Thread: Hedgemags Dieting History & Diary. A New Life Ahead .......

All the time I have been posting on this wonderful site called Minimins I have never kept a diary. So I thought I would write a brief (hopefully) history of my dieting life.
I have been dieting since the age of 19.
I left school at 16 and went to work. Earning my own money to spend on all the things that my parents said no to…..chocolate, cakes, sweets, sandwiches, crisps and even the odd take a way.
I would buy chocolate and biscuits on the way to work, they would be eaten before I reached the office. I would pop out at coffee break and get some cakes for the me and the girls. Lunch would consist of a sandwich, bag or two of crisps, can of drink, more chocolate and a dessert. Afternoon tea break would be biscuits or more cake. At 5:30 we would leave work and catch the bus home, but, I passed a Newsagents on the way, so I was in there for more sweets and probably a magazine.
I would have my dinner waiting for me when I got in. I never had any trouble getting that down as well. I never owned up to all the junk I was eating throughout the day.
Fast forward a couple of years…….
I was married now to my 1st Husband and weighed 13 ½ stone……..contentment they said!! I called it stuffing my face with cr*p. Hubby was very slim and never minded that I was getting bigger by the day. Maybe if it had been a problem I may have done something about it sooner than I did. (will never know)
By the time I was 26 I had ballooned up to 18 stone…and felt awful. My marriage had ended and I was comfort eating. Anything I could but my hands on went in my mouth. It was a vicious circle, I ate, felt awful, felt awful and ate…I had to do something about it and fast.
I decided to join SW after seeing an ad in my local paper. I phoned the consultant and had a long chat with her about what I had been doing, and that I really needed to loose about 5 stone ish. I went along to the meeting which was held at our local school. That first time I was so nervous, I stood outside for what seemed an age before I could pluck up courage to go in. I needn’t have worried, it was very informal and I wasn’t the only new person to go that evening. The most embarrassing thing for me though was stepping on those scales and having some stranger seeing just how much I weighed. That was my heaviest 18st 4lb….26 years ago.
I stuck with SW and gradually lost 7 stone 4lb, I was happier, healthier and had also started a new relationship. So all in all things were beginning to looking up. I did what a lot of people do when they reach their goal, I celebrated……………….with food! You then find yourself on the very slippery slope of putting the weight back on. It took me 12 years of yoyo dieting to get back to the weight I was when I started SW.
Fast forward to February 2005 weighing in at 15st 2lb, after losing some weight by calorie counting…..and I was coming up to a milestone birthday (50).
I was so depressed, overweight and so unfit.
I had a hospital appointment coming up where I was to have keyhole surgery on my knees. At the beginning of February I went to the hospital for the pre-admittance appointment. I was weighed, measured and my blood pressure checked (which was high). By BMI was way too high , then I was told that I would not be able to have the operation as a day patient, I would have to be admitted and stay in over night. I didn’t like that idea very much.
I came home from hospital so fed up, I had to do something about my weight AGAIN!! So, I decided to have look on the internet and found Lighter Life. There was a counselor in Clacton at the time, so I phoned her that evening and arranged to go a long to a new members meeting. And because I had over 3 stone to lose I could join. They would only take you if you have 3 or more stone to lose. Although it was quite a lot of money I talked it over with OH and decided to give it a go. I had to sign up for 100 days abstinence…..I thought OMG that seems forever especially when you are living on soups and shakes. But I stuck with it and got through the 100 days losing 3st 3lbs, so I was a very happy bunny. Anyway as I needed to lose quite a bit more I stayed on the abstinence programme until I reached my goal of 9st 7lb in October of that year. I was no longer fat and fifty. I moved up into maintenance at the end of October, I was doing reasonably well, although, I was getting fed up with the group counseling. I found some weeks it was very emotional and sometimes hard going. One week we attended and our Counselor announced that LL were putting up their prices…..it would be jumping up quite a bit and I knew that I would not be able to afford it any more. So I didn’t go back, which in hindsight was the wrong thing to do. I should have stuck it out and go through the programmes properly.
The weight started to go back on and I was getting down again, my clothes were no longer fitting and I was feeling so sluggish and horrible. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to afford LL, but I had heard about the Cambridge Diet from a friend that had lost weight a few years before. I looked up the web site and contacted my nearest counselor, and set off on yet another weight-loss journey.
I managed to get my weight down to within a few pounds of my previous goal which I was happy with….In the mean time I applied to become a CDC myself…..my counselor sponsored me, I went off to Corby for my training , once I had completed the training and the training modules I started as a CD Counselor. That was November 2006………
At the beginning of 2007 my weight started to creep up again, winter was here and the comfort eating reared it’s ugly head. Over the next 5 months I regained 3 ½ stone and found myself getting back into all the old ways again….the circle was still turning.
So 15 weeks ago I had my light-bulb moment and gave myself a boot up the ar*e and went back on SSing…..I have now my goal in sight yet again…..and this time it will be off to stay!!!!!





Sorry if it has been a boring read, I just wanted to get something written down………………….and you will be pleased to know that I have cut a very long story short lol
Thank you for reading, if you have managed to get to the end………..I may even write in here each day to help me keep focused and keep my weight off..

To be Cont....................................

Fantastic post, Hedgemag
Lots in there that people starting/continuing/restarting their journey can identify with.
I wish you every success, you deserve it.

I loved reading your story, Hedgemag (jeez! You could have been writing mine too in some places! )

Good to hear you're doing so well .. and, yes, keep posting!

I loved reading your story too HM! There are parts when we could have been twins! Good luck with remainder of your journey, I am with you all the way! Vxx

its lovely to hear your story Maggie, and im sure most of us will identify with the yoyo cycle.

Thanx Guys....I am going to try and make an effort to up date on a regular basis.....

Hey chicky, "known" you all this time and never knew your story! I feel like i can identify with a few of the things - i've been overweight since my teens and at 22 i know the need to lose weight as obesity is in my family and my dad died of a brain haemorrhage (probably associted with his high blood pressure). I'd hate to leave my mam so i'm doing CD to live.

Will keep a close eye on your diary missy, hopefully it'll give me the strength to stick to SS!!

Love ya xxx

Hello Maggie

What a great intro, could relate to so much especially the early years. Funny how you have an image in your mind about someone and I did not think for a minute you would be fit and fifty - OMG I hope you don't take that as being rude, I imagined you to be my age, late 30's. Anyway whilst taking my foot out of my mouth, I think it is great to know someone's journey so you can understand your own. I feel less alone when I know others can understand rather than judge- thank you Maggie

Thank you BB. I don't think you rude at all. Infact I am now fit and 52.

just wanted to wish you good luck with this journey,u can do it ....
sue

Great read hunni well done ,deffo bits in there we can all identify with xxx

Thanks so much for starting your diary Maggie I'm really looking forward to getting to know you better. Oh by the way, you really are fit and 52

Great to read your story. I agree with what others have said, there are bits in there that we can all identify with. Good luck

Originally Posted by Hedgemag

Thank you BB. I don't think you rude at all. Infact I am now fit and 52.

Just remember Maggie, Many a good tune played on and old Fiddle ( Thats one for all the abuse on the other thread)

Originally Posted by Allan G

Just remember Maggie, Many a good tune played on and old Fiddle ( Thats one for all the abuse on the other thread)

Thanks for that Allan.....after all you should know