Louise Parker Method - Lean for Lifers Support Thread

[PushingElephantsUpStairs]

Anyone following the Louise Parker Method?

I am restarting the transform phase again from next week and could really do with some support to get me through the 6 weeks!

I managed three weeks in November but gave up due to Christmas drinking and eating. I feel more motivated this time and felt great when I followed it properly. I love the food too but found it too easy to slip into bad habits.

Please share your stories (good and bad!) and hopefully we can support each other through the journey.

Weigh-in day. Another 2lb down which I'm pleased about - the hard work has paid off!!

How have the rest of you done?

Hi everyone! I just started incorporating Louise's recipes into my life. What I do still struggle with is the hunger and weakness I feel in the evening. I love the oat bran, the snacks, the lunches (I have a sedentary job, so the low-carb thing is fine), but when I get home, I feel so weak and woozy, that only carbs can make me feel normal again. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid not giving in in the evening?

Morning everyone. I have to report that the vanilla and nectarine bircher is the first recipe that I've made that has been thoroughly delicious.

I made the lovely lentils over the weekend and I think i did it wrong as was really wet and bland. i think i made the mistake of missing up a cup of uncooked with cooked lentils so had way too much and will just make a proper dressing next time round rather than the mix of oil and balsamic she suggests.

On the plus side I measured my stomach Friday morning and again today and I have lost 4 INCHES! Not weighing myself for a week but I can see that the bloat has already gone. Still got the after effects of this awful cold but am feeling much sharper mentally and sleeping so much better.

Mina - I haven't actually felt hungry at all but if I did I would try and eat some of the bean / chick pea stew type recipes to fill me up for a bit.

Well done Tomato! Two pounds sounds like perfect gradual weight loss.

Well done tomato!

Well it's a 1lb gain for me this week...feeling extremely a bit disappointed tbh. I've been on method every day bar one when I went out to the pub and afterwards to an Indian restaurant for a colleague's leaving do. I've done 2 x 5km runs, 2 x 30 minute hiit sessions and an hour's Pilates class. I averaged just over 7000 steps a day and (with the exception of my night out, where I didn't even go over the top with food!) according to MFP I have averaged about 1700 calories a day.

Typical day would be a Bircher for breakfast, soup/frittata and salad for lunch, 20 salted almonds and an apple for snack, and courgetti bolognese with a bit of Parmesan for dinner...portions are normal sized!

I have a massive big reunion of sorts in 5/6 week's time and I desperately want to look lovely and lean and healthy. A good 10lb off would be ideal! My 1lb gain this week is just not cutting it! Can anyone offer me some advice, please? Do I have to forgo the odd night out to see any changes?

To top it off DS woke me up at 3:30 this morning and I didn't manage to get back to sleep. Am struggling through work today! Just want to head home and dive into the biscuit tin

Sorry for the moany post

Hope you have a lovely birthday dirty weekend away Desert

Oops pressed too soon!

Well done on the inches Polly - 4 is amazing!! I'd also second what you said to Mina and get some pulses in the evening - healthy slow release carbs that are comforting, filling and full of protein .

Mrs D - am so new I have just read the book and this is what she says

"there are no days off (during the 'transform phase') Here's why.... every time you take yourself out of the inner circle you turn the fat burning tap off , the clock resets and it takes two to three days to get started again...so if you take one day off it will take three days of 'being on the programme to get the fat burning tap dripping again. So you lose four days in total".

So maybe your night out just knocked your results this week? Or maybe you'll see a bigger loss next week - weight is a funny thing.

Thanks polly - yes weight is a funny thing isn't it! I feel so deprived at the thought of not having an days off until I've finished the transform phase - life has to carry on, doesn't it?

LP also advises to weigh yourself fortnightly which I haven't been doing (weekly). ''Tis probably sound advice.

I used to be able to lose weight at the drop of a hat; now I'm fast approaching 40 it is very slow and I'm finding it extremely frustrating. I'm really worried I'll put all this effort in and just stay the same!!

Polly - thats awesome inches!

MrsD - have you been weighing your food? I have read in a few different places that portion size is really difficult to get right and the best way is to weigh your food rather than trying to judge it. I have to try really hard to make sure I am not overeating (a longstanding bad habit).

If you've been good the rest of the time I'm sure that your weight loss will catch up. Don't forget too that muscle weighs more than fat so you may well achieve slim and svelte without lots of weight loss (I saw some astonishing picture on pinterest the other day). Possible??

Hi all, hope you don't mind me joining in.

I was happy to find this thread. Have been following LP for a while on and off and including the meals into our life but we've decided to be back on the transform phase.

Anyway I was quite happy about the Plan and feeling confident... I sat down to eat my lunch and my boss was quite rude. Said my 3 bean and feta salad was far too much food and she could never eat all that. I've been quite happy with the amount of food I am eating and seeing good results but I questioned if it was too much.

Anyway hope everyone else is doing well. We're having a cauliflower mash topping on our pie tonight - I love the food on this plan 😀

Yes - I've been weighing everything tomato!

I'm home now - want to be super strict this week but worried in actual fact I'll totally stuff myself silly with naughty things! We have no food in the house, not sure what we'll have for dinner, add to that being super tired...It could go either way...

Ooh MrsD thats a killer. Anything in the freezer?

Footie welcome! Pie and cauli mash topping sounds delicious. Am waiting for my tea to finish cooking and am ravenous. Its the pepper stuffed with ragu for me tonight - ready in 10.

The freezer rescued me tomato! I found a bag of frozen stir fry veg and some king prawns, with some chilli and a bit of peanut butter it was on method until my husband added a packet of noodles. Also succumbed to not one but two stem ginger biscuits. That was definitely comfort eating, should have just gone to bed with a cup of herbal tea. Had a slightly better sleep last night and am firmly in the inner circle today. I'm determined to do this.

Welcome footie! Would love to hear more about your results so far...Yes your boss does sound rude. Maybe she's jealous of all your yummy food. I'd be interested to hear what she had for her lunch!! Cauli mash pie sounds delicious - any tips on making cauli mash? Mine always turns out quite wet.

AM joining! My DM bought me this book as a birthday present.. and whilst trying not to take offence i am trying to take this as a positive step.

Any new starter hints and tips?

Hi desperado, thanks for the welcome.

Cauliflower mash does get a bit wet. I steam the cauliflower which helps but in the new cookbook Louise adds parsnip which makes it a bit smoother. I also add a little bit of low fat soft cheese sometimes. I think Louise might suggest ricotta.

I've found that having Bircher in the morning I don't need a mid morning snack. Also don't usually need it. So I have a snack at 4pm either peanut butter on oat cakes - which also stops cravings for sweet things or the hummus and pitta. Then I have tea and I've still got a snack if I need it. Sometimes I dont. Not sure if that will help but I think I just need to know I've got the option to eat something whilst in front of the TV! Also I've always had a major snack attack at 4pm as that's when I get in from work.

I do the same Footie and it seems to be working so far. I also do the cauliflower mash as it makes meals look more complete.

Hi stuckinstressville!

New tips - I wrote a list of all the meals I liked the sound of and the page no in the book. I stick this on the fridge. And then created a shopping list - so I now have a list of everything I need rather than checking every time.

We also stick to just having apple Bircher for breakfast - and make a massive batch of it. we go through a lot of yoghurt but it's one less meal to thing about.

I think just stick with it, after a while you get used to the recipes. At first I almost fell into my own meal plan - spagetticorgetti Monday, fish Tuesday!

Hi stuck!

Footie I'm doing the same.

I have actually had a stressful few days at work so haven't had time during the day to think about food much. Dd had the most ridiculous meltdown this evening which is out of character.

I am now a vision of serenity and peace - a quick steak for tea, dd fast asleep, a tidy house and some oatcakes and LP's nutella substitute as a snack in front of the TV. Death in Paradise on shortly which I am a bit addicted to.

Recipe: a jar of hazelnut spread, some cocoa powder, a bit of ground coffee and a bit of stevia. Satisfies the chocolate cravings

Morning all

It's day 9 for me and am feeling really great. Don't feel hungry at all, ever, and feel like the lack of sugar in this diet has really evened put my appetite.

The big challenge for me is eating with the family and not having to make lots of different meals. I have teens so it's important to me that we all eat together, also that my daughter doesn't get too many messages about dieting.

I also tried Louise's exercises yesterday - they are just too hard for me, as someone with v little fitness and my core is rubbish! I think I need to find some gentler ones to start off with. I need to up the exercise part now as my job is very sedentary and I don't have time for a lot of walking.

Hi everyone.

So I took an executive decision to take the weekend off, and have been thoroughly enjoying all sorts of things that are outside the circle. I also have a good few meals prepared for the week ahead so am firmly back in the circle tomorrow morning - carrot cake bircher (?!) tomato and bean soup, roast veg to have with some cod, and a chilli.

Polly - I think if you are creative there are lots of dishes that can be adapted for family meals - you might need to do a bit of meal planning though. I've seen recipes for things like frittatas and various tray bakes that might be good.

Well good morning everyone, I'm checking in with a 3lb weight loss here for this week I have been super strict - in the inner circle 95% of the time and haven't had a single drop of booze God help me I think the no booze has made all the difference.

The one thing I'm really struggling with is putting my damn phone down and getting to bed early. I'm addicted to it! I can't fathom switching it off at 9pm and instead reading a book/my kindle. There's so many more interesting things I want to look at!! This has to change though as (a) I'm staying up much later than I would otherwise and (b) looking at shite on your phone is such a waste of time!! But it's how I relax after the kids have gone to bed, Has anyone got any useful tips for me, please? Do I need to go cold turkey? Is it actually easier than I think it will be?

Polly I don't do any of her exercises either, they just don't inspire me. I do my own thing which includes hiit 2-3 times a week and run 3 miles or so 1-3 times a week plus a Pilates class. I think it's ok to find something that you like and can manage a few times a week.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend off tomato!!

How's everyone else doing?

Good morning. Just weighed myself and have lost TEN pounds. Am amazed and feel very motivated! Skin looks so much better as well and I'm feeling really good.

Well done on weight loss Mrs D! My method of relaxing was having a glass of wine in the evenings so am focusing on kicking that habit - the phone issue will just have to wait for a bit here. Am sleeping so much better without any alcohol though - always forget how much it messes with sleep patterns.

Wow 10 lbs Polly that's amazing!

Yes I'm sleeping so much better without the wine, too. Feeling totally exhausted and more tired than ever though - are you the same? I feel like I must be catching up on years worth of crap sleep.

I have a load to lose Mrs D! Was horrified when I weighed myself starting this plan. Am at least 2.5 stone above what I would like. Have put a stone on on the last year. It's a bit too quick really but am sure will plateau out - when I've done low/no carb before it's slowed down after the first couple of weeks.

I am not feeling as tired as usual but think I must be sleeping very deeply as I feel incredibly dopey when I wake up.