Friday Teaching and Clothing Observations

Mind the lipstick-less face: it's 6:50 am and I'm running out the door to catch a train.

As you know, Fridays are my early days and that means I'm up at 6:00 am to get to Parsons by 8:30 am. I try to get there early so that I have some time to advise students if they need, and to make sure my lesson is organized and that I'm mentally prepared to hit the big topics they need to know. This Friday was a particularly challenging one: I haven't been having the best of weeks. I've been emotional and very depressed the entire week, so much so that I really didn't get a lot done. Add to it a very "trying" menstruation and well, I was lucky if I got some makeup on my face Friday morning. I have a whole host of reasons why I've been blue lately, in particular my annual bout of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SADs). Let's face it, I get the SADs. every winter. I need warmth, sunshine and growing things to lift my spirits. Wandering about the woods yesterday with Ed searching for signs of spring -- the skunk cabbage pushing up through the watery mud, the buds on the trees, and the scurrying critters making nests and wooing each other -- helped me tremendously. I really need to make sure that I keep an eye on the mud, on the buds and in the air for the next few weeks. Perhaps I'll even start laying out the garden on paper so that I have something growing and green to look forward to. This will make me feel much, much better.

I wasn't feeling my normal chipper self on Friday so I decided to wear something more comfortable and practical than super elegant. I wore my new pants, which are two sizes smaller than those I wore before Bat Fit. You can't really tell that they are a smaller size in the above photo because the pants, now a size 16 women's, are very baggy on me. Even the long sleeved cotton blouse with the smocked, button down front and my beloved corduroy purple blazer are loose on me! With all of the working out and portion downsizing I noticed that my frame has completely transformed. My arms, neck and chest are much smaller and more defined; my back and abs are getting defined; and my waist is shrinking. My legs, hips and butt are loosing inches and cellulite. And, most importantly women's sizes aren't fitting right anymore. 


I spent the afternoon with my Mom and she assessed my clothing for me. She suggested that I am no longer in Women's sizes because of the way the clothing is drooping in certain areas. She urged me to start trying on Misses 18s to see if the fit is more aligned with my current proportions. MISSES! Sheeze, the last time I was able to shop in regular stores for Misses sizes was six years ago! I am going to wait until the semester is over before I actually start buying new clothes, but her suggestion makes a lot of sense to me. 


I've also been complaining that I hit a weight loss plateau and the minute I said it, I lost another three pounds, making my total to date 18 pounds! My metabolism and body have been re-calibrating, causing me to crave certain types of foods. I have a hankering for sauteed fiddle heads and baked flounder, both with a squirt of lemon and a bit of butter. I've been having soup for breakfast and poached eggs for lunch! *shrug* Whatever works and whatever my body needs, I guess. And let's not forget seasonal cravings like fiddle heads and spinach! I'm dying for fresh, locally grown crunching greens. And I'm dying for some good ol' fashioned rye bread from the Green Market. Yep, my metabolism is back on track!


The Run Down:
Pants, blouse and jacket: Lane Bryant ... which I won't be shopping at anymore
Shoes: DSW
Jet necklace: My Mom made it
Earrings: Kohl's