Thread: JUDD after a VLCD...scared to take the plunge!

Hi everyone,
Sorry if this question has been asked a million times, but I just wanted to know if many people had made the transition from a sustained period on a VLCD over to JUDD, and how they found it.
I've been doing a mixture of Exante, S&S, Boossh etc since September 2011 (with many planned breaks along the line!) and I'm relieved/overjoyed to have finally reached my goal weight of 10st 5lbs (I'm just a bit under that now).
What I've been planning to do for a while is to gradually increase my calories up from 650, knock myself out of ketosis (which I've done already) and then take the plunge into the world of intermittent fasting. I know I can restrict calories easily, so down days don't worry me, but what scares me is that my metabolism will have taken such a hit that I won't be able to maintain my weight when I start eating normally and enjoying meals out and the occasional take-away over Christmas

On the other hand, I see JUDD as the only way I can give myself permission to relax and enjoy Christmas (and food in general) without feeling that I'm forever counting/restricting or alternatively bingeing/gaining!

My plan was to start JUDD during the week of the 10th December, as I have my works do on the Wednesday of that week, but nothing else major planned. I thought it'd give me chance to ease myself in before the festivities start properly.
Currently I'm only hitting about 850 calories, so would it be a better idea to step up to 1000 next week before starting, or shall I carry on as I am for another week to build up a 'buffer' before I take the plunge?

Sorry for so many questions - I REALLY want to do this diet and make it work for maintenance, but I almost daren't trust it! It's taken me 11 years of dieting to get here and I really don't want to mess up this transition to 'real' eating!

Thanks in advance for any replies/words of wisdom
x

Wow, can I just say what an amazing weight loss journey you have made & what a wonderful transformation. You must be so proud of yourself. Well done.
I'm sorry I can't really help with your transition period because I have never actually done it...there are a few on here that have though! I do think that JUDDD should be a very suitable and easy way for you to maintain but as to the best way to transition I'm not sure! Anyway welcome to our happy board, hope you get your answer soon

I lost 34lb with Cambridge in 12 weeks. First 8 weeks were on Sole Source, then I did 3 weeks of Sole Source + followed by a week on Step 3. I got to goal on Monday and switched straight to JUDDD. So far, I have done one down day and one up day. I am on a down day again today. I will be weighing daily with an official weigh-in once per week. I will report back to let you know how it goes. Good luck and well done!

hi, i went from sole source straight to juddd, put on 2lbs first week then stayed the same the following then lost that 2lbs, then another 1lb a week from there on. ive lost my way a bit recently though through my own fault and am restaring juddd properly to maintain over christmas then hopefully start losing again in january, but please dont be scared to take the plunge! u need to start eating normally again but juddd is a very good way of allowing yourself treats but to also maintain willpower. even if you put on the first week or so like i did, dont be afraid, it will come back off again! good luck! xx

Hi everyone, thanks for the warm wecome, and the reassurance!
To be honest I'm 4lbs under goal at the moment, so a small gain during the transition doesn't worry me too much, I just don't want to keep gaining over Christmas (bearing in mind that I gained something like 18lbs in 3 weeks last Christmas )

Do you/did either of you restrict your up day calories during the switch? Or did you just eat whatever you liked on up days? I know JUDD makes sense and is working for you all, but I'm worried that I'm either going to drive myself nuts over Christmas by over-restricting/over thinking the whole thing OR bingeing my way through a mountain of pizza and chocolate and sabbotaging my hard work!

I was thinking of trying for about 1700 on 'normal' weekdays, 500 on down days, and not worrying/counting on days when I've got social stuff planned (hopefully not more than a couple of times per week except Christmas week itself). Does that sound sensible?
Thanks again for your help!
x

your calorie count sounds sensible but you can allow for a few days bingeing, when i put on my first 2lbs i literally ate the world the first weekend i switched and so a 2lbs gain is actually really good! if i had restricted the intake then i would have probably stayed the same on my weigh in but i had a hen do that wkend and a friend's birthday bash so couldnt really restrict myself any more than i had done! as for up day calories normally, i tend to eat healthily such as weetabix for brekkie, sandwiches and yogurt/crisps for lunch and snack then fruit for snacks and a balanced dinner - veg, meat etc or a low cal ready meal depending on time! on the wkend im less strict but dont over indulge, for example, if im having takeaway in the night, i'll keep breakfast light and prob have fruit instead of a lunch so that im not going overboard in the day as well. its just common sense really, you'll love juddd once you get into it! x

Originally Posted by Alex_1978

Hi everyone,
Sorry if this question has been asked a million times, but I just wanted to know if many people had made the transition from a sustained period on a VLCD over to JUDD, and how they found it.
I've been doing a mixture of Exante, S&S, Boossh etc since September 2011 (with many planned breaks along the line!) and I'm relieved/overjoyed to have finally reached my goal weight of 10st 5lbs (I'm just a bit under that now).
What I've been planning to do for a while is to gradually increase my calories up from 650, knock myself out of ketosis (which I've done already) and then take the plunge into the world of intermittent fasting. I know I can restrict calories easily, so down days don't worry me, but what scares me is that my metabolism will have taken such a hit that I won't be able to maintain my weight when I start eating normally and enjoying meals out and the occasional take-away over Christmas

On the other hand, I see JUDD as the only way I can give myself permission to relax and enjoy Christmas (and food in general) without feeling that I'm forever counting/restricting or alternatively bingeing/gaining!

My plan was to start JUDD during the week of the 10th December, as I have my works do on the Wednesday of that week, but nothing else major planned. I thought it'd give me chance to ease myself in before the festivities start properly.
Currently I'm only hitting about 850 calories, so would it be a better idea to step up to 1000 next week before starting, or shall I carry on as I am for another week to build up a 'buffer' before I take the plunge?

Sorry for so many questions - I REALLY want to do this diet and make it work for maintenance, but I almost daren't trust it! It's taken me 11 years of dieting to get here and I really don't want to mess up this transition to 'real' eating!

Thanks in advance for any replies/words of wisdom
x

Wow, I'm so impressed, you must have worked so hard to get where you are.

As you want to maintain rather than lose I think you're biggest issue will be how to balance your down days with up days. That will probably take a good couple of months to work out which regime works for you. Most of us do three DDs a week but others do alternate days and others do other things so you'll have to see what works for you.

Best advice I can give you is read the diaries, lots of ladies have coem over from VLCDs so that'll be the most informative way of seeing what happened to them.

Good luck and enjoy. I used to be the kind of dieter that weighed several times a day if I was at home, I haven't weighed for weeks and I really don't feel the need, its amazing and I just love it as a way of eating forever.

Your planned calories sound fine to me (although, being new to all this, I am no authority). As I still have a bit more to lose, I am doing double down days. General rule for me will be 500 cals on down days and 2000 cals for up days. In reality, I think it will be 500 cals on down days, up to 1750 on two up days each week and whatever I want on the third up day. I will keep this under constant review though. Over Xmas I have lots of eating out planned so will just adapt JUDDD to fit in with that and see how it goes.

Thanks for the responses
I've done nearly another week of between 850 and 1200 calories, and my weight seems to be stable at the moment so I'm taking the plunge tomorrow! Half of me was tempted to stick with the low calorie thing for few more days as my first Christmas event isn't until Wednesday, but I think I'm just being a chicken! It's more sensible to start on a normal day isn't it, rather than a day when I just know I'll overindulge?
Also not sure what to do about weighing myself I'm tempted to weigh on Wednesday morning after I've done four alternate days...I kinda want reassurance that I'm not gaining tons of weight, but I also don't want to see a gain and lose my nerve without giving it chance to work....guess I'll have to see if I can resist!
Will set myself up with a shiny new diary soon too as I expect to be around here for the foreseeable future!
I look forward to getting to know you all soon
X

Sounds like a sensible start...go for it! And congratulations on your amazing loss so far.

Good luck Alex look forward to getting to know you :-)

Thank you! You too
x