To my surprise, when I got dressed this morning, I fit into a size MEDIUM shirt for the first time in – I don’t know how long – and I did not have to suck my gut in the whole time! It was a Men’s Size Medium, but who cares!?! The jeans I wore were just right on my legs, but a little loose on my waist, although not quite loose enough to warrant the next size down. (I think I am in-between sizes.) I even wore a pair of socks (later in the day) that I could pull up over my calves, which is something I also haven’t done in years. (Because I have always exercised a lot, my calves have had a tree trunk-like quality about them. Ski boots were so tight that I had to quit early from the pain.)
Those revelations and the positive meaning behind them, stayed with me throughout the day. Everything from the smile on my face (behind a mask sometimes) to the bounce in my step was evidence that all of my hard work is paying off and it feels amazing! So what if the scale is holding onto some pounds right now? My clothes are telling me a different message and I am going to believe that one instead!
But I already see a problem looming on the horizon. I only have one size of clothing to go before I will have to buy a whole new wardrobe. It’s bad enough that the clothes I am wearing are over 20 years old! Many of them should have disappeared from my closet years ago, since those styles are grossly out of date. Plus, I wore them when I was a poor college student so I would keep them, even if there was a small stain here or there. If I would take the time and go through all of the clothes in my closet, I bet at least half would either be too big or no longer wearable. While this is exciting, since it means I get to go shopping, it is also going to hurt the pocketbook because we are not just talking about a few outfits – it will eventually be a whole new closet full of clothes!
Because . . . there is no question that it will happen. I WILL lose the rest of this extra weight. It will not happen near as fast as I would like, but at least I can get a few months out of new clothes before I will need to replace them again. I already need more pajamas and sweat pants. For some reason, I only have those in size extra-large. My husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I think I stumbled upon the answer – gift cards for clothing stores!
The repercussions really are enormous. I am going to need a new winter coat, boots – of many sizes and styles, pajamas, sweat pants, underwear, bras (booooo), work-out clothes, jeans, tops, and a variety of clothes for work. But when do I buy them? I have a goal weight in mind, but what if my body decides to lose more or just takes FOREVER to get there? I guess I will just have to buy clothes at varying levels along the way. Since I am prone to spilling, I probably shouldn’t worry about longevity anyway. #wortheverypenny
Since my calorie consumption the last few days was not on point, I made sure to stay within the recommended calorie range today. That required a smaller breakfast, since I wanted a sugar-free blended mocha later in the morning, low-cal shakes for lunch and one serving of chicken lo mein for supper followed by a fudge bar with a helping of light Cool Whip on the side. The only reason I was able to have so much was because I did a Zumba class after work and I walked about 2 miles later in the evening.
You know those crazy people that dawn reflective gear so they can go out after dark to get exercise? Well, now I am one of them. There are many nights when my schedule is busy until after dark, but it’s not that late yet and I really want to make use of the warmer fall weather before it turns too cold. So I found some cheap reflective vests to wear over the top of pretty much any sweatshirt or coat. My husband also found me a bright light to wear on my hand or wrap around my wrists, to help light the way. There is no way to miss me when I am wearing all of that gear. I look like a total dork!
I really don’t care what you want to call me though. Just don’t call me a quitter and for heaven’s sake, don’t call me lazy or weak. I have given you no evidence to support those adjectives and I don’t intend to. This momma is on a mission and there ain’t no way and no how she is going to stop! Feel guilty about overeating once in a while? Not for long. Put a plateau in front of me? Watch me crush it. Distract me with other life-altering events? Only for a day or two.
I have been dreaming of these changes for many years and I am finally ready to embrace every last one of them: hard and extra-long work-outs, limited servings, more fruit and vegetables, tracking all of my calories, journaling and most fun of all – shopping sprees! So I lost too much weight and need to buy clothes again? Oh darn.
