My ‘Food Story’ - Part 4

….but it was not to be. I started the job that I now still have: In the first two years I worked 65-70 hours a week, not including the two hour daily commute to Manchester. This was a terrible period of time for me and endurable pressure became unbearable stress. I made a decision after that to reduce my working hours and say ‘no’ a little more often. I did this, not so much to help with my weight problem, but to reduce stress, which was rapidly becoming a bigger issue for me, impacting on my mental state, depression, relationships and self-esteem. This was not helped by the fact that in 2003, at the age of 39, and for the first time in my life, I reached 19 and-a-half stone, giving me a BMI of 42. I went on another low fat diet and got down to about 18 stone but then my heavy workload and associated stress got the better of me and I didn’t progress any further downwards.

I have fluctuated down and up again from this point over the past five years but 19 stone 7 lbs remains the heaviest I have ever been. I have reached that weight several times but there has been a determination about me not to exceed the capacity of my bathroom scales (20 stone) that has always stopped me going any further upwards! But I always feared that one day I would, and then there will be no turning back.

I was fortunate in 2004 to be able to take part in an organised 4-week walking trip to Norway and during this time lost over a stone. That was the last time I weighed as little as 17 stone. There was a particular disappointment associated with this, however; several years ago (about 1995, I think), I purchased some new salopettes during one of our annual skiing holidays. I only wore them twice and they never fit me again after that. Instead, I had to wear an awful pair of motorcycle over-trousers which are uncomfortable, make me sweat, are inflexible, look ridiculous and I HATE them!!!! When I got down to 17 stone in 2004 I anticipated the pleasure I would gain from being able to wear the salopettes again, at last, but alas – they still wouldn’t fit! I am hoping (perhaps it is just wishful thinking) that having been banded, I just might be able to wear them for my 2009 ski holiday - watch this space!