Hi everyone! Sorry it's a big intro 
It's so great to read all the stories and see I am not alone in the challenges we have. Of course I knew that to some degree but reading through just plays a great trick on the mind.
So why my title - No Excuses ?
I have used so many excuses over my 44 years to justify my state of health. Note I say state of health as I believe the two go hand in hand for me. I know when I am overweight that I do not feel healthy and my body tells me so.....heartburn, 'tiredness', leathargy (however you spell it!), swollen ankles, irregular appetite and complete disassociation with food, poor skin and the list goes on. These are just some of the physical cues..let's not go onto the emotional and mental ones!
So yes like many of us I have dieted but to be honest I have never ever quite reached my goals as I have given up along the way for whichever great excuse worked at the time. Change of job, moving country, personal loss,studying,breakup from boyfriend. You name it I have used it and the sympathy from family and friends has helped to keep me in the cycle. Don't get me wrong this is not a negative statement as they love me and it's hard to support a yoyo.
2 years ago I was feeling very driven and prepared to make a permanent change in my cycle. I used My Fitness Pal and trained for a half marathon (on a treadmill). I was on an isolated station in the Antarctic so running outside was kinda tricky. Slowly I lost weight and achieved my half marathon. I went from 96kg to 82.8kg and was feeling super. What happened? In a nut shell a number of things. Once the run was done I lost motivation for the gym and with lots of newcomers to station I lost my confidence. Since then there has been significant work stresses which have taken a huge emotional and mental toll on my well being and I compensated by eating. I am now at 107kg and at 5ft 7 it's simply too much.
So I have quit my job and at an age of 44 I am retraining to become a pilot. I don't want to be unhealthy anymore and want to give my all to this. I have struggled to find something that will suit and be a way forward for me because......I love food. I heard about the fast diet last year but after one week I brushed it off with excuses of 'too difficult '. My health is just appalling at the moment and my body is screaming out for me to pay attention and I have.....
So folks please welcome me to my first week - well it's only day 5 at the moment. Already I feel better as the constant heartburn has gone. Like many of you have mentioned I have that crazy mother whom I am visiting at the moment. I will be here for another two weeks so will have that challenge to endure. My resolve is that with the constant battle here with her I will come out strong and can make the WOE work anywhere.
I am looking forward to losing the weight and feeling fitter. I like the ideas of measuring your achievements and I plan to go both the bracelet route and the marbles in the bowl. A visual reminder to me will make me feel proud.
Sorry all for the long diatribe but as with all of us our stories have a myriad of colours.
Well done to all those success stories out there and thanks for your inspiration. To all the newbies - we are not alone and keep going as you are worth it.
Ags
It's so great to read all the stories and see I am not alone in the challenges we have. Of course I knew that to some degree but reading through just plays a great trick on the mind.
So why my title - No Excuses ?
I have used so many excuses over my 44 years to justify my state of health. Note I say state of health as I believe the two go hand in hand for me. I know when I am overweight that I do not feel healthy and my body tells me so.....heartburn, 'tiredness', leathargy (however you spell it!), swollen ankles, irregular appetite and complete disassociation with food, poor skin and the list goes on. These are just some of the physical cues..let's not go onto the emotional and mental ones!
So yes like many of us I have dieted but to be honest I have never ever quite reached my goals as I have given up along the way for whichever great excuse worked at the time. Change of job, moving country, personal loss,studying,breakup from boyfriend. You name it I have used it and the sympathy from family and friends has helped to keep me in the cycle. Don't get me wrong this is not a negative statement as they love me and it's hard to support a yoyo.
2 years ago I was feeling very driven and prepared to make a permanent change in my cycle. I used My Fitness Pal and trained for a half marathon (on a treadmill). I was on an isolated station in the Antarctic so running outside was kinda tricky. Slowly I lost weight and achieved my half marathon. I went from 96kg to 82.8kg and was feeling super. What happened? In a nut shell a number of things. Once the run was done I lost motivation for the gym and with lots of newcomers to station I lost my confidence. Since then there has been significant work stresses which have taken a huge emotional and mental toll on my well being and I compensated by eating. I am now at 107kg and at 5ft 7 it's simply too much.
So I have quit my job and at an age of 44 I am retraining to become a pilot. I don't want to be unhealthy anymore and want to give my all to this. I have struggled to find something that will suit and be a way forward for me because......I love food. I heard about the fast diet last year but after one week I brushed it off with excuses of 'too difficult '. My health is just appalling at the moment and my body is screaming out for me to pay attention and I have.....
So folks please welcome me to my first week - well it's only day 5 at the moment. Already I feel better as the constant heartburn has gone. Like many of you have mentioned I have that crazy mother whom I am visiting at the moment. I will be here for another two weeks so will have that challenge to endure. My resolve is that with the constant battle here with her I will come out strong and can make the WOE work anywhere.
I am looking forward to losing the weight and feeling fitter. I like the ideas of measuring your achievements and I plan to go both the bracelet route and the marbles in the bowl. A visual reminder to me will make me feel proud.
Sorry all for the long diatribe but as with all of us our stories have a myriad of colours.
Well done to all those success stories out there and thanks for your inspiration. To all the newbies - we are not alone and keep going as you are worth it.
Ags
cm
