blue_grapefruit
Gold Member
Nige, you been playing on my mind!
Right, firstly after i finish my dissertation i will attempt to write a paper on VLCDs - a balanced argument with all the positives and negatives thrown in. And cos i have experience on a VLCD i can write about all the nasty personal stuff too.
Secondly, you have to appreciate that you have come into a forum full of struggling people who are putting heart and soul into a diet that they believe in. Not eating is the hardest thing i have ever done, and i still don't know if i'm cut out for it.
It's totally natural for VLCDers to be defensive, and i'd also add that a lot of us have become very good friends and will stick up for each other out of loyalty - when someone shares the intimate details of this diet with you, it kinda builds a stong bond.
I wanna mention one of the miniminers in particular who has stuck to this diet 100% and recently got to goal. Following a health check, not only has her blood sugar level reduced from "borderline diabetic" to normal, but more startlingly her cholesterol has reduced from 15 to 5! When my mother did atkins, her cholesterol went from 4 to 9. I'm not having a go at atkins, i appreciate that it works for a lot of people, it's just a comparison.
When it comes to putting the weight back on, it isn't down to the type of dieting. It's down to the in built feelings of the individual. If they havent fought their demons then they will pile on the pounds. As someone has recently said, VLCD for me gives me the chance to evaluate my relationship with food by going cold turkey.
Ever heard of "addicts dream"? When people in rehab clinics undergoing drug withdrawal dream of taking pills, injecting, drinking, and generally getting off their skull on their drug of choice? Well i have addicts dreams about food - to the point that i wake up shaking and upset.
I have a problem, i am totally addicted to the "hug" inside that i get from food/eating. I need to go cold turkey to sort myself out. I'm 22, and i need to be taken back to 4 years old to learn about eating again.
I respect diets like WW, SW, rosemary conely and i can SEE that they work for some people. Personally they leave me with too much choice and in the past i have made some utterly stupid "decisions". For instance, i'll have a bag of crisps which i'll point/syn/calorie count....whatever, but that one bag turns into 6 - That's the addict in me.
When it comes to taking supplements, it seems that EVERYTHING has some sort of medicinal value. How many books are out there with titles like "1001 uses for ....", well i would certainly say "everything in moderation".
Omega fish oils, hmmmm, the jury is out on this one. My MIL has severe alzheimers, and as a geneticist it's painful to watch as i know all about the repeat sequences that could have been passed along to my lovely OH. I've obviously done research into preventatives and omega 3 has been mentioned a lot to prevent the growth of the plaques that take over the brain. From my point of view, what will be will be and if he's going to get alzheimers then it'll aready be written in his genetic code.
On the broad subject of supplements, although CD has 100% vits and minerals in the packs, i take a probiotic to help with my skin. Otherwise, my anemia has gone awol and my acne has cleared due to the calcium and zinc levels in the pack.
I havent used any references or papers as this is just my opinion, one day though when i'm not in the middle of my thesis (which is on breast cancer and tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand, not very relevant!)i will attempt some research into a subject very close to my heart. Who knows, i may be at goal by then too!
Anyway, the point of this is just to let you know that i appreciate your view, and will read with interest. Just be careful around us lot, we are VERY loyal hehehe!
Please please don't take this post to be attacking you in any way, it certainly isnt my intention!
Love Leah xxxx
Right, firstly after i finish my dissertation i will attempt to write a paper on VLCDs - a balanced argument with all the positives and negatives thrown in. And cos i have experience on a VLCD i can write about all the nasty personal stuff too.
Secondly, you have to appreciate that you have come into a forum full of struggling people who are putting heart and soul into a diet that they believe in. Not eating is the hardest thing i have ever done, and i still don't know if i'm cut out for it.
It's totally natural for VLCDers to be defensive, and i'd also add that a lot of us have become very good friends and will stick up for each other out of loyalty - when someone shares the intimate details of this diet with you, it kinda builds a stong bond.
I wanna mention one of the miniminers in particular who has stuck to this diet 100% and recently got to goal. Following a health check, not only has her blood sugar level reduced from "borderline diabetic" to normal, but more startlingly her cholesterol has reduced from 15 to 5! When my mother did atkins, her cholesterol went from 4 to 9. I'm not having a go at atkins, i appreciate that it works for a lot of people, it's just a comparison.
When it comes to putting the weight back on, it isn't down to the type of dieting. It's down to the in built feelings of the individual. If they havent fought their demons then they will pile on the pounds. As someone has recently said, VLCD for me gives me the chance to evaluate my relationship with food by going cold turkey.
Ever heard of "addicts dream"? When people in rehab clinics undergoing drug withdrawal dream of taking pills, injecting, drinking, and generally getting off their skull on their drug of choice? Well i have addicts dreams about food - to the point that i wake up shaking and upset.
I have a problem, i am totally addicted to the "hug" inside that i get from food/eating. I need to go cold turkey to sort myself out. I'm 22, and i need to be taken back to 4 years old to learn about eating again.
I respect diets like WW, SW, rosemary conely and i can SEE that they work for some people. Personally they leave me with too much choice and in the past i have made some utterly stupid "decisions". For instance, i'll have a bag of crisps which i'll point/syn/calorie count....whatever, but that one bag turns into 6 - That's the addict in me.
When it comes to taking supplements, it seems that EVERYTHING has some sort of medicinal value. How many books are out there with titles like "1001 uses for ....", well i would certainly say "everything in moderation".
Omega fish oils, hmmmm, the jury is out on this one. My MIL has severe alzheimers, and as a geneticist it's painful to watch as i know all about the repeat sequences that could have been passed along to my lovely OH. I've obviously done research into preventatives and omega 3 has been mentioned a lot to prevent the growth of the plaques that take over the brain. From my point of view, what will be will be and if he's going to get alzheimers then it'll aready be written in his genetic code.
On the broad subject of supplements, although CD has 100% vits and minerals in the packs, i take a probiotic to help with my skin. Otherwise, my anemia has gone awol and my acne has cleared due to the calcium and zinc levels in the pack.
I havent used any references or papers as this is just my opinion, one day though when i'm not in the middle of my thesis (which is on breast cancer and tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand, not very relevant!)i will attempt some research into a subject very close to my heart. Who knows, i may be at goal by then too!
Anyway, the point of this is just to let you know that i appreciate your view, and will read with interest. Just be careful around us lot, we are VERY loyal hehehe!
Please please don't take this post to be attacking you in any way, it certainly isnt my intention!
Love Leah xxxx