Nobody ever tells you about the down side of losing weight...

They don't do they?

It's like when you're pregnant.  No one ever tells you about what you're going to go through before you get knocked up do they??


No!  They wait until it's too late, then they seem to take great  delight in bringing out all the horror tails of never ending morning sickness, and swollen ankles, and mood swings, and not lets not forget the 439 hour labour they can suddenly recall in excruciating detail!

Well I'm here to tell you there definitely  is a down side to weight loss.

One of my FB groups has what they call 'Fist Pump Friday' and another has something similar, but I can't remember what it is off the top of my head, but they're basically the same thing.  You log on and tell them about something wonderful that you've achieved through the past week that didn't involve the numbers on the scales, a 'fist pump' moment.  Things like setting an new PB, or fitting into a dress you haven't worn since Adam was a boy, or finally getting that gap between your belly and the steering wheel - my personal fave.  It's a brilliant weekly post we all look forward to.

There's plenty of up sides to weight loss, and we all know what they are... regained health, lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes, reduced strain on the heart, blood pressure goes down, and so on and so forth...

Even the most obvious down sides are actually up sides.  Things like your clothes getting so big that you're getting calls from Barnum & Bailey, meaning you have to go shopping for new stuff.  Oh dear.  Having to go shopping.  For clothes.  Almost a woman's worst nightmare.

See what happened there??  It's a down side that is actually an up.

What about when your rings get too big, and they're sliding around on your finger all the time - or worse - falling off!  That means a trip to the jeweller to have them resized, and you'll probably end up with a little something for yourself as well, plus when you get them back they'll be all clean and sparkly!

How is that a down side?

You want a down side to weight loss?  A real down side, with no hidden 'up'?!  I'll give you one.

I won't sugar coat it either.

IRONING.  There I said it.  The dirty little secret that no one tells you about.

When you lose weight you have to do more ironing!

I am of the firm belief that ironing should be done when you need to wear the item, and not before.  None of this 'ironing basket' crap.  My stuff comes off the line, is folded straight away at the line actually, I find it keeps the creases at a minimum  and put away.  Stuff that needs hanging eventually gets hung - I'm no Martha Stewart you know...  Unless it's BM or DD that bring the washing in, then it just gets screwed up and shoved in the basket.

It's always seemed illogical to me to stand there for what can be hours, iron a basket of clothes, and then either fold it all up or hang it, where it gets crushed, and inevitably needs to be ironed again  before it can be worn!  Double handling!  Doesn't happen!  So I iron a garment when it needs to be worn, and it's lovely and fresh.

My Nana used to iron undies, tea towels and socks - maybe that's why I don't see the point in it?

So how does losing weight equate to more ironing?  It's like this.

When you're the size of a London Bus and your clothes are basically spray painted on, no one can see  95% of the creases anyway, add to that the heat generated by doing the simplest, most mundane tasks, and whatever creases hadn't been filled out by fat, are basically steamed out by your own body heat!
NB:  Anything worn to socialise was always always  ironed with an actual really real iron...

Now skip ahead to an almost 20kg weight loss, your size 26+ frame is now about a 20-22 and your clothes are quite literally  fitting where they touch, and you don't generate anywhere near  the body heat you used to.

So what happens to all the stuff with wrinkles?

I'll tell you what happens to it!

You have to bloody iron it!

That's what happens to it!

The only up in ironing is when you have set the ironing board UP.

I told you it was going to be bad...

Correct use of an ironing board