14!!? No, no, no!!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Yikes! I just got back from shopping for a new pair of jeans. I’m a student and very poor, so it’s been awhile since I’ve bought new clothes. But my old pair (size 10) were feeling a little snug, so I finally gave in and headed out to the mall to pick up a size 12.

Size 12 doesn’t fit. I’m a size 14 now!! I knew I had gained a little weight, but not that much! (I refuse to get on a scale…too depressing.)

And it’s entirely my fault, too. That makes it worse in my mind. My eating habits are deplorable, and my workout routine nonexistant. If I was a size 14 but in good shape, I wouldn’t mind so much. But I’m unhealthy and that’s just yuck.

So that’s it. Things are going to change. I probably will be having a wedding within the next year or so, and I WILL be wearing a size ten, not a fourteen. (No, no ring yet, but we talk about it a lot. I know it’s coming, it’s just a matter of time.)

The sad thing is, this isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I had a drastic weight loss about two years ago when I went through a major depression and just COULDN’T eat. At that time, I went down to a size 8, sometimes I could even fit into a size 6. I thought that was the silver lining to the cloud of depression! After I sought therapy and went on my meds, I went back up to a healthy 10 and hovered there for awhile. Now this.

I don’t plan on starving myself again, since I’m actually very happy these days, and I want to be healthy. And I know if I try something drastic I’ll just give up again.

So here’s the game plan:

–A brisk mile walk at least three times a week. I will up this once I’m in a little bit better shape.

–Work on toning my arms with weights and abs with sit-ups three times a week

–No more potato chips. (A big weakness of mine.)

–No more sweets in general.

–NO MORE FAST FOOD.

–A lot more fruits & veggies.

–No more pop. Only water. Ever.

I’m trying not to make it too rigid, 'cause I don’t think I’d be able to stick with it if I did. I’m just going to try to be more aware of what I’m eating.

Sorry this has been so long. I just wanted to get it down in writing. Also, I would greatly appreciate any advice or tips, especially on how to keep myself motivated. (I thought about taping a picture of the wedding dress I want up on the fridge, but I don’t want to totally spook my sweetie! :D) Also, should I get a scale to keep better track of how I’m doing? Or would that just impede any progress I might be making?

Thanks, guys.

2

hehe, you called soda pop.
On a side note, that plan seems very intensive. You might want to ease your way into it. Start by eating healthier, and then in a week or two start the excercise, as so not to overburden yourself.

3

And by the way, don’t make it only water. Drink skim or lowfat milk to make sure you’re getting enough calcium. And if you cut back on meat, make sure you eat lots of leafy greens to get your iron–I go veg for Lent every year and this past year I got pretty sick because my iron levels went so low.

4

Yes? You called?

Oreo, here’s a tip. Great for depression, great for general wellness. Get a dog. You’ll have to walk. And as bouv said, ease your way into it. Don’t go overdoing things, or you’ll be fed up within days.

And no, no scale. Weight isn’t interesting, size is. Try on your snug jeans every now and then. Much more satisfying that way.

5

Also, diet soda is not the devil, you know. I suck down Diet Coke like it’s water, and my waistline doesn’t suffer for it. :slight_smile:

6

Okay, so far so good.

Milk–I’m not too worried about getting enough of it, since I eat at least a bowl of cereal a day, usually more. I usually get 1%. Is that low enough?

And Soda, believe me I wish I COULD get a dog. But I live in a tiny apartment and already have two cats. I adore dogs, have had them all my life, but I won’t get one and then coop it up all day while I’m at work and class. That would be unfair and totally selfish of me. The kitties give me plenty of loving, though, and my depression is pretty much under control.

Unfortunately, I think diet soda (there are you happy? ;)) tastes totally awful.

Thanks for the advice, guys. Keep it coming…

7

Get some size 16 jeans, you’ll think that you have lost weight.

8

Drink WATER and take calcium supplements for your bonesies.

9

And do remember that the only consistency in women’s clothing sizes are their inconsistency. I wear anything from a 10 to a 14, in the waist, depending on the garment in question.

Good luck!

10

You’ll be amazed at how much weight you can lost just by dumping the soda.

Diet Dr Pepper is pretty good. So is Diet Barqs Root Beer.

Crystal Light is pretty yummy.

11

While we were on the subject, can somebody explain to me how women’s pants and dress sizes work anyway? This is an area rife with mystery and intrigue for me.

I am assuming that Oreo is a woman and not a young boy or something…

12

You will probably find that your walks will work better if worry more about time then miles. One mile probably isn’t enough. You should get a minimum of 30 minutes cardio to really get any benefit. Depending on how briskly you walk you might be getting half that if you only go one mile.

Don’t worry about how fast you walk or how far you walk. Just walk fast enough to get your heart rate up a tad and keep it up for 30 minutes. As it becomes easier increase the time.

Good Luck!

ShibbOleth, women’s clothing sizes are so confusing that even women can’t explain them to you.

First you have the numbers. Some clothing is sized in odd numbers, some clothing is sized in even numbers and some clothing is sized in an odd even combo (like 5/6 or 9/10). Sometimes they just skip the numbers and just go with Small, Medium, Large, Ex-Large. I can’t tell you which clothing comes sized which way because I still haven’t figured it out.

Then there are the way the sizes fit. I am a fairly small women. I having clothing in my closet that fits me perfectly sized everywhere from a two to an eight. There is no rhyme or reason to which size will fit. I usually start with a 3 if it looks cut big or a 7 if it looks cut small. If I buy a suit I try to find the “mix and match” ones because often the size that fits the bottom is smaller then the size that fits the top. If I buy a set I usually have to get it altered to fit properly.

Finally, you will never ever see any women’s clothing sized by how many inches the waist is. Women don’t want to know how many inches around their waists are. They would rather be a size 10 then a 34". We also don’t go by length. If you are short you wear “petite”. If you are of average height you can wear the regular. If you are taller then average you are usually out of luck.

13

Phew. By the title I thought this was going to be a jailbait thread.

14

I have some sad news for you there…plan on wearing a dress a size or two larger than you think you will. Wedding dress size and real sizes bear no resemblance whatsoever. I went wedding-dress shopping with my best friend today and it’s ridiculous what they claim is a size 10. (On the plus side, though, my friend did find an absolutely gorgeous dress at a bargain price!)

15

Start with about 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week. It won’t feel like much and you probably won’t be tired, but force yourself to stop. This is very important.

One of the biggest reasons people burn out is because they do a whole lot at first, but when their bodies suddenly realize that this exercise is for real, they quit because it suddenly gets hard. See, at first, you’ll notice results because your muscles will be tight and you’ll be in better cardio shape. Then, after a few weeks, what used to be very easy will suddenly seem very difficult. This is the point where you have to keep at it. After about 2 weeks, increase to 20 minutes. Every 2 to 4 weeks, increase another five minutes until you’re at a point where you feel comfortable (min. 30 minutes a day).

My system is much slower than most people recommend, but I’ve kept a routine for over five years now. I do six hours a week, of which 1.5-2 is weights.

And giving up any soft drink, including diet, is a good idea. Even the diet drinks seem to make me want to eat more. Don’t fall into the “because I exercise I can eat more trap” that I fell into either. You’ll add a lot of muscle, but you’ll still have the fat.

16

Sheesh. Size 14 isn’t the end of the world. Especially since, like whiterabbit said, sizes vary from brand to brand. I aspire to be size 14. It’s the “normal” size in my family. (And no, we don’t look overweight at that size. We look “normal”. When we get smaller than that, people worry. Everyone is built differently, you know?)

But sure, since you are not used to being a size 14, I can understand why you want to work on losing weight. But don’t act like it’s the end of the world. It isn’t. And if you act like it’s the end of the world, it’ll just make it a bigger deal that it needs to be. And that’s bad. (Trust me, I know about this!)

17

Oh, I didn’t mean for it to sound like I thought it was the end of the world. I know it isn’t. After all, isn’t size 14 average for American women? I know I’m not obese or anything, and I’m not in a panic. It’s just that it brought home for me how I’ve let myself slide, and that I need to do something about it before it gets any worse. You’re absolutely right…different people are healthy at different sizes. But I’m not healthy at 14, that’s all.

Also, I think it’s normal for me to want to look my absolute best on my wedding day, don’t you think?

And the only reason I know that it’s me, and not some weird sizing discrepancy, is because I tried on the exact same brand and style that my old jeans were. Also, looking in the mirror I can see the extra pounds, and to me it isn’t attractive.

At least my sweetie is a little on the chubby side, himself, so he can’t say a word!!! :smiley:

18

The odd numbers are supposedly for juniors sizes. “Juniors” is the clothing industry’s code word for “young women,” meaning women without big boobs or hips.
The even numbers are for “misses” sizes, meaning for women with boobs and hips.
When they combine them, (9/10), either one should be able to wear them.
I like stores that use S, M, L, and XL.
Of course there’s no consistency or uniformity to it, but that’s how it was explained to me once upon a time.

19

I once bought 2 pair of jeans in the same brand, style and size, just different colours. One of them fit, and the other wouldn’t even button…

20

You get no sympathy whatsoever from size 22.