Have you ever given much thought to your pants? I have a chance to really think about my pants over the past few weeks and it’s been enlightening. You see, I’m really tall, standing up straight at around 6’6, which rarely happens because I tend to hit my head on things. Being this tall means I should buy my pants at a “big & tall” store so I can have a length of 36”. This keeps me from looking like a 12 year old boy whose mother won’t get him new pants after a growth spurt.
I have a pair of blue jeans that are the perfect length that I enjoy wearing, but up until 3 weeks ago, I would wear them below my belly and cinch them with a belt. I had to wear a belt all the time because my gut was big and my butt was not. (Graham men have always been lacking in the butt department, but it’s something I’ve learned to live with.) My day was typically spent constantly pulling up my pants for fear of displaying my butt crack for the world to see. As an extra measure, I typically wear long shirts so I have two layers of crack protection.
Since my blue jeans were the “proper” length for someone my height, but I wore them low all the time, the butt of the jeans would hang down and I would look like those punk kids who really should pull their pants up. This was something I dealt with while wearing those jeans, and then slowly filled up my wardrobe with shorter inseam pants that contained higher butts. This helped me to avoid the embarrassment of a saggy butt, but kept the threat of the butt crack front and center.
This was my life for the past decade, either short pants or saggy butt pants, and it was something I had grown comfortable with. Then, around a month ago, after losing five inches from my waist due to my experiment, I decided to attempt the buttoning of my pants across the proper location of my body. After a little straining, the buttoning did occur, but I quickly realized that I couldn’t move around and definitely not bend over. I affectionately called this moment, “putting on a man girdle”. I decided that my favorite pair of jeans had now become my “goal” pants and my goal would be to wear them around my waist in the near future. This led to a renewed commitment of getting out and doing some cardio exercise to complement my not eating sugar or flour.
Three weeks ago, at the end of April, I was able to button the pants while also being able eat and breathe. I’ll admit that tying my shoes was a bit of a challenge, but I figured I would suffer through it in an effort to get my body trained to wear my pants at my waist. I decided that moment, that I had rejoined the society of waist level pant wearers and wouldn’t go back. I wore my pants into work and fought the urge to tell people to “check out my non saggy butt”. Thankfully, fighting that urge allowed me to avoid any discussions with the HR department. I still committed to hitting the gym and eating right.
Last week, around the ninth of May, I realized that my pants were actually becoming comfortable and that I no longer needed to rely on a belt since my waist did much of the work keeping them up. My percentage of time pulling up my pants decreased dramatically and I enjoyed the life of someone who didn’t have to worry about flashing his crack at innocent bystanders. This was a whole new world for me and I walked a little taller as a “high pants man”. Unfortunately, when I tried to replicate that feeling with my other pants, it didn’t work as well. While they fit well around my waist, having my socks completely visible to the world because my pants were so high, was definitely a turn off to all innocent bystanders. So now, most of my pants aren’t wearable and I realize that it’s almost time to shop at the big & tall store again for some 36 inseam.
Today (May 18th) was another realization for me, which was I will need to start wearing a belt again fairly soon. It amazes me after almost 3 months of not having sugar and flour, while doing some regular exercise, that my body has become a fat burning machine. In less than a month’s time, a pair of pants went from unbuttonable, to uncomfortable, to a perfect fit, and now loosening up just a bit where I need a belt.
So what’s the point of this blog, besides having you think I’m some sort of a “pants voyeur”? It goes back to what I’ve said since the beginning of my experiment. Think of the health benefit you want to experience and really ask yourself what you would give up for it. If I told you that yes, you had to give up sugar and flour, but you can eat until you’re full, never feel hungry, still eat amazing meals, not spend any money on weight loss gimmicks, have more energy, feel better, not have acid reflux, lose your aches and pains, and feel results faster than ever before. Would you be tempted? Could you at least try it for two weeks? Look at the sugary items in your pantry and ask yourself if they are worth it.
For me, having a pair of pants go from unbuttonable to feeling loose in under a month is the motivation I need to keep going. Having someone like you decided to kick sugar out of your system is another way that motivates me. Take the plunge, make a plan, and just see what you’re capable of and know that my resources are at your disposal.
I have a pair of blue jeans that are the perfect length that I enjoy wearing, but up until 3 weeks ago, I would wear them below my belly and cinch them with a belt. I had to wear a belt all the time because my gut was big and my butt was not. (Graham men have always been lacking in the butt department, but it’s something I’ve learned to live with.) My day was typically spent constantly pulling up my pants for fear of displaying my butt crack for the world to see. As an extra measure, I typically wear long shirts so I have two layers of crack protection.
Since my blue jeans were the “proper” length for someone my height, but I wore them low all the time, the butt of the jeans would hang down and I would look like those punk kids who really should pull their pants up. This was something I dealt with while wearing those jeans, and then slowly filled up my wardrobe with shorter inseam pants that contained higher butts. This helped me to avoid the embarrassment of a saggy butt, but kept the threat of the butt crack front and center.
This was my life for the past decade, either short pants or saggy butt pants, and it was something I had grown comfortable with. Then, around a month ago, after losing five inches from my waist due to my experiment, I decided to attempt the buttoning of my pants across the proper location of my body. After a little straining, the buttoning did occur, but I quickly realized that I couldn’t move around and definitely not bend over. I affectionately called this moment, “putting on a man girdle”. I decided that my favorite pair of jeans had now become my “goal” pants and my goal would be to wear them around my waist in the near future. This led to a renewed commitment of getting out and doing some cardio exercise to complement my not eating sugar or flour.
Three weeks ago, at the end of April, I was able to button the pants while also being able eat and breathe. I’ll admit that tying my shoes was a bit of a challenge, but I figured I would suffer through it in an effort to get my body trained to wear my pants at my waist. I decided that moment, that I had rejoined the society of waist level pant wearers and wouldn’t go back. I wore my pants into work and fought the urge to tell people to “check out my non saggy butt”. Thankfully, fighting that urge allowed me to avoid any discussions with the HR department. I still committed to hitting the gym and eating right.
Last week, around the ninth of May, I realized that my pants were actually becoming comfortable and that I no longer needed to rely on a belt since my waist did much of the work keeping them up. My percentage of time pulling up my pants decreased dramatically and I enjoyed the life of someone who didn’t have to worry about flashing his crack at innocent bystanders. This was a whole new world for me and I walked a little taller as a “high pants man”. Unfortunately, when I tried to replicate that feeling with my other pants, it didn’t work as well. While they fit well around my waist, having my socks completely visible to the world because my pants were so high, was definitely a turn off to all innocent bystanders. So now, most of my pants aren’t wearable and I realize that it’s almost time to shop at the big & tall store again for some 36 inseam.
Today (May 18th) was another realization for me, which was I will need to start wearing a belt again fairly soon. It amazes me after almost 3 months of not having sugar and flour, while doing some regular exercise, that my body has become a fat burning machine. In less than a month’s time, a pair of pants went from unbuttonable, to uncomfortable, to a perfect fit, and now loosening up just a bit where I need a belt.
So what’s the point of this blog, besides having you think I’m some sort of a “pants voyeur”? It goes back to what I’ve said since the beginning of my experiment. Think of the health benefit you want to experience and really ask yourself what you would give up for it. If I told you that yes, you had to give up sugar and flour, but you can eat until you’re full, never feel hungry, still eat amazing meals, not spend any money on weight loss gimmicks, have more energy, feel better, not have acid reflux, lose your aches and pains, and feel results faster than ever before. Would you be tempted? Could you at least try it for two weeks? Look at the sugary items in your pantry and ask yourself if they are worth it.
For me, having a pair of pants go from unbuttonable to feeling loose in under a month is the motivation I need to keep going. Having someone like you decided to kick sugar out of your system is another way that motivates me. Take the plunge, make a plan, and just see what you’re capable of and know that my resources are at your disposal.