Getting Too Big for My Britches

If you're from the south, you've heard of someone getting "too big for her britches." The remark means someone is getting uppity, or thinks she's better than everyone else. 

Sadly, this girl was LITERALLY getting too big for her britches. There was only one pair of jeans in my closet that allowed me to breathe comfortably after I zipped them, and alas, those bit the dust a couple weeks ago when two thin patches between my thighs finally wore out, exposing bare skin. I know that distressed jeans are still considered fashionable by some, but I haven't seen anyone sporting gaping holes in that particular spot. Oh, to have a thigh gap again...

But Denise, I hear you saying, I thought you were losing weight. Shouldn't you be fitting into the smaller jeans you already have?

Thank you for asking. After MY NINE POUND WEIGHT LOSS before Christmas, I fluctuated a bit during January and February, but since adhering to a low-sugar diet (no candy, cookies, or ice cream) the last month, I am finally seeing the scale budge in the right direction again. 

I cannot WAIT to get out of the 190s.

I can finally say, "I'VE LOST TEN POUNDS, Y'ALL!" 10. 2 pounds, if anyone's counting, but that means I still can't fit into next size down. At last, I am feeling hopeful again that I will reach my goals. 

All of that being said, I've been looking for a new pair of jeans. Any woman can tell you, that's no small feat. It's a daunting task to find jeans that feel good, look good, and don't break the bank. 

In my search of some denims "to get me by," I bought a pair of $14 jeans at Costco. They didn't LOOK bad, but I wore them once, and I will never wear them again. All of the tags are rough and irritate my skin. The internal stitching on the seams and pockets is obnoxious, and I am very aware of every place the waistband and pockets come in contact with my body. In short, I hate those jeans. Back to Costco they will go.

Where we live in the suburbs of Chicago, the thrift stores and consignment shops are the motherlode of name brand clothing at seriously low prices. My closet is finally gathering some high quality clothing for a fraction of the cost. I've found LL Bean, Columbia, Lands' End, and yes, even Chico's. 

Now that I've had some of these nicer clothes, I understand why they are higher priced. The quality that goes into manufacturing them makes them stand apart from the clothes I was used to wearing. Fabrics are soft on the skin; buttons are sewn on tightly; zippers work smoothly; the clothes fit better. And when you can buy them gently used, they are very budget friendly!

While perusing Goodwill this week for bedding for the dogs, I happened upon a pair of denim capris and jeans that looked like they would fit me. As it turned out, the Levi capris fit perfectly, and the CHICO jeans were a little loose. Am I going to complain about a less than perfect fit for $5 jeans that are soft and stretchy, and are hardly noticeable on my skin? Not on your life! I bought them both pairs for $10, and felt very good about it. 

Buying loose-fitting jeans is the best thing I've done for myself in the last few weeks. I don't dread getting dressed, and I feel like they are much more fashionable than my "busted can of biscuits" look in my slightly snug denim pants. 

I have a confession. In the past, when I've bought jeans, I nearly always bought my "goal size." This means my jeans have nearly always been slightly uncomfortable. So, so sad. This is the reason I nearly always wear yoga pants. My closet is full of jeans that don't really fit. When faced with clothing choices of tight jeans or comfy yoga pants, I always chose the yoga pants. Not any more!

Now that I have jeans that are a little too big, I no longer have the problem of being too big for my britches! Problem solved. I look forward to the day that I am actually too SMALL for my britches. It's coming; I can feel it!