My Exante Experiment

[trialanderror]

So..I have been following Slimming World for almost 2 years, reaching my target of 12st7 last August, with a total weight loss of 3st exactly. I maintained this loss until May, when due to a very stressful time I began to struggle, and have gradually put on around a stone. I have become a little bit stuck, struggling to stick to the SW plan and giving in to temptation pretty easily. Exante came up on a discount site a few weeks ago, so I took the plunge and ordered a 2 week pack, more as a bit of an experiment really. I have never done a food replacement diet before, and in all honesty I couldn't see myself using it as a long term plan, but I think doing it for 2 weeks will help to get me back in the right place mentally and help give me a bit of a kick start, hopefully getting me somewhere near to my target again. I will be weighing daily, and will take my measurements again at the end of the first week. My other half is doing it with me, as he's gained a little bit of weight recently and wants to shift it quickly, so we each have a 2 week pack, and I've organised the packs so we are having the same thing each day, and we're not going to end up with a whole day of just shakes at the end! We're both doing the total replacement plan, 100%.

Here are my starting measurements and my weight:
Weight: 13st9.6
Body fat: 39.3%
Hydration: 43.9%
Bust: 100cm
Under-bust: 89cm
Waist:82cm
Belly: 106cm
Hips: 105cm
Thigh:68.5cm
Top of arm: 37.5cm

 

[Round is the shape I am]

good luck. i have started today as well, great to have apartner to diet with, i will be cooking my childrens meals alongside this. lol

 

[trialanderror]

Yeah, I think it will make it a lot easier with OH doing it too, he's a really good cook, so if he was eating nice food I think I'd really struggle! How are you finding it so far? I had a shake for breakfast at about 10 and am just having soup for lunch now, and haven't felt too hungry really.

 

[trialanderror]

Today's weight is 13st5.8, body fat is 34.4% And hydration is 47.1

 

[trialanderror]

Today's weight is 13st5.8, body fat is 34.4% And hydration is 47.1%

Oh my gosh!!! I'm so please with that! Just about to start day 2 with my porridge, and as yet I haven't really felt hungry at all, or felt headachy or ill. Wow!

 

[trialanderror]

Day 3.. Just weighed in for this morning, weight is 13st5.4lb, body fat is 34.8% and hydration is 46%, so not much change from yesterday. A slight dip in weight, but body fat has gone up by .4% and hydration down by 1.1%, even though I'm drinking loads of water.

I have a headache, which I had last night too. I think it might be more to do with being on my computer all day yesterday than anything else though. I don't normally spend whole days on the computer, but I have an essay due today. It doesn't feel like a food withdrawal headache either, I've had them before when giving up diet coke or chocolate.

I've been feeling really tired and lethargic too, last night I slept straight through from 11 till 8 this morning, which is really rare for me. I didn't even wake up when OH's alarms went off this morning, and he sets about 4 of them! No real hunger though, I've been hungry at mealtimes but only the same as I normally am. Also, although I've not been full after my meal replacements, I've never still been hungry, they've been satisfying. OH said he was still hungry after last night's soup though. Tomato and basil isn't as nice as vegetable.

 

[trialanderror]

Ok, partway through day 3, I'm not hungry but I'm craving real food. Every time I see anything on TV where people are eating, I want whatever they have. Even the KFC advert is making me want KFC, which I never want. Aaargh!

 

[notsoskinnymarge]

The cravings are habits, I find.
Drink as much water as you can, and it will take away any urges.
Well done for losing before, and realising that your weight was creeping up again.
When this diet is done correctly, it really does work
Good Luck \

 

[trialanderror]

Hi notsoskinnymarge, thanks for popping by I think it's more the texture of real food that I'm craving, I really miss actually chewing my meals lol. The exante food tastes fine, and I'm not hungry, and it's nothing specific I'm craving, just actual proper food. Hmmm.

Well, it's the end of day 4, and here's what the scales said this morning. Weight 13st3.2lb body fat 34.9% hydration 46.6%. I'm glad to see the weight going down, but I'm slightly confused by the body fat percentage...I'd have thought that would be going down if I'm in ketosis and using my fat stores?!? I definitely think I'm in ketosis, and think I have been since yesterday. Confused ?!?

Anyway, today there has been no hunger again. I've been at work today, the first day since I started this, and I feel absolutely exhausted now. I got through the day ok and as I said, wasn't hungry, but tonight I'm ridiculously tired. I'm thinking I might have to adapt slightly after the weekend and maybe bring in a small meal. I've got a 5 day stint at work starting Sunday, and if I'm feeling this shattered after one day, I think attempting 5 days on the trot might be a bit silly.

I'll carry on as I am until Sunday so I will have done a full week and see how I feel then. I can't see the point in doing it full on for the full 2 weeks if I'm going to be exhausted and miserable. We'll see.

 

[trialanderror]

I'm drinking loads of water too, aound 3 litres a day. Well, I have been while I'm at home, it's not really feasible to drink that much at work because I can't keep going to the loo all the time there!

 

[notsoskinnymarge]

I don't really know anything about the body fat or hydration part of your stats, sorry
I always find that I do feel very tired initially, but after a couple of days it seems to lift. I'm not sure why.
I have in the past found that the more water I drink, the less tired I feel. I don't know if there is a scientific reason for this, or if its the constant going to the loo that keeps me awake
I agree though, sometimes it is impossible to drink when you are at work, or in other circumstances that do not permit it.
But you are doing smashing regardless

 

[trialanderror]

I'm hoping the tiredness will go, I'd like to be able to keep going for the full 2 weeks. How long have you been on exante?

I slept like a log last night, to the point that I don't even remember OH getting in bed, which was only a few mins after me, he was in the bath when I got in bed lol. I still feel tired this morning though, hoping I'll feel better after my breakfast shake in a little while.

The result on the scales this morning was great, weight 13st1.6lb body fat 33.9% and hydration 47.3%, so another drop in weight and finally a shift in body fat. I'm not at work today so hopefully it should be a bit easier, and I can drink lots more water when I'm at home.

 

[notsoskinnymarge]

I have being doing Exante, on and off for just over 2 years !! Shocking eh ?
The first 4 and a half months I did lose 4st 7lbs. Bang on target !!
I kept the weight off for a few months, but xmas and new year gave me an excuse to eat, and I never quite got back into it properly last year, and gained nearly 3st
This year, in January, I was uber good. . February wasn't too bad either, as I it meant I had lost 2st in that time .
However from March to June, I have been hovering around the 15's again
This month, I am doing well so far
And have resisted picking at night, which is always a downward spiral for me.
By the end of this month, I hope to be as close to 14st as possible
This diet does work, if you stick to it, I know, because of my initial try at it was fairly successful.
But, like all diets, if you don't stick to it, it wont work

 

[trialanderror]

Well done I'm sure you'll get there, you've done it before so I'm sure you'll get back there. I've been looking round a few diaries on here and can see it really works if you can stick to it. I know I could never stick to it long term, for me I'm using it more as a kick start to get me back where I want to be, and then will be using slimming world to lose any few pounds left to get back to target and maintain. When my head is in the right place I find slimming world really easy to stick to and it doesn't interfere with my lifestyle too much.

I've read about people gaining a few pounds back when they switch from VLCDs back to normal food and am hoping that if I kind of gradually phase normal food back in that won't happen? I was thinking of starting just by having one small meal on top of the packs, then switching one pack for a second meal, then going back to normal food. Any ideas on how that will work?

 

[notsoskinnymarge]

Unfortunately I have never gotten to the maintenance side of things . YET !!
When I lost 4st 7lbs, I was still 1st 7lbs from goal, and went on holiday.
I was losing again on my return, but as I say, xmas, and a change of circumstances change my diet karma .
I think the Exante website does give a reefed section.
I have also heard others on here talking about following the lipotrim and CD re-feed sections
Personally, I would do as you say, but try to avoid the carbs for the first few weeks.
I think that too many hardcore carbs is bad for me anyway, so I am going to try and limit my intake of these

 

[trialanderror]

Thanks, I was planning to do low carb slimming world meals, with no fat added to anything and slowly introduce carbs back in.

I've had a look around on here at the maintainers section and also saw the liptotrim refeeders feeds, thanks for the tip.

Today I've felt awful, still really tired and headachy kept going dizzy. I also snapped at OH for no real reason

 

[notsoskinnymarge]

Get more water in you. Even if you think you have had enough, drink more !!

 

[trialanderror]

I physically can't drink any more water! I'm getting through at least 3 litres a day and I'm already in the loo all the time. I'm in there at least once every hour! I'm sipping water pretty much constantly, and keeping bottles in the fridge so I've always got nice cold water to drink as room temp water makes me feel really nauseous x

 

[trialanderror]

Well, the scales today said weight 13st1.4lb body fat 32.9% hydration 48.1%. The denim shorts That were tight a couple of weeks ago are now falling down so I'm happy.

I've decided that after Sunday I'm going to add in a small carb free meal on top of the packs, such as chicken or tuna salad, then gradually phase carbs back in.

 

[notsoskinnymarge]

Thsts good news about the shorts eh ?
And adding in low carb food also soinds like a good plan
Are you going for 3 packs and a 400cal meal or some other combination ?