30 Pounds Weight loss

Short Update

I have been so busy that I have forgotten to post to my lighter life blog. Well I have lost 30 pounds in the first 5 weeks of my return to lighter life. It has not been easier or harder than the first time. Just the same really.

I am going to do 3 more weeks for sure and then decide what to do.

Been a long time since my last lighter life food pack

It has now been about 6 months since my last lighter life food pack. I am maintaining my weight loss and have fully recovered from cold hands and feet. I am now on a raw food diet which is not a weight loss regime but does keep me slim. It's like the GI diet but with a large emphasis on eating food raw.

So what do I think about the lighter life diet now that it is behind me. Well to be truthful, I do not know how I kept to it. I tolerated the food packs. I attended the counseling sessions which were not as bad as I feared. I only wavered on 2 or 3 occasions which is why I did so well.

The reason I succeeded this time was that I was really desperate to lose the weight. Something went click in my head and the decision was made. What I would say is that I did it. No one else did it for me. everyone was encouraging (Well most people) but in the end I was the person who decided to eat only the food packs and not cheat when no one was looking.

I will still drop in here to keep the blog going from time to time because of the number of readers who have written to me so positively about my story. Speak to you soon

A Complete Change of Direction - Hope it Works

As many of you will know I stopped short of my ideal weight when I did the lighter life diet earlier on this year. The reason I stopped was because I was finding it very difficult adjusting to being a lot thinner. This is both physically and mentally. So I have taken a break since May.

My plan was to do lighter life all over again next january and february to finish the job. I do not need to lose so much now. I already lost 5 stones. But there is a problem. Next february I am spending a week in Stuttgart for a trade show so I do not really want to be dieting with all that weiss beer and german noodles (Schwabien/schwabisch noodles I think they are called).

So the only other 2 options are to wait until march 2009 or do it now.

I have decided to go back on my lighter life diet now for 8 weeks and then go onto route to maintainance which should see my BMI down to below 25 and my weight within the normal range for my height and age.

I am just waiting for my lighter life counsellor to give me the OK and then I'm back on the potions (Sorry - Lighter Life Food Packs). I have been told that lighter life is much harder the second time but I do not know if I will find this true for me. I do not find the packs particlularly tasty but they do keep you going for the day provided you take them at regular intervals.

A bit of me is very excited because in a few weeks I will be of normal weight for the 1st time in my adult life. Amazing really.

There is one mystery left to be solved. I haven't weighed myself since june so I do not know what I weigh. I will find out at the first session - hopefully tomorrow. I know I have put a little bit on. It will come right off anyway so its not a problem.

To save you looking back in the blog these are my stats for the first part of my diet

Start weight January 2008 - 19stones 11 lbs
Finish weight May 2008 - 14 stones 11 lbs

New Target weight - 13 stones

I will post more often now for a while as it helps me keep focussed knowing there are a whole load of people following my progress

Wish me luck

It feels like a new life with food

I have 3 lighter life food packs left which I will have when it suits me. I am maintaining my weight loss with the occasional up and down on the scales. I do not weigh myself very often now as I am not worried about putting weight on. I know that if I do put a lot of weight on - say 1/2 a stone I can simply do a week or 2 on the food packs to correct it. Better then this I can just watch what I eat for a month and the excess weight will be gone.

Being in control in this way is great. We were in an italian restaurant for dinner today and I ordered some grilled chicken on a salad. I had 3 spoonfulls of my wife's dessert and it was easy. I did not overeat and so I know I will not have put on any weight. This being in control is quite addictive but it is better than my previous food addiction.

In 30 days time I am going on a family holiday. I have 3 new swimming costumes (Size Medium instead of XXLarge). A holiday is usually an excuse for overeating but not for me now. I will enjoy all the eating out and special meals with the family but I will also enjoy preparing for the eating out by being controlled at other times of my break. I can do whatever I want and I choose to control my eating and make this a pleasurable part of my holiday. This is, I know, the musings of an ex addict but these are feelings and experiences very new to me. I am enjoying them hugely.

Posts are going to be weekly from now on but do comment on this site and I will respond back.

Still sailing along nicely on my lighter life

I went to my last weigh in and counselling group on monday. Knowing I am not going anymore is yet another readjustment to my new lighter life.
More and more people are reacting very positively to my new look which is great. I still haven't tried out certain no no foods and may not for quite a while. I am sticking to salads and low fat meals. I still have some lighter life food packs but they will run out in a few days.
The big decision is what to have for breakfast instead of a food pack.
I will probably have home made juices most mornings and standard breakfast cereals the rest of the time. The juices I make have a good mixture of fresh vegetables and fruit and taste lovely. My favourite sounds and looks dreadful but tastes great. The ingredients are

Spinach
Carrot
Apple
Pineapple
Celery
Root ginger

I run them through my juicer and close my eyes. I really doesn't look good but the flavour is wonderful. It almost feels like drinking pure vitamins and is a great set up for the day.

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

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.

Found a Great Diet Blog / Forum site for lighter life

I was toodling around in google search and found a diet blog called minimins which is an internet community of people who are trying to lose weight.

I have joined up and started posting already. I had immediate responses to my posts.Everyone seems very helpful and full of empathy and understanding.

I wish I had found it sooner but I have found it now - So another resource to help me in My struggle to lose weight is added.

Food Diary Today is a prediction as I am only half way through
B: Raspberry Shake
L: Banana, Apple, yoghurt
D: Chicken and salad
S: Nutty Bar - Glass of Cognac ( Very important week 5 addition)

My Lighter Life Blog is keeping me on the diet

One of the main reasons for my lighter life blog is to keep me on the diet and it is working. I was with a customer at work and they were offering all sorts of lovely things to eat with my cup of coffee.
I thought about having to record it in my food diary and decided not to cheat. So I am completely smug about that - but a bit of me wanted to tuck in .
This is still a big learning curve.
Food Diary
B: Vanilla Shake
L: Hard Boiled egg on salad
D: Quinoa and Veg Stir Fry
S: Nutty Bar