Total Solution Desperately Seeking Slim

I've struggled with my weight all my life and after managing to slim right down in my mid 20s, I find myself the biggest I've ever been at 18 stone 4 a few years later. Quite simply, I refuse to be this size!

Diets are torture for me. As someone who loves food and cooking, I find that I'm a bit food obsessed anyway. When I'm trying to count calories I spend every second thinking about food, either I'm planning a meal, or totting up calories, or I'm thinking about 'healthier' ways of eating and I end up getting fixated on food, which more often than not means I binge and it's game over.

I recently quit smoking and found that once I got past the first week, it was actually a piece of cake. I didn't have to think about it, all I needed to do was distract myself, and so after another diet failed again, I figured total food replacement might be a solution for me. Which is how I ended up at a VLCD.

I started exante yesterday and while yesterday seemed ok - I'm struggling today. I've got a headache and my tummy is grumbling away at me and interestingly it's the first time I've felt a hunger that can't be satiated. That said, I'm really trying hard to be mindful of my stomach - am I actually hungry, or is this just emotional hunger, or boredom, or habit?

Trying hard to focus on taking things one day at a time. . .

Hi and welcome. You're only on day two so you might very well be genuinely hungry. It's a funny sensation isn't it and one which so many of us have actually forgotten what it feels like? You've just got to get through it knowing that it's not fatal and won't do you any harm. Try more water, some bouillon or distracting yourself in other ways. You should only feel hungry for the first 3-4 days but you've just got to do whatever it takes to get through that. Once you do hunger usually isn't an issue. It all gets more psychological. If it really does get too much for you and you think you're going to eat food, then just have another pack for that day. It will add 200 calories to your day but in the scheme of things if it allays your hunger and keeps you going this is by far the better option. After day 3-4 and ketosis arriving, you should be able to manage fine on just three packs. Good luck.

Cate, what you just said about hunger is so true, it really struck a chord, before the first day or two of exante I can't actually remember being actually physically hungry... That's a bit of a shock!!

And coffeemate, as cate says it really does get easier after a few days, hunger completely goes, I sometimes get to the end of the day and realise I have another pack to have!

Good luck!

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I did it! I made it to day 4. The words of encouragement above really helped see me through that second day, which was seriously tough. I was so close to giving up, so just popped on the scales, just to see and saw a massive 6lb loss (although I'm sure that is partly due to my cheap scales!). Nevertheless, it got me through day 2 and here I am! I think I must be in ketosis now as my breath is disgusting! The breath kicked in during the middle of a meeting yesterday afternoon so I immediately went and got myself a second toothbrush and some toothpaste for my handbag. I brushed twice this morning and still there's a horrible taste in my mouth. Please, please tell me this too will fade?!

I guess one of the reasons I chose extante was because my eating habits are in such a mess that I need to start again. It's exactly as you said Cate - I'd forgotten what it meant to be hungry, or more specifically, I don't know what it is to be full. I will/would just carry on eating for the sake of eating and it was getting to the point where I'd eat dinner and if my stomach didn't feel really full, then I'd "feel hungry". I guess it's been sad to realise how disconnected I am from my body. Which, I suppose is another reason I wanted to track my progress, to make me think about these things.

Also:
Don't buy nothing but shakes it you haven't got a sweet tooth (why I thought I could live on shakes I have no idea) (bovril and bouillon are godsends til the savoury stuff comes through)
A handful of fresh mint in most of the shakes really livens them up (really cheap and easy to grow as well) and despite being sweet, they're actually pretty tasty!

Roll on week two!

Well done hun for sticking with it. 6lbs down too in just three days. Brilliant. Looks like you're on for a really good first week loss and that should keep you motivated for week 2. TBH, I don't suffer from the bad breath/bad taste thing well as far as I know. Maybe I just leave a trail of people reeling in disgust behind me and I just don't notice! LOL. Don't think so though because I think the less than tactful 10 yr old would have said something along the lines of 'mum, your breath stinks'.

You're doing great 6lb already is fab! Do you weigh on mondays too?

I find water really helps with the death breath! Some days it does seem to be particularly potent even then though! Well done on the loss, things should start getting easier now

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Well done on reaching day 4 CM. Excellent loss so far.

I always have toothpaste with me throughout the day to help keep the bad breath at bay.

Hope the rest of the day goes well xx

Well done for sticking with it thus far! 6lbs down in 4 days is crazy! Congrats1 You must be so delighted! Hearing things like this gives me the motivation to keep at it...day 2 today so I fear I may hit the dreaded wall!! :sigh:

bob123 said:

I find water really helps with the death breath! Some days it does seem to be particularly potent even then though! Well done on the loss, things should start getting easier now

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Death breath indeed! If I could bottle it, I'd be selling it as tear gas! At any rate, it doesn't seem to be as terrible as it was!

Guys, I'm facing a little dilemma. Alcohol has always been a weakness, and one of the things I need to stop is the mid week drinking. A glass of wine all to easily turns into a bottle. Anyway, tonight I'm supposed to be going to a BBQ (or an indoor grill-a-thon, I suspect, if the weather stays awful). I'm not worried about eating - I'm going to take a shake to have when they eat and I have a back up plan if things are unbearable*.

I'm worried about booze. I've kind of already decided I was going to drink. It's been in the diary for a while and, whilst it's not good, most of my social calendar is about drinking or eating. And I know I should be able to enjoy my friends and life without booze but. . . . But. . . . . I really can't think of a good excuse as to why it's ok, and I just feel like I'm making so many sacrifices that this is just one thing I don't want to sacrifice I guess.

I don't know. . . I'm really torn. And it's partly because it's the first week too, you know. Today is the first day I've felt properly awesome and have a spring in my step again and I don't want to ruin it all, but at the same time, i know I'm going to drink unless I say I'm not going.

I figure that I'd drink wine. At least with wine I can really see how much I'm drinking. I can imagine with spirits I'd struggle to keep track. I never get chips or pizza or kebab after, so no issues there. But it's a cheat and I guess I'm okay with planned cheats but. . . . I feel so guilty and I haven't even done it yet. And at the same time, I soooooo want that glass of chilled vino.

Urgh. And I've been having such a good day today as well.

You know what - it is what it is. I will either drink, or I won't. If I do, I just need to make sure it's controlled and sensible and tomorrow BACK ON IT!! No excuses, no hangover breakfast, straight back on it. And no other excuses to drink until a wedding in a fortnight (although might drive for that one anyway).

How's everyone else doing? I've been slowly reading my way through your blogs and they are so, so helpful and inspiring and motivational. The determination and strength of people on this site is amazing! Fabulous job guys!



*On day 2 when things were awful, I said to myself "If it's really, truly awful and you think you're going to crack, make yourself a boiled egg". Knowing I had a safety net let meant I felt stronger and able to do it, but that while I was waiting for the egg to cook, I'd be sat there weighing up whether I really, really needed that egg. In the end, I never ate the egg, I just had a bouillon and went to bed.

Oh hun, I feel for you I really do. Alcohol always used to be my go to unwind weekend friend too... However this will be my 3rd weekend without that glass of chilled Pinot and I can honestly say I've really not missed it. I've had the odd pang during the drive home from work, but then just though "no, I don't want to screw this up".

I'm the designated driver now for all of our events up until mid July when it's a friends hen weekend... I've planned that and for me I'd much rather be nearly a stone lighter by then than have a glass of wine.

I also read that it's actually quite dangerous to drink on a vlcd - I hope someone who knows more about this than me can help here?

Whatever you choose don't feel guilty about it as that will make you resent restarting... But just think about that lovely spring in your step you have today... I'm not sure as I've not done it yet but I assume it won't be there tomorrow if you have a few drinks tonight?

Don't at all want to sound preachy, it just really hit a chord as I'm exactly the same! Just give it a good think over, and imagine how virtuous you'll fell tomorrow if you don't have that drink! X

I totally know how you feel hun! Its so tough! Alcohol was my chillax time, actually awful to say but true! Home from work, get the kids to bed...sit down with a glass(or 4!) of ice cold vino and forget about the world for an hour or two before bed. A friend of mine is having a party in hers tomorrow night, its been planned for ages because her weird scary room mate is moving out so its a bit of a celebration. Another one of our friends is just back from Oz so its a double whammy... If I go will I be able to refrain from having a sip?? I'd like to think so but in my heart of hearts I am not sure!!

First day yesterday on TS...hubby decides to order Dominos and drink like 5 beers while watching the match. Made me soooooooo mad!! But I went for a bath and stayed away from the delicious smell! Lol!

The way I see it, no matter what diet you're on or how healthy you eat, you are always going to have cheat days. Its bound to happen and its nice to allow it to happen for yourself as well. I don't want to turn into a person who cant do this or that because I've chosen a VLCD. It will make me hate the diet and I'll lose it!

I say let yourself have this one evening off, keep it in mind when you weigh in and start again. Everyone needs a bit of naughtiness in their lives once in a while!

I really sympathise and empathise. Back in 2011 when I did Lipotrim the thing that I was most worried about was giving up white wine. At that stage of my life I wasn't drinking as much as I had been in my 20s and 30s as I had become a single mother and during the week used to be concerned about something happening and I'd have to drive to hospital. But Friday night, Saturday afternoon and night and Sunday afternoon and night my social life revolved around drinking with the girls. You know what it's like; someone knocks on the door and it's 'would you like a glass of wine?' in the way my mum would have asked a visitor if they wanted a tea or coffee!! There was always a couple of bottles of sauvignon blanc in the fridge ready to go at a moment's notice. LOL. It was very habitual but a habit I loved. In the event, I found it much easier than I ever imagined it would be to go cold turkey and the bonus of that was when I stopped LT I never went back to drinking as much as I had done before. Don't get me wrong. I'm not looking to give up drinking - EVER - but from a health point of view cutting down can't have been a bad thing as I was probably drinking too much.

Also, alcohol and ketosis don't mix and this is a ketogenic diet so if you're going to be doing this you probably shouldn't be drinking. There is a sticky thread about the dangers of alchohol while in ketosis so I suggest you read this. At the end of the day it's up to you but if you try to go without it you might surprise yourself at how easy it is and how little you actually miss it. Maybe it's worth a shot.

Have a good time whatever.

Gotta dash but wanted to say that I came home to see Hermes had delivered my savoury packs! Was really excited and tucked straight into the thai soup, yum, yum, yum! I was desperately in need of a savoury kick!!

Bob - you don't sound at all preachy, please, it's really good to hear and gave me a kick up the bum! You're also bang on about it potentially being quite dangerous. You can slip into hypoglycaemia, which to many around you, probably looks like being drunk so they're likely not to respond to the emergency. Potentially life threatening.

Cici!!! How did you manage!? I would have told my boyfriend to move out immediately if he so much as implied he was going to order a Dominos!! You are one tough cookie to resist that! Good on you.

I'm really pumped up and excited about my new savoury packs (oh my, who ever though I would be excited about powdered soup and instant spag bol . . .) and I'm going to ride that wave of enthusiasm. I'm taking some zero coke, my bouillon and am intending not to drink. (part of me feels that I'm going to slip, but . . . . try, try, and try again better).

Have a wonderful weekend all xXx

Things that I have learnt:

1) I cannot have just one glass of wine
2) Friends and family might not want you to change/succeed for their own reasons

Felt pretty terrible Saturday morning and was so very, very hungry. I assumed I'd kicked myself out of ketosis and was so, so cross with myself. I admit, I had a little cry. Boyfriend was wonderful though and brought me a shake in bed. It's that sudden realisation that if I don't keep going and stick to this now, I'm going to have to do it all over again tomorrow, or the day after. Down the shake went and whilst I could have literally murdered a curry, I stuck to the shakes. I don't think I did slip out of ketosis, or at least, I slipped back in quick enough.

I'm going to weigh in tonight - Monday mornings are painful enough, thank you very much, without adding to gloom.

Happy weekend all!

If I'd read your thread before today I would have warned you about number 1. I've decided to have 'just one glass' a number of times and ttally overdoing it. Hopefully you didn't do what I normally do and eat the party food / bbq too!
Have just read through your diary CM. You're doing great. Just put last night behind you and get back on the wagon. You can do it!

Hope you're feeling better today. Just get straight back on it. There aren't many carbs in dry white wine, a few more in red, so you might not have kicked yourself out of ketosis as long as you managed to stay off the carbs.

I would seriously just try to go cold turkey while doing this. You stay more in control so less likely to end up bingeing, and the wine won't have run out by the time you reach your goal. As someone else said on another thread in relation to food - you already know what it tastes like and it'll still be there when you finish with this.

Thornhill Cate said:

Hope you're feeling better today. Just get straight back on it. There aren't many carbs in dry white wine, a few more in red, so you might not have kicked yourself out of ketosis as long as you managed to stay off the carbs. I would seriously just try to go cold turkey while doing this. You stay more in control so less likely to end up bingeing, and the wine won't have run out by the time you reach your goal. As someone else said on another thread in relation to food - you already know what it tastes like and it'll still be there when you finish with this.

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Lol, the wine won't run out, that's brilliant! So long as you can guarantee that it won't run out I'm adding this one to my armoury