You can lose 20 pounds in 3 months if you really work hard and put your mind to it. Keep the clothes. They will fit you again before you know it!

Anonymous wrote:Problem is OP, you are not under enough stress....just kidding.

When I'm "stressed out" I eat a tremendous amount. When I'm about to have a nervous breakdown, it is scary how my appetite completely disappears. I once did not eat more than a few crackers in a week and I dropped 12lbs. The stress was so intense, it was crazy how my body was so ramped up, despite having no food (or desire for food) in my system.

Not to minimize, but if you have something like your entire family die-excet yourself, the last thing you are thinking about is grabbing a bag of chips.

Umm-- OP here. You actually ARE minimizing. When I said I'd been under horrible stress for two years, that's what I meant. I went through a personal situation I would not wish on anyone. Did my entire family die? No. But it was a horrible situation. Everyone responds to stress differently. Great for you that it makes you lose your appetite. I'm the opposite.

The person who said I must look like a stuffed sausage sounds like a truly lovely individual.

Not that I think you would seriously consider this, OP, but I would advise you to ignore a PP's advice not to buy new clothes because you'll lack the incentive to lose weight. I agree in theory, but I think it's only good advice if we are talking a small amount of weight. At 20 pounds, you will feel so much better about yourself if you buy clothes that fit. I think feeling good is the best motivator (and I just lost 65 pounds, so I've been in your shoes).

Maybe go to Target or TJ Max for some basics? Also, I know this sounds nuts, but when I was transitioning, I got clothes from a woman on Craig's List. It didn't occur to ms until later to worry about bedbugs, but it ended up working out really well.

Also add, I went from a solid 14 to a solid 12, and have lost 17 lbs. I'm also short.

Lbs are strange.

As for the pounds correlation to dress size, it depends on the sizes. The smaller you are, the fewer pounds it takes to go from up/down a size. A 4 to 6 might be 5/10 lbs, but a 12 to 14 might be 15/20 lbs.

Forgot to add I went from a 16 to 14.

I'm 5'6 and I lost 15 pounds and only dropped one size. Maybe 1/2 a size more since things were getting tight. It is really hard but if I were you I'd try and lose some of that now before you're like me and having a miserable time getting any more weight off. You don't want your body to set at this new weight.

I don't know where you live, but I was out yesterday and there are some huge sales right now on all kinds of styles. I'd start at a place like Loehmans if you need a suit, maybe but TJMaxx and major dept stores are good bets too. Get staple pieces as PPs have suggested and don't fret. It won't be forever, just until you're over this hump. Start feeling better first, then work on the pounds and they'll come off.

Yeah, I didn't read the 5'9" poster as bitchy, just providing a context. Even women the same height and same weight can look very different and wear different sizes. My friend has a huge chest, so when she loses weight, a lot of it is gone from her hips and waist. She can wear smaller pants sizes than me who is the same height and weight.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What have you been wearing the past 2 years?

Also 20 lbs is not 3 dress sizes. It's closer to 1 dress size.

You must look like an over stuffed sausage casing.

I'm TALL at 5'9" and have lost 40lbs and have gone from a 16 to a 6.

I can't imagine what 20lbs would do to someone a few inches shorter than me.

Wow. What an incredibly bitchy thing to say. What on earth was the purpose of this comment? It certainly wasn't tobe helpful or supportive.

PP was responding to the comment that gaining 20 lbs would only cause an increase of one dress size. It causes her, at 5'9", to change quite a few sizes, so she was saying that someone shorter would probably change even more. Not bitchy.

Anonymous wrote:Problem is OP, you are not under enough stress....just kidding.

When I'm "stressed out" I eat a tremendous amount. When I'm about to have a nervous breakdown, it is scary how my appetite completely disappears. I once did not eat more than a few crackers in a week and I dropped 12lbs. The stress was so intense, it was crazy how my body was so ramped up, despite having no food (or desire for food) in my system.

Not to minimize, but if you have something like your entire family die-excet yourself, the last thing you are thinking about is grabbing a bag of chips.

You are like me. Stress causes me to not eat anything, and I lose quickly. For those who stress eat, I was watching a show talking about the different types of eaters. Stress (emotional) eaters make up the biggest group. Anyway, the psych on the show was saying that the best way to help with that is to try swaps. For example, if you are feeling angry and want something with crunch, instead of eating a bag of chips, try something that has the same crunch like carrots, apple, nuts...etc. I don't know if this might work for you or not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What have you been wearing the past 2 years?

Also 20 lbs is not 3 dress sizes. It's closer to 1 dress size.

You must look like an over stuffed sausage casing.

I'm TALL at 5'9" and have lost 40lbs and have gone from a 16 to a 6.

I can't imagine what 20lbs would do to someone a few inches shorter than me.

Wow. What an incredibly bitchy thing to say. What on earth was the purpose of this comment? It certainly wasn't tobe helpful or supportive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What have you been wearing the past 2 years?

Also 20 lbs is not 3 dress sizes. It's closer to 1 dress size.

You must look like an over stuffed sausage casing.

I'm TALL at 5'9" and have lost 40lbs and have gone from a 16 to a 6.

I can't imagine what 20lbs would do to someone a few inches shorter than me.

I've gained 25 pounds, I'm 5'6" and have gone up from an 8 to a 12.

Problem is OP, you are not under enough stress....just kidding.

When I'm "stressed out" I eat a tremendous amount. When I'm about to have a nervous breakdown, it is scary how my appetite completely disappears. I once did not eat more than a few crackers in a week and I dropped 12lbs. The stress was so intense, it was crazy how my body was so ramped up, despite having no food (or desire for food) in my system.

Not to minimize, but if you have something like your entire family die-excet yourself, the last thing you are thinking about is grabbing a bag of chips.

Anonymous wrote:What have you been wearing the past 2 years?

Also 20 lbs is not 3 dress sizes. It's closer to 1 dress size.

You must look like an over stuffed sausage casing.

I'm TALL at 5'9" and have lost 40lbs and have gone from a 16 to a 6.

I can't imagine what 20lbs would do to someone a few inches shorter than me.