Positive Reinforcement

I've had some trouble getting back into my exercise routine ever since leaving for vacation. I didn't do anything while we were gone (unless you count the miles upon miles we walked everyday). And ever since coming home, I've had one excuse after another (some actually valid) for not spinning or going to pilates. One day I was even going to make myself go to spin because I knew I would feel better after, but half way home, I realized I forgot to go to the gym - which means I missed the class (no turn around and go late - our instructor on Wednesday evenings is very popular and usually all the bikes are taken 15 minutes before the class even starts). Oh well, there's my unconscious working in overdrive.

Some of you may remember me complaining about my pants a couple months ago. Well, I can no longer ignore the problem. With fall and winter rapidly approaching, even in San Diego, I have to be able to wear a pair of pants if I want to without looking like a bag lady. Everything is big and using a belt just causes a lot of synching issues and my but ends up looking - how should I put this? - um, older than I am.

So, I decided to get the two good pairs of pants that I have altered. After all women's dress pants aren't cheap and I don't have tons of money to be throwing around. I also received a nice little coupon for Ann Taylor - a place that I only allow myself to shop the sale racks. My coupon expires tomorrow so I made myself run by the mall (yuck) last night after work. I have the whole Fashion Valley thing figured out - go in the back and park in the bottom stair access only section - so it was actually a fairly painless excursion. I picked out the size of pants I thought I was and started trying stuff on. But it was so weird the crotches were totally low on me and they all fit strange. I couldn't figure out what the problem was because their stuff usually fits me. Then I thought - no, it couldn't be? surely not? So, I took the next size down and tried that one on and wouldn't you know? It actually fit. This is totally huge. I never in a million years thought I would get back to what I had thought through my early twenties was my natural size. I had given up on that dream and was just going to be satisfied with clothes that fit and were the appropriate size for my size. So, once again I will sing from the mountaintops - thank you pilates! I couldn't have done it with out you!

And so to reward myself, I got this:



BTW - this picture doesn't do this dress justice. It is super cute and I have been lusting after it since it was in their fall preview - Nonnahs can attest to the fact that I kept petting it when we tried to buy pants at the Ann Taylor in Beverly Hills last weekend. Needless to say they don't have much of a sale rack at that particular location.