Post-Christmas Fat Days

I overdulged at Christmas. Mince pies, Xmas cake, buffets, wine, mulled wine, cider, YOU NAME IT! My other half even pointed out how my stomach looked swollen (yeah thanks love) and as proof of this, my pants were starting to feel tighter around the waist. Added to that was the fact that, due to moving house and having a stonking two-week cold, I hadn't been to the gym since December 10 and I was pretty much in a mess.

As you can imagine, I felt like such a whale and was sure I'd put on the four pounds I had lost by drinking water, week in week out before the festive break. I started seeing it in the mirror – wider hips, a chubbier face and awful muffin-top which was barely there before. So imagine my surprise when I dragged myself back to the gym and found out I had only put 2lbs on! TWO! I felt like it must have been 4 or 5 at least.

But my workout proved that the damage had perhaps not shown on the scales. I felt it physically impossible to push myself for longer than 20 minutes and had to retire to the ladies' for a time-out session, feeling quite sick and imagining myself hurling all over the floor or – worse – on some innocent gym member on the treadmill in front. But I was determined to get back out there. So I finished with a few weights and floor exercises when really I should have been pounding the crosstrainer.

It just goes to show that getting out of shape needn't mean putting on weight. So for all you thinnies out there, feeling smug because you don't have much flab to lose, BEWARE! Test your fitness and make sure you involve at least some exercise in your weekly routine or you'll be puffing up the stairs and feeling woozy at the gym in no time. See you in the ladies'.