1 Pair of Sweatpants

I've only got 1 pair of sweat pants. It's a little embarrassing to admit, because I go to the gym 3 days a week but I have to be kidding myself if I think people haven't noticed. Then again, maybe I am making myself a little more important than I truly am. I tell myself that they are black sweatpants and fairly innocuous, so people can't tell that I am wearing the same ones each time I show up. (caveat: I do a load of laundry on Tuesday and Thursday nights, so the pants are in fact CLEAN each time I show up.)

I'm not much of a fashionista. In fact, just about every trendy outfit I own is due to a shopping excursion with a much trendier friend or some poor unsuspecting sales person at The Loft, Banana Republic or some other up-to-date store. However, I do have one rule, instituted when I had baby #1. Sweatpants are NOT to be worn outside of the house. I break that rule three days a week and it's not pretty.

Owning 1 pair of sweatpants has put me in a funk lately. You might wonder why that would be such a bad thing. I just told you I don't wear sweats outside the house anyway. In my infinite wisdom as I set out on my journey, I made a few goals with rewards when they are achieved. I was really excited about this. I have been eying the Athleta catalog for almost a year now and never ordered anything. Here is my chance.

Goal one- lose nine pounds and get yourself a new pair of shoes.

CrossFit doesn't require fancy shoes or equipment. It's out there, of course, but you can participate without having to buy anything new. I think that is what scared me about the YMCA anyway. All of that high-tech workout stuff with computers and screens and stuff. How do you watch tv while on an elliptical? I just get motion sickness while I am bouncing up and down trying to focus. Reading on a treadmill? I'm lucky I can put one foot in front of the other on one of those things. Now you are going to throw in reading. No, thank you! And the outfits...all I want is a new pair of shoes that will help me "get on my heels" when I am lifting the bar and help improve my form. Shoes are one of the few things that I will buy. All the weight fluctuations in the world will not matter to a cool pair of black heels (or a nice purse, for that matter)!

Goal two- here is where the sweatpants come in- lose 20 pounds and get an outfit from Athleta.

I still just have one pair of sweatpants. I assumed the 20 pounds would take a while, but I didn't realize HOW long. I was hoping that the 9 would be off before the March 16 family vacation to Disney. I should have clued myself in when my friend told me, "You know, muscle weighs more than fat." I feel change already, and I have to be honest- it is muscle. I FEEL stronger. The scale just doesn't show me strength.

This slow progress in weight loss brings me down. I know I can't expect the pounds to melt away. It's a lot of work. There are tons of pep talks I give myself on a daily basis. All the words of encouragement from my husband and his unwillingness to allow me to skip a day at the gym show me that the support network is there. It's just not easy believing that it will happen. I know what I have to do. Diet comes next and it's looming on the horizon.

 Maybe I need to change my goals or insert a reward at "Goal .5 or Goal 1.5" that involves another pair of sweatpants from somewhere a little less dreamy than Athleta. Would that be cheating?