VLCD

Doctor supervised VLCD aren't that uncommon, and they are intended for short term use. I would ask your doctor if you can supplement with some foods that are low in calorie and high in volume (like fresh vegetables). There's a huge weightloss center in the hospital down the street from where I work, and two of the doctors had a tv show about their bariatric surgery cases (a father-son duo). They also do the VLCD for people prior to surgery and for people who don't qualify or don't want the surgery. My mom suggested that I look into the weightloss center (she had bariatric surgery, but has gained a fair portion of the weight back due to falling into her old eating habits and not wanting to exercise).

Personally, I decided I wanted to try losing on my own first. However, I don't have any real medical problems (my blood pressure is slightly high), so my doctor felt that a reasonable "diet" at a moderate deficit would be a good place to start.

i eat more than that per meal

I was on a Dr. supervised VLCD a few years ago. I drank six 100 cal. Medifast shakes each day and had blood work and a urine test each week. I lost 70 pounds in about 3 1/2 months. My rate of loss was faster than most other plan participants (we had weekly meetings) because I was able to start exercising as well. HOWEVER....I gained it all back, plus more, because those weekly meetings were motivational, not educational. We didn't learn how to eat healthy foods and maintain the weight loss after we reached our goals.

Your question was about adapting? Yes - I was pretty hungry for the first 10 - 14 days and I just had to suck it up, but after that - no problems. Once my body entered full ketosis (which is what the weekly urine tests were checking), the hunger pains went away and I just watched the clock to make sure I drank the shakes on time. LOTS of water and tea, and I had to take fiber tabs to keep everything moving, if you know what I mean.

I didn't take any diet pills or anything, but it was really much easier after the first week and a half. The participants who "cheated" once in a while and ate "real" food, threw their bodies out of ketosis and had to struggle through some hunger pains again. The plan doctors could see it in their blood work and would fuss at them about the dangers of going in and out. As I said, this was a few years ago, and things may have changed.

Good luck with your journey! It should get easier pretty soon! Hang in there!

If you are experiencing even mild kidney failure that is nothing to muck around with. Actual damage to the kidney (as opposed to decreased function for other reasons such as temporary inflammation) is not reversible. I would be seeing a nephrologist, or at least a nutritionist with experience dealing with kidney patients before making any drastic dietary changes. Kidneys are sensitive to your diet and foods that are no problem for a healthy kidney can be a real problem for ones that are not working right. You should be looking into supplements like Co-Q10 for kidney support as well - a nephrologist should set you on the right path as far as that goes.

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I was on a doctor-supervised VLCD. It really does get much better after about two weeks.

some advice to help: Use shakes rather than bars, except as an occasional treat. Shakes give you more volume and help with satiety. Drink lots of water. Tea helps.

Use this time period to consult with a good nutritionist and learn about how to get plenty of nutrients in a diet of real food. The problem with VLCDs is that almost nobody keeps the weight off, because they're not learning how to deal with regular food. That doesn't mean you don't need the VLCD now, to get you to a place where your lab tests look better. But it's not your long-term answer.

If you have any bad symptoms after a couple of weeks--upset stomach or itchiness--you might have a dairy allergy. Often that doesn't show up until a person is eating nearly all dairy. If that happens, ask your doctor for an eggwhite-based shake. HMR makes a good one, the HMR 70+.

I'm very sorry you're dealing with such health problems!

I haven't been on a VLCD, but I do stick to around 1200. The first couple of days were a bit tough getting used to lower calories, but for me, cutting out the sugar and processed carbs, my hunger was much less after about 2 days. I think it takes about 48 hours for your body to process the sugar in your system and then the carb cravings subside. Lots of water and non-starch veggies should help you get thru the first few days. Try to stay busy with activities that take your mind off of food, and eliminate as much off-plan foods from your house as you can so it won't be a temptation. This is a temporary stage to get you started on a healthier path. Use all your will power you can muster to get thru a few days, and it WILL get easier. Best wishes for a healthier you.

ETA- If your pancreas is in such bad shape, that means Diabetes is extremely close. The drastic lowering of your carbs on this diet will certainly help take some stress off of your pancreas. Please continue to take your doctor's concerns very seriously.