There is no "perfect time" as everyone is different - that said, I'd leave it a minimum of 2 weeks before you do any additional exercise. Your body needs time to get used to the radically changed intake it is getting, and if you start exercising straight away/too early, then it's just going to crap out on you, and you'll feel terrible, trust me I know.
In the middle of my second week I went for a walk/jog from my house to work (around 1hour alternating between walking at around 4mph for 15minutes and then 5ish minutes of jogging at around 5/6mph, which I used to do even before I started losign weight). By the time I got to work, I felt physically sick, light headed, headachy, tired beyond belief and my legs and chest muscles ached worse than I'd ever felt.
Since then, I've not done anything beyond what I do in a normal day.
I think that my body is going through enough stress as it is, why give it more?
Also, lots of people who do frequent exercise during a VLCD say that their weightloss slows down (probably because they are toning some muscle and losing fat) but still, I know I'd be demotivated if others were losing 4+lbs a week and I was exercising and losing less than them.
just my 0.02cents
Hi Yasmine
I started LT on Tuesday and waited until Sunday to go to the gym. I did a 45 minutes aerobics class and felt fine been drinking loads of water though. Like everyone says though everyone is different. I have felt fine on LT since day 1, no headaches or anything, maybe a little fatigued on day 2 and 3. I have to say that I feel great at the moment and have loads of energy. But I was prepared to wait until going to the gym. My pharmacist advised 1 week but he told me to listen to my body. He said if I felt tired or lethargic not to go. Jogging is quite an intense workout even if you split it with walking and 1 hour is a long time. Why don't you try something more gentle and maybe at home where you can get your confdence?? if you have access to Wii fit its a really good work out and a good laugh. Do just 10 of 15 minutes of something light to start.
Good luck - its my first weigh in later - hope I do as well as you
Cabbez
Glad that you do, but beware; in the initial stages of Ketosis, yuo'll feel fit to burst with energy, by the second week this'll fade and you'll just feel normal (well, better than normal, but certinaly not the energy-boosted feeling you have to begin with ) I was sad when my "energised" feeling left me, and worried that I was out of Keto, when I wasn't it's just what happens.I have to say that I feel great at the moment and have loads of energy.
You have to be clear on the difference between losing WEIGHT and losing FAT.Excersising slows down the weight loss?!!
Glad that you do, but beware; in the initial stages of Ketosis, yuo'll feel fit to burst with energy, by the second week this'll fade and you'll just feel normal (well, better than normal, but certinaly not the energy-boosted feeling you have to begin with ) I was sad when my "energised" feeling left me, and worried that I was out of Keto, when I wasn't it's just what happens.
You have to be clear on the difference between losing WEIGHT and losing FAT.
Exercise might slow down your loss of weight, but chances are it won't affect your loss of fat.
If you lose 1lb of fat in a week, but gain 1lb of muscle from multiple workouts, then your weightloss is going to be 0; even though you've lost 1lb of fat, it's disouraging to see no loss of "weight". From week to week, this could be the same, and although you WILL BE losing fat it won't show up as much on the scales.
Remember;
[----------] < that much fat weighs the same as
[---] < that much muscle
as muscle is more streamlined and so 1lb of fat is larger in PHYSICAL SIZE than 1lb of muscle, even though they weigh the same.
So of course, you will still SEE and FEEL the difference as the fat goes away, but you might not see or feel the few pounds of muscle going on as they wil take up far less space on your body than a few pounds of fat does, and as such the scales might not show the decrease in overall WEIGHT that we all like to see.
Sorry if that's added confusion!
As I said before, I think it's important to understand the difference between fat, and weight;what is the best thing I can do to lose both fat and weight?