This time next year.....

[Mammou]

This is my 1st day back on the weightloss journey. Yes you did see the word"back" I was doing very welll getting the weight under control last year and then it just went South, but badly. I have almost gained all the weight back that I lost . I really went into a bad state of mind and just ate all the wrong stuff. We went on holiday to SA for a month and while I was walking through some beautiful shops with a friend and saw the most beautiful colourful dresses, I turned to her and said that at this stage of my life I do not own one single dress anymore and she turned to me and said..... "you used to always wear such pretty dresses, why do you not wear them anymore?" Bless her, she did not see me as round and fat, she still saw me as the friend she knew back then. She is one of my best friends since our husbands had a business together and have known me for the last 30 years. I then admitted to her that I just did not feel good in a dress and could not hide all the bumps and love handles that I could by wearing trousers with loose fitting tops. Being a very wise friend she just smiled and said "such a pity, it suited you" We had our coffee and returned home, but the wheels were starting to click in my brain. I remembered the TV programme that I had watched in UK called "This time next year..." and that I was so impressed by what they all had achieved. Some lost weight, some had to have serious health issues sorted out etc, etc. I had a lot of time (being on holiday in the sun) to just sit and take stock and decide what it is that I am going to do. I phoned this friend and made a promise to my her (and to myself) that, this time next year...... I WILL BE WEARING A PRETTY DRESS again!!!

I know that along the way my health will also improve and that is the most important reason for losing the weight, but a little bit of vanity is not too bad is it? This time next year, I will, I will, I will............

Here goes...

[Hidden]

Hi Mammou,

Don't worry - we have all been there and we are so happy to have you back

You might be interested to know we are running a maintainers' club now, so when you reach your goal weight, this might be the next step for you to help maintain your good work.

Good luck

[Mammou in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. When I have done what I have to do I will def join you guys. Wish me luck on my 20kg journey

[Hidden in reply to Mammou]

Best of luck!

[IndigoBlue61]

Lovely post, so positive and uplifting ☺ and yes you can and will do it, and I can't wait to hear more about your journey ☺☺☺

[Mammou in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thank you #Anna61 I will be posting so many things, you will have to tell me to please give you some peace

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Mammou]

Definitely not!!! We like everyone to contribute ☺☺☺

[HubbysMissMouse]

Welcome back and hope all goes well for you, they also do daily weigh-ins now as well, which helps some of us loads, I always found on a Monday, I tend to have put weight on but by a Thursday I have lost it all again, this is why I am weighing in this day. I still check my weight every day though. It helps me remember how I don't need to panic if it does go up because of how often it changes daily. Good luck with your journey and all the best.

[Mammou in reply to HubbysMissMouse]

Hi, Thanks HMM The daily weigh-ins make a lot of sense. I think I will be doing mine on a Tuesday which is tomorrow as the quicker I get going the better it will be for my journey

M

[Weight-be-gone]

Hi Mammou. What a great decision to come back!

I've only recently realised that diets are crap, they only work short term because as soon as you reach your target you stop and the weight piles back on. I can't count how many times I've done that. So this time around I've changed my lifestyle, so I've actually started exercising (albeit gentle) which I've never done before and changed my food for healthy long term sustainable food that I enjoy. I am hoping this will keep the weight off for good, because like you I've hated putting it back on. And every time I've done that my confidence is chipped a bit more. I plan to join the maintainers club on here once I am at target as encourage to stick with my new lifestyle.

Good luck on your journey, I look forward to you posting pics of you in your pretty dresses once again

[Mammou in reply to Weight-be-gone]

Thanks WbG for your lovely message. Yes I agree with the diet crap. I am now going to start my calorie counting way of life and what I found in the past is that with planning your week's menu it actually keeps the costs down as well as not throwing away so much food that has gone off because of it not being used. I have now joined the Tuesday weigh-ins and today I am off for my first dip into the pool

Here's to pretty dresses!!

[bulge1]

I watched that program as well it also inspired me to do the same. I have watch a lot of these how to lose weight type programs in the hope of finding just what way is the right way for me to go. In the past I have tried all sorts of diets, the one thing that worked for me was being referred to my local gym by my GP. I lost 3.1/2 st and because it was slowly, I was able to maintain it it for quite some time. My defeat came when I broke my arm (having other problems with that as well) So I was unable to exercise and because it wasn't easy to try to cook one handed, ready meals became the mainstay of my diet, and in no time weight was going back on. Having got Christmas and all that goes with it over. I started swapping unhealthy food for good on 16th of January, ( which is what I did at the gym) on the first Sunday in February I had lost 6 lbs, so as far as I'm concerned slowly but surely dose it. As long as my scales show a loss I'm happy. So best wishes and good luck on your journey.

[Mammou in reply to bulge1]

Hi Bulge1, thank you for your lovely message. and I hope that you will keep up the good work. It seems that we all have our ups and downs and sometimes the best thing is just to get back on the horse. As you would have noticed, I am a newbie restarter. I gained almost all the weight that I lost last year through nobody else's fault and no health issues at all. Just not keeping my eye on the ball. This time round I think I will not go off this forum again and stay on with the maintain group to keep the good work going. It is still going to take some time again to get back to where I was, but after my swim this morning I felt so much better and not eating the rubbish food for even just 2 days made me also feel good. I am really going to do it this time.

good luck for the week and see you around

[lucigret]

Hi Mammou , what a brilliant post. I'm now thinking I might make a pledge to my self, maybe not 'this time next year' as that for me is probably too far away, but maybe 'this time in 6 months'. I work towards small goals in weight loss, but I too would love to wear pretty dresses again and not live in jeans and tops. wishing you the very best in your weight loss journey.

[Mammou in reply to lucigret]

Thank you lucigret for your good wishes. I do not know how much weight you have to shift, but if you can do it in 6 months go for it girl. I have 20Kg to shift and if I can wear pretty dresses before the year is done I am up for it. Letswork at it and wear those pretty dresses