5 ways to get back in your skinny jeans

Getting back into those skinny jeans is not just about wearing (again) that smaller pair of jeans stashed in your closet, it is also about having that "magical" life we compartmentalize with being thin. You know how it goes, "When I'm thin again, I'll have that perfect skin, job, boy/girl (friend), clothes, friends, life"...the list goes on. Here's five ways to get back into that skinny jeans groove.

Recalibrate your skinny size
Skinny is relative. To some a size 2 is skinny and to others a size 12 is skinny. If you used to weigh 300 pounds or more, size 12 is skinny. You define what makes you feel beautiful, not Vogue magazine. Find role models that are realistic and healthy. Remember, the magazines and Hollywood have distorted lenses based on fantasy.

Cut back on the fake foods
Stuff like high fructose corn syrup, trans-fats, and artificial sweeteners may be tasty but do nothing to help you eliminate that muffin top. Look at the labels in the foods you buy. If the ingredient sounds like something from a chemistry experiment, don’t put it in your body. Eat more organically.

Move
The Internet, Playstations, Drive-thrus, and TV is making us lazier and more inactive. Peel your eyes off the screen, and get off your tushie; move, breathe, and do something that will make you sweat. And, do something that you will enjoy. If you hate the gym, don't go. Movement doesn’t have to involve a gym, it could be something as simple as playing with kids, walking to the corner store instead of driving, or making love more. Yes, sex burns calories! The point is, move your body.

Hang out with people that make you feel good
Spend more time with people who are uplifting, fun, and like you for you. When you spend time with people who are negative or only like you because you “do” something for them, your stress levels increase, and your own insecurities increase, thus leading you to overeat, and feel not good enough. Life is short and your time is valuable, so spend it with people who inspire you.

Your life: Press PLAY not PAUSE
Many of us will put our life on hold until we get back into our skinny jeans. We tell ourselves that once we are thin, we can enjoy our dreams, and not until then. As an example, “When I’m thin, I can…

…ask that cute guy/gal out
…dress up and wear sexy clothes
…ask for that promotion (which you should have gotten eons ago)
…start my career in art, fashion, writing, PR, or XYZ glamour profession
…leave my dead end relationship or job

Put your life back into PLAY, and do the things you dream about today. Stop using your "lack of beauty" as an excuse for not living your life. When you start accomplishing things, you will feel more confident. When you feel more confident, you will take better care of yourself out of desire instead of desperation which includes eating well, exercising, and thinking positively.

Note: This post is part of the ProBlogger.net Group List Project. Deadline is tomorrow (Thu. 8/17/06) if you'd like to participate.