Hello everyone. It's guest post day again (thank you to Erica at Little Mummy for organising us all). I'm guesting over at Karin's blog for one day (Café Bébé) and she is posting here. I hope you enjoy what Karin has written for you and don't let the glare from her tiara blind you. Please feel free to comment here in reply to Karin.
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Hello and thank you for joining me at Nickie's blog! I'm Karin, better known as Cafe Bebe. I started blogging a year ago and haven't looked back. My blog is about my trials, tribulations and triumphs as a first-time, stay-at-home-mum to the gorgeous Little Miss and wife to my brave hubby. I happen to be an American Expat as well...don't hold that against me! ;) Nickie's amazing post is over at my blog right now so do pop over and visit Cafe Bebe after reading my post. I'm sharing with you some memories...hope you don't mind!FIVE YEARS AGO..
Five years ago there was quite a bit less of me. Five years ago I was nearing the end of one journey and the beginning of the one I'm on now. Five years ago seems a really long time ago!
Five years ago I was finishing my study in France and waiting for my fiance to drive from the East Midlands to collect me and start our lives together. Living in France did wonders for my weight. Being in love did as well. In France they eat fresh and tasty ingredients and portions are half the size they are here. I was also on a student income at the time so eating out and eating rubbish was not an option. I also walked EVERYWHERE. I had no choice really if I wanted to get anywhere. When I stepped off the plane at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and made my way to the University in Caen, Normandy, I stepped into a way of life which I dearly miss. Shopping day by day; buying only what you need; eating while walking; walking while talking; walking some more.
I still don't know exactly how much weight I lost but I think in the end I weighed around 130 lbs. (9 stone, 4lbs). I weigh at least 2 stone more now. Moving to England, being totally in love, being stuck in a house alone and having no real means of transport to get out and about didn't do much for my weight. I was blissfully happy but also very alone during the day. My visa restrictions meant that I couldn't work and the village in which we live is a good 30 minute walk from the next village which doesn't have much to offer. But I did walk a bit and try to keep somewhat active. Still, the weight crept on. Fish & Chips didn't help. Cooking for my then-fiance didn't help. Not having a real purpose didn't help.
By the time our wedding day arrived I was at least a stone heavier but I thought it was sort of ok. Oh, I miss those days! But did I put a stop to the weight gain? NO! I continued on my path of self-destruction. I had a bit of a breakthrough when, in September of 2006, I started my first teaching assistant position. The horror of having to fit into proper clothes in sizes that I had never before worn was enough to kick me into touch. That and careening my 1991 Mini into another car off a roundabout and being forced to take the bus to work. I had to walk 10 minutes from our house to the bus stop, ride the bus 15 minutes into town and then walk a very brisk 20 minutes to school. NO ONE passed me! I repeated the same at the end of the school day and I managed to lose about 15 lbs! Score!
Then I got pregnant in August 2007. Oops. Well, getting pregnant wasn't an oops at all. Me eating for England, however, was. I didn't pass up a thing whilst pregnant. I indulged and enjoyed and in the end, produced a gorgeous 8lb. 3 1/2 oz. daughter. I stopped weighing myself around my 8th month of pregnancy so I still don't know how much I weighed in the end...I don't really want to know. After a bit of time, I did manage to lose some weight but the weight that I am today is pretty much the weight that I was nearly 2 years ago. I have made pledges and statements that I am going to get back in shape. I have set 2 separate targets to do so by my daughter's birthday. It's nearly my daughter's birthday again and nothing's changed.
So, this year, for my daughter's birthday, I pledge that by 3 June, 2011, I will be fit and healthy and feel better in myself and look like the mother of a 3 year old and not a still-pregnant mother. I'm trialing several dieting and fitness programmes and am making a commitment to check out the medical side of me to make sure there's nothing else that I can do. I pledge that I will share my successes and failures in my regular "Mummy Tummy Begone" feature and will hopefully give you a bit of inspiration and incentive to join me along the way. Are you ready?? Who's with me??