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? :)

just weighed in, 8 lbs off so far! Today is day 6. feel great and really motivated
SW: 15.6

HW: 16.2
1st GW: 13.12 - July
2nd GW: 11.2 - December
GW: 9.2 (not sure I'll ever get here but aiming high - or should that be low?!)

Hi I wanted to join up. I'm hoping to start the official cambridge diet on Monday. I'm currently doing a diy version with meal replacement shakes soups and some eggs and tofu but just calorie counting and seeing what feels ok.. I'm not hugely overweight so not sure if a vlcd is for me but have been struggling with food and hoping not eating real food for a bit will help with that although I may go for a more generous calorie intake of 1200 or 1500.
I've also stopped smoking this week which typically makes me gain a few kilos so I'm trying to preempt the weight gain by losing weight instead.
Amazing to hear of all your weightloss so far. I'm hoping to be in ketosis tomorrow and be over the carbon withdrawal stage

Or even the carb withdrawal stage!

Can I join too. Started exante yesterday but I've caved today. I was expecting to feel crap but I could barely sleep because of my headache and this morning I've been lying on the sofa with the splitting headache feeling crap and I'd had enough. I need to sort out what I can drink, that's my main problem. I usually drink loads of tea and diet coke and both are out. Yesterday was miserable as I hate plain water and drank very little which probably led to me feeling so bad. Am off to superdrug later to hunt down some of those lighter life drinks mixes that I can have and will start again tomorrow.

Welcome newbies!! Am awaiting the delivery of my ketostixs... Hopefully this will help me stay in ketosis! I can't help but be a little jealous of all your weight loss so far as I only achieved 2lbs x but I know that a loss is loss....

I think I may have to jump on the exante train if I don't get any good results on Monday!!! X is it expensive girls??

The pack i've just bought was £80 for four weeks' worth. I chose milkshakes and bars because I'm a fussy bugger with food but there are combinations of meals/shakes/bars you can choose.

Shelagh - could it be caffine withdrawal? I drink sugar free weak squash.

I've been very good after a slip on Saturday. I'm on day 25 and I've lost 18lbs now so I am very happy.

Those of you who have lost weight before how long did it take people to notice?
My start weight was 205lb or 14.6 stone and I'm now at 187lb or 13.3 stone and no one has noticed. Not even my partner has mentioned it. He has annoyingly lost loads of weight himself by accident because I'm cooking such healthy food.

Right so ketostix have just arrived and yay I am in ketosis... So hopefully I will be awarded with a good weight loss this week!!

It can take at least a couple of weeks for other people to notice... Don't worry about other people just keep going! They will notice eventually and the compliment will come flying in your direction... Xxx

Hi shelagh nice to have someone else at the same stage. From previous low carb experience I know drinking lots and salt help. If you get achy eat more salt - Im drinking stock/broth once a day. That really helped with painful muscles and joints. for headaches water water water, also maybe go slow on the coffee withdrawal. Im just cutting down caffeine rather than totally eliminating just now because I need to function. I gte bad carb withdrawal - thing is if you can make it past 2-3 days it all gets much better!. Good luck finding those lighter life mixes.

Started Cambridge today. Feeling great, not hungry at all. Sole Source red 2, 4 products and 2 pints of skimmed milk. Have 198lb to lose. Costs £58 a week and will skint me out but my health is more important!

Can some clarify for me.. How many carbs you girls are consuming on extane and Cambridge please?? X

Thanks Philomena. Yes of course you will get to 9.2 Why wouldn't you?!

Firsttimer7259 Welcome to you! I guess you just try and see what works for you.

Welcome also to ShelaghTurner, yep lack of water would probably do it. Headaches are rough...pah! They should be banned!! Little and often might be easier than drinking a whole load maybe. Try drinking 1/2 of a 500ml bottle, as soon as you wake, then the other half, as soon as you get up, then a bit more after breakfast. Before you know it, you will have drunk a 1 & 1/2 litres before lunch and you are on your way. I think if you keep a bottle near you, you may end up drinking it.

ThatsWotSheSaid, I pointed out my weight loss to my daughter aged 11 this morning and she said "Oh yes, so you have!" It's only 12lbs so far this time, 1 1/2 stone all year. As for your partner inadvertently losing all that weight...he needs a good slap!

Twinkle I don't know about counting carbs with Exante, I am relieved of such details, which I rather like. I have more time, as less time is spent on shopping, cooking and clearing up.

Great start SoleSource, good for you!

Twinkle, I only bought the Exante bars, and they were about 15g carbs each. I think some of the "meals" might be less. Have a look on mfp as most are listed there.

I'm becoming converted to the low carb diet, although am trying to do it on 600ish cals a day. So far, so good :)

Strangely wasn't hungry though, yeah I know, only day 1! But hunger wasn't a problem at all, was definitely drinking. Didn't get my drinks yesterday but heading out straight after school run so am back on it today. (Had a lovely day drinking tea and diet coke yesterday though )

I'm in ketosis - feel a lot better. Glad it's happened as I'm eating almost 100g of cards a day. The meal replacements I'm currently on aren't low carb so I wasn't sure it'd be low enough.
How is everyone doing today ?

Hello Firsttimer7259, great news..did you pee on a stick, or is it the weight loss?

Used ketostix. - no weightloss yet. But I feel much better than I did last 2 days. Less achy and ugh. I'm going to avoid the scale for at least 2 days now because I don't want to risk seeking comfort in cards if there's no drop soon. I tend to drop in wooshes so I'm not surprised but I can end up getting frustrated.
Zeis - your 12 lbs in 10 days is great going.

Ah thanks Firsttimer7259..it's a total first for me. Never in all my years have I lost that kind of weight in such a short space of time. It is usually very hard won indeed, or hand in hand with a stressful event, or a bad bout of anxiety (when my metabolism kicks in big time).

I am on Day 10 and am planning on doing this until start of school hols...I think! Having no problems at all and it is all positive. It is very simple. I hardly feel hungry, tho can still think about meals and plan and cook for my daughter, aged 11. In fact. I feel more organised about food than ever before. I am on Exante and am having a bowl of porridge for breakfast which feels like enough, then at lunch a shake, or a bar (cherry and almond is yummy, filling and chewy, love it!) and for dinner I cannot resist the vegetable curry, but can also have a nice mushroom soup. They could do with a few more veggie options TBH. The curry is so nice, I am dreaming of using it as a base and cooking it up with tomatoes, spinach and potatoes and serving it with yoghurt..when I'm done!!.

Fantastic weight loss girls!! Am still in ketosis but think I need to adjust the calorie intake... In order to get the weight loss!! How many calories are you girls eating on average???? Xxx

I am on Sole Source in Cambridge terms and that is 600 a day.

Hello, I started Saints and Slimmers about a week ago. Have yet to weigh in, but feeling the benefits already! I have around 6 stone to lose, unfortunately. I lost 5 stone in 2013 on LighterLife, but have managed to pile it back on....??

Lilo it's the piling back on that I worry about . Really want to ease out of the diet into a healthy lifestyle this time round.
Big NSV (as they say on.mfp) for me I went out w a friend last night and stuck to my planned gin and slim followed by low cal tonics and had a good time.
Wishing everyone a good day

Morning :0)
I've weighed in and my total loss now is (drum roll) 21lb
I've never lost more than 5lbs or so. Im so pleased. Although had a kind of set back. I realised I am an inch shorter than I thought so that's added to my bmi. So I'm still obese but at this rate of weight loss it won't be long till I'm not anymore.
Good luck for the weekend everyone.

Re the concern about regaining weight, I think you gotta put as much effort into retraining yourself to healthy eating habits as losing the weight in the 1st place, Anyone could regain, on any diet used. People do it and keep it off, so it must be possible for all of us too. Keep your focus on BEING that slender version of yourself. Believing in all of us!