The Eternal Dilemma: Lose Weight or Buy New Pants?

[Markola]

Since semi-FIRE-ing in 2020, like many, my wardrobe most days has become jeans or shorts, t-shirt, and comfortable sneakers. I still have a closet full of nice work clothes, which life obligations sometimes force me to look through and, sometimes, to even shave. Today, for example, we went to a retirement party for an attorney friend in her nice downtown offices (I am a mere history major and not an attorney, btw.) Wardrobe assembly was going well enough until I tried to put on the pants. Holy Mother of ….!! I nearly had to get a running start to get in them! What has happened since I fairly recently packed those chosen, comfortable pants in a suitcase?

We did the gig to celebrate our friend, which was enjoyable enough chit chat, though it turns out lawyers apparently don’t wear sport coats anymore much, like I did. Younger people looked at me like I must be a senior partner from another firm. Again, I’M NOT. I managed a fairly well put-together business casual look, except that I was starting to lose feeling below my waist. I digress.

So now I’m home and debating what, if anything to do about it. We eat entirely well-balanced, no sugars, hardly anything processed. Probably the worst food we have is in restaurants with all the salts, sauces, seed oils and who knows what? And I walk at least 4 miles a day, and am fortunate that all my vital signs are terrific.

When I have wanted to lose some weight before, I was most successful going cold turkey on carbs. But I like some carbs. What is life without pasta, I ask you? So, do I make those pants comfortable? Or do I learn to love the new me, of which there is now, apparently, more?

 

[Jerry1]

If you can still get into those pants from 2020, tight though they may be, I would probably just get them altered. You use them so infrequently, that it makes sense to just alter them versus getting new. Where I would draw the line is in the jeans I'm wearing. Are those getting tight? Have you gone up a size in jeans since 2020?

I would also put some effort into losing a bit of weight even if it's not enough to get back into the 2020 slacks. Personally, I think the main this is to hold the line on further increases. Especially since you say your vitals are good. Of course, getting a regular walk in is always a good thing but if you're not overweight in general, I wouldn't try to lose weight for the sake of getting in some old slacks.

 

[Highbeam]

Choosing a correct weight for you is not as easy as it seems. Body image, health indexes, LGN, all play into it but it's also about composition. You could be transferring weight around your body moving from fat to muscle or vice versa. I choose to hold my weight within the "normal/ideal" BMI charts for my sex and height.

If you want to lose weight then don't buy new pants. If you are okay accepting the current you and you need new pants then buy pants that fit. Repeat every time you need new pants.

 

[Flyfish1]

It's not your fault - those unworn office clothes shrink in the closet over time. I have proof!

 

[imjustawarrior]

I spent a year losing a lot of weight. I purchased all new clothes. I'm determined to stay this size for the rest of my life unless somehow I can bulk up like Arnold.

Maintain a healthy weight. It is cheaper all around in the long run. That is a frugal thing I am trying to do.

 

[Markola]

I spent a year losing a lot of weight. I purchased all new clothes. I'm determined to stay this size for the rest of my life unless somehow I can bulk up like Arnold.

Maintain a healthy weight. It is cheaper all around in the long run. That is a frugal thing I am trying to do.

Good for you. Congrats! Mind sharing how you did it? I’ve had temporary success with low carb, My Fitness Pal app, Noom, and attending an extreme fitness gym that included rigorous macros focus. All those things worked until I seemingly screwed up during trips with just one or two meals, then BAM! The pants don’t fit.

 

[Luvtoride]

This week is the 7 year anniversary of my Gastric Bypass surgery. I had it done for several health reasons (heart attack years earlier, Afib, high blood pressure, diabetes , etc). I was at a very unhealthy OVERWEIGHT stage and I just couldn't lose enough weight and keep it off consistently on my own. Within months, I lost 100 pounds, and needed new clothes for every season. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did for my health. I've kept the weight off (I'm within 10 pounds of my lowest weight), eliminated some of my chronic health issues (no more diabetes) and meds and most importantly, I'm healthy to do physical activities with my grandkids. It's a struggle to do in any manner, but it is well worth the effort. Buy the new pants after you get down to a healthy weight!

 

[euro]

This week is the 7 year anniversary of my Gastric Bypass surgery. I had it done for several health reasons (heart attack years earlier, Afib, high blood pressure, diabetes , etc). I was at a very unhealthy OVERWEIGHT stage and I just couldn't lose enough weight and keep it off consistently on my own. Within months, I lost 100 pounds, and needed new clothes for every season. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did for my health. I've kept the weight off (I'm within 10 pounds of my lowest weight), eliminated some of my chronic health issues (no more diabetes) and meds and most importantly, I'm healthy to do physical activities with my grandkids. It's a struggle to do in any manner, but it is well worth the effort. Buy the new pants after you get down to a healthy weight!

Congrats on keeping the weight off for 7 years! That's not a foregone conclusion even for gastric bypass. In principle, I would agree with your advice although it sounds to me like OP may already be at quite a healthy weight based on what he describes, so in this case, I would tend to say: "buy the larger slacks and enjoy your lifestyle".

 

[Jerry1]

Good for you. Congrats! Mind sharing how you did it? I’ve had temporary success with low carb, My Fitness Pal app, Noom, and attending an extreme fitness gym that included rigorous macros focus. All those things worked until I seemingly screwed up during trips with just one or two meals, then BAM! The pants don’t fit.

Two things. Any diet will work but it has to be something that you can do for the rest of your life. It’s a lifestyle change. Basically, eat real food and watch your calories and macros. For me, I basically eat a Mediterranean diet. Second, most everyone falls off the wagon. Try to make those times as infrequent as possible and get back on the program as soon as you can.

I weigh myself every day. I have a 5 pound range that I allow. If I get above that, I eat light for a couple days and get back on track. Vacations are hard because you’re eating out so much. Try to keep on track without spoiling the vacation. Life is a balance.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I lost 50 pounds five years ago. Since then I weigh myself daily and if I start to gain any weight at all, I cut back on what I’m eating. Weighing myself keeps me from fooling myself that I’m not getting fatter when really I am.).

 

[Mark1]

until I seemingly screwed up during trips with just one or two meals, then BAM! The pants don’t fit.

I believe you need to be more honest with yourself. Let's look at this closer at your numbers. Assuming your pants don't fit after you gain 5 pounds (or 17,500 calories) those most be massive meals.
DW lost her last 10-15 pounds by eating food with almost no added sugar. She still eat many foods w/o added sugar. No sugar is really, really hard. Virtually impossible if you eat out.

I think you know what to do, but agree it is hard. Best of luck.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Get the pants.

 

[pacergal]

Most important is to love yourself, no matter what.

You already eat fairly well it sounds like, exercise daily and your Dr. has not said anything about weight or being unhealthy.
Continue enjoying life, buy a bigger pair of pants, or as another poster mentioned, have the waistline altered.
Live life comfortably!

 

[Exchme]

I've exercised heavily my whole adult life but could not keep weight under control. I cut most carbs out about 7 months ago and weight has fallen off like magic. I just hit numbers not seen since high school. Blood pressure is down to the normal range again.

I am not a total fanatic about what I eat, when DW makes a pasta dish, I tell her to cut the pasta in half (or less) from her normal and double the meat. So I will get a few noodles or a piece of garlic bread to have the full experience, but keep it under control.

Has not been hard to do, so you might experiment with cutting the carbs down and see how it goes, I find it effective and easy.

 

[imjustawarrior]

Good for you. Congrats! Mind sharing how you did it? I’ve had temporary success with low carb, My Fitness Pal app, Noom, and attending an extreme fitness gym that included rigorous macros focus. All those things worked until I seemingly screwed up during trips with just one or two meals, then BAM! The pants don’t fit.

I am a very strong willed person that can focus on one thing and go extreme. Everyone is different.

I lost 1/3 of my body weight in 1 year to get to the top of the normal BMI range. I know BMI is nonsense, but still that was my goal.

I ate well balanced, highly nutritional, low calorie foods. I only ate what I enjoyed. I developed a diet that I could enjoy for the rest of my life. I also studied starvation to try to avoid going into starvation mode. I averaged almost a 900 calorie deficit per day for a year. I ate 2 big meals a week to trick my mind into not thinking I was starving. On vacation, I limited my intake, but I still enjoyed a good meal every day. I only ate desserts on special occasions. This meant most days I consumed probably 600-800 calories. It probably is not wise, but I knew that I needed to get it done or I wouldn't do it. I could not do it over a 5 year period, which probably would have been safer and healthier.

To prevent being hungry, I consumed a lot of fiber from vegetables, grains, and fruit. I also supplemented with psyllium husk powder. I shot for 40 mg of fiber a day. I tried to also eat fluffy foods. Foods that are filling but have almost no calories. Some times I would just stop eating because I was so tired of chewing after 30 minutes. One can eat a lot of vegetables for very few calories.

No foods were off limits, but I didn't waste my calories on foods that wouldn't fill me up or were not highly nutritious. I eat mainly single ingredient foods (meat, vegetables, fruit, grains, milk, nuts, seeds).

I also learned that 1 mg of caffeine burns 1 calorie. I drank 2 cups of coffee and 2 Coke Zeros every day. That burns about 250 calories. That is like walking 3 miles. I also tried to exercise every day, but the energy level can be pretty low. Resistance training was hard.

 

[Aerides]

If it's just a question of 5lbs and pants, just get the pants. If it's a question of 15 or more, or health, or impacting activity, then lose the weight.

After I lost some weight I didn't get to my "goal" number but I got to where I'm quite happy. I don't cringe at a photo or change outfits 3x to find the one that's more slimming.

I'm not a skinny model, but I'm quite comfortable in my skin. If you are too, then just go shopping.

 

[Markola]

As I said, the only thing that consistently works for me is low carb. I kept getting up last night to urinate (sorry), which is unusual. I realized I’ve been eating low carb by accident the last few days, so the usual water elimination has started. This morning I checked and I am down a couple of pounds this week. I’m going to keep it up.

 

[brett]

I felt better when I lost some weight. Even better when I changed my diet and started to do some excercise.

Feeling better, feeling healthier, and being healthier is a great catalyst for me to continue down that path.

 

[Highbeam]

Couple things upthread... I read about finding a "healthy weight" but that is not a known thing. I think we can all agree on unhealthy weights in the extreme but the window of what is healthy is much larger than what most dieters are envisioning and very subjective.

The other line I hear is that you have to stay on this diet forever. This is just false. We're good at math here on this forum and some even good at calculus. The diet that gets you heavier is different than the diet that you need to lose weight which is ALSO different from the diet that you need to maintain a weight. So no, you do not need to stick to the weight loss diet forever and in fact can't or else you will shrivel and die!

 

[Phroig]

Two words: drawstring pants.

 

[brett]

I discovered that it is not difficult. Switch to a healthy diet, do a little exercise, and don't bother with the I do not know why I am gaining weight or loosing weight routine.

As above, nothing more than a simple math or IT challenge. Garbage in, garbage out.

 

[COcheesehead]

I am right in the middle of my BMI range and have been my whole life. We all need to keep an eye on things as we age. A doctor friend of mine says people come in all the time expecting that there is a pill to solve their problems. He tells them you have a window to correct your behaviors or you’ll start to encounter real problems. Maybe not having your pants fit is your signal to turn things around.

 

[Markola]

^^^ Yeah, I think I hear what you’re saying, and that my OP above is recognizing my body undergoing some kind of shift at 59 to an older me. There’s an handful of other things happening, too, like arthritis in my lower back, etc. But I’m still in the window to get a handle on weight. I’ve continued to avoid carbs for a week and am down a couple of pounds.

A few more weeks of this direction and maybe I’ll take another run at those pants.

 

[djsander]

Being conscientious of what you are eating and when goes along way. I went from 275 at one point to 230 when we retired 4 years ago now am pretty steady around 180. Its made a big difference for me as my BP is normal again and feel much better. I cinched up the belt for awhile until the clothes were getting just too baggy. It’s a good problem to have to buy smaller sized clothes!

 

[Chuckanut]

Purchase pants with some elastic in and near the waistline, That will help them adjust to small differences in weight.

I found this out when my body settled in at a comfortable odd numbered inch waist. One inch less is a bit too tight. But, one inch less with some elastic is a nice fit. One inch more is a bit baggy all around