Tackling A Weighty Issue with Slimming World

This blog post is a bit of a break from the norm for me, I never really write about personal issues nor do I really share them on social media. Weight/diets are always a touchy subject for me so it's madness that I'm sharing it on my blog but I just really wanted to write about Slimming World and how it's helping me tackle a weighty issue!

I have been overweight for as long as I can remember and I have always loved food. Like, really loved food! I've always been a yoyo dieter, I go to a slimming club and lose a few pounds...then I lose focus and quit. Only to rejoin with my tail between my legs a few months later! I have lost count of the times of I've rejoined Slimming World or Weight Watchers over the years but my will power just gets the better of me and I've failed every single time. The problem is, every time I rejoin I'm a few pounds heavier so my weight has just been going up and up.

When I got pregnant, my weight meant I was classed as "high risk". I was petrified that the midwife would tell me off and my weight would be made an issue of. I needn't have been worried, the midwife was very nice about it and I was never made to feel awful. My pregnancy was a happy and healthy one, I had no complications and apart from a few queasy early weeks, I felt absolutely amazing. I only gained around 9lbs too which I was so relieved about because throughout the pregnancy I acquired a love for tubs of chilled custard! I did even intend to stick to Slimming World whilst pregnant but found that too much of a challenge when all I wanted to do was eat!

7 months pregnant and ironically lighter than I am now! :-/

After Elliot was born (all 10lb 13oz of him), I was actually back to my pre-pregnancy weight. This is amazing I thought...then Christmas happened. And lots of eating. And then I started making new mum friends and lunches started happening. And cake mornings. And nights out involving copious amounts of wine. Basically, that first year of parenthood was spent socialising with Elliot and stuffing my face! I wouldn't change it though, I have a lovely close knit group of Mum friends who I couldn't have got through the newborn days without :) But I do kind of wish I'd gone easy on the cakes!!

I think because I've always been "the chubby one" I've just kind of got used to it and tried not to let it bother me. But it did. I became a bit camera shy and there aren't too many photos of me and Elliot, I always made the sure I was the one taking photos too because at least then I could weed out the unflattering snaps first and make sure the ones going on social media were ok!

I've never enjoyed clothes shopping but it's rubbish when you're above a size 18 and can only shop in certain shops. This combined with a lack of fashion sense means that my day to day outfits don't really vary alot - jeans, tshirts and hoodies are my thing! I have branched out over the last year to include a variation of shirts over leggings but to be honest, I could do with a day out with Gok Wan to sort me out!

In January of this year, I decided to join another slimming class. My weight was at an all time high and it was beginning to affect my health. My snoring had reached new levels (sorry hubby!) and I just had no energy. I'd gone up another dress size and I had really just had enough!

Arghhh this is so hard to include this because I'm mortified by the way I look but this is me at my very heaviest

I thought I'd give Slimming World another bash and I found a morning class which was perfectly timed with dropping Elliot at pre-school. A couple of my friends decided to join too and straight away I had a different feeling about it. It was actually fun to stay for the class (Slimming World call this Image Therapy) and everyone was so friendly. The SW consultant Lorna was really nice and made us all feel so welcome.

I lost 5lbs in that first week and it gave me a massive boost to actually stick with it. I was enjoying the food and the whole family were benefiting with me cooking more from scratch. My friends and I also had a "Fat Fighters" whatsapp group which was really useful for support and seeing what the others were having for dinner!

10 weeks later and I am now 2 stone lighter. I can't quite believe it to be honest! I've had some blips, I chickened out of weigh in one week and got a telling off from my friends, I then struggled to get back on it until my next weigh in. Then there was the week I had a giant gain after eating too many Easter eggs....and it wasn't even Easter yet!! I've since learnt that it's 44 syns per Easter egg so it's no wonder I gained what I did, I'm not buying anymore eggs this year!

This is me, taken yesterday so the most recent photo I have. 2 stone lighter -  Onwards and upwards! 

I feel so much better for losing 2 stone but I know I have a long way to go. In an ideal world I'd like to lose another 6 stone at least but that just sounds so massive so I prefer to take every half stone at a time.

And if you catch me eating any Easter eggs, please feel free to give me a slap ;)