average calories for still losing (even if slow) and maintaining?

[lebody]

plan to start slim and save in next week or so - although have 5-6 stones to lose have decided only going to go on plan for 3 months hoping to lose 2-3 stones in this time, then lose at healthier pace through diet and gym when my lo starts nursery just wondered what likely calorie I will need to still lose and also to maintain. I understand going on vlcd messes with metabolism and wont be as good as someone at same weight, does it return to normal ever or can I boost in some way or will I always be forced to eat low cal to maintain x

 

[Minerva]

It will return to normal, don't worry. It may take a little while (a few weeks perhaps) - but so long as you follow the Refeed to the letter, assessing every step and maybe even extending some weeks to see how you feel, there should be no problem.

I maintained my weight for quite a while by keeping a close eye on my calories and eating fairly low carb (no refined bread/sweets except on rare special occasions). After the VLCD I realised something I never knew before, and that is how much sugar and heavy carbs trigger binge eating. The chemical reaction inside our bodies - a lot of us do feel this, so limiting my intake is the key.
I also worked out that for my activity levels (fairly sedentary) I only need about 1500 calories per day (this is weight dependent! It'll be higher with more mass).

VLCD messes with metabolism only while you're on the program, it should return to normal eventually. Having said that, metabolism is affected by your muscle mass. We do lose a little while being on this diet, so some strength training/exercise will definitely help in that regard after you're done.

 

[lebody]

thanks Minerva, really kind of you to reply, glad to hear metabolism returns to normal just wondered why so many people on vlcd put on as soon as started to eat normally was panicking a little, deffinately don't want to put on so forward planning! .. wow you've done amanzingly well, have you lost most of it on slim/save ? are you maintaining atm or still losing? x was thinking trying to lose few stone, reefed and lose at steady pace or maintain for few months then do another stint in autum ready for xmas and hopefully be at goal and maintaining in new year/early spring do you think this is feasible? xx

 

[Minerva]

Hi lebody It's absolutely doable. Short stints on the VLCD are definitely better (in my opinion) than one long run of it as the body goes into plateaus if the weight is lost too quickly.
I'm still losing weight - I originally lost over 10 stone on Lighter Life and maintained for quite a long time, but unfortunately I suffered a loss in the family, had to move house and was undergoing an extremely stressful University course - all these things fell on top of me within the space of a month or two, so I regained quite a bit (but not all) as I didn't know how to handle that much emotional turmoil.

ANY diet works - weight gain is NEVER down to the diet you do, it's down to how and what we eat - i.e. curing bad habits and changing them for life!

You will nearly always put a little bit of weight back on after a VLCD, in the region of between 4-8lbs - but this is down to glycogen stores being replenished in our muscles/liver. It's the energy stores we usually have when not on a VLCD (this is why first week loss is always so spectacular!). This is normal.
There is also an additional problem which a VLCD presents that people don't realise. After a while on the shakes - we'll have weaned ourselves off sugar and carbohydrates. The first hit is like an ex-addicts worst nightmare, a large amount of sugar after a VLCD will be quite shocking because the body is no longer used to it - it really can catch some people off guard. As long as you know how food affects your mood and body chemistry, you'll be ok.

There are plenty of people who maintain after a VLCD and many who regain (because they go back to how they used to eat before). Same can be said with any other diet, be it WW, Slimming World or Dukan etc.

x

 

[lebody]

thanks Minerva, 10stone off that's quite an achievement. its great that you didn't throw towel in when you put some back on and still plugging away, you will get there you seem such a positive person .. ive had stressful 6 months with marriage breakdown, unwanted move etc which has led to this weight gain .. hopefully turning the corner now, and want to re-invent myself and get healthy for my kids as well as myself . only thing that is worrying me is that I recently joined slimming world and have upped my exercise and weight coming off is pitiful, having scan tomorrow as gp thinks I have large cyst have done some googling and found that poor weight loss is also symptom/sign of cyst which explains a lot .. just hope if that's what it is, I'll have it out sooner than later so can crack on with slim/save as I know cant be in ketosis when having surgery .. dreading that they'll say they'll keep an eye on it, as think will hinder my efforts on slim/save thanks for your advice again Minerva xx

 

[Cherry-Blossom]

Good luck. Your plan sounds rather similar to mine. I have 2 weeks left of my 12 weeks S&S before I'm going to give normal eating a bash. From day 1 of this I have been planning how I'm going to eat when I come off. Personally for me I know I couldn't low carb forever so I need to find something that works for me. At the moment my post S&S plan consists of doing Paul McKennas hypnoband, going through Dr Becks Diet Solution book, only eating at meal times, and using SW as a guide on what to eat. So really just making up a plan and trying to make it suit me. I know I won't lose at the rate I am now but I know that if I need another boost S&S will always be there. I've also decided that should I gain 2 weeks in a row I will review my eating plan and look at going back on S&S to start me losing again.

 

[weasey]

When I first started I intended to noy do a VLCD for 3 months and then move on to something more healthy. But to be hinest I never felt more healthy than when in ketosis and after 3 months I decided to stick for another 3 and so on - until I lost all of the weight I intended to. You will need to eat differently at the end. I watch my calories like a hawk and I exercise vigorously 3/4 times a week. To my surprise I rather like the exercise!