Time to Lose

I had a shock when I weighed myself this morning. The numbers on the scale that had been hovering teasingly a little above 10st 7lbs (my target is 10st 5lbs) had crept alarmingly up to 10st 11lbs.

I know I have been working out a lot and there is that thing that muscle weighs more than fat but I don't think I can use that as an excuse for the weight gain. There is a more obvious explanation - I eat too much.

So many of us beat ourselves up for overeating but I think it is completely natural.

Human animals would always have feasted in times of excess to prepare themselves for survival through times of scarcity. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on which way you want to look at it) we no longer have times of scarcity. Food is always readily available. Every single day is a potential feast day. No wonder there is an obesity epidemic.

So once we stop beating ourselves up for doing what comes naturally, how can we adapt to the environmental bounty? How do we turn the plentiful excess that we have available to our advantage?

I suppose it all comes down to making healthy choices. If we can turn our eyes away from the cream cakes and pringles and allow ourselves to actually see and delight in the amazing variety of fruit and vegetables available, we are well on our way.

The key to making healthy choices lies in learning to really enjoy the things that are good for us. A diet that focuses on denial is doomed to failure. I always know I am on the right track when I stop fancying a doughnut and long for the fresh, crisp taste of a juicy apple.

Of course there will always be times when a chocolate cake calls to you so loudly that you can't ignore it. And why should you ignore it? Healthy choices for me must satisfy my mind as well as my body.  There is no reason why indulgent treats can't be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle.

I have managed to achieve this ideal in the past and lose a lot of weight. I have long left behind the size 18 figure of my late teens/early twenties and am now comfortably back into my pre-pregnancy size 10 clothes.

However, I have not yet worked out how to stop the slow slippage back to bad habits - an extra slice of toast (or two) for breakfast because you ate the first two so fast that it didn't register, a whole packet of biscuits with your morning coffee because one after another you just keep shovelling them in, finishing up leftovers just because they are there, eating things you don't particulary want or need simply for the sensation of having food in your mouth. It is scary how quickly these things can sneak up on you with the consequent weight gain and negative feelings that have you turning once more to food for comfort.

I am dangerously close to spiralling out of control with my eating.

Instead of cursing my scales this morning for not showing me what I wanted to see, I am grateful for the early warning.

I am feeling motivated and ready to take back control.

I am going to kick start my action plan with a fruit only day today. Hopefully, this will remind me what I've been missing out on when I grab a greasy, salty bag of crisps for a snack in preference to a bowl of delicious, vitamin packed strawberries. It might also give my body a much needed de-tox and it will certainly set a good example to the children.

Fueled by my banana breakfast, I will be heading off to Morrisons shortly to stock my fridge up with enough tastes, textures and colours to keep me interested (and not forgetting the all important water).

Diets start on Monday and life is good.

A Final Milestone

I feel proud of myself for having lost about 2 stone of baby weight in the 9 months since my son was born but I have been making excuses for the last few pounds that stubbornly refuse to shift, blaming the wobbly bits on my hips and belly on the breastfeeding hormones. Just recently, I have noticed a worrying upward trend in my weight. Only a couple of pounds, but that is how it starts and we all know it is a slippery slope.

Luckily for me, daughter Ivy came home from Uni for Easter with the resolve to reverse the effect that her student lifestyle is having on her waistline. It provides a perfect opportunity for us to support each other and triumph in the battle of the bulge.

Ivy is very similar to me in her appetite and the way she carries her excess weight and she has almost exactly the same amount of poundage to shift. We can sympathise with each other and specifically target our weaknesses and problem areas. Throw into that mix a good bit of pampering, some fun exercise and well earned indulgent treats and I think we have a recipe for all round success.

We have already started our new regime with better food choices, portion control, no snacking, drinking at least 1 litre of water today (we each have our own litre bottle to ensure this) and a 'get moving' attitude. I have done lots of gardening and had a seriously challenging session at the gym with a trainer, focussing on upper body and abs ( I am still feeling it today). Ivy was up at the crack of dawn to do a Wii fit session before the nearly three year old demanded the TV for her daily fix of CBeebies.

I certainly feel better already and Ivy (although she likes to complain that she is hungry) says she does too.

Ivy is home for three weeks which should be plenty of time to achieve our goals and I might finally feel worthy of the incentive gift  that my husband prepared for way back in September when I first started blogging and dieting. I have been delighted by each of the thoughtful gifts that have motivated me and spurred me on to my next milestone but the very last one to mark the 'below ten and a half stone' ultimate goal has eluded me and teased me with its existence.

I feel it is finally within my grasp.

It also happens to be my birthday in three weeks so there is an extra incentive to make this work. I don't want to turn 47 and still feel overweight (even if it is only by a barely noticable amount - I notice it).

This is my three week investment in a fitter, healthier, trimmer, more confident me and I know that with Ivy's help, we'll have fun on the way and succeed.

This WILL be mine 

Tuesday 11th April - 10st 9lbs