Louisa's Weight Loss Blog

I have a lot of time to reflect at the moment on my past weight, particularly my weight and appearance when I was an undergrad student. I weighed 10 stone 3lbs back then and I would like to go back to just under that weight. It’s weird, I don’t believe I was particularly active, I certainly didn’t drink as much as I have done since meeting the love of my life this year! My diet became limited in my 3rd year due to dietary problems that have since become less of an issue.

Me and 'Giselle' the stray cat I adopted as a student

I don’t understand why I wasn’t happy with my body back then!  Why didn’t I appreciate my lack of ‘love handles’ and my nice soft and feminine yet reasonably flat stomach.

I was 11 stone 3lbs when I was 17 and was desperately upset when the doctor weighed me and told me the horrific news. I was about to perform at a school concert and was mortified going up on stage not even an hour after this news was delivered. I just wanted the earth to open up and swallow me! Funnily enough, I lost 7lbs of that blubber when the cake shop across the road from where I worked part time closed! The rest of the weight fell off gradually as I became unhappy and depressed with student life.

People seem to divide into two camps, those who eat and get fat when depressed, and then those like myself, who will lose weight. Neither of these responses to depression are healthy! The problem I had was that my housemate was unwell for 3 months and had to go back home. I had no one to eat with so I didn’t bother to cook properly.

Me at university when I was thinner and had nicer arms!

If like me, you’re wondering why  you didn’t appreciate a good body when you had it, don’t worry. You can get it back! As you get older, you have to work harder to maintain the body you want. This is unfortunate but you need to be aware that ‘dieting’ is actually a life style change. You can’t expect to maintain weight loss if you go straight back to doing no exercise and eating rubbish. This is why you must try and come to enjoy the weight loss process. Start to find fun in shopping for brightly coloured vegetables, be more active and enjoy shopping for lovely ‘thin’ clothes.

Reminiscing about your old body is great because it means you can visualise what you’re aiming for. More people will achieve what they are aiming for just because they know exactly what it is that they want – a slim healthy body.

I like a drink in the evenings or at the weekend. I don’t mind who knows it because I do not drink to excess… anymore! My teenage experience with alcohol is not uncommon, most young people drink too much at some time and make a fool of themselves. Some continue this behaviour long into their adulthood. I don’t feel the need to go past that lovely warm and wobbly feeling I get when I have my first drink. I like a cheeky glass of red with a meal sometimes because alcohol does have its health benefits.

However, when most young people go to university, they pile weight on and whilst this is due to many factors, I have so many friends who lost weight after graduation purely because they were not drinking the sheer volume of alcohol they drunk as students. Alcohol is riddled with calories and research shows that the weight will hang around your abdomen, the worst place to carry fat.

Why should you have to give up having fun to be thin? Nobody wants to be one of those miserable skinny minnies that can barely muster a smile. The answer is that you don’t have to give anything up, you just need to make smarter choices as far as alcohol is concerned. Factor a glass of red wine into your diet a couple of times a week. A small glass (125ml) is typically just under 100 calories but pubs rarely serve 125ml servings any more, a small glass is considered to be 175ml which is about 120 cals. Fair dos if you skip dessert.

Large glasses are 250mls and a third of the bottle. I always laugh at the ‘buy two large glasses of wine and get the rest of the bottle free’ because many women will drink two big glasses of wine on a night out but actively encouraging them to consume a third glass brings their calorie intake up to over 500 calories just in that bar. That is a whole meals worth! Usually, this bottle would be shared with a friend but many people will visit a couple of drinking establishments on a night out …

You can drink on a diet, but with everything, it has to be done in moderation. Try drinking a small glass of water between alcoholic drinks to keep you hydrated, did you know that hangovers are partially due to dehydration? Avoid alcopops like the plague! They are FULL of sugars and are full of calories. They are a dieters nightmare so don’t be drawn in by cheap offers. Instead of beer or lager which is 200 cals a pint on average, switch to clear spirits like vodka or gin that average between 50 and 60 cals and drink them with a low calorie mixer.

I drink vodka, lime and soda on a night out to keep calories to a minimum. It is cheap and I find it quite refreshing.

Total Chunk Top Tip: Make smarter choices when drinking alcohol. Beers, lagers, wines and especially alcopops are a nightmare for serious dieters. Stick to clear spirits like vodka and gin and drink with low calorie mixers. I prefer Malibu and diet coke to Malibu and normal cola but it isn’t a low calorie option so try to avoid drinking it all night. Vodka, lime and soda is a smart choice as is gin and slimline tonic. Try to alternate each alcoholic drink with calorie free water to avoid a hangover.