Hide Away Following Bariatric Surgery

It is possible to drop a significant amount of weight quickly after gastric bypass surgery. The quick weight loss is a cause for celebration, but it comes with the downside of having trouble finding clothes that fit your ever-shrinking frame. You can get through this sour-sweet predicament.

It’s incredibly irritating to dig through your closet looking for things that actually fit. As someone who used to go through a size change every three weeks, I can attest to the frustration of trying on garments that are now too big or too small. I had to find a way to speed up the process of simply clothing myself, alleviating the frustrations of having clothing scattered everywhere, and getting rid of the negative attitude I had toward clothes when I should have been grateful for the “happy problem” of having to shop for clothes in a smaller size.

The answer was obvious: I needed to go through my closet (and dresser drawers) and sort everything out by size.

To my knowledge, this is a brand-new idea! Our closets and drawers can be organized in a variety of ways, such as by color, season, fabric, climate, occasion, holiday, garment type, style, etc. Few, however, have ever tried to sort their wardrobe by size.

Having your closet and drawers neatly sorted by size will make finding what you need much simpler and will also ensure that everything is close at hand for your fitting room adventures. Then, when you lose weight and go down a size, you’ll have an easier time finding a new, smaller size that flatters you just as much as the one you were wearing before.

As you sort through your clothes, keep in mind that the label sizes may not always reflect your “real size.” When dealing with secondhand clothing, keep in mind that some items may have shrunk or that people may have had items altered to better fit their specific body type. If this happens to you, just attach a little label to the garment indicating the size you think it actually is based on how it fits your body. A used pair of jeans labeled “size 14” may actually fit more like a “size 10” after being washed and dried. Stick a label reading “size 10” on them, then store them among the rest of your 10-inch garments. 

Because of this, you won’t have to keep trying on the pants to figure out the right size because you forgot how they fit the first time. If you are unsure about the size the garment represents, you can put a different message on it, such as “Maybe in one more month (specify month).” You should find a way to take notes that suits your needs.

Create a special compartment or box and label it “Almost Me.” It’s important to give your new garments a spin every two weeks after storing them here. Having clothes that are too big because you put off trying them on is one of the worst feelings ever. I’ve had a few pieces of clothing that I’ve been dying to try on, only to find out they’re too big by the time I get around to checking on them.I could have worn them sooner if I had checked them out on a regular schedule, say once every other Thursday.

Pack them away and give them to someone else, sell them, or donate them to a charity or thrift store as soon as you are out of that larger size. You can safely ditch such garments. Really! After I shed 80 pounds, a friend asked me when I would finally be able to say with certainty that I would never again dress in my former size. In light of your recent weight loss of 100 pounds, How do you feel now, after dropping 150 pounds? When?” This guy helped me realize that I had to take the leap of faith necessary to believe that I was actually losing weight and would not regain it. It was a great day when I finally packed away all of my old clothes and said goodbye to the memories they held.

After having bariatric surgery, you should expect your clothing size to fluctuate frequently as your body continues to shed pounds. If you used to wear a size 3X and have now lost 30 to 50 pounds, you shouldn’t continue to wear that size. Doing so may make you look excessively sagging and unattractive, and it also doesn’t do anything to complement your weight loss.

Set aside some time to start organizing your closet (and drawers). It will take effort on your part, but the benefits will be substantial. Only consider size. There is nothing more. That way, you won’t have to waste time searching annoyingly all over the house for the correct size every time you need to get dressed.

When you lose weight quickly, it changes so many aspects of your life that you may need to rearrange your closet as a result. It seems your requirements have shifted—not just in terms of what you eat and drink, but also in terms of where you find the clothes you wear every day. Help it become less of a chore and more of a pleasure for you. There is a direct correlation between size and importance.