A Weighty Issue

Hands up who’s put weight on since March last year? Hands up if dry January has fallen as flat as “Clap for Heroes” last Thursday.

Personally I’m going to tick the first question but not the second, which, had I not put on a stone in the last 12 months I’d probably be sipping Pinot Grigio as we speak.

But alas, (a-hem) we reach the end of the old and welcome in 2021; no fireworks, little joy and far less to celebrate – until………..

You grasp that nettle and use this new dawn to give yourself a good old slap in the face; a wake-up call if you like.

Last January I was 9.5 stone - my ideal weight for my clothes. I don’t buy clothes often, so my wardrobe has been the same for a number of years, but it has been depressing this last year, tossing those jeans aside which no longer fit comfortably.

The pandemic has 100% resulted in my eating and drinking too much and letting my regular running slip. For much of the latter part of 2020 I was happily giving myself a free pass when it came to eating and drinking and shirking exercise, allowing the pandemic to justify this. And something else happened to my family, along with millions of others during the pandemic, we got a puppy!

Last August, we finally found the puppy we had been desperately wanting for some time.  It was not without its risks; on several occasions we were asked to transfer cash as a deposit to secure the animal.  Fortunately, we had done our research and knew this to be a scam but when we finally telephoned someone in response to an advert for a litter of Cockerpoos, we were able to get first dibs on the puppy we wanted and came away with Paddy, who has completely transformed our lives.

Our Puppy has changed our lives

Being prone to bouts of the “dark side” I can hand on heart say that without doubt, Paddy has done wonders for my own mental health, not least the bit about walking.  How often are we told how good we will feel after simply going for a walk?  I was on the phone to a friend of mine this morning who had been lucky to be part of an audience with Simon Reeve via Zoom, who also mentioned walking as the go to thing to do when you need to take time out or feel refreshed. It’s simple, easy and free.  What’s not to like?

Towards the end of December, when I saw my running stats for the year, I was a bit disappointed in myself - I always punish myself under the most ridiculous circumstances, I mean, when we are living in a pandemic, which is tough enough, why make it harder on yourself? But here’s the thing: I used it as an excuse from March to December – 9 months! The term of an entire pregnancy, only I wasn’t eating for two!

January is always the best time to reset but of course we each have to live in ways which are suited to us best. I’m not brilliant at sticking to things as most of my friends would attest but I do believe that if you REALLY want to achieve “realistic” goals, consistency is key.

I knew I was going to commit to dry January this year and had already begun tracking my dog walks on Strava so I knew I would have a record of my daily exercise in miles, which I do 7 days per week currently, usually 1 walk with Paddy between 1 & 3 miles with 1-2 runs per week usually around 4/5 miles. So far, I am on 46 miles, that’s just under a third of what I achieved in the whole of last year - in 14 days!

If 46 miles sounds like a lot, that’s a little over 3 miles per day. And you can do this at your own pace. The good thing is, you are out walking and if you have a dog it is much easier to get out as you HAVE to. This is also where Paddy has contributed 100% to my mental health.

For the first few days of January 2021, I weighed myself. Each day the scales hovered around 10.5 stone. I started thinking to myself not boozing was having little effect on my weight (but all the positives associated with being clear of alcohol otherwise) but then I started to notice that my body wasn’t feeling the need to want seconds, that it wasn’t as hungry anymore BUT that it wanted sweet things. My body was needing bits of chocolate and bowls of ice cream; fair enough. I didn’t weigh myself for a few days because I was a bit worried what I may find but when I went back on the scales yesterday, I was just over 10 stone and this morning, exactly 10.

My goal is to reach 9.5 again so I can get back into my clothes and feel happier that my weight won’t spiral out of control. I do cringe reading this back because this really shouldn’t be as important to me as it is, but the truth is, not taking control of the issue sends me back to a spiral of wine o’clock which can return all too regularly. My mental health is tip top right now because it’s not clouded by toxins and my four-legged friend is keeping my feet firmly on the ground.

The most telling part of this process is my diet has barely changed. Yes, I have been conscious of my portion sizes and been sure to ditch the fries and takeaways in favour of more fruit and vegetables, but I have certainly not deprived myself or tried to “fast” in any way. The diet industry is worth billions and billions of pounds and although I appreciate diets work for some people, I now know from personal experience that a few tweaks to my lifestyle can make a major difference.  Walking at least three miles per day, no alcohol and more cash as a result!

I don't usually have a sweet tooth

I have already told myself that there will be no booze celebrations come the 1^st of February.  I just cannot treat this month as a detox then revert to type.  I am aiming to be back to 9.5 stone and hopefully maintain that.  Will I enjoy a glass of wine again?  Too bloody right I will.  BUT, once you have learned to recognise how to control those triggers which make you reach for the bottle, spark up the fag, eat the packet of biscuits etc, you are half the way there.  The mind is an incredibly powerful tool which likes to tell you to do things you really don’t want to.  Be strong, whilst still allowing yourself treats.  My new addiction is ice cream.  Who knew?