My #SlimFastChallenge – The Results

So two weeks ago, I went on a mission to lose weight and to kick start a healthier lifestyle.  I have been trying all year to eat healthier and do more exercise.  I treated myself to a NutriBullet at Christmas and regularly make healthy smoothies in the mornings for breakfast and I am consciously trying to walk more in an effort to lose some weight and be more healthy.  Given the opportunity to try a Slim Fast diet for two weeks, I was genuinely interested to see how I would cope on a diet like this and how much weight I would lose.

I was sent everything I needed for my two weeks; shakes, meal replacement bars and a range of snacks which form the 3-2-1 diet plan; 3 snacks, 2 shakes or meal replacement bars and 1 meal of 600 calories of less (8oo for men).

I like the structure of the diet, it is very simple to follow and on the Slim Fast website, there are meal ideas for your evening meal.

So how did I find it? Well I will be honest and say that I found the first week quite difficult.  I dread to think what my usual calorie intake was because dropping to 1200 calories made me feel very hungry for the first few days.  Trying to be sensible, I drank lots of water which did help and if I was really hungry I would have a piece of fruit.  I loved the snacks and enjoyed all of them, the shakes are lovely too, particularly the chocolate flavour.

I didn’t stick to it religiously but I was pleased to have lost 3lb at the end of the first week.  I knew that my evening meals were sometimes over 600 calories, so had I altered that, I am sure I would have lost more.

Late evenings are my danger time as I always get the munchies, so as the first week progressed, I saved two of my snacks to have at that time, so I didn’t feel too deprived or start looking for other more calorific snacks.

The weekend I strayed off course a little bit as we had a Chinese takeaway but knowing that I had only had my Slim Fast shake and meal bar during the day, I didn’t mind indulging a little bit.  Week two was most definitely easier.  I felt able to stick to the Slim Fast without feeling too hungry, I suppose your body does start to adapt.  I have had a good week and I have now lost 7 pounds over the two weeks which I am thrilled about.  I even dipped below a certain weight that I haven’t been able to do for a rather long time.

I can feel the difference now and my clothes are feeling looser and now I have started, I am feeling really motivated.  It has given me the kick up the bottom I needed to start losing weight and I plan to carry on with Slim Fast for the next few weeks too as I like the structure of the diet.  Even if I reach my target weight, I would still use Slim Fast from time to time as I think it would be a great way to lose a few pounds if you have indulged a little too much.

So if you are thinking of taking the plunge and starting the Slim Fast 3-2-1 Plan I have a few tips to help you on the way.

Plan your evening meals

That may sound strange but believe me, I can pack a few too many calories into an evening meal if I am really hungry and sometimes I am amazed exactly how many.  If you are not using a specific recipe, use an app such as My Fitness Pal or a Fitbit where you can keep track of your daily calorie intake.  I invested in a Fitbit a few weeks ago and it is fascinating keeping track of my calories in and out and I found it really helpful.

Choose wisely

If you are going to buy your Slim Fast products for the two weeks, think about which flavours you prefer and whether you think you will prefer shakes, meal replacement bars or mixture of both. It is also worth stocking up on snacks too as you can have three each day and it is so much easier if everything is there ready for you.  If the snacks don’t appeal, find other snacks of a similar calorie content (95) or you can choose fruit or vegetables.

Water water everywhere

I have been drinking a lot more water over the last few weeks and that has really helped too.  Keep a bottle or a glass of water with you wherever you are.

Keep on Moving

I know that doing more exercise is going to help and at the moment I haven’t got a huge amount of time to do lots of exercise but I am trying to walk more and I have been hitting my 10000 steps each day which is a good starting point.

Start Tomorrow

Do it. Thinking about it won’t do any good.  I wish I had started ages ago.

I was sent two weeks worth of Slim Fast products to try out the 3-2-1 Diet Plan. All opinions are my own.