Podge Blog - Introduction

Since I was 16, my body and my weight is something I have always battled with. I look back at pictures of me from when I was 16 and how young, slim and healthy I looked with sad memory of knowing how I felt about my weight and how my body looked. I have no memory of my exact weight back then, but I was around UK dress size of 12 to 14. As a 30 something woman now, I look back on images from when I was 16 and would kill to have that body now. Yet, back then, I thought I was overweight and I hated my body.

Of course, back when I was 16, it was in the early 2000s. Back when young girls and women were heavily pressurised by media and society to have the perfect slim bodies that were usually unachievable, unrealistic, unhealthy and mentally damaging to the average woman - which is still difficult to state what the "average" is for women as well all come in different shapes and sizes. There is of course, the BMI scale to go by, however, I call bullshit on this following learning that BMI was originally set up based on a slim, white male physique. BMI neglects to take into account the difference between male and female bodies, the fact that women all have different shaped and sized breasts (regardless of how fit or slim they maybe). I do not even recall what my BMI was back in the early 2000s, but definitely considerably better to now. 

Me in South Africa, aged 16.

University was definitely the starting journey of my weight yoyoing up and down. Moving away from home and beginning to become more independent from my mum - learning that there is a difference in eating what I want, whenever I want as an adult compared to ensuring I am providing myself a balanced diet. Other challenges, such as undiagnosed depression, anxiety and ADHD also contributing to these struggles. 

Fast forwarding to today, as a 30 something mum, with a husband and a 5 year old and significantly a lot bigger and heavier and many other personal life experiences, I am on my lost-count attempt at sorting myself and my life out. Reaching towards a size 22 dress size, I am now bullying myself into doing something about it, and figured writing this blog, perhaps pushing myself to do some TikTok videos? Maybe? I can make myself more accountable in my weight loss journey and general level of fitness. 

I did make significant progress back in 2022 when I joined Slimming World, then illness struck in October. Managed to lose just over 5 stone over a year, running regularly. Then I was hit with a very terrible sickness bug. Lost all motivation for a balanced diet and exercise as I got better. Ever since then, I have struggled following many personal reasons to not put on weight and to get back into the running that I had gotten addicted to in the summer.

Photos of me with my hubby at the Paradox Museum in London, February 2025. 

Looking back at these photos taken at the time really made me see that I have gotten to my biggest and heaviest. 

I joined the gym late 2024, with the expense of it, close proximity to home and fact that it could facilitate swimming for me would prompt me to go and would not be able to make excuses for myself not to go. Still managed to avoid the gym between December 2024 to February 2025. I now have a small victory in attending the gym now for two sessions over the last two days within the first 4 days of March. I'm hoping this means I have finally turned a new corner. 

Anyway, that's me and my boring life. My next post will be reviewing my first weeks progress on how the battle against my podge is going. Until next time! Write soon.

Reminders below of what I know I am capable of achieving: 

Previous "before" collage prior to doing Slimming World in 2022, photos ranging from 2019 to 2022.

After photos in 2022, following doing Slimming World food plan and "Jog a Mile a Day" in June 2022 when I lost 5 stone.

Year loss weight comparison from Summer of 2022 to Summer 2021.