With a fresh new year comes fresh new goals and as cliche as it sounds but I have made some resolutions, however I prefer to call them promises. Towards the end of the year I seemed to eat, sleep and breath in bread but over indulgence hasn't been the best for my body. So keeping healthy and getting fit is something that I need to do this year. As of the first of January I decided to go it alone with Slimming World, mainly because I far too tight to part with £5 a week. But I actually want to try something that may actually work for me and hopefully once I get my head around how it all works, I know it will become easier.
Ever since I can remember I have always had an issue with my weight. No matter what I am doing my weight is always a thought in my mind. A few weeks ago I came across some old diaries and a common theme throughout was my body and my weight. Reading through them made me feel quite sad, I really didn't think much to myself and would constantly refer to myself with unkindness. My weight was a kind of obsession. I was often called ‘fat’ at school despite being a normal weight meaning that my relationship with food wasn’t the best from an early age and it didn’t get much better as I got older. It effected me in ways where I would try and make myself sick, reading these diaries of my younger self certainly brought back memories and raw emotions. Now that I'm a mama I don't want my daughter to ever feel that she isn't good enough and I most certainly don't want her to think she's fat. It's not a term we use in our household. So it's all about positive body image, and being healthy in a bid to battle those demons.
We’ve all been there staring in front of the mirror wishing our hips smaller; our waist thinner; our arms more toned. Luckily, over the past few decades, society has moved towards a new way of thinking. Rather than simmering with unkind thoughts of ourselves, we are slowly learning to accept our bodies. My body has done an amazing thing and gave me my beautiful baby girl, if anything I should feel empowered. But when it comes to body image is can be a personal thing and everyone is different. Some people are happy, comfortable and confident in their skin and their weight or size doesn't define who they are as a person. Then there are some who want to hide away under baggy clothes and consumed with self-doubt.
Even though I am comfortable with who I am, there are times where I wish I was smaller, healthier and fitter. I want my whole family to be healthier, personally shedding those extra pounds may even improve our chances of conceiving. My ultimate goal is to try and shed three stones in three months, not with a crash diet or some fat burning secret. But I want to completely transform my diet, begin a fitness routine in the hopes to help become completely comfortable in my own skin.
A couple of years back my husband and I went on a diet together and I shed two stones and he shed an amazing six stones, he is most definitely an inspiration. We were very restrictive with our food choices and eliminated pasta, bread and skipped breakfast in the morning. I can't say that I am a breakfast person anyway. But gradually over time, it wasn't a diet I could stick with and it's then when the snacks started to creep in my day to day and a year on and I'm slowly putting the weight back on. Sure you can lose weight but as soon as you stop it’s easy for the weight to pile back on. If you want long-term results then a diet isn’t the answer, it has to be a lifestyle change. I have successfully lost weight but keeping it off is much harder for me. It goes back again to the unhealthy relationship I have with food. It makes my eating habits erratic and food has become less of a necessity to survive and more of case that it's normal to overindulge. If I am having a bad day or my anxiety is at an all time high, I like to drown myself in crisp sandwiches. Habits like this are hard to break and certainly won’t change because of a fad diet. So it's more to do with my lifestyle and I'm not sure why but I feel more determined more than ever and I am ready for the challenge and to change things up. I want to feel confident, comfortable and happy.
STARTING SLIMMING WORLD
So I'm going it alone with slimming world. Some many of my friends attend meetings and group, however personally I don't think they are for me, just yet! The idea of going to the meetings alone to a group of people give me anxiety and it also costs £5 a week which is quite a lot to be weighed. However there are so many fantastic books, websites, and facebook groups available which is more than enough to help me go it alone with Slimming World. I am finding the online community amazing so far, and only a message away for some inspiration with meal plans and food choices. It's going to take a little time to get my head around the Slimming World plan, but I know that once I mastered that side of the plan it will be pretty straightforward. I will be posting my Slimming World updates as well as sharing recipes, tips and tricks for success so don’t forget to subscribe to my email list (scroll until you see 'Stay in the loop' in the side bar) so you don’t miss a post.
I don't think I have ever been so motivated to want to lose weight until this year, it's so strange what a couple of different numbers with the start of the new year can do, I'm motivated, I'm enthusiastic! Let's do this!
* Please note this post is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Slimming World or any other company. As always all opinions are my own. I am not a medical professional or dietitian. You should always consult your GP before undertaking any change to your diet. This information is not intended to replace the advice or information provided by a medical professional. If in doubt speak to a healthcare provider or dietitian.
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