A change is a-coming...

I have tried to lose weight many many times. MANY times! And each time I lose a little and then it all falls apart. 

Well, I've started again and this time it seems to be working! I joined Slimming World 6 weeks ago and so far I've lost 16.5 pounds! Yes - that's over a stone!!! I can't remember the last time I lost anywhere near that, and in only 6 weeks! 

I don't want to jinx myself, as we all know I am my own worst enemy, but I feel like this is actually working for a number of reasons:

• All 4 of the ladies who work in our room are doing SW so it is easier to keep each other accountable as to what we are eating during the school day. 
• I have really good friends who all know my struggles and have been  extra encouraging. 
• One of them even picks me up to take me to get weighed! And on the days when I feel like I have put on weight and don't want to go - she has promised to still come and drag me out!
• Mentally I am so ready for this. I've spoken before on my blog about how I self-sabotage, and how I have an overeating / binge eating disorder, but I'm done with being fat, being the 'jolly' one and making jokes at my own expense constantly. 

So I have been eating properly (with the odd sausage supper or chips and kebab) and I have actually enjoyed discovering healthy options - like my seafood sticks or my local butchers' 0.5 syn kebabs!

I wanted to encourage anyone who is fed up being the size they are, or fed up having nothing that fits you. It is horrible starting a 'diet' because all you can think about are the white chocolate and raspberry scones, or the lemon cheesecake that you can't have, but stick in there. I do believe you still have to live your life, so chips on a Friday night will always be included, but I also think you can be good the rest of the week and still make it work. And above all it is a marathon and not a sprint. I didn't put the 6 extra stones of weight on overnight, so I can't expect it to shift overnight either. I need to put the effort and the work in. If you don't do anything about the problem, how can you expect change to happen?

My next challenge is to add some exercise to my week and start to get those muscles working. I've a pile of fitness DVDs that I could do, and a beautiful park near me, so I really don't have any excuse other than the fact that I am lazy! 

This has been an exciting 6 weeks, but while I am happy to be getting fit and losing weight, there is something even more special that we need to remember...

God created us to love Him and serve Him, and He doesn't make mistakes. Yes, we need to look after our bodies as they are His temple, but we also need to look after our hearts by letting Him come in and take control. His plans are better than ours and His ways higher than ours could ever be. He can do more in our lives than any diet or make-over. We need to stay close to Him. That's the only thing we need!

So I hope you will join me as I travel on this journey of transformation and learning as I get closer to God and closer to my goal weight!