Fat and Fit!

My Dad grew up in Kent and so when he moved up to Nottinghamshire after he married my Mum, he was considered a “foreigner” In fact my Aunty Marie never actually directly acknowledged him. Instead she would ask my Mum “does your whattsit want a cup of tea? “Does he take sugar?”

This is a stunt Aunty Marie, not the real one.

  I’m not sure if she thought, that if she spoke to him he would somehow start to brainwash her with his southern ways and before she knew it she’d be dressed as a pearly Queen, serving up jellied eels and asking people if they wanted a “barth” and not a “bath” She assumed that because of the Midlands / South divide there would be no way they could understand each other and therefore nominated my Mum as their interpreter!

My Mum & Dad...quite normal really!

  The reason for my tale of family history is because a similar thing happened to me yesterday. Somebody made an assumption about me and as we know “assumptions are the mother of all f*** ups”

When you’re overweight people assume that you’re not fit, a couple of steps and they expect you to collapse in a heap on the floor begging for someone to fetch you a mobility scooter. 

   Yesterday Lucy and I went to a meeting and in the course of general conversation we got onto the subject of golf and Lucy politely mentioned that she might like to give it a go one day. Straight away this lady offered to take Lucy along to her golf club and play 9 holes with her. I saw her look sideways at me and I could see the thought going through her head “ I wont ask fattie, I doubt she could walk the distance to play 9 holes without having to stop for a family bar of Dairy Milk and a sit down”

Now don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t run a marathon, but for a fat chick I’m actually quite active! Most weeks I go to the gym a couple of times a week and do high intensity dance classes and because I wear a fitbit, I know, that most days I achieve 10,000 steps. 

Yes I’m overweight, but I am doing something about that and I know for a fact that I’m far healthier than some of my skinny friends who must have been blessed by the Gods of “having a laugh” as they never do any exercise, eat chocolate all day and spend most evenings sat on the sofa. Ask them to go for a walk and their first question is “how far” and then a look of panic when I reply, “Until Cyril (my crazy beagle) starts to look a bit tired”

  It’s really easy to judge people and assume you know all about them by how they look or sound, but the reality is you don’t. So just as my Aunty Marie should have spent a bit of time actually getting to know my Dad and learning that Kent isn’t in the East End, maybe the lady yesterday shouldn’t have discounted me from a game of golf. Although secretly I’m glad she did, because if I’m going for a walk, I like Cyril to be there too!

PS – Another pound gone!

This Time Next Year.....

I’ve really upped my efforts this week and have tried to be good, whilst extending my culinary skills. I think it’s fair to say that my 2-½ pounds weight loss this week was more successful than the meringues I tried to make (low fat ones I might add). After 2 attempts and a gooey mess that looked like vomit, I’ve decided that shop bought is probably the way to go for me! However I did have success with some lemon chilli chicken and a chorizo pasta dish.

It's meant to be a meringue! Clearly not a successful one!

  I feel like I’ve got my focus back, I’ve unpacked a lot of stuff in my new house now, my dining table is up (thanks Dad) and apart from the occasional row with Pudding (my cat) about the fact he can’t go out yet till he knows where he lives, life is finally settling down a bit.

Pudding

  In our meeting this week, one member got a certificate for losing a total of 50 pounds, I respond well to treats, so I like the idea of getting key rings and certificates along the way. This lady is a pound off her goal weight and looks fantastic. She was saying why she wanted to lose weight and it came down to the fact that her joints had started to hurt and she’d just become a Grandma for the first time and in her words she didn’t want to be a “fat nana”.

  I think there’s always some trigger that kicks you into weight loss action. I can remember for one friend of mine it was that she got stuck in a bath in a hotel room and was so embarrassed by it she promptly joined weight watchers on her return. For others it’s not being able to fit in their clothes or a health scare. For me I think I’d had enough of feeling rubbish about myself and allowing others to make me feel bad. For me it was a gradual licking of wounds and starting to deal with my issues, which meant I could then start a diet and stick to it. There’d been many failed attempts along the way – a cottage cheese and meat eating plan and a distaerous boot camp!

  I used to think that once I’d lost all my weight my life would suddenly become perfect, I’d meet the man of my dreams (Matt Goss, Jon Bon Jovi, Idris Elba) I’d be happier at work and I’d receive a huge windfall and a holiday home in Hawaii. I used to blame the fact I was fat for everything not being perfect. Turns out that was an excuse, a way to stop me putting what was really wrong right. I can’t change some of the stuff that has happened to me, but I can face it and acknowledge that sometimes horrible stuff happens and you have to deal with it and move on. I’m not saying I’m over the death of my Mum and my friends Matt and Lawrie, because the truth is I will never get over them, but I can celebrate what they were to me and the love we had along with the amazing times we shared and what they taught me. I refuse to let my stalker take up any more of my time and after some pretty intense counselling sessions I can live with what happened.

Me, Mum & Lucy

Me, Lucy & Matt

  There’s some stuff I’ve been able to change myself, my last job made me thoroughly miserable and I put up with some situations I really shouldn’t have. Making the decision to leave and set up a business with my sister was tough and my Dad was great in saying “nothing that makes you cry every single day is worth this” I love seeing the business grow and it challenges me everyday. I remember telling some of my old colleagues what I was planning and one of them said “when you f**k it up, I’ll look for you in the dole queue” I know we’re not a multi-million pound corporation (yet) but his comments just made me more determined to succeed just so I can raise 2 fingers to him as I drive by in my Aston Martin on my way to the airport to board my private jet to fly off to my holiday home in Hawaii.

  It’s all these changes that have made me happier and as a result I think that’s triggered my weight loss, it’s not an easy journey to reach my slinky goal, but I’m getting there and I’m happier and as lovely as a date with Matt Goss, Jon Bon Jovi, Idris Elba would be, that’s pretty much all I’m looking for at the moment.

  What I’m trying to say is that don’t waste time thinking that when you’re slim, you’re life will be perfect, because it probably wont be. Put right what’s wrong now and let the rest fall into place in it's own time.

DISCLAIMER: Should Matt Goss, Jon Bon Jovi or Idris Elba want to take me on a date I am fully available!