The straw that broke the Camel's fat

THIS was the photo that did it for me.

November 2008 was to be the final straw, I saw this photo and truth be told I hated it. Check out the chin for crying out loud (I'm the one on the right :P)

So I thought, at 11st 5lbs. Enough was enough and I began my epic quest to lose weight.

I won't deny, it's been tough, it's been in fact horrendous and very grueling but thanks to a change in job that October, I now walk on average 8 miles a day.

It's now 15th Feb 2009 and I'm around 9st 10lbs. Apparently according to BMI (Body Mass Index, or as I like to call it 'Bollocks Measurements for Idiots') I'm meant to be 8st 11lbs. I want to aim for somewhere around the 9st marker, somewhere that I loose my teensy bit of belly but look relatively healthy without being an Ally McBeal lookie-likey.

Okay, so losing weight is hard, but the top five things that helped me get through it?

1. Friends; For one; Charlotte? OMG. Thank you, without you and your compliments, your encouragements and your way of steering me away from chocolate and other temptations I'd still be that chunky bastage above. My main trouble was work and my eating habits there, you helped me through that and my breakfast nowadays is normal as oppose to a fried one, chowing down on a can of coke and a chocolate bar and then going "Why am I so fat?! I have no idea why." Seriously Charlotte, I owe my socially acceptable size to you. :)
   
2. My Wii Fit: There is nothing more encouraging than seeing your weight plotted against a chart and how well you're doing since you started. Okay yes I have my bad days, I have days when I don't lose any weight, days when I've lost half a pound or days where I've gained two. DO NOT WEIGH YOURSELF EVERY DAY, it will only make you miserable when you've had a bad day or two. I found my trick was to weigh myself every 5-6 days (as I couldn't last a week) and I constantly saw myself losing 1-2 (sometimes even 3) lbs every week.
3. Set realistic deadlines. So I set 9st 5lbs as my ideal weight to be achieved by 23rd Feb 2009. I'm very close, considering that's only just over a week away. I want to lose a little more after that but I'll be focusing more so on toning myself up rather than large amounts of weight loss.
4. Smaller people; bigger differences. Okay, so I'm 5ft 3". A stone of weight on someone my height, can look like 2-3 stone on someone who's 6ft. Never look at your weight downwards, it always makes your belly look bigger. Look at it side on, use a mirror, what looks like a huge belly can in fact be a little podge. I estimate that my remaining amount of belly fat is only about 4-5lbs. The bad side is? The majority of my first stone of weight? came straight off my ass and legs :P
   
5. Never give up. Okay, there are bad days and there are good days, there are days when you go out for pizza, or you have takeaway, or you go to a restaurant or you sit around doing nothing. Don't worry about it. There are days when you don't do as well, don't jump off the horse just because it's slowed to a walking pace, stick with it and in the end you'll start to be incredibly proud.

THIS was me on Friday 13th Feb 2009. I think I look thinner, I definately feel thinner, I feel lighter and I feel happier in myself. :)

As the weight loss goes by and I finally reach my target during which I feel comfortable and happy. I will post pictures of the before, during and after photos. Consider this one a 'during' photo.

I discovered a few truths during weight loss that helped me too:

• I have this thing called a neck now,
  
• I can see my toes.
  
• Weight loss doesn't meant skipping on food, it means lots of exercise and eating sensibly.
  
• Terry's Chocolate Oranges don't count as part of your five a day,
  
• neither do chips,
  
• or cheese.
• or toffee apples.

If you're planning on losing weight, I wish you well, I wish you good luck and believe me, it can be done! xx