There! At last! The Slimming World certificate to prove that I'd lost one stone - fourteen pounds - since joining on 3rd November. Of course, my ultimate aim is to lose two and a half stone, so I'm not yet even halfway through my personal weight-loss endeavour. But the next stage - one and a half stones lost - looks within reach now.
I got my little glow of success yesterday evening. I would never have thought that I would be so keen - so excited - to get this certificate. A flavour perhaps of what drives professional sportsmen and sportswomen to get their gold medals.
In fact I didn't merely get my weight down to the 13 stones 12 pounds needed to secure this award. I burst through the one-stone barrier with a convincing 13 stones 10 pounds recorded by the electronic scales, two pounds more than necessary. And two pounds now in hand for the next goal, the one-and-a-half-stones certificate.
The nicest thing is not however accumulating documents that evidence my adoption of better eating habits. It's the very real change in my body shape, and the kind of clothes that are once again going to be wearable. Also the sensation of being lighter, quicker on my feet, more lissom than I was. And, who knows, possibly more attractive. (Though to what end is open to question: whom might I want to attract? Like anybody, I appreciate mild attention, but I don't want to outshine my friends. I'd be content to know that I don't frighten the horses)
A reality check. I'm still pretty hefty, still overweight for my height. And as regards achievement, most other people at the Slimming World group are doing just as well, if not better. If you are a reasonable person, and not a self-centred obsessive, you don't mind other people's success. It actually becomes inspirational. If they can, so can you. The essential things are to keep your targets in mind, follow SW's advice, don't cheat, get the results, and increasingly revel in one's new-found confidence and self-esteem - and what having these things might make possible. When I do get down to 12 stones 5 pounds I intend to celebrate. And reward myself.
