Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts

VLCD // SHAKE THAT WEIGHT

shake that weight
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DOS Fit Files: Exante Diet

Part of my DOS Fit Files will detail different eating plans as well as the exercise and organisation that goes with it.
I really want to show you guys that there are different methods for everyone when it comes to weight loss or just getting healthier.

One the weight loss methods that helped me out dramatically in the past was a VLCD.

Now for those of you who aren't familiar with those 4 letters, they stand for Very Low Calorie Diet.

VLCD's have their stick and for the most part many people view them as controversial due to the restricted amount of calories you take in (around 600-700 a day) however correctly followed, VLCD's are actually not as bad as one may think and a lot of them actually require sign off from your GP before you can start.

I decided that I wanted to let you guys who are may be curious about VLCD's look into what they consist of and how they work, so when I saw that Exante were looking for bloggers, I contacted them and they kindly sent me over a weeks supply (21 packs) of Exante products as well as an Exante shaker to review.


What They Say


"Exante offers a range of meal replacement based diet programmes which utilise a mixture of soups, shakes, bars, porridge and ready meals to provide 100% of your Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals.

The diet creates a daily calorie deficit, which after 3-4 days puts the dieter in a metabolic state called Ketosis where the body uses fat stores to produce energy. When fat is burned rapidly a by-product called ketones is produced and the person is said to be in ketosis."

Ketosis is what makes the weight loss so rapid in comparison to other diets/eating plans.




My Experience


Being familiar with VLCD's I jumped right in the next Monday!

I decided to follow the Total Solution plan having 3 Exante products a day.

I immediately went for the shakes, I'm all about the sweet things in life, so the shakes were ideal for me and they came in the most delicious of flavours including: Toffee Caramel, Mint Choc and Vanilla. Loved everything about the shakes, they were filling and very delicious, perfect for me!

Mixing was super easy and very fast, I just followed the directions on the packet adding water to my shaker and then pouring in the shake powder. I have learnt that sweetener tablets are acceptable and will not slow down weight loss with VLCD's so I added a few in as I find the shakes aren't that palatable (in my opinion) without the sweetener, I then gave it a good ol' shake and drank!

The soups were a bit of a miss for me as I'm not a savoury kinda girl, I found I didn't finish them all but they were flavourful, sometimes a lil powdery for my liking, the mushroom wasn't my fav, the vegetable was...ok. 

The bars - I was given two Red Berry bars which were really nice!
Normally bars for VLCD's are an acquired taste, I can imagine this not sitting well with everyone at first but they grown on you.
These bars are very dense but great for sugar hit, they also help you with your water intake, I found myself having a bar with water due to the density.

The one thing that really impressed me about Exante was their ready meals, this is something I am not familiar with. Normally VLCD do not allow meals  (if they do this is a low calorie, high protein meal that you create yourself, Exante have the Working and Simple Solution if you wish to add food) but Exante offer low calorie ready meal packs.
I was sent the Mushroom Risotto, Spaghetti Bolognese and a few packs of Porridge, unfortunately the Mushroom Risotto bag burst during delivery so I can't comment on it but the Spag Bol was pleasantly surprisingly, easy to prepare and very filling, I added a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce for flavour but to be honest it didn't really need it. The porridge was lovely, for someone who isn't a porridge lover, I really enjoyed the porridge, it was light and creamy but filling!


My Thoughts and The Weight In


I was on the Exante Diet for a total of 5 days.
 I drank a shed load of water on the diet as this is recommended not only to help with weight loss but replace the water you would normally get whilst eating ordinary food. I was constantly running to the loo due to a full bladder (TMI - sorry!) to the point I was getting annoyed with myself but this is something common with all VLCD's.

The food was great and I really enjoyed the packs especially the shakes, it was satisfying knowing that I was taking in nutrition without feeling dumpy or guilty about what I was having.

Diets like this however do really reveal how food is EVERYWHERE!
This may seem like a silly thing to say but you begin to realise how many food programmes are on TV, how many food adverts you see around, how food is just everywhere you look!
This makes diets like Exant mind over matter.
I found the first two days pretty difficult, not due to hunger so much but because I was constantly thinking about all the food I could have. Once the third day past and I built up a routine it got easier.

But you guys want to know the real deal, how much I lost!

When I started I weighed in at: 67.4kg (10 stone 8lbs)
When I ended I weighed in at: 64.8kg (10 stone 2lbs)

A loss of 6lbs in 5 days isn't too shabby at all!
I can definitely say Exante DOES work and it works well!

The weight does come off, however the real task comes with keeping the weight off.
I can say that a week and a few days after the diet I have already put back on 4lbs...bummer!

Exante is great for removing excess weight if you have the determination and you're in the right mind set, however unless you put in your research and really implement healthy eating it is highly likely that you will put weight back on.

This isn't Exante's fault at all as they are a weight loss company, designed to help you lose weight, not essentially keep the weight off.

All in all I was very impressed with the Exante Diet, the weight dropped off and the packets were tastier than I expected however I do not think I could stay on a VLCD long term anymore, my mindset has changed from when I was 17 stone. 
Whilst VLCD's have helped me drop from 17 stone to around mid 10's, I don't think I could use these to complete my weight loss journey.

If you would like to find out more about the Exante Diet, or purchase packs feel free to check out their website: Exante Diet

Have you ever tried a VLCD?

What do you think about the idea of VLCD's?


This post does not contain affiliate links.
6

Introducing the DOS Fit Files: My Weight Loss Journey So Far

This year, I really want to expand the content on DOS, yes, yes I love beauty but I also want to showcase a lot more of what is involved in my life besides beauty.
This is where this post comes along, I want to share my weight loss journey with you guys and then some.
Let me firstly begin by stating the following: This is MY story, about how I felt, by no means am I trying to imply that being plus size is negative for anyone. I am simply conveying my thoughts and my feelings about MY weight.
I am not trying to cause offence, I am simply just sharing my story.

Some of you may not be aware but I used to be extremely overweight, I was always a big child but somewhere during my late teens, early 20s at university my weight increased dramatically over a short period of time. 
This wasn't due to depression or a painful breakup or an injury, this was just down to greediness, laziness and the freedom of being able to eat anything when I wanted.
I didn't even really realise my weight creeping up, I was happy and eating, I had no problems.
Then I slowly caught on, size 18 jeans were becoming tight, my face looked different and walking was becoming an issue. I had booked my first holiday away with friends at this time and shopping for clothes led me to purchase size 20s and 22s.
Friends (with good intentions) would try to hint to me about leading a healthier lifestyle but I brushed it off because to be honest, I was happy.

My realisation came when I realised I couldn't wear clothes that I wanted to wear. Bodycon dresses were out of the question, fitted vest tops were ruled out and heels were a problem. For a young girl this became my biggest issue, I wanted to look hot and wear tight clothes and I didn't have the body or confidence to do so, I can honestly I say wish some of the plus size blogs I read now were around then to show me that it was actually possible to do all these things!

So one lazy day I came across an advert for the Very Low Calorie Diet Lighter Life. VLCD are mainly lquid diets that allow you around no more than 600 calories per day (sounds like torture but it's not that bad when you drink your allocated water requirement for the day). I didn't know what to expect but vowed to look into it more when I came back from holiday.

Now, let me state up until my info session at LL (Lighter Life) I had not weighed myself in a while, and I mean A WHILE so imagine my face when all 5ft 2.5 inches of myself stood on the scales to see 17 stone (238lbs.)

I signed up to LL that week!
 (A sign off slip from your GP is required to sign up)

The weight steadily came off and the programme became easy after a few weeks (I had my cheat days too), I would attend my weekly meetings and see the difference in my weight which felt amazing BUT the price became an issue, at £66 per week I couldn't stay on the programme for long, so after three months or so I left. 

A few months later, some dilly dallying and some weight gain, I discovered the Cambridge Weight Plan which I have been doing on and off for a few years.

As I type this today I currently weigh in at around 68.4kg (151lbs) however even though I have come a long way my journey still isn't over.

I want to get my BMI (which is currently around 26.7) down to the recommended average which is between 18.5 and 24.9 (Bupa) and this is where the DOS Fit Files comes into play!

I'm going to be sharing my journey to getting my BMI in check with you guys!

This will include me looking into the following weight loss methods such as Very Low Calorie Diets, healthy eating meal plans, exercise and organisation.
I will also be sharing my personal feelings towards this whole process.

I'm very excited about this new venture and I hope you guys are too!

I aim to be honest and open about it all and I would love to hear from some of you who are possibly taking part in your own journeys.

Any tips, tricks, recommendations, thoughts are all welcome here so feel free to leave me comments, tweet me or even send me an email.

I look forward to introducing the Fit Files to DOS! 

:)



27

Graduation

Dress: Dorothy Perkins
If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen what I got up to this Tuesday.
I attended my graduation ceremony!
I passed my course in July however I missed the summer graduation so went to the January ceremony instead.
IT. WAS. COLD!!!!
But mama was proud and that was the main thing!

All in all the day was slightly stressful, travelling by train to Leicester and back again with your family whilst trying to get to places on time is not the most enjoyable task in the world.
I can't deny it though, I did feel a sense of pride. I had finally completed something even if it was 3 years later than the rest of my friends.

University was perhaps one of the most challenging part of my life to date.
I found it hard being away from my friends, being over 21 and not making the same choices in life that my friends were, essentially I still felt like a child whilst being at university, a trapped child.
But I knew I had to persevere and with the help of my immediate family and close friends (aka extended family) 
I made it and I am VERY happy!

I want to take another moment to announce another small victory. My graduation dress was a size 10! 
For someone who used to wear a size 22, I feel as though I am winning this year!
I am truly blessed!


6

Accepting Achievements...


So I came across a picture on FB the other day... I untagged myself from it a few years back and forgot all about it but I found it again the other day.

The dreaded BEFORE picture.


The emotion I feel towards this picture...I can't even put into words to be honest. It's not one of shock.
Although I was big from what I could remember I was happy and I felt like a star that night, had my hair freshly cut and my girlfriends were great.
I think I just feel like this is a different person, this isn't me.
The thing that took me by surprise was that when I saw this picture the first thing I did not feel was a sense of accomplishment or achievement.
Since this picture taken some time in 2008 I have now lost 5 stone and I think that is a big deal and something I need to remind myself of.
For those interested the first 3 was lost via Lighter Life and the rest through changing eating habits and gym.

This was me a few weeks ago
I still have some way to go but I think I need to accept that I have come a long way since 2008.
I made this post to remind myself that I have done well and that is something that I haven't and need to accept.

Is there any massive achievement that you have gone through in life, please let me know! Let's celebrate our achievements!


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