Brand new shiny VLCD thread...LighterLife, Cambridge etc

[Cheesyslice]

New thread as the old one is now bursting at the seams.

I'm starting on Saints and Slimmers, mostly because they have some crazy discounts on at the moment but I'll try different brands and meals to find what works for me, I just need to prove to myself that I can do the first week. I'm nervous because DP and I are going to meet up with my parents to swap our presents on the 21st and they are expecting to do lunch at the Christmas market, so I'm going to try to find something as low carb as I can (plain hog roast without the bun?). I'll also be off-plan for Christmas Day itself but I'm determined to get straight back on it asap.

Hi SoontobeMrsB You sound like you have your mind sorted and that's half the battle I find if I plan ahead when I am going to be off the programme & the extent it keeps me on track.Setting boundries. Its all in the planning.good luck!

Well, today is day one. I've had a cafe latte shake that was okay but didn't taste anything like coffee! I like that the shakes are made up with milk, they are far more palatable but I do worry that it will hinder ketosis. The website assures me that it won't but I'll switch to water if I feel like nothing is happening by the end of the week.

Hi SoontobeMrsB
Mmm not sure about Saints and Slimmers .On Lighter Life /Cambridge it takes me about 3 days to get into ketosis I buy ketostix urine testing strips from boots to check.I think you need to keep your calorie levels down to about 600 a day you .There are 98 calories in 200mls of semi skimmed milk, so you can work it out from the calorie content on the sachet.I find it tough to do food abstinence before I get to ketosis.Its much easier now.I have now lost a stone hoping for another kilo when I weigh in tomorrow .I can see myself changing .Its wonderful .Good luck

Which VLCD would you recommend and why?

I would recommend Lighterlife with the group support if you can get one in your area because half the battle is developing the skills to manage your weight as well as coping with abstinence.

Failing that as long as you get the right daily nutrients its one of cost & taste .I like the spaghetti bolognase and toffee or peanut bars so found these at a reasonable price on the SML Diet web site or you can buy Lighterlife meals shakes and bars in Super Drug. I have lost 8kg this month. Good Luck its so worth it!

Hi , well meet my Cambridge lady today , short of one product , have to tell her next time . how much time did you get with your first meeting and how much are the prices ?
I have started today with a whooping 8 stone to lose .
how is everyone finding VLCD ?

Hi everyone, I can safely say that I did NOT stick to plan over the break and have gained a whopping half stone since I weighed myself on the 17th December.

My fiancé suggested that we buy the big bundles of Exante products from Groupon and having his support is making a world of difference. I'm back on it today, sticking to nothing but water and three products a day. My mouth is watering at the thought of the most obscure foods but I know all will be well when I get into ketosis.

Hello all!
I lost 4 stone over 4 months with Cambridge 6 years ago - a miraculous diet for me, where all others had failed. I even became a consultant afterwards and maintained (without much effort really) for some time.....until getting pregnant! Ho hum. Have struggled since then to get back on wagon and have now moved away from my wonderful Cambridge consultant/sponsor.

So, I have started slim n save today, with the hope of shifting 3 stone.....I know it works, I know it's possible, I know all the science and ins and outs etc. Perhaps I know too much! (Easy to cheat)

Am happy to help any others, as a former Cambridge consultant but may be a bit out of date, and hopefully get some kick-up-the-butt support too!

I'm on Cambridge! Hello!

I lost 3 stone after I had my DS in 2008. Dd was born in April and I have done breastfeeding so here
I am :) picked up products today. I'm so hungry! But it will be worth it!

Hello everyone [waves]

I need to lose 8 or 9 stone and have needed to for a long time - But this time I'm hoping it will stick because I'm doing it so that we can start TTC.

If that isn't an exciting incentive I don't know what is!

Good luck to everyone, I started yesterday so just need to push through the weekend and ketosis will be firmly in residence.

Day one for me after Xmas break. Had 2 weeks off but now feel rubbish for it.
It takes me about 2 days to get into ketosis so I'll be well in it by the time I start work again on Monday.

I'm aiming to be on it for 6 months. When I hit BMI 25 my weight loss slows right down, so by then I will switch to low carb lifestyle.

The other difference I'm hoping will be I'm adding exercise into the mix as I'm aiming to run the race for life this year.

We can do it! I feel very motivated!

2 days to get in to ketosis is quick! I'm usually starting to feel furry-mouthed around day 3, properly in by day 5. Depending on how much sugar is in my tank! Guessing this time might take a wee while after the Christmas yummys.
I have a very long work day tomorrow, including travel, so am not looking forward to that :-( If I can get through it though, I'll feel more confident about my ability to stick to it this time.
Thought it might be useful to put down some reminders as to why this weight loss plan - I'm terrible for thinking "oh maybe I'll do x, y, z instead" when I KNOW this is the only diet that has ever worked for me! So, here goes:

1. No food choices to make. Just one choice to stay on plan.
2. Ketosis energy!
3. Fast results - motivating
4. When I can't reach for food to celebrate/commiserate/cheer etc etc, I need to find different ways to deal with things. Usually somewhat more successfully!
5. The bounce.....! I remember it myself and used to see it in clients who were doing well - a sort of lightness of being :-)
6. The confidence gained by sticking to plan - I have issues around believing in myself. Being thin doesn't make me happy, but achieving something I really want does!

Does anyone else have any reasons they'd like to note down?

It used to be day 3 but it's started to be day 2 ( I've done a VLCDs properly about 3 times and had a few false starts with this one)

I remember the bounce very well indeed!

Morning everyone, day 3 today and I've so far managed not to have my first shake. I was obsessed with food yesterday, all I could think about was eating and I finally went to bed at 10pm just to stop thinking about it.

I'm really nervous because DP is doing the three packs and a 600kcal meal plan (he's very tall with an active job) and he has asked me to cook up the giant gammon that's in the freezer but gammon is my absolute favourite food and I could eat it until I burst. I'm so scared of having it in the fridge

I have just started my own VLCD using packs I like from a variety of sources. I can't get hold of two packs I've had before which I really love, the first is Chicken Nuggets which are really yummy and the second Sheep's Cheese - a strong cottage cheese type pack great for baking with veggies. Alizonne do both, and Pronokal just the nuggets, but these diets are on doctor's recommendation only. Does anyone know where else I can source these packs? I'd also be interested in people's opinion of the best VLCD pancakes out there.

Thanks,

Lulu

I've never had any of the meals on a VLCD so can't help you. Hopefully someone else will be able to answer your question soon.

Day 2 for me. Woke up not hungry at all. Managed my first bar at 3pm. Sometimes I really struggle to have the 3 packs a day and have to force myself to have them. I've been rubbish on water too. Must do better!

But I'm still motivated. I keep thinking about when I had finished CD for the first time 8 years ago and how wonderful I felt then as a size 10-12 and so healthy and happy. I will get there again.

In the meantime I'm going to still take great care of myself instead of hiding away. I've just had my hair done and I'm going to get my eyebrows and nails done regularly too.

The biggest achievements for me will be

1. Getting my wedding rings back on. I had to take them off in late pregnancy and have never been able to get them back on that was nearly 4 years ago now.

1. Being a healthy mum at the school gate in September for DDs first day of school.

Looking forward to the first hit of ketosis breath later on today!!!

Can I join you please (1st ever MN post, but long time lurker!)?

Today is day 4 of slim&save - starting to get a furry / dry mouth, so hopefully getting into Ketosis. Weighed self on day 2 (couldn't help it, should have resisted) and have lost 6lbs, so really pleased.

Did Cambridge in the past & lost 3.5 stone. Unfortunately put it all back on during pregnancy and now my DS is 5 months I need to get back into my pre-baby wardrobe.

Enjoying the meals on S&S more than Cambridge - though bars aren't as nice. So good to be able to have some veg, as really craved fresh fruit & veg on Cambridge plan.

Not feeling hungry yet, so maybe I'm in ketosis already?

Please can anyone give me some advice??

I'm on day one of cambridge and I feel rotten! I'm queasy and my head is killing me. Feel like if I drink anymore water I might be sick butstill got a litre to go today at least.

Any help would be welcome!!!

Bunnet - it can make you feel a bit crap at first, esp headaches if you've been having lots of sugar lately. Have you stopped caffeine too?

I wouldn't worry just yet if you don't get through all your water today, though you do need it long term to stop yourself getting constipation. How about some black tea or coffee or coke zero instead (though I'm not sure if you're meant to avoid caffeine at first to get into keypads?)

Not much advice other than take some paracetamol for headaches and hang in there - it does get so much better - no hunger, bundles of energy.

Keypads grrrr ....ketosis

Thanks Katkincake. I feel slightly better, just looking forward to bed time!

I've been eating loads of christmas chocolate recently and plenty of fizzy drinks so that probably explains how rotten I feel!

Roll on day 2!

Hi all, can I join in I start tomorrow. I successfully lost 4 stone 8 years ago and kept it off for a while, then it all went downhill after a bereavement so now I'm starting again on lighter Life. Need to loose 5 stone minimum this time, this week will be hard going back to work and trying to get into ketosis.

I'm on day 4 and seem to have taken a really extreme emotional reaction to the diet - I feel like utter shit and want to jack it in but I promised DP we'd do it together and I can't even look at him without wanting to punch him in the face. I bawled my eyes out for half an hour because I wasn't allowed food and I ended up sacking my last shake for 200kcal worth of boiled eggs and ham because I felt like I'd kill someone if I didn't eat. Still protein and low carb so shouldn't do much damage but surely this isn't normal? I'm so pissed off that I'm being 'forced' to do this that I could scream