Dietimeal as a VLCD?

[MaxieP]

Hi,

Posted this under 'All other Diets' but not sure it was the right place so have moved here.

Am currently doing Cambridge sole source but was looking for a cheaper option. Looked at Exante but it's only cheaper if you buy a mixed selection (I only eat 1 flavour ). I noticed the dietimeal products on the Advilite website and they say that they are a total meal replacement. Does this mean they are safe to use for a VLCD?

Thanks in advance,

Maxie

 

[Miss Demeanour]

Just bought a box-full of their stuff to serve as a top-up and (a variation on) my exante supplies. I was running out of exante bars, and quite frankly wanted a bit of variation, after 3 months-or-so. So while I have plentiful supplies of exante shakes and soups, I fancied a change for my 'third product'.

In short, current consensus of the Avidlite products are suffixed 'MRP', then they're apparently suitable for TFR. If they are meal replacements without the 'MRP', then they're not (on a par with slimfast, and the like). So the meals, bars and soups do, but strangely the shakes don't.

Avidlite are not the manufacturer, but just a relatively responsible reseller - these products are made by a French company, Bariatrix, which will stick another company's branding on. There are other retailers that sell the same products under different branding (usually via Ebay), and claim that all the meal replacements are suitable for TFR, under the proviso that you take a multivit. That's how a number of internet sellers claim to have such a huge range - they appear to be selling products that are designed to be meal replacements, and claiming all are suitable for a TFR as long as you supplement your diet. But take a multivit and everything's OK, right? I'll leave you to decide whether you'd be satisfied with that advice. I'd prefer to know what's missing, so I can ensure that I can ensure I'm supplementing adequately, but that's just me. Avidlite's quite good with that info on the site, but some of the other resellers seem to just assume you'll take their word for it.

So, (and I'm not advocating this - even though I might do the same, we're all responsible for our own choices, and for informing ourselves) if you find a meal replacement product you really like on the Avidlite site and it's not marked MRP, the odd one every now and then slid in amongst proper TFR products can't do any harm, particularly if you're a person who craves variety as would encourage compliance.

If there's a particular product you're interested in, try giving them a call. Not spoken to them myself, but the website seems helpful, so assume they're reasonably clued up.

On an associated note, I've found Avidlite a pleasure to deal with so far - efficient ordering and reasonable postage, economical products (certainly cheaper than the ebay sellers), useful info on their website, even their (non MRP) snack bars have sufficient protein that I generally don't feel the need to snack for the rest of the afternoon. Haven't tried the full extent of the products I've ordered yet, but the few I've had so far seem to do the job. I'd definitely use them again.

 

[NewDawn]

I lost over a stone when I did Dietimeal at the beginning of the year...I did a lot of research checking nutritional values with the leading VLCDs (Cambridge, W8 and Lipotrim) and there was very little difference. Although I only did it for about 5 weeks...I have managed to keep the weight off ......with the help of low carbing/Atkins.

I need to get the last 20lbs off...so I am back on it tomorrow.

Avidlite now sell MRP shepherds pie and spaghetti bol - I find both are tasty.

I only used the MRP products and had 4 packs a day....roughly every pack = 1/4 of daily vitamins = 100%

Hope this helps

 

[MaxieP]

Thanks both, for your very helpful replies

I contacted Sarah at Avidlite who advised 3 meal replacements and an actual protein veg meal in the evening (even though Miss D, you rightly point out the difference between the Dietimeal products - those marked MRP and those not).

Can I ask where you got the nutritional information from regarding the Dietimeal products? Am veggie, but looking at the meals they don't seem to contain meat! Which is a bit of a surprise. Right now I am doing Cambridge but finding it hard to stick with (and the cost is a lot as, due to my height I have 4 packets a day) and keep slipping. The option of 3 plain Quorn fillets and 2tbsp green veg is getting unbearable (especially as I only like one of the flavoured shakes and so eat 3 of those a day )

Thanks again for your help

 

[NewDawn]

If you go to the Avidlite website....click on shakes, meal replacement, soups etc......there is a MORE box and this will give you a list of what is in the packs......it's pretty grim

 

[MaxieP]

Thanks. Just had a look on there and you're right, sounds awful .

But then I looked on the back of one of my Cambridge bars and it has a list of loads of vitamins (k, A,D3, B12 and so on) and other nutrients such as folic acid.

Does this mean the Dietimeal stuff doesn't contain them? I'm getting confused :sigh: as thought it was total meal replacement (I was looking at the chocolate Dietimeal bars).

Thanks in advance

 

[NewDawn]

Yeah yeah.......they have lots of vits etc...similar to other well know brands

 

[Miss Demeanour]

Re the meals - they're indeed soya based. (As are rather a lot of non-diet 'dried' meals. If they were 'fresh' I'd raise an eyebrow about the content (I'm a veggie too). But just about anything 'meaty' that involves adding hot water to reconstitute it, generally isn't. )

I plan to give one a go this evening. Havn't got triffically high hopes, but it's diet food, innit. Any variety in texture is a plus.

Lovin' some of the bars, though.

 

[Miss Demeanour]

Ok, tucking into a cottage pie. As long as you don't go expecting a microwave dinner, it's actually quite good for VLCD diet food. Yeah. I've eaten worse.

 

[MaxieP]

Thanks both, am going to order some now. Is it like Cambridge do you know, with only being able to have one bar/meal a day? I know Cambridge is relatively high carb, just low calorie so I guess I can't mix the 2. Is it ok to mix Exante with Dietimeal? I just can't bear the soups at all so am trying to work out how to get 4 of these things in a day, when shakes are not MRP.

Ah, this hurts my head .

Glad you like the meal Miss D

Maxie x

 

[Miss Demeanour]

there should be no problems with mixing - they're all VLCD products after all. I probably wouldn't have more than one bar-type-portion a day though, but that counts for any of 'em. I'm using exante shakes and soups, and avidlite as 'a third product' cos damned if I was paying over two quid a throw per bar to top up supplies. It's also nice to have a bit of variety, here and there for a change. Not really counting the pounds right now (middle of moving house, scales are packed) so I can't really tell you what it's doing to my losses, but they are doing me good as a means of regaining control. I'm only recently back on the wagon, anyway.

Spag bol tonight. Yeah, for VLCD diet food, it was alright.

 

[MaxieP]

Thanks, glad spag bol was ok. Asked Sarah at Avidlite to confirm veggie and said I presumed they were but I've been caught out before and they don't specifically say 'suitable for veggies'. She said it's because they are french and there is no french for vegetarian. That made me laugh

It says on lowcarbmegastore.com that you need 2 bars for one meal replacement. Is that what you have?

Hope the stress eases soon

 

[Miss Demeanour]

Well, they're sufficiently meat free and artificial, I'll live with it until I know otherwise. I'm quite content as to ther provenance - I'm fairly sure I checked with some websites. And she's not wrong - the French's idea of veggie catering is usually to cut the meat up really small . (But I thought this lot was Canadian, who really ought to know better. Maybe I'm wrong, I'll have another look at the box when I unpack. I'm curious now.)

And yes, two bars count for one meal replacement, so it says on the side of the box - but the bars are quite small, so I'm not surprised. It worries me that people buying online may not be given sufficient bars for one 'meal'. I take two to work, have one, if I feel the need to have the other one later on, I will. They're actually quite rich for diet food, so I don't always. Wouldn't recommend that as a course of action though, just my choice. And I've only had a few days worth so far anyway.

Also using VLCD at the mo as it means I can pack most of the kitchen up into boxes and clean the cooker...

 

[CrappyLapband]

Hi, I have just started my Dieti-meal diet today. I got the spag bol, chicken, veg and mushroom soups and 2 types of bars. I saw that the shakes are not MRP's but they do do them. There are 4 regular flavours - strawberry, choc, banana and vanilla. They are on the website (avidlite) mixed up in the shakes section and they show up on the MRP list of foods they do. Its a shame the others aren't MRPS though as the shake flavours they do have are so boring.

I haven't bought any of the shakes though because I still have some DietFuel MRP shakes left over from when I had my surgery that are still in date. I am going to use that until I run out and then use slimfast for 1 shake a day.

Also 2 bars= 1 meal. I didn't realize this so only have 28 bars instead of 56 which i need. I guess if I feel the need i can top up with slimfast bars until then.

Also the bars are different sizes. The maple fruits bar is 35g and the nougat honey one is 50!!

This has caused me some pains because 2 honey bars are 400cals!!!! whereas 2 maple bars are 282.

I think people need to be careful there

So I am definitely going to mix them. So for me, the bars will cost me 341cals a day.

Bars 341
spag bol 216
soup 135
shake 120

so my cals will be 812 which is not the lowest MRP replacement plan on the planet. I am 5ft 8 so have to have 4 products and as has been said on this thread before Dieti seems to offer 25% of the nutrition in each product so 4 is good. I guess I can always drop it a little later on.

Today is my first day on the full plan and so far its going good.

I had a shake this morning, and 1 bar at lunch and afternoon. I tired the soup yesterday as I was curious and it was ok. It was watery and a little bit powdery, but tasted good which was the main thing. I have totally eaten worse.

What I liked about this was the price - 1 month supply has worked out about £80 for me (apart from the fact that I will need more bars)

I have been full today and those bars are delicious actually. They are filling too and its not 6:15pm and I am actually still full even though my head says otherwise. That's good.

I guess I could drop down to 1 bar a day to lower those cals... hmmm worth thinking about. At the mo, i think i will keep with them though until I need another boost.

anyway, anyone else following dietimeals completely? I have never come across it before Monday when I was searching for an alternative to Cambridge.

 

[sparklebug]

Hi there are a few of us but unfortunately the dietimeal sub forum has gone really quiet (it's in the celeb. slim forum).

I have been having the shakes and a low carb, low cal meal. For the next week i'm just going to have 3 or 4 shakes a day. I know there's members that say this isn't correct but i'm getting more vitamins and minerals than i've ever had and i feel healthier than i've been for a long time oh and i'm an adult

Good luck with your weight loss, the shakes are much nicer than lipotrim apart from the vanilla, that's just like drinking cold liquidised semolina bleurgh

 

[copog]

Hi all
Thought I would join in this thread its hard to find dietiemeal on the forum. I too am using it as a vlcd. I have 4 a day choc shake for breakfast choc bar for lunch shepards pie for tea and another choc shake for supper. I find it ok I appreciate its a bit confusing about total mrp. I wondered if I should be having 2 bars a day because on the box its says 2 bars = 1 meal. Nice to see other postings

 

[Plumjuice]

Can someone tell me if its ok to have 3 of the shakes per day like CD?

 

[Bobbi]

I am confused too - on the avidlite website the shakes say 'mix with water when using as a VLCD' I read that as you can use it as a VLCD.

 

[Becka]

I'm a bit lost...what does mrp mean? I'm having the dietimeal shakes four times a day mixed with water...is this not right?