Lose Weight with Lighterlife: The Lighterlife Fast 5:2

I was sent this selection in my Superdrug Hamper* featured a few weeks ago. I thought I’d give it a go for a week to get rid of some of my holiday weight. The Lighterlife Fast 5:2 is meant to help you lose a healthy 1-2lbs a week without changing your diet on the non fast days and without exercise whatsoever. I stepped it up a notch and incorporated healthy eating on the non fast days. This will hopefully give that extra push for my summer body. As I’m writing this I only have 4lbs to lose to reach my goal weight which is so exciting and very motivating.

I’m writing this in the form of a Food Diary throughout the week so you can see the foods I’ve eaten along with the LighterLife Fast Shakes and Bars*.

Starting weight:

8st 8lbs

Target weight:

8st 4lbs

Monday – Day 1. It’s not often I eat a full breakfast. I usually opt for a piece of fruit. Today I just had a Clipper Green Tea. I was quite naughty as I didn’t manage to stop for lunch as I was here there and everywhere. Instead I had a large banana and an orange at around 2pm. I knew this would keep me going until a big roast dinner in the evening. Monday is Roast Dinner Day so today’s dinner consisted of ‘Mummy Moore’s’ fabulous roast dinner with all the trimmings. I had a Quorn Fillet with mine and only a little gravy. My evening snacks was an Artisian Grains Banana and Hemp Bar at around 9pm. I try not to snack in the evenings but as I hadn’t had lunch I was still a little hungry. This filled me up and satisfied my sugar cravings too.

Tuesday – Day 2 (Fast Day). I started my day off with a Strawberry Lighterlife Fast Shake, this was nice and thick and really enjoyable, I’m actually looking forward to having another for dinner. Lunch was a Nut Fudge Bar; I hadn’t had anything chocolatey in over a week so it was nice to be aloud chocolate, especially on a fast day. This didn’t disappoint. I completely forgot I was ‘dieting’ whilst eating this. Watching somebody else eat when you’re dieting is probably the hardest thing, I had to watch Sam eat a Chicken Korma whilst I had my LighterLife Fast Packs. I didn’t get time to have another snack in the day so I had both the Strawberry Shake and a Nut Fudge Bar though which was more than enough for me.

Wednesday – Day 3. I started the day at 9am with a Banana and a Green Tea. Lunch was a 4 Bean and Mint Salad that I picked up for just 11p in Tesco. I had this with rocket and a Sweet Onion Ryvita with Garlic and Herb Philadelphia.  Dinner was a vegetarian lasagne with peas.

Thursday – Day 4 (Fast Day). I didn’t get time for my LighterLife Fast Shake this morning so I had it for lunch instead. I was going to have the Nut Bar too but decided to save it for a mid afternoon snack. Dinner was the same as Tuesday, a Strawberry Shake and a Nut Fudge Bar.

Friday – Day 5. Naughty Ami was craving cake so badly that she waited until 12am to try some. It may defeat the object but I still fasted Thursday. You can’t say I didn’t stick to it (don’t you like how honest I’m being). I’ve recently discovered Weight Watchers yogurt (thanks Mother), I now can’t get enough of these. The citrus flavours a gorgeous so I had a Nectarine one with some strawberries for my lunch. I went for a gym and swim session after work with my friend Jess and we then decided to go and get some dinner out. We went to our local Marsdon’s Pub and I went for the healthy option of a chicken breast covered in Piri Piri Sauce served with double salad and a little coleslaw. I had a packet of Salt and Vinegar Ryvita Mini’s as an evening snack.

Saturday – Day 6. I started today with a Twining’s Raspberry and Pomegranate Tea and a (very large) banana. We went into Stroud because Sam wanted to fly his new remote controlled glider on Selsley Common, it was such lovely weather I didn’t mind going along with him. We decided to get a picnic to eat in Stratford Park although I went for a Chicken Tikka Subway salad as I haven’t been eating bread. I had this with a Citrus Diet Coke and a few Sweet Chilli Sensations. Dinner was a slice of cheesecake and a blueberry crumble slice (oops) but they needed to be eaten before they went stale.

Sunday – Day 7. For Breakfast I had a pineapple and an orange with Yeo Valley Ginger yogurt and yet another piece of cheesecake. Today was well and truly a cheat day. Lunch consisted of multiple snacks in bed whilst watching Turner and Hooch. We had prawn cocktail crisps, salt and vinegar sticks, chocolate digestives and oranges. We had a Chinese for dinner. My first takeaway in two weeks which is amazing for me and I couldn’t manage much at all; we ordered from Hotcha had Sweet and Sour Chicken, Egg Fried Rice, Chicken Chow Mein and Chips, I think I managed about a quarter or a third of each, I was so stuffed. Although I still had room for a ring doughnut for dessert.

LighterLife Fast: The Result

Finish weight:

8st 7lbs

I lost 1lb so I’m slightly disappointed but I did eat so many naughty things. And my week’s exercise consisted of 200 sit ups, one gym/swim session and one walk around the woods so I can’t complain. It still means I’m just 3lbs off my target weight so if I eat healthy and up my exercise I’m certain I can manage that in two weeks, watch this space.

I didn’t struggle on the LighterLife Fast Days as the shakes and bars really kept me going throughout the day. I didn’t feel I lacked energy either and I thoroughly enjoyed the Nut fudge Bars. LighterLife Fast is definitely something I’d try again in the future; maybe after my holiday in September.

Have you tried the LighterLife Fast before? What did you think? How did you get on?

Until next time,