Does anyone else feel like this is cheating?

[AnnieAnnie]

After losing 5 stone in 2007 I'm back for a second go after piling the weight back on (and more). One of the overriding thoughts I had from the first time round was that I felt I'd 'cheated' & didn't deserve to be slim as I hadn't found it that hard (after the initial week). Food wasn't part of my life any more, whereas it'd been something I always thought about previously. I'm worried that I'll think the same this time. Has anyone else thought something like this?

AnnieAnnie

[spangles]

maybe initially, but as time has gone on (just past 6 months with no breaks), I've been feeling every hour of it. What i've given up, sacrificed for this diet - most of my social life, christmas, my birthday... i know i never want to go through this again. I know lots of people take a wider pathway through this diet, allowing themselves blips - but quite apart from needing to take the quickest route, i think i needed to suffer, you know? so it didn't feel like a magic wand solution.

if i can compare it to debts. i ran up serious debts in my twenties - then had a windfall and paid them all off. an i immediately ran them up again. another windfall, and not much later, more debt. This time no windfall - and it's aken me the last 8 years to pay them all off. Now i'm very averse to debt, i don't have a credit card etc. it took a painful solution for me to change my ways. I hope my being so hardline with CD will have taught me the same lesson.

[Annod]

I know exactly what you mean, I totally feel like I'm cheating being on this diet. I feel like it's the easy option because I don't have to think about it (although it's not easy!!). I'm embarrassed that I'm dieting this way and haven't told anybody - stupid I know x

[Starlight]

Lord no! I dont think VLCDs are cheating at all. I think theyre harder than any other diet at all. Yeah ok we get fast results but look at the sacrifices were making. Dont for a second think this is cheating!

[AnnieAnnie]

Thanks for the replies. I do veer from thinking it's cheating to thinking it's the hardest option. Strange isn't it? I think there are some lessons I can learn though - one of the reasons I find it easy is that I don't spend half an hour agonising over whether or not to have any biscuits, I just don't have them & are 'free' of their lure! It's something I'm hoping to continue with some trigger foods I just can't deal with.

[Daisy65]

I've been on numerous different diets and so far (only on day 13) this is by far the hardest. I don't feel we are cheating. Keeping the weight off is another issue but it is hard to do whether you are on cd, weightwatchers or any other diet.

[iva]

I don't think its cheating either. I live in fear at the moment that I won't manage it, will have wasted my money and let myself and everyone rooting for me down!

Its a very difficult diet I think, but the results are the quickest available, which gives us additional motivation, which then overcomes how hard it is, does that make sense? Its a good lesson in how having the correct motivation for anything in life can help us to then do seemingly difficult things.

I have a vague and distant memory when I was made to climb Ben Nevis as part of a team building thing when I was 18. We wandered along getting ourselves up the mountain, to be honest none of us wanted to do it, we were all grumbly. Then when we were half way up, our clever instructor played a wee mind trick on us. She said.... I can see some of you are struggling, so anyone who wants to can stay here, at the half way point, and the rest of us will go to the top, and collect you guys on the way back down.

Well, something interesting happened in my head, and it wasn't just me. We were all kind of 'oh my God.... you've dragged us half way up and NOW you don't mind if we stop? and then we go home and say we went 'half way up a mountain' no bloody way, you've dragged us this far you can bloody well drag us up the rest of it!!!!'

So.... after that I will never forget how the journey changed. It was SO much easier, of course it was still difficult, but not like it seemed before. The difference I guess is that we had switched from doing something we didn't want, into having made a choice, and with that choice, the motivation then arrived and got us to the top! I may have forgotten bits of that journey, but never the lesson. It was 18 yrs ago, so half my lifetime.

I see this diet as the same. We have all tried every other thing going I assume, and most of the time we don't want to be there. The journey just seems too long and too hard. However at this point I'm guessing most of us are desperate to be here, desperate for the answer to our weight issues, and cambridge is a much shorter, faster route. Because we can see results the motivation (hopefully) remains good, but its still the same mountain we are climbing!

Other diets allow all sorts of 'treats' to keep the slimmer interested, all we can hope for is a chewy bar! there are huge sacrifices we all make every day, this is NOT easy! Our 'treat' is seeing the difference it makes.

[A1000]

Personally, I don't think it's cheating. There are lists of diets you can choose to do. The results you get with them differ. On this one, I'd say (for me!) it's harder to start and stick to, and has a bigger impact on your social life, but it means you lose weight faster.

I'd rather lose it quicker, than be on a diet for longer!

[AnnieAnnie]

Thanks for all the replies, it's strange how people can have different takes on it. I spent the first week feeling so deprived but this 2nd week it's become a bit more normal.

[Zest for Life]

Cheating no way, it's such a hard strict diet. It ruins your social life completely.
That's the worst and hardest thing about it.

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[DawnLeo]

After losing 5 stone in 2007 I'm back for a second go after piling the weight back on (and more). One of the overriding thoughts I had from the first time round was that I felt I'd 'cheated' & didn't deserve to be slim as I hadn't found it that hard (after the initial week). Food wasn't part of my life any more, whereas it'd been something I always thought about previously. I'm worried that I'll think the same this time. Has anyone else thought something like this?

AnnieAnnie

Annie your not alone I did exactly the same as you I lost over 5 stone on CD (no cheats doing SS) in 2007 and now find myself at the beginning of week 2 having to lose the 5 stone + which is now 7 stone. I'm now following SS and SS+ depending on how I feel each day. I'm hoping to be back to target by my birthday in August. How are you getting along? xx

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[pookie74]

Me 2!!!! What does that say though .....I didn't do maintenance or slowly introduce food which I am hoping was the problem as I just went back 2 normal eating ... Have 2 say 4 me it's not so much what I eat as we r relatively healthy I. Terms if no fried food or lots of sauces etc. Mine is more portion control , I don't have any!!!

[AnnieAnnie]

I was pretty naive as I am a binge eater and use it as a punishment/comfort so 'normal' changes don't really make any difference. I can see that now and am frustrated that I couldn't at the time when I finished last time.

I have just calculated that I need to be doing this until August as well and am having a proper strop about it. It just seems so unfair. I'm thinking about moving to ss+ as I only eat the chocolate tetras and choc mint bars and am being plagued by migraines. But then I'm scared of reintroducing food after just two weeks and feel like I'm cheating. I think if I had an evening meal to look forward to I wouldn't obsess about food all the time, but I remember that going after a while anyway.

I'm just wishing my life away right now .

Hope everyone getting on ok

[DawnLeo]

Pookie I didn't go up the steps first time round which I'm sure was my biggest mistake. I got to goal and saw it as a free meal ticket. I noticed the first stone come back on then from there went into self denial/destruction mode. By this point I was too embarrassed to see friends or find the strength to visit my Cambridge Counsellor. I basically shut myself off from the world and binged on sweets. Friends noticed anyway even though I was in hiding. Anyway 2 weeks ago it got to the stage where I was feeling uncomfortable walking from the carpark to my daughters classroom to pick her up from school. I knew then enough is enough. Started back on CD on Feb 4th and feel so much better but like you Annie I am feeling down about it. August seems such a long way off. Let's make a pact to do this together and anyone else who wants to keep in touch xx

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[AnnieAnnie]

Yes that sounds good to me. Want to be 'just' overweight when start trying to conceive. At any rate, all these vitamins and minerals have got to be a good thing...

I'm one of those people that hides when they are overweight, barely brushes my hair and never wears make up. So since being on this for 2 weeks and no cheats, my self-confidence has increased. It's quite nice as I don't on Fridays so won't have worn my work trousers since Thursday. Really hoping I notice the difference tomorrow!

Weigh in tomorrow, the week has gone so fast.