No no no no NO I don’t have kids, but I have lost 50 pounds. I did some googling and found out via this page that that’s the weight of an average 7-year-old. I’ve seen the changes in little things, like having to buy new clothes and how my friends and family react to some of the pictures I post to Facebook. But, I never really saw it in myself as it’s hard to judge weight loss and body changes on my own. I do know I look a lot better in my clothes and that’s it. And then… I went on vacation.
When I got to my resort in Vero Beach, FL, I unpacked my bags and put on my bikini. I haven’t worn a bikini in years and I’ve never really felt comfortable in one, but I threw it on without thinking twice. On my way out to door, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. You know the kind of glimpse, it’s when you least realize it and it’s at an angle that you never really look at yourself from and therefore really catches your attention. I stopped dead in my tracks and after I picked my jaw up off the floor I realized that 1) I was in a bikini and 2) I really was 50lbs slimmer! I was a completely different person from the one I was when I was last here nearly 2 years ago when I was 50lbs heavier. I didn’t realize how much 50lbs can make a person change, I thought my friends and family were just being polite and/or supportive, I didn’t know that their reactions were to a very significant change in my appearance. I was blown away.
The best part of all this? I went down to the beach and I noticed some of the guys checking me out! But I didn’t get to enjoy it for long, we had to get off the beach after a few hours and head to the local grocery store to pick up some food for the duration of my stay here. The next day, I headed down to the pool as the ocean was a bit too rough that day. I took off my sundress and ran to the locker room to shower off before taking a swim. Of course, I was bikini clad. I noticed a few heads turn as I walked from my lounge chair to the locker room and I thought nothing of it until I passed by another mirror. Again, I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I slowed down a bit and studied myself. I realized that yes, I looked hot and figured out what was turning heads… my halter top was barely concealing my 34F/DDD breasts! I made sure they were secure, which they were, and carried on to the locker room to take my shower.
These stares and head turns continued. My favorite? I went to order a pizza and a nearby shop and the kid behind the counter could barely look me in the face (I was wearing a low cut tank top with cargo shorts by this point in the day and my skin was nicely tanned but not burnt thanks to SPF 50 sunscreen)! He was totally distracted by my chest and my hotness! I flirted a bit and totally milked the attention despite my parents being a few steps behind me. Later, I ran into him in the lobby of my resort and I was wearing my little bikini covered up by a breezy tube dress. His jaw dropped. I smiled to myself and kept walking.
After an after dark trip back to the pool, I decided to just go back to my room wearing nothing but my bikini and a towel tied around my waist. My room is in the main building of the resort and there’s no dress code here. The stares I got were mainly from men, but they were appreciative. I did get some jealous stares from women and I soaked it all in; the better to boost my ego! Hehehehe! Today, I did the same, I wore nothing but my bikini and a cute gauze skirt that I picked up at an Old Navy back home and I caught quite a few stares; I soaked it in yet again.
I can’t believe the amount of self-confidence that I have now and how proud I am of my body. But, I worked very hard to get to wear I am now. I went to the gym 3x/week and kicked my own ass while there by working out for nearly 3 hours each trip! I gave up processed foods and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and high fructose corn syrup. I also gave up cane sugar opting instead for agave nectar. I also started preparing my own meals that are high in whole grains, lean proteins, and veggies. I gave up liquid milk and ice cream because I’m lactose intolerant and eat sugar sweetened frozen yogurt when I get a craving for a frozen treat and put Silk’s soy creamer in my coffee or Silk light vanilla soy milk. I’ve given up so much and it’s been so hard, but it’s now easy and second nature for me to grab a banana instead of a candy bar when I’m looking for a snack. I’m also much more active than before, I just have to move! All the things I gave up doing have lead to giving up 50 lbs worth of excess weight… that 50 lbs is one 7-year-old less on my frame and I intend to lose another 7-year-old before the year is over. I joined Weight Watchers to help me turn that lost 7-year-old into one 13-year-old off my frame.
