Weight, that is.

The eternal struggle for most folks, it seems: losing those stubborn 10 or 20 pounds. Now that swimsuit and shorts weather is upon is (hello…did Spring ever bother showing up?) all of my magazines are splashed with photos of celebs who lost weight and look enviable in their little bikinis.

Of course, all their cellulite and wrinkles have been airbrushed, so they look all the more perfect.

If you read the articles on how they managed to drop the weight, the answer is the same: lots of exercise, hardly any carbs, lots of water, and small portions. It’s no mystery, really…it just takes will power and the ability to shun pasta–something which completely goes against my Italian DNA.

I know what I need to do, but I hate exercise and I love risotto. Stalemate.

I finally decided to give in, accept the new, squishier me, and buy some nice “fat” clothes. I have tons of beautiful stuff for summer, but none of it fits. I’d been trying to make due with sweatpants and such, but you can’t wear things like that when it’s 82 degrees outside.

So, I packed up all of my teeny summer things that used to fit me, and replaced them with a few well-chosen pieces in a slightly larger, far more comfortable size. It’s so much easier to get dressed now, and looking into my closet does not send me into a shame spiral.

The interesting part? Now that I’ve given in and adjusted my outlook, I’m losing weight without even trying. It’s amazing how much a positive attitude can help. Funny how that works.