It's Back to Plan A!

Hola darlings!

Oh, I am so excited!  This coming Friday is my neice's wedding and, as you know, I had wanted to drop some pounds for it in the hope of being able to fit into a certain suit that I have not even tried on in probably 9 years! 

Before I was diagnosed with my heart issues recently, I had already determined to try and eat a healthier diet, with more whole grains and high fiber foods, more fruits, vegetables, less red meat, more fish and low fat pork and chicken.  That began some time in June, but I don't remember exactly when.  I sort of eased into it, adding more lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, for instance, to start out.

Anyway, I was stuck like forever at 180.  Yeah, I'm not proud of that figure because it's a good 45 pounds too much for my rather petite under 5"4" and small boned frame.  Back in the good old days I used to weigh 117, and after I quit smoking in 1989 I shot up to 135. I stayed there for several years.  But once menopause struck, disaster came with it.  I packed on pounds and pounds and pounds.  AWFUL!  At my peak weight, I was 195 and sooooo unhappy with how I looked. 

So, I started the long slow trudge to getting rid of the excess weight.  I got down to 180 without making as many changes as I needed to.  Duh!  Finally I saw the light, after just about throwing up every time I saw myself in a mirror - from the profile with that big fat belly sticking out and the multi-inch fat handle or doughnut around my middle.

So, the pounds have been coming off.  I am now at 172!  That's about 8 pounds in a couple of months.  Slow but sure.  This morning, I pulled on a pair of shorts and they were large in the waist.  Well, they were a little large in the waist when I put them on last weekend to cut the grass, and this weekend they were even larger!  Joy!  So, on a whim, I decided to be really brave and try on the tan and black suit that I would love to wear to the wedding.  Here are a couple of not very good photos of it -- it's dark in the house today because it's clouded over outside (I should be out cutting the backyard now before it starts raining instead of doing this, eek!):

Unbuttoned jacket and buttoned jacket.

IT FIT!  Well, to be absolutely truthful, the bottom button was just a little bit tight, but the skirt fits without me bulging out over the top of it.

This jacket is a little bit low cut, showing cleavage without a cami underneath, so I would not feel comfortable in it unless I had a cami on, which means even a thin one would add a little bulk.  So, not sure about wearing it to the wedding.

Sooooo, I tried on my other two "summer suits" that I also had not tried on for at least 9 years and - THEY FIT TOO!

Oh Joy!

I really love how this purple one fit - no "tight button" issues at all with this jacket, and the cut is very flattering - I even look like I have a waist in it; it is cut slightly shorter than the suit jacket above, so obviously the proportions have a great deal to do with it; and perhaps there was a slightly more generous cut through the waist area, too:

It's cut high enough in the neckline so I wouldn't have to wear a cami underneath.  You can't tell from the photo, but the buttons are purple with gold-toned trim around the outer edge.

And finally, I tried on this suit - I just adore the color:

The buttons on this suit are blue to match the material, and have a silver-toned outer edge.  The jacket is slightly longer than the other two and has a slimming effect on my from-the-side silhouette. 

The material for the top and middle suits is poly-crepe.  The bottom suit is also poly but the material has a sheen and a texture that reminds me of shantung silk.  All are fully lines jackets and skirts so no hassles with slips underneath.

I believe I had mentioned a post or two ago that I had tried on the dress I wore to a nephew's wedding back in 2004.  It fit okay - actually, it looked a little big underneath the arms and across the top, but it would have been fine -- and I'll bet my sisters would have remembered that I wore that to the last family wedding, too (dang).  I didn't think it would go well with my new black shoes because it is a light floaty material with a pastel floral design.  Also, ruffles.

Hmmmm, I'm not really a ruffles type of gal these days.  My tailored suits, on the other hand, I've always loved them -- as you can tell - keeping them in my closet all these years (they were all purchased in early 2002). 

Now I've got OPTIONS!  I'm so happy!  And seeing that scale go down week after week, it really has been an incentive to keep going. 

My current goal is to get to 170.  Oh, probably not by Friday.  But once I get to 170, I'll be working on 5 pound increments.  I figure if I can keep losing 4 pounds every 4 weeks or so, in June of 2013 I'll have totally redone myself -- from 180 to 138.  Back to a size 10!

Sooooo, the question NOW, darlings, is WHICH SUIT DO I WEAR???

Work-Out Saturday

Hola darlings!

I was such a good girl this morning :)  I took the long way around to the Dollar Store and with stops there and at the Pick 'n Save supermarket on the way back home, I did a 3 mile walk in 1.5 hours!  My buddy Ann and I used to walk during lunch hours downtown and we'd do about 3 miles (city block miles) in that hour, but that was back in like 2001, so I'm very proud of myself.  Plus, it was humid -- fortunately not scorching hot, but I was dripping sweat and my jeans and shirt were clinging to me when I walked through the front door.  Was able to sleep with the AC off last night -- but I may need to turn it on near the evening just to cool the house down a bit -- we'll see.  When the shade comes around to the backyard this afternoon I'll cut the grass.  All the trees out back give me good shade.  I missed the shade out front this morning (my house is oriented front to the east, back to the west) because I left the house at 9 for the trip to the Dollar Store, so I'll have to wait until about 6 this evening to cut the front yard.  So now, I'm blogging :)

Trips up and down the stairs later on for laundry (washer and dryer are in the basement; laundry is in the second floor closet).  Let's see - what else can I do that's a work-out?  Maybe I should finally start one of the paint jobs - nah.  I'll put some music on and dance around the house for 30 minutes.  Yeah - that will work! 

Anyway, I was very disappointed with the Dollar Store.  First of all, they actually moved their location - but fortunately for me they were still in the same little strip shopping center where they were before, it just moved to a smaller store.  Their gift bag selection was a bust.  I did pick up bargain white tissue paper for the gift bags, and I found suitable card stock, too, so the trip wasn't a total bust. 

So that was why I decided to stop at the Pick 'n Save - but other than picking up a few things no gift bags from there, either.  They didn't have the right size or color(s) I wanted.  So, tomorrow it will be off to Walgreens and I'll buy the black ones I had my eye on all along (should have saved myself time and just bought them then!) plus some really cool black and white houndstooth check tissue paper.  That's about as close to a chessly theme as I can get, it seems. 

So - that 4 pounds I lost is STILL off, yippee!  These size 16 shorts are now about 2 inches too big in the waist, yippee!  Would I be able to fit back into my favorite suit?  Hmmmmm, I still don't think so and I don't want to try it until I banish another couple of pounds.  Can I do it before August 17th and the wedding?  Don't know, but I'm working on it!  In the meantime, though, Plan B outfit is:

my new shoes:

These are "Marissa" by Lifestride. I got them on sale so I didn't pay $54.99 for them.

Straight knee length pencil skirt in black poly-crepe (full lining) - I bought mine at Penney's last year and had it hemmed to custom length by Miss Diane at P'Dia.  This one by Worthington looks like it but I think mine was Jones of New York -- I wouldn't have bought it ordinarily except it was on super duper sale at the time and the price was right:

And the top by Black Rainn (worn with a black cami underneath):

Hello!  That's me in September, 2011 in St. Louis, Missouri at the chess doings 'Sis and I attended.  Hmmm, yes, that top definitely does make me look fatter than I am (not that I'm not -- fat that is -- but I'm not that fat).  How disappointing.  I love the top!  It's floaty and airy and beautifully printed in abstract neutrals.  But I really shouldn't wear it unless I'm a good 20 pounds lighter.  And that ain't happening by August 17th!

Drat!  Damn!  Boo Hiss!  Must I really go on a hunt for the perfect top to wear to my niece's wedding?  If only I could liposuction 3 pounds of fat out of each upper arm and another 5 pounds from around my "waist."  Ach!   I'd do it if I could afford it!  Unfortunately, money now being saved is for a new roof on this house next year.  Drat! Damn!  Boo Hiss!

Looking for a New Hair Do

I have a niece getting married on August 17th.  I don't think I wrote here about my disastrous decision in letting my hairdresser cut a new multi-layered style into my hair a few months ago.  I did consent, but the person she showed me with this alleged cut (another beautician at the salon)  -- my hair did not turn out looking ANYTHING like hers! 

I was soooo pissed off.  But I'm culpable too.  I had allowed myself back in 2008 to be talked into a non-suitable multi-layered style for my hair (which has developed a definite wave and has totally lost all body, and is probably thinning, as well.  Sigh) that looked absolutely nothing like the photo I had clipped and presented to my hairdresser.

I probably should have gotten someone else then.  But I stayed.  I like her, she's a good kid.  It cannot be easy making a living these days (especially in an expensive downtown salon/spa where the work station rent must be very high) and so I keep going back and I keep making these same stupid mistakes with my hair!

ACH!

Anyway, so I'm growing out this disastrous layered cut and it's driving me frigging NUTS!  It looks bad.  My hair is too thin and too fine to support particularly these see-through wispy bottom layers.

So I'm going to have as much of that bottom layer and the one above it ALL CUT OFF as will take me to ear length with as close to a single length blunt cut bob as I can get when I go in for another trim/cut on July 31st.  I'm not happy about it, because the little bit of "camoflauge" I presently have from this totally unsatisfactory growing-out cut for my triple chin will be totally gone!  On the other hand, while I was sick I lost 4 pounds and miracle of miracles, they seem to be staying off!  Maybe all those fruits and vegetables I've been eating are finally working.  Don't know - we'll see.  But I actually look slimmer -- or maybe I'm just fooling myself.  Four pounds could not possible make that much difference.  The triple chin has not disappeared, it just looks smaller.  Or my eyesight has gotten that much worse (a distinct possibility).

Here is what I wished my hair might look like (and me, too):

 Well you know, darlings, even when I was 18 and weighed 105 pounds I never did not have a slight little bulge of fat beneath my chin.  Sigh.  But I wear bangs and this hair cut, while not exactly being complementary to my soon to be 61 year old profile, WILL nonetheless make me much happier about how my hair "handles."  And it may look a wee bit thicker, too, with most of those wispy layers gone at last!

I got new shoes - MUCH easier process this time than for the trip to St. Louis last summer -- and I've got some alternative outfits planned -- it's all dependent upon how much weight I can lose between now and August 17th!  EEK!