Why choose LT?

[Medea]

Ok people I have a few things that I want to put out to you. I have been on LT now for 10 weeks and have been coming on this forum since my start date. During that time I have seen people achieving their goals and leaving and new members starting, but I have only given mediocre advice. So at the risk of sounding harsh (I believe sometimes a bit of tough love is required) I thought at long last I would share my thoughts with you all.

I was speaking to a colleague a couple of days ago who informed me that they had lost nearly a stone whilst doing LT. I congratulated them on their achievement and told them to keep up the good work. However, today I find out that it has taken them 4 weeks in order to get there. Quite astounding especially considering that I had lost that in 2 weeks and this person has a lot more to lose than me! I find out that this person has continued to eat whilst using this diet and as such has not lost what they should have. This completely enraged me. Why? Because I really don't understand why anyone would put themselves and their bodies through that kind of turmoil. We are not talking the odd bit of chicken or ham- we are talking full blown meals! Heck, it's their choice, but.....
The fact of the matter is that this is TFR- Total Food Replacement- and I don't understand why this is so difficult to understand. Don't get me wrong, it is hard. Especially so during the first couple of weeks. I personally don't think this is easy for anyone and just because I have been on this for 10 weeks now, it doesn't mean I don't know how it felt in the beginning. Anyone who says it is easy peasey is lying or completely mad, but it can only get harder if you cheat. And I'm not talking once or maybe not twice- but continuously? I can honestly say that I have not cheated during this diet because I want it to change me. Not just physically, but mentally. If you continue to eat whilst doing this, not only are you wasting your money- but you are wasting a wonderful opportunity to stop what got you here in the first place. We are all here because we are overweight or obese. Hell! I was class one obese when I started and now only 10 weeks in, I am just overweight. That is something to be celebrated (not my weight loss- yours!!). You have all chosen this extreme diet as you have all tried something else and failed. Probably more than once. That is why I'm here. You are not alone.

When you cheat- you are cheating yourself. It is not ok and I will never, ever say that it is ok which is why I never post on those threads, as I just don't know what to say. You should always post to get the support- but if your hearts not in it why are you bothering? What is more important to you? Look in the mirror before you feel like raiding the fridge and ask yourself: "Do I really want to continue looking like this? Do I really want to feel like this" Because if the answer is Yes, carry on. But I have a funny feeling that this is certainly not the answer you are looking for.......

Come on, we all have to be inspiring for the the new generation of LT users! When I joined Gaz, Julz and Nic were mine- it will soon be our turn to say "Look what we have achieved and so can you if you stick to it"

This forum is brilliant and we have to be just as brilliant as those that have been before us and continue the good work, offering advice, bit bit of tough love and also emotional support for those just kicking off.

We can and will do this, it's all up to us now xxx

[rainbow brite]

I completely agree with everything above. It is our choice to go on an extreme diet, and therefore surely we owe it to ourselves to give it 100%.

Keep a promise to yourself that you will not cheat. Everyone should respect themselves enough to keep a promise to themselves.

Cheating is a slippery slope. Once you cheat, 9 times out of 10 you will knock yourself out of ketosis. Then you have to go through the mental and physical pain of starting over and you may decide it's too much effort and pack the whole thing in.

We don't just want to lose weight. We need to. If we didn't Lipotrim would not be available to us.

I think I'm going to go back to speaking the truth on the cheat threads instead of just shying away.

As CF has said many times before, everyone is allowed one blip, but just one.

Using Lipotrim as you would SF or perhaps only picking up a shake every few days as that co-worker seems to be doing is not going to get you anywhere. You might well lose a few pounds, I'm not disputing that, but it's an all or nothing diet and that is the commitment that we should dedicate to it.

Of course when someone has cheated they sometimes need emotional support to get them through it but what they don't need is people telling them that it's okay and that tomorrow is another day. Yes, tomorrow is another day but it's one extra day that you will feel unhappy with yourself and it certainly isn't okay.

I genuinely worry about those who stop and start LT as we don't know what effect this has on the body internally but I very much doubt it can be good.

I will always offer support but I will not tell anyone it's okay to cheat. I am sorry if that offends but I can't help it, it is something that I've come to feel very strongly about.

If I can do it then everyone else can, on that you can trust me.

(Just to clarify, I'm not talking people who have stopped LT for various reasons and then restarted)

~Gem xx

[NICOLA F]

Well done you two for speaking honestly Im glad to say I havnt cheated (well only in my dreams) this is a hard enough struggle something we have to cope with every day I know if I cheated once and still lost I would cheat again so Im not even goin to go there.

[liberty_girl]

I agree, the only question I have is, I thought a bmi of 30+ was a requirement, and yet I see people on here with 16pounds or so to lose. Can anyone enlighten me?

I mention this because I wonder if it would be harder to be as single-minded if it wasn't a huge amount of weight. I know when I was only a stone or so overweight, well I did try loads of things but hmm, I dunno tired, worried about Wall street, need to sleep. xxx

[Sarahv25]

I do agree with it all. I cheated for a while and thought as i was losing it was ok. Its not. Im not on my target weight loss and now im back in tears going through the first few days all over again.

Cheating is cheating yourself. Its not ok by any means and i pray i wont do it again.

I was a comfort eater and its a damn hard habit to break but like stated before me, it got me where i am now.

Thank you for posting this xx

[NICOLA F]

I know a few people who have done the maintenance part with a lower BMI than 30, but my pharmacist was quiet strict about being over 30, I was just above and in a little way Im thankfull because LT has given me the kick in the butt i needed

[missy3]

Brilliant posts.. im very much guilty of the giving in threads, and only recently found that tough love is better than 'its going to be okay' cos in a way that helps with the self justification thats its okay that you did it, which for me anyway led to it again.
LT is difficult but everything in life is, i'd rather take food away from my life completely than using it to complete my life.

[Medea]

Oh, believe me, during the first couple of weeks temptation was there. I have 2 kids and the OH to cook for. I just got him to do it until I was ok around food again. Granted not everyone has that and I completely understand how hard it is. But to me, this means more and I think it means more to us all or we wouldn't be here.

We owe it to ourselves to have the right attitude and passion to keep us on the straight and narrow. For some this may come more easily than it will for others, but this is why the forum is here. And long may it continue xxx

[Sarahv25]

Im a foster mum and my cuz (who i foster) is a hopeless cook so i make big lasagna and stuff like that, cut it up and freeze it! I cook sometimes but its sooo tempting to lick ur fingers if u get sauce on it and stuff!

Shes real understanding though.....and loves learning to cook!

[rainbow brite]

Well done you two for speaking honestly Im glad to say I havnt cheated (well only in my dreams) this is a hard enough struggle something we have to cope with every day I know if I cheated once and still lost I would cheat again so Im not even goin to go there.

Thank you hun, I was very worried that we were going to get 100% slammed for that but it's nice to see other people feel similarly. What you have said about cheating and getting away with it is something that I'm seeing on the board a lot recently and it worries me as the incentive to carry on properly then disappears and as people have found out you will only get away with it for so long before it hits you when you least expect it. xx

I mention this because I wonder if it would be harder to be as single-minded if it wasn't a huge amount of weight. I know when I was only a stone or so overweight, well I did try loads of things but hmm, I dunno tired, worried about Wall street, need to sleep. xxx

I agree, if you don't have a lot to lose you may not feel that it's such a big deal to reward yourself with treat cheats but in that case you should try another diet, perhaps Slimming World where you can still lose but continue to eat. xx

I do agree with it all. I cheated for a while and thought as i was losing it was ok. Its not. Im not on my target weight loss and now im back in tears going through the first few days all over again.

Cheating is cheating yourself. Its not ok by any means and i pray i wont do it again.

I was a comfort eater and its a damn hard habit to break but like stated before me, it got me where i am now.

Thank you for posting this xx

I'm sorry you're feeling so down hun. The thing to remember is you got through it once and you'll do it again. Next time you feel weak just reflect on how it made you feel and hopefully it will act as a deterrant. Good luck sweetie xx

Brilliant posts.. im very much guilty of the giving in threads, and only recently found that tough love is better than 'its going to be okay' cos in a way that helps with the self justification thats its okay that you did it, which for me anyway led to it again.
LT is difficult but everything in life is, i'd rather take food away from my life completely than using it to complete my life.

Thanks doll The self-justification is exactly what I'm talking about here. If you post that you've cheated and you get a dozen people telling you it's okay you'll think it is okay and may do it again. xx


I'm not saying we should all turn into LT Nazi's but I do think we need to stop being so fluffy about the whole thing. At the end of the day, Minimins (though I love it dearly) is just words on a screen. We cannot physically wrestle anyone from that pizza so I think to crack down on the 'just forget about it' remarks would be good. If one just forgets about cheating they will forget how it made them feel - they will do it again!

[Medea]

Like Miss Brite said, I too was worried about the way my post would be received but I think it needed saying. It wasn't about flame baiting and waiting for the negative comments to follow, I just thought a few home truths needed to be said. I hope that people will read it and think that it is a positive way of thinking. The more you (as in the hypothetical you!) think you can't do something, the less likely you are to achieve anything. Its about time we all started to respect our choices and not accept defeat.

[Sarahv25]

Like Miss Brite said, I too was worried about the way my post would be received but I think it needed saying. It wasn't about flame baiting and waiting for the negative comments to follow, I just thought a few home truths needed to be said. I hope that people will read it and think that it is a positive way of thinking. The more you (as in the hypothetical you!) think you can't do something, the less likely you are to achieve anything. Its about time we all started to respect our choices and not accept defeat.

Im all for home truths, but only from someone whos been there, done that and proudly sports the Tshirt (like you have)

So thank you again


Thanks Rainbow hunny xxx

[rainbow brite]

No problem honey

[howdy-doody]

Coz it works