I have been wanting to write this post for some time now and now seems like that perfect time.
I joined Slimming World on January 3rd 2013, weighing 12 stone 13 pounds.
I had decided, along with 2 friends that, I wanted to do something about my weight before Christmas in 2012 and looking back at my pictures of New Years Eve 2012 confirmed it all for me. I was the biggest I had ever been, my face looked bloated in the pictures and my arms looked, to me, absolutely massive. I wore a loose chiffon dress so I hid most of my body as I had, in the months running up to that Christmas, become increasingly unhappy with my body.
I was edging ever closer to a size 16 on my bottom half and I've never had a big bust so tops weren't too much of an issue for me, but it disheartened me to buy shirts as the arms were always too tight. I desperately didn't want to transition over to the next size up and didn't want to let myself go up to 13 stone.
A pic from New Years eve 2012! (I'm in the red dress)
A pic from New Years eve 2012! (I'm in the red dress)
Whenever I tell people now what I weighed (I would never have done it before), they're always surprised, my weight seemed to distribute quite evenly and I didn't hold weight in a certain place. I have always had hips, a derriere and big thighs - it's just my body shape.
Joining Slimming World has completely changed my life, I know this is the cliche thing to say about these types of plans, but hand on heart I can say this is utterly true.
My first session was a whirlwind, I didn't really understand what the instructor was talking about, "turn your plate in to thirds, free food, syns, super speed...", I'd picked my target weight and at the end of the session, the newbies had to get weighed for the first time and I was mortified to see 12st 13lb flash up on the scales.
Seeing that in person spurred me on to do what I could, during your first few weeks they ask you to write a food diary, being fully honest about what you have - if you're not being honest with them, how can they help you?
I did it with gusto, not having any 'syns' (any treats, basically) and was delighted a week later when I stepped on the scales and saw that I'd lost 5 lbs.
That's when I thought, this really does work and it works for me, which is one of the most important things, in my opinion.
Within 4 weeks I had lost a stone and also both of the friends that I had initially joined with, one was struck down with appendicitis, losing around 3 stone while she was in hospital, target fully achieved! The other friend stayed on for a few months and didn't seem to be getting anywhere - honestly I don't think she was committed to it and it wasn't the right time for her.
I was well on my way to my target to even consider giving up because I was now attending weigh-ins on my own, I was fully in the thick of the Slimming World lifestyle change and everyone who attends is generally nice - you're all there for the same reason, so I quickly made new friends to sit with.
There is so much help and amazing recipes on tap that you couldn't possibly get bored of cooking or eating. I had never eaten so much food and still managed to lose weight with it!
My instructor, Jess, was and continues to be an amazing inspiration, she's so supportive, very relatable and always knows the right thing to say if you're just having a crap week. She was never critical of any choices I made that may have got in the way of a loss that week and instead will look on to the following week as a fresh start.
By July of 2013 my weight was still coming off slowly but surely, a pound here, half there and a couple of gains in between. If I had looked between the lines I could have seen my self that I was actually at a plateau with my weight and was going up and down between the same weight for a long time.
I couldn't seem to shift that weight and became quite lax with my eating habits and wasn't exercising as much as I could have been!
Thailand 2010
It took me to middle of the following year (June 2014) to get to my 2 stone, with the help of a holiday to Tenerife.
Back during that time I kept telling myself it wasn't a race and that I'd get there when I got there. To be frank I think it took me that long because I had lost my focus, I wasn't being creative with my meals any longer and had started cutting corners.
But I persevered and got myself there in the end. I had a huge sigh of relief when I finally hit that mile stone.
As I'd hit my 2 stone, I was delighted that I only had 10 pounds to go. Ten pounds!!
Pfft, I thought, I can do that in my sleep.
It turns out that I couldn't.
This time my weight very obviously plateaued, I didn't seem to be getting anywhere anymore, I seemed to be putting more and more focus on what I was eating but it didn't seem to be making a difference.
I was beginning to become a little bit obsessive about it, it was always at the forefront of my mind. Everything I ate I was scrutinising, the exercise I did and was also getting very mild anxiety attacks when I was going to be weighed.
I became very frustrated with myself, the gap between my current and target weight was teetering ever closer, I was slowly losing weight but I wanted it.
I wanted to feel that feeling of weighing 10 stone.
10 stone was the weight I instantly settled on as I always had convinced myself when I was younger that 10 stone must be what all the slim girls at school weighed. It was slap bang in the middle the BMI chart for my height so I chose that.
It's just a personal thing.
There were lots of tears and at this point I had started hating going home after a weigh-in to my family and Ben asking me how I'd done.
How could I turn around for much longer and say "I maintained" or "I put a pound on"?
I once maintained the same weight for around 4 weeks running and I think my mum thought I was lying to her about it. I wasn't but I can see why she thought I was.
At this point I had decided that I didn't want Slimming World to take over my whole life and change me as a person, I'm not a preacher - I did this for me. Not to convert the masses. I love going out to dinner and having gravy on my Sunday Lunch and crisps, crisps and more crisps. So I started to mix in a few normal things in with my Slimming World changes always prevalent in my mind so I wouldn't end up putting all my weight back on.
Moderation and self-restraint is key. For me, at least.
As I was getting closer to the 10 stone mark, it became so difficult, I think I danced around 10 stone 4, 10 stone 3 and 10 stone 2 and a half for what felt like a lifetime.
I know I have a certain body type and knew that 10 stone was a good marker for me, I don't think my body would let me lose much more than that!
We went to Costa Rica in September of 2014 for 2 weeks, all inclusive.
*gulp*
I didn't overindulge when we were there but also if I fancied a cocktail at 11 o'clock in the morning as soon as the bar opened, I did feel bad for doing so.
That's normal, right?
We also did loads of exercise while we were there, I'm not one to go anywhere and just lay on a lounger for 2 solid weeks, couldn't think of anything more boring to be perfectly honest.
We trekked through jungles, walked across rope bridges, swam in the ocean, walked down the beautiful beaches and all in between.
Costa Rica 2014
I returned home after amazing holiday, going to weigh-in the next Thursday with the intent that I'd take my gain on the chin and do all I can to undo the damage done on holiday.
I stepped on the scales, heart in mouth, expecting to see 10st 6/7/8/9lbs - instead it flashed up as I glanced at it and I thought I saw 9st 13lbs.
What?!
I thought I'd seen incorrectly, so looked again and again, even asking the weigh-in squad to confirm what I was seeing.
They told me that it was right and I had managed to surpass my target weight!
I was so surprised that I don't think my glee was apparent to anyone around me, I didn't squeal or jump for joy as I had seen so many others do before me. I couldn't stay to the meeting afterward as I had another commitment but I went to my car and that's where the weird came out. If anyone saw me while I was squealing, giggling and smiling like the Cheshire cat they'd have thought I was nuts.
I was so thrilled to finally reach my target, I honestly never thought I would be able to drop the weight I had and to finally be happy with my body.
I had body confidence issues since hitting puberty and to finally be in a place where I could finally start to embrace my body at the age of 26 felt pretty damn good.
Me at my 27th birthday in August!
Since hitting my target weight I have only slipped above my target area once and dropped back within it the following week. I don't want to go back to the place where I was before and especially don't want to relive the dark times of my teen years.
I joined the gym in March, to keep my body weight in check and to also start defining my body, I can see definite improvements already, but the bingo wings still need some tackling.I am happier than I have ever been and feel so healthy and energetic that I surprise myself sometimes.
I still regularly attend weigh-ins, as my weight does still fluctuate and I have no idea when I'm putting on or losing, I need to see the numbers flash before my eyes so I know where I am.
If you are having any thoughts about joining a plan like Slimming World, Weight Watchers or any similar I would say that only join for you, and only you. You have to be in the right frame of mind to join, lose the weight and mostly importantly to keep it off. I was so determined and desperately unhappy when I first joined, I think the fact that I regularly think about and look back on how I used to feel before joining Slimming World, definitely helps me to keep the weight off.
I also urge you to be honest with yourself, if you're lying to yourself you are doing yourself more harm than good during the plan. If you have several packets of crisps and a share size chocolate bar, don't beat yourself up and feel guilty, do everything in your power to change what you have done with food and exercise.
I know this was a long post, but I didn't want to pretend that I joined and the weight fell off within 6 months, because it simply isn't true. My journey, so far, was long and bloody hard work and I have managed to turn everything on it's head, keeping it that way for well over a year now. I know this will be something I will have to maintain throughout my life and I am perfectly happy to do so.
I hope my views on this help at least one person out!
Be happy, be healthy and make sure you enjoy your life.
Toodles.
x
By July of 2013 my weight was still coming off slowly but surely, a pound here, half there and a couple of gains in between. If I had looked between the lines I could have seen my self that I was actually at a plateau with my weight and was going up and down between the same weight for a long time.
I couldn't seem to shift that weight and became quite lax with my eating habits and wasn't exercising as much as I could have been!
Thailand 2010
It took me to middle of the following year (June 2014) to get to my 2 stone, with the help of a holiday to Tenerife.
Back during that time I kept telling myself it wasn't a race and that I'd get there when I got there. To be frank I think it took me that long because I had lost my focus, I wasn't being creative with my meals any longer and had started cutting corners.
But I persevered and got myself there in the end. I had a huge sigh of relief when I finally hit that mile stone.
As I'd hit my 2 stone, I was delighted that I only had 10 pounds to go. Ten pounds!!
Pfft, I thought, I can do that in my sleep.
It turns out that I couldn't.
This time my weight very obviously plateaued, I didn't seem to be getting anywhere anymore, I seemed to be putting more and more focus on what I was eating but it didn't seem to be making a difference.
I was beginning to become a little bit obsessive about it, it was always at the forefront of my mind. Everything I ate I was scrutinising, the exercise I did and was also getting very mild anxiety attacks when I was going to be weighed.
I became very frustrated with myself, the gap between my current and target weight was teetering ever closer, I was slowly losing weight but I wanted it.
I wanted to feel that feeling of weighing 10 stone.
10 stone was the weight I instantly settled on as I always had convinced myself when I was younger that 10 stone must be what all the slim girls at school weighed. It was slap bang in the middle the BMI chart for my height so I chose that.
It's just a personal thing.
There were lots of tears and at this point I had started hating going home after a weigh-in to my family and Ben asking me how I'd done.
How could I turn around for much longer and say "I maintained" or "I put a pound on"?
I once maintained the same weight for around 4 weeks running and I think my mum thought I was lying to her about it. I wasn't but I can see why she thought I was.
At this point I had decided that I didn't want Slimming World to take over my whole life and change me as a person, I'm not a preacher - I did this for me. Not to convert the masses. I love going out to dinner and having gravy on my Sunday Lunch and crisps, crisps and more crisps. So I started to mix in a few normal things in with my Slimming World changes always prevalent in my mind so I wouldn't end up putting all my weight back on.
Moderation and self-restraint is key. For me, at least.
As I was getting closer to the 10 stone mark, it became so difficult, I think I danced around 10 stone 4, 10 stone 3 and 10 stone 2 and a half for what felt like a lifetime.
I know I have a certain body type and knew that 10 stone was a good marker for me, I don't think my body would let me lose much more than that!
We went to Costa Rica in September of 2014 for 2 weeks, all inclusive.
*gulp*
I didn't overindulge when we were there but also if I fancied a cocktail at 11 o'clock in the morning as soon as the bar opened, I did feel bad for doing so.
That's normal, right?
We also did loads of exercise while we were there, I'm not one to go anywhere and just lay on a lounger for 2 solid weeks, couldn't think of anything more boring to be perfectly honest.
We trekked through jungles, walked across rope bridges, swam in the ocean, walked down the beautiful beaches and all in between.
I returned home after amazing holiday, going to weigh-in the next Thursday with the intent that I'd take my gain on the chin and do all I can to undo the damage done on holiday.
I stepped on the scales, heart in mouth, expecting to see 10st 6/7/8/9lbs - instead it flashed up as I glanced at it and I thought I saw 9st 13lbs.
What?!
I thought I'd seen incorrectly, so looked again and again, even asking the weigh-in squad to confirm what I was seeing.
They told me that it was right and I had managed to surpass my target weight!
I was so surprised that I don't think my glee was apparent to anyone around me, I didn't squeal or jump for joy as I had seen so many others do before me. I couldn't stay to the meeting afterward as I had another commitment but I went to my car and that's where the weird came out. If anyone saw me while I was squealing, giggling and smiling like the Cheshire cat they'd have thought I was nuts.
I was so thrilled to finally reach my target, I honestly never thought I would be able to drop the weight I had and to finally be happy with my body.
I had body confidence issues since hitting puberty and to finally be in a place where I could finally start to embrace my body at the age of 26 felt pretty damn good.
Since hitting my target weight I have only slipped above my target area once and dropped back within it the following week. I don't want to go back to the place where I was before and especially don't want to relive the dark times of my teen years.
I joined the gym in March, to keep my body weight in check and to also start defining my body, I can see definite improvements already, but the bingo wings still need some tackling.I am happier than I have ever been and feel so healthy and energetic that I surprise myself sometimes.
I still regularly attend weigh-ins, as my weight does still fluctuate and I have no idea when I'm putting on or losing, I need to see the numbers flash before my eyes so I know where I am.
If you are having any thoughts about joining a plan like Slimming World, Weight Watchers or any similar I would say that only join for you, and only you. You have to be in the right frame of mind to join, lose the weight and mostly importantly to keep it off. I was so determined and desperately unhappy when I first joined, I think the fact that I regularly think about and look back on how I used to feel before joining Slimming World, definitely helps me to keep the weight off.
I also urge you to be honest with yourself, if you're lying to yourself you are doing yourself more harm than good during the plan. If you have several packets of crisps and a share size chocolate bar, don't beat yourself up and feel guilty, do everything in your power to change what you have done with food and exercise.
I know this was a long post, but I didn't want to pretend that I joined and the weight fell off within 6 months, because it simply isn't true. My journey, so far, was long and bloody hard work and I have managed to turn everything on it's head, keeping it that way for well over a year now. I know this will be something I will have to maintain throughout my life and I am perfectly happy to do so.
I hope my views on this help at least one person out!
Be happy, be healthy and make sure you enjoy your life.
Toodles.
x
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