Just when we think something is over, i t has really just begun. When I thought my weight-loss and body image battle was finally over, it went into top gear. This is my journey that I'm sharing with you. I will share about eating, exercise, my eating confusion and how my body reacted to various elements . I will also share about my emotions, lessons I've learned and what motivated me. It's not a perfect journey to perfection. This is much more about an average wo man's effort to lose some w eight and be com e fit ter and stronger. It's also about her learning to love her body every single day . Please share your thoughts and stories too - we can all help and learn from one another! Yolande 🌸 Joy is Free! 🌸

When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I was conscious of was how much I hated my body. I had to get up, go to the loo and get on the scale immediately. What happened during those few minutes would keep me buoyant for the rest of the day or slam me into the ground face first. If I lost a few 100 grams, I'd be okay. If my weight was the same or, heaven forbid, slightly more, I would hate my body so much that I just wanted to stop breathing. Literally. This was my truth for longer than I care to remember. I can't remember the exact day and date that it started, but it was somewhere during my primary school years. As a young girl there was a lot of pressure to always 'look my best'. I interpreted 'look my best' as 'be perfect.'  We also grew up on the era of the 'clean plate club' - it was the done thing in those days. Does the following sound familiar? 'You won't get up from this table until you've ...