Outfitted For Self-Preservation

I followed through on what I said I would earlier and did some soul searching. You know what I learned? Retail therapy makes me feel better!

It has been far too long since I splurged on any type of clothing. I have had to buy jeans and tops along this journey – simply to have something to wear – but everything I have purchased so far has been very basic. I go to the larger department stores to keep the cost reasonable and even frequent the thrift shops quite a bit. I’m cheap when it comes to buying anything for myself, and it definitely shows in my wardrobe.

This is why I splurged today. It is also why I will take a bit more time tomorrow and continue making my creditors happy. I have decided that I have earned an outfit. I want one really nice, well put together look that I can feel confident in. Everything I own is either old (granted, I have two very nice older dresses that I fit into right now, but I also have nowhere to wear them) or plain. I want something new and sparkly!

Okay, so maybe this isn’t the best way to implement a long standing trend for me to turn to whenever I need my batteries recharged. I can admit to that. However, I do think that this is just what I need to be able to say, “I did that for me.” Right now, I think that is important. Knowing that I did something like this for myself will give me the peace of mind I need to discover what I should be doing on a regular basis to relax and find ‘me time’.

I’m not entirely sure what my restoration plan will look like yet, but I know that I have been thinking a lot about Miz’s recent post on self-preservation kits. I think that creating something like that – a collection of items that I could turn to whenever I feel the need – could really help.

I know that this post and the last one have been more on the mental health aspects of this journey and I hope I am not boring my readers too much right now. I just feel like this is an important part of the process and something that I should really examine thoroughly so that I can continue on successfully with the weight loss and healthier gains. There are so many facets to this new lifestyle and I just wouldn't be doing it - or myself - justice if I skipped over anything.

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 8 glasses of water
- 1 cup canned pineapple pieces
- 1/2 homemade mini pizza on a whole wheat pita wrap with garlic and basil pizza sauce, deli turkey beer sausage, grated part skim cheese, and mushrooms
- 1/2 cup pear fruit cup
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with shrimp, cheese, spinach, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 2 miniature Mandarin oranges
- 1 cup of fruit salad with pineapple, grapes, orange, and grapefruit

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 35 minutes of walking completed in 3 outings (35 minutes long, 15 minutes long, and 45 minutes long)
- 1 hour Belly Dancing For Fitness class