The first recollection I have of acknowledging my weight loss was a normal day like any other. I was getting dressed in the bathroom and put on my go to black capri pants. I went to button them and I had room around the waist. And not just one finger room, I mean like 2 inches of space! I was frantic all of a sudden. Oh shit, what if all my clothes are too big soon? Where am I going to find something to fit me? So once I slapped myself silly and remembered why I was losing weight, I sucked it up and safety pinned the waist. I got to work and a coworker we'll call Flan said, "Damn those capris are too big on you!" I went to the bathroom to check myself out in a full length mirror (none existed in my house @ the time) and the legs were baggy. I said to myself, oh well time to retire these bad boys.
Over the course of the next 2 months the pile of clothing retirees started to grow. First it was a small pile in my closet, then a bigger pile in bedroom, and then it was 2 garbage bags! Most people would have donated them to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or the homeless box at the nearest grocery store. I took the advice of my mentor, SBJ, and threw them away. She said, "If you don't have clothes to grow back into you will keep the weight off." The amount of clothing in the first fat clothing purge was probably around 2 garbage cans full.
Here's how I determined what stayed and what went:
1. Jeans/Pants: If they are skinny or stretchy then keep them. You can wear them up to 2 sizes bigger than you will drop down to. If they have an adjustable belt built in then they are a keeper. I rocked a pair of grey/black striped pants for a good 3 months before they were too big because they had 3 belts built into the pant. Toss them if they are being held up only by your hips and if you sneeze they fall down. Seriously clothing that is too big makes you look big. Always remember that. Adjustable elastic waist anything other than leggings TOSS!!!!!
2. Leggings - This will be the best money you ever spent while you were a fat girl. You must promise that you have to toss them when they start to get baggy in the knees. Been there, done that, don't do it to yourself.
3. Tops - Ok, here's where I had issues. I have tons of sweaters, button downs, dress shirts, tank tops, and my favorite Ed Hardy tee in a 3x. If you invest in a few inexpensive belts you can keep most of your tops. Sweaters can be belted with a skinny black patent belt or a corset belt if the sweater is a longer one. If you belt it and there is bunching under the arms you can safety pin it, otherwise out it goes. Can you put a smaller shirt over the bigger one and pull off the "Sheryl Layered Look" then go for it! If you have too much visible fabric or you look like you are drowning in fabric, you know what to do. Most of my tops made it through to month 7 of weight loss so it is doable.
4. Shoes - There is a magic thing that happens when you lose weight. Your feet shrink! I was wearing an 11 and 10s are a little big on me depending on the shoe. If its wide width forgetaboutit! My ballet flats are the hardest thing to let go of. I started wearing heels again since my back doesn't hurt from carrying around a 3rd grader of extra body weight. Try on every pair of shoe you have with trouser socks and hose. If they are flopping off you must under no circumstance keep them! You will not wear them trust me! Boots should fit better around your legs/ankles now. You may find a pair you bought but never wore in your closet like I did! They fit perfectly!
5. Underwear/Bras - I don't want to go into this but it is a necessity that you get a bra that fits. I lost 2 cup sizes and 3 inches around during this period. My bras kept riding up and my boobs just were not happy campers. I wore a 46D and now I'm in a 42B. I'm happy with my little boobs and my new bra. That was until Flan said, "Damn girl you ain't got no boobies!" Thanks Flan! Underwear, if you wore them while you were pregnant, fat, or unhappy in any single way, toss them. This is your one splurge!! Throw out the granny panties please and invest in a good pair of draws. Or 2 or 12 :)
6. Coats - You and I both know you spent a fortune on your coats, why because fat people are punished when they have to buy coats. My leather coats were hundreds of dollars and my wool coat from Spiegel cost some serious bucks so I know I know. If you must have it for life, take it to a good tailor or dry cleaner for alteration. Donate them to a coat drive otherwise. Underprivileged ,cold fat girls need coats too.
7. Hats, Scarves, and other assorted accessories - These will all become your best friends. You are looking sexy, feeling more confident, so show off what you have! I'll show you how to use things you already have in your closet to accessorize your outfits. Scarves double as belts, hats bring out your quirky side, and belts long forgotten in your closet can be worn, . Keep them all!
I'll be posting some outfits I threw together using things already in my closet and show you how I put them together into a fashionable outfit you can strut your stuff in.
Peace and Love!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
First REAL Shopping Trip
I am a frequent visitor to the area malls, living in Northern Virginia is the equivalent to being in Shopping Heaven. Only one draw back, when you're a Big Girl you only have a few select stores to choose from. Any Skinny Bitch (And don't take that the wrong way, I really want to be one of you) walks past the Plus Size section with a look of disgust. For years I thought it was because they hated the women that wore these clothes because they were fat. Nope, it's the God Awful Ugliness of the clothes! My Jesus have you seen those horrible prints and big shapeless dresses hanging on the racks? The mere thought of having to wear one of those garments sends shivers down my spine. Seriously!
I had a limited variety of "Off the rack" clothes available to me in my area and budget. Most of my shopping had been done online but when I needed something now, I went to my favorite store at the mall Torrid. I would check other stores from time to time like Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Avenue.
Across from Torrid was the H&M Store that opened about 2 years ago in all its glory. I took my first trip into H&M enticed by their Accessories and Handbags. I stared at the clothes longing for the day I could actually fit into something off the rack. I purchased many accessories from them including hoop earrings, hair bands, a great purse, scarves, hats, bracelets, and clothes for my Baby Belle. Never did I imagine that I would be able to go in here and buy clothing a few short years later.
So let's fast forward to August 2010 when my weight loss had reached around 50 pounds I needed some new jeans and went to Potomac Mills Mall to hit up Torrid. Walking through the mall I got this adrenaline rush when I saw H&M and thought, "Could today be the day that I can shop here?" I decided to veer left, instead of right, into my first surreal clothes shopping experience.
I walked in all cool and started perusing the racks in the front of the store. I saw a ruffled front vest in a nice blush pink color that immediately caught my eye, I looked at the sizes and they ran Small, Medium, and Large. My mind was used to picking the biggest size usually a 3X in the Plus Size store so naturally I'm looking for a XXL or at least an XL. Nope just S, M, L. Damn, this isn't going to fit I convinced myself without even trying it on. The strangest thing happened, a voice said to me, "TRY IT ON!"
Not sure if I should listen to this voice or not, I hesitantly picked up the Large and started moving around the store. I found a couple more items, a Black Long Sleeved Tee, a Navy/White Striped Babydoll, a Navy Babydoll Tank, and finally a Whisper Weight Cotton long sleeved tee.
I went into the fitting room and started trying each item on. The original ruffled vest I picked up first looked horrible on my body so I started to feel that pit in my stomach. I hung the vest back on the hanger but was determined to try something else on. One by one I tried on each item I had selected from the store and every single item FIT!!!!! If there had been a camera in the fitting room I would have been on one of those shows, like When Bitches Go Crazy! Someone would have thought I had escaped from my straight jacket. I was dancing and jumping up in down in the dressing room like I had just won the lotto.
I pranced out of the dressing room like I was high on a drug that no one told me I was on. I was finally able to fit into regular clothing in regular store like a regular woman. At this point I felt like a normal person and had my Fat label removed without my conscious knowledge.
I purchased the lot and walked straight out of the mall not even glancing at the store I once held in such high regard. The new jeans that I had gone into purchase? I had my old skinny jeans, a Size 26 taken in 4 inches in the waist!
I had a limited variety of "Off the rack" clothes available to me in my area and budget. Most of my shopping had been done online but when I needed something now, I went to my favorite store at the mall Torrid. I would check other stores from time to time like Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Avenue.
Across from Torrid was the H&M Store that opened about 2 years ago in all its glory. I took my first trip into H&M enticed by their Accessories and Handbags. I stared at the clothes longing for the day I could actually fit into something off the rack. I purchased many accessories from them including hoop earrings, hair bands, a great purse, scarves, hats, bracelets, and clothes for my Baby Belle. Never did I imagine that I would be able to go in here and buy clothing a few short years later.
So let's fast forward to August 2010 when my weight loss had reached around 50 pounds I needed some new jeans and went to Potomac Mills Mall to hit up Torrid. Walking through the mall I got this adrenaline rush when I saw H&M and thought, "Could today be the day that I can shop here?" I decided to veer left, instead of right, into my first surreal clothes shopping experience.
I walked in all cool and started perusing the racks in the front of the store. I saw a ruffled front vest in a nice blush pink color that immediately caught my eye, I looked at the sizes and they ran Small, Medium, and Large. My mind was used to picking the biggest size usually a 3X in the Plus Size store so naturally I'm looking for a XXL or at least an XL. Nope just S, M, L. Damn, this isn't going to fit I convinced myself without even trying it on. The strangest thing happened, a voice said to me, "TRY IT ON!"
Not sure if I should listen to this voice or not, I hesitantly picked up the Large and started moving around the store. I found a couple more items, a Black Long Sleeved Tee, a Navy/White Striped Babydoll, a Navy Babydoll Tank, and finally a Whisper Weight Cotton long sleeved tee.
I went into the fitting room and started trying each item on. The original ruffled vest I picked up first looked horrible on my body so I started to feel that pit in my stomach. I hung the vest back on the hanger but was determined to try something else on. One by one I tried on each item I had selected from the store and every single item FIT!!!!! If there had been a camera in the fitting room I would have been on one of those shows, like When Bitches Go Crazy! Someone would have thought I had escaped from my straight jacket. I was dancing and jumping up in down in the dressing room like I had just won the lotto.
I pranced out of the dressing room like I was high on a drug that no one told me I was on. I was finally able to fit into regular clothing in regular store like a regular woman. At this point I felt like a normal person and had my Fat label removed without my conscious knowledge.
I purchased the lot and walked straight out of the mall not even glancing at the store I once held in such high regard. The new jeans that I had gone into purchase? I had my old skinny jeans, a Size 26 taken in 4 inches in the waist!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Empire Waist Success!
Before Creating an Empire Waist
See what happens when I add the Corset Belt I purchased from Torrid......
Creating an Empire Waist
There are many caveats to losing weight with me it was that most of clothes didn't fit. For a Fashionista like me this was the equivalent of HELL!!! I was comfortable in my "Fat Girl" clothing because they hid most of what I was trying to conceal. So what do you do now??
I started searching the internet for clothing ideas and hit such sites as Luckymag, Charolotte Russe, Forever 21, Wet Seal, H&M, and Torrid. I wanted options that would allow me to transition my current clothing in a stylish way while showing off my new figure.
This top gave me a starting point:
Empire Waist Top
I searched through my closet and found a black cardigan that had long been forgotten. I had a skinny black patent belt that came with a dress that was now too big and decided to throw that over one of my favorite dresses.
The Empire Waist look was then born! My waist has always been smaller than the rest of me and this allowed me to look slimmer than putting on a big dress over leggings. Over the years I had purchased a few belts that never looked right because my belly always got in the way. I found that Corset Belts helped create an hourglass figure and looked great over most of my dresses.
I purchased this belt from Torrid @ Potomac Mills Mall and love it! The front has 2 buckles that are adjustable with elastic in the back for a comfortable fit. Corset Belt
My next entry will be about shopping for clothes at regular stores. This is an experience that all Fat Girls anxiously await and I finally got to my Mecca after 3 months of weight loss.
Peace and Love
I started searching the internet for clothing ideas and hit such sites as Luckymag, Charolotte Russe, Forever 21, Wet Seal, H&M, and Torrid. I wanted options that would allow me to transition my current clothing in a stylish way while showing off my new figure.
This top gave me a starting point:
Empire Waist Top
I searched through my closet and found a black cardigan that had long been forgotten. I had a skinny black patent belt that came with a dress that was now too big and decided to throw that over one of my favorite dresses.
The Empire Waist look was then born! My waist has always been smaller than the rest of me and this allowed me to look slimmer than putting on a big dress over leggings. Over the years I had purchased a few belts that never looked right because my belly always got in the way. I found that Corset Belts helped create an hourglass figure and looked great over most of my dresses.
I purchased this belt from Torrid @ Potomac Mills Mall and love it! The front has 2 buckles that are adjustable with elastic in the back for a comfortable fit. Corset Belt
My next entry will be about shopping for clothes at regular stores. This is an experience that all Fat Girls anxiously await and I finally got to my Mecca after 3 months of weight loss.
Peace and Love
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Welcome to my Blog Fat 2 Fabulous!!!
How it all started....
I have always been what some refer to as "Big Boned", "Phat", "Overweight", or "A Pretty Face". I never let any of these offensive words get in my way of being the Fabulous version of me I saw in my head. I exuded a self confidence that many envied and often referred to as "Thinking She Is All Of That". Well in my head I was all of that and then some! I always dressed fashionably, devoting most of my time to finding clothing that would be stylish and fit over my big self. This made me feel confident and I always received tons of complements about my appearance, no pun intended.
I met a man, really a boy/child, in 2004 and we were married in 2006. I got pregnant with my daughter in 2007 and delivered a healthy baby in 2008. My OB/GYN used to call me fat when I would go in for my prenatal visits. This was nice considering I was overweight but also hormonal and cried after some of my visits to this prick known in my family as Dr. Dipshit.
Things between my husband and I deteriorated to the point where I could no longer stand to breathe the same air in the same house as him. Late April 2010, I finally worked up the courage to leave my slightly abusive (if there really is such a thing) husband and asked for a divorce. I was not entirely prepared for the onslaught of life challenges that would ensue over the next 4 months.
Protective orders, Crime Scene Investigator Visits ( I won't even go into why CSI was in my house and not on the TV where they belong), Custody Petitions, Separation Agreements, Divorce Decrees, Child Care, mounting bills, Baby Daddy Drama, and so on......
I woke up out of my drug induced daze (Valium is a wonderful thing) one morning and looked into the mirror. I am 5'11 and weighed a whopping 350 pounds! I didn't even recognize the person I saw in the mirror. My beautiful face was now resembling a pumpkin and I had more than 2 chins. My arms were so big there were shirts that literally cut off my circulation. I'll skip the details on the thigh rub and how ENORMOUS my ASS was!
Household bills were mounting because my soon to be Ex wasn't helping me in any way shape or form.
I suffer from a condition known as "Can't Eat When Stressed Out". So I started eating only enough to keep me alive and give me enough energy to drive 100 miles to/from work each day. That wasn't working too well and my energy level was pretty much on Empty. I have a 2 1/2 year old girl to keep up with so something had to give.
My daughter said to me one day, "Mommy I wanna walk". Simple request to most parents, you get your ass off the sofa and you go for a walk. Well I think I made it a block, which is the end of my street. I turned around and we went home. I was so out of breath it was ridiculous. I mean I walked a block. I realized that I was so big that I couldn't even take a stroll with my child.
F this I said to myself. I couldn't afford to eat out everyday and put gas in my car to go to work, so I started bringing my lunch. I would eat a banana on my drive in, a cup of cereal when I get settled at work a few hours later, and then started this weird regimen where I ate every 2 hours. I alternate carbs and proteins every 2 hours up until I leave work. I eat my last carb of the day around 3pm so I am not starving when I walk in the house. I walk with my daughter everyday gradually increasing how far we would walk. I cut out fried food, fast food, carbs after 3pm, pasta, bread, and sodas. I am now firmly addicted to Starbucks coffee and Black and Milds. Smoking is bad, just let me get that on the record. I quit cigarettes 8 years ago but shit everyone needs a vice here and there.
During the first few months I dropped probably around 20 pounds which is normal when you have THAT much weight to lose. Then I noticed around the 3rd month that my jeans were big. Then my favorite this didn't fit, my favorite that was HUGE.
6 months later I have dropped 68 pounds and am down 6 sizes. I am still a big girl but I feel so much healthier and stick to a strict diet for 3 weeks a month. 1 week a month I eat whatever I want, within moderation, and just keep it moving.
This is my story of how I am going from Fat 2 Fabulous! There are many challenges along the way and will chronicle my story here!
I have always been what some refer to as "Big Boned", "Phat", "Overweight", or "A Pretty Face". I never let any of these offensive words get in my way of being the Fabulous version of me I saw in my head. I exuded a self confidence that many envied and often referred to as "Thinking She Is All Of That". Well in my head I was all of that and then some! I always dressed fashionably, devoting most of my time to finding clothing that would be stylish and fit over my big self. This made me feel confident and I always received tons of complements about my appearance, no pun intended.
I met a man, really a boy/child, in 2004 and we were married in 2006. I got pregnant with my daughter in 2007 and delivered a healthy baby in 2008. My OB/GYN used to call me fat when I would go in for my prenatal visits. This was nice considering I was overweight but also hormonal and cried after some of my visits to this prick known in my family as Dr. Dipshit.
Things between my husband and I deteriorated to the point where I could no longer stand to breathe the same air in the same house as him. Late April 2010, I finally worked up the courage to leave my slightly abusive (if there really is such a thing) husband and asked for a divorce. I was not entirely prepared for the onslaught of life challenges that would ensue over the next 4 months.
Protective orders, Crime Scene Investigator Visits ( I won't even go into why CSI was in my house and not on the TV where they belong), Custody Petitions, Separation Agreements, Divorce Decrees, Child Care, mounting bills, Baby Daddy Drama, and so on......
I woke up out of my drug induced daze (Valium is a wonderful thing) one morning and looked into the mirror. I am 5'11 and weighed a whopping 350 pounds! I didn't even recognize the person I saw in the mirror. My beautiful face was now resembling a pumpkin and I had more than 2 chins. My arms were so big there were shirts that literally cut off my circulation. I'll skip the details on the thigh rub and how ENORMOUS my ASS was!
Household bills were mounting because my soon to be Ex wasn't helping me in any way shape or form.
I suffer from a condition known as "Can't Eat When Stressed Out". So I started eating only enough to keep me alive and give me enough energy to drive 100 miles to/from work each day. That wasn't working too well and my energy level was pretty much on Empty. I have a 2 1/2 year old girl to keep up with so something had to give.
My daughter said to me one day, "Mommy I wanna walk". Simple request to most parents, you get your ass off the sofa and you go for a walk. Well I think I made it a block, which is the end of my street. I turned around and we went home. I was so out of breath it was ridiculous. I mean I walked a block. I realized that I was so big that I couldn't even take a stroll with my child.
F this I said to myself. I couldn't afford to eat out everyday and put gas in my car to go to work, so I started bringing my lunch. I would eat a banana on my drive in, a cup of cereal when I get settled at work a few hours later, and then started this weird regimen where I ate every 2 hours. I alternate carbs and proteins every 2 hours up until I leave work. I eat my last carb of the day around 3pm so I am not starving when I walk in the house. I walk with my daughter everyday gradually increasing how far we would walk. I cut out fried food, fast food, carbs after 3pm, pasta, bread, and sodas. I am now firmly addicted to Starbucks coffee and Black and Milds. Smoking is bad, just let me get that on the record. I quit cigarettes 8 years ago but shit everyone needs a vice here and there.
During the first few months I dropped probably around 20 pounds which is normal when you have THAT much weight to lose. Then I noticed around the 3rd month that my jeans were big. Then my favorite this didn't fit, my favorite that was HUGE.
6 months later I have dropped 68 pounds and am down 6 sizes. I am still a big girl but I feel so much healthier and stick to a strict diet for 3 weeks a month. 1 week a month I eat whatever I want, within moderation, and just keep it moving.
This is my story of how I am going from Fat 2 Fabulous! There are many challenges along the way and will chronicle my story here!
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