Do the clothes make the woman?

How cold is it where you are?  Looking at the weather map this morning, I think it's safe to say that it is freezing all over.  I'm sitting here in my husband's sweatshirt, a ratty pair of pajama pants and slippers and it is just oh so tempting to stay this way all day.  Or to switch out the pj pants for a pair of sweat pants.  I'll just head out of the house wearing my "I don't care how I look.  I'm a mom and it's freezing." sign and tell everyone else to worry about their own wardrobe.

Sound familiar?

Me, during our last beach trip.  Would it have killed me to put on something OTHER than my husband's sweatshirt?

Winter gets to be a dangerous time for our waistlines because it is accompanied by this need to snuggle up and be comfortable with yummy food.  Just yesterday, I was cold in our house, so I decided to bake a batch of cookies to heat up the oven.  You know, to keep my poor little children warm.  I planned to pack up the cookies as soon as they cooled and send them with my husband to work this morning.  I continued to follow this plan as I ate four of them right out of the oven. 

You'd never know it by looking at me this morning in my husband's huge sweatshirt. 

Winter casual clothes can almost be too forgiving - finding us in a totally different size come summer.  We are not in the same category as our kids - we should not gain a size every year!  Therefore, I encourage you to continue to wear all things not elastic-waisted.  (As a side note, everyone that knows me has just spit coffee through their nose because I am classic for wearing sweats and putting on a pair of jeans for "special occasions."  I write this because it is something that I'm working on, people!!)

Many of us dread standing on the scales, which I completely understand.  But you have to continue to have a point of accountability when it comes to your size.  A lot of people go by how their clothes fit- which goes null and void when we wear Snuggies whenever the temperature dips.  I encourage you to find a couple pair of jeans that fit and make you feel good.  When they start to get uncomfortable and you can't get them to fit well (no matter how many deep knee bends you do) it may be time to pay attention - not blame the dryer. 

Remember, this has nothing to do with keeping up with the latest fashions or worrying about people judging you for what you wear and all the other blah blah blah we tell ourselves in order to wear fleece 24-7.  It is simply finding healthy accountability points to make sure you stay on the right track with your wellness journey - and that is ALL ABOUT YOU!