Lighter Life - anyone done it/doing it/etc?

[ilove]

I've been on it a year, lost 10 stones and have 2 to go...

Long hike sounds good and you're right, it has been a just gorgeous day - not that I've been out yet!!

As for bras, I actually think they should officially be called 'ladies scaffolding' as I don't think I have ever worn what could be classed as a pretty bra that did not use more material than your average size 8 vest top!! Not that I am jealous of small-boobed ladies amongst us...not much anyway!!

I've managed to sooooo get back on the horse as it were and going really well. Finding it easy again and even have a friend over for dinner tonight and we've not seen him since before Leo was diagnosed. Usually it would be a night of lots of drink, food, chocolate etc etc etc - but they can do that! 'll cook and have a CD soup with them, but food is the devil's work for me !!!!!!!!!

Hope you're having a fab week

Hello
Im new to CD and am now on my 2nd day. I am finding it really hard and had to use all my will power to not have a mouthful of bolognase from the kids dinner....

Cant wait for the hunger pangs to disapear - bliss that would be.

I dont find the packs bad at all and so far have not been disappointed on taste (although I am not very keen on the Tetra Packs.

Hope you are all having a good CD week!

Good luck Mistiek!! I'm on LL and once you get over the initial few days it does get better and you feel fab!!

H - good luck with the meal tonight - lol at food being the devils work

Mistiek - good luck and well done for getting past the second day - tomorrow may be bad too and then it gets easier for sure. You'll have more energy in time of the weekend too.

Meal good - did not eat but then had a bl**dy sip of wine????????????

BACK ON IT TOMORROW!! and going for a run...

does anyone know how soon after having a baby you can do lighter life..from a safe medical point of view.....if you've stopped breastfeeding etc and say had your six week check?

really keen to do it, someone i know is having great success after struggling with weight after three dc, i to have struggled and will want top do something radical after the birth of dc3 and also there is a counsellor who loves in the road next to me.

also ment to say good luck everyone!!

Welcome Mummypingu (love your name!!)

I am not sure about how soon afterwards you can start especially if you do what is called Sole Source on Cambridge Diet, and the 100 Days Programme on Lighter Life which means you cut out all Food, and drink litres of water and the food replacement sachets, bars etc.

I am seeing my CD Counsellor this evening and so will ask and come bac to you, although the other ladies may know...?

Ladies?

Hope you're all having a fab day!

H x

PS. On Cambridge Diet, you can do what is called an Add A Meal which means you have two sachets (shakes or soups) or a bar, and then a normla meal such as chicken, broccoli and some other veg (but lovely small NORMAL portion sizes?? Whatever that is, eh??)

Plus with Lighter Life, you have to be signed off to be safe to do it with your GP - so if they felt it was unsafe for you to do it, then they wouldn't let you.

Kepp seeing the advert on the tv or in the newspapers and it's got me interested but don't want to call the number and get roped in - I'm terrible like that. So would someone please explain it all to me inc costs???

thanks for your reply hsanders

the person i know is doing the 100 days diet and it really is amazing the difference in her..she has been carrying this extra weight for 8 years and she has tried lots of other methods and this one has really done it for her...she is going to look amazing at christmas time, and she looks younger as well, not sure about the gp bit..my gp is right up his own backside so i may cringe having to see him..or i may be able to visit the practice nurse? i would prefer to cut out all food and then theres no temptation!

Mummpingu - I'm back on LL having had my daughter 9 months ago. My counsellor told me that you can't be breastfeeding and it must be at least 3 months since you had your baby. The fact that you need your doctor to sign the consent form will keep you along the right track.

Curlylox - LL consists of 4 food packs a day (soups, shakes and a bar) It costs £66 a week and you initially need consent from your doctor before joining and then check up for Blood Pressure every 4 weeks. You attend a class every week which consists of a weigh in and the group discussions/work. It's all based around changing your attitude towards food.

I did it last year and lost 4 1/2 stone in 3 months before I had to stop as I fell pregnant. I've since rejoined 3 weeks ago and have lost 18lbs already!

H - Don't stress about a sip of wine ( I had a whole bottle last night afer a HUGE row with DH)

Ah well....today is a new day

So we were basically drinking together MMIAS last night!!!

Mummypingu and Curlylox;

So you've got the costs for LL which is structured and you get weighed weekly (in private) and in the class I did years ago, they never discussed how much weight people had lost eack week, unless of course you want to share (unlike Slimming World and Weight Watchers where their weekly 'X has lost 3 lbs, let's all clap' which can be horrid for those weeks you hate life and your weight and so eat and drink more?!)

For Cambridge, it's £36 per week and there's no class but your CD Counsellor has had extensive coaching and continuous training. I currently find this approach better as I can discuss my issues with her personally. I am currently not in an emotional place to sit and share why I was comfort eating or had put on so much weight, in front of a group of people who don't know how it feels to have a 3 year old with cancer etc.

Personally I also find the CD sachets and bars actually taste nice - I found the LL products less tasty but it's personal choice.

Either way, these costs are nothing if you compare it to your weekly shop and all those incidentals things we buy, all the extras which perhaps noone knows about!! Plus how much do you want to lose the weight? Before you know it, the weight is coming off and you've more energy and food goes out of your head (most of the time).

H - was reading our blog. So glad to hear that DS has settled well into his school (love the new photos too )

Have been VERY VERY good today - been for 2 great long hikes with Zoe today (hopefully she'll sleep tonight!)

Not looking forward to next week, it's going to be tough. Have a funeral on Monday and then we are going to stay with friends in Skye for the rest of the week (and she's a fab cook and baker) I've told her not to bother with grub for me but I know what she's like . May just have to go and hike up the Cuillens

Hi! I feel a bit of a fraud coming on here as my starting weight is some peoples goal...

I'm about ten and a half stone, and am 5'3. I've done WW and SW before, and both times got down to 9st1, but even then it didn't sit quite right on me, possibly because of my height and very petite frame (and oddly big boobs!) and I still didn't look at all thin, and floundered around a size 10. I want an 8st something weight!!!

A friend of mine has lost four stone on lighterlife recently, and this has been quite inspiring. Her counsellor is starting a new group for people with less to lose (BMI of 25+ and at least a stone to lose) so a friend and I are thinking of joining.

Does anyone know anything about these new smaller-loss groups?

Also can you tell me abouit the meals please Are they horrid? Do you get to pick?

My friend had tried Cambridge but lasted two days on it, why is it so much cheaper? What are the main differences?

Hi Lunavix.

I haven't heard anything about those LL groups (probably because that wouldn't be me ) I imagine that you would still have to go through all the doctors checks - would be concerned if you didn't.

There's about 4 different flavours of soups, same of shakes and bars. You pick which ones you like. I only really like the shakes and bars (not a soup fan at the best of times).

I haven't done Cambridge but with LL you attend weekly group meetings which I find invaluable. These look at your attitude towards food and uses cognitive therapy to try and alter these. ( - I like it too much and have zero idea of portion control )

Let me know how you gt one.

Hi Lunavix,

Not heard of the LL groups for less than 25 BMI etc BUT do know that there are VLCD (very low calorie diets) which can be made into LCD, so you add a meal of normal food to make it slightly larger calorie count each day. In addition there are some which are about doing the 'diet' during the week and then let your hair down at the weekends.

However, the main ethos behind the LL and Cambridge diets is that it's not just about the sachets or bars. It's about re-addressing the balance of why we eat when we eat, waht we eat and how we eat.

And you're right about weight etc - it's not how mcuh you weigh, it's how you feel. My target is between 8'7 and 9 stone BUT if I get to 10 stone (which I've not been for years), and feel great and happy with my body image, then I'll maintain my weight there. I too, am short (5'4") and small boned but massive boobs which I hate!!! So who knows what I will get to in terms of weight but I am open to see what happens.

I am not just losing weight though. I am re-training my brain to completely detach my emotions from the food. Food is only fuel. I do not need it to comfort me. I not need food to make me feel better, as it never does!

Gosh - not sure I've helped or answered your questions Lunavix. Perhaps do a Google on VCLD as LL and Cambridge have competitors such as W8 Matters etc.

LLMIAS - hope you have a lovely holiday this week and hope you have a good LL week too. Keep going.

Any updates from others on the same journey?

Woo hoo!! Another 3 lbs - that's a stone and a half in 4 weeks!!

Lunivax - spoke to my LL counsellor tonight and she says that there is a new programme called Lighter Life Lite which is being launched next week. It is for those with a BMI of 25-29. I think that is maybe what your friend is talking about.

Hope everyone's week is going well. Am off to sunny (ahem ) Skye for a few days.

Well done for another 3 pounds LMMIAS - that's awesome.
Have a lovely holiday and hope you are okay to keep on track.

Yes Littlemonkeys that's the one, I'm going for a meeting sat then hopefully will start tues!

hsanders - no no lol not for under 25 bmi, I wish, lol

Although it terrified me that 7 stone something is still a healthy bmi for me! My god I'd have to chop both legs off for a hope in getting there.

Another motivator is if I get down to a decent bmi and tone up my GP is referring me for a reduction. Yay... Fortunately on the lite programme you allowed to do exercise so I've joined the gym this week too.

Between two kids, LL, uni, gym... argh! Don't ask where I'm fitting it all in.

So Lunavix, have you joined LL? If so, well done and well done for joining the gym also. I have to admit I joined a little while ago and been....zero times. Have been for a run but to at the gym!!

Good luck with your first week and hope it goes well.

Regards,
H

hsanders - yep joined today. Start tomorrow! We were all given a pre-set bag with soups and shakes in - mushroom soup - bleurgh! not liking the look of that one lol.

Will let you know how it goes

Remember you can add salt (but not loads) and pepper and some herbs if you find some of the flavours a but yuck. Make a note of the ones you really like and definitely tell your counsellor which ones you hate, as you do NOT want to thinking each day about what you're not looking forward to.

I am back on it tomorrow and my husband is going to do it with me for one week so he can sympathise with me in the future (all those...'can't be that difficult' comments, will soon be a thing of the past).

Good luck lunavix. Forst two days may make you a bit headache-y but I'll be there with you as will my DH - who will no doubt find it much harder than us. After all, men find the common cold far more difficult than we do!!!!

I am back on tomorrow

good news even though i havnet followed 100% is i havent put on anything i am now 15.1

long way to go though and need to do it properley to see fab results!!!