I Love... Full Length Mirrors!

No, I'm not completely vain, and no, I never thought I would hear those words come out of my mouth either but I have just bought a full length mirror and been completely surprised when I looked in it.

The last time I had a full length mirror in my house was when I lived with my parents and there was one in my sister's room and one in my mum's room. I have never owned my own full length mirror. It's also important to remember that the last time I really looked at myself in a full length mirror, that wasn't in a shop changing room and therefore badly lit and rather clinical, I was a good 2 stone lighter than I am now and quite happy with my appearance.

For the last 3 and a half years, while I have been slowly gaining around 2 stone, I have also only had a table top mirror to see myself in. This wasn't too bad but meant that I could only see myself in sections, for example head and shoulders and then chest and waist and then stomach and hips, which was a bit like one of those puzzles where you have to match up all of the component parts to make a person.

I have a distinct feeling that I have always believed I was fatter than I am because I only ever saw sections of my body at a time. I don't know how that has worked but I genuinely believed I was the size of a house and then when I looked in the full length mirror yesterday (with the words of Aunty Gok ringing in my ears) I was no where near the size of the humungous amorphous blob that I have believed I am for years. I actually didn't look that bad, even though I was wearing my jeans that are too big, a t-shirt that was too small and a zip-up hoodie that has seen better days and I had spent 2 hours cleaning the house. I was shocked, and pleased, and glad I'd paid £20 for the mirror!

So even though nothing has changed since yesterday and I am still the same size I have been for months, and my clothes still feel exactly the same, somehow looking in that mirror and realising that I am completely normal and I don't belong on The Biggest Loser has made me feel 100 times happier and more confident...