Newbie to Exante

[enlightenme2]

Hello everyone,

SO i've made the switch from CWP to Exante today as my packs have finally arrived! I did CWP a few years ago and had real decent losses, never got to goal and the weight crept back over the years.
I started again (after many many many restarts) January 4th, but I could tell I was not going to last as the products were just so boring and the only thing I liked which felt like real food was yuck!
Anyway, so far I've had the chocolate coconut bar and the indian daal and let me tell you, if the other products are just as good, I won't have any problems sticking to the plan! I mean what a change - for the better- so much to choose from as well, and I feel full unlike the cambridge stuff. The only downside is that with CWP I was having 4 products a day (which came out quite expensive after all those false starts) whereas now I only have 3... But I'm sure I can manage!

I have 5 stones to lose and I was wondering if the total solution was like CWP - approx one stone a month or not.. Also Exante encourages 20 mins exercise where CWP did not, does it make a huge difference or not?

Anyway, thanks for listening to my ramblings!

 

[Bronte]

Hi & welcome, you'll find loads of support on here & there are some great weight losses, you can always split your Exante 3 shakes into 4 shakes a day as the weight contents for Exante shakes are approx 51g a packet & approx 34 - 36g on CWP , lighter life & SNS (hence that's why there's 4 packets) , good luck on your weight loss journey

 

[Cacee41]

Hi, I am also new and should be receiving my packs tomorrow. I plan to start the plan on Monday. Good luck with your weight loss.

 

[sybersadie]

You can also split the bars as well. I tend to have a bar for "lunch" but actually I have half of it late morning and the other half late afternoon. This pushes my final pack later in the evening. This means the time between finishing my packs for the day and bed is not so long as it could be otherwise. Welcome, BTW

 

[enlightenme2]

Hi & welcome, you'll find loads of support on here & there are some great weight losses, you can always split your Exante 3 shakes into 4 shakes a day as the weight contents for Exante shakes are approx 51g a packet & approx 34 - 36g on CWP , lighter life & SNS (hence that's why there's 4 packets) , good luck on your weight loss journey

Hi Bronte, thanks for the suggestion. I didn't buy too many shakes because I'm quite lactose intolerant... and the shakes just mess me up

You can also split the bars as well. I tend to have a bar for "lunch" but actually I have half of it late morning and the other half late afternoon. This pushes my final pack later in the evening. This means the time between finishing my packs for the day and bed is not so long as it could be otherwise. Welcome, BTW

thank you sybersadie - I will probably do that with the bars as they are more filling than the CD ones. And thanks for the welcome!

As everything is pretty much in the same caloric ballpark we can have anything we want within the 3 allotted meals right?

 

[sybersadie]

Yep, you can have any three packs you want. I switch between shakes and porridge for breakfast. A bar when I am at work, followed by something savory in the evening. At home days I will have something sweet for lunch like the pudding packs or pancakes.

 

[enlightenme2]

Yep, you can have any three packs you want. I switch between shakes and porridge for breakfast. A bar when I am at work, followed by something savory in the evening. At home days I will have something sweet for lunch like the pudding packs or pancakes.

Thanks! that's a load off, on CWP you couldn't have more than one bar at a time... not that you'd want to (after the first rebellion of course ) as they'd create so much wind in your system you'd be walking around like the michelin man!

Love your Eiffel view btw, do you visit Paris often?

 

[enlightenme2]

So after 2 days of trying out the Exante line I can def tell you I will not be ordering the chewy bars (too dry for me) and the taste of the cherry almond, cookies n cream were off-putting

I'm on the fence about the coconut one (it starts off tasting like coconut, but then it totally disappears when you're chewing), I tried the bacon cheese egg mixture... that was different! I mean the texture was like eating polenta rather than eggs, am I doing something wrong? I added the recommended water too but it looked more like a pancake mix rather than omelette!

Love, love the indian daal and the beef black bean thingies??? plus it's in a pot not a sachet - how exciting is that? Definitely something I can take in at the office!

I haven't tried the soups yet, will have one for lunch today... so that's it really - trying not to have the weekend get in the way of me being 100% in it - it's a struggle

 

[enlightenme2]

So update, I just had the black bean and beef... VERY on the fence - might try it in a couple of weeks but right now it's not doing anything for me

 

[smidge87]

I like the Indian pots too, one of my favs Especially as they can be taken out of the house and don't require a microwave! I think the curry and rice is nicer though so I would recommend that!

Welcome and good luck btw

 

[clover25]

Ive been on the diet for about two weeks. Some of the products at the start were really a struggle but I have found that my taste buds are changing. But the Indian daal is deffo one of my favourites and so is the shepherds pie.

Good luck on your journey.

 

[sybersadie]

We're all so different - I haven't yet found a bar that I don't like.

The cheese and bacon egg thing had me wondering too the first time I made it. I tried it first following the instructions and it was just not right. Then I tried making it as an omelette - it was better. Darcy15 suggested putting extra water in (around 100ml) and microwaving it for around 90 seconds in 30 second bursts, stirring after each 30 secs. (you need use judgement and not over nuke). End result - is more like scrambled eggs. Still not sure about the cheese and bacon flavour however.

 

[*lil*]

I'm starting again today, I've literally only ordered. The Indian daal pots, chocolate puddings and a few caramel crunch bars and vanilla shakes. I will probably be eating 2 of the daal pots a day.
I've got another 3 stones to lose so if anyone wants to find my diary for a chat I think it's in the silver section x

 

[enlightenme2]

I'm starting again today, I've literally only ordered. The Indian daal pots, chocolate puddings and a few caramel crunch bars and vanilla shakes. I will probably be eating 2 of the daal pots a day.
I've got another 3 stones to lose so if anyone wants to find my diary for a chat I think it's in the silver section x

Hey Lil, yeah I follow your diary, I kinda think you were instrumental in my switch over to Exante from Cambridge... I was SOOO bored, I mean day in day out, the only thing I looked forward to was the porridge, the veggie soup and the peanut crunch bar - And I don't know about you but if I only have 3 things to look forward to for months ahead - it can get sad! I was finding ways to pick on little things etc just to have a different taste in my mouth. As I'd done it before (again and again and again) I just knew what was in store.

Exante has such variety! I've been sticking to "solid" foods until now but I've just ventured out and had the ham&mushroom soup - YUM, now that's soup material, not that watery dodgy stuff floating around in CWP soups.
So far I've had
the indian pot daal - Yum, but I shouldn't eat it too often, I fear I could go off it
the beef n bean pot - No, will not be doing that one again just wrong
caramel crunch bar - YUM
orange chocolate bar - YUM
raspberry white chocolate bar - ditto
NOT a fan of the soft bars aka choco-coconut, cherry-almond (GROSSSSSS)
Bacon cheese eggs - arghh - It'll be a while until I try the eggs again - which is a shame because I was so stoked I ordered a bunch - it was just mealy! I will try to see if there's an expert scrambled-egg maker on these boards
ham mushroom soup - thumbs up

I will try the carbonara tonight - it's set on my kitchen counter so I don't need to go skulking around in there - I cooked up a storm this weekend, so all the kids' meals are done for the week and they're off skiing this weekend, so I won't even have to worry about family meals!
I don't know what else to try today any ideas?
I'm hesitant about the shakes, it just feels such a shame to "drink" my calories when there's so much other choice, I'm afraid they won't tide me over - plus I'm not a fan of shakes in the winter - even if it isn't too cold.

Whew that was long! on my lunch break so I figured i'd come on here and see what was going on.

My autocorrect ABSOLUTELY wants to replace Exante with "exact"!!

 

[enlightenme2]

I like the Indian pots too, one of my favs Especially as they can be taken out of the house and don't require a microwave! I think the curry and rice is nicer though so I would recommend that!

Welcome and good luck btw

OK! so will be adding that as my 3rd pack.. I was eyeing the packet wondering if I was setting myself up for a disappointing meal! I mean we "only" have 3 a day!

 

[*lil*]

Hey Lil, yeah I follow your diary, I kinda think you were instrumental in my switch over to Exante from Cambridge... I was SOOO bored, I mean day in day out, the only thing I looked forward to was the porridge, the veggie soup and the peanut crunch bar - And I don't know about you but if I only have 3 things to look forward to for months ahead - it can get sad! I was finding ways to pick on little things etc just to have a different taste in my mouth. As I'd done it before (again and again and again) I just knew what was in store.

Exante has such variety! I've been sticking to "solid" foods until now but I've just ventured out and had the ham&mushroom soup - YUM, now that's soup material, not that watery dodgy stuff floating around in CWP soups.
So far I've had
the indian pot daal - Yum, but I shouldn't eat it too often, I fear I could go off it
the beef n bean pot - No, will not be doing that one again just wrong
caramel crunch bar - YUM
orange chocolate bar - YUM
raspberry white chocolate bar - ditto
NOT a fan of the soft bars aka choco-coconut, cherry-almond (GROSSSSSS)
Bacon cheese eggs - arghh - It'll be a while until I try the eggs again - which is a shame because I was so stoked I ordered a bunch - it was just mealy! I will try to see if there's an expert scrambled-egg maker on these boards
ham mushroom soup - thumbs up

I will try the carbonara tonight - it's set on my kitchen counter so I don't need to go skulking around in there - I cooked up a storm this weekend, so all the kids' meals are done for the week and they're off skiing this weekend, so I won't even have to worry about family meals!
I don't know what else to try today any ideas?
I'm hesitant about the shakes, it just feels such a shame to "drink" my calories when there's so much other choice, I'm afraid they won't tide me over - plus I'm not a fan of shakes in the winter - even if it isn't too cold.

Whew that was long! on my lunch break so I figured i'd come on here and see what was going on.

My autocorrect ABSOLUTELY wants to replace Exante with "exact"!!

I do ramble on quite a lot in my diary so I apologise haha. I really can't suggest any others to try as really I'm not a massive fan of much. Like you I'm not so keen on the squidgy bars and the soups are not for me.
I used to live off the carbonara but I'm positive they changed it. It used to be really salty and I loved it but when I re started after having my second baby it tasted bland and I just gave up on it.
Luckily I discovered the daal! Now if they just made the porridge in a pot too my life would be complete!
Just make sure when you make the carbonara you let it sit in the water for a while. So the pasta softens. I used to use less water too so the sauce was thicker.
Lots of people have the shakes warm with coffee in but I'm not a coffee drinker so that's not for me either.

Today I waited until 11 for breakfast, sounds weird but I had a daal pot :/ as I didn't fancy anything sweet this morning. They do fill me up more than anything else.

I've just been messing around, making excuses and generally avoiding having to do this properly. I know for me, when I'm in the zone there's no stopping me. I think as I start to feel better and look better it'll click back in. Normally bottom end of the 11's and I start to look forward to seeing the changes.

Hope you have a fab day x

 

[enlightenme2]

I love your rambles.. keeps me sane when the stomach is rambling! You've had quite a journey too!
I know it feels wrong to have "regular" food for breakfast eg the daal/the soup/pasta but to me, it seems just as wrong to have a bar/shake for lunch.
So I had my soup for breakfast (late because once I start eating, I want to munch). I will have another savory pack in a couple of hours and leave the last one until I can't stand it... In my head, not my stomach - I'm just mind hungry all the time. At least I have been every time I've done a VLCD. Plus the bathroom discomforts (TMI) It just seems a lot to put up with but the results are so quick!
This time, I will wait until I'm at goal (not try to lose the last 20lbs with exercise) to start doing my exercising - right now I just don't feel like it.. I feel like a beached whale when I see myself down on the mat - which spurs me to eat (which if I think about it is completely ridiculous!)

 

[*lil*]

I had my second pack at about 1 I think it was. That was purely because the DPD man came and I knew I had caramel crunch bars in there .
My third pack will be around 7 I imagine when my eldest is in bed.
I've decided if I need extras to stay on plan then I'll do it. I've got a tub of quark, some tuna and some sugar free jelly in so if I'm desperate I can have something. The jelly is probably the least calories and carbs as its only 40 calories for the whole thing. Can't remember carbs but I know I used to have it on Atkins so it can't be terrible. Either way it's better than chocolate and crisps!
Saying that I've just had a big - blender sized flask of water with a bit of orange and pineapple squash in. Which isn't allowed but i struggle with the water in take at home.
However I'd love to get back to being able to have no extras. When I was working I used to have my first pack at 12-1 which I think really helped me.
I've occupied myself today by gutting upstairs a bit. Our house is far too small for all my crap haha X

Exercise, I keep trying but until I'm thinner, I just won't feel the love for it.
X

 

[*lil*]

Also, where the hell are you supposed to keep 56 Indian daal pots?!

 

[sybersadie]

My dining table is now a storage solution for exante! It only works 'cos we have a kitchen table as well and we tend to only use the dining table at Christmas and Easter.