The holiday season has come and come and left with it a few extra (and extremely unwanted) kilos that I am clueless to know how to lose. And before anyone starts bagging me for only wanting to shed 4 or 5 kilos, please note I AM FIVE FEET TALL. That means there aint much space for the excess weight to spread to. Flab at this height is very unforgiving – there is basically nowhere for it to hide…. So in my humble opinion surely that means it equates to the average heighted person’s desire to lose 10 -12 kgs?

While I know the theory behind shedding these unwanted kilos – eat a sensible diet, exercise like crazy –putting that into practice is a whole other realm for me.

Here are the factors I am up against:

• Cooking – I am no Masterchef that is for sure. Add in the fact cooking the main meal coincides with Master H’s bath time and the fact I am usually juggling both solo, I don’t seem to have the time to concentrate on cooking anything other than the tried and tested meals we usually eat. Throw in the fact I have a fussy son who sees it as his right to complain about everything I dish up makes me even more weary to branch out. 
• Time – my gym currently does not have a crèche so I squeeze in workouts around daycare days. Any other days I’d like to exercise means I am at the mercy of my son’s mood. Once upon a time I could put him in the pram and walk places but he isnt the least bit interested in being ferried about anymore. Walking with him is fine, but at snail’s pace it aint exactly calorie burning stuff… 
• Exercise – I am to exercise what Kim Kardashian is to wedding vows; an unhappy union with a fast approaching expiry date. That being said I am smart enough to understand the benefits; however that doesn’t make me enjoy it any more. Getting sweaty is not something I relish and as soon as I feel that lactic acid I am all “abandon ship”! Yes, I know “no pain, no gain” but in the heat of the moment I am looking for the nearest exit. I can rack up a good hour in the gym but the maximum cardio I can handle is about 35 minutes. Probably not enough to burn the extra blocks of chocolate I so eagerly consumed over Christmas…
•  Diet – I’ve never really dieted so I don’t know how to deprive myself of my favourite things. And yes, I know this isn’t the key (all is ok in moderation I’m told) but what about if you lack the willpower to last the distance? It doesn’t help when you unconsciously graze like I do for no good reason (comfort and boredom are the main repeat offenders). Not to mention all the good stuff tastes bad and all the bad stuff tastes good. Sigh… 

That being said, I am certainly hoping to try and win with war with the excess weight somehow. While I can’t imagine living happily in a world without chocolate I am trying to limit myself. I wont indulge as readily as I did over the festive season but I will make some other sacrifices.

So long alcohol, it was fun while it lasted… The empty calories are something I can live without over losing chocolate from my world. I’ll aim to steer clear of takeaways (though we don’t indulge in them often in any case) but no, I will not give up my lunch time Diet Coke. I don’t drink coffee, and as my son is so fond of starting the day at 5.30am it’s basically medicinal! (There is a real fear I will morph into an unfit mother without it).

I’ll try to remind myself that food is fuel and nothing more, and to drink water instead of aimlessly snacking. Guess it comes down to how badly I want to return to my normal transmission.