Ann casey is feeling good as she continues her motivation weight loss diary

Week Five
Yippee, I cannot believe it, another five pounds gone and just four weeks after I started, I’ve lost almost a stone and I feel so much better for it.
I feel lighter, healthier and fitter with 13lbs less to lug around with me each day.
I’m also noticing a huge change in the way I think about food - I really don’t have cravings for junk or sweet things - I can watch colleagues and family members eating deliciously naughty treats that in the past I couldn’t resist, but now I would only be tempted if I’m hungry.
And if I stick to the diet, I’m almost never hungry. Eating small portions of protein several times a day really works.
To be honest, this week, I wasn’t sure that I would have lost much weight. I really didn’t feel as if I was on a diet - there was no feeling of deprivation, hunger or longing for ‘something nice.’
Yet when I stepped on the scales and discovered I had lost yet another five pounds, I was astonished because by  now it is becoming almost effortless!
The Motivation diet sounds quite severe - I am only allowed two portions of carbohydrate a day - that is one slice of bread and one small potato or maybe one small portion of cereal and one small potion of rice or pasta.
I was horrifed when I first discovered this - it meant at least one meal a day with no carbs - I wasn’t impressed, but it was amazing really how easily I got used to it.
The Motivation diet protein snacks are a huge help. They come in the form of bars, soups or a kind of porridge, some sweet and some savoury. They contain around 150 calories each and are packed full of protein, which means they really fill you up.
You know how you really could have another one when you have just eaten a delicious chocolate bar - well you wouldn’t want to eat anything else for quite a while after one of the Motivation bars - they really are filling.
I pick the sweet bars and I have two a day - they have the added bonus of satisfying any need for something sweet.
Drinking water is another major aspect of the Motivation diet. My counsellor, Siobhan cannot say it often enough - drink plenty of water, it is a major help in the fight against flab.
The consultation with Siobhan each week, plus listening to the CD by Dr Maurice Larocque, the founder of the Motivation programme, and reading his book, are real inspirations that keep me going.
I’m feeling really determined now to keep up and continue my weight loss journey - I will check in again next week!