Hi guys! As you may know, I’ve been on a bit of a weight loss journey, for almost a year now. In April 2014, my best friend Nat and I, started up a blog called Twice the Mum. One of our main reasons for doing so, was to start a link up called Weight Loss Wednesday. It was both our goals, to lose our access weight (largely gained from having children) and maintain it… well forever I guess. However this year, for one reason or another, we’ve decided not to continue with our Weight Loss Wednesday posts (for now at least). As such, I decided to start my own Weight Loss and Fitness feature, on my own blog. The new feature will be called “Get Fit Friday” because for me its not just about weight loss now, but also about getting fit and toning up.

For the most part Get Fit Friday is really about my fitness and weight loss journey. However, I genuinely loved doing the link ups on Twice the Mum, feeling a sense of community and support from other bloggers who were also trying to lose weight or get fit. Because of that, I’ve decided to keep the link up part of the post, in case anyone wishes to continue on their journey with me, or even start it here.

On the Weight Loss Wednesday feature, Nat and I had a very structured format for our posts. We put a little bit of information about how we felt that week and then the stats of where we started, how we’d got on and what that meant for a running total. While I want to stick with that somewhat, I also want to make each week’s post into more of an article. I aim to tell you not only how I feel like I’m getting on, but also what I’ve managed to achieve, what I’ve failed on, the parts I struggle most with.

Anyway, this first post will probably be a bit bigger than all the other ones I make, but I really want to start out right, covering everything from the beginning.

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As I mentioned above, in April 2014 I began this current weight loss journey. I first weighed in at 13 stones and 3 pounds, with a BMI of 32.6. (The Boots scales said 13st 2lb but since I would be using my home scales and they said 13.3, it was best to go off them). I have achieved a very gradual weight loss since then, my last official weigh in placing me at 11 stone and 9 pounds. This was a total loss of 22lbs (1 stone, 8lb). My goal weight is 10 stone – which I believe is a realistic target and will place me just inside the “recommended” weight and BMI for my height.

While I’m really happy with the progress I’ve made, I do know deep down that I could have done better and I could have tried harder. Probably, I could have been at my target already by now if I’d really made the effort. But that said, gradual and slowly is probably better for me long term. A lifestyle change that allows me to eat better and more manageably, will no doubt do me more good in the long run, than having crash dieted, hit my target and then eventually ended up piling it all back on again. While my short term goal would definitely be to lose weight and tone up in time for my holiday to Florida (April 2015), my long term goal would be to maintain that size for the rest of the year – and even the years to come after that.

No doubt in the future, I will share with you a bit more about my weight gain and weight loss, over the previous years. However for now I’ll just keep it brief. I spent all my childhood and teenage years, fairly skinny. I guess I was fairly average, but in a petite way. In my first long term relationship (and ultimately first marriage) at the age of 19/20, I began to gain weight without really noticing. At my biggest, I think I was a size 16, which given I was a 10 before, was a huge amount of gain. I managed to lose the weight (and the relationship) by joining Weight Watchers, successfully getting back down to a size 10-12 again. A few years later, in my next long term relationship (and subsequently second marriage), I fell pregnant with my first daughter. I gained a large amount of weight (not just baby) and was approximately a size 16 again – with bump. After giving birth and the few weeks that followed, I was a size 14. I didn’t really try to lose the weight, but working a lot definitely helped me lose some, on occasion fitting into size 12 again. When I fell pregnant with my second daughter, I knew I would gain even more weight this time – as I’d started bigger to begin with. By the time my second child was born, I was wearing a size 18 with bump. During this pregnancy, I had decided I was determined to lose ALL the weight I’d gained and get back down to my original 10-12. After recovering from my Cesarian operation, I joined the gym and started to work out as well as swim. From a combination of eating better and getting fitter, I was back down to a 10-12 by Christmas. Sadly however, over time it all drifted back on again. I’ve dieted here and there in between – once when my second husband and I separated – once when I was due to be a Bridesmaid – and once again now. None of these times have been particularly successfully, only really getting me down to the size I am now.

PHEW – that wasn’t really that short in the end, was it? Anyway, its now my goal, to get down to that 10 stone mark and keep myself there, or thereabouts. Not only do I want to lose the weight though, I also want to lose the wobble. Now… if you’ve managed to get this far, I want to say thank you. However I also want to say sorry for what comes next. As part of my goals for this year, I promised myself I would push myself out of my comfort zones and do things I wouldn’t necessarily want to do. So that’s this next part…

This is what I look like with clothes on. I’m a size 14 currently (though a few things still feel a bit tight at a 14) and depending on how I dress, I definitely see the weight difference from when I started. However… look away now if you’re not good with wobbly bits…

These are my wobbly bits, aka my stomach (I also have a wobbly bum but that is not something anyone wants to see!). While its definitely not the worst its ever been – and I’m happy I didn’t take these pictures when I first started – this is the saggy mess my tummy is in today. It is my goal, to not only reach my target weight, but also to get rid of this podge!

So anyway. 3 weeks ago, on December 17th, I last officially weighed in. Today I got on the scales and this was the results!

Start weight: 13st 3lb
Last weigh in: 11st 9lb
Current weight: 11st 7lb
Change: -2lb
Total Loss: 24lb (1 stone 10lb)

I’m really pleased to have lost 2lb over the Christmas period and the one week that followed. I have no idea how it worked out exactly, as I only got on the scales once or twice unofficially, but to have officially lost 2lbs since last weigh in, is definitely an achievement. I have just less than 12 weeks before we go to Florida and 21lbs to lose. I know its doable if I just try, but more importantly I want to get toned up. Come back next week and see how I’ve got on and please please please feel free to share your weight loss and/or fitness journey with me!