Weighty Matters

In Italy, before my season
in France

I think the last time I was thin is half my life ago. I lived in France and was on skis nearly every day. It kept me fit and it kept me thin. Despite the 'pains-au-chocolat' which I ate a lot. When I moved to England my life changed drastically. Instead of walking, running and skiing every day, I was now sitting down every day. Doing absolutely nothing. Plus I ate. So, when I saw my gp for the second time he warned me about my weight. Which at that time was only a few pounds over.

Fast forward a few years and my dress size had gone up so much that the only stores in which to find nice clothes are the ones for the bigger woman. There is a great one in the Netherlands called Ulla Popken (it hails from Germany originally), but still you want to be able to go to any ordinary store and find a nice pair of trousers. That fit. 

In England, where my job involved a lot of sitting

When I came to Norway I had plenty of clothes to wear. Trousers and jeans, shirts and sweaters/jumpers. And now, after only 3 months in this country I have to go clothes shopping. Because I have lost so much weight even my jeans don't fit nicely anymore. Already one pair of trousers is so big I can take it off without undoing the zip and the buttons! Great news of course. Well, unless your trousers fall down your ankles while walking down the high street that is (and no, this didn't happen).

I was wondering about this weight loss. I don't seem to be doing so much more here than I did in the Netherlands. Yes, I walk down and uphill every day, but I cycled 8 km every day in the Netherlands. Yes, I play badminton once a week, but that is hardly going to get me to loose that much! Yes, the food here is different, but what with the cakes and the other nice things here, I don't think that is the reason. 

A beer I had at my sister's last year

And then it hit me. Alcohol. I hardly drink it anymore. First of all, it's no fun drinking on your own. Even becoming quite sad after only a short while. Second, it's so expensive! The price easily is four times the amount I pay in the Netherlands! So, where I had been having a few beers after work about three times a week back in the Netherlands, here I have had beer/wine four times! The first few with my sister, the third on the Union meeting and the fourth on the Welfare meeting. 

New clothes it is. In my new favourite store. And I already have a shopping buddy!! Yeah...