My weight loss

I never meant to put on weight, I just loved the occasional biscuit before bed. Still once you get on that habbit one biscuit can become two which will become three and before you know it it’s a packet a night. The downward spiral had begun, and the kicker of it all (well at least in my opinion) you don’t even realise it’s happening until you look at yourself in the mirror one day and realise you don’t recognise the person in front of you.

It wasn’t just the added physical weight that prevents you from living a healthy lifestyle but the the mental and physiological strain it puts on you. I went from a girl who was always bubbly and eager to go out for the night with my friends to a girl that just felt so self-conches when she would stuff herself into strapy heels and a dress, looking at herself in the mirror and just hating the person that was looking back, pointing out every piece of fat that could be seen on the dress. I was so tired all the time and my self-worth was at an all time low. I just felt so tired and worn down all the time and I just couldn’t refund the energy or motivation to do anything really.

I would like to say I woke up one morning with the Epiphany to loose weight and began straight away, but the truth was I didn’t, it was actually my mother that gave me the incentive to start.

First of all you should know my mother and I…. Well, we’ve never had a good relationship. My mother had always been a very unforgiving person, she’s the person that would tell you to save the tears for the pillow and to pull yourself together, she likes perfection (or better yet, her idea of perfection) and if she doesn’t have perfection…. She can become quite nasty both verbally and physically. Now looking back as an adult I can fully understand just how toxic growing up in that environment was and how it even effects me till this day. Anyway back to the story, it was my gran’s birthday and the whole family had come round to celebrate, the cake had been cut and everyone was digging In, my mother who by now had had more that her share of the bottle of wine started making some very mean comments about me, mostly about my weight. Whenever I would put a piece of cake to my mouth to eat, my mother would make oink noises like a pig or would say things like “we should of gotten two cakes, Sarah could Finnish the one all by herself.”, it was just horrible. That evening I had never felt so embarrassed and humiliated. I'm pretty sure I cried myself to see that night. The next morning I went into work just subdued, mentally I was just exhausted, anyway my Co-Workwr Lena (Lena is amazing.) actually approached me and I can’t remember what she really said but I do remember just breaking down in her arms. It all just became to much. After work Lena and I went for coffee just to talk about everything, obviously I can’t remember the entrie conversation but I will never forget the words she told me. “Forget trying to meet everyone else’s standers, you’ll never begin to love someone else until you learn to love yourself and your body.” She was right.

Dieting was not easy, I’d tried so many different diet plans and brands weight watchers and others, all the same result. But Lena had become my sort of unofficial life coach. She helped me to make a plan that worked for me and was super cheap.

It wa stall about changing the little things.

It’s like a marathon, you start out slow like jogging, if you start with a sprint you’ll just burn yourself out.

So the little changes began, for example instead dog putting syrup with my portage i instead changed to blueberry’s or even honey.

Instead of driving to work bike there.

When I took the dogs for a walk go around the block twice instead of once.

You did this for two to theee weeks or until you get a pattern going then you start adding further changes.

Perhaps you could add in a 15 - 20 minute stroll through the blocks, try getting the blood pumping.

Instead of white rice you would try whole meal or even brown.

Something I started to notice was when I started dieting my stomach was also starting to get smaller, this meant I was getting fuller while eating less.

I’m not saying you have to make major life changes or even spend money on a monthly gym membership (trust me I know their not cheap) you can just do little changes.

Every extra step, every time you leave that last piece of tempting chocolate cake, every time you make just a tiny change you are once step closer.

It’s been a 17 months and I’m proud to say that I have lost nearly half my body weight, I’m feeling better about myself and am learning to love myself again.

I can now do things I’d ever thought I’d be able to do again, such as compete in a 5k run.

Never did I think I’d get to where I am today both physically and mentally but It is possible, And I have no desire to stop anytime soon.