Health Link: Looking to gain muscle? Buy Differences
By Groovybabe • Aug 19th, 2007 • Category: being motivated, clothes, clubbing, diet management, exercise, incentive, self esteemI am really starting to see the effects of my hard work and enthusiasm toward weightloss and it is nothing less than thrilling. There are many exciting things but one of the aspects of weightloss that is so good to me is not only re-gaining mobility but being more active in the day to day of things. I go to the gym 3x per week, which has obviously helped with my energy levels, but I am really noticing a change on non-gym days too. Yesterday, I met my friend in town and we went clothes shopping for FOUR hours and then went home and got ready to go out. I ended up not only dancing the night away but walking quite a distance too. Back in the day, before weightloss, I physically couldn’t have managed it. I always prided myself in being fit “for my size” up until about 17 stone + but at 19 stone, I could walk a twenty minute walk but would have to stop for a sit down half way there because the small of my back hurt too much, too much pressure on it I guess. And I had no energy. It would take me all week to muster up the energy to do that one walk and then I wouldn’t do it again for as long as I coud avoid it. I felt trapped in my own body but of course I’d locked myself in my own body and then eaten the key. And yet now, even after so much exercise yesterday, I am gagging to get some more exercise. I don’t feel the after effects of so much exercise yesterday. And I did a major workout at the gym two days in a row two days before this extra activity. Such major accomplishments, more so than seeing clothes sizes go down, because I always felt that my weight was hindering living my life. I long to return to a time, when I was about 20, where I lived my life without concern for whether I’d manage an event/day/whatever. I want the agility of a teenager again. I thought maybe this wasn’t possible now I am in my early thirties but I am starting to realise it really is.
Last night while I was in the toilet my friends decided to buy me a shot of Sambucca. Now, anyone who knows anything about me knows that Sambucca is my poison of choice. But I sat there and said ‘thanks, but no thanks’. They wouldn’t take no for an answer so I started boring them with information on calories, lol. ‘It won’t hurt you, it’s only a small shot’ one friend informed me, to which I responded with: ‘Actually it’s 100 calories per shot and I cannot drink it as I have not accounted for those calories’. Then I gave them the spill about not having lost 30lbs by giving in at the first sign of temptation. I’d had a few Vodka and Diet Cokes by this time and was still in complete control. I love me. By about midnight I’d had my quota of 6 alcoholic drinks so I stopped and turned to water, much to the disdain of my friends. After them trying to convince me to continue I gave them a lecture about knowing when to stop. My poor friends probably don’t know what has gotten into me! Then I got home at 3am and was absolutely starving. I had a fleeting thought about eating but I decided it was not a good idea and went to bed instead.
Clothes were a major theme of my souring confidence yesterday. Firstly the jeans that I could not even wear when I stated out almost fell down when I was on the bus yesterday. It was potentially a very embarrassing situation and yet strangely pleasing. I bought a top in Monsoon. When I started weight losing some of my tops were in a UK 24, while a little on the large size this is what I needed. So I bought a top in a UK 20 yesterday and wore it but I felt it was a bit on the big side, and two people mentioned that it looked too big for me as well. I don’t think I am quite in a UK 18 yet but it seems I am well on my way. I also have a coat that would not do up when I bought it. Each side, just about met but there was no way the buttons would do up. Well last night I got cold and did my coat up without thinking and not only did it do right up but it was quite lose as well.
All I can say is if you are struggling with your weightloss stick with it because seeing the changes I have documented above really do make all the hard work worth while.
Groovybabe is
Email this author | All posts by Groovybabe
; ?>/images/icon_feed.gif){kind=icon}
Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! YAY!
It’s so great to be shrinking !!
Congrats on all your shrinkiness!
You have such control when you’re drinking. I was so totally the opposite last night. Oh man! I went to a fundraiser and lost my phone (but my friend found it, so i’ll have it back soon I hope!) and have felt like hell today but still made it to the veggie markets and bought SO MUCH STUFF!
Thank you!!!!
OMG I love vegetables. I can no longer live without vegetables, especially the fresh variety!!!! I really should go to the veggie market instead of big giant supermarkets, lol.
Btw, a question: In NZ what are the clothes shops like? Do you have lots of big companies? Smaller boutiques? Much variety? I was telling J what you were saying about NZ not doing sales in the same way we do (I got 75% off my top in Monsoon yesterday) and she asked this about NZ… she loves the place, you see, and wants to emigrate. I told her we’d both move to NZ!!!!
I’m always amazed at how people who are supposedly friends try to sabotage our food choices. I have a work friend, who is diabetic herself, that is always bringing in food and desserts, and pushing them on us. One day last week at lunch, she had a pile of cucumbers she didn’t eat and pushed them at me.
“Here, finish these!”
Now, regardless of the fact that extra veggies wouldn’t hurt, I really resented her attitude that we were there to clean up her food. Strange.
How terrific you are feeling so fit. I’m glad to hear your energy is coming back. That’s one thing I still fight for. Hopefully time will tell and I’ll even be able to do some walking again. (Not sure about gyms — the thought terrifies me!)
Although I did joke with her that she is my friend and should therefore support my weightloss, I don’t feel she was trying to sabotage my work. She was just drunk and having a good time and wanted me to join in with her. The way I see it is its my body and therefore my responsibility. So I just said no and that was the end of it.
Thanks. It’ll be great if you can do some walking, even a gentle stroll, as a little exercise eqips you to be able to do more. The gym terrified me before I went but you soon get used to it. I’m at a womens only gym, which does help.
Yay, how great!
And I chime in on the friends thing. Geez. I know they don’t mean any harm, but I think it’s really inconsiderate nevertheless to be not only tempting another person, but also kind of playing chicken with them. Good thing you are a strong person and won’t feel like “awww they won’t like me anymore if I don’t drink”. I have had friends like these, too, who just won’t take no for an answer, or then I feel like I have to justify with lengthy explanations as to why I am not having more cake although it was delicious.
The whole “one of these won’t hurt” is true–but it’s never just one, is it?
I’m glad you did not cave, because next time they would be offering the same drink with the excuse that you took it last time! 
Glad to be reading of your developments, and am now megaguilt-ridden because I haven’t done any exercising (besides biking to work and back) in a week. Uh, time to go for a jog.
Well biking to work and back is more than I do! I bet it keeps you more active than you realise! But yay you on the jogging. At my next review I am going to talk about incorporating jogging on the treadmill, or at least interval training.
Yeah, it’s okay re the friends thing. I go through this every time we’re out. It’s like a ritual. They try and pursaude me to have shots and I turn them down, its kinda like knowing time will move forward; just something that happens. I guess its because I used to always do shots.
Good job on the weight loss and all that you have accomplished ….way to go!!!!
That’s so freaking awesome. I’ve been there but I don’t think I’ve ever really been able to resist friends nagging me… I don’t know, sometimes it gets difficult. I’m so proud that you’re doing so well. Honestly, my life still revolves around food so I can understand how hard it is (even though I’m so far off the wagon right now climbing up again seems pretty improbable for a while yet but I really should push that bit harder and get back on.) Your initial lack of self-confidence was so severe though that what you’ve accomplished by now is nothing short of extraordinary
You are amazing!!!