...and so it begins! But Why?

Why indeed!? I'm 45, with three wonderful, just about fully grown up children and a brilliant, loving, compassionate fiancée who I adore and will soon be marrying. I'm happy, content and enjoying life - but it's time to put the demons to bed and become the size that I want to be!

Looking back at photos of my much younger self I was always thin, even after my children were born I stayed around a size 12 and weighed no more than 9 1/2 stone.... but I always felt humongous!  A skinny, bitchy friend followed by a bright, gorgeous friend who all the boys worshipped, followed by a husband with control issues all took their toll and I never really felt quite good enough - for what I don't know but I spent years as someone who outwardly appeared to be full of confidence when really it was all a show. I'm still good at putting on a show for other people "fake it till you make it" and all that!

When I met G back in 2002, I was in a good place - I'd escaped from my dodgy marriage, forged new links with old friends, left the prozac behind, was about half way through my degree, doing a job I enjoyed with people who made me laugh. I was going to Circuit Training every week, as much for the company as the fitness really but I have to  admit, I quite liked flashing my midriff, knowing that it was toned and not too terrifying to look at..... I'd like to tell you that I met G whilst we were both keeping ourselves fit but it was actually fate that brought us together at the local cattlemarket nightclub (besides - First Team hockey was his game.... he was pretty fit and toned too *swoons quietly in the corner*)

So Circuit Training and dancing were replaced by cosy nights in with lovely food and drink, nights out with lovely food and drink, nights out with friends and more drink, treats of chocolate & sweets that it was good to share but even better to scoff in moments of madness.

Working and feeding 3 hungry boys as well as ourselves meant an over reliance on quick and easy to eat food -ie highly processed, high fat, low quality but tasty due to added sugar type food. We'll forget about the takeaways which moved from once a month to fortnightly and then weekly!

Teenage boy hormones evenly spread over the years led to restrictions getting out for enjoyable exercise.... they didn't want to come but left to their own devices would have chosen to fight with each other or "experiment" with matches, sharp things, alcohol etc. Thank goodness we're through those days!

And that My Friends, is how it all began - how I started my journey from someone who thought they were overweight  but really wasn't,  to someone who is totally content but was about 3 stone overweight (I can say "was" now as I am into my 3rd week of Slimming World and there's already less of me than there was!)