It’s a funny time to talk about weight loss. I was brought up in a era where Bridget Jones was considered obese at just over 9 stone, and going with your mum to a public weigh in after tea on a Monday was considered the norm.
Fast forward to present day, and I love the fact that women bodies are celebrated for just being, and size doesn’t have to mean unhealthy and women openly campaign to combat the stupidity that personality and purpose isn’t intrinsically tied to their dress size.
But what if you don’t want to be a larger woman anymore? But you also want your daughters to know that loving their body consistently is really important in life.
What if you are pushing the any size is ok, but you also know that the size you are is a ticking time bomb for health concerns waiting to appear…. What are you then promoting to your kids?
See – it’s a chaotic time for weight loss chats. I want to be body confident, and I also want to wear my old clothes from years gone by….
I want my kids to know happiness is a gift we all deserve and shouldn’t be tied to a number on a scale.
But health is a present we all should nurture and sometimes too high numbers and too low numbers on the scales are equally as detremential to our physical and mental well being.
Those who have known me through most of my existence, know I have a pretty confused relationship with weight and fitness.
I’ve ran marathons for fun, and eaten enough calorific food to only just squeeze into a size 18. I help run a CrossFit gym and at one point could pull my body weight up over a pull up bar numerous times in succession. However in recent years, even hanging from the bar has felt exhausting.
My fitness has always helped define who I am. I adore the feeling of running (not far tho), I love lifting a heavy barbell, I enjoy being that mum in the park doing pull ups by the see-saw. My mental health soars when I am exercising regularly, my work/life balance increases, I do more with the kids as they are all into health related activities, and I love life a little bit more when I am fitter.
Well, my fitness pretty much fucked off in the pandemic, helped on its way by a rebound relationship with pizza and wine, and when the rest of the nation came back out of lockdown on a health kick. I continued building a business, starting a new company, focusing on ensuring I was never left again facing a recessed market with concerns about paying the bills.
Consequently meaning, each month passed and my ass grew a little bigger, I worked a little harder, I trained a little less.
And I became quieter.
I stopped posting on social media, because I no longer liked my reflection, I stopped signing up for Aquaparks, outdoor fitness events, even going to the gym with my kids, because my body couldn’t keep up or do what I craved it to do. When I did train, my rather loud self deprecating voice announced to every one how old and rubbish I was.
In hindsight, I was pretty epic at beating myself up, and then comforting myself with a glass of wine on the sofa later.
I want to be clear. This isn’t about weight, this is about having a body that can do what I want it to do.
For many years to come….
I want to be the old lady sprinting to collect her pension, competing in CrossFit in the old as heck category, and chasing after her grandkids with complete abandonment.
This meant for me, I had to lose weight.
I mean I knew that for a long ass time, and always trusted I would get there in the end, I am usually boringly reliable.
2025 has started with a focus on fitness, the aim being that I will be in the best shape of my life by 50, just over 2 years to go….
Its hard to share that for me fitness & health means carrying a little less weight around the midsection, but easy for me to share that being fitter means my mental health is soaring, my netball career (very) slowly improving, my work/life balance is getting more under control and the joy I can find every day in just being is overwhelming.
It took 47 years to finally connect in my head that being slim doesn’t make me happy. But being fit and healthy does….
I mean, 47 years….. c’mon now Pettit.
But I am back, a little less ass, a bit more wobbly bits and I can pull my chin over a bar….
Pretty excited to see what the next 12 months are bringing….
Happy Days.
