5.5 stone to lose. DIY shake-only diet!

[Started17June2025]

I've decided to start a thread as a bit of a progress/accountability record. I've had some past success with SW, calorie counting, IF but obviously nothing that worked long term as here I am 😂

My problem is my all or nothing mentality. I have a pretty significant sugar addiction, zero off switch when eating and at the moment I find eating just some food really, really difficult, more than ever before. Plus, I'm now pre-diabetic. Back up to pretty much my heaviest weight now and I've 5.5 stone to lose.

So, I'm not going to eat food at all. I need to take my problem out of the equation completely for a while. I'm going to follow a liquid only shake diet for up to 12 weeks. I'll see how I go as to duration but hopefully it will help me get my cravings and blood sugars more under control before I try eating food again regularly, in healthier portions.

After spending hours (days!) researching meal replacement shakes and trying a couple of starter packs, none of which i liked, I've decided to go the DIY route.

I've used Chat GPT to create a DIY shake plan which is 3 x shakes a day and apparently nutritionally complete, with the support of a decent multivitamin and omega 3 supplement. I went through several iterations because I need it to be simple, with simple ingredients to chuck in my nutribullet, to stick to. I know it's unlikely that the shakes will be perfect but I'm satisfied they'll be 'good enough' for 2 or 3 months and the lesser of two evils between DIY shakes and being obese!

So...day 1: Tuesday 17th June 25
Height: 5ft 5in
Weight now: 15 stone, 10 lbs
Target: 10 stone, 3 lbs - so 5.5 stone to lose

Anyone else doing shakes/liquid only diet?

Wishing you total success and happiness for your journey. Your body will thank you for losing weight and gaining confidence xxx

I'm watching you too. You've done so well. I just wouldn't have the willpower for exclusive shakes. A stone in two weeks is incredible.

Ahh thanks guys 😁

Three full weeks completed as of last night 🥳 and weigh day today.

Start weight: 15 stone, 10 lbs
Week 1 loss: 10lbs
Week 2 loss: 4lbs
Week 3 loss: 3lbs
Total loss: 1 stone 3lbs
Current weight: 14 stone, 7lbs

Aaaannnd...that's enough 😂

The last few days I've really struggled with. I'm not hungry, the shakes are still totally working in that respect but I've had the overwhelming urge to eat. Just to chew something. Anything. I've very very nearly eaten everyday since Thursday wheras up until then I was absolutely fine.

I'm pleased that I stuck it out for 3 weeks and i'm thrilled with the total loss it's given me but I've decided to eat again from today and see how that goes. Good old fashioned calorie counting and sticking to 1400 a day which is more or less what the shakes gave me.

I've had a tuna wholemeal wrap and side salad so far. My word, I was stuffed, I felt like I do after Christmas dinner 😂

I'm going to keep up with shakes in some form - maybe one a day in place of breakfast. And if I plateau or start craving/eating sugar or put weight on then a week on shakes feels like it might be a good circuit break to get back on track.

I'd definitely recommend it for a few weeks to anyone just wanting a good running start though as my experience has been very positive for most of the time and I'm very glad I did it 🙂

Gosh well done. I bet a tuna wrap never tasted so good!

You've done amazingly well to make it to 3 weeks. I bet taste fatigue had really started to set in and it's so hard when you are craving carbs, or in your case, texture!

1 st 3 lb is absolutely nothing to be sniffed at. A great head start to weight loss.

Well done again!!

Brilliant head start. Back to basics calorie counting sounds a good next step.

Well done OP. You sound like you've got a good plan to go forward with. Good luck!