(Un)fit to Be Tied

They had been staring at me for months from their corner of the closet. There they were, neatly folded in an IKEA organizer, with that blue denim smirk: the jeans of my thinner past. I’d been successfully avoiding their magnetic gaze for months. \n“Try us on,” they goaded. “You know you’re curious to see if we fit.” \nIt’s true. Abercrombie and Fitch, Levi’s and Express were right. I did want to see if they fit. But was it too soon? I’d lost 10 pounds and braved a whole week on South Beach in a bikini, and like R&B artist Ginuwine, I, too, wanted to see if there was any more room for me in those jeans.\nI quickly weighed my options. I only had a little while before my ride arrived and I knew that if I tried them on with no success, it would result in tears. But I couldn’t resist the temptation any longer. After months of working out, I wanted to see if my hard work paid off. \nI shimmied out of my comfy, stretch jeans and selected the least intimidating pair. They hadn’t fit comfortably since the beginning of fall semester, right after I purchased them ... right before my metabolism disappeared. I steadied myself as I slowly guided my right leg in. The unforgiving pant leg eased by my calf and over my knee. I paused before I went any further – my thighs are often the killer of my denim fantasies. I took a deep breath and tugged them up. To my surprise, they slid right on up and I hurriedly shoved my left leg in. With one final breath, I sucked in and fastened them. \n“Eureka!” I thought to myself. “They fit!” \nMonths of cardio, side lunges and sore arms came rushing back to me. Since January, I’ve been trying to get healthy and hadn’t really seen the results. Sure, people told me I looked “different” and I certainly felt healthier inside, but these jeans were real-life, bona fide proof. All of the pain, self-doubt and complaints evaporated. My body was finally starting to recognize my hard work. And this is just the beginning. \nAs I wrap up this semester and complete my last three training sessions, I know that I still have a lot of work to do on my body. I will be spending the summer in Los Angeles, the city of beautiful people, and I fully intend on keeping up with my tailor-made work out regimen. Perhaps while I’m out there, I’ll run into some celebrities. And if I see Ginuwine, I’ll make sure to proudly tell him that there’s plenty of room for me in my jeans.