The last post I wanted to do is about the side effects of lose all that weight.  Or maybe side effects isn't the right word, but I can't quite thing of how to say it.  Maybe all the changes it has caused?

I know most people would expect a huge boost in self-esteem, etc, but that wasn't really my case.  Despite my past food issues, I have a fairly healthy self-esteem that is not really linked to my weight (more so to my hair lol), so I haven't really noticed any change that.  I have noticed a change in how people react to me though.  I'm getting harassed more in the streets again.  The French women in my masters program (most of whom are all very thin and who pride themselves on not eating) are somewhat jealous.  Among my friends, I've had people who have noticed, and others who have said absolutely nothing.  My co-workers are exercise nuts, so they have all been very supportive.  My clients have either said nothing or asked how I've done it while traveling.  My mother-in-law responded by buying us loads of pre-packaged sweets and then getting upset when I asked her to take them back home with her.   My father-in-law took my aside and asked if I was suffering from too much stress. And then he told me I shouldn't be eating a banana because they make you fat.  Talk about mixed messages!

The other annoying thing is that I had to buy an entirely new wardrobe. I know some of you are wondering "What??  Why would that be annoying?" but 1) I don't really have a few grand to spend on clothes right now since we just bought and renovated an apartment, and 2) I really liked my clothes and most of it is still in good condition.  I mean, just imagine if you had to get rid of everything you owned - shirts, sweaters, jackets, suits, pyjamas, work-out clothes, etc. Even all of my bras and underwear had to go!  I was floating in my winter coat, and I needed to get links taken out of all of my watches, and none of my rings fit anymore.  I also had to get my two wedding rings (the real one and the work one) resized because they keep falling off my fingers, and I was concerned about losing them. This is a weird one though, because I've had the exact same ring size since high school, so I don't really understand why it would change now...  There are however a few dresses that I might try to get altered by the seamstress across the street, but I don't think it's really worth it for anything else, so I have to start from scratch.  

As a side note, I was lucky enough to go back to the US every few months during the weight loss period, and I took advantage of that to shop at a few consignment shops.  I'm really not a fan of buying cheap clothes, but I am a big fan of recycling, so it was a good fit.  And anyways, who wants to spend a bunch of money on things they will only wear for a month or two at most?  So I bought some higher quality jeans, pants and blazers second-hand, and then just traded them back in for smaller sizes next time I went back.  It ended up being pretty convenient.  I'm also hoping to sell them a lot of items from my old wardrobe in order to fund my shopping spree.  I still get sad though when thinking about selling all of my old stuff....I mean, just think about having to give up your favorite sweater or jacket!  But as C reminded me, I'll soon have new favorites to replace them....

Anyways, I guess this about wraps up my "Frenchwomen do get fat" series.   I want to thank everyone who shared their experiences and tips, either in the comments section or via email.  No matter how focused I am on the destination, it's good to be reminded that it's also about the journey!