Wow, why didn't I know about this before??

Poppysparkle

Silver Member
Hi all, just introducing myself as I plan to spend the next four weeks at least with you, gaining motivation and support hopefully!!

I used Minimins when I lost weight on LL, and it was a godsend to me. I lost 6.5 stone from November to March this year and have mostly kept it off. My weight has crept up a little and now find myself at 10st 10lbs. I did get down to 9st 7lbs, and it might have been a little light for me, but I definitely want to get down at least 10lb again. I am eating very differently, but find myself snacking too much. I have cut down massively on carbs, but the wine is being drunk more often that it should and this makes me nibble.

I've been wanting to go back on LL, but just can't afford the £66 a week. I was on Minis tonight and spotted the Exante ad, with the Xmas special offer, and couldn't believe it! The price of that costs me what it does for lunches during the week for a whole week of meal replacements! I aam going to use four foodpacks a day over four weeks. My BMI is just under 25, and I know that I strictly shouldn't do this, but I could go back on LL if I wanted and do the full plan right now. As I am planning on doing it for such a short time and only want to lose just a stone, then I'm sure this will be fine.

I'm so excited tonight as I know that I can do this and the weight will drop off again. I then know, as I have learnt lessons again, that I need to limit my snacking a lot more than I have recently. I believe I've done really well to have mostly kept the weight stable from March to now, and it's only having gone on hols and putting on 10lb+ that I'm finding it a little more difficult. Thing is that I've identified the problem and am going to deal with it while it's still a small one!

Really looking forward to receiving the packs and starting and getting back in control, especially as I have heard that you all love the packs so much. I hated chocolate shakes on LL, but I'll stomach them for a month if I have to. I also have all my shakes hot normally, can you make them this way, as I don't like cold shakes!!

Yay Exante - don't let me down now.... ;-)
 
Hi Poppysparkle - congratulations on you LL loss. I'm doing LLL at the moment, slow, but the weight is coming off. I'm thinking of trying Exante too, because I'm finding LLL expensive, especially for a low weight loss- around a pound a week only. Think I'll give it a go. I'm told the shakes are OK, i don't mind the chocolate LL, and I like the banana very much. I know how it is with the wine!! Did you drink wine on LL?
 
Hi, I do my shakes warm if I am feeling cold, just add a bit of cold water so it is not actually boiling and they mix ok. The hot chocolate shake is lovely and I save it for weekend as a treat.
Well done on the 6.5stone loss, that is fantastic by the way.
As you say, you should not be doing TS if you are under 25 bmi so really think carefully as you do not want to damage your body in a permanent way. Maybe doing the working solution and stay off the wine for a few weeks could be your way forward more healthily?
B xx
 
HI Poppysparkle

Well done on the loss, I lost 5 stone this year as well, such a good feeling :) I started on Excante on Tuesday and I am impressed with it - (like you I put on weight mine around half a stone) I had lost mine on all about w8
I did weigh myself the other night and I had already lost 4 pounds which I couldn't believe,
The choc shake is heaven it tastes like a proper lol hot choc

karen
xx
 
Hi Ladies,

I lost about 5 stone on LL from July to Oct last year, then in February the weight started creeping back on. I was almost 2 stone up -- now about 1.5 stone. I tried LLL, but was not "feeling it" -- no one stayed for the meetings, different faces every week, still very pricey, far to drive, on a busy week night, etc. So, I researched my options and ordered CD. I am using it, but am also interested in Excante. So, when this runs low I may swap over to this product. Please keep posted on what you think of it.

MM
 
Mini, will let you know when I have tried it!! It will be interesting to compare it to LL. I hope to get mine by Tuesday - fingers crossed.
 
Hi Poppy, Jez said you would be on, good luck on Exante its the best thing that ever happend to me. Have lost over 6.5 stone and am in maintainence now gone from 16 stone to 9.5stone. I know you will enjoy Exante. Best of luck, Em xxx
 
Hi Em!! Jez said that you loved the packs, so I'm so excited to start again! I've just logged on to track the parcel and it's arrived today - so I'm starting tomorrow. I am praying that I enjoy the packs, as I need to get refocused and need a complete abstinence from food and wine for a little while. I'm now 25+ BMI after this weekend - how easily that actually happens when you do lose focus. I've done really well to have maintained for so long, and have learnt a lot, but I suppose I've learnt even more from this little 'slippage' the last few months!

I'll update tomorrow, and will be on looking for lots of motivation over the next week or so I'm sure!

Thanks for saying Hi and making me welcome!
 
Hi Poppysparkle
I just popped over here from LL as I am considering switching to Exante.
Reasons against switching: I know LL works for me, I know which packs I enjoy. I love some of the ladies in my group. Really want to do RTM properly.

Reasons for switching: Not much counselling goes on, I have had CBT one on one ages ago and what counselling does happen is way behind what I have already learned, numbers in group are dwindling, I am in a mixed RTM/developers group. Sometimes only 2 of us there. Getting BP taken every month is getting more and more difficult and stressful. Price is going up after Xmas. Could get the RTM book myself and go it alone. Often feel demotivated after a group, prefer to learn and work things through by myself and with support of forums like minimins.

Sorry for jumping on your thread - what I am trying in a very long winded way to say is - I am still mulling all this over but am desperately interested to see how you get on when you start Exante as you know LL too. Really interested to know what differences you think there are etc.

Wishing you the very very best luck.

xxxxx
 
Peony - not a problem! Jump away!

And thanks for the good luck wishes Quak!!

Well, day 1 and I've had a hot vanilla shake for breakfast and have brought a bar (toffee/nut/raisin) with me for lunch and it's absolutely fine - maybe not delicious yet, but I know that my tastes will change - I'm looking forward to trying the soup later this evening and possibly a chocolate shake before bed - I'll keep you updated, but so far, so good!!!

Oh, and for the offer price at the moment - it's absolutely fabulous value for money!
 
Hi Poppysparkle
Pleased to hear you are getting on ok today - very heartening! I know what you mean about tastes changing - I loved certain packs at the beginning of LL that I heave at the thought of now. I used to add salt to their soups too the first few weeks whilst now I find their soups way to strong and salty!

I am 95% decided that I will leave LL after christmas and do my last few months with Exante. Hopefully I can get the LL RTM book from a girl who has now left my group and do that myself.

You are not wrong about their pre christmas offer - blummin amazing! And brilliant when you are starting Exante and don't yet know what flavours you prefer. Hopefully it will still be available in a few days when I have finally made my mind up - I can buy it now ready for the switch in January.

Thoughts with you getting into ketosis this week - although you may be one of those that finds it easier? My first LL week was hell on earth - one of the reasons I am still 100% abstinent 20 weeks on the thought of having to get into ketosis again!

Hope you have some thermals and woolly jumpers - you might get colder with being slimmer and going into ketosis! I ordered a leccie blanket today as I had to sleep in so many layers last night lol!

xxxxxxxx
 
I'm another going to try Exante. I'm on LLL at the moment - slow weight loss, but coming off! Expensive too. The counsellor is good, but I'm not getting much out of it, one of two people hijack the meeting and we get too much info. on husband/definitely children/MoL etc etc. I've ordered the Christmas pack of Exante and I'm going to give it a try. Also, I think it may be useful as a back up after Christmas. Hope they taste OK!
 
Hi all - well I have just had the tomato soup, and it was quite lovely actually. We all know how vile the LL tomato soup was - much better than that, even though it's a pale colour and looks nothing like Heinz, it tastes delish!!

Also, I had emailed customer support about my four pack issue and they came back with a very helpful and friendly email - just fabulous I think. I have this place for the support, so really wish I'd found this last year, as I'd have a fortune in the bank right now!

As for the ketosis issue - I suffered hugely first time round too!! Terrible headache and felt like I was getting flu and was horrendously hungover, all wrapped into one miserable and painful bundle! I'm hoping that it won't be quite so bad this time, as I certainly eat far less carbs still even now.

I'm going to try the four packs and see how my weight loss is.

I am proper hungry right now to be honest, but I know that it will quickly get better after the weekend!!
 
Your ketosis first time round sounds awful! Like you say tho you are starting from a very different place this time round so fingers crossed for an easier ride.
Glad to hear the tomato soup is palatable - I tried the LL one once and couldn't finish it it was so disgusting!
Here's to you sailing into ketosis this time round - and you know how easy it will be once you are there.
x
 
Hi Poppy, how is it going, have you tried the shakes hot yet? the strawberry and banana are fantastic hot. Try the vanilla as a Chai tea latte it is also stunning. Jez says hi btw, Em xxx
 
hi poppy
im heading onto exante too ,
so dissapointed in myself at the moment ,

did ll 3 years ago and maintained pretty much for 2 years i gained nearly 2 stone following a bad time then tried the lll earlier this year with great success , came off early as i wanted to train more for my half marathon and was struggling on lite but its all gone pete tong on me .... ive lost my focus ( hubbie home for 4 months and too much wine ect !!!) found exante today great offer as lite is just way to expensive right now , so wish me luck xxxxx
ps poppy , hows it going ?????
good luck xxx
 
Hi Em and SUKIE!! Lovely to see you here!

It's good, I did full days Wednesday and Thursday with four packs, which was actually fine - got to Friday evening and if you read my other thread was having a bit of an argument with myself as the best way to go. Best thing with Exante is that it's very flexible, so I think I'm going to take that approach. I weighed 10st 7lb this morning, on Monday I was 11st 3lb!! I don't want to be too over the top with it, because I'm pretty well below 25 BMI, so I think I'm going to use 2 or 3 packs a day and a low cal meal at night. I have actually had a shake for breakfast this morning and am considering having a soup and bar for lunch, then having a low cal meal tonight, with a little treat thrown in!! But the way I see it is that this is still more controlled than I have been and even if it takes a bit longer, I don't want to be so strict with myself this time around as I don't have a huge amount to lose, but just want to get back on track. I want to be 9st 7lb - 10st, can't really decide, as I think the lower end might have been slightly too low for me, but will judge as I get back down.

I am thinking about starting running out of doors to see if this is more interesting than my treadmill!! How did you start Sukie? Problem is that my joints are a bit creaky and painful if I overdo things, so not sure that it's ideal for me or not.

Well, I'll keep you posted and let you know what I have lost on Wednesday.

By the way Sukie, all the packs are absolutely fab, some I like more than others, and I have had them all hot as I don't like them cold anyway. Only the strawberry shake I was a bit unsure of, but it's certainly passable. None have made me want to vomit, like some of the LL packs!!! In the end I lived on hot vanilla shakes and cranberry bars!

Good luck whatever you decide to do - look at all the solutions on the website, and I think the key is to use the packs to fit in with your lifestyle I suppose, this is the way I'm heading.
 
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