Celebrating my successes

I've had three good weeks in a row and week four is off to a good start. So I decided to treat myself to new clothes. OK, I know, I buy new clothes a lot. But this time I spent a little more than normal and bought things I wouldn't normally wear. The key was that the two skirts were a size 14 -- my smallest size so far. I can't quite fit into everything that size, but I'm getting closer.

At first, I felt great about my purchases. But then I felt guilty because I shouldn't be spending money on more clothes right now. (I'm really poor these days.) Now, though, I'm back to feeling like I deserve those clothes. And in the grand scheme of things, I didn't spend that much money. In fact, I've bought a ton of new clothes since my journey began in January 2010. I couldn't tell you how much I've spent, but I'm sure it's been thousands of dollars.

The conclusion I've come to is that it's worth it. There was a time when I would have traded my life savings to lose weight and feel healthier. I see going overboard with shopping every now and then as my reward. I work really hard at my professional job and just as hard at losing weight. If I can't reward myself, then why am I working so hard?

Buying clothes in a smaller size also serves another purpose -- keeping me on track. I was so proud of myself last night for making smart choices at dinner. I wanted to order one of everything on the menu, which included lots of decadent pasta dishes. Instead, I opted for a salad (with very little balsamic vinaigrette) and steamed mussels. The big splurge was eating a little more bread than I should have and two regular beers. My point is that I had a great evening with a great friend. I didn't need to eat mounds of food to have fun.

And I'm especially proud that I resisted temptation. I was so close to giving in. But I don't think I would have enjoyed the evening more if I had. I even told my friend that I feel like I'm seeing a mental shift in the past few weeks. I'm starting to feel like the person who had so much success losing weight last year. That's a reason to celebrate.