Weight Loss Wednesdays: Tips for making the most of what you have

It's Katie here, for your weekly dose of my weight loss wisdom. It didn't happen on Wednesday of last week, and it's already Thursday. Mea Culpa - life got in the way! But, here you go!

My mom recently told me (in the most loving, supportive manner possible) two things:
1) Stop wearing yoga pants out of the house (insert: all the time).
2) Wear make-up more.

While moderately devastating, the spirit of what she was saying is spot on - do more with what you have. She knows I've hated being heavy for a long time, and she knows I'm working really, really hard to lose (I'm down 17 lbs!!). But, part of being heavy, and the self-loathing that came with it, manifests itself in what I can only describe as "letting myself go". I'm married, I'm not hideously unattractive without make-up ... I'm gainfully employed. What the hell do I need to "try" for?

And that, my friends, is the ever so slippery slope that can come with weight gain, age, putting our kids (who always looks pretty awesome, I'm sure) before ourselves ... Or any combination of self-esteem deflating things that plague we American women throughout our lives.

So, here is the deal : take off the shabby yoga pants that are too big or ugly or which look like jammies or which just do NOTHING FOR YOU (there is a story behind mine, and it doesn't include buying AWESOME yoga couture from Lululemon). Maybe, put on a little make-up .... But take care of yourself FIRST. Whatever that means, do your hair ... Just a little. Dress in something that flatters you no matter what your size.

Here is what I have found that does for me - I flat out feel better when I put just a little energy into looking less like a bag of ass. I don't eat as much, because I feel better about myself and being thinner, and I feel better about myself because I'm not eating to cope and walking about town in 7 year old yoga pants from Target. (Which I own in black, grey and brown and which are an XL which I purchased when pregnant with my son in 2005 ... God, I love those pants, and I can't wait for the day I've lost enough weight that they fall off and I have to retire them ... I may enshrine them.)

As I have embarked on the journey of (trying) to like what I look like, irrespective of my size, here are the things that are working for me:

(1) Probably obvious from above, I wear make-up more, and I'm having fun with it. I might have a fat butt (for now), but I have good skin and I love make-up. I've thrown caution to the wind (a bit) and started wearing more colors, more drama and some bright lipstick for summer. I probably manage 6 days a week, I excuse myself from this when working around the house or yard, or going to the grocery store ... In which case they can just be glad to have my business cause I friggin HATE grocery shopping. Here are a few summer make-up tips.

(2) I have purchased a few, low cost summery items in fun, on-trend colors. They are really soft, flowy dresses which are about 98% MuMu and 2% fashion. They are comfortable, bright, light (it's well over 100 degrees here in Houston) - but pretty. Check out something like this maxi-dress @ Nordstrom for only $68, or this cheap maxi-dress @ Target for only $34.99.

(3) Accessorize. I'm not investing much in clothes because shopping still depresses me, and because I am - indeed losing weight and don't intend to wear whatever size I buy for long. So, I'm investing in some super, duper fun (not necessarily expensive) statement bling. And you know what? People have recently started asking me about my jewelry! And, no one says, "Does this necklace make my butt look fat." Quite the opposite, big statement necklaces and earnings draw attention up, long neclaces make me look longer, and distract from bigger midsection and large rear end.

Mommy-Magic "Cheap Bling" by yarngirl featuring skull jewelry

(4) SPANX. We used to call them girdles, ladies. Go watch you some Mad Men - foundations were KEY to those awesome curvaceous looks in the 40s and 50s, and it's no different now. Plus, jiggling belly fat and muffin tops depress me, and when I wear my Spanks kids don't ask me if I'm "gonna have a baby". Add to this a REALLY GOOD BRA -- rolls of back fat only visible because your bra is ill-fitting? Not okay. Don't do that to yourself. Check out my favorite: InLine Power Line Super Higher Power

(5) Wear clothes that fit. Period. You can do this on a budget. Resale stores are great. Marshall's, Ross, etc. if you are a size 16, don't wear an 18 and don't wear a 14. It's not flattering. I've done it - in both directions. Hidden in too big (yoga pants) clothes, and squeezed into too small jeans. Buy yourself basics if you have only a little to invest, or if your size is changing. Switch out those accessories (see above) to make a white tshirt and jeans look like 4 different outfits.