Moving from Total to Lite

[Joiya]

Well, this week I'm giving Lite a trial run. I'm an obsessive scale-hopper (yes, I know many people have opinions on this but I've been doing it since the very start ) and seriously, if the needle has moved at all in the past few days it's moved upwards. I think that mentally I really need to see a decent weight loss this week or I'll have to continue on Total, or I'll obsess about it even more than I already do!

Has anyone else made the transition from Total to Lite, and how did you find it? Did your weight loss stay the same/improve/get worse? Apart from anything else, I think I have to space out my food for the "meal" throughout the day because really, I can't eat a whole meal in the evening.

 

[carrieclaus]

i tried lite and had a decent loss first week but i found it too hard. the losses were slower so i knew it would take longer and i wasnt prepared for it. lite does work but as a self confessed scale addict it wasnt for me. a lady in my work done it and lost 2st in 12 wks which was enough for her and she felt and looked great... 1yr later she has kept the weight off so she def rates it. xx

 

[Spanglymum]

I had to switch to Lite when my BMI got to 25. I won't lie - it's harder mentally than Total, because you have choices to make, but I've had some good losses so it does work.

 

[Minerva]

I did both LL Total and Lite, and personally I wouldn't recommend switching straight from one to the other. Mentally it's TOO MUCH. I haven't encountered ... anyone actually who did this successfully (unless someone proves me otherwise? Though I think Spangly may be the only one that I know of!! ). My weight losses were actually pretty similar on both plans - I read somewhere - based on research of two groups doing VLCD's - one sticking to the calorie count of the Total program (550?) and one sticking to the Lite (800ish) - the losses were pretty much exactly the same.


The mental shift from abstinence (no decision making at all) to suddenly having to plan a whole balanced MEAL - when on abstinence you have a neurosis about small things such as having a slice of lemon in our glass of water - how do you think having an entire meal would affect this type of mindset? Not very well.

I don't think you should mix the two plans. If you're doing abstinence - I would fully recommend doing the full 12-week RTM. It teaches you so much about what food you actually may have a small problem with and what your weak points are - because the introduction is so slow. Lite RTM is only 4 weeks and is nowhere near as comprehensive.

I did Total followed by 12-week RTM. Then a couple of months later I started Lite to finish getting to goal - when I was mentally ready for it. Lite on it's own (after a period in the 'real food world') taught me so much about portion control and what my body actually needs food wise. It was an eye-opener for sure, and cemented a lot of staples that have stayed until this day - such as a good selection of vegetables every day (which pre-LL did not exist!), healthier lunch options - soups (before LL, unthinkable!) and generally no unecessary snacks in the house.



I think to make a successful transition from Total to Lite you need an extremely solid determination to reach your goal and no doubt in your mind over how to achieve it. Your body/brain chemistry MAY, however, go into overdrive, so be very careful. LL puts our body into 'starvation mode', so a steady income of actual real food may make it 'wake up' and chemically drive you to suddenly have a hunger like no other. It's a defencive mechanism which you may need to be aware of.


Either way, have a think about it and well done on your loss so far! It's very impressive. Remember, never give up, but if you feel you've had enough... You can always come back to it later with a fresh mind, like I did.

 

[LadyT]

Minerva that's a cracking piece of advice and will help lots of us who havent done the plan before, so we dont know the best route to take with it all.

I am in abstenece and have been since I started, Originally I thought I would lose a higher amount per week and that I would get to where I needed to be by mid June at the lastest, this would give me the chance to do some of the RTM course before my holiday in August.

Realistically it is going to be much later now when I hit goal, this in itself worries me because I will be going on holiday and not understanding what I should and shouldnt eat.

I am not phased by it too much I am sure I will feel differently as the time approaches.

I checked with my LLC and she says I can stay on total until I reach goal, which gives me comfort, but as you say doing total RTM then going onto Lite seems more effective if I do decide to move to Lite down the line, so thank you for sharing this with us xx

 

[goodthingsinsmallpackages]

Our LLC also lets us do RRTM longer than 12 weeks if we want so if you really want to lose more then you can do extra weeks of week 2/3/4/5 for example where you still have plenty of foods to learn about and eat but if you follow the plan to the letter you can still lose weight. Everyone in our group lost weight at the beginning and I lost weight throughout RTM as I learnt that nothing was a trigger for me anymore (thank you LL, the group work worked!) - well at the moment, I only finished RTM 2.5 weeks ago but feeling and thinking positivly

Also by doing the full 12 weeks RTM you do learn lots about your body and food and can learn what food you can eat and still lose weight.

I have to say though that I still haven't learnt to maintain yet, only lose but I'm working on it.

 

[Pinkie :)]

Well said TBSX... very similar story to myself... Except my holiday is in June... But yeah, feel we're on the same path & thought process...

Xx

 

[LadyT]

Pinks, we will get there, just imagine hot how we will both look on holiday though lol xxx

 

[ReezieJay]

Well im switching from total to lite as of next tuesday. Im really looking forward to it so i will let you know how i get on. I would have liked to do another 4 weeks on total but april is a busy month where food will be involved and it will be easier for me to make better choices than just come off plan completly

 

[Joiya]

Thanks for the great responses guys, really. I am trying a meal a day for this week until my weigh in but I'm not feeling very positive about it to be honest. It feels really strange... but I'll let you know how I get on.

To give some background, the thing that really pushed me into the decision is that I bought a bicycle and started cycling to work and back every day - and it made me HUNGRY. So instead of cheating and having cake or something, or Domino's, I went and bought the ingredients for a Lite stir-fry, and it made me feel so much better. Then I spoke to my LLC the next day who said she did think it was time for me to start reintroducing food.

I think I'm just scared. But in my head, I know I shouldn't be - determination is not a problem, I never once, ever, veered from LLT and I'm certain I can stick to LLL also. It's just... scary! lol. Sorry, that sounds crap but that is how I feel.

 

[ReezieJay]

No don't be silly. It is scary. We've got used to and overcome our need and desire for food that has made us fat. To have to reintroduce it us like dipping our toe back into that uncontrollable world. I'm so excited to have my first meal on Tuesday but don't get me wrong it's terrifying aswell. But we are both strong. We know we need to stay in ketosis so hopefully that alows us to keep the determination and will power not to eat crap. We need to be able to believe in ourselves...it's easy for me to say that now. Wait till Wednesday I'll prob be having a mental breakdown haha x

 

[Tilleymonster]

Heya! I've only ever done Lite and just wanted to give you a little boost because it's going to be okay! Ok?

When you abstain totally you have to CHOOSE not to cheat. Sure, there are no decisions to be made, or so it seems. But actually you have to decide to have just your sachets. You decide not to have 5 of them. You decide not to have them all in one sitting. You are still deciding and choosing to do this and not eat food. It's not like you haven't seen food AT ALL when in abstinence you have just avoided it, you have stayed controlled.

The same thing is going to happen on Lite. There are exact weights of certain foods and veg. You will abstain from all things not allowed, you will have your 3 sachets instead of 4 and you won't randomly cook or buy chips anymore than you would when you had your sachets. Because you WANT this more than you want to eat rubbish and be fat again?

Right?

Personally I think anyone that can utterly abstain from ANY food for so long will find weighing and cooking up exact portions a doddle. Just continue to do what it says on the tin and you'll be absolutely fine. Promise xxx

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[Minerva]

I bought a bicycle and started cycling to work and back every day - and it made me HUNGRY. So instead of cheating and having cake or something, or Domino's, I went and bought the ingredients for a Lite stir-fry, and it made me feel so much better.

Wow, all my hats go off to you! You exercised a very adult-ego state decision there! You recognised what your body NEEDED and dealt with it in a very grown-up and responsible way. On Total exercise is harder to manage, especially that you mentioned that you started cycling more recently? So your body just isn't used to rationing any energy for a higher intensity activity, hence the hunger.
I'm really impressed and inspired by you. I think you will do really well on Lite, it will be a little bit harder because you will suddenly have to make more choices about dinner, but what my LLC tells me - is to keep to the protein and not over-do the vegetables. On Lite the balance of calories going in for the 'fat-burning' state is harder to adhere to, an extra helping of vegetables can knock you out! So, she advised to keep to the protein and some salad on most days. But mentally it will be enough to keep you going both with the exercise (well done!) and the weightloss.

 

[Joiya]

Thanks for the lovely replies! I had my weigh in today and lost 2.64lbs this week - not amazing but really not that different from a normal weight loss. I'm certainly going to keep going on Lite for now because I do think my body is telling me that it needs food, and getting fit is very important to me.

Very interesting comment about the veggies too - I do struggle with them a bit as I find I get full before I'm done - but I'll try and maybe eat the protein first and if I leave some veg on my plate well hey, no big deal

 

[Spanglymum]

I didnt realise extra veg can knock you out of ketosis! Not a prob for me now as I'm on RTM but it would have been good to knw. The book just says 'eat freely'! Sometimes (often) think this site has been more imprtant to my LL success thanthe official literature and weekly groups. You guys are a fount of useful infrmation and support!