Australia variations to CWP ... ready to drink shakes

[Zecond]

I've just seen on the box of chocolate ready to drink shakes that each drink of 330ml (of which I'm supposed to have either 3 plus a small meal when on Step2, or 3 or 4 a day if on Step 1 - depending on height) has 29.3g of carbs each. This means that even if I were only having 3 drinks a day I'd be consuming almost 90g of carb. No wonder I'm bloody hungry. I'm not even in ketosis!

The ready to drink shakes (tetras) weren't like this in the UK when I did the diet before. The quantities were smaller (I think), and there's no way they were that many carbs each.

They are also 200 cal each.

Anyway, I'm just writing to rant that the products aren't the same in Australia to what is available in the UK and I'm upset because it is leaving me hungry and I really want to be on Step 1 with food replaced completely in order to re-train my brain not to rely on food as a crutch, etc.

I couldn't understand why I was hungry these past few days.



so sad. I really want to lose this weight. My head is in the right place. I don't like the other shakes but it looks like I'm going to have to combine them with the ready to drinks. I'll just skull the drink down, lumps and all

 

[serialslimmer]

Sorry to hear that the Aussie version has so many more carbs. I'm at a loss as to why this may be so. I read years back that if you stay below 800 calories per day every day, regardless of the type of food you eat/drink, you go into ketosis. Maybe you could have two shakes and a small regular meal of protein and veg? Good luck x

 

[CraftyLittleRat]

Ketosis is all about carbs - there are people who eat a LOT more food then we do (real food!) but can stay in ketosis. The Ketosis combined with the very low cals helps the weight come off quicker, the people with real food can loose up to about 2 lbs a week so I've seen. They say to keep carbs under 90g a day - but it's not an exact science and depends on the person. I had a bar, soup and powder shake today and netted under 50g carbs.

Zecond - I bought myself a smoothie blender, a bit like the Breville Actiblend. You pop water and then the powder in the bottle, then screw on the blade for the cap. Turn the whole thing upside down and put it in the dock and press down to blend. I find it makes my shakes really really smooth - no lumps at all. Plus you can blend them with ice to make it feel thicker. Bit cold over here now for that, but I'm sure it would be lovely over there as it's summer!

If it's for convenience, maybe have a pre made for lunch and breakfast and tea use the powder in the blender. I know they'd hate me at work if I started lugging a blender in! Luckily a tiny hand whisk for my soup only gets me some funny looks.

Fantastic job on loosing 1 and a half stones so far! You've done so well - you can do it!

 

[Zecond]

Thanks for replying to my rant It was helpful this morning to read what you wrote.

Sorry to hear that the Aussie version has so many more carbs. I'm at a loss as to why this may be so. I read years back that if you stay below 800 calories per day every day, regardless of the type of food you eat/drink, you go into ketosis. Maybe you could have two shakes and a small regular meal of protein and veg? Good luck x

Hi I know the website says "Please note that formulations, services and distribution methods may vary between countries in accordance with national regulations and commercial considerations." but this is a significant difference and doesn't seem to be communicated well, and the literature does not reflect it. The little booklet you get with the steps and the recipes refers to the ready drinks as though they can be used the same way as the bars and powdered shakes/soups... but I don't see how, when there is twice the carb value plus the extra calories.

Ketosis is all about carbs - there are people who eat a LOT more food then we do (real food!) but can stay in ketosis. The Ketosis combined with the very low cals helps the weight come off quicker, the people with real food can loose up to about 2 lbs a week so I've seen. They say to keep carbs under 90g a day - but it's not an exact science and depends on the person. I had a bar, soup and powder shake today and netted under 50g carbs.

Zecond - I bought myself a smoothie blender, a bit like the Breville Actiblend. You pop water and then the powder in the bottle, then screw on the blade for the cap. Turn the whole thing upside down and put it in the dock and press down to blend. I find it makes my shakes really really smooth - no lumps at all. Plus you can blend them with ice to make it feel thicker. Bit cold over here now for that, but I'm sure it would be lovely over there as it's summer!

If it's for convenience, maybe have a pre made for lunch and breakfast and tea use the powder in the blender. I know they'd hate me at work if I started lugging a blender in! Luckily a tiny hand whisk for my soup only gets me some funny looks.

Fantastic job on loosing 1 and a half stones so far! You've done so well - you can do it!

Yes, what you say is right. I know that some people's carb threshold is different to others. I'm not comfortable being up at 90g of carbs a day and the fact I've been hungry (properly hungry, not a fake hunger) as the day goes on supports the fact that I can't get away with that much if I want to be in ketosis.

Thanks for the info re. the blender. I can't use it at work - too noisy and I'd have everyone asking what I was doing and I don't want that.

Today I had two of the ready drinks and a bar from an alternative vlcd that is available from chemists in Australia. The bar only has 13g of carbs, giving me a total of 71g of carbs for the day. I wouldn't want to go any higher than that.

I'll maybe get one of the soups/a powdered shake to have in the evening as suggested - or, alternatively, go with the protein and 80g veg, but I'd rather not right now.

Again, thanks for your input. It was helpful.

 

[TwinkleToesT]

Hey! I'm australian too and i've never had a Ready Made one but i was really planning to get one before i saw your post. How inconvenient Do they taste good??

If you don't mind me asking what was the bar you bought from an Australian Chemist?

 

[Zecond]

hiya

They do taste good. The chocolate one is just like a chocolate milk (to me) and I sometimes semi freeze one and eat it slowly. Takes me about half an hour to eat (with a teaspoon) and fills me up. The blueberry and pomegranate one is good as long as it is icy cold.

You could have one a day and you'd be ok. It's just that I was having three a day and had planned to have four a day when on Step 1 (I'm tall). I won't be doing that now! I'll have one a day, maybe two every second day.

The bar is one of the optifast bars (chocolate). 13g carbs. Optifast (also available to buy online) can be used as a total meal replacement vlcd just like Cambridge, but they advise having a little oil (to help prevent gallstones) and some green veg each day too. I was going to do that, but I just can't do three powdered shakes or two shakes and a bar a day. I dread it! I found them too sweet.

So, until I work out what to do with the Cambridge plan (i see my consultant again on Tuesday), I'll have two ready drinks and one Optifast bar a day. This means I'm consuming 71g of carbs a day. I would prefer to be doing less, but I don't have much choice this week.
There is a brand Optislim. Don't confuse that with Optifast. It is Optifast that is a true vlcd that can be used as a total meal replacement. There is a cranberry (I think that is what it is) bar too, but that has about 20g of carbs in it so I won't have that one.

Really, there's nothing wrong with having one of the ready made drinks a day plus two other products. It's only an issue because that is all I have and 3 to 4 of those a day meant 90 to 120 g of carbs. Too much, as I want to remain in ketosis.