Photos

Taken the beginning of May, '10..................... Taken August, '09.

Me, now.

Shopping

Shopping. It used to be an exercise in futility. Searching for pants that didn't make my back-side look huge was a chore. It was impossible mission. You can't make a large butt look small by putting jeans or any other type of pants on. And what's worse, when you have to buy pants in "plus sizes", they don't re-design them for bigger bodies. The workers in the sweatshops that put together the pieces, do just that. They assemble pieces. And the same size pockets that go on the size 3 jeans, also go on the wide rear end of the size 22s. So it only accentuates your worst feature. Someone watching you walk down the street in a pair of jeans like that is going to think you sat on a couple of postage stamps, and they stuck. Bigger sized clothes are just not designed to flatter a bigger body. The designers have their work cut out for them!
Since losing weight, I've been going to thrift stores, and discount clothing stores, buying one piece at a time, just to hold me over until I get into the next size. But yesterday, I decided to go shopping at the mall and use up the gift cards that my Bunna has so thoughtfully given me for holidays and other occasions.
I had two cards for Dillard's, so I went looking for pants that fit. And I hoped to find a top or two that didn't hang to my knees or have its shoulder seams hit me mid-arm. I wasn't sure which size I should be looking for, so I befriended the girl in the sportswear department, and had her size me up.
I started by taking size L into the dressing room. It was an Addidas capri set with a cute pink top. I was surprised that it fit, but the capri length is not for me. It feels like my legs are cut off at the knee, and it is not at all flattering. PASS!
Next I tried on a pair of 14 stretch jeans. It's so hard to find anything in a long length, that when I do, I want to stock-pile it! The jeans fit fine, but I already have two pair of thrift store jeans in my closet that are size 14, and didn't cost me $68 each. I'll just wait until I can fit better into those.
At the end of the day, I had picked up three cute printed t-shirts from the junior dept, perfect for summer days. They are all size xl, but a junior xl is not the same as a women's 1x. Also, a new bra. Hallelujah! I didn't try it on at the store, but when I got home I checked it out under one of my new t-shirts. Perfect. My cup size has gone down a bit, but I've gone from wearing a 44 to a 38 again. Whew. My shape is returning! And shopping is fun again! :-)
Weighed myself this morning, and have lost 62 lbs. That's three lbs since last Saturday. A good week, for sure! Only 24 left to go!

Who do I look like now?

My exercise has been weak, to say the least, over the past couple weeks. Maybe it's the weather, or maybe it's just that I'm feeling lazy. I'll get my mojo back soon, and the weight loss will be kicked up a notch.
In the meantime, I'm down another pound, so I've lost an even 60. Only 26 left to go!
I got warned yesterday by a co-worker, jokingly, that I'd better not get "anorexic". Ha! Can you imagine?? ME? Obviously, that would be bad. But I can't help but feel like that was a compliment, considering all the categories of eating disorders I could have been in. Anorexia? Too funny.
One other co-worker told me I was "whittling away to nothing". Hmm. I'm not quite seeing that, but compared to my old self, I suppose it seems that way to some people. I'm definitely much smaller, and have also been told I "look like a different person". Interesting. Who do I look like NOW?? :-)

Goal in Sight!

As of May 4, I had lost 53 lbs. Then, on May 22, I had reached 59 lbs. That's 6 lbs in 18 days, so that's still on schedule. That's about a pound every 3 days, or 2 lbs a week. If I keep this up, (IF??) I'll hit my goal the week of August 22. Just in time to celebrate with a corn dog at the state fair! No worries... I'll keep it to one... or two. :-)

Measurements

I should have taken measurements when I started this... I know what my waist was, because I had just ordered new uniform pants in a certain size, and they fit fine. But I don't know my bust and hip measurements from back then.
I'll tell you now, that this morning, I measured those things. And although I am not nearly the hourglass silhouette that I plan to be in a couple months, at least now I'm into somewhat normal numbers.
This morning, I measured my bra line at 36". I measured my waist at 35". And I measured my hips at 43". Not quite supermodel measurements, but my Mama Cass apple-shape is gone. Whew. What a relief.
Oh, and that water weight that I had been fighting all last week? GONE, thank you very much. Weighed this morning, and found that I have lost a grand total now of 59 lbs. Only 27 lbs away from my goal. When I reach that goal weight, I'll re-evaluate. I might want to continue losing until I can wear a sassy size seven! :-)

Ski Pants

There have been lot of reasons over the years to begin a weight loss plan. I've had health issues, back problems, and my self-esteem started to shrink. Most recently, as a Christmas gift, my boyfriend gave me a new pair of ski pants. I don't ski, but we do go tubing. Normally, I just wear jeans.
Last summer, I told my son that I would start skiing with him again. I thought I could handle it. It didn't occur to me that being out of shape and a plus size would make it a little difficult. I was going to try it anyway, for my son. So at Christmas, I opened the new ski pants. They were a men's XL, and when I held them up, I could see they were too small. Suddenly, I realized... either I return these for the XXXL size, or make myself fit into them. My son would be counting on me to get up to the slopes with him.
Those ski pants actually sat on the top shelf of my closet until just recently. In the back of my mind I knew I'd need to make a decision about them. They were too expensive to just let collect dust. I finally decided to keep them. After a few weeks into this new eating plan, I realized that those ski pants would fit soon. The tags are still on them, and guess what. They're nearly too big now. I've lost a few inches on my backside and my waist, and they are finally comfortable. When I first put them on, they wouldn't go over my hips. I was a few sizes larger then. They're a men's XL, and they have, I'd say a 38 inch waist. The waist is too big, but the hips and legs fit. Men's clothes are built a little straighter, with less curve around the hips, so it's understandable why they fit me that way. But they're totally usable now. I would be completely comfortable spending a day in them.
I've got other clothes that are close to fitting me, too. Some I've saved for the past 10 years, just as a reminder of what size I need to be. Actually, reaching my goal will make me smaller than I was 10 years ago, and those clothes will finally be tossed out. They'll be too big! :-)

Water Weight

I've reached that point in the month where I'm stalled with my weight loss. Every month, I seem to bounce up and down 1 or 2 pounds, and I'm sure it's from water weight. Once I get to my goal weight, these little fluctuations won't bother me, I'm sure. But for now, it's so frustrating to not only be unable to lose a pound, but for the scale to actually say a pound or so more than the previous day!
I'm eating the same amount of calories, so I know it's got to be water weight. I make a conscious effort to have a calorie deficit every day... that is, I burn more than I eat. If I'm willing to have a day with no loss, even a few tenths of a pound, then I'll allow myself a few more calories, and it will be considered a "maintenance" day. I deserve one of those once in a while, since I'm almost 2/3's of the way to my goal weight.
On a "maintenance" day, I'll agree to have a thin crust pizza from Papa Murphy's. It's so good! It calms my cravings for something gooey and savory. That's my true comfort food.
In the meantime, I'm still having my 100 calorie snacks, right on schedule. Still loving my Eggbeaters in the morning, and my mini-Clif Bars. I could live on this food! And I suppose, to some extent, for a long time to come, I will. :-)