Fashion talk!!

First topic message reminder :

Hi
I need some advice from you wonderful people. I was sleeved in May 09 I feel great and as some people have said I LOVE MY SLEEVE. It is definetly the best thing I have done for myself. I had lots of ups and downs but wouldnt go back for the world.I have lost so far 55kgs with another 15 to go (and it gets harder i know lol) but still very very happy anyways my question:
For everyone who has lost lots of weight do u have trouble finding your fashion sence? Today I walked around the shops for 3 hours and just couldnt get my head around which style suits me I seem to have lost it. Before I was a size 24 -26 and didnt care what it looked like as long as it fit. I have lost so much confidence that I dont many friends who are free to come with me and hubby .............well you know men lol.
Any advice will be appreciated
Thanx

Hi Jaime



They def have some in Target cos I got myself one before I went into hospital too. Used it for at least one week post op cos my bra was rubbing on the highest cut. Very comfy and less than $20 too from memory



Hope you find one x

I had a look in Big W today, for some crop tops in around a size 22 - 24 for my hospital stay. NADA, ZILCH, NOTHING! Well they had some in the smaller sizes but nothing *plus sized*.

I couldn't find anything on ebay.

Does anyone know where I could get a crop top from???

WOW - 36kg is a fantastic loss.

I do know what you mean about clothes. I am finding it depressing when I trying my fairly new clothes that I bought just before surgery to find they swim on me. I am now only buying cheaper clothes as I have realised that we will continue to change in shape quickly.

One thing that I know helps me at the moment is - try carrying the weight you have lost and my god!!! isn't it hard. I find this really helps to make it sink in.

Keep up the good work.

Your not alone Kel.... I was also sleeved at a size 26 and i now fit into a size 20 - 22 depending on the brand. I also look in the mirror and think , where am I loosing this from, as i still have my belly, hips, thighs etc. Everyone says to me, i can see it in your face, you look so much better and I hate it because I always loose it from my face first.. (hence no more double chin)!!!!!

I cleared out all my size 26 clothes a few weekends back and only have a few clothes in there to get me through till i get to my goal weight. I wont be buying much, just things I need.

Goodluck with you journey!!! :)

I have used shopping to learn about the new body. I try on all sort of things to see what works and where I am in sizes. I do this at Goodwill, and see it as part of educating myself.

Zoe

didles wrote:

I felt the same until hubby took a picture of me and I put it on Facebook, I looked at it and thought WOW that's me??

I look in the mirror and still see flabby thighs and a flabby belly but I am getting better at it.

Yes!!! Totally...
My brother was taking some video footage of me holding my 1 day old nephew - and then played it back to us.... I was sitting on the lounge watching, and when I saw myself - I said.. WOW!

I felt the same until hubby took a picture of me and I put it on Facebook, I looked at it and thought WOW that's me??

I look in the mirror and still see flabby thighs and a flabby belly but I am getting better at it.

I hear you so loudly... I have been shopping a lot the last few weekends; I virtually ran out of clothes. Pre-op in plus sizes fit great, couldn't get my size; now four months on in the smaller section post-op still have trouble getting my size and do not like the styles, colours etc. I look around the shop I enter and for so reason (maybe habit, maybe brain not used to it) I always end up at the plus section. Why? The clothes are so nice too, colours styles... and now they do not fit. I do not not want to be mutton dressed as lamb... though it is nice to pick up clothes straight off of the rack and know they'll fit. There are clothes on the rack that I think will not fit and not look good on me; though thank god for my grand daughter... she says 'try this on" or "that ones too big for you" and when I do I look in the mirror and it does look nice. Some days ... same as others... I still look in the mirror and see this person whom is not me, small slender; other days everything is yuk and big and I squeeze it and sa you gotta just go. I am sure our brains will catch up with our weight loss one day soon. Take care.

we are quite mean to ourselves at times aren't we
i am trying to work on this now, otherwise i'll finally get to goal and still be bitching about stuff LOL

I went into Victoria's Secret the other day and they were having their semi-annual sale.. grabbed a bunch of bras and they were HUGE on me. Ended up getting remeasured and am 34D - from 42 or 44 last year. Only D because of the fat, not because I have any boob left! Does seem very odd, I occasionally see myself in a store window and think "damn, I am skinny!" but then looking in the mirror at home I am so hard on myself, I feel like I am still blubbery because of the skin and saggy bits.

i found that keeping some of my old favourite outfits works wonders
when i'm feeling fat i go and put them on, then i can definitely see that i've lost 30kg

also take lots and lots of photos
i use them to compare, i know the mind takes a while to catch up but photos help a LOT

It takes a long time. I was sleeved at 93.8KG, and I remember being told (even by people in here!) that they would be happy to be 93.8KG!

I understand that to some people that could be a desirable weight, especially if you start out at over 120KG, but as a 163.5CM tall woman, that weight, a size 16-18 is still too big for me. I was a small woman covered in fat. I had diabetes, now I don't.

Losing weight is a process. Everyone starts off differently in here,and some of us arrive at the goal a little quicker because we started off with less to lose.

You should not judge yourself by other people's standards. Every dress size down is an achievement! At size 20 from a 26, yes, you are still a big lady, but soon you will be an 18, then a 16, then a 14!

36 KG is a LOT of weight to lose! You have done amazingly well. In three months time you will be much nearer your goal, and you will look back at this and laugh.

If I ever need inspiration, I look at Chrisbychick's before and after photos in her gallery, or read her diary.

Don't be discouraged!

Keep plugging along! You WILL get there!

after 2 1/2 yrs I still go straight to the plus size section :-(

I still look in the mirror and see a plus size me!

its a shock when I look at the label on my clothes hahaha

ahhh.. the brain is a strange creature!!!

YES! I totally understand when you say you look in the mirror and can't see any difference..

Look - the fat thighs are still there, podgy tummy, saggy arms!!! WHYYYY!!????
But then some days - hey - I'm looking pretty good!!!

Its linked with your self esteem, mood, hormones, - how you feel on the day.

If you can - try to take regular pics - before and after - you CAN notice the difference when its staring at you from the computer screen.

You definitely aren't alone here!

You will get used to it and tell yourself you belong there! I personally have developed a shopping addiction now I can go into all the 'normal' shops that only go up to size 16. I still feel like I shouldn't be able to shop in the normal sizes, or that I should be 'borderline' squeezing into one or two things, but it's not like that at all. It's great! yesterday I went to a clearance sale with my friends and could actually buy stuff - normally I lurk uncomfortably around while they buy teeny tiny little bargains. I bought underwear and lingerie in size 14D. Wowee.

Enjoy it - but don't go too shopping crazy just yet. I have learnt that the hard way hehe. I have new clothes in 18 and 20 than I shrunk out of without even really wearing them. oops haha.

Totally get feeling out of place in the 'normal' sizes section - definitely not alone there!it takes time to catch up with your body, so don't worry about it - go out and buy yourself something in the smallest size that fits and revel in it!

Well done, kel!!!
I know what you mean about not ever being able to buy from the 'normal' clothes sections/shops.
You must be so proud of yourself, and rightfully so. Even if you don't see a difference, your brain knows that you are now fitting into smaller clothes, give your brain a chance to catch up totally. 36 kilos in such a short time is sooo good, I hope I am at a 36kg loss when I am as far out as you.

So when i got sleeved I was a size 26 and Today I bought a pair of jeans that fit so well in a size 20. YAY but...


I look at myself and dont see any difference. I've lost over 36 kgs and dont even feel different.. except a bit more energy to burn everyday.

But im also getting scared about going to the normal sizes. I've NEVER been in that section and it just doesnt seem like I should be in there.

Anyone else ever fell or felt like this?

It is a great idea, I am hopeless at buying clothes.
For 40 years I bought what fitted

Oh I love that idea Gussam! I must try that sometime.

I hate clothes shopping - So what I do to minimise time and mistakes is to find a store with a staff member who is dressed well and also has curves.

I will then let her choose clothes for me and I have been surprised a few times with what they have chosen and then how good it looks!!!
They constantly see the clothes on people and know what should work with my body shape.
I am currently wearing a little black dress that is figure hugging. I went in wanting something 'flowy' (read baggy) and all the flowy stuff made me look bigger. A tighter dress worked wonders and then a wide belt to hide the pot tummy did the ultimate trick!!

Oh, this is an interesting problem, isn't it?
I went a bit mad when I'd stabilised - well, before that too, but grew down out of most of those. I bought whatever I wanted (as long as it was cheap, as I didn't want to spend a fortune). I've given quite a bit of it away too, as I made choices that I didn't like later on, or realised that it probably didn't suit me after all.
But I think that for me it was worth doing that, because it's allowed me to find the things I'm most comfortable, and I don't make as many poor choices with clothing.
Some things I just bought because I'd always wanted to wear something like that, others because they were cheap and I decided that I could just wear them at home, and others for special occasions. Because I didn't pay much for anything, I didn't mind passing them on if I decided that was best after all.

I know this is an old thread but wanted to let you know that about 3 years ago I went to one of those Trinny and Suzanna shows at Hornsby Westfield. I was one of the people pulled up on stage for a makeover.
They were really kind to me as I think they knew how my self esteem was at the time. The only thing they did was say that I had fabulous boobs and shouldn't hide them.
During the makeover it was hard to find one of the outfits that would fit me properly but eventually they threw me out on stage with the highest stilletos I had ever worn and in a dress because I was a person who never wore dresses.
I felt OK but afterwood so many people came up to me and said I looked fabulous.
I didn't keep that style of dress up cause of course I am terribly overweight and the outfit was terribly uncomfortable stilletos included.
I am so glad I had the experience though.
They were really lovely.

I hope one day when I get down to my ideal weight that one day I get a chance like that again. Or maybe will just enjoy being my own stylist trying on all the different styles to find out what I like.

applesauce wrote:

Watching women change as they lose weight, i think and this is so not directed at anybody here that the biggest mistake made is not dressing for the time and their age. I soooooooo do not mean dressing like an old fuddy duddy is the way to go with what I am saying. it is about the fact that a lot of us missed out on wearing those things we sooooo desperately wanted to when 16 or 18 or 20,, that hight of fashion for THAT age group. Those dreams stay with us and the sadness of never having got to wear that trendy item because it would never fit. I find that the first thing a lot do is grab for that lost dream, which means it is both 20 years out of date and 20 years to young.

No, that doesn't sound bad Apple, LOL. That is exactly what I'm worried about, it's been so long since I could buy clothes because I liked them rather than because they fit. I can't deny that I'm looking forward to it though :-)

Cheers - Carrie

PHI I believe is Private Health Insurance ... if Im wrong someone will correct me : )

Kylie wrote:

Do you want to live on shakes forever? Or do you want to be able to eat like a normal person and keep the weight off?

Ooops just read another post, you haven't been sleeved yet so can that :)
What is PHI?