Lighter Life -- anyone else doing it? thinking about it? done it? knows someone whos doneit?

[knakered]

started 2 weeks ago have lost 10lb really pleased...3rd week wigh in on Tues...they promise that is when you loose your first stone...so fingers crossed i have lost 4lb since last week...would be interested in others experiences

I'm not sure if she was actually told to drink 4l to stop saggy skin, or even why she was supposed to drink the water at all. But that was her explanation to me why she wasn't left with bad skin.

She was quite heavy around 17 1/2 stone but even at her heaviest she didn't have a huge stomach, it was relatively flat, she would have carried the weight on her bum and thighs more. So when she lost the weight she wasn't left with a big stomach over hang which she might have had if she was more apple shaped.

She does have good skin anyway though I think, her face is very good with no wrinkles even now with the weight loss.
I don't think she'll ever have an athletic figure because she's sort if soft and flabby and I think it has got something to do with stretched skin, even if it's not saggy.

mmm v intersting 2 girls.like me after pregnancy I am slim but kinda squidgy!!

no a lot of the motivation behind the water is that it flushes out the toxins caused by the ketosis.

2girls at your friend binging and then essentially starving to get rid of excess. That's almost equivalent to an eating disorder imo .

I watched a programme once about crash diets and they showed a woman who had essneitally become addicted to the fast weight loss. The quicker she lost weight, the quicker she wanted to lose it, until she ended up having to have surgery to remove the excess skin around her tummy, her wound then became infected and she now has all sorts of health problems as a result.

I do think that losing weight that quickly can be addictive, and it can be very disheartening to only lose 2 lb a week (which is normal) when you're used to losing 7/8 lb a week. But people seem unable to realize how dangerous these diets really are because of their desparation to lose weight and to lose it now.

I did LL last year and lost three stone. I have put on a stone but that is because I go out alot and like to eat.

I think if you have a lot to lose LL is great because it gets you where you want o be relatively quickly and for somebody like me abstinence was the best way because then I can't cheat IYSWIM.

That said I do worry that I've knackered my metabolism but am still tempted to go back on for a month to shift this stone as i know that it works. I have never lost weight any other way in spite f having joined every slimming club known to woman and haveing bought a reference library's worth of slimming books.

I think that when you start LL that they should tell you that it's not just the 12 weeks of foundation but that the 12 weeks of maintenance is crucial so you are looking at 6 months minimum. Also I stopped going to maintenance classes because it was a drop in - I did much better on the closed foundation classes.

I think that LL is very good at what it does but it is not a magic bullet and as has been saib in an earlier post if you go back to your old habits and eating patterns you will go back to your old weight and shape.

I think that the reason that slower weight loss methods seem to work in the long term (although I am pretty certain that there are statistics to show that very few dieters using any weight loss method keep the weight off for good) is becuase you have time to change your eating habits and habits are what make us fat or keeps is thin.

Just my opinion.

I appear to have killed this thread - sorry

Naah, you haven't

I'm now halfway into week 10 - 4.5 weeks to go! - and have lost 2st 8lb (DH is on his final week and has lost 4st - he is now slimmer than when I met him at 21!). Whilst I'm overjoyed that I'm now a size 12 and still have a bit to go, I'm getting increasingly worried about going back into the 'world of food' (God I hate that phrase!) because our counsellor is wonderful if your poor eating habits relate to some bad childhood trauma, but if you're simply greedy then there's not a lot there to address making changes to your mindset.

I know how to eat healthily, I just don't necessarily want to do it all the time... (and I know that's the 'rebellious child' state, but knowing it isn't the same as being able to act on it, is it...?) which may or may not prove to be my downfall. At any rate, you are right, Dalek, it's all to do with changing your eating habits permanently, rather than doing it as a quick fix and then piling it all back on again.

However - I am now the same size as I was before I got pregnant with DD, I go to the gym 3 times a week and enjoy it (before DD my only exercise was horse-riding, I HATED the gym!), we go swimming together as a family and I LOVE it (I am a sh*t swimmer and used to find any excuse to avoid it), my knees no longer ache, I can walk for miles and my figure/looks are now a source of (slightly incredulous) delight rather than depression. So I can't complain too much about the programme!

To be fair to our counsellor, she does bang home the message that you must stick with them for the maintenance, which I fully intend to do - I feel so much better now than before (and have spent so much money on it!) that I really, really don't want to put the weight back on again.

Did the OP ever come back to report on her progress? We started off in a group of 13 and are down to 8 - some women didn't make it past the first week

Thinking of doing LL, but how is the nutrition? Might I not be better off doing my own low cal diet (fish, vegetables, etc) and seeing my own (private) therapist?

just wanted to add-- what is in the foods? Is there any 'secret' to it? I am worried about having shakes, as I have recently cut out most sugar and I'm not keen on having 'sweet' things as meals. On the other hand, I REALLY need to lose a lot of weight.

Hi Stickytape

The nutrition is made up of the 4 foodpacks, you can have 1 bar a day (none in the first week) and the packs are either soups or shakes. I have gone with all soups and the peanut bar (the only one without hydrogenated fat in it!)as I don't like artificial sweeteners/too much sugar either, the mushroom and the chicken are my faves.

Each soup/shake is 125 calories, so you are only on 500 cals a day - if you were trying to replicate this with fish/lean meat/veg, you might find yourself going hungry? Not having done it that way, I don't know...

Looking at the back of a pack, the main ingredient is skimmed milk powder, followed by maltodextrin (glue, basically!) soy protein isolate, soy flour, milk protein, soya lecithin, inulin, flavouring, wheat & maize protein, xanthan gum (another thickener) and then a huge long mineral/vitamin mix - if you have your four a day you have complete nutritional balance (all RDAs met).

The soy protein isolate, xanthan, maltodextrin and proteins are what stop you from feeling hungry, imho - after the first 2 days, I honestly haven't felt the need to eat (although DH has had hunger pangs throughout and has eaten cheese to combat them - he has still lost shedloads, though, but then men always do ).

If you stick to it, it WILL work, but I've been surprised at the number of people in our group who have dropped out/slipped up and eaten. I'll be the first to admit I have no willpower, but to pay £66 a week (c.£800 if you tot it up over the 100 days) to me is a great incentiviser!!

Good luck if you decide to do it - I'm so glad I did... although it is annoying to get my size 14's down out of the loft and find I've sailed straight past them in the space of a week - thank God for Primark or I'd be naked!!

ok ladies - I an restarting LL tomorrow for a month to lose the stone I've put on over the last year - wish me luck

Good luck!

Let us know how you get on... :}

Hi Lovecat,
Thank you for posting all those details!!

Well.... 500 calories. Yikes. I am doing Pilates 2x a week, gym 3 times a week, and am going to see a trainer 1-2 x a week. I don't think I can survive on 500 calories.

On the other hand, I need to lose about 4-5 stone... (I've been doing mild exercise for a long time, but eating so much that I just kept gaining weight). Now I'm on 1200 calories a day and drinking lots of water.

I don't know. 500 would be too little, unless I stopped exercising, but I really need to do the exercise.

ok - now on day 4. I have lost about 4lbs and I know it's mainly glycogen and water but at least it's coming off - don't look any smaller though.

But have been going to the gym for the last couple of weeks - went today and had NO energy - can't remember from last time - when will I get some energy back - am intending to go tomorrow to do stretches, abs etc

How is everyone else getting on?

Re. the exercise thing, a lady in our group is a self-confessed gym addict, goes every day for a major work out, she too was concerned that she wouldn't have the energy to exercise on such a low-cal regime.

She's actually been fine, I gather that if you're already doing regular exercise, then you can keep it up, but if you're not, then you shouldn't leap into a new exercise programme as it may affect you adversely... if that makes sense?

Personally I've found I have so much more energy than before, and I have tentatively returned to the gym, not pushing myself, just seeing what I can cope with. The first time I went I thought I was going to die, but I persevered, and now can run for a minute at a time on the treadmill (you may well snigger at my pathetic achievement but I was so unfit I could barely walk at speed on it before, so for me this is a huge improvement!). It does leave me utterly wasted afterwards, though, and I couldn't go every day, it would kill me!

Well done on your 4lb in 4 days, dalek! I only lost 1lb this week but then I haven't had a poo (sorry if tmi) for about 4 days, despite drinking more than the required water and taking those vile drink powders that are supposed to help too... am going to take some dulcolax tonight as I fear the worst when it does eventually make an appearance...

Don't worry lovecat - I had to resort to dulcolax as well as hadn't had a poo since friday.

Ypu may in fact be me in a parallell universe as I too have just worked up to being able to run for one minute on the treadmill - I still can't do anything on an incline though.
Keep up the good work everyone

I am starting shortly, got all my doctors forms and stuff done, so just waiting for a class, hopefully soon! I have about 3/4 stone to lose, too scared to weigh myself so i am just going to go to the LL session and add up how much i lose and in the end i will be brave enough to see what i weighed at the start!
I am abit worried about the low calorie/hunger aspect but i have GOT to do this!

Blossomsmine - all the best to you love. Go for it. You probably will feel hungry for a few days but honestly it doesn't last too long.

Thanks dalek, starting tonight!!!! OMG!

Well, i have started! At the moment i am suffering from headaches and also feel abit sick, the drinks make me heave abit!! Sorry if too much information!

Blossomsmine - I had the headaches as well but they do pass - just take some paracetamol and make sure you drink the water - dehydration causes headaches. After the first week you will be allowed the bars which are nicer - I like the peanut one - but unfortunately only one bar a day.

Is it the sweet or savoury drinks you don't like? I had only mushroom or sweet chilli soups - and I put loads of tabasco sauce in them. The milkshakes can be soothing hot or you could try making them in to muffins - put the powder in to a ramekin dish, add enough water to make a paste and cook in the microwave for about 2 mins -they are NOT the same as the muffins you buy in a bakery but it makes a change.

Good luck
x

OMG dalek what a brilliant idea about the muffins! Going to def try that! Makes a change
I am finding i don't feel so sick now, maybe i was just having an 'off' kind of day, i quite like the veg soup and chilli and like you i use loads of tobasco!
But what i am thinking is.....will i cheat on this? I haven't yet.....
I haven't read the whole of this thread dalek, so i just wondered how you did on LL and whether you are still on it? Thanks

I did LL last year and lost 3 stone. Over the year I have regained a stone but that is because I have been eating out alot and have been lucky enough to have been on a few holidays since then.

I am redoing LL at the moment to lose the stone - however this time I am exercising as well.

When I stopped LL last year I had no problems maintaining day to day - it was just holidays and highdays that were the problem. I will be more careful this time.

If you can try to do maintenance - I stopped going because I didn't ike my counsellor and I turned 40!

Goo d luck and keep posting!

Well done dalek! That is inspiration for me! I'm glad you said to keep posting cos i actually feel i need this thread right now! There doesn't seem alot of LL people around at the moment though.
When you started LL again did you need to get the doctors letter again? I had terrible trouble getting that......doctors just seem to keep hold of the form...
I need to lose 3 stone (at least) but it is hard. Thanks for your replies

No - I didn't need a doctor's letter. I was very lucky - my doctor was pleased that I was doing it and was very happy to sign the form but I know that some people pay up to £20 to get it signed.

I seem to recall that you have to be "signed off" every month - in subsequent months I just asked the nurse to sign me off but some people in the group went to loyds chemists and it was free.

Last night's message was rattled off very quickly. Sorry if it sounds a bit abrupt.

Just to fill you in. When I stopped going to maintenance last year I still had loads of food packs left - I had been on holiday and therefore had had to buy three weeks worth but on holiday I ate what I wanted and didn't use the foodpacks. When I tried to lose the extra stone that I had put on I signed up for a month (I didn't need the doctor's letter that time)but didn't actually do it (didn't want to go and rebelled because I didn't like the counsellor) and so had more food packs left. This time I am doing it without going to a group but just using up my foodpacks. It is hard but I am managing.

Without wishing to sound like a hypocrite I think you should definitely go the group as there is some good advice but the nicest thing is that it's a closed group and it's just the same few people every week. My counsellor runs a drop in development and maintenance group and I just hate the atmosphere but I'm sure it works for some people.

Another thing , if possible I would say you should do abstinence for as long as it takes you to lose the weight you want to lose because it is very difficult to take yourself back to abstinence once you have started eating - it's not just the fact of not eating it's things like not being able to go out to dinner or meeting friends for lunch ( I was never able to go in to a restaurant and just ask for a bowl of hot water although some people were able to do this).

Sorry to ramble - hope some of it helps - good luck to you
x