Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 65: 'Call Me Papacito'
"Papacito, you don't need relaxed-fit jeans. Have you lost weight or something?"
For me, someone who has wrestled with a weight problem my entire life, clothes-shopping has always been an exercise in desperation and denial. Even as a preteen I was always trying to convince my mother and the salesperson at our local clothier, Meyer's, that I didn't need to limit my choices to the clothes in the "Husky" section of the store.
For the last 20 years I've hated the fact that the only clothing store I could find a wide (pun intended) selection of pants in my size, 46x30, was Rochester Big & Tall. I used to console myself by telling my wife that at Rochester Big & Tall my size was actually for the smallest and shortest of its customers. They barely have any pants with waist sizes lower than 46, I would explain to her, desperation and denial defensively creeping into my voice.
I had bought a bunch of size 44 pants about three months ago, some at Rochester Big & Tall and others from the Land's End catalog, because even size 44 pants can't regularly be found at Banana Republic or the Gap.
But this week, with my weight dipping below 220 and my size 44 relaxed-fit pants falling down with increased regularity, I wandered into the local jeans store a few blocks from Serious Eats world headquarters. It's one of those stores that caters to people my son's age. The music is always blasting there, and the always pleasant salespeople treat anyone over 40 like an indulged grandparent.
I asked for plain-front size 42x30 jeans in both black and blue. My smart and cheeky young Latina saleswoman couldn't have been more helpful. Without her help I had grabbed a couple of pairs of relaxed-fit jeans to try on. I wandered out of the dressing room after slipping into the black jeans. They were borderline falling down, and there was so much extra material in each pants leg it looked like each of my legs was draped with a sail billowing in the breeze.
"Papacito," my knowing salesperson said with a smile. "You don't need relaxed-fit jeans. Have you lost weight or something?" And just like that she went back to the shelves to bring me some regular-fit jeans. Regular-fit jeans. Wow! I was speechless with pride. The jeans you see in the photo here are the jeans she brought me to try on.
The Weigh-In
After having worn my new regular fit jeans for the last two days non-stop I am feeling pretty confident about my weigh-in, though Robyn and I did eat a more than substantial meal at a restaurant I am going to review shortly. Here we go: 219. Same as last week, but surely not the same as it ever was. Not when I need regular-fit jeans. Papacito, indeed.
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31 Comments:
That. Is. So. Awesome!!!!
bltzie at 9:54AM on 05/01/09
Nothing quite like fitting into "regular" clothes, you're right!
lemons at 9:56AM on 05/01/09
Yay, Ed! Good work. I think you're going to find that you'll reach a point where the inches will matter more than the number on the scale and that's totally ok.
For myself, I'm happy that as of the end of this week I took off the five pounds I put back on during my trip to Italy. As a bonus, I also can now fit into a pair of 34"x30" slacks that were too tight for me to consider wearing out of the house before I left for my trip! All the walking we did around cities was a great balance to all the yummy food!
Amandarama at 10:00AM on 05/01/09
Congratulations I remember that feeling. I used to weigh 240 with a 44 waist. I could buy jeans from just one store but im now around 145 with a 32 waist, its so nice to not have to worry about buying clothes anymore
Edwardkimuk at 10:14AM on 05/01/09
Way to go Ed. Congrats.
chzplz at 10:28AM on 05/01/09
Way to go Ed! I'm right there with ya, well my hubby is. He recently bought some jeans 42x30 and was so excited! He's lost 26 pounds and he loves being able to wear this size again. Keep at it....
arm1970 at 10:43AM on 05/01/09
Awesome work Ed!!!!!!!!!!!!!
below 220?
They say the numbers don't mean anything but for piece of mind I can picture the personal satisfaction; thats so great to hear.
You deserve it! Really exciting! Keep us posted :D
hungrychristel at 11:26AM on 05/01/09
positively inspiring!
Dee at 11:32AM on 05/01/09
Nice jeans, Papacito.
Adam Kuban at 11:32AM on 05/01/09
How are you a 30 length?!? You are really tall... (or is this an optical illusion?)
Zach Brooks at 11:43AM on 05/01/09
Way to go! My husband finally let me buy him a new pair of jeans - I was so sick of seeing his jeans falling down and the bagginess was ridiculous. He insisted that they were really comfortable and he liked them. Just as I predicted, he loves wearing the new jeans and I can tell he feels better and more confident in them.
o2cgirl at 12:28PM on 05/01/09
Good for you, Ed. Congrats!
IndyGal at 12:45PM on 05/01/09
Papacito, I'd still say those jeans are too big!
Kerosena at 12:54PM on 05/01/09
As someone once said about a completely different topic, the numbers don't matter, but it's a way of keeping score. You know how you look and you know how you feel, but the numbers give you a tangible way to keep track.
When I lost a bunch 'o pounds, I can remember the happiness at being able to get out of the Women's section, which is a polite way of saying that you've exceeded the load limit in the more fashionable sections.
And then I worked my way from the high end into the single-digit sizes and believe me, it made shopping so much more fun when I could pick up those sizes and know that the clothes would fit the way they were supposed to.
Some of it is pure vanity, because I know I look good in my clothes, and part of it is that I'm proud that I took the weight off and kept it off, and part of it is that I feel so much better.
Bu Ed, dude, those jeans are a little short, no? You need at least a couple more inches, and if they shrink in the length, they're going to be silly short. I'm an average-height female and I need at least a 32 length for jeans I'll be wearing with flat shoes.
You might have needed the 30" inseam when you weighed more, if you were belting the pants below a paunch, but you might want to have someone objective take a look at your pants length in person and tell you whether you're wearing the right length. Losing weight makes your clothes fit differently in ways you might not expect. Wait until you go buy dress shirts and find out that your neck has shrunk, too.
dbcurrie at 12:59PM on 05/01/09
Congratulations! Losing weight is never easy, especially whilst writing a food blog, so I'm quite impressed.
ElissaLovesToEat at 1:25PM on 05/01/09
You got her number, right?
browngravy at 1:33PM on 05/01/09
papacito, you need the nice salesgirl to properly fit you in a pair of jeans. at said young-peoples' store, jeans ONLY come in flat-front. only grandpas wear pleated jeans, and even they shouldn't.
you need a little more length, but congratulations on the weight loss! a better fitting jean will really show it off!
saltcrystal at 1:37PM on 05/01/09
Ed and dbcurrie: You are both great inspirations!!! WOW!
I guess I need to follow in your footsteps. I have put on a few extra pounds this last year too -- thanks to my decadent, carefree, gourmand lifestyle -- and apparently I don't know how big my butt has gotten since I keep bumping it into stuff. That, and my jeans are feeling awfully tight lately. And, all the evidence is right there on my blog, so I can't feign innocence or blame anyone, but my own wicked ways.
On the bright side, I just brought out my mini trampoline, so I can start hopping my hiney off. I guess I'd better go hop to it.
Congratulations!!!
~ Paula
Paula Maack at 1:56PM on 05/01/09
At least you got to wear "Husky" clothes. For us fat girls back in the 60's, I headed off to the "Chubby" section.
Fatfudge at 2:55PM on 05/01/09
You'll be wearing slim fit, boot cut jeans soon! And are those the news jeans in the picture? Because if they are...well, I think you could definitely do better.
Congratulations!
leeber at 3:13PM on 05/01/09
Someone with a long torso can still be tall but have a short inseam - my BF is a case in point. He's been professionally measured for pants too. At 6'0" he's got a 30 inch inseam, about the same as me (I vary between 29"-30" depending on the designer...I'm 5'2".)
Amandarama at 3:40PM on 05/01/09
I went from 222 to my current 178 since August 5, 2008, nothing like having a wide range of clothes that fit you.
Congrats!!!
redfish at 4:16PM on 05/01/09
Woohoo! I'm so happy for you :)
Vincci at 6:40PM on 05/01/09
I never felt compelled to reply before (although I enjoy your entries very much) but good job! Even I, as a complete stranger, am proud of you. That took hard work and dedication and it had really helped me be upbeat about my own SO's weight problems.
malice88alice at 2:14AM on 05/02/09
A constant reminder that I need to keep at it. Thank you, Ed!
comicsan at 8:58AM on 05/03/09
you look hot, papacito! mis felicidades!
cybercita at 11:25AM on 05/03/09
YAY ED!!!!! so proud of you!!!!
huneybumper at 10:08AM on 05/04/09
Way to go Ed, you've done it by hard work and dedication and it's awesome.
radley24 at 1:24PM on 05/04/09
Ed, congratulations on week 65! I discovered SE just before you started losing weight...can't believe it's been 65 weeks! I enjoy SE and especially your comments.
elaine nan at 12:24AM on 05/10/09
High 5, Ed. That's terrific! Is that a bike strap around your leg?
Barbara Hummel at 10:26AM on 05/11/09
It is. I try to ride to work at least twice a week, weather and schedule permitting.
Ed Levine at 10:59AM on 05/11/09