CAMBRIDGE DIET CLUB ....... THREAD 3

[catsmother]

As the old one was getting rather large.

Feel free to post this weeks good and bad news, frustrations, tips, feelings etc.

Hi all. Well, I went and saw my councellor last night and signed up - BUT, my BMI is 42 so have to have the form signed by the Doctor. I'm a bit concerned in case he doesn't approve (have a feeling he's a bit of a "eat healthily and exercise more" type Doc, but I've done that and then lose all will power after a few weeks and stuff my face again!!). Has anyone else had to do this or is it just me that's totally obesse with a scarily high BMI? And if you did, was your doctor okay with it?

Feel a bit down again now as was all geared up to start...

Thanks for your help.

Hi all,

My BMI was 45 something when I started, but I didn't have to get signed onto the diet, although saying that, I did do LighterLife 2 yesrs ago and had to be signed onto that.

I took a sneaky stand on the scales this morning and i'm finally into the 14 stones. Not bad considering at my heaviest before crimbo I was 19 stone!

I was so ill yesterday, couldn't keep anything down and had no energy at all, managed 4 pints of water, half a soup and a bar and that was it. Ugh. Hoping today will be better.

Thinking of starting in April but have a week long holiday in Germany (back to my family) coming up mid May. Would it be sensible to wait until after the holiday? Coz there's no way I could go home and not eat my mums yummy food.

Michaelad I don't there'll ever be a good time - why don't you start in April and teh nwhen you go home in May, have a slightly slacker week, where you CD for 2 meals and eat a small portion of your mum's yummy food at night/lunch with them - perhaps on a small plate. Then you won't be depriving yourself but won't be putting it off any longer. You could lose lots before you go in May and that might be incentive enough to do well whilst you're there. I've had lots of positive comments recently and it makes you feel high.
Bendigo hope you feel better soon - at least you've managed water and a little food.
my2kidsmum - could you not book your appointment with a female doctor - she might understand why you're doing it more than a man (don't mean for that to sound sexist)? I thought my doctor might be anti CD but she was all for it and just said go for it. I was amazed!

Michaelad - forgot to put the 'think' into my first sentence!

Actually michaelad you should probably still have 3 shakes plus a small meal of your mum's?

How long do I have to stay on only the shakes before I can start substituting?
I'm just afraid that I will spend all that money in April and then ruin it by going home in May.

I know this is slightly out of context, but has anyone of you ever thought "Stuff all the diets, I will accept and love me for who I am regardless of size" ? I really envy people who can say that. Get so tired with the weight issues. I started dieting when I was 12 and don't think I ever had a healthy relationship with food. Even battled with eating disorder for a while (don't think that ever really stops, actually...much like being an alcoholic)

I regularly think "stuff the diet" but then think, if I can't do this now I won't ever be as slim as I want to be.
I do find it hard to believe it that people are happy being overweight, especially when they know it's not healthy (although I understand that some people have medical conditions that mean they can't lose weight easily).
By the way Michaelad, you do the sole source plan for 4 weeks before you can add a meal, then if you haven't reached your target weight you go back onto sole source for another 4 and so on until you're either a healthy BMI or a stone above your target weight, when you go onto the 790 plan. But even if it doesn't co-incide with your trip to Germany, having a small meal and shakes would be better than giving up completely once you've started.

I think about that issue all the time Michaelad but thinking it and believing it are 2 very different things. I too envy people who are happy in their own skin - all I know is that I am least happy when I feel overweight.

Personally, gradually putting on weight meant that my choice of clothing was becoming more and more limited. Thus I always felt frumpy and uncomfortable in the few clothes I had which could just about be stretched to fit. I simply couldn't (can't) afford to go out and buy a complete new wardrobe in larger and larger sizes. I also noticed the effects of being overweight quite accutely ...... finding that walking uphill, even for a short distance made me out of breath, and worse, sweaty, ditto most physical exertion. On top of that I seemed to carry a lot of fluid on my legs - on my shins and feet, which would leave indents if you pressed your finger onto them.

My whole life - I have been a slimmer person for far far longer than I have been overweight (about 6 years). Therefore, the overweight person really didn't feel like me at all ..... and I felt particularly disgusted with myself for letting myself go and for being greedy. Previously, I had had far more opportunity due to my life's circumstances at the time, to go to the gym or simply to walk much more. Then I got a desk bound job which I hated (hence lots of chocolate) AND, could never go to the gym (I was a single mum, so time and money prevented this). Plus, I guess I was getting older and my metabolism slowed down.

I do agree that from a mental health perspective, it's far better to accept yourself (whatever an individual imagines their flaws to be) but literally, and apart from feeling unhappy mentally, I also worried that my weight (which was right on the cusp of overweight/obese on the BMI index) would end up affecting my health sooner or later. I am now about BMI 23 point something I think from memory and apart from feeling much better (though not entirely satisfied yet!) I also have noticeably more energy. We live at the top of a steep hill and I used to dread walking home - it was a real endurance test - now I don't feel it at all.

Looking at the charts my BMI is going to be about 49 so does that mean she wont let me start on Monday I have set my heart on starting and got myself all ready!

Good idea Luciemule, have changed my appointment to a female Doctor and will keep fingers crossed. Will be really upset if she refuses though as all geared up for it now. Appointment on Tuesday, but will start on Monday regardless and hope for the best. I'll let you know how I get on...

I have a really high BMI and my GP signed the form for me without any problems.

Her only concern was that i'd starve!!!!

I told her that if i felt too hungry then i would eat fruit and veg.

Shes known me for years and knows how much losing weight means to me.

Hi Fussymummy - I'm sure you mean 1lbs 1/4 and you're wondering why it's low? You've lost loads altogether and a low loss one week won't make any difference (I'm used to it being low every week, hee hee hee).
Were you really good this week becasue maybe it's water retention or maybe it's less as you've lost so much already and someone further down said it gets harder the more you lose and the nearer your target you get?

Catsmother, thanks for the long post. I find it hard to believe too that anyone can be truly happy overweight. And yes my weight does definitely affect me healthwise (BMI 32), its just that I have been struggling with the whole issue for all my life and its so tiring. I would love to start CD, spoke to dh last night and he's doesn't think it's worth it. Another diet he reckons I won't stick to and money's a bit tight atm. Don't get the wrong impression, he's the loveliest man you could come across. And he does have a point..but if I can convince him, then I won't be able to do it since I don't earn my own money as a SAHM.

that should have been "can't"..

Luciem, does you dh know that you're on CD or is it going to be one hell of a surprise when he comes back?

Yes- he does know and he fully supports me (he keeps saying eat a little bit if you feel faint etc). I tell him - with thighs like mine, I could stop eating altogether and wouldn't feel faint! He's only about the stress of being on my own at the moment with the DCs and that I'll get even more stressed with the diet, plus my eczema is worse than it's ever been so he keeps saying to give up if it's too much hassle.
Today I feel great though, apart from my eczema and have just got back from Stourhead (NT) with the children. The loved the long walk and looking at all the trees etc, although I don't think the daffs did my skin much good!
Also, Michaelad, what do you mean you couldn't do it as you don't earn your own money - surely if you're married, it's both your money (there was a thread about money and SAHMs the other day!). If he supports you, he'll surely pay for it too? Wouldn't he have new stuff for the car if he felt like it for example. As long as you stick to it, it's defo not throwing away money. I know people have different ways of 'sharing' money when the wife doesn't work but to TBH you'll be spending half the amount on food you normally would. I'd maybe do this diet and save somewhere else for a few months (ie - magazines, housey stuff and clothes) and once you've lost some weight, buy some new clothes. Only a suggestion but if the diet makes you happier and healthier, I wouldn't worry about the money and who pays for what.

Lucie, guess it came across the wrong way. It's definitely both our money. However, since we're a bit tight financially, I can understand his hesitation. Especially with my track record of not sticking to diets . Do you have to sign up with CD until you have reached your target weight and could you stop (and stop paying) if you discover that the plan does not work for you? Just afraid that it turns out to be one of those costly things like signing an annual contract to go to the gym, going the first couple of months and then just paying for the remaining 10.

oh - sorry - see what you mean about the money then. Didn't mean to lecture you!!!
You only do it for as long as you want and if you stopped doing it one day, you just call and tell counsellor you don't want to do it anymore. Easy as that. You do sign something but only to say you're fit/healthy to do it and you understand all of the terms and conditions etc (which she should/will explain when you go) Also, if you did the 790 plan, you would only have 2 shakes a day I think which would be cheaper. To be honest, I haven't been spending 35 pounds every week as I've cheated and therefore not had all my shakes!
If you didn't do this couldn't you just buy a weight watchers meal book and cook that and really watch your calories but eat healthily so all the family can eat the same thing? How many DCs do you have and how old? Mine found it a bit weird - not having DH here and me not eating with them.

No offence taken, Lucie. I've got 2 boys aged 4 yrs and 21 months.
I did leave a msg on my counsellors anwering m. yesterday and will try and get to see her maybe next week. Maybe there is a way to persuade dh now that I know that I can stop the payments if I don't stick to it. Keep your fingers crossed! Do you know anyone who's done CD and has experience on life after CD? Are you worried you will put all the weight right back on?

Must be so hard with dh in Afghanistan. Do you worry alot or have you gotten used to it by now? Family network nearby to help you?

Hi - you pay weekly (not direct debit or anything) so it's not a prob to stop immediately.
Yes I do worry about DH being over there but he's already been to Iraq (war fighting phase) which was (at the time) a lot worse as there was a very real threat to him and his men - regularly. But now he's living in a huge camp (11000) and only goes off canp by helicopter thank goodness. I feel much more sorry for those men in ground vehicles, dodging land mines. He comes back in 4 weeks for a break and then only has to go back for 3 1/2 weeks. Phew! Hopefully, he'll like the new me (I hope to at target of 10 stone just about by then).

Where about in Essex are you - I like Essex - it's got so many pretty villages and towns.

We're in a village near Chelmsford. Roughly where do you live?