2015 Progress Dress

Hey y’all! Happy New Year!!! How were the celebrations? However they were I do hope it included family, friends, love and laughs! I also hope you’re ready for this damn detox we bout to get into! Today is the official start of the #irie7daymealplan where we’re ridding out bodies of aaaaallllllll the cake, ham, cream, butter, sugar, salt and alcohol we consumed in December! You were put on notice and even given a grocery list so I hope you’re ready and your green smoothie for breakfast is on deck!

Like any big project you embark on you’ll need markers of progress to report as time goes by and then when it’s all done and you’ve hit your goal. My marker has always been a progress dress and for this challenge it’s no different. I don’t know how much I weigh currently and I don’t plan to find out. The scale is the devil. I’ll be using how my clothes feel and how I feel and look in the mirror as my markers.

But first, these shots I took on the empty space outside my bedroom, now dubbed the #iriebalcony. I’ve always known this space could become gold if I ever decided to pay it mind. I always need a place to take outfit shots for the blog so expect to see it a million times here when I’m not actually on a location because really, the sunshine and the view is golden.

I made this little coverup over 5 years ago and pulled it out to go to the beach on New Years Day. It helped me to affirm one of my resolutions of wanting to sew more this year. I truly do love to create fashion and I’ve been slacking on that. But back to this progress dress. I bought it late last year on Forever 21. It’s a medium. I bought it that size because at my lowest weight when I was really on my green smoothie and fitness grind, I got all the way down to 152 and fit comfortably in Forever 21 medium dresses.

Now, I could have easily bought the dress in an XL or maybe even a large and called it a day but that’s not what I want for myself. I have seent the light and I want to step in it! I want to walk in the sun like Olivia and Jake and em in my bikini and all that. To be honest with you my stomach has always been my problem area, it never bounced back after my c-section. If I had the money I’d get a tummy tuck and be done with it cause I have no problems with these thick thighs and round pretty face. But since I don’t, lets get this work in!

BAM! No makeup, hair in twists, yard slippas and as unpretty as possible, just like in the weightloss ads “before” pictures. If you look you’ll see that the dress can’t be zipped up in the back. Shame. Not many people would put these pictures online for all the world to consume but these pictures don’t define me and my body wont be like this for long.

Life’s pressures and the self-degradation of recent times that led to me putting back all this weight on is over. Today is a new day and from here on out my body, my temple is my priority. It will be fed right, exercised and taken proper care of.

I’ve even got a side shot for yah. Belly outta road! I don’t know how long it will take me to fit into this dress but good golly I will! I’ll chronicle my journey here with recipes and fitness updates and I hope you’re along for the ride, at least for the first 7 days as we detox and kick start our healthy new year and then follow me along on the journey to size smedium! You heard me right. Let’s go!