Eleanor started Mommy-and-me swim lessons this week, so of course I had to get a new swimsuit. I’ve lost more than twenty pounds since last summer, thus my old swimsuit made me look like I had a little present in the bottoms. So we headed over to Target last week to obtain a more flattering look.

Unfortunately, I discovered that flattering would be impossible. As it turns out, swimsuits are generally unflattering when you still have about fifteen pounds to lose.

I also discovered that trying on swimsuits with mirrors that make it easy to see you from behind is a really bad idea. I’ve always had a pretty good self image, so even when I was thirty pounds heavier than I am now I never really thought I looked that bad, although you couldn’t have paid me to put on a swimsuit. Now that I’ve lost a lot of the weight and I’m down to a size 8 I’ve been feeling really good about how I look. Swimsuit shopping, however, pretty much destroyed those good feelings.

I’m looking okay from the front, but the backside is not pretty. Throughout my weight loss I’ve lost three to four inches on my waist, bust, and hips, but zero inches on my thighs. And really, there is no way to hide your thighs in a swimsuit. The front view is not so bad because I’m still pretty hippy, but from the back they look disproportionately large compared to my new smaller bottom. I thought about including a picture so everyone could see exactly what I’m talking about, but then I thought that I should check myself into a mental hospital for having such an idea.

So Internet, I decided that I need to really get back on top of the weight loss. I pretty much plateaued in December and haven’t lost anything since, although I admit I haven’t really worked at it since then. I’d love to hear everyone’s diet and exercise suggestions. Especially if anyone has any tips about thinning out the thighs.

But please keep the diet pills and cigarettes suggestion to yourself. I’ve been given that advice before and I just don’t think they’re for me.

I also decided that I’m going to do some regular weekly weight loss posts and actually tell everyone my weight. Another mental hospital worthy idea? Maybe. But anyone who went to law school with me and had to watch me stammer, umm, and er my way through moot court competition oral arguments, and trial practice class opening statements and closing arguments know that I am terrified of public failure and humiliation. So what better motivator could I ask for than the whole of the internet watch as I attempt to lose the weight?

Here we go folks: My starting weight last Wednesday was 133 and my goal weight is 115 (which is probably more than I should weigh, I’m only 4′11” and weighed about 100 pounds in high school, but I think 115 is a more realistic goal). As of yesterday I am 132, a loss of 1 pound this week.

Wish me luck! And please, please comment with your weight loss suggestions!