Some questions about Exante

Starlight

Gold Member
Im seriously considering doing Exante in a few weeks. I really feel I need the quick weight loss of a VLCD for a bit and the appeal of Exante is not having to go to classes/councellors etc.

Ive been on the website (at length lol) and wonder if you could help me with a few questions...

If I do TFR for a week or so I take it I can move to the extra 400 cals for a few days/week then back to TFR.

Does going to the 1000 cal plan take you out of ketosis??

Can you have anything to make up the 400 cals?? (when I say anything I dont mean crisps and chocolate lol - Im thinking more of when I meet one of my friends for lunch every couple of weeks we have a picnic, its usually low point stuff, like Ryvita, chicken, meat, low fat cheese & fruit)

Can I have milk in my coffee, I cant stomach black tea/coffee lol

Are the losses much different on the TFR compared to the 1000cals??

Is it feasible to do Exante say for a few months, come off it totally for a few weeks (for a holiday) and go back on again without doing too much damage?

Am I right in thinking I dont need a docs 'permission' to start?

Sorry to be a pest but I couldnt see the answers on the website....
 
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Hi Starlight, I will leave some of the answers to the more knowledgable, I just drink my shakes, stay in ketosis, and everything seems to be going very very well.

What I can say is that it all depends on how much you currently weigh. I would imagine it will be slower the less you have to lose. There are numerous things that take you out of ketosis, like carbs, sugar, citric acid, and others, but if you maintain high protein food when eating you should no go out of ketosis.

No you cannot have milk at all.

No you do not need the docs permission to start, there are numerous health related issues why they say you should not it, read them on the website, one thing they did say is if you get gout do not do this diet, well I get severe gout, it is controlled by drugs though, and have not had 1 episode so I think they need to revisit there health warnings.
 
Im seriously considering doing Exante in a few weeks. I really feel I need the quick weight loss of a VLCD for a bit and the appeal of Exante is not having to go to classes/councellors etc.

Ive been on the website (at length lol) and wonder if you could help me with a few questions...

1)If I do TFR for a week or so I take it I can move to the extra 400 cals for a few days/week then back to TFR.

2)Does going to the 1000 cal plan take you out of ketosis??

3)Can you have anything to make up the 400 cals?? (when I say anything I dont mean crisps and chocolate lol - Im thinking more of when I meet one of my friends for lunch every couple of weeks we have a picnic, its usually low point stuff, like Ryvita, chicken, meat, low fat cheese & fruit)

4)Can I have milk in my coffee, I cant stomach black tea/coffee lol

5)Are the losses much different on the TFR compared to the 1000cals??

6)Is it feasible to do Exante say for a few months, come off it totally for a few weeks (for a holiday) and go back on again without doing too much damage?

7)Am I right in thinking I dont need a docs 'permission' to start?

Sorry to be a pest but I couldnt see the answers on the website....

Hi Starlight, I've numbered your questions so I can relate my answers back to them:

1) Yes, you can swap between the plans, it's a very flexible diet. I have done both "add a meal week" and "eating at weekends" without too much stress.

2) It depends what you eat and on your own carb tolerance level. If you stick to the items on the list and keeptesting you can work out what foods and/or quantities work for you. I have found I stayed in sometimes and came out sometomes but coming out wasn't a problem, because I tend to eat in lots of small meals rather than a couple of big ones anyway I still wasn't hungry.

3) Pretty much, again you need to experiment and see what works for you. I try to stick to protein and leafy veg as fruit seems to be one of my carb triggers but then again I also occasionally have chocolate cos that isn't! :eek:

4) Not officially, but again your choice. I can't see a splash of semi-skimmed a few times a day would make much difference.

5) Again it depends on you. Mine have been variable between 1/2 a lb and 4lbs per week no matter which stage of the plan I was on! Some people stall temporarily, some seem to breeze through with the same losses. Officially Exante say average loss of 14lbs per month on TS and 10lbs per month on WS so they expect maybe 1lb per week difference, but I don't think anyone's loss is regular on this diet!

6) Yes, several people have done this. It can be a bit harder to restart when you get back than it was to get going in the first place though! Best advice is to stay off the carbs whilst on holiday.......

7) Yes. Doesn't hurt to let your doc know what you are doing though, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions.

I must stress that the above only relates to MY Exante experience - it may be totally different for someone else but this is what has worked so far for me. Hope that helps. :)
 
Yambabe thank you SO much for your reply its exactly what I was looking for :)

I think I could cope with 5/6 days TFR if I knew I could eat with the family on a Sunday (Sunday dinners are a big thing) even if Im having something totally different. I meet my friend maybe twice a month and would be able to keep well under the 400 cals then too but didnt know if I was hoping for too much thinking I could maybe eat lightly then and stick to TFR other than that??

Exante seems so much more flexible than any other VLCD, Im aiming to start when I come back from St Andrews on 11 August.

Not sure how Ill cope drinking water, I hate it and Ill miss my diet coke lol but Im going to give it my best shot

Thanks again for such a great reply :)
 
It is as flexible as you want to make it. I don't plan it but tend to have one meal a week of protein and salad. My losses may be slightly slower than others and it could be due to the meal but more likely because I have pcos.
You can see my losses in my signature.
 
It certainly seems a heck of a lot more flexible than the other VLCDs

I think Ill give it a go with one meal a week and see how that goes, I think it would make it a lot more bearable.

Ive been on the Exante site and the things they have listed as suitable snacks are pretty much what I have on my lunch with my friend, so Im assuming (fingers crossed) they wont take me out of ketosis ...
 
Good luck starlight hope you got what you were looking for xx
 
Hi Starlight

I did Lipotrim for a bit and decided to switch to Exante as there was more choice and I knew more about what I was letting myself in for.

I adore the nutty bars and really enjoy having one each day. The soups I adore although I'm not overly keen on the Tomato and Basil as it gets a bit too foamy for me!

The shakes are ok too and I love the fact there is so much more choice.

I used to have white coffee with one sugar and switched to black with one sweetner. It took a couple of weeks but I couldn't have my coffee any other way anymore. Its strange I never thought I would like black coffee but I really enjoy it now.

I too used to drink diet coke, before switching to diet coke I was a 7UP addict and always had to have a bottle in the fridge or I'd have panic attacks!! Now I'm drinking 3 litres a day and find it no problem

You do have to give yourself a good couple of weeks to give yourself time to get used to it. They say new habits form after about 3 weeks and I have found that to be very true.

I am doing the TS until the first week of September and then adding a meal as I have a lot going on that month so want to be able to go out and be reasonable with my food but also be able to be a bit more socialble! I admire those that can go out for a meal with friends and be able to sit and watch them eat whilst you have some water or a bar!

From my own experience the first week is very hard. BUT, and it is a HUGE BUT, the rewards far outweigh (pardon the pun) the difficulties.

My first week I lost 7lbs and then the second 5lbs and it has really spurred me on.

I am a terrible daily weigher and very often I can see a change each day! Don't always expect this though as scales are sooo deceiving as we all know!

Good luck with your decision. I think you can order a taster pack first of all so you can see which items you prefer.
 
Good luck
I'm sure you'll do really well

xxx
 
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