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've just lost 7.5 stone with Lighter Life - I could never have lost that amount in the time scale with anything else.

Its changed my life.

I have had to rush myself through the reintroduction programme because I have just found out that I am pregnant.

I know its my responsibility as to whether I put all my weight back on or not - my body, my choices and my responsibility.

My pictures are in my profile

wannabe - so much of what you posted is simply inaccurate that I have to assume you do not actually know anything about the programme.

londonone - 7 hours for 1lb, really? I don't think so - I lost 8lbs in a week when I did an hour at the gym and a half hour walk every day (wasn't even particularly fast) and watched what I ate.... certainly didn't do 7 hours!!

bathsheba your pictures are INCREDIBLE!!!

I am truly jealous! I wish I could afford LL for a year

Bathsheba that is amazing, well done!

Macdoodle, thats a shame, because you really ccould be helping some of your patients on their way to a new healthy life.

Why not do some more research into it yourself. Do some reading on a forum like minimins.com where there are lots of counsellors posting.

And how much do they cost Howtotellmum?

I think it's ok to say that your post did not chime at all with me, or how my brain works around food. Therefore, it's safe to say your methods would not work for me.

So I am glad there was an alternative to the ideas you suggested. I'm glad LL was there for me to take advantage of.

No diet is for eveyone, but I'm sitting here at 10st 7lbs.

2 years ago I was 14 stone. I did the diet for 16 weeks - the group I've been going to ever since.

I'm interested in what there is to criticise about how I lost weight? I'm happier than I've ever been. I'm about to run my second 5K race for life.

The point is, if it can work so well for me, it must also be working this well for a percentage of others.

Why would you advocate it not being an option? What's to oppose?

When you are in ketosis you have bad breath. LL puts you in ketosis.

No I haven't done it but my mum did. She lost somewhere between four and five stone. She regained it all and then some within two years. She said herself that it doesn't teach you about healthy eating, or give you an awareness of what you're eating, because you're replacing meals with supplements, so when you go back to real food you haven't gained anything.

lewisfan - It will be the watching what you ate that did it! You need to burn an additional 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat, that's about 7 hours exercise!

mumhad - I have had a lot of training I am the diabetic lead for my practice - I do a lot iof reading trust me just not the LL advertising!

I am VERY VERY supportive of my patients and spend a great deal of time and effort re weight loss, sensible options!

I am in Ketosis at the moment. I do not have bad breath. Every single person is different!

Your mum regained the weight because she went back to her old habits. She made the choice to put that weight back on again.

I have gained a stone of what I lost on LL/CD. I am currently in the midst of losing it again.

I made the choice to put that stone on. I knew I was overeating again and I made the choice to do that. It was fun at the time and now I'm dealing with it.

what puzzles me is why anyone needs their dr's approval to use LL? if it is so safe, why that?

I think the reason it works short term is because people like feeling someone else is in control- the decisions over what to eat has been made for them- they don't need to think about what to eat.

Any diet that enabled you to lose a lot of weight fast would have its supporters! On top of that, you have the support of your fellow dieters and the person running your LL group. Ok, some people need this, but others can go it alone and achieve just as good results at a much lower cost.

But i don't think there is any argument what so ever over healthy eating for the rest of your life, versus replacement meals.

A friend of mine wholives SE lost weight with this:
www.theslimcompany.com

So LL didn't work for your Mum that's fine, I know many people for whom WW doesn't work doesn't mean it isn't the right choice for some people.

I'm not referring to the LL hype macdoodle. I mean speaking to actual people who's lives have been changed forever.

Lets face it, even if it was radically unhealthy then some of these patients will die anyway because of their weight! Whether it be from diabetes or CHD etc.

Ketosis does not equal bad breath - she wasn't drinking enough water.

And clearly she didn't finished the programme if she made that statement.

Ask her - did she do route to management? Did she carry on going to group every week for the 5 years my counsellor suggests it actually takes to properly re-programme around food?

Thought not. You get out what you put in.

I'm happy to start posting some of the amazing recipes and also the food lists suggested in the route to mgt book if you refuse to accept what I and others are posting wannabe.

Just because it didn't work out for your mum, does not mean the diet does not work or is unhealthy.

What about the millions of women on WW and Slimming World going up and down like yo yos.

Weight gain post diet, as I've already posted, is a 97% guarantee for any dieter. You have to bust your arse (pardon the pun) to make yourself one of the 3% that succeeeds.

Depressing statistics, no?

howtotellmum, LL like your blood pressure etc to be monitored plus you may have medications such as insulin that will need to be adjusted accordingly while you are on LL.

Cd doesn't require that you have a doctors signature unless you are over a certain bmi, or are on medication, for the same reasons as LL.

syc- this is for you- costs about £35 a weekly visit I think.

theslimcompany.com

One of the reasons for Doctors approval is that LL is for people who are very overweight who often have additional health problems as well hence the doctors sign on.

Macdoodle - What exectly is your problem with LL. Do you think it is dangerous? If not then I feel you are actually failing in your duty of care to your patients by refusing to sign on principle. What about the other VLCD used by the NHS?

Howtotellmum - can you please stop posting about short term weight loss. It's insulting me.

I have maintained a huge amount of my weight loss 18 months down the line. That's pretty amazing. Government statistics would put me in the 3% who have successfully kept the weight off. Why can't you accept it has worked for me?

I'm currently losing a pound or two a week of the stone I gained through over eating by choice on a couple of holidays since then.

I put it on, I'm taking it off. I'm taking responsibility.

howtotell - What exactly are you getting for that 35 pounds a week? I assume you have to buy all your food etc as well! Not really a bargain 35 quid a week for someone to draw up a diet plan for you!

Howtotellmum - that's interesting. But you see, I get all that for free now from my LL counsellor.

Sorry, I thought I had posted that already. You get the aftercare counselling free for as long as you want it.

Look, nobody is going to argue that if you have several stone to lose then losing only two lb a week isn't going to be hard, or even demoralizing. Of course there is insentive to do this. And of course people will continue to do it because losing half a stone a week is far more positive than just a couple of lb. But just because it works for people doesn't mean it's healthy.

syc you are doing great- but please try to see the bigger picture when discussing things and not just your own experiences.

If you are one of the 3%, then that makes you a rarity- I am talking about the other 97%.

You seem to think that what I post is aimed directly at you- it's not.

Sycamore how much did you lose in lbs (too stupid to work in kg!) ?

Well done whatever it was - I am jealous!

londonone- you would have to make your own enquiries to see what that co, offers- as far as I know it is a 1:1 nutrition plan, and a 1:1 visit to your home, a personal training/exercise session included, plus ongoing email and text support.

Ketosis does not automatically mean bad breath at all.

When I was losing I was regularly in ketosis and never noticed any breath issues. Also now when I am in a cutting phase (bulk to add, cut to lose fat) I am in ketosis and have not noticed. DH regularly cuts his carbs as well when he wants some muscle definition and doesn't have bad breath. Though it is possible that after so many years we simply don't notice it any more.

You can blast through 3,500 calories a lot faster than in 7 hours if you are very overweight, unfortunately the most effective way is weight bearing which can obviously be quite dangerous for your knees/ankles if there is a lot of weight crushing down on them.