Weight Loss: My first strong motivation (first kick)

I am a lazy person. I also do not like changes. I get comfortable with something and it is very difficult to motivate me to change it. I need strong kick to my butt. But I am also very stubborn; if I decide something I will stick to it.
When I was 23, my size was 18 +. I went to visit my mother to Russia. Moscow is the beautiful city with lots of beautiful women. Most of young girls in 20s in Moscow are skinny. High heels, mini skirts,,
It was late fall, which feels like deep winter by DC area standards. My winter boots were completely destroyed on Moscow streets after couple of days of walking. Those shoes couldn’t handle wild mix of dirt, snow and salt on the ground. If you visit Moscow in the middle of snow season, and stay in the tourist area, you wouldn’t probably experience it. If you take few steps from main manicured streets, you would find real neighborhoods with lots of dirty mix on the ground. I’m not sure what really killed my boots, weather or extensive walking (which almost killed me., since I was not use to walk anymore, at least not that much). Anyhow shoes were dead. I needed another pair. I have to mention that shoes in Moscow are really expensive. You have to pay at least $100 to get something not too attractive, but at least last for a while. I bought cheapest boots I could find. By the end of the day of walking, I got blisters. On both feet!
I went to Russia not only to visit, I had to get some paperwork done,, I had to run around Moscow for the rest of the week. They do not do paperwork by mail. People have to go offices, stay in line, etc.. One of my friends told me that she’d never seen anybody who was limping on both feet. Ahahahaha! I had to find something comfortable (for blistered feet) fast. I found most comfortable reasonably priced boots in one store. Very bulky, huge bulky round noses kinda like clown boots! On huge platforms.. Which was not bad, actually: keeps you higher form the wet snow mix. Really… keeps you feet dry. Also I had to learn how to walk on those. No hills just huge platform. To kill me completely those boots had neon green details. NOT MY STYLE.. AT ALL!
When I was trying those shoes, whining to my mother and sales person.
WHEEEEEE not my style,,
WHEEEEEE so ugly,,,
But SOOOO comfortable!!!!
It was only pair I could walk without limping.
The sales person was in her 40s. She looked at me and said: ”What is our age? Just a number”.
It was IT!! It kicked me right into my huge butt. I was just 23. I was way too young for comments like that! I came home, looked at myself in the mirror. Larger size did not suit me at all.
Is does work for few lucky people I know who look and feel great being XL.

But I didn’t work for me. Decision was made. I stated my losing weight journey.


I could not possibly jog when I was XL,, I was too heavy.. And hate jogging. I came up with method that allowed me to lose weight and still enjoy your life. Otherwise I would just give up.

Weight Loss: Does Size Matter?

When I was in school, we called tall and skinny girls giraffes. We didn’t know then that were beautiful and they really looked like models. Standards are changing. We should not. Now skinny is in fashion. It does not mean that everybody has to be skinny. Being skinny does not mean to be happy. Or in some cases healthy. I know few lucky people look and feel just great and comfortable in larger size. All of them stay physically active and exercise on regular basis. Most importantly they can eat whatever they want and stay beautiful, happy and healthy.
I envy them.
I think the key is if you are comfortable in your size, if you feel great, if your size does not prevent you from physical activities, if it does not affect your health, and if you like yourself in the mirror, do not change it! Congratulations, you have great balance in your life! Do not follow stereotypes to reach some ideal weight hat does not suit you. You do not need to look like a model to be beautiful. If you like your self, you are beautiful!
When I was in XL size. I was not physically active. I could not exercise, at all. I kept toothbrush upstairs and downstairs, so I could brush my teeth without climbing to the second floor. It was too hard for me. I also didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. I was not lucky. I didn’t feel comfortable being XL.