Minor Epiphany

This might seem like a no-brainer to a lot of you.  On the surface this little nugget of advice seems like common sense.  But I recently came to the realization that a credo I hold onto ("Just because it comes in your size, doesn't mean you should wear it.")  also works in reverse:

Just because you can wear it,

doesn't mean it's your size.

I started this journey over a year ago at 326 lbs.  I was wearing a size 24 pant from Lane Bryant rather comfortably then.  I currently weigh 274.5 and just recently got rid of my size 24's.  I had been wearing them this whole time.

I don't know what possessed me to think that the 24's still "fit".  I guess in my mind something doesn't fit only if I can't squeeze myself into it.  It really didn't dawn on me that something I could take on and off without unbuttoning, unzipping or otherwise unfastening was equally ill-fitting, and let's be honest... unflattering.

Yesterday I slipped into a pair of size 20 pants (Lane Bryant Houston trousers... my favorite) because it was the only clean thing I could wear to work without having to shave my legs.  Lo and behold, they went on and buttoned without any gut sucking or contortions.

And get this... they looked good.  I immediately noticed that I looked smaller.  Well, it stands to reason.  I have been hiding my 50lb loss behind the same pants I wore when I weighed 326lbs!  This became clear to me last night when someone who sees me on a very regular basis asked me if I'd lost weight.

Please tell me I'm not the only one to whom this notion came as a surprise.