Spangly's tough love slim and save bootcamp!

Spanglymum

Gold Member
Ok, so here's the deal. I've spent this last year yo-yo-ing up and down (mainly UP) and, quite frankly, faffing about. The result is that I'm big again, and unhappy, and annoyed with myself. I've promised myself I'm going back on slim and save as of Wednesday this week (I've just had my summer week off and will be going back to work). This thread is where I'm going to hold myself accountable - and I wanted to invite anyone else to join who is 100% committed to just doing this and seeing it through. So some ground rules (for me really but also for anyone else who wants to come along):

1. No food talk
2. No "cheats"
3. No "extras" - I'm going to be doing four packs a day, black tea and coffee, and water.

I found water flavourings, sweeteners, caffeine and unsweetened soya milk, although technically "allowed", stall me - so I'm doing this the hard/easy way: do the packs and the weight will come off. Hard, because it's so limited. But also easy, because it works. I know it does (got back to goal last October doing this and then messed it all up again at Christmas). I'm not going overboard with exercise - partly because it sometimes gives me an appetite for carbs (my nemesis). But I will be aiming to be as active as I can day-to-day.

I've got a school reunion (gulp) the first week of November so have a goal in mind. Hardest thing will be not wavering and using the reunion as an excuse to waver from the plan!
 
Good luck you soubd very determined. You've done so well so far. I'm with you I have to shift 5 and a half stone by March so no room for error x
 
Thanks, Lyndzi. I haven't weighed yet so I'm not sure how big the problem is (!) but will be facing the music on Wednesday. Good to have you on board!
 
Yes that's right. I've been in major denial a lot of this year and can just tell by how my body feels and looks and how clothes (don't) fit that I am probably at least three (four?) stone over my goal weight at the moment...
 
I can proudly announce I am no longer in denial and my scales didn't actually break, which is a plus. I'm 89kg. Gulp. 20kg too much at least... I'd love to get back to 67kg, which is where I feel brilliant. So that's 22kg. Eek. At least I'm not back at 101kg, which is where I started Lighter Life. Yes, I know I'm clutching at straws but without a positive mental attitude I won't get very far!!

Just been reading a book on cognitive behavioural therapy... One of the original texts on it: Feeling good, the new mood therapy, by Dr David Burns. Seems Lighter Life used many of his ideas. It's reminding me all about 'crooked thinking' again. Amazing how quickly I forgot!
 
Spanglymum said:
Thanks, Lyndzi. I haven't weighed yet so I'm not sure how big the problem is (!) but will be facing the music on Wednesday. Good to have you on board!

So I've now weighed myself and the only way is down!!
 
Just realised that even if I do super-well, the most I could lose before the reunion is 36lb (4lb a week, which is what I have averaged at when doing a vlcd 100% in the past). This means I'll still be 8kg over my ideal weight :-(. Upside is it looks possible to get back to goal comfortably for Christmas, which would be brilliant. Another positive (ish) is that I was pretty accurate in my weight guess. I said I thought I was three or four stone over my goal - and I'm 3.5 stone over!
 
Hello spangly

I do four packs a day a bit of milk and veg...... I do have coke zero and Ribena....but I don't cheat........I've got 10 lbs to go....can I join you ?
 
Your description is exactly where I'm at too and has brought me out from 4 years of lurking. I lost 9 stone back in 2008 with Lighter Life and managed to stay within a couple of stone of that until last year. I swore I would never be one to regain the whole lot but Sunday saw me sat in my LL counsellor's room, shamefaced and surprisingly sobbing. I have decided not to dwell on the recriminations and just concentrate on doing it like I did before. This is not who I am and I have the tools to deal with it.

I had convinced myself I couldn't do it without milk, or the odd cheat but your rules are the ones I already set myself. I've committed to do this for a minimum of a month but I am thinking I will aim to carry on until I am done. I am at day 3 and with copious amounts of water and it hasn't been too bad although I was in bed by 9.30 last night. Just living from pack to pack and being kind to myself.

Hoping that giving as well as taking on here as well will add a bit of difference this time. Good luck tomorrow.
 
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Welcome, clinquant and cakeordeath! The more the merrier! :) (or in my case probably seeeeriously grumpier until I get over the carb and caffeine withdrawal!) Will be fab to have you along. I already feel better for starting this up and setting myself some goals. I've also done something a bit radical. For me. I put myself and my own goals first :eek:. I was really worrying about how the reunion might become a convenient excuse for me to cheat etc etc and then I'd go off plan and end up faffing and regaining and being big again at Christmas. Well... I've contacted the one woman I really wanted to see and said I'm pulling out but can the two of us meet up for a weekend in the new year - and she's disappointed but totally supportive (I told her I've got big again etc and don't want to mess this up). Feels really good to be putting myself first... but also a bit alien! I'll be sorry not to go to the reunion in some ways but I'm sure people will post loads of pics on FaceBook and I could always arrange to meet some of them separately at a different time.
 
cakeordeath, I've just seen your stats and you've done brilliantly! You're an inspiration! :)
 
I know it's technically irrelevant, but I can't help wondering about what people at work make of my yo-yo-ing weight. I was back to goal last October. Then gained two stone (at least) over the Christmas season. "Mind-reading", anyone? Could it be the case that some of them don't even notice because it's not of any interest to them? Here I am assuming that people think badly of me, or are laughing at me, but I don't have a single shred of evidence that that is the case. This is the sort of thinking I'd like to tackle again and start to rise above...
 
It's not all bad, by the way. I still have the job I was confident enough to apply for when mega-slim post-LL a couple of years ago. Turns out I am pretty good at what I do, and that doesn't change whatever weight I am! :) (I could never have said that a few years ago.)
 
Absolutely. I am trying not to say I am back where I started as I have learnt a lot. Our value is so much more than the weight but there's a point where it really isn't helping us live the life we want and it has to go. As for work colleagues noticing, I don't think they tend to. I'm quite open with my colleagues but I know that when I was losing it took at least 2 stone before anyone commented and I think it works the other way too. However, I too started my current job slim and there is definitely a feeling of shame about the gain. The more I read, the more I think that shame is such a powerful and negative emotion. The TED talks by Brene Brown are really good on this. I don't know if you have seen them.
 
Wow. I woke up in the wee small hours feeling low, and saw your post, and looked up Brene Brown. She sounds amazing, as do her books. I will look up her TED talk as well. Thank you so much for the pointer: I'd never heard of her.

So Day 1 dawns. I've already made two choices in support of doing this 100%. No cup of tea (caffeine) -- and no glass of low sugar squash. Water it is! Have ordered some caffeine free tea bags in the weekly shop (and some nettle, and some peppermint).

Also in support of my mental attitude (which is at least 50% of this whole thing) I'm taking the train to work this morning rather than driving. This means I don't have to leave at 6:30 to beat the traffic, and I can also check my email on the way in. The joys of going back to work after time off!?!

Actually strangely looking forward to the simplicity of packs, and giving myself a break from some of the mental chatter I have going on most of the time.
 
I think that one of the best things about FRD's is that they are quick and efficient....that has allowed me to just follow the process because the minute I start to deconstruct it is the time that I falter and fail....you are so intuitive and clever and your posts are so insightful that it is clear you want to be slim and can connect with all of the positives of being a weight that is acceptable to you.The only question to ask yourself everyday is whether what you have eaten and drunk takes you closer to your goal or further away........
 
Hi! Can I jump on your bandwagon? Reading your posts have given me a confidence boost! I'm a VLCD first timer so still finding my feet. (I just tried a week of Exante but it really went horribly) So I thought I'd give Slim&Save a go! I really like the idea of having four food replacement packs because having to get up early for the school run again now means it'd be difficult to wait until like midday to have something again, for me anyways. My weight has just gradually crept up over the years, after two pregnancies it's definitely shot up, I'm embarrassed to say after having my kids, so no excuse of pregnancy weight! I'm currently just tipping the scales at 90kg but desperate to get down to 60-65kg. :) Would be great to see it happen by Christmas but realistically if I can get there by July 2014 I'd be happy. I won't be starting until 23rd September 2013 with Slim&Save because I hope the distraction of going back to my old, busy routine (school runs, university, volunteering, working etc) will keep my mind and body active and not thinking about food! Good luck to everyone and sorry if I rambled on this post abit! :)
 
I agree with the simplicity. On day 4 and feeling much calmer from the lack of carbs and not having to think about food. Also instant effects of less creaky joints. Also, the scales are looking good but I will only put the official WI on here.

The long term plan definitely has to be a low carb one for me. Doing packs makes me realise that the chemistry of carbs and blood sugar plays a huge part in my overeating - I'm not just weak and greedy.

Glad you liked the Brene Brown (and that I'm not the only one up in the early hours!) I have one of her books on the way - The Gifts of Imperfection. The last time I did this I was the poster girl for abstinence. I didn't cheat once, hit goal on the day that I planned to, did Route to Management by the book. I think it's probably a bit more healthy to accept that we might have fallen by the wayside but that the trick is not to give up on the things we believe are important. Also that we don't have to be perfect to do, or to have, what we want.

Have a good day everyone. I definitely feel I have come out of the other side and ketosis is here. The water really helped and I think less caffeine too.
 
Hi, Sheridan! Welcome aboard! I tried Exante too but found it difficult spacing out my three packs, and also found the lack of variety a bit restrictive. I hear you on the weight gain. I gained with both my children but also afterwards as well. Somehow I could never focus on a diet, and as a mum it's amazing how often you find yourself thinking about or preparing food and snacks (and in my case picking whilst cooking).

Loving reading Brene Brown, clinquant. Thank you so much for the recommendation. I have so much shame going on around food and weight/size/appearance. I will read it again when I get to the end so I can really understand her approach. Sounds like the imperfection one would strike some chords with me as well. I was so zealous on Lighter Life and couldn't understand why others in my group struggled and cheated. Well I now know what that feels like!

Back at work today, which was mixed. On the one hand, easy to stick to plan. On the other, frustrations and annoyances aplenty. Oh, and I've also gone deaf in one ear with the benefit of LOUD tinnitus as well. Ugh. Great timing for an ear infection! Am going to GP on Saturday morning to get it checked out. It might just need syringing. Nice!

So how have we all got on today? I'm really proud and happy that I've done what I promised myself I would do and have got straight on it, no messing. Now for a few more days and then the lovely ketosis will be here. Can't wait to end the carb madness again and feel peaceful and at one with myself. Oh, and to start seeing losses and feeling my clothes get looser. Have a lovely evening, everyone!
 
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