I think it is important to buy some new clothes so that you can feel good about how you look. Everyone, no matter what their size is, looks better in clothes that fit. I find that every time I trade in something baggy for something that fits correctly I start getting comments about my weight loss and how good I am looking. That positive reinforcement helps me stay on plan. Also, in my case, I have a professional job and I am expected to look neat and well-dressed. Therefore, I really can't wear clothes to work that are too baggy.

On the other hand, there is the issue of money. My solution has been to buy skirts with elastic in the side or back. With the elastic, I can usually wear them through three sizes and they still look decent. I have also been buying a lot of sweaters and knit shirts that fit me through a couple of sizes. With pants, however, I have not found any solution other than buying a couple of pairs of new ones every time I change size. I've been doing the laundry more frequently, so I can buy fewer pairs, and I have also been wearing more skirts to work than I used to so that I don't need as many pairs of pants.

The nice thing about not knowing what size I will be in any given season until the season starts is that I am never tempted to buy full price clothes when they first arrive in the store. I wait until it is time to wear the clothes and by then they are all on sale.

As someone who a year ago had to buy all her clothes from catalogues because the local stores didn't carry anything big enough for me (I started out as a size 30), I am really enjoying being able to walk into a store and find lots of things that fit. I know there are lots of people on this forum complaining about the poor selection in plus sizes. For me, being able to fit into plus sizes is a great achievement and I am thrilled about how much more of a selection I have now that I am no longer super-sized.