Slimfast

[laurwalsh]

Starting my Slimfast diet on Tuesday. I've ordered loads of powders and their snack products. I really really want to loose a stone. Any advice or success stories welcomed!

@Tara336 thanks for the heads up about this thread

I'm using ( as is DH) a mixture of different meal replacement shakes and soups to do the Newcastle Diet to try to put our type 2 diabetes into remission.
It's a diet that's being prescribed by the NHS is some areas to help T2 diabetics.
It's quite tough 8 weeks of 800 calories, either 4 shakes or 3 and 200 Cals of low carb veggies then 4 weeks of 2 shakes and low carb meal the aim is to loose 15kg in the 8 weeks and reverse the fatty liver, then continue to loose weigh to a health BMI.
Started last Tuesday so will weigh on Tuesday.
It's easier with both of us doing it and no DC's at home

Well I tried slim fast after my weight suddenly creeped up on me - what worked in the end was simply cutting down on food. Setting times to eat and stopping ‘snacking.’ I also had a bad habit (don’t know how it happened) that when my kids left food I’d finish any food on their plate. I stopped that. I still have occasional treats and snacks (especially over Christmas) but overall I just eat way less. I reduce foods like chocolate, crisps, and fizzy drinks to only occasional foods, I eat smaller portions, and I try not to finish off my kids’ plates. I lost three stone - and I kept it off because it wasn’t a case of replacing unhealthy habits (snacking on crisps and sweets) with basically the same (slim fast bars and snacks). Realistically you are simply not going to stick to drinking milkshakes for two meals for life - so why not start learning to eat more healthily from the beginning?

That’s not me knocking it necessarily for others though! If it works for others it works for them. Any way to get where you want in the end.

I did my first week, well started Tuesday. Finding it tough! I've put some pats into the shake using almond milk and ice in a nutra bullet and honestly it's absolutely delicious!! But evening time I'm not being as disciplined as I should with my meal and additional snacks. I'm hoping next week I'll be stricter as I imagine it won't work the way I'm doing it. I find the Slimfast snacks delicious too, especially the savoury pretzels and crackers. I'm not going ti weight myself for a while though so as not to dishearten myself. I hope everyone is doing ok with whatever route you're taking. So depressing carrying this extra weight, fingers crossed in a month or two I'll start to feel a bit of progress!

Yeah i use coconut, rice or almond milk in mine. I can tolerate a tiny bit of normal milk in a cup of tea but there's no way I could drink a glass full of the stuff even if it's mixed with slim fast. I used to mix it with milk but post pregnancy most things made with milk leave a disgusting aftertaste in my mouth now. The only difference I've noticed is it's a slightly thinner consistency using a plant based milk.

This is what I meant about just not getting it. The slim fast pretzels have the same calories as a bag of quavers, and I think more calories than a bag of skips! That’s what makes me think it’s actually not a really well thought out or sustainable diet plan. If I was dieting I wouldn’t have a can of Coke and a fudge for breakfast and lunch followed by a normal dinner and then a couple of bags of quavers. That would be seen as odd and unhealthy. But for some reason if you put ‘slim fast’ on the label it’s a great diet plan.

The snacks are just a way for them to make more profit, but that's fair enough. As long as your snacks are around 100 calories then you can have whatever. I'm not sure what you don't get, if you want you can buy slim fast branded snacks, perhaps people prefer the taste of them or feel more assured that they're within the calorie range. If you wanted to you could have a bag of quavers and still be "on plan". Or course the ideal is that you'd have a balanced and nutritious snack, but if a bag of crisps now and then keeps people going then who cares. It's not about health overall as much as weight loss.

Morning everyone, I weighed myself... I have lost 4lb! I am thrilled! I haven't had shakes all of the first week as its just been impossible due to what's going on in my life at the moment. But I've stuck to eating healthily, no snacks, only one glass of Pepsi max this week. I'm sure it won't be as great amount every week, but I'm guessing that while I'm this much overweight my body is probably keener to shed some of it.

@Tara336 wooohoo great news well done you

@MissCherryCakeyBun thank you! I took one of those photos everyone seems to do at the start of a diet, i doubt it will look any different if I did one today, but it's spurred me on and that's what I needed

@laurwalsh good luck with your efforts, I have used these shakes as part of my efforts over the last two years I normally just use them for a lunch replacement on days when I’m in work. I have also greatly reduced my carb intake and my snacking, really important (in my opinion) to learn about nutrition to enable a swap back to ordinary food to maintain once “diet” is over. Over the last two years I have lost twenty five kilos but still have a way to go.

@MissCherryCakeyBun good luck to you and your DH in following the Newcastle diet. My target was also to lose the magic 15kg to reduce my chance of developing type 2 in my case. As my HbA1c was towards the top of prediabetes range I wanted to take action before it crossed the threshold.

Forgot to say that “Life without diabetes” by Prof Roy Taylor is a well written easy to read book explaining why losing 15kg can be so important. Also very good but less easily digested (excuse the pun!🤣) are “The diabetes code” and “The obesity code” by Dr Jason Fung

I guess I don’t get the idea that it’s somehow a good way to lose weight. As I said, if I told people I was having a can of Coke and a fudge bar for breakfast and lunch, followed by a full dinner and a few bags of quavers, nobody would say ‘that sounds like a good and sustainable diet plan.’ But that’s basically what’s being done.

@Kanaloa I quite agree. Better not to snack at all (to minimise insulin spikes) and if you must then low carb/sugar high protein/fat ie filling is the way to go👍

@Tara336 well done!! I’ve had a few extravagant meals out this week so don’t dare to weigh myself. Hopefully I’ll do better next week! @Kanaloa it’s not the healthiest way but at least with 15g of protein a slim fast for breakfast is more satisfying and balanced than 2 slices of toast for example. In the end I plan to replace the slim fasts with a huel or other protein shake for lunch for get a better nutrient profile in 200-400 calories when I’m in the office than I do in most of my (expensive) takeaway lunches from pret or similar. Shakes aren’t generally bad and slimfast tastes better than the healthier shakes so it’s a good compromise for some people. There are lots of 100 calorie snacks available so lots of ways to do this with better nutrition 😊

@sparkledust11 thank you! I'm also using the NHS weight loss app which is so helpful, tracking calories and also showing me what foods are better long term. I'm taking the shake route as a starter as I'm miserable the weight I am and I just want to get a good quick start while making (and learning) healthier choices as I go

Interestingly enough I’ve somehow gained a kilogram with 3 Christmas/ new years dinners in a week. Now I have 2-3 kg to lose and I’m behind on my goal! Back onto it this week, wish me luck! How are you all doing?

@sparkledust11 I've lost another pound when I weighed in this morning but not been doing shakes everyday as another chaotic week unfortunately. Hopefully next week life will be a bit more back to normal and I can get back on it more intently I am sticking with eating very healthy and no snacks though. I did have a treat today and ate a cake while out for a coffee

Hi, glad I've found this thread. I've started slimfast yesterday. Can't see me doing this ling term, but good as a kick start. I'm not buying their snacks. Just 2 shakes followed by a healthy meal, and fruit if I'm hungry.

@Tara336 its a step in the right direction, well done! @Beautiful3 that’s probably the right way to do it, I don’t think encouraging unhealthy snacks is the best idea, fruit is a good long term option! So far today I’ve had some pineapple slices, a few grapes and a pear. Plan to have an apple later :)

Hi I've started slimfast today. My plan is to follow it strictly for one month as a reset then start to introduce healthy meals for lunch. I'm aiming to lose 21 pounds in total but would love to lose 12 pounds over the next month so that I'm I the next stone bracket...not sure if that is realistic but I intend to give it my best shot.

Just a quick budget tip. Tesco do an own brand version of slimfast which is fab

The Tesco Vanilla one is amazing especially if done in a blender with a bit of extra water it goes super thick and tastes like mr Whippy

Thank you I will definitely look into the Tesco shakes.