Crying in the Changing Room - One Size Fits All

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Snoozypaws3000
Snoozypaws3000 Posts: 133 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
A while ago I had to look for a new dress to attend my nephew’s Christening…..I was Godmother so wanted to look my very best.

I went into town and into numerous shops, trying on endless outfits and couldn’t find a thing I felt comfortable in.
I ended up bursting into tears in the changing rooms in Debenhams because I looked and felt awful in absolutely everything I tried on.
I felt fat, frumpy and uncomfortable. :sad:

A personal shopping assistant politely coughed outside the changing room door [Bless her!] and came in with a box of Kleenex.
“Don’t be embarrassed Dear” she said "this sort of thing" happens quite often”.
It didn't make me feel that much better at the time standing there in tears.

However..I eventually went to the Christening wearing an older outfit that I felt really comfortable and sort of “pretty” in and after a wonderful day I actually plucked up the courage to look at the photo's [something I normally try and avoid] and I realised that I actually didn't look half as bad as I thought I looked.
My Brother and Sister-in-Law and the main man of the moment, my nephew, looked gorgeous and several kind people noticed the beginnings of my weight loss and commented on it, Lovely!.

Eventually it dawned on me and I kind of "got it".

I am slimmer than I was three months earlier
I am actively eating healthily and exercising well to achieve a weight loss and that, as it took a while to put the pounds on..I realise that it’s going to take a while to shift them off too!

But it is happening and I am actually doing quite well.
1.5lbs this week [and 7lbs lost before joining here]

I think it is so very, very easy for us to be critical of ourselves, about our looks and our weight when our self-confidence is low and it would be so good if instead of ripping into ourselves for being overweight we spend a little more time celebrating the fact that we are actively doing something about it.

We should give ourselves a pat on the back from time to time because its bloody hard work dieting and not a great deal of fun but at least we're working on getting the pounds off and not sitting on our bums putting it on.

So, next time I’m worrying about what outfit to put on or what I’ll look like wearing this or that I’m going to go out and face the day accessorised with a Smile.

Hopefully people will be so busy grinning back at me that won’t be looking at my clothes!

PS at least with a smile one size fits all!
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Replies

  • toothfairy79
    toothfairy79 Posts: 70 Member
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    Very inspiring message ..Thank you for sharing:)
  • mogletdeluxe
    mogletdeluxe Posts: 623 Member
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    Lovely post, thank you for taking the time to share it - and I hear you on the waterworks in the changing rooms; I've had a muted bawl into a Kleenex in my FatGirl days. Nothing like a multi-angle mirror to kill your soul TO BITS.
  • lsiberian
    lsiberian Posts: 69
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    I understand your pain. It's tough to look in the mirror and not see the bodybuilder type body I had a couple years ago, but it's also important to remember the main reason to be at a healthy weight is so we can actually be around for our nephew's other big days. Keep at it and never buy into the lie that you aren't making progress. Even maintaining weight is progress compared to where we've come from.
  • energizeme75
    energizeme75 Posts: 9
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    Can totally relate on so many levels.
    Thanks for sharing.
  • Snoozypaws3000
    Snoozypaws3000 Posts: 133 Member
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    Lovely post, thank you for taking the time to share it - and I hear you on the waterworks in the changing rooms; I've had a muted bawl into a Kleenex in my FatGirl days. Nothing like a multi-angle mirror to kill your soul TO BITS.

    LOL Exactly!
    I can cope with ripples in the front and bulges at the back....but not BOTH at the same time!
    *shudders*
    I always come out of there thinking Bloody Hell....my body looks like it needs a good ironing!

    Smoothing out now though...bit by bit...smoothing out
  • ymeckhart
    ymeckhart Posts: 4 Member
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    Hi,
    I keep telling myself it took years to put these pounds off and it'll take me a year or so to take off some of them in the rigt way.

    Thank you for sharing. I love and dread winter at the same time because I have to wear pants. I detest trying on pants. I have try ten before I find one that I love.

    You were right to just wear something you already own and like. My rule for shopping is this...If I don't untter the words "I love it" I will not take it and no "buts" either like "I love it but".

    Thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful rest of the day!
  • thoseblueeyes
    thoseblueeyes Posts: 812 Member
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    Hi Snoozypaws300,

    This post made me so sad I hate seeing anyone being so upset with their weight but I do get it. I too have been in the dressing room wanting to cry over an outfit.

    I am glad to see that you saw the big picture, that your body is getting healthy by healthy nutrition and exercise. Losing weight is just an added benefit when we take care of our body.

    To be honest I hate the word "DIET" to me that mean short term commitment compare to" life style" where that to me mean a forever changing life style, I look forward to hearing about your success. If you want a friend please feel free to add me.
  • TBird135
    TBird135 Posts: 43 Member
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    This is spot-on. Thanks for a wonderful post.
  • CarmenSRT
    CarmenSRT Posts: 843 Member
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    I'm so sorry. That's me every time, regardless of weight. It was lovely of the employee to bring you some Kleenex.
  • AubieMae
    AubieMae Posts: 32
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    Lovely. Thank-you for sharing your insights & wisdom.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    I've cried in the fitting room, too, not so much because I was too fat for everything but because I have a poor eye for what is likely to flatter. Thank goodness my daughter has a good eye for that! I don't know if I'll ever be able to buy clothes again if she moves far away.

    But maybe more styles will flatter in the future. I'm on the journey to a healthier, slimmer me, like you!
  • Snoozypaws3000
    Snoozypaws3000 Posts: 133 Member
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    You were right to just wear something you already own and like. My rule for shopping is this...If I don't untter the words "I love it" I will not take it and no "buts" either like "I love it but".

    I will definitely bear this in mind next time I go shopping, Whilst I don't go mad buying clothes [normally due to the changing room fiasco's I get myself into] I do still have clothes that I have bought on impulse that I think I like but don't wear.
    Maybe it's time to get rid of some of the clothes I don't wear and be a bit more selective about what I buy
    Thanks for posting
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Oh I can relate to this. Recently had an event where I attempted to buy a suit for. Who makes those things? Every thing I tried on was tiny! Even in sizes I normally wear - WAY too small. I cried not only in the dressing room but for days after leading up to the event. In the end I wore something I already had, there was one other person not in a suit (thank the lord - and she sat next to me so even better) and it was fine.
  • RedHeadDevotchka
    RedHeadDevotchka Posts: 1,394 Member
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    Another thing to keep in mind....certain cuts and styles look MUCH better on certain body types while doing nothing good on other types. I am very curvy and therefore alot of the teenage styles (yeah, who am I kidding, Im 28, haha) look bad on me but that doesn't mean I look bad. Just have to find a fit that flatters YOU!
  • anjoneill
    anjoneill Posts: 98 Member
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    Your post applies to each and everyone of us who wishes to lose weight, no matter how much or how little we have to lose. We are very self critical and any slight lump or Bump that is evident means that the whole outfit is a write off. We all need to focus on the positives facing us in the mirror as it is more likely that those are the aspects that will be noticed by friends, family and acquaintances.

    Thank you for reminding us all to focus on the positives.
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
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    Changing rooms are torture chambers. I swear they put the absolute worst lighting in there on purpose. Also, as helpful as they are, three-way mirrors are the devil. ;)
  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
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    What a great story and your own important NSV - I really think self-acceptance/self-love/self-confidence are a big part of losing weight successfully (and permanently!)
  • Snoozypaws3000
    Snoozypaws3000 Posts: 133 Member
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    Changing rooms are torture chambers. I swear they put the absolute worst lighting in there on purpose. Also, as helpful as they are, three-way mirrors are the devil. ;)
    LOL Yeah, you'd think they would avoid those and have mirrors that actually made you appear slightly slimmer than you actually are...that would definitely boost sales!
  • CressidaJL
    CressidaJL Posts: 53 Member
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    Thanks for sharing. x

    I still loathe shopping with the depth of passionate hatred most people reserve for murderers, rapists, and people who talk at the cinema. As such, every single item of clothing I've bought for myself over the past 5 years or so has come from eBay. (Except for leggings/large tops/etc that you can guarantee will fit, so don't need to be tried on). Literally. Everything.

    I can't wait to finally go clothes shopping & enjoy it, rather than being a sweaty flustered tearful mess in the fitting room. I'm so glad I'm not the only one. x
  • Kaiukas
    Kaiukas Posts: 111 Member
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    Thank you for a lovely and thoughtful post.

    I agree that the changing room lights won't help. I always look positively green, much like a relatively well-preserved corpse :tongue:

    I too am surprised that the shops haven't realised that their business would probably be going much better if the lights were a teeny-weeny bit more flattering...

    :flowerforyou:

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