Look for the rainbows

Look for the rainbows! Rainbows are one of my favourite things in all creation, Ben and I always look for them if there’s the smallest hint of rain and sunshine. They are, as well as being achingly beautiful, a reminder that often the best things in life are a cautiously balanced mix of the good and the bad. 

Take, I cringe at the word, take dieting! I’m pretty sure that most of if not not all of us in this group have spent a significant part of our lives jumping from one unrealistic and unsustainable diet to another, our weight moving up and down in a way which would thrill a world champion yo-yo player.

We avidly sought the next great diet, the next guaranteed way to lose our weight and find that illusive beach body (FYI I always had a beach body, its just that mine was a beached whale!)

Then, Ben and I found  the Fast 800, and you wonderful people. The next picture is our starting picture, back in October 2019, I was 15st 2lbs, Ben was 11st 6lbs.

Fast forward five and a half months and Ben is now 8st 7lbs and I am under 12st (even if only by a smidgeon). I’ve  learned that there are three aspects to the little word “Fast.”

1) Fast, as in speedy, rapid. When you first start this new way of eating the weight loss is startling and so encouraging, sticking to your plans, preparing, unlearning decades of misguided (and downright stupid) information leads to satisfying rewards, both in terms of actual weight loss and the amazing changes that happen to your bodies. 

2) Fast, as in fasting, giving your body time to actually digest and utilise the nutrients you are now carefully putting in to it.

3) Fast, and maybe you can’t anticipate this one, but as in stick to, adhere to, staying on course, embracing this new wonderful way of eating and way of living.

This is Ben and I today, a pleasing amount of weight lost (hopefully never to return) and bodies we are no longer ashamed of, nor limited by because of countless aches and pains. We are still sticking to the principles, particularly our TRE which is generally eating between10:30 am and 4:30 pm, but we are now at a point where we don’t have a mini meltdown because for some reason we have to adapt. We don’t measure and weigh so much and we don’t really calorie count because over the last few months we (well me really) have learned to make sensible and now almost instinctive healthy choices. 

For my birthday weekend a couple of weeks ago, (65) we did deviate, we had birthday cake, we had cupcakes ( our absolute favourites from a local farm shop) we had a couple of meals out and we chose what we wanted, not what we should have chosen. News Flash! The world didn’t end and in fact my frustrating 12st 1lb plateau was passed two weeks later. This weekend we should have been happily settled in a beautiful cottage on Anglesey for our first holiday alone, sadly that was not to be so we’ve ordered from our local farm shop, we’ve got some lovely fresh food to cook with and a couple of healthy ready meals for ease, and we’ve had the cupcakes again, but, you know what, Ben’s just said, “I’m not that bothered anymore Mum, they’re too sweet!”

For those of you at the beginning of this new chapter in finding your new healthy you, keep at it, it works, and most important, its not a diet (I whispered that) because there is nothing you can’t eat, and there are no sins! Just revised and healthier choices. Welcome to the biggest group of losers, you’ll love it and your body and health will love you for it.

Just before I go, had to share this happy little soul, a quokka! Smile!

Jane