Head-2-Toe Makeover Next Month

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Kitty likes my new dress size. And really, who wouldn't? I just need some more lbs to come off below the waist, then it's new wardrobe time!

Kitty likes my new dress size. And really, who wouldn’t? I just need some more pounds to come off below the waist, then it’s new wardrobe time!

Today is an awesome day!

Thanks to a business meeting, I needed a new outfit. Lo and behold my new dress (and belt).

Oh, did I mention it’s a size 20 (woohoo!) and, more importantly, kitty approved!

I’m not quite there yet as far as pants, but most size 20 dresses and tops fit pretty dang good this weekend.

The timing is perfect. Next month I’m going in for a full makeover: hair, make-up, clothes and shoes. I’m enlisting the help of some good friends who do this professionally.  I’m overly conservative in my selections and I need a fresh perspective. The weight loss gives me the confidence to try new styles and looks.

More details when we get closer to the event, plus you’ll have ring side seats.

2.5 Inches Closer To Size 20

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I’m measuring myself every month. The scale is a great snap shot of where I’m at on the day I step on it. But my body measurements give a more complete picture of my weight loss journey.

Today, good news in two areas.

Sept 16 MeasurementsMy waist and hips carry the bulk of my weight. So it’s no surprise that’s where I see movement.  I lost an inch off the waist and 1.5 inches from my hips. All other parts remain the same…again.

I’m very happy with the numbers. But of course, when I don’t see movement in other areas, I start kicking myself.

While we can’t pick which body parts the pounds come off, a part of me can’t help but think that the knee injury slowed progress on my legs. Stupid thought, since I just wrote we can’t target where we lose weight. Truth is, I’m very happy it’s coming from my midsection. Belly fat increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. With these numbers I’m closer to getting off the blood pressure meds.

I’m steadily adding the daily walk back into my routine. The knee feels good.

I’ve also decided to increase the exercise bands from 2 days a week to 3. I’m very happy with my progress, but there is a part of me that worries that I’m not doing enough toning.

I am getting closer to that size 20. This weekend I picked up a few new workout outfits. Normally I reserve shopping like this for hitting milestones. But my current crop of gear has lots of holes and tears. Size 20 fit perfectly. Of course, that’s not too difficult when you’re talking about stretchy pants.

I needed to try on a pair of size 20 non-stretchy pants – also for fun.  Close, but no cigar. The pants fit a bit too tight, but I’ll be back in another 10 lbs.

Dropping Sizes

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Breaking out the belt to stop my jeans from falling too low. How awesome is that!

Breaking out the belt to stop my jeans from falling too low. How awesome is that!?!

It’s official! My jeans are too baggy. With minimum effort (and wiggling), I can pull off my jeans without unbuttoning or zipping. My fist easily fits between my belly and the denim.

Oh and did I mention, I washed the jeans yesterday.

Woo-hoo!

It’s cool outside so I decided to toss on my jeans, the first time I’ve worn them in a month.  Clearly my body underwent changes during that dang plateau.

So I’m about to exit the land of size 22.

There is no way to know when I’ll officially reach size 20. I’m assuming in about 8-10 lbs. But in reality there is no hard and fast rule on the number of pounds you need to lose to drop a size.  All designers define sizes differently – trust me, a size 16 at Old Navy isn’t the same size 16 at Lane Bryant.  Plus where you lose weight is also a big factor.

For me, I drop a size every 13-15 lbs. Right now I’m on track to overhaul my wardrobe when I weigh 240. Which translates into 8 more lbs.

Awesome!

 

Flip-Flop & Fly Footwear (And Purses Too)

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Pretty! Who says flips can't be fancy?

Fancy flip-flops? You’re damn right!

With great weight loss, comes an intense interest in fashion. Hell, I just purchased my first Vogue – ever. What’s happening to me?

Simple: It’s the first time I can actually picture myself wearing outfits that don’t come from Lane Bryant.  Not that I’m knocking LB. It’s treated me amazingly well all these years. It just would be nice to walk into a department store *cough* Macy’s *cough* and be able to try something on. Well that day is coming.

Right now I just window shop as I’m keeping a very lean closet. I’ve got 113 lbs. to go before I invest in a full wardrobe so no need to go crazy shopping…yet.

I love the orange polka dot (of course!), but the shag slipper flips are very comfy.

I love the orange polka dot (of course!), but the shag slipper flips are very comfy.

During my adventure in Texas, I splurged a little on some accessories. My sister introduced me to the Sam Moon, an amazing store that is impossible to leave without buying something. Purses, jewelry, hats, scarfs, and flip-flops – they have it all.

I ended up buying  4 pairs of flip-flops and had to ship them back to Virginia. Well they arrived and look more fabulous than I remember.

I'm giving my black purse a much needed break while I break in these sassy handbags.

I’m giving my black purse a needed rest while I break in these sassy handbags.

OK, Confession Time
I picked up some purses too. This is huge for me as I’ve never owned more than one purse at a time. Sigh…yes, I’m lame. It just seemed like a pain to move things from one purse to another.  Well it is, but now I know looking fabulous makes up for the hassle.

I Want To Put On…My My My My My Boogie Shoes

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H/T womenwalkingshoes.net for a great job explaining pronation and how to pick best shoes for your feet.

H/T Women Walking Shoes for a great job explaining pronation and how to pick best shoes for your feet.

Yesterday, I talked about my new favorite socks. Today, I begin my quest for new sneakers. I thought it would be as simple as trying on a few pairs. Lo and behold, there is a lot more to it than just snapping up some cross trainers.

As I started my search, I kept coming across the word “Pronation.” This is the inward rolling of the foot from heel to toe while walking. There are different levels of pronation and you need to know how you roll to choose the right pair of sneakers.  Just look at the bottom of your well-worn sneakers and check the inside and outside edge around the heel.

Foot Mechanics
If the outside is more worn down, you are prone to underpronation. You transfer weight from the heel to the outside of the foot, so your body isn’t absorbing the shock efficiently as you walk.

If you’re like me, you’ll find the heel worn down more on the inside edge. My foot mechanic is overpronation. I tend to push-off from my big and second toe. So the shock of impact spreads unevenly through my foot and ankle. Wonderful!  This causes pain in the foot, shin and knee without the correct shoe.

Arch Typing
Just knowing your foot mechanic isn’t enough. You also need to know your arch type. Are you flat-footed? Have a high arch or a normal arch?  There is a simple test. Just step on a piece of paper with a wet foot. The amount of your arch that shows indicates your type of arch. I turned out to have a normal arch.

So now I’m looking for shoes for overpronation and medium arch.  So my shoe of choice is:

New Balance shoe The New Balance 990 WB3 Lady! This shoe provides the cushioning and stability to compensate for overpronators like me.

So while I await my new shoes, I need to start focusing on walking heel-to-toe.

 
 
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Your Feet’s Too Big

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Even puppy dogs love these socks! Thorlos - the most remarkable socks ever.

Even puppy dogs love these socks! Thorlos – the most remarkable socks ever.

I’ve had one too many blisters after my long walks. Something had to be done. So my little piggies went to market and picked up a couple of pair of Thorlos Thin Cushion Walker Socks – truly the socks of the gods.

Yes they are obscenely expensive – $12.42 a pair on Amazon. Recommended to me by my runner friends, Thorlos are worth every frickin’ penny! Once you put them on the magic happens. This wonderfully padded garment greatly improved my Haste (+3), Agility (+5), Stamina (+3) and Damage Absorption (+2)…yes, I used to play WoW…my husband made me.

On my first outing, I made the mistake of treating these wonders like any other socks. What fools we mere mortals be.

When lacing up my shoes, I didn’t compensate for the extra padding. After my first mile, and my feet went slightly numb, it dawned on me to loosen up the laces. That did the trick and I had a spring in my step. When the walk ended, my feet felt great. No soreness. No aches. No blisters.

What’s so great about these socks?

I can’t rave enough about Thorlos. Blister resistant – so the perfect socks for long walks. Incredibly well padded, you feel comfy while wearing them and your feet stay dry. These socks suck moisture away from your feet. No pesky seam rubbing against your toes. It’s as if the seam doesn’t exist. I used to feel a little jab in my arches during a long walk. No more. The cushioned instep and spandex provides all the support I need.

I can’t wait to wear them on my upcoming hiking excursion to Dolly Sods.

The only caution I have is, if you wear your sneakers tight, don’t buy them.

I’m in the market for some new sneakers. I’ll be sure to wear my Thorlos on my next visit to Lady Footlocker.

Close To Learning Victoria’s Secret

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brasSomething funny happened as I got measured for my new bra size. My band size dropped 2 sizes – yahoo! – but my cup size went up. Well this was a puzzler for me as it was for the lady with the tape measure. Perhaps Victoria’s Secret has a completely new meaning.

So what’s a girl to do? I asked The Google.

HT to the blogger at Big Girls Bras for explaining this mystery. Turns out it is very common for women to lose weight around the rib cage faster than lose volume in the breasts. Bra cup sizes scale down as the band size scales down. So a D46 doesn’t have the same cup size as a D42, even though they are both Ds. Much to the dismay of my husband, my breasts didn’t get bigger. My cup size went up to compensate for the same breast volume because my band size shrunk.

Groovy mystery solved.