Time to make a decision...

[picnic...]

There are voices in my head and I really need you to help me make a decision as to whether to remain on LL.

Pros for staying
- Doing ok on it most of the time
- Quick weight loss
- Counselling (but if I quit I'd have individual CBT which may be better)
- I haven’t sorted out my eating issues

Cons
- Not normal eating, so I've learnt a lot but want to put it in practice
- I'm consistently all or nothing, its time I took a more moderate approach (with help)
- I want to remove the focus off weight loss and on to other reasons to sort out my eating (a la Gillian Riley)
- I am becoming obsessed on LL, it's affecting my work (not doing as much!), my social life and my energy levels
- I don’t really think I’m tackling my eating issues – I have got more strategies now, but returning to food will always be difficult
- I’m missing exercise
- I’m not sure I should be doing a diet this extreme
Am I going mad? Is this just crooked thinking? Should I give it a go and if I’m not comfortable with it, come back on to LL (I’m not in a 14 week group). Advice / opinions v. much appreciated!

 

[catznolan]

hun i dont really have much advice really but i know u obviously didnt choose this diet easily there was a reason behind choosing it over ww etc!!
think back to the way u felt before u choose ll, and ur emotions u were going threw ( bad bout ur weight etc i no like i was getting depressed bout mine,)
and how ur feeling bout ur weight after losing 20lbs and looking forward to loosing more.

sending hugs and hope u make a decision xxx

 

[Cherry Plum]

Why don't you stay on LL until you've lost all the weight you want to lose & then go elsewhere.
Personally I would stick with LL if it were me.
In the last year after doing LL & losing six stone I have not been able to maintain my weightloss without LL's help, I've tried SW & lots of self help books inbetween, but I feel LL is the only thing that works for me.
I found that the weightloss on other programmes was not good enough for me, I need to have a guaranteed 3lb loss a week.
I haven't sorted out my eating issues either, thats why I'm restarting.
Weight management is an ongoing problem for a lot of us & is the most difficult part of any diet.
I have been off & on LL for the last year, every week I'd be full of good intentions & then fail, I'd give up try something else & then realise only LL could deliver what I want from a weight loss programme.
So I am back & it really feels different this time.
Obviously you must make the decision that is right for you.
Good luck.

 

[Strictly Shaz]

Picnic,

I think it's a bit early to think about abandoning LL if you've only been on it 3 weeks -- also as it shows from your ticker you don't have that much more to lose, you could actually achieve your goals before Xmas if you stick to LL -- why risk not achieving your goals and changing tactic halfway through ...?

Best wishes,
Sharon

 

[picnic...]

I think because its impacting on the rest of my life. I'm obsessed with LL, I'm lacking in energy, I can't focus (its taking up a lot of mental energy), I just don't feel like me.

Now the urgency has gone and I am now asking myself, why am I in such a rush? Would it not be better to do this gradually?

But then I think, has enough changed? Will I just slip back into my old ways and be back to LL in January?

 

[bekimo]

I think it is a decision you very much have to think about and make an informed decision on.
Until then, you should just stick to LL and focus on what is best for you, it may be that in a few weeks, you feel better about LL and want to see it through to the end of foundation and through RTM. Or you get through a few more weeks and decide it really isn't for you and move on.
Remember what you have learnt in councelling about Ego States! Personally, I would be tempted to stay through the programme because you do learn so much about yourself and your eating habits. I am soooo much happier with myself than I was 8 weeks ago and I have never had this much improvement (most of it over the last 2 weeks!) in any diet I have done before!

B x

 

[Tange]

Hi Picnic,

I was on LL for 7 months, I did not loose all the weight I wanted to, I am a stone short of my ideal weight. I have been maintaining for the last 4 months, its not easy it really isn't and if today is anything to go by, I know I can still be out of control around food. My point I guess is that it took a long time to form your eating patterns its going to take some time to change them.
Being realistic why not give yourself a decent 8 weeks on LL and see how you go then. Its hard I know it is but so worth it.

Sorry to hear you are feeling so lethargic on it. I was so lucky to feel a million dollars from start to finish, with possibly only a day or two of feeling alittle blue.

Good luck.

 

[Lizzie07]

I would definately not give up yet. I did exactly the same as you are contemplating and stopped half way through the last time I did LL. My reasons were different though as in I felt good about losing so much weight and thought I could go it alone to lose the last 21lbs but I didn't I stayed at that weight. I did manage to maintain so that was a good thing and only eventually put it back on when I got pregnant again. I think it is quite normal to want to quit when you are half way through be it at 7 weeks or halfway through your weight loss....

Stick with it a few more weeks until Christmas and then re-evaluate...I also have become obsessed with it and I am another all or nothing person but hey so what if we are obsessed with it for a while...

 

[mikey]

I'm glad you replied laststraw as I would not have been so ... tactful.

Picnic - at least give it 8 weeks. That is so little to ask of yourself. If it is not for you after that then fine, but for the time being you haven't given it much of a go and all I seee are a bunch of excuses for you to give up (meant in the nicest possible way as I make excuses too). But to be cruel to be kid - either you want to lose weight or you don't. Time for you to take control!


You need to put to bed the ideas like "I might see how I get on by myself" etc. You know that will not work otherwise you wouldn't have needed LL in the first place.

Good Luck whatever you do, but I hope you carry on fopr a while. Take inspiration from the others here who (mostly) have similar issues.

 

[slendablenda]

What made you start LL ?

Hi Picnic
Have the reasons changed that made you decide to start LL in the first place?
How much research did you do?
I really think it's early days to be thinking about giving it up. You haven't given it a chance yet.
LS has answered all your individual points so well.
My advice would be to go with your instinct.It all depends how much you want to lose your weight and what your motivation is.
Good luck whatever you decide.:wave_cry:

 

[picnic...]

Thank you thank you thank you for all your support and very wise advice. I thought I'd update you on how it went - I phoned my LL counsellor and although she's been brilliant before, she obviously had a blip. She told me that there was no way LL would affect my mental alertness or be the reason I've basically been unable to focus on work etc. for about 2 weeks, and that if I was going to blame LL, the diet probably wasn't for me.

I stopped the diet however (gently and with lots of exercise), and felt much better, so much so my boss even commented (and she had no idea I was doing LL as I work from home).

But, after a week off the diet, whilst I lost weight, I started to introduce bad habits again (evening chocolate being the worst). I still have issues, obviously. So before I put on any of the weight I so carefully lost, I'm taking someone on the boards advice (thank you, whoever you were!), and joining W8 regular, which will allow me to eat a protein meal.

Now, I don't necessarily disagree with some of what my counsellor said, but I do think LL affects people in different ways so to dismiss my symptoms was harsh. I also think, although it's a great diet, it is a drastic measure, and when I lost a stone and a half, I was no longer quite so desperate to lose weight. I still need the help, and their counselling can be very effective, but I'm signing on with a local CBT counsellor and having one to one sessions, so I feel I'm going down the right route for me. Only time will tell...

But - without all your support on the boards, I may well have just dropped off the diet in a burst of bad food! This way, I haven't gained weight, and I'm still seeking help after seeing others on the board mentioning individual counselling.

I can't thank you all enough, and I wish you well on your journey!

 

[bekimo]

I'm really glad that you've worked out something that works for you. Of course LL is not right for everyone. And in my opinion, your LLC was a little abrupt with you which is not what you should expect from someone who you are PAYING to help you.

Just want to wish you all the luck with W8.

B x

 

[annaphylactic]

Great news Picnic - and I too am very happy that you have identified that you still have problems and are taking matters into your own hands and getting them sorted. I haven't heard much about W8, but the idea of eating a protein meal may be good for you. Your LLC did seem to be a bit blunt telling you that you should stop if you were willing to point blame at the diet... at the end of the day it is in our nature to question things. I have had side effects that I put down to the diet - and I'm willing to accept them because they are better than the alternative... but I wouldn't expect that reaction if I did choose to talk to my LLC about them.

Anyway - best of luck and keep up posted on how you get on.

Hugs xx