Capsule Wardrobe Update, and Back to Dieting

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It’s been quite a while since I did a thorough capsule wardrobe update and there have been a number of changes to my wardrobe since then. This is despite my weight being relatively stable (my weigh-in this week told me I’m down to exactly 170lbs). I had a look at my last capsule post in September and realized there have been a few items pulled from storage, a few new additions, and some blatant rejections.

For one thing, back in September I had pulled a blush cotton sweater from storage, but soon after that post decided it was still too small to wear. I selected a warmer replacement, my pink Cynthia Rowley cashmere pullover. I started wearing it during our Germany trip and continue to reach for it now.

Speaking of pink, there was the purchase and sudden demise of an Everlane Air Tee, barely a blip on the capsule radar.

I toyed with wearing some old blue skinny jeans while in Germany, but apparently what happens in Germany stays in Germany. I decided for the millionth time that I just feel too “girly” in skinny jeans and really don’t like how they look on me. They also slide down a lot since they’re stretchy and tend to bag out after about 20 minutes of wearing them. Since I can’t be bothered to wear a belt with them, I put them away upon returning home from our trip.

I had quite a trial finding some men’s Levi 501s to replace the size 38-waist ones I thrifted and was wearing in September. They were getting too big, so I bought some 36s on Ebay, only to discover that those were way too tight. I ran the numbers and realized the 38s actually measured 40 in the waist, so I should have been looking for more 38s. I found a third pair on Ebay that the seller said measured 38 in the waist even though the tag said 40, so I went with those. Well, they fit in the waist but otherwise looked way too big, so then those were put aside. I returned to the 36s, creating a button-hack so I could wear them, but soon changed my mind concerning the viability of that project and put them all away. Finally, upon returning from our trip and finding out I’d lost a few pounds, I gave the 36s another go and by god, they fit. So I’m back to one pair of jeans.

After all of the above changes, I was left with the same number of pieces I had back in September: 26. But I did add a pair of black men’s trousers a while back and they’re still going strong (thank you, Ebay). I pulled my heavy winter parka out of storage and it finally fits, just in time for the cold. It’s a Cole Haan white knee-length puffer coat that can zip up over my mouth when it’s especially chilly. It’s an XL and fits quite nicely at the moment, although I’m not crazy about the flashy gold zipper and the feminine hourglass shape. Lastly, I clawed back my white Gap Factory T-shirts that are too sheer to wear on their own (I layer them both together). They’re not in the best shape in terms of pilling and greying, but it’s so nice to wear a shirt that’s not black or navy that I find myself wearing it anyway.

So with the addition of these three items into the mix, I’m up to a 29-piece wardrobe for the year.

Now I don’t know how long this will last, since my pants are already threatening to slide down my hips. But I have yet to go foraging for those infamous smaller-clothes-in-storage. With my weight coming in at 170, taking into account the fact that I’m lifting weights now and probably have more muscle mass than when those clothes fit me before, I’m tempted. But knowing how triggering that Pandora’s Box can be, I’m going to give it some time.

I’ve been eating 2,000 calories a day for 6 weeks now and have only lost 1.2 pounds in the process. This makes me think I’m pretty close to “maintenance” of my current weight with what I’m eating and how much I’m working out. I’ve actually been struggling to finish all my calories on some days and end up eating candy bars to top up. It seems that I’ve refined my regular meals to be low in calories yet still satisfying to a fault.

In any case, I’ve decided that rather than try to push my maintenance calories even higher through reverse dieting, I’m going to cut back to 1,700-1,800 and see if I can get some weight loss started again. As much as I want to continue reverse dieting before I cut back, I just can’t take the psychological strain of waiting another six weeks before I lose any more weight. It’s hard enough waiting 5-6 weeks between weigh-ins at my doctor.

I just don’t think I could take the blow of seeing my weight stay the same or- god forbid- go up. So I’m taking the small win of increasing my maintenance calories from 1,800 to 2,000 and will go back to normal dieting- with a twist. After a week at 1,700-1,800, I’ll go back up to 2,000 for a week. Supposedly this will help keep my metabolism up and make those low-calorie weeks really count. Having these “diet breaks” seems like a good idea psychologically, too. I don’t want to start feeling deprived- or hungry- and get off track. I’m aiming to figure this stuff out for the long term, and I’m doing my best not to rush the process.