My 'secret' VLCD

[smallmel]

These are my secret thoughts and food intake on my secret VLCD diet. If my husband, family and friends knew, they'd probably shoot me. But I am stubborn, I wish to lose as much weight as I can before I go overseas and keep as much of it off while I'm there. Everyone in my family over there are skinny at the point of being underweight. For some reason, I am thick, muscular and was depressed for a long time and have become roly poly 12 months after I got married. The holiday I'm going on consists of 3 weeks among prying and questioning relatives including mother and brother who are skinny and brother = really naturally skinny.

Sought out the meal replacements here butso many of them contain gluten (which I cannot have) and my husband might find out so I have resorted to finding my own way of reducing the cals.

I can no longer be bothered handwriting my thoughts, so these are what I've written so far. A diary of a Secret VLCD experience. This is really for my personal reflection and records.

Here goes why I'm so grumpy;

Day 1 28th Dec 2010
Ate 3 yoyo biscuits, 1 small bite of left over xmas ham, lemon and cayenne pepper drinks (5-6 cups - with no expensive maple syrup like Beyonce's version), 'Soup' (one cube with broth 24 cals) with handful of lentils, 3 raw carrots.

Day 2 29th Dec
1 Peppermint tea, Lemon and Cayenne drinks (heaps) 2 raw carrots, 'Soup' with handful of lentils. 1 hour of cardio at gym (going hard on elliptical, treadmil and bike 20 mins each)

Day 3 Lemon and pepper drink, 1/2 raw carrot, 'Soup' with handful of spinach leaves. 5 yoyo biscuits (1 and half inch diameter) 1 hour of hard mixed cardio.

Day 4 (New Years Eve)
Starved all day preparing for what was coming up....
Dinner at parent's urghhh. Had to pretend I wasn't on diet hence dinner consisted of Satay chicken wings x 6, 3 chicken skewers and vegetables. Chocolates X 8 and 2 x gluten free muffins (250 cals each).

Day 5 New Years Day
Lunch at In-laws, acting 'happy' same bloody idea - eat like a glutton hence gluten free cup cakes x 3 with icing on top, soft drinks, custard and cream 1 bowl, chicken roast and roast potatos with parsnip, violed veg. 70 mins of elliptical.

I was so annoyed it wrecked everythihng, Now I had to start again. Also got given the rest of the cup cake batch to take home as a gift from in law... well that screwed things up back to another Day 1 and so on...

 

[smallmel]

'Secret VLCD' starts again
Day 1 2/1/11

1 cupcake (from inlaws) 'Soup' with handful of spinach leaves. Handful of blackberries. 30 mins of elliptical. Doing research on Ketosis, now I understand why I felt so thirsty the first time around. Bought Ketostrips.

Day 2 3/1/11
Wow, strips turn purple next morning, nice... already in Ketosis mode, maybe I have been in Ketosis since last week. 'Soup' with handful of Spinach leaves. 1 raw carrot. 1 can of tuna. 3 chocolate coins - the kiddie kind wrapped in gold foil ( bought by my husband with good intensions butI'm not happy about it) . 40 mins cardio. Handful of blackberries. 5-6 strawberries - fed to me by husband, thanks hubby.

Day 3 4/1/11
I'm now back to working full time - long hours, 8:30 to 8:00.
Girls at work have noticed I've lost weight. That's a nice thing! My work skirt also no longer requires me to suck in my gut to zip it. nice...
Lemon juice in water - 5 cups - (stopped adding cayenne pepper because it makes me think of grilled fish and chicken.) 1 can of flavoured chicken meat (150 cals), 2 raw carrots, 1 row of chocolate from a packet (1 serve (100 cals). 'Soup' spinach leaves. 7 strawberries, thanks hubby. Felt so nauseas after I got home, reflux, at feta cheese and felt better.

Day 4 5/1/11
Still in Ketosis in the morning. 'Soup' with spinach leaves. 1 serve of chocolate. 3 chocolate freckles (of the corner shop variety). 1 tin sardines - now I'm feeling sick. Water and lemon juice throughout the day in copious amounts. 1 cupcake from inlaws, 2 bites feta cheese. 50 mins of cardio. At work I'm so dizzy, feeling nauseas and getting reflux all night with pain... oh well it's my fault.

Day 5 6/1/11
Nausea really bad all day. Miso soup (24 cals). 1 raw carrot. 3 pieces of chocolate. Felt so sick so had one california roll with prawn filling. Had some old chicken thigh in the fridge getting old so decided to fry it then take it to work but after one little taste... my god they were tasty - ate all 3 thigh fillets.

 

[smallmel]

Well not feeling as grumpy as I did yesterday nor as hungry and I hoping the lift in mood is an indication that my body is adjusting well to Ketosis. The chicken fillets gave me enough energy to do 80 mins on the elliptical while I watched TV. I only felt a little guilty about eating such a large portion. I did get reflux and nausea again an hour after I ate however because I ate too fast.

Reflected on the experience so far and have learned a few things.

Stomach pains I was having were because I hadn't had a bowl movement since Monday and now it's Friday. Took a small dose of laxative and had some peppermint tea to get that going last night and feel so much better now.

I'm better able to distinguish real hunger vs. cravings for food vs. thirst. Most of the time the empty feeling in my tummy or rumblings means thirst because these stop after I've had a drink. Hunger is when I feel strong hunger pangs even after having a drink or two. Cravings happens when I don't feel any physical feelings of pangs or rumblings and usually they occur when I'm bored or feeling unhappy.

Nausea may be a side effect of the thermogenic I'm taking (Xenadrin) to help me keep going through the long hours at work as I'm not able to consume coffee. I also know from experience that for me nausea is also a side effect of the hunger pangs when they have been left to fester too long without relief.

I've also learned not to scoff my food down so quickly. Now I know that eating 3 thigh fillets at once very quickly will lead to reflux and a bloated feeling, so I've got to pace my eating a little slower these days on the VLCD, my body isn't so used to large portions of food anymore.

These latest realisations should help with establishing a long term change in my eating behaviour. I'm aware that most VLCD are only effective in the short term because no long term goal is made after the 'diet' phase is over. Well my long term goal is to continue with my gym membership which is the reason I'm now exercising so much and my fitness is so much better, that I am able to handle all these side effects and still carry on well at work and not get too grumpy with hubby. Regular exercise with a better self understanding of good eating habits vs. bad eating habits, that should be the basis of the lifestyle I wish to have after my holidays.

After much thought I've also decided there's not much I can do about my eating habits when I'm around my family because of the culture of eating with friends and family = happiness and good manners. Especially with the ridiculous amount of food allergies I have, nuts, fructose and gluten foods are completely out for me. Culturally it's offensive if I don't stuff my face when I'm visiting a relative who has made the effort of accomodating my dietry needs, and I can't change that, neither do I wish to offend my family in this way. Just gonna have to take really small bites, take tiny servings from the buffet to appear like I'm constantly refilling my place, exercise a little longer the next couple of days to burn the extra calories off I guess - that will be my management strategy for that situation until I think of something else.

 

[Mini]

Welcome smallmel:welcome:

I have just had a quick look over your diary and the vlcd you are doing is really very dangerous to your health especially if you were to continue with it for any length of time.

Drinking lemon juice erodes the enamel off your teeth especially in the vast quantities you are now drinking it that it is bound to damage your teeth and your teeth will end up permanently discoloured in years to come and I am sure in such vast quantities it could not be very good for your stomach.

You are also very lacking in protein and carbs and along with all the exercising you are doing your body will end up cannibalizing your muscles not just in your legs and arms but also your heart muscle tissue.

On top of that taking medication to boost your weight loss is just scary.

I am not an expert by any means but I know enough to recognize you are embarking on a very dangerous diet that ultimately will damage your health and impede your ability to have children and in the extreme could be even fatal.

I would strongly advise you to consult your doctor and talk to him about how you feel about your weight and your feelings of depression and if you possibly can please talk to your husband as well.

A marriage which is not based on openness and honesty is doomed to be unhappy and eventually down the line to divorce.

Please don't compare yourself to others as this is futile as there are always going to be others who are thinner, more beautiful, gifted etc...You are uniquely you which makes you special.

I get a sense from your diary that you have a wonderful close knit family around you and I know most big families like to show love by feeding delicious food to their loved ones.

As you are of the new generation who see most of this food as fattening or to rich for todays lifestyle perhaps instead of saying nothing or doing nothing about it but building up resentment within yourself...it kinda beholds you to educate yourself in how to make the same traditional dishes less fattening so that your children don't have to go through what you are feeling now

Change comes slowly but it comes nevertheless as long as your are mindful and respectful to what has gone before.

As you feel your husband would not approve of you doing an approved VLCD like Cambridge Diet who have many products which are gluten free...I would advise you having a look at the Slimming Clubs...the three most popular are Weight Watchers, Slimming World and Rosemary Conley all three encourage good eating habits, helps you to adapt recipes to be more health friendly and all encourage exercising and if you can't get to a meeting, you can do them online and furthermore your doctor possibly might be able to give you vouchers if you can go to a meeting...I have heard they do it for Slimming World just not sure about the others but I am sure someone on here will know.

All of us here who have weight to lose can empathize with you and the feeling you want to lose it as quickly as possible but none of us would want to put our health at risk and it can be so easy done if you are not aware of the nutritional needs and requirements of your body.

I can personally tell by looking at photos of those who have lost weight if they have not had enough protein, vitamins etc...as it shows, they look older, drawn out and their skin is dull and their eyes are tired.

Your health is your wealth so you must protect it by all the means you can as good health now will help enormously to ensuring you are healthy and active in your old age.

 

[coley144]

Totally agree with Mini.

I have to have gluten free food too and I've done lots of diets - weight watchers, calorie counting, Exante and Cambridge - are all or can be gluten free.

Please don't damage yourself by dieting. It shouldn't be a punishment - it should be a way of loving yourself and giving yourself a healthy body.

 

[determinator]

I totally agree with everything Mini has said , this diet is extremelly dangerous and will not work .

I am a nurse by profession and find this post quite disturbing , you are doing the same damage to your body as an anorexic and you will not loose and maintain weight this way .

I know that the cambridge diet can be tailored for gluten free and you will get faster , better and more healthy weight loss on a proper VLCD than the plan you are trying .
Please do not carry on with this , look at a sensible healthy way to loose weight

 

[SandraB]

Are you trying to make yourself ill you silly girl/woman? Your approach to what you term a VLCD is ludicrous and haphazard, I can't believe that this is actually meant to be serious post.......just what are you trying to prove? For the sake of your health quit this regime right now and do a proper VLCD if that's what you want to do....

 

[Starlight]

Theres also absolutely NO WAY youre in ketosis with what youre eating. As everyone else has said this is incredibly dangerous and you need to stop it and follow a proper diet before you make yourself really ill

 

[TRISTAR]

You mention ketosis, have you considered a low carb diet? The results are quicker than conventional dieting. You could also fit it in nicely with your gluten free lifestyle. As mentioned above, what you are doing is quite irrational with the extremes of lemony water to cupcakes & yoyo biscuits. It seems like you are putting yourself under immense stress mentally an physically for something that just needs a bit more research. I won't pry as to why you can't, but if you can, confiding with your immediate family may help, purely for the support. I have told my partner, as he supports me, but I haven't told anybody else.

 

[mudbabe]

I have to agree with everyone else. What you are doing is very dangerous and you will make yourself ill. Please reconsider and find a diet that truely suits your needs and lifestyle.

 

[itiszsnig]

I read your post with sadness, what you are doing to yourself made me cry.....Ive been there, only difference was after I had been for the family meals I had to make myself sick.... your diet is no better than the one I was on (watsits and grapes) yes I did lose weight, but made myself so ill doing it. Please stop this and do a proper vlc diet xxx You dont say how much you want to lose, but it is possible to lose 1st a month on a proper plan healthfully xxxx

 

[jfc]

Bless you love, I feel your pain and desperation to lose weight. I did something similar a few years ago and while I didn't become unwell physically, on a mental health level, I developed a severe eating disorder, my mind equated food as evil and something to be avoided at all costs. A few years on I am following the Cambridge diet now and have the support of a counsellor, the diet really works and you will be safe in the knowledge that its nutritionally balanced with adequate vitamins. Drink plenty of water and come on here for regular support and to share the good and hard times, we are all with you on this, but the way you are going now wont end well xx