Slim fast - good for long term use?

[Mumoffour4]

I started on slim fast today. Stuck to the plan. Felt hungry all day, a little sick and dizzy. Wondering if anyone else has had this and if I can stay on this diet plan long term. Need to lose about 4 stone. Has anyone achieved significant weight loss on this diet and if so managed to keep it off?

[Mumoffour4]

Day 2. Scales show a 1lb loss. Although my weight can fluctuate by up to 5lbs if I weigh myself on a daily basis, so not sure if it's working yet. I hope it is. Had my strawberry shake for breakfast, having a chocolate one for lunch. Two pieces of fruit, a snack bar and main meal all prepared.

[Mumoffour4]

Day 3. Scales show another 1lb loss. I am struggling with the hunger and nearly gave up yesterday but managed to stay on track. Would be easier if I could have my main meal earlier but this does not fit in with the family day. Really want to stick to this 100% for a week so I can see if it's really working.

[elfycat]

How are you doing?

On day 2 here, not looking at the scales for a week. I allow myself an extra snack in the first 2-3 days as otherwise I get a bit headachy.

Over a decade ago I lost 3 stone with Slimfast. I would do a loss of half a stone, or a stone and then come off the diet for a month or two and stabilise and then go again. It took about 2 years and the weight did stay off until I started a different career (nursing) and the shift work sent me into convenience foods.

[Mumoffour4]

On day 4. Still going but finding it really hard. I'm so hungry, even straight after one of the shakes. No weight loss today but I wasn't expecting that I would lose a pound every day. I haven't felt sick since the first shake on day 1. Feel really tired but I haven't been sleeping well anyway. Sometimes feel a little light headed. Really hope i can stay motivated and do a whole week as I think it will get easier after that.

[Mumoffour4]

Btw elfycat, well done with the 3 stone loss. Proves that this is a diet worth sticking to for big results.

[Mumoffour4]

Day four was a bad day. Stuck to the food plan but opened a bottle of wine, took me way over my limits. Day 5 weigh in showed a 2lb loss though, which is weird. I'm expecting this to be very different tomorrow, I will end up paying for that wine.

[Iggity]

Hi ladies, I started as well on Monday although I used Tesco equivalents for the first three days and switched to SlimFast bars yesterday. I am eating a bar for breakfast and one for lunch and then a meal in the evening as well as a banana mid-morning and an apple/pear mid afternoon. I didn't weigh myself before I started but I do feel a little bit lighter. Going to weigh myself on Monday as have a rough idea of what I am. I am hoping to have lost 2 pounds.

I do really like this but acknowledge that it is not a long term solution. I haven't really felt too hungry at all and haven't had any other side effects. I love not having to think about what I am having for breakfast as I have it at work and am always tempted by the almond croissants etc and really cannot be bothered to bring in breakfast to work. I plan to follow this probably for one more week and then replace the lunchtime bar with a proper meal. Not really a shake person so will stick with the meal bars. I haven't bought any other their other 100 cal bars/snacks as I know that the meal bars are not really great nutrition to trying to ensure I eat some fruit as well.

[elfycat]

I had a wine mment a couple of days ago but not too worried, the dirst week or so I forget I'm cutting back and have a few oops moments. It's about longer term habits so blips are allowed in my head

I'll weigh Monday too.

[Mumoffour4]

My first weekly weigh in shows a loss of 5lbs. Quite shocking. Had a few glasses of wine 3 out of 7 days. Also had fish & chips from the chippy one night. Definitely going to keep going. I really like not having to think about food. I am worried about the amount of sugar in the shakes, but then I think it's probably less healthy to be obese and if this works and brings my weight down, that has to be more healthy longer term.

[elfycat]

I lost 4 pounds.

I did take yesterday off but ate sensibly. Breakfast this morning was a latte and half a muffin DD2 (2) ate her cake and half of my muffin but all things considered I'm happy with that

Back to shakes for lunch! I want to lose another 6lbs as at the moment I'm still within the fluctuating weight I wander through. 6lbs will put me under a number I know I haven't seen in a while. And then keep going!

[Mumoffour4]

I need to lose ten more pounds to no longer be considered obese. That's my first goal.

[Iggity]

I think I have lost about 3 pounds. I'm fine with that as that is normally what I lose on the first week of dieting. This week feels harder. Not because I am bored with the bars as I find them yummy but very stressed at work and it seems to actually make me feel hungrier. I was supposed to go for a run tonight but didn't happen! Will try and get up in the morning and do it instead.

My current weight is 11-1 and to break through the 11 stone mark will be fantastic. I have been trying to do this for the last couple of years.

Three yrs ago, I went from 12-10 to 10-4 in the last couple of months of maternity leave. It gradually went back on and probably my heaviest was 11-10 about 6 weeks ago when my size 14 jeans were not comfy at all. A bout of food poisoning made me lose a few pounds and then I lost a few more and then gave up. Thankfully, didn't put much back on.

So this diet is more about trying to change my frame of mind, eat fewer unhealthy snacks and smaller portions at home. I do exercise quite a bit and took up running in the new year so I think this has helped to stabilise my weight a bit despite my attempts to scoff everything in sight some days!

I am going on holiday 2nd week of June so aiming to be 10-7 by then. I think it's doable. I am going to stay on the bars for the rest of this week and then only have one for breakfast after that.

[Mumoffour4]

Somehow I'm 2 pounds heavier today than yesterday? I had a very good day yesterday as well.

In 2005 I was a size 12 and now I'm a 16. I have had two more children since then but the eldest is now 4, so there's no excuse.

Also thinking about combining slim fast with the 30 day shred programme.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

I dont think long term slim fast is good...plus it can be expensive. It is good if you need to lose a few lbs but if you want to shift 4 stone you are far better just sticking to a low calorie healthy diet and then you wont have the urge to binge.

Are you on My Fitness Pal - it is brilliant and has been great for me. It counts calories, tracks exercise, tells you all the nutrition you need/are getting and you can link up with other people to get ideas/encouragement. For me it has been as effective as going to a class and I am now at my goal weight...just need to stay there now.

Good luck :)

[Mumoffour4]

My fitness pal is great I use to track my intake. In terms of food I haven't binged once. Slim fast allows me not to think about food. I went over my 600 cal meal allowance once in the 10 days I've been doing it, as we had fish & chips and it was only an extra 85 calories. It's alcohol that's proving more difficult to give up. I saw a loss on the scales this morning, so it is working. Probably wont do it long-term though need it to give me a kick start.

[Iggity]

I haven't binged either in the nearly two weeks I've been doing it as have not bought anything to binge on. A few extra oatcakes is as crazy as its got so far. I ordered a new dress earlier in the week and came today. It's a bit tight around the bodice so my aim is for it to be a bit looser by the end if May. Hopefully I will be on my way to having lost a half stone by then!

[daro2096]

The first couple of weeks on this diet can be hard but if you keep at it you will become used to it. I been doing this diet now and have lost at least 3 stones in 74 days and that is with the odd cheat day thrown in.