Shrinking

What started me on this little odyssey in the first place was a simple pair of white capris.

The pair of size 24s I've worn three summers in a row wouldn't even close across my belly when I tried them on the end of April. I was miserable about it, but set out on April 30 to Lane Bryant to buy a new pair.

I grabbed a size 26, and bought them without trying them on. I couldn't face the humiliation of trying on my first pair of size 26 pants in a dressing room with multiple mirrors.

I came home and tried them on. They were tight. Uncomfortably so, although I could button them up and wear them. They left a red indention around my stomach. You know what I'm talking about...that itchy red ring that reminds you every minute of what a fat pig you are.

I couldn't bring myself to return the pants. There was no way in hell I was ready to buy a size 28. I'd switch to elastic waists first.

I have an odd body shape. Most of my extra weight is in my stomach and back. I looked at Lane Bryants online fit chart and (after losing three inches) my waist is at the high end of a size 24 (whew), but my hips are only a size 20. So a size 26 fit my waist by the skin of my teeth, but the rest of the pants didn't even touch my body, they were so baggy.

So two days ago I went to wear the white capris. And I could barely button them up. I felt like crying. I felt like giving up. I wore those damn pants all day, dealt with the itchy red ring.

I washed and dried those pants today, and as I was folding them, I realize that I'd accidently put on my old 24s!

Today I'm wearing those 26s, and they are too big. I can still wear them, but they are big enough that I can pull the waist a good two or three inches from my body.

Another issue I'm having is bras. First of all--they have those fit charts. You know...measure around under your boobs. Then measure at the fullest part of your bust. Take away the small from the large, and 1" is an A, 2" is a B...or whatever it is.

So my measurements are 44" (whoo! That's almost a four inch loss!) and 53". Nine inches. Putting me in something like a 44F. Yeah. In my husband's dreams. I'm wearing a 48D right now, and I can fit my whole fist in the cup with my boob, and still have more room. An F would be ridiculous. I'm a very full C or a small D. So what's up with the measurements?

Then I realized. I carry a lot of weight in my back. Measuring around gets my upper back fat in as well as my tits. I'm shocked that they don't have some sort of modified bra-fit chart for fat girls.

So I'm very close to being comfortable in a size 24 again. Maybe 10 pounds. Thank God. My world will feel right again. I've been a size 24 for almost ten years. Not that I won't be happy to go down to a 22.

I've lost 3 inches from my waist, 4 inches from under my boobs, 2 inches from over my boobs, and 4 inches from my hips. Not bad. Not bad at all.