From Black Jeans to Bright Dresses

Last weekend we had the first proper day of sunshine, and it got me reflecting on where I was last summer, and more specifically what I was wearing. 

I joined Slimming World last July, and whilst the weight came off quite quickly I spent the entire summer (and I mean entire summer) wearing black jeans! Thinking about it, that was ridiculous. Yes I had the odd day where I wore long maxi skirts, but unfortunately thigh chaffing put a stop to that, and I had some very baggy harem pant things which were great for lounging about at home, but if I was out of the house I was in my thick, black high waisted jeans…and they were tight! 

Needless to say that I spent last summer hot, sweltering in fact, but I just didn’t feel comfortable in any thing else. I felt fat, and wanted to cover myself up in layers, black and baggy things. It was a time in my life where I hated the way I looked, and to be honest that probably came across in what I wore. 

So as the summer (finally) starts for 2016, it’s exciting to realise what a different place I’m in. I’m ALMOST 3.5 stone down, even if I’ve been going back and forth between the same few pounds for the best part of this year, and I’ve shrunk from a size 18 to a size 14. What’s more exciting even than that though, is that when I woke up on Sunday morning and felt how hot it was, I didn’t even think twice about putting on a sun dress. Not only that, but I put on a sun dress with no tights, and no cardigan! Legs out…arms out…god how things have changed! I’ve decided to make this the summer of dresses, and I have already started stocking up! 

Except from the fact that I’m pasty as hell, I felt fantastic! I didn’t feel fat, and I felt pretty. I know that sounds a bit trite, but last summer I just didn’t feel pretty. But do you want to know what the best thing was? I realised that when I was walking around in my pretty flowery sun dress there was…

NO CHAFFING!!!!!! 

I mean, what a relief! I’ve suffered from chaffing in hot weather for as long as I can remember. I recall one particularly tricky summer when I was about 15 in France, walking around in my shorts and the chaffing was so bad that there was bleeding. Sorry, I know that’s graphic but it wasn’t the only time that happened, and I know that it’s something that lots of people who are overweight (or just have chunky thighs) struggle with. 

I did subsequently come up with ways to help with the chaffing, including the most successful ‘deodorant between the legs trick’ (it stops the sweating) but to actually not have to worry about it now feels incredible. My thighs still touch when I walk, I don’t by any means have a ‘thigh gap’, but I guess I’ve lost enough to mean that there’s not so much skin on skin action…gross! 

I’m not going to bore on about this for much longer, I guess the reason I’m writing about it in the first place is this… I was resigned to the fact that I would live in tights and trousers for the rest of my life. I was very prepared to pop out and buy pair after pair of black jeans (after all the chaffing last year’s ones ended up with a large rip between the legs!), and chaffing was simply going to be part of my summer forever more. I mean I’ll probably buy black jeans again for the winter (and for work), but they can bugger off until then! 

Since joining Slimming World I’ve had the power to change the things that I never thought would happen, and this is just one in a long line of non scales victories that I’ve had along the journey. I’ve been struggling to shift the weight recently, I guess because my body is comfy where it is, but I know that it’ll come off eventually and that’s all that counts. 

If chaffing is something that you’re still contending with, I really do recommend just spraying a bit of deodorant on each thigh…it helps so much! You can get fancy anti-chaffing products but deodorant works just as well! Either way, there is light at the end of the tunnel, whether you’re on your way or just considering taking the first steps. What I can say, as I always do, is that Slimming World is the best thing I ever did for myself, and this is just another fantastic example of why!