So I know it's been a while but I thought it was time for a little update - I'm now on the LL Route To Management which means that I can eat food now (woo hoo!) all be it that it's only one meal a day.............more on that in a my next blog. For now I thought I'd just do a bit of a catch up so here are some facts and figures for you:

BMI at start of LL 31.2. BMI today 22.92
Weight at start of LL (yes I'm finally going to admit to it!!) 13 stone & 10 pounds. Weight today 10 stone 5lbs.
Those all important measurements - at start of LL Chest 44 - Waist 38.5 (and that was all in the big belly!) Hips 43.
as at today Chest 38 - Waist 28 and hips 37

I also took my own measurements from my thighs, calves, upper arms and under my bust and in today I've lost a staggering 33 inches from my body. Even I'm amazed by that.

I'm going to ask Louise - my Lighter Life counselor if she'll email me the before & during photos - sorry but I don't think I'm at the after stage yet as I still want to get down to at least 10 stone - so hopefully I can show you just how this diet has changed me.

Because it amuses me - and I'm never happy unless I'm having a moan about something - I went on to some of our 'popular' high street stores websites and had a look at their sizing charts just to see what size they think I am! Common consensus is that I should be wearing a size 14 top (though both Next and M&S put me in a 16. I was too scared to check what they would've put me in at my old size!) and a 12 skirt. However, Topshop peg me at a size 10-12 so think I'll be spending my pennies there and 'accidentally' leaving the labels out.

Wherever I shop, and if I allow myself to face the scary truth of how big I had really let myself get, then I think it's fair to say that I've dropped at least 3 dress sizes.

I've still got some work to do - mainly toning up and improving my cardiovascular fitness but all in all I am incredibly happy with my LL journey so far. Yes there were times when it was hard. Yes there were times when I was bored beyond belief by the foodpacks and No, the weekly group sessions didn't always seem to 'do anything' for me but I can honestly say that this is probably one of the best things I've done for myself in my life so far.

I also cannot recommend this diet highly enough - if you are reading this and you have been having weight problems, you do have more than 3 stone to lose, then check it out. Really, you'll thank yourself for it in the long run - I promise!

So - before I get too evangelical about it - here are some of my thoughts on the 14 weeks Foundation part of my Lighter Life and the programme itself:

* I wish I'd heard about it sooner
* It really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.
* The results are amazing and that spurred me on.
* I wish I'd done the homework every week - by not doing the homework I think I missed out on some key CBT techniques which would
have helped me to get through the mid programme boredom cycle a bit better. Since starting on Route To Management I've started
to go back and do the homework now and it really is helping me.
* I have got way more willpower than I ever thought I had and I'm so proud of myself.
* As cliched as it sounds I really do feel like a new woman - and Russell agrees on that point. Though he says that I'm not a new woman
I'm just the woman he first met & fancied like mad 10 and a half years ago!
* Following the LL programme has taught me new skills, taught me self awareness and a different type of confidence which I didn't know
I had (and that's no mean feat as some people think I was already the most confident person they knew!!)

Anyway, that's it for me for today. I will definitely be updating on the Route to Management part of my LL soon and hopefully those pictures will be up and running shortly.

One final thing - I just wanted to say thank you to all my friends who've supported and encouraged me throughout this - I have heard so may horror stories about how other Lifers friends & family have tried to put them off it and/or sabotage them and I'm not sure I could've coped with that. You are all bloody marvelous - thanks guys. x x