Yellow Watermelon's Exante Journey

[YellowWatermelon]

Hey Rea Cat - do you hate coconut because of the flavour or the texture? I usually hate coconut as it sticks in my throat and makes me cough. I loathe bounty bars (shudder - what a waste of otherwise good chocolate), and I hate it when chocolate slices have coconut all through them. So, if it's texture, these bars are kind of awesome, as they're totally smooth.
If you hate the taste, then nope, they're not for you!

I don't know anything about the keto diet. It sounds like a good alternative, although is it a lot of work to count the calories in everything? I do like the simplicity of Exante, but it's not a forever diet, that's for sure!

 

[YellowWatermelon]

Woah, just received an Exante order (the box was broken and about a quarter of the items were missing - but the chat service was pretty awesome and they're sending out replacements now!) and I'm trying my first Maple and Pecan flapjack for lunch.

My first thought was that it's tiny, but it's certainly stodgy. Then, my second thought was... this tastes weird. Glad I only ordered one!

But.. I'm now stocked up with strawberry jam bars and chocolate coconut bars for the foreseeable future!

 

[Les]

Hi Les - really well, thanks!

As of this morning, I'm 4.3kg down, it's about day 15 I think, and I'm feeling good. Yesterday I was obsessing a bit about food - I wasn't hungry, just wanted to eat, but I think it was hormonal.

Just had a revelation - low sugar banana smoothie with a dash of espresso blended together. I love the slightly childish taste of the banana smoothie usually, but adding the coffee softens that and makes it a little more grown up.

Last night I also discovered that popping the peanut butter bar in the microwave for a minute or so makes it taste so sweet and gooey. I'd saved a little of my day time one for a pudding after my sweet and sour noodles (by far the best meal - especially with a dash of soy and some chilli) and it was so good.

I had to do another order with Exante yesterday as, although I have shakes and meals coming out my ears, I was running low on bars. I'm looking forward to getting some of my favourites in, like chocolate coconut and strawberry jam and yoghurt!!

I kind of can't believe I intended to do this for 3-4 days and I'm into my third week already.

Sounds like u r doing really well.
I have some peanut butter bars which I might try in the microwave. Thanks for the tip.
Like u I seem to b running out of bars so might just have to order some. Looking forward to myvweigh in on Saturday as I've been exercising well .

 

[YellowWatermelon]

Sounds like u r doing really well.
I have some peanut butter bars which I might try in the microwave. Thanks for the tip.
Like u I seem to b running out of bars so might just have to order some. Looking forward to myvweigh in on Saturday as I've been exercising well .

How long have you been on it for, Les? How are you going with it all?

 

[Les]

How long have you been on it for, Les? How are you going with it all?

This is my first proper week back on it.
I did it for three weeks I think and then the thught of it made me feel sick so I took a week off.im doing ok this week though so hope for a loss.
Like most I did really well 2 years ago and wore a dress for the first time to a wedding. Why I let myself put nearly 2 stone back on I will never know.Its been so much harder this time to get my weight moving. I was 12. 13 when I started am averaging 12st 1/ 12st 2 at the moment so hoping weigh day on Sat will hopefully move this x

 

[YellowWatermelon]

This is my first proper week back on it.
I did it for three weeks I think and then the thught of it made me feel sick so I took a week off.im doing ok this week though so hope for a loss.
Like most I did really well 2 years ago and wore a dress for the first time to a wedding. Why I let myself put nearly 2 stone back on I will never know.Its been so much harder this time to get my weight moving. I was 12. 13 when I started am averaging 12st 1/ 12st 2 at the moment so hoping weigh day on Sat will hopefully move this x

I have read somewhere that something in our brains makes us desperately hungry if we've lost weight, which makes keeping it off even harder, so don't beat yourself up - it happens to everyone and it's just a pain in the backside. I've been on this track many times before too, although never with Exante,, and I'm super nervous about what happens when I stop. But, I keep telling myself, that if I can act swiftly when it starts to go up again, then there is hope.

Fingers crossed for Saturday!

 

[YellowWatermelon]

I'm off to my cookery course today, which is going to completely blow my whole thing out of the water. But, I'm going to hold onto Rea Cat's advice and hope that I can get back into ketosis swiftly. I'm also not going to have a total pig-out, I'm just going to be like a normal person at a normal cookery class. I've eaten a bar for breakfast so I won't be too hungry (just discovered that the strawberry jam and yoghurt bars are 220 cal when almost everything else is 200 - weird?)

But, I'm down another 100g this morning, so feeling good overall. In 1.2kg time, I'll be the weight I was before I had my daughter, which is my first goal.

Ooh, and last night I finally got the courage to try the spaghetti bol meal. I'd read that it was awful, but I'd taken the approach that I should try everything, just in case I disagreed. Well... it looked disgusting, and smelt kind of like garlic-y herbs, and it was pretty gross. I put on some pepper and chilli, but pretty much just choked it down. Guess I can rely on the reviews after all.

Then, I heated up my last bit of peanut butter bar and didn't watch the microwave. It is NOT good if it overheats - it turned into a kind of chewy sponge with black burnt bits. Bleurgh.

 

[Les]

I heated up my peanut butter bar last night. It wasn't my favourite I must admit. I love the chocolate and orange bar which I think I will b ordering some more.
Hope your day goes well with the cookery class x

 

[Rea Cat]

Top tips for getting back into ketosis -
Drink LOADS of water
Compensate - if you've had some stuff 'you shouldn't have' today, sacrifice exante and eat NO-CARB tonight - have some chicken and veg or something like that, it'll help get the excess carbs/glucose spike out of you system/down quicker
Get straight back on it.

Enjoy your class - I hope you take some pics and share with us!! Good luck!

 

[YellowWatermelon]

Top tips for getting back into ketosis -
Drink LOADS of water
Compensate - if you've had some stuff 'you shouldn't have' today, sacrifice exante and eat NO-CARB tonight - have some chicken and veg or something like that, it'll help get the excess carbs/glucose spike out of you system/down quicker
Get straight back on it.

Enjoy your class - I hope you take some pics and share with us!! Good luck!

Thanks for the tips!

So... it was actually such a disaster that I'm not so worried! Nothing worked - and it wasn't us - the whole thing was just so poorly planned. So, I ate three mini scones, and that was it! I've skipped lunch and will take your advice and go the meat/veg route tonight. I didn't actually take any pics as I forgot to charge my phone on the way and it died, but you aren't missing much!!

 

[Rea Cat]

I don't like to say 'super' to something so unfortunate, but it really sounds like the cosmos aligned to keep you from going mad there ;-)

You might not even drop out of ketosis at all, depending on how 'mini' your scones were!

 

[Les]

Thanks for the tips!

So... it was actually such a disaster that I'm not so worried! Nothing worked - and it wasn't us - the whole thing was just so poorly planned. So, I ate three mini scones, and that was it! I've skipped lunch and will take your advice and go the meat/veg route tonight. I didn't actually take any pics as I forgot to charge my phone on the way and it died, but you aren't missing much!!

Hope u enjoyed your scones. I love them with jam and clotted cream however I'm just having a choc orange shake which I have with hot water it's lovely. Have a great day x

 

[YellowWatermelon]

So...I haven't been hungry and figured I'd stayed in ketosis, but then this morning my weight has gone up 200g! First increase since I started. Trying to tell myself it's a blip and all will be well tomorrow.
I start food week on Monday...hope this isn't what happens when I start eating proper meals!

 

[Les]

I must admit I have found this happens to me but it' only short term and the weight soon goes.

 

[Darcy15]

Weight goes up and down all the time.......which is why weighing just once a week is the best bet

Daily weighing is so very tempting I know, but it can end up being very discouraging!

Onwards and downwards

 

[YellowWatermelon]

Thanks, Les and Darcy. I know I should only weigh once a week, but the regular weighing helps me keep on track...until it doesn't! This is the whole willpower issue!

So....my weight went up even more then next day, and I'm now back down to only a couple of hundred grams less than I was this time last week. So, frustrating experience, but I'm determined to stick with it.

This week I'm doing food instead of the fourth packet, so I had chicken and veggies for dinner, which was surprisingly delicious.

 

[Les]

Well done. Glad all is going well for you.
I have woke up really hungry today but it's way to early to think of having a packet.
I think I've overdone the exercise so I'm taking a rest day, my lower back is aching so much . I spent yesterday at my son's house spring cleaning and worked solid for most of the day , but it looked great when finished.
Today I'm walking into town which is about 5000 steps and a 45 min walk.
Hope u all have a good day x les

 

[YellowWatermelon]

Well done. Glad all is going well for you.
I have woke up really hungry today but it's way to early to think of having a packet.
I think I've overdone the exercise so I'm taking a rest day, my lower back is aching so much . I spent yesterday at my son's house spring cleaning and worked solid for most of the day , but it looked great when finished.
Today I'm walking into town which is about 5000 steps and a 45 min walk.
Hope u all have a good day x les

I haven't really started the exercise thing yet - I think I'm focussing on one step at a time (huh - that sounds like a pun!), but I do need to get fitter. Good on you for all that hard work - although I can't imagine spring cleaning anyone else's house - you must be a saint!

As for getting hungry, have you thought about splitting up the shakes? I've started breaking my morning shake into two, and using way more water. They can take loads more than they say and still taste good. I just had probably half a coconut shake with maybe 200-250ml of water. I then have the other half later, or I turn it into a latte with a coffee mid-morning. It really helps to make me feel like I'm eating more. I also have my can of diet softdrink each day, which helps for something to do. I tried herbal teas, but they really don't fill me up at all - I just feel like I'm drinking perfumed hot water. Which I guess I am!

 

[YellowWatermelon]

Having written that this morning about splitting up shakes, I am utterly starving today! I think it is mostly psychological - but I can't stop thinking about food.

Haven't been in ketosis for days now, and that probably isn't helping either. Come on, stupid body, get back to it!

Maybe I'll go and make myself a cup of hot perfumed water...

In more positive news, after completely ignoring all that good advice about not weighing myself (I know, I know, my willpower sucks), I dropped down 800g overnight, which is crazy, but it does even things out. Puts me back on track to where I should be after the last week, so it was obviously just a blip as you guys said. Now I'm going to try not to weigh myself until Friday. It's not a whole week, but I think half a week would be a good target for me to start off with. Perhaps by then I might hit my first target!! Fingers crossed.

 

[Les]

Just read your posts I must admit I dont have many shakes. I have the chocolate and orange which is lovely hot, and i have pina coladas which must b out of date, i havent checked'. The exercise is on hold today although I have clocked up 10,000 steps from walking into town.
Well done on your loss and I'm glad that's keeping u going well done . Good luck for Friday. I know weigh day every week seems a long way off, sometimes I am so tempted to weigh daily but I know if I was to show a gain I would go straight off of track and throw all my hard work away.
Enjoy the rest of your day x. Les