Some things never change

Some things in life don't change, even if the scale or pant size does. Here are just a few:

Laws of clothes shopping

If you find a great pair of pants, the store will not have them in your size. It doesn't matter if you are a size 6, 16, or 26. When you are a 16, the clothing racks give the message that either they don't carry your size or everyone else shopping that day already bought the 16's. You will invariably find the sizes directly above and below you. Guess what? Same thing happens at size 10. Now it seems like the 16's are all on the rack and the 10's are all gone? How does this happen? Does the store see you coming and take away your size just to frustrate a process that can already be frustrating (i.e. finding a good pair of jeans)? Note: same thing happens with shoes. If you do find a pair of great pants in the store that fit, chances are by the time you get home you will no longer like them.


My hair remained the same

I was shocked to learn that my hair remained thin, even at a lower weight. I remember my great-grandma and great-aunt commenting how even if a woman is overweight, if she had great hair people wouldn't notice (note: they were not people to be giving advice on hair and weight). I always wanted great hair: long, flowing, thick. It's almost always been short, straight, and thin. And most of the time I was okay with that, but at times like my senior prom, I hated my hair. I remember yelling at my mom getting ready for prom that I looked like a mushroom head (sorry mom). She asked what I wanted different, I wailed "I want it long!" Thanks to my sister (& mom), some good hair dye, and pinterest, my hair style improving. My loss of weight and eating healthier did not lead to improved hair volume. It did not guarantee good hair days.


Pretty much everything else in life stays the same

If life was crazy and out of control before losing, probably not going to change with the scale (unless you are working on other habits at the same time). If you had a great character before, healthier living doesn't change that. If you were a grump that nobody wanted to be around before losing weight, chances are you'll just be a grump in smaller pants. That's part of the reason I almost didn't try to lose. I knew my worth as a person was more than the scale. And now that my weight is healthier and I'm getting compliments, I still know my value is more than my pant size. The people who love me and that matter to me are going to love me at any size. If anyone's feelings towards me changes with my weight, they aren't people I want in my life. Now that I'm stepping into the maintenance phase of my healthy eating, I'm a little freaked out about weight gain. 95% of people who successfully lose weight eventually regain. But knowing my value isn't based on my weight will help keep my mind right as there are setbacks...and help me kick my own butt back to the vegetables and away from the Girl Scout cookies.