SCORE!!!!!!!!! GOALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, I am not referring to the recent appearance of David Beckham, sans shirt, on the LA Galaxy.

I am referring to the nice little suit I bought this weekend.

It's my new Goal.

David Beckham has nothing to do with it. But I know that his wife, Victoria Beckham (formerly Posh Spice) would TOTALLY approve.

Let me digress.

I started this weight-loss journey at 259.6 pounds, as I have mentioned in a previous blog or two. After months and months of moving and eating properly, I have wound my way down to a new low of 162.5.

I am beyond psyched! Not just at the number, but at the ease of movement and the MUSCLES that have come as a direct result!

The other reason I am psyched is that I have discovered that I have moved far, far, and even more far from my former perception of fashion as being "pointless" and "too expensive".

I LOVE CLOTHES.

Oh God. OK. That is probably the single most Paris-Hilton-like statement I have EVER made in my life. But oh my gosh! I have a figure!

(And, as I told Kent...I know how to use it!!)

So I have been having the best time, not just buying new clothes, but finding clothes that are cute AND completely, totally inexpensive.

It started with moving beyond my former "skinny" jeans that were size 16 "Elizabeth" jeans from the Liz Claiborne for Women line.

I became a size 14, and suddenly I needed new jeans. I went to the Elizabeth outlet at Kittery, Maine, where I always bought my jeans, and found to my delight that size 14 was as small as they went.

This became my new goal: move out of Elizabeth clothing. Not only did I want to be a 12, I wanted to wear a size medium as well.

My goals all along have been the next ten pound increment (as measured by breaking into the nines--like 229, 219, 209, 199, and so forth), and the next size down in clothing.

I ALWAYS write my goals down. I found a long time ago that if you write it down, you make it real. I have found that every goal I've written (except the most recent), I have met.

Every one.

So my goal when I hit 14 was to get to a 12, and to move from a Large to a Medium. And when I did, I vowed to find a way to buy some cute clothes, despite being a stay-at-home-mom with little income.

Size 12 occurred this past June, just before we headed to California. To my surprise, the Medium came with it.

So cool!

So I bought some great $19 "Adirondack" jeans from L.L. Bean (which were wicked soft and comfy), and a cute white pima cotton shirt for $16, both of which ended up being free because I had coupons worth $40 for L.L. Bean. I found some new shirts on clearance at Macy's, and I also got a size 12 cute blue-with-white-polka-dots skirt and some khakis when the New York & Co store at my local mall went out of business. Those I got at 75% off, so they were each around $7.

I wore those clothes all summer, and boy I felt great!

But an odd thing happened. Of course, being in 12s and Mediums meant my next written goal was 10s and smalls.

And guess what happened in California?

I may not have budged past 165 the last three weeks I was there, but my size changed. I went from a 12 to a 10, and from a Medium to a small.

I am a small.

Oh.

My.

God.

WHAT a shock!

I celebrated by going to Target and splurging by spending $20 to buy a cute khaki skirt in a size 10, and then I also got a couple shirts (Mossimo striped polo, that was a size Large because that line is very tight, marked down to $2.50 on the sale rack, and a small white short-sleeved sweater marked down to $5 and change, also on the sale rack).

I also had to buy a belt for my 12 Khakis that no longer stayed up on their own. Marked down to $3.50 on the sale rack.

The other surprise about being a smaller size--there are lots of options for sale clothing on those perennial sales racks in stores like Target!

Cool.

I cannot go any further than Small, but I did make a new goal: Size 8.

And my inspiration?

That suit I bought...

I have discovered that not all clothes are available at malls. There is Target, and its sales racks; there are outlet malls (of which we have several in Maine); and, there are secondary sites, like eBay-types and consignment stores, all of which have some really killer deals, especially if you are a size small.

Like the suit I bought.

In a size 8.

So what kind of suit is it?

It's beautiful. Red, I think it's a wool blend because it's a warmer suit. The jacket is so cool, it has a little swishy skirty-like bottom to it, and the skirt is a "pencil" skirt that flows over the hips and hugs the legs and makes you look like a total Diva.

And it's a size 8. I can put it on, but I cannot quite button it up yet, but I vow to.

Because I got it for $10.

And it's a Christian Dior.

Oh.

My.

God.

I got a CHRISTIAN DIOR "The Suit" for $10!!!

I could not believe it when I stumbled across it.

Do NOT ask me where. I won't tell. ;) That's my secret.

But it made me think, perhaps there is another one out there somewhere?

Score #2 this past Tuesday:

A Christian Dior suit jacket (sadly, no skirt), but the jacket is super long, below the hips, and it's a more traditional suit fabric. Black, and beautiful...and I look like I have Sophia Loren's body in it. I mean, I have these beautiful, sexy-as-hell curves that would make J.Lo jealous!

And it's already my size!

It would look totally killer with a long, pleated, wide skirt. I didn't find one of those, at least one that even came close to someday fitting me. I could also wear it witha pair of tan pleated trousers, which I already have. It actually even looked totally awesome with my khaki shorts.

And I got that jacket for less than $7.

I also got another pair of L.L.Bean jeans, a pair of Calvin Klein jeans (OH MY GOD, Calvin Klein??), a United Colors of Benetton suit jacket in a dark slate blue, and a really killer leather cropped jacket that looks all worn in and has a neat brass-buckled belt on it, which looks like something Angelina Jolie would wear (not that I even LIKE her, but it's that type, sexy and feminine but edgy, like I'm about to leap on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14!). The brand name on that jacket is "Compagnie Internationale EXPRESS" (in a size small), not that I even know what that brand is.

Oh and I also got a pair of Aeropostale khaki pants as well.

I got some other stuff but those were the highlights.

The cost? Everything was less than $15 each. Even the jacket.

Beautiful clothes are so much fun, and these consignment shops are such a blast. You can find some amazing things if you spend the time to look. And I am a hunter. I have developed into one after almost two decades as a morbidly obese woman, because if you are that size, you HAVE to hunt to find things that not only fit, but look presentable.

Now, I can look more than presentable.

So watch out, new goal. I have a hot little red Christian Dior that has my name on it.

Have a fabulous evening, and remember:

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream. Not only plan but also believe." - Anatole France



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Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!