Never lose hope. You can do it. (5 stone lost-hooray!)

When I started MFP back in Spring 2014 I was just hoping to lose anything at all in a bid to improve my health. I was very unfit, partly due to a bad knee injury, and had got into bad eating habits. Ironically I often wasn't eating enough which I think really messed up my metabolism. I think it is all too easy to fall into a downward spiral of your confidence and energy getting lower and lower which makes you feel too rundown or too self-conscious to do the things which would make you feel better in the long run- home cooking, fresh air, being more active. Exercising when you have a lot to lose and have little confidence- well at first it just hurts and feels an uphill struggle but it does get easier. It is also difficult in that when you lose or have lost weight, you can become terrified of regaining it, even a couple of lbs. At some points I wasn't sensible and just had diet shakes or ate far too little, which looking back was unnecessary. Even this week I felt a bit worried having had some birthday cake with a friend and some chocolate at Easter. But today I found out I had got to a goal I had once thought I could never get to, losing 5 stone. Hooray! I want to say to anyone who thinks they can't do it, you absolutely can. It will be hard at times, very hard, but if you keep chipping away at it you can achieve your goals. Remember too, to be kind to yourself and your body. :-) I still have weight to lose but it no longer seems impossible and I am definitely on course to better health and happiness. Wishing all the mfpallers lots of luck on your journeys!