How To Lose Weight if you are unable to excercise.

In my youth size 10/12 (English size) was considered normal and l never had a problem staying slim no matter what l ate.

After the birth of my 1st baby , l was a size 10 again within a couple of months and never got bigger than a size 12,.

My whole life, l´d been slim wth no effort. l assumed it was just the way l was made.

However..... baby no 2 arrives.!What Happened? Aaaaaaargh! No idea!!

l seemed to pile on the pounds during pregnancy even though l had a toddler to run around after. l don´t remember overeating, it just seemed that this 2nd pregnancy found me larger and a different shape. Yes, l know ´round´is a shape, but not what l was used to.

After the birth l felt like there must be another baby in there , such was my size. l didn´t want to do any strict dieting as l was breastfeeding. Baby 1st, l thought l can diet later. Even so l was not enormous. That particular joy was yet to come.

My lifestyle had changed , of course,. l was a full time mum and had my baby to feed , then my little boy on returning from nursery / school, then dinner at 8.0.p.m. with my husband.

The routine was ok and it´s impossible to be lazy with a baby and a toddler, but l did notice that it was very easy to ´test´the baby food (makesure it´s ok, sometimes it would too nice). Oh so easy to join in with a small snack when feeding my now 4 year old, then still be ready for a fairly large meal in the evening with my husband.

My husband didn´t mind me being bigger (not always helpful, although kind) He used to remind me that when l was a size 10 l had no ´boobs´Thank you for that darling, just wait till l finish breastfeeding, l won´t have any ´boobs´again............

Happy with my life, l was horrified one day when shopping, l had to ask for a size 18.!!! l didn´t even KNOW anyone who was a size 18.! The next time, l needed a size 20...!!!!

How could skinny little me, who had been knicknamed ´the busy bee´when l worked in an office because l was so quick with everything and fitted in extra work. need a size 20?? l just naturally moved quickly.

Well l must have been doing something wrong, because the next shopping trip, yep, you´ve guesed it. l needed size 22. l burst into tears.! No matter how lovely the dress, l thought it´s impossible for me to look good in a size 22. The dress had to be bought, it was for a special occassion., but l vowed that it would be the only size 22 l´d ever buy. l felt so ugly.

Something had to be done.

l had already tried many different diets along my journey to size 22, but whatever weight loss l managed, soon piled back on.

Then one day l heard someone speak the OBVIOUS. ¨The only way to lose weight is to eat less¨¨

Something rang a bell in my head.What´s the worst thing about diets?? Being denied certain foods, don´t you think?. Well that´s how l felt , so l immedately started to put mind over matter.

If l´m hungry l´ll eat. If l´m not hungry l don´t have to eat because the clock says it´s time to eat.

l started by putting literally half the usual amount of food on my plate, simply because l´m hopeless at leaving food. Hate waste, so my plate is always cleared.l tried to keep focussed. Some women are large, shapely and look good. l DIDN¨T. It had to go!!

Not only for my vanity but by this time arthritis had set in my spine. A family trait but even so my doctor was concerned about it beginniing while l was so young. Next it was my left knee, arthritis rubbed against the cartilage so badly l could hardly walk somedays. My knee would swell up like a balloon.!!!

Pretty soon it became normal to see much smaller portions on my plate, l gave up nibbling with childrens´tea-time´but l didn´t give up any particular food. Not even chocolate.

We love a great variety of food in our family anyway , so eating vegetables, fruit, anything ´good for you´ wasn´t an issue. l just ate a LOT less. My stomach soon got used to smaller portions, l started to feel better for it, especially as l hung the size 22 dress in my wardrobe, never wanting it to fit me again.

It took me 18months to lose 20 kilos. (more than 3 stone) and best of all 3 dress sizes. It seems a long time, but remember l didn´t have to deny myself any of my favourite foods, just the amount l ate. l did take a vitamin suppliment just in case. Some doctors said there was no need , others said it was good to be on the safe side.

My health problems increased with age, and the only excercise l could do was walk. Most other types of excercise risk damaging my bones even further. So walking it was.

Everyone has to make up their own mind about excercise. Many of you will be able to do all sorts of gymnastics, but if you have any problems like l do, don´t be disheartened. l´m down to a size 16 now. This is still on the large size for me so l´m keeping going with what has worked for me.

When l lived in a beautiful place with good weather. , walking was no problem, because it was warm l could sit for a while , then walk some more.

Now that l live where wind and rain are the order of the day during this month of April...

l put on my favourite rock music and pretend l can dance like l used to. Of course l can´t and l´d never let anyone see me, but it means l am moving to the music.

Another thing is stairs. My knee hurts but it´s still worth me walking up and down the stairs a few times for no reason other than l cannot do aerobics, jogging or all the other things that normally go with diet. did l say DIET, . Dirty word. l don´t diet. l eat when l am hungry but stop when l´m full. Keep my portions small but they´re not microscopic, l promise. l can eat what l like as long as it´s not chocolate cake after a big meal, just because it´s there! Actually even that can happen once in a while but l just go straight back to my healthier ways next day,.

If l can lose weight( and still it´s slowly coming down, ) then anyone can.

If you´re a bit immobile like me take heart,. You can still do it.

If you are mobile you´ll probably lose your weight in half the time that l did.

All the best............................