Five Reasons Why I Wanted to Lose Weight

Writing the first post is never easy...

I've been racking my brains for about forty minutes thinking about how I can open up this blog, and this seems like the most sensible way to go about it. If you've not read my 'About' page to get some context and understanding on why this blog is here, then I suggest you do that first. It might paint a clearer picture in your head. 

 The most common question I have been asked on my social media accounts is why I decided to suddenly make changes to my body and take the reins back. I first want to point out that any posts I publish on this blog, they are not me advocating a certain body type and raining on the parade of people with different shapes and sizes. But like everyone, I have my own ideal weight and shape that I would like to be. This blog is about my experiences and how I am getting to the shape I'd like and I'm hoping it will help other people in the same shoes as me. So to kick it off, here are five answers for that common question. 

What made me want to lose weight?

1. Being weighed (Bit of an obvious one, I know!)

For two years I had noticed my weight had increased and hoped that weighing myself and seeing the number on the scales would shock me into action, but it never worked because I just kept eating to comfort myself about the shape I was in. But when I first signed on to Ultra White Collar Boxing, we had to get weighed so we were fairly matched with our potential opponent. I weighed in at 74kg, and knowing that there were bigger blokes weighing in just a few lbs above my weight, I knew something had to change. I could have taken it like any of the previous scare tactics I put myself through, but because I'd developed a passion for boxing I was more inclined to lose the weight. 

 2.. Internal health 

When we order takeaways and continuously eat the equivalent of our body weight, we often forget what it's doing to our insides and the first thing we think about is our shape. Internal health is just as, if not-more, important than our physique. I was smoking. I was drinking and I was eating all the wrong foods without thinking of how the fat, salt and sugar content was impacting my heart, stamina, and bones. The excess weight isn't the only issue, it's important to maintain a healthy weight to keep your bones, organs, teeth, and mind in mint condition!

3. Back pains 

I was quick to blame my back pains on stress and growth rather than addressing the fact I was carrying an extra two stone and more weight than was actually necessary for my height and age .I was given MRI scans and codeine to relieve the pain and the last thing that occurred to me was the fact that the weight I was carrying was putting pressure on my spine, and when I was exercising I felt no pain! Extra weight was putting the extra pressure on my bones as they were trying to hold it up and the weight needed to go in order to relieve the pain. Shifting off some extra pounds is always a recommendation if you're ever suffering from aches and pains!

4. Mental health 

This is a very common one also, but exercising and beginning to love my body and the results I was seeing also stemmed from the positive impact it had on my mental health. Losing weight and spending two hours at a time at the gym released all those endorphins. Going to the gym became part of my routine where I could let off steam and know I was doing something positive for my mind and body. And not from a half-hearted session either! I'd work myself hard and the adrenaline rush and sense of accomplishment I got after was amazing. I also got talking to people at the gym who were always supportive and motivating which helped ease my anxiety and feel welcome in the gym. 

5. Self care

We all have an image of what we want to look like in our head. Whilst I had body goals of my own, I learnt that self care wasn't just buying myself a nice bath bomb from Lush! and having a soak, it was about how I was treating my body. What I was putting into it and how I was treating it. A phrase one of my coaches told me that has always stuck is if you have a nice car, you don't fuel it with treacle and not get it valeted. You fill it with the right fuel and take care of it. So your body should be the same! No matter what my shape is at the end of it (and yes, I have a goal in mind), I now understand the importance of exercise and nutrition as a positive method of self care that is often forgotten or seen as 'too obvious' to be worth noting. 

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Thank you so much for reading this post! I hope you stick around for more and get some motivation out of this blog. Make sure to follow now so you don't miss a thing and I will be writing the next post as you read this, so keep your eyes peeled! 

Liv xo