yup its my fault really can't get committed and i'm becoming desperate am finding all the various tablets i'm on for my back are not helping as i feel constantly hungry. Am thinking of the lighter life diet has anyone got any experience of it????
We have a lady at work who has done either the same diet or one similar and she has lost 5 stone over the past 5 months and looks great. She works on a different floor and I didn't recognise her at first. She was far larger than I remember you being (from the Alresford ride). So proof that it does work. The only thing I would be concerned with is that at 500 calories a day you would be totally knackered and have no energy to cycle at all but I supose it depends if you can forgo riding over the winter months for a new healthy slimlike self for next year.
If you really want to lose the weight and it appears that you do, go for it.
I don't have any direct experience of the diet but after reading a little about this it seems quite a strict regime that is to be undertaken under medical supervision due to the limit of 500 calories a day. It is undertaken with some councelling; so I think it is really aimed at people with habitual problems with food. It is only when I have followed a sensible eating plan of fruit, veg, protein and carbs all in sensible proportions with sensible exercise did I loose weight. I find if I say I am not allowed anything, I want it, so I don't ban chocolate or wine but make sure I enjoy what I have. A little Green and Blacks chocolate goes further than a dairy milk for me. Part of eating for me is enjoying the look, smell, texture and taste of food, so I could never use the meal replacement method. In my opinion meal replacements have a place with people that are recovering from illness / operations like my grandfather did when part of his stomach was removed or with people who's weight is a serious health problem. I would take a sensible approach and gear meals to things that make you feel full - the usual oats and protein to feel full for longer. Also when I first feel hungry I try to drink a glass of water as apparently over the years our thirst and hunger signals can be mixed up.
I hope your back is better soon, so you can escape from the tablets.
Hi Gayle, well.. I have done the lighter life diet this year and overall I have lost 4 stone and look and feel like a different person. Yes, it is REALLY hard to stick to but the results are very quick (I lost 3 stone in 3 months and that is guaranteed) then I did their 12 week 'maintenance programme' which re-introduces food and I lost a further stone.
All the way through I continued cycling, although I will admit my energy levels were reduced compared to eating food but the difference is that you are burning off your fat quicker (and it really works) just don't go too mad on mileage and be prepared to be sensible while you are on the diet because you do only eat 500-550 cals per day. I managed to off road the whole way through and just felt so much better because I was losing weight so quickly.
To start the diet you need to have at least 3 stone to lose with a BMI of 30 or over (I was BMI 31 and am now 23) I have managed to keep my weight off until now and feel so much better for it.
If you have willpower of iron and determination to succeed then go for it, you might feel shite to begin with while you go through a major detox but after that (4 days for me) you just need to dig deep and find that willpower.
Good luck if you do decide to go for it, it really WILL work for you if you stick to it.
cj i think i am going to a bit worried about tiredness as i work long shifts at the hospital, its 66 quid a week is that right?? it means i will definately have to work extra at the hospital...
To be honest I havent read all the above but I can offer some advice on the "I cant loose weight issue" as I used to work as a fitness trainer.
Firstly I would ask how active you are in the day, doing shift work in a hospital I can imagine you would be on your feet alot?
After those questions are answered it is about increaseing daily activity through time management and goal setting or giving you tips to increase acivity while at work.
You can also do alot with diet and if smart you dont always have to go without the foods you love. Dieting is an art of knowing when to consume the right types of foods and understanding your energy systems. It isnt always about calorie counting and definately isnt about no carbs and no fat. I have trained quiet a few nurses and I do understand that shift work is a huge stress on the body clock and other functions like rate of metabolism. I can imagine your energy levels would be all over the place and because of this you would sometimes crave high fat/high sugar foods and maybe caffine?
To be honest the best way to lose weight is through diet, exercise and usually a chage of lifestyle. Too many people want a quick fix and this is understandable, but if you want sustainability then lifestyle change is an obvious choice over diet pills.
Diet pills and detox diets are a good way to kick things off if you are committed to back it up with exercise and good food management.
Hi Girls/Gayle, I just wanted to say that eating healthily and exercice really does it. I have tried many diets (including not eating for a week when I was 17!) and the one that I have found works an absolute treat is Slimming World. It's not about calorie counting nor is it about depriving yourself. It's weekly meetings that cost £5ish which reminds us what healthy eating is. What's great with it is that you usually can eat as much as you want and always feel full. No meal replacements or anything. I lost a stone without batting an eyelid and have kept it off. One lady in the group has lost 6 stone since January. It all depends of course on how much you need to loose. If you want to try a life changing diet, do it. I have stopped going to classes (time and money) but am continuing healthy eating and exercice and it works. There you go. There's my tip. Good luck!
I totally agree with Emma - I followed the Weightwatchers points programme and lost 1.5 stone in 12 weeks, I was delighted as it didn't feel like I was on a diet, I could still eat my favourite foods (including a takeaway each week!). It's just learning to change a little to adopt healthier cooking routines. Plus you don't need to worry about not having energy to cycle as you get bonus points for exercising so the more you cycle the more you can eat!
I don't think I've posted on here before, but I've been lurking for a while - anyway, I'm going to throw my hat in the ring, I'm afraid, and say that I think the lighter life diet sounds terrifying. Apparently now referred to as 'very low calorie diets' surely this is what we used to refer to as a 'starvation diet'? 500 cals is well below what our bodies need just to keep ticking over, let alone if we throw any exercise into the mix which, as we're all posting on a cycling forum, I guess there's a fair chance of. Plus, all the downsides seem to be huge - extra saggy skin, lack of energy, and a much greater chance of putting the weight back on (if the counselling isn't 100% successful). Plus, you're not remotely re-educating your cooking or eating if you're doing it with shakes and meal replacements. And surely you get an unrealistic idea of food? I mean, yes - it is fuel and we do need it to keep going. But the other side of it is that most of our social happenings revolve around food, and while I'm not saying you have to eat to enjoy yourself, you do have to know how to handle being around food… But I guess the counselling is there to deal with that side of it. It's the low calorie intake in the first place that worries me, and the subsequent adjusment back to a 'normal' 'healthy' eating regime...
Anyway, all these soapbox postulations are all well and good, but I know it's not really of any use to you Gayle - sorry! I notice that you mention having trouble being motivated and commited and feeling hungry all the time…? I would worry then that this diet might not necessarily be the best choice for you, as everything I've read about it mentions having to be really disciplined and having a will of iron etc…? It doesn't sound like the easiest diet to stick to - only shakes soups or bars, and £66 for the privilege!! But again, maybe the counselling is geared to getting you through that part of it.
In short (or not so short!) I don't want to do anyone down - there are obviously people who have done this, lost the weight and kept it off, and brilliantly well done to them - losing weight is not easy, however you do it! But when it comes down to it, all dieting is about counting calories - whatever it's dressed up as: syns, points etc (WeightWatchers is my diet of choice too!)... Expend more calories than you use, and you lose weight. You can do it by lowering your food intake, or by upping your energy output, but it's most effective, and most lasting, when you use the two in combination, and you don't have to create a crazy deficit to see the effects...
Sorry, I've just read that back, and it sounds really negative. I didn't mean it to be at all. I just wanted to say that not feeling like you're swimming in willpower needn't be a huge issue - you can and will still lose weight... If you choose your diet well, as Samantha says, you can still have the odd takeaway and treat, not ruin your diet, and not be thoroughly miserable into the mix...
Gayle, I worked shifts for 12 years and will no doubt have to do again in the future. You probably have reached a plateau in your weight. Maybe you need to introduce/change some foods to kick start it again.
I think Honors advice is great. If you are anything like me on certain shifts I wasn'nt hungary and on others I was ravenous. Earlies were the ravenous shift and I would easliy put weight on and nights was the opposite.
I found planning what you are likely to want to eat. Try and have it close at hand so you can eat when you want, not easy I know. I actually found it easier to control my weight whne working shifts as I was more active than I am now. Good Luck !
Planning is a huge part of diet change, nice Carolyn!
Gayle: You could start the ball rolling by keeping a diary of what you are eating. (2weekdays and 1weekend day). Look at what you could cut down on, pick one thing only and try to weed it out of your diet slowly. Once achieved look at something else. You could also try planning your own weekly eating plan based on your habit changes. I found this works really well when you dont take money to work with you and you have to eat what you bring along. When you are planning dont forget to reward yourself by treating yourself in the weekend or a day you are more active.
By the way this is Honor signed is as Rebecca, woopsy :)
gosh thanks girls for all the advice to chew on.... Am pretty active at work and do exercise when i can, i think i need to lose the bulk to kick start my body off, i think the counselling part is the key for me and may help to find out why since my accident my eating has spiralled out of control, i think the nagging continous back pain may be a factor! By losing the weight it will hopefully help my back a bit, thanks all for the advice it is so nice to hear encouragement x
Hi Gayle - I have been a chronic back pain sufferer for most of my life and it wears you down doesn't it. Losing the weight has helped me with that pain and improved my self esteem etc along the way. I didn't realise how I hated being overweight until I lost it..
The counselling will make you look at your reasons for overeating, mine were boredom and stress. Now I have lost the weight I feel so good I really don't want to put it back on, so if I feel I am starting to eat unhealthily I can identify that now and do something about it straightaway without chucking the whole thing in the bin thinking I have ruined it. I hear what everyone says above and yes losing weight by exercising etc is a good way to do it. What do you do though if you can't exercise through pain / health problems and you are eating more cos its makes you miserable. Easy to say don't do it but the reality is we are human and we eat emotionally at times. Lighter Life trys to help you deal with all of those issues. I am not saying it is right for everyone, but it was right for me and it might be right for you. Yes, it is expensive. So what...it isn't about the money it is about putting yourself first. Good luck with the path you decide.
Hi Gayle, I really wouldn't recommend anything as low calorie as that, especially not if you exercise. There are calculators on a lot of websites where you can put in how much you weigh and how much exercise you do on average and it works out how many calories you need to lose weight - for most people it's at least 1,200 a day even without exercise. I lost 2 stone and although I kick started it with a kind of DIY detox where I ate a lot of fruit and veg and not many carbs, after the first week I ate pretty much normally (but healthy mind, not loads of chocs and pizza). I'd try to exercise at least every other day if you can, but if working shifts is causing probs with allowing time for this, you will probably have to eat less than you're used to. I've put a lot of weight back on and it boils down to me eating too much and not exercising enough, so in the end it's always about willpower whichever method you choose. There are no quick fixes!
CJ have started my first day and feel ok, am missing the texture of food but not the actual food, the soup and milkshakes taste better than I thought they would. Would love the odd diet coke thats the only down side...
Gayle - Have been away, so hoping you are still feeling OK. I am glad you made your own decision. Good luck with the diet. It will be worth it I PROMISE xx Can't wait to meet you in the New Forest (I think you are going too), you will be a skinny minny by then you wait and see, e-mail me if you feel fed up I will gladly give you encouragement if you need it. Might send you my 'before and after' photos too which were a great motivation tool for me. I took them every week or so to see how much I was losing, the difference is amazing... Take care of yourself let me know how you are getting on .. CJ
I've done the lighter life and lost 2 and 1/2 stone. Felt ok to begin with and then felt really s***t after 10 weeks.
The counselling side is good - if you get the right agent - otherwise you feel that you are being slightly ripped off.
I've kept a stone off but due to other reasons put weight back on.
I suffered with acid indigestion with the diet which started after about 4 weeks or so - even though I was drinking nearly 5 litres of water a day - the recommended is 4 litres, and the inconveniences that causes.
I have a friend who completed the 14 weeks required and ended up with agigated stomach lining which caused very painful bouts of indigestion, and has put nearly all the weight back on.
Yes the diet works, yes its quick and yes your're probably like me done every diet that is around and could build a house with the amount of diet books you have - but we all know in our heart of hearts that it is what you put in your mouth - apple v doughnut is the real reason you lose/gain weight.
