Well - it didn't work in February in fact I put more weight on!!
I finally decided I had to do something more drastic - so i contacted a Cambridge Diet counsellor. There was one who held sessions down the road from me - well just down the road on my bike, It's really awkward without a car. At first I tried to make excuses again as she could only see me at 3pm on Tuesday and I obviously am at work then, But then I gave myself a serious talking to - if you want to do something you find a way. I decided to take a very late lunch and go to that appointment and Thank God. My weght had gone back up to 86.8kg - that's 13 1/2 stone that's 3 and 1/2 stone back on again!!! I''ve just been very silly - I'm here alone and I've been eating to keep myself company and I said to my husband "food is my friend". His reply "Well you've got lots of friends then!" Too true.
Anyway long and short of it I started up on CD last Tuesday (for those who don't know CD is similar to the diet I used to follow in the UK it is a Very Low Calorie Diet <500 calories a day, and all your meals are these soups or shakes.)
It was good to be back in control - although i have been so hungry I'm resisting. I want to lose at least 2 stone before I come back to the UK in June. I've also joined a gym and I went 3 time last week and I'm going tomorrow night as well. I'm also walking or cycling to work every day and that is about 4km each way so I'm certainly more active.
Good News is I had my first weigh in today and I'd lost 3kg. I was a little disappointed as that is less than I lost the first week of my first diet but it is a good weight loss and I just need to keep it up.It takes me well on the way to my goal.
It helped writing on here last time so I'm going to try this again to help keep me motivated. I can only talk to my Mum and hubby occasionally because of the time difference so I dn't have the support I had last time. Keep fingers crossed for me.
Well I'm through day 1 - not entirely intact - I'm supposed to just have 3 packets a day on Optifast but I was sooooo hungry I had a couple of extra packs. I plan to reduce that tomorrow and so on til I'm down to the 3 packs.
I'm supposed to be going to New Zealand next week for 2 weeks, for work. Not sure how I'll continue on this diet then (although I think they sell optifast there too?) I couldn't aford to put off starting though as I'm running out of clothes that fit me.....
- a few months off the diet and my weight has rocketed!!! No excuses but the changes in my life have meant I lost focus with serious consequences.
I'm now living in Melbourne, Australia. I've been here 2 weeks but actually it feels alot longer. I've started the new job, I've found an apartment and been shopping like mad for furniture. I haven't had chance to miss the hubby yet (he is still in the UK) but I know I will.
Anyway they don't sell the Lighterlife diet here that I followed in the UK last year but they do something similar called Optifast - it's still a VLCD diet of total meal replacement but you just but it from the pharmacy and there is no support group. But desparate measures are called for - so I start tomorrow - wish me luck.
Well I've finally uploaded by results photo's. Without blowing my own trumpet too hard - WOW.
I didn't even recognise myself because I have never reached an adult weight that low. It was abit of a shock actually. Maintaining the weigh is hard - to be honest I've put on 7lbs from my lowest weight but I'm not panicing yet. I've had a bit of a social whirl since I started eating - my hubby's 50th and friends and family wanting to celebrate. So I'm trying to lose as much as possible again before I go on holiday to Oz in 3 weeks times. I can't sole source completely because I still have some social commitments I need to meet so I'll cut back and see how I go.
My BIG NEWS though is that I'm going to be moving to Oz permanenetly at the end of january. I've got a new job in Melbourne, a good job, actually a promotion. So that's really exciting but a. My hubby isn't going to follow immediately he is going to wait 6 months so I'm going to be on my own in a strange city in a strange country, in anew job (help!). b. They don't do lighterlife there and I was going to restart Lighterlife in Jan to lose the last 14 to 20lbs. I've been reading up on all the alternatives like optifast & celebrity slim but I'm a bit confused - can anyone out ther help???
This eating malarky is hard! I'm now on management and grduallt reintroduce foods week by week. The first couple of weeks it's one meal of light protein with a light salad, supplemented still by the pack. But i have to admit I have cheated!! I was so good when i was sole sourcing but now you can eat something it's a lot harder to resist.
I haven't had a major blowout - no double pepperroni pizzas and chocolate mud cake (which has some of the women did!) But I seem to have gained a craving for cashew nuts of all things. I've got through a large packet of those last week (about an addtional 1000 calories I worked out) - Oh well it hasn't affected my weight other than I haven't lost anyomre which i probably could have done without them. I'm trying to strenghen my resolve at the momement because I really want to lose another 2 lbs to his the nice round 140lbs (10 stone) markand then I'll take my after pictures. I will do it....I will do it......I will do it...........I will do it............
....sort of! I've finished the first phase of the diet and I've lost 89lbs in total!!!! My final goal weight is to lose another 2 1/2 lbs but I've decided to move into management and hopefully will still lose a bit of weight,
Management consists of gradually reintroducing foods into your diet. So day 1 and 2 I cut my packs down to 3 and had a portion of smoked mackerel instead. It was yummy!. On day 3 I was allowed to add a salad and fat free dressing so I had a hot chicken salad with a Kraft honey & mustard dressing and today I had a smoked salmon salad with thousand island dressing. It's great being able to eat again. Next week I can introduce yoghurts.......it's sad getting excited by yoghurts but wait until the week I can introduce cooked vegetables (hee hee). There is a reason behind th madness - I need to relearn my eating habits as I don't want to just fall back inot the old habits. This is to teach me how to eat again.
I was a bit down last time but it's amazing what a bit of retail therapy can do for you! I'd planned this girly weekend with my Mum for the bank holiday weekend when I knew I would be close to goal. So we went shopping in Bluewater and i was on a mission to but a new wardrobe - and I was fairly successful. My best and most extravagant buy was a a trouser suit from karen Millen. I have never bought anything from a designer shop before, in fact I have never set foot inside one before as there was no point. It was one of my goals to buy a designer suit when I hit goal and I achieved that. I also bought a gorgeous brown leather coat, that was a bit of an extravagance but I figure it will last me for a few years.
On the Sunday I took my Mum for a pamper day at a Spa as a late birthday and early christmas present. It's not really my thing actually I find it a bit of a palaver but my Mum enjoyed it. Then on the Monday my husband and I went on a long walk 7 1/2 miles over the white cliffs of dover. That was really nice and something I wouldn't have been able to do. To top off the weekend when I got home and finally able to weight myself I found I'd lost 3 lbs this week - so it's still moving!!
Last week the needle didn't move on my scales (metaphorically because I have a digital display) but that has happened before so I wasn't too concerned but this week the decline has been pretty slow too. As of this morning I appear to have lost 2lbs - that is over 2 weeks - even for me that is appalling.
I also have a confession. For some reason I have been feeling really hungry this week and yesterday I gave in - I had two (yes two) extra bars - that's an extra 400 calries, as I'm only eating 500 calories a day that is almost an additonal day. Part of me is saying so what it is still under a 1000 calories you are not going to ballon up but the other part of me is saying your body will expect that every day now and it will make life harader. And it's true I'm yearning for more food today. I have had to force myself away from the kitchen. I've watched a crap film on TV, had a bath and now I'm on the computer and all I can think about is food. It hasn't been this tough since I started....I've got 3 weeks to go and then I start maintenance and I know I'm not going to hit my final goal as I've got over 8lbs to lose in 3 weeks and I'm not losing that fast and I'm feeling rather disappointed that I'm still F.A.T.
I thought I'd feel slim at 10 stone (ish) but with half a stone to go my thighs still rub together when I walk, my arms wobble dangerously when I wave them and I still have quite a significant buddha belly. No - I'm not exaggerating I'll get some photos uploaded shortly. How much weight do I have to lose before I get to a "normal" weight and figure?
Sorry I'm on such a downer today I just thought I'd be much closer to my goal by now.
Meant to add on my last post as I* hadn't been to my hairdresser in about 5 months I had lost alot of weight. So I saunter in feeling very smug, expecting maybe a few gasps of astonishment.
Anyway my hairdresser, happens to be a guy, looks me up and down and says "You look very different today" "Oh yes" say I preeing a little bit, but he doesn't say anything else and I don't want to boast so I think I'll wait til he mentions the weight loss. Anyway a bit later he brings the subject up again. "You do look different now" he says...and studies me again. Here it comes I think smiling up at him. "You look more....(pause).........tired" He says - my face must have been a picture - he went on to say that I used to look more "healthy" - "Actually..." i splutter "I've lost almost 6 stone in weight" Hmmmmm Men.
And no - I don't look drawn and tired through this diet actually I'm full of energy - but my job is stressing me out a bit - it's lucky for him he does such a good job on my hair I would be looking for a new hairdresser by now.
When I started this diet I had very short cropped, spikey hair - drak brown with highlights. When I realised it was working I decided to grow my hair for a bit, possible get it long enough for extensions have a real makeover. Well the other week I decided to go for a consultation on hair extensions but as soon as I walked in the woman just said - "Your hair is too short!" Basically bacuase of the layers I would have to grow the top layer for about another year before it was long enough....I though if I had that long I wouldn't be considering hair extensions!!!! Seemed stoopid to me. So anyway I just went back to my original haidresser and had my hair restyled within the limits of the length and I have to say I am very pleased with the results.
I've had a full head of blonde highlights to take me back to a blonde again, plus I've left the layers on top longer with a fringe and soft around the face and it really suits me, better that what I had been planning so it all worked out well after all.
On top of which I found I had lost 5lbs over the two weeks at my weigh in which is good - the scales haven't moved again this week though - it does that sometimes I don't know why, but I'm not stressing it'll come off eventually!!
Off to see hairspray at the cinema tonight it supposed to be good, I enjoyed the original film but I empathised with the main character then - I WAS the tubby teenager who loved to dance..................
- although i have been so hungry I'm resisting. I want to lose at least 2 stone before I come back to the UK in June. I've also joined a gym and I went 3 time last week and I'm going tomorrow night as well. I'm also walking or cycling to work every day and that is about 4km each way so I'm certainly more active.
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He says - my face must have been a picture - he went on to say that I used to look more "healthy" - "Actually..." i splutter "I've lost almost 6 stone in weight" Hmmmmm Men. 
When I started this diet I had very short cropped, spikey hair - drak brown with highlights. When I realised it was working I decided to grow my hair for a bit, possible get it long enough for extensions have a real makeover. Well the other week I decided to go for a consultation on hair extensions but as soon as I walked in the woman just said - "Your hair is too short!" Basically bacuase of the layers I would have to grow the top layer for about another year before it was long enough....I though if I had that long I wouldn't be considering hair extensions!!!! Seemed stoopid to me. So anyway I just went back to my original haidresser and had my hair restyled within the limits of the length and I have to say I am very pleased with the results.