For a couple of weeks, friends have been hinting that it was time to buy new clothes.  Mine were beyond the point of too big — tops hanging and bulky . . . pants falling off with little help (something both Hubby and kidlets found amusing).

Even though I could SEE and FEEL that my clothes were too big, I put clothes shopping on the back burner.

Why?

I was afraid that I would still have the same ol’ problem: finding myself to still be a “W” size and (because of my budget) find myself stuck in a matronly, unfashionable, “Big Girl” clothing section.

“W” sizes.  Do you know that for YEARS, I thought the “W” stood for “WIDE?”  Seriously. . . of course, thinking I was shopping in the “WIDE” section of the store made me hate my body even more.

My mom corrected me on my 30th birthday (the “W” stands for “WOMAN” by the way) but I still can’t get past the mental-block of it meaning “WIDE.”

I dreaded going shopping because of the “W” sizes.

Then, I weighed myself.

184 pounds. . .  another two pounds lost.

I’m now close – very close – to the 40 pound loss benchmark.  Officially, I’m down 36 pounds, but this is the badge I get to display:

WOOT!

With the knowledge that I was sooooo close to 180,I decided to brave the stores and attempt shopping.

Guess what?

I didn’t have to shop the “WIDE” section of my favorite store.  It’s been five years since I’ve been able to exclusively shop the “Misses” section instead of the “WOMAN” side.

(Side-note: does anyone else think the title distinctions among the sizes are just RIDICULOUS?  Hmphh.)

In the 7 months I’ve been working on becoming a healthier Mommy, I’ve gone from wearing a 20W pant to a 14/16 REGULAR.  And, my top size has gone from a 18W/XXL . . .  to a MEDIUM-Large!

YES!  I purchased medium tops this weekend!!!!!!!!!

(button up shirts still have to be a large because of my hips — above my waist, I’m a medium . . . below, I’m a large.  My body is weird.)

Insert contented sigh here.

And, as soon as I get myself fixed up . . . insert pics of Rachel wearing new clothes HERE.

p.s. If you haven’t entered the latest Subway Commit to Fit giveaway (fyi, Subway is an official sponsor of Mamavation), you NEED to.  They will be giving the winner $100 toward his/her fitness goals.  So, if you need a jogging stroller, new running shoes, or there are fitness dvds/classes you’ve been wanting, this could be your chance!!!

See this post for all the details: Investing in Health and Fitness.