Tip #11: Go shopping! Yes - go shopping!!!!

Buy new clothes as soon as your current clothes become too big. OHHHHH, I can't stress this tip enough!! This was key key key for me. Many people do not want to buy new clothes throughout the course of their weight loss journey because they think that either (a) they are settling for that size, when really they want to lose even more or (b) they think "Why would I want to spend the money on new clothes when I'm going to keep losing weight and therefore only where that item a few times!" Let me tell ya..... for me, I NEEEEEEEDED motivation (and still do!). I needed something to remind me that all of my hard work was in fact worth it. If you're losing weight but still wearing the bigger clothes, you're not going to SEEEEEEEE the difference. As I've said before, I personally need to SEEEE the difference to motivate me to stay on the path. This is another thing that you want to get the support of your spouse on as you will be spending a great deal of money on new clothes. Josh was 100% on board. In fact, I recall his encouragement in the first 2-3 months. He could see that discouragement was ovecoming me. He suggested we take a tirp up to Lane Bryant to pick out two shirts that I LOVED but in one size smaller than I was currently wearing. He knows me so well!! I found two shirts I loved (one size too small), brought them home, put them in my closet and in TWO WEEKS I was wearing them!! It did WONDERS for my spirits and was just what I needed to get over my discouragement hump. So add "Clothes Fund" to your budget right now so you can be prepared to buy yourself some new clothes at least every month of your journey. Losing about 10 lbs puts you in a smaller clothes size! As you are growing "out" of the new clothes you just purchased, look around and find a friend who could wear the nearly brand new clothes you just purchased. It will feel sooooooooooooooo great to bless someone with your nearly-new clothes! As you think about the money it will take to purchase new clothes, remember one very important thing - YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!!!!!!