Finally bought new jeans. I went to Old Navy after work. Tried on about six pairs, in two of their rises and two different lengths, and maybe 3-4 shades. Finally hit upon the “sweetheart” style (just below waist), boot cut (all they had in that style), a medium blue, size 10 short. Wow, it’s a lot of work to get pants that fit. In the old days I was just happy to find something that didn’t make me look like a B&O;boxcar.

I soooo want to be a size eight. Since I know I want to ultimately lose at least 20 more pounds, hopefully that will happen.

I don’t know whether the timing of the shopping expedition was an excuse to get out of going to the gym. I just feel a bit tired. I might try getting up early and hitting the gym before work. My toe, with the raw part where the blister had opened, still looks a mess but I can walk better. I’m letting it get air by not shoving it in a sneaker. Yeah, that’s it. Truly, though, I’m tired. I just hope I sleep well.

Okay, better today. Took a warm bath last night, then relaxed and had the best night of sleep in a long time. I hope I’m mega-productive today.

Just taking a moment to write this:

I went to Talbot’s tonight. My former boss had suggested it for the right suit or outfit to wear to visit the colleagues in NY (not really an interview but an opportunity to network and put myself out there as looking for a bigger opportunity.) I was actually pretty much screwed if I needed major alterations as I would need them by Wednesday.

I had a great sales clerk who suggested things. A great black dress which is conservative enough to wear under a jacket but with a different belt and accessories (hey, who am I? I sound decidedly girly) it would go anywhere. Anyway, it’s a freaking size eight. An 8 petite actually, and it fits flawlessly except needing just a tiny tuck at the shoulders where I’m too shortwaisted. Holy cow, I AM a single digit gal. Okay, then we look at jackets. I try on several that are too boxy or too long or too something. A red one just looks too heavy for a summer trip. We wander the store and there’s a cute little teal number that looks contemporary and is on the short side. The ten is too big. They have no eight. The mannequin, however, is rocking a six. They take it off the mannequin. It fits. Um, it fits. A six. How is that even possible?? I look at myself and I see flab and breadth and I wear the jacket the mannequin was wearing. Granted, they had it pinned in the back on her, but… still. I SOOOO bought both, and hope I can get the dress altered in time. The dress, at least, is on sale. It’s a few major steps for me: single digit sizes. The six is a smaller size than the beautiful leaf-patterned royal blue silk dress I wore to my cousin’s wedding in 1985, the smallest size I remember wearing. I just don’t think of my body as being that small yet. And, these are well-made clothes, the type I’d get altered if eventually they, um, start feeling too big. Wow.

Honestly, once I got into the car and it sunk in, I got teary-eyed. Silly, I know, but I of course had told the salesclerk I was an 18 or 20 just two years ago. Now I need fabulous shoes and maybe some accessories and I’m ready! Oh, and by the end of the afternoon my size ten jeans were looking a bit baggy due to the stretch. I hope they shrink up a bit in the dryer.

The only sucky thing is that I took so much time shopping, I was starving and stopped to eat at Fridays, where I had their excellent and low calorie Dragonfire Chicken… but I didn’t go to the gym again. I will make it up, and honest to pete, I won’t give up. But today was the milestone. Someone elsewhere suggested my getting a new drivers license was the milestone, but a size six jacket.

Reading that put a huge smile on my face!!  I did some clothes shopping today too - and depending on the cut I was down a size smaller than I expected too.  No size 6 mind you - but I can shop in some regular size clothing stores now!!  Yippie!!

Ann, that is so wonderful! We need pictures. And give yourself a pat on your thin little butt!

Bree

Thanks, ladies!

Catherine, I still remember last year when I walked into Dress Barn, and the salesclerk on the women’s sizes side gently advised me that I might be looking in the wrong department. At that point I was just sort of on the cusp.

Bree, I have a feeling there will be photos taken on my trip that I can’t help but avoid, so if there are and they’re decent, I’ll get a copy.

And to add a little perspective: today on the way home from Annie’s first-ever facial (wonderfully relaxing and my skin is so smooth!) I passed a consignment shop having a “Mega-Sale” or so the banner said. I got two suits, both blue (one navy, one more of a royal), and one navy and white print dress, all size 10P. The skirt on one barely fit; I will need a smoothing undergarment. And it happened to be a Talbot’s outfit. Wow, that navy suit jacket fits smartly. I usually hate navy on me, but I’m thinking maybe I should wear that to NY instead, especially if I can’t get the dress altered in time. Though I think I’d want the skirt taken up just a tad also. Will have to look for navy shoes, just in case.

And it’s official: those 10 jeans are too loose, now that they’ve stretched a bit. Jill, after Jazzercise, said I need to go back and get the smaller size. I’ll still shrink these in the dryer and get wear out of them. And I bet the 8’s will initially be an ordeal to get on!

It’s an expensive month. But an adventure also.

Like I said to Julie - the cost is worth it if you feel great in your clothes!!

Catherine - 16 August 2008 10:09 PM

Like I said to Julie - the cost is worth it if you feel great in your clothes!!

There’s truth in that… but the truth is, I don’t really feel like I look great in that jacket. It’s cut kind of small in the shoulders, flared at the waist, so on top of the black dress you really don’t see my waist, and the jacket feels a bit overwhelming. I just tried on ALL the suits. The royal blue one works better if I inch the waistband about an inch above my waist. It doesn’t ride so tight over my hips and bum and the just above the knee skirt looks good. It needs the right slip though, as it’s sheer. 

The navy suit’s skirt is just slightly snug, even with control top hose, but the jacket’s long enough that it’s not noticeable.

Wacky how things turned out. Tomorrow I’ll return the jacket.

I’ve been known to do that before - sometimes it is good to get a second look and a second opinion… from someone other than the sales clerk.

Catherine - 16 August 2008 11:19 PM

I’ve been known to do that before - sometimes it is good to get a second look and a second opinion… from someone other than the sales clerk.

That’s true. Both women were there on Sunday when I returned it, and both couldn’t have been more gracious. I ended up getting a white sleeveless top to wear under my navy suit, and a beautiful green cardigan.

I also returned a top I’d bought at Old Navy that just didn’t look right in the shoulders, and the fabric felt cheap and flimsy, so my second jeans purchase wasn’t so bad. I also washed and tumble-dried the other pair, so I’ll slip them on and see if they fit better.

Been applying the Jergens mildly self-tanning lotion to my legs so they look a little more Florida-tan in New York. These last few weekends the weather and my schedule have not led me to the beach.

The blister on my toe is healing, though it contains a cut which is not. I bought some clear bandaids.

Thinking last night (I get pensive on Sunday nights, have ever since the Lassie closing theme brought me down in childhood years) about how many directions I’ve been drawn in lately. My friendship with a woman from Jazzercise has been really helpful. Not only do we have a lot of interests in common, but we both have the same basic self-esteem issues we’re working on, despite being pretty smart, educated women who see the big picture. And she’s given me some terrific advice. Had I not gone for that facial I wouldn’t have found those inexpensive resale suits, for example!

I still have a big checklist of things to do before my trip. Not all of them are 100% necessary, I remind myself, but nonetheless. It’s nice to have most of Wednesday off to prepare and then rest up.

Preparing for my trip. I feel like I’ve spent a lot of money on clothes and pampering stuff lately. Now, Tropical Storm Fay may interfere with my plans. It might be in my area early Thursday, when my flight is supposed to be. What can I do? I have to go through all the motions of preparation anyway. And wait.

It just has to get out of your way. You’ve prepped way too much for this.

Bree

I know, though I could see God teaching me a lesson about want versus need here, too. I just have to play it down to the wire. The storm could intensify and come back onto the coast. My flight would be the least of my city’s worries then. Still, I’m selfish.

I am disappointed that I pigged out at lunch today. I bought no groceries, as I’d have to pitch the fresh stuff before going on vacation, so I went out for lunch and ate fast food. I was stressed and angry and grumpy, but I have been so all the time and haven’t caved. Being prepared and having healthy stuff on hand is SOOOO important! I must knuckle down and not let my size 8 jeans lead me astray.

One of the people I hope to get to chat with on my visit is a friend of my friends, whom I met last year but didn’t know at the time that he’d recently lost 100 pounds himself, and has maintained it. I dunno whether it’s comfortable to strike up such a conversation, especially between a man and a woman. He might prefer that I not know about it. He’ll see that I’ve lost about 30 since last summer.

Just home this morning in the wee hours. Return flight delayed by a few hours. Tired and busy today but I had a great time. Flew out before the storm really hit Jax, and the weather in New York was darn near perfect. Enjoyed my friends a lot. Spent two days walking in Manhattan and two days just meandering on Long Island. Nice. No time for Jazzercise, a little stretching and walking only, but I got on the scale this morning and was actually a pound down. Despite eating some yummy things, I didn’t actually overeat. I heard one of the friends-of-friends saying I was the ‘hottest Quaker he knew.’ That just made me laugh. What is it, me versus the oatmeal guy?

Maybe it was a safe way to hit on you. I’m so happy you got to go, and lost a pound!

How did the new clothes work out?

Bree