3 Weeks Left!

I finally broke down and bought another pair of jeans.  They were on sale for $8, and having just paid $6.50 for a pair of used jeans at the thrift store, I figured paying $1.50 more for a new pair was justifiable.  They are a departure from my usual style of boot cut jeans.  These new ones are wide-leg, higher cut, yet still below my belly button, and I absolutely love them!  They are so comfy, I'm glad I took a chance and got them.  I did have to hem them a bit, since they were way too long for my short legs, but even that took less than half an hour.  They look great with boots and nice sweater to dress them up, or chunkier shoes and a t-shirt for dressing down.

Why on earth am I telling you about my jeans in this saga of my workout progress?  Two reasons: A) they were a fabulous find and I'm bragging, and B) (the real point of telling you about the jeans) I am feeling pretty darn good about the way I look!  For the last three or four years, getting dressed in the morning was not a pleasant experience, nor was shopping.  Both these things were difficult for me because I didn't know how to dress my body once it was heavier.  I always had my trouble spots (hello lower tummy and hips), but I had learned how to hide them or accentuate what I did like.  When I started putting on weight on some of the parts I could accentuate, I didn't know what to do.  The shirts I used to buy and wear bulged funny, so much of my wardrobe became loose and less tailored.  It's hard to feel good about how you look when you have a hard time finding clothing that is flattering.  I have a challenging body type as it is (wide and short), and the extra weight made it so hard for me to feel comfortable in stylish clothing.

After 7 full weeks, I am feeling good about how I look again.  I have tone and muscle definition in places I didn't even know I had muscle (who knew I had triceps!!!).  I'm slimming down again as well, and clothes that I packed to send to Goodwill, I've pulled out to wear again.  But above and beyond this, I am really getting comfortable in my own skin again.  I've always considered myself pretty self-assured, with the run of the mill insecurities.  Even at my heaviest, I would fret about how I looked, and then promptly forget when I had my daily work to attend to.  I didn't let my insecurity about how I looked get in the way of my life.  I still liked who I was, who I am, I just didn't like the changes I saw in my body.  The best part is that I knew I could change my body.  Maybe I couldn't get it back to what it was when I was 18 (thank you babies!), but I could slim it down to something I was more comfortable with, maybe even proud of.  I'll freely admit that I'm not where I want to be just yet, but I know I've made some great strides in the last 7 weeks.  I have to admit, I'm pretty darn proud of what I've done, and I'm getting really excited to see the "after" pictures in three weeks.