Total Solution Double Trouble...The Exante Duo!

[Alex_1978]

Thanks Ali I'm not sure what to aim for to be honest! I've had this 12st 7lb goal in my head for the last 3-4 years so it's kinda hard to re-adjust.
Maybe I'll take it half a stone at a time, so first of all 12 stone (again) and then 11st 7lbs? I don't want to go crazy and say 10st (which incidentally would be the upper end of 'healthy') but there's something at the back of my mind nagging me to give it a go.
The Man and I had a conversation the other week about it, that really made me think. He didn't really understand why I was happy to stay in the 'overweight' category, and why I didn't have the ambition to carry on losing after I got to 12st-ish. At first I took it the wrong way, but he wasn't trying to say that what I'd acheived wasn't good enough (far from it in fact, he's happy as long as I'm happy with my weight) - but he was just wondering why I was limiting myself, and why I thought that I couldn't ever be slim like my friends. He sees Exante as an opportunity to see exactly what he's capable of, and how much he can lose (within healthy limits). And as time goes on, I'm starting to think in the same way - I like the products, I'm losing well, I'm only 34 (just!) so why shouldn't I be able to get into a healthy weight range?

How sad that I never even considered it before Exante?

So how did you settle on your goal weight Ali? Is it a weight you remember being before?
Good to see you re-focussing on the next phase We can do this!
x

 

[Alex_1978]

Just remembered this little NSV as I was replying to a post on KB's diary, so I thought I'd copy and paste for my own diary:


When I was at Cheshire Oaks the other day with The Man, I went into Warehouse, which I would never normally do. I don't mind telling you that I felt so awkward that I was actually clenching my bum cheeks walking around! I felt like someone was about to tap me on the shoulder and say 'nothing for YOU in here!', but I gave myself a stern talking to, picked up a top that I liked, went into the changing room, tried it and guess what? It fitted!!
Admittedly, it was designed to be loose fitting (silk, batwing sleeve, floaty thing) but it felt great What wasn't so great was that it was still £30, reduced from £50, so I couldn't afford it I don't think The Man could understand why I was welling up in the shop, in fact I don't think I did at the time either! I felt like a little kid having a tantrum because I couldn't have what I wanted, but really I suppose it was the elation of fitting into clothes in a 'normal', young persons clothes shop, combined with the disappointment of not being able to buy anything!


He did offer to buy it for me (bless him) but I didn't want him spending that kind of money on something I'd wear a few times and then it'd be out of fashion.
I'm still keeping my eye out for it in the sale though If it comes down in price again, I'm definitely having it!

 

[tubbynomore]

Thanks Ali I'm not sure what to aim for to be honest! I've had this 12st 7lb goal in my head for the last 3-4 years so it's kinda hard to re-adjust.
Maybe I'll take it half a stone at a time, so first of all 12 stone (again) and then 11st 7lbs? I don't want to go crazy and say 10st (which incidentally would be the upper end of 'healthy') but there's something at the back of my mind nagging me to give it a go.
The Man and I had a conversation the other week about it, that really made me think. He didn't really understand why I was happy to stay in the 'overweight' category, and why I didn't have the ambition to carry on losing after I got to 12st-ish. At first I took it the wrong way, but he wasn't trying to say that what I'd acheived wasn't good enough (far from it in fact, he's happy as long as I'm happy with my weight) - but he was just wondering why I was limiting myself, and why I thought that I couldn't ever be slim like my friends. He sees Exante as an opportunity to see exactly what he's capable of, and how much he can lose (within healthy limits). And as time goes on, I'm starting to think in the same way - I like the products, I'm losing well, I'm only 34 (just!) so why shouldn't I be able to get into a healthy weight range?

How sad that I never even considered it before Exante?

So how did you settle on your goal weight Ali? Is it a weight you remember being before?
Good to see you re-focussing on the next phase We can do this!
x

You and I are both 5'3" and I have been 12st 7ish for the last 6 weeks and boy do I feel good but, like you I have been contemplating a new goal. I have never had a weight in mind but I always wanted to be a size 14, well I am in a 14 top and I know I have so much more I can achieve so I am aiming for 11st.

I remember being about 10st 3 in school so 11st is certainly achievable (would never had said that before Exante) and I'll take it from there

 

[precious]

Hey Alex ur another one of my inspirations I love ur posts that gain will be gone in no time hunny x

 

[Alex_1978]

Aw thanks Precious....
Back on TS so far today (well more S&S than Exante if I'm honest)
Had about 3 litres of water so far, one S&S chilli, two little tubs of sugar free jelly, and 3 brews.
Feel as rough as a bear's a**e though for some reason - bloated, sick, and headachey. Not sure why, as I don't usually feel like this when I re-start - might be completely unrelated though I suppose.
I'm tired too, which doesn't help - so I think an early night is in store for me tonight!
Roll on tomorrow when my new delivery should hopefully arrive
x

 

[KittyBling]

Quick one from me, Alex. Hope you're feeling better soon and well done on the restricted gain. And WAREHOUSE! Hark at you! You must be so pleased and even though you didn't get the top the reward is that feeling. Good luck with the restart,

KB x

 

[Stapo60]

Aw thanks Precious....
Back on TS so far today (well more S&S than Exante if I'm honest)
Had about 3 litres of water so far, one S&S chilli, two little tubs of sugar free jelly, and 3 brews.
Feel as rough as a bear's a**e though for some reason - bloated, sick, and headachey. Not sure why, as I don't usually feel like this when I re-start - might be completely unrelated though I suppose.
I'm tired too, which doesn't help - so I think an early night is in store for me tonight!
Roll on tomorrow when my new delivery should hopefully arrive
x

Hey Alex U r doin gr8 as usual pet,
I had a full week last week of S&S and Exante and had a decent loss of 4lbs that I am very happy about.
This may be the way forward, who knows, but it works for now.
How is it going for you ?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You're a big man, and your out of shape.
But for me it's a full time job.”

Start Weight 27 St 7Lbs
Lighter Life
Wk 1 -15.5lbs, wk 2 -5.7lbs, wk 3 -0.6lbs, wk 4 -10lbs, wk 5 -4lbs,
wk 6 -5lbs, wk 7 -3.5lbs, wk 8 -2.5lbs, wk 9 -6lbs, wk 10 -5.7lbs.
Total LL loss 53lbs.
Exante
Wk 11 -8lbs, wk 12 +1.5lbs (Xmas), wk 13 -6lbs, wk 14 -4.5lbs,
wk15 + 5lbs (Naproxen)
wk16 -9.5lbs, wk17 -2.5lbs, wk 18 Dublin, wk 19 STS, wk 20 -3.5lbs, wk 21 -3.5lbs, wk 22 -3lbs, wk 23 Paddys Day, wk 24 -3lbs,
wk 25 -1lb, wk 26 -1.5lbs, wk 27 -4lbs

GOALS
Lose 1 stone Done
Lose 2 stone Done
Lose 3 stone Done
Lose 4 Stone Done
Lose 5 stone Done,undone and Done again.
Next target is to get into the 21’s.Done
Lose 6 stone Done
Half way point reached
Get into the 20's Done
Lose 7 stone nearly there
http://www.minimins.com/exante-diari...ming-year.html (Stapo60 Diary of The Slimming Year.)

 

[Alex_1978]

Hi Stapo,
It's going well so far thanks Had a S&S cottage pie for tea last night, then an Ultraslim bar before bed. I was still feeling a bit rough when I went to sleep, but I've woken up feeling loads better. Hungry, as it's only day 2, but no headache or anythig like that anymore
I'm in the process of tucking into another Chilli right now, or at least I will be when it cools down! Can't wait for tonight though - my order should have arrived by the time I get home from work, so I'll have loads more variety to choose from. Exciting times hey?
I think S&S may well be the way forward for me at the moment - I love their meals, and having the 'allowed' veg means that they feel a lot more like a real meal than a food replacement. I'm still on the search more a few Exante soups though, they're the only thing I prefer on Exante than S&S.
x
x

 

[Stapo60]

I'm doing 2x S&S meals and 2 x Exante soups.
I love the oatmeal, chilli, spicy spag and cottage pie.
It's giving me some variation that's been missing and I am definitely enjoying it.
You and your man have done brilliant and I use you both for inspiration .

Stapo

 

[precious]

How's it going Alex? Definately agree with stapo x

 

[Alex_1978]

Aw, thanks both of you! I don't feel like much of an inspiration most of the time to be honest!
At the moment I'm swinging between two extremes - half of me just wants this gain gone ASAP, and half of me thinks chill out! you're at the weight you've dreamed of being for 3/4 years, what's another couple of weeks?
The Man is still on his break at the moment, and these are difficult times him and his family, so it seems right to relax the 'rules' and share a meal together here and there if circumstances allow. But then am I repeating old patterns of eating for reasons other than hunger? Maybe I'm thinking about it all too much - we haven't got any meals planned as yet, so I think I'll just cross those bridges when I come to them.

Anyway, back to today - it's day three and things are still going alright! I had the S&S mushroom pasta last night, followed by a choc truffa bar, and I've just had the S&S macaroni cheese for lunch. I'm still hungry a lot of the time but I'm really enjoying the foods I've been eating.
It doesn't help that we've been talking about ALL morning in the office, mostly take-away food, as my colleague was deciding whether to order KFC or Dominoes pizza tonight (aarrrrrggghhh!). I know I'll get through it though, and that I WON'T be eating at all, unless it's a planned thing with The Man.

Thanks for your support, it's really appreciated
x

 

[Alex_1978]

Pleased to report a 5lb loss this week I suspect it was probably more than that, since I weighed last Sunday morning and then ate like a pig all day! Either way, I'm glad I've made a big dent in my gain from last week
So far I've been 100%, apart from yesterday. I was invited over to spend the afternoon/evening with The Man, his mum, brother and his girlfriend, for a meal and a walk to a local pub for a couple of drinks. I was half tempted to treat it as a whole day off, and to eat whatever I fancied, but I eventually saw sense and just had my S&S mushroom pasta for lunch before I went, with an added treat of a cappuccino and 3 pieces of Dairy Milk. I even did 25 mins on the rowing machine and 25 mins on the Wii Fit in the hope of counteracting some of the calories I knew I'd be having later!

The meal we had in the evening was lovely (fillet steak, a few chips, onion rings and salad) but it wasn't HUGE so I didn't feel too guilty afterwards. And the walk to the pub was up a massively steep hill, so I know for definite that I burned a few more calories off there! Honestly, it made me realise that the exercise I do at home doesn't get my heart rate up anywhere near as much as it needs to be for aerobic exersise - The Man's brother and his girlfiend walk quite fast naturally, so they set the pace, and I must admit I was huffing and puffing by the time I got to the top, and I could feel my heart beating in my chest for a good half hour afterwards. It was all good though - and both The Man and I commented that neither of us would have been able to do that walk at that pace back in September when we started!
So after a couple of drinks we headed back home for a cup of tea and a slice of victoria sponge (I felt like I'd earned it after the walk ) and that was that! I really expected the scales to be up on yesterday's reading, just because I would've knocked myself out of ketosis with the food/drinks - but actually they were half a pound down! Really glad I decided to be sensible, not treat it as a food free-for-all kinda day, and that I've come out of it without any weight implications.
Maybe I need to think more about this exercise malarkey on the days when I decide to eat
x

 

[dawnybabes]

You're one brilliantly

I'm still new to this - can you mix and match extant/ s & s ?.

I'm loving the exalted shakes/porridge/some soups but would be good to have a "meal" with the family ..

 

[KittyBling]

Well done you, that's a great loss, and great to feel you can do things now that you couldn't before and well done on the sensible choices. The "exercise malarkey" is the one thing that keeps me going, no idea where I would be without it given how often I fall off the wagon. Having a young and energetic dog helps! Keep up the good work,

KB x

 

[Alex_1978]

You're one brilliantly

I'm still new to this - can you mix and match extant/ s & s ?.

I'm loving the exalted shakes/porridge/some soups but would be good to have a "meal" with the family ..

Hiya, thanks for popping in
You're not officially supposed to mix S&S and Exante on the same day, as an Exante pack has a third of your daily RDA, where as S&S only has a quarter (as you're supposed to have 4 a day if you follow their plan).
I must admit, I did mix and match for the first few months on this plan, but I wouldn't like to recommend it in case anyone got ill! It'd be better/safer to have an Exante day one day, and then a S&S day the next - that kind of mix-n-match would be fine as you'd still be getting your RDA each day.

Well done you, that's a great loss, and great to feel you can do things now that you couldn't before and well done on the sensible choices. The "exercise malarkey" is the one thing that keeps me going, no idea where I would be without it given how often I fall off the wagon. Having a young and energetic dog helps! Keep up the good work,

KB x

Thanks KB - I must admit, exercise doesn't usually factor at all in any diet for me, but I know that has to change if I want to eat a bit of what I fancy and not gain weight when I eventually get to goal.
And then there's the health benefits to think about....

 

[Alex_1978]

Can't seem to refocus properly at the moment! I'm constantly daydreaming about food, and sneaking bits here and there which is so unlike me.
Went to The Man's again last night to drop a birthday present off for his mum. She'd done a mini buffet and I ended up having some smoked salmon wrapped with cream cheese, some cubes of cheddar and cheshire cheese, and a bit of salad. All ketogenic, but soooo high in calories.
Not too worried about that, but more worried that I seem to be looking forward to any reason to 'cheat'
Maybe it'll help when The Man's back on plan, and when I've re lost my recent gain.
I hope so, otherwise I'm a bit worried about the next couple of months!

 

[cornishkez]

Don't be too hard on yourself, you've come so far and your body is so different now that it's only human nature to relax. 6 days on plan, is better than 6 days off it?!

 

[KittyBling]

some smoked salmon wrapped with cream cheese, some cubes of cheddar and cheshire cheese, and a bit of salad.

Hello? Hello? Earth to Alex?? Put your hand on your heart and tell me this is the worst binge you've ever had and then you'll know you have a problem. It's like anything else, good days and bad but you're DOING this, you're GETTING there so stop beating yourself up about a mouthful of food here and there. Of course it's harder when The Man is still off plan, that is only natural, give yourself a break and look forward to getting rid of that tiny gain.

KB x

 

[Alex_1978]

Don't be too hard on yourself, you've come so far and your body is so different now that it's only human nature to relax. 6 days on plan, is better than 6 days off it?!

Thanks Kez... I think that's half the problem, the fact that I'm so much happier in my own skin now, combined with the fact that I've been in and out of ketosis like a yo-yo just lately is causing me to waver more than I usually would.
I still get hungry in ketosis, but I don't have these kind of cravings, so I'm hoping that if and when I stop messing around in a couple of weeks time I'll get back in the zone.

Hello? Hello? Earth to Alex?? Put your hand on your heart and tell me this is the worst binge you've ever had and then you'll know you have a problem. It's like anything else, good days and bad but you're DOING this, you're GETTING there so stop beating yourself up about a mouthful of food here and there. Of course it's harder when The Man is still off plan, that is only natural, give yourself a break and look forward to getting rid of that tiny gain.

KB x

Thanks KB - the voice of reason as ever
I think my problem wasn't so much about that little 'slip' in particular, just the fact that I seem to have lost a lot of the willpower I had in the beginning and replaced it with a craving for big greasy takeaways!
As I said to Kez though, it's probably the fact that I'm not really getting into ketosis between breaks, plus it's harder when The Man's not dieting, plus there's emotional stuff going on for him, plus I'm happier in my own skin these days, blah, blah, blah...

I'm just going round in circles at the moment - one minute I'm really laid back about it all, just trying to do this diet to the best of my ability for the majority of the time, and not worrying if I STS for the next couple of weeks.
The next minute I'm worrying that this 'wobbly' mindset means the start of the end - you see so many people getting to a weight they're semi-happy with, start to relax the rules, and then it's so hard to get back into. I just don't want to allow myelf to go down that road while I've still got weight to lose.

 

[cornishkez]

The fact you are worried, makes me think you still have all the determination and sensible reasoning you need