“Now what is she talking about ?!”  you’re probably saying to yourself. “What has underwear to do with it ?” you say. “Should I be on my way to Victoria’s Secret, or stopping by the Jockey counter at JCPenney’s ?”  Well, yes, you should. In fact everyone needs to have nice new underwear, and not just because you might get run over and the EMTs and ER docs are going to see it and what will they think ?

No, you need new underwear because it helps build your self esteem.  And lack of self esteem is very often what gets us into weight problems in the first place.

But, you say, isn’t it wasteful to buy new stuff since I’m working to get to a smaller size and shouldn’t I just save the money and wait until I’m where I want to be on the scale ? No. It isn’t wasteful at all. Think about it. First thing in the morning, you jump in the shower and you’re thinking all those positive thoughts about what you’re going to do today to make sure you continue the excellent progress you are making– or that you are not going to let yesterday’s slips end your efforts towards that new you that you want to see in the mirror.

So, you get out of the shower, dry off and– put on the old baggy, ugly stuff ? No. I don’t think so. 

On your way to the new you, there are a lot of old ideas we have to get rid of, and one of them is definitely about clothes.  We really have to learn that if weight loss is to be permanent, you have to clean out your closet and dresser, as well as you mind. If there is no pair of “fat jeans” in the closet, you will have nothing to wear if you gain back the weight. But also, if there is no pair of “skinny jeans” to look forward to, the ones you have on now will fall off and you’ll have nothing to wear on the weekend.

So, splurge a little, and go buy that nice underwear– not that you have to break the bank, understand, but treat yourself to having things that actually fit You 2.0-and-counting– it really will make a difference in your outlook on life.

(Of course any outer clothing that usable that you are done with should go to Goodwill or Out of the Closet or other charity of your choice.  What’s too big for you right now is the next size down for somebody else who is working to lose weight and whose budget is a bit tight. And you may be able to get a tax deduction.

UPDATE:  You aren’t going to believe what I got in the mail today, well after I wrote this piece – a coupon for a free pair of underwear from Victoria’s Secret + $10 off any bra. Now THAT’S funny.

Did you notice a new author in our midst? Yesterday catdog made her first front-page contribution (Apples and Pears): Catdog has been keeping us up-to-date with her progress at Weight Watchers for a long time. But it’s not just her progress reports that I’ve admired. Her thoughtful philosophy about eating and weightloss has been valuable to me.

So I’m excited that she’s agreed to do them more prominantly. Please take a moment to read her post and welcome her in this new role.