Exante

[Bubblemonkey]

Hey.

Is anyone doing Exante? I’m starting tomorrow 🤞🏻

Suzysuz

Your doing great and ty for the tips most helpful. Can I ask what kind of meals are you having please as I would like and need a evening meal to.

@SpiritEssence
so I'm defo no expert and only early days...! My first week dinners were:

Chicken fajita (using own seasoning not old El Paso type ready season), pepper and onion mix, with little grated cheese, avocado

Smoked salmon, poached egg, few tomatoes

Steak & veg

Bolognese (no pasta), bit of grated cheese & veg

Homemade burger from mince, salad

Haddock fillet, bit of pesto and cheese on top in oven, with spinach

I didn't weigh out, although kind I might need to at some point, but kept it low carb.

I'm on my second go round with Exante. I lost 3 stone previously and kept it off (bar 4 or 5 lbs I put on during lockdown) and now I want to lose another few lbs. I'm on day 3 and so far things are going OK. I'm doing the 3 packs a day, nothing else, old style plan because thats what I did before and it worked. I see things have changed now, it seems be either 4 packs a day or 3 packs plus a 200 cal meal but when I did it 2 years ago it was 3 packs only , no other food. I'm not too hungry and I haven't had too many side effects, mainly just excess gas and a really gurgling tummy. My main issue is drinking enough water, i have to really remind myself, although I do drink plenty of black tea. Can't wait to weigh in on fri morning, I did step on the scales this morning and it shows a 3.5lbs loss in 2 days which is brilliant but I know it can go up and down so I'm not taking it as gospel until I weigh in officially on fri!

How's everyone getting on? I started on
Wednesday. I've done exante before and stuck to it religiously for 4-5m and lost around 4st but life events got in the way, I put it all back on again through convenience eating (mcds on the road etc) and I haven't really got back on the wagon properly until now.

Not finding it too tough atm and I'm 7lb down since Wednesday, I know it's mostly water weight but I'll take it 😂

I'm doing 3 products a day as that's what I did before.

Hey OlaEliza, can I join you for a bit of support? I've just started Exante today, for the first time. Plan is to use 3 products a day, would like to lose 3 stone to get me back to my goal of 8.7. My ideal weight for me is between 8 and 8 and a half , I'm currently 11.6 For a million reasons and more I'm struggling with my weight, and this is the heaviest I've ever beenninclyding full term pregnancy I've always managed my weight well in the past through weightwatchers but thought I'd try this instead of such a slow trickle that has ended with me being this heavy!!!! Anyone else want to join the chatter?! X

@foreverblessedbee how are you getting on? I had a 'day off' the other day and had a tiny bit of grated cheese with salad and then pepper & onions in fajita mix in lettuce leaves. Still doing ok now though.

Hey OlaEliza, that day off sounds lovely!! I've been ok thanks. Done my first week, lost 6 and a half pounds. Sticking to the 3 products a day and having the odd cup of vegetable stock if I have the need for something savoury. I'm finding it easier than weightwatchers where I had ti make constant choices about everything and 1 wrong food choice could tip me over down a rabbit hole of"wrong" eating. I feel this is easier and I'm feeling in control. I just know the 12 weeks will feel like a loooooooong time though. But hopefully the weight losses will spur me on to keep at it. Which products do you use or do you mix them? I decided to just use the shakes.

How much did you lose in your 2nd week if you dont mind me asking? X

I'm starting today. I previously did it before my wedding and lost 2st but have been stuck doing WW and SW for months now. I want to start TTC later this year and it's just not healthy at this weight. I want to lose at least 2 before TTC and I have 6 stone to lose still. Wish me luck!

Good luck Bells and well done for starting again! It isnt how often you start it's how you finish that matters. Keep on keeping on!!!! I'm only 3 days into my 2nd week but feeling good and feeling positive. Finding it quite easy and enjoying the routine and the "not having to think about it all" anymore!!!!! Its a relief in some ways to be honest. I have 3 boys now but well remember the hell ttc, especially my first. Sending you all he luck in the world and strength and courage for that journey ahead. Exciting times!!!!!

Also, if anyone else reading this could give their opinion....how possiblenis it to lose 3 stone in a 12 week period using Exante? Or to put it another way, on a 600 cal a day, fasting 16/8 diet, isn't possible? That's my target and I really to know if what I'm looking to do is wvwn possible or whether it will take me a lot longer.

Hows everyone doing? Would love a bit encouraging chat if anyone around?

Hello. I'm around. one week in and down about 4lbs (well tech 8lbs as I had a bit of a bad weekend right before i started which spiked it up by additional 4lbs but taking it from my previous weight before the weekend). And I am the lowest weight I've been in 5 years!!!! wahoo.

How are you doing

how possiblenis it to lose 3 stone in a 12 week period using Exante?

I have done exante and am one of its many many casualties and I want to warn others so they don’t fall into the trap I did.

You might lose the weight in that amount of time (potentially risking gall stones) but you are highly unlikely to keep it off. There are very few exante (or LL or Cambridge) success stories and so many gain more back than they lost. So yeah you might be 3 stone down in 12 weeks but my guess is that another 6 months from that you will be heavier than you are now. These VLCDs fuck with your metabolism big style.

I know it’s a support thread and this isn’t supportive but seriously if it prompts just one person to abandon this crap and eat proper food it’s worth pissing a few people off. If you have gotten to 3 stone overweight there is no magic solution to losing it. With dedication you could lose 2 stone in 3 months eating real food and exercising.

Hi bella thanks for the chat. I'm ok, just feeling a bit lonely! In onto my 3rd week now. I have to say I'm finding it straightforward. I like not having to make so many decisions about food ALL the time .
leanandmean31 Sorry you have such a negative view of meal replacement diets. I actually only came to this diet itself because of the book "the blood sugar diet" and reading numerous books and articles about the effects of excess sugar in the diet. I have long been eating too much sugar, and had gained 3 stone in a couple of years. I went from running half marathons and being extremely fit to gaining 3 stone and feeling very uncomfortable to say the least. I'd put this down to very disordered unhealthy eating. After reading about very low calorie diets and reading the blood sugar diet I knew inwanted to change the way I eat for good. Dr Michael Mosley recommends the use of meal replacement shakes for a couple of weeks at least to reset both the Monday and body into a lower calorie way of eating, if people want to use it that way. My intention is to stick to the blood sugar diet long term but indid want the positive effect mentally of losing this weight in a short space of time. I found weightwatchers to be effective at different points in my life and list weight to get back to my normal weight of 8 and a half stone after 2 of my pregnancies. However after an extremely traumatic experience with my 3rd child found it difficult to lose weight in fact gained the 3 stone.
Surely it is how and what you eat AFTER losing weight that makes the difference. I have regained weight and lost weight in equal measure in my life. If I find something that is easy and works for me right now I'm going to take it. X

Look at the ingredient list of those shakes and ask yourself whether that is likely to nourish your body. You could do something like low carb boot camp if you’re worried about sugar and you get to eat real food.

I also very often hear people say that it’s good to get a total break from food so that they can lose the weight without having to think about it. I don’t think that’s a good thing because you’re in no way dealing with the issues that made you overweight in the first place. How is totally avoiding food helping you build a good relationship to it that you can sustain for the rest of your life? I know a lot of people who have done these 600 cal a day diets, having done one myself, and I know not one single person who has kept it off. All of them vowed that they would definitely keep it off but as soon as they came off the shakes they found they couldn’t. Everyone thinks they will be the exception to the rule but why would you be?

Losing a stone a month over several months is not healthy and the number of people with gallstone issues as a result of VLCD is sky high. Even medically, they’re only really good if you have an upcoming operation or something. If you want long term weight loss you need a healthy lifestyle that you can maintain forever.

You raise fair points leanandmean but I have had complex issies with food in the past. Thisnisnworking for me? Bringing my weight back into a healthy bmi range. I always thought the same as you - shake dieta or anything "quick fix" was bound to be nonsense. But doing food this way for a while is giving me time to think about my eating patterns of the past and looking at how i can correct them. My plan was initially to return to weightwatchers but I think now I'm going to stick to 16 -8 fasting model and continue calorie restriction and very low carb as I know it feels better for me. I love healthy food but had got myself into a cycle of junk food eating to cheer me up from being such a "failure" because I had gained so much weight in the first place! And also reading, reading , reading. Knowledge is power as they say. I dont assume for a minute that I could not regain weight if I went back to the way I was eating before. I know it needs to be different to maintain a lower weight.

How are you all getting on?

I just started Exante yesterday. I've decided I really want to finally lose my baby weight (my 'baby' is now 2 and a half ).

Would love to lose 2.5 stones. That would get me down to my happy weight. Although I only need to lose 11lbs to get to bmi of under 25 so that would be a great start!

I've been really pleasantly surprised by the flavours of everything I've tried so far. Feel quite tired but no headaches. Drinking loads of water as the powdery texture of everything makes my mouth so dry!

Hope you're all getting on well with it still.

Hi Katy, only just checked this thread back. Hope you are still doing ok! Add lots ice and blend it right down so it's alot thicker and add more water and the shakes taste a million percent nicer I've been doing exante for 5 weeks and I've lost 15 pounds so far. Would love to hear from anyone else who was doing it at the beginning of the thread and learn how they are getting on now. Good luck and keep going!!

Hello! Can I join in please? I’m into week 3, having started on 3rd August. 10 lbs down from the start, and feeling really positive. Work trousers are still tight, but better than they were! It’s so nice to read more measured, calm postings than the craziness of the FB group! 😊