new to exante

[shona1968]

I started Exante on Monday with a long term aim of loosing 3 stone. I have the will power but must say Im blooming starving. Id read that once in ketosis you stop feeling hungry... this hasnt happened for me yet. Im enjoying the soups, all except the tomatoe ones but not really liking the shakes, they just dont feel like a meal. I make the vanilla and choc into hot ones and add cofee to the vanilla.
When i eventually come off the exante i plan to convert to a slimming world type of diet, has anyone ever done this and gained weight. I also plan to have a curry once a month, Il try and chooe healthily ie Tikka and salad but really dont want to gain weight. I think if I new that if i lost weight on exante but would gain weight with my intended plan Id perhaps try an alternative diet.
Any advice welcomed xx
Best wishes

 

[OneTwoFour]

Welcome to Exante, it's great here and there's loads of support no matter how you're doing or feeling.

I've been thinking about doing SW after I've lost the weight, but think maybe Atkins might suit me better. I feel so much better off sugar and carbs.

I guess that you can put on weight with any diet, if you don't follow it properly and take action when you spot a bit of weight creeping back on.

Might be worth checking the WW forum to see if there's anyone who's done Exante & swapped over, they'll be able to give you the gen.

HTH,

 

[Starlight]

The calories on exante are so low you can't fail to lose weight.

As far as the curry idea goes really it's a bad idea. Exante is a total food replacement diet curries just don't work with it. you'll be well and truly out of ketosis and you'll most likely gain weight too. It takes up to 5 days to get into ketosis is it worth putting yourself through that regularly for a treat you don't need. You've already commented how hungry you are are you really prepared to go through that every few weeks??

If you're doing a diet like this you really need to do it properly. You want to lose what 3 stones? That should take you around 3 months - no time at all then you can enjoy all the curries you want.

VLCDs aren't for everyone and if you dint think you can manage without regular treats maybe WW would be a better idea.

 

[JoWinn]

Hi
I have been on Exante TS for 7 days, the worst days are 1-3 after that providing you are following the plan and drinking plenty water it gets easy. I have lost 9.5 lbs in one week. I feel great. Don't over do on exercise tho as it totally zaps energy fast. I was aiming 3 stones from 13 13 st to 11. But now I found how easy it is I'm going the full hog to 9st 7. Good luck and keep focussed it's deffo worth it when u weigh in

 

[shona1968]

Thanks all, I have the will power but i know when I did the Atkins diet I hardly ate as I just wasnt hungry. This however is giving me a rumbly tummy and im genuinally hungry. Im a a nurse so i can dip my wee at work and check wether Ive gone into Ketosis or not, if not Il have to have a re think i geuss. I dont think I can reduce what Im doing, that just doesnt seem right. Regarding the curry, I was thinking tikka and salad and having it as part of my add a meal week and counting the calories. Its not fried at the restaurant we attend so is low fat. Dyu think thats ok. Sorry Ive never done this diet before
Also I am struggling with the water, does anyone drink low cal/ carb waters

 

[cybill]

With regard to drinks, you can have Coke Zero and Dr Pepper Zero, you can also have peppermint teas (but not the sweeter herbal / fruity ones), you can also have - I think it's Tesco flavoured sparkling water - has to use malic acid not citric acid. Someone else can confirm this, as I've not tried it.

It probably depends how much sauce there is on the tikka, something tandoori like may be better where it's been marinated and then grilled, so it's more just the meat itself rather than other stuff. Alternatively, you could do a pub meal for your treat and have some steak or grilled chicken which would definitely be OK.
Hopefully the hunger will go soon. It can take a little while for the hunger / food cravings to go, everyone's different. But you will be losing weight, which is fantastic, and once you do your weigh-in, hopefully that will be a good incentive to stick at it
Good luck and welcome

 

[shona1968]

Thanks Rachel, you may well be keeping me on the straight and narrow. Are yu defo sure about the zero coke, if so whoop whoop. I'd heard that it wAs totally a no no. Are yu doing the 3 meal a day and nothing else or dyu have a meal too. I note your weight loss is fab. I kno ivs lost already but just wish I'd get rid of this hunger. I'm hungry an hour after eating and clock watching for my next meal. Crazy!!!! I was looking at my kids eating gammon, poached eggs, corn and brocoli and thinking why can't I have that, it's healthy and low fat!!!
Thanks for support, hopefully il repay once I'm not a ravenous bint lol

 

[Starlight]

Coke zero is absolutely fine to drink - in moderation. So is Asdas own diet coke which is a fraction of the cost

 

[shona1968]

Why in moderation, wat is it that I'm avoiding

 

[Starlight]

I think because it can make you bloated give you food cravings etc maybe cos of the sugar etc. None of the VLCDs recommend drinking litres of it that's for sure

CD and LL etc recommend a can a day limit and Exante just say 'in moderation'

 

[cybill]

Hi Shona,
I do a mixture of total solution and working solution. Some days I'm happy with just the 3 packs, but other days I add in a low carb meal or snack. I decided at the beginning that for me I'd prefer to plan ways to eat a bit of food that kept me in ketosis and achieving my overall goals, rather than bingeing / derailing. It's worked for me so far, it's possible I could have lost a little quicker if I'd kept solely as total solution, but I'm delighted with the losses I've had, and it's kept the hunger / cravings away for me, and allowed me to keep going out with my friends for dinner etc (but staying sensible).

Anyway, good luck with it, and really hope the hunger starts to fade quickly for you. xx

 

[shona1968]

Thanks so much Rachel you've been very generous with your information. Please can I pester you one more time. You're way of doing this diet appears to match mine. Can I ask how often you have extras and when you do what dyu eat. How dyu kno wat will keep you out of ketosis xx
many many thanks xx hungry hippo lol

 

[cybill]

Someone's put a good post up in the sticky section about ketogenic foods. It really varies week to week as to what I'll have. The first 2-3 weeks I stayed total solution, but since then, some weeks it's just one night a week, other weeks its 4-5 nights a week that I'll have something. I stick to the 100% ketogenic stuff, and the pretty good stuff, so basically I'll eat meat, fish and combine it with salad, green veg, mushrooms, peppers, that kind of thing if I feel I need to eat something. Before I started the diet I used to meet up with different friends on a regular basis and go out for meals / go round each others houses for meals. I didn't want to stop it, in the first month I took my packs, but then decided that if I stuck to the ketogenic things, I would still lose weight, and I felt much happier with that. It's made such a difference to me.
I did Lighter Life a few years ago, and stuck 100% to the packs, until I'd lost 5 stone, and then I just jumped straight onto food again. This time, I don't want to repeat that, and for me, mixing in some 'normal', albeit low carb food, has made such a difference. I feel much happier that I can stick with this and see through all the weight loss. To me, it also seems that I'm helping to adjust to a pattern closer to what I think will be helpful to me when I return to food, as I think lower carb will always suit me better.

So anyway, I think the question was how often and what. I guess now it's between 1 and 4-5 times a week. Sometimes it will just be a snack, so maybe a small bit of chicken, or a bit of mattessons pork sausage (they have a long expiry, so I find them great to keep as a reserve in the fridge!). Other days though I'll cook a proper meal for the rest of the family, and I'll just eat a portion of the lean meat or fish and some green veg. Last week I went out to the pub with friends, and ordered ham, egg & chips, and asked them to replace the chips with a green salad, which they happily did.

I've tried to keep eating regular mealtimes with my hubby and daughter. So sometimes I'll just have my pack at every meal, and the days when I need / want something more, I usually wait and have it at dinner time

I feel I've waffled on a lot, but hopefully gives you an idea of how I've made it work for me. I think it's important to work out what you need, and what will help you achieve your goals, in a way that you can sustain.

Good luck

 

[Smudge321]

I think because it can make you bloated give you food cravings etc maybe cos of the sugar etc. None of the VLCDs recommend drinking litres of it that's for sure

CD and LL etc recommend a can a day limit and Exante just say 'in moderation'

I can confirm, through personal experience that you should most definitely NOT drink too much coke zero as it has a laxative effect!!

Not pleasant at best of times but particularly painful if you have no food to erm, lose!

 

[shona1968]

Thanks so much for the advice Rachel. I too will opt to do the diet as you are.I will defo have treat days and try choose healthier options. If I come out of ketosis then so be it, Il get back into it. I want to loose weight and want a life too. This week, so far, has been tons easier and Im not half as starving. Obviously ketosis has kicked in. Im praying that peppermint Tea is ok as Im drinking plenty of it and actually like.
Thanks again hon xx