starting to crack...

:cry:
I don't know what's going on. This is week 16 and I'm struggling like never before.
I actually feel like I'm going to go out of my mind if I don't have some food.

When I hit my wall at week 11, and felt physically hungry for 6 days straight, although I was craving food I knew 100% that this wasn't an option. This time the physical craving is just as strong but I don't feel 100% certain that I'm not going to be able to give in to it - far from it. It's been overwhelming all weekend. I've been to the gym both days, I've been out constantly and very busy - the whole time I've thought about giving in. I'm beginning to convince myself that I'm going to have to give in to it and then get over it, and that giving in to some real food doesn't mean that I won't be able to get straight back on track.
What's going on?

I've got 8 weeks minimum to go in Development, and with 3st yet to lose I can't be feeling this hungry for real surely? ie I'm in ketosis, there's still a good 3 st of energy left to munch on. I didn't lose anything at all last week. Is this why I'm feeling like this? I know I've been bingeing on packs - yesterday I had 6 as I felt I couldn't get through the day. Today I've still got half a bar to go, but I don't want it. I want real food.

This feels really scary. I was at a party today (enormous amounts of food which looked and smelled more amazing than any other food I've faced in the last 15 weeks), loads and loads of fabulous compliments and I know that I looked great, but my mind is saying 'yeah, yeah, whatever...where's the food?'
I've done a thought record - still feel hungry. I've had a gallon of water - still hungry.

I need some help.
How am I going to get through the next 8 weeks? :cry:

Hiya Tiger girl,
well done for getting through the party and resisting all that yummy food... Do you think maybe thats half the problem, that you feel deprived that you couldnt have any, at least you could have if you wanted but you chose not to? Also that feeling of complacency, you look good. It can be sooo hard to get back on track so please battle through this...

16 weeks is a long time so well done for that. In the grand scheme of things 8 weeks more is not that long. although of course when you feel like you want to eat something it is!

Is it possible to have an early night, take yourself out of temptations way? also how about giving your counsellor a call and maybe having a few extra pop in's between your group meeting, just till you feel stronger...

Stay strong, the end of the lighterlife road is in sight

Hi,

it sounds like a tough time at the moment, but do try and hang on in there. You know you have come so far and deserve to keep the light glowing at the end of the tunnel.

I think it may be still hard to keep on track even if you opt for a healthy snack/meal and you would then have more crooked thoughts to deal with.

Are you getting enough water? I know it's hard too. but do try and only have the four packs that might be slowing the weight loss for you. Do you feel able to call your LLC on Monday for some support?

Whatever got you through last time, try and think back to that feeling and do this for you.

Please take care, keep posting :hug99:

Sam xx

JUST A THOUGHT - going to the Gym - are you hungry following the exercise as I was led to believe that you should not exercise whilst on a VLCD?
maybe check with your counsellor?

Hi Tiger Girl,

I think you have hit the nail with the hammer when you said you did not lose anything on last weigh in day and I know from experience that this can be enough to get the old chatter box going.

Have you had a week before where you lost nothing? Or at least was very low?

You probably felt the same then as well but you got over it.

You will now again, if you can ignore your chatter box which is probably going ten to a dozen in your head.

Over doing the exercise could be the cause of the hunger along with having too many packs.

If I had a lend of Dr. Who's Tardes I would go back in time and warn myself about breaking the diet as I would of been at goal last year no problem.

I let the old chatter box and impatiences get the better of me and I am sorry now for giving in as I also convinced myself I needed to eat... You might feel it is tough going now it is even worse later on as the frustration is overwhelming for not sticking with my diet when it going so good.

Big hugs:grouphugg:

Love Mini xxx

Aww big hugs! Did you have the week 13 milk week? May be a thought if your body is craving food and body slowed down? People MAY tell you to try chiken etc but you then have to balance up whether you can go back to not eating after a week (I wasnt sure so went for the tedious milk option!). How is BP etc? It may just be that you've overdone things a bit and this is making you feel low and therefore craving food. You've done SO well and are nearly at the finsh so don't give up now! Can totally relate to the emotional turmoil/anguish over the last two days with my BP but at the end of the day we want this dont we eh! Stick with it girl & think thin and have a chat with LLC about having a milk week! Huge hugs for you

If I had a lend of Dr. Who's Tardes I would go back in time and warn myself about breaking the diet as I would of been at goal last year no problem.


I have to agree with this wholeheartedly........

I let the old chatter box and impatiences get the better of me and I am sorry now for giving in as I also convinced myself I needed to eat... You might feel it is tough going now it is even worse later on as the frustration is overwhelming for not sticking with my diet when it going so good.


It is so damn hard to get back on track........if I could go back I certainly would be much stronger.

Hi TG

What do you think would happen if you gave yourself permission to break your diet? Do you think you would feel happy with the decision or would you be riddled with guilt? Would you feel like a naughty child? Do you think you could have just a couple of meals or do you think it would be the thin end of the wedge?

It might help if you thought this out calmly and while being kind to yourself. In the end of the day to eat normal food would not be the end of the world but you need to decide if it would mean the end of your diet.

I took a decision to eat because of a family occasion recently and that was fine. I knew that it meant breaking the diet for two days and then going back on it again. And that was fine too - I didn't gorge myself but enjoyed it.

For me being slim means more than any plate of pasta or piece of pizza but I also recognise that food is essential for life and we all have to learn to manage it and, more importantly, learn how to manage ourselves around it.

Good luck.

Hey Tiger Girl

So sorry you are struggling after doing momumentally well. My guess (as Mini has said too) is it's that double whammy of NOT losing any weight in a week (been there, done that - final week of foundation) AND tiredness. If you are overdoing the exercise, it could have a huge impact, as well as boredom setting in with the foodpacks. Nutrionally, NOTHING has changed - something our LLC drums into us.

BUT I wonder if it's also about getting closer to goal - closer than before - and that's when the crooked thinking kicks in. It seems like you are really testing your resolve:

"I'm beginning to convince myself that I'm going to have to give in to it and then get over it, and that giving in to some real food doesn't mean that I won't be able to get straight back on track."

Be kind to yourself and go to bed and rest. That's my advice.

You've identified that you are hungry; maybe rather than trying to do anything to avoid the hunger, maybe just sit with it and find out what is going on. The hunger is about something and it really may be something as straightforward as needing a good night's sleep. Your body knows what it is doing - even in abstience - so maybe try to adjust the rhythm.

Take care, Tiger Girl. And good luck.

Mrs L xxxxxxxxxxxxx

HiyaTG! I so know where you are coming from. I am also on week 16, and I honestly feel I am going mad. I crave food all the time, not especially junk but proper food. Please take heed of the others wise words - I gave in to the voices and ate monumentally recently and it is unbeleivably hard to get back on track.

You are doing so well. Dont give in now. 8 weeks will soon pass; the distraction ideas are good ones! (I still have months to go and that is what I am trying NOT to listen to !!)

Good luck!

What a lovely long line of posts to come home too!! Thanks so much mini squad for all of your fantastic ideas and comments :grouphugg:

So I took Geri's advice and thought ok, lets go and see the LLC, and I'm so pleased that I did. After finally taking some dulcolax yesterday (nb In search of me, I tried your trick and took it at 7pm...boy oh boy, what a fabulous night I spent! I think taking it a bit later on could be the answer for me!), anyway, it worked a treat and I knew I felt lighter and much better. I got on the scales tonight and have lost 4lbs since Friday, so clearly that was the problem.

I also realised as I was talking to my LLC that I've spent all weekend convincing myself that I've done something 'wrong'. And I haven't! Absolutely nothing at all. I think that was the cause of the chatterbox gone mental thing.

Because I've only ever known good losses, I was completely relieved to see that 4lb loss tonight, with 4 days to go until my official WI.

So, apart from the fact that I now feel so much calmer, in control and will absolutely have my 4, and only 4, packs today, something else did come up for me. I'd started to completely relax into the diet - I was so lucky that I never had any setbacks, always great steady high losses that I guess it was a really good test for me.
I'm not convinced that I dealt with it brilliantly - but - I definitely didn't break the diet, and that quite frankly is a miracle based on how I've been feeling since Friday. So I guess - and here's a nice bit of re-framing from a pretty awful experience - I now have another tool to throw into the ever expanding toolkit of coping strategies.

I think this mini drama is now coming to an end - thank god for that!

Hope everyone else is having a great week.