Disqus for Where Are My Knees

Guest Post - Gem from FromGemWithLove

Saturday 9 April 2011

Today's guest blog was written by Gem from FromGemWithLove


When I was a little girl my aunt would always say "You're so skinny, put on some weight, do you even eat!?" Which always used to bother me, because no offence to her and my cousins, but they were always bigger than me, and why was that my fault? Just because I was a slimmer girl doesn't mean I never ate, in fact I ate a lot, I ate whatever I wanted, maybe that's what annoyed them so much, because they couldn't? But I was young, and ran around always, I have always been tall and slim...well that was until last year.

I went from being the girl that could eat anything, to recognising that I was in fact a 24 year old woman, who now had hips and what is this, a belly?? You can imagine how this sort of shocked me, but I went through a phase where I just didn't care about it at all, I wasn't un-healthy, so what if I wasn't a size 10 anymore, it's not the end of the world, right? I used to comment on blogs, telling people who were worried about eating an extra piece of cake, to go ahead and eat the damn cake, life is too short. That all changed when I could no longer fit in to my size 12 jeans, jeans suck anyway I have decided, but that is all I lived in, my size 12 skinny, Primark jeans, what was I going to do? I started doing what I always do, I moaned and moaned and MOANED, but I would still eat a whole bag of Doritos and dip to myself (not that much fat actually I have now found, BONUS!)

But it was when my Mom got ill with Pancreatitis that everything changed, she was rushed to hospital, and they told her she would have to eat a low fat diet for the rest of her life. Something that was a big change for her, not because she was overweight, but because she loved all of the nice foods, paté, cake, CHEESE. So I moved in with her, to hep her convalesce, and had to cook her lots of healthy food, then one day I was getting un-dressed to try on a new outfit and she uttered those dreaded words "You need to lose some weight Gem" What?? I had been quite happy with my denial up until that point, my Mom had always told me that I looked good with a bit of weight on me, but she said, kindly mind, that I had put on a bit too much, "All those lovely meals out with Dale!" she said, true. I never believed that phrase 'it's contentment' but I think it's most certainly true now, but the thing is with my boyfriend, he would love me if I was 22 stone, and he would never tell me to lose weight, he would never call me...fat. But isn't there a point where you would want your boyfriend to have a little word? You know it could be when you are about to eat your fourth pork pie...or scraping the bottom of your salsa jar *hides in shame* if someone that close wouldn't/can't tell you, who is going to? Maybe it hits a nerve with Dale, because it was only two/three years ago that he was quite overweight, all of our friendship consisted of Dale consuming buckets of KFC. Now he is all slim and I'm the one crying in to my fry up. How did he do it? Smaller portions, he honestly believes that you can still eat all the things you like if you change the size of your plate.

So this is the option I have adopted, there will be no rivita in my house anytime soon, I have no patience to diet, so I see this as my better option. I am also joining the gym next week, I know a lot of people might think that a size 14 isn't big at all, because well it's not is it, it's an incredibly healthy size. I just don't like those bits that wobble and don't fit in to my jeans anymore, and deep down if I don't change something now at 24, what will I be like at 34? I want to be a healthy adult, not the woman who has the Chinese on speed dial. Now I will leave you all with a good luck and go back to my tortellini...on my small plate.

13 comments:

  1. Well...I guess it depends. I´m 5ft 2 and if I was size 14, I´d be really really chubby:)
    But I think the most important thing is just the way you feel. If you feel that you could do with a few pounds less, then just do it. And the smaller portion size idea is what works best, I think. You can really actually eat whatever you want, as long as you keep it under control. I lost over one and a half stone about a year ago and to be honest, I didn´t really notice I was doing anything differently. I just ate a bit less and had a salad for dins every other day.
    Good luck:)

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  2. I can absolutely relate! I have always been skinny and it came as a shock last summer when my mum said I might need to lose a little weight... I had just eaten wayy too many take aways and pretending I didn't notice by wearing looser tops. Denial aint just a river in egypt girl!! :o)
    And you have started me craving doritos and salsa now... Yum!! :o) x

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  3. I feel exactly the same as Gem. I've noticed my weight creep up over the last few months and now can't fit into any of my summer clothes from last year. One of my difficulties is that I live with my boyfriend who is 6'3 and can eat anything (and does) and I tend to serve us both up the same portions. I'm not suited to diets either so I'm hoping that smaller portion sizes and riding my bike around our new neighbourhood will sort me out.
    Good article :)
    xxx

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  4. lovely post :)
    my weight 'crept' up on me and before i knew it id put on 2 stone!
    crazy stuff. good luck! :)
    Rosie xo

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  5. I've been exactly the same, except that this time last year I was size 12 and I'm now somewhere between 14-16 and I'm 5'10" so I'm starting to look a bit top heavy lol. My weight hopped on board within the space of a couple of months, and just kept climbing on. I maintain that it was revision that kept me feeling miserable and not exercising, the miserableness resulting in comfort eating and then I got into bad habits just eating exactly what I wanted whenever I felt 'hungry', and often even when I wasn't. I'm starting to control that now and have lost 1.3 kg since this Monday. I was totally in denial until my boyfriend had his own 'little word' (except that my mum put him up to it, he doesn't actually mind me being overweight..) so I've cracked on with it. Still can't help worrying I'll fall back into bad habits once I've lost the weight though and go full circle. xxx

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  6. I think as long as you are healthy and happy then you shouldn't worry too much about hat you are eating BUT I would want people to tell me (nicely!) if they thought I was getting too big!

    Maria xxx

    P.S. I think you look gorgeous Gem :)

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  7. I can totally relate to all of that, Gem! I was a fairly skinny teenager and throughout uni I could eat whatever I wanted without putting on weight. When I got to 24 or 25 I suddenly developed boobs and hips, but I managed to ignore the fact that I was also gaining weight...until last year, when I finally faced up to the fact that I'd gone from a size 8-10 to a size 14 and I wasn't happy with the way I looked. Since then I've lost two stone and I'm back in a size 8, so it can be done!

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  8. ah, this post made me smile. i feel like the words came straight out of my mouth.
    i totally agree with the 'not dieting' thing as i have found that i cheat so easily.
    definitely inspired me to start eating a little bit better and cut my portion sizes.
    xo

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  9. Good luck with your healthier eating x

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  11. Aw I love this post, I too am guilty of scraping bottoms of jars..he he!

    You look fab regardless you minx! good luck x

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  12. oh Gemma, I love this post so much. I feel exactly like that and I am nearly 30 years old so I need to do somethinga about it and diets don't work for me. I stopped exercising and I now realise i took it for granted. It really did change my shape even though I didn't know it at the time. I have a personal training session soon so hopefully that will motivate me.

    I no longer feel alone! Thanks.

    xx

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