Discovery Home & Health

Hello everyone,
Izzabel just to show how your questions are always challenging here is an update on why I've been doing LL for so long, I had my first session with my new councillor and as you say the penny dropped 'big time', this one is truly amazing, for the first time in 12 months of trying to stick to the programme I have truly learned something I did not know or chosen not to acknowledge about myself. Because I've chosen a quite competitive field for a career, I've always used my weight before as an excuse not to try harder and actually getting to a target weight would mean that I wouldn't have any excused left to just get out there and do it...so actually whenever I get closer to the goal I sabotage my efforts and go for another tour on the merry-go-round...pretty tricky eh???

The other thing we touched upon is that I have an incredibly low self esteem, people with low self esteem love to help others because one it validates them and second it keeps them from focusing the attention on themselves and getting somewhere in life..
So part of my recovery is actually staying away this forum and not indulging any more in helping my fellow ll'ers because it feeds the habit and keeps it going...

I've done this for a year now and gone through 2 previous councillors and this the first time ever I felt actually that I was not given the standard pat on the back, given my food packs and sent on my way...she asked me questions about myself and listened to what I had to say, I had a bit of stomach pain and was not planning on staying, she insisted that I stayed even for a little while,and I am so glad I did... that's what I call caring...just goes to show what I always said and believed all along, that there is a place where we're all meant to be, be it a relationship, a job, councillor, a place where we're meant to feel and be our best and it is matter of finding it...unfortunately most people get trapped in the conventions upheld by the half wit and the fearful and miss out on life most wonderful opportunities...
So it's time to put the Panda to sleep, Good luck everyone..
Amanda the Panda is a character from Eastenders, It is a Panda called Amanda that Alfie won in Blackpool for his first wife, I thought how cool to be called Amanda the Panda....well it's OK for a while but I think I'll have to think of a better one for when I am famous...Tinkerbelle perhaps...it has got a nice ring to it!!!

Love and Peace everyone,

Maya

Dear Maya

I understand what you're saying but you are a lovely person and have helped so many people (myself included). Please don't stay away, this board will not be the same without your postings. You have a natural gift for understanding and helping people and it will be a great pity if you leave.

Love and best wishes
Maria xx

FANTASTIC!!

Maya I am soooooo pleased for you! I want to wish you all the luck in the world, as I read that post I could feel things changing for you and I am soooo happy!! I actually feel quite teary!

I know you are going to be amazing and I am very pleased to have met you on the path.

I wish you all the luck you wish yourself.
Izzy xxx

Maya/Amandadepanda

I have just joined LL this is my 4th day, I was very interested to read about the aspects of maintenance and very inspired by your comments.

I am sure you will do well and hope that one day you might come back and inspire us again.

I have learnt a lot from reading these messages and have stored up the information for when I get to maintenance.

Bye - I shall continue to look out for you.

Serenity

Maya, I am so pleased you have seen the 'light' hopefully for the rest of us we will too soon.

Good luck and very best wishes, but if you do find the Forum helps you in the future, I am sure we would all be so pleased to hear from you again.

thank you so much and good luck, love Helen,

PS What is the name of this fab councillor?

Hi Helen,

how is it going with the maintenance? I was so pleased that Maya seems to really have sorted stuff out - she was an incredible woman but was so wrapped up with helping everyone that she was missing helping herself! I am pleased for her and feel sure she sill make it now. I have finished with LL completely. I decided not to carry on for lots of the reasons I have already mentioned - mostly the poor counselling. Our counsellor was a really nice woman, but I don't think she had done it for long and she didn't seem to be able to answer any questions - particularly about phase 2 or maintenance so I left. Just about completed my 100 days but had been introducing food for the last week or so. Still lost a little, but now seem to have stopped! Doing the low-carb diet there is another great website with support like this one www.low-carbdiet.co.uk there is a lot of info and recipes etc and a low carb shop! I must say I am enjoying food again (I knew I would!) haven't really dealt with the addiction yet, but feel if I can at least not eat rubbish I can suppress the demon until I can work out exactly what it's about...it's tough though isn't it?

Anyway, I really hope things are going well for you - keep posting!

love izzabel x

It's such a shame that two of our maintenance ladies are leaving us although I can understand the need to get on with real life.

I must thank you Maya (what a lovely name) and izzabel for staying with us and passing on to us the wonderful advice over the weeks.

I wish you both all the best in your ongoing quest.

In Love and Light

Wendy xx

Izzabel, Thank for asking! Things are not too bad, in that I am determined not to let the pounds creep on too much. But everyday is a struggle.

Do not really eat meals as such, ie have nuts, homemade soup and fish, try and have 2 shakes. I really feel for me that I will have to maintain a really low calorie intake, in order to stay slim. So if have a choccy day - then really cut down the next. I just hope I can sustain this way of living.

Have been on the lowcarb site really interesting. I really stay away from carbs i.e. do not eat bread, etc., but love chocs, so have to be really strong!!!!

Not a nice question - but did your periods stopped and if so have they re-started?

Really miss Amandapanda, do hope she is doing ok, but will continue to post and wish you the very best of luck, please do not stop posting!!!!

Love Helen xxx

Hi Guys
Have been on the programme for some time now and have to say I am loving it - have lost nearly 2 stone and feel fantastic. Someone in my group started asking about management today (already!) and I was a bit suprised that people were thinking about it already. I know I cant be on food packs for the rest of my life (please let me!)

I have come on here to find out more about management and am a bit scared to read some people are struggling. From this point on abstinence, and I have never ever lost weight like this, I just assumed it would be easy. My counsellor told me it was potentially the hardest part and that the abstinence was the easy part. I suddenly feel very anxious. I have been a binge eater all my life and now realise that it was probably the foods I was eating that made me constantly want certain foods. I am now worried that the same thing will happen to me once I start eating them again, and reading some of the messages this seems to be the case.

My counsellor said that I may have intolerances to certain foods or I may have a low carb tolerance which causes sharp rises in my blood sugars which trigger these cravings. She said when I go onto management I will bring these foods in very gradually and learn to know which ones do it for me. On knowing this she said I will have to make choices about whether to eat them or not, but I have to confess I dont think I will ever go back to bread because that always does it to me. What if I cant make those choices?? I feel empowered on this diet, that I have stopped binging for the first time in decades. She has made me realise that it was physiological drives causing me to eat certain foods and not that I was weak and out of control., this is a really good place for me, I feel so much better but will it all go to pot when I go back to food?

I dont want to feel anxious, maybe I shouldnt think about it for the rest of phase I. Am i in denial here, should I be thinking about it???? I suspect I may need a spell in phase 2, but shorter than I first thought as the weight is coming off quick. Or should I go straight to management and go back to phase 2 later??

Would love advice from anyone here please.

BusyB, go with the advice from your counsellor. She will know you best.

What I did was to go lower than I originally wanted to and this has helped me gain control of my weight whilst in management. BUT I think I iwll be in management forever. Find it very hard each day, and have now had my first real binge! I got my period back after 6 months and really craved chocs. However, the next day went back on 3 food packs and low carb meal, so not too bad, as my binges could last for days!!!!

To be honest for me; every day is a struggle but I love the feeling of wearing size 10 so I will stick with it. I personally find the shakes a godsend as they stablise my weight.

There are people in maintenance that are controlling their weight with food - but in truth I think the majority struggle. After all were are addicts, and most of us, have been for many years, so I assume it will take a long time to kick all the bad habits. But for me I take each day as it comes.

I was very very very worried about maintenance, thought it would be the hardest part, and sorry to say for me, it is.

Just concentrate on getting that weight off - enter maintenance when you feel strong and with your counsellors guidenance it will be OK.

Helen

Hello all, haven't looked in for ages. Have just caught up and am sad to see that Amandadepanda alias Maya has dropped off the planet for the time being. Come back Maya, not just to give us your pearls of wisdom but maybe WE can be there for YOU. Let us know how you're doing.
So sorry to sound smug but am now on week 11 of management and am about 1lb down from when I started it. I have followed it closely.....ish. On occasions.....quite a few occasions.....I have indulged myself dreadfully. However I LOVE being thin and am determined not to give it up, so when I know I've gone over the top, for the couple of days before LL meeting I eat very sensibly and cautiously. Going on to monthly meetings soon so dunno how I'll handle that, probably pig out for 3 weeks and starve for 1.....but I know this is probably going to be a pattern for my life. It's not ideal but I'll just have to put up with it if I want to stay thin. Haven't seen any messages posted from people who went into management years ago and are keeping the weight off, which is a bit worrying. Maybe they don't need a support line?
Anyway, hang in there everyone. Keep buying yourselves new clothes and giving your old one away the minute they feel loose. Tell yourselves there's no going back.
Lots of love,
Polly x

PS BusyB, just to say that I never thought I would be able to eat bread without demolishing the whole loaf, bread was my real 'thing'. However, things seem to change after the diet and know I can eat a slice or 2 and feel pretty indifferent. Never thought I'd hear myself saying that!
Polly x

Hi Polly and Helen
thanks for replies xx took your advice and decided not to worry about management yet because i am building myself up to something that may not happen, right now I am really in control, dont have the urge to eat now at all. Lost 6 lb this week which does help because my counsellor said its all fat - lovely.

Whats also helped me is on friday went to retirement do at work and didnt eat, wasnt bothered, but one of the women from accounts jokingly said "you must be on LL", I havent really told anyone at work but its noticeable now, anyway, told her i was and she had done it three years ago - to look at her you wouldnt have known because she was a perfect size 10. I asked her all about it and she said she'd lost 8 stone over 7 months in Phase I and Phase II and did management where her weight fluctuated upto 10 lb over but she said she had a few weeks back on packs and got control and has been the same weight give or take a lb for nearly 2 years!! I was so impressed because i know i want to be like that - i feel so determined never to diet and binge again. She told me she still has to watch what she eats and avoids too many carbs but feels so in control around food that its not something she thinks about that much. I felt so emotional when i talked to her, i want to be free of this weight and worrying about it, she really inspired me and it was so what i needed to hear. I told her about this site and said she should tell her story as encouragement, hopefully she will.

She also said to take one step at a time, just focus on losing weight now and learning why i overate. I laughed, how do you overeat on three foodpacks and 4 litres a day!!!

Hang on in there if you are struggling xx

BusyM, Thats one of the most encouraging posts ever!

Please, please get her to post her story on this site, it was just so inspiring to hear about!

I just wish I could meet her, and spend time just asking questions, this is the most positive sign yet that the weight can remain off, even after 2 years!

For my part, have gained 5lb overall in mangement and have to watch it - tend not to have large meals and avoid carbs. Sadly can feel my trousers are definitely tighter! But I do sustain at least 6 pints of water a day if not 8. Do believe the water helps.

A lady new to maintenance fell off after the 1st week and is now back on 3 packs a day for a week, so many of us seem to struggle, having done so well on the packs!!!!

Love Helen xxx