Most people in four-season climates seem to dread the beginning of September the same way that everyone dreads Sundays. (Like Sunny! Read why here.) They know they only have one more beach trip and a couple visits from the Ice Cream Man left before autumn’s arrival. Not being much of a summer girl myself, I actually love this time of year, and not just because mosquito and bad hair season will soon be over.
Now is when all the September fall style issues of fashion magazines hit newsstands! A girly-girl to my core, I make an event out of it by purchasing a stack of the supersized glossies, nestling up with an iced coffee, and dog-earring all the pages that feature items I love, even writing notes in the margins about color options and other pieces I’d wear them with. (Yes, I am that crazy.)
Once I began recovering from binge eating disorder and started getting better at accepting and loving my body as is, this little ritual became even more fun because my self-esteem improved vastly. I (mostly) stopped feeling like my body had to look a certain way to rock the cute skirts and jeans I had my heart set on. I even squashed my bikini fears this summer! (See my last post.) Thanks to my newfound body-love (ok, and Lady Gaga) I’ve felt freer to play around with my style. I’m now more open to trying new pieces like big, glammed-out headbands, bright pink lipstick, and some funky acid wash skinny jeans (just not all together, of course!).
No matter what point you’re at along this journey to becoming healthier, whether you’ve just discovered you have an eating disorder, you’re fully recovered, or if you’re somewhere in the middle, we can all benefit from being reminded once in a while to stop waiting to lose those “last few pounds” to feel completely complete. If you want to buy a mini skirt, get a professional photo shoot done, or dye your hair a daring new color, I say do it now. If time waits for no man, women should wait for no weight.
Besides, it’s true that when you look great, you feel great. It’s amazing what a sleek leopard print blazer can do for the soul. The confidence you portray while wearing it might land you a new job (and you’ll probably turn a few heads as well!). Bottom line is we deserve to look and feel fabulous now, because we never know what exciting new things looking and feeling fabulous could lead to!
In honor of fall fashion, I want to know: what article of clothing (or shoes or accessories) makes you feel your most confident? —Erica
Can someone help me please? I have been stuck in a cycle of binge eating for the last 3 months. Every day. I’ve had this problem for over 6 years now but usually there is at least a few days a week where I eat fairly normally and exercise.
I’ve done neither in 3 months. I feel like crap!
How do you guys pull yourself out of these holes? Every morning I wake up with food hangovers, feeling sluggish and I look at my ever expanding body and just think “whats the effing point?”.
I need some words of encouragement if anyone has any. Feeling very hopeless.
Hi Rachael. I’ve been there—when I was 22 I binged so much, so often that I put on 50 pounds in less than a year. I’m going to post this comment as a blog post, OK? So the rest of the community will be sure to see it. I know people will want to talk to you about this. xo…Sunny
Rachael-
We’ve been there. I’ve been there. God does that suck. That feeling the next morning, when you look at yourself and your actions, and you’re not only ashamed, you’re pissed, because you did it again. Even after you promised you wouldn’t. (Or at least that’s how I feel). But just remember this: EVERY PASSING MOMENT, RACHAEL, IS A CHANCE TO TURN IT ALL AROUND.
Just one or two improved decisions about what you’re doing (less food, better food, a walk around the block, whatever it is) is a step in the right direction. And if small steps don’t feel good, then go for it, take a big step, write out a list of the new attitudes or actions you want to take and put them up on your mirrors, and your steering wheel, and your desk and re-commit to the whole, perfect and complete person you are (this is true, I mean it) just the way you are.
You can beat it, however you want to.
I can identify with Rachael. As part of bulimia treatment when I was young, I was really scared about purging because they told me the years of laxatives made me susceptible to a heart attack-my electrolytes were messed up. So I put on 15 pounds in 3 months because I couldn’t stop bingeing but I did stop purging. On a tiny petite person’s body that was 2 sizes and a lot of shame.
On this post: Twenty years later, I had gained weight from stress eating as opposed to full on binges (but still deal with a tendency to eat emotionally) so I lost weight over the past few years to get rid of some health complications. I’m now a normal weight. I’m also middle aged. So I can find cute clothes that are a small size, but I’m no longer the curvy all over gal I was when I was heavy. I don’t miss being curvy-what I miss is a flat stomach. All these clothes are not for apple shaped women. I didn’t have a flat stomach when heavy, but no one expects a flat stomach when you’re heavy-now I look like I could be in early pregnancy, although most people would realize it’s just perimenopausal gut gain.
So I wear blousy tops-but I do have a very nice miniskirt and bought some cute leggings. Other than the gut, I look pretty cute in stylish clothes…
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A good pair of jeans, flattering shirt, and cute blazer does the trick every time.
“If time waits for no man, women should wait for no weight.” I love, love, love this. How many women (including myself) say when I lost XX pounds or when I weigh XXX I can buy that skirt?shirt/Outfit? What an empowering statement.
Boots with a heel make me feel confident in the Fall. I LOVE the Fall season and the clothes that come with it.
Kelly E — ahhh boots w/a heel are my absolute FAVORITE fall/winter fashion piece…I especially love over-the-knee boots even when they’re flats..they just make me feel fabulous! =) Here’s to fall, mama! =)
xo*E
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