baby fat

One of the downsides of being pregnant, bearing children, is that your body will never be the same again.
Even if you are lucky enough to regain your former shape.
I was not one of the lucky ones.
Five pregnancies, resulting in three beautiful children, and with each one came some ten unshiftable pounds. But I was in denial through out the whole childbearing period. According to the professionals I am very good at blocking out what I don't want to know, I suppose this was a perfect example. I was high on being fertile and my body was doing something that astounded me, that it could actually do this - I was hooked; the mystery, the miracle, I wanted to be be pregnant, expecting, forever.
A natural high, I never felt better.

All my life, I was nearing 28 when I had Rose, I had been slim. Something I took absolutely for granted, I couldn't imagine the concept of being plump or fat. Women around me discussing weight-loss and diets might as well have been speaking a foreign language for all I knew.
Only once do I remember my thenadays boyfriend's father warning me: Mark my words, you will not always stay this slim if you don't look after your body properly.
I must have given him a funny look, what on earth was he on about? But he loved me as his own and had my best interest at heart. And he was right. Though at the time I wasn't receptive and it wouldn't have made an ounce of difference anyway.

Eventually I tried, in many different ways, to get rid of those pounds and most often with success.
A short-lived one, they just kept coming back soon as I thought I was all right, let go of whatever diet I was on. Bringing an extra bonus with them too, till I thought: Enough! What's so bad about being curvy anyway? Long as it stays within proportion.
My friend Remi has defined this very well: It stops being attractive when the stomach protrudes more than the chest.
Fortunately my chest is working with me here.
So, by and large, I came to terms with my more womanly shape and have stayed the same for years now, wryly watching others fuss, lose and gain, getting nowhere in the end, congratulating myself on making a wise decision.

Of course, you all know what this is leading up to.
For more than one reason, but one of them being the oncoming strenuous hike (thanks Bob, the party, remember?), I have grudgingly resolved to lose some weight.

It seemed a good idea to write about it here, maybe an incentive going public - for one thing I am sure of is I am not alone here.
Maybe some encouragement, some support might come my way?
Ach, I hate doing it, I hate any restrictions and I really love food, and drink.
That might prove to be the crux, one glass of wine a day??!!!

In case anyone might be interested, the name of the diet:

Diet4idiots.

Sounds about right, hey?