What a total diet replacement is really like
A soup and shake diet is simple to describe and harder to live with. This page is about the living with. Everything below is drawn from stories our customers have sent us since 2016, with the hard bits left in. Everyone is different, and the point of reading this is not to find out what will happen to you — it is to arrive at day one knowing what often happens, and what has helped other people when it did.
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Speak to your GP, and be honest with yourself, before you start.
Part 1: The first week
What is the first week on a total diet replacement actually like?
Most people describe the first three or four days as the hardest stretch, and say it eases from there. You are changing when you eat, how often you eat, what you drink, and roughly how many calories your body is running on. The adjustment is real. It is also usually short.
Not everyone finds it hard. Paula wrote that "the first week seemed ok and easy to follow" (Paula, 2016). Samantha was the other end of it: "the first week is the hardest but I found going to bed early and drinking lots of water helped me over those first few days" (Samantha, 2019). Claire put the hard stretch at "the first four days" (Claire, 2019). Ian said "the first few days were hard… but I soon adjusted" (Ian, 2018). Natalia put it plainly: "the beginnings were the hardest" (Natalia, 2019).
Keep the two ends of that range in mind. If day two is tough, you are not failing — you are inside the stretch most people describe. If day two is fine, you are not doing it wrong either.
When does the hunger stop?
Hunger in the early days is one of the most common questions we get, and it is also one of the hardest to answer honestly, because people's experience varies so much. Some report feeling full from the first day. Others describe real cravings in week one that settle as a routine takes hold. There is no single timeline that fits everyone.
Our own guidance on the Total Plan is that most people feel hungry for the first two to three days while the body adjusts, and that the high-protein meal replacements then keep them full between meals. A lot of early hunger is actually thirst, so getting your 2 litres of fluid a day in helps more than people expect.
Our customers' own words land on both sides. "I was quite surprised with how they filled me enough to keep me satisfied," wrote Tony, a lorry driver who thought he'd struggle (Tony, 2019). Laith said "on this plan I eat more often but the calories and carbs are far less, yet I'm never hungry" (Laith, 2020). Emma described "the way it controls my hunger" as a key to sticking with it (Emma, 2020).
Leah was candid about the other side. "Some days I would be dying to just stuff myself with junk! Mainly when the kids finished eating and I couldn't eat their leftovers" (Leah, 2024). She stuck with it.
Speak to your GP if hunger comes with symptoms that worry you, if you feel unwell, or if it does not settle at all after the first week.
Is it normal to get headaches or feel tired at first?
Yes. A low-calorie plan is a big shift, and some people get headaches, mild nausea, tiredness, sweet-smelling breath or constipation in the first week. These usually settle quickly. Drink your 2 litres of fluid, go to bed earlier if you can, and standard headache tablets are fine. If symptoms persist, are severe, or come with anything else that worries you, speak to your GP.
Why the first days can feel different is covered on our page about ketosis. This page is about the experience, not the physiology.
When do people start to feel more energy?
A lot of people describe an energy turn somewhere towards the end of the first week or into the second. It is not a promise and it is not everyone, but it is one of the most consistent things people say happens after the hard stretch has passed. The pattern is: a difficult few days, a settling-in, then more energy than they expected.
"After the first week I noticed that I felt very energetic," wrote Natalia (Natalia, 2019). Samantha described "an instant sharpness and very alert feeling" (Samantha, 2019). Casey put it at "two weeks before I noticed a difference, and definitely felt like I had more energy" (Casey, 2016). Ian said "my energy levels have really shot up" (Ian, 2018). Claire's came later: "after a few weeks I had so much more energy" (Claire, 2019).
What helped people get through the first few days?
A short list from the stories — nothing dramatic, all small habits:
- Drink plenty of water. It comes up in more of the stories' tips than anything else.
- Go to bed earlier. Samantha turned in early knowing she'd wake up to "another day ticked off" (Samantha, 2019).
- Keep a tick-chart. Samantha, again: "I kept a chart and would tick off each day" (Samantha, 2019).
- Keep busy. Kirsty: "drinking lots of water and keeping yourself distracted/busy are the 2 biggest tips I can give anyone" (Kirsty, 2019).
- Weigh once a week, not daily. Mick: weigh "once a week, on the same day and at the same time. Grabbing a sneaky weigh in midweek may leave you feeling a little unhappy" (Mick, 2016). On weeks the scales don't move, he suggests taking tape measurements — arms, thighs, stomach, chest — because inches can shift when weight doesn't.
- Tell the people you live with. Mick again: "always tell your close friends and family what you are planning to do, so they can support, reassure & help you along the way" (Mick, 2016).
Adjusting to eating more often
A quieter point that comes up again and again. People who were in the habit of skipping breakfast and eating one big meal at night find that the plan asks them to eat four smaller things through the day. That is a bigger change than it sounds.
"I had to get used to having 4 meals a day instead of one huge dinner at night," wrote Natalia (Natalia, 2019). Laith said much the same: "I have never been much of a big eater in the day… however I have always eaten a large high calorie meal in the evening. On this plan I eat more often" (Laith, 2020). If that is also you, know in advance that the pattern is going to feel odd for a few days, and that spacing your products through the day is part of the point, not an inconvenience you can skip.
If 800 kcal feels like too much to walk into straight away, our Everyday Plan is a gentler on-ramp at around 1,000 kcal, with one meal a day that you cook yourself. The Total Plan at 800 kcal is designed as a short-term kick-start, not a way of eating for months on end.
Part 2: Why people start, and what they tried before
Why do people choose a meal replacement diet?
Five patterns come up across our stories. People have been yo-yo dieting for years. A programme they were on cost too much to keep up. Something specific happened — a wedding, a photo, a new baby, a grandchild. A doctor or hospital gave them a prompt. Or they saw or heard something — a friend's experience, a documentary — that made them look into it. Most people say more than one of those.
Years of yo-yo dieting
For many people this is the longest chapter. Tammie described "21 years on the weight loss merry-go-round" (Tammie, 2017). Mandy had "been a yo-yo dieter ever since I had my first son nearly 17 years ago" (Mandy, 2019). Kirsty was doing it again after her second baby, having done it after her first (Kirsty, 2019). The through-line is not about not knowing what to eat. It is about wanting something different enough to interrupt the pattern.
A programme that cost too much to keep up
Several people describe reaching a point where the thing they were doing had stopped being affordable, and it was that — more than willpower — that pushed them to look at something else.
Leah: "I tried another diet brand and managed to lose a bit of weight. But it was so expensive I couldn't keep up with it" (Leah, 2024). Mick had done well enough on another plan to become one of its consultants, but "this took up far too much of my time, and with the increasing prices, it simply wasn't worth it" (Mick, 2016). Mike left a different plan because he "couldn't put up with the pressure from the consultant or the crazy prices I was paying" (Mike, 2016).
A moment that made them decide
Not a general wish to lose weight, but a specific moment. A wedding where Vicky wanted to feel right in the dress (Vicky, 2016). A video of herself singing at a wedding that Jess watched back: "I couldn't believe that it was me. I was in shock and something had to be done" (Jess, 2016). A photo for Tony. A hen do where none of Kirsty's clothes fitted, after which "something just clicked" (Kirsty, 2019). A toddler who's suddenly faster than you — Claire wanted "to keep up with my toddler" (Claire, 2019). Carissa, a single mum: "I need to get fit and healthy for my little girl" (Carissa, 2019). And for Mike, becoming a grandfather: "I suddenly realised if I didn't do something to change my weight, I might not be around to enjoy playing with my grandson" (Mike, 2016).
A health prompt from a GP or hospital
Some people start because a doctor said something. Mick's GP told him losing weight would help manage the pain in his knees (Mick, 2016). Michael's GP told him he was approaching diabetes (Michael, 2019). Emma was referred to hospital with asthma, and that was the push (Emma Salt, 2019). We mention these as reasons for starting. Whether a diet changes a medical condition is something to work out with your doctor, not read about on a brand page.
Something they saw or heard
Janine heard about it from an old friend (Janine, 2017). Claire's sister had done it (Claire, 2019). Mandy's sister told her how it had gone for a friend (Mandy, 2019). Karen ordered the day after watching a TV documentary about crash diets (Karen, 2018).
What had people tried before?
A pattern more than a list. Group slimming programmes. Supplements and detox teas. The gym on its own. Cutting out bread and potatoes. Protein shakes. Exercise DVDs. "Lose a bit, put more back" is the shared ending. We are not saying any of those don't work — some clearly do for some people — only that this is the point at which a lot of our customers decided to try something structurally different.
If you want to read the stories in full, they live at our success stories.
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Part 3: The hardest parts, and how people got round them
The hard parts people describe are almost all social. Food is woven through family evenings, weekends, holidays, meals out, work routines, celebrations, boredom and the odd unkind comment. Each one has a workaround people actually used.
Cooking for a family when you're not eating the same food
The hardest moment is often clearing the plates. Leah named it: the kids' leftovers at the end of the meal (Leah, 2024). Workarounds: eat your own product at the same time, so you are not watching other people eat; clear plates straight into the bin or a lidded container; or, once the kick-start is done, move to a plan with a meal in it. Mandy looked for healthy meals that "all the family could enjoy" (Mandy, 2019).
Weekends and takeaways
The weekend pattern — treats on Friday, bigger meals Saturday, a takeaway Sunday — is the one people name as the hardest to break. Kirsty used to "treat myself to multiple take-aways and junk food at the weekend". Her answer was to keep treats for actual special occasions and not overdo it when she had one (Kirsty, 2019).
Meals out, drinks and celebrations
Before she started, Samantha found standard diets went backwards "when having a meal out or a drink" (Samantha, 2019). Planning ahead is the workaround. Our longer piece on eating out on a low-calorie diet has the practical bits — what to look for on a menu, when to ask about dressings, what to drink.
Holidays and Christmas
Mandy took a small break over Christmas and came back to it (Mandy, 2019). That is worth naming as a legitimate choice. A planned, time-boxed pause is not the same thing as falling off. Our post on sticking to a plan over summer holidays covers the "I'm away for a week" version of the same question.
Long working days and life on the road
Tony drives lorries and used to eat from service stations (Tony, 2019). Ian is a crane operator who used to grab lunch at the nearest garage (Ian, 2018). Paula has a desk job and long hours (Paula, 2016). What works is carrying products that travel. "I always have a bar in my bag even now," Paula wrote (Paula, 2016). Laura's tip: "keep one in your bag for when you are out and about" (Laura, 2019). If you are on the road, the question to answer before you start is where today's products are going to live — in the cab, in a bag, in a desk drawer.
Boredom with the same flavours
Casey's line is the one to hold on to: "a routine is good but being bored isn't; boredom leads to temptation" (Casey, 2016). Workarounds: rotate flavours rather than ordering lots of the same one; blend a shake with ice (Karen, 2018); or warm one instead of serving it cold — Leah's chocolate orange "felt like a naughty hot chocolate" (Leah, 2024), and Zara liked her latte shake warmed up (Zara, 2019). Little things. They add up over a few weeks.
Slips and cheat days
Zara had a slow start with "a lot of cheat days" before deciding to start properly in the new year (Zara, 2019). Emma had treat days and got "straight back on plan" (Emma Salt, 2019). The message both of them land on is the same, and it matters: one off-plan day doesn't undo anything. Restart at the next meal, not the next Monday.
Other people's comments
They happen. "You may also hear comments that could upset you," Mick wrote. "This may be someone who is jealous or who doesn't understand what you're doing. Just smile at these people & look how far you have come" (Mick, 2016). There's more on this in our post on dealing with unsupportive people while dieting. And, from the same story: tell the people close to you what you're doing before you start, so you have at least a few people in your corner by day one.
Nine of the twenty-nine stories mention our Facebook support group as a help along the way. It now has around 62,000 members, so there's always someone who has had the same day you're having.
The point of the Total Plan is that it is a kick-start, not a lifestyle. Jess put it better than we could: "I wouldn't recommend meal replacements as a long term solution but certainly as a way to kick start weight loss" (Jess, 2016). From the Total Plan, the usual next step is a plan with food in it, such as the Everyday Plan, and then the Maintenance Plan, which is designed to help you keep where you've got to.
Who shouldn't do a total diet replacement, and when to speak to your GP
A total diet replacement at 800 kcal is not for everyone. Don't use a meal replacement plan if you are under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, have type 1 diabetes, have certain kidney or liver conditions, have active gallbladder disease, have had recent surgery, or have a current or past eating disorder. It isn't for you either if you're already a healthy weight or below it. If you have any medical condition or take medication, speak to your GP before starting. Diabetes medication in particular often needs adjusting. Our medical and health disclaimer has the full list.
We recommend the Total Plan for up to eight weeks with your GP's approval, or a maximum of three weeks on your own. After that, step up to a plan with more food in it.
If, during the plan, you feel unwell, are getting headaches that don't settle, feel very dizzy, or anything else that worries you, stop and speak to your GP.
Does the first week get easier?
Is it normal to feel hungry on day two?
Can I drink coffee and tea?
What if I slip up?
Can I do it while cooking for my family?
What happens after the Total Plan?
Can I go on holiday on a shake diet?
Have a look at the plans: the Total Plan if you want a short kick-start; the Everyday Plan if 800 kcal feels like too much to walk into; the Maintenance Plan for after.
Read the full stories: success stories.