Lighter Life - Has anyone done it & kept the weight off?

[madamebovine]

I'm seriously considering doing this. I have about 4.5 stone to lose. Usual story. I am pretty goddamn greedy but when I put my mind to it I am capable of being strict. I lost 3 stone on weight watchers 9 years ago, but life was very different then.

I now am stuck at home in the evenings due to DH's work so normal weight loss clubs and exercise classes are not possible.

I also think the quick start of these type of diets could be such a boost.

However I know 3 people who have done this. Weight fell off no problem but 2 of them put it all back on again (and more).

I should add that a healthy eathing approach has just never worked for me. It's like either feast or famine.

Any thoughts?

wow MadeInDevon2 that's really great, well done. How have you found the diet? How many weeks were you in abstanince (sp?) for? I'm literally counting the hours through the days at the moment, finding it tough. Not because I'm hungry and wanting food but that I'm grumpy, tired and impatient with everyone/everything. Sunday will be the end of wk3 and the start of wk4 and hopefully the beginning of feeling more positive...

I'm grumpy too, 3hotcrossbuns. Surviving, but only just today. Have been a bit shouty at times . This is the end of my wk2. Lost another 3 lb so 11 lb in two weeks which isn't too bad!

madeindevon2 you've done really well! Let us know how RTM goes!

well done, 11lbs in 2 weeks is fabulous! I had my weigh in today (didn't stay for the meeting bit as had a good friend staying over) and I've lost another 4lbs so total loss in 3 weeks is 16lbs. That would have taken about 7 weeks on Weight Watchers I reckon!

It is boring being on this diet but, as my friend said last night, 3 months is nothing to sacrifice for the long term reward of being much slimmer. So I didn't feel too bad as her and DH tucked into chilli whilst I had my soup . I'm hoping for a more up beat week...

i didnt do abstinance as i was on the Lite version ( u do this if you bmi is under 30 - i was 29.9 so just nipping in there...)
its not easy but its worth doing. even time you feel like cheating just think....what do you want more? the thing you about to cheat with or being slim and feeling good....
keep going people!! its worth it!
a few months of you life is worth it for sure for the long term reward of being slimmer and feeling good.
stay strong LLifers!!

16lb in three weeks is brilliant! Well done!

Thanks for the encouragement, madeindevon2.

Hello! Hello! Can I join you too please??? I'm starting LL tomorrow! Yay!!!!! I have one and a half stone to lose, not a massive amount, I know, but like many of you, I'm struggling and other diets haven't worked.

Vive your post is fab, thanks so much for that. I have a question if you don't mind. In the past when dieting, I have struggled with the lack of energy and with the headaches more than with hunger itself. Do you have any suggestions to cope with the lightheartedness and dizziness? I don't want to end up being horrible to my children.

What exactly goes on at the meetings? You all make them sound so ominous I'm scared!!

Can chewing gum, even sugarless, throw you out of ketosis? Really?????

I just noticed that ketosis rhymes with halitosis !!!!

ketosis = halitosis (yes, really!). Retardex breath spray will be your friend!!

How's it gone today? Have you survived?! I found the headaches passed after a couple of days and I've only had one since and it was TOTM. The meetings aren't scary at all - they're quite fun and sociable! Good luck!

how much is it a week to be on LL?

For the lite program it is £52.
Today is my second day and I'm struggling with hunger and lack of energy, not to mention dryness in my mouth and bad breath. But I'm not straying. That's what I like about this diet, very difficult to stray!

2nd day is hard but it does get much easier dont quit!
drink plenty of water
tea
coffee

Thank you thank you thank you

I lost 51lb last year with Cambridge and a year later put almost all back on bar 8lbs.

I didn't learn a single thing, at the time it was hard but great, I became thin, but I didn't have a social life for 100 days.

I am now doing slimming world losing a pound a week but I am learning how to cook, what foods are best and taking it slowly so the weight stays off.

Obviously I was very much for VLCD beforehand, but my experience is not a good one. I know some people who have kept it off, others who haven't.

I would say try it, but do the maintenance and then learn about your habits.

Fair point, charley. I haven't done the Cambridge Weight Plan but the thing that appealed to me about LL is the counselling you get alongside the VLCD. If you attend all the sessions, do your homework, and follow Route to Management, there is a fair chance you should have re-educated yourself by the time you finish. (I have friends and colleagues who have done.) In any case, free return meetings/check-ups for life once you reach goal seemed like a pretty good deal to me!

Good luck with SW!

My concern is about putting the weight back on too but I guess you just have to monitor yourself every week to "pull it back" if the weight starts to creep back on.

Feeling more up beat this week but have cheated a couple of times - couple of pieces of cheese and slices of salami. Hope that didn't take me out of ketosis! I'm just so bored of the soups and shakes! Just need to get re-focused and hoping the meeting tomorrow will help with that. I can feel the weight loss already (about 16+lbs) so I find it difficult to think about the end goal rather than just being pleased with what I've achieved so far. Not sure that makes any sense but I hope you know what I mean.

Next week might be more challenging - have 2 mums' nights out for my 2 boys' classes and both are meals out. Might turn up late so to avoid too much sitting with just a glass of water in front of me!

Hoping for 3-4lbs loss this week. How is everyone else doing?

Hi. For those of you doing Lighter Life, I have been done some research and have found out that Marigold Swiss Bouillon is really similar in composition to LL's savoury drink, only it costs just £1.50 (as opposed to £9 for Lighter Life's equivalent).You still can only have 2 mugs a day maximum with 1 teaspoon per mug. Apparently the organic version has even fewer carbs and calories. There's also a low salt version. I can get the standard Marigold Bouillon in my local tescos but for the other varieties I have to go to a health store. Marigold Bouillon tastes really delicious and it's a great pick me up for when water just won't do, specially now that it's starting to get chilly.
I hope this helps someone.

By the way, I am on my third day today and things are slowly but surely starting to get easier. I shouldn't have weighed myself this morning but I did and I've lost 1Kg in one day.

Sorry 2 days (fuzzy brain syndrome )

Great losses, everyone! I got weighed last night - end of week 3 - and have lost 15lb in total so far. Very pleased!

Hi, end of week 4 here for me, another 3lbs off so that makes 19 in total. Our counsellor has the scales on carpet though and I previously understood that you shouldn't have scales on carpet? Anyway, the weight is coming off which is the main thing.

Hope everyone else is feeling ok and sticking to it, it's so boring!!

Hi, still here! I don't get weighed until Thursday but my trousers already feel really loose. I love this feeling, although I must admit, I am hungry.

I would love to hear what other people in the lite plan are eating for their 'proper' meal. Do you weight the meat and vegetables? Do you snack at all?

Sorry I can't help you notanother as I'm doing LL Total. Has the hunger subsided yet? I found on the Total plan that after day 3 (which was reeeeeely difficult!) my hunger pangs disappeared. Hope the same happens for you! Seems a long time to my next weigh-in this week as I haven't got a pop-in. My trousers aren't getting any looser in the tummy as yet as I am just soooo windy . Hope this side-effect eases off soon! How's everyone else doing?

Hi. Still going strong here too. No idea about the Lite meals as I am also on the Total plan, although I am thinking about swapping soon...

Had a night out last night with some mums from DS2's pre-school class. I didn't really want to take my shake/soup with me (feels odd) so I just had water and a peppermint tea whilst they all eat - also odd I suppose! Still it was ok actually. I've got the same tonight with the mums from DS1's class. Fun! I don't really want to exclude myself socially either. Not an easy diet this!

Hope everyone is having a good week - most of the side effects have passed for me now. Seems my body is getting used to it. Had to get my blood pressure done (it's every 28 days) and its quite low, but just within the "normal" range. Will explain the dizzy spells I have after loading dishwashwer, picking up my kids etc. Hope that passes too...

3 more days til the end of this week, and 1 less week to go!

I've been invited out to dinner in a couple of week's time and I said I'd love to go but will have coffee/water and my friend thinks I'm really weird . Thing is though I am SO determined. It's their problem, not mine! Got a work lunch today - hope the restaurant isn't too funny about me not eating (mind you I'm paying the bill so they'd better be nice to me!).

Hi people, well another week down here and another 4lbs off, making a total of 23 for 5 weeks. No other diet would have achieved this so it is worth it!

Am not doing so well at not "cheating" though , although I only cheat with mouthfuls of cheese or a slice of ham. Only protein. Not really what its all about and I hope that I'm not giving in to bad habits which will mean the weight will just go back on....

Hope everyone else is doing ok. Keep at it!

Well done on the loss! I've lost 17lb in four weeks, so am jealous of your total, especially as I haven't cheated once! Not even licked the spoon when cooking!! Aargh. Wish it would come off faster... Only 2 lb this week.

That's still a great loss though. And you wouldn't have achieved that with other diets. Some weeks will be better than others. Last week one of the ladies in my group only lost 1lb but lost 5 this week. Also I think it depends on your lifestyle before too - the girl with the biggest loss overall in our group has lost 1lb short of 2st in 5 weeks but was a real drinker with work colleagues before. I think the lack of alcohol will have made a big difference regardless of the diet!

Keep going!