I am on the verge of giving up - please help!

Hi All,

so im new to minimins and have signed up for Curve Appeals 30 day challenge.

I lost 10lbs in 3 weeks recently and then put it all back on. I have about 3 1/2 stone to lose.
But for some reason i just cant get back on the Exante diet. Ill have a bar around middayish at work, then fill myself up on loads of coffee and water have a shake at 4:30ish but when i get home it all goes to pot! i just eat lots in the evening and whilst watching tv and just cant seem to get back on the exante wagon.

i think i just miss not being able to eat 600cal of real food as opposed to 3 exante products. i find i can eat/snack quite alot for only 600cal (im a big snacker!). but i guess with exante because the gaps in time are quite long with no snacks allowed - i end up just caving in and eating for a small village.

Would you recommend i mix and match real food with exante products amounting up to 600cal just to kick start me?? then im thinking maybe eventually once im in ketosis ill find it easier to stick to 3 products only and wont miss the need for real food!

Please help - any good adivce or tips would be much appreciated to help me get back in that mindset. i really want to lose some weight!

Hi Skhan! The first few days are the hardest but in about 3/4 days you'll get into ketosis and won't feel hungry at all (I now struggle to have all my packs). Until then when you feel like snacking remember why you started exante in the first place and try and get yourself back into that mindset. And try and evenly distribute your packs so that you're not as hungry at night and fill up on lots of water. I also allow myself one can of coke zero in between meals in the evening. There loads of extras you can have like bovril etc that might tide you over to the next meal.

That being said you just need to find out what works for you. Maybe try and ease yourself into exante first by doing a low carb diet where you are eating 'real food' but sticking to minimal calories then the switch over will be easier. Or there are loads of other options apart from total solution so you can add in normal food too. Or you could even just add in an extra bar at night then you'd be having 800 cal. It is better to do that that to feel like breaking your diet by snacking.

Hope this helps a bit? And good luck! You really CAN do it

Hi Skhan, sorry to hear you're having such a rubbish time at starting Exante.

The first few days CAN be very difficult, but the hunger pangs and cravings DO leave. It might take you suffering through an hour or more of thinking you desperately need food, during which time just try to distract yourself.
With the better weather coming in, just go for a walk in the evening when hunger hits - get outside and forget about it if you can.

You can also simply add a low-carb meal to help out...I find having a chunk of cheese, a few olives or some meat with salad leaves can satisfy a craving, or a need to eat out.

Good luck, and don't give up!

Distraction is the key, if you think you want something say you'll have it in 15mins, if you still want it, then have it, but I usually find the craving passes. around 3pm is my worst time so I 'treat' myself to a coke zero.

You could maybe do the diet for a couple days a week and eat low carb on the other days, then slowly drop a low carb and replace with an exante day until you are 100%, but please don't give up!