Boots NutraSlim

...so I decided to try Boots NutraSlim. This is basically an own brand of Slim Fast, but slightly cheaper. As a student, I go for the cheapest option! It was on 3 for 2 at the time anyway, so I thought I'd give it a go. (Usually £5.79 each)

Like Slim Fast, NutraSlim is a powder which you mix with skimmed milk to make into a milkshake. This is a bit tricky if you're in a hurry, and Boots doesn't offer the option of ready-made cans, but ...
...(200 calories), one for lunch and a sensible dinner (400 calories). The extra 200 calories should be made up of snacks of fruit, vegetables or other options which are given on a sheet within the pack, to a total of 1000 calories per day. This sheet is actually very useful. It gives a table of ideal height to weight ratios, advice on exercise, the calorie content of various foods, and some recipe suggestions (including vegetarian options).
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"Yippee!" I thought, "Only 6 weeks 'til my holiday!" But my elation rapidly declined at the thought of having to put on the obligatory bikini and laying on the beach with all those toned, tanned bods. Well - the tan I can fake, but the bikini bod? That's a bit more tricky. So I decided to try to lose a bit of weight. I wasn't after anything drastic, I just wanted to feel better about myself. so I decided to try Boots NutraSlim. This is basically an own brand of Slim Fast, but slightly cheaper. As a student, I go for the cheapest option! It was on 3 for 2 at the time anyway, so I thought I'd give it a go. (Usually £5.79 each)

Like Slim Fast, NutraSlim is a powder which you mix with skimmed milk to make into a milkshake. This is a bit tricky if you're in a hurry, and Boots doesn't offer the option of ready-made cans, but I persevered. You have to have a shake for breakfast (200 calories), one for lunch and a sensible dinner (400 calories). The extra 200 calories should be made up of snacks of fruit, vegetables or other options which are given on a sheet within the pack, to a total of 1000 calories per day. This sheet is actually very useful. It gives a table of ideal height to weight ratios, advice on exercise, the calorie content of various foods, and some recipe suggestions (including vegetarian options).

The choices of flavours are Chocolate Supreme, Banana, Strawberry, Butterscotch and Hot Chocolate. I haven't tried the banana or strawberry flavours as I know I wouldn't like them! I tried the Chocolate Supreme flavour first, which I must say is delicious! It's quite thick and satisfies the cravings of a self-confessed chocoholic! It can take quite a bit of stirring to get all the powder mixed in with the milk though. I found the best way of doing this was to make the mixture in the morning, put it in a bottle and take it to work. By the time lunchtime came it was nicely mixed in! (Don't forget to put it in the fridge though!).

I tried the butterscotch flavour next. I didn't like this one. It didn't seem to mix in at all well and I found I had lumps of the stuff sitting at the bottom of my glass - not very appetising! The flavour was a bit too sickly for me too.

The hot chocolate flavour is a bit different to the others. As the name suggests, it is made up into hot chocolate instead of milkshake, by adding hot water instead of milk. Unfortunately I wasn't too keen on this one either. It didn't thicken up like the milkshakes, and while the flavour wasn't bad, like the butterscotch flavour the powder never seemed to mix in properly, and by the time I'd been frantically mixing for ten minutes - it was cold! (the box says to use hot water, but not boiling, which probably didn't help!).

So I'm back on the Chocolate Supreme flavour, which admittedly doesn't give me a whole lot of choice, but I don't mind as it gives me an excuse for chocolate twice a day!

I've been on this diet for 3 weeks now, so obviously can't give a long-term opinion, but I've lost 10lbs so far, which I think is a sensible amount. And my clothes do feel looser, which was my goal, so I'm happy! & I've got another 3 weeks before my holiday - so who knows, I might look good in a bikini after all! 

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