33 days, one stone lost :)

It's hard to believe I've left it so long again between posts - three weeks ago I finished the Forever Living Clean 9 cleanse. I had been drifting along oblivious to what I was consuming, and had allowed a stone to creep back on. The trouble with putting on weight is it kinda sneaks up on you. You get on the scales and think, ""ah well, it's only a few pounds." You then convince yourself that you NEEDED to put on a bit. You know, to be curvier, sexier, more "you". Then, after ignoring the scales for a few months because you know better, and subconsciously leaving the tighter-fitting clothes in the wardrobe, carry on with your life, eating takeaways, fast food, ready meals, crap, really. 

And then you take the plunge and get on the scales. The despair, shame and embarrassment when you realise that you've been lying to yourself for the past x months hits you so hard that you plummet somewhere dark for a few days. You don't want to be seen, you don't try to look good and you could allow this depression to consume you. You could. I did. For a few days/weeks. 

I am fortunate that my husband, Scott, has seen me at these moments and knows to be there for support initially, but then galvanises me into action. We saw a picture of a guy who had done the Clean9 and Scott said, "that's like me - I want to get rid of my tummy. Let's both try it!" Good call, Chalmers, as it made it less about me, more about US. 

To hear the full extent of the Clean 9 and how it worked for us, you only need to go back four blog posts. Today's post is not about that though - it's about what happened next.

Firstly, let me say that I have not had a single cup of normal tea or coffee since 3rd July. My colleagues at work will attest to the fact that I now only drink fruit teas (and I love them!) We have not had a takeaway, or fast food. We are very aware of our calorie intake because we are logging everything on My Fitness Pal, linked with Map My Run to track our activity. If we want to have a nice pudding, or a higher-calorie meal, we know we need to increase our exercise levels. We have celebrated our wedding anniversary with a meal, pudding and wine, and have continued with our normal lives but with a few slight modifications. For example, when we are at work, we both have a meal replacement shake for our lunch, and go for a half-hour brisk walk (that's around 165 calories earned each day!) 

Anyway, the point I'm making here is that I've got to my first goal today - one stone off! Today I weigh 12st 3, and the best part is I don't want to stop. Scott has lost over half a stone, and is going to the gym every week. His moobs have gone, his tummy is going, and he us achieving so much. He even enjoys going for an evening bike ride!

So, yes, something to be proud of. I'm happy that more and more size 14s are fitting me, and have cleared my wardrobe of a whole load of 16s and 18s ready for ebaying. 

Let's keep this going. More updates to come :)