Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

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

773 replies

Cheesyslice · 24/01/2014 13:24

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

Thanks
OP posts:
Tisiphone · 02/02/2015 17:31

Experiment with products by ordering a wide selection for the first week, Christmas. I found I absolutely couldn't stomach the gloopy porridges and shakes, for instance. For some reason, I didn't find the 'processed'ness as much of a turnoff with savoury products. I ended up settling on two soups, two of the bars (which I think on Sole Source you're only allowed after two weeks?) and the spaghetti Bolognese, but as a vegetarian I was more limited in my choices anyway.

I like my consultant, but like you, the key for me was privacy and the convenience of having someone come to the house. Ask her what kind of support she can offer between consultations? Whether you'd like regular texts etc. You know yourself best - are you going to find the few days before you hit ketosis proper more difficult than just trudging along in week six or eight? What will motivate you best?

Pishedorf · 02/02/2015 22:02

Day 8 for me and feeling really good!!!

Chocchip88 · 03/02/2015 09:35

Christmas
It was my first day yesterday, I've liked everything I've tried so far and didn't find it difficult at all. I'm in work today so will see if that's as easy. Scales already showed a really good loss this morning which is a great motivator.
Tisiphone
How long have you been doing it? How are you getting on?
Pishedorf
That's really good to hear, very inspiring!

Tisiphone · 03/02/2015 10:28

I've been doing it since the summer, Choc, but with eight weeks out for various good reasons. I'm just over four stone down, with another ten pounds to go. It's been a good experience, over all, though I'm really ready to stop now, and start re-introducing actual food. I'm planning to use 5:2 to help maintain the loss once at target.

Enjoy and feel proud of the massive first week loss!

Chocchip88 · 03/02/2015 10:32

That's amazing Tis! Only 10 pounds to goal, massive congratualtions for sticking to it

Tisiphone · 03/02/2015 10:38

Thank you, Choc - it's nice to hear that, as I've been beating myself up a bit for not going straight through and hitting my target by Christmas, which was the original plan.... But it's certainly life-changing not to be dragging so much extra weight around with me, physically and mentally.

curlingandtwirling · 03/02/2015 10:54

For those of you doing exante, try making the shakes and porridge into a paste and baking on some greaseproof paper in the oven - biscuits! I also add onions to the the curry meal mixes and make bhajis!

Chocchip88 · 03/02/2015 11:18

Oh that sounds like a good idea curling I may try that as a weekend treat!

tis the fact you've gone off the plan and gone back on is really good to hear, I have a weekend away in a few weeks which I'm happy to eat normally at but already worried about getting back on it when I'm home.

Chocchip88 · 04/02/2015 13:26

How is everyone getting on today. I'm now on day 3, still feeling focused : )

Pishedorf · 04/02/2015 21:19

Doing good today thanks chochip. Day 10 for me. Really long day in work so I'm really tired and felt the lack of third shake before I got home but feeling focused :)

Chocchip88 · 05/02/2015 09:40

Well done Pished. I only work 2 days a week, out of the house 8 - 6.30, like you I really struggled waiting that long for my third shake, just about scraped through with my can of coke zero about 5. I forgot to bring it today though, will have to power on through!

Did you notice when you went into ketosis? I'm on day 4 now and assume it will be about now, but is it obvious?

Tisiphone · 05/02/2015 11:25

I think ketosis is more obvious for some people than others - I did notice my mouth being drier than usual and suddenly not feeling hungry, on day three or four. (Ish.) But I do remember saying that I didn't think I was in ketosis to my counsellor, and she gave me one of those little strips you wee on, which said I was in deep ketosis - so I suppose it didn't feel particularly dramatic!

I always find it easier to postpone eating (or 'eating') as long as possible - ie, I don't have anything at breakfast, have a bar in late morning/lunchtime, and then leave whatever other products I'm having until the evening - early evening seems to be my hungriest time, so it makes sense for me to save two products till then.

It may not sound like it makes much sense, but I know that the days I struggle are the days I start to eat earliest. It's as if having something small kickstarts my appetite.

Chocchip88 · 05/02/2015 11:48

That's interesting about ketosis. I felt cold yesterday but then it was cold anyway so probably unrelated.

I'm the opposite, I have never really eaten in the evening - just the entire rest of the day! I appreciate what you say about the earlier you start the hungrier you feel, I usually feel like that but I don't think my body is registering the shake as food so luckily it's not working like that with this diet.

I'm a bit nervous about the weekend but at least I can get DH to deal with all the kids food if I'm feeling weak. Small problem of having to make a big batch of Valentine cookies on Sunday for playgroup though. I'll have to do it right after I have my lunch I think so I'm still full.

ChristmasLightLover · 05/02/2015 18:38

It's only day one!!!!!

It's only day one and I'm here, crying in the kitchen. Thinking about my relationship with food. God, even typing this is making me salivate. BUT I'M NOT HUNGRY. So why am I crying? Why am I so challenged? Why am I so emotional around all of this?

I'm making the boys their dinner. They've already done a big plate of food for snack on getting home from school. And that was ok, chopping fruit, putting small packs of fruit flakes, chocolate bars and bits on a plate. But handling pizza, chopping it to small people slices, tearing up ham and microwaving beans, cooking potato waffles. It's been too much. I have really struggled. So I've got my vegetable bouillon thing and cracked on. I've had two mugs and I'm ok. But it's just so overwhelming. I made two extra potato waffles for them and there's leftover food in front of me. That I will not be eating.

I want am going to lose 6.5 stone. I know it's not going to be easy. Just so much to address, process and crack on with.

ChristmasLightLover · 05/02/2015 18:43

tisiphone that makes sense - eating earlier. Something for me to think about. I started today on my day one, so worried as I did my first shake at 8am. I had work calls all morning and wanted to not be fretting over it whilst doing back to back calls!

I think the weekend will be interesting - when I'm not flat out working. And the evenings. I'm going to wait until the boys are in bed, before having my third product. I don't want to be laid in bed, upset, thinking about being hungry.

chocchip - please can you change your name? Wink ... I've already spoken with DH who is at work and said he will be doing packed lunches for the boys next week. I do not feel good about that coming up for me.... Hopefully in time I will feel better about it.

Tisiphone · 05/02/2015 19:38

Christmas, I have a toddler, and absolutely, it's tough handling his food sometimes, and it is almost always me because of his father's work hours in the evening. I used to tell myself that part of the reason I was doing this was for him, that I didn't want him to grow up around a mother who was obese and had a complicated addictive relationship with food. I look at his completely natural relationship to food - if he's not hungry, he won't eat, and he stops when he's full, that food doesn't mean lots of emotional stuff to him etc - and try to learn from it.

And actually, as you say, these sachets don't really compute as 'food', although they're fuel, so you're probably, if you're anything like me, learning to live without a regular treat or comfort you've relied on. I've found it really instructive. It seems to me that I was bandaging myself up with food to blunt feelings and issues I couldn't bear dealing with. Eating was an avoidance tactic. So no wonder you're upset, but maybe it's a good thing to let yourself feel?

Another thing I found helpful was thinking that this item of food was still going to be there in the future, I wasn't not eating it forever, just not now.

Keep going through the first three days, and it will get abruptly easier, and you'll have lost so much weight your first week that you'll be motivated to keep going.

And Choc, I completely forgot about the cold - yes, you definitely feel the cold more in ketosis. I started in hot summer weather, and am not someone who feels the cold, but I was freezing.

Chocchip88 · 05/02/2015 20:30

Well done on getting through your first day Christmas! Be proud of yourself, it's going to be a long and emotional journey so already recognising the issues in your relationship with food is a really positive step.
I've luckily not had to handle much good for the kids yet, on Sunday I cooked a massive batch of bolognese and I've frozen it in small portions so on days I'm not feeling strong I can just whip one out if the freezer. Tomorrow I'm making fish pie because I HATE fish pie so no temptation there!
Sneaky weigh in this morning after 3 days showed 9.2 pounds off so I am reminding myself if that constantly!
I'm really surprised I haven't felt hungry, the urges to eat have been more emotional than physical.

ChristmasLightLover · 05/02/2015 23:57

Congratulations chocchip - on the loss and also on being proactive. Sounds very good. I am looking forward to making progress with this. I know I can. I know I will. I also know it's going to be teary, emotional and that I want to weigh less more than I want to eat chips. Night x

Chocchip88 · 07/02/2015 17:46

How's the weekend going?
It's day 6 for me, so my first Saturday, it's been fine. I've wanted to eat a few times just because eating is nice (!) rather than feeling hungry. We've got friends over tonight but I told them about my diet so they're going to eat first and one is pregnant so there will be two of us avoiding the wine tonight.
Tomorrow's challenge Ikea and making biscuits for playgroup!

Alice2701 · 09/02/2015 10:35

Hi all!

I lost over 6 stone with Cambridge a couple of years ago and through every fault of my own, put most of it back on.

Sooooooo, am starting again tomorrow and want to lose 5 stone to get me back into all my lovely size 10/12 clothes hanging in my wardrobe (taunting me). I've got no excuses now (i.e. Xmas, my birthday bla bla bla) and a beach holiday in June to look reasonable for.

I may need plenty of hand holding!

Good luck all :)

Chocchip88 · 09/02/2015 12:36

Hi Alice, welcome back! Well done for losing 6 stone previously, very inspiring. It's an eternal battle this weight loss thing.
Hope your first day is going well, you're halfway through the day already Smile
I weigh every day but today is my first official weekly weigh in and I'm 12.4 pounds down. Really pleased, now if I could maintain that weekly loss for a couple of months I'll be sorted!

ChristmasLightLover · 10/02/2015 14:54

So, 6 days in Cambridge. Here's what I'm learning...

  1. Sole Source - 3 shakes, didn't do well. Lasted one full day. Second day, had fourth shake at bedtime
  2. Sole Source plus - some protein - ham, chicken or meat, plus one shake made with skimmed milk is working, so long as
  • I go to bed early
  • I accept the crying and emotional confusion and anger that's coming up around not eating food like I have done for previous 38 years
  • I can have DH keep being uber kind and doing packed lunches for boys and everything else food related for himself and them, as I can't face it.

I'm not enjoying this. Not because of the food, but for all the emotional things it's bringing up. It's overwhelming. Sorry to be meh. I thought it would be time out from food. But it's dominating everything.

Chocchip88 · 11/02/2015 07:45

Oh no, I'm sorry Christmas, it sounds like you're having a real tough time of it.
Well done for finding what works for you regardless of how difficult it is. When is your weigh in? Today? If so I hope you have a good loss as you certainly deserve it after all the trauma.
Hope today is a little bit better.

KissyBoo · 13/02/2015 07:27

Hello fellow loons! I am on day two of Exante and after feeling ruddy ravenous last night, woke up this morning not feeling hungry at all which is a surprise. I have had to pretty much force a shake down.

I started upping my activity levels last Saturday and have been dog walking for at least two hours a day and I have been massively cutting back on cals in prep. It seems to have helped.

I am on a bit of a mission. I have three stones I want to shed by mid-May. I am doing the three packs a day one and just water to drink. As the weight comes off I will start to incorporate more exercise to tone up but am just keeping with the dog walking etc until I adjust to 600cals- so a couple of weeks should do it.

I have The evilness that is the Shred ready.... Once I have lost a couple of stone I will start swimming. I am too embarrassed to be in a costume yet as I have a large Apron that needs to go down a bit . Am currently a size 16-18.

Yesterday I had a coconut shake,orange chocolate bar and a chilli meal- all of which tasted lovely.

Any advice on the best stomach ( my main bugbear) exercises most appreciated x

Chocchip88 · 13/02/2015 13:28

Hi Kissyboo, good planning on cutting down beforehand, probably made it much easier.
I am now on day 12, never hungry which makes me feel a bit super human. I haven't increased my activities levels yet, I still walk with the pushchair into town a back 2-3 times a week which is all up hill on the way home. I feel I need to lose some more weight before I start doing anything too dramatic. Good luck with The Shred, gulp! I bought it a couple of years who and think I burnt a few cals watching DH attempt it!
15.6 pounds down so far, my first goal was to lose 2 stone by my birthday in mid Match, so far I'm on track for that and secretly hoping for a little bit more. Have a good day.