I have a lot of ideas about weight loss that I don’t write up for this site because I just think they’re unlikely to connect with anyone but me. This is one of those ideas.
I don’t do much structured exercise as part of my weight loss program. I do a little shovelglove, I’ll watch my beloved Jack Lalanne DVDs (which are as much entertainment to me as they are exercise), and sometimes when I want to build up a little reserve of programming in the DVR, I’ll put my ipod on shuffle and bust a move for a few minutes. What do I wear during these spurts of activity, you ask? Oh, you dog, such dirty thoughts.
Well, I’ll tell you. When I first decided to lose weight I went out and bought a short-sleeve button up shirt in the size I thought I would be once I reached my goal weight. And I’ve been wearing that to exercise in since day 1 (well, in the privacy of my apartment, not when I go out for a walk). When I first tried it on I could button the top button and nothing else. This is a good look if you’re wanting to join a Mexican gang or become a caped super-hero, but otherwise it’s not so hot. But the nice part is, each time I put the shirt on it’s an imperceptible amount looser. And every 10 or 15 pounds I can button another button. It’s a nice, gentle but constant reminder of the progress I’m making. Every time I put on the shirt I remember when I first put it on and how it was so tight I probably could have Hulk’ed my way through the back of it.
Here’s the thing, I recognize the power of a scale and a tape-measure to keep track of your progress but those numbers can seem kind of arbitrary. There is nothing more motivating than when you do something with ease that you couldn’t before, or when you fit into something that used to be tight. So you might as well try to orchestrate these moments into your life.
