Shortly after my son was born 16 years ago, I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and a severe endocrine imbalance. As a result, I gain weight very easily and have great difficulty taking it off when my hormones and chemicals are out of balance. I had managed to take off 75 pounds about 8 years ago but in the last two years have been steadily putting back on weight despite my healthy eating and exercise regime. According to my specialists, menopause has wreaked havoc on my PCOS and endocrine system, resulting in my body converting basically everything I eat into sugars. We're working on getting my system back in balance but it takes time. In the meantime, I've put on 20 pounds resulting in going from a size 8 back to a 12.

In the past, when my endocrine system was out of balance and the weight would start to come on, I would get quite depressed and upset. But it's different this time. No...I'm not happy about it but I'm not going to let something that is essentially out of my control get the best of me emotionally.

This has been one of my reasons for not investing in pricier clothing items - I never know if it's going to fit in 3-4 months time.

I noticed that my favourite black pencil midi skirt was getting very tight and now I can't wear it. Instead of whining and crying about it, I simply went to Laura Petites yesterday and bought a new pencil skirt. I've tucked my black midi away in the hopes that I will wear it again once things settle down.

Anyway...that's probably more than you needed to know...what do you think of the new skirt? It's not styled and I've simply tucked my pink tank top up so you can see the skirt better. It's a lovely cotton/spandex blend, fully lined and is tiered (but all the tiers are sewn flat down).