too small clothes- motivational or depressing?

[Lovestonap]

I have loads of beautiful clothes in my wardrobe that don't quite fit. Or don't fit by a long shot. So many in fact that actually I have more clothes that don't fit than do.

These are items that have been bought mainly second hand but some new from shops, and some presents. Always with the though' when I lose weight that will look lovely.

I have some clothes in there that I have never worn, and they have been there two years!

Part of me thinks - "sell them, looking at them every time you open your wardrobe reinforces the fact that you have failed what you set out to achieve"

the other part thinks " buy selling these clothes and getting some more in my current size I am admitting I will never succeed at losing weight"

Some clothes I have already got rid of, It's easy to say goodbye to clothes that didn't cost too much in the first place - but some of them, beautiful dresses I have never worn but imagined myself in so much it would be much more painful to say goodbye to. Like I'm giving up on a dream (oh, the drama!!)

Which thought is right? What to do?

Well you've posted on the weight loss thread! So i reckon you probably have answered your own question!

I lost the 3 stone I needed to by getting a book, dvd etc. by Paul Mackenna who I reckon has the best natural diet going. It works by getting to know your body, You eat (slowly and mindfully) when you're hungry, stop when you're full and it just drops off. He does suggest we should healthily and not go on Cambrige type diets.

Sorry for the typos "eat" healthily. Oh and also drink plenty of water before your meals instead of fizzy rubbish drinks.

Thanks for your reply, ppeat you make a good point!

I am starting to follow Gillian Riley's method - and as a part of that I am just trying to 'rewire' my brain a bit (a bit like Paul Mckenna although she doesn't recommend intuitive eating as much). I just can't help thinking that clearly these clothes haven't been motivational so far so maybe I need to try something different. If every time I open my wardrobe the thought occurs " I am a failure" that doesn't set me up for a good outcome? I don't know.....

Maybe I should reorder my closet so that the easiest clothes to see are my sports clothes - a reminder that I am (or trying to be) a sporty fit person?

PM actually addresses our emotional issues with weight loss which I find so helpful. (he suggests that we don't weigh obsessively, just go on the looseness, or otherwise!of our clothes, I go by the mirror
). I don't know what your Gillian Riley suggests.

I do know that the 'older' fashions are not vanity sized so will always be tighter than the ones most shops sell now! I'm a collector of lovely retro fashions too! It's very motivating when they start to fit properly!

It's probably different for everyone, but in my case it doesn't motivate me to see the too-small-clothes in the wardrobe, it just makes me feel rubbish that there's so much I can't wear, so a lot of it's ended up in a huge IKEA bag in the top of the wardrobe.

BUT there is very little more motivating than getting into a dress which previously didn't fit! I've got my "skinny bag" down a few times during my weight loss, and although it can be depressing when some things still don't fit, there's always been a couple of nice surprises in there. Wearing a dress which you used to be too fat for is, in my opinion, a far bigger boost than a scale victory, and that really is motivating.

lovesontap You're not a failure ! You've just had a few unhelpful habits and they can be changed!