How to Slim Fast

[Libbylou85]

im doing slimfast only, no meals at all as im finding that once i eat one thing i can't stop myself at all, i have no willpower from the moment food touches my lips lol, and there are no pharmacys in my area that do lipotrim.
i take a multivitamin with added iron as im anemic anyway, but i will also take one for skin, hair and nails and zinc.
its working for me so far, ive been having 4 shakes a day as i can't stand the bars or soups either lol. after i lose a few stone i might start having a healthy low fat soup instead of the last shake, but im ok on it for the moment.

 

[ColinT]

People, I'm very concerned at what I'm reading. I understand the attraction of giving up on food altogether and replacing it with SlimFast, but does it not occur to you, if this were at all safe, the company would be maximising its profits and encouraging everyone to do it?

Keyword: safe. If your only intake is liquid, you might (note: MIGHT) be fine at the moment, but you're likely to run into trouble as and when you re-introduce solids. That's assuming there are no problems in the meantime. You'd seriously need to take additional fibre on a liquid-only diet. If that is what you "need" to do, then find one, don't adapt one that is not intended to be your only intake.

Personally, I fully understand the "addicition" and that SlimFast takes care of that by it being totally portioned and dictated. Well, they also dictate your evening meal out to be 600 kcals (800 for men) and low fat: that means about 3.3 grams of fat per 100 kcals - or 20g IF your evening meal has 600 kcals.

NERD NOTE: The maths behind this is 30% of calories should come from fat.
1g = 9 kcals so 3 1/3 g = 30 kcals, meaning
3 1/3 g fat (30 kcals) per 100 kcals = 30%

For me, I'm snacking on fruit or SlimFast snacks at the moment, but looking around at what else might be 100 kcals (and 3.3g fat) or less. For dessert in the evening it's usually a Müllerlight yogurt (currently 4 for £1 in Asda - or 4 for £2 in Tesco (you read it right!)). For evening meals, it's a readymeal (or two) that fits the crietera above, with some frozen veg (if only one meal). This is WAY satisfying.

Asda frozen readymeals are 5 for £4 and generally in the region 400 kcals each. Their Good for You range is included in the offer, but some of the standard meals are also low enough in calories and fat.

As for the temptation to overeat on packaged, portion-controlled meals - how does it differ from having another shake?

My advice to everyone: keep up the water intake! Your urine should run clear at some point during the day: you're not drinking enough H2O if it doesn't.

Good luck everyone!

LOW FAT READY RECKONER

kcals ... max g fat
100 ......... 3.3
150 ......... 5.0
200 ......... 6.7
250 ......... 8.3
300 ....... 10.0
350 ....... 11.7
400 ....... 13.3
450 ....... 15.0
500 ....... 16.7
550 ....... 18.3
600 ....... 20.0
650 ....... 21.7
700 ....... 23.3
750 ....... 25.0
800 ....... 26.7

 

[hkdarling]

Thank you very helpful especially the calorie calculator to figure out how much I should lose on sf.

 

[starbucks101]

Great thread, once all the food in the house has gone think im going to go down the micro meals route in the evening, i find the tesco's ones are really peppery *yuk* i love the WW one's though but dont feel full up enough on them, didnt realise you could add loads of veggies too! im a sucker for cooked veg... yum yum!

 

[PennyJane]

Does any one know if we can add unlimited salad (lettuce/celery) to the evening meals??

 

[mayleung70]

I have been thinking about slimfast for a while and I am starting today, your information was wonderful (link was very useful for me)

Ta!

 

[angel81]

well i have tried dieting and exercising lost 26lbs but now i am stuck so i am starting on the slim fast tomorrow and hopefully lose some more weight.
Since my diet is gone a bit down hill kept on having these mad cravings for sugar gosh. Its hard lets hope that i can stay focused with the slim fast and its great to see that there is a forum for support and all.

 

[CuddlePaws]

This is an interesting thread. Can anyone tell me though if its safe for someone who needs to lose alot of weight? When you say you can have four shakes a day, do you mean four shakes and ZERO food! Thats it?

Its only because i have calculated on the above link that my daily calorie requirement is 2,638 cals. Sounds like a huge amount to me so if i am only eating 1300 cals a day I have a deficit of 1,338 cals. Thats too much and surely my weightloss will plateau?

Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out the requirement I'd like to lose about 2-3lb a week. I'd be happy with that.

So could I perhaps have a shake for breakfast, shake for lunch, snack and then a 1000 cal dinner?
Any advice would be helpful please? {Confused!}

 

[FattyMcBigbum]

This is an interesting thread. Can anyone tell me though if its safe for someone who needs to lose alot of weight?

When I started Slim Fast I weighed 24st 12lbs personally I didn't see my Dr. before I started however Slim Fast the company say if you have over 20% of your body weight to lose then you should see your Dr. first.

When you say you can have four shakes a day, do you mean four shakes and ZERO food! Thats it?

Slim Fast is not a total food replacement diet, it is a calorie controlled diet that takes the calorie counting out of breakfast and lunch whilst providing you the nutrition you may lose by having a reduced calorie intake. so 1 shake/soup/smoothie or meal bar for breakfast and 1 for lunch and then a 600 calorie evening meal and up to three 100 calorie snacks.

i have calculated on the above link that my daily calorie requirement is 2,638 cals. Sounds like a huge amount to me so if i am only eating 1300 cals a day I have a deficit of 1,338 cals. Thats too much and surely my weightloss will plateau? Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out the requirement I'd like to lose about 2-3lb a week. I'd be happy with that.

1lb of fat equals 3,500 calories, and a deficit of 1,338 calories per day equals 9,366 calories a week so that would be a weight loss of around 2½ lbs per week. remember as you lose weight your daily calorie requirement will also drop

So could I perhaps have a shake for breakfast, shake for lunch, snack and then a 1000 cal dinner?
Any advice would be helpful please? {Confused!}

This is how Slim is meant to be done, although Slim Fast says your main meal should be 600 calories this is just a rough guide, adjust your calories for your personal weekly weight loss goal, your daily calorie requirement -500 calories a day = 1lb weight loss per week, -1,000 calories a day = 2lb weight loss per week and so on and so on but don't go under 1,200 calores per day

 

[CuddlePaws]

Thank you Lisa for the great advice! I shall have a think on it this weekend and see what sort of plan might suit me.

I really love my toast or fruit & fibre for brekkies so I don't know if i'm happy with a shake for that, was thinking of just having the shake for lunch every day. It may not be following the plan strictly but If I stay within my cal limit I should presume its ok?

Thanks again!

 

[FattyMcBigbum]

Yeh that's fine, have a look on SlimFast there is Slim fast 'my way' and slim fast 'every day' you'd come under 'my way'

 

[Sarah777]

Hi, i'm new to this & found your thread very helpful!
Haven't started SF just yet (snowed in!!!) but am going to give it a good go asap. Am desperate to lose approx 3 stone!
Can you mix the Slimfast products with the Tesco ones?
Sarah x

 

[Goreygirl]

Be careful with all the ready meals folks.. a lot of them are "low fat" but really high in sugar and salt and other addititives so not good for you on a regular basis really. The British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK advise against them for these reasons.

Buy a microwave steamer - takes 7 minutes to steam some baby potatoes and salmon or chicken. Or a few minutes to chop some chicken, fry off in a pan with frozen stirfry veg and tescos do a tube of "aromatic thai herbs" that i throw in at the last few minutes. Are you going to live on ready meals when you come off slimfast? If you don't use this plan to learn how to eat healthy food you make yourself how will you maintain your loss off the plan?

Just some food for thought

 

[clarkey]

I thinks that is very good advice Goreygirl Although the ready meals seem quick and easy even weight watchers themselves advise you not to eat them all the time.

I like the sound of the steamer are the quite cheap and really that easy?

I am on day 3 and I think I am doing good so far I just hope the scales reflect it in my first weigh in on Monday. Will be gutted as they don't as I have been strict!
Today someone went to the food shop near work and I nearly had a jacket potatoe (I know I could have but need to eat my meal in the evenings or I have no chance). When I said yes one girl joked and said 'ah you see I knew you wouldn't be able to last on them shakes' I soon declined and had my shake. Funny that cus a week ago I would have felt dead crap about myself, thought I cant even lose weight and would have eaten the potatoe and probably never stopped!
Thought I'd just share that with anyone who wants to know as I feel quite proud (for a change!)

Oh I also went for e very slow jog and managed 30 mins (just).

How's everyone else doing?

 

[Goreygirl]

Hi Clarkey

I'm new to this variety of cooking lark.. used to stick to my staple pasta meals but am really trying to experiment. I got a steamer in tescos for £6 ( or thereabouts) and have been experimenting with it. A salmon fillet on it's own only takes about 4 mins .. the more you put in the little longer it takes. But while the meat/fish and potatoes are kept warm in the steamer on the counter after I bung in a bag of "steamed veg" for 4 mins and voila.. dinner.

You can really only fit dinner for 1 in unfortunately so i'm actually thinking of investing in a stove top tiered steamer. Throw them all in for the 15-20 mins and leave to cook while i do something else.

Well done on resisting the potatoe and more importantly not letting the comments send you into a tail spin!

 

[clarkey]

Thanks G-girl!

What you said about the oven top steamer has just made me think I actually have one! Like a saucepan that stacks! I usually boil potatoes and steam the veg but I guess this would be ok to steam the fish, do you think. I am actually quite a good cook believe it or not but more conventional rather than healthy!

Have fish thawing for tomorrow so will let you know how I get on!

 

[Goreygirl]

Yup.. would work fine for fish and chicken etc too. Chicken can look a bit anaemic when steamed but tastes fine

 

[clarkey]

Thanks will try chicken as had fish again tonight and got bored half way through. Still felt full though! Are you officially weighing in weekly? and if so is the first time Monday? I do and I hope it comes off. Going to get Alli over weekend

 

[Goreygirl]

My first time should be tomorrow but not sure i'll be able to get to the chemist to use the scales with the snow lol. Have dug out my old hiking boots and am determined to get out tomorrow for a walk.

I'm finding i'm not able to eat all my dinners either even though my portions are smaller. That's one of the main things I hope SF does for me - shrinks my stomach. I've got Alli in the cupboard but keep forgetting to take it; must leave it out by the blender.

 

[clarkey]

Same here, I had a soup and got full before the end. Got to try and rememeber to stop when full and that it is okay to leave something. Must stem from my childhood that but struggle with wastage for no conscious reason. Portion sizes have definately decreased.