John's Adsensed me!

John decided to do a little experiment. He wanted to see what would happen if he put Google Adsense on my blog (why doesn't he start his own and try it there?). But he hasn't started his own so you'll notice there are a few of those little ads running down the side of mine now. We shall see what happens.......

I thought I would do my own experiment and see if I could actually manage to download some photos at last. I say at last, but I haven't really tried properly as I usually sit on the settee with the laptop to write my blog and all the photos are on the main PC. So here I am, on the 'big' computer. Let's see how things go.

If they come up, I hope you're not all too squeamish. I do not like my photo taken as it is NEVER flattering but as I know what some of you look like I thought I had better be brave. If they don't come up then you really won't know what I'm talking about. BUt here goes.......

Half an hour later....... forget all you've just read. I can't do it! How on earth do you manage to get all those lovely pictures on, Lesley? It all seemed gobbledegook to me. I shall ask the maestro when he gets in and we'll try again. But for the time being, I remain the 'mysterious woman'.

Food shopping nightmare!

We have a routine on a Sunday; 9.00am Mass and then drive to Tesco's for breakfast and to do the weekly shop. Of course, I haven't been in to normal routine for the last couple of weeks and John has been doing the shopping in dribs and drabs on his way home from work. But, back to Tesco's this morning. I said I'd do the shopping whilst they had their breakfast, which didn't go down too well with John - he wanted me to sit with him and Lizzie for a chat. Huh! with the smell of bacon wafting around my nostrils - he must've been joking!

So off I went with the trolley. It's so weird shopping when you know you're not going to be eating any of it. Normally I don't buy much in the way of convenience foods but, honestly, I can't stand the thought of cooking every evening. I did a little before I was ill, but admittedly John has cooked mainly for him and Liz. He's not one for cooking from scratch, unless it's a bolognese or, his piece d'resistance, apple cake, so I swallowed my pride (well I'm not swallowing much else am I?) and bought a week's worth of ready meals.

I really don't like walking around the supermarket whilst on this diet. I wonder how others manage? Does everyone find it hard? I remember when I first started on Lighterlife it felt like torture, but it feels so much harder this time round. Everything does. I'm sure I'd have given up without this blog and the uplifting and inspirational comments from all my 'virtual friends' - you know who you are!

Day 1 on The Cambridge

Well, I'm there. I finished my last LighterLife packs yesterday and it's straight onto the Cambridge today - so here we go again!

As you may remember, I restarted my remaining LL packs on Monday, but swallowed a couple of lactase enzyme capsules prior to each meal. It was great. I've had no reactions, ie. no bruised eyes or eczema patches - and (if you don't mind me being a little lavatorial) regular movements, which I didn't have before using the capsules. So, if any of you are suffering constipation......

I have a few lactose free Cambridge packs, but most of them are normal ones, so I'll carry on taking the capsules and hopefully I won't suffer any adverse effects on this Plan. Fingers-crossed, please.

It's a pity I couldn't continue on LL. I do miss the counselling side, and seeing the other girls in group each week. Never mind this will have to be my self-counselling platform. Listen, Lesley, you will have to continue with your ramblings about the TA/CBT topic each week in LL and I'll follow along in my Foundation book - OK?

I've not been to work since 28th Feb and returned this morning. Was a little put out that no-one mentioned I looked slimmer. I know we were busy, but they could have put themselves out, couldn't they? Afterwards I went toStead & Simpson and tried on a pair of shoes for work (the ones I have at the moment are courts and they're feeling a little loose and I'm afraid of walking out of them). When I looked in the mirror though I realised that I didn't look slim at all. My legs are still chunky around the calves. I hate shopping for clothes!!!!!!! And no wonder no mentioned how svelte I looked!

Hope everyone has a good weekend.............

Still easing off LL

I went to meet my new Cambridge Diet Counsellor yesterday evening. It's a lot different to Lighterlife, much less formal I suppose. We met in her front room - I'm not too sure about that as I felt I was in the way of her husband. It's the way she's done things since she qualified as a CDC a year ago but I must say I wasn't quite comfortable. I don't want to be seen by the neighbours as one of the fat girls who walk up her path each week. I'm being stupid, I know. You don't have to tell me.

Considering I wasn't too keen on being in someone's home, we did get on fine and I was there for over an hour - chatty, or not?

I collected 21 sachets of food- on Cambridge, it's only 3 packs per day, not 4 as on LL. Price £32.55 instead of £66.00 as well!! I didn't manage to get all lactose free ones as she didn't have them instock but I shall try the other flavours and see how I get on taking a lactase enzyme capsule before each meal. I have been finishing my remaining LL packs and taking a capsule each time and haven't had any adverse effects, so hopefully I'll do OK on Cambridge.

When I spoke to Heather the other day she said that Lighterlife were going to be bringing out lactose intolerant packs in the summer and they may ask me to be a guinea pig for them, which would mean I wouldn't have to pay. As inticing as the thought of not paying for the packs is I don't want to wait until the summer. You never know, I may be very near target weight by then!

So, 2 more days of Lighterlife and then it's on to Cambridge.

Cheer me up someone, please. I'm getting bored of this now. Jacki, the CDC, weighed me last night and I'd only lost another 3lbs since I was last weighed at LL on 27th Feb. I reweighed myself when I got home and I showed another 2lbs off (my scales are only about 1/2lb out to Heather's LL ones so on LL I would have lost 5lbs) but it doesn't make me feel ecstatic. And I'm still trying to get back into ketosis - that b****y egg salad did it for me on Tuesday evening!!

Last Days on LighterLife

Heather telephoned me this morning. She has had a long chat with LL medical department and they have told her that I am no longer allowed to continue on the Programme, even taking the lactose enzyme capsules. Blast! Blast! Blast! (I could think of worse things to say, but I'm a good girl!)

Apparently, Lighterlife will be introducing lactose free packs in the summer months - but that's not going to help me now, is it?

What now? Well my first thought was to finish the packs I still have left and my second was to decide what to do next? Obvious choice - try the Cambridge Diet. They actually have packs that are lactose free - but only 3 packs unfortunately - chocolate and vanilla shakes and only mushroom soup. But I don't suppose we're in this for the fantastic flavours, are we? It's all a means to an end.

So, I contacted a local Cambridge Diet Counsellor, and I have an appointment to meet her tomorrow evening. She won't be able to give me all lactose free packs tomorrow as she'll have to order them in for me so I shall contniue with the capsules until I get sorted.

I hope I'll be in ketosis by tomorrow, but I sabotaged myself this evening by eating a couple of hard-boiled eggs with a mixed salad. I was so hungry and I didn't think I would get to see a CDC until next Monday and I was trying to stretch the remaining LL packs out. Not a wise thing to do, I know, but I was desperate. It was only an hour or so later that the CDC phoned me so I needn't have eaten (I could have had a pack after all).

Oh well, a new path to follow on my journey. But I will get there - one way or another.....

And thanks for yesterday's comments, folks. It's so good to know someones out here taking an interest. Wendy, I forgot about healthydirect. My husband buys his glucosamine and chondroitin through them, I shall check them out. Keep up the good work, Tom

Day 34 - well, less the 8 days or so I was off the diet!!

I started the LighterLife programme again this morning. I'm still not feeling too well, but at least I'm up and about now. Still feeling rather shaky so probably not the best time to restart a diet, but it's now, or maybe never.

I emailed Heather this morning to let her know I was restarting and to ask if it was Ok to rejoin the class tomorrow evening. I haven't had my 28 day blood pressure check of course, but I hope she will say 'yes'.

I decided to start with a 2 capsule dose of the lactase enzyme and hope that will be sufficient to keep the intolerance at bay. If I need to I will up it to 3 capsules. If I have to take more this diet is going to work out even more expensive than it already is (other than I don't have to buy any more food, I know). I bought the capsules from Holland and Barrett and they come in bottles of 60 at £8.49 per bottle. If I have to take 3 with each meal then a bottle will only last 5 days......aaagh! If anyone knows of a cheaper source, then please let me know.

I tell you, I'm weeing a lot again! Having previously done the diet for nearly 4 weeks the wee situation had settled down and my loo trips were almost back to normal, but starting from scratch, I'm back at going again every 20 mins or so. And of course, I need to get back into ketosis again - roll on the end of this week.

If you're of that bent, please say a little prayer, or two, for me to be able to continue with the diet this time......

I've been away too long!!!!

Well, its, Sat 10th March (Happy Birthday, Carmel) and this is my first post since 28th Feb. I know I've been missed (thanks, Tom).

I've had a pretty nasty bout of flu. I did say, if you remember, that I didn't feel too well on my last post. That was an under-statement to say the least. I woke up the following morning and I could hardly see the eyelashes of my right eye. The eye was so purple-red and swollen and I have to admit that vanity prevented me from going to work that morning - there was no way my normal beauty routine(?) was going to cover that up!! By the afternoon I really began to feel unwell though. And I eventually took to my bed, not to venture downstairs again for about 4 days (and then for only a couple of hours at a time). I have felt really ill and still don't feel up to much even now. I'm coughing and choking for England even as I type.

During my illness I spoke to Heather, my LighterLife counsellor, and we came to the conclusion that I may well have had a reaction to the foodpacks and was suffering from a lactose intolerance and it would probably be better if I gave up on the diet. I was devastated and really upset but agreed that I had made a very good start and had had a considerable weightloss and would carry my journey on from here, but not with LL.

I am not one to give up to easily though, so I got on the internet a couple of days ago (even though I didn't feel well enough) and did some research on lactose intolerance. I think the homemade diagnosis is correct. I remember a previous GP doing a kinesiology test on me about 12 years ago and diagnosing a lactose intolerance, so that was a start. I have had problems with my bowels for about 20 years and even though I have had tests at hospital (including the worst thing I have ever been through in my life - a colonoscopy.....awake!) no conclusions were made. It has crossed my mind about whether I was lactose intolerant and now the problems with the foodpacks seem to make sense. One of the symptoms is "black eye" and another, a drippy nose. Well, I didn't actually tell you about that one, but everyday at work (when my head is down writing) my nose kept running - and this was some time before the flu came on. I didn't really think about, but when I read it as one of the symptoms, things fell into place. There were other symptoms that I have just got used to over the years to do with the intestinal tract that appear to have got better with the packs, but then again, not all symptoms of a condition are always present in every person, are they?

Lactose intolerance, albeit an upsetting condition, is not life threatening and can be easily controlled. Basically, it means that there is not enough of the lactase enzyme in my small intestine to digest the lactose sugar in my food. I did use lactase drops in my milk for a while 12 years ago, but with a young baby to care for and a diagnosed post-natal depression to get through, I just gave up on it and drank and ate milk products as normal. And would have carried on as so if it hadn't been for recent circumstances. I have decided, therefore, to contact Heather again to see if I can restart, for a trial period at any rate, but this time I will take a lactase enzyme capsule dose before consuming any of the foodpacks. I can only try it and see!

I shall keep you informed of what happens, but if I can't continue with LighterLife, I intend keeping this blog up as my weight is going to come off, one way or another.......