After a 3 month break - I am ready to continue my journey
I started the CD initially to lose enough weight to buy a comfy dress to wear at a wedding and an engagement last September.
I found it quite easy once I prepared for the impending start date I had set myself. I started drinking loads of water and stopped eating major carbs, potatoes, rice, pasta and bread for the week before. A lot easier than I thought it would be. Having my daughter home from Uni for the summer also helped, especially when after a couple of weeks of supporting me, she decided to do the CD too to lose a few pounds for her beach holiday.
I did well and lost a couple of stones, and found a lovely dress that 'flattered' and that was a major achievement !! I kept up the diet for another month or so but I found that the constant compliments I was receiving actually made me want to eat. I did have the odd cake or bun, but generally it was a case of eating a bit of the meat or veg from what I cooked for the family.
I decided that it was pointless paying to have CD products when I was constantly cheating.
My birthday was coming up in October, and my children both have December birthdays, and as they are now 21 and 23 it was a given that there would be celebrations with some drinking involved and at least some birthday cake. Then Christmas was coming with all the parties and treats involved, I thought this was a perfect time to see how I get on eating normally after being on the CD for three months.
I ate tons of snacks, had a few drinks even though Ive never been a big drinker, and was exremely happy to find that the New Year found me at only 4 lbs heavier than my last WI back in October.
To me this was a revelation, I realised that my eating habits had changed. I would eat all the naughty stuff when socialising, when going out to dinner and I even picked at all the goodies around the house for the holiday season. I am sure I ate a whole plastic tub of 'celebrations' all by myself. If I ate a lot one day, I'd cut down or cut out the carbs for a few days.
So my CD friends, I am here again.... ready to start again. I have done my week of cutting out the carbs and increasing my water intake, and I started my diet just 2lbs more than my last WI. Basically I lost 2 lbs in the week I was preparing.
It IS possible to come off the CD and not pile the weight back on. I was also worried about saggy skin from losing too much weight too fast. But during the 3 months break I have found that my body had a chance to catch up. At 48 I kind of expect a bit of sagginess.
This site has been an inspiration for me. I haven't logged on since October cos I felt I was letting you guys down by giving up for such a long time. I think the break has helped my willpower as I now know that I don't have to put the weight back on, that it is possible to eat differently without much change and that thought alone convinces me that I will reach my goal weight.
Maybe my story will encourage someone else who is flagging a bit. If you think that coming off the CD for a little while will bring the weight back, or if like me you start to 'cheat' but continue the CD cos you think even if you're not losing weight, that at least CD is keeping you stable.
I'm aiming for a big loss for my first WI - will let you know on Monday :)
