For many years I was a yo-yo dieter, gaining and losing the same amount of weight over and over. What a chore. I really put myself, my family and my body through hell. I have tried every diet in the book - joined every weight-loss organisation in existence ! (Well...not quite, but it feels like I have). I would lose the weight, you know the story - as soon as I resumed a "normal" lifestyle, I gained it all back again, and then some. My "normal", the normal I kept returning to, was not at all healthy, but I continually returned to it...so I continually got the same results - weight gain, and loss of good health.
During those years I was employed by one of the weight-loss organisations I joined. I was such a good example of their weight-loss programme !! I travelled the country, lecturing others on how to lose weight, and keep it off. I'm not criticising and weight-loss organisation, and I never will. They helped me, and have helped thousands, millions of others, to lose weight and gain health. If they are helping you right now - wonderful ! As I said, I have lost a lot of weight through weight-loss organisations. BUT - the minute I left the organisation, or stopped attending meetings - the weight slowly made it's way back on. I'm not blaming any organisation - I'm blaming ME. Totally. Completely. It was my fault.
Five years ago, I knew I had to do something different. The same-old same-old just wasn't getting me anywhere. To have permanent weight-loss and a healthy lifestyle was my goal. I just had to work out a way to attain that goal. I won't say I had a "lightbulb" moment. It didn't happen overnight. I started to think about my life, and way that I could incorporate small changes that would make a difference to my health. My health, at that stage, was my primary goal. I wanted to feel good. I wasn't getting any younger (over 50 at that time), and knew things weren't going to get any better as I aged. I was at risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes - so many scary diseases.
I made the changes...slowly...one baby step at a time. Losing weight stopped being my focus during this process. Healthy living was my aim. The more changes I made - and I must stress that they were small changes and I made them slowly, over a long period of time - the more weight I lost and the healthier I felt. I was so encouraged by my choices that others began to notice the difference. My choices affected not only my body, but my mind too. My outlook became more positive.
In the last 5 years, I have finally gained a healthy lifestyle. I feel, and look, a different person. I don't want to go back to my old way of living. I have energy, I am at the top end of the weight range for my height. My BMI is just under what it should be. I could do to get it a bit lower, and I'm working on that.
By means of this blog, I want to share with others what has taken me a lifetime to learn. I hope it helps you too.
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