My first yo-yo

The first yo-yo was made popular in the 1920's but I'm pretty sure back then they would never have guessed how we would be using their fun toy name as an evil adjective in conjunction with weight loss and gain. Yo-yo dieting simple means, going on a diet, then putting weight back on, then going on a diet again, and - well putting the weight back on.

My weight gain started in 2010, it's the year I graduated, moved in with my then boyfriend (now fiancé) and it was also sadly the year my fiancé lost his mum to cancer. So all in all, I gained weight, and never really lost it again. At the time that really wasn't the largest (excuse the pun) problem.

However, it's how I dealt with the weight gain that has probably got me into this whole mess - ironically I can't quite remember how I did deal with it. I believe I started with a bit of jogging (sensible) and when that didn't work well I started my first strict diet (less sensible).

Over the years, I would informally agree with myself that I was on a diet and restrict foods which I wanted to eat, but didn't deem healthy, again seems relatively sensible to me. However I always seemed to 'cave' and ended up weighing even more than I had done before the diet.

My first 'formal' diet was the Dukan Diet which I started in 2012. I caved a couple of times before sticking to it for just under 3 months - I was the maid of honour at my best friend's wedding, and didn't want to hate looking at the wedding photos for the rest of my life. Oh the Dukan Diet worked well, until said wedding day arose, I ate lots of 'forbidden' foods and didn't stop eating for 2 months - which made me 5kg heavier than when I initially started Dukan.

Of course I knew I was eating too much, I even knew I was binging, I just couldn't stop myself...