Eating food versus shakes.

SuzyK said:
PS What are VLCD's?
Click to expand...
Very Low Calorie Diets. Theres a forum on here devoted to them in general, then specific forums for most of the popular ones (cambridge, lipotrim, lighter life etc. etc.) It's a term mainly used for nutritionally complete meal-replacement diets (shakes/soups/bars etc.) though some use it to describe a 'starvation' diet they're trying- i.e. they're eating 500cals of food thinking thats a good idea, which I don't, but thats a whole other thread!;) LOL!
 
Hi Irishmum, thanks for the reply,
I did wonder. I was trying to work out the initials to link with shakes in some way, and yet it doesn't mean shakes at all. Doh!
I would love to read some more replies so please keep them coming.
Best regards
 
Hi Suzy

I just want to agree with Porgeous, we all think whatever diet we are being sucessful with at a given time is the best!

I have never tried any of the 'faddy' diets, eg cabbage soup, etc. I have also never been tempted by a vlcd as I believe I love my food too much for it to be sucessful for me. However, as I haven't tried it I can't say for sure.

Mind you, in some ways I can see how it may have helped me deal with my bad habits - such as picking at the kids dinner.

I honestly don't believe that theres any one diet better than the others - and statistically I have never saw anything to say that any one diet is the most sucessful, though I suppose it would be difficult to measure, due to there being so many variables.

For me weight watchers has worked really well, but I only got to goal 2 months ago, so its too soon to tell how I will cope with maintenence in the longterm.

The stories on this thread of longterm maintainers has given me hope that it CAN be done tho!

Nicola xx
 
Hi Purple Star, thanks for the reply. I am glad to see you like writing posts as so do I and it is great to keep getting different opinions on my posts. I think you have also replied to my other thread which is great, thank you.
I also agree with Porgeous that the diet is just a tool it was just I was so into Go Lower I was trying to tell all my friends this is the diet to go with, not thinking that different diets agree with different people. I also don't know enough about other diets to pass judgement I was just so sure my idea was the right one. Ignorant I know! It would be great if we could measure which is the most successful diet but then as I just wrote above I guess it will always depend on the person.
I also haven't gone with any of the faddy diets, cabbage soup, yuck! I don't do veggies!
I know what you mean about the kids food, I am so glad we now have chickens to give their leftovers to so that I am not tempted to clean their plates.
A big well done for reaching goal and you will maintain as you have this great forum to keep you going.
I look forward to reading more of your replies
Best regards
 
I really wanted to do the cambridge diet as the fast weightloss really appealed to me, but it made me feel so ill when going to the toilet (sorry, not nice I know) I hear this from a few people I have since spoke to.

I bought the fibre powder from my counsellor, but it didn't work for me. I used to try to go to the toilet and I could feel my bp dropping, I would go into a sweat and get very dizzy and almost pass out, it was very scary :(

In the end I couldn't take it anymore so stopped going, and have now started slimming world I have found a great supportive group and i'm loving the fact that I am eating healthily and my family are to.

I know it will take longer, but slowly slowly catchy monkey :D feeling very positive at this point oh and no toilet problems either :D

I think different diets work for different people and there are no hard and fast rules, we have to do whats right for ourselves, if we were all the same it would be pretty boring :)
 
Hi Soccermum,
hey don't worry about the details, I have kids therefore nothing is sacred anymore. I just finished my last thread a few minutes ago as I need to wipe my youngest sons bottom, (he's three). What was really funny (well I think so, but then I am biased,) was him running to me on all fours totally naked with his bum in the air as I didn't get of the computer quick enough and he was yelling at me "finished now". Why he has to be naked every time he goes to the toilet I don't know..... is this a sign of things to com?

I can't do the shake thing so I can sympathise that you couldn't stick it but I have had lots of replies from people who have done really well on it. I agree with you it would be boring if we were all the same.

It is great to hear you have found a great support around you. For me looking at the posts on this site has been great and although at the moment I am doing OK and don't really need the motivation I have confidence that if I start to struggle I will soon get plenty of support.

Now I have a friend on the phone who I just said I will call straight back and I wonder why I normally don't get online when I am at home.
Best regards
 
I am doing LL at the moment and the main reason it works for me is that it is easy and since I hate cooking it takes the stress of that out of the equation.

I haven't reached maintenance yet but I went down two dress sizes three years ago on a food diet (calorie counting and Xenical) and it was the first time that I didn't put the weight back on. It's difficult to say what has changed that made this possible. I also seem to have the developed the technique of not giving up if I slip off the wagon but just get back on again the next day. It may be that I've just grown up a bit, I can't say I did anything in particular to change my attitude. It was managing to keep the weight off that prompted me to go for LL and try to actually get healthy rather than just lop a bit off being morbidly obese.

I'm not sure how I feel about maintaining this time, I figure I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
 
this is interesting, I noticed that irishmum is doing well since I last saw here a few months ago, i dunno if irishmum remembers me lol.

anyway I personally wouldnt choose any diet but there again thats just me, but i am a bit suprised that so many people on here dont cook, i mean i dont know how to cook alot of dishes and I dont even know if I could follow a recipe, but I can do simple meals that are still healthy, like homemade pizza and pasta dishes, i just think if i didnt cook I would put on weight too easily because of all the snack foods I would have.
 
icemoose said:
4 years now since I reduced my weight by 12 stone on a shake diet.

Saying that maintenance in my opinion has nothing to do with how you lost the weight, I haven't dieted in 4 years and that is why I am still slim.

It was when I changed from using a diet as a lifestyle choice to just a tool that I found success.

It was also dealing with why I was really overeating that unlocked the doors to stopping dieting for good.
Click to expand...

sounds radical and but true, and it must be that some folk need to lose a lot of weight fast one way and then maintain the weight loss another way.

Belle
 
Hi all, nice to see the comments are still coming.

I just have to say to Spannerwanner, the reason I am on Go Lower is because I can't cook and putting food in the microwave is almost my limit. It is good to hear you get straight back on the wagon. I know in the past that has been my problem, I think I will go back to it the next day and then I think oh well another day won't matter and before I realise it has been a week and I an't bear the thought of going to weigh in because I have not stuck to the diet.

Hi Gerogiestar, that is exactly why I put on weight in the past, because I snack. I am a can't cook, won't cook person. I am also very fussy! I am getting better I have started to cook pasta for my kids etc but I would not know how to make it from scratch. I can just about heat it up, but because I don't like pasta I have never had a need to cook it in the past.

I always said the man I married either had to cook or be wealthy enough to supply a housekeeper because I can't cook and the one I fell in love is someone that can cook so I guess I was lucky and I got what I wanted. I don't know if that had anything to do with why I fell for him or not.....

Hi Belle, from reading these posts I am realising that maintenance is the big thing, no matter how people lost it in the first place.

Best regards
 
Hi Suzy,

I'm doing an old 'slimming magazine club' diet because it has worked for me in the past. I did lose 4 and a half stone on this diet before and kept it off for nearly 10 years. It is all 'real food' calorie counted and the reason I did that as oppose to the shakes is that I wanted the nearest thing I could get to my usual food.

When I got to target it was like starting afresh with a new diet until I got the balance of staying stable. However you lose the weight, I think keeping it off is more about keeping up the commitment than how you lost it in the first place.

Tracey
 
Georgiestar said:
i dunno if irishmum remembers me lol.
Click to expand...
Of course I do!!;)
Maintenence isn't easy, but I've allowed myself a 4-5lb 'window' above my finishing weight- if I go above that then it's back to basics. It's usually because I've started picking/snacking & not planning my meals? I'm now 2lbs above my 'window' so from this morning I'm counting everything I eat, and no more snacking. It's the Christmas party in 2wks & I want to look great! LOL!

In my case, I had an underactive thyroid, and an ED for many, many years, which basically meant my metabolism was screwed. I had tried EVERYTHING. Even my dietitian was baffled, I was maintaining 13-odd stone eating what an 8 stone woman would eat!! So I needed a kick-start. My GP wasn't thrilled, but when I had my annual check-up in October (after maintaining a 2 1/2 stone loss for over 2mths) he was amazed, though still cautious? I'm happy enough to maintaion at the minute, though I'd love to get under the 10 stone mark- but then us women are never really happy are we?:p
Still, theres always the New Year?:D
 
Hi Tarotwomen and Irishmum,
are you two following my threads??? I have just replied to you both about my dress that doesn't fit!

Tarotwomen, it is great you have found a diet you know will work for you. I think I have finally got there with Go Lower, although I am very aware that this time I will have to work hard to maintain and I guess that is when I will really need the willpower.


Irishmum, I think you way of maintaining is a really good idea as then I guess you know you can have a few treats here and there and not feel guilty. I'm glad the doctors found your problems and you have got yourself sorted.

No we are never really happy with our bodies but then we always want more don't we?

Best regards
 
LOL! Just trying to follow the threads I find relevant to me!
Since finishing LT I've been wandering among different forums joining in whenever I feel I can contribute- if that makes sense?
As for me being 'sorted', I don't think I'll ever be really, LOL! It's all a life-long adventure imo!
 
Over the years I tried WW, SW, SF, RC, this diet, that diet and always maintained I would not do any diet that consisted of shakes. After many years of an " I will do this the right way" attitude, I sat and thought for several months about what "the right way" was for me. I came to the firm decision that to succeed at my weightloss I would need to address the fact that I had an issue with food, a poor relationship and to address that properly for me I would need total abstinence to look at those issues. I choose LL because it came with CBT & TA - the key elements of addressing those issues.

The foodpacks come in a variety of styles, chilli con carne, porridge, shakes - vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or banana, soups - mushroom, tomato, thai sweet chilli, vegetable or chicken, bars - toffee, fruit, lemon, peanut, cranberry & raspberry. They are not bad at all, you have 4 a day and make up the combination as it suits you and you will find some you like. Your taste buds will also change as you go through the programme.

I started LL on June 4th and I achieved my weightloss goal of 7 stone 2lb on November 3rd.

I am just at the end of week 5 of RTM (route to management - 12 week programme) which is the slow re-introduction to real food - so you slowly start using the CBT tools you have learnt and making your own choices about what you have and how much of it to have.

The way I see it at the moment is this:

I have bought my bike but am currently riding it with the stabilisers on. As from the end of January those stabilisers will be removed and I will ride freely with all I have learnt. I will have slight wobbles as I ride over the bumpy bits but I will stop myself falling off my bike because I will remember what I was taught and take back control to enable me to continue on my life long bike ride.

You have to learn to listen to your thoughts and your body and record those thoughts and feelings - if that method works for you. You do have head wobbles but (hopefully) you recognise them and manage them. Planning is key and a few people on the LL forum helped me realise that a few weeks ago :).

We are not all perfect all of the time and we should expect our weight to fluctuate. The key is knowing when to stop. Be proactive not reactive, if you know you have a holiday or something big coming up, reign it in beforehand, don't try and pull it back afterwards.

There is no gain in beating yourself up if you "fall of the wagon", forget what you have eaten and address how you felt when you made those choices.

I reached my weightloss goal but the ultimate goal for me is to enjoy a healthier slimmer life in the future which includes making good food choices and enjoying myself all the same.

Indulgence for me was all of the time, now it will be some of the time, if I want to, which will be far more enjoyable.

I don't believe there is a "one size fits all" when it comes to weightloss. We need to explore all possibilities to find which fits us best.

Wow - rather a long post but rather cathartic for me :)

Kat xx
 
Morning Ladies, and of course morning to any guys out there if you are reading.

Wow Kat, well done on reaching your goal. I have also tried all sorts of diets over the years but never really done as well as I wanted and unfortunately when I have "fallen of the wagon" for too long I then give up. Finally I am finding Go Lower works for me just as you found the diet that worked for you. I have certainly realised since being on this site that different things work for different people. It has certainly been an eye opener for me.

Hi Irish mum and Tarotwomen, I guess because we are all in the same boat that is why we are finding the same threads relevant. Irishmum I try to do the same when I have the time I look around and see what I can reply too. I also sometimes just have a nose around and read what others are writing and I find that really interesting as well.

Gonna go and do some more reading around before the boss comes in.

Bye for now
 
Morning All

I just thought I would give this thread a bump as I was finding it really interesting to get different opinions and it was a great discussion when I was out with the girls to see if any of them may be thinking of dieting in a different way in the future.

Best regards
 
kookywooky said:
I was successful with WW's years ago and kept the weight off for a couple of years.

I then did SLIMFAST and kept the weight off for longer.

The good thing about SLIMFAST that I found was that you didn't have to think about food. With other diets I was constantly thinking about food, what to buy, what to cook, how to cook it, how much to have etc. With the shake, I just opened the can and drank it.

I found Slimfast difficult for the first week or two but once I got into it, it was really easy and I found I had loads of energy.
Click to expand...

glad i read this loll - im only on day 2 of slimfast and finding it soooo hard - its the lack of oral gratification i think lol!!

am v encouraged by the fact that eventually you found it easy! can i ask how much weight you lost on s/f and in what time??

x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Visualizing
Brand New Year 2024 (previous-Christmas Eve 2023🎄)
4 5 6
Replies
114
Views
14K
tipperary
tipperary
F
Getting fit for 40! My diary (feel free to join me)
Replies
13
Views
2K
AliGal
AliGal
B
First weigh in tomo don’t think I’ve lost 😭
Replies
10
Views
2K
Butterbee
B
goose
Goose's final road to goal
Replies
17
Views
2K
goose
goose
Y
Starting a VLCD for good this time!
Replies
4
Views
1K
Kitty07
K
Back
Top