Downsizing
Recently, a client of mine called me out on something I have been delaying for quite a while. I have needed to buy some smaller clothes for months now, but have been hesitating, knowing I need to do this, but not sure I am ready to commit to a smaller size. Our conversation went a little like this:
Client: “You need to go buy new jeans. You are swimming in those pants.”
Me: “I know, I know. I am just not ready to buy a smaller size yet.”
Client: “Go to the mall now. Buy a size that you think is too small, because it won’t be. It’s time.”
Me: “Okay, okay.”
Client: “Go. I don’t want to see you back here until you have pants that fit.”
This particular client is good about giving it to ya straight, and gave me the swift kick in the pants I needed. And, then, she said it was okay to blog about it.
I’m pretty lucky. As a freelance marketing consultant/writer, I mostly work from home, and only occasionally go in to an office. But, when I do go in to an office, I honestly don’t have much to wear that fits properly. As a result of this healthy journey, I have lost 8 or 9 pounds, but I’ve dramatically changed the shape of my body. I have gained muscle mass, which has decreased my dimensions and has been emphasizing my current “bag lady” look.
In case you’re wondering, I gained the muscle by doing P90X. While I can’t say enough about how much I love the X, I also do a variety of at-home weights routines (Jari Love is currently my fave instructor.) And, of course, I still do my normal triathlon training.
Growing up in Texas certainly didn’t set a good example for me. I heard a stat on the radio that 2 million people in Texas have type 2 diabetes, and 2 out of 3 Texans are overweight or obese. This is not surprising at all if you look at the dining options available to the typical Texan, where bigger is perceived to be better. (I don’t mean to single out Texas. Super sizing is a problem across our country; this is just a stat that hit home for me personally.)
I come from a family of bigger folks, so keeping my weight in check has always been important to me. While I have always been at a healthy weight for my height, I typically bought clothes as if I wasn’t. It was just engrained in me to buy a size XL, when in reality, I usually need a medium or maybe large, depending on the item. When it comes to jeans, baggy has always been better.
All this background aside, getting super fit isn’t really the point of my post.
Surely you’ve been at this point in your life at some time, whether with your job, your relationship, or, perhaps your fitness routine. A point where you need to make a 
change of some sort, but something is holding you back from taking the leap. In this case, the jeans shopping is really an insignificant element.
The real issue at hand is that I needed to accept who I am right now. I have worked hard to get and stay fit. I needed to cut the safety net of my bigger clothes, which symbolized the old me, and invest in the present me. The present me is capable of maintaining my successes and deserves to show off the hard work in properly fitting denim!
I’m happy to report that I came back from the mall comfortably wearing one size smaller than I normally buy, which is a size that I haven’t worn since my freshman year of college. At 34, I’m pretty happy about that!
So, what is holding you back right now? If you don’t make a move yourself, who is going to give you the kick in the rear you need to take the leap to buy your proverbial smaller pair of jeans?
