Clothes Should Make You Feel Good

Whenever I share my latest thoughts on disordered eating and amenorrhea, I usually need to follow up the post with another one on the subject pretty quickly as I see these topics are the most appreciated.

I think it’s great to know who my audience is and which posts are desired. It’s also somewhat nice to know that on some level, we all go through the same thought processes and situations at some point in our lives.

At the same time, I think it’s sort of sad. It’s sad that so many people struggle with figuring out how to stop obsessing about food and the scale and start living a full life of healthy activity and enjoyable meals.

The diet and fitness industry is so focused on losing weight while getting stronger on less food when at least over here in my corner of the internet, we all need to ignore that.

We need to figure out how to exercise just enough without overdoing it, weigh enough rather than drop pounds and learn to eat to support our health rather than determine how to slash crazy calories.

On that note, let’s chat about something I have been thinking a lot about lately…

So sometimes my mother says things that really make sense.

I was going through one of my I hate my clothes moods and my mother said the following to me in her attempt to talk to me down from the ledge.

If they don’t, get rid of them.

Clothes should make you feel good.

Did you hear that?

How many of us are keeping clothing in our closets that aren’t making us feel good yet we try to wear them anyway for various reasons?

Maybe the pants are from when you were at your skinniest (and unhealthiest).

Maybe the dress is from seven years ago when you were younger.

Maybe the outfit is from before you started running regularly so now you have muscles that fill up space that you didn’t notice in the past.

Maybe your shirts are shorter than they used to be and don’t balance right with your pants but you are still trying to make them work because they used to work and the fact that they don’t work now means something might have changed or needs to change and no one likes change.

What happened? Did I do something wrong? Why doesn’t this outfit work for me anymore?

Did I gain weight? Gain muscle? Eat too much? What changed?

Whatever the reason be, if what you are putting on your body makes you think too much, it needs to go.

The black pants I have talked about in the past have now been donated.

While the black pants still fit me, they were snugger in certain spots which caused me to think way too much every time I put them on my body.

It’s like I gave up the scale years ago yet these black pants were feeling like the scale to me!

I bought the pants when I was too thin and not getting my period. I didn’t need the reminder every time I looked at the pants in my closet.

I wasn’t comfortable mentally or physically in the black pants so I donated them in one of those clothing donation bins.

I think you should do the same.

Get rid of the clothes in your closet that aren’t making you feel good.

I know from the comments and the emails I receive that many of you are dealing with recovery from disordered eating, amenorrhea and other types of eating/body image issues.

I have a feeling that part of what holds you back is trying to fit into the clothing that probably shouldn’t still fit.

Let your body do it’s thing. Don’t allow your clothing to hinder you in the process.

We need to remember that the slightest adjustment in muscle and shape can change how our clothing is going to fit.

It’s nothing drastic but can feel drastic mentally and physically if we allow it.

So don’t allow it.

It’s such an amazing feeling when we wear something that makes us feel good. When our shirts and pants, dresses and skirts fit the way that they should.

I am a strong believer in knowing that if you are eating a diet of mostly nutrient dense foods balanced with your favorite indulgences while working out regularly, you do not need to think about weight management, what size you wear or how to make changes for the better.

You are already for the better.

Posts of Interest:

Jeans Can Lie < – One of my first posts about how your body changes which affects how your clothes fit.

Achieving a Balanced Attitude Towards Your Weight < – My balanced approach to staying in check and healthy

Body Image Chat < – More about clothes and how they attempt to mess with our brains. Learn what to think about instead!

[bctt tweet=”Clothes should make you feel good! #bodyimage #health #clothes #feelgood” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Do you have some things in your closet that maybe you should donate?

How often do you clean out your closet? Who do you give the clothing to – a donation bin or relative/friend?