The fatter side of me...

I've been asked so many times to write this blog but I just haven't known where to start. I also don't for one second sound condescending or like I know what I am doing. I don't and I still struggle. A very important point - Weight loss ain't easy, if it was, naughty food wouldn't taste so amazing and everyone would have the figure they want. This I know for sure.


The above picture on the left I was only 7mths pregnant and actually put on 5st and the right was a few months ago before a holiday. Anyway this is my story and a few things that I've learnt that maybe can help you.... 

I was always the "Big" girl I mean I'm nearly 6ft anyway but I always had the boobs and the curves and for want of a better word ...puppy fat. Like most girls in their teens I did all the crash diets out there and they would work for a short while but then I'd put it back on and more. My weight rarely bothered me over the years if I'm honest though. Occasionally I would near starve for an event and then think sod it for months on end just enjoying having amazing holidays, eating out and tonnes of boozy nights. Then my boyfriend proposed and I noticed it had really started to pile up. 


While planning the wedding I tried a few diets including Weight Watchers again as my GG had sworn by it but I found it too restrictive and nothing worked unless in my eyes I starved and was miserable. I had kind of excepted that dieting wasn't for me...because nothing worked either. Then with just 12 weeks to go my work friend suggested Slimming World. I had heard of it but it seemed complicated with Green and Red days back then, I was put off doing ANOTHER diet but I decided it was worth a go. 

The first week I struggled to wrap my brain round it but then I was flying and couldn't believe I could still EAT, go on my Hen doo, nights out etc and still loose weight. I lost a total of 16lbs in 12wks and felt fantastic on the big day. Obviously I could have lost more weight, the healthy guideline of 2lbs per week but I wanted to enjoy the build up and that was my target which I reached. I loved my leader and made some good friends at my group. I honestly felt like it was life changing, that for the first time ever if I followed this plan which I ENJOYED I could loose weight and if I didn't I had no one else to blame but me.

So here I am loving life, thinking I've cracked some amazing code, I can loose weight and keep it off....THEN I had a baby! Wowzaaa....Mate. Game changer. I tried to not go crazy eating for two but I didn't get morning sickness and I had major cravings for beige stuff, especially potatoes and bread! I remember I still had a lot of functions to go to that year and I obviously couldn't drink. I thought I was being good having J2o's or Appletiser's....do you know how many calories are in them? Slimming Worlders there are 6syns in those buggers! Anyhoo after 4mths I went to group to say hi to everyone and get weighed out of interest. I stood on the scale and she said 2.5.... I thought wow god only 2.5lbs...cheesy grins....'No... stones" By 9mths I had put on 5 whole stones!  

Now some "dieters" feel weird about baby weight like its not the same as being naturally overweight but Archie wasn't quite 8lb born...the rest allll remained. Fat is fat. It's just as hard to loose. Also my body had totally changed. The only way I can describe it is like a big lump of play dough that was totally reshaped and... had bits added. So back to group I went and slowly started to loose it all again. This time round it wasn't as easy. I didn't have any gains the first time I joined but this time it was very hit and miss I did the whole loose 3 lbs gain 3 lbs for a while. I was massively sleep deprived and just didn't feel I had the time or energy to cook and prep as before, now that I had a baby. 

It really started to effect my confidence though and not least because non of my old clothes fitted outragiously and I wasn't buying new. So I had a word with my self and decided what was a priority. Did I want biscuits or my jeans to fit ha...biscuits won sometimes too.  Itarted taking some time out each week for myself to plan. Stuck in and got back to goal....then I had another baby! I had horrendous morning sickness this time though....but you know what? I still put 5 bloody stone on again. So I did the whole thing over and got back to goal. Again it took about a year and I can't stress this enough 9MTHS ON AT LEAST 9MTHS OFF and if you haven't had a baby, still slow and steady wins the race!

So here are my tips or things I've learned.

1. Find a diet plan that you can stick to or even like.
Look how flipping casual I have just said that man! I know, I know. All I mean though is I love Slimming World but if thats not for you find something that is because if you don't like it or it's too restrictive you won't stick to it. Simple. Back then the SW book had egg and chips on the front, I should have know it was for me straight away.

2. Don't be scared to mess up.
The first day I joined SW I was so scared to mess up. One of the first things my leader said though was "We all have holidays and functions and even bad days, its not problem just get back to it when you can" It was a breath of fresh air to anything I had tried before where you have one slip and it's game over. I CANT stress this enough in my weight loss and I still need reminding myself sometimes but have your holiday's and enjoy them. Have a bad day or a chocolate binge or a minging hangover. So what? Just quickly move on as soon as you can. I laugh when I look back at times I'd been doing so well then I'd have a rubbish day at work, cave, get a Dominoes or whatever and give up totally after one bad meal. It makes no sense. Its like putting a tiny scratch on your car door... then burning the whole car down. 

3. Plan ahead.
"Fail to plan and Plan to fail". True Story. I'm not much of a meal planner because I never feel like what I've written down on the day...out of spite probably. I do always have lots of low fat goodies in though and things that can make meal's. Fruit, veg, beans, rice, eggs etc. Most importantly I always have things in or prepped that I can shove in my mouth when starving after work or out and about. Pickles, Blueberrys, Boiled eggs, Fat free Yogurt, Carrot sticks etc and I always ALWAYS have some fruit and a 'Naked bar' in my handbag. I don't ever mind having a cheat meal or a treat at all but it kills me to waste calories when I don't need to but there is no other option. I also like to batch cook so there is stuff in the freezer for when I can't be bothered to cook. 

4.Find your tribe.
Something I've found in recent years is the power of social media especially Instagram. I've made some lovely friends with amazing accounts, their ideas and support help so much even non SW ones. New foods or recipes and things I wouldn't think of.The most amazing thing is hashtags though because you can literally type in anything like #healthysnack and tonnes of pictures will pop up for inspiration. This has really helped me stay on track. 

5. Be Realistic.
Just me who is ridiculously impatient? Eating healthy for a full day, why am I not skinny yet?! Cheesy as can be but "It really is a journey" and once I started thinking of it as a whole lifestyle to maintain rather than something to get to and have a huge cheat meal thats when I started to maintain. Set a realistic target and don't be too hard on yourself. I hated weeks when I was really good and lost nothing but if I stayed strong another week in my experience I had a good loss the next week. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. 

6. You CAN do it! 
I still struggle. Food is my life but someone once said in group "Wether you think you can or you can't, you're right either way" and that really stuck with me. Just keep chipping away is my advice.

Please feel free to ask any questions if I can help.