What to do when you want to feel good about yourself,even while on weightloss journey

This was an article that appeared in The Telegraph, Kolkata, Sept 1st.

I though it will be a nice read for all of us who are on our weight loss journey. There will always be some bad days and some good days. These are the tips about how to feel good on those bad days, so that we dont loose sight of our goal by feeling ugly or down.

<TABLE class=MsoNormalTable style="WIDTH: 100%; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; mso-padding-alt: 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 3pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 3pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 3pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d4d0c8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Thin and in. Fat and out. Is that how fashion makes you feel? We at t2 are all for celebrating curves, season after season. Even if Mr Marc Jacobs forgets to hail the female form next year, we won’t. Here are top style tips for the plus-size she…
<TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 3pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 3pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 3pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d4d0c8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">1 Find a fit. Something that flatters your form, not hides it. Sacks do NOTHING for your size, even though they may seem to bring security to your soul. Stop buying the largest sizes available. And stop hoarding shapeless silhouettes.
2 Experiment. Designer Kallol Datta suggests you go beyond the notion of regular dressing. “Have fun,” he says. “Don’t just reach out to the plus-size section of a store.” Go fabric shopping. Grab some fashion magazines. Find a tailor.
3 Shop sensibly. Sure the size is right but is the style? Does it have shoulder pads? Does it have gathers? Does it make you look like a stuffed doll?
4 Colour control. Taking refuge in anything black and monotone sounds easy pleasy but don’t be afraid of colour. That also doesn’t mean you can resemble a rainbow. Designer Anamika Khanna says: “Be very careful about too many colour blocks in one outfit.”
5 Print order. Lovey ‘Kookie Jar’ Burman (super stylishly plus-size) swears off “not-too-busy” prints. “Solids are okay but no polkas and stripes for me,” she says.
6 Accessorise bold and beautiful. Forget simple studs. Being plus-size means you can carry off statement-y somethings much better than your waif friend. “Earrings and rings are best because they distract attention away from the body,” says Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Always add an interesting accent to your look. Have you thought of getting a tattoo?
7 Play with proportions. A longer thin chain always makes the eye travel along the length of the chain thereby making the woman’s torso longer says Kallol. “Nothing should hit just on the hip level because that’s the broadest area. The ideal length is below the knee,” he adds.
8High heels. Adds that height and takes away the weight — in perception! Do make sure your heels are comfortable. A wobbly sight is not a pretty sight.
<TABLE class=MsoNormalTable style="WIDTH: 129pt; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; mso-padding-alt: 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt; mso-table-lspace: 2.25pt; mso-table-rspace: 2.25pt; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-table-left: right; mso-table-top: middle" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=172 align=right border=0><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 1.5pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 1.5pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1.5pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 1.5pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d4d0c8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">

RIGHT​

<TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 1"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 1.5pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 1.5pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1.5pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 1.5pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d4d0c8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"><TABLE class=MsoNormalTable style="WIDTH: 129pt; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; mso-padding-alt: 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt; mso-table-lspace: 2.25pt; mso-table-rspace: 2.25pt; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-table-left: left" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=172 align=left border=0><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 3pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 3pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 3pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d4d0c8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 2"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 1.5pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 1.5pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1.5pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 1.5pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d4d0c8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 3"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 1.5pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 1.5pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1.5pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 1.5pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d4d0c8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 4; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 1.5pt; BORDER-TOP: #d4d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 1.5pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1.5pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d4d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 1.5pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d4d0c8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">9 Buy a big bag. It’s cheesy but true. A big bag can make you look smaller. A small bag can get lost on you. And wondered why your best friend’s clutch looks like a wallet in your hand?
10 Say bye to belts. Such a waste without a waist.
11 Invest in Spanx. It really, really works. Vogue fashion director and stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania says, “Spanx is a wonder invention.” We agree. Plus-size or not.
12Layer. You don’t have to be skinny to layer. Dark outer layers and light inner layers work well for most plus-sizes as long as the layers are fine and flimsy. Nothing hides the flab on the arms like a flirty stole or a cute cardigan.
13 Build your basics. The most dowdy innerwear is often seen on a plus-size person. “The first and foremost mistake plus-size ladies make is trying to hide the size of their breasts and wear a bra that flattens everything like a pancake. Instead, they should wear a bra that holds their breasts into the cup,” says lingerie expert Swati Gautam. Result? Two sizes lost. Again, in perception!
14 Vantage victory. “Every plus-size woman has a negative — could be her collar bones or a slim wrist,” says Sabyasachi. Find and flaunt!
15 Designer match. Some labels work the curves better than others. Find those.
16 Haute hair. Get yourself a flattering haircut. Nice bangs, long layers, voluminous or straight. Fluff it up, blow it out.
17 Fashion on your fingertips. Okay, so you can’t really wear skimpy shorts just because it’s hot and they’re hot, but who says you can’t max your manicure? Reshma Sambtani of Juice says: “A mani-pedi is an instant pick-me-up for size zero or a plus- size. Hollywood plus-size icon Queen Latifah swears by it. It really does up your style quotient as both your hands and feet are almost always exposed.”
18 Get groomed. Threading, waxing, laser, keep yourself fuzz-free. Learn to love make-up. Don’t be bothered with contouring. Instead, learn to smoke up your eyes. Highlight the apples of your cheeks. Find ‘your’ lipstick.
19 Smile. It is the best tip on style.