to think that Lighter Life is a big gat waste of money!

[macdoodle]

One of my colleagues has just signed up to this and has gone off in a huff because I have said she is wasting her money!

FWIW I too am overweight and I know the only guaranteed way is to eat less and exercise more - I have done it before I got pregnant and yes its bloody hard work but this is one area where I am pretty sure there is no quick fix!

Also FWIW I am a GP and she is one of our nurses

So AIBU anyone prove me wrong??

I think you'll find that I'm not misinformed - normal food is taken away non? you replace them with soups/shakes albeit nutrionally balanced soups/shakes?

I am entitled to my view point, and as someone who prob would be in LL ideal market, I think its a load of rubbish.

I don't care how it is dressed up, the sticking point for me is that they take away the food and then try to re-educate you about it? sounds a bit fishy to me.
anyone I know who has lost weight on it has lost it in an incrediably short time, which is just unhealthy. I personally think that while it claims to help address issues, it actually doesn't

my main point is that WW works for me and as someone who has 8st to lose, I think my point is valid.

Honestly, I'm not having a go WWW - I'm 18 months into the LL programme so I think I'm entitled to say I know more about it than you.

Only 16 weeks of 18 months was bars nad shakes. 2 hours of group therapy with NLP techniques a week. CALLED FOUNDATION. Totally used the absence and freedom from conventional food to analyse why you are over eating. They use the shakes because it's as near as a human being can get to the total cold turkey you would go if you were dealing with alcohol or drug addiction.

Except foodaholics have to eat, don't they. Othewise they will die. So the packs are designed to take the sexiness and allure away from food, and to help you lose weight.

12 week re-introduction of food based on GI plan. CALLED ROUTE TO MANAGMENT

2 Hours a week counselling for free for life thereafter. CALLED LONG TERM MANAGEMENT.

I am also attending weekly WW weight ins. For heavens sake, the woman who runs it doesn't even stick around for the "group" that's supposed to run afterwards.

also, the BMI calulator on their website is horrible

• yes my BMI may be that but I sure as hell don't look like their little image, its just a cheap shock tactic and discusting IMHO

WWW, I think if you are interested in having all the facts then you should honestly read this thread, it is balanced on both sides, but you will see that you don't have the full picture on LL

And the BMI calculator is the same as the NHS website.

Sometimes it's irrelevant what you look like.

Some people hold fat more around their organs (often referred to as apple shape) others hang it attractive off their hips and thighs and stomach (pears, me!).

I know your not having a go, I just think they've got you hook, line and sinker, just like WW have got me I suppose.

but there in lies the difference with foodaholics to someone with a drink/drug addiction - you need food to life, so the routes you go down to stop overeating should be different to the 'cold turkey' one would need to stop other addictions - hence why I think LL isn't the answer because even if it is for a mere 16 weeks, you still shouldn't have to give up the food to find the root of your problem

for what its worth, the WW group I go to is a drop in and weigh one, so no group for me.

Ok, fair enough.

But as I've posted many times on this thread, LL did at least help me to find the route of my eating problems, which is why I will defend it.

I've tried every diet under the sun and it's the only that properly helped me examine my issues around food in a rigorous way.

It's the only one where I've kept the weight off 18 months down the line.

I know I am only a single statistic, but it's worth me saying all this I think.

we should argee to disagree then I suppose - I suppose I just can't get my head around LL and I feel that WW is working for me

... but FWIW, I think its fantastic you have lost weight and feel your issues have been addressed - please don't think I want to take that away from you at all cuz you have done brilliantly to kep it off for so long

And you too WWW

BTW, am currently using WW to lose a stone.

Obviously much better to lose weight conventional food way if you can. It's working for me with this smaller amount of weight, but my resolve never held out long enough on WW for the bigger weight loss I needed to shift.

BTW, their bbq crisp are nice, aren't they? And those toffee bars!

why thank you

funny how we feel the exact opposite, I think that WW is the answer to my diet prayers, for ages I coasted a bit losing a little here and there but with WW the end is in sight for me - it just makes so much sense!

good luck on your last stone!

the BBQ crisps are om nom nom - I'm currently addicted to the toffee and mint crisp bars too

Hmm, we do NOT have the toffee and mint crisp bars!!!

We do have the fake bountys. We call them Founties

hmmm fake bounty's...almost worth rejoining WW for....

I would love to read this thread carefully all the way through, but I've got halfway down and I want to post before I go out.

Sycamoretree - thank you for your posts on here. I'm a recovering alcoholic who has unfortunately exchanged alcohol addiction for what looks like a developing food addiction. I totally, totally know what you mean about having to knock something on the head completely to be able to see what is really happening.

I don't think my GP would advocate LL for me because of the 2 addictions, food is obviously the lesser of the evils.

Howtotell... Not sure if this has been answered, but IMO the difference between a greedy person and a food addict is that the food addict cannot stop even when their addiction is ruining their health and enjoyment of life. A greedy person would probably just indulge in the foods they liked when they were available. A food addict might also hide food, plan binges and use food as a coping strategy/comforter.

I don't think that many people are 'just greedy' though.

ooh no, they are not one and the same lol, two seperate things, the toffee bars and the mint crisp bars LOL

nearly started a revolt there

are the founties nice then? I have eyeballed them a couple of times, maybe I will give them a go!

I'm gutted that they don't do the salt and vinegar bites now, or the lemon and lime fruities - maybe it is just my group??

I find the last couple of post really interesting- it sounds as if- and don't get me wrong, I applaud your weight loss-but it does sound as if you are both craving "naughty foods " still!

Salivating over toffee bars and spicy crisps!
Where has the re-educating gone?

I simply don't have those urges- well, I do- but I would rather go for something more healthy.

I am not being smug, and I love nice food. I could pack away chocs and cakes like anyone else, and I do have days when I eat things that are not too healthy, but I suppose I just know that the downside outweighs the quick thrill from eating them, except very, very, occasionally.

This is not about me though, it's more about how WW/LL seem to allow you to still indulge, as long as they are lower calorie versions, rather than educating your palate and minds to forget those kinds of snacks.

No doubt this will be controversial, but I felt it was worth picking up on.

ach well....howto....themthere cereal bars are lovely though....
WW/SW both do try to reduce the amount of treats you have, by trying to encourage you to eat more of the good stuff...but if they would forbid treats, well...I think it would just be to difficult...and not many people would enjoy it....

oh forgot to add...I think they are just being realistic...

I can see your point, but on the other hand, I think that if people are really re-educated, it should take away the urge to have a "treat"- and the emotions behind needing a sugar fix- so that they aren't always obsessing over whether they can have something sweet/naughty/whatever.

I know this might be an ideal, and it might be something that people develop in time.

However, I still think it somewhat flies in the face of what they are supposedly trying to achieve by encouraging people to buy/eat ( at a great fat profit for them) something sweet, rather than an apple or a carrot stick, or nothing even!!!

I have to say, while I understand your point, I think that re-educating means that I can now eat 1 of said bars, instead of scoffing an entire slab of dairy milk - everyone has cravings, the re-education is in how you handle those cravings and knowing that just a little treat is enough to satify you iyswim?

and everything is well within my points so tis all good

I see what you are saying, but you don't have to buy them bars...you cna have other treats, etc...

not sure if there is a way to really stop someone having a sweet tooth, etc...

Yes, I agree with you both- but at the same time, I think that if they really were behind their policies, rather than just wanting to make money, they would sell fruit and veggies, not sweets!

Maybe a good comparison would be AA selling low-alcohol drink!

I have to say howto, I am beginning to feel a bit picked over by you on this thread.

I think until I had a halo over my head and never ate anything but fruit, veg and lean protein you would consider me fixed.

I think you are expecting far too much from LL.

And it's actually WW that sells these foods, not LL. But I am doing in conjunction.

I'm no longer finding this thread helpful. Your post are personal and attacking whether you like it or not, or whether you feel it's valid or not.

I'm sorry I am not perfected by LL in your eyes. By I am all about moderation now - all things in their rightful place and proportion.

I could not have said that before.

I was just indulging in some ice-breaking banter with WWW.

Of course they want you to chose the healthier option. But that's completely unrealistic 100% of the time.

its hardly the same thing and for you to make the comparison is a bit silly.

I'm not going to repeat myself but for me, the re-education speaks volumes when I can be satified by one piddly little chocolater bar when before only 200g of cadburys finest will do.

I'll put it too you this way, when I get PMT I need to eat chocolate and have a salty snack - I absolutely have to or heads will roll, its not greed or obsession, it is a physical need that I am powerless to stop (or at least thats what I tell myself )

pre-WW I would scoff a bag of chips laced with salt and then scoff a slab of chocolate, nowadays I have a little bag of s&v bites and have a little WW bar and that is fine for me.

the point of WW (for me) is that nothing is forbidden, but that I am in control of how much I chose to eat of it.

its great you chose

syc- this is NOT personal against you or anyone- it's called having a debate. Sometimes it is possible to play devil's advocate to put forward another point of view.
I am sorry you are taking it personally but there are plenty of other people on the thread who are in one corner or another- my comments are not aimed at you- though you seem to think they are-and there are other people saying very similar things to me, if you want to have a dig at them instead!

I dunno where that 'its great you chose' line was going to end LOL

syc - I have enjoyed our little chat, I think sometimes it is healthy to accept a disagreement between two people and I think its great that we feel so passionate about our respective diets

"I am all about moderation now - all things in their rightful place and proportion"

I couldn't agree more with this comment, it is spot on!!

I know that howto - I'm just trying to tell you, as nicely as possible, that while you're sitting their dispassionately casting your ideas about, the people of the other side of the debate feel very emotional about it. You are just interested.

I was just asking for you to have a little human consideration that your healthy bit of debate from quite a forensic point of view is actually about my inner most struggles and is, at heart, the thing that can make me most miserable in my life (fear of being overweight again).

That's all, but you are within your rights not to want to deal with me in a way which acknowledges that.

But I am also within my rights to make certain deductions about your personality because of it.