In this post I'm going to be explaining the reasons behind why I'm a slimming world member, why I gained weight and what not.
So ( ahh I cannot believe I'm doing this/ deep breath)
The Natalie I remember from four or so years ago was a healthy weight (obsessed with losing more like almost every girl my age). She was enrolled on a musical theatre/acting course at college meaning she was getting daily exercise - from dancing to physical theatre. She worked weekends and wasn't old enough to drink, nor was she interested in drinking before she was legal.
The Natalie after those years, well thats a different story, she can legally drink and she enjoys it.
Now I'm not saying drink makes you gain loads of weight nor am I saying it's the only reason I gained weight - because, well it's not. However let me give you my weekly nights out for my university years.
Wednesday - bad med rock club (we liked to call it bad mednesday oh how I miss this night bring it back please)
Thursday - overdrive
Friday - sumo
Saturday - AVM or empire
Yeah I drunk a lot and that's not including the pub visits after a hellish day of rehearsals at university (myself and my friend didn't even need to use words we just looked at each other, nodded and headed to our fav pub)
The drink was also accompanied by pub lunches, meals out and takeaways. That with no longer doing all that much exercise lead to a massive weight gain.
Flash forward to second year of university I had somehow managed to get to 13stone and a friend and I decided to join slimming world, we'd go to the gym and everything was going so well till I gained one week and couldn't handle the disappointment, so I gave up.
After which I tried every stupid little fad diet going from little drops on to liquid to miracle pills, yeah I know what youre thinking - WHHHHHY THEY ARE SO BAD.
Since then I have finished university, studied teaching, gained a new relationship with someone who may or may not of been my best friend before hand (escaped the friend zone you'll have to ask him how he did that).
I was visiting my mother in September and she just looked at me, you know that funny little dissaproving face that mothers do but try to hide? I asked her "what?" And she said "what happened to you, you used to be so obssessed with how you looked and what size you where and what people thought of you"
(Now don't think bad of her I'm one of those people that needs people to be blunt and honest with me
I respect people like that)
However my reply was "well if they are my true friends they wouldn't care about how I looked or what size I was, when I lose weight or if I chose to lose weight it will be for me and nobody else"
(never change yourself for anyone, if they want you to change they're not worth your time)
Upon reflection of this argument / conversation, I looked at myself in the mirror and thought
"Oh god Natalie"
In September I joined slimming world, my mother joined too for moral support.
Now I know slimming world can be considered a fad diet too and I have heard horror stories about people getting really sick on it which is why I'm not following it completely, but the support and guidance you receive there is second to none. Everyone is so helpful and welcoming, they also have private groups on Facebook so if you need help during the week you can get some, it's a great community. It's also amazing to have something to work toward each week, as each week you go in there and get weighed, so you try your best to make good food choices so you can see those pounds roll off.
As well as slimming world I try to go to the gym 2/3 times a week.
Slimming world has taught me so much from picking the right food to drinking more water (my skin loves them for that) it's also given me the motivation I needed to actually try and shift the pounds.
Now I'm currently not comfortable with supplying you all with my starting weight just yet, but I have lost one and a half stone since September - which is amazing.
If you'd like me to continue doing updates on my weight loss journey do let me know.
