lighter life counselling comes to an end - for now

On monday I will have my last lighter life counselling session. I should have one more but I am working and will not be able to go. So I will have one more weigh in and buy the last 2 weeks worth of lighter life bars.

I have maintained my weight loss completely on this diet and know I have cracked it this time. If by any twist of fate or food I put on more than a few pounds I will rush back in a flash. But I do not think that will happen.

What I will be doing next January is going back for 1 months to lose 1 more stone - should I need to. Regular readers will know that my body has taken a lot of readjusting to being thin and I stoppped short of my full weight loss target to recover. I am still delighted with losing 5 stones.
I am now on the GI diet which is how it will be for life. I have never felt healthier or enjoyed my food so much as now.

This blog will be updated regularly as I know it has helped me keep focus and will continue to do so. I will write how things go on the weigh in on monday

Staying in a hotel will be easy this time on maintainence

This evening I am staying in a hotel in Stratford before seeing a customer tomorrow morning. This will be the first time on my diet that I can just sit down at the table in a Hotel and know I will be able to find a whole load of food I can eat.

When I was in France over easter I was still on the abstinence and ate nothing for six days. All the french food was driving me wild with temptation. Tonight is a pay off night for all my discipline as I can just not eat too much all day and enjoy a well ordered meal.

There is a pool and a gym at the hotel as well - very luxurious - I can work some of it off in the morning and have a light eating day on thursday. As I have said before, I am getting used to controlling food rather than food controlling me and the feeling of power is huge. I can coolly and calmly choose to eat the right things and happily decide not to eat rubbish like burgers and chips. I do not even miss them.

I am enjoying the food options that the lighter life allows me. There are very few foods that are off limits now and I can control my consumption of these as a matter of course.

This is the life...

Another great reaction to my weight loss diet

I met with a customer on thursday who hadn't seen me this year. She was very shocked at my weight loss. She could hardly concentrate on the work at hand to talk business.
As I am now getting used to being thin and most people know what has happened this was a good reminder for me for the success I have had on the lighter life diet.

The lady's husband needs to lose more weight than me so I expect he had a tough night on thursday.

I had a few roast potatoes yesterday for the first time and didn't put on any weight. I haven't actually found any trigger foods yet that put weight on me. I think for me I was simply over eating across the board. Large portions and plenty of them. The new eating culture of eating good foods and watching the portion sizes is finally getting into my head and I am sure I can stick to my weight loss.

The next step for me is to up my exercise levels as I am not fit physically and need to improve this over the next 6 months to complete the job.

Lighter life food packs - what are they like?

After finding out that all I ate for 15 weeks were food packs people want to know what is in them and what are they like.

I have no idea what is in them - lots of chemicals probably. The do include all the essential nutrients you need to keep your body going. They are almost zero carbohydrate content. This is one of the main roles of the food packs - to help your body go into ketosis because of the lack of carbs. I think there are also ingredients that keep you feeling full but I could be wrong here.

The flavours are just flavours. I'm sure there are no strawberries in the strawberry shake. When I started the lighter life diet I tried out all the flavours. The soups were quickly reduced to one favourite flavour, Thai Chilli. The shakes were much better and I enjoy them all. My favourites are vanilla, caramel and chocolate. I often make them into a cold mocha chillo shake by adding some instant coffee.

The food bars are the source of great discussion in our diet group as we all like different ones for different reasons. My favourite is the nutty bar but I also like the toffee and the cranberry bars.

I'm not sure you could ever say you like the food packs. They are what they are - a tool to help you lose weight. I have noticed that real food tastes much better now having been deprived for so long. Even salad leaves and radishes acheive a gourmet rating at the moment. They taste terrific. My wife has pointed out the I eat very slowly now - this is a good thing. I used to eat food in a big rush but now I tend to enjoy the flavours and textures much more.

I have only 3 weeks to go now and then no more food packs for me. I may use them to supplement my diet when I need to for the odd week but other than that I'm all for real food now.

New email newsletter from lighter life

The people at lighter life certainly try hard to keep you well informed. Yesterday I received the first email newsletter for people on the route to management.

This has a whole series of articles and helpful info on staying on the route to mangement.
The summary of contents is as follows.

· healthy, calorie-counted seasonal recipes for spring
· inspiring Management success stories
· effective stress-management strategies
· top healthy choices for pub meals
· activity tips to boost your fitness and wellbeing
· details of our new Foodpack-based modules to help you keep your weight in balance
… and much more!

I do not know of any other diet group that keep on the the end ofthe weight loss road in the way that lighter life do. It is very helpful to me and I am sure others.

The link is here click on the link below

Lighter life newsletter

Only 4 weeks to go on the route to management

One of the Lighter life CD's had a great phrase which I am going to use. "experienced weight holder" I only have 4 weeks to go to become one of these elite weight loss people.

I am hoping to become an experienced weight holder over the next few years. I am also hoping that my weight will continue to creep down a further stone as I eat healthily over the next year.

I think that I will still eat one or two lighter life food packs as it does make the business of menu planning and shopping much less hassle. It will also remind me of what I have acheived this year and keep me focussed.

I am about to put up a weight loss chart by the fridge at home and at work for the same reason.
This will all ensure that I become an experienced weight holder.

I was reminded that statistics say I have added 9 years to my life. I might as well make the most of them and stay slim.

My diet team needs some recognition

I have been on this diet for nearly 5 months and I haven't really aknowledged the team of people who have been with me through all this and encouraged me along the way.

I hasten to add that only I have actually done the diet but I have a great backing team.

My wife who Celebrates with me in july on oue 30th wedding anniversary.

My 2 best friends who have prayed for me for years to lose weight. They have never condemned my lack of previous success but are great supporters now.

My doctor who signed me off to allow me on the diet. He still doesn't know what has happened.

My lighter life counsellor, She is just brilliant.

My 2 other friends who happen to be doctors and have also nodded sagely along the way and been surprised by my new found tenacity.

My 2 excellent children who have been knocked out by all this - they have never known me be thin.

My parents who can barely hide their pride.

So you see this has not been a one man show. I have been on this journey very publicly and with a large team of supporters. If you have tried to secretly diet why don't you try the other route and go public with your diet and celebrate your step by tep diet success with a team of your own. It takes more courage but also means that you stay on course for longer.

Route to management week 8 - Staples triggers

I think I am on week 8 of the route to management. I must look it up. Anyway this week is the week to try out starchy staple foods. So on the list this week are.

Rice
Potato
Cassava - No idea what that is
Cous Cous
Pasta
Noodles

Having dutifully tried all these out to see if they trigger something guess what - nothing happened. I do not really understand what these foods are supposed to trigger. Am I going to turn into the hulk or maybe run around in a corbohydrate frenzy. I must find out in case I am missing the point.

I have listened to the audio CD's from lighter life but maybe I haven't paid close enough attention.
Week 9 there are a whole load of new trigger foods to add including breakfast cereals, grains and flour.
Then week 10 is the big one for me - Cheese. If anything is going to trigger me of it will be cheese. The portion sizes are so small that it won't trigger of anything.

Week 11 trigger is Bread which mixed with the cheese of week 10 should create a cheese on toast trigger. Actually I am enjoying enjoying food if that makes any sense.

Week 12 triggers are chocolate, crisps and other snacky items. I have never been a big quick snack person so this will not touch me at all. Some of the other guys in my diet group are not looking forward to trying to control these foods. They have big issues with them and know that if they buy some chocolate it must be eaten promptly and completely.

Chocolate is not for sharing. The other problem I have never had is the "eat the whole packet of biscuits" syndrome. I could never imagine doing that but apparently it is a common experience

My first day since 6th January with no food packs

Today being a saturday was a chance for me to try a day without the support of any lighter life food packs or bars. There are so many permitted foods at this stage of route to management that this was very easy to arrange.
I will go back to one or 2 food packs for the reat of my time on the diet but I wanted to give it a go.

So here is what I had

B: 2 weetabix with skimmed milk
L: Out for dinner at a favourite restaurant. Chicken pieces with salad and sweet potato and spinach lasagne. Very Healthy with hardly any pasta in it.
D: Quinoa, courgette and mushroom stir fry - snack size portion
S: Apple and mandarin

I could get used to this normal food all day.
It is dawning on me that it a few weeks this whole lighter life diet will have finished and I will not need any of the food packs. I also will not be going to the weigh ins and counselling sessions. This has become a way of life for me this year so that will take some adjusting to.

Then all I have to do is keep thin and healthy. This blog is now a major strategy towards my weight maintenance so keep reading

My general health is much better having lost all the weight

I was considering all that has happened this year and realising that my general health has improved enormously as a result of my lighter life diet.

My joints - in particular my knees - are no longer complaining and my breathing is much better. I had a persistent bronchial cough last year that has gone completely. The most improvement is in my digestive system where I no longer feel bloated and lardy. This is obvious for anyone who has lost a lot of weight but its good to note that I do feel this much better.

It will be interesting to see if the cold and flu bugs get me this year or whether I will be able to resist them better.

We are going to a favourite restuarant tomorrow and I am already planning what I will order. Potatoes, rice and pasta are the triggers this week so I will try one of them out. Can't wait.

Why have you succeeded on this diet and not the others?

A friend asked me this question about my diet success on lighter life.
My immediate reaction was "I don't know" but on thinking about it there are a few differences between the lighter life diet and all the others.

1. Lighter life has a weekly weigh in session and that is your proper record of weight loss. So there is no cheating on the balances. You know that there is an independent record being kept of your progress. Knowing this keeps me focussed as I do not want to see the weight go up when I go on mondays.

2. With the weigh ins are the counselling sessions with the lighter life counsellor. I'm sure all of my group hated the thought of even going to these sessions but once we get there ou can't shut us up.

3. There is a bit of a competitive element in the group that makes you stay on the diet because you don't want to be the smuck who lapsed this week. So knowing the other guys want to know how you are doing you do not cheat.

4. The food packs do actually keep you going if you do not cheat because of the business of going into ketosis. So although you are hardly eating anything your body in ketosis doen't give out the hunger pangs like normal.

5. Because success is fast and constant you feel like you are on a new rollercoaster ride that you are trying for the first time. I lost 11 lbs in week one which completely surprised and shocked me.

6. People took time to notice my weight loss but the positive comments really give me encouragement to stick with it.

7. The final thing that has helped me is the buying of new clothes and throwing out the old ones. I no longer buys sack like clothing. I can buy off the shelf and instead of XXlarge I buy medium size.

Because of all this I am very confident of staying slim and not putting the weight back on.

Good news on this weeks weigh in

This weeks session with the lighter life counsellor gave me a surprise as I weighed in at 14 stones 11 which means I have maintained my weight loss now for 7 weeks.

Most of the meeting was about not going for instant rewards but delaying for the long term benefits. Well I am beginning to reap some of those long term rewards having stuck so well to this diet.

I won't apologise for being a bit smug because I earn't it and I deserve it.
The people who said I would put it straight back on were wrong. I feel completely confident that I will lose the weight and even lose a little bit more.

I am much happier with the stage of the diet I am on right now. I will probably not do abstinence for any long period of time again - just the odd days here and there as it suits me to maintain my weight.

Its great being in control of all this

Why extreme diets won't work

The times newspaper carried an article on saturday explaining why extreme diets do not work.
The author - Amada Ursell discussed the whole business of yo-yo dieting and how we always want to look good for our summer holidays. But ultimately the article concludes that you should eat a low calorie, low fat diet.

Now I agree with that except (you knew that was coming) not all of us have the tenacity required to diet for a long period of time to lose the amount of weight we need to lose.
The lighter life diet enabled me to hit my excess weight in one mad and I agree extreme period of time. Now I can take the long term view and work on what is a Low GI type diet.

My food this weekend has been great and I have eaten well and healthily. I even think I have lost pound or two. I can take the long term view now having sorted the main weight issues out.

The article actually mentions the lighter life diet and the cambridge diet in quite a good light saying "they are better because they give you rapid weight loss results while leaving you feeling pretty healthy,..."

There is a times health club which you can join online and track your diet progress.

Food diary today.
B: Caramel Shake
L: Chicken and quinoa stir fry
D: Egg and cottage cheese with salad
S: Nutty bar

Been unwell on this diet so back to real food

I have not been well in the last week with dizziness and faintness. I have on a couple o occasions had to sit down in my tracks rather than fall over.
I'm not quite sure what is causing this but to be on the safe side I have gone back on to my route to maintainance.
So my daily regime is a shake for breakfast. A light salad type snack for lunch. A meal for dinner including a small amount of protein with lots of low gi vegetables. A bar for supper.
I can live on this very well so I will probably stay on this for the rest of the year to lose the last bit of weight that I need to lose.
I have a lot of work on in my real job - this blogging is just for fun - and I think that very heavy work schedules and abstinence do not go well together.
The route to management takes 12 weeks normally but I plan to stay at week 7 for a long time with occasional treats when I am on holiday. The calorie intake for this phase is still below 1000 per day so losing the extra weight should not be a problem.

The sun is shining and the diet gets easier

Where I live in the UK today is sunny and warm. This has had a good effect on my lighter life diet for some reason. I am not so interested in food and more interested in chilling out and not doing very much at all.

The only slight problem is that my toes are freezing cold even in this heat. Because the lighter life diet is so extreme blood circulation reduces and so my extremities do not stay as warm as normal. (I think I got that right).

Anyway, once I come off the diet My toes and fingers will not be cold all the time.

So today is no longer a battlefield for my mind on this diet. I never realised how things would go up and down on a day by day basis.

I'm glad I didn't do the spa of weight loss for life

I've just watched the spa of weight loss for life. I would much rather do the lighter life diet.
I thought this diet was radical but this program took it to another level.
The Spa of weight loss for life follows 5 people on a five day detox challenge.

For once the programs participants were normal people and were not just there for their 15 minutes of fame. While I am writing this there is a second episode coming in so this will be short as I want to watch it.

The programme deals with the whole person and all aspects of the causes of weight. The treatments were varied to the candidates. Very intersting but I'm glad to have finished most of my lighter life diet without having to go through this programme

This lighter life diet is becoming a battlefield

I have spent all day thinking about how I should cheat on my diet. Should I even cheat at all. I have not had too busy a day which has led to me thinking about cheating on my diet. I don't really want to cheat on my diet but the craving for food has got me.

It's now 17.30 and I have got the evening to get through. All I can hear apart from the food calling to me is my lighter life counsellor talking about overcoming crooked thinking.

I hope the new way of making the shakes will help as I need some sort of change. I am now thinking of not doing abstinence for the month of may but just 2 weeks.

The reason for this huge mind battlefield is that I do not want to put any of the weight back on. This is a bit obvious but the statistics for maintaining weght loss are not pretty. I do not want to be on the wrong end of those statistics.

I will write here the result of my evening of temptation.
See you tomorrow.

I'm beginning to dislike some of the lighter life food packs

I have been on these lighter life food packs since January 6th and now some of them are not tasting so good. I have never really enjoyed the soup packs but I have been having the Thai Chilli one for months. Today I really struggled to eat this flavour.
So I will give myself a break from the soups for a couple of weeks and see if I fancy them later.

I have however found that by adding a somall amount of instant coffee to some of the sweet shakes it gives me a new range of very nice tasting shakes. The ones that work well for me are Vanilla, Chocolate and Caramel. I also have been adding 6 ice cubes to make the shake more substantial and last longer.

The taste is like one of the coffee chillos they sell at B&B's (In the UK)

Lets hope I do not go off the sweet flavour lighter life shakes as well. I would have to stop then.

We had people round for dinner today but I had to watch the Chelsea v Newcastle game on TV to distract me from all the lovely food. Still not long now

Foods to eat to lose weight - after lighter life

While I was on the route to management I was desperate to know what foods to eat to lose weight after lighter life.

There is a bit of secrecy here as you have to hunt around for the information in forums and blogs to find out. I think it would be better for all the information on foods you can eat to be out there.

So the basic strategy for foods to eat after your lighter life diet is

Start with small portions of protein
Add raw green veg
Add more veg
Add more protein options and cooked Veg
Add root veg and beans and legumes.

Beyond this are all the no no foods which are introduced in the second part of route to management.

Alcohol, Bread, Rice, Pizza, Cheese, Chocolate and so on.

Although there is no name put to the food regime you move on to it is basically a low GI diet.

The problem I had on the rout to management is sticking to the gradual introduction of food and not jumping ahead a few weeks to foods that I had missed while on abstinence. I now have only a few weeks left as I am losing weight fast then I will have to face real food again. Actually I love real food but I cannot stop eating food which is what got me into this mess in the first place.

At least I do have a clear idea of what foods to eat to lose weight after I finish and the foods that I will be eating for the rest of my life.

A reward for me for doing so well on lighter life

Today is a big day.

I went and bought myself a new synthesiser keyboard - a Roland Fantom to be precise.

It is fantastic to have a new musical instrument to play around with. It records and multitracks and even takes vocals direct. - Heres come a new album eh. I had in mind to buy myself one of these if I was able to lose the weight so I have.

So this evening I spent 4 hours learning the ins and outs of my new roland fantom.
Nothing to do with lighter life really but in another way it is. Who would have thought at the beginning of this year I would have lost 5 stones with only 1 more to lose. Unbelievable!

I can't wait to spend the rest of the weekend enjoying my reward

Musically yours
Ken

Swimming and gym today - What an angel

I am going for my first swim this year.

The first since I lost all the weight. I hope I will float!
My costume is far too big for me but I will cope until I get a new one.

I still do not know how much exercise I am supposed to so while on abstinence. I keep meaning to clarify this with my Lighter life counsellor. I will take it easy and see how it goes.

Just the whole fun of being there thin is brilliant.

I am enjoying being back on abstinence but I only have a bit more to lose then I have to face the world of real food for the rest of my life. Ho Hum.

Saw an old work colleague who was stunned by my diet success

It is very encouraging when you meet someone you haven't seen for a few years and they barely recognise you.

I met an old work colleague who could not believe my diet success on lighter life.

He knows I have been dieting for years without success so that impressed him even more.

The lighter life diet seems to be getting a bit better known now as when I say I am on the lighter life diet I getting a knowing nod of approval and questions about how do you stick to the diet. Regular readers will know that abstinence is the easy part for me. I have problems with eating real food as I can't seem to stop eating in.

Best day for a week now I am back on abstinence

I have had a terrific day today with my 3 food packs and one bar. I can do this - easy.
All I had to concentrate on was my work. I didn't have to worry about food and what I was going to eat.

This little run in with food has shown up a real problem for me which I am going to try and resolve with my lighter life counsellor. I am obviously not in control of real food when I have all the options before me.

My wife says that after one more month that should be enough weight lost and she is right. So that's my timescale for getting my head straight wiht food. 52 years of unlearning in 1 months - not so easy.