Action 256 - Get Fresh At The Weekend.

I find it interesting, the ripple effect that a small change can have. Give up fast food for lunch during the week and have more energy each afternoon. Meet a new group of active people and discover a renewed love of running. Be mindful of negative statements about yourself and develop an increased sense of self-worth. Small changes all, but they spark big results. And sometimes, the action and the ripple effect go almost unnoticed.

Action 256 - Get Fresh For The Weekend. It used to be a big hassle for me to get ready to go out. And it didn't matter if my destination was the library, the office or a nightclub. I spent a lot of time trying to find the right thing to wear. Some of it was vanity, sure. But most of it was an underlying dislike of how my body looked and endless efforts to hide it.

But I've changed. Now that I've lost weight and I don't feel so hateful about my own body, I find that I'm not nearly as obsessed with hiding it. I don't need to try on fifteen different outfits to see which one best cloaks me without looking like a tent. I don't need to stare at a mirror for minutes at a time, self-consciously picking apart everything I see staring back at me.

Last night, I went out with a friend and knew that we would be hitting at least two different bars. I walked into the bedroom to change my shirt, decided on a fun new long-sleeve t-shirt, and put it on. I asked my husband, "what do you think?" He said, "you look great." And that was that. And all night, I felt confident and I know I looked good. My clothes were casual and they fit well. What more can a guy ask for?

And this morning, I'm off to meet up with my running group and then head to Carlsbad to pick up tomorrow's running packet. Instead of stressing out about what to wear, I just grabbed sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I'm not worried about being in a big hall later with thousands of in-shape runners. I know that I look just fine, fit and healthy, and I can't be bothered with worrying about it any more than that.

Get fresh at the weekend? Mel & Kim were on to something when they sang about that in their 80's song. But these days, it's so much easier for me to do. I look good, I feel good, and I worry less. Simple.