Anyone doing a VLCD (very low calorie diet)?
CharityS40
Posts: 6
Just curious if any of you are doing the VLCD program? I started about 2 1/2 weeks ago and looking to see what it is you all are eating. I have just been eating all of the meal replacements that I get from my doctor BUT I am wanting a little more variety. Anyone??? 
Thanks,
Charity
Thanks,
Charity
0
Replies
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Hi there, I'm doing a VLCD what sort of things do you like eating? I've low-carbed off and on for years too so had to learn to be pretty adventurous
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I did Medifast for maybe 2 months and I did drop a lot of weight, but I found the meal replacement items to be kind of gross and I got bored with them after a while. I didn't properly transition myself off of the diet and back to normal food so I ended up gaining a lot of the weight back. I find that using this site and keeping track of my calorie intake with normal food is working well for me. It's not a quick fix, but I think that we, as a society, need to get over our need for "instant gratification."0
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I am on week 11 and down 37.5 lbs so far. I find doing the VLCD to be really easy! My doctor that I go to has alot of different food choices to select from. So I try to change it up every week.
This would be a typical day:
Breakfast: Protein Shake (Premier Protein Ready to Drink)
Snack: Protein Bar (Usually by Advanced Health Systems or Health Wise)
Lunch: Protein Shake (Mix 1 pack vanilla and 1 chocolate of Advanced Health Systems Pudding & Shake Mix)
Snack: Another Protein Bar or sometimes the Chocolate Chip Cookies by Health Wise
Dinner: 1 cup cottage cheese, non-fat
It is usually around 800 calories, 95 grams protein, 55-60 carbs.
What do you eat? Are you taking Phentermine?0 -
Oh I heard that the Medifast meal replacements were gross! With the VLCD I can also eat regular foods but I usually choose to do the meal replacements only because I don't have to put thought into it. I too love this site! It really does help you become more aware of the things you are putting into your body. I don't put a bite of food into my mouth unless I have checked MFP to see if it will fit into my daily totals. 0
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I am on week 11 and down 37.5 lbs so far. I find doing the VLCD to be really easy! My doctor that I go to has alot of different food choices to select from. So I try to change it up every week.
This would be a typical day:
Breakfast: Protein Shake (Premier Protein Ready to Drink)
Snack: Protein Bar (Usually by Advanced Health Systems or Health Wise)
Lunch: Protein Shake (Mix 1 pack vanilla and 1 chocolate of Advanced Health Systems Pudding & Shake Mix)
Snack: Another Protein Bar or sometimes the Chocolate Chip Cookies by Health Wise
Dinner: 1 cup cottage cheese, non-fat
It is usually around 800 calories, 95 grams protein, 55-60 carbs.
What do you eat? Are you taking Phentermine?
Wow, and what happens when you quit doing this?0 -
That just sounds . . . . . horrible. I think I would feel like I was starving, and I know I would spend most of my time being "hangry". How do you have the energy to work out?
Best of luck to you.0 -
Hi, I started VLCD today! So anyone please feel free to add me. Im using herbalife which i find are really nice. I have them twice a day (usually breakfast and lunch) and for dinner ill have fresh homemade soup. So usual intake (<800cal) oh and i have 3L water daily.
I read a lot about the Cambridge Diet and have adapted from there (as its too expensive). I know a lot of people say once you go back to eating normal you will put it back on which is true. But i feel from this diet you really understand your body and how adaptable it is. Plus once you hit your ultimate goal you know having Pizza/chips/fast food and chocolates all the time is bad. As this is not a quick fix and i PLAN to stick to this diet for only 10 weeks (as its not recommended any longer than 12 weeks) you will automatically not want to eat junk food all the time knowing how much effort you put in losing weight.
Once you transition into eating normal foods it should be healthy normal foods. Plus lots of exercise. Ever wondered why slim/skinny women go gym 3-4 times a week. This is the reason. As i also wondered this and asked them and they told me that staying slim needs to be maintained as a life style change and indulging on food has to be followed by exercising.
Anyways. I hope this helps Good luck 0 -
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I think there are rules on the forum about promoting VLCDs as they are generally not terribly safe or healthy.3. No Promotion of Unsafe Weight-Loss Techniques or Eating Disorders
a) Posts intended to promote potentially unsafe or controversial weight loss products or procedures, including non-medically prescribed supplements or MLM products will be removed without warning.
b) Profiles, groups, messages, posts, or wall comments that encourage anorexia, bulimia, or very low calorie diets of any kind will be removed, and may be grounds for account deletion. This includes positive references to ana/mia, purging, or self-starving. Our goal is to provide users with the tools to achieve their weight management goals at a steady, sustainable rate. Use of the site to promote, glamorize, or achieve dangerously low levels of eating is not permitted.
c) Photos intended to glamorize extreme thinness will be deleted.
d) Those seeking support in their recovery from eating disorders are welcome at MyFitnessPal0 -
Can I ask why you're doing a VLCD? I assumed these kinds of diets were for very overweight people right before surgery? How can it be healthy and sustainable long term?
Sounds like a recipe for messing up the metabolism and lots of weight gain in the future...0 -
I did Lighter Life which is a VLCD. I lost over 3 stone on the food packs, and then a bit more as I slower introduced food back into my diet. Going through that gradual process is really important as it allows you the time to listen to your body and how it responds to certain foods.
But I didn't keep up all the techniques and let old habits crept back in, I've got about a stone of extra weight to budge.
As Special Sundae said, we don't want to promote anything unhealthy. I would go back to your doctor, ask for more advice on what other food you can eat, and maybe look at some other forums about VLCD.
Good luck!!0 -
I certainly for one am going to stick to having my food in a healthy way and losing slowly......this doesn't sound safe, plus what a way to have to spend the rest of your life because what is going to happen to your body once you reintroduce proper food.0
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Can I ask why you're doing a VLCD? I assumed these kinds of diets were for very overweight people right before surgery? How can it be healthy and sustainable long term?
Sounds like a recipe for messing up the metabolism and lots of weight gain in the future...
your common sense isnt wanted here!0 -
Dinner: 1 cup cottage cheese, non-fat
your definition of dinner is VERY different to mine!0 -
This all sounds so miserable. I can't relate to why anyone would choose to endure 800 calorie/day dieting when most women could (and should) eat around twice as much that amount to lose weight....
:noway:0 -
This all sounds so miserable. I can't relate to why anyone would choose to endure 800 calorie/day dieting when most women could (and should) eat around twice as much that amount to lose weight....
:noway:
Agreed, I'd rather be happy and losing slower than miserable and skinny fast and then risk whacking it all back on when I go off my "diet".0 -
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I think there are rules on the forum about promoting VLCDs as they are generally not terribly safe or healthy.3. No Promotion of Unsafe Weight-Loss Techniques or Eating Disorders
a) Posts intended to promote potentially unsafe or controversial weight loss products or procedures, including non-medically prescribed supplements or MLM products will be removed without warning.
b) Profiles, groups, messages, posts, or wall comments that encourage anorexia, bulimia, or very low calorie diets of any kind will be removed, and may be grounds for account deletion. This includes positive references to ana/mia, purging, or self-starving. Our goal is to provide users with the tools to achieve their weight management goals at a steady, sustainable rate. Use of the site to promote, glamorize, or achieve dangerously low levels of eating is not permitted.
c) Photos intended to glamorize extreme thinness will be deleted.
d) Those seeking support in their recovery from eating disorders are welcome at MyFitnessPal
Not a Debbie Downer at all - you are absolutely right. The focus of MFP is sensible eating and, er, fitness. There are other forums for VLCD, which are not advocated by MFP. Far too many people have come to MFP to make the step away from undereating/orthorexia and discussions about VLCD are not helpful.0 -
Yikes. I get a headache just thinking about eating only 800 cals per day - I'd work off 700 of those in one gym session. I'm really happy that the OP is working along with a doctor too. I hope that anyone considering a VLCD will do the same and rely on a doctor to ensure that everything is going the way it should go.0
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I am on week 11 and down 37.5 lbs so far. I find doing the VLCD to be really easy! My doctor that I go to has alot of different food choices to select from. So I try to change it up every week.
This would be a typical day:
Breakfast: Protein Shake (Premier Protein Ready to Drink)
Snack: Protein Bar (Usually by Advanced Health Systems or Health Wise)
Lunch: Protein Shake (Mix 1 pack vanilla and 1 chocolate of Advanced Health Systems Pudding & Shake Mix)
Snack: Another Protein Bar or sometimes the Chocolate Chip Cookies by Health Wise
Dinner: 1 cup cottage cheese, non-fat
It is usually around 800 calories, 95 grams protein, 55-60 carbs.
What do you eat? Are you taking Phentermine?
In what universe is this healthy... or sustainable?0 -
As the others said, and I have been there in the past so I can offer real advice, a VLCD is a horrible idea. You will lose precious muscle mass and when you come off of it, you're going to be weak, and your body isn't going to know what to do with extra calories except to store them! Hence the pounds come right back on!
Also, you're not eating any real food at all.
If you want to stick to a LOWER calorie diet to lose weight, up your calories slightly to start and replace some of the shakes with real food. You'll be surprised to know that a good sized piece of chicken (5oz) and a huge plate of veggies can be very low calorie, like 300 calories. Your body will thank you, and you can still stick to your diet goals.0 -
Why would anyone willingly eat a VLCD?! This makes me so sad.
Slow weight loss with sustainable eating habits > Starving yourself and losing muscle mass.0 -
Man it's going to be a BUMMER when you guys gain all the weight back. And you will. You will. :frown:0
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I am on week 11 and down 37.5 lbs so far. I find doing the VLCD to be really easy! My doctor that I go to has alot of different food choices to select from. So I try to change it up every week.
This would be a typical day:
Breakfast: Protein Shake (Premier Protein Ready to Drink)
Snack: Protein Bar (Usually by Advanced Health Systems or Health Wise)
Lunch: Protein Shake (Mix 1 pack vanilla and 1 chocolate of Advanced Health Systems Pudding & Shake Mix)
Snack: Another Protein Bar or sometimes the Chocolate Chip Cookies by Health Wise
Dinner: 1 cup cottage cheese, non-fat
It is usually around 800 calories, 95 grams protein, 55-60 carbs.
What do you eat? Are you taking Phentermine?
i'm not attacking...rather just genuinely curious....
are you morbidly obese? Like 100+ pounds to lose or so?
what kind of doctor are you seeing for this? Just a gp?
I'm curious about the VLCD...I have put some on them in instances of extreme urgency...as in "you're 400+ pounds with diabetes and you need to lose weight NOW". But in those instances the diets were VERY VERY micronutrient dense. I mean insanely. Which is the route most doctors go. I'm talking 2+ apples, 4+ cups of spinach or kale, peppers, lemons, fish, just tons and tons of micro-nutrient rich food and lean meat.
I'm having trouble understanding how a doctor would put you on a plan with only processed shakes and bars?
again...NOT attacking you...genuinely curious.0 -
Wait... a doctor put you on this diet?!0
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If that is you in the profile picture you don't look like someone who needs to be on a VLCD for emergency weightloss - or is that your "after" pic?
You have said a doctor put you on this diet - a "real" doctor or someone at one of those "lose weight quick "clinics"?
I could literally not exist on such low calories - there would be holes in the carpet where I'd snatched a quick bite. And for those few precious calories to be highly processed mixes rather than real food strikes me as very dangerous - how can you control what is going into your body when you couldn't identify half the ingredients on a shelf or replicate it in your own kitchen? I am also concerend about the lack of fresh fruit and veg - why not fruit instead of the protein bar/chocolate chip cookie? and have some real chocolate as a treat?
If this is your GP, ask for a second opinion.0 -
Never mind got two posts conflated.0
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It is usually around 800 calories, 95 grams protein, 55-60 carbs.
What do you eat? Are you taking Phentermine?
I have been on VLCDs, I have had eating disorders (ana and mia)...I have now taken control of my life, my future and my health by eating and being active. I have lost half a stone in the last 14 days by eating on average 2350 calories and by burning on average 2850 calories daily (I lift heavy, I also cycle, run and swim lots)...I am not afraid of food, calories or challenging my body. Being on such low calories if it is not for some medically very sound reason (most people can lose weight normally eating proper food and good quantities of it whilst being active as well) is a very bad idea. Short term? How short is short term...and why do folks always look for the quick fix? I want my body fat percentage to be lower for life, not just for a short while. I want to be able to eat, drink, be merry and do some amazing things with my properly fuelled body.
End of rant.
Lady, please rethink your strategy. If you don't learn to deal with food and your mental issues around it, you will always have the problem, small calories are not going to fix that. In fact, it can and does slow your metabolism down. You will lose the fat, but you will also lose lean mass, which is important to aesthetics and overall health and well being. Been there and done that and learnt very hard lessons....0 -
nevermind reading fail.0
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I think what has everybody confused is your profile pic. If that is at all close to current, you just don't seem to be at a weight that would justify the use of one of these VLCD plans. I see from a previous post that you are being supervised through a Bariatric surgeon and that would make more sense as I've known a couple of people who were put on one of those plans prior to their surgery.
Maybe you'd get better advice at one of the places designed to support those along that path.0 -
VLCD's have their place, but I don't see them being doctor approved unless the patient is morbidly obese. They aren't meant for people who have a moderate amount of weight to lose.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
You stopped eating food and replaced it with fake chemical food-like substances....................yea, nothing wrong here at all, nothing at all!0
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