Lizzie's battle to become super slim once and for all!!

[lizzie9442]

I spend so much time reading everyone elses diarys I thought I would start one of my own.

My name is Lizzie and I am 26 years old. I am 5'2 and my starting weight was 16 stone 12. I was weighed yesterday and I am currently 14 stone 13. So nearly lost 2 stone in 5 weeks!

I have been overweight(obese) for the last roughly 7 years. I have battled with my weight ever since I started having children. I have four of them. Two boys aged 9 and 6, and two girls aged 5 and 2. I feel since having children and being relaxed it has made me gain weight. I have a husband who also does not help as he loves food but he does not struggle with his weight like I do. I have been a stay at home mum too so being home alot of the time has also been hard and I feel I was eating alot out of boredom. I had my first child when I had just turned 17 so have had all my kids young and I never really had that stage to just be me as an adult so I now feel is the time to be who I really want to be!

I have been trying to get a job over the last 6 months and its proving very difficult. I have a qualification called AAT ( Association of Accounting Technicians) and I have started studying ACCA (another accounting qualification) as I want to be a fully qualified accountant within the next 5 years. I feel I have not been getting jobs obviousily due to lack of work experience but the main thing I feel people are put off by is my weight!! I had an interview on Tuesday and am really crossing my fingers that I get it but I am not holding out much hope to be honest. I am the type of person that always feels there is someone better for the job than me, I think I put myself down far too much. Anyway now that I am loosing weight I am also hoping this will boost my confidence and I will find getting a job easier.

I love looking at everyones photos before and after, I can't wait to hopefully post some when I reach goal. My aim is too hit my target weight of 9 stone 7 by March. I don't know if thats realistic or not but I will know closer to the time. For now my mini goal is to be in the 12s by christmas. My clothes are getting big for me now which is a lovely feeling as normally they start to get to tight and I have to buy bigger sizes. I feel my kids are also missing out due to my weight as I can't run around the park with them like I should be able to and I won't go swimming with them as I am to self consious so it will be a big thing when I loose all the weight. I will feel like a proper mum again if that makes sense. I also don't want them to ever be embarresed of me as I know what its like as kids become teenagers and they are worried about what their friends think.

On a more possitive note I have now been doing this diet for 5 weeks and feeling great! I am so motivated and every time I feel slightly down I look at how far I have come in such a short space of time. My weekly weigh ins are every Wednesday. I am a fan of the banana tetras and do not really like anything else. I have the occasional bar but apart from that just the banana tetra.

Anyway thanks for reading the start of my journey and hopefully I can now come and write on here when ever I need some motivation. I love the support and would love to support others in their journey too.

 

[turnitaround]

Hi Lizzie - firstly, WOW! You have packed so much in for 26 years old! I have a 10 month old (I'm 30) and sometimes I find it a real struggle with just one, so you deserve a medal for dealing with four!! A friend of mine is also doing the same exams as you so I know how hard they are and how you've found the time to study I'll never know! I think we (overweight people) all define ourselves by our weight so it can be difficult to see anything positive about ourselves but you should be so very proud of yourself for all you have achieved! I take my hat off to you!!

The job market is so tough at the moment, employers seem to want you to have a degree for a cleaning job and then want to pay you minimum wage! There is so much competition for every job too...it can be so disheartening. :cry: But something WILL turn up soon - fingers crossed you get this one!

Anyway, onto the weight loss! You've done amazingly so far...I only like the shakes too, although I like chocolate as well as banana so I get to mix it up a bit at least! I'm going for my second WI today and my scales are saying I haven't lost a pound?!?! Grrr! I did loose 10lb in the first week though so can't complain too much... Good luck with your journey x

 

[lizzie9442]

Hi, thanks for your comments. You said some really nice things. I have packed a lot in haven't I lol. Congratulations on your week 1 and 2 weight loss! Thats an amazing loss so far and you should be really proud of yourself. Also good luck for tonights weigh in, you will have to let me know how you did! I'm sure you have lost something and your scaled are probably different to the ones you get weighed on.

The job market is really hard! So many people apply for the jobs so really up against in when going for interviews but like you say I'm sure eventually I will get the job I am looking for. I have been waiting all day for a phone call about the job I went for but nothing so its probably bad news. I just wish they would let me know either way!

How are you finding the diet?

 

[turnitaround]

Hi ya - the 4lb loss was from this morning - I was so happy I updated immeadiately!!

I really feel for you, I was made redundant during maternity leave so we're going to try and survive on OHs wage...which will certainly be a challenge! If we can't manage it I'll be job hunting too...absolutely dreading it, it's a nightmare out there!

Your husband sounds the same as mine - infuriating isn't it...why couldn't I of had his metabolism, food is my favourite thing in the whole world! Lol Oh well, that's life - just hoping this diet gives me a little more control over what I shovel into my mouth! Here's hoping...

Have a great evening X

 

[lizzie9442]

4 lbs in week 2 is amazing well done! Sorry I was a little confused as you said you were going for your second weigh in but your stats said differently.

I have had a really busy weekend. I did a car boot yesterday with my friend which was fun apart from the early start. People are real bargin hunters and basically want you to give your things away for free! Nice to get out of the house though and have a nreak from the kids.

I am going to a recruitment agency tonight about some other jobs I have applied for so hoping something comes out of it. I didn't hear back from the job I went for which is strange as I had the interview last Tuesday!

I feel like its close to my next weigh in already. The weeks seem to be going really quickly now. I am so looking forward to the weekend though as me and my husband are going down to Bournemouth and staying in a hotel for two nights. My mum is having the kids for me so it will be really relaxing. I think the last time me and my hubbie stayed away from the kids was our honeymoon over 4 years ago. I am going to have to be careful though with eating as I know hubbie will want to go out for a meal so I will have to maybe just have a salad or something but still very much looking forward to it.

Hows everyone else? All having good weigh ins I hope, anyway I need to get sorted and take the kids to school so speak to you later

 

[lizzie9442]

So I had my 6th weigh in last night and lost 3 pounds! Very happy with that as now a total of 30lbs. Its is totm to which I was slighlty worried about as I was 10 days late but my CD said that the diet can mess around with your hormone levels and that its nothing to worry about. I have also had extremly painful cramp in my calf muscles in the night the last couple of nights. So painfully! I saw a friend last night who I haven't seen since before I started the diet and she could really notice the difference which was really nice. I am really looking forward to this weekend and the break couldn't come soon enough. I got the news yesterday that I did not get that job that I really wanted so I was quite upset by that but I am trying to be more poisitve today and hopefully something else will come along for me. Hope everyone is having a good week and losses on the scales x

 

[lizzie9442]

I'm really bad, haven't posted much in my diary, I am going to try to post more!! I lost another 3lbs last week which I was happy with. I have my 8th weigh in tonight and I am really hoping for 4lbs as it will take me under 200lbs which would be nice. My clothes are all getting to big for me but I am trying to hold out until I buy any more, just have to look stupid in the mean time haha. I really am loving this diet and finding it normal now. I am finding it so normal that I feel like I am not even on a diet anymore. I remember how I felt in the first 2 weeks feeling like rubbish and thinking I could not carry on but now I feel amazing and love the weight losses each week. I have also found I am not thinking about food anymore like I was and occupy myself with other things. I really can not wait to be in the 13s and hoping that will be in the next couple of weeks. I get a bit disheartened sometimes with the 3lb losses but they all add up!!

I had a job interview last week and have a second interview tomorrow which is really good as the job is just around the corner from me and its an accounts assistant which is what I am looking for. Fingers crossed.

I hop everyone else is having good losses!!

 

[lizzie9442]

Sooo happy, I lost 4lbs this week so total of 37 pounds now, I'm official under 200lbs just! I'm 199 pounds, can't quite believe it! Loving this diet and loving the difference in how much better I'm feeling.

 

[GretaGrip]

Well done! You're doing brilliantly!

I did the CD in July for 7 weeks and it worked for me. I am now 9 stone and a size 8. Mentally, it's very tough but if you have the staying power it's worth the end result.

 

[lizzie9442]

thanks greta! you have done amazing! you have lost so muc weight, bet you feel great, wow! How long did it take you to loose all the weight in total? Did you then work through the steps?

 

[GretaGrip]

Well, I was 15 stone 2lbs in May 2011 and did a spot of healthy eating and gym going. By November 2011 I was 12 stone 7. I then 'fell off the wagon' and on January 21st this year I was up to 13 stone 12.

I went on a low carb diet and managed to get to 12 stone 4 by March. In July I decided enough was enough and I did CD. Sole sourced for around 7 weeks and dropped to 10 stone 4.

I then calorie counted and am now 9 stone which is pretty much where I want to be at 5 foot 4. I didn't work up the steps as such.. I was just very careful and wrote down everything that I ate and kept to around 800 calories a day for quite a few weeks. I'm a little more relaxed these days but have realised and learnt something...

You can never, ever go back to eating as you did! This has taken me a while to realise! I am very careful during the week and I have the odd treat at the weekend. By odd treat I mean a glass of wine or a pudding or some chocolate... not all three. I never 'take days off. ' ...Another thing that dawned on me, that one. Thin people don't take 'days off '... so I try and 'think thin.' If I have a meal out, I choose carefully while still enjoying myself and I don't then write off the rest of the day or weekend... I enjoy my food and then I stop eating and I don't eat again until I am hungry. And then I choose something light. It sounds so simple but it's taken me ages to change my mindset on this.

I also never snack. I firmly believe that it leads to weight gain. I eat three times a day and that's it, in the main.

Sorry for the ramble : )

 

[gerujool]

Wow, amazing post! Ramble as much as u like it's all good reading!!!

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[GretaGrip]

Ha, that's very kind. I kind of warm to my theme and before I know it I'm dribbling on left right and centre.

I'm a big fan of the Cambridge Diet and would always recommend it providing you think you can stick to it without cheating. I also think there is a limited time scale that you can do it for. I wanted to do it for 8 weeks but in week 7 I became ill. Sick, dizzy and lots of bruises so I had no choice but to come off it.

I also discovered something else! Backed up by studies. After the first weeks on a VLCD, weight losses slow down. When this happens obviously depends on how much weight you have to lose in the first place, of course. My losses slowed down in week 5 as I became 10 stone something. I was still losing but only a few pounds a week if that. I found that doubling my calories to 800 < but no more > resulted in a better loss. I went from 10 stone 5 in September to 9 stone by the end of October by keeping to calorie counting and moderate carb intake.

Anyway, feel free to come and chat on my diary or have a read through. It's kinda long now but it charts the whole journey from obese to normal weight and might be useful to someone.

Good luck to all!

PS Choc mint is the best.

 

[lizzie9442]

I know that I'm a bit worried about maintaining when I eventually get there! It's true what you say though about changing how we think about food and lifestyle change. I have to go up to step 2 in just over 3 weeks which I'm a little worried about as I'm really use to the diet now and I don't really want to change anything. I will only do step 2 for a week though and then go back down. I've been to quite a few social things now too as avoided any food wine etc which I was really proud of. People keep commenting now on my weight loss as its noticeable which is nice x

 

[lizzie9442]

I lost another 3 lbs this week, very happy!

 

[GretaGrip]

Yay!

< waves pom poms >

 

[lizzie9442]

Thanks greta!

I have been suffering with what I think is heart palpitations the last few days and also dizziness, just wondered if anyone else has had this and if it's normal as I am a little worried x

 

[GretaGrip]

Well, yes. sort of. I had to come off CD in week 8 as I became unwell. This diet is not really meant to be followed ad infinitum and there will come a time when your body has had enough. Are you SSing? If so you maybe need to consider upping to 810 or more.

I felt dizzy, weak, headachey and had lots of bruises. It was not fun so I sympathise.

 

[lizzie9442]

I had the best day today. I had my weigh in and lost 4.5 lbs!!!!! I have now lost 3 stone 2.5 pounds in 10 weeks and I am in the 13s! I literally can not believe it and I really am so happy. Such an amazing feeling and I can not believe how much heavier i was only 10 weeks ago.

 

[Principessa N]

Thats amazing, well done Lizzie xx