I’ve stopped weighing myself

I’ve had enough… and decided my size on the scales doesn’t matter. I didn’t come to this decision lightly either. In fact, I’ve been weighing myself since I was 10 years old. I was never a big girl and throughout my childhood and even into my 20s I was always slender and could eat anything.

But then I had my children and things just weren’t the same. Not only did I become gluten intolerant, I gained 20kg. And I didn’t stop…the yo-yo diet I was on was neverending. I’d tried everything from the lemon detox diet, Atkins, Mediterranean, baby food, raw food, cabbage… you name it, I’ve done it.

For over 20 years I had triumphant moments where I lost 15kg, then it’d come straight back on. I would feel so good, then eat to congratulate myself on a job well done. No one told me how to eat healthily, I think that was my first issue. I’d bought every book on every diet but at the end of the day, I didn’t know what calories were, I didn’t know that drinking water was important, I didn’t know you also had to exercise. For a long time I thought that not eating until 1pm was a normal thing and was making me lose weight. I was wrong, so very wrong.

My wake-up call came when my granddaughter said to me “Nanny, you’re fat”. I didn’t know what was more heartbreaking; that she knew what “fat” was, or that she said I was. On that day, I weighed in at 98kg. I didn’t always feel fat but kids have a way of being very raw and honest, and giving you a real eye opener.

I knew right then and there I had to do something about my weight, and that I owed it to my family to try again. But the first thing I promised myself is that I’d throw away my scales. They had been the bane of my existence for too long and I needed to stop being so harsh on myself.

It was the best thing I ever did. Right now, I don’t know how much I weigh but I know I’ve lost a lot. And I’m not on a diet either, so I have no tips to give you. My only advice is to eat in moderation and to eat a lot of fresh fruit and veges. Eat something different every day and treat yourself but be disciplined. It’s a work in progress but the scales have nothing to do with it. I’m proud of myself and love my body for the first time ever.

Have you had a weight loss journey like this? How is it going?