Finally, again

Oh gosh, I am back under 300 pounds again this morning, just – 299.2. I'll take it. Honestly I'd thought I would have quicker progress this week, but give me any progress and I will be grateful for it at this point.

I feel like my life has changed so much since Saturday and my first training session back with Rick! It's amazing how making a couple little adjustments in your life can make it so different, even better, in a short time. I've already paid into my training commitment that will take me to the end of the year, so that I am certain to start the new year on a good foot. That feels really good.

I've also been enjoying doing care-based things for myself like taking luxurious baths in LUSH products (about once a week or so, I need to restock soon!), using moisturizer on my face every morning (though I forgot today, go figure – also trying to get into the evening habit, too, but not doing well on that front), and dressing myself up, even in a small way with a fancier necklace. My office is very casual and I have worn jeans my fair share of times, but I actually feel so much more confident when I "dress for success" – even if that just means dress pants and said fancy necklace.

Another thing that I'm really loving is wearing my Kat Von D lipstick again (the most gorgeous red), LUSH Karma perfume, and that my haircut is finally starting to become a real part of me. While my body may not be exactly where I'd like it, I can still walk around feeling very good about myself because of the way I'm taking care of it in the meantime. That's a big realization!

Clothes-wise, there are two main things that I'd like to execute as staples – well, I pretty much have been, but I want to do it more intentionally:

• Wear more dresses! Getting ready in the morning for work couldn't be more easy when I can just throw on a comfortable jersey knit dress, leggings, and my Fluevog boots. I have this other lace number from Target that I need to shrink into that I can't wait to wear, too. I will keep an eye out for more dresses in my shopping future.

• Easy-to-coordinate separates, like Garanimals for adults, and layers. I do this by default most of the time, really. I never grew out of my corduroys, camisole, and cardigan phase from the early-mid 90s. It never gets old or out of fashion, if you ask me. Today my variation on this is grey dress pants, a long, black tank top under a long sleeve asymmetric burgundy jersey knit shirt, topped with a light grey fine-knit cardigan. (Plus big colorful necklace.)

I can't tell you how many tank tops and camisoles I own. LOTS. I collect cardigans like a fiend. I'm actually fresh out of corduroys but have plenty of other pants. One thing missing from my separates equation is skirts – all A-line, all the time, thank you! I have one black microsuede one that I've had for YEARS, and I would love to have a dozen made with its same shape in different colors and textures. I actually used to make those for myself and sure I could again, but it would be a matter of, oh you know, actually doing it. But maybe I will!

There are some other interesting things going on in my life that I won't share here, but suffice it to say that I have high hopes for the new year and look forward to slash and burning the memory of 2016, which was a challenging year in so many ways.