fashion + fitness

a few years ago i was a bit obsessed with clothes. and by a bit, i mean really obsessed with clothes. when i was in school, i was all about wearing something cute every single day.

fast forward to now.

i work from home, and i teach kids. so not only are my cute dressy outfits not appreciated, they aren't practical. over the last 5 years since i graduated and started teaching in my studio at home, my wardrobe has become significantly less interesting. it has devolved into what is now known by friends and family as "the uniform."

"the uniform" is a pair of paige robertson jeans (32), a black v-neck t shirt, some colored tank top underneath and a 3/4 sleeve black sweater. i own nearly 20 black v-neck t shirts (!) and 6 3/4 sleeve black sweaters, and 4 pairs of jeans in various washes.

for the past year or so, i've just kind of stopped caring about what i wear. which is nice...sort of. it has saved some money, i don't have to worry about what to wear. i don't spend all morning trying on everything i own to come up with a new outfit. no more depression-inducing jeans-buying trips because, hey, i've found the perfect jeans and they always fit in size 32. black t-shirts don't get dirty easily. the 3/4 sleeve sweater makes me look a little bit more "put together" than just a t-shirt. it's easy. no thought involved whatsoever.

but i think all of the black t-shirts have really taken a toll on my weight loss efforts. see, they just do too good of a job of concealing any unsightly rolls...which i am noticing all over my thorax.

plus, i'm bored. i notice that when i get dressed up for something and actually put thought into my clothes, i'm happier. and for me happier=less likely to eat.

so, here's the plan. i'm getting re-obsessed with fashion.

i am going to:
1. try and wear a colored shirt (other than black) every other day. (baby steps)
2. go shopping and try stuff on, even if i don't buy because it's wayyy too easy to get complacent when the only jeans you have to fit into are the ones you've been wearing everyday for 9 months.
3. shop my own closet. there's some great stuff in there...which hasn't seen the light of day for awhile... because it can't be worn in public due to severe muffin top issues.

in other news, i've been on the treadmill every day for about a week. still trying the "real foods" thing. still addicted to craisins, which seriously taste like candy, but i can somehow magically stop eating them.

progress!

at the beginning of the summer i bought a skirt at gap without trying it on. (size 12) (silly me, just assumed it would fit.) well, said skirt did not fit, so it's been sitting in the closet since june just waiting for me to get my act together.

i wore it yesterday.

yay!

in other news...i broke up with WW online. i haven't used it in months and figured i could use the $16.95/month for something else. i feel like i need a break from the points system. it was driving me berzerk. i've quit and signed up again like a bajillion times, but for now i feel good about not doing it.

i've been working on eating more 'real' foods...i've stopped baking cookies and muffins every other day (you think that could be part of my problem??!!)...i'm back to treadmilling regularly...i've stopped weighing myself...i've started eating salads instead of the pizza that my brother orders every other day (literally)...i've become a big fan of oatmeal, apples, almonds and yogurt. (not together, but maybe that wouldn't be too bad...)

i read "the quest for peace, love and the 24in waist" by deborah low. highly recommend it. i'm going to read it again. a lot of it is kinda touchy-feely, love your body kind of stuff, which i usually really hate...but i'm beginning to think that maybe that really is the problem.

i think the next goal is getting back into my 2005 jeans. maybe i'll post pics. but for now, i think i might be done w/ the numbers games. we'll see. i seem to change my mind a lot...

you know it's time to get back on track when...

...your four year old student asks

"are you having a baby?"

back to the treadmill i go.