The other day, I purchased two “shaper” type shirts. They are designed to help you hide your belly fat. You can actually buy them for lots of trouble areas, but I find my lower belly to be the part that I like the least about me. This isn’t new. I didn’t like that area before the weight loss either.

First off, it is the belly of a woman who was pregnant four times. It has the stretch marks to prove it. This is not attractive.

Next, it is now droopy like a deflated balloon. Not attractive.

And some of my jeans take this excess skin and push it up over the top of my pants creating a muffin top. I can’t believe I am worrying about a muffin top, but I do sometimes. Just a few months ago, I would be happy to have a muffin top rather than the gigantic rolls of fat I had.

But still, I want something else. A new goal.

And I figured I’d try something different.

The first time I put on my new shaper tank top, I needed to get help. It had rolled up in the back. There was no way I was going to be able to put it on by myself. I had my husband help me, and it wasn’t easy pulling the thing down my back. Part of the problem was my back was still damp from the shower. Tip #1: don’t try to put these things on when even slightly damp.

It went on, and it worked nicely. Except.

I tried to wear it with it outside my pants, and the first time I sat down, it rolled up my belly. I pulled it down, and it rolled up again.

I figured out it wouldn’t do this if I tucked it into my pants. This worked.

And the next day, with a completely dry back, I was able to put it on without help from my husband.

I’m not sure I’ll wear it frequently, but I will wear it again.

Also, yesterday, I was talking to a high school friend. In high school, she was always a teeny tiny thing. She asked me how my weight loss was going, and I mentioned I had lost 60 pounds and was wearing size 12s. She said that was great and then shared that she wears size 12s.