Long term abstinence effects?

thin_inside

I Can Do This!
I have been on this diet, in full abstinence (apart from one extra pack on one day) for 6 months now. At first I found I slept much better and felt really healthy, but over the last few weeks I have found I wake very early and am constantly tired. I'm also finding the ongoing hair loss a pain and as I put my hair up sometimes am noticing how thin it is getting. Not worried as I know it will regrow when I start eating again, just a bit annoying. A recent scan for other reasons spotted a gallstone although I don't seem to have any problems with it and don't know if it has developed due to the diet. Recent weight losses have slowed right down too - on average less that half of what they were in Foundation and the first month of Developers.

What experiences or effects have others had on long term abstinence?
 
Hi TI

I abstained for a little over 9 months, nearly 10. I lost a bit of hair, but not enough to worry about, and only at the very very end.

My sleep has always been listless and interupted. It was better on LL, and is still pretty good. I think I breathe better at night now without the weight.

I did experience dizzyness, only a very few bouts were severe, and again, all at the end of the diet - sort of the last 3-4 weeks.

Other then that I was one of the very lucky ones with little to no side effects. I was never cold, and never had keto-breathe.

There have bee a few here with gallstones. But I am guessing that is more a result from carrying fat, then the diet - though I could be wrong. Andy just had gallstone surgery - maybe his doc gave him some info about this?

Have you done your milk weeks? I believe they make a huge difference.

Hope you are feeling good though, and that none of this is getting you down to much. :)

Oh, my hair is well under way to growing back now and I started eating again in September. SO, it took its time, but it does come back. Its about 2 inches long now. My hair has always growed very slowly.

Hope that helps. :)
 
Thanks BL. Yes, I'm feeling fine, just tired and a bit down about the slow down in losses. Actually in other ways I feel fantastic about myself as I'm the size I was when a teenager. No thoughts about lapsing in any way, but obsessed with food programmes and trying lots of meal ideas out on the kids.

I've had few other side effects, no keto-breath and only very occasional mild dizzyness. I do get cold though. My hair has grown about 2-3 inches since last cut in march. I don't know whether this is fast or slow?

I am expecting to be in abstinence until October at least, so a similar duration to yourself. However, unless weight losses improve again I will be in abstinence for longer to reach goal. I have never done a milk week as I have never felt I needed to. Maybe I should, but I don't like milk much so not really enthusiastic about it. I like the packs just fine with water.

I've increased the exercise a bit, but not doing huge amounts. Just not sure what is going to change over the next few months. xx
 
The milk week is not so much about something that tastes nice, or makes the shakes nice, but its about our bodies replenishing its strength and functions.

Might be worth it, particularly if you are experiencing dizziness. You can use soy milk, which you might like better?

Its an awful lot we ask of our bodies - to sustain on 500 calories, month on month, etc. SO it made sense to me. But, it is indeed an individula choice.

Just remember to get up slowly if you are experiencing dizziness!!! No headers for you! :D

xx
 
The milk week is because NICE recommends that you don't spend longer than 13 weeks on a very low calorie diet. Gallstones are a well known side effect of rapid weight loss - an "occupational hazard" of this kind of diet.

You might find that a milk week might help rather than hinder you're weight loss. I did one with soya milk - just as a precaution because I was experiencing heart palpitations (multiple skipped heartbeats -which turned out, I believe, to be due to excess caffeine intake, caused by too much espresso; by the time I had an ECG to find out what was going on they'd stopped)

The Thai Chili soup is really nice made with soya milk!

I've been getting the dizziness when I stand up too quickly, although it passes in a couple of seconds
 
Hi TI

Can't really help, however I have definitely noticed that the more exercise I do (I like to swim) the more tired I am, the dizzier I get, and the less weight I lose (the week I did the most swimming and gym activity I put ON a pound). I think it makes sense to do the minimum exercise, I am trying to only go a couple of times a week instead of 4 or 5 - I think I was just asking too much of my body on it's reduced calorie intake, for that amount of exercise. It's frustrating, as I am determined to make exercise a regular and important part of my life from now on, so it's difficult not doing it as much as I'd like. xx
 
hi
i got very lightheaded at times - and even passed out at the gym after being in the red hot spa (my own stupid fault really as i had had nothing to eat - it was about 9am)
doing milk week really helped and i felt fine after that for the next month, but then started getting it again just before i went on RTM - i would have done another milk week early if i hadn't moved to RTM
( i lost 2lb in milk week)

daisy x

daisy
 
Aside from the breath issue, I can't say I've had any side affects at all, and I've been going almost 10 months now with probably at least one more to go yet.

Never done a milk week either, never felt the need to.

I exercise at the gym daily now with alternating day plans, as follows:
Day A: 1 hour intense/high weightlifting, 30min medium cardio
Day B: 45min intense cardio, 45min medium weightlifting

Yes, for the first week or so I got a bit dizzy after working out, but I put it down to exersion which my body wasn't used to. 9 weeks later, and I feel great!

So I guess we are all different! :)
 
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