So today I started Exante 2 stone by Xmas

[pickledolive]

Hi everyone would you like to join me on a vlcd weight loss journey trying to lose 2 stone by Christmas . That's 10 weeks . Do we think that's doable?

[LCHF2018]

Very. I have ordered my package but delivery not till next week as i live abroad. I have 4 stone to lose but want half that gone by Xmas too. I started limiting calories yesterday in a bid to prepare the bod for exante which will hopefully officially commence next week. I am sort of doing my own spin though and planning 3 packs Monday to Thursday and 3 packs with small low carb meal at weeekends....i am 13 stone 5 and 5 feet 4 so a looong way to go

[pickledolive]

I'd be over the moon with 1 stone to be honest all my clothes are too tight and I refuse to buy any more . Just hoping my will power can keep up.

[KingsScorn]

I think that is very doable!

I started last Sunday (Slim and Save not Exante though) and I'm now down 8.8 lbs.

Will that take you down to your target weight?

I've got a lot to lose (BMI was 36.4 - now 35.0 - will need to lose 5st to get to 25.0). In, ten weeks, with a fair wind, I should be able to get my BMI out of obese and into overweight.

The way my head is at the moment I'm planning to do this all over Christmas (I made a permanent change to plant based this year so I wouldn't be having traditional food anyway)...that could change though!

How are you getting on?

[MinniesAndMickeysNeedCounting]

2 stone by Christmas is definitely do-able.
I've been doing it for 19weeks now and lost 4stone 3lb.
I've been really happy on the plan.
Hope you get on ok

[purplepandas]

Sorry to gatecrash Minnes but do you work? I ask as I am trying to figure out how to incorporate shakes etc into work life without have to explain to others. I know they will comment. I hate the bars etc. I need a major kick up the behind as have so much to lose.

LCHF I am round where you are but to scared to get on the scales ATM. I fear it is way worse than I think it is. Head in the sand is not good.

[purplepandas]

Good luck Pickle and well done Kings. I did Cambridge religiously for one week last year and lost only 3.5 lbs. I was gutted as I totally stuck to it! Have some exante shakes and want to give it ago again. I am such an emotional eater and feeling so utterly crap about myself.

[MinniesAndMickeysNeedCounting]

purplepandas I do but part-time and mostly on my own, so it hasn't been a problem for me, plus I like the bars.
Are you not telling people you're doing vlcd because of the questions/judgment? I didn't tell many people until it was noticeable that the weight was coming off.
Sorry I couldn't be much help.

[purplepandas]

Thanks so much Minnies, I really do appreciate the reply. Yes, I don't want people judging me. I am just so very cross with myself, I can't believe I have done this after losing 3 stone 5 or so years ago. Anyway, onwards.

Well done or your loss, that is truly fantastic. Do you not get hungry? I did when i did one week of Cambridge but was so stubborn and stuck to it. I think the non huge loss really disheartened me. I can't put on any more though so am grateful for this thread to kick me when I need it!

[MinniesAndMickeysNeedCounting]

purplepandas I very rarely feel hungry.
I don't have my first shake till 12-1 because I'm just not hungry in the morning. I also make my own evening meal partly because I'm not overly keen on many of exante's meals but also because I wanted to train myself to make better choices so when I reach goal (I've finally stopped saying if I reach goal ) I'm already in the habit of making healthy choices. I make sure my evening meal is low carb and fits within the daily 600kcal.

[KingsScorn]

purplepandas The work thing is tough. I don't want to tell people either - I think I can get away with it for a while because I have a lab, a shared office (share with 2 others) and a department 'tea' room (where people tend to eat - although we have a main canteen). I tend to quickly make a shake (hid the shaker and the packets in the back of my filing cabinet!) in my office quickly whilst everyone has gone for lunch.

I did a VLCD 6 years ago (10 weeks) and was more open (only with the 3 people I shared an office with - who have all since moved on) as I had a cheap blender I kept at work for my shakes. Just got a simple shaker this time. When I feel more established with it (several weeks down the line) I may bring the blender back out...

Thinking about it more I may not have revealed the whole truth about the VLCD. I think I just said I was having a protein shake for lunch as I kept skipping lunch due to being so busy (true) and when I got home I was inhaling the fridge. I'm bound to be spotted this time around too at some point so think I may just share that.

[Idontneedyourjudgement]

I started exante this morning!!
1 shake and 1bar down so far....I'm an emotional eater too, and it has got way out of hand lately.
8.8lbs off in 7 days is amazing! I'm hoping to get at least 10lbs off in the next 3 weeks as I have a night away with my DH and I want to feel good about myself.

I'm starting at 12st 10.8 and 5"6.
As they "I wish I was as fat as I was when I thought I was fat "

Good luck all!!

[KingsScorn]

Idontneedyourjudgement

"I wish I was as fat as I was when I thought I was fat "

Isn't that the truth! I look back a picture now that I hated having taken and hated when I saw them because I thought I was fat and now think - wow I was so slim back then!

Good Luck! I didn't find last week particularly hard (as long as I kept busy even day 3 when I had a headache was very very mild) but this week is proving to be so easy in comparison so far. I've moved from clock watching until when I can have my next pack to clock watching to make sure I have my pack within a certain time window!

[purplepandas]

Good luck kings and Idon'tneed. I am way day down too. so far so good. Have a work dinner on Weds and can't see how not to eat as external people. Figured I will go for best option (salad) and just VLCD around that meal completely.

Wow at the fat quotation, it's so true!! I am appalled but did brave the scales this morning. I have been heavier before but only recently and only a tiny bit heavier so pretty much worst ever. Agh. But one day down....

[HackAttack]

I'll join, currently on the slender blend shakes having started last week. I need to buy some scales though!

[purplepandas]

Hello hack.

[HackAttack]

Hello, have you guys done many of these? Any opinions on best ones?

[Idontneedyourjudgement]

I'm on day 2 (survived the 4pm slump and I was at softplay!) so I think I just need to keep busy to distract me from food, which sounds good In theory, in reality, I panic that I won't have time to eat (which wouldn't do me no harm) so I literally grab everything I can find and shove it in...hence me now needing 3 st offf 🤦🏽‍♀️

[pickledolive]

Hi what times of day do you all eat your packs ?

[Twinplusone]

Thinking about a VLCD, Exante seems a good choice as a wide variety of products and cost seems reasonable (not sure how it compares with other VLCD in terms of cost?)

I tried Cambridge diet a couple of years ago and struggled on that due to lack of products, rubbish consultant and lack of my willpower. I found meal replacements hard going, don’t think I’m cut out for 3 shakes a day. I love my food too much!

Any advice, most welcome

[YeahILoveSummer]

Hi, what is Exante? I could do with loosing 2 stone by Xmas!

[MinniesAndMickeysNeedCounting]

YeahILoveSummer exante is a vlcd (very low calorie diet) its 600-800 calories a day, there is another plan that's higher in cals but I haven't looked into that one.
It's a meal replacement plan, 3 packs a day. There are shakes, bars/cookies or meals to pick and mix from.
They say you lose approximately 1 stone a month but my take longer with less to lose.
It one of the more affordable of this type of diet.

[MinniesAndMickeysNeedCounting]

Twinplusone it doesn't have to be 3 shakes, you can mix the products. I typically do 2 replacements and make my own evening meal

[RebelWitchFace]

@purplepandas have you tried their cereal or yogurt? It looks like a mushy breakfast type food and you only need to add water. If someone asks what I'm eating I simply reply "cereal".

[Twinplusone]

minniesandmickey thanks

Why have you all chosen Exante as opposed to other VLCD?

[MinniesAndMickeysNeedCounting]

Twinplusone
I saw a programme on vlcd, the products used in the programme were exante.
I bought exante based on cost to be honest, i was interested in slim and save because they have some nice sounding shake flavours but because I've enjoyed most of the products I've tried from exante I've stuck with those. Cant afford to buy a load of products and not like them.

I've also used meal replacements from a protein company.