Exante and other VLCDs support thread

[PaulHollywoodsleftbollockhair]

Hi,

Giving myself a general overhaul at the moment and have some time for myself so I can concentrate on cracking on with a few goals.

I have ordered my Exante pack to start tomorrow - I have done it before and it has proved good for me as I like fast results. Currently peri-menopausal and my weight is creeping up-Ijudge it by clothes size for means at the moment my size 16s are snug. I want to get down to being a comfortable size 12 and feel ok in a swimming costume and figure I am looking at 3 months.

Anyone thinking or currently on this path who would like to natter about their experience ?

One thing I have found tricky previously is doing too much physical activity before being in ketosis - so this time I am going to take it easy until I am over that hurdle :)

Day of highs and lows...

Hit 5 stone loss (high) so took my stone loss photos (low). I can see I’ve lost weight in them but they always put me in such a bad mood! I feel pretty good now in well chosen clothes but bra and knickers...sobering! Glad I’m doing/have done them though...

BMI is now 25.9, so just 5 lbs to lose before I hit BMI 25. That’s the next major mini goal - I’ll focus on that! Away this weekend but planning to be 100% on plan. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Hey ladies.
Been watching this thread and following exante for a few weeks.
Not getting on with the packs and am going back to if next week as I find it works better for me so I have a lot of exante packs if anyone's interested in buying a bulk for cheaper than website.
Just need to get rid of it all.
It was only ordered three weeks ago.

Pm me if anyone's interested and I can give you a rundown of what I have once I get gone from work

Have a great day

I’m utterly devastated. After a whole week of living on 600 calories, I’ve lost a total of 1 1/2lbs. Now down to 11st 2 2/1lbs.

I’ve been so strict with myself, I wouldn’t even drink fruit tea as it’s made with the flower. Some days were so hard but I got through it hoping it would be worth it.

Sorry, I know I sound like I’m 12 but I’m so, so bloody sad.

I've just started on Exante - today was day two and I have a horrible headache despite all the water I've been drinking... however, I have heard that the first few days are the worst, and if you can get through that it becomes easier, so I'll just have some paracetamol and an early night.

I'm 5'5" and 12st 7lb, which I could just cry about. It represents a 3 stone gain in the last two years and I hate the way I look. I'm planning to do this for 4 weeks initially, which will take me to when I go on holiday. It was the thought of being a fat blob next to my lovely slim friends that gave me the required kick up the ample arse!

I don't know how much I can realistically expect to lose in that time. A stone would be nice; I would still be fat, but not so much that I'd look comical in comparison to the others. When I get back, I'll work on getting rid of whatever excess is left...

I haven't tried many of the products yet - I got the 4 week pack, so it was chosen for me. I would probably have got more bars and fewer shakes myself, but what I've had so far has been fine. The red bean chilli looked like baby food but was tasty! Shakes have a bit of a protein powder aftertaste but it's not unpleasant. The porridge was way too runny so next time I won't use as much water as the instructions specify.

Which products would people recommend otherwise? I might get the 50 pack next time and try some yoghurts?

I am with you eatcake.
Although mine is self induced.
I rewarded myself for last weeks weight loss by having sushi and a bag of crisps.
100% on plan since yet not a single pound lost yet.
I weigh in on Tuesday and feel so glum that I fell out of ketosis just out of stupidity.
A week (nearly) back on plan and Keto stix still not showing ketosis 🤬

Good luck everyone. Hopefully next week will be better.

This is why I'm going back to if.

I struggle to limit myself of normal food and I can do that for three weeks and lose next to nothing and I find it too hard to keep on so back to if from tomorrow as I know that works for me.

Hello folks, may I join? I started exante a couple of months ago, lost a stone, then got ill (chest infection), so I stopped the exante (gained back half a stone ). I'm more or less over it now, still coughing a bit though, but not actually feeling ill. How long do you think it's worth waiting before starting the diet again? Could I start now?

Hello everyone!
It was a tall order to stay 100% on plan this weekend, I managed by having 5 packs instead of 4...but then when home felt I needed more so came off plan last night.
Four pounds up today! I know that is water weight (I didn't consume enough calories for actual weight gain + I also carry extra water mid cycle) but even so...
EatCake - this could be for a variety of reasons - have you kept going? You may want to consider going up to 800 kcals (I lost my 5st on more like 800-950 kcals/day).
Today is going to be tough I think getting back on plan again.
I think I am coming to the end of the VLCD part of my journey. I did want to get to BMI 25 (-4+lbs to allow for water weight) before swapping diets (plus I have approx 6 weeks of packs left) though. I'll see how today goes...

I'm kind of struggling to see how you can achieve ketosis on Exante products. The carb count looks to be about 17g per "meal" so if you have three of those in a day, you're taking in 51g of carbs. I thought you were only supposed to have 20-30g per day to get into ketosis. Have I missed something here?

I did Slim and Save GraceMarks and there guide to carbs and ketosis is:

Under 70g of Carbs - Perfect for Ketosis.
Over 70g but less than 80g of Carbs - Some people will come out of ketosis at this level.
Over 80g of Carbs - Most people will come out of ketosis which will cause you to be more hungry and can prevent the body burning fat effectively.

I've made the decision to end the VLCD part of my journey. It has shifted the 5 st and I am super pleased with that. I am going to continue to lose weight, at a much slower pace, in a different way and up the exercise now. I feel like it is the right time.

Good luck everyone with your weight loss journey!

their not there!

I’ve been so down about the lack of weight loss that I had a burger last night
This morning I had a muller corner. I just feel like if I’m not losing weight there’s no point in suffering.

I’m feeling a tiny bit more positive now so will give myself today and restart tomorrow. Holiday is in 10 days, I’m very unlikely to have much by then.

I’m really pissed off, I could have lost more weight by regular calorie counting. I’ve been checking for ketones daily but it’s always negative. Like GraceMarks I think the carb count is too high.

hobbz if you don’t mind me asking, what was your average weekly weight loss on 800 calories?

I’ve previously lost around 2-3lbs a week on 800 cals. I was still having carbs, just less than I usually would.

May I join too? Day 1 Week 1.

I've done this before but only managed a week. I was a good 2 stone lighter last time too.

Starting weight 13.9. 5ft 4. Carrying A LOT of weight on my tummy.

The plan (ha!) is to do TS, or as close to it as possible, for six weeks in the hope of losing 21lb. Then go onto Man Plan for another six weeks to lose the last stone. Then 6:1 to maintain.

I've had two shakes today, a can of Diet Dr Pepper, two litres of water and...a swig of vinegar because I had such a tank taste in my mouth .

All I have to do to succeed is just not eat food. I mean, come on, how hard can that be?!

I ended up doing a couple of weeks of general healthy eating, lost 10lbs and then decided to move on to Exante for a month leading up to my holiday.

I'm so big at the moment (19st) that I really feel like I just want to shift some serious lbs quickly. I don't think I'll stay on Exante long term but I would be happy to lose 1-1.5 stone before I go away.

It's only 3 weeks and 3 days away but if I could get down to something beginning with a 17 by my holidays I will be over the moon.

In reality I'll probably put a fair amount on while on hols as away for 2.5 weeks and not going to diet while I'm away so will perhaps do Exante for a couple of weeks when back to get rid of the gain and then take it from there.

Eatcake I’ll go back over my stats tomorrow but excluding the first two weeks I remember it being 2.8 lb/wk whilst I was obese - that then gradually slowed as I entered overweight most recently (approaching healthy BMI) it was 2.2 lbs/wk. So no, not super fast! However, I was usually having more than 800 kcals - I would say up to 1000 kcals and 100g carbs in that phase too so can’t really compare properly (4 packs but pretty much as much cashew milk/wasabi seaweed/sugar free jelly as I wanted...I put my max day in MFP and that’s what it came out as). I didn’t want to lose super fast as I worried about increasing chance of loose skin. Almost certainly wasn’t in full ketosis however I definitely has ketosis breath!

I suppose everyone is different, but for me, a diet which leaves me feeling so ill all the time and barely able to get out of bed in the morning is simply not worth the suffering. I'm not giving up altogether, but I'm going to supplement my three meal replacements with a banana and some nuts, maybe the occasional bit of brown rice, and bring my daily calorie intake up to about 900. I won't be in ketosis and doubtless I'm going to take longer to lose weight, but I figure I'm more likely to keep it off that way.

I mean, seriously - today I cracked at about 3.30pm and had a single ginger nut, and within a couple of minutes my headache had gone. I felt so much better I wanted to cry. You could argue that I'm suffering from sugar withdrawal and the biscuit was like giving an alcoholic a shot of vodka to get rid of their DTs, but after feeling like shit for three days solid I no longer care!

I think it must impact people differently - I'm on the Exante Facebook group and lots of people started yesterday (same as me) and have the headache.

I feel fine - no headache, not feeling hungry except for perhaps an hour or so last night.

Lost 3lbs in one day - obviously water weight but does feel good to see the numbers heading down so quickly.

Were you on any kind of diet before you started @GraceMarks?

I'd been doing two weeks of healthy eating so I reckon that's why it's impacting me less than if I'd gone from my usual way of eating straight on to VLCD.

wheresmymojo not really, no. I was eating fairly healthy foods, but just too much of them, and I was probably having too many snacks. I suppose it was a bit naive to think that cutting my calorie intake to 600 after it was probably around 3000 wouldn't have any effect on me - but I did so badly want to drop the weight quickly. Maybe I should have taken a few days off and allowed myself to have nothing to do while my body adjusted, but I do have to work, and drive there, and frankly I didn't feel safe behind the wheel.

Ive been on it for three days and i cant find my scales! Im fine so far but I hate the little lumps in everything. The shakes i can do in the blender.

What savoury “dishes” do you have?

I need to lose two stone at least. Its Glastonbury in ten days. This will be my first year there of not smoking. I cant sacrifice the festival food as well😄

Well done Hobbz you have really done amazingly well!

Just checking in to say I’m still here. Incredibly busy at work which I think has helped me stay on plan! Am now a pound shy of a stone lost in 2 weeks, so very happy with that and really enjoying it.