It's interesting what this program does to your head

[Mr Gilbo]

But in a good way.

I am currently in my 11th week doing LLT and I have had no problems with it. I have been around other people eating food, on Monday I was in MacDonalds with the family having a bottle of water and a peanut bar whilst they scoffed on whatever delights they wanted. Whilst sitting there I realised that it really didn't bother me that they were eating, or what crap they were eating.

Yesterday, a friend popped in on his way from seeing clients in Kent back home in Norfolk. So we had a catch up and of course ended up in the pub. He needed to eat and had mentioned it earlier and asked if I was ok for him to eat. Not a problem I said as I've done it before. But as we were talking about LL and everything that goes with and whether I missed food or not. I decided to make that conscience decision to have a meal with him. It wasn't the inner child going I want I want I want. I decided that on that day I would go LLL. So I had a lovely Chicken salad and had no carbs.

I then got up this morning and went straight back on the plan. I don't for guilty about the meal, and I certainly don't feel that I failed. Whereas, if I had been on WW or SS and had something off diet I would have felt guilt and failure. I think failure would have come into play if I couldn't have got back on the plan today. I have also seen it as a test of character. Something that I have to be strong willed about and not weak.

Does my explanation make sense?!

[weasey]

Absolutely. If the decision is made from your adult ego state then it will be the right decision for you. If there is no emotion involved in the decision and it is pure weighing of options and making the most appropriate one for you then it is adult - and a huge step forward. I had a protein meal on Christmas day (no carbs) and got straight back on total afterwards without issue.

It's all about WHY you had the food in my opinion - not the fact that you had it. After 6 months on total I moved to lite because I wanted to start practicing some of the coping mechanisms around food which I had been mulling on to that point. I view it as an extension of RTM. However, I would always ask people who were thinking of doing that why they want to do it. If it's because they just want some food, or want to be normal when in public, or want to be sociable then I would advise them against it. My time on total was really powerful and I could never have achieved such an understanding of my relationship with food if I had had it in my life at that point.

[nzmegs]

Sometimes i envy people who have done what you did - made the decision to eat a meal and then gotten straight back on track. it is a great test for when maintenance comes along. As i was 100% on total for the whole 16 weeks, I never learnt about that feeling of being in control around normal food and how to get back on track afterwards. Now i am eating meals as part of maintenance and I have that fear that i won't know how to keep it under control.

Mr G, you have been totally amazing and i think you are getting so much out of LL. it seems that you are learning so much about your relationship with food. You also have some great friends who seem to understand what you need right now - the right and the space to choose. There is no pressure on you to eat or have a drink and that is a great thing.

I agree that being on total has given me insight into my relationship with food. it has really helped.

[Mr Gilbo]

I think that LLT makes you think about exactly what you used to eat. You are asked in the awareness module to uncover some home truths. You can of course be as open or as closed as you want to be. But I looked at exactly what I ate on a usual day whilst at work. It made me realise exactly how I got to the position I was in. I want to change that, heck I am thinking I am ready to change that. But I still have about another 140lbs to go, and LLT will get me there as fast I can possibly go. And hopefully as we go through other modules I will learn more and more about myself.

But for any newbies looking at this I advise caution. You have to come to your own conclusions as what to do in situations that could involve food. I have not eaten on a lot, I have eaten just a bar on some, and now I have eaten a meal. Each one was right to that situation and at that time. Remember that total is all about absentience from food, but we are all only human and if you are happy in your decision then the choice is yours. After all, you should only need to justify it to yourself and no one else. Unless someone else is paying for you to do this plan, then you may have to answer to them!

[nzmegs]

I agree. the reason I stuck to it 100% was because I had made a promise to my family that I would do exactly that. We decided that the only way to know if it was working was to do it by the book. In addition, we struggled to pay for it and I knew that scrifices were being made so that i could take my weight loss seriously. I couldn't let them down becuase they had invested as much as I had in this succeeding. When I hear of people going off the rails (not planned like yours) I always wonder how their families must feel about that. Are they disappointed but afraid to express that or do they encourage them to eat? In my case, i would have gotten hell and I wouldn't have wanted to show my face due to being ashamed of myself. it was fantastic motivation at first until I got to the point where I knew I was sticking to it because it what what I wanted.

[monicab]

Great thread