Funny you should say that because not an hour ago I was looking into the mirror thinking 'It's great that these jeans are loose and everything, but they look baggy and ugly now...'. I have a tendency to wear baggy stuff and buy the biggest size available regardless of if it actually fits me or not. I think I'll have to start being more picky, and pay more attention to what I wear. No point in losing weight if I keep wearing old, baggy and ugly, right?

'zackly...

One of the things that you'll probably find -least I did -you'll stop wearing just 'what fits' and start wearing what looks good... While I still hate shopping -makes it a lot less irritating now that I have more choices...

Tailors and secondhand/thrift store/clearance racks will become your best friend -and if your clothes are fitting -- and you don't have 'growing room' you have absolutely NO excuse to backslide (not that you would

Mal,

Question for you on the whole mind thing.

First off, dont know if i have ever told you this but you have done an amazing job with your weightloss. You are such and inspiration to me and everyone on this board. Thanks for the time you put into this forum.

Do you think the mind ever catches up to the picture in the mirror?

Also, what is the most amount of weight you have put on during your weight loss? Lets say, have you put on ten lbs then refocused and lost more? Just curious.

Matt

Thank you - but Im honestly not worthy of the word inspiration.. and i've heard it used in my direction on this and other sites and it bothers me - people who inspire shouldn't be near as whiny as i am... and their reasons for doing something shouldn't be near as selfish as mine are.... yeah, I haven't given up on the dream that someday -I might be hot - it's a delusion that I choose to live with

as long as i stay away from the mirror - on some days I can feel pretty good about myself - but the reality is - i look what i look like and no amount of weight loss will change that - all those people who said -you'd be so pretty if only you'd lose some weight - were wrong... There are a lot of things - i still want more improvement on - fitness wise mainly -but I'm working with a semi-broken inside body... so that makes it more of a challenge - doesnt stop me -but it makes the path more difficult.

I've never considered myself ' on a diet' so there was never really anything to get back to- this has always been a lifestyle change for me - and I've never really deprived myself of anything - there are things I don't like -and won't eat... and I'm much more selective now about not eating just becuase it's there.. THe past 8 months or so i've kind of lost forward momentum - and haven't really lost anything -but also haven't gained anything - so I''ve figured out maintenance... and need to get a new motivation to go forward again.

I hate shopping as well, but maybe once I make it to a size range that I can get in 'normal' stores, it will get better. I would love to just go and grab something from a clearance table, but at the moment, things in my size are never on it...hopefully soon. I am moving towards a range that you can get pretty much everywhere over here. I used to wear a 32 (no clue what that is in the US, sorry), and now I fit into size 28 pants. The normal stores here usually go up to 24/26, so maybe in a couple of months I won't have to go into the 'fat people' shop anymore. Not that I have anything against that per se, the problem is that they only seem to cater for fat people who are no taller than 5"3', and no younger than about 75 years of age. I am so fed up with wearing ugly clothes, I tell you!!

Anyway, enough whining, and I have to agree with Matt....okay, so you might not like the word inspiration, but look at it that way...you have achieved something really great, something that most of the people on this board are still trying to achieve, and you're sticking around to help others, showing them that it can be done, and giving them encouragment. It's always easier to believe that I can do it if I see somebody else who has already done it, who knows what it's like, hence being on this forum. So, call it what you want, but it's people like you who actually help me a lot to stick with what I'm doing, and not give up on it. Thanks for that!!

Haven't achieved it yet -i've still got about 40 - 50lbs to go...

but thanks.

*slap*...you know exactly what I mean!

san-
agree on the clothes. I used to hate shopping at the big and tall store. They just rape you on their prices and the selections suck. I always considered that a major hurdle for me when i could walk into a "normal" store and buy off the rack.

I used to hate clothes shopping but now I'm addicted.

Keep doing what you are doing and you will be there in no time.

Matt

PS. after you are done slapping Mal, step aside becuase i'd like to give her one too. Not an inspriation (I'm shaking my head at that one)