Hi Rob
I've looked at the Exant diet program - and it looks pretty good and easy to follow. Some of the feedback on the Exant site suggests that some (not all) of the choices are a bit dodgy!!! Do you have any particular favorites - or tips for what choices to avoid?
I think the most difficult thing for me is that I am a bit of a foodie - (and I love wine - but that is another issue - unless someone knows of a 0 carb wine!)
and I do all of the cooking in our household. But then when I sit down for the family meal with to a plate of plants
- it feels and looks like its difficult for me - and I can see it brings on the sympathy etc... If, however, the Exant meals look at least mildly interesting, that may provide a solution
It is simple...eat 1 pack per meal plus lots of fluid. No weighing, measuring, calorie counting, etc., etc. When I started my wife fancied the 1200 cal per day option, i.e. 3 meal replacements plus a 600 cal "real food" meal for her, so we ordered the 4 week breakfast, luch & dinner pack at £80. It's all dehydrated powdered packs, apart from the bars. They make up with either hot or cold water, depending on the meal. They do not really look anywhere near as appetisng or as generous as on their website (surprise, surprise). For example, their plate of replacement meal bars shows 2 - there's only 1. The "Sheperd's Pie" FLAVOUR (important distinction) is a hot "baby-food" consistency gloop, but it is hot, it does have a taste of what is purports to be and the meal packs do offer some variety. Their Red Bean Chilli is acceptable, for example. The soups are a bit "bleh" and leave a bit of a sticky residue after-effect in the mouth.
At first we were both quite disappointed with the consistency & appearance of the products but, to be quite honest, once you accept them for what they are, we became quite accepting of them, as there was a limited time duration we would be tolerating them before moving on. My understanding is that 3 of their 200 calorie packs provided 100% of an adult's daily nutrional requirements. Fibre is in the packs as well and I have encountered no digestive difficulties in the 3 weeks I have been using them.
After the initial purchase of the 4 week meal pack I also bought a 4 week shakes & bars pack (also £80 at the time, but a further sale offer reduced that to £70 - trawl the offers section to see what applies at the time you are looking). Now that was better for me as they are quite tasty, the flavours as descibed, if a little on the weak side, and quite filling. I ordered a second 4 week shakes & bars pack to see me though, as an extra discount was offered. So now I am set up for my 8 weeks and my wife's 4 weeks. As I hate waste...it's another incentive to see it through as well
. We mix & match the products between us for variety, usually starting the day with a shake, a bar with coffee at lunch time and a meal at night.
As I said before it's an uncomplicated way of sticking to the regime and, from what I understand, more nutrionally balanced than Slim-Fast, etc. or supermarket own-brand type products. Sorry for the rample, but it's not easy to put personal perspectives over in this sort of manner. Hope it helps.