Dieting and Downton Abbey

I never thought I would use dieting and Downton Abbey in the same sentence and particularly not as a blog title*. Bear with me - and it might start to make sense.

Sunday evening sees the return of the blockbuster show. Series three follows the Crawley family and their servants into the early 1920s, as they all try and put the hardships of the Great War behind them. Gripping stuff, I'm sure. The first two series had a reported 5.5 million viewers per episode and it has its own wikipedia page. To put it simply - It is MASSIVE!!!!

Any marketing department who wants  to launch its television advertising during the series premier of a blockbuster show must think it has a winning product and so we arrive at XLS Medical.

XLS Medical claims to help you lose three times more weight than diet alone. Now this is a big claim. Its nearest rival Alli came off prescription a few years ago and has at best a claim to double your weight loss. Not to mention the unpleasant side effects (diarrhoea) from Alli and the fact that a manufacturing issue has left it unavailable for months and this seemed like an ideal product to add to our weight management service at Barnton Pharmacy.

So, in the interests of providing a personal recommendation, I started taking it myself.

It was time to admit defeat. My second son was six months old and the baby weight was not shifting.....mainly due to too many latte and cake mornings with my mummy friends. In truth I hadn't fully lost the baby weight since my first son!

It ought to be simple and we all know the principles: eat less and move more and you will lose weight. In practice it is harder. There is a toddler and a baby who leave food and I hate waste so I pick at there plates. My partner and I both love our food and will often make something the recipe claims will feed four -  but rarely does in our house! And because of aforementioned baby, toddler, partner (and dog) I no longer have time to go to the gym!! I didn't like the fact that all my clothes were getting tighter and I don't want to buy a new wardrobe in THAT size.

I'm 10 days in to my new regime of healthy eating and XLS medical and so far so good - I've lost four pounds. I know that isn't masses but its a start and it is certainly the kickstart I needed.

The benefits of the tablets which need to be taken after every meal are that you really do not feel hungry. If anything I feel quite bloated. I need to remember this and stop eating when I feel full rather than when the plate is empty.
There are no unpleasant side effects so far.
The hard bit is remembering to take the tablets.

Alongside a massive marketing campaign XLS medical have celebrity endorsements and a great website which will support you with meal plans and recipe ideas as well as an online weight tracker.

XS medical is available at Barnton Pharmacy as part of our weight management service and we will even weigh you every week to help keep your weight loss on track. Pop is to ask me how it is going and find out what we can do to get you on the right plan for you.


*I should point out that I have never watched it and don't intend to start now!!!!

When to use a food supplement?

• Are you really busy at the moment and not eating properly?
• Are you feeling under the weather or are you recovering from an illness?
• Are you doing a lot of exercise and feel exhausted as a result?
• Do you need a pick me up or energy boost?
• Have you recently lost weight ?
• Are you not cooking properly for yourself?

If so, you could be undernourished! We are constantly being told about obese Britain and how 70% of us in the UK are overweight, but did you know that around 3 million people in the UK are undernourished?

There are a number of causes for weight loss and undernourishment and serious causes need to be considered, but there are lots of more common reasons which may affect all of us at one time or another:

• A reduced appetite perhaps after an illness or an operation
• Stress can cause people to stop eating regular meals
• Busy lifestyles can lead to food becoming less of a priority for some
• Athletes undergoing training may not be receiving the correct nutrients to compenste for additional exercise
• Older people may not require as much food, but care is needed to ensure that what is eaten is healthy and nutritional.

Being undernourished can lead to serious consequences. As well as feeling weak or tired it can lead to a reduced immune system which then means it takes longer to recover from illnesses. All of this can have a real affect on mood.

A healthy balanced diet should include a variety of fruit and vegetables, plenty of calcium rich foods, some carbohydrate and protein. if this is not always possible it may be worth considering dietary supplements such as Complan.

This supplements come in powder form and contain essential vitamins and minerals, calcium, iron and protein. They should be made up with whole milk and taken up to three times a day.

Come and speak to us at Barnton Pharmacy if you are worried about your weight and think you may need a supplement.