Transformation: My 6 Month Weigh-In

Mode Xlusive

Remember back in March, when I exposed myself with my Transformation: A Weight loss journey post? Well, it’s been 3 months since my last confession. I bet you are excited to see the dramatic new me? My tight flat abs, my bulging biceps and new rock hard glutes…

Nope, this is the current me. An ordinary 185 lbs woman, trying to stay active and being aware of what goes into my body. Do I wish I was thinner? Yes. Do I wish I was TIGHTER? Of course. Am-I happy with the results? Abso-freeken-lutely!

Chantal Sarkisian Plus-size Fashion Blog Ottawa weightloss story
Here I am, on June 26, 2015 weighing in at a leaner 185 lbs!

I have a new mindset this far into the game. I want to keep the weight off. If I lose more, that would be wonderful. But I can’t go backwards, I just can’t. I spent too much time, effort and money (on my new clothes) that I am not willing to give it all up. As you will see, I only lost an additional 3 lbs since March, but you can tell that my body looks different (right?). I didn’t lose that many more inches, but my muscles have gotten more toned and defined. I did plateau, get lazy and gave myself a bit of a break the last few months, but I am really trying to step up my game now. I was on weight loss vacation and now I have to get back to work.

Let me tell you something about body image, it’s funny how your brain gets used to the new normal. I look in the mirror and although I know I have kept off the weight, I still look at my belly in the mirror and think “God, I wish that pooch was flatter, have I even lost anything?”. I look at my inner thighs and want to gag. I look at my flabby arms and feel like a failure. Yup, we are our own worse critic, and I just lost 17 lbs for god sakes!! Can’t I cut myself a bit of slack? I try on my old clothes and feel relieved that they are falling off. I am fine.This insanity is all in my head.

These toxic thoughts are what will motivate me to keep going until I have reached a new level of transformation. Turn the ugly, into something beautiful! Like when you can see some nice lines on my back, and when my back chubs are gone, that’s when I will feel more confident. In the meantime, here is the 6 months progression of my weight loss. (Notice how in the background the pictures go from winter, spring and summer! That’s sort of cool right?).

6 months resultsPlease feel free to share this post with your friends if you think it will help them keep going. The 6 month mark is hard and you can easily get bored with your routine. Sometimes all you need is a little motivational story to help you keep going. Humans are funny, they love a good transformation but are so impatient with time. This post didn’t take me long to write, but the work that has gone into getting these pictures did.

So, what are your thoughts? Are you going through the same journey as me? I would love to know!

6 month update

Continue Reading

Transformation: Tailored and hemmed

Mode Xlusive

I really struggled to find a cute pun for the title of this post, but these late nights and this cold I am fighting are eating away at my creativity. Sorry.

So, here I am now 17.5 lbs lighter than I was about 17 weeks ago. People are really noticing it in my face, my stomach, my butt and my legs. I still can’t get those arms to shrink though (PS- my nickname in high school was “Pipes”… how feminine). With my busted shoulder it’s hard to get in a decent upper body workout. I just really want to fix it already so I can play volleyball again.

That being said, at 17 lbs lost and down two sizes, my clothes obviously don’t fit properly anymore. I know “that’s a great problem to have!”… except when you have amazing clothes that you have been curating over the years through consignment shopping, online sales and souvenirs brought back from multiple vacations. There was a point in my life, about 1.5 years ago, where I decided to accept the size I was (XL to 1X) and embrace the fashion behind this new shape I had to work with. I discovered great online stores like ASOS (Curve & Plus Size), who offered gorgeous plus size clothing made in the UK. Small fortune to have shipped, but worth looking fab.

Last week, I made the executive decision to get some key clothing items tailored and hemmed according to my new body’s measurements. I brought in 2 black slacks, a black pencil skirt and my favourite white skirt. I picked them up today, and “wow” is all I can say! It cost me over $100, but was worth the investment to be able to keep my expensive and high quality office staples. Not only have the clothes been taken in, they are now adjusted to my body shape and never fit better. They look and feel amazing! I recommend doing this, whether you have lost weight or just looking to have your garments fit better.

This is me sneaking a quick pic inside the tiny change room in my tailor’s workshop. I go to Hillary’s on Bank Street (Old Ottawa South). The ladies there are very talented and work out of a small room next to the dry cleaners. The clothes also get dry cleaned which is a nice touch.

This journey has been a real eye opener for me. It’s amazing how much time, effort, energy and money i spent distracting myself from the real issue. “Just lose some weight, and you can wear pretty much all the clothes that you want!” this is what I wish I could have told myself, rather than finding creative and expensive ways to look fashionable.

I am looking forward to my new Proutfits that I will be putting together with these clothes. I hope I can snap up some pics and share them soon.

Continue Reading

Transformation: My clothes tell my story

Mode Xlusive

This is a picture of my favourite belt, sadly it’s also my “fat belt”. It’s a men’s XL from Danier. When I say fat belt, it’s not to insult myself, it’s just an unfortunate term that perfectly describes my story. The good news is, I need to make new holes or get a new belt all together!

Wearing a belt with pants is the best way to keep yourself in check if you are watching your waistline. It’s actually a method that professionals use for obese patients to control their eating. I intuitively started doing it, and it’s helped me immensely.

There used to be a time where tights and flowy tops dominated the fashion scene. Not much motivation to keep our weight in check. Now, we’re seeing crop tops and cutoff shorts making their way into our repertoire and encouraging us to look (and feel) our best. What a great time to play with new clothes!

The style and size of your clothes mark a moment in your past.

What does this mean? Well, whether you need to tighten or loosen a notch on your belt, you are marking this moment in your fashion history. If you are getting rid of tight clothes, you are accepting your new larger weight. 

Often times we hear people say “how did I let this happen to me? It was such a slow progression, I never saw it coming”. Really it wasn’t. Changing your clothes and moving your belt are concrete actions that can lead you to more trouble in the weight department. So, if you’re seeing a trend in your habits, take note and start making changes to steer you in the right direction.

As for my belt story, well it tells my story in more ways than one. I’ve seen myself tighten my belt over the last few months and I see the notches to prove it! I’ve also rediscovered some old clothes that fit me better now than ever! Remembering a time when I had to ditch the small clothes makes me want to preserve my smaller size even more now.

Continue Reading

Transformation: New bod, new clothes

Mode Xlusive

When I decided it was time to start my weight loss journey, I never in a million years considered the psychological aspect of it. I mean, not just finding your motivation and determination, something deeper than that. For instance, getting dressed. I am at a point now, where getting dressed in the morning at a lower weight is more difficult than when I was heavier. Why? Well for one thing, I want to show off my new (and tighter) figure. I am working hard people, I deserve it! Second, my clothes look frumpy on me, they are floating in the wrong ways and are frankly, unflattering. These are “big people” clothes meant to hide your soft parts. That’s not the person I am today or will be tomorrow. But the real question is…what shall I wear?

Chantal Sarkisian mode xlusive plus size fashion blog ottawa

Easy solution- Shopping! Something I am very good at, by the way.

So, I went shopping the other day, on a mission to find myself a new pencil skirt for work. I want a white skirt with a bright floral print. I did my typical rounds and visited the stores I often buy from. Wait a minute, I am now 2 sizes smaller, which means I can buy smaller clothes, which means I now have a world of stores that I can shop in!!! More like $$$!!! OVERWHELMING!

You’d think it would be easy for me to grab everything in a size 12 and call it a day. It wasn’t. Let me paint you a picture of what is going on in my head.

Am I done losing Weight? Should I keep going? Is there a finish line? When is this finish line? What’s my final and optimal weight for my body? What if I GAIN IT ALL BACK!!???

You see what I mean? Weight loss is a journey, and I am obviously not ready mentally and physically to invest in new clothes. Plus, going through my closet was a sign of how easy it is to buy bigger clothes and hide your problems under the flowy tops and cozy tights.

So, I went to H&M, where I can find reasonably priced fashionable clothes and bought some fun tops to brighten my closet. I bought some motivational J Brand jeans (2 sizes smaller!!) from Vincent that keep me in check. I love them! I pulled out some old clothes that were too small and reacquainted myself with a pair of old trousers that never really fit me. They still don’t fit well.. they are getting lose 😉 I also found an LBD that I can almost zip up! It’s a classic little black dress that I bought 7 years ago and I can’t wait to wear it at my fiends wedding in May! Big strides!

I am creating a series of posts about my transformation, so stay tuned! I’ll be talking about my “closet conundrums”, where I share my tips on how to transition your closet slowly. Also find out how your clothes can tell your story. Stay tuned!

xox Chantsy

Continue Reading