Have you noticed . . . .?

. . . the reduction in packaging of goods lately? I first noticed this a few weeks back when I bought a can of Pringles. They were on sale for .99 cents. Since I'm a price shopper, I knew that was a good buy. The potato chips I normally buy have gone up about .50 a bag. When I opened the can and took my first bite of the chip, I immediately noticed that it was actually a thinner chip. Ah-ha! That's why I can still buy a can of Pringles for .99 - I'm getting a thinner chip! Thinner chips mean less ingredients! And less ingredients, means savings by the Pringles Corporation (or whatever company makes them).

I had read an interview of a local cookie company executive several weeks ago. The executive was explaining how the packaging of his cookie was being reduced due to the higher cost in flour, sugar, etc. So I'm sure other food companies are doing this as well.

But you know what? It's not just the food manufacturers reducing the packaging of food we buy at the store. Clothing manufacturers are reducing our clothes! No, really, I'm serious! I went shopping this afternoon for a pair of pants. Almost every pair of pants I tried on were too tight across the bottom! Manufacturers are putting less fabric in our clothes. Now surely my bottom isn't expanding! I mean, I've been drinking a diet drink (instead of the real thing) every morning with my honeybun? And I try to drink a bottle of water everyday when I have my mid-afternoon snack. And I did go walking a couple of weeks ago. And surely . . just because I'm a 44 year old woman whose metabolism has decided to go on strike, surely that doesn't mean that I'm getting as broad as my refrigerator!

As I was walking through the department store, feeling so frustrated, this sweet young woman asked if she could help me find something. I came very close to saying, "yes, I'm looking for the wide bottom pants!" After becoming more and more frustrated, I just decided to buy something that didn't have to stretch across my backside - a cute little necklace.

Now I know what you're thinking. . . is she just going to accept her bottom expansion and not do anything about it? And my answer to that question is "NO". This shopping experience has been a wake-up call. I'm going to continue drinking my morning diet Mt. Dew but only WITHOUT my honeybun. And I will continue to drink my bottle of water, but WITHOUT my afternoon snack. My water WILL be my afternoon snack. And I will not continue blaming clothing manufacturers for my problem. I'm accepting that I do have a problem. So I've taken the first step - admitting my problem. Yes, I am 44 years old but I don't have to live mid-life with a "wide-load". I'm going to walk more and eat less. My metabolism may have slowed but my motivation is in high gear!

I'll keep everyone posted on my progress!