I knew I had to get a few things done while I was out and about before taking the dogs to the vet yesterday afternoon (man, that took forever). My trip took me by a big box sporting goods store. My initial intent was to finally get some propane canisters for the camping stove I bought before the ice storm (a lot of people had the same idea as me, I guess), and maybe an extra sports bra or two.

I didn’t anticipate getting several outfits. But maybe that’s because I didn’t expect to find moisture-wicking workout clothes that didn’t hug the tire around my middle so snugly. I certainly haven’t managed to before. Looking down and seeing that thing–prominently, obviously–just made me steer clear of “workout clothes”

That’s why I’ve worked out in old t-shirts and shorts most of the time. I’ve had some XL sized cotton tops and “breathable” tops in the drawer, but I haven’t been able to fit into them in years. I have ’em laid out on my bed for the moment and am going to put them in my “outsized” dresser in the meantime. I can probably bring them back out in a few months, if my work and luck keep going the way they have been the past few weeks (hee hee).

So yeah, I went nuts. And then went online to see if they had more colors available, shorts and tops. I was really amazed at the bra selection, because I’m used to just scraping by with what’s there on the racks (as long as the band-size worked out) and hoping my chest doesn’t hurt too much from lack of support if I really get moving around. But nope–found plus size that fit well and I tried out to exercise in. I have to say, it felt great. I was damned near in tears that I could wear basic moisture-wicking workout clothes that don’t break the bank… per item, anyway.

I read closely about how to take care of the clothes and best practices, and I have a separate basket for them so I don’t mix them up with the “normal” stuff in the wash. I also got an outdoor clothes umbrella line structure to put in the yard to dry them so I don’t have to use the dryer very often. I got 6 or 7 outfits so I don’t have to worry about stinking and can make a full load. And the good thing is because of the material, even as I lose weight and go down a size, I can still use the shirts and shorts (draw strings there) and they won’t be baggy. So I have clothes that will last without stinking before I have to downsize (and that will be awesome).

Damned worthwhile investment. My old yard clothes and shorts worked for a while, but I started getting rashes because of the trapped sweat, chafing, and heat. And further sweat made it worse, so I’d avoid working out a few days to let my skin clear up. Not to mention baggy clothes aren’t good to exercise in generally. Bad for floor exercises, can snag on barbells or equipment (especially if you already have holes) and hangs onto odors like mad.

And then, those damned sweat stains. Cringe-worthy over time and just makes you feel dirty, even if you haven’t done anything yet. Oxi-Clean can only do so much with old crappy clothing, especially my old cheap cotton t-shirts.

I haven’t been excited to buy new clothes in ages, and to buy exercise clothes? Amazingly, I think that really got my mojo going the past few days, trying out the possibilities. Getting inserts to help my fallen arches in my shoes was one much needed step. Now I have exercise clothes that fit without being skin-tight. I HATE the idea of skin tight. Never liked attracting that much attention to my body. Of course, I’ve been larger than I was supposed to be since I was a pre-teen, so self-conscious me never did the teenage thing and showed off my assets. Never wanted to, either, and don’t want to now.

I just want to be comfortable and not expose my “works in progress” so obviously.

And now I am. Wearing these fabrics takes getting used to because they’re a bit heavier, but my skin certainly is noticing a difference. I only seem to have rashes on my forearms (I got wicking tank tops and short sleeves–I hate long-sleeves), and I think it’s because I’m still trying to get rid of the old fabric softener on my clothes and have been re-washing them (Wool balls all the way!). Thankfully, with time and more washing with simple washing tabs and no fabric softener, the rashes on my arms have faded a bit and might go away for good in the next week or so.

And with the summer sun out, this is a good time of year to put up a clothesline and get back to old-school drying. I love my dryer and how well it works, but damn, it generates a lot of heat.

It’s strange how when it comes to clothes, things seem to really be looking up. Not exercising today because I have a day of heavy cleaning and re-organizing in the house. I spent a lot of time re-organizing the kitchen yesterday and everything looks a lot better in the pantry with re-labeled items and swapped out containers. Took ages, but it will be far easier to grab things I need now.

On to making other things in life easier so I can get back to work without a thousand little distractions.