What started my weight loss?

I am on a weight loss journey.

I have a lot to lose! But even more to gain. (see that positive spin I did there?!)

My journey started in 2013.  I had my ups & downs both on the scale & in my motivation, but the weight is slowly coming off.

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2014 I plan to continue & build on my progress (See my other goals for 2014).  I hope to use this part of the blog to keep me accountable & for others to share their experiences, tips & encouragement.

So I thought I'd let you know how I got started, with a wee Q & A with myself.

How long have you been overweight?

I have been over weight most of my adult life.  In fact I have always been told I was fat.  My family would make those friendly comments about puppy fat.  It bugged me but not to the extent I did anything about it.  In fact I was a healthy weight for my height, yes I was curvy I had big hips & the biggest boobs in 1st year at high school ;) I was extremely active though.  I was doing Highland Dancing, practising at classes Mon-Thurs then had competitions at the weekends.

When I turned 16yrs I got a steady boyfriend & I had exams coming up so I decided to quit dancing.  My activity went to zero! My boyfriend had a car so I wasn't even walking anywhere any more.  This car also provided access to McDonalds at any time.  We took advantage of this far too often.  I used food as a reward & was experimenting with alcohol.  Needless to say the extra calories & lack of exercise resulted in rapid weight gain.

I split with the boy when I went to uni & this did nothing for my self esteem so I continued using food as a comfort.  So by age 20 I was at my biggest.  My weight has fluctuated but always been in the overweight category.

What have you tried in the past?

I struggle with that fact I am an overweight (obese - term makes me shudder) dietitian.  There is no ideal weight for a dietitian (see my thoughts here) every patient has different expectations of their health professional.  So I have battled with my weight for a long time.  I go through periods of not doing anything about it but it still plays on my mind.

I have the knowledge base to try all the tricks in the book.  Also to keep up to date I also look at all the latest fads.  The science behind most of them is questionable & most aren't a healthy solution long term.  But I will confess I have probably given them all a bash! All in the name of science of course.

Why is now different?

To the end of last year I got a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).  I have also had problems with my blood pressure but that had previously been put down to anxiety.  But prior to this I had no health concerns, I just wasn't happy with my weight.  Now I felt like a statistic.  I was an example of health problems associated with my weight.

PCOS is associated with abnormal levels of hormones.  So most people just see it as a fertility issue.  Yes it does have fertility implications & I am sure I will explore these in many posts to come!  But 'hormones' have many roles in your body so PCOS is also associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol levels.  It is also commonly seen in overweight ladies because of the complex role of hormones, insulin & fats.

If I want a family & a healthy life I have been told I have to lose weight.  (I know many women are healthy at different sizes & support HAES but I now have health concerns so its different)

I seem to have found what motivates me.  My wee family, Team Brown.

So that's what got me started & what will keep me going.

Let me know what got you started? & what keeps you going?