the dreaded photos

It pains me to put these on the Internet. I look terrible (which is why I have cropped my head out - I know I have photos of my face on the blog too but for now I would rather keep the face and body separate!) Here they are...

 

...not my most flattering angle I would say. These photos make my weight more real. When you (or at least I) look in a mirror my eyes deceive me. Up until this year I have let myself put on over 3 stone by just ignoring the issue, looking at myself and thinking "I suppose I don't look too bad!". Well, these photos show me how other people see me. And it isn't pretty. Mainly my bum looks out of proportion and is clearly where the majority of my weight goes. In proportion to the rest of my body my stomach seems relatively flat, but my hips are humongous! So, that is the visual representation of me, now time for the measurements.

Week 1 Measurements 

Bust:  39.5 inches
Chest: 32.5 inches
Waist: 33.5 inches
Hips: 43.5 inches

Bum: 46.5 inches
Thighs:  27.5 inches
Calves: 16 inches
Upper arm: 13.5 inches
Forearm: 10 inches

Those are my measurements in all their glory shame. I plan on updating my measurements and photos each month and weighing myself every fortnight. I am uploading quite a lot of embarrassment to this blog but have decided to keep my weight a secret and keep a little bit of self respect in tact! Instead, I will update the blog with how many lbs I have lost each week and how many lbs I still need to lose to reach my target weight.

I'd just like to add, in case anyone is reading this, I am losing weight for myself, because I need to and according to the NHS guidelines on weight, my BMI puts my as borderline overweight/obese. My weight loss journey is promoting a healthier life for myself and I will stop losing weight when I reach the recommended BMI for my height and age. In no way am I encouraging anorexia or eating disorders or a negative view on weight. I just want to be healthy and happy again!

Let's hope I will never have to cringe so much from looking at a set of photos ever again!

dear Topshop...

...I love your new SS11 collection. There is just too much stuff that I want. I shall be spending the last of my gift cards on this gorgeous bag. 

I love the colour and the pretty scalloped detail and can imagine myself throwing it on over a pretty summer dress.

 I feel Topshop can be a bit hit and miss, I do love quite a few items at the moment but haven't seen any I liked for a while. The other thing is I really don't think they are "affordable prices", they seem to always be on the increase. So, after I've spent the last of my gift cards I am going to have to save, save, save for the rest of my wish list.

 From Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Coral Suede Tassel Front Box Bag £25, Rust Floral Embroidered Trim Vest £28, Tea Dress £46, Brown Leather Contrast Buckle Purse £18, Knitted Peach Oversize Cape £44, Camel Striped Slashed Arm Tank Top £14 

Looking at that, I think I may have a thing for peachy, rusty coloured clothing...

ready for my close-up

Unfortunately this will be no vogue-esque photoshoot. Instead, tomorrow is the day that I am taking my "before" pictures before I embark upon my weight loss adventure. So tomorrow there will be some photos a-la Clare Nasir appearing on this blog...maybe without the lime green bikini though!

Whilst 3.5 stone (that's 49lbs) is my target weight loss to take me smack bang in the middle of my recommended BMI, I know that is going to be hard. The pictures, and also measurements, will hopefully encourage me when the scales aren't so kind. There will be new photos each week and hopefully as the blog gains more posts, I'll lose pounds.

In the February edition of the UK Cosmopolitan magazine they gave away Neris and India's Idiot-Proof Diet: A Weight-Loss Plan for Real Women which gave me the idea to photograph my progress. If anyone is trying to lose weight I would definitely recommend this book. The first half gives great advice and really helps you understand your eating habits and exactly why you eat too much. The second half is the actual diet which, in my opinion, is not so great. It is essentially a spin off of the Atkins diet and encourages a low carb way of living for the rest of your life, which is not something I necessarily agree with. In the words of Nigella, "Everything in moderation"! However, the advice that the authors give and their witty writing style makes this book worth buying anyway, it definitely spurred me on.

Tomorrow I will wake up and know that this is the biggest I am ever going to be (hopefully) forever.

my time to shine

Hello 2011.

This year my resolutions seemed to be extensive  and so I decided it was about time I got cracking on some of them. As well as being one of my resolutions, this blog aims to document my life as I try to keep to the rest of them (or at least one...an improvement on any other year!). I'll write about my life, my likes, my interests and just about everything.

So, where to start? Perhaps the resolutions would be a good idea!

1. Lose 3.5 stone - ambitious but required and my main aim of 2011
2. Graduate
3. Land myself a great job doing what I love
4. Move to London. 
5. Start on my quest to healthy eating (with thanks to Jamie Oliver!)
6. Get back into reading and read a few books a month
7. Travel to America
8. Discover my PERFECT skincare regime
9. Discover my PERFECT foundation
10. Last but not least, create a blog.

I hope people enjoy what I am writing about, but if not this is officially my online journal.

Helen xo