One of the perks of losing weight is the ability to buy clothes in smaller sizes. You don't have to go to the hefty girls racks anymore or wander into the women's section. Not only will you feel better about yourself when shopping, you'll also have more choices of styles and fashions. Consider your budget as you go through the weight-loss process to decide whether you need new clothes through every stage or if you need to wait until you reach your goal.
Treats
Seeing yourself in one size smaller can serve as an incentive to keep going with your weight-loss efforts. Actually wearing a size smaller may provide you with added incentive. While you don't want to invest in a whole new wardrobe when you're in the middle of a weight-loss program, consider treating yourself to one or two items to wear while you work through the awkward mid-diet phase.
Motivation
According to an article on the website PharmacyNewsArticles.com, women in London participate in a fad called incentive clothes buying. Instead of dreaming about fitting into a smaller size, about one-third of the women polled buy dresses, slacks, shirts and blouses that are too small for them. They claim that looking at the clothes in their closets is a huge incentive for staying on their diet. Lloydspharmacy.com, which commissioned the study, dubbed the clothes "carrots" because they serve as the proverbial carrot on the stick for dieters. Men get in on the fad as well, with nearly 12 percent of men polled also motivating themselves with smaller clothes they can look at daily to remind them of their goals.
Sizing
Once you've reached your final weight-loss goal, you'll need to learn what sizes suit you best. Since most clothing lines vary in how the sizes fit various shapes and sizes, you'll be spending more time in the dressing room than normal. Size scanners are the latest technology rage being promoted by retailers. You can stand in the tube and computers read your measurements and recommend the correct size for various brands of clothes. You may find yourself grabbing for your old sizes automatically, but resist the urge and try on everything you buy.
Maintenance
Don't keep your fat clothes just in case you gain the weight back. The bigger sizes only create additional temptation to cheat when your new sizes start getting tight. If you have go out and buy an entire new wardrobe every time you gain weight, that could serve as an added incentive to quickly shed those extra pounds you've put on. If you must hang on to one piece, choose a pair of pants you bought when you were at your biggest. Display it proudly next to your new, smaller sizes to remind yourself where you came from when you wonder if one more cookie will matter. Instead of eating, go buy another pair of skinny jeans.
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