The story is quite hard for me to tell so please be gentle with me as I want to be honest with you and myself, I want to be real about my weight and what I'm going to do about it. I have to admit the (temporary) fact that I'm clinically obese. It's not a nice word and I hate saying it but I have a big BMI that puts me in this category, I used to just make excuses and say if I was taller it wouldn't matter as much, coz BMI is affected by height as well as weight, but I know I am what I don't want to be - fat. That's about to change!! When I started this slimming challenge 2 weeks ago (before I set up the page) I was 14st 8lbs or 204lbs which was a shock to me, the biggest I've ever been. I don't ever want to see that number again on the scales. It's no easy thing losing weight I've tried it before and did lose some but eventually put it back on and more. I want this time to be different I'm going to do my best to get to my ultimate healthy goal weight which is 9st 8lbs (a loss of 5 stone) and I'm going to keep it off.  My aim for this challenge is a shorter term goal but still difficult for me but doable to lose at least 2.5 stone or 35lbs by Christmas 2018 but hopefully more. After this date I will keep losing weight till I reach my goal weight, but first thing's first. 

I'm doing this because I think the Alzheimer's society is a very worthy cause and I've seen what Dementia and Alzheimer's can do to people. My gran and great auntie both had Vascular dementia they are sadly no longer with us, now my great uncle has dementia too. It's heartbreaking to see loved one's fade into a stranger right before your eyes, they are no longer who they once were, there are good days and bad days but the bad days are just so sad. People who were once strong, independent, individuals who were full of life are now sadly not that way at all. I know there are definite differences between Dementia and Alzheimer's but I don't know specific things, I do know though that people suffering from either illness can forget who their loved ones are, you could even be considered a stranger, a lot of them live in the past, but as well as mental health issues there can be physical issues on top like not eating and becoming literally stick thin (that happened to my gran) also losing control of your bodily functions and sometimes even losing the ability to speak or just speaking words that don't make sense to anyone, even chanting noises instead of speaking. It really is a cruel disease. 

I now have the pleasure of working with people living with this disease as I'm an office assistant in a care home, and I've come to have a real fondness for all the residents. They easily steal your heart. They can make you laugh, they can make you cry. They all have their own individual characters, and they deserve the best life they can have, and that is what we aim to do at the home. 

So any money raised for Alzheimer's society goes to improving the lives of those who are currently living with this cruel illness and into important research which will hopefully one day find a cure. No more dementia, no more Alzheimer's, that would be a wonderful thing! 

Alzheimer’s Society is transforming the landscape of dementia forever.Until the day we find a cure, we will create a society where those affected by dementia are supported and accepted, able to live in their community without fear or prejudice.