A Recent Discovery

Things truly are better when you are thinner. Now, before any of you decide to meet me in a dark alley and beat the remaining fat off my body, hear me out.

I used to be a size 18, so believe me when I say I know how frustrating life can be when you are plus sized, especially when you are also short as well. I oft found myself wondering why every plus size designer thinks we larger ladies love to dress in gaudy prints and clothing so elderly looking my grandmother would not even want to wear it. Thank God for the obesity "epidemic" in America forcing those who carry plus size clothing to reevaluate what overweight women want to buy and there are now some good resources for more stylish and trendier clothing that fits those in the 14-24 size range (such as Torrid and Lane Bryant).

That being said though, I can't even tell you how much more awesome shopping is now that I am a size 8 instead (and yes, I realize that was totally bad grammar but that is how exciting it is to be able to wear whatever you want). I recently went to a couple of the local thrift stores to replace some key wardrobe items since I still have some weight to lose and do not want to invest much money in something that is only going to fit for less than a year. I was not looking forward to this as I remember going thrift store shopping in my younger years trying to find cool sweaters like the ones my smaller, trendier friends found and never having any success finding anything even remotely attractive in my size. I apprehensively decided to give it another whirl though because it is my only feasible option at this time since I am pretending to be frugal during this stage in my life. Besides, how hard can it be to find black skirts and plain cardigans for work, right?

Answer: not hard at all with my current size. I made a killing, finding 4 black skirts and 5 sweaters for $31. Yes, $31 and I am so not kidding. I have zero patience and am a power shopper so for me to do that well in under an hour total at 2 different thrift stores is almost unbelievable but believe it because it happened and I attribute this glorious experience to my smaller size.

I don't tell you all this to brag or make overweight people feel bad about themselves. I just want you to know that even though it takes time and effort, it is beyond worth it to go ahead and do what you need to in order to drop the pounds (whether that's diet and exercise, surgery, Lap Band, or whatever). Not only do I feel healthier, but I know I look better and shopping has actually become more of an enjoyable experience because I have options now that I didn't have before. My only advice: if you are going to lose weight then do it for yourself because you love yourself enough to look, feel, and be the best version of you that you can be.