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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.

Original poster

SUPPORT?BUDDY UP?CHAT FOR VLCD

621 replies

zeis10 · 21/05/2015 09:08

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? :)

OP posts:
lilacblossomtime · 26/07/2015 22:41

You normally lose a lot the first week then it slows down a bit. If you go right off it after a week you will probably gain some weight back as some of what you lose is water. If you keep going on the diet and lose quite a bit, then do the gradual increase in calories as recommended you would not gain it back any more than you would on another diet.

lilacblossomtime · 26/07/2015 22:48

About coffee you can have a black coffee, or some people like adding coffee to the vanilla shake. To make it more like a latte use about half a shake warmed up, with an espresso, or a small cup of very strong instant coffee mixed in.

carden · 27/07/2015 00:33

Damn. Wish I'd eaten my arm but instead I ate a bar. So I had 4 products today. Was way too hungry though. There's no way I'd have got to sleep.

So, yes, am enjoying the products I've had so far. Probably a little too much.

Will try harder tomorrow. (Interesting though I didn't once have an extra portion on Boossh and although it was 4 packs a day it was still less calories than the three on Exante).

lilacblossomtime · 27/07/2015 07:10

Hi all hope it goes well for you today. Hope that hungry feeling goes off Carden.

Rockchick1984 · 27/07/2015 07:20

Morning ladies! Day 4 today and I feel so much better! Only problem I've got now is that I'm a bit constipated, is that normal??? Lost 6lbs so far, feeling fantastic about that!

lilacblossomtime · 27/07/2015 08:23

Oh glad to hear you are feeling much better rock and have lost so much weight yayStar on the Exante site they mainly recommended drinking more water for constipation, but when I did Atkins a while ago they recommended powdered psyllium husk.

RufusTheReindeer · 27/07/2015 09:58

Thanks lilac

Just wanted to give it a trial for the week as this is the first clear "no evenings out or lunches" week I've had for ages

Will deffo give it another go in September as I've lost 7 lbs so far, hoping to lose another pound a day for the next 3...

lilacblossomtime · 27/07/2015 10:22

Rufus one problem with this type of diet is that you cant have a day off if you go out especially when you first start. I ended up putting off starting for ages as I thought about it for ages, then waited till after some events I had planned and until the summer holidays started (as I work in term time). But once you have been doing it for a while you could afford to have a few low carb meals out without slowing down your progress too much.

lilacblossomtime · 27/07/2015 10:46

I found this post about constipation on the exante site which is helpful. I didn't realise the drink powder is high in fibre which is good as i quite like it. link

RufusTheReindeer · 27/07/2015 10:50

lilac

You know the bmi warning, says only people with a bmi of over 25 should do this?

Does that mean that once you are in a normal bmi you shouldn't do the diet at all?

Or would you suggest that you just cut it down gradually, so do it for 6 days one week, then 5 etc

lilacblossomtime · 27/07/2015 11:05

They don't mention this on the site but logically you are right, however most people seem to keep on with the plan they are on until they reach their goal weight (if they can), then there is a suggested weight maintenance programme where you gradually add in the real food and calories. But they don't say you have to increase your calories once you reach 25 bmi. Also if you have been doing very low calories for a while you might find your weight loss slowed down a lot if you increased your calories.
I have been a bit worried about the safety of the diet which is why I took so long to decide if I would do it and read a lot about it. I think it is probably safe if you have no underlying health problems and the food suits you.

RufusTheReindeer · 27/07/2015 20:58

I was saying this to mil today, I don't agree with the diet itself as it should be fairly straightforward to eat "real" food

But...it takes some working out, and it's easier to cheat and say, sod it I'll have two eggs and a spoonful of mayo on the salad wont hurt

So as a short term "jolt" I think it's been worth doing for me

lilacblossomtime · 27/07/2015 22:01

I think it does have that psychological effect of giving up food, good for me as I am very all or nothing personality. I think the fact that they are not completely like normal food helps too, even though some are not that nice. I found my Dh likes it too as he is sometimes a bit Hmm about my attempts at dieting, but this he seems to take more seriously and is being quite supportive.

RufusTheReindeer · 27/07/2015 22:08

DH very kindly sat in the other sofa while eating his chilli and tortillas

And then he saw me eating my very, very, very small bowl of "food" and said really sincerely "you are doing really well"

Then he saw my face and said "I'm not helping am I?"

NOOOO!!!!!!

Grin
lilacblossomtime · 27/07/2015 22:30

Grin my Dh is trying to be healthy luckily,and he has always liked really plain food. He had steamed fish and salad no dressing, he quite likes it. So that sort of thing is not too tempting for me. Dd is more of a challenge as she is always asking for crisps or cake. I really want crisps!

carden · 28/07/2015 00:27

Well day 2 went much better than yesterday. Back to not feeling hungry. Can't resist weighing myself in the morning though. Fingers crossed.

This is an odd one...but I keep getting twitchy eye. It's probably a coincidence but it started around the same time I started dieting about 3 weeks ago.

lilacblossomtime · 28/07/2015 09:11

How do you feel today? Did you WI?

RedButtonhole · 28/07/2015 16:16

Is anyone else freezing?

leaveitforgood · 30/07/2015 10:12

Did anyone do weigh in? I only lost 2 kgs about 4ishlb in this week. It my that time of the month so feeling very bloated and constipated so maybe that could be the reason.
I will carry on!!! Good times to come Smile

carden · 30/07/2015 13:11

Well I can confirm that my weightloss is as crap on Exante as on Boossh!

Continued on from Boossh to Exante on Sunday.

Got excited that I'd lost 0.8kg yesterday (which was far from great) only to find I'd put 0.4kg back on. Can't blame scales (really accurate) or time of month. Don't know what's going on.

Liked pretty much all the products apart from Sweet & Sour (what we're the rubbery things in it) and not sure this Shepherd's Pie I'm about to eat is my sort of thing either (but then am a veggie). But given I've not lost any more doing this I'll use up my old packs of Boossh before I order any more Exante.

RufusTheReindeer · 30/07/2015 20:02

carden

That shepherds pie was foul...I make a beautiful veggie shepherds pie for the children with Quorn and green lentils Sad

I did 6 days in the end and lost 8lbs, although I'm still in ketosis I've not lost any weight in 2 days so as I was only doing a week anyway and going on holiday on Saturday I thought I'd stop Grin

I think I will have another go in September just to kick start a healthier way of eating

Good luck to everyone on here and I'll see you in September

carden · 30/07/2015 21:58

rufus am not jealous that you lost that much in 6 days nor that you are going on holiday.

Well done and have a good time

Way this is going I'll still be slogging away at this in September (should have been done in August but no chance of that now)

RufusTheReindeer · 30/07/2015 22:53

Thanks carden

I hope it goes well for you in August

It's a bitch trying so hard and getting nowhere, if it's any consolation I'll probably put it back on the first evening

Original poster
zeis10 · 31/07/2015 06:45

Morning all. am about to head off camping for a few days. Gonna have a few days off, some ice cream and nice meals out, but try and be sensible. Have hit the main weight loss goal for this phase before my hols, so really pleased about that. Haven't managed to do too much revamping of my wardrobe tho. That will take some time, plus if I hold off buying until I lose another half stone, I will be so close, I can buy clothes that for the long term, rather than this in betweeny phase. Still a lot of fat round my middle! Smile

Those on Exante, just wondering if you season the meals? I do and find it makes such a difference...salt, pepper, chilli flakes, tamari (wheat free).

Veggie people, I was told that there are a couple of meals that are not veggie, tho almost all are, including meat style prodcts. think Shepherds pie was one. Confused

Wishing everyone a fab weekend...it's hotting up ladies! Grin

OP posts:
Rockchick1984 · 31/07/2015 07:25

Morning everyone, hope it's going well. Zeis congratulations on hitting your target! How much more are you aiming to lose overall?

I blew it completely the other night (pizza and cheesecake Blush ) and had such an upset tummy afterwards that it's put me off eating crap like that for a while at least! On the plus side my weight stayed the same, I was worried I'd put back on the half stone I've lost.

Enjoy your holiday Rufus.

Carden can you afford to switch to one of the services with a consultant - think its Cambridge that does but could be wrong. I'm doing slim and save, and the forum consultants are fab so you may be able to get advice on why you're not really losing anything if you were doing a plan that offered that service. Only things I've really picked up as affecting it that I wouldn't have guessed are citric acid and caffeine, but there could be an explanation for why you're struggling.