What a wonderful and encouraging project. Off and on all weekend I've been reading this lengthy interview with one of the past winners of The Biggest Loser, talking about the abuse the contestants are subjected to during and after the show, and how her stint on it left her emotionally scarred and fighting an eating disorder. Seeing your post helps mitigate some of the fury I've been feeling, reading about her, that show, and Jillian Michaels and what a dangerous fraud she is. It's nice to see some positive changes for women that look like me!

(BtW, I've just been LIVING in those pants! ♥)

I try not to get over-focused on the numbers, but when you have to work SO bloody hard to take it off, it's hard not to get royally bummed when you start going in the wrong direction. All it took was for me to stop exercising and become so much less active, and stop literally counting every calorie I put in my mouth - for the past 6 wks or so since I've been so ill - and I've gained back 20 lbs, dammit. *cries* And they were 20 that were all "plateau weight" - each one a fight. That's the nature of my damned metabolism.... And I know I haven't been overheating - shoot, I haven't even had that much of an appetite. One probłem is I've felt too sick most days to cook or to make the runs to TJ's for the healthier convenience foods, and when he does all the shopping and cooks, he tends to not stick with lower fat & calorie,foods - and when I'm having to fob ALL of it off on him, it seems ungrateful to complain or ask him to do extra work. And he's been great about making sure I have most of my basics and getting me lots of fresh fruit. It's going to take getting môre,active and back on the bike.... But right now,I still get woozy from just emptying the dishwasher or, walking to the mailbox! Aarrggghhh!!!!!

Ahem...... Sorry, brief slippage of the frustration valve, there. Happens now & then... Uhm, as far as the tops, I don't know if they'd work or not, depends on how stretchy the fabric is. In a tee or a loose soft sweater, I can wear a 2x - but I am very apple-shaped, with very large upper arms, so in garments of unforgiving fabric I usually need a 3x or a 24/26 - I may measure for a 22, but put me in a fitted size 22 cotton shirt or wool jacket and it's a disaster. And I learned a LONG time ago that wearing your clothes too small, especially around your "problem areas" is the surest way to draw attention right to those problem areas. One reason people have never thought I weighed as much as I have over the years is that I've never been vain about the number on the size tag and worried more about how clothes looked on my body. I used to work with a woman who weighed well over 350 (I was about 300 at the time) - she'd lose 5 lbs and pour herself into these poor tortured size 18's & 20's and brag about how many sizes she'd lost - and of course, it goes without saying, she did not look attractive. (She ended up getting a gastric bypass, and became extremely thin with a dangerous eating disorder and pica. I'm not even sure she's still in this world, poor dear. ).

Anyway... I'd love to have the tops, if you really think they'd fit - they certainly sound like items I could well use, especially the sweaters, and tees, especially with longer sleeves (!) are always welcome, too, and so useful. My internal thermostat is so wacky, I tend to dress in layers, and with my fibro making my skin so weird I've really come to vastly prefer soft knits, the higher the natural content the better. I may put on jeans or something dressy to go out, but usually as soon as I get home, they come off (along with the bra :P ) and on goes the sweats, leggings, or yoga pants! (Although those pants you sent are truly multifunctional for me!)

Wow, one of those actually looks kind of like me.