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Well it has been a few months since I last wrote on the forum and dont know why.... but felt I should share some sucessess to hopefully give you guys a bit of inspiration after the Xmas period and maybe to remind myself of what I have learnt through LL.
I started in May07 and did three months of foundation - I had three stone to loose and I did it.. and more! I can't say it wasn't hard (eating the soups was the easy bit), the hard bit was fitting it in around a busy social life and the reactions of friends who all felt it was too severe, that it wouldn't work etc .... My counsellor was brilliant (she won counsellor of the year last year for her long term results) and this does help - having a good group who work together made a difference to me, as well as the forum when I needed a pick me up or to express my feelings.
Learning to use the counselling is key - undestanding friends and relatives that play games and not getting involved, understanding why you reach for the food on different occasions is so important particularly when you reach the route management. In a way you have to learn to put yourself first and in some instances all of my group were called selfish on a number of occasions my partners, friends and relatives..
So foundation over - two of my group dropped out in week 8 (unforunately they had been cheating all the way along and no amount of counselling would have helped - UNTIL THEY WERE READY) - You really have to want to do this and put your heart and soul into it for it to work. The rest of my group all achieved the 3 stone and more in the 3 months, one chose to finish there, and the rest of us (5) moved into route to management.
Management started in August07 and was good if quite hard!! Re-training yourself how to think and act around food is a constant thing and putting your learnings into action is difficult - but so important (getting out of your old habbits is the route to success). All of us lost further weight during the first few weeks of management and then stablised over the last few. This is the most amazing feeling!! The fact that you can eat and not put of weight - if you eat properly !! AND THINK ABOUT IT.. Choosing to eat just a row of a chocolate bar and not the whole blooming thing is such a good feeling - you actually feel in control. I have learnt to get a couple of buscuits out of the tin, take them to my desk and choose when I want to eat them, making each one special rather than to eat them on the way back to my desk and want more as I haven't fulfilled my need..
There are so many things I've learnt about myself, I do have self control, I dont need food to make me happy, eating sensibly makes me feel more healthy, spending time doing other things apart from eating is a great thing - generally I am so much more calm and content with myself and my life. Yes loosing three stone will contribute to this - however people didn't think I was fat to begin with (13 stone) but now being 9.7 I am how I think I should be... My issue now is that I have to keep remembering I am this size and not to feel that I am the way I have been for the last 3 years ... mirror image etc ...
It is so wierd I was so nervous to begin management thinking that the weight would go straight back on but it didn't - following the plan (not quite to the letter) it was easy and enjoyable. My tastes are so different now, I actually taste the food I eat. My counsellor said that by about week 8 I would feel more confident that I could manage my diet and she was right. I now make much better unconsious decisios about what food I eat and read my book occasionally to remind myself that I do not want to go back into my old ways.
So with management over at the end of October I decided to pop in for monthly weigh-ins and to attend a mgt class just to keep me on track initially - think I was afraid to go it alone. Keeping in touch with your group members really helps here as when perhaps you have a blip (which we all do and there is nothing wrong with it - as long as you understand why, perhaps the symptoms and look to dealing with the situaton differently next time) your friends are there to help..
Two months on I am eating normally, have managed Xmas and am still my goal weight and hope this message helps those who think it is a tireless journey and that there is a long way to go..
If you really want this, are willing to change and learn then LL will work for you ... Your group and the forum are the people who can help you, family and friends are great and often supportive but sometimes it is hard for them to really understand what you are going through. I cant deny that I was a little moody for the first few months and that my poor husband had very little social life during that period but once you feel more in control you learn that you can do the diet, mgt and live at the same time ..but as I say above YOU HAVE TO REALLY WANT THIS !!!
So for all of you guys enjoying, struggling, hating LL there is light at the end of the tunnel and I hope my story maybe just helps a few of you who are feeling a little down after Xmas ....
Good luck guys .....
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