22..20...18...16...

It has been eluding me for over ten years now, but I knew it couldn’t stay away forever. SIZE 14 REG is back in town. The important part is the REG, which means it isn’t a plus size. Right now there are balloons and confetti falling from the ceiling of my walk-in-closet. It does make it more challenging to get dressed in, but it is totally worth it. I am not wearing any plus size clothing today-nope not a stitch; even my panties are REG size. Uh-oh here comes more confetti bye, bye granny panties.

The day of my surgery I waddled into the hospital wearing a size 22 everything. Wow, was I really that big? For me it has been a gradual weight loss, so I really haven’t noticed REALLY big changes. That being said, it is hard to ignore having to buy 4 pant sizes smaller.

“Excuse me miss where do you keep the regular size clothing? You see I haven’t been out of the plus size department in over ten years, so I don’t know where to find it. Is it by fragrances or handbags?”

The first time I ventured into a non-plus size store I was so nervous. I felt as if I was committing a crime of some sort. My heart was beating rapidly, my palms were sweating, and the store’s bright lights were making me feel dizzy. Why such a serve reaction? It was simple, and yet very twisted thinking. I thought that the salespeople were going to ask me to leave. I just knew they were going to tell me that I was too fat and I would have to go back to a plus size store. It was so bad that the first time I went in to a store that was not plus size I could not bring myself to try on any clothing. (I only lasted two minutes inside.) The second time I did try on some clothing, but I only tried on the biggest sizes they had. I wasn’t ready to make a commitment to smaller sizes just yet.

After more therapy and a lot of Starbucks liquid courage I did go into stores and I claimed the clothing sizes that belonged to me.

I went to Macy’s last week and I was walking by the plus size department, which is at the back of this particular Macy’s store. I remember thinking that, “I will never have to shop at the back of this store again. Now I get to shop in the whole damn store, and that is the way it should be.”

I also passed by a Lane Bryant store in the mall. I looked in and saw my former self going through the racks, looking for a size 22/24. Then I caught a glimpse of my size 14 self in the refection from the store front window, and I couldn’t help but smile and think: You Look Marvellous Darling! The Best Is Yet To Come!