Thread: Eating food versus shakes.

Hi all, nice to see the comments are still coming.

I just have to say to Spannerwanner, the reason I am on Go Lower is because I can't cook and putting food in the microwave is almost my limit. It is good to hear you get straight back on the wagon. I know in the past that has been my problem, I think I will go back to it the next day and then I think oh well another day won't matter and before I realise it has been a week and I an't bear the thought of going to weigh in because I have not stuck to the diet.

Hi Gerogiestar, that is exactly why I put on weight in the past, because I snack. I am a can't cook, won't cook person. I am also very fussy! I am getting better I have started to cook pasta for my kids etc but I would not know how to make it from scratch. I can just about heat it up, but because I don't like pasta I have never had a need to cook it in the past.

I always said the man I married either had to cook or be wealthy enough to supply a housekeeper because I can't cook and the one I fell in love is someone that can cook so I guess I was lucky and I got what I wanted. I don't know if that had anything to do with why I fell for him or not.....

Hi Belle, from reading these posts I am realising that maintenance is the big thing, no matter how people lost it in the first place.

Best regards

Hi Suzy,

I'm doing an old 'slimming magazine club' diet because it has worked for me in the past. I did lose 4 and a half stone on this diet before and kept it off for nearly 10 years. It is all 'real food' calorie counted and the reason I did that as oppose to the shakes is that I wanted the nearest thing I could get to my usual food.

When I got to target it was like starting afresh with a new diet until I got the balance of staying stable. However you lose the weight, I think keeping it off is more about keeping up the commitment than how you lost it in the first place.

Tracey

Originally Posted by Georgiestar

i dunno if irishmum remembers me lol.

Of course I do!!
Maintenence isn't easy, but I've allowed myself a 4-5lb 'window' above my finishing weight- if I go above that then it's back to basics. It's usually because I've started picking/snacking & not planning my meals? I'm now 2lbs above my 'window' so from this morning I'm counting everything I eat, and no more snacking. It's the Christmas party in 2wks & I want to look great! LOL!

In my case, I had an underactive thyroid, and an ED for many, many years, which basically meant my metabolism was screwed. I had tried EVERYTHING. Even my dietitian was baffled, I was maintaining 13-odd stone eating what an 8 stone woman would eat!! So I needed a kick-start. My GP wasn't thrilled, but when I had my annual check-up in October (after maintaining a 2 1/2 stone loss for over 2mths) he was amazed, though still cautious? I'm happy enough to maintaion at the minute, though I'd love to get under the 10 stone mark- but then us women are never really happy are we?
Still, theres always the New Year?

Hi Tarotwomen and Irishmum,
are you two following my threads??? I have just replied to you both about my dress that doesn't fit!

Tarotwomen, it is great you have found a diet you know will work for you. I think I have finally got there with Go Lower, although I am very aware that this time I will have to work hard to maintain and I guess that is when I will really need the willpower.


Irishmum, I think you way of maintaining is a really good idea as then I guess you know you can have a few treats here and there and not feel guilty. I'm glad the doctors found your problems and you have got yourself sorted.

No we are never really happy with our bodies but then we always want more don't we?

Best regards

LOL! Just trying to follow the threads I find relevant to me!
Since finishing LT I've been wandering among different forums joining in whenever I feel I can contribute- if that makes sense?
As for me being 'sorted', I don't think I'll ever be really, LOL! It's all a life-long adventure imo!

Over the years I tried WW, SW, SF, RC, this diet, that diet and always maintained I would not do any diet that consisted of shakes. After many years of an " I will do this the right way" attitude, I sat and thought for several months about what "the right way" was for me. I came to the firm decision that to succeed at my weightloss I would need to address the fact that I had an issue with food, a poor relationship and to address that properly for me I would need total abstinence to look at those issues. I choose LL because it came with CBT & TA - the key elements of addressing those issues.

The foodpacks come in a variety of styles, chilli con carne, porridge, shakes - vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or banana, soups - mushroom, tomato, thai sweet chilli, vegetable or chicken, bars - toffee, fruit, lemon, peanut, cranberry & raspberry. They are not bad at all, you have 4 a day and make up the combination as it suits you and you will find some you like. Your taste buds will also change as you go through the programme.

I started LL on June 4th and I achieved my weightloss goal of 7 stone 2lb on November 3rd.

I am just at the end of week 5 of RTM (route to management - 12 week programme) which is the slow re-introduction to real food - so you slowly start using the CBT tools you have learnt and making your own choices about what you have and how much of it to have.

The way I see it at the moment is this:

I have bought my bike but am currently riding it with the stabilisers on. As from the end of January those stabilisers will be removed and I will ride freely with all I have learnt. I will have slight wobbles as I ride over the bumpy bits but I will stop myself falling off my bike because I will remember what I was taught and take back control to enable me to continue on my life long bike ride.

You have to learn to listen to your thoughts and your body and record those thoughts and feelings - if that method works for you. You do have head wobbles but (hopefully) you recognise them and manage them. Planning is key and a few people on the LL forum helped me realise that a few weeks ago .

We are not all perfect all of the time and we should expect our weight to fluctuate. The key is knowing when to stop. Be proactive not reactive, if you know you have a holiday or something big coming up, reign it in beforehand, don't try and pull it back afterwards.

There is no gain in beating yourself up if you "fall of the wagon", forget what you have eaten and address how you felt when you made those choices.

I reached my weightloss goal but the ultimate goal for me is to enjoy a healthier slimmer life in the future which includes making good food choices and enjoying myself all the same.

Indulgence for me was all of the time, now it will be some of the time, if I want to, which will be far more enjoyable.

I don't believe there is a "one size fits all" when it comes to weightloss. We need to explore all possibilities to find which fits us best.

Wow - rather a long post but rather cathartic for me

Kat xx

Originally Posted by IrishMum

As for me being 'sorted', I don't think I'll ever be really, LOL! It's all a life-long adventure imo!

I totally agree!

Kat xx

Originally Posted by SuzyK

Hi Tarotwomen and Irishmum,
are you two following my threads??? I have just replied to you both about my dress that doesn't fit!

Hi,

Yes Irishmum is right, I think we're both following threads that we feel are relevant to us.

Tracey

Morning Ladies, and of course morning to any guys out there if you are reading.

Wow Kat, well done on reaching your goal. I have also tried all sorts of diets over the years but never really done as well as I wanted and unfortunately when I have "fallen of the wagon" for too long I then give up. Finally I am finding Go Lower works for me just as you found the diet that worked for you. I have certainly realised since being on this site that different things work for different people. It has certainly been an eye opener for me.

Hi Irish mum and Tarotwomen, I guess because we are all in the same boat that is why we are finding the same threads relevant. Irishmum I try to do the same when I have the time I look around and see what I can reply too. I also sometimes just have a nose around and read what others are writing and I find that really interesting as well.

Gonna go and do some more reading around before the boss comes in.

Bye for now

Morning All

I just thought I would give this thread a bump as I was finding it really interesting to get different opinions and it was a great discussion when I was out with the girls to see if any of them may be thinking of dieting in a different way in the future.

Best regards

Originally Posted by kookywooky

I was successful with WW's years ago and kept the weight off for a couple of years.

I then did SLIMFAST and kept the weight off for longer.

The good thing about SLIMFAST that I found was that you didn't have to think about food. With other diets I was constantly thinking about food, what to buy, what to cook, how to cook it, how much to have etc. With the shake, I just opened the can and drank it.

I found Slimfast difficult for the first week or two but once I got into it, it was really easy and I found I had loads of energy.

glad i read this loll - im only on day 2 of slimfast and finding it soooo hard - its the lack of oral gratification i think lol!!

am v encouraged by the fact that eventually you found it easy! can i ask how much weight you lost on s/f and in what time??

x

Hi ClaireM

I just wanted to wish you all the best with your diet, shakes are not for me but as you can see from reading the other posts they do suit some people. If you don't get a reply from Kookywooky you can see other posts on here where people have put their before and after weights on their diets so you can see how they have done.

I have opted for Go Lower as I get to eat food that is prepared for me, the easy option in my book, and it is going really well as I am so fussy about food that I need to eat real food rather than shakes.

Good luck!

Hi ClaireM
i just wondered how you were doing with the diet, are you finding it easier now?