SUPPORT?BUDDY UP?CHAT FOR VLCD

[zeis10]

Hi there I am starting Cambridge next week and have 3 1/4 stone to lose. Be good to chat, share stories and get support and inspiration from each other! Anyone else in the same boat? :)

deez I feel for you ! When I order I want it NOW ! Just ordered some bars and have a delivery date tomorrow- hope your stuff has turned up ...

thatswot don't be dispirited, this is a plateau on the journey down.. Just keep plugging on and I am sure it will improve ...

lilac go for it. The first few days are a bit grim, but they will be grim whether it is this week or next ... jUMP !!

'Box' I HATE stalling, even though I know it is my own doing ...

Keep going people xx

Thanks Lemon I have nearly made up my mind, I have a few things going on this next few weeks and it is my dd's birthday so I may start after that at the beginning of the summer holidays. Btw I hear week 3 is often a slower weight loss week so maybe you will get more next week, or are you doing a food week?

Hiyas all hope you don't mind me tagging along.

This is the end of my day 1 on Exante alls well apart from piddling like a racehorse every 30 seconds :)

Really enjoyed the bars I have had today i am not a fan of shakes or soups so went for the bars for this first week at least.
I have tried every diet under the sun have a huge problem with food full stop buying eating wasting so hoping I can retrain myself along the way to getting slim, I have 12 stone to lose and am so sick of bouncing back and forth diet clubs eating food I don't like and just know a break from having to make choices for myself will be a breath of fresh air, I do know it will be difficult but being 21 stone is damn hard too, I am a cheery sole really and today has been a fab day !!! Some inspiring tales here and amongst the facebook groups x

Keep going curvy, the first few days are the hardest so stay strong. Let us know how it goes.

Even though I haven't started yet I am on mn a lot so post away if you want support and I will like to read how you are doing and cheer you on.

Hi curvy - good for you taking control of your eating . It is a relief removing choice re what to eat and how much etc . The only choice you have with the VLCD is When to eat !!

Keep posting - especially when it gets difficult - support is really important:-)

Sorry I have been quiet, I have had a really tricky few days. Had a planned break in diet, due to a birthday meal and decided to have a few days off from Sat night until last night. I have not enjoyed this, it's weird! Nothing tastes that great, even the stuff I had been looking forward to and I have felt sicky and heavy, as if I have been really gorging. I don't think I have eaten that much, compared to normal eaters, but for me, it has been way too much and not worked out. I will have to develop a different approach next time. Yesterday I had regained 4lbs in 3 days and today it increased to 7!! I fully expected the 3-4 lbs and it's not all fat, I realise, just water confusion and more food in me. It's to be expected, but half a stone??!! Wish I had carried on now, but the birthday meal was tricky to avoid. I am back on, in spite of a pot luck party Saturday night and a picnic on Sunday (I have come so far and avoided so many eating situations, so I know I can). I want to carry on, until we go on holiday (not sure when that will be, as we camp when the weather is good.

Onwards and upwards, off to eat breakfast porridge..have had 2 litres of water so far and it's not yet 10am.

Hi there, just read the whole thread to get me through this woozy morning on my third day of Exante. It's great to read about all of your successes - and even more about you dealing with the tough times and keeping going. I was feeling pretty good last night, but this morning is just rubbish. Will stick with it though - have done this before and remember Day 3 sucking big time.

Last time - around 3 years ago - I did Lighter Life for three months and got down from 14.5s to 11ish. I gave up before reaching target but was happy at 11ish and had had enough of LL. I've been up and down since, never got to 13st, but mainly hovered around 12.5st. I've been wanting to lose a stone for the last year, but haven't even managed to get under 12st. Whenever I lose a little, I think 'sod it' and treat myself to takeaway and booze. It's so hard not to, working full-time and run ragged by kids, feels like 'treats' are all there is to look forward to. BUT I have a big birthday coming up next month and am determined to be a stone lighter by then.

I'm only planning on doing 3 weeks of Exante (due to holiday in early Aug), then will probably 5:2 and/or MFP keeping it under 1200 cals a day. I just need to get through this horrible bit and into ketosis.

Happily my main food fantasy right now is my chocolate shakes arriving. I couldn't order any last week and am having to make do with the nasty toffee caramel shakes (sound lush, taste vile!) and some out-of-date choc orange bars (presumably out of date is okay - will still work? they went off in April but look/taste okay). Coke Zero is also proving to be my saviour!

Sorry that's really long for a first post and very much a me me me ramble. But thank you for all the support your posts have already unwittingly given me and good luck keeping it up...

Hi Zeis sorry to hear that but I totally think that will come straight off once you get going again, so get back on track!
Hi pink good luck with your third day, you can do it.

Hi everyone,
Day one for me as my pack got here late yesterday afternoon.
I am feeling REALLY tired. I am supposed to be getting my steps up to 15,000 a day as I have a gallbladder op coming up and need to shift a fair whack of pudge. I also have PCOS so it is more of a struggle.

My pedometer got here this afternoon and I have only managed 5600 steps so far. I suppose not too bad in three hours. Am going to shove my arse out the door in a bit and squeeze another dog walk in and fight the instinct to have a bit of a kip .

How many pints of water are needed would you say? I have managed to get 3 down so far - peeing for England as well.

You probably are going to feel tired for a few days until ketosis kicks in Dee so maybe wait till then to really push on the exercises. But it's probably good to stay busy and take your mind off food! How are you liking the products so far?

Hi All, can I join you please? :)

I started Cambridge for the 2nd time on Monday, doing step 2 (3 packs plus an evening meal for about 810 cals total). Last time I did it was 2 years ago and I found out I was pregnant at the end of week 2 so had to stop. I did lose 7lbs in week one that time though so am hopeful for a similar result this time.

Im 5'10 and start weight is 13st 5lbs. I find the diet pretty easy, being restricted works quite well for me and have no social life at the moment and dont drink as co sleep so theres no pleasures to be taken away from me lol. Am aiming to get to 11 stone.

I only have choc shakes and mint choc bars as im really fussy and have a terrible sweet tooth, its no hardship for me to have a chocolate milkshake for breakfast! I use my milk allowance to make the milkshakes with crushed ice in a blender, they are really thick and lovely that way!

The water is the hardest for me, I hate it! Im also still breastfeeding (I neglected to tell the consultant that after doing a bit of research myself into what the impact might be) but only once or twice a day and now my DS is 15months its obvs supplemental rather than sustaining him so im just going to keep an eye on the old milk supply and stop if it becomes an issue as I dont want to give up BF just yet.

Have lost 4lbs of that 7lb gain in one day! Feeling better (despite horrid headache, taking me to bed early last night). Getting back on track. I mean, 7lb in 4 days...what was in that weight?!

Morning all thanks for the good wishes and advice day 3 today and so far so good sleeping fine which was a concern as lots state they have really poor sleep pattern whilst on VLCD, bars I have had are gorgeous so far but I am so used to low cal food after 30 odd years of dieting I don't know what real food and choc actually taste like lol I am still having 1/2 a cup of really strong coffee with prob 10ml of milk in I hope that isn't going to do me any harm.. Anyway time for work x

That's great Zeis this diet really shows up how weird the human body can act. I bet the rest will come off quickly too.
Curvy I am glad you are feeling well, keep going.

Great that you're back on track Zeis, unnerving how the scales change and change our moods n motivation. Good luck with day 3 curvy. I nearly caved last night but binged on telly instead and have woken up on day 4 feeling loads better - in ketosis and 5lbs down, all water no doubt, but I (probably imagine) I can see the difference and it really helps.

Still gagging for my choc shakes to arrive. Exante are normally v swift so fingers crossed they'll come today. That's a good tip about the ice, mango. Will give it a whirl. Anything to thicken this toffee caramel piddle!

Hope everyone hangs in there and has a good day, staying strong. I've just managed to chuck the kids' jammy toast crusts away without scoffing them. Small victories...

Yay for chucking away the crusts pinkand glad you are feeling better.
mango it's interesting that you have a milk allowance on Cambridge plan step 2 and will be interesting to hear your results.

I might be going in ketosis already. Absolutely knackered last night. Slept like a log after coming over shivery and cold. Could easy sleep now! Wasn't hungry at all when I woke up and after half a shake felt like I had had enough. I started feeling really thirsty yesterday and still am today and my mouth feels weird.

I think I may be getting skanky breathe too if the taste I have in my mouth is any indicator.

I finally got my steps over 13,400 yesterday, so I reckon with the morning part not accounted for I achieved 15,000.

Feeling really positive today. My children are being great and my son is cooking lunch for them today which is helpful. They are coming out on these long walks with me and understand if I am a little ratty at the mo. I do feel a bit grumpy at times which is unusual for me.

Anyhoooo hope everyone else is having a good day x

Yes you get 445mls of skimmed milk a day. For me having a toddler to run around after, this diet is so easy. Much easier to eat a bar or knock up a milkshake than make myself something for lunch most of the time!

Scales are indicating 6lbs down so far, hopefully they'll at least stay like that or carry on down, would love to get 10lbs off in week one, that's nearly a third of my target!

I'm a bit stuck at 9 st 12 and losing motivation to continue. Have lost a stone so far in 3.5 weeks. Have another stone to go ... won't make it by holiday on July 25th ...

However, I'm reading your posts and it helps me to feel motivated. Not helped by a really, really stressful time at home right now - but I feel so much happier in myself when I am slimmer I shouldn't let other peoples stress divert me from what is good for me !

Its lovely to have new people join - keep going !

Wow, lemon - a stone in three weeks is amazing, and whatever else you can shift by the 25th will just help to keep you in the zone so you don't put too much back on on your hols. That's how I'm thinking of it. Got my hol at the start of Aug and just for once want to not look fat in the photos (of me eating ice cream). Sorry everything is so stressful at home right now. Maybe the VLCD helps with a sense of control, and otherwise you might be stress-eating, so hope you can stay strong and carry on with the great work.

That's fab about the 15000 steps too deez. I've done my knee in (running while fat!) so think your long walks are the way forward. Will get out there later. Sure it helps with the positivity. And to be far away from the kitchen!

Yodel tracker says choc shakes not coming till Saturday. Boo! Good job my hunger has abated. Nothing worse than hardly eating and then when you do eat it's yuck. Someone was posting earlier about bad experiences with the meal packs. I remember that despair at making a 'spaghetti bolognaise' or 'curry' only to find it tasted of vile powdery bleurgh. That's why I've ended up like mango, strictly shakes and bars, strictly choc shakes in future...

I'm a week in now and I've lost 5lbs and am in ketosis according to the strips.

I've completely lost my appetite but I am still having my daily cup of tea!!

Now I've got used to it I'm finding it pretty easy going which is amazing considering how utterly shit I felt last weekend.

I think I may have lost more than 5lbs as I can get into a pair of jeans that had been shoved to the back of the cupboard as they were way too tight. They slipped on easily this morning.

I'm going to do it until I lost the stone but as I'm not massively overweight I think it's taking longer to lose a significant amount.

It would've taken me weeks to lose this weight on SW or WW so I'm very pleased.

I tried to make a muffin with my lunchtime shake Pink and it was VILE. Could have wept, had to crack open my emergency bar, couldnt face the thought of having nothing else until about 5ish! Im so fussy I am going to stick to what I know now, i'd rather it be samey than go out on a limb and be even more hungry!

Yikes! Muffin sounds too maverick for me. How does that work? Well, obviously it didn't this time. Good job the bar was handy. Samey all the way for me.

That's ace about your jeans sally. Must feel good. Keep going till that stone. I'd be happy with a stone too, but maybe a bit more for a buffer. Know I'm bound to put a bit back on.

I found a list online of all different things you can make with the packs like muffins, cookies, crisps etc. won't be trying any of them again!