Things no-one else will tell you

Recently I found myself trying on clothes just for the fun of it and I realised becoming fitter and losing weight hasn't just changed how I think of myself, it's also changed my entire shopping experience.

Shopping is more fun as Skinny Laura.
In case you're wondering why it took me 31 years to have such a revelation, well you're in luck. I won't keep you guessing.
I was skinny up until I was twenty but back then I only knew skinny so I had nothing to compare it to and I wasn't at all confident so I didn't know what I had back then. Then I hit twenty, my metabolism slowed down and my weight slowly crept up without me really being aware of it. That was tough and I dealt with it in part by not really acknowledging it. Well all else fails there's always denial .
My dad is fond of saying that denial is not just a river in Egypt but then again he does have a penchant for terrible jokes.

I do remember though at some point in my twenties, when I went from size 12 to 14 and I absolutely refused to see it. For several months I tried to buy new jeans but I would only try on size 12 ( 30" waist) as I was adamant that was the size I took and came away every time frustrated and
Defeated as I yet again failed to find a pair that fit. There were some pairs I could even get over my thighs, others I couldn't get to close or I could just get to close if I did the special jeans dance and ignored
The overspill and managed not to breathe or move. Eventually I came to make peace with the knowledge that every shop didnt in fact have a problem with their sizing and that I was the problem. In that I was too fat for the jeans I was trying on.

And I spent years stressing over the complexity of buying tops when the
Slightest drop in neckline turned the most
Innocent of tops into something best suited to a busty wench of some description. Many an agonising hour was spent In dressing rooms trying to find a top that didn't cling to my tummy or
Show my back fat or make the inevitable muffin top visible. When you are not in shape having to get down to your underwear in a room with two Mirrors can
Be a cruel experience.

Now I'm in better shape than I've ever been and I'm relearning shopping as a more rewarding experience. Sometimes even though I'm frequently broke I find myself trying on things I know I won't be buying because being able to fit into size
Small is such a victory. Having previously lost the skinny girl badge I really appreciate having it back. Now I can pick up clothes in my size and know that they
Will actually fit me and all I
Have to do is decide if I like them or not.
Seeing my reflection in the mirror is not the horror it used to be and now clothes that cling are actually a good thing.
Now I'm just mad that it took me
Nearly a decade to find this out.
Now I'm not going to go all Kate moss
And start proclaiming 'nothing tastes as good as skinny feels' because frankly that's a lie. If you don't believe me ask anyone who's ever eaten food.
The truth is nothing feels as good as fit
Feels, trust me, I know what I'm talking about here. Your body will thank you for it

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