Well done us! (that's you fellow LLers and VLCDers

[Mrs Lard]

Dear Everyone

I just wanted to do a bit of cheerleading for the LighterLifers and other VLCDers who pop into this forum.

My neighbour was so impressed by my weightloss (more than me, I think, as I still can't get my head round it, LOL!) that she decided, after long chats with me, that LL was for her. I even wrote the Beginner's Guide for her (posted on here, too).

I went to check up on her last week (her first week) to discover that she had given up after 24 hours; she hated the shakes and decided it just wasn't for her. I was sad (for her) but recommended WW instead as my mum has had a lot of success with their GI diet.

Anyway, the one thing she said to me was "I don't know how you did it and I am full of admiration for you". To be honest, I don't know either!

Then something Sarah (Cerulean) said on my blog, when I was full of doubt this weekend, struck a chord; she said "'Then I remembered that yeah - I did do it - I stuck to the strictest diet in the book for 6 months! Perfectly! I can do anything!" And Sarah has been inspirational for many of us on here.

I think, when we're in the middle of the LighterLife regime, it's hard to forget WHY we were doing it, what drew us to LL (or the other VLCDs) in the first place. The only thing I felt about my neighbour was that she didn't want to lose the weight (badly) enough to want to do something so hardcore.

I was desperate, depressed and felt that there really was only one option left when I signed up in February.

I'm not where I want to be yet but I am nearly five stone lighter than I was at the beginning of the year. My brain hasn't caught up with what my body has done but people keep commenting!

For the first time in my adult life (I already had the BIG 4-0 birthday last autumn), I am not size 18/20+ (biggest jeans I bought were size 24). It's still a daily struggle for me but coming away this weekend has given me some perspective (and distance).

I think it's time to acknowledge that LighterLife IS hard (not impossible but NOT easy) and that we are all doing it, to the best of our ability. Maybe we need to remind ourselves that we are committed to the programme and that we'll see it through - whatever stage we are at - Foundation, Development or (Route to) Management. Just by sticking with it for the first few days shows commitment!

Anyway, I know I sound a bit evangelical but through LighterLife and this amazing forum (thanks again to Mini, big round of applause please for her and the team), there is some amazing support and I am so very, very grateful for that.

So a big virtual group hug and wishing everyone an abstinent (or on track!) week ahead.

Take care.

Mrs Lxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Heaven can wait]

Well said Mrs L !, Id like to 'second that emotion' as the old soul song goes, ( I hope there are a few of you out there who are old enough to have any idea what I'm talking about!) LOL

[Hedgemag]

Wise words Mrs Lard...and YES! HCW I do remember the song very well....

[Sez]

ooh yes, I loved the Japan version!!

[Cerulean]

Ha! That's not the first time Japan has come up in recent weeks - I quoted the lyrics to 'Ghosts' at Mrs. a while back!

[Sez]

My younger sister really had the hots for David Sylvian, and all we ever heard coming from her room was Japan, Japan and Ruichi Sakomoto (sp?)

I lost count of how many times we saw Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence too!!!


Apologies Mrs L, seem to have hijacked your great thread! YES, we are all amazing. Its tough and yet we strive to attain something that once seemed so far out reach!! That really is something to be very proud of!

[Cerulean]

I saw him live in 2002 - he has a giant head - he looks like a lollipop!

Anyway - thanks Mrs. It's been a tough few weeks on the board as it's been so quiet with hols and also I think it's off season for LL (hence the lack of magazine) as I think that LLCs don;t tend to start new groups in June/July/August and they have one last batch in Sept/Oct - I know that some LLCs refuse to start groups in Nov/Dec as new joiners in those months rarely make it past Christmas. So yeah - it's not as buzzy around here as it was back in March/April which has made RtM quite hard - present lovely company excepted of course!

And of course we couldn't do this without you Mrs. L - pulling us all together and getting us to think about why we're here and what we're doing and how to (and not to sometimes) do it. Your tips and summaries and sources are invaluable and I hope you know how much we all appreciate your work on here.

[Sez]

I saw him live in 2002 - he has a giant head - he looks like a lollipop!

Anyway - thanks Mrs. It's been a tough few weeks on the board as it's been so quiet with hols and also I think it's off season for LL (hence the lack of magazine) as I think that LLCs don;t tend to start new groups in June/July/August and they have one last batch in Sept/Oct - I know that some LLCs refuse to start groups in Nov/Dec as new joiners in those months rarely make it past Christmas. So yeah - it's not as buzzy around here as it was back in March/April which has made RtM quite hard - present lovely company excepted of course!

And of course we couldn't do this without you Mrs. L - pulling us all together and getting us to think about why we're here and what we're doing and how to (and not to sometimes) do it. Your tips and summaries and sources are invaluable and I hope you know how much we all appreciate your work on here.

Ditto...and you too Cerulean!


Ps Lets hope it perks up a bit soon!

[SandraEG]

I gave myself a huge pat on the back after foundation. I have not been perfect on this diet but I have never given up and I have lost a significant amount of weight despite my stumbles.

I remember looking around the group I started with and wondering if I would make it. At the end there was only 4 of us out of the 12 who saw it through to the end and I was amazed that I was one.

On the other forum I look at one woman started coming on saying how desperate she was to do LL and she had a few issues getting the form signed and we were all encouraging. She gave up in the first week too. I just think it is so important to be really determined that first week. I have been that quitter but no more.

[iceycold]

Hi,
I think I have worked out that I have another 12 weeks to go in development, hopefully done by the end of November.
If someone had told me I couldn't eat for 15 weeks, I would have thought that they were MAD. But I've just done that, and it wasn't so bad.
I think we're all doing really well. If we can do this, we can do anything.