Monday 1 September 2008

How Z lost weight 19 years ago Part 1

I can't be bothered to search too much and it seems that the Great Badger doesn't remember, so I'll risk telling you, possibly again.

I based it on a diet I found in Good Housekeeping as I remembered - basically it was a points system I suppose; it allowed so many units of each food group, while vegetables were free. So I promptly decided that some of them were far too generous - I weighed 9 stone at the start so to lose weight meant not eating much at all.

It all started - actually, I can pinpoint it exactly, because of the particular circumstances. The Sage and I had a long weekend in London, for my goddaughter's christening at St Martin in the Fields in Trafalgar Square. The Sunday was the 21st May, 1989 (I'm good, aren't I? Damn good.) and we stayed with the Sage's nephew in Hackney the night before, went to the christening at the usual morning service at 11, then for a Chinese meal with the other godparents and the family and then to view a sale at Sotheby's. The next day, we returned or the sale and then the Sage left for home, while I went back to spend another night at Simon's flat. He served a lovely trout with salad and white wine for dinner, I remember.

The next day, I visited the Chelsea flower show. It was scorching hot and I took talcum powder to sprinkle in my shoes so I didn't get blisters and I wore a hat I'd bought in John Lewis in Oxford Street the previous day for £2.95. Just a simple straw hat but I loved it and wore it for years. I still have it, much mended. Also, I didn't wear a bra (having a suitable loose top and a modest 34A endowment) so I kept pretty cool. I spent all day at the show and didn't bother to eat, keeping going on just a glass of orange juice.

I went home that night and the Wednesday was our wedding anniversary, which is the reason I know the dates exactly. I weighed myself that day and I'd lost nearly half a stone. So, when I then read about this diet it seemed a good idea to lose the poundage I'd put on since being stick-thin after feeding my last baby for a year.

Sorry, I set the scene for so long I haven't time to tell you about the diet. I'll be back tomorrow.

2 comments:

Dandelion said...

I don't get this. You lost half a stone and that made you decide you needed to lose weight?

Z said...

It gave me a quick start, Dandelion. The prospect of losing more than a stone is daunting, but when you lose 5 lbs over a weekend you don't want to waste it. I was aware I wanted to lose weight.