Skinny Jeans And Soy

I love new jeans.

I know that most people say their most comfortable jeans are the ones they've had forever that hug their curves and whatnot, but to me, the most flattering and good-feeling jeans are brand new. They aren't hugging the bad curves yet, nothing has frayed and the color is just right. I'm wearing such a pair today.

The new pair is doubly perfect for me, because not only are they new and nice, they're a size smaller than the last jeans I bought, even though they're the same brand and fit. So not only am I feeling new-jeans-fantastic, I'm feeling skinny!

I guess I can't be too surprised. Since I gave up dairy a little over a month ago (due to severe lactose intolerance and an icky feeling that I was doing something awful to myself by eating dairy), I've lost 10 pounds. The weight loss is a bonus, really, but to me, it's pretty telling as well. What in the world was I doing to my body by eating all that stuff? Granted, much of the dairy I was eating was stuff like ice cream and butter and other fattening items, so it's not a huge mystery why I lost weight, but even so, on some level, I feel that dropping the weight is my body's way of saying thank you for losing the lactose.

It's been weird, not eating dairy. I miss cheese and butter, and while I don't miss real milk (never liked it much, and once you get past the fact that soy milk is slightly gray, it's fine), I do miss butter and sour cream. It's a pain in the butt having to ask for special consideration at every restaurant I go to, and whenever I'm at a party or something and offered ice cream or some other dairy-laden item, I have to go through the whole spiel, because people just don't get it. ("You aren't dieting are you? Come on, just have some. Oh, you're lactose intolerant. Well, what about those little pills? Come on, you can have a little piece; it won't hurt you.").

But in the end, I'm satisfied with my choice. I feel better than I have in years, and on the rare occasions I do allow myself a small amount of dairy, I can feel it going through my body like a lead weight. So even if I have to eat my corn on the cob with tasteless soy margarine forevermore, I won't be sorry, 'cause I'll be doing it in my skinny jeans.