by: Leslie Blanchett
Like many people that have lost a large amount of weight in a relatively short period of time, I have what I (at times) consider to be a mental disorder. I look in the mirror... and I just don't see the difference. Even in pictures! I discount it as a good angle or just a good picture. My poor husband, Scott, has listened to me for the last year, and been nothing but supportive. He always tells me how good something looks when I come out of the room and ask "Can you tell?" at least 3 times a week!
Like many people that have lost a large amount of weight in a relatively short period of time, I have what I (at times) consider to be a mental disorder. I look in the mirror... and I just don't see the difference. Even in pictures! I discount it as a good angle or just a good picture. My poor husband, Scott, has listened to me for the last year, and been nothing but supportive. He always tells me how good something looks when I come out of the room and ask "Can you tell?" at least 3 times a week!
You see, when I started Plexus in March 2013, I was wearing 26/28 pants that were elastic waist, and super stretchy. I honestly can't recall buying a pair of pants that weren't stretchy in one way or another. As I lost weight, Scott would periodically tell me it was time to get new clothes. I resisted for a while, and then, finally, begrudgingly, I went to the store once I noticed that my beloved tee shirt was now unable to stay on my shoulders anymore. One size down. Then another..well..you get the point.
For the 4th of July, my Mom decided that we should all wear the same thing to our annual family reunion. I needed a pair of khaki capri pants for this outfit, and I really didn't have time to go off to the store and try on 38 pairs of pants and decide not to buy a single one! I had been hearing Scott's advice for a month that I really needed to buy 16's.. but I was 100% sure that there was no way in God's green earth that I could put my fat butt in a 16! I was also sure he was just being a sweet, supportive husband. So, when I sat down to order a pair of pants online, my intention was to buy 18's. But when I went to order them, a voice in my head said.. Why not? Worst case, throw on a pair of jeans, it's close enough. So I did it! I ordered the size 16, non stretchy, cotton / polyester blend capri's. A few days later, they arrived. I dragged myself into the bedroom to confirm that they wouldn't fit, just to show Scott that he was wrong. (Don't judge, you do it too!)
Pull them up.
And over my rear...
and…
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzip!
HOLY COW!! They actually zipped!!
A little tight through the mid section... but I can breathe. Just no bending... it'll be ok. I hung them in the closet, announced to Scott that he was once again correct (yeah, yeah.. I know more gloating) and went about my life for a few weeks.
The 4th finally arrived. We packed up the kids in the van and made the 250+ mile trek to the other side of the state to have lunch with family we see once a year. (yep, pretty normal family reunion) Because we were leaving so early, the boys were still in their jammies and I had thrown on the stretchiest pants I could locate for the trip. We stopped at a gas station up the road from our destination, changed clothes, diapers and made ourselves look like we hadn't gotten up at 6am and driven for 4 hours. (typical, right?) Into the bathroom I went, 16 capri's in hand, tags still attached. I had decided again that they wouldn't fit, and there was a spare pair of 18/20 jeans in the suitcase ready for me to put on. Again, I slid them up, and they zipped! This time, they were comfortable! Not too tight at all!! I was thrilled. I finished getting dressed, hair combed, and a spritz of perfume.. and out the door I went. As I rounded the corner of the gas station, Scott looked up at me as if I were a super-model. The typical round of "I told you so's" followed.
Losing weight with Plexus has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I hope in time, my mental image of myself will catch up with my physical self. In the mean time, I take it one outfit at a time.... and I still pull out that tee shirt that hangs past my shoulders every now and then as a reminder of just how far I've come.
Leslie Blanchett is a stay at home Mom to three toddler boys. Motherhood has introduced her to a new found love of photography. When she's not running after them, camera in hand, she runs a thriving home business as a Plexus Worldwide Independent Ambassador
For the 4th of July, my Mom decided that we should all wear the same thing to our annual family reunion. I needed a pair of khaki capri pants for this outfit, and I really didn't have time to go off to the store and try on 38 pairs of pants and decide not to buy a single one! I had been hearing Scott's advice for a month that I really needed to buy 16's.. but I was 100% sure that there was no way in God's green earth that I could put my fat butt in a 16! I was also sure he was just being a sweet, supportive husband. So, when I sat down to order a pair of pants online, my intention was to buy 18's. But when I went to order them, a voice in my head said.. Why not? Worst case, throw on a pair of jeans, it's close enough. So I did it! I ordered the size 16, non stretchy, cotton / polyester blend capri's. A few days later, they arrived. I dragged myself into the bedroom to confirm that they wouldn't fit, just to show Scott that he was wrong. (Don't judge, you do it too!)
Pull them up.
And over my rear...
and…
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzip!
HOLY COW!! They actually zipped!!
A little tight through the mid section... but I can breathe. Just no bending... it'll be ok. I hung them in the closet, announced to Scott that he was once again correct (yeah, yeah.. I know more gloating) and went about my life for a few weeks.
The 4th finally arrived. We packed up the kids in the van and made the 250+ mile trek to the other side of the state to have lunch with family we see once a year. (yep, pretty normal family reunion) Because we were leaving so early, the boys were still in their jammies and I had thrown on the stretchiest pants I could locate for the trip. We stopped at a gas station up the road from our destination, changed clothes, diapers and made ourselves look like we hadn't gotten up at 6am and driven for 4 hours. (typical, right?) Into the bathroom I went, 16 capri's in hand, tags still attached. I had decided again that they wouldn't fit, and there was a spare pair of 18/20 jeans in the suitcase ready for me to put on. Again, I slid them up, and they zipped! This time, they were comfortable! Not too tight at all!! I was thrilled. I finished getting dressed, hair combed, and a spritz of perfume.. and out the door I went. As I rounded the corner of the gas station, Scott looked up at me as if I were a super-model. The typical round of "I told you so's" followed.
Losing weight with Plexus has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I hope in time, my mental image of myself will catch up with my physical self. In the mean time, I take it one outfit at a time.... and I still pull out that tee shirt that hangs past my shoulders every now and then as a reminder of just how far I've come.
Leslie Blanchett is a stay at home Mom to three toddler boys. Motherhood has introduced her to a new found love of photography. When she's not running after them, camera in hand, she runs a thriving home business as a Plexus Worldwide Independent Ambassador