Before the belly fat got in the way, you had those pair of jeans or slinky dress that fit you perfectly and helped make you feel fantastic, right?
Bet you still have some of those clothes in the deep recesses of your closet or armoire, right? Well, ladies, dig them out and try them on!
We seem to maintain a love/hate relationship with our scale- and it has a reciprocal feeling. It doesn’t tell you the whole story about the composition of your body, or give you that incremental “atta girl” that zipping up that pair pre menopause jeans do.
Get that wrinkled, forlorn dress dry cleaned and hang it prominently somewhere you can see it daily. My clients love the hook on the back of the bathroom or clothes closet. Look at that garment, feel its fabric and recall the happy times you had wearing it. Keep that item’s vision in your mind while you exercise, select nourishing foods and get restful sleep. It will help get and keep you on track, because you can rock that outfit again.
In addition to trying on those “skinny clothes” – take a good hard look at how you appear in your workout garb. Are you, like I did for many years (!) wearing a threadbare sweatshirt or humongous pair of yoga pants? Cut that out!
Feeling your best is helped along by looking your best and vice versa, so invest in a cute outfit that looks nice on you, right now, whatever your weight and fitness level. Even with a bit more belly fat than before, you’ll enjoy wearing the outfit and that will help you enjoy your exercise.
My client, Kim did just this and she was amazed what a mental boost she got when she dressed in her workout attire. It did wonders for her attitude, and we know every positive change starts with a positive attitude.
Now, go find those jeans and visit the sporting goods section of your local fashion store!
Check out what what Sparkpeople thinks about measuring your improvement with your clothes vs. the scale: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=487