Project Pants: Week 1

A year ago I was lighter...

my body fat percentage was smaller...

my body mass index was lower...

I fit comfortably into my beloved black suit pants. 

A year ago I blogged about Week 33 of the Real Appeal weight loss program, where we were focused on maintaining our weight loss. I maintained my weight loss for a while...and then I didn't. 

What happened?

Motivation Lost

I'd like to blame the pandemic, but it started before the pandemic. However, it's certainly gotten worse during the pandemic, which broke my connection with my motivation.

During the Real Appeal program, whenever my motivation was low, I remembered how I felt during a business trip at the end of 2018 when I was stranded in the Newark Airport for hours, trying to get home after a long day of meetings. I was wearing my black suit pants and I could barely fasten them. They were tolerable when I was standing up, but they were miserably tight when I was sitting down. 

I really like those pants. I have three identical pairs. I wear them for all of my important meetings when I want to look professional and polished. I usually feel empowered when I wear them, like I can take on the world. 

Motivation Found

But that day I felt miserable. I knew I had been living in a way that was out of touch with my health and wellness values. I was consistently making choices that didn't fit who I am, and that day I could feel the weight of those misaligned choices in the pants that didn't fit properly.

That feeling prompted me to start the Real Appeal program and chronicle it in my "Invest in Myself" weekly blog series. I reconnected with my true self. I reestablished good habits that aligned with my core values. Both my pants and my choices fit me well!

Motivation Lost...Again

Somewhere along the way I lost myself again. I've been able to ignore it for months because of the pandemic. I'm working at home and can wear stretchy yoga pants. There is no business travel. There is no need to put on my black suit pants. All of my meetings are online. Only a small part of me is visible. 

I've been using that limited visibility as an excuse to ignore the habits and choices that don't fit. I've been pretending they don't count right now because we're in a pandemic. But we've been in a pandemic for 5 months, and it isn't going away anytime soon. 

Motivation Found...Again

Today, I'm putting on my big girl pants. I'm taking responsibility for the way they fit and the choices I've made. I've rejoined Real Appeal. I'm going to chronicle my "Project Pants" progress here on my blog to help keep me accountable. 

It's time for my choices and my pants to fit me again!

Weekly Goals

• Attend Week 1 Real Appeal meeting
• Track food/beverage intake each day in MyFitnessPal