Tight Waistbands

Oyyyy.
As you may know, Boston broke a record for getting the most snow in the whole world or something, and some locals are really excited about this. I myself have slowly lost the will to live and now just kind of toss my dog out the door to do his business while I stand in the foyer holding the other end of a long, retractable leash. I have HAD IT. To put on tights and a skirt and eye make-up and stuff is a huge effort, as I feel that any clothing that isn’t fleece is silly and frivolous and my feet only want to be in huge clunky snow boots which generally aren’t very flattering to professional attire unless you are Nanook of the North.

And can we talk about eating and snacking? WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO LIVE FOR?

A couple of weeks ago I started to feel distinctly crummy with a sense of persistent pressure in my abdomen and chest. I had already been down the “Oh my God I’m having a heart attack” Fear Lane so many times in the past that I knew should consider several other factors before I ran in to see the doc.

Have I been gulping air because of stress? Doing that can really create chronic problems. I started breathing more mindfully.
Was I anxious and not acknowledging it? Same thing. I started doing deep breathing exercises several times and day and dropping into soothing yoga poses upon waking.

Was I crunching over the computer too much? Who isn’t? I started doing doorway stretches to open my chest and lungs.

Was I drinking too much coffee or tea? Who isn’t!?
How about tomato-based sauces? Those can create acid, and acid isn’t good for burpy ladies.

Then I figured it out. Denial is such a powerful thing, darling ones. I hopped on the scale and saw a number that I certainly did not want to see, and realized that my clothes are just too tight. They don’t look tight, but the undergarments are just a bit too snug and causing me a discomfort that is subtle enough that I didn’t notice it, but my gut did. Can you imagine if we were still corseted? Awful!

Now that I am not crushing my intestines I feel a lot better, and yes you worrywarts, I did visit the doctor just in case. I’m fine. I hope you are, too.

3 Replies to “Tight Waistbands”

  1. Friend, I have this SAME problem! But no snow to blame! Everything is just a tad too tight, and it’s really uncomfortable. And it’s unseasonably hot (like, legitimately hot, not whiny Los Angeles’s 77 degrees and too warm, but over 90 the past few days!)

    And … I still had a scrumptious vegan donut today. I don’t know … I just had to!

    Here’s hoping that garden work will help my clothes settle on me a bit better.

  2. Absolutely in the same situation. Burst into tears over it today. Have nothing to wear that is comfortable, not even anything to throw on to get out walking. Had been in denial quite a while, but reality has hit.

  3. Estrogen dominance. Puts weight on us, especially in our mid- to late 40s. Dump some estrogen with cruciferous vegetables, collagen (gelatin), fish oil, etc. or a little progesterone-y wild yam cream. And exercise.

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