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Feeling Frumpy
I have lost about 50 pounds since November 1, 2011. My work uniforms are falling off of me, my hair texture has changed to limp and unmanagable, and my fingernails are not growing like they use too.
Somedays I feel more FAT than I did before I lost the weight. I really can't afford to go out and buy a bunch of new work clothes when I still have so much weight to lose and the baggy uniforms make me look like I am wearing a sack. What do you ladies do to make yourselves feel pretty and energetic while you are fighting this battle? (sigh I guess I am having a depressing day) |
Look at your macronutrients for your nails and hair. Also, how much sun time are you getting? I had a vitamin D deficiency that pretty much ruined my hair. Winter months can wreck havoc.
As for the other stuff, buy 1-2 new clothing so you can at least SEE the beautiful new you and wear those on days you most need the lift. Consider changing your hair style a bit for a change. Shop clearance. Take pictures and compare them to your before body. |
I complete understand. I cannot afford to buy new clothes with each size I go down so my clothes often make me look like I'm wearing clown pants. Not a good look, especially in a professional office. I just keep reminding myself that it's only temporary. I do look for clearance stuff and some thrift store finds just so I have a few pieces I feel better in.
As for your hair and nails, definitely make sure you are getting enough healthy fats in your diet. I also added a good multi-vitamin (actually stronger than many generic store pre-natal vitamins) that have helped my hair tremendously. |
I have those days, definitely! I second checking your nutrients and make sure you're getting enough dietary fat and food-supplemented magnesium, potassium, and b vitamins. That makes all the difference with hair, skin, and nails.
You know what I did today? I pulled out my wedding dress and wedding photos and went through them. I was probably 50-60 pounds heavier when I got married than I am today, three kids and six years later. I look younger, too, due to the weight loss. So even when I feel fat and frumpy I know the truth - I haven't looked this good since high school! It's just a matter of keeping it in perspective. Look at before and after pictures, get your hair done, get ONE outfit from a place like the Salvation army that is new-to-you and the correct size, so you can see the difference and treat yourself without breaking the bank. All these things are so helpful in making a long journey a little easier :) |
I have been shopping at thrift stores until I reach my goal weight. I have been really excited to find that I am able to find clothes that fit at thrift stores. There was a time where I couldn't shop at them because I couldn't find clothes in my size.
I went through a phase where my fingernails were splitting off in layers. Ewww. It was gross and it passes. Congrats on the 50 lb loss. No matter what you are feeling right now, you are 50 lbs less and healthier. |
You're maybe having a micronutrient defficiency. At the beggining i was losing hair like no joke, i was so scared to even touch it cause one part will remain in my fingers. My - in that time trainer - recomend me to get vitamins, felt better with more energy when started to take them.
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It sounds like you are lacking in good fats and protein in your diet. Your hair and nails are made of keratin, a fibrous protein and they don't grow properly without a good diet. A good multivitamin might also help with that. Outside of diet, Costco sells a great condition for CHEAP. It makes my hair shiny and a giant tub of it is 8 bucks. As for nails, there is something called Nailtique that has really helped along with using glass filers with fine grits.
As far as the uniforms... I'm in the same boat. I don't really have funds to keep updating my wardrobe, I only have a good 2 pairs of pants I can cycle through right now and all my shirts make me look frumpy. You could try tailoring you things but that only does so much. Old Navy has some good cheap pants, especially when they go on sale. I like to browse through stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, and Mashalls. Occasionally I find a nice item for cheap. I just want to add too that I have the only thing I have been repurchasing is the wardrobe basics: jeans, white and black camies, white dress shirt... things like that. |
bad Bad BAd BAD week!! http://d21c.com/Belinda/--Smileys/19/badmood.gif
I am feeling no better regarding my current situation and I somehow managed to gain 1.8 pounds overnight. Originally Posted by kcoftx: I don't get much sun may 1 1/2-2 hours during the week, more on the weekend. Originally Posted by WildThings: :hug: Thank you for your concern and support Artic Mama, Madame Souza, and Lyla. Originally Posted by MadameZombie: |
I agree with checking the vitamin/mineral thing. You could be deficient.
Scrubs? That's not so hard a shape. Is that the type uniform you are talking about? If so, can you sew? Or know anyone who does? Just bring in the seams and you will feel better. If it is some more complex uniform shape that is more tailored... well, that's a bit harder. What kinda uniform is it? Are there tailors nearby? Maybe fix a few or get a few new? Is it so bad a fit that you are starting to look unprofessional? A. |
re: the clothing
i can't afford new clothes even when i'm not losing weight. we are the epitome of "flat broke".... i haven't got a single *new* item of clothing in over a year. that being said... i spent $35 at a salvation army store on one of their half price days and got myself several pairs of jeans (i think i got 6) in my current size, and a couple in descending sizes as goal clothes. i also got myself 3 shirts, a dress, and a pair of jeans for my husband. a few things even had the tags still on them. thrift stores/second hand stores are GREAT places to look while you're losing weight. i had a joke with the manager of the salvation army store. i'd drop off old stuff, and pick up new stuff... and at check out i'd tell him "i'll be bringing these back soon"... good times :) |
Originally Posted by astrophe: I am going to break down this weekend and go buy 3 sets that I can mix and match for now so I at least don't walk down the hall and have my pants fall around my ankles :) I am having a terrible week, today is no different. |
Originally Posted by konfyoozed: I order my scrubs online from a site that is fairly reasonably. The thought of going out clothes shopping itself is a nightmare. I HATE walmart plus size clothing and I can't really afford Fashion Bug, Lane Bryant or Catherines. sighhhhhhhhhhhhh |
I HATE spending money on 'fat' clothes, and of course I got rid of all my old clothes when I lost weight the first time. I refuse to pay full price for clothes just to get me through until I get back down to wear I was, so I scour the thrift stores in my area for clothes to get me through. I bought a pair of jeans this weekend for seven dollars that are practically brand new. It's harder when you're in bigger sizes, but as you continue to lose you'll find more stuff you can wear at the thrift stores.
(I'm always poor, so I thrift even when I'm smaller. It's just that there's more selection when I'm smaller so it's more fun!) Shame they don't carry scrubs in your thrift stores. They carry them here in TN. As for your hair and nails, avocados, walnuts, olive oil. Healthy fats and omega 3s will help. |
Originally Posted by thistoo: |
My post isn't about shopping, it's about realizing how far you have come already!!!! Because I was feeling fat and frumpy the last coupld or weeks until my workout with my trainer today. She put a 50lbs sandbag on my shoulders and had me doing squats and running.....I realized OMG this is how much I weight I carried on me and it was HEAVY!!!!! It really made me realize how much weight I have lost....
So go out and pick up 50lbs and try to run, or squat. Or even just try and compare that weight....like 5 10lbs bags of potatos....a medium sized dog...etc...it's amazing when you put it in that context!!! |
My dermatologist said to take 1,000 mgs of Biotin every day for hair and nails. My hair is thinning like mad due to taking a beta blocker eye drop for my eyes, so I can't tell if that's helping but my nails are growing like wildfire.
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About the hair loss....I lost 80 pounds between the end of January and the beginning of August 2011. Around the end of July, I started noticing my hair thinning out. I waited to see if it kept happening and finally got blood work done in September. They told me they didn't know why I was losing my hair, but I did my own research and asked if taking biotin supplements, losing weight slower, and eating more protein would help and the doctor said probably. So maybe it is the very quick weight loss? Good luck--losing hair is very scary to deal with.
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Originally Posted by HealthyG: I am more like :bomb: today! :D |
Originally Posted by PaulaM: |
Originally Posted by heathermichigan: I am going to the hairdresser on the 15th and get a cut and color and hopefully the hair issue will be a thing of the past lol |
Hi! Yes, first, awesome job on what you have accomplished so far :) As far as your clothes and how big they are, at least they are NOT tight while you're busting at the seems... haha! But, I do have recommendations for your pants that wont stay up. I have some workout pants that are now too big, so (this might be really cheesy and others may have better ideas but..) I just bunched them up on the side and tied a rubber band around it. just like a pony tail but in your pants. hopefully that makes sense. Good luck with your dilemma. Sounds like others have great advice with the nutrients :)
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Congrats on the loss, that's awesome!!! :D
Have you looked for lots on ebay? I know they often sell lots by a clothing size for relatively cheap. Also, have you looked there for used scrubs too? I hear you on the thrift store problem!!! I live in Brazil and buying used clothes is a very strange concept here. Most people wouldn't even consider it. :shrug: They do have a few but for the most part it's either super expensive designer stuff (I could buy non-designer stuff for the same price) or very, very cheap clothes that are about to fall apart. Most of the time it's cheaper and easier for me to watch sales online and order that route. However, at the moment I really feel frumpy! Well, maybe not frumpy but sick of wearing too big clothes. I only have 1 pair of pants that fit me well and absolutely no shirts at the moment. I do have one dress that's flattering but even that's too big now. :cry: Currently, I'm waiting on a order but because shipping takes SO FREAKING LONG HERE it's been almost a month since I placed the order and I'm going a bit crazy here. :frypan: Mostly, I just wanted to say I can relate. We can't afford that many clothes but I definitely have had to buy some along the way. Bras are the #1 priority because otherwise I get immediate back pain and then probably pants so they don't fall off. :lol: So my shirts look insanely sloppy at the moment. :lol: Oh, I HAVE found that belts are great because they extend the life of tops a bit (wear a baggy top with a belt over it) and I've even done some simple alterations (brought in the band of my bras, sewed a tie into the waist of a shirt etc). |
Originally Posted by alitorry: |
Thank you runningfromfat!
Ebay doesn't sell scrubs in my size (yet). I am going to break down this weekend and order myself three sets that can be mixed and matched and that will hopefully do me until I drop another size and have to do it all over again. I hear you on the bras I need to go be measured and buy some new one of those also. |
Ok, so if it a simple shape like scrubs.... do you know anyone who sews? Do you go to a church? If so ask around there. Or look up a tailor in your area to take in the whole batch. It can be surprisingly cheap or ridiculously expensive -- but it doesn't hurt to ask in case it turns out on the cheap end. :)
If you want to tackle it yourself -- go for the simple fix of taking in the elastic. Open up the seam with a seam ripper. pull out some elastic, hand sew it tighter, and then close up the seam. That's not dealing with the baggy but it helps it not to fall down better than a safety pin or ponytail and even if you are not a great sewer the top will hide that part. Baby steps. Or change the elastic out to adjustable and stick on a button. There's lots of tutorials: http://www.frugalupstate.com/crafts-...-to-any-pants/ A. |
Our budget isn't quite as tight as it once was (there were times when our grocery budget for an entire month was $25), but we've learned a lot of creative ways to be frugal (The book The Tightwad Gazette and others like it helped a lot).
I have seen scrubs of all sizes (even up to 6X and higher) on ebay and in second-hand shops as well. These are second-hand items, and so they're not available every day, but if you check daily (on ebay), you'll be surprised what turns up. It comes down to being at the right place at the right time, and that's difficult unless you check (online) sourced daily and IRL sources as frequently as possible. Persistence pays off though, because the more times you look, the better your odds of eventually finding what you're looking for (and if you put the word out to family and friends, if an of them are bargain-hunters they can be on the lookout for what you need too). BCOutlet.com is another site I check daily (because some of the deals are crazy cheap, like $3 tops and $7 slacks, but they sell out fast because a lot of people must also stalk the site). They do often have scrubs, but they sell out quickly. If you register, you also get some amazing coupons in your email (such as 30% of an entire order or 50% of your highest price item). In thrift stores and consignment shops, I almost never find my size, and yet I still manage to buy most of my clothing at thrift stores (it's getting a little better, but I still end up empty handed more often than not). My secret, again is persistence. I shop five different stores in town, and I visit all five at least twice a month (on my way to other errands, so there's no wasted gas). That's 10 trips, and most of the time I come away with nothing, but I get lucky about one time in 10. But that's still finding something once a month, and often the persistence has paid off big (once getting a $200 sweater for $4). It's hard to be in the right place at the right time, so it pays to be friendly and chatty with the thrift and consignment shop owners, because you can often leave your phone number and a "wish list" so that when items come in, they'll give you a call (don't ask the first time you shop, because they'll usually tell you that they don't do that sort of thing, but once you get known as a regular customer, not only will they call you, they may even set aside stuff they think you might like). I also sell my too-big clothes at consignment shops. This pays off really well, because plus size clothing is rare and in high demand, so it sells well. So well, that I often make a profit. For example, I try to buy my clothes at the cheapest thrift stores, and then sell them at the most expensive consignment shop. So I've bought tops for $2 to $4 and then the next year sold them in consignment shops and gotten $6 to $8 back (the shop selling the items for $12 to $16 and I get half of that). I've been tempted to buy items in order to sell them, but I'm always afraid that I won't make my money back. I also have had clothes altered at insanely low prices. The best way to find cheap alterations is ask around. The best deals are "friend of a friend" situations where a person is working from their own home. Freecycle (through yahoo groups and probably facebook) is another awesome option. Everthing offered on freecycle has to be free, and people can offer and request things (Clothing offers and requests are super common, but you'll even see people asking for, and sometimes even offering big items like cars and computers). As for hair issues, a few years ago, when I first started dieting, I had a lot of hair breakage problems, so I went to a beauty school to get a perm (some beauty schools are incredibly cheap, some are nearly as expensive as a normal salon. Our local school isn't as cheap as others I've been too, but the free community newspaper often has a coupon). As it turned out my hair was too thin and damaged to perm, so the salon sold me a product called a "restructurizer" (the one they sold me was Wella Liquid Hair. I've seen similar products at Walgreens and Sally Beauty Supply). It's a leave-in keratin product (spray) that you spray on after you've washed and towel dried your hair. Then with a blow-dryer set on low you gently dry your hair for a few minutes (not until it's entirely dry, just to warm the keratin so it bonds to your hair). It was pricey (to me, I believe I paid $11), but the product has lasted me several years (although if I ever need a new bottle, I'll buy the generic equivalent). I also take a fish oil and a vitamin D supplement (for other issues, but they did both seem to help with my hair), and I eat quite a bit of gelatin (such as from sugar free jello - well the store brand anyway), which is supposed to help with hair growth (does it really, I'm not sure, but I like sugar free jello). |
Originally Posted by astrophe: |
Originally Posted by kaplods: |
Originally Posted by SmallSteps: That's for sure, although even as our budget has loosened a bit, I still won't pay full price for anything unless I've at least tried to get it second-hand, on clearance or at least discounted in some way. |
Originally Posted by SmallSteps: |
I laugh sometimes (to myself) when I see my thinning hair, wrinkled neck and deflated hanging belly and arms and baggy clothes and think - this is better than being fatter?? Then there are the good days, when I catch a glimpse of myself and it takes me a minute to recognize myself. Sometimes I think it's all in what I'm focusing on!
I am taking biotin and zinc for my hair... and I do try different products etc for my face, hair, nails etc - not sure anything is working so fabulously though... |
Originally Posted by freefall: |
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