Day 14 - another 8 lbs lost in the second week!

Hard to believe isn't it?! That's 18 lbs (1 stone 4 lbs) in only 2 weeks!! Tis positively gobsmacking... Already my trousers are loser, I notice a difference in my shape and the size of it(!) and I'm feeling much less stiff and sore. The latter is the best of all, of course. To be able to move more easily and with less - well, I won't say pain - soreness. There are other factors in the mix, it has to be said, like my new CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, which means I sleep much more soundly at night and therefore have more energy, and my new shoe insoles to help the plantar fasciitis in my right foot. Both of these have had a very positive effect but the weight loss is only aiding and abetting it.

I did have a couple of Grrrr days last week, specifically when I was on my own a lot and not as busy as usual. There wasn't a particular food I wanted to eat, I just wanted to be able to eat at all and not have to wait for the time to eat my next pack. We don't have to eat at specific times, just at regular intervals. I was wanting to eat in between those regular intervals!

Some of the group didn't lose anything like as much as me and my heart went out to them. As much as I'm so very much encouraged by my weight loss, they're discouraged by the lack of theirs. Still, they're still losing more than they would on a conventional diet. Some of the group are a week behind us and one of them lost an almighty 12.5 lbs in her first week!!! Queries to the group counsellor revealed that there doesn't seem to much why or wherefore regarding how much we lose - it's very individual. She did say, however, that if you're not drinking enough water, your body will hold onto what it gets so, the more you drink, the more you'll pass (because your body trusts there will be a plentiful supply) and subsequently be lighter.

Having said all that, my Ketostix (Ketostick?!) showed I'm still not drinking enough water. Hard to believe because I seem to be drinking all the time. I bought some of the Lighter Life St Clements water flavours and have since found it helps me drink much more. Instead of one gulp I'm now more likely to take four! Lots of trips to the loo as well though!!

After our usual weigh in and purchase of our weekly food packs, we talked about childhood memories and family traditions around food. What sort of sayings did we have in our families about food? "Big fat beafy boafy" is one I remember! Giggling and finger-pointing at people just like me. What was our families' attitude towards food? Almost everyone there had negative recollections of being made to clear our plates. I told stories of being made to eat liver and, worse of all (especially because of the trauma caused by my refusal to eat it!) - cod roe. Most of us had similar stories and I can't break the confidentiality of the group to tell different ones.

The hour and a half passes very quickly and never seems long enough. I've had a read of the Foundation book that we all received last week and I'm pretty impressed. I've been a champion of not dieting and eating for health and accepting yourself as you are, and still I find the book full of sound advice and information.

We also learned the very basics of Transactional Analysis - the Parent, Adult, Child ego states - and learned how all three have their uses. Last week's "homework" was more on goal setting and about the different levels of self-awareness (specifically the Johari Window). I enjoyed drawing a picture of myself in a year's time! Once I've got to grips with the scanner, I'll post it here. Won't it be great if that actually happens?!

This week's homework, which I've not done yet, is about group agreements and promises to ourselves. It's sound and very interesting stuff. Who's more interesting to ourselves than ourselves, after all?!