I’m 34 years old and I live in Qld. I’ve lost 19.5kg since 11 May 2020 (to date – 3rd September)
I have PCOS, IBS and insulin resistance, all of which have caused a constant battle with my weight fluctuating over the years. Our turning point was that both my partner and I noticed weight gain from some really bad habits. Habits that we had fallen into from being exhausted or unmotivated due to our hectic lifestyle eg lots of travel for work, 3 young children and being time-poor.
One night my husband and I were sitting on the lounge discussing our lifestyles (over a plate of hot chips with garlic aioli) and both agreeing we had put on too much weight and had too many bad habits. We researched a few possibilities but couldn’t decide, so we put it on the back burner. Then a few weeks later, my partner was in the local chemist and saw they had TLS and TMS in stock. He called me to tell me and ask what flavour I wanted to try, I picked chocolate. That night, my research into the TLS process began and we set a date to start, possibly a few days later. I work best if I fully research things to have a better understanding.
I first found out about the Lady Shake when I saw it in the local chemist. Living in country QLD, we needed something we could source locally as COVID was affecting postal services a lot out here. We needed to have the chemist as our back up plan if we were waiting on our buy 3 get 1 free deal from the website.
In the past, I had tried a range of different things like the CSIRO diet and The Biggest Loser shakes. The CSIRO diet worked well in my single days, but not so much for a family of 5 with allergies and at times, fussy eaters. Lol. The Biggest Loser shakes tasted awful and I nearly collapsed several times on this diet with how low the calories were. I had been to a dietitian too when I was first diagnosed with IBS. I learned some great tips and hints here but never stuck with the plan as I found it very restrictive at times. I had considered gastric sleeve surgery but wasn’t sure that this was the right option for me.
Within the first week of starting TLS, the main things I noticed were that I had more energy and I was sleeping so much better. I believe better sleeping was partly because TLS had helped me to stop the late-night snacking with huge calories. More energy meant I was hitting my 10,000 steps a day with ease and felt so much better inside and out. I wasn’t exhausted. The biggest difference for me now, that I’ve almost lost my goal weight, is having more knowledge about portion control, I’m always organised and plan dinners so there is no excuse for takeaway and now know it’s okay to have a treat occasionally without feeling guilty. I feel fabulous!! I’ve also learned how to adapt recipes for a fish/peanut allergy, dairy allergy and spice (chilli, pepper, curry) intolerance to suit our family. It means having flexibility and thinking outside the box to make the TLS plan suit your commitments, allergies and family or self. I refused to cook separate meals for everyone so found ways to make it work for us!!
My biggest roadblock would be chocolate and acting on impulsive eating urges. I found that I overcame this roadblock with a few strategies. Firstly, MyFitnessPal has helped me to track my calorie intake better and learn to stop eating. Secondly, researching healthy dessert-type recipes or shop bought alternatives have allowed me to still have a treat but without the huge calories. Thirdly, part of my eating, I feel was boredom related or ‘just because’, so keeping my hands busy has really helped. I have got my cross stitch back out and am making Christmas stockings for my kids instead of eating. Lastly, I have felt full on TLS journey. Rarely do I feel super hungry as you have smaller portions throughout the day. Water is a huge helper here too. Although I am not quite at 2L a day, it has definitely helped me reduced my coffee intake drastically too, which I’m super proud about.
If someone was thinking about starting, these would be my tips; 1. Sign up to the Facebook groups for support. They are fabulous for motivation and advice! 2. Get the MyFitnessPal app or similar while learning to portion control. It‘s been my saving grace. 3. Keep going …. even when you feel like giving up or don’t feel there’s any change, keep persisting!! Trust me, changes are happening, you just can’t see them yet. 4. Be organised!! This reduces the temptation to be naughty or fall into old habits. 5. Introduce exercise at your own pace. I normally only get my 10,000 steps on Monday to Friday. I try to do extra exercise during school holidays. 6. If you fall off the wagon, it’s okay!!! Don’t beat yourself up. Tomorrow is a new day. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, leave yesterday in the past and start afresh today! 7. Be kind to yourself! Be patient! It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. It’s a lifestyle change, not a quick fix.
