May 19, 2009: Lighter Life
I don’t understand why people are so against something when they haven’t got a clue about it. Why something is deemed controversial, unhealthy, dangerous, isolating when you haven’t even spent 5 minutes doing your research to find out what something is about.
I’m talking about the ‘Lighter Life’ eating plan/diet.
All my life I was tiny, no taller than 5’2 and no bigger than 117. That was my shape; big boobs and a bit of curves. My entire family is build like this. Short and slim. I also, grew up in Greece and the diet was a reflection of what was around and in season. No ‘exotic’ fruits from Far East and vegetables from Chile. I was 8 when I tasted a banana on a trip abroad because such fruits where not cultivated and because imports of bananas were scarce and illegal at the time. I was not an anorexic or bulimic, just an active person with a healthy diet growing in a country where McDonalds, Burger Kings and happy meals did not exist. And despite living all around the world, I pretty much maintain the eating habits that were instilled in me at an early age.
Then I fell pregnant to my daughter and I was overcome with extremely sickness. The only way to counteract it was to eat heavy meals that would stay in my stomach for hours making the sickness a lot less regular. That was my eating pattern during my entire pregnancy. I was violently sick even before the ‘stick’ said ‘Pregnant’ and I remember being sick whilst in labour. Combined with strict Doctor’s instructions to stop my regular morning jogging/running, the weight kept on creeping up and up and up.
Eventually, realised that I had done a ‘Milla’ when 3 weeks post partrum the scales said something in the region of 156! That was 14 months ago and since then I tried my best to combine exercise and low fat plan but nearly after a year and with a BMI still in the overweight region, I decided to try something different.
That’s when Lighter Life came into my life. I had done my research and despite the negative media reviews, my doctor said that I could do it if I didn’t find it hard enough. She said it was nutritionally balanced. My BMI was in the overweight region so I could have 3 foodpacks a day and one low carb/slightly low fat meal a day. The foodpacks are nutrionally balanced meal replacements with a wide range of flavours from strawberry and chocolate to Thai chilli soup and porridge. Also, weekly counceling was offered and even though it felt like an AA meeting at times, it provided help and friendship and a common goal.
So I embarked on it 2 months ago and it worked. I lost something in the region of 20 pounds and I have started to wear my pre-pregnancy clothes. Is it difficult to do? Absolutely! Can it be boring? Sometimes, yes. Is it isolating? Depends what your interests are; If you spend you time socialising whilst drinking alcohol then it is isolating as you’d most likely drinking sparking water or maybe a diet coke. If you spend your time going for a walk or shopping or cinema then it’d be fine as long as you don’t associate watching George Clooney with munching through a bucket of sugary popcorn. I haven’t found it dangerous and past the initial carb withdraw, I’ve been feeling fine and above all content. The foodpacks are filling and my energy levels have shot up as I shed more and more weight.
Of course, pretty much all food would be re-introduced back into my diet when I get into the maintenance phase of the program. Also combine with some exercise; I’d even be able to have popcorn whilst admiring George Clooney’s directorial skills in the cinema.
