Joining the gym has always been on the back of my mind since I cancelled my first subscription in 2009. As a soon to be bride, 2015 was mostly spent battling more than ever with my weight in order to be able to look a million dollars in my dream dress at our wedding in February.
Ever since I can remember, I have always thought of myself as the chubby kid. Growing up I can remember being eight years old, and some silly boy asking my why my thighs were bigger than his. Excellent. Even as a teenager, when my mother told me I would 'lose my puppy fat', I never really did and always felt bigger than the other girls. I was an early developer, so I had breasts and a booty before the others, and I always had a chubby tummy. Regardless of being a dancer as a teenager, I always felt more thicker set than the other elegant and slender dancers. However, looking back mow at sixteen year old Vikki-Lea, there was actually nothing on me, and I would give anything mow to have the body I once had.
Going into my adult years and experimenting heavily with alcohol and going clubbing, I piled on the pounds and from ages 18-22 I gained an average of a stone a year. So by the time I met my soon to be husband, I was at my biggest.
I was a dress size 20-22 and god knows how much I weighed on the scales. I was experiencing a mixture of emotions being so happy in a new relationship, yet feeling enormous and self conscious about my weight. This prompted the first slimming world meeting, where I lost two stone in two months, and by my birthday at the end of February I was feeling great.
I then have yo-yo dieted every year since 2012 and never really exercised at all, except walking the dogs. I have tried every diet going, slimming world, weight watchers, 5:2 diet, shakes, smoothies - the list goes on. Every time I lost weight, it always was a quick fix for a short period of time and then I would lose interest and put all the weight on that I had lost and more.
In January 2015 when we finally decided to book our venue for our wedding, that was when things got serious. I had creeped back into my size 20 jeans, and was completely in denial about my size. I call it 'shallow Hal syndrome'. Anyone who has seen the film will know how I saw myself versus how everyone else saw me!
It took photos of me trying on wedding dresses to bring it all home to me. I wont lie to you, I had a mini breakdown over it and finally realised how big I was, and no way was I happy to be married at the size I was. Don't get me wrong, I totally admire anyone who doesn't diet for their weddings and I am very pro-plus size models and glamour etc, but for me personally I did not want to look back in the future and see myself marry the man of my dreams not looking my best.
I joined a slimming class in April 2015 and by October I had lost 2 stone, taking me from a size 20 to a size 16. For me this was a big achievement, however then I struggled to lose a pound more, and maintained my weight for ten weeks, taking me to the week before Christmas. This is when I took the bull by its horns and joined my local gym.
This was the best decision I made in 2015. I have been going now only for two full weeks (with Christmas and new year in between) and I have already lost half an inch off all over. My closest people to me have complimented me more since I have been exercising than they ever did when I was losing with a class. My body is starting to take a nice shape, and I feel so much more energised and happier for going!
Weight wise, I have actually put 3lbs on. This is probably Christmas weight but even with the weight gain I have lost inches and this speaks an important message to me.
I have vlogged my first four days of my gym experience on my YouTube channel - check it out to see my struggled and triumphs in my first week!! You can watch my first blog down below!
Happy New Year to you all, and may you love yourself more than ever this year. Be you.
Vik
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