Lighter Life/Exante and other meal replacement plans - don't you feel hungry all the time?

[bunjies]

OK so I need to lose 2-3 stone. I am lazy so have no interest in exercise. In fact whenever I've done exercise I lose not an ounce in weight and I still carry round an enormous belly.

Have done various diets, the most successful of which was low carbing but then I stalled for a few months and so lost motivation. Am now 7lbs heavier as a result so don't want to gain any more. Appear to have reached some kind of plateau so no matter how much it stays the same.

But I want to be slimmer, so have been looking at meal replacement as a way of kick starting something. I NEED to see a loss quickly to give me some motivation.

BUT I love my food and am greedy and am sure I will just be incredibly hungry all the time, which in turn will make me think about food all the time, which will lead to me binging.

So, just how hungry do you feel? Does the hunger ever go away?

Come on guys I know you're out there . I've just bought the month's supply of Exante as I need to make a start but am really worried about the hunger aspect.

If you stick to it dring 2-3 litres of water a day you will be in ketosis. you will not feel hungry.. but none of us dieters eat cause we're hungry. You will still want food.. thats the hurdle!

drinking 2-3

bunjies I have done LL, and yes it works, yes you feel great and a bit tell the world about how fab you are... but if you dont change your eating habits you will pile it back on!

For the past 2 months I have been doing Idiot Proof Diet/lo carbing and it works, it really really works, I am never starving, never feel deprived and I look and feel so much better. I have also lost over a stone and a half and latley havent been too strict with myself, but still losing weight, slowly which I think is the key to keeping it off.

bunjies - I don't doubt that the VCLDs work but you need to have a lot of willpower to stick to it AND if you don't change what you eat after the diet finishes it will all go back on as quickly as it came off.

I have just lost 47 pounds - using various diets (it took 6 months I changed diets when I got bored/reached plateau). Found dukan was most efficient for me but I imagine it varies from person to person.

You've only bought one month so give it a go and see if you can cope with the hunger.

I presume Exante is a VLCD same as Lighterlife, but probably cheaper. The thing is LL gives you weekly counselling sessions and examines why you eat, when you eat and how it makes you feel, combined with CBT it can change your eating habits.

No matter what food you eat to lose weight as soon as you stop the 'diet' it will all pile back on because nothing has changed in your life, eating habits or reasons why you do it.

the best thing to do is change what you eat and why you eat it for life.

Thanks everyone. I'm glad I'm prepared for the initial hunger. I'm hoping to start on Saturday and I know that if see results by the end of the week then I will be more likely to stick to it. The problem will be carrying on if the scales don't change.

I followed the Idiot Proof Diet for 2 years and during that time I lost 2.5 stone. It was a very long process, I certainly didn't lose weight as fast as most people did. But one day it all stopped working and after a few months I just lost the will and started doing other things, juice fast (I'd really missed fruit) and calorie cycling and all sorts. During this time I didn't gain anything but didn't lose either. But, I got bored and started hitting the carbs again and I've now gained 0.5 stone. I still have another 2.5 to lose so just want to hit it hard. If I get to a weight I'm happy at I will probably go back to Idiot Proof or Low GL (Patrick Holford). Dukan doesn't appeal because I'm not happy with the high protein recommended.

I've been doing Exante for a week now. To be honest I find it really easy. You know that you're not allowed to eat 'real' food and so you dont. I dont feel hungary on it at all. I felt I needed a break from food and was getting to the point where I had totally lost any sense of proportion regarding it. Hopefully I will be able to use the break to reassess why I eat the way I do (always rubbish stuff!) and to moderate my eating when I go back to food.

I've done LL and the first three days were difficult (carb cravings, hunger pangs, growly tummy) but after ketosis kicked in it was fine and I felt GREAT. You get a bit of a "high" from ketosis, which helps. Am now going to maintainer groups once a week and find the CBT really useful. Also doing some of my own reading and have massively changed my behaviour. Am determined not to regain!

Verso - how much did you lose and how long did it take?

glasshouse - I know exactly what you mean. That's how I feel. I just want to take all the choice away and know that all I'm allowed are 3 shakes a day. Have you lost anything yet?

I know I eat for all sorts of reasons, but mainly boredom. When I'm busy I hardly think about it at all.

I'm so excited about starting tomorrow (shakes arrived today) but nervous too if it doesn't work or I can't cope with it.

Well, I started yesterday and survived . Haven't felt too bad other than a splitting headache yesterday which has gone now. Haven't felt hungry at all which is weird but have been drinking loads and my tummy is gurgling a lot as a result. I hope it doesn't carry on while I'm at work .

How's everyone else doing?

Bunjies I lost five and a half stone (78lb) and have been maintaining (within two pounds) for a few months now. Just push through the first three days and then you should suddenly start to feel much better. I had loads of energy and felt better than in years! Even now I find that carbs make me feel lethargic whereas protein and veggies make me full of oomph!

GOOD LUCK - it's a fantastic programme, if you see it as a means to an end and work on why you put on weight in the first place.

Btw it's four packs a day, unless you're doing Lite. (Exante and Cambridge are three packs I think.) Don't miss any packs or your body will panic and you won't lose any weight!

Sorry for the many messages but Mumsnet doesn't let you go back and edit! Bunjies I started in September last year. Hope this is useful!

P.S. I have pics on my profile if you want to see "before" and "after" .

Wow Verso that's fantastic! Your photos are stunning - you look amazing [in awe]. You must be so chuffed. I am hoping to lose 3 stone but losing a stone would be great incentive to start.

I'm doing Exante so it's 3 packs a day for me. I've been reading the minimins site and, once I get past all the "huns" and glittery ticker tape, found some useful info on there. Like I can drink coke zero and Marigold bouillon powder as part of my fluid intake so that has helped enormously.

Still feeling ok, despite getting some bad news this morning which would ordinarily have resulted in me heading for the choclate. I am so determined for this to work though it made me resist .

.

Well done on resisting the chocolate. The more often you resist the easier it gets. Thanks re the pics . Have put some more up (one "before" and another "after").

I love the clothes you're wearing in your after pics -it must be a great feeling to know you look fab in them.

Do you mind if I ask you another question? Do you eat normally now or are you having any shakes during the day?

can anyone that has done LL tell me how much it costs per week please

I might be wrong but I'm sure I've read on some of the other LL threads on here that it costs about £70 odd .

Verso you look FAB

yes bunjies v expensive but if you follow the programme and stick to the rules when you step back onto food it'll be fine

(not done it myself but know folk who have; those who have put it back on are without fail those that didn't change their habits)

thanks so much! >mahoosive head alert<

I don't have any shakes anymore - I eat regular food. Well, I try to eat wholefoods mainly (always been a pretty healthy eater just used to eat too much , and concentrate on keeping my blood sugar steady during the day, so avoid refined carbs and have a meal, then a snack, then a meal etc throughout the day. Only big change has been giving up alcohol as I realised it was doing me no favours, either calorie-wise, or munchies-wise! I feel a lot better without it and it was pretty easy to give up as you can't drink when you're on LL anyway. My weight has been the same, give or take two pounds up two pounds down, for several months now.

btw bunjies I'm on minimins too. The support on there is brilliant!