I have now lost 3 stone.
I’m a shortie (4ft 9 inches to be precise). My start weight was 14 stone. I’m now 11 stone. My aim is to get to 9 and a half stone. The last time I remember weighing this little was when I was about 20 years old (30 years ago).
So easy to blame why we are overweight or not succeeding at losing the weight on something….
For me, it was my disability. Then my lack of mobility as I grew older. Then being pregnant, having a baby and being a mum…… then the injuries I sustained in a road traffic accident that left me with leg injuries and needing to use a wheelchair outside of the house…. yes, there was always something that stood in the way of me being “slimmer”.
My weight loss journey has changed all of that. Without any exercise at all in the first 7 months I managed to lose one and a half stone. This was just by “calorie counting” on-line. I use the websiteweightlossresources.co.uk to complete a daily diary. Yes, it’s tedious to write down every single thing that passes through my lips… and yes it does consume a large portion of my day. But I have discovered it works! If I stop logging, I have no clue how many calories I’ve consumed.
With my improved mobility and not lugging around that extra weight the thought of undertaking some regular exercise popped into my head from nowhere! I hadn’t exercised for maybe 20 years since a step aerobic class! I started to go swimming once a week – and LOVED it! I’d never been “proper” swimming before (swimming up and down the pool non-stop for an hour). It helped my pain, helped reduce swelling in my damaged ankle and each week I would earn 400 calories.
In February 2013 on the first anniversary of my joining the weightloss site, and now having lost 2 stone, I was greedy for more!
I signed up for a free assessment with a Personal Trainer (Ollie Adkins) at the Berkshire Physiotherapy Centre I attend regularly. Between us we devised a suitable exercise routine that concentrated on just about every part of my body. Nothing too strenuous and certainly not aerobic exercise.
 |
| Polar FT2 Heart Rate Monitor |
I bought myself a Heart Rate Monitor, the Polar FT2. I “borrowed” my ex-husbands treadmill. I spent under £100 on some resistance training bands, a wobble board, a stepper, some gym matting for the garage floor, some running shoes and a sports bra. And I began to exercise every day!
 |
| 66Fit Wobble Board |
The most rewarding thing about the exercise is the calories I earn! Wearing my heart rate monitor, I know that I can earn between 600 and 900 calories in my exercise sessions – which I try to do every day. Of course some days I don’t have the time… or I am in pain… or I just don’t want to do it. But most of the time, I make myself get up earlier…. I talk myself into going out of the door and into the garage and doing that exercise. And after I have finished my one or two hours of exercise, I come back inside for a revitalising shower and some well earned breakfast. I feel GREAT! I am sleeping well… I am eating better (thanks to those calories I earn!)
 |
| Shock Absorber Sports Bra |
Friends and family are really supportive, although slightly shocked that over a year down the line I am still as dedicated (if not MORE dedicated) to this journey. The reasons are simple. The choices I need to make about food and eating are now natural and require very little willpower. I don’t feel as though I am being deprived or missing out. In fact I now seem to see people all around me over-indulging and eating things I wouldn’t want to eat any more (I would have once upon a time!)
 |
| Ultrasport Up-Down Stepper |
I can walk (wheel) through the town centre and smell and look at food and continue walking (wheeling), as I know that I have prepared a salad ready to eat when I get home again. I don’t want to ever go back to how things were. I didn’t think that my dietary habits were too bad, but it was quantity and feeling that I “deserved” this treat…. meal out….. cake… or whatever. I can now seriously say “I don’t want that!” remembering just how hard I have worked to get to where I am. I want to see the weight coming off EVERY week. It won’t if I don’t stay on track.
I have to say my weight loss has been one of the most amazing achievements of my life! I believe I AM allowed to say this smugly. But oh how I wish I had done this sooner.
But if the truth be known, I wasn’t in the right place before. Suddenly I found myself with the time to devote to making this my absolute TOP priority. I am surrounded by the right people to make it happen.
Actually, one person particularly – my boyfriend of 6 years – soon to be my husband (9 weeks to go!) I have absolutely no doubt that without his support I wouldn’t have stayed the course. Each day he fastens me into my sports bra, straps on my heart rate monitor and puts on my sports socks and trainers, lacing them up for me. He doesn’t need to lose weight, but he eats the same meals as me, doesn’t complain about the fact we don’t eat out as often, helps to prepare healthy meals, looks out for interesting healthy recipes on line… and gives me lots and lots of compliments about my improved body shape and fitness levels. I am not sure I could have achieved this without his support and assistance.
I decided I wanted to write up “my journey” for anyone who needs an incentive to lose weight or get fitter or those who have started their journey or are struggling.
Don’t give up. It gets easier and most importantly, you are so worth the effort!!
[…] four years that I have been trying to improve my mobility / strength / fitness (and lose weight!) I have used small pieces of exercise equipment I have bought on-line as well as trying out mat based […]