ONLY...

C'mon now, honestly... what do you think when you hear the word 'ONLY'?

I am an only child, I'm not spoilt, genuinely I'm not, my folks went to Australia with the shirts on their backs, good work ethics and sheer determination to make something better for themselves and they did but money was tight like everyone else who had emigrated back in the 70s, and my mum was all over discipline, when she said 'no' she meant it... it wasn't up for negotiation, that still stands today! I was spoilt ONLY with time and love... and people often feel sorry for me, which I just don't get... My mum is the eldest of 12 children and my dad is in the middle of 10 siblings but I had an idyllic childhood... I'm very privileged and very lucky, I know this... We travelled around the world because of my dads job and my mums wanderlust, which I definitely have, as soon as my plane lands in Dublin airport, I'm booking a flight anywhere I can afford! Still... being an only child wasn't a bad thing... Did I miss out not having siblings? I don't think so, how can you miss what you don't understand... Would life have been different? Probably but we'll never know will we... people often pity me because I'm an only child, but I wouldn't want it any other way to be honest... my mum and dad are my best friends...

There are so many ways people use the word only... with Valentines day just around the corner every where is bedecked in 'for your one and only...' ... to think you are the one and the only one for someone is wonderful...

However... in the last few weeks I've seen people losing 'ONLY 2 lbs' ... 'ONLY half a pound' ...'ONLY 1 lb' ... people, if you were in the class last December, you would have been a hero and given a tiara for ONLY losing anything!  Like with all weight loss programmes, the first week is a shock to the system... big losses are inevitable... and some people can continue those all the way to goal and good on them... but most people lose weight the healthy way... 1 - 2 lbs a week.. that's the way it's going to STAY off... we've all done fad diets.. shakes.. juices... cabbage... grapefruit.. you name it, I have a lot of t-shirts, and lost the pounds needed to get into a frock for a 'do' but it always goes back on because the 'quick fix' is just that.. QUICK... not permanent... if any of those fads worked, we'd all be skinny and I'd be a travel blogger... Drastic changes to the system makes us drop weight quickly... When you use a quick fix, the results disappear quickly, I know I've tried... but remember maintaining is a victory some weeks, knowing you've been bold and ONLY putting on a half a pound is a victory, hopping on the scales doubting yourself and seeing a loss means you're subconsciously making better choices and that's a victory, being up even after a good week is crap, but if you worked for it, it will show... staying the same but needing a pin to keep your pants up, is a victory... losing ONLY a pound is the perfect way to do it... 1lb a week is over 3 stone and a half stone a year! And losing a pound a week is a steady, healthy way to do it, so you can still enjoy life, you all know I'm all over having fun! My friends son is just over 6 stone, and when I tried to pick him up I couldn't... yet I've ONLY lost one and a half of him... think about it... Next time you're in the supermarket, pick up a pound of butter and imagine that pound of lard ONLY strapped to your belly, thighs or arse... see what I mean...

We are all part of an elite club... we all GET each other... Our skinny friends, relations, colleagues just think we can ONLY have one slice of birthday cake and we can't! So surrounding yourself with people who get it is important... We're all in the weight loss boat together, and we all here support each other... and that's the ONLY thing we need to remember...

The only ONLY you should know! 

(If you don't know who this is.. we can't be friends!)