because you fat is satiating you need less to fill you up, so as you become fat-adapted you eat less naturally without feeling hunger. A lot of people combine it with intermittent fasting (not me).

There's a lot of information on the low-carb bootcamp section here.

[PicklePig31]

Okay... firstly, don’t throw them. Keep them all.

Secondly, calorie count using MFP as it works to lose the weight and then weigh yourself twice a week after. Everytime the scale says you’re heavier, check yourself and have a light day/two days. 3lbs is easier to lose than 3 stone!

You can do it!