Weight Loss, Weight Gain. . .Man It's Expensive!

So--as most of you know I am in the midst of a major weight loss program. Weight Watchers food plan, work out 5 days a week, meet with a trainer once a week. . .blah blah blah. Great. I've lost 31 pounds. Lovely. Here's the thing. I didn't really pay much attention to my weight before I had kids. Had the first one, didn't try to lose weight until he was 15 months old. So--started Weight Watchers. Became a lifetime member. Goody for me. Had the second kid. Was in Germany, so attending WW meetings would have been pointless as they a) weigh you in kilograms and b) speak German (which I do not--except to order at a restaurant, which tends to be the opposite of what WW wants me to know). So, I did Body For Life. Lost 75 pounds and had great muscles! So, loved that. . .immediately got pregnant with kid 3. Fine. Gained tremendous amount (again.) By the way. . .I weighed EXACTLY the same amount at the end of each of my pregnancies. Anyway--sort of screwed around trying to lose weight. There were SO many emotional issues going on over the last year, that really I just plain self medicated with brownies. and cookie dough. and Lambrusco. I digress. . .

So, we move here. Clean slate--no groceries in the house. Start from scratch. Great! Bought all kinds of fresh and healthy foods. Joined WW. Started at the gym. Good for me. Lovely.

Another digression. . .if you are not working out right now (and you are a mom--stay home or working--applies equally) here is the best reason to work out: it is the only time that you are physically incapable of doing something for others. By default, you are truly doing something for yourself! I know you probably THINK you take time for yourself, but do you really? When you get a babysitter do you frequently get a pedicure, or do you clean closets, shop for school clothes and schedule doctor's appointments? That's what I thought! You DON'T take time for yourself! So--when you are working out you HAVE to. It's great. It benefits the kids too (mine, anyway) because it works on my head while I work on my body so then they don't have a nutcase for a mom. And, my gym has free childcare--I get to work out AND take a shower AND dry my hair AND put on makeup with NO ONE pulling on the hem of my shirt or screaming for me to button their pants!

Ok, back to my point. . .it is awfully expensive to keep going up and down in weight. Not for the food--that is actually less expensive because we eat out less and we eat a lot more fresh stuff. I'm talking about the clothes! Just look at this:
These are the clothes that either I am now too "small" (a relative term used loosely in this case) for or that I have had so long that they are out of style. Now let's keep in mind that I have THE WORST FASHION SENSE of anyone in the world. So, if I know it is out of style, it must be BAD!!! Anyway--I was just calculating how much money must be lying on the bathroom floor as I went through the rubbermaid containers transferring sizes and it made me crazy! I hate to spend money on clothes for me, because I constantly pick out the wrong things anyway, so I probably didn't spend more than $30 on any one item, but still! Even at $5 an item it is a fortune!!

Geez. . . .well, there are definitely no more babies, so I hope there are no more ups and downs (well, just this one more down) with weight. One of my new goals is to become a Weight Watchers leader by January of 2007. You have to maintain your goal weight within 2 pounds to work there. . .I figure that would keep me honest! Also, they don't have any mom and me classes here at the center I go to, and I find that ridiculous! I'd like to do that. . .wish me luck!