Thread: Please can someone tell me how much excersize I can do on a VLCD?

OK...

I've joined a gym aswell as being on a VLCD. (3 packs a day/600kcals/Exante) I've got a lot of weight to loose, and am unfit, but not totally unused to excersize, I have always swum.

I went today and did 30mins walking as warm up and a 30 min swim... when I got in the shower afterwards I felt awful, I had definately over done it, even though I thought that was quite a gentle work out!

I got home and had a soup and still felt rubbish so I had a packet of chicken, and felt a lot better.

I have been talking to my Mum tonight, and she says if I am at the gym I need to be on a lot more calories...

I really want to keep on with the gym, I am really enjoying it, and it's something I want to keep on with for life! It's something I could really get into and be very rewarding (for my mental health just as much as my physical health)

Has anyone got any advice? Should I have some extra protein after the gym, or think about a higher calorie intake althogether? I have heard that doing regular gym can slow weight loss as well...I am confused!

Please help!

Hey Nova,

You need to be careful with exercise on a VLCD. You can do it but introduce it fairly slowly and build it up, stop as soon as it gets too much. I have to say if you are intent on doing a lot of exercise perhaps a higher calorie and carb plan would be better for you. Would it be worth chatting to your doctor about this?

Hi Lass321, thanks for your reply.

I would talk to my Dr, but she can barely speak English, communication is not her strong point. I don't think I would get anywhere with her, she would just say VLCD 'not good'.

I've just read some research that does not make any difference in rate of weight loss in obese females:
Effects of a very-low-calorie diet and physical-training regimens on body composition and resting metabolic rate in obese females -- Donnelly et al. 54 (1): 56 -- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

I'm even more confused now... why doesn't the old adage 3500cals burned=1lb loss apply anymore??

I want to go to the gym, enjoy it (and not flake out) and loose weight... why so complicated lol

Thanks again, I'm going to take it steady until I know what I'm doing lol x

That research looks interesting - though although in a liquid diet there was no difference in weight loss, what it did show was that some types of exercise did improve overall strength, which would decline without it. I am not doing any exercise just now but in a couple of weeks I am supposed to gradually start increasing my exercise, this strength reduction issue is probably why. Take care xxx.

Hi, I did Lighter life a couple of years ago and we were warned that too much exercise would actually be detrimental to our weight loss and if you wanted to do anything to go on gental walks, we were told not to go to the gym until after we had started maintenance.

I agree with Lass321 that maybe as you want to incorporate more exercise that you should maybe look at a higher calorie but more exercise routine. This is what I am now doing and although the weight loss is no where near as rapid, I feel a lot healthier and more confident that I can maintain this long term.