Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Red, white and free

I hate putting away clothes. It’s always been my least favorite chore.

I can remember my mom would leave my laundry on my bed (so spoiled) for me to put away. I didn’t even have to wash my own clothes, yet I’d still whine about the hardships of putting things on hangers and in drawers.

Though I do my own laundry now, the amount of complaining I do about putting away my clothes hasn’t changed all that much. I still hate it.

But lately, putting away clothes hasn’t just been a bothersome task. It’s been almost impossible.

Since I started losing weight, I’ve gone down more than five sizes. And when you add the new clothes I’ve bought into the mix, well, let’s just say my closet and drawers are overloaded.

So what better time to purge my old stuff than Independence Day weekend? I’ve been thinking about it a lot, but Sunday morning, I got up and just started throwing stuff into bags. I stopped thinking sentimentally and started thinking practically. Sure, that dress was super cute, and I wore it to some memorable events, but it’s a size 24. I’m never going back there.

Toss.

It went surprisingly quickly. And with each item that went into the trash bag, I cleared out a little more space—in my closet and in my life.

In all, I filled six huge trash bags with clothes that no longer fit. And just to ensure I wouldn’t keep them, I drove them straight to my local Goodwill.

See ya never, old life.
It’s amazing how much better I feel now that there is room for my new stuff. Out with the old, in with the new, they say. It's how I'm trying to live my life, too.

Independence Day, indeed.

9 comments:

Heather said...

Good for you! I love cleaning out the closets and drawers and it's even more exciting to get rid of those (larger) sizes. Congratulations on your independence! :)

Anonymous said...

Wow, that is so brave! I would have surely saved all my favorites in bins marked by size, just in case I went the other way. You have such a fantastic attitude about your weight loss being a life long change! I really admire you more than I can say!
~Laura

Anonymous said...

Love this post! Good for you! xoxoxo Beth aka: Sil

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite things to see after my mom lost 50 pounds was watching her throw away all of her old clothes. She bought a bunch of new clothes that were much fancier and colorful than the ones she had when she was heavier. It's a great feeling to see someone you love feel so good about their new life, as I'm sure your friends and family are feeling reading your blog. Keep up the good work! :)

Anonymous said...

Having replaced everything in my wardrobe except my shoes (some of them are even big now), I can relate. I went through my final closet purge during January's snow/ice storm. It is a liberating feeling to get rid of the baggage associated with the old weight and clothes. Keep up the good work!

Dawn M. Stark said...

Doesn't it feel good to purge..your clothes I mean! It's just a great feeling. Good for you and you're right, you're never going back there so get rid of them and in doing so you are helping someone in need!

Love ya girl and cannot express how incredibly PROUD I am of you!

XOXO

Anonymous said...

Purge!!

Jess

Anonymous said...

Ahh you have inspired me. Going home and trying to get close to your 6 bags!

Tonia said...

I love your attitude! "I'm never going back there". And then, down five sizes... how amazing!

At my goal weight I'd probably be two sizes smaller, yet on my weight loss journey I've managed to fluctuate between two sizes with the comfort of my just in case I go back there clothes hanging in my closet. You've inspired a change in my mindset... I'll have Goodwill credit you with thanks for my donation when I get to goal :)