Will power and weight loss

Before I had kids my weight never varied, I was 9 stone 3 and that was that.

Before kids I swam, I cycled, I went to the gym and I walked - hence maintaining my weight

Leading up to getting pregnant I changed my job which meant I needed a car to drive a couple of junctions up the motorway so the daily cycling and walking were gone.

I didn't put much weight on with my first - he was 9 weeks premature and had interuterine growth retardation so was too small for dates anyhow and at 31 weeks I wasn't even in maternity clothes.

What did change though was my diet. pre-pregnancy I are salad, fruit and veg daily and rarely had stodge. During pregnancy all I craved was stodge. Post pregnancy I struggled to express milk for tiny baby in SCBU and was told by some midwives that eating mars bars helped and I believed them and got into a daily mars bar pattern - in reality, I think a suckling baby as opposed to a milking parlour pump was the real key!

Again, I didn't actually put much weight on but my diet and what I wanted did, I suddenly found the idea of salads and veg didn't appeal anymore, I would go as far as to say I didn't even really like that type of food anymore.

Second pregnancy saw me in hospital from 25 weeks and VERY fed-up and I comforted myself on their steamed sticky toffee puddings and crisps as I got very fed-up of the hospital foods, so the vending machine and puddings were a must! Again I didn't put stones on but following boy 2 my weight crept up to 10 stone 2 and has fluctuated round there, between 9 stone 13 - 10 stone 3 for the past 6 years.

Over this time I have had zero will power, I always find an excuse to eat rubbish, comfort myself on sweets or chocolate, make the wrong choices 'oh well, I've fallen off the wagon today, I'll start again tomorrow'.

I've tried different things, increasing exercise again - difficult with working and the 2 boys, changing diet but hit the same problems of not wanting salads and veg, and decreasing portion size but then get hungry so snack.

My best friend has recently lost nearly 4 stone using weight watchers and the app on her phone and she convinced me to try it as well but to be honest I found it a bind to input everything that past my lips, would forget and then try and remember.

About 4 weeks ago I saw a tweet from her saying 'well bugger me, I have just squeezed my arse into a size 8'. SIZE 8, I have always been at least 1 if not 2 dress sizes smaller than her ever since we were about 11 so to read that was a real jolt and I don't know something clicked.

I am doing the Great North Run so training for that has really increased now, and suddenly I find myself reaching for the good foods and wanting them again. When I am struggling with the running and think I need to stop or slow, or change my route so it is not as long, I am literally chanting 'think of that size 8, think of that size 8' as I go and today I stood on the scales and it made me very happy

In 4 weeks I have lost 6lbs and am now the lowest I have been in 9 years - still not pre-children weight and I have the redistribution and flabby issues to resolve but I am making progress and it has made me even more determined now, given me a real boost - today I feel pretty amazing!

Great North Run Training

I am trying really hard to be dedicated and train properly for the Great North Run which as I have mentioned I am running in aid of St Gemma's hospice in Leeds in memory of my late Uncle.

I ran the Edinburgh half marathon last year and although I tried to train, illness and time were against me and truth be told my longest run before the event was 5 miles, so I amazed myself when I got round the full course in 2.36 minutes and ran the majority - it is amazing what a crowd, atmosphere and adrenalin can do!

This time though I would like to better the 2.36 and improve on it all so I set out with a proper training plan - well I say a training plan it was all in my head, but I knew what I wanted to achieve and my timelines.

In the last 2 weeks I have increased my distance from 6 miles to 8.5 miles which is the most I have ever done (other than the half marathon last year of course).

I am running 3 times a week and going to the gym or swimming on days inbetween with either a Friday or Sunday off as my day of rest.

Truth be told, I am struggling initially. I set off and find the first 3 miles really touch, I try and always run uphill to start with and always end up having to interval (walk 1 lamppost before I can set off again), but then I seem to break a barrier and can keep on going.

I recently invested in new running shoes from Up and Running which are very nice (at £95 I should hope they are though!), and hubby said to me on Saturday when I achieved my 8.5 miles
'How do you feel, you are a proper runner now'

That was a real realisation - I am! I love it as well!

Anyone who knew me at school and saw my pathetic crawls round the cross country track, I was always one of the last would not believe it, I hardly do myself

So tomorrow I intend to go for 9.5 miles, wish me luck!