talkhealth Blog

Today I have been remembering a lady that I was desperately hoping to help.

Unfortunately, she died before I had the opportunity to have any kind of real impact; although during our brief period of contact she kept telling me how proud she was of what I was trying to achieve and that it inspired her to make changes.

I remember trying to find suitable words last year…I wrote, ‘Please, please, please just live for the moment. Tell all of your loved ones how much they mean to you and put petty squabbles and arguments to one side. I got the news today that a lady I know had passed away this morning. Whilst I had only been speaking with her for a matter of weeks, it was still a real shock. She had so many people that cared for her and my thoughts are with them this evening. I will never forget the conversations I had with her, and she has made me determined to fight for people who need a voice and who need help. Out of respect for her family, I won’t say anymore than this at the moment…but please, as I said, count your blessings and live for the moment. Only you can change the direction your life takes, so quit the excuses and get on with it!’

Her weight was a major issue. She was 42st. Her body just couldn’t deal with it. Her situation seemed to be far worse than mine ever was – despite me having reached 43st 5.5lbs. She was pursued by the media and engaged with them despite this perhaps not being in her best interests…it seems that all that was required was a sensationalist story which attracted comments filled with hatred…from people who have no idea what it is like to live like that.

Well, she is living like that no longer. Our short relationship had a massive impact upon me.

I thought about her when I enrolled at Warwick University last year – she repeatedly told me that I would have an impact upon so many people, and that I needed to get out there and start speaking to people about how I was overcoming my issues. She often pops into my mind when I am about to speak in the Slimming World groups I visit. Her words and her situation occasionally spur me on when I am thinking of throwing the towel in…be that my physical towel which is often sweat-drenched at the gym, or the metaphorical towel when my weight doesn’t shift as quickly as I would like it to!

She was someone who needed a great deal of help and support. Her situation made me even more determined to help those who struggle. I try and do this via the blog, via the talks I give, via the coaching…and I have more planned for the future which will hopefully mean that I can continue to do what I can to help. You really can make improvements, regardless of your situation…progress, not perfection!

Anyway, I am going to head off now. RIP lovely lady.

As for the rest of my day, well that’s been okay. I had a great Pilates session this morning which was supposed to be followed by a 5k hill walk. Mr WLB got distracted in the bike shop though and I didn’t think I could fit my walk in before the coaching session I had at lunch. So we quickly checked on the horses, stocked up on food supplies, and headed home…with the alarm set to get up in the morning and do the walk then! The coaching call went really well – this individual is very driven and determined and I have high hopes! I then prepped and planned the coming week, burnt my fingertips – courtesy of a damp towel, a hot oven tray, and the resulting burning hot steam! – and am planning on relaxing this evening. The TV has been full of football and Tour de France…I managed to sneak in a bit of Wimbledon. Haha…I remember watching Martina Hingis as a kid and thinking that I too could one day be on centre court if I tried hard. I think my only hopes now would be to buy a spectators ticket!

Today’s food…

Breakfast: Rye toast with spinach and eggs (2 x HEB).
Lunch: Warm salad – bacon, radishes, cherry tomatoes, red pepper, onion, mushrooms, and leaves.
Dinner: Chicken with soft cheese, homemade coleslaw, and cumin roasted veggies…over-roasted!
Snacks: Nakd bars (13 syns).

Looking back at the blog post from a year ago shocked me in terms of my food. This is what I ate on the 5th July 2013…

My food has changed so much. I was very much ‘on plan’ back then…yet my tastes have changed. I don’t eat cereal bars with sweetener in, I haven’t had crisps in weeks, I seem to have a lot more ‘green’ food now. The funny thing is that this has not been a conscious effort on my behalf…my food tastes have changed naturally and it kind of makes me wonder what I will be eating on 15th July 2015. I will have to remind myself to have a look back this time next year!

Exercise: 60 minutes Pilates.

Thank you for reading,

Weight Loss Bitch xxx

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WeightLossBitch

On a health and fitness driven journey to lose over 32st / 448lbs / 203kgs – yes, it is a considerable amount – I am committed to losing my excess weight without the aid of weight loss surgery, diet pills, or quick fixes…as there aren’t any! Changing my eating habits and building up my fitness levels, along with addressing the ‘head issues’ will be crucial in order for me to achieve my goal. Living in England as a 31 year old super morbidly obese woman can be challenging to say the least. I have been shouted at in the street and verbally abused far too many times to mention; hence the name ‘Weight Loss Bitch’…the day I am just called a ‘bitch’ instead of a ‘fat bitch’ will be the day that I know I have cracked my weight loss! With many reasons to lose this weight I am documenting my journey for a number of reasons. Firstly, I would like to keep a record of the ups and downs, the highs and lows, and the challenges I face with such an enormous task to tackle. Secondly, I would also like to inspire and encourage other people who are in a similar situation and to show them that significant amounts of weight can be lost naturally…with a bit of motivation, hard work, dedication and will power. Thirdly, all of the blogging, Facebook-ing, Tweet-ing, Pinterest-ing and YouTube-ing keeps me occupied and keeps my fingers out of the fridge!