Friends R Us

Felt a little bit more motivated today. 

A really good friend of mine called me today, feeling very excited about a Personal Journey she is about to start.

Having battled with her weight over the last few months, due to many reasons, she has taken a really positive step and is embarking on a new diet. 

To some it would appear an extreme diet as you have no more than 500 calories per day and is called the Lighter Life diet.  It is not for the faint hearted. You need to ensure you are fit which calls for a check up with your doctor and you only eat the food that is provided by the company. 

It seems to be predominantly a soups and shakes type diet, but has all the vitamins and nutrition your body could need.  It also has the benefit of counselling, to help you through the process and to discover, for instance, why you may be addicted to food.  Which is why it really is a personal journey.

It is the type of diet that not only needs a strong will power to carry it through but also a really good understanding from people around you.  You can do without people trying to encourage you to have a ‘little bit of this’ or ‘ just one biscuit’, or to have any people around you like the housekeeper from Father Ted saying ‘go on, go on, go on’.

My friend is no fool and has done ample homework on the diet.  Yes, it may be extreme but when other avenues have failed what is wrong in trying something different.  Medically she is sound and she has weighed up all the pros and cons.  At the end of the day if it doesn’t suit her, she is sensible enough to stop.

The point of me highlighting this is two fold.  As a friend I am proud of her for trying and for having the determination to do it.  It will also take understanding from myself and another friend of ours as we do like our girlie meals out. 

My friend who is doing the diet has already pointed out that she doesn’t want this to stop, but in place of a meal she may be bringing along her own food or not eat while we are out.  As friends, if it is okay with her, then it is certainly not a problem with us.  (The naughty part of me though can’t wait to see the look on waiters/waitresses faces!)

I couldn’t believe though when she called me tonight, before going to her first briefing, that one of her work colleagues had spent all day asking her not to go.   How unfair is that?  She hasn’t even started and has encountered negativity already.

The second point to this is that she will be keeping a personal diary with photographs, measurements etc and has asked if I would be interested in it as an article for the website.  Would I ever? 

It will be a great article as I don’t think people realise the underlying pressures and emotions that people must go through when they know they need to lose weight.  My friend has used the term ‘clinically obese’ which I must admit stopped me in my tracks. 

In an age where concerns over weight and what we eat is continually in our faces, I think it will be a heart warming encounter.

So thank you to my friend for allowing the website to use the information and good luck.  I can’t wait to start learning more about you on your personal journey and to see you achieve all your personal goals.

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