VCLD - Pros & Cons

[girlygirl1]

I lost a huge amount of weight years back and have kept almost all of it off, since. The final three stones were lost doing CD. There is a very good reason why slimmers are strongly advised to follow the steps leading to maintenance. This way ordinary food - in particular, carbohydrates - are reintroduced slowly, over time.

Many just go straight back to calorie counting from, say, SS - and find that their appetite reappears, and how. Follow the instructions on the tin!

And as others have said, any successful diet can be derailed by poor eating habits after the weight has been lost. It's not easy but it is definitely worthwhile to put a lot of thought and effort into controlling the amount and type of food you eat during maintenance.

 

[Last_Attempt]

Pros
1.You lose weight very quickly
2. Nutritionally complete
3. You will get the benefit of being in fat burning ketosis mode with many of the VLCD's on offer, and ketosis helps curb appetite and cravings.
4. Can actually be cheaper than buying food, but you will probably have to commit to a months supply.

Cons
1. Requires superhuman willpower, certainly after day 3 unless Ketosis has kicked in.
2. Initial weight loss will include a certain amount of fluid loss. Initial losses can be as much as 10lbs, and when this doesnt happen week after week, people can get discouraged. Expect weight losses to settle at around 2lb to 3lb a week longer term, if you cant accept that then you are going to be dissapointed.
3. Expect some amount of weight gain after coming off it, no matter how good you are. This will be the body replacing fluids and glycogen.
4. The initial weight gain after coming off can lead you to believing that its a given you will gain all the weight back. Not true if you are sensible and make permanent changes to your previous bad eating habits.
5. If you dont change your eating habits, you will gain all the weight back. That actually applies to any diet, but VLCD's seem to have the worst reputation for it, unfairly really.

I did the Cambridge two years ago and lost nearly two stone in my first month. My hair went thin and was falling out, I suffered constipation and could never get warm. I gained back all the weight I lost plus a stone, I also got all my hair back, but what I never got back was the ability to stay warm. Even on a warm day like today I'm wearing a jumper. I wouldn't recommend the Cambridge diet to anyone I loved, but I would recommend Weight Watchers.

 

[Billy Lo]

I think it depends how much you have to lose? I chose to do it in two halfs? I was 17.9lbs at my heaviest I started Lipotrim in Sept.2008 by New year 2009 I had lost just over 3stone. (without excersise) I found it impossible to carry on after the festivities (you can live on shakes forever) but feeling a little trimmer I joined a gym. I lost a further 7lbs eating well & going to the gym & I maintained it,I'm still 14 stone.Hooray!!
I now want to lose the other 3stone.
I'll be 11 stone ,still classed as overweight but Ive never liked skinny & I think it'll be just fine for me & this is why I'm here!
I'd advise that you do it in managable chunks or half the goal like I did? It's not so MASSIVE a hill to climb & you look forward to having some re-education time in between.

 

[Billy Lo]

.........To cut a long waffle short, in two years I lost 7lb but never regained. it's possible to not pile the pounds back on.

 

[Last_Attempt]

.........To cut a long waffle short, in two years I lost 7lb but never regained. it's possible to not pile the pounds back on.

7lb in two years Or do you mean 7 stone?

 

[Billy Lo]

I stopped for two years & enjoyed life but I still lost 7lbs in those two years meaning that I still didn't put on weight even though I had previously stopped a VLCD that i'd had sucess on. I mean not everyone piles it back on. It's all about if you're prepared to keep moving forward no matter how long it takes. & thats a strong statement as I'm terrible for impatience!

 

[AGlasgowGirl]

I have tried a VLCD a couple of times and found it unsustainable. I had headaches constantly (and from the first meal), mood swings, nausea.

I KNOW that they work well for some people but i just couldn't do it. I also felt like i couldnt wait for it to end, which in my opinion, i couldn't sustain long enough to get the results i wanted. I was also thirsty constantly, and was drinking near to 6 litres of water a day which is straying into dangerous territory.

My mum lost a lot of weight (7 stone) on lighter life so im not going by heresay or anything.

I do agree that you need to be willing to change a lot of things in your life. A diet cant be a quick fix. It takes years to get fat, it will take years to stabilise your weight.

 

[Last_Attempt]

I have tried a VLCD a couple of times and found it unsustainable. I had headaches constantly (and from the first meal), mood swings, nausea.

I KNOW that they work well for some people but i just couldn't do it. I also felt like i couldnt wait for it to end, which in my opinion, i couldn't sustain long enough to get the results i wanted. I was also thirsty constantly, and was drinking near to 6 litres of water a day which is straying into dangerous territory.

My mum lost a lot of weight (7 stone) on lighter life so im not going by heresay or anything.

I do agree that you need to be willing to change a lot of things in your life. A diet cant be a quick fix. It takes years to get fat, it will take years to stabilise your weight.

That's because starving ourselves isn't normal. I'm glad I'm on Weight Watchers.

 

[Starlight]

That's because starving ourselves isn't normal. I'm glad I'm on Weight Watchers.

Youre not starving yourself on a VLCD though

A VLCD is a perfectly safe healthy way to lose and it has very fast results

Im glad Im on a VLCD

 

[Last_Attempt]

Youre not starving yourself on a VLCD though

A VLCD is a perfectly safe healthy way to lose and it has very fast results

Im glad Im on a VLCD

Yes you are. Your body needs a certain amount of calories each day to survive and make your metabolism work properly. VLCD knock your body into ketosis and starvation mode. If you enjoy that, its fine, but I wouldn't suggest it for anyone I loved, ever. My hair fell out, I can't keep warm anymore and a friend of mine was always passing out. 400 calories a day is abnormal. Please let people who have bad experiences share them. Only then can others make a proper and balanced choice.

 

[Starlight]

Its not starving yourself in the normal sense. (starving sounds awful lol) Your body can cope perfectly well when its in ketosis. Its a perfectly safe way to lose weight and well supported by doctors and the medical profession. Id recommend it to anyone I loved rather than them be grossly overweight.

This isnt an anti vlcd thread so both viewpoints are allowed. Especially if its to allow people to make up their own minds.

Id recommend a VLCD to anyone who has a lot to lose over WW/SW (having tried them both) I have to admit that personally I feel better on a VLCD than I did on WW. Probably due to the amount of carbs I ate on WW. My hair and nails are in better condition than theyve ever been to, especially my nails!

I do agree theyre not for everyone theyre a tough way to do it. I wouldnt recommend them for someone who has a couple of stones to lose, I think WW is far far better for that. Besides I dont see WW as a diet, more a long term sustainable way of life, but for someone who has a lot of weight to shift, Id recommend a VLCD any time

 

[*jenjen*]

Fair enough if you want to share YOUR bad experience at least do it in a manner which is non biased.

A VLCD is a different diet. Everyone has the right to follow the diet they want. Without feeling criticised by someone on here telling them that it's abnormal. Which you have done.

Just because weightwatchers works for you doesn't mean it's the holy Grail of all diets. That diet doesn't work for me. This VLCD has been the only diet that has worked in all the diets - and I've tried nearly all of them. But I've never criticised WW coz it works for some. Each to their own I say.

People who follow a VLCD or intend to follow a VLCD are very well aware that they may have some hair loss if they research the diet first. They will feel cold. They will have a metallic taste in their mouth.

That's not a secret. But it doesn't affect all.

There are many positive health benefits of a VLCD that I'm sure you aren't aware of either. Like the studies which have shown that the risk of diabetes is reduced. PCOS sufferers symptoms go away, cholesterol levels reduced...

I'm sorry you didn't have a positive experience with a vlcd. I can only say that the 8 and a half stone that I've lost since February with a VLCD is the best thing I've ever done.

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

 

[AOGG]

vlcd's are a good and effiecient way to go if you can stick to it by the letter where people go wrong is when they abuse it, the many people who constantly cheat,100%,cheat,100% or look at it as a failsafe diet to which they go back to when they regain all weight lost, losing lots of weight quickly and regaining it and then losing and regaining is so bad for your body, and this site is swamped with people copnstantly in this never-ending cycle... ok there is lots of research but just remember this research is only say 50 years old at best long term so the longterm effects are not known yet. As for all other diets they are all 'winners' all based on the same principal eat less calories than you use you will lose weight, if you ate a mars bar for breakfast lunch and dinner you will lose weight just as well as on any other diet...... all calories are equal...... I have lost 3 stone in 3 months using this principal, I have not joined any club, I dont need a middle man to pay to tell me what i already know..... I do use meal replacements, but I use 'complan' as they are medical which i get from boots, fortified with 50% of daily vits, i have these when I am too tired or too busy to make something, you have to find yuor own way but just remember if you are paying vasts amount of money for these diets, just make sure you get value for what you get!!

 

[Billy Lo]

I totally agree with Starlight,some people find it incredibly hard to moderate,for myself I wish I could stick to a slimming club but Im all or nothing a VLCD is perfect for someone who has emotional ties to food & has used it to self medicate. Sometimes having a total abstinence helps you focus on the awful way in which you abused food beforehand. Different diets suit different people & a V LCD is the only one that I can hand on heart say works for an obese comfor eater like myself.

 

[Billy Lo]

Oh and for the record Ive never gained a pound lost during a VLCD,I just split what seemed like a mammoth task into two stints,allowing myself a break with no gain & not having an overwhelming task ahead of me,Now im here for round two,a VLCD isnt forever,but the battle is no matter which diet you choose.

 

[AOGG]

losing the weight is the easy part, believe it or not, the hard part is to deal with the reasons of over-eating and comfort eating. I am a recovering over/comfort eater, I have had some of the worst months of my life recently which would have had me turning to food, but it hasn't as I know it doesn't help and actually doesn't even provide any solution. I have found myself crying more, having to deal with feelings of low confidence which I still have and am now looking to find ways to deal with that. Being slim doesn't make your life better at all, its more complex than that. In many ways being slim comes with a whole new set of obstacles that I never thought would happen.... my only concern is there are many people on here who post who lose vast amounts of weight, put it all back on again over a two year period then turn to the vlcd again..... doing this over and over again is not good for your body at all. You cannot avoid food for the rest of your life, I have learnt an healthy attitude to food, I eat healthily all week and I have one or two treats a week, be it a meal out with friends, or a nice pudding or a few drinks on a night out. I tell myself that i can eat what I like as long as i am prepared to deal with the consquences of that, if I want to eat five mars bars in one go.....and half a dozen of crisps etc.... I can but the cause and effect of that will lead me to being sluggish, bad skin, bloated tummy hardly worth it! It will always be a head issue, its your head that tells your body what to do, so its your head you have to train!!!
I AM NOT ANTI-VLCD - i am anti abusing what is an effective diet, the people who are on and off it constantly..... it is not what it was made for, and that kind of crash dieting is not safe, if you are gonna do this diet, just stick to it!!!! or just find another way.

 

[Starlight]

I have to admit I hate seeing people on the VLCD merry go round. Lose weight, go on holiday, eat, gain, do a VLCD for a few weeks, lose the weight, eat, gain weight, packs again, lose it and so on

I lost a lot of weight on WW a few years ago then after a year from hell - regained it all. It was just too easy to slip back.

I honestly think though once Ive lost my weight on a VLCD I wont put it back on the same. My attitude to food has totally changed. I think the 'danger' of diets with WW/SW while they teach you no food is off limits, for some of us thats not helpful and you do need to reassess things.

Im so appreciative when I do eat I make much more sensible choices and savour my food a lot longer too. And to be honest, a VLCD is so blooming hard going I have NO desire to have another pack once I get to my target

 

[Last_Attempt]

Fair enough if you want to share YOUR bad experience at least do it in a manner which is non biased.

A VLCD is a different diet. Everyone has the right to follow the diet they want. Without feeling criticised by someone on here telling them that it's abnormal. Which you have done.

Just because weightwatchers works for you doesn't mean it's the holy Grail of all diets. That diet doesn't work for me. This VLCD has been the only diet that has worked in all the diets - and I've tried nearly all of them. But I've never criticised WW coz it works for some. Each to their own I say.

People who follow a VLCD or intend to follow a VLCD are very well aware that they may have some hair loss if they research the diet first. They will feel cold. They will have a metallic taste in their mouth.

That's not a secret. But it doesn't affect all.

There are many positive health benefits of a VLCD that I'm sure you aren't aware of either. Like the studies which have shown that the risk of diabetes is reduced. PCOS sufferers symptoms go away, cholesterol levels reduced...

I'm sorry you didn't have a positive experience with a vlcd. I can only say that the 8 and a half stone that I've lost since February with a VLCD is the best thing I've ever done.

Sent from my iPhone using MiniMins

You cannot be none biased about a bad personal experience. People should diet the way they want. I'm telling you truthfully what it did to me and to a friend. I have never recovered and I'm not alone. The whole Internet is littered with people who can't get warm who have done the Cambridge Diet so its not like I'm lying. Each to their own, I'm just giving my experience.

 

[curvygirlyclaire]

I started Lipotrim in feb this year, then after 3 months went on Exante, both diets I think were fantastic, they worked!! After 4 1/2 months on them and losing 61lbs I felt i needed a break as my mind wasn't in the right frame of mind to continue so atm i'm following my own low carb diet, well I say it's a diet it's not as I am maintaining the weight loss I achieved. This for me is exactly what I needed, it is allowing me to eat food without feeling guilty as I was cheating on Exante/lipotrim sometimes, and just gave my body a break. In a months time I will be starting Exante again to lose another 3 1/2- 4 1/2 stone which will bring me to target weight, but because I have had a break I am no longer scared to start eating again as I know I can maintain.
All diets are different and so are people, so not every diet works for everyone.

 

[Kiwili]

For me vlcd gives me the opportunity to kick start, I put on weight after having a baby, then breaking my leg, ive got a healthy relationship with food and am very active, but found myself 2.5 stone heavier.

In 4 weeks I've lost 21lb, and I need to loose a further 14lb.

I can see how people put it on afterwards, as if it's ok to binge because skinny, but attitude and lifestyle need to change too. I'm a firm believer in 80% diet 20% activity.

Different diets, work for different people, no right or wrong.