Is this diet a bad idea?

chonchubhair1987

Hi guys just looking for a bit of advice, I've just started a strict diet as I'm going on holidays in 8 weeks, over the past two years ive put on 2 stone and I'm putting it down to my metabolism slowing down as my diet hadn't really changed, I have never been a healthy eater!! Anyways I know its highly unlikely that I will loose 2 stone in the amount of time I have but even a stone would be great, anyways I've devised my own weight loss plan its a combination of calorie counting, low carbs, meal replacement and exercise! I'm using Herbalife shakes to substitute my dinner as I find it very hard to keep the calorie count down with dinners (even my healthy dinners seem to hit the 700-800 mark) i used the full Herbalife diet before and lost 8lbs but missed food too much! I'm taking the Herbalife fibre and herb tablets along with the multivitamin complex before meals! I've upped my water intake from nothing to 4 litres! I'm also doing 45mins cardio consisting of 30 minutes couch to 5k and 15 mins interval cycling at the gym 3 times a week followed by a minimum of 30mins strength training on the areas I want to target and swimming twice a week!! Other days I'm doing lesser home workouts like trampolining, workout DVDs skipping etc. I'm using my fitness pal to encorporate all of this but most days I'm not hitting 1200 calories and I'm worried that this might cause more damage than good! The Herbalife shake only has 95calories (with water) or 200calories (with milk) i use water so this is where the deficit is coming from so im just wondering is this diet ok with it being a nutritional shake and the fact that I'm taking multivitamins or unhealthy, I'm not hungry at any point!!

BeckyJade7

I wouldn't recommend any meal replacements when you're working out as much as that (I personally wouldn't recommend them at all), and you definitely need to up your calorie intake because you're risking losing muscle mass which is harmful to your body. It sounds like the diet is nutritionally balanced, which is good, but that's a huge calorie deficit and it's one of those where as soon as you go back to eating a normal, healthy amount you're likely to gain back any weight you've lost.
I also wouldn't recommend low carb as that can make you feel really lethargic and increase your chances of binging. Sure cutting back on carbs so that you're not over consuming them is a good thing, but they are essential for the body especially with all the exercise you're doing. What I do recommend is complex carbs such as oats, brown rice and other whole grains, plus sweet potatoes and plenty of fruit and veg. Also, definitely up your calorie intake to something closer to 2000, you'll feel a lot better for it and the weight loss is more likely to be long-term.

SugaryLynx

If you have to ask. .. It probably is

_Zardoz_

Answer :- Yes it is

astrampe

Bad idea...Eat food... real food

WaterBunnie

Meal replacement diets don't teach you how to eat long term. I'd take my eye off the speed of loss and concentrate on doing it more healthily if I were you, learning what foods you need to increase and decrease and correct portion control to allow you to stay slim once you're done. You'll look slimmer with exercise remember so needn't fret over what the scale tells you.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I'd be very concerned with doing a low calorie diet like that right before going on holiday-- it sounds like a recipe for gaining back everything you've lost.

sjaplo

And if you follow this plan to lose 3.5lbs per week for 8 wks you will either be sick or too tired to enjoy your vacation. Set yourself a reasonable goal and enjoy your vacation.

Ready2Rock206

If you have to ask. .. It probably is

Yep.

SezxyStef

Yes it is and no your metabolism hasn't slowed down you have or you are eating more.

ETA: as a matter of fact you burn more calories the heavier you are...moving that extra weight around.

futurejedi

go with the chicken and beer diet it covers all the essentials

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Yes it is and no your metabolism hasn't slowed down you have or you are eating more.

ETA: as a matter of fact you burn more calories the heavier you are...moving that extra weight around.

This is true.

My TDEE is lower now than when I was overweight, even though now I exercise. :sad:

chonchubhair1987

Thanks for all the advice, I'm completely clueless when it comes to diets, I will quit the meal replacement!! Really eager to loose the weight fast but not at the expense of my health!! Only been on the diet three days and lost 3 1/4 lbs so figured its a bit much!! Will continue the exercise + more nutritious food as opposed to lack of food and see how I get on!! Thanks again, much appreciated!

SugaryLynx

Thanks for all the advice, I'm completely clueless when it comes to diets, I will quit the meal replacement!! Really eager to loose the weight fast but not at the expense of my health!! Only been on the diet three days and lost 3 1/4 lbs so figured its a bit much!! Will continue the exercise + more nutritious food as opposed to lack of food and see how I get on!! Thanks again, much appreciated!

Im glad you're rethinking it ♡ Here's some helpful links to get you started.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

The one thing I learned from MFP was to not over complicate it and to ensure you're fueling your body.

ewegner

Just saw an article posted about something negative regarding herbalife headquarters/manufacturers...check it out before continued use!