A Big Change

I have to apologise for the fact that I've been MIA for a while. Since I have moved back home, I was adamant I wasn't going to stay the way I was. I was so unhappy, with the way I looked, my confidence had hit an all time low and my life really wasn't going anywhere. I didn't have a job, I didn't really leave the house. I was a shell of who I was before, and my illness was really getting the better of me. I knew I had to make some changes. So I started with trying to get some of my pain under control. I went to a physiotherapist who helped a lot with the tension in my neck and shoulders. My headaches went down a lot and the pain was a lot more manageable. Then my mum and I decided we wanted to loose some weight. We tried cooking from the 'Lean in 15' cook books, and try eating less crappy food. But we found it ended up being short lived. We just couldn't stick to it. 

In May my Mum and I decided to join Slimming World. I had seen one of my friends loose a great deal of weight, but what I noticed more was how much her confidence had grown, and that hit me really hard. So we decided to jump into the deep end. And I will never regret this decision. I am going to be really honest. I have never really talked about how much I weigh/weighed, but now I am proud of it so I don't mind sharing it. When I started I was 17 stone 8 when I started and now, 11 weeks on I am 15 stone 8, meaning I have lost 2 stone. That's an average of roughly 2 1/2 pounds a week. I have had some amazing weeks (loosing 5 or 6 pounds) and some 'bad' weeks (where I have maintained or gained) but the thing I have found since I have started is my willpower has increased so much since I started Slimming World. Before I would have given up after like a month. But I haven't. I thought if i had one bad day of eating bad food, I would just fall off the waggon but I didn't. I'm so proud of how strong I have become. 

Here is a side-by-side of my progress. On the left was when I started back in May, and the right is me nearly 3 months later at the end of July. I cannot believe how much I have changed. The first things that stand out to me are my waist has really gone in, giving me more of a hourglass figure, the tops of my legs are not as big (which i have to say gives me far less chafing, which is awesome) and my face has really thinned out. When I started Slimming World, I had a very round face and a prominent double chin, but now my face has a lot more of a heart shape now. But what has changed the most for me is my confidence. Taking the photo on the left scared the shit out of me, I really didn't want to take the picture, but I knew I would want it for comparison later down the line. I was so nervous about taking a picture in my underwear, in a neutral pose, showing off all my flaws. But when I tried on the red bikini 2 weeks ago, I knew I had to take a picture. I was so proud of how I looked and how far I had come. 

Here is another side-by-side of my face alone. I have found that my cheeks aren't so big, making my eyes look bigger too, and my chin is more prominent, and my double chin doesn't show as much in pictures. Since I started Slimming World I have had more pride in the way I look. I will take more time in my appearance. In May, I would hardly wear any makeup or do anything nice with my hair. I wore the same baggy 'comfy' clothes, and I would hide myself away. Now I really enjoy getting ready, doing my hair and makeup, and now I have more of the body type I would like. I get excited to get new clothes and I feel like my style has become more 'Me'. Which is great!

 
 Here is a few pictures from my birthday (22nd July) this year. I went to London and for the first time (basically ever) I wore a pretty tight dress. It hugged my curves and before I would have just said a massive NOPE to wearing something like this. But when I bought this I actually felt really confident wearing it. Looking at this pictures I can't believe the difference  few months has made! Even the way I pose and stand in photos. I used to always cover myself up in pictures, or I would only take pictures from the chest up. But now I am really happy to take a full length picture. The two people who have supported me the most are in these pictures with me. My mum who is along side me on this journey knows exactly how I am feeling, and I feel like we really motivate each other. And my best friend who is also on a weight loss journey (she has Poly cystic Ovaries and is having weight loss surgery soon) is my biggest inspiration and my biggest mentor. I am so lucky to have them.

I just want to talk a little more about my best friend and how she has helped me in this journey. She has understood when I struggle to eat out. She gives me ideas for what things I could get. Even though she is doing a different sort of diet, she took the time to understand all the aspects of Slimming World so she can help me out more. She has also taught me that it is okay to have a couple of cheat meals or snacks, and even a cheat day, but she has taught me that you need to get back on the waggon and don't let anyone or anything hold you back from achieving your dreams. I am so proud of her, she has lost over 2 stone, and I have seen such a massive  difference in her. The way she looks, carries herself, the way her confidence has grown, the way she dresses. It makes me so happy to see her becoming more herself. Adel, If your reading this I love you so much!

So thank you so much for letting me rant on and on about random things, but sometimes its nice to really write it all down and think about things. I guess what I'm trying to say is Slimming World is not only an amazing way to loose weight, but a great place to find out who you really are. And that is what I love the most about Slimming World. If any one is feeling like their spark has gone out, you should try it. It's amazing. 
Thank you for reading. Talk soon!