Weight Loss Weekly

Weight Loss weekly, is a weekly collaboration between me and three other bloggers trying to lose weight.  Join us as we discuss tips, tricks, our success and failures on our weight loss journeys.

Today's topic was posed by Nurit from Family, Friendly, Food.  Nurit asks:

"Losing weight is a long journey. So what do you do about shopping for clothes while trying to lose weight?"

When I first started my weight loss journey 36 lbs. ago, I was wearing tight, size 18 pants.  Now I'm wearing a loose 14, but believe it or not, I haven't needed to shop for a lot of clothes.  

Firstly, the jeans that I had were the "tummy tamer" jeans from Coldwater Creek.  These jeans have a little panel in the front made out of stretchy material.  I found these invaluable as I was losing weight as the panel kept the jeans in place.  Obviously they were baggy, but not so baggy that I needed to buy new pants at every new size.  I was able to put off buying new jeans until I hit a size 14.  I plan on keeping the size 14 jeans I have now until I'm a size 10.  (I'm on my way!)  I also have some dress slacks from Coldwater Creek that are a little stretchy.  Again, these are a little more forgiving than other types of pants when you lose weight.  Plus, it's easy to shrink stretchy material in the dryer a little!

Unfortunately, I am still wearing a lot of my baggy sweaters from last winter.  I did break down and buy a few new sweaters this season to fit my new body.  I also invested in about 5 tank tops from Eddie Bauer last summer.  The tanks have slight ribbing to them which gives them a little stretch.  These got me through last summer, and they also have been serving as undershirts throughout the winter.  They will also get me through this summer as, even though I am smaller, they are stretchy and have shrunk.

Undergarmets have been a little bit of an issue.  I needed to buy new bras almost immediately upon starting to lose weight.  But I only invested in two of them and wash often as these suckers are expensive and kind of a critical thing to have a good fit.  I felt better investing in only two at first because as I lost more weight and changed sizes again, I could buy other bras that fit.  Obviously with losing 36 lbs., underwear fit also becomes an issue.  I've bought cute but cheap underwear from WalMart until I reach my final weight and can splurge on something more expensive.

Last summer, I was able to get by with my very loose shorts that had a tie that I embarrassingly tied until they were puckered all around, but since I have lost a few more pounds since last summer, and it is a few months from short weather, I am going to have to buy more shorts to get me through this summer.  I plan on buying a couple pairs of capris in beige or jeans color to take me through late spring and early fall, as well as a couple pairs of shorts.  This should take me through the summer and shouldn't be a huge investment either.

I also love dresses.  Dresses are very forgiving.  I bought a size 10 dress on super clearance at Coldwater Creek at the beginning of Weight Loss Weekly to motivate myself into it by mother's day.  It is already fitting even though I am nowhere near a size 10 pant yet.  But because most dresses are flared, if you fit into the dress at the top, you usually fit into it at the bottom.  This dress should last through a lot of dropped weight.

My fellow Weight Loss Weekly bloggers are Nurit, Giyen and Sunny.  Here is what they have to say!

Nurit says:  

"I love to shop for clothes. Don’t you? I have told you before about the ping-pong game that I play with my smaller size clothes when we talked about The most ridiculous thing I’ve done. But what do I do in the meantime? Can’t just sit and stare at those teeny tiny clothes for years and years until I lose those @#$%&! 18 pounds (now 14, yippie!)… Read more at 1 family. friendly. food.

Giyen says:

"I hate to admit this, but I have been hoarding skinny clothes for years. At this point I have more clothes that fit the "future me" than I do the "real me" - this is sad, I know." Keep reading more at Bacon Is My Enemy.

Sunny says:

"After gaining 20 pounds, I finally had to break down and just buy bigger clothes. Grrr! It makes me so mad when my skinny sister comes over and puts on a pair of my jeans, they're so big on her they're practically falling off...." keep reading at That Extra 20 Pounds

February French Friday #1

Bonjour to you lovely French people!  How have you been doing employing the healthy living principles we learned in French Women Don't Get Fat?  I have had a terribly American week, but I am mentally back on the plane to France as we speak!  This month for French Fridays, we are reading Mireille Guiliano's second book, French Women for All Seasons.  In it, she promises to give us little secrets and refinements to the French lifestyle that she "forgot to mention" in her previous book.  She promises us little tips on living well, dressing well and enjoying life.  This week, we will be discussing the Ouverture and Chapters 1 and 2.  Does everyone have their fashionable silk scarves tied jauntily around their necks?  Did you order your citron presse from the waiter?  Bon, then let's pull up chairs in our cozy little sidewalk bistro and start our discussion.

Ouverture

In this chapter, Mireille begins discussing the clash between two cultures, the American culture (really the globalized culture) and that of the time-honored French culture.  In America, we are so far removed from our food that often times we have no idea what we are putting into our bodies.  We eat mindlessly and on the run.  She gives a very sad example of an eight year old she met at the Greenwich village farmer's market who didn't know what an apple was.  This contrasts sharply with Mireille's idyllic childhood of growing up surrounded by a wonderful garden and fruit trees from which her family would get the majority of their produce in their own backyard.

She also discusses the tale of two airports, that of Chicago O'Hare and the other in Paris.  She witnessed the majority of people in the Chicago airport eating huge portions of food mindlessly at 10:00 am in front of their computers, or T.V. sets.  "Why were they eating at 10:00 am anyway?" she wondered.  Were they between flights and just needed to pass the time?  Why were they eating and watching T.V. or on their computers at the same time?  She contrasted this picture with that of an airport in Paris where the majority of people still sit down in a restaurant to eat with a fork and knife.  Occasionally she will see someone eating Pizza Hut or McDonalds, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

Questions to ponder after reading this chapter:

1.  How many times a week do you eat mindlessly?

2.  How many times a week do you eat just to pass the time?

3.  How many times a week do you watch T.V. or work on the computer while you eat?

4.  How many times a week do you actually sit down to eat with a fork and a knife?

If you start eating more mindfully, with a fork and knife, slowing down, not eating while distracted and emotional, you will naturally eat less!

Chapter 1:  J'ai Oublie de vous Dire:  Something I Forgot to Mention

In this chapter, Mireille had me giggling imagining some of her French friends up in arms at her for revealing their secrets to staying slim.  Mireille would always counter, "Don't worry, j'ai oublie de leur dire..." (I forgot to tell them)....Fortunately, she is letting us in on the secrets now!

Mireille discusses one of the oldest women in the world, a 122 year old French woman, who only recently passed away.  This woman dutifully rode her bike every day into her 100's.  She had a very regional diet, ate at home three meals a day, drank wine once or twice a day and obviously was very healthy.  She attributes this woman's longevity to staying slim, staying active, never eating fast food, eating locally grown produce, and enjoying life.  A lot of diseases Americans suffer from stem from being overweight.  How much healthier would we be if we could all stay slim our whole lives like the 122 year old woman?

This chapter also contains one of Mireille's "gems":  the 50% solution to portion control.  Basically, the 50% solution employs eating mindfully to control portions.  Say you are at a restaurant and are served a dinner.  Using the 50% solution, mentally divide your dinner in half.  Once you have eaten half, stop and ask yourself, "Have I eaten enough to be satisfied?"  If so, stop eating, if not, look at the remaining portion on your plate and again mentally divide it in half.  When you have eaten that half, again stop and ask yourself, "Have I had enough to be satisfied?"  If you continue to do this, you will never eat the whole portion because you keep dividing it in smaller and smaller halves, each time stopping, reflecting, and asking yourself if you've had enough to be satisfied.  Mireille employs this principle not only with dinners, but with dessert, wine, even a banana.

Mireille also has some advice for the dreaded buffets (I could have used this in college!) to save on overindulging.  First, make a pass by the buffet without your plate and see what is offered.  Next, make a small pass (if it is a breakfast buffet, perhaps some yogurt and fruit).  If you are still hungry, make a small second pass (perhaps for an egg or for oatmeal).  Then, if you are still hungry, make a third pass.  In this way, you must ask yourself each time you get up, "Have I had enough?"  It is a stopping and reflecting point.

Questions to ponder after reading Chapter 1:

1.  How can I utilize stopping points such as the 50% solution or the "pass by" system at buffets?  Am I willing to try it?

Chapter 2:  Au Printemps:  Spring Into Life

Mireille speaks about French women being attuned to the changing of the seasons and being aware not only of culinary changes of the seasons, but changes all around them.  It is in their celebrating of the season that leads them to better enjoy l'art de vivre (the art of living).  She talks wistfully of the first spring flowers of the season and how to arrange small vases of them in our homes to enjoy their color and fragrance.  She also discusses the first bicycle ride she takes of spring and how liberating it is to pedal through the French countryside.  (It is not only liberating, but good for the figure!)

Mireille also speaks in rich detail about spring peas and asparagus, how to enjoy them, mixing them with pasta as a trick to eat less pasta, and gives us quite a few family recipes to try.  (If anyone tries one, please let me know how it is!)

With the end of winter comes the shedding of the heavy wardrobe.  Mireille gives us the fashion tips for spring using neutral colors, clean lines, classic tee's and signature accessories.  She also gives us handy scarf tying tricks to be oh so chic.  Here are three short clips that show Mireille demonstrating some of her scarf tying tricks.  Isn't she so cute?

Mireille ends this chapter with some sample menus for spring.  

Questions to ponder after reading Chapter 2:

1.  Do I take pride in the way I dress?

2.  What sort of image do I project to others?

So, are you ready for your new French week?  Do you have your silk scarf all picked out?  I want reports and reactions from your week of dressing French!

Every Friday in February I will be discussing the book French Women for All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano.  Next Friday, in my virtual Parisian bistro, I will be discussing Chapters 3 and 4.  Please join me!  

Don't forget:  If you would like to pre-order the book for my March French Fridays to read along with me, I will be discussing the book Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink. 

My first attempt at a fashion post

For the past few months, I have been reticent in my promises of discussing how to dress well.  I apologize for my negligence however with the changing of the seasons, I can remain silent no longer.  In the summer, especially here in the desert, I can let a few fashion faux pas go.  After all, it is hot and really, tank tops and shorts are probably the most efficient way of keeping cool.  Now that the weather is cooling off however, one can't be so lucky to get by with slovenly apparel.  The biggest offenders I see of fashion malice are stay at home moms.  When I first "stopped working" I too fell into the trap of, "Why take a shower when I'm just going to be thrown up on 5 minutes after I get out?"  However, within a few weeks, I realized the error of my ways.  I would pass by a mirror and physically lose energy and the will to do anything constructive simply because I hadn't taken the time to take care of myself.  I soon made it a PRIORITY to 1. take a shower, 2. put on make-up, and 3. make the bed.  Even if I accomplished nothing more in the day after that, I felt better about myself as a human if I accomplished those three things.  I'm not saying at the end of the day I wasn't covered in baby vomit head to toe, but I felt better about myself.

Now that my boys are a bit bigger, of course my accomplishments throughout the day are much greater as they are not reliant on me to be a milk maker, diaper changer, and general soother, but my philosophy from those baby days remains consistent, if you dress like your appearance matters to you, you will have more energy and feel better about yourself.

I see so many moms my age whose hair is laying lank and lifeless on their heads, wearing no make-up and in the typical "mom uniform" (jeans and t-shirts).  Not that there is anything wrong with this "uniform", it is very functional especially when you are cleaning bathrooms, you don't want to bleach stain a good blazer, but you can still dress well.

Take my outfit today for instance.  Yes, it is the "mom uniform" a simple sweater from Eddie Bauer and jeans.  I am playing house cleaning catch-up today so I don't want to go too "fancy" because of my above reason, I don't want to bleach stain anything I really care about.  But, I can take my outfit and make it a little more put together looking.  My sweater does have a very plain neckline so I took a nice lacy scarf and tied it around my neck (this can be removed when scrubbing bathrooms!).  When I drove my son to school, I layered a nice fitted 5 button beige blazer over the top and looked quite chic.  

Make-up is a must in my opinion definitely if you are a mother (one must cover those under eye circles) and also if you are not a mother but are over 30.  We no longer have that ideal skin we had in our young 20's and a little foundation goes a long way in helping us to put our best foot forward.

Even though my day will consist purely of caring for my children, carpooling, cleaning and blogging, I still took the time to look my best today and I feel my energy level is higher for it.  Try it and you will be amazed at how much better you feel inside.