Post VLCD

New_Heavens_Earth

If someone is coming off of a self imposed VLCD, and they start eating at the recommended calorie level for weight loss by MFP, will they gain, lose less rapidly, or gain now that calories are increased?

Been on my mind. Several of my friends are trying some diet and I'm a holdout. I like food and my muscle tissue.

kshama2001

Everyone I know who has lost weight quickly has also regained it quickly.

New_Heavens_Earth

kshama2001 wrote: »

Everyone I know who has lost weight quickly has also regained it quickly.

I figured that, but attributed it to the plan being unsustainable, resulting in binging
The calorie change factor just dawned on me. Like as long as they're still in some sort of deficit they should still be losing, just less quickly.

sweetnana126

Actually, I find the low carb diets are easier to manage than low calorie. It is easier to maintain weight after the vlcd stage if you add back carbs slowly. Every diet where one loses weight quickly has the down side of gaining it back quickly. Your diet needs to work for you and be something you can live with. Not every diet works for every person. You need to find the one that works for you

New_Heavens_Earth

sschristy wrote: »

Actually, I find the low carb diets are easier to manage than low calorie. It is easier to maintain weight after the vlcd stage if you add back carbs slowly. Every diet where one loses weight quickly has the down side of gaining it back quickly. Your diet needs to work for you and be something you can live with. Not every diet works for every person. You need to find the one that works for you

Thanks. I know what my friends are doing definitely won't work for me. I'll stick with my reasonable deficit made easier to maintain with IF.

Unfortunately I think their regain has started. My FB is getting clogged up with their newest miracle diet.

nutmegoreo

New_Heavens_Earth wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

Everyone I know who has lost weight quickly has also regained it quickly.

I figured that, but attributed it to the plan being unsustainable, resulting in binging
The calorie change factor just dawned on me. Like as long as they're still in some sort of deficit they should still be losing, just less quickly.

Some of the initial gain will happen due to increased food volume in the digestive tract, and water that increases with increased carbs (which will likely happen when adding calories back in). Theoretically, if they wait it out and don't mind the initial jump/stall in scale weight, they should be able to maintain/continue to lose. I suspect many see that jump on the scale and get mad then overeat.

jennifer_417

Some fluctuations would probably occur on the outset, but when that slows down, they should lose at a regular rate, more slowly.

New_Heavens_Earth

Thanks for your answers. For one my brain has been allover the place with "what if..." thoughts, plus feeling like I keep needing to defend my reasons for not jumping on their band wagon.

Much appreciated.

nutmegoreo

New_Heavens_Earth wrote: »

Thanks for your answers. For one my brain has been allover the place with "what if..." thoughts, plus feeling like I keep needing to defend my reasons for not jumping on their band wagon.

Much appreciated.

If you need a defense, "No thank you, I like my muscle mass and want to keep my hair. Plus, I don't want to be overly restrictive and miserable."

How long have they been doing this? There is a honeymoon phase where everything seems great, until it isn't.

psuLemon

For clarification, are we talking very low calorie diets (the traditional use of VLCD) or very low carb diets?

New_Heavens_Earth

psuLemon wrote: »

For clarification, are we talking very low calorie diets (the traditional use of VLCD) or very low carb diets?

Very low calorie.

psuLemon

New_Heavens_Earth wrote: »

psuLemon wrote: »

For clarification, are we talking very low calorie diets (the traditional use of VLCD) or very low carb diets?

Very low calorie.

I have yet to really see anyone sustain or transition well from a very low calorie diet. Plus if you look at some of the research on refeeds and diet breaks, you will see equal weight loss over a give period. There are a lot of adaptations when you diet, which will be augmented when going on a very low calorie diet; increase metabolic adaptations, muscle loss (which equals lower metabolic rate), leptin levels drop more (fat burning hormone), general reductions in non-exercise activity thermogenesis (people tend to move less with less calories), higher binge rates, etc..

There are exceptions to this rule, but generally it's advanced dieters who are following specific protocols that we don't discuss in this general forum.

ETA: most of us don't just want to lose weight, we won't to tone up a bit more and look lean. That is not going to happen on starvation diets.

New_Heavens_Earth

psuLemon wrote: »

New_Heavens_Earth wrote: »

psuLemon wrote: »

For clarification, are we talking very low calorie diets (the traditional use of VLCD) or very low carb diets?

Very low calorie.

I have yet to really see anyone sustain or transition well from a very low calorie diet. Plus if you look at some of the research on refeeds and diet breaks, you will see equal weight loss over a give period. There are a lot of adaptations when you diet, which will be augmented when going on a very low calorie diet; increase metabolic adaptations, muscle loss (which equals lower metabolic rate), leptin levels drop more (fat burning hormone), general reductions in non-exercise activity thermogenesis (people tend to move less with less calories), higher binge rates, etc..

There are exceptions to this rule, but generally it's advanced dieters who are following specific protocols that we don't discuss in this general forum.

ETA: most of us don't just want to lose weight, we won't to tone up a bit more and look lean. That is not going to happen on starvation diets.

Absolutely agree on the risk of muscle loss and negative adaptive changes. Those are the main reasons why I won't even try it!
Plus like you said, I want to look lean, not diet down to a number and end up still fluffy looking.

Thanks for including the science behind why VLCDs aren't good.