Wednesday 15 December 2010

Is Dinner Ready Yet?

Okay, so because of the size I am I must eat rubbish all day, right? Well, I don't think I do really. Firstly, our main meal of the day (dinner) is generally cooked fresh each day using fresh ingredients. We very rarely rely on convenience food as number one son eats what we do so we don't want him growing up on a diet of E-numbers and processed rubbish. Lunch tends to consist of salad and bread - so not exactly bad either.

But there has to be a reason for the weight gain, right? Well, yes, I do have several big downfalls which unfortunately cancel out the good that we do by eating fresh. My two biggest food 'sins' are biscuits and butter. I am a fiend for biscuits, if they are in the house I have to eat them regardless of whether I really like them or not - for example I'm not at all fond of ginger nuts but if they are there, they won't be there for long! A cup of tea is not the same without a biscuit (okay, let's be honest, without three or four). As for butter, I know that I eat far too much of the stuff - thickly spread on fresh bread, packed into a jacket potato, chicken Kiev crammed full of it and I have even been known to dunk my chips in it. We are also very bad, especially at weekends, for suggesting to each other that we get "something nice for pudding". Another problem area, again at weekends, tends to be the consumption of alcohol - lovely, but just full of empty calories.

There are also other forces at play for the lack of downward direction on the weight front. These include:
1) a sedentary job - I am pretty much sat down for 10 hours a day in front of a computer
2) lack of exercise - see point 1 and the fact that when I get home all I want to do is collapse in front of the telly
3) portion control - of all of the issues I have with food, this is probably the biggest

So, what of portion control. Well as I say I think this is probably the single biggest issue with the weight steadily creeping on. I have waaaaay too much food on my plate, I probably do eat enough for at least one and a half, if not two, people. It's all very well eating fresh, home-cooked food but I guess too much of a good thing is still not good.

So the plan for now is to:
1) cut out the "why don't we get something nice for pudding"
2) cut out butter (my god this is going to be a hard one)
3) cut out biscuits
4) portion control - yes, I can feel full on half rations

Okay, plan of action in place, onward I go.


Tuesday 14 December 2010

Errr, Hello?

Welcome to my weight loss journey. I am hoping that by keeping a blog of my successes (and failures) of losing weight, it will help to keep me on the straight and narrow and give me the motivation to succeed that I have lacked so far!

So, how did I end up here? Well, I've always been on the chubby side (even as a child) but managed to keep things in check. About 6 years ago, following the ending of a long-term relationship, I threw myself into a keep-fit regime and got down to 9st 12lbs; at the time a weight loss of 2 stone in under a year. I was thrilled with my new figure, I was a perfect size 10 and although the scales still showed a bit on the heavy side, it was pure muscle. I could do 20 press-ups, hundreds of sit-ups, run 5km, cycle for half an hour and row for half an hour all in the one session without hardly breaking into a sweat. I was going to the gym 5 days a week and for the first time I felt truly happy in myself; my self confidence was at an all time high. I even had an office fling with a colleague 12 years younger than me - you can imagine what a boost that was to the old ego! I loved going out and buying new clothes, the thrill of being able to pick a size 10 off the rack in the knowledge that it would fit perfectly never diminished.

So, when did things start to go downhill? Well, 5 years ago I met my current partner and being with him was more attractive than going to the gym. Gym visits became more and more sporadic as time went on and the weight started to creep back on. In 2007, I briefly had an epiphany and restarted at the gym in earnest, going 3-4 times a week and I managed to get back down to my fighting weight in a short time. However, the mood didn't really take hold and once again visits became few and far between. In August 2008 I became pregnant and following the birth of my son in May 2009 my weight was around the 12 stone mark. I managed to lose a stone or thereabouts but fell pregnant again in October 2009 before I had lost all my pregnancy weight. With pregnancy number 2 I put on more weight and by the time I had son 2 in July 2010, my weight was out of control. As much as I hate being the weight I am, and shopping is just a nightmare of trying to find smocks to cover my lumps and bumps, I have struggled to find the motivation to do anything about it.

So, what's changed? Well, the feeling of going into clothes shops and having to look on the super-sized rails is really starting to get me down - more so at this time of year because of all the lovely Christmas outfits. I have been lamenting for ages to my partner about my weight and even he is starting to get fed up; although I can honestly say he has been very supportive and not once has he criticised or commented on my ever increasing weight.

So, what's the plan? Well, the first thing I am NOT going to do is join a gym. I know that I currently lack the motivation to get myself down there every day. I also know the cost of membership is no motivator as I joined the gym just before I fell pregnant with number 2 and never went more than a handful of times even though I carried on paying £20 per month throughout my pregnancy. However, I am planning on joining Slimming World, not so much because of the support groups (I am not good with groups) but more for the humiliation of the public weigh-in: I am a competitive person and I hope that having others monitoring my weight will inspire me to keep on going.

Okay, so it's Day 1 of the new me, what are my vital stats? Here goes:

Weight: 14st 2lbs
Bust: 46 inches
Waist: 40 inches
Hips: 44 inches

Not good is it? Things have definitely slid out of hand, but it's now time to get hold of the reins and gather back the control I have lost and hopefully emerge at the end of this process as a healthier, and hopefully happier, person.

Welcome to my journey . . . .