The Highs and Lows of Development

Helen

What a fantastic post!!! I can totally empathise about the peanut bars, too. I have tried them twice and I am not going for three strikes and it's out; twice is enough to see....no go!

I really like the ideas of breaking it down and the way you and your LLC have done it.

Thank you for posting. Fantastic!

Big kiss.

Mrs Lxxxx
 
I'd just like to send TG a big hug for tomorrow's weigh in; we're all here, right behind you, all the gang on Highs and Lows!!!

Can we do collective positive thinking??? I think we can!!!

Stay strong; you can do this. No, you ARE doing this!!!

Big kiss.

Mrs Lxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Ah Developers - you're all so bloody fantastic :grouphugg:
Thankyou so much for the support - I can't tell you how much I appreciate it, really, this last stretch has just thrown up all sorts of things for me, but onwards I go!

Helen - I'm so pleased that you've had your breakthrough. Looks like we often hit similar walls, and that we both have 27lb to go til goal!
27lb. It's just nothing really is it when you think how much has already gone? Although my tracker target is my BMI of 25 target. I'll recrunch the numbers after tomorrows WI and see where I am.
Your LLC sounds great. I'm going to set a 2 week target too! :)
 
Oh and luckily I'm not a fan of the peanut bars...I'm even starting to go off the cranberry ones - well, a bit! In a spectacularly weird way I've gone onto plain and simple shakes. Living on 'milk' shakes...you've got to laugh I suppose :D
 
Another struggling developer....

Hi all,

Have been lurking for a while and have recently found this thread a real help - thank you! So thought I would add my experiences.

I started development at the end of August, having lost a whopping 5 stones in foundation - there in I think is the root of my problem with development! I went into development all guns blazing, thrilled to think that on my current rate of loss I could be done and dusted (at least with abstinence) by Christmas. I am the kinda gal that likes an end point - I like to know where I am heading, and when I am going to get there - a bit of a control freak I think. Of course, the wonderful thing about development is there are no definite timescales, no magical 100 day countdown to keep you going, and even weight loss rates (for me at least) seemed to slow right down, and become hugely unpredictable from one week to the next.

So here I am about to start week 9 of development, and granted I have lost 2 stones, so I have had a text book loss on average, but I think my success in foundation gave me false hope that I would continue at this rate. I am now struggling to accept that this may indeed take significantly longer than I expected, that there isn't a great deal I can do to increase or speed up my weight loss (I already make sure I have six litres of water a day and have reduced the number of bars I have to try and speed things up and regain my sanity).

At the moment, the eternal planner in me is stressing about Christmas and what to do - to eat or not to eat, to go into management early or not? I am sending myself mad with it so am now trying to stop even thinking about it - easier said than done!!

AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!! Rant over! Anyways, just wanted to add my moans and groans - and I am hoping that continuing to read all your experiences will help me get through. I will definitely try and post here more often when I start to feel that things are getting a little hard. I am grateful that I have managed to stay abstinent all this time, as I can see from others that this adds another layer of complexity and confusion to things, but it is still frustrating and challenging - and such a significant change from Foundation! I think LL needs to take note and change a few things to build in some additional support.

As for the bars - I love the cranberry one, but have decided that they are the devil's food, and do not satisfy at all - just make me want more. I had limited myself to four bars a week, but have now decided to cut that back to the necessary two - when I am out and about only - rather than a given treat on particular days. I have to agree with those who think they can be dangerous if thought of as anything other than a practical food pack. TigerGirl - I too have found a new love for the shakes, and found that the new vanilla with a whole tray of crushed ice, is actually very satisfying these days - and I could happily live on it - isn't it wierd how your tastes change over the course of these things?

Much love to all developers!

Leesy
xox



 
I have many of the same queries over Christmas Leesy, I had hoped to finish developers by end of November, but that is looking less likely every week. I had thought to be week 4 of management by Xmas. But my weight loss has REALLY slowed down, when it was for 1 week I thought it was just a blip, have a period, I expected agood loss the following week, but it never happened. My thoughts at the moment are to carry on in development - possibly start management sometime before Xmas, lapse a little at Xmas, 2 weeks abstinence in January, and start management properly after that. Probably a bad idea, but am coming up with new ideas to deal with this every day.

Hope you have a good weigh in tonight Tiger
 
Hi Leesy and welcome. You have done brilliantly to stay in abstinence all this time, I take my hat off to you!

Iceycold, I too was hoping to finish developers by end nov but do feel I will have to extend. I am trying not to think about christmas too much - I want to get to target before then but I also want to eat christmas dinner so think I will probably do both and take the consequences! I have enough spare packs to go back into abstinence for a few days if I want to.

TG, we do seem to have similar patterns although I have not had a bar from easter until 2 weeks ago - I found the old ones to be very slimy with an unpleasant aftertaste. I am obsessed by the chocolate foodpack with the fruits of the forest flavouring, 3 of those a day and a cranberry bar and I am a happy lass!

Thank you Mrs L for your positive strokes there!

Well today I had my weigh in and lost 5lb. I am thrilled. I have now broken the 30bmi barrier as well as having lost 40% of my body weight, my next big target of 50% is also my goal. I have been on cloud 9 today and even scraping my car down a wall has not dampened it one bit, its only a car after all.

I hope you do really well too TG (and everyone else of course but I don't know what day everyone else weighs in!), let us know how you get on.

I am raring to go on week two of the new and focused me!

Oh and btw I had a bizarre conversation with DH yesterday. I have been shivering away and told him I needed a new winter coat. "No you don't" he says, "why" says I. "because you have one already" he says "in the cupboard". "But that one is a size 24" I say and take it out of the cupboard to prove to him that I really could fit in it twice. It took some convincing that I really couldn't wear it! Even when I put it on and my arms disappeared inside and my shoulder seams almost reached my elbows he didn't want to admit I needed a new one! Men!
 
Blimey, it's all been happening since I've been on holiday!

Helen, it's good to see you back with us, I always appreciate your words of wisdom.

I was musing one day last week about how in some posts I have read, some of us Minis members get caught up in the numbers game. I have done it myself, "I must get to X number of stone/pounds", or "I have to be less than 25 BMI". Maybe even adding a target date to pile on extra stress.

I was thinking (while cycling along a dusty road in Greece:eek:) that we (I also mean "I") focus on numbers and are blind to the bigger picture. And while we focus on the numbers we create stress, anxiety and a way for the crooked thinking to get a grip and take advantage.

I decided that I'd write about it when I returned from holiday, but see that Mrs L, TigerGirl and Chunkychicken (Laura) have already beaten me to it!

We are so much more than just a collection of numbers, and the posters on this thread have attained a mind-boggling amount of experience, knowledge, wisdom and insight into our own particular weight-loss journeys, and have been generous enough to share their knowledge with everyone.

I had a bit of a light bulb moment when I realised that, in focusing on trying to get to Xnumber of pounds (and not been particularly successful for some reason), I was ignoring the (amazing) weightloss I had already achieved, and what I had learned in the process. And, in doing this, I was then in danger of jeopardising this (great) achievement. How silly:confused:.

So, what to do.

Forget the numbers.

Focus on my wonderful achievement. (You of course will focus on your own:D).
Focus (visualise) on feeding myself lovely, tasty, food WHEN HUNGRY, and throwing it in the bin when FULL.
Focus on treating myself with respect, like I would my best friend.

I really like some of the ideas that have been floating around about SELF HYPNOSIS. Repeating snappy little mantras over and over again
like Tigergirl's "Abstinance is easy" and doing it relaxed with your eyes closed (but not when in Asda or while driving) will surely help.

DOING rather than just thinking about doing... Hmmm, we're all guilty of that arn't we?

To change the subect for a moment, had a great holiday in Kos. Cycled to the thermal springs - 20 Kilometres each way - phew! Swam to an island at Paradise Beach (and back) - Wow! Walked miles to here and there every day - great stuff! Drank lots of Ouzo - Mmmmmmm. Brought a couple of bottles back... they are still currently full... for now.

Would I have done all this if I was carrying plus 100lbs? I don't think I physically could have. I don't want to go back to living a half-life. I deserve better, my family do too. Let me focus on THAT FACT and forget the numbers... see what happens.

Finally

WELCOME LEESY to this thread. Come and join the party (lots of Ouzo!)
 
I have lost the plot completely missed LL for last 2 weeks and have binged again dont think I can get back dont think I have learned anything on LL help mandy x.
 
Hey Developers :D

Well the numbers are in and I'm pleased to report a 3lb loss! So I'm still not quite under 13st but as good as!!
I'm pleased.
Today was tough, but I'm getting through it. I'm laughing at AJ's thread as it is SO about the numbers for me right now and I just can't wait until it isn't any longer!! Not long now though...
So, we're back on track and I will happily take an 11lb loss over a 2 week period.

Mrs L - the Friday blip definitely does not need to become a trend and I'm really carrying that new belief around with me just now.

I'm going to catch up properly on the thread and come back and post :D
 
Welcome Leesy!
I too lost 5st on the nose in Foundation, and like you thought I would motor through Development. If you've done 9weeks straight in Development then you've done brilliantly! I managed 3 I think before I hit the wall. But other than a major fall on Friday, am facing week 3 in abstinence. It's taken me 9 weeks of craziness to reach this point so I'm thrilled that I'm keeping on keeping on and have managed to (almost) crack Development. Please come back and post here whenever you can with all progress :D

Helen - it all sounds fabulous! 5lb loss and counting. Brilliant :D I'm so thrilled for you. Although the chocolate foodpack with FotF flavouring does sound a bit weird! I'm firmly on the sweet shakes and seriously don't know if I can ever stomach another soup, but hey ho, whatever gets you through and all that :)

Icey - I've not really thought about Christmas other than being at goal. So I'm not sure what the food front is going to look like for me. I'm pretty certain that booze will not be an issue regardless which is going to be weird! We start early on the work party front and pretty much write off December every year, but I just can't imagine myself being lulled over to the dark side as for whatever reason, and no-one is more surprised about this than me, I just never ever fancy a drink!
Food wise, I'm not sure. I guess it depends where I am come Christmas. I'm choosing not to think about it and will see where I am when I get there. If I'm at goal, then I'll be in RtM week 1!! How does that work around all things Christmas fayre related? Ans: It doesn't!! It will be so typical of me that I'll find myself in the middle of goal - RtM slap bang in the middle of Christmas week!!!

AJ - great to see you back from hols and pleased you had lots of adventures :D I can't wait to be in the no numbers zone, but at the minute my goal is getting to goal and the inevitable countdown is kicking in. And of course, my sticking point number has been huge for me. I'm a week away from getting under it - and it really is only a matter of days - and then let the real countdown fun begin! :D

Hopefilly - what's going on? I'm not sure where you are right now on numbers and stuff, so fill us in and we'll see what we can do to help :)

So - I'm ready for anything to hit me this week. In a slightly warped way I'm almost willing the big gun Demons to hit so I can battle through it. I'm really ready for them! I know how I feel when it happens now and I know that nothing terrible is going to happen if I just sit tight and keep my head down.
Onwards and upwards (well, downwards on the scales preferably) this week.

TG x
 
Just a quickie for Hopefilly.

You don't say how much you have lost or how long you have been doing LL for but don't give up. You can see from this thread that it is common to struggle at various points of your journey and to self doubt but if you do one good thing for yourself tomorrow its to ring your LLC and tell her what is going in, she may suggest a private meeting or may talk to you over the phone but you need her support, it has made a world of difference to me to admit to my LLC exactly how bad my problems were really becoming.

In the meantime take AJ's advice, focus on what you have achieved and read your green books again, read what you have written in there, re-inforce what you have already learnt and try and remember the place where your head was at the beginning of the journey - it can be put back in the same place again!
 
Thanks Helen Ive lost over 5.5 st been on LL since March 14th youd think Id have learned something by now and I dont find my LLC very helpful but I will go back to the green book I just feel so out of control at the minute Mandy x.
 
Hey hopefilly :D

How is your week working out?
I've been on LL since the beginning of Feb so around about the same length of time as you. I had a horrible period where the wheels fell off in Development - all pretty much documented in this thread! So I am empathising hugely with your feelings of being out of control.

Everyone's different, and doing LL (or similar) for all sorts of reasons. Some sail on through, others struggle at all sorts of different times. For me, all sorts of issues came up on the old mental front that just had a huge impact on me in Development and meant that it took me 9 weeks to sort it all out. 9 weeks of interupted abstinence - it was such a horrible time but I knew that I couldn't and wouldn't give up. I wasn't able to break the pattern of packs - binge - packs and it was just horrific to be honest. But I'm back on and apart from one fall, have almost completed 3 weeks of abstinence. My scales are telling me that Monday's WI is going to be good. I'm on the last stretch - finally :)

There are all sorts of practical things you can, and should, try. Try them all! Whether it's a revisit on the long term or short term goals. Re-doing the Foundation green book from scratch. Creating a daily strategy around avoiding all of the monster triggers. Changing all of your foodpack choices. Setting up 2 pop ins a week with your LLC. Creating an LL daily journal to track *everything* - ie. packs, bars, water, exercise, mood of the day, thoughts of the day - everything you can, to start to identify any patterns. Enlist a friend/colleague/family member to be your 'watcher' to prevent any crazy food moments. Do yoga/exercise of any kind. Listen to some stress busting CD's - verbal or musical. (I actually made a playlist for my ipod called 'Comfort Food' which consisted of my most happy state inducing tunes!) Take up knitting (2 scarves done and counting!!) or anything else which keeps your hands busy and requires a bit of concentration. Sign up for a nightclass (yup - did that too and it got cancelled!!)
And of course, on the practical front, if all else fails the fail safe is to simply go to bed. :D

Let us know how you're getting on. Oh, and the other practical thing I tried but which absolutely failed magnificentally was to start management. Oh the joys of that period! I guess I had to go through that to realise that getting to goal is the only way for me. Get to goal, and then start management - when that little gem finally came through, sanity started to prevail!

Good luck this week :)
 
Thank you so much TG for your post its good to know that you can go through a period like this and get back on track again. I am going back to the green book from the start and am going to write a diary to see if that helps it is just such an awful feeling to be out of control again Im beginning to think Im going nuts tbh. If I can get through the first few days of abstinence I feel I could get back into it again will keep you posted luv Mandy x.
 
Hi Developers!!

Well, I have been struggling like mad of late, and been a bit slow in checking in & seeing whats been going on. I have just had a good read of this thread & I am so glad I did. AJ, your coometns about it being about more than numbers have really hit home. I have been so fixated on the final lbs, whatever the amount may turn out to be, that I have almost completely negated the fact that I have lost well over 100lbs thus far!

I am also just on the edge of not liking some of the physical changes I am seeing now, & I qould love some other opinions please. I know (& fully understand/accept) that after a massive weight loss such as mine (hopefully 10st by the end) I will have much loose skin. My belly has looked like a Sharpei for quite some time now, and my arms...ooooh yuck, flap flap flap. Now however, my legs are starting to sort of hang like wrinkled tights and my bum is not great either. When I lie in the bath, I sometimes play with my belly asit fascinates me. Its honestly just like squishy playdough. When I squeeze, or push fingers into it, it just stays in those indentations. Not a good look, although quite amazing really!!! LOL!! Recently I put on a pair of monsoon jeans in a 12, they fit like a dream, but my tum had sort of vertical folds in it as I zipped up??? My face is starting to look a bit pinched too, I think. These comments are not "put downs! from others, as I am able to brush them off. They are my own observations. Whilst I sincerlely want to lose the excess weight, and am exercising as much as time allows (gym once a week & LTT at other times.) I wonder if & when the skin will improve??

Helen - Re your new winter coat ....GO OUT AND BUY ONE GIRL!!!! I went to TK MAXX & got a lovely warm ski jacket, for only £30. No need to shiver, that might make you want to eat more to warm up!!

Hopefilly - We have all been there. Developing is really just that. Developing newfound skills and learnig from them. When we struggle we learn, we only fail if we stop the struggle and concede to the food demons!! We CAN do it, all of us!! After all, why did we join LL in the first place??

Tonight is my first WI for ages, where I am very confident. I have had a good week. My head is getting back to that happy place, despite a few tears this week over food etc. I Feel I might just do this thing, once and for all. As for Xmas, I have a couple of "dos" planned already, and have decided that I will eat/drink if I really want to, but in an adult fashion, and then if there are consequences I am not happy with, I will accept this as a result of my actions and jump back on the LL wagon. My LLC says that there are occasional foods/events , not to be given the title "treats". I see Xmas and its social events as an occasion, and will treat it as such. (ooops!! Brave words!!)

Love to all! Will post WI results later!!
 
Hi,
I think Cerulean recently posted some comments about "filling up" again on route to management, when you start eating and refill your glycogen stores. I'm pretty saggy, but she optimistically reported that all of a sudden without putting on inches or weight her boobs perked up again.
That cheered me up, and I'm sure I've read somewhere else on here that it took nearly 12 months for the skin to catch up with where the new body has shrunk to. So long as it gets there in the end. Just glad I'm not carrying all that weight around any more.
 
Wise words Sez I am trying to get back on track can manage through the day then the demons start at night but am feeling not so manic about the whole thing I really did think I was losing my mind.
 
Woohoo have just got through a whole day staying abstinent. Hope I can keep it up, one day at a time I think hope everyone is having a good day Mandy x.
 
Well, my WI was very successful today. I lost 4.84lb this week!!! Yippee!!

Now the bad news, I came home and we had guests for drinks and nibbles. I drank water and black coffee, but I ate loads of raw veg :(. Why oh why??? I deliberately "chose" the veg as opposed to the tortilla chips, and I passed on the fabby choc mint truffles that were passed around, but the veg was too muchg of a pull for me!! Now, in a way I guess thats the good thing, the fact I preferred the veg to the high fat carbs. THe bad thing is I couldnt say no completely.

I will do a TR, and focus on my success tomorrow & the rest of the week , and hopefully will minimize the damage. The head is stillin the right place I think, so onwards and upwards...... (or rather downwards!!)

Nightnight guys!
 
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