New to VLCD

[artysister]

Hi there, just wanted to introduce myself, and ask for any useful advice when starting a VLCD.
I am new to this type of diet plan, but my willpower level with food plans is zero!! So therefore I think this plan will work well.
I have purchased a months supply of Avidlite - Dietimeal (Shakes, Soups, Bars, Puddings etc), to use as a Sole Source which I intended to start tomorrow, but upon reading these forums it seems to suggest that these products are not suitable as a total plan!!
Not sure what to do now as I know if I add a meal, I will most definately fail, and if I had researched better I would have joined a different programme!!
Has anyone any ideas on how to make these products suitable without adding a meal.
Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Mandy:sigh:

 

[Yambabe]

Hi Mandy, there's a Dietimeal subsection on here but it's cunningly hidden in the Celebrity Slim section!

Go have a look around there, there will be more experienced avidlit/dietimeal people who will be able to advise you how they are doing it......

http://www.minimins.com/dietimeal-forum/

 

[artysister]

Thanks Yambabe, I shall go and have a look xx

 

[scars95]

hey all! Im on vlcd with no replacements, just strict restricting. Im tracking on myplate and have to net 891 cals per day. So cals consumed - cals burned = 891. But I try to stay wayyyy below that. Iv been on 2 days now and day one went really well, but yesterday, I was almost in tears coz I had pizza!! I was so afraid I had gone too over, but after tracking I realised I was still quite in range, so Im so never doing that again!

 

[scars95]

:cry:I have been on vlcd for 2 days now. Working out everyday to burn between 500 and 700 calories. Mind you not even eating as much cals! AND NOTHING. the scale has not even moved an inch of a fraction of a pound!! I dont think Im ever weighing again!!

 

[Yambabe]

Scars, doing your own VLCD, while feasible, can be a bit dangerous unless you really know a lot about nutrition or are doing it under the clinical supervision of a dietician.

Oh and 2 days is way too soon to be panicking about not seeing a change on the scales.......

How many net carbs are you eating? What about essential fatty acids? Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals? It's very hard to get a properly balanced diet from food at less than 600 cals per day!

If your body thinks it is going to be starved of the essential nutrients it can essentially shut down your metabolism, putting you literally into starvation mode and conserving every ounce of stored energy.

Apart from anything else, if you do lose weight doing this I can pretty much guarantee that you will put it straight back on again as soon as you return to "normal" eating cos you won't have restructured your calorie intake to increase gradually and learned which foods trigger you to overeat or gain weight more quickly.

Sorry if I sound negative, I've seen too many people do serious damage to themselves over the years to just sit by and watch when someone is playing russian roulette with their health.

 

[scars95]

well... I usually have coffee at 9am - Im never really hungry in the morning
Then I have a snack at 11am (either cup a soup lite or a carrot).
Then my lunch at 2pm is a salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomato) with light dressing
And then my afternoon snack is either soup or a carrot at 4-5pm
Then my supper is usually a veggie green (green beans, peas, brocolli) or any other veggies or oven bake chips with a piece of chicken or hake...

It isnt very healthy, but Im not very healthy right now. Im only planning on doing it for 2 weeks (until end March) then for 2 weeks after that introduce some other kinds of calories (weet bix/ bran flakes / oats in the morning) snacks stay the same. Adding a protein to my lunch and a starch like pasta or rice to my supper

I am very desparate to lose weight and I think that being able to control my intake to this extreme and then allowing room for more and doing that successfully will help in the long run.

I alternate my workouts between 70 mins of taebo followed by 15 mins of pilates core work; or aerobics (cardio 25, strength 25, core 15); or HIIT on elliptical (10 mins for now) followed by 25 mins full body pilates.

 

[Yambabe]

I am very desparate to lose weight and I think that being able to control my intake to this extreme and then allowing room for more and doing that successfully will help in the long run.

I alternate my workouts between 70 mins of taebo followed by 15 mins of pilates core work; or aerobics (cardio 25, strength 25, core 15); or HIIT on elliptical (10 mins for now) followed by 25 mins full body pilates.

You're wrong. Apart from anything else that is way too few calories for that level of excercise, and as soon as you up the calories the weight will just pile straight back on. Trust me, been there done that many times.

What you need to do is google an online basal metabolic rate calculator. That will tell you approximately what calories you need to consume each day to maintain your current weight.

You then need to devise an eating plan that will give you approx 5-600 cals per day less than that. Use an online food tracker like myfitnesspal or sparkpeople to work out how many calories you are having, and that they are in the correct proportion of carbs/protein/fat. It might be worthwhile taking a multivitamin as well (I would certainly recommend that you do at the moment).

Continue with the excercise and stick to the diet and you should see the weight start to come off.

If you are "desperate" to lose weight quickly then look into one of the proper, tested, supported VLCDs that are on the market. If price is a problem there are many variables now available, and when you are considering them remember that whatever you are spending on the diet you will not need to be buying ANY food whilst you are in a Sole Source programme.

Good luck.