I need help. And hugs.

[Porgeous]

Night night sweetheart, I hope the morning brings some relief from the pain

xx

 

[Blonde Logic]

Oooops - had to edit my last post as I sent you "lots of big bugs", instead of "lots of big hugs"!

Louale x

lol - just had to "lol" at this before going to bed.

Thanks for the giggle.

 

[slendablenda]

Sleep well

:nightf:Wake up like a new woman Look what you've been through to get to here - you'll do it girl.
Lots of love,
xxxxxxx

 

[bexnkev]

Hi BL,

firstly, so sorry to hear you are in so much pain!!!
I too am very scared right now... christmas and all!!! I have found that I'm picking a bit!! I have also put on 7lb since re-introducing food!! BUT in the last 3 weeks I have levelled out and stayed the same (not this week I doubt though cos I've been a bugger!!).
It really is a tough time of the year!! I can't really give too much advice, I tend to a eat a bit of what I shouldn't and then exercise like a maniac!!! It has worked so far!! My goal over christmas is to stay around where I am now!! I really do hope everything settle down for you Sending lots of hugs your way x

 

[Blonde Logic]

BL :wave_cry:Hello there big hugs from me - do you remember me.

Dont get down, just look how far you have come - I couldnt believe your piccies you look absolutely fab. Amazinggggggggg

Dont ask about me I afraid I am not a LLifer anymore, in fact, I am not any ...ifer..... at the mo so I know how you feel struggling. But the thing I missed is the help and support on here.

Sending your lots and lots and lots and lots of hugs and love.

M.

Ps have to edit my signature - oooooopppppps

Do I REMEMBER YOU!!!?? Lady my love - how could I forget YOU!!! Of course I remember (and miss) you!!!

Its so nice to see you here - regardless of your status - its you I miss - not your stats.

Thanks for posting. I have come a long way, indeed. And now learning the very hard part. I'm getting there - but it IS scary!!! lol

I need to reply still to this thread and all the wonderful comments and support from everyone - but just now, I wanted to address you and say hello.

I know it might be hard to post here regularly if you are not on a plan, or feel you are struggling - but I wish you would, just to say HI. I reallllly have missed you!!!! Its so nice to "see" you and to know you are still out there.

Don't give up on yourself Lady - you had an awful lot of stuff going on with your organisation, and it was stressful times. It does NOT mean you failed - it simply means it was not your time - which will come, and then it will all fall together as you want it to.

Hope to see you more often!!!

Love and hugs!!!

XXXXX

 

[slendablenda]

So we are human !!

Don't worry BL,
Our LLC told us it would happen sometime. She's always right isn't she.
I'm sorry about the pain. I hope you find a solution. As for the picking - me too!
I've been doing foody preparations for Christmas presents, parties etc.
Can't help myself tasting, licking, trying.
No major blow out, no proper meals.
But it's so scary - makes me realise how I got so big in the first place. It's so easy to do and could be constant if I let it.
But, I keep telling myself it isn't a disaster. i'm not suddenly going to undo all the hard work I've put in. BUT DANGER,DANGER.
So many mixed messages in my hwad, stomach and the mirror..................
the small clothes still fit, my mouth tastes strange after eating sweet stuff, my stomach feels very strange and is rebelling, people are still giving me compliments and I'm beating myself up.
It would be so easy to stay on the packs
and not consider re-introducing food.
I hope the LLC is back next week. I don't think I can keep on track wothout some serious coping stategies.

 

[Blonde Logic]

Me too - I really miss her and feeling the need for a good class!!!

I have really been concentrating on trying to get it all right. I have looked back through the books and found some mistakes I have made - I did not know once we have a trigger food, it is ONLY meant for that week and not to be repeated until the end. I did not know that. I do now. lol So there is a prob.

I also found out recently - I have been using a web planner/tracker. Its US based, so have to convert a fair amount but it is free and tracks everything. However, I really scrutinesed the targets it set - and I think it set my carbs too high!!! DOH!!! So I suddenly feel like I have done this ALL wrong!!! lol

This weekend, I have some necklaces to make - and then I am going to study my book. I was very cavalier, admittedly, about wanting to do this by "instinct" - which I DO NOT RECCOMEND anyone....not yet. I just do not want to live a life measuring and weighing everything, so tried to get off to a more natural start. That will have to come later, if ever.

WHile everything is still in tact - as you say, the clothes fit, compliments still coming, etc., I don;t FEEL like I want to. So - I am now a bit panicky that I have really ballsed it up - just over worrying I think.

But since recognising these things - I feel much much better, and much more in control. And aware.

Its not going to be the easiest of roads to follow - will be a lifetime of having to be aware, and I don;t think I can trust my instincsts. Not yet anyway - so broke out the scales and measuring tools and trying to be a bit more proactive. Reluctanly - but necissary.

Make sense?

Anyway - must get ready for work. Thank god its Friday.

Have a great weekend - call me if you need.

xxxx

I am going to PM KD and ask for her 2 penneth worth - she is a star at maintaining, and I value her advice. Maybe she will drop some gems for us.

Take care hon - we'll get there. It may be a bumpy road - but we'll do it!!

xx

 

[KD]

Sorry I haven't got back sooner BL (see reply pm).

Right...before I ramble on, like I do I found some of the things I wrote when I was doing the Cambridge maintenance.

I'm going to copy and paste them to give you something to mull over...then post again later.

This is what I wrote on another site, before the birth of minimins when I was doing the 'refeed' of Cambridge.

I have slipped up twice on the stabilisation. Both times I had gained weight, but been able to lose it again and stabilise by just following the plan I’m supposed to be following!

[FONT=&quot]I’ve now been 100% for the last 10 days[/FONT]

On Monday, I moved on to the 1200 cal step. Here it looks like pasta, potato and rice are pretty much out, but I get bread.

Tuesday morning I weigh and I’ve put on 1.5lbs. Don’t panic. Keep at it and it might settle. So I have the same on Tuesday and this morning I notice I’ve put on another 1.5lbs. This is getting slightly worrying. I think the bread is having an adverse reaction here. Could be the soup….but I’m more inclined to think it’s the bread.

snip

Perhaps I do worry too much, I dunno. I don't think I was so much worrying, more wondering what I should do, but I get your point. I think I'll be more relaxed when I've finished the stabilisation. At least I get to chose the foods

What I do know, is that I don't want to do this again and I don't want to rely on CD.

This is my one chance of getting it right. If I don't do it properly I'll never know whether it'll work as it says it will. I'll always be wondering whether I put the weight on again because I came off it the wrong way.

Having said all this, I can see me back on CD again and again, because I'm a hopeless cause, but I've got to try and I've got to get this bit right....right down to the last ounce. It seems a small price to pay. It's a year from when I started. I've done this for so long....what a shame to mess it up at the last hurdle. I have one month to go. I can do this, regardless of other health issues. I just have to find a way to get around any problems I have with it.

Will try to get back tomorrow, but I thought you might find that interesting...and hopefully reassuring, despite it sounding a little negative

Just wanted to show that I had similar problems at one time. It doesn't mean that you are doomed

 

[Annie 100]

Hi,

I don't want this to appear negative in any way because if it hadn't been for LL I would still be 15 stone and very depressed. I recommend it to anyone who asks me how I lost the weight and 18 months on, I'm just a few pounds up on when I finished which is fantastic but...

I think that without a shadow of doubt,a VLCD stuffs up your metabolism. There is no way I can eat even the recommended amount of calories for a woman and not see the weight creep on.

Believe me, I've tinkered with the carb content, the sugar content, the fresh air content and it boils down to the plain and simple fact, I have to stay at about 1500 calories a day just to maintain my present weight.

Now that I have realised this, I can get on with it. I have come to terms with the fact I prefer to look and feel slim than eat 3 meals a day! I have blow out days, hey, let's not lie here, I have blow out weeks! But I get back on track because that's the only way I'm not going to creep (or sprint) back to obese. I even had to do W8 for a few weeks to get right back on track before I realised the simple fact, that I will never be able to eat 2000 calories a day and not gain weight.

I know you won't hear this from your LLC, but I'm sure if you did a quick poll of everyone who has done LL, they will tell you that maintaining the weight with 'normal' food intake is impossible. What is the percentage of LL losers who go back to gaining most if not all of the weight I wonder? I suspect it's because they never realised their bodies couldn't tolerate 'normal' not exessive eating.

Like I said at the start, this isn't meant to be a doom and gloom, don't do it message. I'm forever glad that I did LL, (I also did it with your LLC BL, so it was a very positive experience) I'm just trying to say, don't feel that you are doing anything wrong with your re eating, just get your head round how great it is to be slim and work out your own ways of coping with food being an issue.

 

[pete10141748]

re Annie 100's comment about needing less than 2000 calories;

I found this useful
BMR Calculator

it roughly works out your BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) dependant on your age, sex, and weight, from that you can then work out your Average Daily Calorific needs by doing the following;

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

1. If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
2. If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
3. If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
4. If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
5. If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

For me, a 5foot 11inches male of 23years who plans on doing 3 days at the gym/swimming a week at goal, I barely need to take in over 2100cals a day to maintain, when the "guideline daily amount" for men is somehow 2500 :sigh:

Try it out, you may find that 2000 a day was well over what you would need anyway.


Of course, as with the BMI, it's only an estimation as it's designed for everyone and not specific, but it gives a general idea.

 

[Porgeous]

My understanding is that those guidelines were set many many years ago when people generally led more active lives. They have not been revised to reflect changes in lifestyle and in reality are too high an intake for most of people regardless of whether we have done a VLCD or not. I maintain on around 1700 which I think is about average.

Gxx

 

[KD]

I think that without a shadow of doubt,a VLCD stuffs up your metabolism. There is no way I can eat even the recommended amount of calories for a woman and not see the weight creep on.

Research shows that VLCDs do not stuff up the metabolism. On any weight reducing way of eating, the metabolism lowers, but then it levels off. When you increase your food, the metabolism goes back to what it should be for your new body size.

Lots of trials have been done and they indicate the above. Not sure about LL, but coming off Cambridge takes 6-8 weeks and assuming you stick to the programme, the metabolism is restored by the time you finish.

Of course, the metabolism could be restored earlier, but the Cambridge plan takes a couple of months to get back to a 'normal' calorie level.

My understanding is that those guidelines were set many many years ago when people generally led more active lives. They have not been revised to reflect changes in lifestyle and in reality are too high an intake for most of people regardless of whether we have done a VLCD or not. I maintain on around 1700 which I think is about average.

Gxx

Totally with you on this and it was discussed on the Cambridge training days. I think they said that 1800 was about average for a lady (probably 1700 for porgeous...as she's tiny )

I find 1800 worked well when I was calorie counting. I'm older than many here which means I need less calories, but do walk a lot (about 15000 steps a day according to pedometer - my normal lifestyle rather than planned exercise).

1800 cals is also the approx level that WLR suggested for me to maintain maintenance, and their calculator didn't know I had done a VLCD

Quoting from literature I have here "the change in MR has absolutely nothing to do with the method in which the weight is lost. As far as the body is concerned, it has lost weight but it has no idea how the weight loss was achieved"

 

[wannabslim]

Research shows that VLCDs do not stuff up the metabolism. On any weight reducing way of eating, the metabolism lowers, but then it levels off. When you increase your food, the metabolism goes back to what it should be for your new body size.

Lots of trials have been done and they indicate the above. Not sure about LL, but coming off Cambridge takes 6-8 weeks and assuming you stick to the programme, the metabolism is restored by the time you finish.

Of course, the metabolism could be restored earlier, but the Cambridge plan takes a couple of months to get back to a 'normal' calorie level."

Can I ask, does this mean if I work up the steps quicker, my metabolism won't recover? Am a bit worried as am planning to work up the plans for a week each and that means I'll only be doing 2-3 weeks not 6-8 (I'm sorta doing 810 at the moment so only 1000 and 1200 really to do)

Would appreciate any advice (sorry BL if I've digressed a little but this has worried me) xxx

 

[Blonde Logic]

Thats OK Wannbe

I am just trying to take all this in at the moment!! I don't know why - if its just me - but it all seems so confusing at the moment.

Going to think about all this for a bit -

Thanks KD - the posts you pasted certainly strike a chord....

I'll be back with thoughts!

x

 

[KD]

Can I ask, does this mean if I work up the steps quicker, my metabolism won't recover?

Yes it will recover. As soon as you get back to normal levels your metabolism starts to recover. The only reason why it takes longer if you do the full refeed (6-8 weeks) thing, is that it takes that long to get back to normal calorie levels.

The way the Cambridge refeed is worked out (and probably LL too), there is a gradual increase in calories and carbs so there is limited weight gain when the glycogen replenishes rather than having anything to do with the restoration of the metabolism

 

[wannabslim]

Ah that's great news! Thanks for setting my mind at ease.

BL, I think everything you're feeling now is perfectly healthy - I'm already worrying about how I'm going to deal with it, and I'm not even there yet. Just follow the plan and try and stay positive. If you're doing it 100% that's all you can do.

Chin up chuck xxx

 

[Annie 100]

Perhaps it's just a case of it will be different for all of us. I have been off LL for 18 months, so it's not a case of my body readjusting. I walk a minimum of 2 hours per day, so it's not a case of being a couch potato! I think you can produce all the statistics in the world, it won't change the fact that for some people, doing a VLCD will change their metabolism for good.

Obviously, I'm only drawing on my own experiences, but I think it's good to hear how other people are dealing with keeping the weight off and the problems that might be encountered as well as reading facts and figures about BMI's etc. At least people who may be struggling know they are not alone.!

 

[mommyB]

Hello blondelogic we have not been officially introduced but when i first found this site yours were some of the first photos that I saw and you just wowed me so I have sort lurked around your diary & threads since.
although I am following a different diet so some of what you discuss about your journey is a bit 'alien' to me much of what you say makes so much sense.
I worry about getting to my goal cos I worry that it might not all be how I think it will and in some stupid way I think this is actually what is stopping me getting there, so i can understand where you are comming from when you say you dont feel how you want to.

Anyway I just wanted to say hi, empathise a bit and let you know that you have inspired me to carry on, albeit in the new year, am taking christmas off from the stress of it all.

A big thank you

 

[bexnkev]

This losing weight business is a scary and unpredictable thing!! I am now the size I've always wanted to be but I still don't particularly like my body much!! I have scary amounts of lumps and bumps in inconvenient places so it is taking time to love myself. Don't get me wrong, I'm never going back to how I was but it is frustrating not being able to wear that particular top cos it don't cover my excess skin!! BL, we lost a large amount of weight very very quickly and I think we have to give our brains time to catch up!! I'm getting there and although my discipline has been sketchy this week... next week it is back to rigid to keep this weight off!! We are doing damn good girl

 

[Ro Laren]

Interesting. My current BMR is around 2100 (at 21st), and at my goal weight (11st) it's 1484.

It's remarkable how fewer calories I will need, compared to now.

it also explains why I always regain the weight I have lost - eating too many calories than my new weight dictates.

Good food for thought.