When you lose weight it can be really hard to see progress because you are so used to being fat. I know from the past when I used to do diets, that when I look back at photos of myself I can’t believe how slim I had got. I certainly didn’t feel like it at the time because I always measured it by the scales. Pretty soon the weight would start going back on, I would stop using the scales and I would start making excuses for the cut of the clothes being the reason I had to buy the next size up.
So when tracking a weight loss journey I always find it useful to have clothes that I call “measurement” clothes.
These are items of clothing that start off too small for you but you can try on occasionally to see if you fit them. The difference in fit allows you to measure progress.
After all, aside from scales being evil and not accurately measuring the difference between fat and muscle, who really loses weight to see a dial change? What we really want to do is fit into clothes that are smaller sizes and/or look good in the clothes we are wearing.
The goal of my Thinking Slimmer journey has been to lose enough weight to get into size 10-12 clothes.
I started as size 22+ and for a good few months now I have been in a size 14 jeans. There are some size 14 jeans that are too tight. In fairness there are some size 16 jeans that are still too tight (Usually M&S!) but I am a little less depressed by this now as most of the time I can go and buy a size 14 and fit into them.
I bought these size 12 Skinny Jeans about 3-4 months ago knowing full well they wouldn’t fit. They were my “measure jeans”.
They didn’t even come within a sniff of fitting when I bought them.
A month ago or so I started trying them on again every Saturday morning.
The first time I could actually fasten them but I had to lie down on the bed and they were cutting me in half! A couple of weeks later I could fasten them standing up but they were too tight to consider wearing.
Today I could fasten them and I went out in them. Yes they are tight but getting better all the time. This is the first size 12 jeans I have worn in many many years and I hope the first of many.
I had set a goal in my head to be in size 12 jeans by my 40th birthday in early October.
Goal achieved!
And just as a reminder – this is 2008
