5.31.2007

#66 - Never getting clothes for gifts anymore

So it was my birthday a couple weeks ago and it got me to thinking about presents - yay presents! Anyway, one thing I realized is that since I've been fat, I don't get clothes as gifts anymore. I remember getting special sweaters at Christmas or pretty dresses for my birthday, but nope, no more. I'm sure my friends and family don't want to insult me by asking for my clothing size, so they get me safe gifts like books or CDs. But I hate that. I really used to love getting clothes for presents. I would hang on to those special items for years, because they had such sentimental value to them. It would be really special to pull out the fancy dress or sweater and remember the person that got it for me. It made my clothes have more meaning. But I can't do that anymore. Now clothes are just something that I have to wear to cover myself up with. I find I don't really care what I wear when I'm fat. I go through clothing sizes so fast it seems, that I never have time to attach any significant emotional value to any of my clothes. The sizes go up, I toss the skinny ones, the sizes go down, I toss the big ones. An endless cycle of donations to the Goodwill. It's funny though, I actually still hung onto a couple pieces of clothes from my skinny days that were gifts, because they really did hold meaning for me. I would love to be able to wear them again someday, though I think they would be horribly out of style, being from circa 1985. I guess I just need to look forward to the day when I'm a more normal size and people aren't afraid to ask me for my size, then hopefully I'll get some new clothes for gifts.

So on a side note... I get a lot of requests for updates on my progress so here goes. Actually the weight loss is going amazing!!! I feel like some gypsy from a Stephen King novel has touched me and whispered "Thinner". The weight seems to be falling off at a pretty descent clip. I'm down 48 pounds now, seeing numbers on the scale I haven't seen in years! What's my secret? Everyone always asks. No secret! I'll say it again and again! Eat less, move more! But more recently I've added another big helper. No TV. I've been pretty addicted to this virtual reality game Second Life (see my post about it), and I've actually not watched TV in over a month. I can't believe it, something actually got me to stop watching TV. Sure, I've switched from one addiction to another, I'll admit that, but it's an addiction that doesn't involve endless hours of munching away on snacks. Sure I still watch the occasional DVD, so I'm not completely void of TV, but no more network TV. I used to spend probably a good 6-8 hours (maybe more!) in front of the boob tube every night. During which time I would most likely consume a gigantic dinner, some kind of salty snacky thing, a dessert or two, then some more chips or something. I would just eat and eat and eat in front of the TV. Then I found Second Life, and filled my void with yet another addiction (I think all of us heavy set folk have issues with addiction, face it food is our drug, so it's easy to get addicted to pretty much anything). The difference with my endless hours on the computer is that I don't eat much in front of the monitor and keyboard. Sure I eat, but it's not that mindless TV zombie eating. I actually think about what I want to eat, I don't just eat for eating sake. We hear the expects talk about kids getting fatter and fatter in today's society and that TV plays a major role in this. Well, now that I've seen it first hand I have to completely agree! Give it a try, shut of the TV, even if for a few hours. I know, then what will you do? Anything, anything else but TV. Surf the net, read a book, jeez, even go for a walk, anything to get yourself away from the TV. There is some horrible connection between food and TV, so you need to find some way to break that chain.

16 comments:

Kate said...

I know what you mean about eating in front of the tv. I think that is where I eat the most. Its amazing once the summer rolls around, and I'm out and about more (and stay outside til 9p), that I eat less as it is, so that definitely helps the weight loss progress more. It's the winter time that kills it, haha.

Anonymous said...

Actually while I was fat, I prefer that nobody gave me clothes. Since mostly the clothes will make me look even fatter and I would dissapoint them by not wearing it :(.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you are going great guns, Kitty! I used to watch a lot of TV too - not that I ate in front of the TV, but it's just a waste of time. These days, I get up at around 4.00 am, work out, go to work, come home, work out again, have dinner, watch a little TV that my husband recorded, start nodding off, then go to bed around 9.30. At that rate, it takes us all week to get through the only shows we watch, "Desperate Housewives" and "Medium".

My new addiction is exercise.

My name is Anna said...

I have never liked people giving me clothes as gifts unless I told them exactly what I wanted. There are just too many variables to buying clothes so I would rather do it myself. I do agree about the TV thing. When I watch TV now I usually just drink water or diet soda to keep my mouth busy and my tummy full.

Anonymous said...

PS. It's both funny and sad that people ask you what your "secret" is.

Brigitte said...

Congrats on your weight loss. When will we see pictures?

Anonymous said...

I agree 100% that there is a connection between weight and the amount of time spent watching TV. When we stopped watching TV (because we relocated for work overseas), my husband and I both lost a lot of weight. Actually, that might be the great European weight loss secret, watch a LOT less TV.

Maya said...

I dread getting clothes as gifts.More often than not, such clothes are a size smaller.And whenever a piece of garment is gifted to me, a discussion ensues if the 'gift' will fit me...Yuck!

Jenera said...

Hi there! I have stumbled across your blog and I love it! I'm going to book mark and check back often. I'm going through serious struggles with weight loss and it can be so frustrating at times.

I still get clothes for gifts but I hate it. Things never fit right and my family tends to buy things that they think will be too big only to find out that nope it don't fit.

It's good to find someone though that is actually making strides in winning the weight loss battle!

Jenera

BeepBeep said...

Hi Kitty

Although you are already Ms Popularity ;-) I have to give out 5 awards to blogs that make me think and your blog always gets my heart pumping and my brow furrowed.

I've put the details on my blog so come by and check it out if you have a moment.

Anonymous said...

I agreed with you that T.V contributes to obesity. Afterall, isn't it while watching you are more prompted to eat with those many delicious food advertisment all vying for your attention? All enticing you to try it out and crave some more? It is good of you to decide to give it up because what we need really is for us to burn that fat by moving around and not staying glued infront of the T.V all day.

TOWR said...

Hey, this is my first time dropping by but I can assure you it won't be the last! I LOVE the premise behind your blog! And congrats on the 48 pounds! That's so awesome! Can't wait to keep reading!

dizzijoi said...

The only one who buys me clothes is my Mother in Law and I wish she'd stop it. I mean, come on, this broad behind in pink crop pants...on a farm? I do not think so! I wish she'd just save her money.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the weight loss!

Unknown said...

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Mom said...

I agree about the TV. Especially late night TV. The food ads just kill me. Now we are really rural and there are NO fast food places at all. In fact no restaurants that are open past eight, but I have this little place called My Kitchen that just sucks me in. My solution, I go to bed by nine and am up by five thirty. Works for me!