Lisa's Lighterlife diet

My Journey from fatdom to slimdom on the Lighterlife diet!

I havent posted in ages, I have just been so busy!!

A little update, I have been maintaining my weight loss through healthy eating and excersize, I walked 100 miles in aid of cancer research, I went on holiday and didnt feel concious in a swimsuit, I went parasailing and I am really happy!!!

Last week, I sent some photo's to the BBC who were asking for weightloss photos, Mine were then published on their website and since then a central company that deals with magazines like Closer and reveal have been in touch and would like to feature me in an article! My only problems are that as of yet, I have not revealed to ANYONE my original weight and also I still want to lose another two stone, so I am not sure whether to do it or wait.....

Anyway here is the link to the BBC page, I am picture 9

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/5286482.stm

Laters, L xxx

My friend Kelly came down to stay this weekend and I have had a fantastic time. She arrived on Friday evening and we had a bbq (me just having some nice chicken) and proceeded to get drunk and have a laugh. On Saturday in preparation for our walk we walked about six miles to and from a nearby shopping centre and I bought myself an England shirt to support our boys in their second round game against Ecuador. On Saturday night we chilled and watched a dvd and on Sunday morning my mate Ali picked us up, we were off to see take that!! We had gold circle tickets for Milton Keynes.

We arrived at the venue and when we got let in we were given wristbands and later found out that as we were within the first 2000 people there that we had got into the VIP inner circle!! we were soooo close.

They played the football so we watched England win with 60,000 people, it was awesome! Next came Beverly Knight who was outstanding and then the Sugababes - Brilliant. Just before take that came on all of the sugababes came out and stood in front of us ( good job they are all short or I would have asked them to move!!) They stayed the whole concert and mingled with the crowd and enjoyed it with the rest of us!! Take that were BRILLIANT they know how to put on a fantastic show and there was a surprise guest for relight my fire - LuLu!!! A brilliant night to end a brilliant weekend - my whole body aches today from all the dancing and jumping around we did!! So much fun!!

On a diet note, I am finding it hard to stick to 100% now, I find in the evenings I am feeling a little hungry, but I am determined not to let this go now and I will lose another stone before my holiday!!

Here are the photos of me going to my friend Sams wedding, now they arent great because I asked my dad to take the photos and lets just say that he isnt the best at taking photos!!! I took the first two myself!!

This is the one my dad took, please ignore the shed!!!

Bless!!

I am still going with Cambridge, but I have been eating more and more recently, mainly just protein but I havent put any weight on, just maintained.  I am having a last big push now before my holiday. I have managed to get in contact with Avril and will be picking up another months worth of packs on Wednesday.

Having a bit of a miserable time at work at the moment and that made me feel like I wanted to eat, but I am rising above it and I am gonna focus on losing another stone before my holiday - my last target!!

Well all of last week I was ill, I got a stomach bug and was really sick for three days, then I got a tooth abcess, so all in all not a great week!! I had a bit of a nightmare because I was so sick, I never ate anything for a few days but then when I got my abcess I was given antibiotics so my mum forced me to eat some bread as it was all I could keep down to take the tablets!! I havent put any weight on at all though (plus I had some chicken and pork at BBQ's at the weekend)

I am going to Sams wedding on Saturday and I just popped into Next on the offchance yesterday and I fell in love with a dress! I havent bought anything in next since 1998 and I tried the dress on and it was a perfect fit!!! I was grinning from ear to ear! So I bought it!! I am going to do all my hair and make up and I will take some photos before I go to the wedding on Saturday!!! Eeeeek I am so excited!!! I am still a few dress clothes sizes more than I would ideally like to be, so I am really pushing myself for this last bit. I went to bodypump tonight and took my friend Kelly! It was sooo funny, as it was her first time, her arms and legs were all over the place and she got cramp!!! When we came out she fell down the steps her legs were so shaky!! It is such a good workout though and it makes you feel so good afterwards, I love it!!

Anyway, I have been being bugged about not updating this for a while, so here we are! Photos will be here on Sunday!

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for your message, sorry for replying so openly, I didnt know how else to answer your questions!!

1) I have been watching 10 years younger - bikini special (have you seen it?!) and it has scared me silly that if i lose lots of weight I will end up with loose skin galore! I am 27 so a bit younger that the women on 10 years younger but if you don't mind me asking has this been a problem for you or have you found you are quite toned (don't answer if you don't want to!)

I have not had a problem with any loose skin at all and I think that there are a few reasons for this. Firstly I am on 23 so as with you, age is on my side. You need to drink loads of water is the second thing, it helps with your skins elasticity and lastly excersize has helped. Are you from Oxford? I guess you are if you are seeing Lin. Well every tuesday since I started Lighterlife I have been going to a bodypump class at Ferry pool. With Bodypump, even without dieting, you can lose three dress sizes from toning up. What I love about the class is that you are not running around like a mad thing and you dont have to have good coordination, its just lifting weights and using different muscles to music and my word do you feel it!! This has contributed greatly to the toning of my arms and legs!!

2) Coffee! i think it will be a life saver for me but can you have all of the nice flavoured coffees you can get in whittards etc or is just plain old coffee?

I have stuck to plain black coffee and peppermint tea all along (peppemint tea also helps with digestion) but I have been told there is a certain make of coffee called brewers (i think) that does flavoured coffees you are allowed - the best advice i can give you on this is to join the discovery health forum and ask - http://www.discoveryhealth.co.uk/forum3/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=2 everyone there is really kind!!

3) Do you find that you get tired and weak throughout the day?

Not really, there are obviously times, i.e. time of the month, when you are feeling mentally weaker than normal, and you will have your bad/off days on the diet, but on a whole, i have felt fine with it. The huge weight loss is a spur to continue.

One last thing, if you are using Lin - my Lin, then you are lucky, she is a fantastic counsellor and a great support, in fact I need to drop her a line to say hi as I havent done so in a while, but stick with it and her cos she is seriously the best.

If you have any more questions then drop me a line, good luck and let me know how you get on OK?

Lisa x

I went out on a hen night this weekend and I had so much fun!!! We were dressed as schoolgirls - well I was more of a headmistress cos I was in black but it was so much fun - met some lovely men too hehehe!!!

Me and my friend Kelly - Me with my dinner promoting Cambridge hehehe

One of the "nice men" and yes I had a vodka or two - justified I think!!

I mentioned a while ago that I was doing a charity walk in aid of cancer research, well our website is now complete!! Check it out at www.sendustocoventry.co.uk

This is such a big thing for me as I could never have attempted to do something like this six months ago as I was tired out walking up the stairs!!! I would be grateful, if anyone who reads this can take a look at our site and please make a donation, every penny counts!

Thank you!

I am frustrated with the cambridge counsellor April, as she knew me and hannah were coming tonight to get a months supply of food packs as she is quitting and she didnt order stuff in - so annoying!! I got my months worth but hannah had to order stuff and I tried a chocolate bar and thought I had died and gone to heaven!! It was just like a milky way bar, absolutely lush! Wish I had ordered more!

Oh and I lost six pounds (although I am not overly trusting of Avrils scales, they are not electronic) which takes me to losing exactly SIX STONE!!! I repeat SIX STONE !!!!!!! Woot Woot!! I am gonna be a size 14 before you know it hehehehe

Last night I went to see the cambridge counsellor for our area and to be honest she was really disappointing. The first thing she told us was that she was quitting in a week or so, so if we wanted to continue we would have to find someone else! She made us weigh ourselves and shout it out to her, which I was unhappy about as I didnt want Hannah to know my weight, she got our food order wrong four times and gave us no advice on the diet whatsoever. Compared to Lynn she was CRAP!!

Saying that I lost four pounds, bringing my weight loss to five stone eight!! Wooo

I must say, although I am only on the first day, the Cambridge foodpacks are much easier to live with, the cartons of milkshake mean no blenders and they are tasty, the bars are chocolate covered but I hated the tomatoe soup I had been looking forward to! I think I will have a chocolate mint shake tonight!! Mmmm

Well its a sad day! My last ever day on Lighterlife! Tonight I start the Cambridge diet and to be honest, I cant wait!!

The money aspect is a big thing but just the idea of having some new flavours to try is sooo exciting! I am planning on having a tomato soup tonight, and perhaps a chocolate orange bar! Wooo

I went to see take that last night in Wembley and it was brilliant, so good that me and Ali have already booked another concert, the last night of the tour in Milton Keynes!!! I danced so much, it was great!

Will report back later how the first meeting with Avril (CDC) went!

With Lighterlife, in total I lost 22cms from my chest, 29cms from my waist and 24 cms from my hips.

Well not me exactly but my blog hasnt been working for ages so I have loads to say!

Firstly me and my friend Kelly from Sunderland have decided to do a sponsored walk in aid of cancer research, we are walking from Oxford to Coventry along the canal system! We are in the process of setting everything up but I will put updates here so people can sponsor us! Looks like we may be going in fancy dress too

I have lost 74 pounds in total on my lighterlife journey, but that ends this week. Me and Hannah decided to make a switch to the cambridge diet and so that starts on Wednesday, it was purely down to boredom of the flavours and financial reasons, its only £34 a week on cambridge where I am currently paying £66! There are loads of different flavours on Cambridge and I am so looking forward to trying a tomato soup and a chocolate mint hot drink!!!!!

I have been walking loads recently, doing two mile walks in my lunch, deciding to walk home from work instead of getting the bus etc, and I feel my legs are toning up because of it! Wooo

Emily has moved home to Aldershot, so my buddy doesnt live just down the road anymore, I spent Saturday helping her pack and I was sad, but she is gonna have an amazing time in the US this summer and I have been told I am getting great presents so I cant moan!!

Thanks to Kelly Foster and Wayne for their lovely comments, I hope you are having a great holiday and I think its sweet you took the time to leave me a message! Wayne, you will never beleive the size of my ass now, its smaller!!! I need a man tho, got any friends?? Not the one with the hairy back though, eugh!!

Am off to see Take that tomorrow, I cant wait! I was such a big fan in their heyday and got to see them once, but it will be great to reminisce and see how they are now they are older - got rubbish seats though =( 

* An amusing photo of me ghetto stylee!! but look! No double chin and I have cheek bones wooooooo*

I was at my cousins house tonight and found this photo, it was another taken on christmas day and it makes me feel absolutely SICK! It makes me determined never to go back to being this way ever again.

and this is me four months later, it makes me feel proud of what I have acheived...

While I am here I would like to make personal thanks to my financial backer (Janet) and weekly taxi driver (Kelley) as they moaned they had not been thanked in previous blogs!! He he he thanks a lot! Love ya xxxx

I received this message from Katrina and as I dont know how else to reply to her I am doing so here

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Dear Lisa

I'm hoping you can help me - I'm starting Lightlife tomorrow and am soooooooo nervous (excited but still nervous!). What can I expect to feel at first?? Hungry, tired, weird, the list is endless, so many questions??
Some of them are:
What can I drink other than water? Does it have to be still mineral water or can it be tap water, or sparkling? Also, can I drink any teas inc herbal? Can I chew gum or have a "smint" as I heard you get bad breath - any tips? Also, did you find your hair got finer at all (it's one of my worst nightmares...)
What were your favourite food packs....what choice will I get? I don't know how to feel right now...ate for England today knowing that it would be my last day (like I do before starting any diet) but I'm really hoping this one is going to be different....it's my last hope (and I'm only mid 20's - awful!)
Anyway, as you have done so well and look so fab you must be a complete expert so any advice would be a great help....thanks so much!!!
Katrina from Surrey

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Hey Katrina,

Well done on taking the first step, making the decision to start Lighterlife is the start of a whole new life for you. For the first few days, I personally ran on my motivation, I was so excited to start, I did feel slightly hungry, but i was so determined to succeed I got past that quite easily. One of the best pieces of advice I had for the first week is if you feel hungry/picky in the evening then go to bed, you will wake up refreshed!

You cant chew gum, but you can use mouth sprays and mouthwash, I carry one with me everywhere I go, but they do help. You can drink black tea and coffee and peppermint tea, which I now love. I also think you can have fennel and chai tea too. I havent noticed any difference at all with my hair thankfully!

The foodpacks! I really like the bars, at first I was disappointed in them but now they are my respite. I go through stages of having different favourite foodpacks, the soups tend to be quite creamy (not in a nice cream sense though!) I dont like spicy food so never had a thai chilli one. At the moment, I normally mix a vanilla pack with coffee for a Latte style drink, I have also started drinking a chocolate pack mixed with peppermint tea for a hot mint chocolate style drink! My fave though is one a girl in my group created. Mix a chocolate and caramel pack together with about eight ice cubes and a spoonful of coffee and make a nice smooth milkshake - this I love and it gets two foodpacks done in one hit! You wont be hungry I promise - just give it time!

I felt it was my last chance too, but feel I have a whole new lease of life now, I have lost five stone three since the 15th January, if I can do it you can too.

My last piece of advice? Set up a blog! Being able to share my feeling here has been a life saver and you get loads of good advice too

Good luck, Lisa xx