Keeping your clothes the right size is something I have learned is important if your goal is to lose weight.

I first started "really" trying to lose weight about 6 years ago. Over a two year span I managed to lose over 45 pounds. I was getting close to my goal, with only another 15 or 20 pounds to go. Then, due to the loss of my dog (my main walking partner) and other less defineable reasons, I slowly got out of the healthy habits I had acquired. I stopped eating as much fruits and veggies; I returned to drinking pop and coffee laden with cream and sugar; my excersize routine went down the drain. Mind you, all of this happened very, very slowly. Gradually one bad habit replaced one good one without my even noticing it.

This, however, was not the reason why I regained all my lost weight. Sorry, that's not true. That's exactly why I "regained" the weight. But, the reason I didn't "realize" what was happening was because of my clothes!

You see, I didn't want to be buying new clothes all the time. I wanted to wait until I hit my goal. Which means that my clothes were rather baggy by this time. Which also means that when I started to gain weight again I didn't immediately notice the change.

So, reason #1 to make sure you have at least one outfit that fits you well is so you can see the direct impact of changes (good and bad) to your lifestyle.

There are other benefits to making sure your clothes fit. The first is incentive. Once your clothes are baggy there's no incentive to continue. You're one big blob, with no idea of how you look underneath. When your clothes fit, you feel better, and therefore have more reason to continue your healthy lifestyle. As well, if you can't see changes, no one else can either. Regular compliments (or just comments) from others help keep us committed to the idea of weight loss. If other people can't see the difference they're not going to say anything and you may feel that you're in a rut or at a plateau when you may not be. And, last but not lease, it gives you a very good reason not to regain weight back. Who wants to buy new, bigger clothes?

Now that I am back on track and have started seeing results, I have gone through my closet. I have donated almost all of the clothes that were too big. I have put stuff that was too small away for when I can use it later. Not only do I have more room in my closet, but I am much happier with the choices that I have. And you know what, I was given a compliment on how much weight I have lost!

So, get rid of those old clothes that no longer fit and you're sure to see a new you!