The Highs and Lows of Development

Hey Tiger Girl - you and I are at similar stages, I am hoping to have the last few pounds gone before the New Year - how amazing to be going into 2008 slim! No more weight loss resolutions at last.

As for Christmas itself, I have decided to give myself Christmas Day and Boxing Day off, with restrictions. I figure I will be pretty close to goal weight by then, and the motivation to get the last few pounds off will get me back on track after this minor detour.

So far I have done this plan 100% - the first time in my life I have followed ANYTHING to the letter! So I will be keen to do RtM to the letter in the New Year, and figure that going back to packs for a week or so beforehand will get me back in the rightframe of mind to tackle it properly.

Mind you, I have been so good so far I am not sure whether my body or mind will let me eat - wouldn't that be ironic! Though I am sure the smell of dinner will see to that.

I would be interested to hear what other developers are planning for the festive season - I think it will be hard whichever route you chose, but if we keep our focus we can all get through it and on to a healthy and slinky year in 2008!

Leesy
xoxox
 
Hi,

I have thought about Christmas and decided that I have to continue on abstinence. I know what I am like, other Christmas's I have put so much weight on by just going for it and eating everything in sight and I have always regretted it in the new year and been really disappointment in myself.

This will be the first Christmas in a long while that I have lost some weight for and as I still have a another 7 stone to go so you can imagine how uncomfortable I have been waddling around. I feel so much better and am thrilled with Lighterlife and my weight loss and as I dont know my boundaries where food is concerned I am going to soldier on and provide lovely meals for my family and stick to my shakes and bars. And do you know what, ........... I am really excited about it because I feel I can do it this time. Reading everyone's posts is really helping me to keep motivated.

I am only into my 2nd week in development so I am new to it and do find it rather strange having all these new faces coming and going. There is only me and my friend from our Foundation group gone forward to Development so every other face is new to me, but I am sure I will get used to it.

Here's to a lighter and brighter 2008. :party0019:
 
Hello Sandra

I've also just joined Developers, and most of my group is now going into Management. As far as I can judge, there'll be about two of us left after next week! I suppose a new bunch will be along shortly. I agree about Christmas. What's one Christmas, compared to all this change we're making in ourselves? And it's only the food. We can still have the decorations, the presents, the corny tv.... I love your attitude ("I am really excited about it...") because that's really true - this is the best present (Christmas or otherwise) we could possibly have.

Hey, Dancing! You and I have about the same amount to go. How long do you reckon it'll take before we get to RtM?
 
and just think, losing all this weight means we are likely to gain an extra 8-13 years on our life which is 8-13 extra Christmases. Sounds like a good swap to me.;)

I have been worrying about going to my mums, cos we always pig out a lot. But I have been thinking about what I enjoy most about it, and realised that the reason I go is not for the food, but because I love spending time with my family and we always have a great time with lots of fun, and actually the food is completely separate. So I am going to concentrate on the fun times.
If they are eating cake, I will have a muffin, if they are eating chocs I will have a bar. just before dinner I will fill up on water and do waitress service/look after pesty kids.
Can't say it will be a breeze, but I will have it under control.
And we will be losing weight instead of putting it on over the festive period.
 
To save me reading the whole thread what is a developer. Sorry a newbie.
 
Hi ladylite
when you have gone through the 14 weeks foundation, if you have more weight to lose you go onto a development class until you have got to your goal, then move on to RTM (road to management)

welcome to the site by the way :)
 
Thank you Alibongo thats interesting as I will be a developer so I will go and read the whole thread, so I know whats in store.
 
Hi Zomble and Alibongo

Yes I think we are going to have a fantastic Christmas, we will look better than we have for years and have so much more energy to dance the night away. I am going to loads of parties, family and work dos and I have just told everyone I will be there to have a really good time but I wont be eating or drinking alcohol - I dont need alcohol to enjoy myself I can manage that very sober and will be able to remember everything the next day that everyone else got up to!! :party0011:

I have a long way to go Zomble I have lost 74lbs but I would like to loose another 7stone. My daughter gets married in July so I am just heading for July and if I get to management before then it will be amazing. I just feel so chuffed that I found out about LL.

I am looking forward to having a wonderful time and getting through Christmas lighter not heavier for a change.
 
Good for you! I hope your daughter will be so proud of the new slim you at her wedding. 7st by July sounds doable if you just keep on doing what you're doing now.

It will be a good experience for all of us abstainers, won't it, to realize that we don't need food and booze to have a good time! Personally I've relied on both way too much!
 
Hey Developers :)

Great to hear all about the Christmas plans. I have the joys of Christmas, my birthday and new year all in the same week. I'm heading north this year for the festivities (aka. home) and have booked myself into a hotel! Family are suitably mortified in a northern hospitality kind of way! But I think it's for the best. At least that way I am in control of what happens and I certainly will not be sitting next to endless tins of Quality Street, with open house syndrome at full swing "have a drink, have a drink..." I'll be driving at all times (not that the booze has ever been an issue for me) to ensure that one is sorted. So I'm planning on having my Christmas Day LL free and being the designated driver for the rest of the time. And then only I am to blame if I go mental on room service!!
For my birthday, it falls on the Saturday after Christmas so I'm planning day time fun with all of my friends which doesn't involve food and drink. And for 12 bells I'm booked in to keep one of my best friends + her hubby company with their new born.
Wow - I'm almost killing myself with all of this excitement...ho-ho-ho...
I'm in the final zone though so there's not a lot of choice and after swinging and/or sticking at the same weight for such a long time there's no way I'm going back to the Dark Days!! No way!
I am applauding everyone's plans massively. My LL anniversary is the beginning of Feb. What a difference a year makes eh?
:D
 
My group (foundation) are pretty much all going into development- she's encouraged us to stick to a day when we can all still go. Management will be where we are all split up!
 
Hey Developers :)
Just checking in to see how everyone is doing. I'm having a fabulous relationship with the gym just now and it's really helping. My running is going brilliantly (still can't believe I am running - it's always been my least favourite form of exercise). My trainer is planning boxing and skipping for the New Year! He's so utterly fantastic and we've agreed to start doing classes together, as a motivational thing for me as oppose to financial gain for him. He's great. He does however really dislike LL and cannot wait for me to get back onto real food. His school of thought being I will be able to train harder with real food, and he also really dislikes the all or nothing approach. However, I am his star pupil just now as I constantly remind him, so he can't argue with that.
I'm doing more varied exercise than ever at the gym and it's really keeping me interested.
My attack on maintaining abstinence is definitely improving. After going one step forward one step back for such a long time, I can now honestly say that those steps are becoming longer. I had a fall over the weekend, but I've worked through it and it's showing on the scales. The ratio is moving towards five steps forward, one step back. But I'm really focused on my end date which is end Jan. So much so that I'm re-thinking Christmas and starting to look at it as a complete abstinence period. At this rate I think I'll have around 14lbs to go come Christmas Day. I want to do everything I can to have a successful festive period and not jeopardise the end goal.
:D
 
Hey Dancing - yep I'm thinking February as well, though as you say it's hard to tell at the moment. Everyone says you just know when it's the right moment, so I hope it's true!

Heavens - only 11 weeks! What's your secret? I thought I was doing well, but I'm all envious now! Fantastic weight loss. :party0011:
 
And Tiger Girl - those stats are really inspiring! Only 24lb to go. Bet you can't wait to see how you do in Management.

I can't ever see myself running though - big medal to you for doing it.
 
Zomble :) Well I'm now finally believing that I am going to get to management!! For some time there management was the elusive Holy Grail. But it's coming... :D
I cannot find the words to describe my response had anyone suggested to me this time last year that I would find myself running! If I can do it absolutely anyone can! Bring on the boxing...I won't be visualising anyones face on the trainer pads, I will be visualising Development and quite happily battering it to bits :D
 
Tiger Girl, its great to see you doing so well, nearly there! The disbelief is so hard to overcome. I have been battling with it recently which is why I haven't been posting. I feel like a fraud and a fake, that it can't possibly be true that I have done it.

I am surprised how much of a battle that is.

Well done for keeping on with the battle.

Best wishes
Claire
 
Hey ladies,

Glad to hear updates from you and that things are going well.

I am feeling pretty pleased to be nearing the end of this part of the journey at least, and excited about starting the next stage and learning how to eat again!

Hopefully, I will be in a position to start management in January and I am a bit daunted by the thought I guess having read about others experiences, but I am now determined that I am gonna do this and be the person I always thought I should be!

Lighterlife is an amazing programme, and really does change your life!

Leesy
xoxox
 
Happy belated 2008 Developers!

I hope everyone is getting on brilliantly, although many many long service LL'ers appear to have flown the Mini's nest.
I'm getting on really well and in RtM. Maintaining like a very good girl and getting my head around the slow and steady loss approach. Abstinence and I finally parted company long before Christmas and I decided to start management with a view to sticking on weeks 1 and 2 until I get to goal, which is all working out pretty well :D

A massive hello to all of you 2007 Mini's who may pop in time to time- and you know who you are! - I hope it's all working out and everyone is where they want to be.

And for anyone starting Development, I'm incredibly proud to say that whilst not yet at goal I've maintained my 6st plus weight loss for 5months now and have not gained a pound. If you're in it for the long haul then there are many ways to skin this cat (never eat the skin of course, way too calorific - ho ho) But you've got to make the commitment with your head. The very first book that I read on my LL journey was Gillian O'Reilly's (mentioned loads on Mini's) I was not buying the 'don't focus on what you look like, instead focus on how you feel and your self esteem' approach for a second! What? And not twirl around in my new skinny jeans??? Well, it turns out she's not wrong, the physical side is merely the output of the mammoth head work that needs to happen to get it off, and keep it off. And I'm still going! But I'm now the turtle, not the hare, and once I got my head around that I realised that this is how it's got to be forever. Not until goal, and not until the size 10 jeans fit.
I started LL in Feb 07 - it's almost my official LL birthday! What a difference a year makes!

Good luck everyone, whichever stage you're at in the LL world just now.
TG :D
 
Hi, I wondered if anyone is willing/able to keep this developers thread going with me? I've been struggling with developers for months now!!

ix
 
Back
Top