Em's weight loss journey 2014 - Caribbean Countdown!

Hello!

Today I have begun my Slim & Save mission to drop 6 stone. Eek! I will start by admitting I am a serial dieter, and have most likely tried most of the diets under the sun. I know a lot of people say the best way to lose weight is to eat less and move more and that is fine in principle, but I am currently the biggest I have ever been and it is having a huge impact on my life. I could not bear to be losing 0.5lbs/1lb a week for the duration of my weight loss, not when I have so much to lose. On the scales this morning I weighed in at 16 stone exactly, I never thought I would get this big, EVER. But I am, and now I need to do something about it, I HAVE to.

There are SO many reason I want to lose weight but there is one big reason at the moment. It is my hubby and I's 10 year wedding anniversary next year and we have booked a 2 week cruise around the Caribbean in March 2015 to celebrate. I refuse to be overweight for this cruise! I want to be able to enjoy it, wear whatever I like and feel comfortable (hell, might even wear a bikini!!!!), eat whatever I like (within reason), and be happy to have my photo taken.

So today my taster box arrived from Slim and Save, and I'm quite keen to get this first week done and out the way as I know it won't be easy. I have done Cambridge before which was ok, but I couldn't afford it this time around so giving S&S a try. I've seen some inspirational people on here, and hoping that keeping a diary might help me stay on track and maybe help others in the future if I am successful (or should I say WHEN I am successful!)

Will report back later with how I have got on on day 1!

Good luck, I hope you are soon in the S&S zone and dropping the pounds.

Hi Emily87. Am starting mine tomorrow. We can do this journey together if you fancy it
Good luck.

Thank you skinny girl Looking at your losses you are doing amazing, 1 stone in 2 weeks! WOW! Congratulations

Thank you v12345. That would be great, think I'm going to need all the support I can get lol. Good luck on your s&s journey as well and let me know how your first day goes.

Day 1
Pack 1 - Cambridge Choc shake
Pack 2 - Banoffee porridge (Not so great, wont be ordering again)
Pack 3 - Orange and Mango shake (Disgusting, never again)
Pack 4 - Spaghetti Bolognese (Yummy! Really enjoyed this)

So day one is over and done with, and it wasn't too bad. Made sure I drank loads of water which I am hoping will help. My taster box didnt arrive until early afternoon so I had to have one of my left over Cambridge shakes in the morning (I do love the Choc and Choc Mint shakes that they do, yum yum). My box has an interesting selection, not necessarily all the ones I would have chosen, but it will be good to see which ones I like and dont like. To be honest I struggled a bit today, two of the packs I tried I really didn't think were very nice at all. It was a real struggle to get them down. So I was feeling a bit disheartened, thinking 'OMG how am I going to get through the next 6 months if they all taste like this!'. So that wasn't great, and I got a bit emotional in the evening, but I am hoping that there are at least some packs that I can enjoy, like the Spag bol which I LOVED. Feels like you are having something proper to eat. I didn't have any veg in the house to go with my dinner, but hubby went out shopping and now I have some broccoli and cauliflower to have with it which will really make it feel like a proper meal. So I can look forward to that at the end of each day.

Finding it hard not eating whatever I want and keep staring into the cupboards and fridge, but I think it is more out of habit and boredom than hunger. I didn't really feel too hungry today. I am really dreading the next few days though, getting into ketosis for me in the past has been horrible and I know what to expect now so I think that makes it even worse! Just hoping I quickly come out the other side and start to feel more normal again, then fingers crossed for the lbs dropping off!

Well done on Day 1. You might well find your tastes change as you carry on with the packs, although have to agree with you about the Orange and Mango shake, infact I am not keen on any of the fruit type shakes. Not tried the banofee porridge!

I hope to drop 4lbs this week so that will be 2 stone in 6 weeks. Keep at the packs you will get the results.

2 stone in six weeks is amazing, I will cross my fingers for you

Day 2
Pack 1 - Scrambled egg (not as bad as I thought it might be, but not sure I will order again)
Pack 2 - Chocolate (yummy, best so far)
Pack 3 - Dark chocolate Truffa bar (this was very tasty and felt like a nice treat)
Pack 4 - Cottage Pie (nice but not quite as nice as the spag bol)

Another day done Still feeling ok, had a bit of a niggling headache coming on but drank more water and it cleared up. Have been experiencing some heartburn which is annoying but not unbearable. Had a better experience with the packs today too, I didn't find any of them unbearable which is promising. A bit nervous about day 3 tomorrow as I have to work so hoping I don't start feeling horrible. Have been quite tired and hubby told me off for falling asleep on the sofa this evening! Had 200g of broccoli with my cottage pie which was nice, did feel quite full after though so hope it doesn't mean I ate too much.

Day 3
Pack 1 - Mint Chocolate (nice, but not quite as nice as chocolate)
Pack 2 - Strawberry (surprisingly nice)
Pack 3 - Milk chocolate Truffa bar (nice but I liked the dark choc a bit more)
Pack 4 - Chilli con carne (yummy, quite spicy)

Discarded packs - Vegetable soup, Four Cheese Pasta

Phew another day done and still feeling ok, although I kind of feel like I want to get the getting into ketosis bit over and done with. Work was ok, I just tried to spread out my packs evenly and drink plenty of water. I have had heartburn on and off through out the day again tho which isn't much fun and my legs have been aching this evening, but don't know if that is anything to do with the diet or not. Tired again this evening and fell asleep on the sofa, oops.

I did try the vegetable soup for one of my meal packs, but I just couldn't stomach it. I never have been very good with VLCD soup packs and was hoping these might be different, but for me sadly not. So I kind of wrote that one off and had the bar instead. I also tried the four cheese pasta which again I couldn't stomach and from past experience I should have known. They are all very similar on different diets. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the strawberry shake, I have hated any strawberry shakes on other diets before but this one was actually really nice so will definitely add it to the list to re order.

Sounds like another good day for day 2 and 3 for you. You cannot of eaten too much because you have had your allowed packs and vegetable allowance. Carry a water bottle with you at all times and glug, glug, glug away! I cannot stand the smell of the Four Cheese Pasta but I have seen that others love it. Just have all my packs that I have left at my feet to sort into 4 packs for each day and see what else I need to order.
I freeze my bars, they live in the freezer. I don't have them very often but they are there if I need them.
Good luck for day 4.

Skinny girl - Do you have a selection of packs that you stick to all the time? Freezing the bars is a great idea, I don't want to have them too often rather stick to shakes and a 'dinner' pack if I can.

Day 4
Pack 1 - Porridge (was disappointed in this, have loved the plain porridge on other VLCDs previously but couldn't stomach this one)
Pack 2 - Cappuccino (again disappointed, loved other Cappuccino shakes before, had to down this very quickly but then felt quite sick the rest of the day!)
Pack 3 - Milk Choc and Coconut bar (quite nice, kind of like a coconutty milky way)
Pack 4 - Spicy Spaghetti (LOVED this)

Urgh, really struggling with some of these meal packs! Oh my goodness there are some horrendous ones. I know everyone has different taste and some people may love them but there are some that just make me gag. Its funny how people can be so different. I think I'm going to be left with just a select few that I stick to for the duration of the diet. Day 4 was pretty tough for me, the worst day yet I think. I suddenly seem to have come down with a cold (don't know if its anything to do with the diet or just bad timing) but that just made me feel twice as bad. Had a niggling headache most of the day despite downing what felt like a swimming pool of water. And then felt very nauseous after the Cappuccino shake which I really struggled with, and just so tired and grouchy. I am on call for work this weekend and it was one of those days where everything that could go wrong seemed to go wrong, so that didn't help much either. But got some snoozes on the sofa and got a fairly early night. Hoping today was the worst of it and things only get better tomorrow!

Day 5
Pack 1 - Cherry Chocolate shake (not sure what to think of this one, it was drinkable I think...)
Pack 2 - Lemon Yoghurt shake (was really really surprised with this one, it smelt horrendous and I was prepared to tip it straight down the sink but actually it didn't taste that bad)
Pack 3 - Honey and Nougat bar (quite tasty, had nice crunchy bits in it)
Pack 4 - Mild Curry (horrible, really horrible)

Discarded - Rhubarb and Custard shake

Feeling better today than I was yesterday but still a bit off. I've definitely got a cold and a very stuffy nose and tickly throat which I think is what is making me feel a bit sick. And my head has felt a bit spacey today but no headache. Did try a ketostick today and it was ever so slightly pink so I'm hoping I'm heading in the right direction now.

Had a rubbish day of packs today again though, I cant say I really enjoyed any of them. The Rhubarb and custard was horrendous, that went straight down the sink. It tasted like flowers or something, even my hubby couldn't stand the smell. And the Mild Curry was just not very nice at all, there was some kind of flavour in there that just did not work for me. So I think it looks like I'm going to be sticking to the bologneses, chilli and cottage pie for my 'dinner' packs. I do still have Pasta Carbonara and Mushroom Pasta to try from my taster box but I'm really not too sure if I should even bother with these two! I think I can imagine what they might be like. And I'm really nervous about the remaining shake flavours I've got left to try.

Really looking forward to my first weigh in on Wednesday to see how I've done this week. I haven't been missing food too much just yet, but I'm sure that time will come. I remember when I did Cambridge before, I became obsessed with the food channels on TV and looking at recipes online. I'd sit there all evening just looking at food lol.

I have a variety of packs. Favourite meal packs are cottage pie, spaghetti bolognaise, chilli, pasta carbonara, mushroom pasta mainly. Bars I only have few a week and like the dark Truffa one not so keen on the mint or orange. Shake wise I like the banana which is about the only fruit one I like, caramel, toffee, cafe latte ones are fine. I try and give my self a variety everyday so 2 hot meals and a shake and a bar or 2 shakes and 2 hot meals.
Keep going you are doing so well writing it all down. It makes me wish I had started a diary. I did lose 4lb this week so that is 2 stone in 6 weeks!

Hey hun you're doing superb! Sorry you're having a few rubbish packs though as that doesn't help. I'm sure you'll be in ketosis soon if not already and the power surge you'll get with that should help with that cold.

I did Cambridge years ago too and can honestly say I much much much prefer SnS! Without a doubt. I found it so much easier to stick to and the restrictions aren't so heavy - like I could be sociable and have a cuppa tea when out and about or at a friends house and they'd be none the wiser that I was on this diet. Whereas having no milk with Cambridge it was a struggle to gulp down a black tea or coffee!! It's the little things!! Ha ha.
Try a few tricks of the trade - some flavours taste nice hot as well as cold and you might find them more tolerable?: banana (yes I know!) cappuccino chocolate caramel hazelnut vanilla - are all nice hot and also with a shot of coffee/flavoured coffee n sweetener you have yourself a treat!!
It's definitely worth sticking at it. I piled all my Cambridge diet weight back on - but if you look at my SnS diary I have lost more than I did with Cambridge - and have kept it off for 7 months now!
Good luck sweetie and remember these forums are here to help distract you and support you and cheer you on.


Xx

Oops, haven't posted in a couple of days. Been busy with work, feeling horrible with this stupid cold and went to see Lee Evans on tour last night! It's been a dream of mine for years to see him live and it was AMAZING, so so funny.

Anyways, back to it. Today was weigh in number 1 and I lost........8.5lbs!! Woohoooo. Really really pleased with that, although I don't feel like I've lost over half a stone lol. Only downside, I did a ketostick this morning and it didn't change colour So I'm hoping I'm still in ketosis and the stick is just wrong, I dunno.

Had a mixed couple of days with packs, I need to do another order of the ones I like, but I still have a few more to try. Some have surprised me and others have been exactly as I expected. I have been filling the gaps a bit with leftover Cambridge and All about W8 packs because I know I like them and am safe to have them at work without feeling sick lol. So here is what I had (if I can remember!):

Day 6
Pack 1 - Cambridge Chocolate shake
Pack 2 - Mint Choc Truffa (its was ok, VERY minty)
Pack 3 - Cookie and Cream (was expecting this to be gross, but actually it wasn't bad, kinda tasted like a cookie)
Pack 4 - All about W8 Cottage Pie (until I order more from SnS)

Discarded - Toffee (nope, this one was not going to go down)


Day 7
Pack 1 - Cambridge Chocolate shake
Pack 2 - Cambridge Chocolate Mint
Pack 3 - All about W8 Spag Bol
Pack 4 - Yoghurt Muesli bar (not really sure why its called muesli, bears no resemblance! was ok, prefer the truffas tho I think)


Skinny girl - HUGE congratulations on your 2 stone!!!! That is awesome, keep up the fab work. I hadn't thought about having 2 hot packs a day, but that is a great idea, might start trying that. I do really enjoy the spag bol/cottage pie/chilli. Building up the courage to try the pasta carbonara and mushroom pasta as I've had bad experiences of them in the past lol.

Sammy33 - Thank you for your message Your weight loss with SnS is really inspiring, and to have kept it off successfully for 7 months is brilliant! I definitely agree SnS is easier to stick to than Cambridge. I did sole source before and on just 3 packs a day with the limited flavours (that I liked) I found it really tough. And I do love my cups of tea so the milk allowance on SnS is a relief! Haven't tried any packs hot yet but might give that a go.


Here is to another 100% SnS week and to more pounds shed

Brilliant loss am so happy for you. Stay strong and focussed for your second week. Getting closer to the next stone bracket and soon you will smash through it. Hmm wondering what last pack to go and have now! Don't think I have ever had a hot shake!

Congratulations on your first weeks loss!

I started S&S today and currently feel pretty hungry so gonna have to get an early night to avoid eating! Lol x

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Thank you girls! I think I've noticed that my clothes are feeling a little looser already. They were definitely starting to get to the point where I might have had to go up another size if I had carried on eating the way I was before starting SnS. Stick with it laurenmay, I've seen so many people give up after just a couple of days, but if you can push through that hunger and feeling yukky for a couple days then it is soooo worth it when you see those results on the scales at the end of the week. I feel so motivated to keep going now. I know my losses wont be 8.5lbs every week but it is such a big boost in the direction I want so badly to go, and it will certainly give me faster results than on any other diet I've done.

Day 8
Felt really crappy with my cold today but just tried to take it easy. Had the day off work so it meant I could just flake out on the sofa a bit. Had the banana shake for one of my packs and OMG I actually really quite liked it! I normally cant stand banana anything but yumm. Rest of the packs were old diet packs because I'm running low of supplies. Placed an order for another 2 weeks on SnS and ordered all the packs I've enjoyed so far, so that should arrive on Friday.

Day 9
Feeling better today, I think I am over the worst of this cold which I am relieved about. Just got this horrible tickly cough which drives me insane! I have been feeling hungry today though, really for the first time since I started the diet, which is strange. I'm kinda doubting if I am in ketosis, feeling hungry and ketostick still not changing colour. But I dunno. Just so long as I continue to feel ok and see the scales dropping then I guess that is ok. Just hope it is working still! I've been drinking all my water and having all my packs. I wonder if I am leaving my first pack too late in the day, had my first one at 11am today. But I don't usually feel I need one before then anyway. Hmmmm I dunno. Looking forward to my delivery tomorrow

Oops, I've been a bit hopeless at posting on here daily, but its all been much the same. Still going well and second weigh in tomorrow, eek! I did have a couple of days this week where I felt really really hungry, which was weird. I didn't really feel hungry at all the first week so it came as a bit of a surprise. I'm all restocked on packs now for the next 2 weeks and have sorted them out into what I'm going to have each day.

I will say I think I may be entering the 'food obsession' phase. It happened to me before where I just became obsessed with food. Not about eating food, but just looking at it, lol. I would watch food channels on TV all the time and look at recipes and things online. I'm just like 'Ooh I'm going to look forward to making that when I'm at my goal weight'. I really hope it doesn't happen again because I wasted so much time doing it before lol. But otherwise, I'm not too bothered with food so far. Yes sometimes my hubby's dinner smells yummy, or he goes and gets a KFC nom nom nom, butI don't feel that I want to eat any of it. I'm just like nah, one day I will be able to enjoy it in moderation but for now this is what I am doing and it is working and it is going to get me to my goal that I so desperately want to be at. At least thats how I am feeling at the moment. In a couple of weeks time my willpower may have weakened, but I hope it doesn't because I really want this to work for me this time and right now I feel so determined.

Really nervous about weigh in in the morning, I don't think I really feel like I've lost anything this week. But I guess I've just got to wait and see what the scales say and cross everything. Might do some measurements as well to see if there is a change there.

Second weigh in today and I lost......3lbs Happy with that and one step closer to getting under 15 stone! I've been trying to do that for sooooo long so I will be so happy when I finally see a 14 on the scales! Fingers and toes crossed for next week

Woke up this morning not feeling too great, feeling really weak and out of breath. I struggled just going up the stairs. I think I messed up a bit yesterday though I had my first pack really late and that then had a knock on effect for the day and I wonder if I had my packs a bit too close together maybe. But I will be better today!

I feel like now is the part where the diet starts to get a little harder. The honeymoon phase of that amazing first week loss is wearing off and the reality of being on this diet for the next 6 months is starting to sink in. Hell if we could lose 8lbs a week every week we would reach our goals in no time, but that is not the way it works and it wouldn't be safe anyway. If I can lose on average 4lbs a week, so 1 stone a month, then I will be very happy and will reach my goal in time for my holiday. But 6 months without food, eek! It is a long time, and I just hope I'm strong enough to maintain the willpower right until the end.

I saw somewhere that someone was suggesting only weighing yourself once a month so then you get the overall picture for the month and dont get disheartened if you have one week where you lose a bit less, because the next week you could lose more. I'm not sure if I could do that though, I'm a serial scale hopper and its hard enough making myself wait a week! It is so tempting just to have a sneaky peek. Maybe I could try 2 weeks, but I dunno, I like the reassurance of seeing the scale going down.

But anyway, here is to another successful week for us all!

Well done that a great loss over 2 weeks. Here's to a successful third week