The happiest periods in my life have been when I’ve not been overweight. It’s happened a few times:

• When I was 19, in a band and drumming for hours every day
• When I was 22 and lived in Australia for 9 months (I ran long distances for weeks before I left the UK to get in shape)
• In my last year of university (aged 23) when I trained for a triathlon with two great friends
• In my first few months of married life (aged 30) while the results of my by-any-means-necessary pre-wedding weight loss gradually wore off
• In our last…

My kid called me “pudgey and fat” today, which I didn't mind at all, it was said with affection as they gave me a cuddle. But, other people talking about their weight (or not talking about it) is a huge source of issues for many people, so I wanted to address it.

Strap in for a ranty article here everyone, I’ve got some things to say…

Knowledge

If someone calls you “fat” or mentions that you’re overweight, it’s a problem. You’re reminded of something which probably causes you upset and, of course, you’re only too aware of. You don’t need reminding…

I’m reading a lot of stories of people who walked away from ‘normal’ life. There’s Cheryl Strayed’s book ‘Wild’ (she went off and hiked alone for months), and then articles by Matt Lillywhite and Charlie Brown who, at different stages of life, have decided to live on the road, enabled by their financial freedom.

I find them all inspiring. I’ve always been aware of the conveyor belts I’m on — school, university, work, mortgage, suburbia— and it hasn’t stopped me getting on them. …

A rather magical thing is happening as I near the end of this project. Food is moving from being a source of stress, to becoming a source of joy.

Today my partner and I sat in the sunshine at our table in the garden and ate a home-cooked veggie brunch with grilled vegetables, beans, a fried egg and toast. I loved every single mouthful. I was hungry for the meal when I sat down to eat it. I ate at a reasonable speed, finishing roughly the same time as my partner. We enjoyed a good conversation as we ate.

This…

This is NOT an article about networking, or LinkedIn.

*everyone breathe a sigh of relief*

It’s about situations where you have a choice between throwing your hat in the ring, or being an observer.

It’s about what Ian Higginbottom calls “being visible”

Ian had a choice in his career — to share his idea with those he thought it could help, or wait. He went for it, pushing through fear. It paid off.

I faced a similar situation this week. A deadline to apply for a scheme to connect my company across Europe. I hesitated, but went for it in in the end.

There is a risk whenever we reach out. We could look silly, get rejected, or ripped off. But, actually it’s less likely than we think. And the opportunities out there are far greater than we imagine.

Weight loss is hard. I know it is. The world is out to get you with food. Unfortunately, that is true. Body image expectations are unrealistic due to social media. Sadly, yes.

But, there’s still only one person who decides what goes in your mouth.

And that’s you.

Knowledge

You can read articles, join clubs, agree with this scientist, disagree with that scientist, moan to your mates, kid yourself as much as you like about food and weight loss.

But there will come a time when you need to put up or shut up. Two options:

You can choose to accept…