With everything that is going on with the family at the moment I have neglected to go on about the fact that youngest daughter and I are on a mission of sorts to lose weight and become more active. We had the usual post Christmas meltdown about how much we had eaten and drunk over the previous couple of months, lamented the fact that our usually comfortable clothes were visibly less comfortable and decided that action was required.
For myself, as someone who has only been on two diets of any kind in my 55 years, I knew that going to a weekly meeting was the way to go. I have done the Rosemary Conley diet and the Weightwatchers plan with good results and it's always the thought of stepping on those scales and being weighed by someone else each week that keeps me focussed.
My daughter is getting married next year and so has lots of time to get fit and trim before the big day but she was aware that she had put on a lot of weight and that she was generally feeling uncomfortable. And so it came to pass that, on a cold, dark Thursday evening in the middle of January this year we headed off to our local Weightwatchers meeting which was being held in the hall of a college.
We were warmly greeted as we joined the queue of (mainly) ladies who had taken the same decision as us to improve their health and fitness. We were given some forms to complete, we paid our fee and then we approached the scales for the first time. We were both feeling very self conscious as we took off everything that we could sensibly remove such as boots, cardigans and, in my case, even my watch! Anything to reduce the amount of weight that was about to be revealed to me.
My daughter made me step on the scales first and has continued to do so every week since then and when I did so I was more than a bit embarrassed to see that the scales revealed my weight to be 13st 9.5lbs. When I first went to Weightwatchers about 9 years ago my starting weight was 13st 1lb so that shows how much I had put on.
As a consequence of that weigh in I knew that action had to be taken and so now I eat sensibly as often as I can, I exercise more than I did and I try to keep things in perspective where food is concerned. I don't want my weight loss or gain to be the only thing that I talk about but I do need to keep it in mind every day.
Last Thursday evening at the meeting I, once again, approached the scales with dread. The previous weekend I had been away with hubby to Exeter where we ate out each evening and we had margaritas a plenty. I refuse to let diets impact on my life so much that I can't enjoy such treats. When we were away I had breaded mushrooms among other things which I knew I shouldn't have had really but I was really good with my breakfast choices. That was easy because I can have bacon, egg and tomatoes for breakfast daily if I want to!
We did do a lot of walking and I did go for a swim when we were away so I wasn't lazy I promise.
I should also mention here that daughter and I attended our first Zumba class on the Monday after my weekend away which we really enjoyed but which was hilarious as neither of us are the most coordinated of people.
Anyway, back to the scales and Thursday....my weight - after 6 weeks on the diet and with lots of slip ups along the way - is now 12st 9.5lbs! Yes, I have lost a whole stone and I'm quite amazed.
Now, I do always lose weight at times of stress and this has been a fairly stressful time but I have still been eating sensibly and I have definitely upped my exercise although, to be honest, my general fitness levels are usually pretty good because I walk the dogs most days and always try to get in my 10,000 steps every day.
Sharing this experience with my daughter is proving beneficial to us both. Her body shape is changing almost daily and she has started jogging! She is really focussed and determined and she tracks her food intake daily. We motivate each other to keep going. When I fancy something sweet she will make me a banana pancake or give me options on how to not succumb to a biscuit. We have walked the dogs together and been to an exercise class together and she is going to sign up for a 5k run which her brother, his girlfriend and I are taking part in next weekend. If you had told her, or me, that she would be doing that this time even 2 weeks ago she would have laughed in your face. At the moment she is noticing daily changes in how she feels physically and mentally. She is positive. Her skin looks and feels better. She is developing curves in all the right places and she is loving it. I'm very, very proud of her. Her determination to do this is there for all to see. She has another 1.5lbs to lose before she, too, has lost a stone and I have a very strong suspicion that this Thursday could see her achieve her first goal.
I hope you all have a good week. Stay happy, stay healthy, stay strong and be kind.xxxx
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