Continued weight-loss obsession

I wasn't always a lard-arse. Actually, I don't really think of myself as a lard-arse now, more of a work in progress who is a bit cuddly.

I know exactly why I'm not the size I was when I was 18 (only six short years ago). It's down to three key reasons all spurred by going to university.

1.I stopped doing between four and eight hours gymnastics training every week. Before uni, I was a keen and fairly good recreational gymnast and there were only club sessions a certain number of times a week, so if I didn't go, I didn't get to train. Gym is one of the best allover forms of exercise there is, working every muscle you can think of (and some you didn't think you had) plus its really good fun. During the summer months I had to run round the massive field twice before the session started, then do 30 minutes of fairly strenuous cardio and stretching and then the gym itself. But seeing as I was only recreational level (ie I was never going to compete for my university and win stuff) the university couldn't really offer me any continued training facilities. So I stopped that pretty much overnight.

2. I was forced to start eating new things and discovered a love of cooking (and, err, eating). This may sound like a good thing, especially considering pre-uni my diet largely consisted of chicken nuggets, fish-fingers, potatoes, curry and occasionally pilchards or cheese on toast, but when there is a whole world of new and delicious things to eat, you just kind of do. I also discovered the impossibility of cooking for one - so cooked for two and ate both portions (limited fridge space, you see). Having been taught not to waste food (my Dad is really big on this, he makes people eat the three remaining carrots when we are so stuffed we can't move), I was hardly about to throw it away.

3. I fell in love with someone who loves me for who I am. In almost all respects, this is clearly a good thing. But living with someone who you care a lot about means that generally, I would rather snuggle up and play silly games than go to the gym or go for a walk. I'm under no pressure to lose weight to attract some shallow man in a nightclub. Plus, while OH is no chubby chaser, he does not like the idea of me losing a lot of weight and any time when I am working especially hard, he tells me if I get any thinner I will vanish (obviously this is nonsense).

I reckon with this combination of factors, I gained almost three stones during my university years, and since then I've put on about another stone. That's not great, is it?

I guess I am a little unusual for people who are as overweight as I am because I actuall eat quite healthily, just too much, and I am also reasonably fit - which unfortunately makes it rather harder to lose weight. And also, I bloody love food:-)

To end on a positive note - I got my first (unsolicited) 'have you lost weight' comment last week from someone I used to work with and hadn't seen for a couple of weeks. Keep 'em coming.