Goal Pants - and Why You Should Have Some

Everyone has that one pair of jeans in the back of the closet. You know, the ones that you'll fit in "some day". Well mine were a pair of size 14, boot-cut Silvers. At 258 pounds and wearing a size 20 (which I fastened a hair-tie onto to give me an extra inch or two), Silver Jeans were the ultimate goal pants because they don't even make those jeans for fat girls. In my mind they were the epitome of all things "skinny". The idea of wearing jeans that were fashionable and trendy was so foreign to me. I was happy just to find something that fit and didn't cut off my dwindling air supply. The thought of walking into a store - any store, and just putting on a pair of jeans was something I could only fantasize about.

Now let's fast-forward to October 2017 (right now). I'm a long way from that 258 lb fantasizing fat-girl, 86 lbs away to be exact. This weekend I went through my closet and plucked out all the "someday" clothes. To my great surprise, most of it was TOO BIG, including those inconceivable Silver's. I slipped them on (whilst mentally preparing myself for a tiny defeat) and nearly peed myself when I discovered they were loose. It didn't matter that they were loose and it didn't matter if boot-cut was no longer trendy. You can bet your skinny-ass I wore those baggy Silver's with pride.

All. weekend. long. Jean's have NEVER felt so good.

Obviously those jeans were more to me than just a pair of pants to wear. They represented hope and motivation. They looked me square in the face for the last 5 years and said "Hey girl, you're still fat. Take a look in the mirror and start caring about yourself."

It takes a hell of a lot of motivation, personal growth, and hard work to commit to changing your life. Weightloss is hard.

For me, goal-setting has been one of the most effective motivators to keep going. Knowing I had 100 lbs to lose was too daunting a task. From the very beginning I broke it out into milestones, each one having it's own reward which gave me something attainable to focus on. Here's what I do:

How to Set Goals:

1. SET A GOAL & A REWARD - make it something that's attainable but you'll still have to work for.

2. MAKE IT KNOWN - Write it down everywhere! In your calendar, on your fridge, bathroom mirror, steering wheel... and tell people about it. Put a picture of your reward everywhere too. Whatever the reward (let's say it's a new pair of jeans), plan for it. Put it in the budget. Put a picture on your mirror and imagine what they will feel like. Think about how you will feel wearing them. Make it as real as you can.

3. REVIEW - This is your goal so you can do what you want with it. Maybe you don't want new jeans anymore. Maybe you have a bad week or you discover your goal is too big. Erase it and start over, or make adjustments. Just make sure you have a goal.

4. CASH IN - when you hit that goal, and you will, hit up Target! (maybe that's just me). Buy those jeans with a smile on your face and tell your supporters about it. You'll be amazed how far encouragement will carry you.

5. SET A NEW GOAL - rinse and repeat.

Some of my goals along the way: (yes, I still remember them all)

1. Go to the gym every single day for 21 days - Reward: A set of dumbbells for at home (I got better at the reward part)

2. Join WeightWatchers and follow the program for 30 days - Reward: A cheeseburger and french fries (now we're talking)

3. Lose my first 20 lbs - Reward: A new pair of jeans (they would be 18's)

4. Run 1 minute - YES, ONE MINUTE on the treadmill without stopping - Reward: new running pants (because you're a runner when you can run for 1 minute).

5. Run 1 mile on the treadmill without stopping (this one took a while) - Reward: Go to Gazelle and get fitted for real running shoes...and buy them

6. Hit the 50 lb milestone - Reward: A weekend in Traverse City with hubby

7. One-der Club baby! (weight starting with a 1): Reward: whatever the hell I wanted (can't remember, I was delirious)

8. Run 5 miles without stopping - Reward: all new running gear - the expensive stuff from Gazelle

9. Hit the 180's - Reward: swimsuit shopping (I bought 3)