Apparently muffin top is the new norm when it comes to women’s jeans. I went to buy some and every pair was like trying on upside down bell bottoms. The lower half was a size 6, but the waist was a size 12. Huh?! I checked the label-are these maternity pants?!?!
I hate clothes shopping. I don’t have the patience for it. Nothing fits my pear shape body. And when there are very few smaller sizes to choose from it’s really frustrating.
Now I know some of you are thinking, oh boohoo, you’re skinny and you can’t find anything to wear. Okay, yes, I’d rather have this problem than how it used to be.
But still why are these jeans shaped like an open funnel?
I asked the store clerk where to find the smaller sizes.
With a look she said, “We don’t stock many smaller sizes because the average size is a 14.”
I thought how did 14 become the new 10?
Don’t look at me like I don’t understand, in 2007 I lost fifty-five pounds. That’s like a whole kindergartener. I’d say second grader, but now they super-size them.
It took me about 6 months of sticking to a regimen: structured meal plan, daily calls to my sponsor and weighing and measuring all my food.
Yep…weighing and measuring ALL my food. Please don’t make me give back that last carrot.
I’ve been maintaining ever since…one day at a time.
Funny thing, it wasn’t until I started weighing and measuring that I realized, my portion sizes were four to five times greater than they were supposed to be-and so was my butt!
There is a direct correlation.
Recently I read an article about a woman in her early twenties claiming to be comfortable in her size fourteen body.
Now, I’m all for the love your body and I’m still trying to fall in love with mine. But like me this young lady was only about 5 foot nothing.
And I can tell you from experience when I was a 5 foot nothing, size 14 (going on 20), I was not healthy, or happy. I didn’t get that “voluptuous” by healthy snacking. I wasn’t all muscle I was more like a giant bowl of oatmeal. For my height and weight I was at least 50 pounds over the limit, thanks to my 2,000 calories for a buck Taco Bell plan.
Joe Pesci was right, “They f%*k you at the drive-through!”
Now my weight loss was anything but an overnight success. It came after a lifetime of painful yo-yo living. That’s not how you live a thriving life.
But TODAY I do things differently and so can you. Here’s what you do:
- Write down your food
Get a pocket spiral and write it down. I’m old fashioned, using pen and paper, because for me it sinks in better.
But if it helps, download an app and let it track your progress for you. Here are a couple of examples:
MyFitnessPal
MyNetDiary
It’s not about what you think you ate, it’s about what you really ate. And there’s a big difference. You will see an improvement in your frame of mind and a decrease in your body frame when you write it down.
Be honest, this is for you.
- 30 minutes of daily movement
Our lives are full, just like our plates, and exercise can be a challenge. Heck, we’re all super busy.
But you can carve out 30 minutes of daily movement. Make it cardio-that’s the best bang for your buck. Fat turns to muscle, serotonin kicks in and now you’re feeling happy. You can think more clearly and creative ideas skyrocket out of you. (How do you think I wrote this post?)
- Choose your carbs wisely
Growing up my family considered carbs and sweets to be the primary food group. We stuffed ourselves with anything white-bread, potato salad, fries, more bread. It wasn’t chicken unless it was breaded and fried.
Now, I get all my carbs from fruits and vegetables only-I haven’t had a piece of bread in over 7 years. Bad carbs (bread, potato salad, fries, more bread) turn to sugar in your body making you hungrier.
Protein fills you up and makes you feel satisfied (unless it’s breaded and fried). Make wise food choices focusing mainly on protein, fruits and vegetables and you will feel happy with sustained energy levels.
Today, when I pass by fast food chains and drive-throughs and see both young and old muffin tops pouring out and over their jeans and sweat pants, I think…that used to be me.
But I made a choice to live a thriving life and so can you.
Start now. Start today. Lose your muffin top once and for all. Remember, write down everything you eat. Start moving 30 minutes a day. And choose foods wisely- proteins, fruits and vegetables.
That’s how you live a thriving life. And if I can do it…so can you.
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