Another thing that happened while I was absent from my blog is that I completed the IsaBody Challenge. In a 16-week period filled with holidays and celebrations—Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Katie’s 10^th birthday (my baby turned 10, how did that happen?), and Valentine’s Day—I lost 37.5 pounds. I was a few pounds shy of my goal to lose 40 pounds, but I got below 160 and dropped two pant sizes. I lost a total of 44.5 inches!

These were my measurements when I signed up for the Challenge on November 8, 2013:
Neck: 16″
Bust: 46″
Diaphragm: 38″
Waist: 41″
Abdomen: 44″
Hips/Butt: 42″
Right Arm: 13.5″
Left Arm: 14.5″
Right Thigh: 21.5″
Left Thigh: 22″
Right Upper Knee: 15″
Left Upper Knee: 15″
Right Calf: 15.5″
Left Calf: 15.5″

These were my measurements on February 28, 2014:
Neck: 14.5″
Bust: 41″
Diaphragm: 35″
Waist: 33.5″
Abdomen: 37″
Hips/Butt: 38″
Right Arm: 12″
Left Arm: 12″
Right Thigh: 19″
Left Thigh: 19″
Right Upper Knee: 14″
Left Upper Knee: 14″
Right Calf: 13″
Left Calf: 13″

Before my 50^th birthday, I hit 155. This may not qualify me for supermodel status, but it’s the least I’ve weighed in over a decade. I weigh a bit less than I did when I turned 40, and that’s a pretty cool thing.

Towards the end of the Challenge, I went shopping with my mother. Katie was in school and Mom had a coupon that she desperately needed to use. Given all the formerly too small clothes that were now fitting, I wasn’t too motivated to buy anything new—until I remembered that I’d recently retired all my nice “date jeans.”

Mom was up for the task, so we began perusing the jean selection. We found three or four possibilities that were a size smaller than what I’d been wearing. After two rejects, I pulled the third pair on easily and thought they looked good. Mom asked me to turn around and studied me from behind. “Are you planning to wear these in public?”

“What kind of question is that? They’re jeans. Of course I’m going to wear them outside.”

She frowned. “I think you need a smaller size.”

I shook my head. “No way. I haven’t worn an 8 for decades.”

“You do,” she said and left the dressing room.

I was putting my clothes back on when she returned and insisted I try on the jeans I’d selected in the smaller size. I resisted a bit, but I’ll admit I was curious. Sure enough, the size 8 fit beautifully. Mom grinned while I studied myself in the mirror. “Now those,” she said, “Are perfect for your next date.”

And sure enough, they were.

Sometimes, it turns out, mother does know best.

Until next time,
Cynthia Patton