Ok guys, I’m about to tell you a story. Maybe a bit of tmi but I don’t care because I’m an open book and I’m honest. During my 20s I was working, always on my feet, fit healthy 54 kgs.
Then while I was pregnant at 29 I weighed in at over 80 kgs plus. I say plus because I couldn’t see the scales because of my stomach. I was continually hungry. There was no off button.
Anyway, I had my baby. She was 2.7 kgs so the fat was all me. Then during my 30s I got down to 70 kgs just from ordinary living. Then last year things changed.
I stepped on the scale and I’m at my heaviest (apart from pregnancy) at 78 kgs. Shit how did I get to this? I’m not lazy nor sluggish. Well 2 things really. 1. I stopped walking my daughter to school once she started high school. That’s 30 minutes a day that I no longer do. 2. I fucking loved snacking while watching the telly when everyone went to bed.
My turning point was if I don’t do something soon perimenopause is gonna kick my arse. I refuse to do that. What am I gonna do?
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Stop snacking at night. If I’m hungry I’ll eat the cucumbers, celery or fruit. I’ll go to bed before the hungry happens.
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Walk to the shops with my backpack and pick up and carry my dinner home or take my dog for more walks with weights in my backpack.
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Start strength training. This was suggested to me by my husband who pointed out just a few reps encourages weightloss when I’m at rest.
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Continue to eat what I want just a little less of the occasional foods.
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Buy a walking pad and actually use it. If I don’t feel like it I still get on and see where it goes. Once I’m on I usually do 30 minutes anyway.
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I try to aim for half my plate being veg, a quarter of protein and a quarter of carbs with some fat sprinkled in there.
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If I’m gonna have something unhealthy then I make sure to eat healthy the rest of the day. I DO NOT DENY MYSELF ANYTHING.
I’m down to 72 kgs. My aim is 60 kgs by the time I’m 50 (June next year). It’s slow but I’ve barely changed anything. My weight is going down, my strength is going up, my stamina is going up, my smoking is going down.
I wrote this not for congratulations. I wrote this to show you are not alone. I wrote this to show you do not need to go hard. I especially wrote this for anyone who is struggling, don’t know where to start or thinks it’s too hard. I have family and friends who are really encouraging. Not everyone has that so I want to be your person who encourages and celebrates the wins. AMA.
I think I just wrote an essay.
_miss_cellophane_@aussie.zone 16 hours ago
I’m so glad I managed to get my Autism diagnosis a few years ago, and have learnt so many things about myself in the process. It made it so much easier to handle a work situation today with the office building incorrectly cranking the heating despite an already warm day, and armed with the knowledge that my neurodiversity includes not being able to regulate temperature well, I was able to self-advocate and used sick leave to travel home before I was feeling too unwell. I may still have a migraine depending on how I bounce back, but it will hopefully be less severe than if I had remained in the office the full day.
So strange to me that several managers, executives, and a health and safety officer all commented about the high temps in the office, and no one did anything about it. Similar thing on the tram home; air conditioned, but all the windows were open and people just looked at me strangely when I closed the ones at my seat. I just don’t understand people sometimes.
SpinMeAround@aussie.zone 11 hours ago
Nicely done on recognising the environment wasn’t working for you and heading home - also thank you for bringing this to my attention! I find myself having panic attacks when I overheat but never clicked it was due to my neurodivergency!
_miss_cellophane_@aussie.zone 9 hours ago
Very welcome!