I seem to have a lot of friends and friendly acquaintances who are walking around in saggy, ballooney, billowy clothes, bras that barely hold their boobs without falling off them, underwear that won't stay up, pants they swim in, etc. They've lost several sizes, and they're vocally bummed about looking ridiculous in their tent clothes but "I don't wanna spend money on new clothes when I'm not at my goal yet." Some of these friends are very financially well-off, and it's like they're punishing themselves for having ever gotten fat in the first place by withholding well-fitting clothing til they're done, and it's fucked.
If you're walking around in clothes that don't fit you because transitional clothing isn't in your budget, then this post is NOT directed at you. Times are hard and the economy is shit and I hope you get where you're going soon and get all the joy in the world when it's time to get your new wardrobe. And if you genuinely don't care about how you dress, and it's just not something that factors into your happiness, then you keep right on doing you and I wish you the best, I'm not at all saying it should matter IF it does not.
But if transitional clothing IS in your means and wearing it WOULD make you happy, and the only thing that's stopping is you a voice in your head telling you that it's stupid to buy clothing that fits you now but won't in a month or so, you don't have to feel like you don't deserve to wear clothes that fit well until you're at your goal. The joy you'd get from looking good in a nice outfit that fits well today is worthy. The comfort of bras and underwear that aren't saggy is not something you need to "earn" by finishing up your loss.
I bought transitional clothing the entire way down (mostly secondhand; threadup, Poshmark, thrift stores and Goodwill's, etc). Started at size fourteen jeans and dresses, currently wearing fours. Bought 12's, 10's, 8's, 6's, and did not give a damn that I'd have to donate them back before long. It's meant I've gotten to walk around looking and feeling more and more fabulous all the time since last June, which is a hell of a lot better of a deal than walking around with all my progress hidden in tents, feeling bummed and dreaming of the day I could "unveil" it. That would have been a waste of time that I could have spent feeling happy.