To go against my own advice and do slimfast for 4 weeks?

[Panguitch]

I go on holiday in 4 weeks. I had good intentions of losing weight and shaping up before hand and I was doing so well, however I've let myself go since this hot weather started - bbqs, lager and far too hot for gym ... now I've put on half a stone! All my holiday clothes are too tight.
I need a quick fix.

I've always said slim fast was a mugs game but I'm not gonna lose enough weight by my usual calorie counting and gym in 4 weeks!

AIBU to do a slim fast crash diet?

I personally can't stomach slim fast, I follow the Cambridge plan and have been for months. The weight loss can be pretty quick and the food is actually pretty decent, there's also more choice than slim fast.

Just do 1200 cals a day and 10k steps, no point in slogging it out in the gym with daft shakes. You'll feel much better in yourself and lose weight too!

Sorry just to add I'm a picky eater and a lazy cook so can't do slimming world, weight watchers or Cambridge etc. I need to be able to eat whatever I fancy

I've done slim fast with good success before. As long as you're aware it's a short term fix then I don't see the problem.

A little confused OP slim fast will give you shakes and bars, Cambridge step one is similar to that but with a better range?

Try intermittent fasting then, cut out breakfast eat for 8hrs and fast for the other 16. I don't think you can generally eat whatever you fancy on slimfast or any diet, but i'd much rather be able to eat what I wanted within reason whilst limiting calorie intake than drinking unhealthy drinks that are only going to make you feel more hungry.

Oh? I thought it was like Atkins?

It can work if you're very strict.
I found doing it for a month was quite good as my stomach capacity shrank and then it was easier to stick to a "proper" diet.
First two weeks on the shakes were hell though.

OP, I tried Low Carb Healthy Fat for a one month trial in March 2016 because I had 100lbs to lose and knew traditional low fat dieting didn't work, nor shakes and meal replacements. I was so desperate though because I loved carbs particularly sweet taste and didn't believe I would cope at all.

To my amazement I found I enjoyed it and still practice it today. After initially missing my fave carby foods, within a couple of weeks the benefits kicked in.

I discovered that..

Carbohydrates make you hungry so you need to eat snacks between meals (usually more carbs).

Eating good fats like butter, lard, cream, olive oil, coconut oil actually DOESN'T make you fat (unless combined with carby foods), rather it satiates you for hours so you end up eating less overall. I haven't had to snack between my two meals a day for 29 months. Awesome!

Cereals are not healthy nor are processed foods, particularly anything labelled "low fat" Avoid!

"Eat less move more" doesn't work either. I tried this over and over again for 40 years. Exercise stimulates appetite, eating low fat diet foods makes you hungry so it's a double whammy. No wonder I failed multiple times.

I planned my first weeks menus by going on dietdoctor.com. Check out the huge selection of articles, advice and experience from others who have tried Low Carb. I can't recommend it enough.

Why do I still eat LCHF 29 months later?

No hunger, ever. That NEVER happened doing low fat diets.

Eating using fat is awesome, food tastes so good now and fills me up for hours. For example last night I roasted salmon and had it with my own coleslaw and a cream sauce made just with double cream and tarragon. That'll keep me going until lunchtime today where I will have a cheese, bacon, asparagus omellete.

OP, you know that slimfast won't work so have a look at the dietdoctor site, read some articles, do some research. Think about it, plan your weeks menus, take the plunge.. good luck!

Not meaning to be rude, but eating whatever you fancy is the issue! Join slimming world

I am also going away in a month and would like to lose some weight fast. How much is it realistic to lose in 4 weeks on the SlimFast or Cambridge diet? Do you get real food on the Cambridge diet? How would this compare with 1200 calories a day and exercise? Ideally, I would like to lose half a stone.

hamiltoes mentioned Intermittent Fasting, that's what I do naturally, eating at lunch and dinner time, sometimes 16/8 or 18/6. No snacks needed.

Try exante it’s fine to drink and a complete replacement

Plus it’s cheap

@GoldenKelpie

Well that smacks of advertising...

Eat less move more absolutely definitely works. It’s a simple equation: burn more fuel than you put in.

Slim fast obviously will work if you stick to it - it’s not healthy, it’s not sustainable and it’s no different to just eating a set amount of calories at each meal but burning more calories than you eat will result in weight loss.

OP - totally understand your thinking and if you don’t want to prepare food then it maybe is a good option for you for a couple of weeks. But be prepared to have gained it all back after your holiday - I think psychologically you’ll feel like you can ‘eat what you want after two weeks of essentially not eating. Maybe then address the picky eating and unwillingness to cook and make a sustainable and healthy lifestyle change.

I found Slimfast a good way of kickstarting my diet last year. I’ve lost 2 stone and am at my target with starting on Slimfast and then a mix of Slimfast and calorie counting. It worked for me because I cheat on diets and there is little room to cheat if all you have to do for yourself is eat a 600 calorie meal alongside the bars/shakes/snacks. I found eating chicken and veg and ditching the carbs for my evening meal was effective for me.

I am doing slimfast as holiday coming up in a few weeks. I lost 10lbs in the first 3 days, which I feel was too much too quick. I was replacing breakfast and lunch and having a slimming world recipe dinner at night.

I am now eating a more calorific dinner with bread and butter and losing around around 1/1.5lbs per day. I don't have shakes at the weekend and generally gain 2lbs over the weekend so still a good total weight loss over the week.

1.5 a day is 10 pounds a week! That is loads. SherbetSorbet can I ask how much you are trying to lose? That’s seems like a great weight loss.

I tried slim fast a student but I could not eat it. It was vile stuff.

How about exante which is the cheapest vlcd out there and tastes ok. I have lost a stone in 2 weeks by having 2 meal replacements and a low carb tea each day. If you want to really boost it you can do a couple of days with 3 meal replacements and no food. Think it is on at £70 for 4 weeks supply.

Al slim fast is is calorie counting. You're wallet and probably your body would be happier if you ate a low calorie diet of fresh fruit veg and protein. You don't need to cook, I hate cooking and I find this pretty easy!

OP yep I do Cambridge and all food comes form them, I have a smoothie for breakfast, soup for lunch and a meal thingy for dinner.

spotty "smacks of advertising"?

Just because I recommend a website that was a huge help to me when I switched to low carb? Didn't cost me a penny and wouldn't cost OP a penny to access either.

I started on slimfast last year but grew to hate the milkshakes. So I calorie counted to the same amount (1360) and lost 3 stone quite quickly (under 6 months). My stomach capacity also reduced so I didn't regain the weight and maintain on about 1500/1600 a day now without actively counting.

I am a very picky eater so when dieting I soon started to choose what foods meant more to me and also which meals. A big meal in the evening was more necessary to me than an evenly spread breakfast or lunch, so I would actively save around 1000 calories for evening tea!

I dunno - I resent paying someone to not eat anything. I can not eat anything for free.

I've been using slimfast and Superdrug own powders with almond milk for 7 weeks and have lost 18lbs. Can't say I've noticed any long term negative effects yet. I lost 9lbs in first 2 weeks then it slowed down.

I need to start planning my maintenance calorie plan soon.

Oh btw, low carb diets are not good news if you have a history of depression - take care and be vigilant if this applies to you.