**This is a paid post which contains affiliate links.
So many people start the new year with plans to lose weight and work towards having a healthier body, but how many have given up by the time February rolls round? Well, just because it’s February it doesn’t mean it’s too late get back on track, or to start on the path to a healthier you. And if you’d like to give your weight loss a kick start then the Exante diet could be just what you’re looking for!
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Last year, just after my 39th birthday I decided I had had enough of being overweight, unfit, tired and generally pretty fed up with my body and how I felt about myself. I even wrote a poem about it! I’ve been writing various updates about my ‘Fit by 40’ mission for the last year, and so with just 23 days until the big 4-0 I thought I’d give you another little update about where I’m at just now. Read more
It’s been a while since I wrote my last Fit by 40 post and now we are almost six months since I started on this journey (I hate calling it a journey but I can’t think of any other word to use!) I thought it was about time I gave you an update. Read more
Here’s the latest instalment in my weight loss diaries – I’m now up to 149 days and 30 lbs lost. There are a few of my diary updates from September and then I’ll bring you up to date with what’s been going on for the last month, and where I go from here.You can read the rest of my Fit by 40 posts here. Read more
Here’s the latest instalment in my weight loss diaries – I’m now up to 102 days and 25 lb loss. This is how I’ve been feeling for the last three weeks or so and how I’m trying to plan for what is still to come. I’ve also included a little video of what I eat in a typical day following the Shake That Weight Woman with Meal plan. You can read the rest of my Fit by 40 posts here. Read more
Just over two years ago I trialled the Exante Diet Total Solution for a week. You can read all about how I got on with it here. Since then I’ve been pregnant again and had another baby so when Exante got in touch before Christmas and asked if I would like to try their Complete 5:2 Diet Plan I was very happy to give it a go.
I’m sure a lot of you have heard of 5:2 diets – basically you fast for 2 (non-consecutive) days in the week and eat normally for the other 5 days. You do actually eat on the fasting days but you should reduce your intake to 500-600 calories. You can do this by eating conventional food or by using meal replacements like those from Exante Diet.
The Exante Complete 5:2 Diet Plan makes the whole thing super easy. On the two fasting days you choose 3 products from the Exante VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) range; this includes shakes, bars, meals, soups and even pancakes! On the other five days you can eat some or all of your meals from the Exante Weight Management range.
I was sent a selection of products to try, although I didn’t have Exante products for every meal on the non-fasting days. On the fasting days I had shakes, hot chocolate, pancakes, sausages, scones, cookies, soups and even gooey summer pudding! I’m not going to go into huge detail about every single product – there were definitely some I liked more than others but I think this is really down to individual taste. If you are going to do a diet like this for any length of time then I would suggest you try a variety of different products and you can find your favourites amongst them.
From the Weight Management range I tried the porridge and maple syrup pancakes for breakfasts. I wasn’t a huge fan of the porridge (but then I don’t really like porridge anyway) but I thought the pancakes were delicious. On the other non-fasting days I mostly just had fruit and yoghurt for breakfast. For lunches I had some of the soups – the tomato and mascarpone was my favourite. I usually had salads on the days I didn’t have an Exante lunch.
Finally for my dinners I had a selection of ready meals from the Weight Management range. Again, there were some I liked more than others; the tuna pasta was a particular favourite but I also enjoyed the cottage pie and beef stew. There were some meals I didn’t particularly enjoy but as I already mentioned this is really down to your own personal tastes. I served all the meals with either salad or vegetables – I liked that there were suggestions of what you could serve with the meals on the back of the pack, along with the calorie count too.
All the meals very easy to prepare – they can nearly all be cooked or heated in the microwave. The only exceptions were the sausages from the VLCD range (they come as a powder which has to be mixed, shaped and fried) and the cheese and bacon scones (also from the VLCD range) which are mixed and then baked in the oven.
So as you can see I tried quite a selection of products from Exante, although there are lots of others. But now for the important part…
Yes I did. I followed the Complete 5:2 Diet Plan for two weeks and lost 3lb the first week and 2lb the second week. I found the plan easy to follow and even the fasting days aren’t difficult as you still get three ‘meals’ and you know you’ll be eating normally again the next day.
I would definitely do a 5:2 diet again and I think it is probably easier to use meal replacements for the fasting days. I would probably mostly make my own food of the other days – I prefer to eat something the whole family can have rather than having different meals, but I think it would be good to have some Exante Weight Management meals in the cupboard (they have quite a long shelf life) for those occasions where I need something quick and might otherwise be tempted by a takeaway or something. I like the variety of products available from Exante and how easy it is to order on line too.
Yes I would. If you really want to take the guess work out of your diet then following the Complete 5:2 Plan could be for you. You can get all your meals from the Exante range (even snacks too) and you wouldn’t need to worry about what you should or shouldn’t be eating. It could work out to be quite expensive if you were to follow the plan long term – at the moment you can buy a four week bundle for £135 which works out at £5.19 per day. There is also an active Facebook group where you can speak to people from the Exante customer service team, and also get support from other people who are doing the Exante Diet. I think if you don’t have a huge amount of weight to lose and are happy to lose it at a fairly slow but steady rate then a 5:2 diet might be the solution you are looking for.
**Disclosure: I was sent the featured products in return for this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
It’s that time of year when lots of us are thinking about getting healthier and perhaps losing some weight in the new year. Maybe you just want to shed a few of those festive pounds that seem to creep on over the holidays or perhaps you’ve got a lot of weight to lose. Whichever of these it might be then a meal replacement diet could help you on your way. Now I know this kind of diet isn’t for everyone, and there are some that argue it’s just a quick fix and doesn’t help you improve your diet in the long run. However, there is no doubting that this kind of diet does work (and I speak from experience here). It can be beneficial to choose a meal replacement diet if you find it difficult to make healthy choices as all the decisions about what to eat are taken away from you.
There are lots of different meal replacement diets on the market, some, like Lighter Life where you have to attend weekly group meetings, or others like the Cambridge diet where you have a personal consultant. If you would prefer to buy your meal replacement products online then there are a few options available too; The New You Plan is one of these options.
The New You Plan is a very low calorie diet (VLCD) which offers soups, shakes, hot meals, bars and snacks. They also provide 24 hour online support to their customers, along with an active Facebook community. There are a few things to consider before starting a VLCD and you should always check with your doctor that it is safe for you to use this kind of diet. If you are unsure if this is the diet for you there are some FAQs here.
If you would like to try The New You Plan then you can win a one week ‘Get Started’ bundle by completing the Rafflecopter below. The bundle contains 30 products and is currently retailing at a sale price of £41.99. The winner will be contacted by a member of The New You Plan customer services team who will help you choose the right products for you.
Giveaway ends midnight Sunday 8th February.
UK entrants aged 18 or over only
**Disclosure: I have not been compensated in any way for running this giveaway.