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I hate GPs (when they aren't curing me of course ;-) I didn't even bother trying to get my form signed by the GP. I went to Superdrug. Their price was £40 for me. They have forms with both the LighterLife and Superdrug logos on them, so there is some sort of partnership going on there...

Thanks for the advice all... At least I am doing the right thing about it now :-) I'm looking forward to better comments!

Atkins bars are currently on buy 2 and get 3rd free in GNC shops...

I've been getting a few comments Bout me being a big fella, overweight etc. I hadn't had those comments for the last 4 years since before I did LL first time around. Id forgotten how rotten those comments made me feel. :-(

Ok, no probs. I'll start scanning some pages. Look, don't worry about the extra pounds too much - its probably water. When you come off ketosis, you replace the water in you muscles that you lost in week 1. But be careful, any weight gained from now on probably won't be water. You need to get...

BOOM! well done!

Good for you! I feel good as well. 1.5 weeks in. The memories of LL first time around are flooding back - especially from the bars which havnt changed. All good, comfortable memories! I'm feeling confident too. Best of luck BL!

Wait, I have the OLD rtm books, not the new ones.... Sorry Don't forget, you phase the packs out I think, so some weeks will be 2 or 1 pack per day... So you may have enough packs to finish RTM

Hi, Do you mean low calorie or low carb? And when you say go it alone, dyo mean a low carb diet, or just a normal diet?

How's it going laurah?

Emzy, if you need any info from the RTM books I'm happy to scan and email you some.

BTW, I used to go to my occupational health nurse at work to do the BP checks for free... so that might be an option for some people if they have an occupational health department...

I'm on Day 9 now. So far so good. Lots on mental hunger! And i've re-discovered how thirst really feels.

Cool, so - just in case this helps anyone else - Superdrug were very helpful. The cost was £40 for the Medical Health checkup - cheaper than my GP. They even had their own LighterLife Health forms with their superdrug logo on it. I'm glad I went there to get the form done.

Hey Blond Logic, Nice to see you again. I was on the forum a few years back . I remember you. I'm back on LL total after 4 years-ish in good shape (weight, eating habits etc). But that last 6 months got out of control so I'm back on the plan to get my head re-set. Day 9 today for me

Massive Health - Carbs Are Killing You [infographic] I thought this was a nice read

I mainly eat meals and bars. This seems like a pointless change. The cost differential seems hardly worth the extra effort from counsellors and from us i.e +/- £1 or £2... I agree with ProblemChild. might as well just put the price up by £2 and let people just choose what they want without...

I lost 9.5lbs on my first official weigh-in this week :) Leesy 16lb (12.5 lost, 3.5 to go) Zombiegirl 7lb target (3.5lbs lost, 3.5lbs to go) nzmegs - 4lbs (0lbs lost, 4lbs to go) maintaining - Tuesday weigh in Blodwen - 12lbs (13lbs lost, 0lb to go) Tuesday WI success wooo hooo!! LucyItani-...

Thanks Casper. How long ago did you do LL?

What ar they like?

Count me in please? I started on 11th may, so I'm aiming for 14lbs by month end...

urghhh, I can't stand the Shephards Pie packs. Love the Con Carne ones though!

Thank Thanks NZMegs, I'll do that. Regards,

Hi, does any body know if I can get my doctor form (the one needed to start LL) at supergroup? Or another high st place? It's too hard to go to my GP....

Hi All, So, four years ago I went from 22st to 12st on LL. Now I'm back up to 17.5st. I've decided to go back on the diet, to get my relationship with food good again. This is day 2. Im aiming for 10 weeks on LL total.

Yeah, its worth doing, even for two weeks... Like a kick start

it won't last long at all. You may even be over it by the time you read this reply. If not, it will definatley be over by tomorrow. Your body is switching from using carbs/glucose for energy, to using your stored fat. Once it starts using fat, you'll be in ketosis and you'll feel great. Best...

Brilliant! Well done :) Just to let you know, week 1 always has a little more loss than the following weeks, as your body loses some water as it switches to the ketogenic diet... Just letting you know now before your week 2 weigh-in, so that you are not disappointed. :)

good luck pete! I know just how you feel! I'm back on LL to try and shed that bit if weight creep

I love it!

in answer to your original question, LL bars are low-carb protein bars, with vitamins etc. SlimFast bars are 'normal' carb bars, so they are unsuitable for a low-carb diet like LL.

Hi CaptainRalph, You will only be saving a few quid per week messing with the LL plan. I just saw how much weight you have lost already (well done!) on LL - I don't know about you, but if I were to put a price on that successful weight loss so far, it would far outweigh the potential to save...

Hi Sulleyp, I was 21st, then I lost 9st and got down to 12st, then I let 2st creep back on (through my own neglegence and excuse making)... and I'm finding these 2 stone really hard to shift... How's it going for you?

...way back... with still 2 stone to lose... again... but this time... it's personal... D'Oh! Well, I was unsuccessful the last few times, so I will try again, again... here goes...

Hi All, Thanks for your responses. I'm not giving up yet, though I am definately surprised how hard it is for me now... LLL isn't too bad, i'm on 'day 2' of that, let's see how it goes...

:( Oh well... I've been on it for 4 weeks now, lost just under a stone, due to nibbling and lapsing... I'm finding it so hard this time round. I'm gonna switch to LL Lite from this week, because if I'm going to eat, i will enjoy it (and not be a rebelious child) and therefore feel...

Hi all, thanks for your messages of support. I had my first meeting yesterday, and it was good.

Hi All, I'm starting LighterLife again today to lose two stone which I put on over the last 10 months... I think it will be harder this time round, but I'm hoping that once the pounds start coming off, it will motivate me to remain abstinant. I think I put on two stone for a number of...

Hi All, Thanks for all the replies... sounds like I need to stock up on tupperware ;-) Regarding the cocoa, can't you just use pure cocoa, like the red cadbury's bournville powder, or another brand like green and blacks? it will have no added ingredients, so you can just add tablet sweetener...

Hi All, After several months on LighterLife I'm maintaining my weight now, using a managed low GI diet, with an eye on the Carbs... I find the atkins bars that you can buy from tesco quite good, but are a tad pricey. Do you folks know of any places - online pehaps - that sell these types of...

Hi Kat, One or two extra weeks out of a lifetime is a small amount of time. It will just make you appreciate LL more :-) You'll get there in the end. 15,000 people have done LL, so there are more than enough Drs out there (you just have to spot them out from the dosey GPs). Spend this...

Well done for getting it sorted in the end... I'm really fed up with retarded GPs... far too many of them.

Check out the 'recipies' you can make crisps of 'muffins' to go with your tea/coffee. That will get a pack eaten without feeling too full...

Its not just in the mind... it is also a response your body has to being on a diet. Certainly for men this is known (lowered testosterone levels) - maybe somthing along those lines happens in women as well... This is also why LighterLife warn us that our hair might fall out!! The body stops...

I found that my blood pressure and pulse dropped if I was not as hydrated as I ought to be. Try drinking slightly more for the next few days and see how you feel...

I have a few issues, it has a lot of general, non-LighterLife specific articles and information/advice in it... BTW, When you get to RTM, you can download a whole load of LL magazine articles from their website...

Hi Donna, good luck with it all. Just remember that when you do this, you are doing more than just reducing your excess weight; you are also learning about your eating habits, any issues you have with food, and how to re-introduce food and have a healthy relationship with it for the rest of...

Hi, Everytime I faced a situation like this (e.g. an annual event, or special occasion) I reminded myself that this time in abstinance is an investment in myself, which will allow me to enjoy even MORE of these special occasions in future.... Think of this b'day event as an investment. Like...

wow - the bone density thing sounds interesting. I read somewhere that bone density for overweight/obese people is higher due to the extra weight it has to carry... our bonus I say - nice strong bones for when we get thin :-) well done!!!!

Hi BL, The knee operation sounds over with, no? its no different to a sports injury, which happens alot... I wouldn't bother mentioning that personally... if its an ongoing 'condition' then that might be somthing else... As for your neck condition, if you think it won't be a massive...

No, not necessarily it seems... You might lose more than 1/2 stone, you might gain a little... the specifics are different for different people from what i have noticed. General trend is: Lose weight in first few weeks, maybe gain a little, then get a shock during the last 4 weeks when your body...

HI Twinny, This happened to me a good few times during RTM... Treat it like a learning experience. It will not undo all the good, hard work you have done. RTM is a time to learn about these kind of experiences, and how to deal with them. Try and think about what led up to the 'binge', and...

This is really interesting. We are really prejudiced against obese people here in the UK. I don't know what its like in the rest of Europe... In the Middle East, where I have lived/worked briefly, during my obese days, I received very little negative attention for being obese - I just felt...

hmm, I can't relate to the whole 'male attention' thing, but I have definately noticed that some of my colleagues will crack lots of 'fat' jokes while I am there about other people. I never noticed this before - that's because they were no doubt talking about me! It really annoys me that...

I TOTALLY agree with that! that's just how I felt too!

My scales give me the best results when they don't have batteries in them :->

I was allowed bars on RTM - i still have a few which I have now and then. yeah, its true about the chocy bar for managers - its a choc and rasin one. I am yet to try it :-)

I used to think I was hungry... but I was actually thirsty. could that be the same with you? It could also be psychological hunger... It does get a lot better later on... and you won't feel hungry after a little while...

Hmm, its true that these machines have a degree of inaccuracy to them - to get a true body fat % you would need specialist machines, like the types found in universities or those special water tanks... The caliper method is good at measuring subcutaneous (under the skin) fat - but how does it...

How to measure Body Fat % from the Omron Manual... HOW TO OBTAIN A CORRECT MEASUREMENT http://www.omron-healthcare.com/images/bymanager/EU_weight/body_fat/BF306/BF_306_E_EN_vs03_08_08.pdf?_ver1_i2_fied3 Page 2 of this PDF explains when it is a good circumstance/time of day to measure body fat %

Hi Sean, I bought a Body Fat Monitor, its the last one on this list here: OMRON Online The BF306. It works quite well. It came with a good explaination of when the best times to measure body fat are... (if anybody wants me to copy the quidlines of when to measure body fat, please let me...

well done :-) it only gets better, and remember its a learning journey !!!

They are the ones that I always had - I had one per day whilst on RTM... One recipe I used was: One tub of hartley's jelly (cranberry or mango did it for me), topped with a table spoon of greek yoghurt, slightly sweetened with sweetener, and half a peanut or cranberry bar, crumbled up on...

Sounds ok... I just stuck to one type of protien per meal, i.e. only tuna and salad for one day, then cottage cheese the next etc. That way I juts measured out a portion and wasn't tempted to 'compliment' it with loads of other stuff...

My GP was really useless when it came to discussing this - they gave me a phone number and told me to join a gym... They had no idea about what diet programmes were available, or the latest thinking on the matter - or anything... such a shame... The govt want to 'tackle' obesity - but they...

Total 0% fat yoghurt is nice, and low cal - but expensive! Have a look at the selection onf natural live yoghurts on the supermarket shelf, many of them are very low fat and cal.

sounds like tonsilitis... you may need antibiotics?!? I took anti biotics while on LL, and it all seemed to get on well together....

Hi Huseyin, My LLC said that some people choose to do a 'condensed' RTM, where it is shorter than 12 weeks... might be worth asking your LLC if you can do the same...

From what I have read (much less than KD I can safely assume :-) you cannot build muscle on a calorific deficit - i.e. you need to eat more than you need to maintain your current weight. The diet also needs to have the right amount of protein in it to get the most effecient muscle gain... just...

Wow - nice thread. I started looking into this a few weeks ago, and I bought a couple of books on the subject (all of Lyle McDOnalds' ones and the 'Facts about Food' one that KD mentions above). I would recommend watching the following videos: Deconstructing Obesity which talk about Leptin...

HI, I agree with the above reply too... You could check your Body Fat percentage to further get a measure of your health as well...

Fantastic! Must be great having a supportive GP! Go for it!

WOW! the giant KitKat looks Fab!

WHOA! 200 cals in half a bar?!? There are only 180 ish cals in the whole LL bars that I have... what bars are you having then? they are LL ones aren't they ;-)

I didn't even ask my GP, cos they are so rubbish. I asked my LLC which GPs know about LL and would do the checkup and form, then I went privatley to them. It cost me £40, which is less than what my regular GP would have charged... so don't worry - if your GP doesn't sign the form, there are...

Bars are brilliant!!! have 'em!!!

Hi Louise, I've just finished LL, and the things that kept me going were: 1) I only need to do it once in my life, and I can be like a 'normal' person 2) I have seen other people lose loads of weight, and I remind myself that I can do it too 3) it is very very quick if I stick to the rules...

Milk is good for you, so its not wasted calories. It contains Protein and calcium for example. Calories in milk - especially skimmed milk - are relatively low, so I don't personally see it as detrimental to me... I have milk in my tea, and I drink black coffee mostly, only sometimes with...

HI, Yeah, I was shivering constantly the less I weighed... Once you get enough calories to maintain (i.e not lose any weight) you will get warm again. I was still cold in RTM, even though I was not in ketosis. Only towards the final weeks of RTM when calorie intake was higher did I start...

Hi SnowMum, At my last meeting, I asked a fellow LL'er who had finished nearly a year ago. They are still maintaining, and are doing well. i know its not 2 years worth of maintainance, but I think a year is still pretty good :-) It inspired me at least...

Hi Mrs Lard. Where's your blog? Cheers

I think if you are uncomfortable with it then you should let her know - maybe she can arrange to weigh you and give you the packs before or after the session herself... Don't be embarresed to tell her how you feel...

Hi All, I just finshed RTM, after nearly 30 weeks abstinance... During that time I would ask every single returner who joined our group (a small, ongoing mens group) if they had completed RTM last time.. they all said no... I think that finishing RTM increases the likelyhood of maintainance...

Oh, and the new and improved books they now have are tons better than the ones I got - much more room to do the written exercises, and just easier on the eyes. I would have asked they update the books - but they already have! good on them!

I would just ask that they make the chocolate and rasberry powder as good as the vanilla and banana powder . The Vanilla and banana mix really well, and become 'mousse' really nicely! I wouldn't mind ready-made shakes as well, for convenience. Apart from that, I'm happy with the flavours...

Cheers BL, :-) And the same to you, and to SnowMum of course!!

HI, Its my last day of RTM today!!!! Hooray!! I'm resolving to make a go of maintaining my healthy weight. I have also accepted that I may need to work harder at it than other people, so I won't be disheartened if it looks like other people are doing it easier than me... I'm blessed in...

Hi Susiana, I was abstinant for over 30 weeks. Some weeks I had good loses: 5 or 6lbs, and some weeks I had low losses. One time, I had a 1lb loss, and the following week I had a 0lb loss! I was gutted, as i was totally abstinant. The following weeks were normal again... it just goes up and...

Ok, as a bloke, I don't know what women do to brave the elements. My answer to the question is: Use one of your long warm coats; Use one of those thin rain coat thingys that goes over your warm coat (are they called Mack-in-a-sack, or ponchos or something else?); Use a nice sensible, big...

Hehe, the soles of your feet must be like camel leather! ;-)

I went off loads of food packs, then a few weeks later I would try them again, and like them again!!

Hi YummyMummy, I just noticed this last sentence. I wonder if that is really true? I did try to explain it to my 5 year old, and we have a term for the Food Packs - we call it 'Medicine Food'. Then, he understands that like all medicines we occasionally take, they are only for one person at...

Hi, My 5 year old and 3 year old both go through no eating/eating very little phases. It can last a good couple of weeks somtimes... Then they start eating again... There are so many reasons I suspect that causes this, but he always snaps out of it, and I'm sure yours will too. I don't...

Dude, that sounds like a good idea!

Hi Kaalin, Well done! Any tips for us who are just finishing RTM? :-)

Hi, BMI is a good guide for the general population. It was orginally devised by actuaries (Insurance Companies!) in the US to gauge the risk of their customers. It turned out a pretty good indicator of health risk, so was adopted by many medical organisations... BMI is good for the general...

My wife's BP always drops when she doesn't have enough water. Get drinking, that should raise it hopefully...

PS - from experience, having been in a similar situation where I *had* to eat, I would agree with Guy's comments above.

Hi Pete, If you want to, you could have some plain Tuna, or plain chicken breast in lieu of your packs, instead of proper, prepared food, if you get what I mean... They are low/zero carbs, and should keep you pretty much on track as if you had the packs. so you could have a normal weight...

Mikey, How did you get on with this?? BTW, the journal article your pasted a link to (here: http://www.minimins.com/very-low-calorie-diets/43227-vlcd-menu-based-diet-4.html#post675033) doesn't work any more... Do you have a copy or another link? Cheers,

Hi All, What are the 'rules' for having a main meal? What are you allowed and not allowed, etc Cheers,

Hi Gail, I was having one jelly and one small pot of yoghurt per day.. I chose to do that because I felt it was the 'normal' thing to do. Any extra I would only have as an indulgence :-) This was just my personal view - of course everyone chooses their own way :-) My LLC said I should...

Hooray - Welcome to RTM! I'm in my last week (week 12). i can't believe it, it has gone so quick!!! It's an exciting, but tough time, so get your mental energy ready for it :-)))

Hi, To those who have completed RTM, did you, or are you still attending LL sessions? Did they help? Why did you stop? My last week of RTM next week :eek: and just deciding what to do after that... Thanks

Taking the train in the UK is educational! I bet you never knew there was 'right' type of snow and 'wrong' type of snow. Same with leaves! Of course, the 'wrong' type of snow and leaves are the ones that bring the UK rail system to a grinding halt. The 'right' ones, don't. Apart from that...

Wow - shocking!

Hi All, I wanted to start a thread on where you can go to get free blood pressure checks. I think a lot of people assume you have to see your GP, or Health Centre nurse, when that isn't the case... I used to get mine done at my workplace - the occupational health nurse. She would do it for...

Hi All, Just to let you know: Lighter life have a new forum on their website. Are you going to join? I will probably lurk for a bit and see what its like...

My post on the other thread, on this subject: Quote: Originally Posted by KD You're welcome, though I know it was long. I find it fascinating. BTW, was dipping into one of my favourite easy going books last night BBC Truth About Food (Highly recommended book BTW...full of great little...

Good luck James - the 5 Stone will fly off - That will show that GP! ;-) I got my occupation health nurse (the nurse at work) to take the readings every 4 weeks, but I was never denied the packs if I was late getting it checked...

Hi KD, I have just ordered this book to learn more. Thanks for the info contained in this thread. I am like you in that i want to know the ins and outs of everything. I tend to feel like I'm not able to make the best decisions if I'm not as informed as I think I should be... My two...

Thanks KD, definately interested in that. I will read through the thread now... Cheers

Leytonstone, London

Hi BL (and others!), I'm in the bread week as well. Cheese is definatley a trigger for me. And I found out somthing weird: Feeling full is a trigger for me also! If I eat too much of somthing (even salad) and I get full, I want to eat more... I feel fuller, so I want to eat EVEN MORE! it...

Hi All, This is a very interesting documentary. i found it slightly depressing TBH. I didn't post it in the main forum cos it might be innapropriate for some. Gentle Warning: contains a lot of tempting food... Link is here: BBC iPlayer - Horizon: Why Are Thin People Not Fat? When...

FACT: Gold is heavier than Silver. FACT: Muscle is heavier than fat. (No, I'm not saying a 1lb of muscle weighs more than 1lb of fat - they weigh the same. Muscle is heavier than fat).

can you imagine how happy LL would be with all the free publicity!

Hi, It probably won't tamper too much, but the real question is why do you need to do this? Is it one-off case of convenience (e.g. all day meetings/day out) or just because you want to? If it is just because you want to, then its probably not a good idea because part of being on LL...

Hi Guy, I would stick to the plan - I have found that as the weeks progress quickly (and they go quickly - I'm already in wk 10!), you will have more foods to try, and more portion sizes to experiement with... This may lead to weight gain until you find the right balance of portions... I...

This is cool - it is traditionally done with kettle bells as well... the way Kettle Bells are shaped really help with these exercises.

Hi, I'm in the last stages of RTM, and its worth pointing out that the compliments are only temporary - once people get used to you, and you meet new people who never knew the previous you, you will become invisible again. its hard to explain, but don't rely on compliments - positive or...

HI, Definately worth it. I have been obese for my entire life, literally from childhood. This has worked for me - and for so many others! I wish I had discovered it years ago - it really really is life changing! Now that I am buying normal food again, I never realised how much I was...

After I say the following, Pete will post after me: Muscle DOES weigh more than fat, and its a FACT!!! :-)

What worked for me is only excercising when I wanted to :-) And I only did what I enjoyed - e.g. I only enjoyed whacking a punch bag, and hated jogging - so I only did the punch bag, and left the jogging. I only did it when I wanted to - whatever time of day it was! What I found was that by...

HI, It will work - just as long as you recognise there are two aspects to making LL successful for you: Losing the weight quickly and becomeing a healthy, 'normal' body. That is less than half the effort/importance. The second aspect is learning how not to get back to where you were...

Sorry if this sounds odd, but I think you should just try it! get all the flavours, try it out at various times of the day. I had bars all the time and still managed to lose 8 and a half stone!! I love the bars! Peanut and cranberry are the best IMO. They fill me up if I have a nice big...

HI Guy, I'm currently in wk 8 of RTM for Men. You will get a RTM book for weeks 2 - 7, as well as a recipe book for that. At week 8, you will get RTM book for weeks 8 - 12. I dont have to books to hand now - let me know if you need more specific details. I had to make my own food plans...

Book recommendation... Hi EmVeg, I reckon you will feel the difference in about 2 to 3 weeks... I totally understand your last post above, and I found this books really helpful. Eating Less: Say Goodbye to Overeating (Paperback) by Gillian Riley (Author)...

HI All, Firstly, I'm not talking about me :) i would say if I was, but i'm not. I was thinking the other day. If someone eats 9000 calories in one day: 2000 is their RDA of calories. That leave 7000 calories. If 1lb of fat is 3500 calories, then that person has consumed '2lbs worth' of...

Cool, good point - I agree completely. I already suspect my triggers, but If they are indeed confirmed as triggers during these last few weeks of RTM, i will take a similarly reposnsible approach to them :-) glad its going well!

And when you think about it - you can eat what you want - seriously! I'm in RTM week 8, and in 5 weeks time I will be 'Allowed' to eat anything I choose... just like a normal person (yay!) :-) so even LL is telling me I can eat what i want - so long as it is after the programme, and as long I I...

Hi All, Thanks for the responses - I am still thinking it over, but i think I'm leaning more towards going for it :-) If I get that chance to help people the way I feel I have been helped by LL, then I would be doing somthing really good... I'll let you all know how I get on, if/when I do!!

The reason I think the Paul McKenna stuff didn't work for me for more than 2 months was that I lost hope that i would ever lose 8 and a half stone in anything less than 10 years! so I just got depressed about that and made me fall off the wagon... But that is where LL comes in! It solves the...

I have the "I can make you thin" books and the journal of the same name, and my opinion is that its very good stuff!! I didn't see the stuff on TV that you are referring to, so I don't know if it is exactly what is in the book or not.. To be fair, He recommends you excercise and drink water...

Hi All, I'm thinking of becoming a Locum after i have finished RTM (5 weeks) - has anybody done this? Why did you do it? was it worth it? and are you still one? Cheers,

I read BL's experience with the salmon, so I didn't have any until the following week! Just chicken until then ;-) Actually, there is a LOT of info on serving size and portions on the LL Managment website. Ask you counseller to set you up on it - it is very good. I think you will find some...

it will flyyyyyyyyyyyyy by for sure! i lost 8st, been on it for nearly 10 months. and it is all worth it!

I thought ALL food packs were veggie - lemme check: The only chicken pack I have (which has now expired) i got 6 months ago. It says 'Suitable for Vegetarians' under the list of ingredients! So, unless they have changed them, then they are...

Hi BL, Thanks for the reply - sorry I didn't say so sooner. It is re-assuring to know that it is not just me then... I am trying not to worry now, I havn't put on any more weight - maybe it's just a few onces of glycogen from the lapses I had - maybe not... In any case, I'm sticking to that...

Hi, I like this conversation - very interesting. I am in Week 7 of RTM. I have just ordered a hand-held 'Body Fat Analyser' - an £25 one from ebay (a good brand called Omron). I wish I had one of these from the start - then I would have a rough idea how much of the 8st I lost was muscle...

HI All, I have put on around 3lbs since starting RTM 7 weeks ago... I have mainly stuck to the plan, with a few lapses and dinner invites out here and there... I don't want to be in 'diet mode' during RTM i.e. I don't want to be aiming to lose weight - I want to be aiming to maintain...

Hi, I tried this yesterday and it was surprisingly good!!! One regular apple (mine happened to be a Braeburn), peeled, halved, and sliced lengthways 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 100ml to 125ml of pure 100% Apple juice 1 tablespoon of granulated sweetener (or however less/much...

LL is brilliant because of the counselling and the RTM part of the program. I have been on LL for 32 weeks. I'm in week 5 of RTM, and it really has changed my life : from 20.5stone down to 12 stone. Just rememeber - losing the weight is only 40% of the effort - that's the abstinance and...

Hi All, Now I'm on Week 3 of RTM, It's starting to balance out now - I'm getting enough calories (and ever so slightly up'd my portions) in the day to stop me feeling slightly feint (or grumpy - another symptom of hunger I wasn't aware of before! Interesting...) but am still losing weight (1...

In the RTM subforum on here, there is a week-by-week breakdown of what food you can introduce each week. Substitute the food packs which you would have normally bought with high-protein, low carb alternatives - that is the protein portion of week1 and 2... and follow the weekly breakdown...

This week (week 2) I got a "Weeks 2 - 7" book for RTM... very good book...

Hi All, I have done 1 week of RTM, and I am finding that I am getting hungry over the last 2 days (days 6 and 7)... I'm no longer in ketosis, and am getting physically hungry at some points during the day and I have to have an extra food pack or two to see me through... Hunger...

I marinated a chicken breast in 1tsp paprika (Smoked or Hungarian Paprika if you can find it); 1 tsp lemon juice; salt (optional); black pepper; finely chopped fresh parsley. Grilled it. Ate it. Job Done. (PS - it was nice). :-)

Hi All, Just so you all know, I was given a 'Food and Mood Diary' for Men (I.e. with LighterLife For Men colours and logo), As well as a recipe book for weeks 1 to 7. Its all very good - i'm impressed with the quality and thought that has gone into these materials... My counseller also...

Hi Nhots, If you do have to leave LL, don't leave cold-turkey (if you pardon the expression). Try and get a condensed Route To Managment from your counseller - That way, you can learn a few tips on keeping what you have lost off... Also, some people have an adverse reaction to sweetener -...

My counseller said Men don't have a Food and Mood diary - but she will happily give me the Women's one if I like, so I will get one tonight hopefully... Perhaps they do exist for men, but demand is so lowwww she doesn't order them in... I dunno... But, as usual, my counseller Melanie is very...

cool, thanks for that. The week 1 book refers to 'Food and Mood Diary'. Is that somthing I should be receiving, or do I just make one up? Cheers, Mr. Mini Me

Hi All, Can someone please post on here what i should expect to receive from my counseller by way of books, leaflets, DVDs etc. for RTM. I'm starting this week, and I want to make sure I get what I am due :) Do I get a book every week? Do I get a dedicated recipe book, or DVD? etc...

Thanks laststraw!

Hi All, On RTM, it says have 100g cooked chicken. Roughly how heavy should I prepare raw chicken to get 100g cooked chicken? In other words, how much raw chicken do i need to cook to end up with 100g cooked chicken. I will be grilling BTW. Thanks, Mr. Mini Me.

Cheers, thanks for the practical advice! :-)

Cheers Everyone! :-)

HI All , After 30 weeks of abstinance, I'm starting RTM next week. Any advice for me please? :) Its very tempting to nibble on real food now, but I know the value in RTM is in following the rules - do you agree? Kind Regards, Mr Mini Me

I like to sum up all this nonsense in a new rule I follow, and advise to all other people who need to reduce thier weight: "Don't take advice on weight reduction from people who have never done it". All those people condeming 'miracle' diets have probably never had a weight problem before...

Hi All, After 30 weeks of abstinance, and losing 8 stone, I will be starting RTM next week. I feel great, and I really want to maintain my current weight (i.e. not gain any during RTM). Judging by what people say, I may lose a couple lbs if anything. Anyway, please wish me luck :) Mr...

LOL- I make sure I'm wearing similar clothes, and not carrying my phone, wallet, keys or shoes when I get weighed... don't want to skew my results for one week do I ;-)

nah, the Wii must be wrong... you can't gain 8lbs in two days unless you just drank a couple of gallons of water just before you used it ;-) If you havn't strayed, your body only has 500 calories going in, you can't gain weight on that...

"Muscle does not weight more than fat. HOWEVER Muscle is denser and weighs more BY VOLUME than fat." That just means: Muscle does weigh more than fat. Agreed :-) Lets not confuse two issues: Water weighs more than air means Water is heavier than air. Gold weighs more than water means...

Muscle does definately weigh more than fat!! :-) Just like Gold weighs more than Aluminium, for example. If you get two blocks that are the same size, one made of gold and one made of Aluminium, then the glod block will weigh more - its more dense. Similarly, get two blocks the same size...

Hi All, I was sitting at my desk, having my Crispy Peanut Bar, and a Black Americano - as you do - and I decided to reach for the St. Clements tub... I sprinkled a bit of St. Clements powder on the bar, and it tasted really nice! Just like a chewy bar that has dried fruit in it!! Totally...

Well done dude! I'm not a chef, but cooking is my hobby :-). I have those moments as well, and I remember the words of my counseller: 'One is never enough' and 'Will one bit, or a small lunch, really make that much difference to you?' etc... so just acknoledge your desire for that food, and...

Hi All, i found this great webpage: Recipe Calculator where you plug in your recipe, and see what the nutritional information is! Its great! The only issue is that is is very USA centric - in terms of names of foods and measurements, etc. Does anybody have any similar online...

hi All, Thanks for the replies- my loss was 3lbs this week. Slightly less than average, but higher than the last 3 weeks, so maybe its on the up again... Hoo-ray! Mr Mini Me

Mmm, I just had my first tomato soup - its lovely! I gave it a good old dash of tabasco, salt and pepper, and it was very nice indeed! My fav soups in order of preference are: Thai, Veg, Tomato. Chicken in emergencies. Mushroom (ergh!) makes me feel sick even while I'm making it! Looking...

Hi Coley, My wife suggested that it may be muscle that is growing as a result of the excercise - adding weight, and offsetting any losses... But I don't know if that is true or not. Does Muscle really weigh more than fat? even so - I have no way of measuring my muscle mass (i don't have those...

Cheers for the reply BL, I have just been going through my weigh-in records - and although my average has come down considerably, I have had weeks in the past where losses were higher than average, balancing out the lower loss weeks - like you say... Maybe my average will pick up again over...

Hi All, I have lost 7.5 stones since starting LL. I have lost on average 3 to 4 lbs per week, up until the last 4 weeks - when I have been losing only 1 to 2 lbs. I have started some excercise a few weeks ago, jogging and mild weights - but weight loss is still low (last week I lost...

Hi All, I noticed somebody recommended some books on a couple of threads - like Nutritional Information reference books, and Overcoming Emotional eating type books. If anybody has a book to recommend - can you please post it. Based on a recommendation I read on this forum (can't...

Thanks Mini. I wish you the best too.

Hi Guys! We are kind-of local to each other (on a nation-wide scheme of things!) I work in Basildon, and live in South Woodford... I joined with Higham's Park LL, but that was a disaster, and I switched to Leytonstone. Its excellent there! Hope it goes really well for you Guy...

Hi All, I started LL on May 1st, I'm currently in development, and i have lost 6.5 stones. Its been a great experience, and I have learned so much from the counselling sessions... I wanted to share with you that I have two new passions in my life, since starting LL: Coffee and Cooking (of...

Hi Mini (Nice user name :-) I would try to not worry about it to be honest. It might take 3 or 5 days to get into ketosis. The fact that you have lost nearly 6 pounds so far is a very good sign that you are almost there - or even in ketosis, but its just showing up on the stick... that can...

I was regulary drinking 4 litres, PLUS tea and coffee... so maybe 5.5 o 6 litres in total per day. I cut down to drinking 2.5 litres of water, plus tea and coffee, and I have been losing more weight for the last 3 weeks on that amount... it must just be what my body is comfortable with...

Hi, no need to apologise about the hijack :) I spoke to counsellors from both CD and LL, and read a LOT of reviews and feedback on both... I decided to go with LL because I like the RTM approach and the counselling... LL seemed better atuned to my needs... I'm not locked in for life, so...

Thanks... Hi All, Thanks for your advic - much appreciated. I have called a couple of CDCs - including Linda (who isn't too far, but might be a bit impactical). She recommended someone more local. I have called them and will speak to them this week. Kind Regards,

Hi, I think I like the idea of One to One counselling - might be better, especially if the counsellor turns out to be good... Regards,

CD or LL?? Hi, Thanks for your replies. I ruled out CD becauase I thought that it is the therapy and the whole 'route to management' thing that I need more than the actual meal replacement packs. But now I'm thinking about it, I could go do CD and perhaps use the saved money to get some...

Hi All, I am thinking of doing the LighterLife for men programme. The local consellor doesn't have a men's group (not enough men!) - so she has offered 20mins of one-on-one counselling [er week instead. What do you think about this arrangement? Can the difference between a good and bad...