Cambridge Diet 2008

Thursday 14th Aug

2008-08-14T15:11:00.002+01:00

So a while since i last posted but as i am not strictly ss'ing it seems pointless keep telling you guys how i am maintaining... I am still 10,7 and am very happy not to have put on any weight.

I am still replacing a number of meals with my CD shakes in order to avoid any gains.
BUT now i feel it is time to get back onto ss and practice what i preach!!!

I will be back to ss on Monday 18th Aug in order to get into the 9's and possibly down to 9,1...

Def better to maintain for a while in between a long haul on CD SS as it helps you to come to terms with your new size and get some renewed motivation to tackle the next stage.
The novelty has worn off being 10,7 and I am ready to get a bit lower!!!

SS is fantastic and possibly the best way to lose weight quickly. I dont think I can cope with a 1lb loss per week, even if it is my last stone! I still want fast results and ss is the only way to get the results i have become accustomed to!

So wish me luck for climbing back onto the wagon. I will def be able to sympathise with my ss'ing customers anyway!

Thursday 24th July - Day 169

2008-07-24T10:14:00.002+01:00

Ooops no post for almost a month...

Well as per the last post i did mess up at our BBQ... I only had 6 days til my holiday and could i wait less than a week to eat something? NO i couldnt.

I ended up eating whatever...

I then failed to get back onto SS the next day. Beat myself up the whole week (mon-fri) for messing up so close to our hols. Went to Turkey for 2 weeks with 2 other couples and believe it or not i felt ok getting into my bikini on the first day!

I ate everything i wanted for 2 weeks and have paid the price... not only a bad bout of IBS lasting almost a week but also a gain which saw me hitting 11,4 on Monday. Now its Thursday and after 3 days on ss i am 10,11. So not soooo bad but still bad lol...

Back on ss now until 8th august as we are off to Center Parcs (again...) with my family. Hoping to at least get to 10,4 which would mean a stone off post-holiday weight and also what i weighed before i indulged at the pre-holiday bbq!

Am now counselling others doing the CD and really enjoy helping them to achieve the same results as i have. Before my holiday gain i was 2 lbs off 4 stone lost.

Wish me luck as i get rid of the holiday lbs only to replace them with more holiday lbs in a few weeks!!! Oh well as long as it works for me and helps me to maintain i am happy to continue ss'ing down to 9 stone something.

Sunday 29th June - Day 144

2008-06-29T09:43:00.002+01:00

Still 10,3 today, was actually 10,4 yesterday! Feeling a little bunged up so i think im a little constipated. Will use a senokot max as a last resort...

Got a BBQ today at ours with our 'holiday gang'. Only 6 days to go... Cant believe it has come round so fast. Booked this holiday at the end of Jan 2008 and started CD at the beginning of Feb 2008. Thank the lord we booked the group holiday i say! Doubt i would've lost 4 stone otherwise...

So am torn between ss'ing or having a chicken breast or 2. Really want to stick to ss 100% but feel i may get led astray. I will try be strong but if all else fails i will have plain chicken breast and nothing else!!!!!!

Bought some lovely holiday clothes this weekend. Alot of size 10 dresses!!!! woo hoo...
But am still a size 16 bikini bottom (and 10 top lol... pancake huh???). Still very much a pear shape so maybe some exercise is in order when we get back from hols and try to tone up my legs a little.

So wish me luck for today aarrghhhhh... Keep reminding myself only 6 days and i can eat what i like!

Friday 27th June - Day 142

2008-06-27T09:49:00.002+01:00

10,3 today and 8 days to go... so 4lbs til we see the 9's!!!!! yippeeee....

still sticking to ss 100% and almost (very nearly) caved in last night. other half suggested a takeaway and i said 'yeah doner meat please'. then took a second to get into my pjs and jumped on scales and saw 10,4 yesterday evening (normally a few lbs heavier than the morning about 7pm).

i then decided that if i was gonna see 10,3 today then doner meat was a no no. ok i still be in ketosis BUT the salt in the meat would have meant water retention and certainly not a loss of another lb so i am glad i held back and said no to doner meat!

phew...

so 8 days to go and this time next week i shall be getting ready to go on hols!!!! whoop whoop...
really really really wanna be in 9's so i am trying so hard to stick to ss for the next week. who knows how long this dedication will last...

Tuesday 24th June - Day 139

2008-06-24T09:27:00.003+01:00

10,4 today!!!!!!!!!! thats 9lbs in 6 days.

only 3lbs til 4 stone lost (10,1)... and 5lbs til i am in 9's... and 7lbs til 9,11 and BMI of 25.

still feeling (fairly) positive, i am taking this re-start one day at a time as i know how easily i can be swayed and convinced that eating is ok.

so can i lose 5lbs in the next 11 days...? i will certainly try.

Monday 23rd June - Day 138

2008-06-23T10:11:00.002+01:00

12 days to go and i am now the lowest ive been since 2003/2004.

10,5 today!!!!!!!!!

was 10,13 last wednesday so 8lbs off in 5 days... this is why we do CD/SS!
I am feeling very positive and like my faith in CD has been restored.

i so want to get into the 9's for my holiday, and this is what is motivating me to stick to it 100%. even 9,13 and 3/4 would be fine lol...

the weekend was a tough one and food was on my mind all weekend. BUT i managed to restrain myself and this feels much better than eating in the long run.

so 12 days and 6lbs to lose, its gonna be tight so need to get on with the water guzzling....

Wednesday 18th June - Day 133

2008-06-23T10:07:00.002+01:00

So feeling very refreshed mentally (feeling yuk physically) and ready to begin a re-start.

After my failed attempt to re-start on monday i need to realise what triggers a binge. I have told my other half not to comment on me and my diet. If i break it then it is my choice and he should not ask if i am on/off ss and if i want a chinese/ indian etc.

I have also made the decision to only ss until i go on holiday and then will do a low cal/ low carb plan when i get back. This will motivate me more to stick to ss knowing i dont need to do the shakes for much longer. I will get my life back when we get back from Turkey yay!

So heres to a countdown to Turkey, will she / wont she be able to ss until 4th July? watch this space... Oh and scales say 10,13!

Tuesday 17th June - Day 132

2008-06-23T09:56:00.002+01:00

so i lasted a day on my re-start... why oh why cant i get back into it???????

12 weeks was a piece of piss first time round now i cant even do a day!
i guess to same level of motivation just is'nt there when you have less weight to shift :-(

only had chicken but still why did i do it????

this is how it happened;

other half came home early yesterday afternoon and said 'you still doing shakes?', lol even he knows i cant last a whole day (only started this morning!). i said why? he said 'just wondered if you wanted a chinese tonight?'....aarrgghhhh!

so this put ideas in my head for the rest of the day and 'all' evening i was drooling and mulling over the idea of breaking the diet but managed to say no and only had some chicken and salad leaves. not too bad i guess... BUT after the chicken i REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to eat more. its like that voice in your head that leads to a binge... oh well ive f****ed up so may as well carry on eating. but as there was no crap in the house i couldnt carry on eating... thankfully!

sooooo this morning i wake up feeling like crap but also feeling like my 'binge' was not complete! i hadnt f***ed up enough to be able to get back on track. i needed to eat more to get back onto ss... weird i know! so i went to tesco this morning and got a pain au chocolat and some cadburys choc and a cheese ploughmans sarnie and some jaffa cakes!!!! yikes...

had to get this idea of cheating out of the way and get my head back onto SS, cant explain it really. but it was like my cheat on monday was not a real cheat so i had to turn it into a full blow-out in order to justify it!

also had fish and chips tonight... feel yukky now! but also feel like i can get back on track tomorrow as i have eaten enough to warrant coming off ss... hope this makes sense!

Monday 16th June - Day 131

2008-06-16T09:38:00.002+01:00

Oops a daisy... messed up on Saturday (my birthday) and Sunday!!!
Had an indian takeaway after being 'good' all day and having shakes for breakfast and lunch, then again on sunday had another takeaway for tea after being 'good' all day.

Why oh why do i do it????
Nevermind, moving onwards. Today is a new day. Can still get into 9's for my holiday if i am 100% committed to ss'ing.

Scales say 10,12 but i am guessing water is a good 4lbs of this, i hope!!!
So 13lbs to get rid of in 19 days, it is gonna be tough but i am feeling positive for now...

Aaaaarrrgghhhhh, just wanted to scream!

Thursday 12th June - Day 127

2008-06-12T15:48:00.002+01:00

10,11 today... gain coming off slowly and surely (a bit slow for my liking but hey ho).

my bday on saturday and i cant even have a meal or drink to celebrate boo hoo hoo... On the plus side me and boyf are off shopping to get some holiday clothes. This should be enough to keep me on track, especially trying bikinis on!!!!!!!! aarrgghhhh...

still ss'ing 100% but evenings are awful. i really really really want to eat! not long now though, 3 weeks tomorrow until we are off. Yikes!

should def be in ketosis now (day 3) and i dont feel hungry so should be plain sailing from now on, we can live in hope anyway.

i keep wondering how much i can actually lose in 3 weeks and whether or not 3 weeks can really truly make a difference??? maybe this is me convincing myself to eat and that im actually wasting my time doing ss for 3 weeks before my hols lol... think ive got a naughty devil on my shoulder telling me to eat!

although when i began this diet (ss) i did lose 28lbs in my first 4 weeks. Sounds crazy doesnt it? 2 stone in 4 weeks??? Must've been alot of water too im guessing...
i hope i have lots of water in me this time too and can lose at least 12lbs in 3 weeks (well 3.5 to be precise). thats 4lbs a week... and would mean getting into the 9's for my holiday. must keep this in mind and hopefully keep focused.

keep your fingers and toes crossed for me!!!!!

Wednesday 11th June - Day 126

2008-06-11T10:25:00.002+01:00

Phew 10, 12 today... much much better than 11,4! Almost had a heart failure when i stood on scales yesterday!!!

So onwards and downwards. Hope this weight gain comes off quickly. 3 weeks friday until we go away and i have 13lb until i get into 9's.

COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have had my fave hot choc mint so far and am about to start on the water. Had 4l yesterday so will try to match or increase this today.

Not feeling great today. Feel grumpy, hungry and cold...
BUT on the plus side i did manage to do a day of ss'ing yesterday despite my partner asking if i wanted fish'n'chips! He was'nt sure if i had started back on my shakes... bastard lol!

I gave it some thought for an hour or so but managed to say NO!

Its my bday on Saturday and we always pop into London for the day on out bdays... Hope i can ss all day while out shopping! Fingers crossed all the holiday shopping for bikinis inspires me to keep going...

Tuesday 11th June - Day 125

2008-06-11T10:23:00.002+01:00

aaarrgghhhhhhh 11,4 today!!!!!!!!!!!!

bloody hell....

enough said...lol!

back on cd ss today. have had 3 tetras today, one made into ice cream!
25 days of ss'ing until Turkey so i must remain strong.

here we go must get into 9's for my bikini's sake!

Monday 9th June - Day 124

2008-06-11T10:18:00.002+01:00

Back from CP and feel mahoosive!!!!!!!!!!!

All my clothes still fit fine but i feel soooo bloated... I have admittedly eaten everything this weekend!
For example, a cooked breakfast this morning before we left CP... Burger and chips last night, walkers sensations (big bag!) and lots of choc! The list goes on but you get the idea...

I will weigh myself tomorrow to see the extent of the damage. I know alot of it will be water but its water which must go and FAST!

But for today the 'bad' eating will continue, so i am finishing some pick'n'mix from CP and we are off to a Wetherspoons for tea (prob another burger!). Oh and maybe some ice cream too...

Wish me luck for re-joining the CD wagon!!!!!

Friday 6th June - Day 121

2008-06-11T10:12:00.002+01:00

Off to Center Parcs today, have been failing miserably to stick to SS 100%...

Went shopping on Wednesday and came out of the car park lift and almost mugged a guy eating pick and mix!!! Called my partner and he said why not go and get something 'good' to eat so it doesnt lead to a binge... Well my 'good' food was a Millies Cookie!!!! This then led to a very healthy veggie chilli for tea... And then went to my Mums last night and ate a chinese... Oh my god!

This always happens before a holiday/ break. The holiday mode starts early! I always have good intentions of limiting my days off but then holiday fever takes over!

So today i am off to Center Parcs today for a 4 day weekend. I have had this 4 day break from CD planned since i began so i will eat/ drink what i want. I will deal with the gain when i am back on tuesday.

I will still have 25 days of ss'ing until i go to Turkey, i MUST get into 9's for Turkey!!!!

Wednesday 21st May - Day 105

2008-05-21T10:57:00.002+01:00

So day one of week 15 and after my 3 weeks of messing around i am back on sole source.
Well sole source + to be precise. This means i am allowed 200mls of skimmed milk to add to my early grey tea. Much better than black!

I am feeling a little nervous... can i really do ss again????
It is soooo much harder to start again once you stop. And i guess as i have less to lose there is slightly less motivation to stick to it 100% like i did back in Feb and Mar.

So the motivation may not be there still BUT the weight loss goals ARE as is the holiday to Turkey with other people.... There is no way i cannot be in the 9's for my holiday!!!!
If i stick to this now i will enjoy my holiday so much more. I must keep this holiday at the forefront of my mind.

16 days of ss'ing until i go to Center Parcs on June 6th. I know us girlies are all watching our weight and most of us have spent the beginning of this year dieting so maybe we will be more inclined to make better food choices.... I hope!

IF this does not happen, i know that any gain from the 4 days will most likely be a water gain so if i jump straight back onto ss on the Tuesday (10th June) then i have another 24 days to lose this water weight and more before we go to Turkey on July 4th... I so want to be 9,1 for this holiday as that makes 5 STONE exactly! yay...

I have 6.5 weeks to lose 1.5 stone. Is this possible with a 4 day break to CP???? watch this space.

Tuesday 20th May - Day 104

2008-05-20T21:36:00.002+01:00

Ok so we start ss again tomorrow, decision made once and for all.

No weight loss on Atkins so obviously i am either eating too much or not drinking enough water. Because of this i am returning to the strict control of sole sourcing.

Also been v stressed as had dentist today, required diazepam and intra venous sedation to get some work done so diet has not been my priority for the past few days.

Not been particularly naughty but not been good either... Oh well dentist is done and dusted and i am feeling a lot less stressed and readt to embark on hitting my target of 9,11.

Been to see my cdc and collected my shakes and am ready to get going tomorrow, would've started today but had to eat before diazepam and iv sedation so decided there was too much going on to think about ss'ing today.

Am also going to drink 5l religiously as from tomorrow, this was the key to my huge losses from day 1 and as this water intake has decreased so have my losses.

So we have 2.5 weeks to go til center parcs and i really really really want to hit goal number 2 of 9,11. it will be sooooo tight but i will try to get as close as poss. ss is the only way id get near to this goal in such a short space of time hence the switch from atkins to ss.

atkins will always be there once im at goal so i can wait til then! wish me luck for tomorrow.

Friday 16th May - Day 100

2008-05-16T10:19:00.003+01:00

Day 100!!!!!!!!!!! would've loved to have reached 4 stone by day 100 but hey ho 3.5 is fine with me.

I have been toying with the idea of returning to SS. I have not lost any weight whilst doing low carb/ atkins except my gain from my binge last week.

I am still 10,7 which is good as i have'nt gained but as everyone knows i wanted to be 9,11 for center parcs which is 3 weeks today.

If i carry on with this plateau i def wont get anywhere near this, so maybe i should ss until 9,11 / BMI 25.

Eating is not all its cracked up to be... I am always thinking about food and dread jumping on scales in morning in case it shows a small gain (would never happen on ss...).

So Monday i am going to see my CDC to be weighed, only going once a month now as i will have my own stock soon. I am keen to go once a month to keep me on track for now. I will discuss my predicament with her and maybe get enough shakes to enable me to ss until i get my own stock.

ooohh what to do?????????????????????

Wednesday 14th May - Day 98

2008-05-14T09:49:00.002+01:00

10,7 today, so a 2nd sts.

Oh well this is much better than a gain which would've happened if i had carried on with the ss'ing/ bingeing cycle.

I am happy and feel in control at the moment. This slow loss is fine and i guess it is my body adjusting to eating again after 12 weeks ss'ing. If i dont get a good loss next wednesday then i will have to re-think what i am eating and maybe tweak it a little, ie/ less salt, less veg, more water etc... Could also be constipation from the lack of fibre.

I am still showing positive for ketones so this is a relief. I will keep doing what i am doing for another week and see how it goes.
No giving up at the 1st hurdle... not this year!

Like i said earlier in my diary, this is my year for losing the weight and i will do it!

Have had 2 coffees with double cream in so far (10am) and am not ready to have any food.
I think i have eaten loads over the past few days (hence the plateau and feeling of fullness).
The novelty of eating 'what you like' soon wears off so this week i expect a decent loss as i will be eating less and making a conscious effort to guzzle my water to eliminate any water retention.

So heres to next wednesday's weigh in!!!! Aiming for 4lbs...

Tuesday 13th May - Day 97

2008-05-14T09:41:00.002+01:00

Again no major loss to report...ggrrrr!
I will be happy with a sts this week at this rate.

Todays menu;

B - s/f jelly with cream

L - peppered mackerel, salad leaves, gherkins and mayo

T - 2 burgers w/ melted cheddar on top, 2 sausages, s/f jelly with cream

Snacks - Babybels, hot pepperami, peanuts, celery sticks with peanut butter

I have done my ketostix and it is showing a good colour, so i am not worried about the plateau.
Fingers crossed we get a loss soon!!!!!!!!!!

Monday 12th May - Day 96

2008-05-14T09:28:00.002+01:00

Still no big loss, in fact still seeing a slight gain... This is prob due to sudden switch from ss to eating lots of food (allbeit atkins friendly) and salt causing water retention.

I am not concerned, i am in ketosis so it can only be constipation or water retention causing a plateau so i will plod on...

Todays menu included;

babybels, sugar free jelly with double cream, coffee with double cream, peanuts, ham and philly roll ups, doner meat with f/f mayo.

I spent the day painting so no real meals except kebab meat in the evening, just snacking all day really! Thats why i love this way of eating as i am a real grazer. I prefer to nibble all day than have 3 set meals.

The s/f jelly is perfect for a hot day, an ideal snack as well as handy for breakfast when you cant be bothered to cook some eggs!

So 3.5 weeks til i go to center parcs and with this plateau i am fearing the worst with regards to getting to 9,11 for my weekend away... we shall see!

Sunday 11th May - Day 95

2008-05-14T09:22:00.002+01:00

So sun is shining and its picnic season!

I shall be thoroughly enjoying myself today as we are going out with my family for a picnic and i can eat!

No major weight loss to speak of yet. I am hoping its water retention still...

So today i have eaten;

B - ham and philly roll ups

L - picnic inc. salami, cheese, ham, cocktail sausages, cucumber, salad leaves, mayo

T - garlic and herb chicken thighs with garlic mayo and small salad

With the increase in my salt intake i am guessing i will retain some water for a few days. Prob a bit of a shock to my body to suddenly be eating food and lots of it.

I will expect not to lose lots in my first week because i was in ketosis when i began so no whopping great big glycogen loss for me :(

Saturday 10th May - Day 94

2008-05-10T14:59:00.003+01:00

well its been a topsy turvy few days since my binge at cdc training on wednesday last week... and i am happy to announce i am now on Atkins! i have amended my blog title to take this into consideration as im not on CD now...

Cambridge Diet 08 (wks 1-12, 14,2-10,7) and Atkins Diet 08 (wk 13+, 10,7-?)

i knew when i got to my first goal of 10,7 in 12 weeks then i would bee itching to start eating again. ideally i would've loved to have the discipline to do 810 and then work upwards from there. but i dont have 'any' discipline, even after abstaining for 12 weeks!!!

i am slowly yet surely losing my gain from last wednesday. i only cheated on one day yet managed to gain 6lbs... yikes, must've been the large pizza from the takeaway. oops!

so i began Atkins on Thursday as it is clear i cannot do sole source 100% at the moment.
this is what ive had to eat;

Thursday

B - CD shake
L - Boiled eggs
T - Grilled lamb kofte, sauerkraut (pickled cabbage)
Snacks - Babybels

Friday

B - Boiled eggs
L - Ham rolled up with Philadelphia on
T - Chicken breast, cauliflower
Snacks - Babybels

Saturday

B - 2 poached eggs, 2 slices bacon, mushrooms
L - Ham, cheese, Sugar free jelly & cream
T - Chicken thighs (garlic and herb), asparagus w/ parmesan cheese

So am hoping to get rid of my gain and maybe lose a little more for next wednesday weigh in, 10,6 would be fabulous! We shall see how this Atkins diet goes...
i am also drinking lots of water still, 3l a day.

i am torn between feeling like a failure and also feeling liberated... I cannot forget that i did lose 50lbs on CD. It is a shame i couldnt continue to 9,11 BMI 25 but hey thats life!
My partner is happy for me as i am no longer weighing up the 2 diets and feeling bad for not being able to stick with one or the other.

i think Atkins is the way forward for me now, i feel good about what i have achieved (a little gutted i didnt stick to SS for longer) and am confident that i can get to goal.
i am still aiming for 9,11 for Center Parcs 6th June!!! Fingers crossed...

Wednesday 7th May - Day 91

2008-05-07T19:00:00.002+01:00

So am very annoyed to report a sts... 10,7 still.

My week of chopping and changing was so not worth it, anyone considering dabbling in atkins or other diets DO NOT DO IT!

I am happy to have had Sat evening off for wedding but i dont think it was a good idea to mess about and combine diets. Oh well, hindsight and all that...

So I now have 4 weeks friday to get to 9,11 for Center Parcs, this gives me a bmi of 25 and would be a wonderful achievement!!!!

Had my CDC training day today and it was fab. I learnt loads of new stuff about CD, sole source and the maintenance plans.

Cant wait to get started and see my own clients... Would love others to experience the same losses!

So here is to another week of SOLE SOURCE, no dabbling i promise...

Tuesday 6th May - Day 90

2008-05-06T15:53:00.002+01:00

Day 90??? woo woo but where has the time gone????

would've LOVED to have reached 4 stone for 100 days but this does not seem likely after my 'blip' this weekend. today i weighed 10,9 so still showing a gain/ water retention from my days off.

who would've thought 1.5 days of normal eating/ drinking would affect my weight so much. was 10,7 last friday and am still 10,9 even after ss'ing since sunday... was it worth it??? mmm dont think it was. oh well live and learn!

still 3.5 stone in 12 weeks was good going and i wont dwell on this temporary gain. this would be my downfall normally along with an 'oh f*** it' attitude.
i am determined to get to my goal so i must plod on.

just having my 2nd shake of the day, you guessed it a 'hot choc mint'!!!

got my training day tomorrow so am hoping my 'ketosis' is going to work for me as i dont think it will be appropriate for me to take my blender to prepare my shakes and i dont have any tetras.
fingers crossed i can last the day on my brekky shake and water...

i will be heading off early tomorrow for my CDC training so will not weigh in as usual on wednesdays, i will wait til thursday instead. this might help me shake of this gain!!! please....

Sunday 4th May - Day 88

2008-05-04T18:18:00.002+01:00

Oh my god, just re-read Friday's entry and realised how fast my frame of mind can change with regards to food...

My plans on friday were morning shake, chick for lunch and nandos chick for tea... Well come 5pm i was soooo not into Nandos. In fact i was so uninterested in eating anything.
I made a decision to have friday evening off and then saturday for the wedding and then return to sole source on Sunday (today).

So i did!

Friday was fine with shakes for breakfast and chicken for lunch, but the night involved a few naughty delights! we went to mac d's before the cinema, i had a sweet chilli chicken sandwich (on brown bread - how angelic lol...), had fries and a diet coke... then had a huge bag of pic n mix. i lurve pic n mix!!!!!!

Saturday's breakfast was 2 slices of brown toast with marmite, lunch was a cheese and onion sandwich, then tea was wedding buffet and 4 glasses of white wine. so well and truly off-wagon!

Today is a different matter, didnt bother weighing myself as i normally do religiously... I have had my shakes and am back on track 100%.

makes me feel better to put it all down in black and white, it doesnt actually look that bad does it??? so onwards and downwards... 9,1 here i come!

Friday 2nd May - Day 86

2008-05-02T11:25:00.003+01:00

Oops forgot to 'blog' yesterday, nowt to report though.
i havent had a whopping loss to notify you of!
i am still 10,7. i am not surprised, not disappointed and chuffed that i havent gained despite 'eating' again.

this is what ive had since wed;

day 1
b - choc mint shake
l - atkins choc brownie bar
t- chicken thighs pieces in garlic/paprika (m&s)
snacks - 2 boiled eggs

day 2
b - choc mint shake
l - 2 chicken breasts w/ ceasar dressing
t - chicken breast cooked in chinese spices

day 3
b - choc mint shake
l - chicken breast cooked in chinese spices
t - (will be) nandos chicken

so as you can see ive not gone mad, i am sticking to chicken and things that will keep me in ketosis. i am doing this on a weeks trial, if the loss is minimal next wednesday then ill switch back to ss until i get to bmi 25, 9 stone 11.

i have got my training day on wednesday this week to become a CDC. i cannot wait to help others. i am always on minimins and LOVE giving peeps advice and making their journey as successful as mine. i have struggled with my weight for 2/3 yrs now and this diet has been a breakthrough for me.

i just hope i can get to the end and making the switch to semi cd/ semi atkins is not going to slow me down. i must be strong and go back to ss if i dont get a good loss next week. i dont want to start a downward spiral of bad loss = demotivation = start eating sh!t... = gain all weight back.

i will def be ss'ing if this switch to eating chicken etc fails to give me good results!!!!

off to cinema later and will be going to Nandos first. Not been there for yonks, maybe a year ago. i shall be ordering either a whole chicken to share with other half or 1/2 chicken for ME! yum...

wedding tomorrow, so will have my morning shake, maybe miss lunch as i will need some extra carb allowance in case i want to have some buffet! a few voddies might may be hungry lol...

peeps on minimins keep saying how they are reading my blog and i really appreciate others taking the time to read about my journey. if it helps 1 person to get started and stay motivated then it has been worthwhile. i will prob carry on blogging when i start maintenance, it will be a constant reminder to admit what my actual weight is... no more denial about gains!

so HI to all minis reading this, good luck with your losses this week xxx

p.s ive changed my ticker at the top of my blog as i have reached 10,7 which was my first target, i now need to get to 9,1 for a total of 5 stone loss in total.

Wednesday 30th April - Day 84

2008-04-30T10:47:00.003+01:00

Oh my good god, i am 10,7 today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

50lbs in 12 weeks, i am over the bloody moon and feeling v positive today.
Was considering switching to Atkins yesterday (a weeks trial first though) but now i am happy to ss for a little bit longer.

It has given me the boost i needed to slog on with the shakes. I am sooooo happy!

10lbs to my next goal of 9,11 and a bmi of 25 for center parcs.

Good lord i never dreamt i would be here still (looking back at blog) and be able to say i am 10,7.
Really never thought id achieve this loss... wow!

Only 20lbs to go now til i get to my ultimate goal of 9,1. Not much at all... Def not worth messing it up now that im so close so ill continue ss'ing for as long as i can bear it.

Got my CDC training day next weds, i cant wait til i can help others to achieve such a great loss in such a short amount of time. I know when you start a diet like this if someone said "its only 12 weeks without food"... well 12 weeks does seem like a lifetime when you start out but hand on heart it has honestly flown by!

I dread to think what id weigh now if i had'nt started CD on Feb 6th. I certainly would'nt be soooo excited about going to a) wedding saturday, b) center parcs in a month and c) turkey with 2 other couples in 2 months.

Now im like 'BRING IT ON'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow what a feeling, i am seriously buzzing at the moment. Feel like crying! In fact my eyes have begun to well up while typing that! Cant believe it, this feeling is way better than the feeling you get when eating Haribo lol - and i do LOVE Haribo!!!!

So as it stands plans for now are (may change by tomorrow...) -

continue ss'ing for week 13
eat carefully and drink a few vodkas on saturday at wedding
back to ss on sunday
continue ss'ing all next week into week 14 (makes 100 days = 4 stone?)
next friday 9th may i have a dinner/dance for boyfs footy team so again will eat/ drink but carefully
may also have another friends bday next saturday 10th may, again eat/ drink carefully...
then continue ss'ing right up until center parcs on june 6th and hopefully 9,11 and bmi 25.
if i gain at cp i will go back to ss until i get below bmi 25 again and then move up plans...

phew, well thats the plan anyway!!!

Tuesday 29th April - Day 83

2008-04-29T12:31:00.002+01:00

10,8 today... thats exactly 3.5 stone/ 49lbs gone!!!

I am over the moon, another target hit. 12 weeks and 3 1/2 stone gone for good.
I have so far hit all my weekly weight loss targets and i really dont know where my motivation has come from.

On any other diet i would've quit along time ago... Like 12 stone something. Cant really get to grips with the fact that i am now 10 stone something!!! Im hoping my head will catch up with my fast loss as i still feel like i look BIG...

I keep looking in the fridge/ cupboard for no reason whatsoever... I think it is getting nearer to the time when i should be going up the different levels of CD. I have'nt set a specific time for doing so but maybe when i get into the 9's or 9,11/ BMI 25 i will stop ss'ing and go to 810.
Althought i have to admit i love ss'ing, it gives me control yet freedom. If that makes sense!!!

I feel in control as i know i can only have my shakes, there are no choices to be made and with this comes freedom from the guilt which comes with my eating habits. So at the moment ss'ing is the best option for me.

Got the wedding on sat and ill be having a few vodkas and maybe a few buffet nibbles but def getting back to ss on the sunday. No excuses. Not long til i am in a swimsuit at Center Parcs (June 6th) and i want to have a healthy BMI (9,11) for this break.

It has become a yearly tradition to go to CP with the girls each year and last year i was nearly 13 stone and looked truly awful. But i had been doing weight watchers for a month or so and prob lost a stone and didnt feel that bad... Now i know i was BIG and will hopefully be feeling much much better this time round!

So day one of week 13 tomorrow and hopefully ill still be 10,8 or even better 10,7...

Monday 28th April - Day 82

2008-04-28T20:52:00.002+01:00

Back from weigh in at CDC, 10,10 on her scales. This is good as it means i am a lb or 2 lighter on my scales...

Cant believe we are nearly at the end of week 12, week 13 starts on wednesday. Unlucky for some lol!!!!!!!! Hopefully not for me though.

Hoping to hit my 1st goal in the next week, 10,7. I wanted to be there for May Day so fingers are firmly crossed.

Should be doing aamw then 810 as my CDC feels i didnt do my week 5 and 10 aamws properly and you can only do a vlcd for 12 weeks without taking a break. I have had nibbles along the way, a trip to pizza express, a handful of vodka and diet cokes and a bowl of spag bol so i reckon i have had enough breaks! Not really too keen on doing either aamw or 810 so may just carry on with ss... ssshhhh!

Sunday 27th April - Day 81

2008-04-27T16:16:00.002+01:00

Soooo no daily weigh in today, went 'out' last night and had a handful of vodka and diet cokes (8 to be exact...lol). I just felt i wanted to go out and socialise and have a 'fun & relaxed' night so i did just that.

I was and still am in ketosis as i stuck to vodka with diet cokes, even managed to resist kebab meat on way home! wow...

I didnt want to weigh myself this morning as the possible dehydration may have made me lighter than i actually am so thought id skip it today, saves disappointment tomorrow when the dehydration subsides and weight goes up!

Back on ss straight away this morning and hoping to do 5l of water today. Only 2 more days til end of week 12... still not sure what to do after this. Could move up plans, move to Atkins or continue ss'ing!!!! Decisions decisions... Ideally ss'ing until the 9's would be the best move but every now and then i am sooooo tempted to eat. I am beginning to miss food big-time but at the same time i want to lose as quickly as poss, this means ss'ing!

Can i make it to 10,7 for Wednesday (or May day as per my original target)... We shall see!

Friday 25th April - Day 79

2008-04-25T21:21:00.002+01:00

10,9 today, 2 lbs til 1st goal... yay!

have had a good day...been doing some mega intensive work in the garden today so i think i got some exercise at last. ripping down a shed and lifting loads of paving slabs into a skip. even managed to fill the skip up!

hopefully my bingo wins will get a bit more toned after that lol...

feeling a bit better about myself now. i know the scales SAY i have lost the bulk of my weight but my head is struggling to catch up with the rapid loss. i still feel bigger than i should do at nearly 10,7.

BUT i am now in size 14 jeans and my boobs are no longer a DD or even a D so i have def lost weight lol... that is proof enough for me! boo hoo no boobies...

got the wedding a week today and have finally settled on a silk mix strapless dress from Monsoon in black and white. Love it! Got some lovely silver shoes and a little black bolero to go with it so am looking forward to getting dressed up!!!

still undecided about which route to take after next weeks weigh in... i would like to hit my 1st goal of 10,7 and either continue to SS til BMI 25 (ideal route) or switch to Atkins as i am feeling ready to eat again but still lose weight.
i have decided to wait and see how i feel on wednesday, am hoping i have to motivation to keep up with SS. fingers crossed i do!

realised today that no one has commented on my bum looking smaller... i am a true pear shape and hold the bulk of my weight from hips downwards. everyone says i look slimmer in the face but the true test for me is a smaller bum!

so heres to another 'good' weekend. i am painting the fences tomorrow so again another fairly active day. hope this helps me to hit 10,7 for wednesday. that makes 3.5 stone in 12 weeks. woo woo fingers crossed!

Wednesday 23rd April - Day 77

2008-04-23T12:40:00.002+01:00

Well bit confusing today...

I weighed about 9am before drinking and was 10,11. Then had my phone interview to become a CDC (passed... begin training in May) and after this i had a wee and weighed again...
Was curious about how much a wee weighs and was 10,10.25, so ive decided to go with the 10,10.

I am hoping the scales were not playing games with me, i did jump on about 10 times to make sure it was a mistake and it kept saying 10,10. Fingers crossed it is still this tomorrow...

So only 3lbs away from my 1st goal, could be there next week at the end of week 12.
Cant really believe i am now in week 12. It has gone so fast and the best decision ive made in a very long time. 12 weeks sacrifice to go from 14,2 to 10,7 is amazing!

I am over the moon at the mo, really am quite shell-shocked by my achievement so far. I am not done yet though, i am just praying that my will power holds out a bit longer and allows me to continue to 9 stone something... Please please please...

Am looking forward to the wedding on May 3rd (in 10 days time), got a couple of dresses but am still on the look out for something that looks and feels better. Want to look my best of course!
I am having the evening off for the wedding, so a little buffet and few vodkas!!!!!!! But straight back on the SS wagon for another month until i go to Center Parcs on June 6th. Am hoping to be BMI 25 for this break!!!!!!!!!!

Have got another good friend's bday night planned on May 10th BUT dont think i am going to risk another night out so soon after the wedding! I will prob meet the girls for a pint or 2 (water of course) after their meal.

So week 12, lets do it!

Tuesday 22nd April - Day 76

2008-04-22T19:29:00.003+01:00

10,11 today. Would like to be 10,10 for tomorrows weigh in so fingers crossed!!!!

Forgot to mention that i wore a pair of size 14 jeans on Saturday, what a buzz it is when you go down a dress or jean size... It really does keep you going.

I am beginning to struggle a little... Other half ordered a lovely mixed grill kebab yesterday and i was literally drooling! With my Atkins experience i am always tempted to cheat with things i know will not kick me out of ketosis. I know this would defy the object of abstinence so i am really trying not to cheat at all.

But with each passing week it is becoming harder. I want to continue ss'ing until BMI 25 (so another stone really) but each day is getting harder and harder.
I realise that this happens on every diet i try, i become complacent with my loss and then ruin all my hard work.

Well this time the 'work' has been harder than ever, harder than any diet ive done before... Maybe this is why i am more determind to keep going that bit longer and not sabotage everything ive achieved over the past 11 weeks.

Beginning of week 12 tomorrow, one more week and its been 3 months on CD. Crazy how time flies... Anyone beginning this diet and feeling daunted by how long it means not eating for should not worry. It has flown by and ive only really been struggling for the past few weeks. 1-10 were fairly easy going.

I lost 3 stone in 10 weeks so if i can then anyone can! Just stick to it as long as possible...
If i had some time off the diet i dont think i could get back into it. Alot of people say that the 1st time you SS is the easiest, it gets harder after each break from the diet to get back on track.

REMEMBER THIS AND IT SHOULD STOP YOU CHEATING!

I do feel like ive had enough of ss'ing and could quite easily go up the plans BUT i do not trust myself not to undo the work ive put into this. Maybe if i get to a healthy BMI then i will be more determined to keep going and get to goal. Wow to get to 9,1 will be amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So week 12 here we come!

Sunday 20th April - Day 74

2008-04-20T11:23:00.003+01:00

Thank the lord... still 10,12 despite eating last night!

I had my planned evening off for a good friends bday. We went to Pizza Express and i had;
Starter Mozarella and Beef Tomatoes with olive oil/pesto dressing
Main Pollo Verdure Salad - Chicken and roasted peppers and aubergine in a honey and mustard dressing

I also drank gallons of water and managed to avoid any dough balls/ garlic bread/ pizza and bday cake so 'well done me'!!!

It was weird eating in front of people who know ive not eaten 'properly' for 10 weeks. I felt like i was being watched as if i had an eating disorder and actually felt quite uncomfortable. One friend kept asking 'are you full yet'... I hardly ate any of my main as it was not alot of chicken and quite alot of the roasted veg and i felt bad for leaving it in case they thought i had a problem with food!

Oh well, need to take the rough with the smooth and just remember why i am doing this diet. The results speak for themselves and this is enough for me to keep going. So am back on track today, one shake down and about to get started on my water.

Having a lazy day today so no excuses for not drinking all my water, and more...

Seeing my CDC tomorrow and having my unofficial weigh in so am hoping to have a 10 stone something weigh in on her scales, but it seems unlikely as her scales weigh me heavier than mine.

So heres to a new start and 100% ss'ing from now until May 3rd when we have a wedding to go to. I am going to be having a planned evening off then too... hence the need to be strict from now until then!

Friday 18th April - Day 72

2008-04-18T10:44:00.002+01:00

Oh my god scales have moved again - 10,12 today!!!
I really wanted to be in the 10's for my night out with the girls tomorrow night so this is amazing...

Only 5lbs away from my 1st goal of 10,7. Still feeling quite fat though. I did think at 10,7 i would be a fair bit smaller than i am... Hence it being my first goal!!!
So I am def going to continue to 9,1, my 2nd goal, which i hope to achieve by 4th July.

Now this 2nd goal seems quite attainable before July 4th BUT i am off a wedding on May 3rd, to Center Parcs on June 6th, also have my bday 14th June and have decided to have a murder mystery party... so will be eating normally in between ss'ing my way to goal or as far as possible (BMI 25).

I am over the moon at the moment, still quite shell shoced that i am actually in the 10's and no longer in the 11's/12's/13's or even 14's. Never did i think that i would actually be able to stick to this diet for this long.

Every day i feel like i never know how long this motivation will last, i intend to ss/ follow CD for as long as my will power allows me. I dont like to set goals too far ahead as i know how quickly will power can be lost or at least dwindle... So i am treating every successful day as an added bonus and one step nearer to goal.

Update on upcoming events -
2 weeks til wedding = 10,7 (5lbs away)
7 weeks til Center Parcs = 10,0 (12lbs away)
11 weeks til Turkey = 9,1 (25lbs away)

Watch this space to see if i achieve them!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday 17th April - Day 71

2008-04-17T10:59:00.002+01:00

Yippeeeeeeee in the 10's at long last...

Only a day later than i had planned!!!!!! Ideally wanted to be in 10's for week 10 weigh in yesterday but hey ho, 1 day late is fine with me.

I really am on a mega-high. Losing weight, i reckon, is better than doing drugs (not that i would know but am guessing)... the buzz i am feeling is amazing.

Off shopping again later, i found a dress yesterday for the wedding on May 3rd. It is in Monsoon (£135 woooooo... bit steep...) and is a size 12 silky strapless number in black and white.
I am shopping with my other half later so will get a 2nd opinion!

Bought some silver kitten heel shoes the other day which would go perfectly with the dress, they are in a size 4 as my feet are now a size smaller after losing weight.

So in 4 weeks i could potentially be celebrating the 9 stone bracket... Well maybe 5 weeks time!
The losses have been slowing down lately but it has been so worth it. I never dreamt i would see CD through to the 10's. Normally i give up when the going gets tough, and it has been tough at times. I have been desperate to eat on numerous occassions but glad i am still ss'ing.

The quicker i get to goal the better. I must keep going now til BMI 25 at least, so about 9,7 i think.

Hope everyone reading this can draw some positive vibes from it, I really hope anyone struggling can see there is a light at the end of the tunnel!!! Keep going, it does work.

Wednesday 16th April - Day 70

2008-04-16T08:49:00.004+01:00

Ok so just a quick post today, am still 11,0. No sign of 10 stone something yet... maybe tomorrow!

Still feeling upbeat and minimins.com is my saviour. Have made some good 'diet buddies' who are soooo supportive. They are there whenever im feeling good or bad and i swear they keep me going on this diet, nice to know im not alone!

Off to take a friend to the airport... next time i go to the airport i shall be heading off on my hols all slim'n'trim, well 9,1 to be precise. Fingers firmly crossed!

So see you tomorrow, come on you 10's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday 15th April - Day 69

2008-04-15T09:50:00.002+01:00

11 stone exactly today yippppeeeeeee.... more banners and streamers!!!!!!!
Only a quarter of a lb away from 10's. So excited about getting into the 10's.

That means i am 7lbs away from 10,7!

I went to see CDC last night and was 11,2 on her scales so that means 3 stone lost on hers too. She also reminded me that I can only SS for 12 weeks at a time. So on 30th April (12 weeks) I am moving to 810 plan for a week. This means still drinking shakes but adding a low fat/ low carb meal in the evening. Then I can go back onto SS for a few more weeks until I go to Center Parcs again to lose a few more lbs.

After CP I will be ss'ing again for 3 weeks until I go to Turkey, well if my BMI allows this... Cannot SS under BMI 25 :-(
I hope this does not slow down my weight loss too much. I really want to get to goal of 9,1 for Turkey.

So I am supposed to be going out for a good friends bday meal on Saturday BUT I am now a bit worried. My CDC said to follow ss strictly for next 2 weeks before doing 810 plan. I am not sure if i want to eat on Saturday now. I am picking up a menu from the restaurant today so will decide after looking at what choices I have.

Feel bad missing the meal but I have put so much into this diet and dont want to mess it up for the sake of one meal.

I am having my official weigh in tomorrow and praying I am in the 10's...

Monday April 14th - Day 68

2008-04-14T10:38:00.002+01:00

yay 3 stone gone!!!! now 11,1... at long last!
so close to the 10's now, cant wait.

i am praying that ill be under 11 on wednesday but i think it will be nearer to the weekend at the rate i am losing right now... oh well got a night out with the girls on sat so it will be a good feeling knowing i am back in a 'safe zone'. 10 stone something sounds healthy'ish to me.

got cdc's weigh in tonight so it might even say 3 stone on her scales too, doubt it though!
i am going to be talking to my cdc about doing a spot of maintaining/ going up the levels before i go to center parcs and also turkey.
bit worried about going from ss to eating normally (well more than normal lol)... hope i dont pile the pounds on in a weekend!

should be getting a call from cambridge diet hq and having a phone interview very soon. after being recommended by my cdc i have applied to become a counsellor myself! its going to be a fab way to keep me on track and also help others get to grips with the best diet around...

it truly does work but it is one of the hardest things i have ever done!

Sunday 13th April - Day 67

2008-04-13T12:01:00.002+01:00

gggrrrr still hanging around on 11,2...

no way am i gonna be in 10's for Wednesday weigh in at this sluggish rate!

went out last night and couldnt bear to drink water so had 3 small diet cokes... oops... maybe this is why the scales are being stubborn!!!????

i love setting mini goals and working out time scales and weight losses... for example 8 weeks til Center Parcs, so at 2lb a week i could lose 16lbs taking me to exactly 10 stone!

i know 2lbs a week is not alot but at the rate i am currently losing weight it does not seem unreasonable :(

aaarrrrghhhh where are the bloody 10's...???

well if i got to 10 stone for Center Parcs then i only have to lose a few more lbs to get near to goal of 9,1 for Turkey. So not that bad and we can hope for more than 2lbs a week...

will i be 10,7 for april 30th???? doesnt seem likely at the mo does it! oh well keep drinking that water... and keep fingers crossed...

Saturday 12th April - Day 66

2008-04-12T11:56:00.003+01:00

Ok so day 66... less than 3 weeks til i need to reach 1st goal of 10,7!

i am now 11,2 which is fab considering my 'day off'. Quite close to 11,1 too, like 0.25 of a lb away, so thats 3 stone mark!!!

am hoping to be in 10's for next weeks weigh in... into the 10's in week 10 has a nice ring to it!

yesterday was 3 weeks til wedding, 8 weeks til Center Parcs with girls and 12 weeks til Turkey.
those dates are just getting nearer and nearer and faster and faster!!!!!!

its midday and i have not even started drinking my water yet, oops. had my toffee and walnut with coffee for breakfast so maybe a hot choc mint for lunch. but must get some water down me first...

off shopping later, gonna have a look at dresses for the wedding on May 3rd. Would love to have hit my goal of 10,7 for this which i hope to do by 30th April. Wonder what size ill need? ive not really bought any new clothes since losing weight as i had so many which i couldnt wear due to weight gain... so its already like i have a whole new wardrobe and its much more satisfying putting on my jeans knowing that i didnt fit into them 4 weeks ago... yippee!

i look like ive lost weight from my waist upwards, but to me i look no different on the bottom. everyone is now saying that i look like ive lost loads of weight but i still dont really feel like it. of course i know i have as the scales say so, but in my head im still frumpy... :-(

off out tonight to see a band playing with the 'slim girl' who is coming in holiday, so this is a boost everytime i see her. she is my inspiration for losing before Turkey! no way am i going to look like a beached whale sitting next to a slim girl... not in a million...

i wonder if i would've lost the weight if we had'nt booked up to go on holiday with other couples!
in the past we have booked holidays ahead of time so i have a reason to lose weight... but guess what? i always end up heavier on holiday then i was when we booked it! too much pressure? or not enough? as this time i have done it, ive got more to go but at least im over half way now.

3 stone down and 2 to go... bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday 10th April - Day 64

2008-04-10T14:56:00.002+01:00

Well yesterday took a nose dive shortly after writing my diary entry...

I had my morning shakes as usual. Then my cottage cheese and celery for lunch (it is aamw).
Then i wanted more... food that is!
So i had a bite of flapjack... and a boiled egg... then decided that i would eat a normal meal for tea in order to curb this food craving.

We had already been invited to mums for tea so i had a small helping of spaghetti bolognese and 3 potato wedges, with some salad. No dessert...

I knew that i would struggle with the aamw's. The 1st one in week 5 was a disaster, only had 2 aam's as i couldnt trust myself to stop at just a little... so didnt bother having the food after day 2.
This time (week 10) i was determined to do it properly BUT after my cottage cheese i just wanted to carry on eating...

I am back on track today, 2 shakes down and on my 3rd litre of water (its 2.10pm).
It is out of my system now and i am not going to do the rest of my aamw for fear of losing control big-time!!!

I did weigh myself and i was 11,4 but i am sure this is just water gain so ill not change my ticker... for now anyway!

So looking forward we need to lose 10lbs in 3 weeks to get to my first goal of 10,7 by 30th April. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Wednesday 9th April - Day 63

2008-04-09T12:01:00.003+01:00

Still 11,3!
Oh well thats 40lb lost and only 10lbs to go til my 1st goal...

Hopefully ill be in the 10's v.v.v.v.v.v soon and well on my way to a healthy BMI.
As i am only 5ft 2 i need to be in the 9's to have a BMI of 25 or under.

I really want to be as near to 10,7 as i can by 30th April. I was intending on going up to the next level to continue losing the last 20lbs to get to 9,1. That will make a grand total of 5 stone lost.

Have completed my forms to become a CDC so this is a fantastic opportunity to help keep me on track and continue until 9,1. I would normally give up and become complacent about 10 stone something (thats if i actually managed to get this low...).

This diary has also been a fab motivational tool and has given me a place to keep track of my daily/ weekly/ monthly losses. This is great to read back over and see how far ive come in such a short space of time.... i MUST remember that i have only been on this diet 9 weeks. That is not very long at all so i shouldnt expect to be stick-thin already!

I would like to continue SS'ing until BMI 25 but i am quite keen to get back to a certain degree of normality and be able to have a small evening meal. This is why i set my goal of 10,7 in 12 weeks... If i feel i can continue with SS beyond 12 weeks/ 30th April then of course i def do so.

It would be fab to get to 9,1 asap BUT i have another weekend at Center Parcs on June 6th with the girlies so i am going to eat for 4 days. I then have 4 weeks once back from CP to lose a few lbs before Turkey on 4th July - The BIG one... lol.

So lets break it down;

Current weight - 11,3
in 8 weeks til CP - 8 weeks from now to lose 21lbs to get well under 10 stone (9,10)?
in 12 weeks til Turkey - 4 weeks to lose another 9lbs to get to final goal 9,1?

So thats 12 weeks (with a weekend off for CP) to lose 30lbs to get to 9,1.
Thats an average of 2.5 a week from now until 4th July.

Oooh thats tight... Is it possible???? mmm better up the water intake and get to the swimming pool... Didnt think it would be so much per week!

I know 2.5lbs a week is not alot BUT with a planned weekend off and already an average of 3lb loss a week, it does seem tough. I am guessing that my losses will slow down to less than 3lb a week... yikes!

Tuesday 8th April - Day 62

2008-04-08T19:53:00.003+01:00

Ok so nowt to report... Still 11,3.

Nothing really happened today, drank my water, had my packs and chilled out today.

Looking forward to weigh in tomorrow... fingers crossed!!!!!!

Not long til we are celebrating both a 3 stone loss and getting into the 10's... yippeeeeeeee!!!!!

So heres to the next couple of weeks!

Monday 7th April - Day 61

2008-04-07T20:54:00.004+01:00

So we got back from Center Parcs this avo... I survived a weekend away with no cheating!
I took my smoothie maker and stuck to my soups and shakes. It was a miracle though, especially with all the yummy stuff my partner was eating... burgers, chips, scampi, sweets, cream cakes, fried breakfasts etc!

Weighed myself when we got back about 2pm (so not a real one as drunk water and not naked) and was 11,3.5. Hopefully this will still be 11,3 or better still 11,2 in the morning! I really wanted to see 11,1 very soon as this means 3 stone lost! woop woop...

Also saw my CDC this evening, lost 5lbs on her scales too. So 3lbs off 3 stone on hers. Picked up my application form to become a counsellor myself. I have completed them and will be posting tomorrow. So depending on when the next training session is it may not be long til i am someone else's CDC, yippeee!

I am no longer seeing my girlfriends on the 12th of April... Thankfully its been cancelled lol!!!
I really wanted to be in the 10's when i see them next on the 19th of April so im glad this is still the plan.

Cannot believe i am nearly in the 1o's, sooooo excited by this! Anyway ill do a proper post tomorrow when i have an accurate weigh in tomorrow morning... fingers crossed for 11,3 or less!

Thursday 3rd April - Day 57

2008-04-03T17:50:00.002+01:00

Hip hip hooray, 11.5 today!
I seem to lose a lb every 3-4 days on average which is nice to know.

So 4lbs from the 3 stone mark, and only 6lbs until i say goodbye (forever) to the 11's, yay!

Off to Center Parcs tomorrow so hopefully shift 1/2 lbs this weekend by keeping active and busy busy busy... I shall not be taking my scales which is scary, i weigh myself daily! So i shall be weighing myself on Tuesday and hoping for 11,3. Fingers crossed!

I am taking my frothie maker, shakes & soups, coffee and sweeteners! So much for travelling light for a weekend away lol... We are staying in the hotel (as only me and my boyf) so have a kettle etc. Perfect for making my shakes and soups and keeping me on track! Lets hope so anyway...

So April 19th is one of my best girlfriends bday meal and i wanted to def be in 10's for this night... Now we are also invited round to hers on the 12th! aaaarrrggghhhh can i get into 10's a week earlier?????
A simple calculation... i have 9 days to go and 6lbs til i am well and truly in the 10's... thats 1lb off every 1.5 days!

Yikes... i need to do some serious exercise this weekend if i am to achieve this. My partner is very active and fit so i know he will be up for all sorts... tennis, badminton, walking, swimming, horse riding (trekking lol)! I will also try to fit in an aerobics class or 2. Oh and a spa day to sweat some fat out... yuk!

Oh well whatever i weigh on the 12th an 19th i will def look and feel better than i did at 14,2...

So this is my last post until after C.P, heres hoping for a good weigh in on Tuesday (unofficial w.i of course, Wed is official)...

Wednesday 2nd April - Day 56

2008-04-02T11:21:00.002+01:00

:-( ggggggrrr and double ggrrrr still 11,6...

Nevermind, have decided to make a real effort with the water this week as i really dont want another 2lb loss next week.. cant have 3 of them in a row!

So 6lbs til the 10's... i dont want this to take another 3 weeks so some serious action needs to be taken! I am off to Center Parcs this friday so i am deffo gonna burn off lots of fat doing countless activities!!! Just got to stick to my packs whilst we are there... i will try soooo hard.

I have a new fave 'meal'. Toffee and walnut made up fairly weak with warm water and a tspn of coffee. Just like a latte!!! Very warm and comforting...
In fact i will have one in a min for breakfast.

Might take a lax later to see if i can move any blockages and help 11,5 on its way... I am not taking the fibre 89 anymore. Did'nt really feel like it was working for me. Senna does the trick once or twice a week.

So heres to next wednesday's weigh in... Can we get near to 11,1??? That will make 3 stone exactly and would be fan-dabby-dosey!

Tuesday 1st April - Day 55

2008-04-01T17:43:00.002+01:00

Ok so i hit 11,6 (and 3/4) today... cant believe i am now nearer to the 10's than the 12's, no going back now!

In my targets i set a few weeks back i was meant to be 11,4 tomorrow (week 8 weigh in and day 1 of week 9) but this seems unlikely. If i am still 11,6 then thats ok but 11,5 would be fabby.

I have until 19th April to get into 10's for a friends bday meal, ive not seem my girlfriends since i was about 12,7 so this will be fab to be so near to goal. Especially as i am planning to have the 'night' off and this would be a great motivational tool... in the 10's and so close to goal so i wont want to mess it up by eating loads of carbs and drinking alcohol. I will be driving to the restaurant and behaving myself as far as the food is concerned!

So week 9 begins tomorrow... again where have the weeks gone! I cant get over how fast they go by. Although my partner and I were discussing this yesterday and he feels like ive been doing CD for years!!! I suppose it seems ages since i have eaten a proper meal or we have been out to a restaurant... But it has honestly gone so quickly for me.

I know if i had'nt started CD when i did then i would still be 13/14 stone something... I would have lost a few lbs then put the same lbs back on and this would have continued for the rest of 2008. Im sooooo glad i managed to get my head in the right place to commit to this diet, i feel millions better already and i still have 2 stone to go (1 stone to 1st goal).

Fingers crossed for 11,5 on scales tomorrow but i dont think its likely as i am only just on 11,6.
Oh well there is always Thursday or Friday...

Monday 31st March - Day 54

2008-03-31T09:02:00.002+01:00

As you can probably guess by the lack of posts over the weekend, I have nothing to report!

11,7 still... ggrrrrr gggrrrrr gggrrrr

But it is very close to 11,6 so maybe tomorrow, fingers crossed...

Thankfully i only see my CDC once a fortnight so i always get a decent loss on her scales.
This gives me a much needed boost after slow losses on my scales. Although my fault for weighing myself every day, oops!

On the plus side we went shopping on Saturday and i had to return some t-shirts i had bought in a size 12... 'cos i needed a 10 woop woop!
Still in my size 16 jeans though so not so good... would love to be a 10 top (with no rolls lol) and a size 12 bottom half. Then i'd be happy!!!

My trousers are all feeling baggier so i know it is coming off slowly and surely.
My weekly losses seem to be slowing down big time! I was losing on average 3/4lbs a week and now i am looking at another 2lb loss. I have a feeling it was due to me missing my AAMW, maybe my metabolism would have benefitted from a much-needed boost.

Oh well, i have another aamw coming up next week so i will follow it 100% and see if this helps.

Another stone to go to 1st goal and i absolutely CANNOT wait til i am in the 10's... bring it on!!!
Maybe 2.5 weeks to go.... ooohhhhhhh soooooo exciting!

I def want to be in the 10's for April 19th as i have a planned night out (my 1st since starting CD) for my friends bday meal. Although i wont be going mad, will be sticking to an atkins style menu! I havent seen my friends since i was 12,6 (day 24 on CD). Would love to do a 'big reveal' and celebrate being in the 10's that night!!!!!!

Wish me luck!

Thursday 27th March - Day 50

2008-03-27T09:23:00.002Z

Well still 11,8...

I went to CDC's last night for my weigh in and she told me she was thinking of quitting her job as CDC and would i like to replace her! I said deffo and that i had already made enquiries about becoming a CDC in my 2nd week of doing the diet...

I was told that my CDC had to sponsor me but as i was only in my 2nd week i didnt feel i could mention it so when she asked me last night i said yes straight away. She is now going to make the phone call to put me forward! yippee....

So that would be an excellent way to keep myself on track and 100% focused. My BMI needs to be 28 to be a CDC and it is 29 at the mo so need to keep going... So exciting!!!!!!!!

Got weighed at hers last night and her scales showed a 6lb loss in 2 weeks, mine only showed 5 lbs in 2 weeks so that was good news.

Bought enough packs for 2 weeks but i may pop back for a bit of a kick up the bum next week before i go Center Parcs... This will be tricky to stay on track but i am determined to take my packs and stick to them. Fingers crossed...

Day 50 today... wow, where have the days gone?!?!
Not long now, another 4 weeks on ss hopefully then move up the programs! woop woop...

Wednesday 26th March - Day 49

2008-03-26T10:24:00.002Z

Ok so 11,8 today (wanted to be 11,7) so not bad but not fantastic...
On the plus side only 15lbs to go til my first goal of 10,7!

Hopefully ill be 11,7 tomorrow so im not too upset....

Got my CDC weigh in tonight, not seen her for 2 weeks so i should see a nice loss on her scales (fingers crossed).

Feeling much more positive this week. Think its because easter is done and dusted and i no longer feel the need to think about chocolate constantly! Phew...

Off to Center Parcs one week Friday. I hope i can stick to my packs whilst there. I am def gonna try to be v v v v v v good and keep on track for goal by 30th April (50 lbs in 12 weeks).

Got some old jeans on yesterday and felt brilliant. Dug them out thinking they would still be too tight and they were slightly too big! Wow...

So day one of week 8, cant believe ive lasted so long. Oh well another 4 wont kill me!
Hopefully ill get to first goal in next 4 weeks (15lbs in a month) then move up to 790 to continue to lose into the 9's and prepare for hols in June and July.

****whoop whoop*** cant wait to get to the 9's. It seems so much more achievable now than when i was in the 14's...

Tuesday 25th March - Day 48

2008-03-25T09:26:00.002Z

Ok so no entries for a few days... and nothing to report either!

But today the scales have moved and I am 11,9.
The laxative on Sunday seems to have done the trick... These plateaus are so annoying!!!!

This weekend (Easter) has been bloody awful :-(
I have had such a hungry week and all this talk of chocolate has been torture for me...
Went to mums on Sunday, she cooked an amazing roast dinner which i managed to avoid and sat with a black coffee in front of the tv... I was so down in the dumps i could've cried!

I am determined to continue with this plan until my first goal of 10,7. It is sooooo hard at the mo though. I just want to eat! I have considered going up to the 790 plan BUT i am not sure it will work for me. Not the weight loss aspect but the control side of it.
It would also be lovely to switch onto the Atkins diet now BUT again, i am not sure i can control myself yet. I may give in to a piece of chocolate and before i know it i will be eating all sorts of junk...

ABSTINENCE is the way forward for me... for now anyway!

We were on the way to the cinema last night when i said to my boyf about my thoughts of moving up to 790 plan and explained that i could have a meal at night time (allbeit only protein and some veg). And he swiftly reminded me of this;

' you always do so well then mess it up...'

Now this may sound harsh to anyone reading but he meant it in the nicest possible way and it was his way of saying 'dont give up yet '.

So today is a new beginning, no more dreaming of food, no more smelling food, no more wingeing and wining about not being able to eat... etc.
No one is forcing me to do this diet so i need to start a new positive me for the final 16lbs...

I would love to be at goal for 30th April, this will make it 50lbs in 12 weeks!!! Fingers crossed...

Saturday 22nd March - Day 45

2008-03-22T15:24:00.002Z

Sorry for missing an entry yesterday, nothing to report still 11,10!

Been shopping today (with my baggy jeans on...) and i felt really good. I even bought some summer dresses for my summer holiday. 15 weeks today until i am on the beach! woo woo cant wait...

Although still got some excess baggage to shift before then. Trying to stay focused BUT this week has been a real toughy. I have felt really demotivated and hungry this week...

Maybe seeing my CDC once a fortnight is a bad thing. This is a one off as she is away for easter so i will def be going weekly from next weds.

On the plus side i found a lovely new way to enjoy a banana pack, make into a runny paste. It is like licking the spoon and bowl of a banana cake. Just like raw cake mixture, yum!

Got a charity disco tonight so gonna glam up in one of my 'new' tops. Maybe ill have some confidence to hit the dance-floor minus the dutch courage... maybe!

Easter tomorrow... Mums doing an easter egg hunt and cooking a lovely roast dinner. Of course i shall be refraining from both activities and enjoying a soup instead... yummy... not :-(

I am set for another 6 weeks on this diet... I am really going to try to stick to this diet for 3 months/ 12 weeks so i am half way home.
I know that i NEED to do this and that food will be there once i am finished.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to stay motivated and 'enjoy' the soups and shakes. Getting a little boring now...

BUT needs must and i have a holiday to think about. Friends + Turkey = get rid of excess baggage... Not gonna feel self conscious this year. No way...

I have hit a plateau at the mo, 11,1o seems to like me alot and wont move on! A senokot is my only easter indulgence this weekend. 3lbs to shift for wednesday... yikes!!!!!!!!!!

Happy easter everyone!

Thursday 20th March - Day 43

2008-03-20T13:04:00.002Z

Still 11,10...

But i am fine with this, i have still lost 33lbs in 6 weeks.

Got another 'your jeans are too big' comment today, but i cannot get in the smaller ones yet so ill just have to wear my baggy ones for a few more weeks.
It does feel good when your clothes get loose and people notice... better than being too tight which they have been for the past 2 years!

I have got a busy'ish easter weekend planned;
Friday is shopping then bowling in the evening. I shall be avoiding the indian buffet which my family are going to after bowling! yum yum...
Saturday we are off to a charity disco so ill be sticking to my water!
Sunday is the easter egg hunt at my mums followed by a roast dinner which of course i am also avoiding!

Oh the joys of a vlcd... lol...
I find this diet the easiest but also the hardest diet i have ever done (and ive done many).

In fact here is a breakdown of which diets i have attempted if i can remember them all...
1992 mail order slimming pills (bulking tablets)
1993 aged 13 slimfast
1997 aged 17 starvation for 6 months!
1998 aged 18 cabbage diet
2000 aged 20 low cal
2002 aged 22 slimming tablets (amphetamine based)
2003 aged 23 atkins
2004 low cal and gym (best diet i ever did)
2005 weight watchers
2006 lighter life
2007 weightwatchers, slim fast
2008 hypnosis now cambridge diet

wow what a list... this prob misses out quite a few of the diets i have tried and failed...
i wanted to conquer my eating demons this year as i am sick of my life being taken up by diet after diet and constantly having to turn down or avoid invitations!

i have already said if my weight is not under control by the time i am 30 (2010) then i will be seriously looking into gastric bands. I cannot look back on my life when i am old and realise my whole entire life was consumed by dieting!

so onwards and upwards... or even downwards... heres to 11,9!

Wednesday 19th March - Day 42

2008-03-19T10:19:00.003Z

***blowing a whistle and pulling party poppers, while hanging a 'celebration' banner***

11,10 today! and not just 11,10 but 11,10 .25 so only a quarter of a pound away from 11,9 which is fabulous!!!!!!!!

I am so happy but still a bit miffed that i am only losing 3lbs a week... I know this adds up to 12lb a month but so many others have losses of 5/6lbs a week (see minimins.com for other dieters stories).

BUT i shall not be deterred... the weight has to come off before i go to Turkey in July. So as long as it comes off i dont mind how much and how often!

I am soooo hoping to be 11,7 for next week when i see my CDC. It is more in the 11's than on the verge of 12's... and nearer to the amazing 10's!!!!

Just over 2 weeks until me and partner go Center Parcs, if i am near the 10's i think id be a fool to mess this up and not stick to my packs... My partner is so supportive of me and the diet and he really would'nt mind not dining out but just grabbing a sandwich here or a burger there... Plus it saves him lots of ££££ lol...

In fact i bet he has saved a fortune over the past 6 weeks... Normally we would have takeaways and go cinema/restaurants at weekend... not to mention eating out while shopping at weekends. Maybe i should remind him of these huge savings and get a new wardrobe from him!!!!

Feeling very positive at the moment... I am not thinking about weeks ahead but simply taking it day to day. I know its a difficult diet and my motivation could dwindle at any time. So im taking it a day at a time and hoping to get as much off as possible while doing Sole Source. Then ill do the Add a Meal week before switching to Atkins to maintain.

Tuesday 18th March - Day 41

2008-03-18T09:09:00.003Z

Yay 11,11 today, so 32lbs gone and 18 to go...
Fingers crossed for 11,10 tomorrow!!!! Think a senokot is on the menu today, yum!

I have set mini goals for each week, each being a 3lb loss so it looks like this as of tomorrow;

wed 19th march - 11,10
wed 26th march - 11,7
wed 2nd april - 11,4
wed 9th april - 11,1
wed 16th april - 10,12 (in 10's pretty please!!!!)
wed 23rd april - 10,9
wed 30th april - 10,7 (goal???? 3months exactly on CD!)

Woke up extra early today with bags of energy. Not quite sure why, havent done anything differently...

Although yesterday i began drinking from a 1l bottle and it was soooo much easier to drink 4l.
Only had 2 and a bit packs yesterday, a chick/mush soup. Then a muffin made from choc mint and finally a few tbsps of ice cream made from a choc tetra! I didnt put it in freezer early enough so only ate the top frozen layer before bed! I shall finish it today...

This is the first time i have done something 'creative' with a pack. I decided to 'hold back' on flavours/ water flavourings/ muffins/ crisps etc until i really needed to use these ideas to keep me going if i got bored!

I was'nt really bored of my soups and shakes yesterday but i also was'nt too fussed about having any... This lack of hunger is amazing! Never have i turned down a 'meal' lol...

So I had a chick and mush soup as normal for lunch. Then put choc mint shake mix in a mug and made into a paste with some warm water. I put in microwave for 1 min 30 secs and it made a cakey mixture, was really nice actually and a welcomed change. Then i put my choc tetra in freezer and an hour later i cut the top off the carton but only the top layer and become ice-creamy. So i ate this and put back in freezer.

Oooh i cant wait til my holiday in July... Me and my partner keep talking about it!!! 15 weeks to go until i need to be bikini-ready!!! I dont want to buy any summer clothes yet until i can slip comfortably into a 12 bottom and 10 top!

Also got my weekend at Center Parcs with boyf in 2.5 weeks. Still undecided about whether to have a few days off (Atkins styleeee) or if i should take packs. Oh decisions decisions... I have planned my losses (see above) so really i should stick to packs and get to goal quicker!
We will be staying in the hotel so will have kettle and be able to plug smoothie maker in.

I will see how i feel nearer the time...

Another weekend at Center Parcs on June 6th is booked, this time with the girls. Last year we did the same thing and i was 12 stone 6 lbs... Hoping to be one of the slimmer ones this year! Dont want to get stuck on the water flumes lol... This time ill be whizzing down at full speed!!!!

I have so many things to look forward to this year, as well as hitting weight loss goals.

Center parcs 4th april
Wedding 3rd may
Center parcs 6th june
Turkey 4th july
Back to uni 8th sept (starting a whole new career... cant wait)

This is going to be my year!

Monday 17th March - Day 40

2008-03-17T10:25:00.002Z

Still 11,12... ggrrrrr
However on the plus side i have had a hefty movement since glugging some black coffee with fibre 89!
Now on my 2nd cup again with a tspn of fibre 89... This should ensure no blockages are persistant.

Starting my water too, almost done 1l. Decided to try a different tactic... When i began i used to drink from a 2l bottle and refill twice, making 4-5 l a day. Then a few weeks in a began filling up a pint glass from my 2l bottle. I am now trying to drink from a 1l bottle and re fill it 4 times.

Maybe psychologically it will feel different and not the same-old water! lol... you can but try to jazz it up...

Not had any shakes yet (10.30am). Normally have a shake for brek then soups for lunch and dinner. However, going off the shakes. Need to try the fruits of the forest one but scared in case its horrid!!!!
Also got some toffee and walnut to drink. Can remember it being ok'ish... But not wow! Maybe 2nd time round it will be diff.

Come on 11,10... show yourself!!!!

Sunday 16th March - Day 39

2008-03-16T20:02:00.002Z

No further loss to report...
Hoping to be 11,10 on wednesday a.m and 11,7 for a week on wednesday when i next see my CDC.

Have had a fairly easy day, strawberry shake for brek and 2 chicken and mushroom soups. As well as this i have had a black coffee with heaped teaspoon of fibre 89 and 3l of water. I have done 4l both Friday and Saturday so im not worried about only doing 3l today.

It will be nice to have a night of unbroken sleep (no trips to loo)... fingers crossed!

Went shopping today and bought a Topshop blazer in size 10... woo woo woo
I can only get away with this as i very petite up top and typical pear shape :-(
The blazer will not do up around my boobs yet but it wont be long.
I am usually left with a 34c (having been a 36e) when i get into the 10's.

I felt really good today when i was out shopping, normally i feel a bit depressed and as if something is missing... It is like my desire to buy clothes has dwindled. Mind you it is depressing when i am always looking to the back of the rail and seeing if they go 'up to' my size.
Hopefully this lack of enthusiam will be replaced with a whole new attitude towards clothes shopping as i lose the weight and clothes finally fit AND look good!!!!

My boyf even made a lovely comment (whether he meant it or just said it i dont know!)... He was coming to find me after we split to look in different shops and said he had to do a double-take as he didnt recognise me from behind lol. Even if he just said this to make me happy i love it...
The butt is slowly but surely shrinking!

Not sure if i mentioned that i had bought some weight watcher scales yesterday... Well they measure bmi and body water % etc... I was'nt impressed when they weighed me 0.25lb heavier than my current electric scales so i returned them today!!!!
Also i can measure my bmi myself (also already done for me on my weight ticker) and i was not wow'ed by the other features so considered them a waste of money.

I really want to be 11,11 in the morning but feeling quite heavy at the mo (better take a senokot max tonight and up the fibre 89 tomorrow) and can feel a plateau coming on... Never mind as long as it shifts for 25th March when i really want to be 11,7.

Saturday March 15th - Day 38

2008-03-15T13:59:00.002Z

Ok so forgot to weigh myself this morning before we went shopping... So hopefully still 11,12 or 11,11 would be fabby!

I bought some new scales today, weight watcher ones that do BMI and body water % etc.
So looking forward to hopping on them tomorrow, fingers crossed they dont weigh me heavier than my current ones - or they will be going back lol ;-)

I had a wonderful surprise this morning, my jeans are so baggy... size 16's too... Feel like i only just threw away the 18's!!!
I love it when my partner says things like 'you need to buy some new jeans dont you?'... it makes it all worthwhile when others notice your losses.

Just had a message from one of my best girl friends, her bday is coming up and she is planning a meal on 19th April and will i be eating by then? So i have decided that although i wont be at goal by then i WILL be taking the night off. Nothing too scandalous but follow Atkins rules and def no alcohol, this should keep me in ketosis and fingers crossed not mess up my weight loss.

I cannot keep avoiding all invites, nor do i want to. I feel like an outsider when i turn down nights out with friends. It will be week 10 by then so i will def deserve a night out!!!
By my calculations i shall be just into the 10's by then... i cant wait! So if my calcualtions are correct ill have something to celebrate too!

So off to prepare a chicken and mush soup now. Yum!

Friday March 14th - Day 37

2008-03-14T14:44:00.002Z

11,12... 1 more lb gone!

Nothing exciting happened yesterday so although i missed an entry, no one missed anything about my CD journey!

I am still aiming for 11,7 in a week and a half. I am next seeing my CDC on 26th (not next week) so i am hoping for a good loss in 2 weeks.
I have upped my water to 4-5l a day in order to avoid anymore constipation and plateaus.

Loving being in the 11's, it is great to be one step nearer to 10's. The 10's are a healthy weight in my eyes.

The chicken and mushroom soups are still my fave. Tried the choc mint hot yesterday morning and it was nice, bit like an options hot choc. Nice for a change! The vegetable soup is also very nice and very much like a 'normal' soup, which is good...

I am looking forward to buying some new clothes. I am not yet swamped in my clothes so i will wait until i lose another stone before i go mad. My bras are still ok which is surprising as i normally lose alot from my chest in the early stages of a diet. Everything else seems to be fit fine and def not baggy :-(

So looking forward, i would like to be about 11,10/9 for my home weigh in next weds.

Fingers crossed!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday 12th March - Day 35

2008-03-12T10:57:00.003Z

Yippppeeeeee the 12's are history!!! I weigh 11,13... at long last.

I am sooooo chuffed as have'nt been this low since February/ March 2006.

Now i am aiming for 11,7 in 2 weeks time as i dont see my CDC until then.
I am upping that water to 5l a day as i seem to be decreasing my intake each week. In the early days i always drank 5l a day and had fab losses. So this is my plan for week 6.

Cant quite believe its week 6, where has the time gone???

I got weighed at CDC's last night and despite thinking id STS I lost 3lbs.
My CDC told me off for not doing 'add a meal' properly :-(
After my traumatic 1lb gain after the 1st add a meal i decided not to have a little meal each night. Apparently this is not good and your body needs the meals to boost your metabolism. I said i would do some more AAM's this week (but i wont ssshhhhh!!!!).

To be honest I am scared about eating, not because i dont like food but quite the opposite... I dont want to get carried away and overeat and spoil my diet.
It is alot easier to stick to sole source than to dabble with AAM/790/1000 plans etc.

My goal is still 10,7 (which makes 50lbs total) so i am more than half way there, 20lbs to go.
I know i need to lose more than this to be anywhere near slim as i am only 5'2 BUT i thought it was better to set a target at a reasonable weight so it is not too hard to achieve.

Maybe once i reach 10,7 i will still feel motivated to continue with either sole source or a different plan until i get to my final goal of 9,7.

But for now the 11's are very exciting for me. Still FAT but def happier than when i was 14,2... eeuurrgghhhh yukky yuk!

Tuesday March 11th - Day 34

2008-03-11T09:33:00.002Z

Still 12,0 :-(

Not sure why i am now losing sooooo slowly. Have'nt cheated whatsoever, i have'nt even been 'adding a meal' this week...

I am still not having any movements so it has to be constipation, or else i am retaining water. So i am going to try to drink 5l every day from tomorrow (week 6) and see if this helps with my next week's loss.

Still loving chick & mush soups so ill be stocking up on them when i see my CDC tonight. I wont see her for 2 weeks after tonight so fingers crossed i get a good loss in a fortnight.

Soooo desperate to get into 11's... It will be a great milestone!

Monday 10th March - Day 33

2008-03-10T14:58:00.002Z

Woo woo 12,0... at long last!

The scales have finally moved, allbeit 1lb, it is still a movement in the right direction.

I really cant wait to get into the 11's as i havent been 11 stone something since early 2006... This is a long time ago and since then i have been battling with the 12s/13's and recently 14's...

When i reach 11,13 i know it is down hill from there on. It will be a milestone and a real motivation to shift another stone to be '10,13'... cannot wait for that day!!!!

I would be happy to be 10 stone something for the rest of my life. It sound so much healthier than 11/12/13/14 stones... Plus i am only 5'2 so should ideally be in the 8's or 9's.

I am being weighed at counsellors house tomorrow evening, then not again until 2 weeks after that. I am hoping to be 11,7 when i go for the latter weigh in on 25th March. But ideally less than that that as i wanted to be 10,13 for Center Parcs with my partner on 4th April.

My partner has come home saying that one of his colleagues girl friends now wants to follow the Cambridge Diet. This is fab as i always raving about it and how i am so chuffed with my losses.

I am hoping to become a counsellor when i have got to goal (10,7) as i think it will help me keep moitivated and stop me forgetting about my weight. I think regularly seeing others who are also struggling with their weight may serve as a reminder to what ive been through and help to keep me on the straight and narrow!

Sunday 9th March - Day 32

2008-03-09T14:00:00.002Z

Still 12,1, getting p'd off now... Ive been 12,1 since Wednesday!!!

On the plus side i have found a lovely soup, chicken and mushroom! I could easily drink 3 a day.

I also had some cod and courgettes last night. Really fancied something to eat yesterday. It is add a meal week but since putting on a lb after a tiny piece of chicken last Thursday i have been put off having something to eat.

I do have to admit i could've gone without. It was'nt that nice and i dont think ill be bothering to have any more 'meals' this week.

I MUST be 11 something at Wednesday's weigh in so i will be glugging extra water in a bid to have a few movements before then.

The lack of bowel movements is what i blame entirely for the plateaus, as there are no other reasons for me not losing weight on this diet.

Have stayed in this weekend and i find it makes life alot easier when i dont have to face temptations. Went shopping on saturday and bought a black coffee from Starbucks and that kept me going, when on a normal saturday id eat a mac d's or m&s sarnie...

So less than 4 weeks til we go Center Parcs. I cant wait to spend some 'quality' time with my boyf without our little babies (2 staffies...). Things have gone bad in 'that' department since i gained all my weight so this is another reason why i absolutely had to lose some weight. Its not fair on me or him when i feel so lousy about myself...

So heres to a mini challenge... Be in 10's for C.P.... Can i do it? Well ill try my hardest...

Saturday March 8th - Day 31

2008-03-08T13:41:00.002Z

Ok so still 12,1... I hate these bloody plateaus!!!!

But on the plus side I have still lose 28lbs/ 2 stones. Must'nt forget this!

I dont really enjoy the weekends I have to say, I find the temptations are much greater as I never know what we are going to do or where we are going. During the week I stick to my routine and it is easy peasy ;-)

We have just booked a long weekend at Center Parcs for 4th-7th April. I think this will be my first real challenge. I will of course take my packs and HOPE that i am able to be disciplined enough not to eat anything.

I would like to lose another stone by then, just under a month to do so. Ideally id love to be in the 10s, but hey anything is better than 14,2. Yuk still cannot believe i got soooo big and fat...

We 'were' going to look for a cheap holiday to Canaries or somewhere hot but i dont want another hot holiday until i am looking and feeling better...

I NEVER want to feel like i have on past holidays;
In Dominican Republic last April i was asked 'how long i had to go' by two different women within the space of 30 minutes. Thats humiliating to say the very least :(
Then again in Turkey last July, my other half was asked if he was on holiday with his mother and a hairdresser cutting my hair also asked me 'how many months' i was... again super humiliating and very upsetting!

So, we are heading to C.P instead for an active holiday and hopefully i can continue the weight loss for our holiday with other couples in July, this is the 'biggy'... I MUST be slim(mer) for this holiday. I do not want to feel fat and frumpy in front of other people.

Well i really wanted to see the 11's this weekend, so unless i suddenly shift a 2lb'er this does not seem likely! :-(
Nevermind, it will happen so i must be patient and not lose hope.

Friday 7th March - Day 30

2008-03-07T10:21:00.002Z

Day 30 and we are still on 12,2... I didnt eat 'extra' yesterday, just had 3 CD soups as scared of putting on weight :-(

Although since weighing myself there has been a large 'movement' so to speak so we are probably back to 12,1. We shall see tomorrow!

I have found a delicious soup... at long last! Chicken and mushroom will see me through this week.

Cant believe its day 30... I hope I wont be on sole source for too much longer. Cant wait to get into 11's. I have'nt seen the 11's for a long time, possibly Jan and Feb of 2006! My weight just went up after reaching 10,7 at Christmas 2005. In the new year of 2006 I began a vicious cycle of comfort eating for various reasons. It has been a battle of 12's and 13's since March 2006.

I never want to see 12 stone something on my scales again after this week... I really want to be 11 stone something and from that point on there will be no going back (unless i fall pregnant with sextuplets lol...).

Maybe I will get to 11,13 this weekend... Yippeeeeeee!!!!!!! So exciting, I love this diet. The losses are amazing and really do keep you inspired and motivated to carry on. This is possibly the easiest yet hardest diet I have ever done (and I have done so many...).

I have received my new George Foreman indoor/ outdoor bbq grill thingy... It is a big GF grill which has a stand and can used like a bbq indoors or outdoors. I cannot wait til this diet is done and dusted as once I have finished the different stages (790 and 1000) I shall be embarking on the Atkins/ South Beach diets... ie/ lots of protein and limited carbs in an attempt to keep the lbs off once and for all. So the GF will become a very handy tool indeed.

So thats your lot for today, hopefully we will have some good news tomorrow (12,1...)

Thursday March 6th - Day 29

2008-03-06T10:21:00.002Z

I never want to eat again LOL... 12,2 today! Put on 1lb on day one of AAM!!!!!

Might be a shock to the system when i had a small portion of chicken. It may also be the constipation starting again... BUT i will keep at it.

Today I shall be having 2/3 CD packs and 80g of cod with 2tbps of veg.

I do not want to put on weight this week so i am trying so hard to be strict and also keep busy.

Partner finishes work earlier today and we are going shopping, i may buy some jeans from M&S in a 14 (currently in an M&S 16 and left M&S 18's behind 2 weeks ago).
It is a good way to motivate myself as i have always worn jeans from Marks and Spencers, they seem to fit my big hips and bottom lol! I have been in a 12 before and should easily get back into a 14 at least.

The scales MUST be back on 12,1 (at least) tomorrow or i will be very unhappy :-(

Wednesday March 5th - Day 28

2008-03-05T10:41:00.003Z

Woo woo woo wooooooo I am sooooo happy today!

2 stone/ 28lbs in exactly 4 weeks. Today i weigh 12,1. I am chuffed to bits!!!!

Also on add a meal week so i really wanted to get to 12,1 before i started adding meals, it is a great motivation to keep on track!

So add a meal, today i am doing a roast chicken dinner for my other half so will have some chicken and a few veg. Quite exciting really...

Had weigh in at CDC's and lost 5lbs on her scales which is good news.

Swapped the tetra cartons for some different shakes and soups, got fruits of the forest/ capuccino/ broccolli and cheese/ mushroom/ chicken and mushroom etc. Be good to try a few new flavours as just having choc cartons was making me feel queasy!

So, 22lbs to go... Might not be on sole source for too much longer. Although if it comes off fairly easily i may opt for a few more lbs to get into 9's. We will see how it goes...

Started using Palmers firming cocoa butter today, smelt so good i could have eaten it. Yum :-)
I am worried about the skin at top of inside thighs being wobbly and not as firm as other areas so keeping an eye on it... and putting extra cream on it!

4 months from today i shall be getting ready for my first day on beach in Turkey! Now thats also a motivation... my 1st holiday with other couples... yikes! I shall def be bikini-ready!

Losses so far

Start 14,1
week 1 13,1
week 2 12,9
week 3 12,6
week 4 12,1

2 stone off and (preferably) 2 more to go

Tuesday 4th March - Day 27

2008-03-04T11:12:00.002Z

Check out my weight tracker, now past half way! 26lbs off and 24lbs to go... Yay!

Now 12,3, thats 2lbs off 2 stone according to my scales. I am so happy!!!!!

Got weigh in at CDC's house later. I am also going to get some different shakes/soups. I am thoroughly sick of tetras. I was wild about them a couple of weeks ago but now cant face drinking them.

Didnt have any shakes yesterday or the day before, i know its naughty but the thought of them makes me feel nauseous! I shall be choosing some flavours i havent tried yet, like chick and mushroom soup and maybe the thai flavour.

I am still taking a teaspoon of fibre 89 in my morning coffee, i am not having loads of movement (in fact none lol) but i am not feeling constipated. So thats strange... but im happy. Maybe the lack of drinks has done me good for a few days. Allow my body to get rid of it all. I wonder if the tetras caused my constipation?!?!

Another friend said my loss is showing in my face... I still cant see any difference besides being able to get into my size 16 jeans. I get weighed in the same blue tracksuit so maybe when i put this on later it will feel a bit looser.

2 stone to go, i hope i can keep this diet going. I know the shakes are getting very boring and sickly so i hope i can find some other flavours to keep me going...

Add a meal week begins tomorrow. I can have either 50g chicken/turkey or 80g cod/white fish. So yesterday i did a food shop for the first time in ages. I have got some small chicken breasts as 50g is really NOT very big...
Also got some cottage cheese and cod portions which are 90g so perfect for portion control.
I bought some veg too, courgettes/mushrooms/romaine lettuce.
Yikes bit worried about controlling myself as i am only allowed a few nibbles :(

oh well onwards and upwards, we are half way home. If it goes to plan i could be at target by the beginning of May. That gives me a month to get ready for Center Parcs beginning of June. Yippee!!!!!

Monday March 3rd - Day 26

2008-03-03T10:43:00.002Z

So i survived the 3 course mothers day meal! yay... Although it was torture lol!
BUT on a positive note, the land lady noticed my loss as soon as we got to the front door!!!!

We went to this same lovely little pub on Boxing Day and havent been back since so she was the 1st person to mention my loss! Well the 1st person who didnt know i was dieting anyway. I am sure some people just say i look like i have lost weight as they know i am on this diet.

Scales now say 12,4... 3lbs off 2 stone!

Felt really nauseous yesterday, struggled to drink water and didnt have any shakes. Naughty i know, but just couldnt stomach anything.
Feeling better today, have had my black coffee with fibre 89 added to it. No shakes yet but have made a start on the water.

Period seems to have gone awol... thank the lord. I am sure it will be back to bother me again soon :-(

A day closer to add a meal week. Just cant believe we are on day 26! thats almost a month done on sole source and it has flown by.

Got appointment with cdc tomorrow, as usual this weigh in is not what i tend to go by. From day 1 on this blog i have registered my losses according to my scales and my official weigh in is wednesday mornings, naked and before any water or shakes.

Sunday 2nd March - Day 25

2008-03-02T11:52:00.002Z

At last scales have moved hallelujah!!! 12,5...

Took another senokot max and have continued with the fibre supplement so fingers crossed we can keep on top of my constipation issues!

Still got my period (been 2 weeks) but i have been reading similar stories from cambridge dieters on minimin.com and it doesnt seem like i am the only one suffering... can be a side effect of the CD. So for now i am going to tolerate it and start taking iron tablets.

Managed a night out with the girls last night... I was designated driver and stuck to tap water ALL night! Was'nt too bad at all, i thinks the others felt worse than i did. BUT i have said from day 1 that this is MY diet so why should others suffer.

Talking of others being allowed to indulge themselves... Today is Mothers Day and we are off to a lovely pub later which serves even lovelier food :(
I shall be sitting at the kiddies end of the table probably with a crayon and colouring in book, armed with a black coffee and a choc tetra!

I am not at all worried about breaking this diet, i am still 100% motivated to shift this 50lbs. Nothing is worth f***ing up for. I NEED to lose this weight, end of!

Although i am worried about the add a meal on wednesday..aaarrgghhhh! I have invested in a huge george foreman grill (with bbq stand for use outdoors too!). So shall be preparing some lovely meat/ fish and attempting not to over eat. I really want to be 100% disciplined and prove to myself than i can control food and not let it control me! Watch this space for aam week...yikes!

Wish me luck for the meal later...

Friday 29th Feb - Day 23

2008-02-29T16:51:00.002Z

Sorry missed yesterdays post...
Not much to report!

STILL 12,6..... :-(

Despite taking the fibre 89 since Tuesday i have not had much movement so am putting this plateau down to constipation again!

I am taking a senokot max tonight so maybe we will see 12,5 (or 12,4) this weekend.

Have joined the gym today, starting tomorrow morning, so this should also help move things along. I will be taking it easy when i first start working out, dont want to push myself too hard on this vlcd. So am thinking, 15 min warm up on bike, 20 min medium paced walk on treadmill, 15 mins cross trainer and then lots of toning exercises.

I am going to concentrate on the toning exercises as i dont want to be left with saggy skin at end of this diet. 50lbs is alot to lose from somewhere or another so i need to make sure my body can cope and keep up with the changed.

I shall also be making use of the swimming pool, this is meant to be fab for toning up! Fingers crossed...

Wednesday 27th Feb - Day 21

2008-02-28T15:24:00.002Z

So my weigh in day (at home) and im still 12,6 grumble grumble....

Nevermind, not gonna let it throw me as i normally would. I know this diet HAS to work, after all i am on 400 cals a day and in ketosis so there is no way on earth that a follower cannot lose weight if they stick to it 100%... and i do!

Drank 4 litres today and had my 3 choccy tetras. YUM. Still love them, but will it last...

A friend of mine has been doing weight watchers for the past 2 weeks and has lost 1.5lbs... This was a good reminder as to WHY i am resorting to such an extreme diet. I cannot be motivated on such a small weekly loss.

I am now on 23lbs in 3 weeks... Bit of a difference to my friend. But like i told her... it may catch up with her so like any diet 'Keep at it and the results will show eventually'.

All diets work if followed correctly after all!

Got a girly night out saturday so it will be a little challenge, a pint of water and a spot on the dance floor = a good night out??? we shall see...

Although i am now in my smaller jeans woo woo! size 18 have been washed and are ready for charity... I have also bought me a new outfit for saturday night so i shall be feeling good about myself (without needing a vodka or 2).

Tuesday 26th Feb - Day 20

2008-02-26T10:13:00.002Z

Good news the overdose of laxatives has done something positive after all, my scales have finally moved. 12,6 today...

I wanted to be 12,5 for the start of week 4 tomorrow so im chuffed to be back on track after a plateau (from constipation).

Had a cup of coffee with sweeteeners and a teaspoon of the fibre 89... fingers crossed this helps my bowels!

Starting the day on a pint of water and a banana tetra. I have a few sachets left but am loving the ready made cartons. So much easier and really tasty too!

I am feeling a million times better today, no stomach cramps! I was soooo worried yesterday thinking that if i keep suffering from such painful constipation then i may not be able to continue with this fantastic diet... i was even reduced to tears!!!

Thankfully it was'nt the constipation that had me in agony but my overdose... so DO NOT take more than the recommended senokot max strength!!!

Nearly into week 4, i cannot believe how fast time has gone. A week tomorrow i get to eat solids!
Just cannot believe how smooth things have gone...

Here are my losses so far (on my home scales);

starting weight 14,1
week 1 13,1 (14lbs)
week 2 12,9 (20lbs)
week 3 12,5 (23lbs)

week 3 weigh in is actually tomorrow morning so i am guessing it will be 12,5 as 12,6 today...

i really hope to hit the 2 stone mark at the end of week 4 just before i have to add a meal. This may help to motivate me to be soooo strict on add a meal and def not cheat!!!

Not long now til i hit goal, this is a fab feeling to lose so much so fast. I have got so many things to look forward to and it really helps to keep me on the straight and narrow. It does help that the shakes taste nice (unlike lighterlife). I have decided to aim for 50lb loss, a nice round number. This means 10,7. Not quite what i want to get to (9,7) but a good goal to aim for.

50lb sounds good huh??? well alsost half way there which is great! 23lbs gone... 27lbs to go!!!

Keep with me and feel free to comment or ask questions if i have missed anything (doubt it... i tend to waffle lol)

Monday 25th Feb - Day 19

2008-02-25T20:00:00.002Z

Day 19 and had my official weigh in at my counsellors house...

12,10 on her scales so an 8lb loss in 2 weeks, and my waist is now 31.5" (started at 35").
This makes a grand total of 20lb in just under 3 weeks.

Picked up my order of ready made shakes and also a fibre supplement. Been in AGONY today, accidentally took too many extra strength MAX senokot! I binned the leaflet ages ago and assumed it was 1-2 tablets, it is in fact 1 tablet only in 24 hours... Ooops!

So the fibre supplement cost £5, and i take a teaspoon each day in a glass of water/shake/coffee and fingers crossed it will sort out my troubles and keep me regular!!!

I think this is why my scales get stuck for days on end, the blockages must weigh a ton lol... Certainly feel a bit lighter today, even if i have been unable to move all day as the stomach cramps have been so bad... poor me :(

So nearly into week 4, wednesday is my official weigh in day and beginning of a new week. Still hoping to hit 2stone mark by end of week 4. Thats a week tomorrow and it will be 2 stone going by my scales... 12,8 - 12,1, 7lbs to get rid of! Maybe the fibre supplement will get rid of a few lbs!!!

Sunday 24th Feb - Day 18

2008-02-24T15:46:00.002Z

Missed a few days... oops!

And i am not talking about the diet, i mean my diary entries!!!!

So Day 18, got official weigh in tomorrow. Its not my usual day for weigh in so i am not too worried about what my counsellors scales say as i will go by my scales every wednesday morning to be consistent. Also this does not include clothing and water weight as it does at night when i get weighed at my counsellors house.

Now i am on the ready made shakes i have not missed one 'meal'. The hassle is removed completely and no preparation or washing up involved!

Well scales are at a stand still again... been either 12,9 or 12,8 for days on end! I am not going to let this bother me (as i would normally do... then give up) as i know there is NO WAY i cannot lose weight on this diet if i am sticking to it 100%.

I am going to invest in CD's recommended natural fibre supplement when i see counsellor tomorrow. I am putting this plateau down to either water retention or a lack of 'movement'!

So as you can tell i am still raring to go and not going to stray from the plan. In just over a week i am on the 'add a meal' week. It will be scary and exciting to have a bite to eat!

I would love to be at 2 stone by the end of week 4... i think thats another 7lbs in a week and a half... Can i do it? Watch this space...

Wednesday 20th Feb - Day 14

2008-02-21T08:47:00.002Z

Day 1 of week 3... Scales still say 12,9 but that is a stone and a half in 2 weeks!

Picked up my order today, which includes 14 ready made shakes... They taste like banana and choc yazoos! Cant wait to get started on week 3 to be honest.

Still putting away 4-5 litres of water a day. I try to get as near to 5l as possible, as more water = more waste (and weight) flushed out.

I am still very motivated. I think this diet is a great way for people to lose the weight initially.
The fast loss means that you are motivated to keep going. For example, losing 1-2lbs a week on weight watchers was sooooo demotivating for me, especially if i had drunk all my water and stuck religiously to my points. Losing 6lbs this week is way better than a 2lb loss!

BUT this is the easy part of the diet... The hardest part will be the stabilising period where you have to introduce food gradually and be very strict. This way your body gets used to eating again and you will not put on a stone in the 1st week! I just hope i can measure my portions and not be tempted to overeat...

Anyway, i now have another incentive, a wedding on May 3rd! So not only a weekend break June 6th, a holiday on July 4th but now we need to be looking good a month earlier than planned... Oh well better to have things to work towards than nothing at all...

I need to get to 9,7 for a healthy BMI. 10 stone is ok for me and i have managed to get there a few times. However to be in the 9's is slightly harder... Will prob need to get to 9 stone on the sole source (shakes only) programme to allow for a slight water gain when i begin water.

So 3 stone 9 lbs left... yikes... still seems a long way to go! Must remember that i am only just beginning week 3, feels like i have been doing this diet ages now. It has become 'normal' to me!

Tuesday 19th Feb - Day 13

2008-02-19T13:12:00.002Z

Ooh unlucky day 13... but im feeling great!
Should've been going for 2nd weigh in tonight but counsellor cannot do this week.

So i weighed myself this morning, 12,9. They said 13,1 last tuesday so i make that 1 and a half stone down...
Not bad and def keeping me motivated.

Wanted to be 12,7 for next mondays official weigh in but think i may be able to lose more than that. Fingers crossed.

So onto week 3. This time next week i shall be one week away from add a meal, exciting!

Only had 2 shakes again yesterday, went out for most of afternoon so missed 'lunch'. Goes to show that you are not hungry on this diet if i can survive on only 2 of them.
I read something on someone else's blog saying think of your shakes as more like 'medicine' instead of 'food'. So it is purely for medicinal purposes rather than to stop your stomach rumbling.

Just heard from the fiancee of my partners friend and wedding invites coming out saturday!
Sooooo by May 3rd i need to be looking tip-top! All my partner's friends will be there so i want to be able to reveal a new me. I have always worried that they may think what is he doing with her (5 yrs older than him and almost 5 stone heavier than him... lol). So i would like to be able to prove people wrong if that thought has ever crossed their minds!!!! If not, im aiming for a few 'wow has she lost weight' comments....

So despite a few nauseous days earlier this week, i am fighting fit and still fighting the fat.

Monday 18th Feb - Day 12

2008-02-18T09:50:00.002Z

Day 12 and scales have shifted again, now they say 12,10...
No loss for days on end and suddenly 2 losses in a row!

Only one more day until week 3, the first 2 weeks have flown by.

I will be adding a meal in week 5, so not long now. I think it will be a bit daunting having to control my portions but at the same time it will be nice to taste and appreciate food.
That is one thing i hope to achieve from this abstinence. A new appreciation for what goes in my mouth instead of just gorging until i feel sick.

So i have ordered my shakes for week 3, as no weigh in until a week today. I have decided to go for the ready made shakes (banana and choc) as having to clean the frothie maker each time is making me not want to have as many shakes each day!!! I am having 14 ready made shakes and 7 sachets just in case i need some other flavours.

I am hoping to be 12,7 for next monday's weigh in, fingers crossed!

Sunday 17th Feb - Day 11

2008-02-17T18:34:00.002Z

Well scales finally moved... 12,12 today.
I must admit i began to have some 'movement' yesterday... albeit small and hard work. But it must have made the difference on the scales.

Had a fairly active day today so hope scales move again tomorrow... Not gonna get my hopes up though :(
Walked dogs this morning, had a long and hilly bike ride with other half then played kick about with him and dogs in the afternoon.

I know as long as i dont cheat then there is no reason why i wouldnt lose weight. So im not gonna get hung up on what scales say daily. Must only go by official weigh in otherwise the daily fluctuations could begin to wear me down... Easier said than done though!

Today i have only had 2 shakes (again). I am just not in the mood for eating, no appetite whatsoever. This is a bad thing though as they are essential for vitamins and minerals so ill make more of an effort to have 3 a day from now on.

It was nice not to feel sick today... for the past 2 days i have had a constant nauseous feeling. I expected this on days 1-3 not now. Oh well, it passed today thankfully!

Another weekend down, and it was fairly easy. Hope things continue like this!

Saturday 16th Feb - Day 11

2008-02-16T12:32:00.004Z

Oops, a day late on blog...

Yesterday, Friday day 10, was an ok day.

Had a ready made shake for breakfast and then stayed in bed watching my favourite cooking programmes all day!!!!Yes all day... so only had one more shake later on in the day.

Went out for a friends 21st bday drinks and dranks another 1.5l of water in the pub. Doesnt bother me if others are drinking around me. I am not much of a big drinker anyway.

So had a real lazy day yesterday and i can feel another one coming... not got very much energy today i have to say. Should really take dogs out for a long walk but feeling a bit tired today.

Also feeling a little constipated... now i know there is not much to come out considering i have only been on 400 calories a day, all of which is liquid, but i beginning to feel a little bit blocked.
May have to invest in the laxatives that C.D recommend taking...

No weight loss for past 3 days, been constant on 13,0. Maybe this is linked directly to my 'blockage'... we shall see!

Despite the lack of loss i am still on track and have not cheated once. I hope i can see this through to the bitter end as i always give up when the going gets tough. Hope i can prove myself and others wrong about this diet and get to goal.

I am staying in tonight so will push 5l through my tired lil' body today.

Need to start some exercise... :( Should get myself into a routine and sooner rather than later, dont want loose baggy skin!!!

Must go now, cookery programmes are calling... they are a great substitute for actually eating rather surprisingly!

Thursday 14th Feb - Day 9

2008-02-15T09:08:00.002Z

Valentines Day and def no choccys for me :(
Went to London for the day and it was'nt the easiest day for me...
Normally when we go out for the day i forget the diet and enjoy myself. Not today, no maccy d's, no lovely restaurant meal, no snacks at the theatre...

My partner was really sweet though, he didnt indulge himself either, in fact he is eating really healthily himself. Although there is nothing to him, hope he doesnt shrink too!

Had choc mint for breakfast and managed 2l before we went, i knew 5l was not going to be possible today. Especially with the lack of public loos in london.

Took 2 cartons with me, a banana and choc shake so i was prepared for lunch and dinner.

So in all a tough day... Oh well plenty more to come so better get used to it.

Despite sounding down beat I am still extremely motivated. I just kept saying to myself 'remember why you're doing this' and it really did work.

Forgot to mention that the next weigh in is in 2 weeks not next tuesday. So could get a good loss by then.

Wednesday 13th Feb - Day 8

2008-02-13T09:56:00.002Z

Beginning of week 2 cant believe how fast week 1 went by.
My scales today read 13,0... was 14,1 on my scales last wednesday (day 1).

I am still drinking 5 litres of water a day and am sure that this is helping to shift the weight.

Had a new flavour this morning, Toffee and Walnut, was nice. Not amazing but im sure it will come in useful when i tire of my 3 faves. Also got a couple of butterscotch shakes this week, hope they are tasty too.

So tomorrow is Valentines Day and i had some mini goals set at the beginning of the year when i was following weight watchers, one of which was 13,0 on Valentines Day. As you can imagine last Monday when i was weighing 14,2 i ever thought this would be possible... o ye of little faith!!!

I have done it... Yippeeeeeeee... Next goal is 12 stone by April 1st. This was a weight watcher goal so i am secretly hoping to hit the next goal sooner than this.

On for a 5lb loss this week so into the 12's.

I have decided that I am going to aim for a 4 stone loss on this diet. One stone down so only 3 to go!

Tuesday 12th Feb - Day 7 (1st weigh in)

2008-02-12T20:13:00.000Z

So day 7, my scales say a STONE off....
Drank my 4 litres and had a fairly easy day then headed off to see my counsellor at 6.30pm.
I did weigh myself at home before i left and i was 4lbs heavier than this morning :-(
This was fairly inevitable as i have glugged my water all day BUT i decided that if i do the same thing each tuesday then this will keep things consistent!
So my counsellors scales 'officially' say 12lbs off... still great but i will go by mine ;-)
I have also lost 2.5" off my waist.
She also thinks that i could get another 5lbs off for next week, fingers crossed.
I shall be starting some gentle exercise now. Nothing too crazy, so maybe more walking and a bit of swimming for toning any loose skin... eek!!!
Anyway todays tea was a ready made banana shake in a carton, just as nice as my other faves, yummy!!!
What a FAB 1st week, couldnt have asked for anything better!

Monday 11th Feb - Day 6

2008-02-11T16:30:00.000Z

Almost a week now... first weigh in tomorrow!

Survived my first weekend on C.D. Although my partner should be shot... He ordered a pizza and chips from the local takeaway last night... mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm!

Nevermind, just 'cos im dieting doesnt mean everyone else should have to deny themselves too.
I'm sure there will be plenty of temptations over the next few months, i just need to deal with them and remember WHY i am doing this... 'cos i am big-time FAT!

I forgot to weigh myself this morning and only remember after my 1st litre of water so didnt see much point after that. Only one more day til weigh in. Lets pray for the 1st stone, what a milestone that would be.. and also a miracle!
No diet will ever be the same again (lets hope i dont need to do another one...). I mean how could i cope with a 1/2lb loss each week?????

I know this diet is just the start and the main criticism is that people pile the weight on at the end. BUT i am determined to do all the different stages needed to adjust back to real food and make sure that i follow a healthy lower-carb diet.

I know that carbs are the root of all evil for ME! Not everyone will have this problem but with carbs i just want to eat and eat and eat. I can easily overeat at every meal. For example pasta or jacket potatoes or toast... I can eat far more than a 27 yr old short lady should... or could!

I remember whilst on the Atkins i read that when you eat carbs the full-up signal is sent to the brain alot slower than when you eat more protein. Therefore as the signals are slower your body allows you to overeat. Whereas if you increase the protein then the signal gets there faster, allowing you to fill up faster.
After C.D i will def cut down on carbs (a less strict Atkins diet), they also make me feel extremely bloated. So good riddance!

So day 7 tomorrow... ooh eee aah im excited!!!! I am loving the shakes (especially banana) and am super motivated still. Got friends signing up tomorrow so ill have a little CD network for support and a little competition LOL ;-)
Fingers crossed for a good result!

Sunday 10th Feb - Day 5

2008-02-10T17:22:00.000Z

I weighed myself as usual and scales show another loss, only half a pound but that made me 13,2.5. Remember i started on 14,2 last Tuesday p.m!

Yesterday i had to contact the counsellor to swap some flavours. I decided to swap all soups, ie chicken and mushroom, leek and pot and spicy tomato and stick with my favourites;

Choc mint/ banana/ strawberry

I shall try a few different flavours such as butterscoth and fruits of the forest next week but for now i want to get used to the plan without any hindrances such as icky soups!

I am still on 5l of water a day. This seems to be getting easier, or maybe i am getting used to it. The toilet trips also seem less frequent. I am trying to finish the water about 5/6pm so i am not popping to the loo at all hours.

So being half a pound away from my 1st stone is great! Just hope my body doesnt start holding loads of water and ruining my weigh in for tuesday night :(

Looking forward, Valentines day will be a bummer... We are off to the west end to watch a musical and we normally love eating before the show, during the show and after the show! Diets dont exist when we head to London!!!!
But my other half is being very very very supportive as he knows how important this is to me (and him) so he will prob just grab something on the run.

This weekend has been surprisingly easy. Although going bowling with another dieting girl on friday made that easier, we both guzzled pints of water! Then we stayed in last night. Today was spent cleaning up the garden and we will just chill out tonight.

I think when i need to turn down dinner invites and girlie nights at lovely restaurants then it will be a bit harder but for now i am def still 100% motivated. Fingers crossed for another little loss before tuesday's weigh in. I'd love to say 'yeah i lost a stone in a week' as opposed to in 5 weeks on weight watchers!!!

Oh and anyone reading this who is tempted to start C.D, please invest in a smoothie maker. It is an absolute god-send. The shakes go really frothy and go alot further. Add ice cubes and it is wonderful. I really look forward to my 'meals' as they are delcious. I could never say that whilst following lighter life!

Still no horrid side effects touch wood. Seems like i am being really lucky!

Saturday 9th Feb - Day 4

2008-02-09T09:26:00.000Z

Ok its day four and miraculously my scales show another 3lb loss... total of 13lbs!
Was 14,2 last Tuesday evening now 13,3 on Saturday morning...

It is now my totm so I guess some weight would have been from this and I also have quite bad water retention when i eat junk (ie the lead up to day 1...).

But wherever the weight has come from I am not going to over analyse this but just consider it a huge step towards my goal. I shall be in the 12's in no time.
Hoping to get to 13,2 for weigh in on Tuesday, then 12's for the week after.

I am not disillusioned into thinking that all my weight will come off as quickly BUT i will keep up with the diet and am even drinking DOUBLE the water I should be (CD recommend 2.25l but i drink 5l) and hope for the best.

Read a fab thing yesterday which would have helped me many a time on previous diets. I read that when you hit a 'plateau', ie a week with no loss despite being angelic, you will still lose inches but the weight could be slight water retention! Well if i had known this years ago i may have stuck to 'all' the diets i have tried before and given up after a 'no loss' week. Oh well, live and learn.

Yesterdays tea was a ready made choc shake and was DELICIOUS! Shame the carton is only 200ml as i wanted to drink my 2nd one too :-(
Went bowling and managed to drink 3.5 large (almost pints) of water so this took me up to just over 5l of water.

Am just starting on today's water, havent had a shake yet. Gonna try and wait til a little bit later. Not hungry at all, despite not eating for 3 days. Weird!
I am ketosis now (confirmed this by doing a urine testing strip). So all withdrawal symptoms should be long gone now :-)

Need to contact counsellor to swap some shakes/soups. Its funny because the flavours i got most of (thinking i'd love them) are the ones I dont like. The leek & potato and vanilla are going back!

So now I am going to spend the rest of today drinking water. It is worth not going shopping as the results I am seeing are keeping me so motivated. Heres to another day!

Friday 8th Feb - Day 3

2008-02-08T10:10:00.000Z

Day 3... still motivated as according to the scales I have lost a further 3lbs, making a 10lb loss in 3 days!!!

I know its probably alot of water weight BUT it does mean I am nearer to my goal so who cares.
I hope I can lose near a stone in my 1st week as it feels quite nice to think instead of 4 stones to lose, I only have 3...

Drank 5 litres yesterday!... cant quite believe it myself. Maybe this is helping shift the weight.

Yesterdays soups and shakes were;
B - Vanilla
L - Leek and Potato
T - Choc Orange (hot)

... mmm, not wild about the vanilla and the leek and pot was yuck. The choc orange was not as nice as the choc mint, but as i made it with hot water it was a welcomed change and quite comforting... especially as my partner was eating a chicken tikka masala and naan bread :(
although both were from healthy living range at tesco, as he is trying to eat healthily now!

This morning I had the 'tried and tested' banana for breakfast. This one is fabby!!! Tastes just like the ready made milkshakes you can get in corner shops/petrol stations.
Lunch will be another favourite, strawberry, and tea will be a ready made choc shake in a carton as we are off bowling.

Attempting to drink at least 4l of water every day, no excuses! This was my downfall on Lighter Life, as I was working a 9-5 and found it tricky to pop to the loo every 3minutes!!!!
Now I am at home so it is perfect for following this diet.

Still not got any bad withdrawal symptoms. Had a muggy headache yesterday from about 3pm onwards. Not bad enough for a pain killer but a little annoying. I should be kicking into ketosis any time soon, normally takes around 72 hours.

I have been in ketosis many times, from Lighter Life and Atkins diets. I know some people really struggle with it but I seem to be a perfect candidate for it. No side effects/ symptoms at all.

So fingers crossed for ketosis and the energy that comes with it!

Thursday 7th Feb - Day 2

2008-02-07T09:44:00.000Z

Ok so its day two...
Had a sneaky peek at scales and amazingly they show a 7lb loss in a day! 14,2-13,9 ;-)
mmm lets wait and see what next Tuesday's weigh in shows.
Yesterday was a good day. Didnt feel too rough, had 3 shakes (banana, choc mint and strawberry) and 4l of water.
Managed to finish water at a decent time so didnt need to get out of bed every half hour for a wee which is good.
Have so far had a vanilla shake for brekkie (not too nice, very much like yucky lighter life's one) and a litre of water.
I am motivated at the moment but i know this can easily dwindle so i will not become complacent YET!
No headaches, hunger pangs or constipation that people warn of, so its so far so good still!!!
Looking forward to either spicy tomato or leek and potato for lunch.
So for now i shall keep glugging away at water and hopefully squeeze some exercise in later, either a good long dog walk or a bike ride with partner. I know you are meant to take it easy due to low calorie intake so it wont be too strenuous, which is excellent cos i hate exercise :(

Wednesday 6th Feb - Day 1

2008-02-06T13:53:00.001Z

Ok so its day one on the Cambridge Diet... for those who dont know it is a meal replacement diet where i have 3 shakes/soups/bar instead of my normal meals. This is a diet which works fast as my body will use my fat as its primary energy source, hopefully!

Why am I doing it? Well, my weight has been creeping up and up for the past 2 years and I seem to fail at any other diet/ healthy eating regime so I thought it best to eliminate food altogether.

I have previously tried Lighter Life but begrudged paying £70 a week, this included the counselling session as well as the actual diet packs. BUT most of the session was sitting around waiting for all of the other ladies to be weighed. Then the 'counselling' session was just read from a text book... mmm not much training required for the counsellor!

The Lighter life diet packs also come in very limited flavours, but C.D has soooo many to choose from. So definitely an added bonus!

Also, this diet is half the price as no such counselling is offered, simply a 15 minute appointment with your 'counsellor' whereby you discuss the week and also purchase the diet packs.

So day one and already I am wondering why i waited so long... Today I weigh 14,2 and need to get down to the 10's. So you could say I am pretty large at the mo, with a BMI of 36!!!

I have purchased a smoothie maker and i found the 'shaker' provided does not get rid of all the lumps of mix. I have had a banana shake for breakfast and a choc mint shake for lunch. Both made in the smoothie maker with water/ice and both DELICIOUS!

I will be having Leek and Potato soup for tea.

Much much better than any lighter life shakes. So, so far so good... Fingers crossed...

I am also glugging my way through 4l of water, 2 down 2 to go. The water is essential for getting rid of the fat which my body will break down whilst i am ketosis (think atkins diet if you are not sure of this process, basically no carbs = body uses fat for energy = ketosis).

My goals are to get into the 10's for a holiday in June and another in July. I hope that this blog will keep me motivated. Please feel free to comment/ contact me or simply offer advice.