My Exante journey

[Will145]

Hello fellow Exante dieters
My names Will, 26 years old from Northamptonshire. A bit of history on me - I have previously done lighter life and successfully lost 4 stone in just over 2 months, I maintained for 2 years but due to various events in my life, this last 2 years has seen me royally abusing myself in terms of unhealthy food and alcohol! Time went on and I got sick of not fitting into my clothes and I was becoming increasing embarrassed at how big my beer belly was getting.

This leads me on to now! I found exante on Facebook when researching other vlcd as I could not afford to do lighter life and REALLY didn't want to take part in the counselling sessions. I know these diets are difficult but they show fast results and I need fast results as I soon become impatient.

My plan is to lose 5 stone and not put it on again. I plan to do this by introducing exercise and not eating or drinking how i did! The main upside to these diets are that we all lose weight quickly with no exercise (if we choose). I find that this can also be a downside afterwards though as many people go back to old ways and it all goes back on within a year or two.

So I am on day 7 of total solution, I am having a shake in the morning, a bar at lunch and a soup in the evening. I am already struggling with the soups, I find them very grim so will probably resort to 2 shakes a day. Just have to think of a way to get rid of these soups!

I am a daily weigher I'm afraid and so far 6 days done = 8lbs down. I have the dirty ketosis taste in my mouth, I still get occasional pangs of hunger but gulp these away with water. I have the odd can of coke zero as a treat but I mainly stick to water.

 

[KatieLouise23]

Welcome Will

I am a daily weigher too...it is proving to be a little bit of an addiction!! You sound like your doing really well and thats a great loss so far.

I dont like the soups either, I can about manage the Tomatoe one if it is drowned in Pepper. Have you tried to Porridge? I know everyones tastesare different but I think it is gorgeous.

Are you doing an "offical weekly weigh in" on a Tuesday? I look forward to reading your progress x

 

[Will145]

Thanks for the welcome! I am exactly the same regarding the tomato soup - i have to swamp it in pepper! I ordered some porridge at the weekend as it seems to be getting good reviews. Yeah i'll be posting my weekly loss on Tuesdays and any challenges, temptations etc along the way. Went for a nice walk today, felt a bit light headed towards the end so must still be settling into the diet.

 

[KatieLouise23]

Thanks for the welcome! I am exactly the same regarding the tomato soup - i have to swamp it in pepper! I ordered some porridge at the weekend as it seems to be getting good reviews. Yeah i'll be posting my weekly loss on Tuesdays and any challenges, temptations etc along the way. Went for a nice walk today, felt a bit light headed towards the end so must still be settling into the diet.

I look forward to hearing how you have done tomorrow

I got a little lightheaded when I was painting yesterday, I think its the instant drop of calories coupled with any kind of movement, lol.

How are you finding it so far? x

 

[Will145]

Not too bad. The main difficulties are the CONSTANT toilet trips (I am like a bloomin camel), the taste of the acetones on my breath (I use breath spray but is only a very quick fix) and the sceptical people. I keep focused by thinking its just 3 short uncomfortable meals a day for 2-3 months to happiness lol. I hate the meals, not one that I really like but must persevere as the sceptics are looking on.

So this is the end of my first week and the scales report a loss of.... 10lbs! Great start to the diet.

 

[JMC]

Hello Will145,
10lb in a week, that's fantastic, well done! I lost three stones with exante last year, I found it easy once I got past the first few days, as the quick losses are all the motivation you need. I didn't enjoy the soups either, I added herbs, spices,Tabasco, anything that was there to liven them up. I was glad when they were all gone.I found the porridge really enjoyable, with a bit of cinnamon for a change too. I love the shakes made with ice cold water and loads of extra ice added, adding instant coffee to them before you whizz them up makes a change too. Anyway, the good bit for me is that I've kept the weight off by using exante for a day if my weight goes up more than two pounds ( I weigh every day too) that way it seems easy to maintain the weight loss, and to not let any weight gain get out of control. Good luck to you.

 

[Will145]

Hello Will145,
10lb in a week, that's fantastic, well done! I lost three stones with exante last year, I found it easy once I got past the first few days, as the quick losses are all the motivation you need. I didn't enjoy the soups either, I added herbs, spices,Tabasco, anything that was there to liven them up. I was glad when they were all gone.I found the porridge really enjoyable, with a bit of cinnamon for a change too. I love the shakes made with ice cold water and loads of extra ice added, adding instant coffee to them before you whizz them up makes a change too. Anyway, the good bit for me is that I've kept the weight off by using exante for a day if my weight goes up more than two pounds ( I weigh every day too) that way it seems easy to maintain the weight loss, and to not let any weight gain get out of control. Good luck to you.

Thank you for the tips! Had the porridge as my 2nd meal today and it wasn't bad(as these meals go). I still feel quite lethargic and sleep has been quite restless so I am hoping that'll change this week

 

[mrs.c.t]

Hi will I'm from northamptonshire too!
I only started today but want to loose about 5 and a half stone

Well done on your loss so far x

 

[KatieLouise23]

Not too bad. The main difficulties are the CONSTANT toilet trips (I am like a bloomin camel), the taste of the acetones on my breath (I use breath spray but is only a very quick fix) and the sceptical people. I keep focused by thinking its just 3 short uncomfortable meals a day for 2-3 months to happiness lol. I hate the meals, not one that I really like but must persevere as the sceptics are looking on.

So this is the end of my first week and the scales report a loss of.... 10lbs! Great start to the diet.

The toilet trips are rather annoying but at least you know you are fushing your system. Sceptical people can eat their words in a few months....litterally

Well done on your loss 10lbs is amazing!! It is my offical weigh in day tomorrow...I am actually nervous!!

Hope your starting to find it easier x

 

[Will145]

Hi all! Week 2 is over now with a 5lb loss and it's going well! My weight is disappearing quickly and in total I have lost 1st1lb. I am having a can of coke zero a day, like a treat to myself and have stopped the soups all together. Just having 2 shakes and a bar. My sense of smell has gone wild though - I walked past a filthy back street kebab shop while at work and I seriously could have devoured the whole place and its staff just from the smell it was kicking out! Of course when I come off the diet I will be in healthy city and the fast food will be a very occasional thing, not a weekly thing as it was before. How is everyone else getting on?

 

[Mere]

Hi Will,
I am using only the shakes and bars. I have a shake for breakfast and lunch and a bar at night because I find it takes me as long to eat the bar (nibbling like a mouse) as it takes my hubby to eat his meal. We sit at the table together and I have my bar on a little plate seems more like a proper meal that way. Good luck with your weight loss. Mere x

 

[KatieLouise23]

Glad to see your doing well!! I havent been well so I havent stuck to plan 100% for the last week but I am back on it now. I am on shakes and porridge. Treating Coke Zero and the Bars as "treats". xx

 

[Will145]

Week 5 is done. I am not doing the food week, it's all or nothing with me so when I'm down to my target weight I will do a gradual re-feed program. I seem to be losing a steady 5lbs a week which is excellent and I am well on to my way to the 3st mark. I've renewed my gym membership and going 2-3 times a week while on this diet. I do around 20-30 minutes of Cardio as I've heard it's not good to do too much on a vlcd. I've also been doing a lot of reading on vlcd's and I always see the same thing - people returning 1-2 years later with all the weight and more gained again (me included). It seems the most common reason is ultimately not changing food and exercise habits so I am determined not to be one of the restarters in 2 years time!

 

[Will145]

Week 6 is over and another 5lbs down. I'm getting fidgety now, bored of water and of my hands and feet constantly feeling freezing cold!! I was surprised I lost 5lbs this week as I've been office bound at work due to a bad foot - doctors orders to put my foot up. I'm having 2 cans of coke zero a day now and if I feel like I need something normal ill do myself a couple of boiled eggs in the evening - touch wood hasn't it affected my loss so far. Ever though I've lost 2st 9lbs I'm not getting as many 'wow look at you' comments as I'd hoped for just yet - I think this is mainly down to me still wearing my old clothes which are hanging off me but still look massive. I've almost run out of belt holes on my one and only belt - before the diet I was on the biggest hole!
My moobs have gone down massively, not quite gone yet and my belly is being stubborn in taking its time to go! I found after I went to the gym my weight loss slowed, Anyone else had this? I think I'll hold off the gym till m off the diet then hammer it so. Don't gain much back. Anyway I've rambled on enough. Hope everyone is getting on well!

 

[valentine]

hi your doing fab.... gym can slow ya loss a tad as we store water in our tissue/muscle when we have used then ... strange how the body reacts even when we are trying our best,,,, now ya know why body builders dont drink water for 24 hrs b4 they do a comp... cos they need to strip the fluid away .

good luck with the rest of your VLCD cos ya reaping the benefits of a short time without real food xx

 

[Will145]

Today I tried on all my old wardrobe and I am overjoyed to say that most of my old clothes, that I was busting out of before exante, are fitting beautifully. Bar a pair of jeans and 2 shirts. The weight loss has slowed a tad to 3-4lbs a week which is still amazing considering how much 1lb of fat is. Total loss is 3st2lbs and I am finally getting the comments and people noticing I have to stop the diet end of march - that way I can do the stabiliser program during April before beginning of May when I drive a beaten up lodon taxi 3000 miles round Europe for charity. My clothes fitting today made me really realise how unhappy I was before exante and how I am NEVER going back to my old ways. There'll be no re starting here 1-2 years down the line. How is everyone getting on?

 

[Will145]

I thought I would write up an update as to how I am getting on for anyone that might read this. Today I am now 4 Stone down and that is in 10 1/2 weeks. Some of the affects of being 18 stone have completely gone - I was suffering from terrible back pains when I walked anywhere, my sleep was very disturbed, and in the mornings I always felt like death. The back feels fine, I am sleeping like a log and im unusually chipper in the mornings. My Asthma medication consisted of 2 different inhalers and some tablets which I took at night - I am happy to say that I have pretty much stopped that medication and I feel great! My waist size has reduced for a ridiculous 40 Inches to a very comfortable 34 Inches.
I have been grounded due to a bad toe infection for most of this month so havent been able to do any walking, exercise etc and yet I am still losing 4lbs a week. If it wasnt for the weight loss this month I would have gone mad.
I am starting my 2 week stabilizer phase from the 26th March onwards no matter what weight I am - the reason for this is that I am travelling around Europe beginning of May and I will have no idea where I may end up so it would be a bit inconvient to do the exante diet.
Instead I am going to start Slimming World after my stabilizer phase. I know a few people who have done it and have had really good results. I need to learn about eating the right things and more importantly how to cook healthy meals and slimming world can help me achieve this. I have had quite enough of the water, exante meals and the restrictive nature of this diet.
Oh and just to add - for as long I have done the diet - I have always had 2 cans of coke zero (one with the bar especially) and one in the evening as a treat and two boiled eggs - If i hadnt of been able to have the eggs and coke zero I would have crumbled!

 

[jael001]

That's amazing Will, congratulations on 4 stone down in such a quick time, and so glad it's having such positive effects on your life.

 

[Will145]

Thank you! Good luck on your journey!

 

[Quirkygirl]

Loved reading this, 4 stone is miraculous. Well done! It's so inspirational to read things like this as I struggle on a weekend with temptation this helps me stay on track. X