Before and After: The Return of a Favourite Shirt

I found a shirt in my closet, something that hasn't fit in years -- decades. In all the many closet purgings I've done, I always held on to this shirt. 

I bought it at an outdoor music festival, a great indulgence at the time, but I loved it and splurged. It's hand-dyed batik, and no matter how many times I wore it, it always looked new. Even though it hasn't fit since the late 90s, I never had the heart to get rid of it. 

Yesterday I had to travel a little for work -- a wonderful treat in this almost-maybe-post-pandemic time. I wanted to wear something special, but all my dressy clothes are way too big. So I tried on this shirt. And it fit. 

This led me to dig out my "before" pics. I took these in my hotel room the night before my surgery.

October 25, 2020

May 14, 2021

I didn't have this surgery to change my appearance. If being overweight was only about lookism, I would have stayed heavy forever. I did this for my health. But the side benefit of feeling better about how I look is really nice!

I've also been working on being less photo-phobic. This is not really a function of my weight or size. I'm just extremely camera-shy and can't stand to see photos of myself. Over the last few years, I've been working on being more relaxed about it. So posting these photos here is A Big Thing. 

More About Clothes, Plus an Amusing Phone Call

I've written before about my clothing dilemma: whether to buy now or wait until my weight-loss stops. 

I have already bought -- and am wearing -- pants in a new size. With a big reduction in my girth, my pants were suddenly too long! So I'm now wearing the pants size I wore for most of my life, last worn 12 years ago. Fun! 

But all my t-shirts and cotton sweaters -- the clothes I live in -- are billowing. Several people have suggested buying a few new tops, because it will feel great to fit nicely into a smaller size. I've been reluctant to do this, for various reasons -- but I recently took the plunge.

I actually don't know what size I am now! So I'm starting there: sizing. I ordered one t-shirt and one cotton sweater, each in two different sizes. After I know which fits, I'll proceed with a few more.

Plot twist: I got a call this week from the bariatric clinic in my province, asking if I am still interested in joining the program! This doesn't mean I was offered surgery. You can expect to be in the program for a minimum of one year before getting a date for surgery, and it can be two years or more -- while I'm already enjoying the new me. 

And now my good fortune at being able to have the surgery in Mexico has freed up a spot for someone else. Win-win! But really, I feel more like win win win win win win.

May 1 Weigh-In

Pounds lost since last weigh-in: 2

Total pounds lost so far: 49

I've lost another two pounds and I'm very pleased!

I'm especially pleased because (a) I was mentally preparing myself for a plateau, and (b) we were away for a few days this month, and I ate differently. I didn't overeat -- I can't -- but I did let myself loosen the reins a bit on food choices. I was prepared to declare this worth it, even if it slowed down my weight loss for one month. 85% thinking, right? But I despite this, I lost two more pounds. Yay!

I am now 11 pounds away from my "soft goal" weight.

That weight, by the way, is still 20 pounds more than my supposedly ideal weight. But that weight -- 70 pounds lost -- does not seem possible or sustainable. So I'm sticking with current weight minus 10 as my "soft goal". 

But if I don't lose another 11 pounds, I'm fine with that. I promise. I'm feeling so good, and losing (almost) 50 pounds permanently is reward enough.