It Doesn't Take Much to Inspire

Over this past weekend, I attended the Heart of Dixie Readers' Luncheon, where authors get to meet and mingle with a couple hundred romance readers in Huntsville, Alabama. This was my third year at the event, and it's always fun. But as with all travel, especially to events where there is a set menu, it's difficult to stay on target with the fitness and eating properly. During the event, the president of the Heart of Dixie chapter got up on stage to speak, looking very professional and stylish in her white blouse, killer black heels and black pencil skirt. I made the comment to a friend that I couldn't remember when I'd last been able to wear a pencil skirt. My shape just doesn't play nice with straight skirts. But I imagined someday getting to the point where I could fit into one again and not look like I'd stuffed a watermelon in it with me.

After the event was over, the same friend and I headed over to a nearby shopping area for dinner and to see the new Robin Hood movie. We had about an hour between dinner and the movie, so she and I started window shopping and ended up at one of my favorite stores, Coldwater Creek. She found some tops she liked, and while she was trying them on, I perused the store. I liked several things, but not anything enough to make me break out the credit card -- at least not until I got to this one outfit of white top, soft brown leather vest and...you guessed it, a denim pencil skirt. Still with time to kill, I decided to try in on. What the heck, right? I deliberately pulled a size 14 off the rack, hoping I'd feel good if I could get into it. Miracle of miracles, I did. And I had a bit of room left. Feeling a little excited, I asked the salesperson to bring me a size 12, just knowing that there was no way I'd get into it. But I did! I could zip it and didn't feel like my blood circulation was being cut off. I'm not going to say it's overly attractive at the moment, but I bought the size 12. By the RWA National Conference arrives in July, I want it to look a lot better than it does now. But having that skirt to try on occasionally will be enough inspiration to get me through the next two months.

I know that sizing is different depending on who makes a clothing product because I still can't get into my size 12 jeans, but it was still a very nice boost on this sometimes frustrating, yo-yo, occasionally falling off the wagon journey.

Have you had any moments of inspiration that kept you working toward your goal recently? Do you have pieces of clothing that are smaller than can fit you properly now that inspire you to keep at your fitness and health goals so you can wear it in the future?