When I heard Vanessa only weighed four and a half pounds at birth I actually suggested to the doctor that he look for a second baby – I had gained far too much weight for such a small result! Never having been pregnant before I had assumed that the bulk was all baby, and was unpleasantly surprised to find that wasn’t the case. I weighed myself before leaving the hospital and was shocked to find I was about 60 pounds overweight.
Back on Bequia life was hectic, the season was in full swing and I was busy all the time. Once the slow season arrived I grew more aware of my size, and was determined to regain my figure. I felt like a two-ton Tessie at the best of times, putting on a bathing suit made me look like a beached whale! My friend Elaine Scott had once been an aerobics instructor and suggested daily work-outs at her rental house in Lower Bay.
Mac loved music, and made a cassette especially for the exercise sessions. I had never liked yoga or exercising, but his tape got me moving! Each day after the baking had been done I would leave the baby with Momma Simmons and hike over to Lower Bay to work out. At first I was clumsy, I had never been very agile and some of the exercises were well beyond my abilities. The other ladies in the group encouraged me to push myself a bit more each day and Elaine was an excellent instructor.
Exercise alone wasn’t going to do the trick, I had to diet as well. I started eating proper meals instead of snacking helter-skelter, a bad habit I had developed as a result of running a restaurant. Within a couple of months the diet and exercise were starting to pay off, inspiring me to work harder to lose all the weight I had gained.
Having no scales at home, I would periodically slip behind the Frangipani where they kept their large scales. They were used for weighing fish and lobster, the old-fashioned kind with weights and a platform to stand on. The Frangi staff got used to me weighing myself, and Son Mitchell himself offered encouragement whenever he saw me stepping onto the scales. Everyone seemed to know how hard I was working to get back into shape, and I was feeling pretty good about my progress.
The day came when I stepped off the scales with a huge grin on my face. I had done it! Eight months after the birth of my first baby I had gone from 183 pounds back to my normal 125, a loss of 58 pounds. I went straight to the “Chic Unique Boutique” beside the Frangi Yacht Services and bought myself a smart new wardrobe to celebrate. Yay for me!