Yikes! It Doesn’t Fit!
Yikes! It Doesn’t Fit!
by Charlotte Siems
The wedding is just around the corner. The event calls for special occasion clothing, so rather than spend hours shopping at the mall or driving around the city, the mother of the groom decides to let her fingers do the shopping online. With the assistance of Google, a nice skirted suit is located. It meets all the criteria—nice champagne gold color, light fabric for hot weather, ¾ length sleeves and a slim skirt that skims just below the knee. Click. Add to cart. Fingers crossed.
The box arrives and it’s time for the try-on. The color is perfect, the details are exquisite and the quality surpasses expectation. The jacket is slipped on and it fits like a glove. The skirt? Yikes! The skirt is too tight!
Three and a half weeks until the trip to the wedding in another state. What’s a mother of the groom to do? T-Tapp, of course.
By now you’ve figured out that the mother of the groom is me. I don’t know where we get the idea, but we tend to think that people who have reached their goal stay there permanently without effort. It’s true that maintenance is easier than the journey to a goal in a lot of ways, but there is also a tendency to relax and skip a few (or a lot of) workouts and eat a bit too much here and there. Before you know it, the inches and pounds have crept on.
If I told you that I never struggle with consistency or that I always eat perfectly within hunger and fullness….well, I would disqualify myself from encouraging you. I know whereof I speak.
A moment of truth like a tight-fitting skirt is a good moment. It’s a light bulb, a warning flag and a call to action.
There, don’t you feel better? We’re all in this together, you know.
The first thing to do is make a plan, and here it is:
Print a blank calendar page. That may seem like a strange place to start, but I know from experience that “writing it down” is important. Your brain processes information differently when you put pen to paper. Dr. Caroline Leaf wrote, “The process of writing….consolidates the memory and adds clarity to what you have been thinking about….This helps both sides of your brain to work together….to fully understand….” This particular calendar page is going to stay on my desk in a prominent place. It will function as a record of measurements and workouts (both the plan and the checksheet).
Hang up the suit in plain sight. The suit is hung up in my bedroom where I will see it several times a day. Motivation and a goal, you know.
Make a decision to eat mindfully. Notice I didn’t say “try” or “start on Monday.” Someone told me that when their personal trainer was asked to work with someone he would ask “when do you want to start?” If they said “I’ll start next week,” he refused to take them as a client. If they didn’t answer “I’m ready right now” he figured they weren’t serious enough or ready yet. It’s the same with thinking “well, after the weekend when we go out to eat and after we have dessert on Sunday.” Like Yoda on Star Wars, “there is no try, only do.”
Make a workout plan. With the help of my friend, Senior Trainer Kayla Howard, we figured out a series of moves to hit my target areas: tummy, hips and thighs. The plan includes some extras like Extended Stretching in Linear Alignment (from the Ladybug Floor workout), Organs in Place/Half Frogs (from the free DVD that comes with Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes), Ladybug (the move) and Crab Claws. I’ll start with a 10-day challenge and evaluate the results before Phase Two.
Be consistent with brushing, alfalfa and water intake. I’ll brush daily in the morning, but I’m going to experiment with extra brushing on the tummy for this challenge.
Believe I can do it. No scolding myself, no giving up, no despair, no disgust. I set my face towards the task and assure myself it will happen. Remember, we become what we think about.
There you have it. The moment of truth has been faced and now action is being taken. Plans are great, but doing the plan is what works. I highly recommend some accountability, like posting your plan for a few thousand people to read. Then promise to post a photo of yourself wearing the outfit at the end of the challenge you’ve given yourself.
Have you had a “Yikes-it-doesn’t fit” moment lately? Post a comment and tell us your plan!
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 Charlotte Siems is a home-maker, home manager, T-Tapp Trainer, teacher, speaker and author. Her story of losing over 100 pounds with T-Tapp has encouraged thousands of people all over the world. She specializes in making home management and T-Tapp “doable” for real people and real life. She is happy to be a wife and mother of twelve children whom she has successfully taught at home for 25 years. |
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I can’t tell you how much I love this post! You can do it Charlotte!! 🙂 I LOVE the idea of starting ASAP. I am a procrastinator, so I tend to push things off until tomorrow. I’ll diet on Monday. I’ll eat healthier after I get to the grocery store. I’ll exercise tomorrow when I can wake up earlier and miss the heat.
I can’t wait until the next 3 and 1/2 weeks are gone and we can all cheer for you wearing your new suit!
That suit looks beautiful! What blouse and necklace and shoes will you wear with it? And what on earth is ‘tummy brushing’?? *intrigued* 🙂
Thanks! I wore a lace cami under the suit and big jewel earrings! Here’s some info on brushing: https://charlottesiems.com/about-that-tummy