should they stay, or should they go….

when I met my husband I was working in sales at a health club, living on my own and working out every morning and every evening after work. I lived on a diet that went oats and egg whites, chicken and sweet potato, tuna and rice, chicken and green vege, white fish and steamed green vege almost every day and chuck in a post workout protein shake for good measure. the living alone part worked at the time because a regime like this is quite hard to stick to with the influence of others who may not share your dedication to monotony and tasteless food. it was a means to an end and I was trying to lose body fat and build lean muscle so a diet high in protein and low in carbs was necessary – and it worked. like a biggest loser contestant I went from 97kg and size 18 to 80kg and size 10/12 in under three months. yes at 80kg I was in a size 10/12 jeans even though to some people weighing 80kg would be massive I was mostly muscle so while my BMI still said I was obese I was far from it – I don’t value the BMI scale as a measure of health anymore. anyhoo almost as soon as I stopped working at the health club my workout regularity dropped as did my adherence to the strict diet. I started working for a steel company on shift and had access to as many lunch bars as I liked, and I liked – a lot. so my jeans that I was wearing in sizes 10,11 and 12 were packed away and replaced by 14 then 16 and eventually 18, again. funnily enough the only ones that ever get donated to good sams are the 18’s and I have probably spent more time in them over the past 6 years than any of the others. so part of my weeks work has been to sort through the many piles of un used clothing that is taking up wardrobe space throughout the house and I now have a dining table piled high with a variety of tops and bottoms ranging in sizes from 10 to 16 and I haven’t attempted to go through it yet because I have to either fully commit to getting back into some if it OR get my head around not trying to get into it, find a size or weight that I am happy to be and keep that size and donate the rest. ooooohhhhhh what a treat tomorrow will be. I just can’t bring myself to throw some of the denim out – and there is alot of denim, it’s like my uniform, I love it. but seriously a size 10? I looked like a racing greyhound back then, all ribs and hips and not much in between – despite people telling me how fantastic I looked. so I think its safe to say that the size 10, 11 and 12’s can go and I should start working my way towards the 14’s via the 16’s. due to the fact that I have had my baby girl at such a late stage in my life – in 4 short years I qualify to move into a lifestyle village – I need to make sure I keep myself healthy so that I can be here to see her grow up and hopefully enjoy a family of her own….I might be knocking 70 or more but if I look after myself now I will hopefully still be here and be able to hit the clubs with kenzi for her 30th birthday….ha ha “I say that’s a joke, son”

anyhoo so tomorrows task is to cull the clothes and get ready to set up a $5 stall at the local market when it reopens. friday’s task is to start a new regime of operation stay young and healthy and hopefully in four or so weeks I can get back to doing the sunday runs with the marathon club – no not marathons just 5km, but it’s a start.