The Plans I Have For You.

Here's what they don't tell you about losing weight.

You're going to belt your jeans until they can't bunch up anymore, and then you're going to honestly need new jeans. And then, as you keep losing, you have to go through the whole process again.

You're going to fall in love with some sort of exercise, and even if it's something as bare bones as running, you'll find that there are expenses. You'll need shoes designed for running and your specific gait, you'll need cold weather gear that will simultaneously warm you and keep you cool because you're going to warm up after the first two miles, you'll need something to make sure that cars see you. You'll wear out your shoes.

Your shirts don't fit, but being as they don't have to stay up like jeans do, you make them last.

You have to dress professionally about four times a month (currently, I know that will go up once student teaching starts). Baggy jeans and shirts are all well and good during the normal day, but baggy professional clothes look horrible. But what are you to do?

Your winter coats are four sizes too big and don't keep the warmth in.

Your bustline has pretty much disappeared, and we all know how expensive bras are, so you make do with old sports bras until you reach your goal weight.

And you're a college student, too ridiculously busy to keep a job. Your parents are very understanding and help you financially, but here it is, nearing the end of the semester, and you've got just enough money for the rest of the upcoming bills and some left over for groceries. They've always said to ask for more money if you truly need it, but when they're been as understanding as they've been, you really don't want to do that. You shouldn't be cutting it close, you were given plenty of money at the start of the semester. But although you're trying to not buy new clothes until it is completely necessary, you weren't planning on that at all. And then there are recital expenses, and paperwork fees, and fingerprinting fees, and PRAXIS fees, and it's just piled up.

Losing weight, getting healthy, taking care of myself - it's all well and good. I don't regret any of it at all. But I'm feeling a pinch.