This is me.

So, this time last year I was in denial. My mother kept telling me I was fat and I just didn't believe it. I could fit into most of my clothes still! As well as that I was always ill! Migraines were a regular occurrence, I had terrible spots and I would get acid reflux and IBS weekly! Then it happened. It hit me like a cartoon anvil right in the face. My partner works in the media and my sister and I were asked to go along to a recording of, ironically enough, a monster food challenge. Great. Anyway a couple of weeks later a work colleague was like "Oh, I saw you on youtube!" Of course I had to go and have a look. It was disgusting. I had never realised just how big I looked. Straight away I signed up for the gym and luckily enough, the gym was holding a slimming club for just £12 for a 6 week programme. I signed up without hesistation. 
When I told my mom about this she just kind of snorted at me. My nan said, "You will never do it, you like chocolate too much." The thing my family don't really realise about me is that I am fiercely competitive! I would not be the person who lost the least weight in that club. In fact, I ended up being the person who lost the most, losing a stone and a half. And the perks were glorious. None of my clothes fit me, my skin was glowing, my nails were growing, I wasn't waking up in the night in pain any more. I felt amazing. 
The club ended in september and I have lost weight more steadily since then but I have kind of fluctuated between 9 and 9 and a half stone since Christmas. So I decided to start this blog for two reasons. 

1. As a way to kind of push myself to lose a little more. 
2. To inspire others who want to lose some weight. 

For me, once I got over the first week or so it was easy, but that first week was horrendous! Food was EVERYWHERE! Eventually though my cravings for sugar and bad things seemed to subside and I did all the bad things less! This weekend however, has been a bad one. A weekend away and a  wedding. Never good!

So this is my blog. I will be posted recipes I try, things I encounter and general inspirational things I find. Losing weight isn't easy and I know  I hope you like it!

(Just to show you what I have managed... the below pictures are all of me... the first one was in July 2012, the second in August 2012 and the third and fourth were this weekend. I went from 12 and a bit stone to 9 and a bit stone and I dropped two dress sizes. I am now within healthy BMI!)