I just wanted to share a little personal milestone with you.
In 2002 (27), I was the slimmest (but not healthiest!) I've been in my adult life, at around 11 stones. The date sticks in my mind because that's when I started a new job with a large employer - onsite restaurant, long hours, nights in hotels, nights out, lovely team who regularly bought in chocolate and cake. Fabulous place to work unless you're a bit prone to over-indulging (which I am).
Roll the clocks forward 3 years and I'm 15.5 stones and trying to diet. I try the Atkins diet - I lose a little bit but it leaves me with serious sweet cravings and I get a liking for cake! I go back to chips for lunch but now with cake afterwards. By the time I get my first iPhone in 2012 and join MyFitnessPal, I'm 17 stones. I join weight watchers and lose a stone and a half. It becomes too difficult to maintain and I start missing certain foods and then the weight creeps back up, but now to 17st3lbs. Then I discover the 5:2 diet and lost 2 stones. But it's just too hard and I lose motivation. The weight creeps back on.
By New Year 2018, I've peaked at 17st 5.5lbs. I feel like a barrage balloon. I've pretty much stopped going out socially because I feel uncomfortable and I've got hardly any clothes that fit me. I'm tired all the time... getting out of bed in the morning is a struggle... getting through the day is a struggle... the life I see ahead of me includes ongoing weight gain, diabetes, heart-attack and goodness knows what.
I decide something has to change in 2019, so agree with my team at work that we'll do some January challenges. Nothing too difficult - just make three minor changes and stick to them for the month. Mine were 1) no sausage butty breakfasts 2) no lifts or escalators 3) stick to 14 units of alcohol per week. Then RunaroundSue and her husband happen to mention parkrun and c25k. "Why don't you come along?" they say... "It's great... you'd be made to feel welcome". On the way home I bought running shoes and a huge running t-shirt and went along the following Saturday. You know the story from there....
The milestone... I'm officially 14st something - the lightest I've been since my early 30s. But it's different this time...
- I'm the fittest I've ever been... stairs don't hurt... I can bend down and pick stuff up without breaking into a sweat, when I go out walking I go the long way and purposefully go up the steeper paths so I can see the view from the top!
- I don't feel like giving up... in fact there's nothing to give up. I eat foods I like. I eat ALL the foods I like... chips, pizza, beer and wine (and, heaven help, the post-pub doner kebab). It's just that I run and walk some of the calories off and then I eat sensibly the rest of the time.
- The life ahead of me is exciting again! I'm going to need new clothes soon as I'm running out of smaller sizes in my wardrobe. I'm so looking forward to some "milestone" runs that mean something to me. I've entered a 10k run. 12 stones looks absolutely achievable... and not in some vague "one day I'll be 12 stones" sort of way, but in a "based on my journey so far I'll be 12 stones by the end of January 2020".
Sorry for the long-winded post, but I'm absolutely over the moon to be here with you lovely people, doing something I never thought I'd do and enjoying the hell out of it! And if people who follow me on the journey read this and start to hope, that's fantastic!
Happy Thursday everyone!
ps - still not achieved that under 14 units per week target!!
Written by
Pianism
Graduate
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This is such an inspirational and uplifting story to read, thank you for posting. Your journey has been up and down over the years....just shows that exercise and healthy food but not barring any food or you will crave it actually works !
Next January will be a celebration month I’m sure ! 🎉
Well done on such an achievement !
I run, still eat cake, enjoying my 49 years 🎂 🏃♀️
Well done, I recognise your story, I’m on a very similar path. C25k is motivating me more than anything else I’ve tried because I feel so much better. So pleased to hear it is working for you too. 😃
What a wonderful post, both honest and positive in equal measure. Thank you for sharing it with us. 🤗
This could be my story too, can really relate to this. You've made the changes and are seeing the benefits, you'll get to 12st and be in a smaller sized running gear too!
That’s some story right there my friend... very inspirational. 2019 is certainly the year you took control... and we aren’t even quite a third of the way through it yet.
I like your diet, in the true sense of the word... it’s all about balance and sometimes that balance means eating that pizza! Last week I had non-homemade pizza for the first time in years, and it was lovely. Then on Saturday I ran parkrun and home for breakfast... breakfast was a pint of halo top red velvet ice cream... which had half of the calories I’d burned on the run and is a source of protein. Gotta love this new healthy living haven’t we? 😂
As the Lancashire hotpots once sang, I used to “get through more units in a day than the bloke on the till at IKEA”. I’ve reduce that a lot... and I don’t drink the night before a run... but I’m over the 14 units, I don’t even remember the limit being changed!
Pianism, that is a terrific story and you deserve to be able to shout it from the rooftops.
I know exactly where you are coming from, fad diets don’t really work in the long term, you need to put joy back into your life first and C25k + parkrun can really do that. Brilliant, just brilliant 👏🤗👍
What a brilliant post! It’s amazing to look back and see how much things have changed for you in such a short time. Congratulations!
It’s 3 months today since I started C25k and I find it incredible how much it’s changed my life. 3 months ago I would never have considered that a 10k run is somewhere in my future, nor would I have signed up to do 50 miles with Miles for Mind in May. It’s just the best!
Lovely post Pianism... I mentioned lycra in other banter we've had... so - I challenge you to a full lycra photo when you feel comfortable wearing it!... I'm still a few stone over weight, but I will do a lycra one of me... not matter what I weight!!! (so the sooner YOU do it, the sooner you can chuckle at me!).... I have no shame!
Thank you for the inspiring story Pianism. I'm still hovering around the 17 stone mark but I know it's on the way down so I don't stress about it any more. I've found a weight loss system that lets me eat all my favourite foods (in moderation!) and still lose weight but around 1lb per week kind of range. I'm patient, I can wait. Good luck on the rest of your journey!!
Brilliant to read your story. All the yo-yo ing sounds so familiar. Well done for taking charge and sticking with all the smart changes you have been making in 2019. Was there anything in particular that set you off? For me, it was when I could barely get my favourite jeans done up!
This is really lovely to read and gives me hope! Well done in coming so far so quickly! I’ve got a really similar story and really hope with you lovely lots help that I’m going to be able to get anywhere near as far as you have managed.
Congratulations in making the difference you wanted!
Don’t apologise, this is a great story, very moving really. I’ve never dieted but tried to eat sensibly but tours, eat when you can, lack of sleep, I’ve been putting on weight slowly through the years. However I weighed myself this weekend and I’ve lost 3kg. Ok it’s not loads but it’s not putting on and it’s in the right direction. I don’t think I’ll ever stop eating things I like but at least now I found something I love doing which helps me maintain a better weight. Also I’m way fitter and feel so much better, which is the main thing.
Yesterday when I got my Tesco shop I put 3kg of foods in my arms and actually it didn’t feel too insignificant
I’m very impressed with your journey and your doged determinism since the start. I’m thrilled to be on this path with you
Your post brought tears to my eyes! What an honest account of what it's like to be human with all our hang-ups and recognising that we still actually have a life of live - and one that's filled with the joyous little things like booze, cakes and pizza. I too decided to stop being so hard on myself and fretting over the most ridiculous things in life and just bloody get on with it. This jogging / running malarkey is a sure fire way to clear your head and bask in your own glory of having run nonstop ffor however long.
You are an absolute inspiration. I'll be toasting you tomorrow night with a few of those precious units! ☺
You absolute star! What an amazing and inspiring story. I hope you achieve all that you aim to do and I’m following you so I can share in your joy as you achieve it all.
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