Sorry to interupt the kitten talk .... I have something AMAZING to share.
As you may know, I have been much more motivated on the way down going from 28s and 26s through 24s, 22s, 20s, 18s and now into 16s for trousers and some forgiving 14 tops. It's been great and mattered much more than the other numbers - stones, kilos and lbs.
BUT ....going and getting that century badge this afternoon: WOW!
It seems like a real milestone. I am amazed that I have achieved this.
I have been overweight all my adult life ...and getting fatter by 1/2 a stone or a stone a year, most years. I have done all sorts of regimes and felt powerless to shed the increasing poundage and to keep it off. I knew what I needed to do (inputs, outputs, exercise) and couldn't do it. I tried and failed repeatedly. Really really frustrating as I am so capable in every other aspect of my life.
It seemed insurmountable. And as I got fatter, it seemed more and more difficult.
In fact, when I started the Alizonne prgramme, I didn't think I would suceed. I knew if I did not take action, I would have ended up in a wheelchair, unable to walk and die way too early.
So I decided that Alizonne was safe (a GP supervised vlcd with blood tests etc) and that it had great results - melting fat from the toughest areas. My DH supported me, and I began - just taking it one day at a time. The great thing was that having 100-110 calories of protein 5 times a day plus salads and vegetables, I was never physically hungry. It was so simple that I knew what I needed to do and just took it one day at a time. Sometimes, one hour at a time, sachet by sachet during the day.
Because Alizonne is a vlcd (probably about 800 calories with the salad, vegetables and olive oil), the weight came off very fast. That became a virtuous circle. Each week I shed 1-2kgs, and so was very motvated to continue. Sometimes it wasn't easy but deviating didn't make sense to me. I didn't think of it as 'cheating' but as a deviation. Somehow a tougher word as people (not here on Rod's thread) often say oh ..it's just a little cheat - or it doesn't matter, hon. Like h*ll it matters.
So apart from a couple of days in the past month when I had a small amount of chicken and some extra yogurt, I have been 100% for 6+ months. And those two deviation hurt - I shook myself off and decided to get a grip and get on.
I learned to ask others for what I need and not being self conscious about asking for salad, not eating birthday cake and not drinking alcohol. I didn't feel much different until I'd shed 5 stone. I've exercised more as I've got thinner - though less at the moement as I have a back injury.
And now.....here I am - 2/3 of the weight I started at. I will talk to the Alizonne GP tomorrow about my target weight - and finalise where I will stop, and managing that with my long September holiday.
I realise that this is the easy bit. Right now, I choose some real protein (usually 140g fish or scallops or 120g chicken and occassional red meat) with my vegetables for supper and am still on sachets earlier in the day and a lunchtime salad. Having had 'healthy' eating habits that gradually added weight, I am re-thinking my cooking habits, and working out how I will maintain.
Alizonne will give me a medgem at goal - so I will know the 'budget' of calories I can have to maintain. It will probably be around 1,600 calories as my starting medgem was just over 2,200 calores to maintain my starting weight of more than 21 stone.
I've been reading the maintainence threads here for various regimes including Dukan, the vlcds and other diets. I will work a low carb higher protein paleo real food plan around that number, with 5 meal a day - breakfast, lunch, supper and two snacks mid morning and mid afternoon. I will weigh daily, and stay within a few lbs of my maintainence weight. I will track food on MyFitnessPal - where other Alizonners go when they get to maintenance - probably being higher fat and lower carb than standard uk diet. I will develop a new normality for my life. I like the Dukan approach that has a longer period of establishing that new normality the longer you have been fat. Alizonners go back monthly for a year after they get to goal. They re-do the medgem at the one year anniversary to check the resting metabolic rate. I think two years is a better period for me - as it is so easy to slip back.
I am emotional this afternoon and happy with myself. I have been quietly satisfied - but that's ramped up some now. I look forward to reviewing my target with the GP tomorrow so I can finalise how much more I will loose.
Thank you for listening, Bassers.
now that is the post of the month, huge well done Ali and thanks for sharing the story
I've never worried about what diet/lifestyle choice/plan anyone that comes here is on, all I want is for people to succeed and do what they say they are gonna do - and people validating cheating / deviations (good word but it's cheating made fluffy) is nothing short of abuse for the weak.
Thats why this thread was created and thats why, for some, it's successful - if you (pardon the pun) have the stomach for it!
Ali, your story is very similar to mine and when I started I had no thought that I would succeed, I thought I'd do a few weeks if I was lucky then slip back in my old ways.
For whatever reason, somehow I found the guts to go for it and told the world that this time would be my time, for good. And 49lbs later I believe it.
you all have to believe in yourselves and your spirit. You have to have a target with a time on it and break that journey down into manageable chunks. I keep banging on about planning, but this is because if you don't know the way to a destination, how will you get there??? Answers on a piece of string.....
We are made as simple, intelligent living creatures that need "X" amount of calories to function correctly with a side serving of moderate, regular exercise and some fresh air.
Modern life kills, I believe it. And the more I research the more convinced I am that plans like paleo/primal etc are the right way to go FOR ME.
I am struggling with getting my head around lots of the principles and mostly how to live that way in the long run (I have the answer, it's called planning, who likes planning??? LOL), but inadvertantly I have designed my own way of getting this far, so far, which closely mirrors the principles that I am now researching.
maybe it's fate, maybe I like being mostly a carnivore, maybe I recognise that carb-spike feeling I am reading about and decided I'd have no more of it. I believe the science and for me, it makes sense.
Here's the soul stuff for everyone, this is random stuff I've just made up but things I do and have done to kick my own life in the butt
Listen to your instincts
Look yourself in the eye every morning and ask hard questions of your resolve and your conscience
Throw old, big clothes in the charity bag and discard - you have no use for these anymore
Reward yourself with exercise not food - this releases endorphins that make you feel good and LESS tired. And a walk is cheaper than chocolate
Unchain yourself from the weekly cycle you lived. The sofa and the soaps are not real life. It's outside the door. (I've always done this, but you can benefit too - I don't do soaps!)
Surprise yourself with trying something new. Dance? Martial Arts? Learn to swim. Learn a new stroke. Embrace the swimming costume! (Check out Pommette, there's inspiration right there!)
Spend some money on some good stuff. A new pair of foxy jeans? A haircut? A shave? A new pair of decent boots to pound the pavement and the local byways?
Prepare some organic meat or wild caught fish beautifully. This is on my list to do.
The fish bit is easy for me thankfully. I will report what and how.
Can everyone please either pick something from the above or conjure up your own soul stuff and tell us what it is
did you see how with this long post I have managed to get everyone off the subject of cats?
Long live the cat thread and best of luck to all who sail in her.
Meantime this big cat wants to see everyone buckle down hard and make the progress their efforts deserve
You have certainly thought every little bit of your diet through and sound very sensible. Your motivation and commitment is quite inspirational - I love your no nonsense, get on with it attitude! 
