Considering starting LL - some questions

RainbowCookie

Full Member
Hiya, I am looking into starting LL in the new year and have just had a chat on the phone with my local counsellor who seems very nice.

I just have a few questions that I felt silly asking her and wondered if anyone here could help?

-I understand that you eat nothing but shakes/ soups/ bars. Do you not go a bit stir crazy with this? I have visions of myself becoming completely obsessed about food because I cant have any. If you got like this, how long did it take for the cravings to go away?

-Do you end up with an upset tummy because of only having liquid food?

-How do you guys deal with cooking food for kids/ husbands/ etc? My husband loves to cook and makes some lovely meals (probably one of the reasons im so big anyway) and the idea of him cooking just for himself makes me feel a bit sad for him.


-How are the packs you are given allocated? Do you just get x amount of 1 flavour each week or do you pick and choose?

- The lady I spoke to said a new group wont start until she has 7 people to join, she currently has 3 on list, and it might be a couple of months until start.. is this normal?

Im sure i'll think of some more silly things.. off to bath little one, back in a bit.

Rach. :thankyou:
 
Hi Rainbowcookie, I've been on LL for 3 and a bit weeks now so I'm no expert but I will try to answer some of your questions.
Re :cravings, once you are in ketosis after a couple of days you don't actually feel hungry of course this doesn't stop you craving or feeling emotional hunger but the first meeting will give you some tips about dealing with these.
Personally i have had no problems with stomach upsets although constipation is quite common.
Cooking- my husband has been a gem and has done all the cooking since I started and though the social side of sitting down to eat together has been affected, I often sit and drink my soup with the family at dinner time. And my family know how important this is for me.
Packs you can choose your own flavours- recommend try em all in week 1 - see what you like
Waiting for a group to start is common.
I do recommend that you browse this forum there are some relly helpful guys on here with loads of experience - it will really help you prepare for starting LL. Good Luck :)
 
Thanks :)

Ive been having a read through and also looking at reviews on other sites aswell. I have been doing WW on and off since feb and although ive lost about 1.5st ive not really got anywhere since summer and ive completely run out of motivation for it.

Another silly question.. whats this about your GP having to sign a form? I presume this is just to say that you are healthy enough to do it? Do all GP's charge for this?

Also, when you start how much do you have to pay upfront? Just the £66 each week as you go or do you need to pay a months worth at the start?

My hubby is due home at 10, gonna try and broach the subject with him then.. cant see him being very keen, but im so miserable at the mo that maybe I can make him understand how much I feel I need this. I feel like this is the only option left.. ive tried atkins, ww, paul mckenna, counting kcals, orlistat and not really got very far. :eek:

xx
 
Hi, my GP didn't charge but some do. I'm lucky in that apart from being obese I don't have any health problems so it only took my gp a few minutes to fill in my form and take my BP . I guess if it had taken him longer he may have charged but thankfully he is very supportive.
You have to pay 2 weeks up front (week 1 and week 14) £132.Then weekly.
Good luck with hubby. My OH was concerned when I 1st discussed it with him but I explained that I had researched it and had the backing of my GP and really wanted to do it- he had lived through all my other attempts , low fat, ww etc and knew how disheartened I would get when it took me 3 months to lose a stone, as I said he's been great but to be honest I would have gone ahead with this even if he didn't agree
 
I didn't have to pay 2 weeks upfront, just the £66 per week. This maybe depends on the area.
I've been on lighter life for 3 weeks and I'm coping ok, I have 4 kids at home and I cook for the family and don't find it a problem. You still can crave certain foods as I have but losing weight means to much to give in to them.
My husband was quite against me doing Lighter Life, but since I've been on it he has become very supportive and always makes sure we have the £66 every week for me to continue. ( I think he can see the difference in me and he likes it lol!)
I would say give it a go and once the weight starts falling off you it is an incentive in itself to keep on going.
Hope I've helped............but it is a very personal decision.
 
Hallo there and well done on deciding to take this step to loose weight.
Well, I have lost almost 4st with Lighter Life last year, it took about 3 months. My husband was also very sceptic about it (as was I!) as it seemed very unnatural way to loose weight. But (!) I was so desperate to shed pounds and miserable about myself that I decided to give it a go anyway.
I never looked back! I also had to wait for the group to form which was (almost) the hardest part as I have thought about it, had doubts, decided to go for it, and then I had to wait when I was SO ready. Umphhh
It turned out I didn't have to wait for too long (some two weeks), before the group started.
I would also recommend you trying all the flavours in the first week so you know what you like. You are not allowed bars in the first week (or is it two weeks? not sure any more), but you can buy additional drink flavourings which do fill you up (especially if you drink them hot, it is almost like having a soup).
My LL group was not very consistent and the counsellor seemed to be a bit scattered, so the material that we were supposed to cover was done in a complete disarray.
I then heard of Cambridge Diet that works on the same principle, but you don't get weekly meetings, you get your own counsellor that helps you and answers any questions you might have (no therapy part then). It works out at half the price to LL. Since I did LL with no problems, I switched to CD and haven't regretted it once.
It will be up to you to see which one works best for you. Some counsellors on LL will insist you stay for the duration of the course (I think 13 weeks) and charge you even if you fall off the wagon and don't attend (happened to a friend of mine), others will be more human about it and let you quit. For me, it felt a bit like joining a gym and then discovering that (for whatever reason) you can't attend, and they don't want to release you from the contract.
On the other hand, if you commit to LL, maybe you will be more inclined to stick with it if you know you can't get out of it that easily.
As far as your other questions go:
I was never constipated and would need No2 every three days or so. There is fibre that you can buy from your counsellor if you have problem with that.
I also never had any kind of stomach upsets whatsoever. In fact, the only negative side-effect I had was headache, which you can expect on day three or four. Once that is gone, you are well on your way.
Expect to loose a stone in a month, although in our group everyone lost at least stone in a half. I have just recently (five days ago) started CD and have lost 10lb in 5 days. The diet is simply great!!
Weight drops off so quickly that you don't start feeling fed up with it. Your main concern is going to be how to use the clothes you have to their max, so you don't have to buy new ones until you reach your goal.
Drinking water is also very important, and that will help you in case you are constipated.
What else... if you have concerns about putting the weight back on after reaching your goal, don't. I maintained successfuly for 3 months without being obsessed about food, then fell pregnant (gained about 3 st in pregnancy). So now I am back on it and looking forward to being slim again.
You will have cravings, but you will be able to control them. I suppose it is all in your mind, and when you know you are not allowed any food, you almost stop thinking about it. There is no dilemma of what to eat/cook today, what are you allowed to eat, how much of it, etc.
I also cooked for my husband, but I did it on the day when I felt I was in control. I would then make two or three different dishes and freeze them in single portion sizes. He would also cook for himself and divide the remainder of food into portions, then freeze them. That way there would be no leftovers in the fridge, and he would have home cooked ready-made meals.
I hope I answered your main questions, this forum is great for support, any time you have doubts etc read postings and they will inspire you.
 
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Thanks Mandy and Brumchick.. v helpful :)
He's just got in and is v stressed for work so will save the chat for a time when he might be more receptive lol. xx


edit.. also thanks anje.. you replied just as I did!!

How did you find moving back onto solid food again once you had lost the weight? xx
 
I was scared in the beginning that once I start eating it will come back as fast as it came off, but that wasn't the case at all. I would still weigh myself every other day so I had a clear picture of where I stand. What I should have done is gone through the steps, but I didn't. I followed weight watchers and if I strayed and put a pound or two on, I would use CD for a day or two (have one meal a day plus 2 shakes). I was maintaining for two or three months. Then when I fell pregnant I felt all confused about what I am allowed and not allowed to eat so I ate what I wanted. It all went well for the first 6 months of the pregnancy, then it all went haywire. I put on a lot (!) towards the end of the pregnancy, so now I am paying for it LOL
Lesson learned though. I think we all need to realise that we will forever have to be careful if we don't want old problems to return. That means exercising control over trigger foods, so instead of having a whole pack of biscuits, have just one. This is where my weaknes lies. That and picking throughout the day. This time around I will go through the CD maintainance steps and do this properly. Then I will follow WW 18 points plan. I believe lots of people comented on carbs, it would appear that it is them that make you feel hungry (after using CD). That is why you are soooooo hungry after a binge on CD. It is by far easier to ride it out and not eat, than to eat carbs, you feel like a salad bowl full of food is not enough... heh
So: steps then ww then try to eat like normal people do, with moderation.
 
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