Foodaholic trying to break-free

[Birchey]

Well firstly I shall introduce myself, I'm Birchey and I have an addiction to food I'm a food-a-holic whatever emotion I'm feeling there's a food/meal for it, unfortunately food addiction is very difficult to break free from as unlike many addiction your body does need fuel to survive so in order to try and get rid of my bad habits I'm going to try for the first time a VLC diet Exante I must say I'm very apprehensive but as I've just spent this months food bill on Shakes and food pouches it's time to give this ago, until last night I was very anti VLC diets but I've done a lot of reading around them and feel that this is now my last resort before giving up on my dreams of owning a house and spending all the savings on weight loss surgery..

I've been doing slimming world on and off for the past 7years but now am needing something much much stricter as I just can't keep myself to plan, I do love Slimming World though and hoping that the restrictive nature of the VLC will help me appreciate Slimming World more and that AFTER VLC Slimming World principles will be a large part of me maintaining the weight I'm hopefully going to lose

This thread is going to be a very frank and honest look at my experience with Exante and trying to break free from my food addiction. Hope this is as entertaining as it is imformative.

 

[twinmum07]

Hello and welcome,
I am much the same and need exante to strip back my relationship with food and try to rebuild good habits at the end of my journey.

 

[bexster1974]

Hello and welcome to our lovely little Exante family! All I will say is get through the first week whatever way you can and you will do amazing x

 

[Darcy15]

Hello and welcome

 

[Birchey]

Thankyou ladies,

I'm really hoping that the avoidance of food (planning to do shakes only for the first couple of days) will help me in terms of having to learn new habits for example I used to sit in bed eating watching TV now I can't! Maybe a good time to get my colouring books out! (Heard of a lot of ladies when the craze for adult colouring started using this as a food distraction). I went cold turkey when I quit smoking and although the first few days were hard the end result was worth it so hoping the same with this, really nervous about my first week though and getting though it. Think a lot of avoidance through sleeping!

My packs havn't arrived yet I ordered really late on Thursday thinking I'd get next day, there due tomorrow though Monday so time to start. I'm out at my friends for dinner Monday night but no excuse not to start on the packs if they arrive in time before this. I'm not ready to tell people what I'm doing yet as I think the do not do it and all the concerns people have about VLCD will be difficult for me to handle at present!

 

[bexster1974]

I haven't told many people I'm on this! I slept loads the first week as doing anything completely exhausted me! Good luck for tomorrow use this is if you need anything x

 

[Darcy15]

Good luck for tomorrow

 

[Birchey]

I think this page will be my life-saver/escape for this diet, With Slimming World I had groups and it was more 'socially acceptable' even then people had concerns about the diet/nutritional stuff! Why do people always think they can comment on someone else's food choices!

I've bought myself a little present, A Blend-active (Personal blender thing but you use the drinks bottle as the blender bit), It's Pink! I love Pink and Purple, Such a girly girl in that respect! Should help with mixing up the shakes!

 

[chunkychops]

Good luck on wk 1! Bath and Bed will definitely be your friend the first few days but its so worth it....after that the energy kicks in ...and don't let any negative comments get to you about a VLCD.....most people have a negative opinion....oh Its unhealthy blah blah blah.....I work with people who google everything and know nothing lol!

Keep coming on here...were all in the same boat and everyone is so lovely and will help if they can x (Godsend to me its been!)

Take care
S x

 

[MrsN]

Hi and welcome.

Only my hubby and my two best friends know I'm doing this diet. It's nobody else's business. My Mum would have lots to say and I absolutely worship her and want our time together to be positive so just not telling her right now!

I found reading people's diaries on here so helpful and doing one of my own has kept me on track. I find it useful to go back to the beginning once per week to see how I've done.

I felt crappy for about 3 days and then absolutely fine. I've found the diet easy in many respects the hard but has been the things that are thrown at you along the way (for me that's work and my TOTM).

How much do you want to lose?
Set yourself some mini goals as sometimes I give goal can feel unreachable.

Best of luck

 

[AliGal]

Welcome to the world of vlcd. I'm back because I didn't focus on maintenance with the same intensity I had when shedding all that weight.

For me, I don't see VLCD as severe or restrictive - more as a way of completely changing my habit and, because I have so much weight to shed, a way to make progress faster. Making it a choice I've made, rather than something I "have" to do. I am grateful this time round that I know I can do it and it will work.

I've just done my first week - and it was fine, apart from peeing a lot. So I wish you a first week like mine!

Ali

 

[Birchey]

I started at 19st 2, I've lost 7lbs since August with Slimming world (did get to 1stone) but been playing with the same few pounds for 8months as I've been abusing how flexible the plan is l so deffintly need something to completely rebuild my relationship with food, starting exante at 18stone 9! Really want to be 11stone 2, I'd got down to 10stone previously but now I'm older (well 26 rather than 20) size 10/12 feels a little too low a comfortable size 14 would be amazing..

I get abuse about my weight pretty much every shift I work from the patients and it's quite painful even though I know it's due to a lack of filter/annoyance rather than deliberately mean, I'd feel so much better if when I'm being called fat etc that I'm actually not at the moment it feels so personal! It's a day to day part of dementia care where the same person that was horrible to you a few minuites previous is telling you a story and laughing/smiling with you, amazing job though and wouldn't swap it for anything.

 

[bexster1974]

Sounds like a very rewarding job - very tough too x

 

[twinmum07]

I have told as few people as possible. At work I just say I am watching the calories

 

[AliGal]

Goodness, Birchey. That's a tough situation to live with. I think it's really really important to think about how good it will feel to be at our goals - to create and think about that. So we are not just moving away from being fat. We are moving towards feeling physically good, seeing ourselves in great well fitted clothing and hearing people saying lovely things like we are looking well and great.

I don't tell people how I am shedding weight but this time, I happier at the start of saying I'm on a regime so won't need the sandwich lunch today. My regime allows me to have green salad so I'll just look like I'm eating healthy!

Hope you have a great shift.

Ali

 

[Elsa]

Good luck with this. I came to the VLCD the first time exactly the same way as you having tried every diet going and thinking it was my last chance before weightloss surgery. It did work but I wasn't successful in keeping it off and I ended up with the weightloss surgery after all. The surgery wasn't the answer either though (it helped me maintain my weight but not lose it) so I'm back again on the VLCD and it is working again. This time I am determined to manage the weight when I finish the diet.

The good thing is that it takes food out of the equation (mostly) which makes it easier to stick to. The bad news is that you need to be careful you don't become more obsessed with eating (which is what happened to me first time around). You need to find the balance that works for you and everyone is different. So good luck and I'll be cheering for you from the sidelines.

 

[Birchey]

Working nights is good as no-0ne expects me to eat overnight, offered the odd biscuit or whatever but it's quite easy to refuse on the basis of not eating overnight so work won't be an issue in that regard. It's the when I rotate back to day shifts that I can sense the issue but at least i'll be used to it by then/seeing the results so it will hopefully be easier to follow (I'm on nights for May but don't know after that), I've got uniform from my previous job which was too small for me to use in my new job but it's exactly the same so looking forward to getting back into that as a mini-goal (it's about 2inchs before it will even zip up so a couple of stone atleast before it will be wearable!

Got a text this morning: ''Your DPD driver Zaz will deliver your order today 12:12 - 13:12'' Providing his on time, Perfect timing to try something for lunch
Seriously debating not feeling well this evening when I see my friends so I don't fancy eating as i'm just keen to get started now, To be fair dinner time is the time I usually wake when at work so I probably won't want much anyway.. Will still go as I've had to book annual leave today as I forgot about the meet-up and I will enjoy it!

Day 1 here I go....

 

[womble35]

Welcome Birchey! I think the first step to dealing with food addiction is recognising the issue so you are on the right track - I spent the past few years in denial and just kept pilling on the pounds. I've found the strict regime around this diet a godsend - I don't want the flexibility of choosing what I eat and when, I want to be told what to eat and how much to eat, and using that as a tool to retrain me for the longer term. I really hope this works out for you, sounds like you are very motivated to get this done!

Dinners with friends are difficult, but it is nice to catch up and with some planning ahead (i.e. browsing online menus and choosing the right option in advance) it can be done. I ended up eating out with friends twice in my first week and still managed to lose quite a bit of weight, so perhaps don't worry so much about it. However, if you've committed to just doing shakes to begin with and you're worried about your motivation, then do whatever you think is best. There will be lots of opportunities for dinners with friends as you progress

 

[Birchey]

I'm at my friends and she's cooking (cheese and potato pie) think I'm just going to enjoy it, Mum asked me why not start till tomorrow but if I have one or two products then the meal and be sensible around portion it's better than not trying at all today, plus I'm really keen to try the products!

I think my delivery may be a double as I have a collection/return from Amazon also from DPD within the same timeframe (gerbil cage arrived smashed so that's doing back!).. Hope so as I'm still awake as got to wait for parcel!

 

[Birchey]

Package arrived and amazed at how much there is I know I ordered it but I was in a histerical I'm never going to lose weight the only chance is starving myself mode when I ordered and ordered a 6week trial pack as well as about 25milkshakes! Have sorted out a selection into a tuperwear to see me till next Monday when I can reselect! Have given Mum my bars and biscuits to hide while I get into it. She's allowed to let m have one a day - need to make them last as so tempting to just have them as they look so yummy!

Just had a white chocolate raspberry milkshake and it was lovely! Going to try and add a little more water to the next one though to try and make it to further and feel like more of a meal! Well impressed with the shaker cup thingy, looks like my blender is only going to be needed when I make a cold one with crushed ice! Silly me though thought I'd need milk to make up the packets so have a couple of cartons, luckily my parents are large tea drinkers so they can use it up!

I've also drank a litre of sparkling water so far today (calling today from when I got back from work at 8am).. Not officially allowed on plan due to citric acid but Facebook (joined a couple of VCLD pages on there) tells me that lots of people 'cheat' this way and still get good losses! Think it's a little sad that I'm already considering my can of fizzy orange as a treat and I'm really excited to try the Exante Carborona at the end of the week )