A long post with some background!
I've struggled with my weight for YEARS! I'm in my thirties with children and am at my wits end now.
I have Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome which makes it increasingly difficult to loose weight. With every year that passes, I seem to gain approximately 1/2 - 1 stone in weight. As many people with PCOS know, the more weight you gain, the harder it is too shift - it's a viscous cycle.
I'm not pinning all my weight gain specifically to having PCOS. I have a really sweet tooth and love chocolate! But, my overall diet is good. I'm a vegetarian, eat lots of fresh fruits and salads daily. I don't eat take always or fried food. My downfalls I guess, is chocolate/biscuits, bread and my lack of desire to exercise.
I've never done extreme dieting - I don't think I'd have coped with the lack of food. I've always opted for diets such as Slimming World and Weight Watchers in which I could eat a wide variety of food and good amounts to fulfil me. I always managed to loose around 1 stone, but would then come to a standstill, or would juggle around with a few lbs on and off over a period of weeks.
This leads to frustration, and I feel disheartened and uninspired. I end up letting the sweet stuff creep into my 'diet' and by the end of the year, it builds up gradually to the point of putting on approximately 1/2-1 stone.
I don't binge eat, or eat vast amounts of sweet treats, so I don't feel my size justifies what I eat.
As I said, I don't work out. I have found with each year that passes and the bigger I have got, I feel too lethargic to exercise. I work full time and combined with raising a young family and all that entails, I am too exhausted to work out in the evening. I am active though. I am always 'on the go' and walk most places. I definitely am slowing down though as I have become larger.
So I am basically considering a drastic weight loss plan to at least bring me into a reasonably healthy BMI. I hear a lot of stories of people who have had great (short lived) success on the LL diet, only to have gained all the weight back and more. But my way of thinking, is that If I have lost a considerable amount (I need to loose roughly 5 stone), then as my diet on the whole consist of good foods, then I should be able to maintain a healthy BMI? I truly believe it is mostly down to my PCOS that I struggle to loose weight.
Does anyone have any experience with Lighter Life? Or is anyone in or has been in a similar position that could offer advice? I can't bear another fat summer!
AIBU?
To start the Lighter Life diet?
yoyomagic · 23/02/2013 22:17
I've done LL and lost 3 stone in 14 weeks, yes I regained it over a couple of years but it was my own fault, I overate again. There is no proof that you regain it faster than after any other diet, I've also done the same after Slimming world., there was a programme on Channel 4 the other week about Weight watchers and how unhealthy some of their own brand products are and how high the % of people who regain their weight is. If you go back to old habits then yes you'll regain it but if you stick to a sensible diet afterwards then you will easily maintain your new weight.
Last year I did Cambridge (CWP) which is exactly the same diet, just a different brand and almost half the price, LL I think is now £70 a week whereas Cambridge is about £40, it sounds a lot but it's short term, you'll lose a stone a month and don't buy anything other than the packs, I spend a LOT more when I'm eating normally when you factor in all the meals out, drinks and normal day to day food.
The difference between the 2 diets is that LL do a weekly meeting which is about an hour, it's like a course that you work through, it was enjoyable in that you do it alongside a small group of other people from start to finish but I can't say it's worth the extra cash, with CWP you just go to someones house, get weighed, measured, buy the packs and discuss anything you need to. They also have a good forum which is excellent for support, I used to go on everyday and found it so useful.
The main downside is that it's antisocial, no meals out etc if you follow the strictest plan but you can do one where you have less packs plus a small meal which obviously gives smaller losses but I liked the fast results and am impatient.
On CWP I lost almost 4 stone in 14 weeks and went from a size 18 to a 10-12, I also fell pregnant within 3 months after trying unsucessfully for 3 years and DD is due in 2 weeks 
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