VLCD/Meal Replacement on 1st Jan

[DelightfulCunt]

Hi everyone!

I’m starting a VLCD (Slim and Save) on 1st Jan and wondering is anyone starting too? Or Cambridge, Exabte etc and maybe we could keep each other motivated?

omg I tried the exante red curry thai soup today... it was truly horrible! are they all this bad?
any suggestions on what to try?

Clash, no expert but I would recommend still having the 3 products with a low cal/carb meal, just because the nutrients are balanced to 3 meals and you may find you are lacking if you miss one. I am having that every day and still losing well and feeling good! Day 9 now so nearly in double figures 😂

Thanks for the tip Eliza! I will have a look online, I don't think I have pcos, have never been diagnosed nor had it mentioned. How do they test for that? My periods are kind of irregular, cycle lengths are normally 28-35 days but can be at either end of that each month.

Happy, not had the exante one but the Thai green curry from Cambridge is disgusting too!

The first few days can be really miserable Clash, first time I did Exante I did feel physically very unwell for the first few days.

I'm into the second week and I've had a tough day, I've been so hungry and craving carbs. I've had some food but nothing terrible and now ploughing through the Indian style curry which is beyond grim.

I don't think I've tried the Red Thai soup Happy, I've read that you can spread small spoonfuls of the soups on greaseproof paper and bake in oven and turn into 'crisps'. Might be worth a go if you have more packets. I do have the Mushroom one at work sometimes and it is a bit rotten. You can't really compare to normal soups.
I had a black bean & beef pot for the first time today and it was really good but I also like the lentil Dahl pot, both pretty similar consistency so if you have tried one and not liked it it is likely you wouldn't like the other. I also like the sweet and sour noodles but need to add soy sauce and Chinese five spice. Some of the shakes are good too.

Ah good point day. Very much still learning and in the trial and error stage here!

Just had the exante daal pot and it was really good. I added some chilli flakes but it actually felt like proper food and I felt satisfied after eating it. Feeling a lot better after it and it didn't have the mineral taste.

Re soup, I've only tried the ham and pasta soup which I was not particularly enamoured with. I have the red thai to try and thinking I may add a load of chili to hide the taste!

Glad I'm finding some things I like though, must admit I was a bit worried after the spag bol.

And that is what is great about this group! I love having somewhere to be able to come and have a moan or ask advice, you guys are the best!

Yes this group is really helping me stay on plan to be honest. Its good to have found you all. Because I haven't really told anyone in RL about it which I do think for me is the right thing, it does mean I can't moan/celebrate any of it along the way, so you lot are important!!! I could have easily caved today. Going to try and get to bed early and hope tomorrow is better.

I had to go to bed early last night kittens as I didn't trust myself. I'm fine again today. Though DH keeps talking about and showing me photos on insta of food - someone will give me an alibi if I kill him, won't they?

It will be Kitten! I think that is probably the best thing too, I don't shout about it from the rooftops either because some people are, quite frankly, just arse holes.

I took some underwear pics on day 1 and am going to take another one after every stone lost, I will eventually post them on here when I'm a bit further through

Absolutely Rainbow, you were here sipping on a milkshake of anyone asks

reckon I might need an alibi too rainbow it I have to endure one more Nigel Slater!

Hahaha! I'm watching old episodes of fst families! I love this show hahaga

haha...yes I have 4 packets left! Will try the crisp idea -Great idea thanks ...

Glad it's not just me that notices the mineral taste & the smell was truly horrible... think I will try a milkshake and a dahl pot tomorrow then....... here's hoping! !

The only ones I’ve tried that I actual like are the Indian daal pot, the sweet and sour noodles and the chocolate shakes and some of the chocolate type bars. I add loads of chilli powder to the first two! My mum mixes the vanilla shakes with coffee and loves it - personally I don’t but it’s worth a try!

I've had two people separately notice my weight loss (2 stone) today which was great, I haven't seen them in a month or so. It really helps me keep it going! Would be embarrassing to go backwards now people are noticing

Has anyone seen the current monstrosity on the exante site? It's unflavoured milkshake. Why, I don't know. I bet it's vile, but might be nice if you like coffee and add it maybe.

I found the soups only became palatable after a couple of weeks in, and I made them with double the amount of water.

They say if you have something and dont like it, try it again after a while as your palate changes. Also, the shakes are so much better if you blend them with Ice, they are like mcds shakes.

Yes, I saw the unflavoured milkshake Eliza! I thought it was quite odd!

Unflavoured milkshake sounds grim. Why would you invent that??

I'm not fully caught up on the thread.

I'm really struggling to restart, I did day 1 and then slipped back into picking, I've got back on for day 6 and 7, lost 4lbs which while not a great week 1 loss it's pretty good considering how poorly I'm sticking to it.

I'm struggling again today, I'm so mad at myself for not just getting back to it.

Pita- that's my absolute fave shake! I have vanilla and decaff coffee hot... Mmmmmmm.

Cook - 2 stone! That's amazing!! How long have you been on now (sorry if you have mentioned previously)

All this talk of three packets has got me worried - it's four with slim and save, isn't it?

Just persevere Minnies. I literally can’t count the number of times I’ve started exante for 1 day and then stopped and done a half way attempt at it for a few weeks and then chopped and changed into other diets. These last few years for me have just been back to back diets that haven’t worked. In my opinion it just prolongs the suffering and that’s one of the things that’s kept me going this time, in that I just want to blitz it once and for all and get back to living a normal life around food.

And 4lbs lost is better than no loss which is what you’d have had if you hadn’t been attempting the diet at all!

Keep telling yourself that the first few days are the hardest. It gets a tiny bit easier from day 4 and then much easier from day 6/7.

Elaine, it is,the calories in the slim & save packs are lower than exante

I know there's some people who do four packs on the exante fb page.

Here we go, start weight 17 stone 1lb.

By the way the Exante bars they're one meal too aren't they?