Eighteen months ago I began the process of trying to understand my body and why it seemed to be a complete bastard to me everytime I wanted to change it. I slowly came to understand that I turn to food whenever I am trying to not feel something. Food has been a comfort blanket protecting me from the world, and I found that removing it was actually the thing I needed to do to free myself of any fear that I had attached to losing it. And then I learned how to feel the feelings instead of eating my way around them. And I lost twenty kilos. For the first time in my life I was healthy without the horrible feeling of deprivation.
I wore a size 14 dress on my wedding day. I felt like wonder woman. I felt beautiful.
And then the Life Wedgie: my little NHS adventure, followed by a stint in The Hole, and then the relief of leaving the shitawfulness; all in less than a year. I stopped noticing what I was eating, and while between contracts I gave myself a free pass. I was happy to be cooking and baking and enjoying the full sensory experience of taste without limits or rules.
Its seems that the only thing harder than losing thirty kilos, is losing the last 10 and then maintaining the whole lot.
I spent the first two weeks of new job avoiding the fabulous on-site cafe from 2-4pm when the ginger and walnut cake would actually sing to me. And then a couple of colleagues mentioned weight watchers, and I just said ‘yes count me in!’ and now its been a month and I have lost 5 kilos.
Its a bit culty: the ritualistic weigh-in and the patronising annoying jargon leaves me a little naseous, but I like the science behind it and the fact that its a lifelong approach: nothing is off limits. And the weirdness is that I am actually enjoying it. There is a cool little app, a squllion on-line recipes and two on-site cheerleaders. I am planning out recipes days in advance, we are eating a very small garden’s worth of vege in a week, I have a fruit bowl on my desk. I have more energy. I feel happier.
So yeah. Back on the horse.
i’ve always shied away from ww for those exact reasons. i had friends that carried their big ass ww water jug around and talked about weigh ins and well frankly, i suck at groups and clubs and following rules. they bring out the snark. so yay for weight loss! yay for being able to handle ww! and yay for more energy and happiness – that makes it all worth it, right?
i am totally in on the snark. we have nicknamed our leaders and we have a good laugh during the whole process. I think the general rule is: never stay for a meeting.
but yeah it feels pretty cool :)
bravo!
i believe that weight watchers is the only sensible diet plan out there, because you eat everything and nothing is ‘diet food’ per say. and as much as i was an eye roller during the meetings, it really worked for me because i didn’t feel deprived and i learned lifestyle changes that have stuck a decade later.
i love that you think its worthwhile – and yes agree that its not a diet. i feel like i could do this long term.
Day five of being sugar free here. Was doing well, but pmt just came calling, and now the world is made of shit and i find expletives exploding from my mouth at the drop of a hat. And why is it that everyone I see in the street seems to be eating chocolate. Motherfuckers.
you made me do a LOL.
love you millions xxx
J9 you made me LOL too! I joined WW (online only) when I gave up breastfeeding after first baby and put on 9kg in about 2 weeks. It was so brilliant, their recipes are really yummy and the best thing is nothing is off limits it’s just you have to learn portion control. I have found it is so good that it kind of becomes second nature. Good luck and welcome to the club!
brilliant news. normal people i trust do this.
Years ago I tried ww. Yeah, too cultish for me. But different things work for different people, right? As for me, I just go a pass to my neighbourhood fitness club. So yeay for exercise!
Gf joined Slimming World last Nov and to start with absolutely hated it; hated the patronising Scouse woman running it who made her feel like crap when she “maintained” or “gained”. But slowly over a few months she started to look slimmer and feel better and now she’s over a stone lighter (apparently there’s still more to lose!) and bounces out of the house on a Thurs evening shouting to me, “I’m off to see my chums at Fat Club, see you later.” And the best thing about it is it’s never felt like she (we) has been on a diet. Bonus.
SYN-FREE?! holy crap.
Also, Syn-Free Chips are super yummy: http://www.slimmingworld.com/recipes/syn-free-chips.aspx. Can’t beat a Healthy Fry Up of syn-free chips, Cauldron sausages, baked beans and a fried egg. Apparently no (few?) Syns on the Slimming World diet :)
Oh yeah, I’m not SW-ing at the moment but I still make slimming world sausage-egg & chips! Delish.
Oh if there were only just a damn *cure*!! After losing 60lbs over the last 6 months via a variety of plans and programs (including Dr. Bernstein for 6 weeks – talk about crazypants!), I started on WW in an effort to stave off any gains and perhaps continue to lose at a more gentle pace. I’ve since dropped it as I was ticked off that paying for an in-person membership didn’t give me automatic access to the online tools for free (FFS!). I’m currently going the route of tracking calories with the MyFitnessPal app and weighing on the home scale. I’m aware that at some point I may need the external motivation of some well meaning lady looking disappointed for me at the number on the scale, but for now I’m going it alone. All the best to you!
dude 60lbs is freakin’ amazing!
i have not heard of Dr Bernstein. didn’t there used to be a book about a family of bears called Bernstein??
yeah the maintenance bit is way harder than i thought – it felt fine to plateau about 25lbs away from where i really wanted to be as i stayed there for about 6 months – i always thought i would eventually lose the last bit. but then i went the other way…
btw – lovely to see you here x
Aaah… Days of rationing the Points. I know exactly what you mean. Minute portions of protein; an account with the greengrocer’s – whilst waiting for the garden’s bounty – and enough spare points at the end of the day to have a cheeky glass of wine. It is working for me, slowly, and a little faster now I am running again. None of the razzmatazz of other diets but it packages the sensible approach my mum grew up on (with WW2 rationing). Good luck! But do keep baking…