Wow, this weight loss ride is a trip. So I have had some SV and NSV since my last blog post and I can hardly wrap my head around them!

1. SV - my scale said 219.8 this morning. WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY??? I can NOT remember the last time I weighed anything like that. 219.8??? I remember when my goal was 250. Then I got stuck at 238 for like...a year! Then my goal was 225. But 219 is a number I never even dared hope for. Crazy. HOWEVER...still have a lot of work to do. I need to start exercising in earnest. Long walks are nice but it's not where it needs to be yet. But I'll beat myself up over that some other time....219.8!

2. A guy in my office left on a months long business trip in June. Before he left, we had drinks and all he talked about was "hot chicks". Now....I'm not interested in this guy in a romantic way, but still...it was clear that I was NOT being included in that classification. I sort of vowed that I'd lose some weight while he was gone..."I'll show him!" At first, I wasn't doing the work and thought...this will be yet another time I DON'T lose weight. But then I recommitted. He's back now and we made plans for catch-up drinks. As we were finalizing, he said "have you changed your hair?" (that old saw ) I said no and then...he gave me the old up and down eye scan! This is a new one to me...I've seen guys do it to other women...the "ok, you've got a pretty face but what does the rest of you look like?" But I've rarely had it happen to me. But today, it happened! He said that he wasn't sure what was different (really?) but that it was "working for me". Doesn't exactly make me a "hot chick" but a step in the right direction! I'm not one to judge my all of my efforts by male reactions but darn it if I didn't feel a sense of accomplishment all the same! Speaking of male reaction, I think as my confidence has grown, my radar is much more attuned. I'm noticing more male attention. Not to say it's all due to 20 or so lbs...more likely, I wasn't paying attention before because of low self-confidence. But I'M reacting differently now...not averting my gaze, letting my own looks linger a bit. Great NSV there. I hope to get to the point where I don't bolt for the hills when some guy tries to make a connection.

3. Halloween hooray! I wore a cute costume for the first time ever with calf hugging boots for the first time ever. Nice! And I didn't hate myself in the pictures....even nicer! Not hating myself in pics is DEFINITELY an NSV. I aspire to actually like myself in pics someday!

4. Oh yeah, the title of my post! I went to Lane Bryant for some winter clothes and....their 1x shirts were looking a little big. :w00t: I skeptically took a pair of size 16 jeans, their lowest size into the dressing room...and they fit snugly, not tight, snug, the way jeans are supposed to fit. That was last week...now they are a bit loose in the thigh. I found a Venezia size 1 jeans on sale for $3.99 and I have no idea what size they are supposed to be but they looked *small*. This morning, I was able to button and zip. Not yet ready for primetime but maybe by end of year if all goes well? Now I know that Lane Bryant's vanity sizing has gotten out of hand but I am MORE than ready to leave that store behind. Now into Old Navy XXL which is AWESOME because it means that I can run into any Old Navy and buy some clothes just because I forgot to pack something (travel a lot for business) or because they have something I like. Yippee!

Next comes a challenge...a business trip for 3 weeks to India and Thailand. My medical doctor has warned me....no veggies, salad, fruit...basically nothing that has been washed in water in India under any circumstances unless I want to get violently ill. He actually said..stick to curries and fried things. You would think I'd be looking forward to it but I'm not really. Not that I'm some vegetable lover all of a sudden but also not looking forward to going backwards. But I have learned a few tricks in the last few weeks...like only eating enough to stop hunger and not a bite more. Pushing the plate away with enough food for another 2 meals has gotten MUCH easier. I don't really care what others think about it anymore, and I don't feel guilty for "wasting" food. So hoping to at least "hold steady" by keeping portions small. Won't worry too much about not getting in enough calories or macronutrients, or eating "too much"...I'll live. Onward!