My Clothing

About seven months ago, I abhorred clothing shopping. I say abhorred because it is a much stronger word than hated. We use "hate" so much in our vocabulary today I feel it has lost its effectiveness. So to effectively demonstrate how I really felt about going shopping for clothing, I shall use words like abhor, detest, loathe, and the like.

Seven months ago I was wearing my maternity clothes most of the time. I was struggling to get my size 10 jeans on and I refused to buy size 12 unless I had the absolute need. And yes, I am sharing my sizes with you. I am an open book here. Ask me anything about my numbers and I'll tell you! (Well, almost anything). A shopping trip to purchase new clothes almost always resulted in kicking myself for gaining so much and buying either no clothes and insisting I would lose weight, or just buying one necessary pair of pants. I loathed buying a pair of pants when I had convinced myself I would lose the weight--I just hadn't committed to exercise and eating right yet.  My shirts were larges and rarely had much shape.

In December, after having been on P90X for about two months, I finally was in a solid size 10, which was pretty awesome. No more muffin top! (As a side note, remember, wearing clothes that fit you is much better than wearing clothes too small. No one will know what size you are wearing, as long as you get clothes at fit you properly. So if you fit well into a 10, don't squeeze into those size eight jeans until you are ready.) My large shirts were a little looser, but I was not yet ready to downsize until I lost a little more.

As Spring started approaching, I knew that my summer clothes from last year would not fit anymore. I went clothing shopping in March once again. By that point I was well on my way with Insanity and has lost over 20 pounds. I was down to an 8 in jean size! And I finally bought shirts in Medium. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. From being a large to a fairly average, healthy size was absolutely amazing. Trying on clothes in the dressing room didn't make me want to cry. As every woman knows, some brands make clothes of the same size that fit differently, so not every size eight jean was a perfect fit, but I could easily slip in to most of them. I remember last summer when I couldn't get a size 8 halfway up to my waist.

So today I went back. My medium shirts weren't fitting so well anymore and I only had three that I kept washing and wearing over and over again (yeah, I tend to buy a couple things at a time because I'm a penny pincer. I will own up to that label), and my size eight shorts kept trying to slide off of my waist. For kicks and giggles, I grabbed a few small shirts and a size 6 shorts and squeezed myself and the jogging stroller into a dressing room.

I am so proud to say that seven months after starting to be faithful to my exercising, I can wear small shirts! And I don't mean that I squeeze in to it. I FIT! I had to give my 18 month old a high five since she was the only person I had with me, but needless to say I felt so accomplished. The size six jeans were a "Squeeze in to," but I'm not far away. I bought a size 8 short that fit better than my others. (Remember, different brands, different fits!) As for what the number on the scale is, I don't know. And frankly, I don't care. The number on the scale doesn't matter as much as the size of the clothes I wear and how I fit in to them.