I spent about an hour today doing yet another purge of clothes from my closets and drawers. With the exception of some t-shirts and one never-worn formal gown, and two dresses that I bought over the summer, no garment remains that is too big for me to wear. At least not now. In another month, that will probably change. 🙂
I’m holding onto the t-shirts because I like bigger clothes for working out or doing stuff out in the yard. They’re also good to sleep in when it’s warm. Not to be a wimp, by the way, but after dealing with cold weather and snow up north last week while on vacation, I returned to warm, sunny Florida just in time for the cold front. It’s 65 degrees which sounds great to many of you but classifies as darned cold for us. Darned cold is one of my personal meteorology terms. The rare times that the temps sink below 60, it becomes freaking cold. Lower and there’s the risk of experiencing damned f#&$ing cold.
But I digress. Back to the clothes discussion.
The gown is a different story. I ordered it a few years ago from a specialty store online to wear to a friend’s daughter’s wedding. I swear that I did my measurements right, but when it arrived, it didn’t fit me well enough for me to wear. It’s an excellent quality and style in a great spring lavenderish color. I have this odd idea that I should photograph it and attempt to sell it on eBay. Then I think that will be a hassle and, probably, I should find an organization that takes in good quality gowns for people who can’t afford to buy them and just donate it. We don’t have one in the Keys, so if anybody has a suggestion, please let me know.
The other two dresses will be perfect for my Hawaii cruise, so I’m going to a seamstress to see if she can alter them for me.
The clothing purge felt so good! From the closets, I created two piles. One pile has all of the remaining clothes from my largest sizes and next-to- largest sizes that I got back into but have now left behind. These will all be donated to the Salvation Army Thrift Store. The other pile will be packed up and sent to my friend who had weight loss surgery and is just a little bit behind me in her journey. As I continue to lose and current garments become too big, I’ll send them on to her, too. Just like I’ve been given clothes by others, I want to pass on the favor. The practice definitely saves money for us in the long run while we’re on the losing track.
While I worked at the purging task, I couldn’t help but think that the timing was right. It’s almost the end of the year, so what better time to rid myself of things I no longer need? Not only was it practical, but it was also symbolic. I’ve rid myself of much this past year. Physical weight, emotional and mental pain from thinking poorly of myself, physical pain from carrying all those excess pounds on my body. I’ve tried a lot of new things on for size, too, like my exercise routines and healthier eating, along with some new clothes.
2013 is going to be a new year in so many ways. New, as in 2012 is over and 2013 is new to us all. For me, it’s going to be another year of new — new experiences, ever evolving new body, new clothes, new outlook.
Oh, before I forget, I got on the scale today. It’s the first time that I’ve weighed myself in a week. I was absolutely thrilled to see that I maintained my weight. That is remarkable! I wasn’t perfect on my food plan. I ate more carbs and desserts than I normally would consume. However, I successfully balanced those deviations by being mindful with my eating whenever possible and by working in exercise. I don’t know that I’ve ever gone through a holiday season without pigging out and gaining weight. This taught me a great lesson and showed me that I don’t have to backslide just because I always did before. Talk about joyful!
I’m purging the old in more ways than one. What are you looking forward to in this coming year of newness?
Weighty Matters 
I’ve been sending LJ’s old clothes off to other people. It’s a little bittersweet to pack up all those tiny onesies, but it’s nice to get stuff out of the house. Someday, if I actually find some free time, I want to do a big purge and get all sorts of junk out of the house. I’m really starting to hate all the clutter.
There must be something in the air, as I just donated clothes to the Salvation Army on Saturday. I read in the paper that their thrift stores are concerned as donations have decreased with the downturn in the economy and they’ve had to let some people go. The ones in south Florida were really down on clothing for resale. I’m sure they’ll be pleased to get your donations. I think cleaning out one’s closet is a great way to close out the year, maybe help others, and get prepared for the new year.
The past year has been good for me, so I’m hoping that 2013 will be a continuation of the same. As I’m retired, my plan for 2013 is just to try to do at least one useful, positive thing each day. That should leave time for all the unexpected things that life seems to throw at each of us.
Congratulations on making 2012 a year of positive changes in your life.
Yay for you! I’m glad you did so well over the holidays. I haven’t gotten on the scale yet (just got back home) but tomorrow will to see what damage I may have done. I was mostly moderate.
This coming year I am looking forward to finding work, whether here or in Seattle. And I look forward to making a decision about Houston vs. Seattle. And making more progress mentally and physically. I intend to get into at least the size smaller than I am wearing now, if not 2 sizes smaller, including all the attendant activities like various kinds of exercise plus preparing healthy meals that must go along with long-term successful weight loss. Oh, and revising the novel. So an “easy” year …. 😉