Help with understanding CC & exercising After a vlcd?

[claire30]

Hello all I've come across MFP and it looks like a very handy tool to use daily. I'm confused really because I'm currently on a vlcd ( slim & save) if I wanted to come off the diet how would I go about losing weight again without gaining it all back on?
Im thinking about using my months supply daily still maybe a shake a day but staying around 800 cals for a few weeks with exercising still??

Then increasing my caloires slowly up to 1200 but mentally I want to do this in small steps eating 800 cals aday with exercise will be ok Wont it??

Claire x

 

[goodthingsinsmallpackages]

I lost just over 4 stone on lighterlife then moved to calorie countimg but i did do the lighterlife refeed programme and every week added an extra 100 calories a day until i was where i needed to be. 800 calories a day isnt really good long term if you are no longer on the vlcd.

So week 1 i was at 700 calories
Week 2 was 800 and so on.

After the refeed i dropped to 1200 (plus exercise calories) to lose another 3.5 or so stone on calorie counting.

I followed the refeed programme fully right up to maintenance as it is a tried and tested programme and them i dropped my calories to lose more, i did not gain at all.

For the first 2 weeks no carbs at all then they were only in fruit and veg and yogurt etc. Complex carbs in potatoes, pasta, cereal etc didnt come until week 8.

Now i am maintaining. I still follow calorie counting, keep an eye on my fats and sugars but eat loads if carbs and i am not finding it difficult to maintain anymore (apart from this week as i am off work for the week and as it is my "holiday" i am splurging)

 

[claire30]

Oh thank you for your reply so you did move up slowly then? 700-800 then added 100 each week? and u didnt gain weight? wow you have done fantastic havent you

claire x

 

[goodthingsinsmallpackages]

Thank you.

Yep that is exactly what i did.

It did mess my metabolism up but in the last few weeks it has gotten a lot better.

I am only 5ft nothing and 114-115lbs so can't really expect to eat loads. I think i blamed the diet for messing my metabolism but it has finally sunk in i just can't go mad lol. I eat my exercise calories so that helps.

I now eat 1300 calories 6 days a week and then up to 2000 one day a week. I then eat exercise calories on top of this.

I was 113.4lbs this morning (want to keep at 115 really as never want to go below 112) but from tomorrow until end of sunday i am off work so we are doing things every day (instead of going away) so want to eat whatever i want. I am prepared for a gain and know i can easily lose it if i gain more than 2lbs. I wont go mad as my lifestyle has changed now and it's no longer in my brain to just let go lol

 

[Predator]

Goodthingssmallpackages has done tremendous! I did a VLCD for over 2 and a half months, and I lost 4 stone on it and then rather than gradually bump up my cals and carbs, I just went straight into healthy eating and exercise. Check out my signature - I gained for 2 weeks straight!!!

I think I have peaked now and I hope to gradually come down again, but yeah its disheartening! lol

 

[goodthingsinsmallpackages]

Thanks aaron

You definitely have nothing to worry about, it will just be your glycogen stores filling up quicker than mine as you brought in carbs/sugars sooner.

As I brought them back slower it just meant I lost more than I gained from the glycogen levels coming back. I still would have gained weight from the glycogen filling back up but I lost more so it didn't come out as an overall gain. I lost less than usual for a few weeks, just no gain.

You have done amazing to lose 4 stone in a short time. This may sound sexist but from what I have been told a lot of men find it more of a challenge to stick to a diet/lifestyle change (not sure if that's true but I know I can't think of any men I know personally who would want to watch what they eat)

 

[claire30]

Thank you for sharing and well done to you, do u have a diary on here xx

claire

 

[Danii]

This will be me next week after coming off exante... hope to STS for a while.