Which to choose? Confused???

S

Sun&moon

Full Member
Hi everyone,

First post so please bear with me. I have read a lot of threads on here (as a lurker) and have decided to take the plunge and post after seeing how helpful and friendly everyone is. :)

I think my question may well have an obvious answer and has probably been asked several times but I couldn't see any recent threads about it, but I just need help choosing which VLCD to follow?

I've chatted to some friends who have all done LL and recommend it, but think it's more the VLCD aspect they recommend as opposed to LL specifically? I've read a few threads in all of the different forums and now feel bamboozled with it all and have no idea which one to choose?

I imagine personal preference or needs etc is the main factor but other experiences would be really helpful. I've never tried a VCLD before, I did SW a few years ago and did quite well at it, tried WW too and hated that, and now I think I am in that place where only a VLCD will work for me, I'm very much an 'all-or-nothing' type and think I will be able to stick to the necessary discipline of a VLCD but I am a little nervous over what to expect....

Having just weighed myself for my profile here, I feel so fat and horrible, I have to do something.

Any help or advice would be really appreciated :) Look forward to chatting with you all soon x
 
A lot is down to how you want to do it.

Cambridge is done on a 1 to 1 basis with a councellor who weighs you weekly
LL is I believe group orientated with councelling sessions
Lipotrim is bought at a pharmacy and they weigh you there
Exante and Slim and Save are both bought online but obviously weighing etc is down to you

If you can do it alone without a councellor, Id recomment Exante or S&S. Price wise theyre fab.
Exante has shakes, soups, porridge and bars
S&S has shakes, soups, porridge, bars and meals
 
Thanks for the reply Starlight, I had been thinking of S&S/Exante but didn't know which of those either, haha! Yes I'm a typical indecisive Pisces ;)
 
Thanks, I saw the sample option and considered it, but I think I just have to go for it, get in the right place mentally and not give myself any excuses. If I try a sample, and it's not the greatest, that might be enough for my daft brain to convince itself it will fail, whereas if it's a non-negotiable months worth, my daft brain will just have to lump it, haha!

Can I ask how the first few days are? I'm really nervous about how horrid I will feel etc but know it's not the same for everyone so hard to advise me, but an idea of typical examples would be great.

Thanks :)

Edit: Just noticed your diary link, will have a read of that :)
 
The type of VLCD depends on what you need.

LL includes group therapy. You attend a weekly meeting where you are weighed, advised and have a small group therapy session. This looks to address why you are overweight and what else you might do. It is far more powerful and personal than a SW or WW meeting. However, this is also the most expensive option, at £72 per week. I would thoroughly recommend this. It is 4 packs a day and no milk/veggies.

Cambridge is with a counsellor but doesn't include any counselling. They provide you with the packs and weigh you. I think it's around £55 per week. It is 3 packs a day but I don't know what else is allowed.

Slim and Save and Exante are online and you are on your own when it comes to weighing etc. However, there are supportive forums on minimins. Also, Slim and Save packs are really nice. I use them to substitute for some of the LL ones as they are so nice! Slim and Save allows 150ml skimmed milk a day and 200g of certain veggies. 4 packs a day (or 3 plus protein meal). I believe that Exante is 3 packs a day but I don't know much else about it.
 
The first week on any VLCD can be tough. You may feel hungry and may get carb withdrawal headaches. You may feel generally unwell. However, after the first week you will be in ketosis and won't feel hungry much and should feel quite well. Most people get an energy boost.
 
Thanks Weasey, really helpful, your weightloss is great too, well done, it's seeing results like that that spur me on :)

I think I am leaning towards S&S currently, am just looking at their website, I like the idea of some veggies being allowed, and the milk as I'm a bit of a milk addict....

I'm thinking of starting on Good Friday so that I have five days off work to go through the worst, as presumably the 'side effects' will start quite quickly?
 
Sun&moon said:
Thanks Weasey, really helpful, your weightloss is great too, well done, it's seeing results like that that spur me on :)

I think I am leaning towards S&S currently, am just looking at their website, I like the idea of some veggies being allowed, and the milk as I'm a bit of a milk addict....

I'm thinking of starting on Good Friday so that I have five days off work to go through the worst, as presumably the 'side effects' will start quite quickly?
Click to expand...

Actually most of the side effects probably hit at day 3/4. I worked through it. Why wait until Easter when you could start soon?! If you're going to do SnS then I would suggest ordering their taster packs - which contains 1 of every one of their packs at a very good price. You'll then know which ones you like and which ones you don't. They deliver quickly so you could get through quite a lot of the packs before putting a full order in.

http://www.slimandsave.co.uk/full-vlcd-taster-pack.html

There are a lot of great sticky posts on the SnS forum on minimins too - showing pictures of the meals and giving really useful information. Definitely worth checking out.
 
Thanks for the link and reply :)

I can't afford it til payday on Friday so was going to order then and figured it would take a few days to get delivered taking me to Easter and then if I do feel crappy I won't be at work? But maybe if it's days 3/4 etc, I will order Friday and then start as soon as they get delivered :)

Will scour the S&S forum, think I am almost decided on going with them :)
 
I wish you all the luck in this, love S & S and never feel hungry. My advice would be to start as soon as you can and not put it off as you are in such a good frame of mind.
 
Thanks so much, you may well be right, I have been hovering over the taster pack since Weasey linked in, it's in my basket, and I'm trying to figure out when best to start so as to ensure that the full pack is delivered here before the samples run out, if that makes sense....

I just don't have the cash to order in bulk until Friday... but I agree I need to harness the mood I'm in, ggggrrrr..... ;)
 
Hiya, I was in a similar boat to you and I was absolutely certain I would start on Cambridge before I came here and learnt about Exante and Slim and Save.

I went with Exante in the end because they don't use Aspartame in their products and are the only ones that don't.. Plus if you buy the months worth it's only £100 which is cheaper than food! Another reason I chose Exante was because its just three shakes a day and I don't have to add any food into the equation.. Which means I avoid going to the supermarket and avoid temptation. They do recommend ever four weeks you add in a salad / protein for one week as opposed to daily on slim and save (as far as I understand).

The shakes are quite creamy, they aren't super sweet or flavoursome but they are enjoyable. Especially the chocolate and vanilla and I love live the chocolate one hot. The bars aren't too bad either. The soups on the other hand... I personally can't stomach them. But my flatmate is doing Exante too and he swapped his shakes for my soups as he doesn't mind them.

All that said...., I think I will get bored fairly soon and swap over to Slim and Save for awhile to change it up a bit. With 6-8 months to go I think I'll probably flick between the two of them every few months!!

Good luck on your journey and welcome :)
 
Thanks Lilbit, that's really good to know. I'm not sure if I like the idea of the ability to add vegetables etc or whether just shakes is good. I'm leaning towards the S&S and having regular veggies as I love veg and I like the idea of enhancing the meals with it, so it won't get boring. If I get bored I know I will give up too easily whereas S&S looks like it might offer be the ability to vary it a little?

Who'd have thought it would be so complicated? haha!!
 
You can do SnS on 4 packs a day and nothing else. The veg allowance is optional. I think the important thing is that you choose what is right for you and your personality type. If you don't want to think about conventional food and wish to view the packs as fuel then it doesn't really matter which VLCD you choose - so go for the cheapest. If you want to continue eating reasonably normally then go for the one which offers that. It's horses for courses!
 
Good points Weasey :) I do like the idea of adding veg to the meals, not sure on the protein meal thing yet, but it's nice to know that it is an option that could be done.

Thanks for replying again :) Sorry for all the questions or apparent daftness...
 
VLCDs are very different to other diets and for some reason are not discussed much in the mainstream. We all have lots of questions when we start - that's what the forum is great for! Ask away...
 
Yes I think you're right, I think most people (who don't diet) tend to say they're to be avoided as they're bad for you and you will just put the weight straight back on. For me I think the discipline will be important initially to be able to do it, I'm just too easily tempted whereas if I tell myself everything is off limits I can't 'cheat'.

I have read loads of threads, it's just a question of which packs to order, either the taster one or just make some selections?

Thanks :)
 
You're welcome. Good luck with your journey!
 
Thanks Weasey :) Once I've got my packs I'll start a thread in the S&S section. A friend was just telling me she had done Exante and found it hard but it worked, I can cope with hard if I get results, whichever VLCD it is :)

Having read lots of threads and had replies to my daft questions, this forum really is a godsend and a great help, everyone is so friendly and helpful, which is brill :)
 
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