I hear it pretty often a woman has a closet stuffed with clothes, but she never has anything to wear. Or that a friend is holding on to clothes that don’t fit her for when she finally loses the weight (even though it has been 10 years). Are you one of these woman?

I was never one to have an over crowded closet mostly because I find it so cleansing to get rid of things I no longer use. However, on my latest purge I did realize I was holding onto clothes that no longer fit me and haven’t fit me in years. This got me thinking and after a session with my intuitive eating coach I realized that holding onto clothes that don’t fit you can be negative to your self esteem, and it was for me. I was trying to squeeze myself into clothes that were to tight and then I would spend the day with my jeans cutting into my stomach which is super uncomfortable, all because of what a label sewn into them said. I also realized I really wasn’t respecting my body when I did this. 

That is when I went out and bought a pair of jeans that were the correct size. Instantly I felt better about my body. I also looked better. That is when I decided to try on every single piece of clothing that was in my closet and when I looked in the mirror if it wasn’t a hell yeah it was a hell no and I got rid of it. 

Clothing wasn’t invented as a tool to help you feel bad about yourself everyday. It was made for protection, but now it should be used to help you express yourself & feel beautiful everyday. When the clothing doesn’t fit no matter how beautiful the pants or top is you won’t feel good in it. 

Another thing I noticed was that I was letting clothing control my thoughts/beliefs about my body. If a dress didn’t look good on me I blamed my body instead of the cut of the dress. Or if something didn’t fit it was because I was fat, not because I just needed a different size. I was living my life to get my body to fit my clothing instead of having my clothing fit my body. 

It took me a very long time before I could go into a dressing room and be nice to myself in the process. In February I was in the dressing room at Target trying on a bathing suit. I was mentally preparing to my nice to myself and show my body compassion. Then when I tried on the suit the first thought that popped into my head was oh I really don’t like the cut of this. SUCCESS!!!! 

Now when I wake up in the morning or go to try something on I ignore sizing labels and I focus on how it fits my body and how I feel in it. If it doesn’t feel good then it is not being purchased.  Now I know everything in my closet fits me. Everything I purchase and wear is a hell yes! 

I was reading an amazing book “Women, Food, and God” by Geneen Roth and there was one quote that really stuck with me. So I will leave you with it:

“Your life purpose is not to continually obsess about the same 20 pound that you lose/gain over and over again for 80 years. God put you on this earth for something much greater than that! (Geneen Roth)”

XO,

Ellie Curry