Though let’s be serious (for like 10 seconds), there are two reasons that adults might find that their clothes no longer fit. Either we’ve gained weight, our clothes are too small, or we’ve lost weight, and our clothes are too big! Let’s look at our options for both:

Help! My Clothes Are Too Small!

It is really hard to admit that our clothes are getting too small. I get it. I really do. When we gain one pound here and there because we’re not paying attention to how much we’re eating, these pounds creep onto our bodies sloooooowly. We don’t notice that the extra calories are becoming a problem until it is already a BIG problem!

I once had a pair of jeans that I absolutely loved! When I bought them, they fit perfectly, and I felt confident while wearing them. They started to get tighter and tighter for a few months until it was barely possible to button and zip them! Not to mention, too-tight jeans are a recipe for major muffin-top and camel-toe. Not a good look on me. Often it takes a lightbulb-moment of realization for us to admit to ourselves that we’ve gained weight. For me, I’m thankful that I noticed that my favorite jeans were uncomfortably tight because they helped encourage me to learn how to lose weight and keep it off!

If your clothes are suddenly (or not so suddenly) too small, you have one option: get some bigger clothes. Buy clothes that fit the body you have now, even if you’re planning on losing weight. Why? To start, clothes that fit and aren’t pinching or constricting our skin/fat/bodies help us feel confident and like we belong. To persevere through weight loss, you must believe that you can succeed. From even these little things like our clothes, confidence contributes significantly to this overall goal of success. You are worth it. You deserve to wear clothes that fit, are comfortable, and make you feel good about yourself!

Help! My Clothes Are Too Big!

Let’s say this wake-up call of tight jeans worked, and gosh darn it, you’re going to lose weight! Yay, you! A couple of months and many pounds later, your clothes are falling off of you! Hooray! Success!

But it feels weird… those favorite jeans, the ones that were too tight before, are now too loose. Now they are uncomfortable because you have to worry about holding them up while you walk down the hall at work. That’s no good either! You must buy smaller clothes.

It all comes down to confidence. When my clothes started getting baggy, I started feeling frumpy! I was getting a womanly shape back, but I hid it under yards of extra fabric. Ok, maybe not yards, but a lot of extra fabric. Extra fabric is heavy; it weighs you down. And it’s hard to be confident and believe in your continued successes when carrying around a heavyweight. Definitely buy smaller clothes!

There are certainly financial considerations to buying new clothes; I know most of us are not made of money $$$, so for those with a lot to lose who will pass through many sizes during the weight loss journey or are just frugal (like me), there are some great options:

1. Go to the local consignment/thrift store, goodwill, salvation army, etc., and pick up clothes in your new size for cheap! Like, super cheap! As a bonus, you can donate your more oversized clothes here at the same time! Win-win!
2. Beg, borrow, or steal from friends. You likely have friends or relatives who have extra clothes in the back of their closet that they no longer wear in your new size. Ask around if they have any they would let your borrow or keep. Never underestimate the power of your social network when you need something.
3. Shop the sales! ALL stores have deals. A friend of mine in the NYC fashion industry explicitly told me that she never buys clothing at full price after working for a major clothing company as an insider. Ever. The big department stores (Macy’s, etc.) have sales almost every weekend. Online stores have sales and coupon codes all the time. Lands End is one of my favorites (excellent return policy and customer service, too). I get email discount coupons every week. You can find great deals on new clothes. Shop those sales and wear clothes that fit and make you feel fabulous!

Final Words

Regardless of whether your size is going up or down, you deserve to wear clothes that fit. It is tempting to want to “make do” with what you have because you don’t want to buy new things just to shrink out of them in a few months. This is not an attitude that is going to help you in the long run. Confidence creates success. You need to feel good to feel confident.Wear clothes that fit! ?