Refocus

[UmmZakaria]

SOS needed please Haven't been on here in a while but am beginning to panic! I only finished RTM at the end of July but have put on 7lbs by being silly. I cant pretend to not understand why, I know exactly why. I'm thinking of doing a bit of a refocus for a couple of weeks - maybe week3 of RTM (2 packs & a light meal plus snacks) to shed the few pounds I want gone. I'm thinking then that I can start afresh with maintenance again. Does anyone have any words of wisdom? Am getting panicky about my lack of willpower without the routine of some packs

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[Blonde Logic]

Hi hon....don't panic first of all, and well done on hitting your target and going through RTM!!

Well, from my experience, I would suggest you try to knuckle down, and deal with this on your own without returning to packs. THe onoy reason I say this, is because I have come back a few times myself as you know - and kind of wish I had taken the bull by the horns the first time and put in the hard graft. I think I would have learned something important by doing that.

BUT - that being said - I do understand the panic and the difficulty sometimes mustering up will power. If you reallllly don't think you can do it without the structure of the packs, then your idea of a 'compromise' - rahter then full on abstinance may be reasonable. Thing is, if we are not careful the packs can become a crutch.

I feel almost hypocritical saying this, as I am on packs now - but - at the end of the day, I really wish I wasn't. It's not easy and its not nice, and its hard to get the same kind of focus the second, or third time around, etc.

You say you know why you did it - so that is half the problem. And being it is so fresh that you are at goal, how do you really know you can't lsot those few ooiunds without the routine of packs, without trying?

Just playing devils advocate here.

But at the end of the day you do need to do what feels right for you- what you know will work for you. THere is no shame in going back to the packs - and if structure is what you need, then that could be a good solution.

But don;t panic - 7 pounds is nothing - but it is so important you deal wiht it sooner then later so you don;t end up like me, have much more then a few pounds to get rid of.

Good on you for addressing it NOW. That is a great result.

Good luck whichever way you go - you know we will all be here supporting you!

xx

 

[UmmZakaria]

Thank you so much for replying so quickly BL, I think deep down I was hoping that somebody would say that. I don't want to go back on packs, especially so soon after finishing RTM but I am just so worried that I won't be able to do this. When I was doing abstinence I can remember reading posts from people returning after having put lots of weight back on and thinking "I'll never do that" and although I haven't done it... I can totally understand how it happens and also how it happens so quickly. I have lost control a bit over the last couple of weeks - initially it was because the month of fasting was over so I "allowed" myself two days of eating more or less what I fancied but I slowly slipped in the tomorrow, tomorrow mentality which is what got me to having to start Lighterlife in the first place.

I also think that doing LL the weight comes off soooo fast that to now lost a few pounds the "normal" way will feel like such a slow process. 7lbs could be gone in a week of abstinence but what will I learn from that? I think I need to give myself a big kick up the backside and stop picking and giving myself excuses. My 80:20 rule has veerrrrryy quickly become the 20:80 rule.

I don't think you're hypocritical at all BL for giving me that advice by the way. I completely admire the way you have maintained and taken action to lose the few stone you put back on. You're an inspiration and I'm so pleased you gave me your advice.

xxxx

 

[Blonde Logic]

Thanks honey - I am glad you understood where I was coming from.

Maintenance is no walk in the park - but finding balance can and will happen - but we do have to be so conscious, far more then anyone who is naturally slim.

It is a very slippery slope - but you have your eyes open, and thats good.

It is amazing = you can push the limits - for days, weeks months, and see little damage, and then WHAM - there it is. Thats what happened to me. I was getting away with it, but then suddenly it crossed over from noticing a few pounds - to Wow! How did I get HERE again. If I can do anything to help anyone avoid that, I will.

Old habits are hard to break. And it take time. LL is partially the "magic wand" we all wanted - because it is so fast - but it doesn;t change our heads nearly as fast as it does out bodies. Like any new skill learned, it has to be practiced ad practiced and practiced until it become second nature.

And even then, after 2 years of maintaining - I found that I did have a breaking point when life gets to be too much, and whoooosh - all those old habits come rushing back to comfort.

If you can address it now in the wee early stages, you will benefit from it greatly. I am sure of that.

But it is also, in my opnion not a time for heroics, if it gets too much. It is hard work acheiving what we have done, and I would go to any length to preserve that and to never ever EVER go back to what I once was. This has been a real wake up call for me, and it truly has shaken my foundation. I too was one who watched with sadness when people returned and vowed that will never be me. But we are all human, and we all have the ability to make poor decisions. If we learn from them, and better ourselves, then nothing is lost.

Follow your heart, give it your best - you cannot do more than that - and you will know the path to take - be it back on packs for security (which is not a bad thing, to be clear) - or if its the swift kick up the backside and head down approach - either way, it has to be right for you.

You offered me a lot of kindness and support when I was dealing with the darkest days of my life after my moms accident and death. If I can do anythink to help you even if its just understanding what you are going through, I am happy to do it.

You have a good head on your shoulders - I know you will come out on top.

A day at a time - you will find a solution.

xx

 

[UmmZakaria]

You're so right about it being a new skill to be learned - I never imagined how hard it would be, I always presumed slimness would be motivation in itself.

I absolutely love this forum and the support that we can give one another - thank you BL xxx

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[daisydoll]

fab advice from BL

for the last two years after doing RTM I have put 2.5 stone back on. I have tried dabbling with LL a few times but never did it properly. ( I am now back on it 100%)

I think with me I need this time to be much more careful with my 'danger zone' - 7lb is managable. You have 'caught it' in time and hopefully you wont need to go back on packs if you think carefully and plan carefully what you eat.

My advice would be to tackle it now - don't do what I did and mess about. LL is fab, but its not the only way to lose weight and ultimately you don't want to be spending money relying on packs.

The other thing is not to beat yourself up about it. Its taken years to develop your eating habits - LL tho fab, is not a magic wand and it might take longer than a few months to embed the new ideas in your brain! Old habits die hard and all that... thing is this time you are more aware and can tackle it before it gets out of hand.

Good luck!
Daisy x

 

[UmmZakaria]

Oh Daisydoll, you're so right about it not being a magic wand! I feel as though I learned sooooo much with Lighterlife and I feel like a total traitor for saying this but I started doing the Dukan diet yesterday. I feel as though it's a good middle ground - some of the theory behind it seems fairly similar to LL but it involves me having to make food choices, cook etc. but within a really rigid framework. I am hoping to shed 8lbs that I have put on and perhaps then a further 2lbs to get me to my original target which I never quite got to. I plan on carrying on going to get weighed at Lighterlife etc. and as soon as I'm able I plan on buying the bars again lol (oh how I miss nut fudge already!)

Anyway, even though I'm doing Dukan and will be spending quite a lot of time on the Dukan board I still feel as though I'm a Lighter Lifer at heart so hope that I will still be welcome on this board.

xxx

 

[Blonde Logic]

Of course you will be welcome - always!!

I am glad you have found a path you are comfortable with.

I have heard of Dukan but know nothing about it? What is it? Is it a VLCD?

 

[UmmZakaria]

Dukan is a bit like Atkins except low fat so for me the first three days I'm eating pure protein and then moving on to alternating days of pure protein and then protein and veg / salad. This continues until you've lost the weight and you then do a consolidation period where you keep one day a week of pure protein but add in extras like a couple of carb days and "celebration" meals each week. THe idea is that after this period you can eat (within reason I imagine!!!) what you want for 6 days a week but always have one pure protein day. This is what I had already decided to try and do post RTM, well to cut out ALL carbs for a day but it never really took off. Hopefully I'll be able to combine LL / Dukan to maintain once these few pounds have shifted.

Watch this space I guess. I am feeling great for the lack of carbs but I must say that I'd much rather be having my 4 packs a day rather than all this protein - ack!

 

[Blonde Logic]

SOunds interesting! It will be great if you keep us updated here how it goes? It sounds like a good alternative for total abstinanace when you need to shift a few pounds. I will follow with interest as I will have to stop LL about 1/2 stone shy of my goal in November due to having surgery in December....might be a good way to finish the job once recovered.

xx