FOOD, EXERCISE AND AGE!!!

I have to hand it to the Wii Fit, especially the Wii Fit Plus which I have now upgraded to. It really does help you shift pounds pretty quickly and tones you up rather nicely.

That said however, I have noticed that given the fact I am now 39, healthy eating is an absolute MUST alongside exercise if you have any hope of losing the weight at all.

I have always had "issues" with food. In my teens and 20's, food controlled me in a way that I would sometimes go days without eating a thing. Crazy, yes it was. That said however, I completely understand this desire to be seen as "thin" given that I myself did fall into that category.

After having my daughter at the age of 28, I was, within 6 months, back in a size 8. Given the fact that I am 5'8" and weighed all of 8 stone, this was certainly NOT a healthy weight. I however felt fantastic - the "yummy mummy" image I desired was there. I never questioned the fact that my mind completely controlled my food intake or lack of intake as the case actually was. I just saw it as "normal".

A completely different story followed after the birth of my son in 2004. When I first fell pregnant with him I was a mere 8 1/2 stone but that soon changed and by my due date my weight had creeped up to an incredible 13 stone. I felt HUGE and I did not like it at all. However, after giving birth to Ruaraidh my weight never went below 10 stone and for some reason (a very good reason) my mind did not play it's little warped tricks with me - for a while anyway.

I discovered that I actually enjoyed food. In fact I LOVED food. I found that this new desire to eat changed my mindset completely and I ate and ate and ate to the point that my weight creeped back to an incredible 13 1/2 stone at my heaviest. It was then that I realised that my mind was playing it's little warped tricks with me again except in reversal.

I decided that it was time that I took control of my mind and did what I wanted without going from one extreme to another. I began a programme of exercise both walking and using the Wii Fit and healthy eating. It was and still is so hard but I do give myself the little odd treat every now and then - you have to or it will never work!!!

Upgrading to the Wii Fit Plus at Christmas (courtesy of my mum) gave me a renewed surge of energy to beat my "battle". I am well on the road now to being comfortable in my own body and skin and I love it that it is now ME who decides that I will eat sensibly, exercise properly and set a good example for my kids. Having lost 2 stone now, I have 1 stone left to achieve my "ideal" weight. Will I push it a little further, in all honesty yes! For me MY ideal weight is 9 1/2 stone - makes me realise that perhaps there are still a few "tricks" still playing around in my head but that said, I know that is a weight that I will be happy with and will not show the bones and skeletal features that were extremely prominent when I was below 9 stone!