For those of you thin people who don't shop much, you many not know that Spanx is a brand of shapewear that purports to smooth out all the unsightly bumps and wrinkles. Really what happens is that it redistributes your bulges to somewhere else on your body. I was never very good at physics, but it seems like there is some scientific basis that if you squeeze a mass in one area it is going to pop out somewhere else. This has been my experience with Spanx....and sometimes my experience with life.
If I am constraining myself in one area I often find myself substituting in something else to take the place of this "loss" — which kind of negates the original purpose!
I recently started a diet (despite earlier blog post of this being a no-diet year - but that is a separate topic). I had to go out and buy several books to keep me occupied and distract me from thoughts of snacking. And it was important to buy some new make-up. Even when I eliminate one thing (like sugar) from my diet, I find that I will then often overeat with other foods.
When I have restricted shopping for myself for a period of time, I find that I begin shopping for my kids or my husband. Or I just need to have a new comforter for our bed.
I would love for my life to be smoothed out and evenly balanced (like the Spanx picture above) and not bulge out in other areas. The key with Spanx is not not get the garment too tight, but find one that provides enough pressure to gently lessen the bulges, and to realize that the garment is not going to make you look like a size 2 if you are a size 12.
I think I sometimes I squeeze too tight – expect too much too quickly— and thus the bulge-over. Perhaps achieving smoothness takes time and requires balance not deprivation.
