FIRST GOAL ACHIEVED! 100 DAYS!

Well can you believe it???? I have achieved my first goal and reached 100 days! When we were weighed on Wednesday evening my weight was 64.8 pounds or 30kgs. A 25 inch reduction! I have to say that I was feeling rather apprehensive, as I really wanted to reach 4.1/2 stone by the 100 days. I had 4.5 pounds to shed this last week to reach that goal and was not feeling positive about being able to do it, but I shed a wonderful 5.2 pounds. This not only helped me to achieve 4.1/2 stone but a further 2 pounds!!! It was still 2 days before the actual 100 days which was on Friday 27th April, so when I weighed myself on Friday my weight had fallen another pound and so had reached 4.10 stone which is just 4 pounds short of 5 stone! This sets me up nicely for the next phase of the programme as I will not have such weight reductions in the coming weeks.

I learnt something new today - a wise woman I met at a fare pointed out that the word "loss" means to lose something which is usually associated with a negative feeling or action. So I have decide to no longer use this word "loss" when associating it to my weight. I have gained so much and "lost" nothing except excess weight and all kinds of harmful health problems - which are positive things. A little saying I found "Within every loss lies the opportunity for gain and new beginnings." I will now use the word shed, departure, release, fall, reduction, emission and discharge - strange but probably more appropriate!

Here are the before and after pictures we were presented with. I probably should have worn trousers so that you could really compare but I think you get the point.




I feel wonderful! I wouldn't say that these are the most flattering pictures so when I have finished the next stage of the programme - 3 months - I am having a photo shoot done and will then hopefully have some really great shots to post.

As a group we have experience a weight reduction of over 430 pounds which means almost 3 whole average size people! Really amazing. Everyone shed at least 3 stone or more which I think is fantastic and why Lighter Life guarantees it!

Wednesday was also a sad time as this is when the group splits up into different groups, those that are continuing the food abstinence, those that are going onto route to management (which I am doing) and those that will leave the programme. I believe the next stage of the programme is probably the most difficult and by far the most challenging! We get to start eating conventional food again so it will be interesting to see how that works out.

That's it for now - I will post some more black outfit pics next week and share some interesting facts that I am researching at the moment regarding eating plans that are current available in the market place and how GI has moved onto GL.

I know I keep saying this but thank you sooooooooooo much to all my friends, family, work colleagues, group members and to strangers who have responded to my blogs, for all your love and support. I could not have done this without you!

I leave you with a few more summer shots and will catch up with you next week.

7 days to go!

A friend just sent me this picture from last year around September I think - I can't believe the difference!!!

This will be my last week on the 100 day food abstinence programme - the easy part! Lost another 2.4 pounds this week, even though my time of the month has come again! UGH......this programme can play havoc with your body! Not a great time to have 2 in one month as I really wanted to lose 4st7lbs in 100 days. I have 4.5 pounds to lose this week which will probably not be possible as I'm retaining water! Anyway 4 stone was my original goal and I have done better than that, so now any extra is a bonus! Now for some a size 16 (which is now very comfortable - roll on size 14!)is still a large size but with my height and build, it doesn't look like I need to lose another 3 stone overweight but looks more like I could lose just a few pounds. This is dangerous for me, as I said before, as you don't really see the weight creeping back on, so have learnt my lesson here!

Next week we have our final weigh in and measurements as well as our "after pictures" done - we have to get all dressed up - can't wait. It will really be interesting to visually see the difference. I will post them on the blog. I will do my black top and trouser shots too so that you can see how much I have lost.

I am excited about going onto the next stage of the programme but apprehensive at the same time. I do still have another 3 stone to lose and you get quite addicted to the feeling that you are losing weight each week. This will stop in the next phase of the programme as not only will I start to slow the weight loss down tremendously but I could even pick up a few (this is due to your body re-adjusting itself to conventional food). During the next 3 months the "fat stores" around your organs that are necessary for survival need to be replaced therefore I could pick up a few pounds. Having read a few other "blogs" of people who have gone onto Route to Management, it was evident that they went through many ups and downs and really needed support far more so than during the first 100 days. As you come out of "ketosis" by eating any conventional food, which is the state that the body is in now - eating itself, natural hunger will return!

By the end of the 3 months to follow, I am hoping to have lost between 5 and 6 stone or around 35-40kgs. My wonderful husband has promised to pay for a trip to America once I have reached 5 stone weight loss - so I have told him he had better start planning now as I am not too far off it! He is away at the moment and I am missing him so much - not felt quite this alone for a while as he has been my rock through each day.

Working from home two days a week can be challenging if you have done all your work and are not stuffing your face with either breakfast, lunch or dinner! Boredom I think plays the biggest role in excessive weight gain for me and so I am looking for other things that I can be doing such as exercise, visiting friends, movies, gardening etc. to try and keep me busy. I really do need to find hobbies that are long term so that it keeps me occupied!

One major benefit I am having from this whole process is what other people are getting from my "pursuit of happiness" blog. I have had a number of people that I have never met before e-mail me to find out more about what I am doing. If my blog can inspire just one other person to also take charge of their life and receive just some of the benefits I have from this whole process, it makes it even more worthwhile! I will keep saying this as I believe the sharing of our challenges in life and the support and encouragement we can offer each other, is key to success of programmes such as Lighter Life. It is not just what we get during our weekly sessions but the " kitchen table counselling" we do! So keep commenting and e-mailing as this more than anything keeps us focused and on track! One more week to go!!!!!!

What a GOAL!

Hello everyone! Firstly THANK YOU to all who read and comment on my blog, your support and constant encouragement is VITAL to my success in achieving the 4 STONE and 2 pounds I have now lost! The best thing of all is how I am feeling - excited, fantastic, happy and have a skip in my step now. I have now run out of black slacks to wear for my "black outfit" pictures so had some leggings which actually fitted- a little snug! This is the 3rd time I have to buy new ones for work - good to find a cheap shop so that it doesn't cost too much!

4 Stone was my goal when I started this programme so I have achieved it within 84 days with a further 16 days still to go. This means I lost an average of 4.6 pounds (2.1kgs) per week. Even more amazing is the 23 inches (7 from my chest, 7 from my waist and 9 from my hips) I have shrunk. Today I was able to get into a size 16 - dropped 4 dress sizes, which

I haven't done since I was 25! With temperatures reaching 25 degrees today I can wear great fitting summer clothes. I have renewed energy and joy that comes from having achieved the largest challenge of my life. There is still so much more work to do but now anything is now possible. I am really looking forward to making further changes and getting my BMI to a healthy range.

I visited my renal specialist to check my blood pressure and kidney function and he was delighted to reduce my medication by half due to my improved health. I have suggested to him that he should recommend Lighter Life and other similar programmes to patients like me who have struggled with our weight for many years, instead of just saying "you really do need to lose weight" every time I saw him. I am not sure he liked that but I don't care, as he should be more proactive in recommending real solutions to his clients! He did say that he wanted me to move back to conventional food as soon as possible so this fits in with my original plans to move into the next phase, Route to Management. I am really excited about it not just because we can eat food again but we will be learning more about planning, processes, coping mechanisms, affirmations, achievements, decision making, fear, lapsing, addiction, deprivation, change and healthier eating. It is possible to still lose weight during this phase of the programme but the main focus is on finding a balance and maintaining one's progress.

At the end of the 100 days I will post my before and after photo's for those of you who keep asking, so watch out for them on the 28th of April.

Games and how we play them!

Interesting week as I stepped up the exercise and increased the water intake to a minimum of 6 litres a day. When we were weighed this week I was surprised that I had lost just 1.8 pounds because I felt I had lost inches as my stomach is flatter and legs a little firmer. Having thought about it I put it down to last weeks "time of the month" (water retention), increased water by 1.5 ltrs per day and muscle weighs more than fat?? Anyway I have now lost 3 stone 8 pounds. Really working hard to achieve 4 stone by the end of this section of the programme.

This week we learnt about "games". This refers to the Drama (Game) Triangle that we all do everyday in one way or another. There are 3 main roles in the game - persecutor, rescuer and victim. Interestingly we are all very much all three and can change from one to the other in a single game. Why are we talking about this in this week? We need to start recognising familiar patterns and feelings and change them. Understanding the payoff when we play each of roles. We need to stop discounting (ignoring information) ourselves and other people and realise we can solve any problem and we can do it OURSELVES. We are responsible for our own actions and no one else! Don't blame others (stop persecuting) no matter how much you believe that your current state is someone else's fault! Don't blame yourself or take all the responsibility. Games always take two or more people to play with (stop being the victim). You can be vulnerable and need support, respond appropriately with out discounting and be Potent and not persecutory. Remember not to do and think for others when they have not openly and reasonably asked for your help (stop rescuing). Learnt a lot from this weeks session and really going to see what games I end up playing - should be a busy week!

What matters!

"The tragedy in life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach".

Today is about setting my final goal. It is about whether I continue with the "abstinence" programme or move onto the next phase of Lighter Life that re-introduceS conventional food. My husband reminded me that my over goal had been to initially 'kick start' my weight loss through this programme and that my intention was alwasy to move quickly back into how to manage myself around conventional food and lose the balance of the weight in a more 'natural' way. I know that this may sound rather strange but for someone who has to lose 80 pounds or just shy of 6 stone, I was not planning to achieve it just through the abstinence. Having now lost nearly 4 stone and hopefully by the end of the 100 days another stone, I will be close to my goal. In the next phase of the programme called Route to Management, you are still on food packs but slowly reintroducing conventional food back into your diet. You can still lose another stone during this period but obviously not as quickly.

My husband will be delighted that we can start eating new types of meals together! He has been soooooooo supportive through this whole process and kept me on the short and narrow! I am lucky to have such a supportive partner as I know that not all of us have had the luxury! For his unfailing support and constant positive motivation I am eternally grateful! He did say though that he didn't realise how big I had become as he sees me every day but we both made a pact that he will not allow me to gain any of the weight back and that our lifestyle will change to support that. What more could I ask for?? My sister and my parents as well as my work colleagues and lodgers have been great and really helped me to achieve these goals! THANK YOU!

My research regarding the how healthy it would be to continue on abstinence thus far has indicated that this is not advisable.....Go to the following link for the report I found regarding this. Makes for interesting reading - a small snippet of the report............

"Follow 16 Week Advice......Finally, if you really want to try the Lighter Life Programme, I suggest you follow the advice of the National Obesity Forum and stick to the programme for a maximum of 16 weeks. After this time, have a break where you eat a healthy, balanced diet with a moderate calorie restriction for several months, before then embarking on the Foodpacks again – if you can face them! It also concerns me that people in the Lighter Life programme often follow a VLCD (very low calorie diet)for more than 16 weeks. There are very good reasons why the National Obesity Forum has this guideline in place and it seems irresponsible to ignore this advice."

Full report can be read at the following address:

www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/lighter_life_diet.htm

In addition to this report which refers to the National Obesity Forum, it clearly states that they do not feel that it is advisable to do it longer than 16 weeks!

So my final decision is this - after the 100 days I will be moving onto the next phase of the Lighter Life programme and start re-introducing conventional food. Yippppeeeee! I am happy with this decision and have not made it lightly.