Hi
It is great to read so many people are doing well, it really spurs me on.
I have not been as fast a weight loser as some of you seem to be. If you are like me and the weight is more stubborn to come off don't worry, just bear with it. I have now been on this diet for 7 months and have lost 5 stone 13.
I feel amazing and the fact that some weeks I have lost a very small amount or nothing has been difficult but it always comes good. It's a much smaller weekly average than some of you seem to have (very jealous!) but I am nearly at 6 stone! It's probably just been more expensive for me!
One thing I have learned is how much of a difference it makes what time of day you go to the clinic to get weighed. I now try to go there the same time every week and eat/drink the same thing that morning but it's not always possible. So what I do is always weigh myself at the same time in the week on my home scales first thing in the morning - that really helps me know what my true weight loss is.
Andy (singy) - please do keep coming back and telling us how it's going now you have finished. Hearing about your next stage would be really interesting and what maintenance is like.
I notice that a few posts are about what to say to people. I had to deal with this very early on as I have a lot of business lunches/dinners etc where there is a fixed meal or restaurant menu choice. I found I had no choice but to be very open and honest about what I am doing. I say I am doing a very strict diet where I can only eat fruit, salad and veg and only drink water. I stress that I can't have any salad dressing. I say therefore I will bring my own food and not to cater for me. Most people still do want to cater and serve up a salad and some fruit which I pick from. When it's a restaurant/hotel I ring ahead and say I am on a medical diet and can only eat undressed salad, veg and fruit. I have been very impressed at how accommodating they have mostly been. I
I have found that being upfront with people is a bit embarrassing but I have soon got used to it and it has surprised me how interested people (mostly women!) are to find out more. The fact so many people in my work life as well as my home life know about my journey is added pressure as I need to prove I can do it and keep it off. It will be embarrassing if I put it all back on when people have been so supportive. Another reason to make sure I don't!
After the first couple of stone the weight loss started to be obvious anyway so having me been upfront about the food aspect has given people the opportunity to mention it and the compliments I have received from work meetings etc has also helped spur me on.
Wanttogetslimmer- I also have started bike riding after work and have tried to do a small cycle most days. I never thought in a million years I would get back on a bike but after I got to about a 4 stone weight loss I found I wanted to- completely unexpected. I am a bit gutted though as autumn approaches this will be less and less possible with cold weather and darker nights so I will try and find an alternative.
2petcats- I used to have vanilla pudding with stewed rhubarb every day too. Then I got to stage 2 and I always have the dairy day rather than meat or fish. You get to have an egg and 200g plain yoghurt so I now have yoghurt and stewed rhubarb every day instead, that's very good too.
Audreypatterson- I have found 2 pickled gherkins with no sugar- both Mrs Elswood - Tesco sell Mrs Elswood sweet and sour cucumbers and they have no sugar just sweeter. Sainsburys sell Mrs Elswood Haimisha cucumbers which are not as sweet but have no sugar or sweetener and I think are very tasty. I couldn't find any jars of beetroot without sugar but then I realised that most of the vacuum packed fresh beetroot in the salad section of the supermarket has no sugar so this is what I get. Just the plain cheap version though.
Crabby1 - you raise a very good point re sweetners-can I also ask if anyone has found a good sweetener which tastes nice?
I started off with Canderel as that's what the diet says but have been concerned at the aspartame content. I have now moved to Truvia which is less tasty and more expensive but doesn't contain aspartame. I have looked at Xylitol and fructose but both have calories so are no good. The clinic say to stick with Canderel. Any suggestions?
Well that's all from me for now apart from to say that I am on holiday this week and was really nervous about it but we booked a self-catering cottage so it's actually been fine. I would find it really hard to stay in a hotel for a week though! How have other people managed the holiday season? I saw the caravan experience had been difficult for you BexxG which I really understood.
Keep up the good work everyone!
Xx