Louisa's Weight Loss Blog

AMELIA

Today is my driving test and just over an hour before I get in the car with the examiner, of course I’m nervous, but I’m calmer than I have been in recent weeks over it.

I’ve had a cup of coffee and some frosties for my breakfast which I know isn’t going to hold me in good stead because it’s sugar and I’ll definitely feel hungry again in half an hour.

The temptation to eat badly at times like this is overwhelming, you just grab what you know is going to be tasty and something that is going to reassure you that everything is going to be ok. Just before my instructor picks me up in a bit, I am going to have a bit of a snack, 2 oatcakes and an apple and knowing that I’ve put something good into my body I believe is going to help me firstly not feel hungry and secondly feel good about myself that I am worth it.

Sometimes when you are stressed, you might just grab food before you have even thought about it and say later that you deserved it because you’re stressed. Perhaps instead of a bowl of frosties I should have had a bowl of porridge and an apple… because I deserve it, which depending on your feelings of porridge might sound self deprecating, but it works.

More than ever when you’re feeling stressed, you need to slow yourself down and just stop and think about what is going on, before you snap at your partner, feel the pressure get on top of you and the next thing you know you’re in the nearest car park of a drive-thru scoffing junk.

Total Chunk Tip: Stress can lead you many different ways, but if you take a moment to think about what you’re about to eat and believe that you deserve to eat well to be able to cope with what you’re going through, you’ll make better choices and feel good about yourself and have the energy to get through the day.

Last November, I signed up to an Open University Post Grad course as I was bored in my reception job and I wanted to prove (mostly to myself) that I was still smart and capable of so much more than being pretty and answering telephones. I only had the time to do one module so I signed up to do a Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy. I begged mum to give me access to my life savings to fund it!

It has been a roller coaster of emotions since that blurry day I signed my sanity away. Unfortunately, I have not done as well as I had hoped. Essays typically coincided with major events like finishing my reception job, moving 100 miles away from home and holidays. These were all things I had not anticipated when I began the course.

Now I have handed in my fifth and final essay, the final exam is looming with one month to go. I hate exams.

Anyway, I finished my last essay on Friday and planned to begin my essay on Monday because I believe it is important to not begin a diet when you are going through emotional turmoil or stressful events. Often, food is a crutch for women and you shouldn’t allow yourself to flounder in other aspects of your life due to the eternal pursuit of thinness (or happiness!)

Ladies, I know we all want to think of ourselves as Wonder Woman. Me, I want to bring home the bacon, fry it up and never let Jonny forget he’s a man! We need to start giving ourselves a break though and remember that it is harder to start losing weight when our lives are complicated and blighted by other problems. Don’t apply further pressures to your life when you’re already under strain. Your diet CAN wait a week!

So that is my first weight loss tip: Don’t try and start a weight-loss plan when you have loads going on in your life. You won’t have the time or inclination to pay attention to the food you put in your mouth and you certainly won’t have the energy to exercise.