What I'd give for a roast dinner - it's torture.

I've just had to pass on the offer of Sunday Lunch as I just wouldn't be able to resist. My Grandma is over at my folks so it would've been nice to see them but I think a Sunday would've been too hard. I'll leave it until they're having fish or something else that I'm not too fond of. I've already had to sit by and watch my girlfriend cooking bacon sarnies and rock cakes with her son and I think I'd crumble.

Since my last posting I've visited the Chemists and bought my next weeks meals - 5 Vanilla, 5 Strawberry, 3 Chicken soups and a Peanut bar. The Chemist was very happy with the progress - according to her scales 10.5 pounds in 6 days. My own scales showed 12lb loss - then again I was only wearing my smile then and it was before I'd had a few glasses of water. Either way I'm more than happy with the progress and she was more than happy to take my £48 in exchange for 13 cup a soups and a small square of peanuts.

I've also suffered headaches for most of the week - almost to the point of making me give up. Monday to Friday were spent with a feeling of lightheadedness and more or less constant mild headaches. The advice is to drink more water - but there's only so much water that I can drink. I'm not sure why as I could drink substantially more if it was beer - but I struggle to drink 4 pints in 8 hours.

I've checked several blogs from other dieters and some have given up the diet because of the headaches - and I must admit that I'm close. So close that I've started planning the exit strategy ie when to start 'refeeding'. I hope it doesn't come to that as I've just spent another 50 quid on powder and doubt very much that the Chemists will be able (or willing) to provide a refund.

A mixture of tightness and common sense dictates that I'll give it to Friday to see if I continue - that'll be two weeks - and enough to satisfy myself that I've given it a good go. Of course if the headaches go then I may continue. The dream of being able to see a stomach muscle will spur me on. Oh to be closer to a six pack than six bellies.

What's my progress I hear you ask ! Well, 10 days after starting and weighing in at 15st 7.2 lb the same scales put me at 14st 6.6lb this afternoon. Thats a whole stone - which is (or was) almost 7% of me. Huge amount though not quite as much as my HBOS shares lost this week, which is a whole other story.

What else this week ? I almost forgot. I was talking to a good colleague of mine who used to be involved with the diet industry and who has in fact developed his own 'fail safe' 12 week 'change your life' diet (something which I was completely unaware of before this particular conversation). Being in the know, he called me a fool, demanded that I stop this madness immediately and then to start his diet asap. Being committed to the cause as it were, I couldn't agree, I've set a target and I'd actually feel like I was giving up or having an easy way out. Instead, I've managed to persuade him to let me start it once I drop off this diet so will let you know more when I start it. Suffice it to say, I'm very intrigued to find out more about this magic 12 week programme, it's worked for some people who've really struggled with other diets so could be right up my street.

I'll find out more in a few weeks and will be sure to record my findings here.

Time for my next shake. I've virtually given up on the Chicken Soups. I checked with a Lipotrim expert and the Salt & Tabasco sauce were big No-Nos and they are rank without them. Imagine if you will a weak cupasoup with 2 teaspoons of sugar and I think you'll appreciate how nauseous they are.