Beat the bulge #1

A bit of a different post for you all today, although still along the lines of health and beauty. This week I finally decided it's about time I do something about my jiggly bits, and by that I don't mean the womanly curves I'm supposed to have I mean the extra muffin tops I've been carrying around. Yes I did say tops as in plural, as I definitely have more than one of the buggers!

About a year ago I started yet another diet, I had tried Weight Watchers more than a few times so I decided to give Slimming World a shot. I'd always been put off by the red day/green day thing as my love for vegetables stops at carrots and green beans so I thought it would be really difficult for me to do. Then I learned about the new 'Extra Easy' plan and it sounded a little more appealing. When I started I was the heaviest I had ever been and I felt pretty ashamed of myself for getting so heavy, I tried really hard and after 5 weeks I had lost 10.5 lbs. Then for some reason I stopped going, I can't really remember why but it must of had something to with missing a few weeks. Inevitably the weight started to pile back on, but I managed to maintain it pretty well for a while.

However over the past few weeks I have noticed a significant change in my weight and all of the clothes that fit nicely before have all become a little tighter and I just generally feel very uncomfortable. So it's time I took control and got myself sorted out once and for all! I have decided to try the Slimming World diet again as it worked well last time and I found it so easy to do, even though it does confuse me. By writing this blog post and making my weight public knowledge I am essentially shaming myself in to trying hard to lose weight every week. This is not something I feel comfortable with but as there are no meetings I can attend in my area due to my busy schedule I thought this could work the same way. 

My weakness is all things sweet, I love cakes and chocolate, I could eat cake all day long! I also have a terrible habit of having take away's sometimes up to 3/4 times a week, I always forget to take the meat out of the freezer and by the time we have got in and got the kids tea sorted and them in bed cooking is the absolute last thing I feel like doing. It's just too easy to reach in the draw for the take away menus and pig out, but not any more, I have eaten my last take away (maybe a bit optimistic) and I vow to plan my meals and cook every night!

So here goes the scary bit, last night I weighed myself and I was shocked to see that my weight had gone right back up to where it was a year ago plus 1 lb. I am now the heaviest I have ever and hopefully will ever be at 12 st 8 lb, I am a very snug size 14 and honestly I could probably do with a 16 in some clothes. My goal is to lose 1.5 stone by the time I go on holiday on 20th July, so I have 10 weeks, I think this is a realistic target as it means losing around 2 lb per week which is a healthy rate to lose weight at. I want to feel comfortable in my clothes and have the confidence to wear dresses etc. without hiding my legs in leggings all the time. 

Now I've put that out there it doesn't feel great I have to admit, I feel a little embarrassed about the whole thing but hopefully by doing this I will feel a lot more motivated each week knowing that I will be posting my weight on here. Just like in a meeting I will share with you all each week what I have been up to and how I have lost (fingers crossed) the weight. I will include any good recipes I come across and any tricks I find helpful when it comes to beating the urge to stuff my face with chocolate and biscuits. 

I know my weight could be a lot worse so I'm not getting too hung up on it but I just want to feel healthier and have a bit more confidence. If this sounds like you and you're looking for that extra push to get you motivated why not join me, we can have our weekly weigh in together and share all our tips and healthy eating plans, not to mention support each other! If you are interested tweet me at @Ashleigh_Fell and we can beat the bulge together!