Packing, Puerto Rico and Padding

It’s no secret that I’ve put on considerable weight in the last 18 months. Long before I bought the tickets to Puerto Rico, I knew I wanted to do something about my size – for my mental health if nothing else – and started back at the gym a little over two weeks ago. Needless to say, I’ve lost less than 5 lbs, mainly because I added exercise to my daily regimen, but I never changed my diet. To keep it real, I wanted to maintain some “thickness” and I thought that if I modified my diet and also added exercise, the weight loss would be pretty drastic. As it turns out, 40 ain’t just a number folks! A man with my previous metabolism easily dropped 10 lbs in two weeks by just hitting the gym. Well, as I began trying on clothes for my pack to Puertorro, I realized that NOTHING – no exaggeration here – NOTHING fit me anymore! Bathing suits that currently grace my Facebook pages or appeared on my blog barely come over my knees and virtually all those HOT summer pants with the slightly sheer air, now threaten to sever me at the thighs. To be clear, no previously worn bottoms can come over my hips and behind and certainly nothing can meet at the waist and button. At first the complete horror of it had me panic. BD squirmed as I cussed and jumped around like a sausage on springs. He’s always supportive, but it’s hard to call a bathing suit a liar; it was clear I was “swole”! I wanted to start a full-scale bonfire of bootylicious attire in the middle of my bedroom floor, but I accepted my reality. I’ve now purchased a few outfits to wear while in Puerto Rico for the next week, but intend to modify my diet AND hit the gym hard when I return from beaching myself in Puerto Rico. I have hope that I will be NYC beach ready by summer. I don’t think that I’m bothered about being heavy, I’m more concerned with the realization that my body feels so drastically different – from the outside and the inside (no pun intended). If I could literally slice off my love handles and belly I would probably be alright. Well, life goes on. The young become the old and the thin get a little chunk butt going. LOL In a BIG PICTURE kind of way, I’m blessed…I have a beautiful family, an amazing partner , a gorgeous son and love that abounds. Part of my padding is love…for that, I’m grateful.

Keep passin’ the open windows…