It’s six weeks since I blogged about being Too Fat For Zara and guess what… I’m still too fat for Zara.
BUT…. I’m really proud of the little changes I’ve made to my lifestyle in that time. I’ve basically stopped eating my way through the day. I probably ate chocolate every day back then (I say that, like it’s years ago…) and my food choices were determined by which item looked the yummiest, which meant that anything carb-loaded, cheese-loaded and salt-loaded went in my gob. In the evenings, our idea of cooking was putting a pizza in the oven. We ate so much processed food, it’s not even funny. Never mind five a day, I’m not sure I was getting five a week.
It’s easy to get into a vicious circle of ‘well I’m overweight so I may as well eat ALL the burgers’, isn’t it?
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a fan of diets. I spent far too much of my 20s on Weight Watchers diets and feeling miserable at the weekly weigh-in when I’d only dropped half a pound despite having struggled through the week, counting points and eating those (gross) microwave meals they sell. When I look back at photos of me, at that time, I look slim! Why was I beating myself up about my weight?
Thankfully, at around 28, I realised diets are pointless and a negative cycle to get into. It’s all about adopting a healthy lifestyle, right? Which is all well and good, if you actually do adopt a healthy lifestyle. Which for the last few years, I haven’t.
Last year, when friends and colleagues were banging on about the 5:2 diet, I rolled my eyes and stuffed another cupcake in my mouth. And another. But really, was what they were doing any worse than what I was doing? Probably not.
So six weeks ago, when I realised that I could no longer shop in my favourite store, I decided to make lots of small changes. No snacking and no random bars of chocolate. Instead of processed food, we’ve been eating lots of chicken and salmon with salad and vegetables. And weirdly, it’s been quite easy. I haven’t turned into a total health freak, of course. I still share a slice of cake with a friend when we meet for a coffee. I’m not one of those weight loss bores who at a BBQ says “Oh NO I couldn’t possibly have a sausage – do you KNOW how much fat is in one of those?” No one wants to be that person.
Then last week, I joined a gym. And I’m loving it. It’s one of those women-only gyms that has a half hour circuit set up (not sure why they make it women only, but hey…). I’ve developed a new routine every weekday morning where I go to the gym before cracking on with work and it’s GREAT.
I even bought some new trainers to celebrate being awesome.
Go Alison!!! & I’ve got serious trainer envy….. Bring on September, we can parade around the pool in our swimwear together hahaha 🙂 xx
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You’re on. Cannot wait for our trip to Turkey with Mark Warner Katrina!!
I need to get fit
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Me too!
Well done lovely Alison, as someone who could have written word for word what you described there I know only too well what it’s like to get stuck in a rut. I am embracing how I have felt since January, it’s definitely not a diet just watching what I eat and exercising. Tonight I shared a whole bag of minstrels with Mr E and the other night I ate haagan daaz (a whole tub oops!) I just don’t do it every night like I used too! I feel so much better for it. x
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You’ve been a definite inspiration, Katie. You look fantastic after your six months of healthy living!
Yay! Good for you! I’m a few months ahead of you and feeling better than ever. It’s definitely been a lifestyle change for me too and the weight is coming off slowly but surely. The more weight I lose, the better I feel, the more I want to carry on with the eating better and moving more thing. It’s the opposite of the viscous cycle we were both once in 🙂
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You’re another one who has inspired me! I love that there are so many inspiring bloggers out there xx
I love the trainers! My little boy is 10 months old and I decided to get fit by biking the 30 minutes to work and back. It lasted a day as I fell off a bike and fractured my wrist joint into a whole lot of pieces and needed surgery and a plate fitting!!!
Desperate to do some exercise but for now walking 1 handed with the pram is about all I can manage 🙂
I really really love your trainers! Maybe if i bought some like that i would feel motivated to go to the gym too 🙂
Well done though, sounds like you have been doing amazingly well! x
I LOVE those trainers. I totally can identify with needing to get fit! A friend recently joined one of those 30min ladies gyms and has been asking me to give it a try! Maybe this is the extra hint I need to give it a go- surely I can find 30 minutes from my day of being a mummy lol. Thank you for the inspiration x