So here goes, the start of my health, fitness and general well-being blog. Anyone that knows me also knows that the word fitness would never spring to mind when thinking about me so why on earth would I have a blog about it? Good question. I’m in my thirties, a mother of two and in the words of Bridget Jones ‘I will always be a little bit fat.’ I’m just not destined to be 8 stone nor would I strive to be. I think we all have a weight that we suit and mine just isn’t that. I’m probably being a little harsh on myself describing myself with the F word. I’m sure it’s more in my mind than my midriff and I guess that’s what I’d like this blog to do, help me to realise how far I’ve come and even what my ‘fitness’ goal even is.

I’m one of two girls and we do look alike, although I once was described as the chocolate version of my sister which probably sums up our appearances perfectly. She is blonde, I’m brunette, she has blue eyes, mine are brown, she has a pale complexion, I’m naturally dark skinned. Amazing what the same gene pool can produce sometimes. Which brings me onto our build. When we were babies and toddlers I was the dainty one and my sister was the chunk. Then we switched places and she was tall and slim and I was short and chunky and our ‘natural’ builds developed. I always remember a distant relative who rocked up for a random visit saying that I would always be the fat one. Wow, what a way to scar a child!

Strive for progress, not perfection.

I think I peaked at my biggest, a size 16 in 2003. We’d bought our first house and discovered the joys of buying whatever food we wanted, convenience of takeaways and lots of travelling and eating out with work. I never really worried too much about what I ate or what level of activity I did all through my teens and my twenties. I dabbled with the weight watchers programme a few months before I married my husband in 2006. I managed to shed a few pounds for the wedding and felt great. Some bad habits slipped back in after that and two kids later (my son in 2009 and my daughter in 2012) had me around a size 14 and a jelly belly I wasn’t particularly proud of. The joys of pregnancy and stretch marks and honestly, I wouldn’t change it for a second. So worth it!

Having said that, in 2014 I had my moment. I can picture it as if it was yesterday I was bending over to get something out of a cupboard in the bathroom and my son who was four at the time, pointed at me and said ‘you’re fat’ and do you know what? He probably didn’t even mean it or was just something he’d overheard someone saying at nursery but that moment just stopped time for me. I took myself off to my bedroom and wept and I mean full on bawled my eyes out. There it was, My Moment.

I’ve since lost over 2 stone, am a size 10 and have kept the weight off for 2 years. I definitely suit my weight more now and I feel so much better for it. My lifestyle, eating and fitness habits have all changed along the way and still are changing. I’m not really one for a selfie or even a before and after pic however, I realise I’m going to have to embrace it a little bit so I can share my story so far and my future journey with you.