Get Rid of the Clothes.....All of Them!

One of the hardest things about losing weight and changing your life forever is the moving forward and never going back. This includes emptying the closet once and for all of ALL clothing that no longer fits. Believe me, this was not at all easy. In fact, looking back it was probably one of the hardest things mentally I had to do on this journey.  Yet it has played a key role in my success and where I am today.

As we lose weight, why is it that we want to hang on to those clothes we slowly start to grow out of? Seems somewhat crazy doesn’t it? I mean we should be celebrating and getting rid of them. But we don’t. Do we even like them? (I know for me, most of them were big and baggy with a lot of “give” around the mid-section so I could easily hide or tug at my shirt to hide the rolls of fat.) Are we keeping them around just in case for some reason we can’t keep the weight off and we need to grow back into them some day? Are they a source of a security blanket in our lives? Whatever the reason may be, you will not change who you are and your lifestyle if you can’t let go of the past. Clothes being a BIG part of it. Get them out of the closet and more importantly, out of the house! It will never be a lifestyle change until you can agree to do this. Like I’ve said before, I at one time lost 40 pounds but then over time slowly put the weight back on. The scary part was that I really didn’t know how much weight I was gaining back because as the pounds crept back on I would just slide myself back into those clothes that were hanging in the closet, waiting to someday be worn again. Can anyone relate? 

This is how getting rid of my clothes once and for all played out for me. I knew for a while I was needing to do this (getting rid of the clothes that is). It was agreeing with myself that kept holding me back. It really is a big deal to commit to never going back.  To believing in yourself enough that you can accomplish anything you want. I remember my trainer had suggested it was time. Time to get rid of the old and start dreaming about the new. (Often times I’d show up to a workout session in clothes that were way too big and needed to be recycled.) I remember being on pins and needles of sorts for several days leading up to this point.  “I’m ready. No, I’m not. Yes, I am”....and this went on. It was a summer evening and my husband was working. I’m guessing it was close to 9pm or so. I felt like it was time. I remember sending a message to my friend Tammy. (She's one of my support team members. Read about my support team here.) The message back was...”On my way!” She was at my doorstep within 10 minutes and the project began. Piles and piles started to mound on my bed, along with belts and several pairs of shoes that were now too big because my feet weren’t as fat. I had doubts about what we were piling up several times. “Oh, I like this. This still fits.” It was very hard and emotional as I was saying goodbye to my old life. The things that had provided me with security for years were going to be gone. As we bagged them up and hauled them out to the car I knew there was no going back. I remember lying in bed that night feeling somewhat numb but relieved at the same time. Tomorrow would be a new day and even if I didn’t have anything to wear, I was one step closer to being who I wanted to be and nothing was going to stand in my way. Not even clothes that were too big, hanging in my closet waiting to be worn!

By tackling this project head on, you will have no choice but to press forward, with faith, believing you can become anybody you’ve always dreamed of being. Yes, it’s scary. Very scary! You saw the picture of my closet when all was said and done. I had nothing left! I felt empty and scared. But one thing was certain. After taking that step, I knew nothing was impossible for me and that I was on my way to being who God had created me to be.