Judith Wills
A couple of weeks ago I promised that I would unveil a cunning new plan to stimulate my motivation to lose my surplus 4lbs and then keep it off for the rest of the year. And then last week, I thought of something better to talk about.
So it's back to the motivation theme this week.
First of all. Those of you with a lot to lose - stones, say - may wonder why on earth I'm moaning on about 4lbs. Well to put it in context, I lost 22lbs last year, going from 12 stone to 10 stone 6lbs. When I reached my target I felt that I could actually do with going down another 3 lbs to feel as 'perfect', weight-wise, as I am ever going to be at the grand old age of 62 (as I still had a little bit of pot belly and flab round the middle).
The plan back in November was to lose that last few pounds and then maintain it. Well a) not only did I not lose the three pounds but b) I actually gained four. And since then, I've used every well-worn excuse there is, to explain the fact I have not even managed to get rid of that four.
First Christmas holidays and New Year. Then most of January ill and not able to exercise. Then weekends away, work trips and people coming to stay. So here you find me. Annoyed with myself. Four (or 7, whichever way you look at it) pounds isn't a lot but I don't want it to be the fat end of the wedge. If I don't get back to 10-6 or lower I can see me in a few months time making excuses for being 12lbs over, then a stone - and then hey presto, there I am, back at 12 stones.
I did not slave away losing that hard-earned 22lb to put it all back on. And I am not going to let it happen.
I apologise to all of you who are losing four pounds in a week and wonder what on earth I'm going on about - but for me, half a pound a week is good and a steady 2lb a month is really good. I'm not into fast weight loss as I like my food too much.
But even to lose 2lb a month and then to maintain it, I really do need motivation. Last year I had the very strong incentive that every month my body would appear with no hiding place (a leotard) in Saga Magazine along with my latest statistics. Nothing could be better than that for putting fear into a slimmer, especially one who for years has told others how to do it.
But now - what? Well, here it is, at last, the punchy ending. Something I thought, as an avid fashion-hater, I'd never say.
Clothes. After years of hardly buying anything new to wear, I have been buying stuff. Skinny jeans and trousers, mainly, but also dresses (dresses? ME? Unheard of since circa 1976), summer jackets, fitted tops... And there is no, no way that I'm not going to wear them. Having spent several years slumming round in elasticated waists and size 20 tops, it's wonderful to put clothes on and not look too bad in them. I can still get in all the new clothes now, but they'll look better if I'm 10 stone 6 and even better if I keep at the exercise to make sure my tum is flattish and my waist not muffiny.
So there you are. A fluffy, girly, silly reason to want to lick this weight thing once and for all. Because I might want to buy some new clothes next year, too, and the year after that.
Dubious press story of the week (well last week, actually): Daily Mail again. In the first half of the paper there was a diet story - a large scary piece about red meat being a killer, and a few pages further along, there was another diet story - about how we should all eat lots of red meat as it's really good for us. Bits of truth in both stories - but how the average reader is to make any sense of it beats me.
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