I’m starting this!

I’m Gabs. I haven’t been on a forum in about 12 years, but those were just fan forums for bands I used to like.

This is my new journey.

1. 12.02.2019
This my D day. My zero day. The day I finally say: well screw this *kitten*, things are about to damn change around here.

Yes, my motivation may be corrupt in some way or another, but it’s still something that makes me want to push and make it through. I am really looking forward to not hiding my body in that week away with all my friends.

Starting goal: not exact, but something over 100kg
Goal: 70 KG
Time: let’s say 6 months.

Initially I wanted to start this today, however today turned into a celebration and a bit of overindulgence.

I did, however, get to skip my cookie/pastry/chips at lunch at work, so I’m counting that as a win.

From tomorrow, however, it’ll go like this:
- bread is online acceptable as whole wheat and with breakfast, not more than 2 slices.
- No cookies, chocolate, cakes, doughnuts, and anything else in this form.
- No chips, crisps and fried food
- No takeout
- No soda, and my alcohol intake will be limited to celebrations with friends, and really really special occasions. And my bear will switch to gin and diet tonic.
- Will replace three of the dinners/lunches that I make now, with various salads.
- Gym for at least 3 times/week for an average of an hour, or 4 times/30 minutes.

Day 1. 13.02.2019 The backstory

So this day is starting, and I had a loooong, long long look at my lifestyle recently.
I’ve never been skinny or fit, always on the heavy side because unfortunately I grew up in a family that did not care about image or the food that they put in their mouth. And I guess what they say about habits being formed at an early age, they stick.

I always had a sugar tooth. In the idea that I used to eat a lot of it. I am ashamed in thinking back and realising that as a kid I was eating about 1 or two chocolate bars a day.

When I started working, I was doing night shifts. Long 12 hours shifts of sitting at a desk in front of a computer (I work in IT, and yes, we do subside on coffee, pizza and soda). I did not have a lot of time to cook, so I would go for an entire shift without eating and then eat in the morning and go to sleep.

So from being just a little bit chubby, I went to full on fat fast. Add that to not having any time or motivation to do something about it, and I just stayed that way. (My boyfriend at that time had no interest on supporting me or at least motivate me to change something, we would get two large pizzas on the weekend, wash it down with some beer and call it a night. No wonder we broke up)

Last year, I moved to London with my new partner, my husband. He is not a health freak, but he cares about his body, what he puts in it, and he is going to the gym as much as he can to loose the little fat he has and to build muscle. No need to say it even, he was and is my motivation.

When we moved, we joined the gym. It was a religious experience for me, never having stepped in a gym before. I got the trainers, the clothes, the water bottle (yes we have matching ones) and started going to the gym.

First few months, about 4 or 5, I lost about 10-15 kg, two sizes in clothes, and I was feeling like a new me. I loved looking at myself in the mirror and seeing the progress, the sweat dripping (especially when I was on the cardio machines and saw water dripping down! That is orgasmic!)

My biggest achievement was on the stair master. At first, I would do 5 minutes and get off of it, out of breath to the point of fainting. Now I can do 30 minutes straight (a full program!), my clothes soaked when I’m done, but I can freaking do it!

And with that, I hit a plateau. And then we moved house, and I started a new job where I was no longer on the same shifts as him so we couldn’t go to the gym together as much. But we still went, him more than me.

After moving, somehow my sweet tooth made its way back. It started with a croissant, and then a piece of baked goods, and... then basically anything I could find in Tesco/Asda that looked sweet af and I knew I would enjoy it. Combine that with some chips, and takeout meals, and breakfast from McDonalds... and all my progress is out the f-ing window.

It’s time to go back on the weight loss/healthy lifestyle wagon. I spent hours in the past few days reading on forums, blogs and papers the benefits of giving up junk (I knew them already, I was pre-med!) and I decided: no more.

Phew, that felt good to get out. We’ll see if this time it sticks.