I really didn’t want my photo taken

This was me in 2015, before my weight loss journey began. I wasn’t miserable, my life wasn’t in bits because of my obesity, I didn’t hate myself (not much anyway). But I wasn’t thriving, here’s why. My weight was restrictive, it stopped me doing the things I wanted to do.

I took the ostrich approach to my health

At the back of my mind I was aware of the health problems I was storing up for myself. It didn’t keep me up at night, but it was a niggle. It’s only as I have studied more and specialised in obesity and diabetes that I understand more. I didn’t want to think about it too much because I didn’t believe I had what it takes to make any changes.

What triggered the change?

I can’t point to one big epiphany, there were a few key moments. The photo introducing this blog was taken in Madeira. We went there to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. I did enjoy the holiday, but I was very self conscious. It is a beautiful island but I felt restricted by my weight. I couldn’t enjoy it fully. I felt sad that my weight also affected what my husband would like to do.

Another trigger was when my first granddaughter came along. There is something amazing about being a grandparent. I wasn’t prepared for how much these little people would fill up my heart. I guess, I didn’t want to die before I had the chance to get to know them. That may sound dramatic, but it made me look at my life and health. I procrastinated for about a year before I made the decision to do something about it.

First Steps

I joined a weight loss group and started to lose weight. I didn’t look too far ahead, one week at a time was all I looked at. I did have a big goal, but the small daily wins were what kept me going.

Game Changer

The game changer in my weight loss journey was joining ITS ladies only gym. I received a judgement free welcome and my love of exercise began. As I learned to balance what went into my body with the energy I used, I lost weight. Slowly. The most weight I ever lost was 3lb and that wasn’t normal. I usually lost 1 or 2 pounds a week. But, it was consistent and my body changed. I became a gym bunny. The girl who ‘hated the gym’, was there a lot!

Regrets, I have a few

To quote a rather famous song. Do I wish I’d done it sooner? Definitely, but regret is such a waste of emotion. I regret hiding from family photos because I didn’t want to be seen. I also regret the times I denied my family because I didn’t have the energy to join in with games. But, there is something special about finding fitness in your fifties. I have energy that I thought I would never have done. I’ve done things that I thought I wouldn’t be able to.

Going back to Madeira

We went back to Madeira the following year. We built a whole load of new memories. We climbed the highest mountain on that volcanic island, Pico Ruivo 1,862m, quite a climb. We took a crazy ride in a whicker sledge which made me laugh until I cried.

Self worth

Is a slimmer version of me worth more? Absolutely not!

It is one of my biggest values and drivers in my fitness business. A person’s worth is not or ever will be bound up in their weight. The difference is about the choices I have now. The difference is the energy I have. It’s also about giving myself the best chance of being around long enough to see my grandchildren grow up.

Read more about my weight loss journey here. https://www.healthandfitnesshive.co.uk/my-weight-loss-diary/let-me-tell-you-about-my-big-fail/