AJs Maintenance Journey Part 1

[AmandaJayne]

Welcome to a new thread.

To anyone who does not know me, a quick update.

I started LL back in August and completed Foundation, a few weeks of Development, and 12 weeks of Management as of today.

It has been an amazing, life changing and challenging time of my life and I have been sharing it with Minis on another thread.

I started LL weighing 17.13 and now weigh 10.5.

My BMI was over 40 and is now less than 24.

My body fat percentage was 49% and is now 25%.

I wore size 24's and now wear size 12's.

But an awful lot more has happened than those figures, impressive though they are.

I have started to live again, rather than merely struggle to exist.

I look forward to the future, rather than dreading the next day.

I have learned a lot about myself and why things became the way they did... and how powerful our unconscious mind is at manipulating us to do what it wants, rather than what we want.

I have learned how to fight back against the crooked thoughts which will always want me to return to the 'comfort' of food again.

I have begun to find the real me, for years hidden away and constantly suffocated by fears of rejection, failure, self-loathing. I have at last started to move on and develop self-belief, confidence, and reduce the power of the frightened child.

It's early days yet. So, to help me continue with my previous success, I will write down anything which may help to keep me on the straight and narrow. I hope that some of my posts will be encouraging for you too. I have certainly found comfort from reading other threads.

So, this thread is the start of a new journey - the journey of maintenance of the weight I have achieved. The most difficult journey of all!

I face this challenge with confidence, and this confidence is partly through the LL programme, encompassing as it does the VLCD and CBT/TA counselling, plus the structured Management programme. But a big plus goes to Minimins, of whose support and advice has been a very important factor in my continued (and continuing success). So, thank you again Mini for starting and developing and maintaining and policing (so beautifully) this very special site.

 

[sonkie]

Wow you are so positive and have your head in the right place, and over 7 stone gone forever.....wow how brilliant are you. Do you know how many inches you have lost ?

 

[slinkytobe]

AJ I bow down in front of you. We really are not worthy! LOL
I think it is FANTASTIC what you have done not only for yourself but also for this sight. Thank you so much for posting on this sight as I draw great inspiration from you!!

Well done and please keep posting!

 

[AmandaJayne]

Quote: "Do you know how many inches you have lost ?"

D'you know what Sonkie, I never thought of measuring myself at the beginning. It was hard enough finding out how much I weighed!

Of course, I now wish I had. If anyone is starting a diet, LL or whatever, measure yourself first!

Slinky - thanks for your comments, I couldn't have achieved it without LL and Minis!

 

[Wicked Witch]

Ohhh great idea for a new thread AJ. Your last one was one of my inspirations for starting LL. One week in and I already know I can loos my excess weight. It is now the prospect of maintaining my new future weight that concerns me. I shall be an avid reader.

THANKS AJ!

 

[Happe]

AJ you have done amazingly well. You are so positive and give us all hope for the future. Totally inspirational.

 

[Johnny]

Thanks AJ for not leaving us 'newbies' in the lurch! I can see that so many others have gained from your experience. I look forward to reading about your life after LL! Johnny

 

[AmandaJayne]

Quote: "I look forward to reading about your life after LL! Johnny "

Ah, but Johnny, I haven't left LL! I can still attend Management meetings for support at any time. I intend to still go weekly at the moment and lesson this over time to monthly, but I will still need the support for the foreseeable future, I think.

Management meetings usually consist of members who are at different stages of the M'ment programme, plus others who are maintaining long term. Often these members attend monthly or occasionally for support or advice.

 

[Johnny]

That's a great idea. It's the whole package that has attracted me to LL - like you I have lost weight on loads of diets but lost momentum at some stage. This does feel different and being able to get in touch with other people doing the same thing is invaluable.

I guess I should say good luck with life after foodpacks!
Johnny

 

[sonkie]

Have you kept a top and trousers from your bigger days, maybe if you put them on and take pics of how huge they are. Then we can all see.

 

[AmandaJayne]

Sadly no, Sonkie.

I think I'll have to go to a shop with a camera and 'try on' a couple of size 24's and take a picture! Or get something from a charity shop to photograph.

 

[gaijingirl]

Wow - well done for getting through management so successfully! I got back from Japan a couple of days ago. I think I did ok in Japan - I'm convinced I put on weight but my clothes all still fit the same so maybe I didn't. I made sure I did a lot of exercise whilst I was there which probably helped. Either way I am now back on packs to lose the last little bit of blubber.

I had a pretty major blip yesterday and the day before - having told myself I would get straight back on packs I did the absolute opposite and had a binge! Weird really as I didn't binge whilst in Japan at all! Anyway - hopefully another few days and I'll be back in ketosis so I can catch up with you at 10stone 5!!

Like you I will not be leaving LL but continuing to go to classes - I really enjoy them and they keep me real (iykwim) - my counsellor is excellent and the girls in the group have a LOT of experience. It's now really when I feel the benefit of paying all that extra money is really showing for me.

Anyway, thanks for starting another great thread!!

 

[AmandaJayne]

Hey Pussygirl!

Welcome Back!

I'm looking forward to hearing how you got on in Japan!

You'll soon get back on track Puss, that I'm sure of.

AJ

 

[gaijingirl]

Thanks AJ! I think I will get back on track too - which just goes to show how well LL works! Pre-LL I would have just assumed I'd fail! Now I know that a few blips doesn't make me a failure - nor mean that I have to go on a prolonged bender!

Your posts help enormously too though (as does this site in general!)

 

[Fuzzys Angel]

:wow: :wow: :wow: :wow: :wow: :wow: :wow: AJ you have done so well & been an inspiration to us all...

xxxx

 

[Sez]

Once again AJ, I owe you thanks! This thread, and your previous one, have and will continue to be an enormous inspiration to us all.

Keep on writing!!

 

[AmandaJayne]

Nice to hear from you Fuzzy,

I see from your tracker that you've just over a stone and half left to get to goal. The end is in sight!

Pussygirl, I've just had a gander on your other diary to see how you have been getting on. It's great that you can feel able to get back on track and not throw in the towel. I would say that LL has taught me a lot about being aware of the things that trigger me to want to eat when I am not hungry. I would be interested to see how you get on 'getting back on track again'. It won't be a picnic (sorry about the pun!) but at least it is a possibility now.

Sez, thanks so much for your kind comments. I really is a pleasure to be able to help other members, as I was in turn helped when I was doing LL in the early days.

 

[AmandaJayne]

An update on today.

Breakfast was porridge as usual, with seeds/dried fruit sprinkled on top. I wonder if I should have a change - it doesn't do to get into a routine too much. Perhaps I should start with boiled eggs and spinach for a couple of days.

Playtime - seven strawberries (the last few). Mmmmmm!

Lunch - I had a piece of brown, nutty, whoelmeal bread with ham, and lots of salad piled on top, plus some honey and mustard dressing. A sort of open sandwich, which I ate with a knife and fork, cutting up the sandwich into bits. It lasted longer!

An apple mid afternoon... and two cappuchinoes!

Teatime and SALMON!

Anticipated this all day. Roasted it in the oven with some corgettes, also roasted, and a pile of spinach and other salady bits. Some salad dressing to top it off.

Later tonight I'll do some hot oranges for supper. I may even have a LL hot chocolate! Feeling cold tonight.

Today I've been battling with myself a bit. Got those feelings that I want to avoid putting on weight again. So I've been questioning everything I ate. But I think I did ok. I am somewhat aware that I could just be kidding myself though - those crooked thoughts! Hehehe.

Time will tell. If I go along to my meeting next week and have lost again, I think it will be time to have a careful reassessment. So far I've lost every week of Management, even after being on holiday for a couple of weeks.

Ah well, it's all part of the ongoing 'learning experience' isn't it? I have to eventually learn to deal with food without being afraid of going back to overeating again. It's rather like walking on a tightrope, one slip and I'm lost. It doesn't have to be like that any more. I will have to learn to make mistakes and get back on track.

I've done well by eating chocolate nearly every day. Albeit two squares of dark choc and ginger and dark choc and raspberry. Nothing terrible has happened yet...

 

[skinnyminny]

Hi AJ

Really enjoying the new thread.

I can totally see where you are coming from re the constantly assessing what you eat out of fear it will all spiral back into uncontrollable eating habits. I have to say I felt scared of going into managmeent for that very reason. Until my weekend away when I ate, I was exactly the same and whilst I made healthy choices and enjoyed it, it was a test of my determination to get back on track to see if I could get onto the plan afterwards - so far so good, but I am not taking it for granted.

 

[KD]

Going great guns Amanda. What that weight doesn't go down too far!

Changing breakfasts: Yes, I find it a good idea. Usually have one for a different day of the week. Some days I do something completely different, but I'm a creature of routine.

Still...porridge comes up a few times in a week, but with different toppings. Sometimes it's smoothies. Have been known to even have a bacon butty at the weekend.

Your meals are sounding lovely

Oop...gotta get back to work. 5 min break is up