I've been for a Health MOT!

Last Thursday I went for a health MOT as part of the new ‘nudge’ initiative that I have been lucky enough to be signed up to at work. The results were pretty much as I expected, it is not as if I am blind to the fact that I am very overweight.  My BMI came out as expected at 41 and I think this was a bit shocking to the instructor, she advised me I should be looking to have a BMI of about 24 and realised that this is a big drop for me, probably about a 6 stone drop, so we agreed that I would start with a drop to 35, that in itself will be hard enough work.

What was a lovely surprise was that my cholesterol and blood sugar levels were excellent, both showed no problems at the moment and that certainly made me smile.  As a large person you are always warned of the damage you are doing to your body and I have wondered before if I am playing roulette with diabetes. I suppose truth be told I am still gambling but just coming out on top on these factors for now.

The MOT was a through one and I found out that my waist-to-hip ratio is very poor, my lung capacity is just below average and I need to improve my stretch.  My blood pressure came up with an appalling result and I will pop to the doctors and get this checked but to be honest I think it is inaccurate as previously the results have always been wrong when a small cuff is used.

I am due to go for another MOT in 3 months and I am wondering if I should just focus on this big goal. I find that weighing every week sends me a bit crazy and if the weight is down, I want to eat and celebrate and if the weight is off then I feel I can have a treat as I deserve it. I do have a very warped mind when it comes to weight loss.

The next MOT would be due to be in early September after all the summer holidays and festivities so in one way this feels like a very tough time to diet but to be honest I think the summer months are easier than the winter as generally people are less hungry in summer, so I am told.  I am not sure that has ever applied to me, but if I start to curb my eating and shrink my stomach a bit maybe it will.

My weight at the MOT wearing my clothes and trainers was 17st 9lb, which is where I was on 13th May 2012 when I started to think about weight loss again.  I did lose 3lb and I assume this has pretty much stayed off as that would have been a naked weight and trainers and clothes must weigh a couple of lbs. Anyway, today I have weighted my twins as part of their twin study (that is why I have scales at home) and I have now put them away, so I am not tempting to just jump on.

I have just started read a book by Sue Prosser called Stop dieting and Start Living and it looks good, it is written from a Christian perspective and I think that is important for me to think about getting my body fitter in the right way. I should not just be looking to be slimmer for vanity’s sake.

I had been starting to think about making a checklist for life over my last few weight loss update posts and I do think I need to carry that on.  Some of the changes that I need to make and habits I need to form are –

1.       Thinking positive about my ability to lose weight

2.       Eating mindfully, praying at the start of each day and before putting food in my mouth

3.       Drinking a glass of water before each meal

4.       Drinking more water in general (I was surprised at the MOT to find that my body is

5.       Exercising at least 3 times a week
6.    Remembering to take my vitamins each day

I have not made up my mind yet if I will be blogging about how I am doing during this 3 month journey or if I will just come back and report at the end.  The summer is an unpredictable period and I fully expect to blog less and have some breaks. So just expect to see me when you see me, I need to sort this for me and in my own way rather than fitting in with a pattern.

One day I’ll post and surprise you all and things will be going in the right direction.  I pray that will be soon, but if not I’ll keep on trying.  Perseverance can take you a long way….  Look at Thomas Edison and his thousands of attempts at getting the first incandescent lightbulb to work. He struck gold in the end and so will I!

But what about you?  How are things going?  Any super tips you want to share with me or is it just a case of just do it MIch!

'Ohh, you are expecting again?' #InnerTruth

This was the comment that greeted me today when we bumped into an old family friend. I gave my normal glib answer 'no, I'm just fat!'.  The woman felt awful and I assured her it was fine, my spilt stomach muscles do mean that I look as if I am pregnant but I'm not and I truly hope I never will be again. My family is perfectly complete.

Pleased to say, it is not this big!  I was actually pregnant there.... 31 weeks with the girls.

Last week I wrote my #InnerTruth post and said that in the next week I would focus on being positive and believing that I could lose weight. For I know that until I am positively thinking about my weight loss it won't happen. Positive thoughts feed positive actions after all. I feel that my negative beliefs have been stopping me handing my problem fully over to God and doing the foot work to ensure that things change.

I did try fairly hard to think positive but what I found was that without actually dieting, it was incredibly hard. I would think to myself, 'I can do this, I will lose weight, I am a woman who can, God is with me' etc etc and then this little thought would jump in my head that said 'so why are you not doing it Mich?'.

And that that is a good point, why am I not just doing it? Is my weight loss not that important to me?  It should be. I checked tonight and I am 238 pounds, that is 17st and 9lb and my BMI is 40.8, anything over 40 is class III obese or some call it morbidly obese.

The following factors have to be a wake up call don't they?

• People think I am pregnant (I'm not!)
• I will die prematurely because of my weight and leave my family
• I am at risk of developing diabetes (very soon)
• I hold my weight in the middle of my body, the most risky place
• One of my babies is showing a tendency to put on weight and obsess about food, it is my poor example that is the cause of this

So here are my goals for this week. I need to keep them simple to make sure I do them but they have the potential to work...

• I will exercise a minimum of 3 times this week

• I will pray first before I put anything in my mouth.  The serenity prayer will remind me to give it up to God. 

Lord, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can change,

The courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the diffference.

I am linking up with the lovely Liska at New Mum Online for #InnerTruth.  Most people seemed to achieve their goals and graduate when we were #Mumentum, so if you fancy joining us and offering some support then please do, we will happily come and see you and cheer you on as well.

Wishing you the best of weeks. Don't forget to drink lots of water, it makes a world of difference.
Mich x

#InnerTruth - No Wise Words!

Sometimes there is nothing to say, no wise words to share, you just have to get on with it and that is where I am at. As Nike would say 'Just do it...'.

I have had an enjoyable week, towards the end of it I was at a conference in Manchester and the food was superb but there was far too much of it and of course I indulged. By the second day I felt pretty sick and had indigestion as well as a sore throat and headache.  I think I have literally overdosed on food to be honest.

Hi, I'm Mich and I Have a Confession....

Sometimes you just have to open your eyes and see what is going on. 

I have a confession to make, I have let things slip. I have fallen back into old habits. I am doing nothing positive at the moment to sort out my weight problem.

And it is a problem.  Yes I posted yesterday to say I must not be defined by my fat and that still stands. 

But it is also a fact that at 5ft 4" tall and just over 17 stone I am very overweight.  My BMI (body mass index) is 41 and that makes me morbidly obese.  I have fallen into this category for some time now and that should scare me shouldn't it?  It means I have an increased risk of illness, disability and death.  Not too appealing sounding.

#InnerTruth - Mindful Eating

This Weeks Update

It has been a good week, my eating has been much better and I am pretty sure I have lost some weight.  I have not weighed, as I am trying to keep my head on an even keel and staying away from the scales helps with that. I can feel it in my clothes that some weight has gone though and next week I'll weigh and provide an update.

I am still steering clear of the chocolate and I thank God for helping me through this. I still have cravings and I see chocolate and desire it but I walk away and pray and know that it is not the answer.  I also remember what Lent is about, God gave up His only son for us and the least I can do is go without some chocolate and relate in a tiny way to the sacrifice He made.