Most women at some point in their lives will have thought it’s time to lose a bit of weight – whether it’s for a special occasion or holiday or for health reasons. But here are some of the signs that made me realise it was time to shed the pounds.

1. You’re in bed by 10pm

When I was at my largest, after spending the day looking after the children I couldn’t manage much more than sitting on the sofa for a couple of hours. Most nights I’d be in bed by 10pm and that was usually after I’d already fallen asleep in front of the TV. These days I have far more energy and once the children are in bed, I manage to fit in some housework instead.

2. Food controls your life

Before I changed my eating habits, my whole day would revolve around food. I’d constantly be thinking about what I could have for my next meal, and it wouldn’t be something healthy. After I changed my diet and started planning meals in advance, I don’t feel as hungry and think less about food.

3. You’re a yo-yo dieter

I’ve never been a size zero and have spent most of my adult life on one diet or another. I don’t think there was a diet or healthy eating fad that I hadn’t tried and none of them were a long-term solution. You need to change your entire attitude to food, eating more fruit and vegetables and cooking meals from scratch.

4. You lack energy to play with your children

Having two active boys I never wanted to be one of those mums who couldn’t kick a ball about in the park, or who was always sat on the sofa. However, keeping up with them all the time when I was overweight definitely wasn’t easy and I did feel like I was letting them down. These days I’m quite happy to be involved in whatever they’re playing, as well as sorting everything out around the house.

5. You have to buy new clothes

Now most women wouldn’t complain about having to buy a whole new wardrobe, but when it’s because all your clothes are too small it’s really no fun. I’ve always liked fashionable clothes, but when I was at my largest I just hated everything that I bought. All my clothes were chosen to cover up parts of my body and not because I actually liked them. Today I love buying things that show off my figure and it’s far more enjoyable to spend the day shopping when you’ve got more choice.

6. You’ve lost your self-esteem

Being larger I always used to look at slimmer women and friends and feel envious of them. I wanted the bodies that they had and stopped feeling comfortable with myself. I hated the way I looked in most clothes and didn’t really go out very much. Today I feel a lot happier with my body shape; I know that I’ll never be a supermodel, but I wouldn’t want to be anyway.

7. You’re always moaning to friends about your weight

Good friends are a great asset when you’re going through rough patches, but even the best of friends can only take so much. Ask yourself how often you moan to them while you’re getting ready for a night out or just before a holiday and I bet you’ll be surprised.

8. Your baby is now at school

There’s only so long that you can blame your weight gain on being pregnant and when your baby starts school it’s probably time to do something about it. During my second pregnancy I was still carrying the weight I gained the first time round and he’s now seven.

9. You hide the scales

I don’t think I’d weighed myself for about two years. I knew I was overweight, but if I didn’t know by how much then I could hide away from it. Now I’m a lot more relaxed about my weight. I still don’t know exactly how much I weigh, but as long as my dress size stays the same I’m happy.

10. You avoid having photos taken

I’d never found photos of myself particularly flattering, but when I weighed more I was a lot more self-conscious about having my photograph taken, even on special occasions. The few photos I do have from that time though are useful reminders of how I don’t want to go down that road again.

I’m sure there are lots of other signs that it’s time to lose weight and we all have our own personal reasons. It’s never going to be easy and rather than a diet, see it as a change of lifestyle.

See original article by Catherine Stern here.