I've been on slimming world for seven weeks now, and lost 19 and a half pounds. People are starting to comment on my weight loss and ask questions - and offer opinions - and it feels like the right time to start The Diary.
I'm on a journey to lose 50% of my body weight. Until this week, the only people who knew this goal were me, my SW consultant (minimins!) and a handful of my close friends. Now that the weight loss is visible more and more people are asking about my target and I've been surprised how controversial it is.
I have not told anyone how heavy I am, or how heavy I was when I started. I haven't told them that I'm aiming to shed 50% of my starting weight. I've just told them my target weight, and what BMI that would make me: 22.5, so right in the middle of the healthy range.
I'm stunned by how many people think that I should not be aiming for this target - and how many people are encouraging me to aim for a BMI of 25 or 26. It's odd, and I find it slightly sinister. When I asked what their BMI/ideal BMI for themselves is most said between 21 and 23!
So why should someone who has been bigger not aim for a healthy BMI as well? Do we lose the right to be a healthy weight when we become heavy? If we have to diet to achieve a healthy weight do we similarly give up this right? (What business of anyone else's is my BMI anyway?!)
I am "recently heavy". It's interesting how quick people's perceptions change. The weight I am aiming for is the weight I was just two years ago. In the past two years I have had 5 lots of neurosurgery, countless cycles of chemotherapy and industrial quantities of steroids. I have been depressed. I have been necessarily immobile and I have eaten poorly. The combination is a perfect recipe for serious weight gain, and I have literally doubled in weight in that time. Throughout my illness I have tried various diets to try and curb the weight gain (WW, diet chef, Atkins) with limited success. Frankly, having lost my career and a huge proportion of my quality of life a restrictive diet was just too much. Slimming World was my last chance saloon, and so far it seems a good fit.
I've realised how people respond in public to those of us who are big. I have been glared at when sitting down on the bus. People assume I am lazy, or stupid, or both. Worse, people I have known all my life - who are used to seeing me in lycra finishing half marathons, or cycling up a mountain - cannot meet my eye. I feel like screaming: I am still the same person!
Most likely I will not run a half marathon again. (This is a decision that has been made for me by my doctors). But I am determined to get back into my jeans. And my favourite dress. I have learnt to walk again so I will learn to be slim again.
I started at 16st8lbs. I am aiming for 8st4lbs. I felt very emotional when I saw 16st8lbs on the scales at my first weigh in - literally double my starting weight. But I am a sucker for number patterns and conspiracy theories so it seemed strangely fitting that I start on a determined quest at exactly double the weight I am aiming for.
The interim targets (to be pasted into my signature when I have enough posts. I will think of some more to break down the last 5 when I get closer to them...):
1. 14st13lbs (SW Club 10 and ironically my starting weight when I tried WW after one cycle of chemo!)
2. 14st8lbs (2 stone off, and the achievable interim target I set with my SW consultant.)
3. 14st7lbs (Yes, really. This is where I got to with diet chef last summer before I got too sick of the food to continue!)
4. 13st13lbs (The lowest weight I got to on WW before counting points and remembering drug regimes at the same time became too much.)
5. 13st6lbs (The 10% target for WW that I didn't get to. I'm smashing it this time.)
6. 12st8lbs (Second SW interim target.)
7. 10st8lbs (Third SW interim target.)
8. 8st8lbs (Fourth SW interim target.)
9. 8st4lbs (Final target!!!)
I'm on a journey to lose 50% of my body weight. Until this week, the only people who knew this goal were me, my SW consultant (minimins!) and a handful of my close friends. Now that the weight loss is visible more and more people are asking about my target and I've been surprised how controversial it is.
I have not told anyone how heavy I am, or how heavy I was when I started. I haven't told them that I'm aiming to shed 50% of my starting weight. I've just told them my target weight, and what BMI that would make me: 22.5, so right in the middle of the healthy range.
I'm stunned by how many people think that I should not be aiming for this target - and how many people are encouraging me to aim for a BMI of 25 or 26. It's odd, and I find it slightly sinister. When I asked what their BMI/ideal BMI for themselves is most said between 21 and 23!
So why should someone who has been bigger not aim for a healthy BMI as well? Do we lose the right to be a healthy weight when we become heavy? If we have to diet to achieve a healthy weight do we similarly give up this right? (What business of anyone else's is my BMI anyway?!)
I am "recently heavy". It's interesting how quick people's perceptions change. The weight I am aiming for is the weight I was just two years ago. In the past two years I have had 5 lots of neurosurgery, countless cycles of chemotherapy and industrial quantities of steroids. I have been depressed. I have been necessarily immobile and I have eaten poorly. The combination is a perfect recipe for serious weight gain, and I have literally doubled in weight in that time. Throughout my illness I have tried various diets to try and curb the weight gain (WW, diet chef, Atkins) with limited success. Frankly, having lost my career and a huge proportion of my quality of life a restrictive diet was just too much. Slimming World was my last chance saloon, and so far it seems a good fit.
I've realised how people respond in public to those of us who are big. I have been glared at when sitting down on the bus. People assume I am lazy, or stupid, or both. Worse, people I have known all my life - who are used to seeing me in lycra finishing half marathons, or cycling up a mountain - cannot meet my eye. I feel like screaming: I am still the same person!
Most likely I will not run a half marathon again. (This is a decision that has been made for me by my doctors). But I am determined to get back into my jeans. And my favourite dress. I have learnt to walk again so I will learn to be slim again.
I started at 16st8lbs. I am aiming for 8st4lbs. I felt very emotional when I saw 16st8lbs on the scales at my first weigh in - literally double my starting weight. But I am a sucker for number patterns and conspiracy theories so it seemed strangely fitting that I start on a determined quest at exactly double the weight I am aiming for.
The interim targets (to be pasted into my signature when I have enough posts. I will think of some more to break down the last 5 when I get closer to them...):
1. 14st13lbs (SW Club 10 and ironically my starting weight when I tried WW after one cycle of chemo!)
2. 14st8lbs (2 stone off, and the achievable interim target I set with my SW consultant.)
3. 14st7lbs (Yes, really. This is where I got to with diet chef last summer before I got too sick of the food to continue!)
4. 13st13lbs (The lowest weight I got to on WW before counting points and remembering drug regimes at the same time became too much.)
5. 13st6lbs (The 10% target for WW that I didn't get to. I'm smashing it this time.)
6. 12st8lbs (Second SW interim target.)
7. 10st8lbs (Third SW interim target.)
8. 8st8lbs (Fourth SW interim target.)
9. 8st4lbs (Final target!!!)
