New job, new me

As a kid I was always skinny.  In fact people used to ask my mum if I was ill because I always looked so thin and pale.  I'm still pale but unfortunately I'm no longer thin.  When I got pregnant at the age of 21, my thin days were behind me after putting four stones on during the nine months.  Over the years that followed, my weight fluctuated in a ridiculous fashion, at my heaviest weighing in at 13 stone 8.  Enough was enough and I joined Slimming World with my mum and over almost two years I lost over four stone, ending up at 9 stone 3.  I felt fantastic, despite everyone telling me I was too thin for my height (this wasn't true actually - I was at the bottom end of my acceptable weight for my height of 5' 8" but not under it).  Unfortunately however fantastic I felt, that weight was so difficult to maintain and gradually the pounds crept back on.  These days I'm not at my heaviest but I'm far above the weight I want to be and would love to lose two and a half stone.  In fact I wouldn't just love to.  I need to.  I feel horrible.  I'm tired and sluggish and hate the way I look.  I can't buy the clothes I like and I'm self conscious and miserable with my appearance.

Unfortunately, I can't rejoin Slimming World even though I know this works for me if I stick to it.  As I've said before I'm taking a dramatic cut in income in September when I begin my GTP and I'm already in financial dire straits!!  So paying for SW every week is not an option.  So I have two choices.  I either try and do the Slimming World diet by myself or try something new.  Today I watched the first episode of the Hairy Bikers new series in which they are trying to lose weight for health reasons and are cooking the food they like in a new way.  Feeling inspired by these guys who love food as much as I do, I have today ordered the recipe book and we will see what it brings when it arrives.  Also I'm planning on starting a new exercise regime to go with it so with a bit of luck, if I stick to it and try and display some of the willpower which has been missing for so long, maybe I'll get to my goal weight.

I have a new start in September with my new career and hopefully there'll be a new figure to go with it. I have a few more weeks of my summer holidays to enjoy and to eat and drink as I want.  And then that's it.  Done.  If the London 2012 games have taught me anything, it's that you can do things if you put your mind to it and if I can stay away from the garlic bread, wine and chocolate then who knows? Perhaps this time next year, I'll be a teacher who looks and feels fantastic.

Victoria

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