Vlcd’s………..has anyone kept their weight off over a long period and still maintained?

[miss_unknown]

Hi all,

I have been reading over the threads over the last couple of months and this question has popped into my head quite a number of times. Lately there has been so many negativity points regarding vlcd’s that its not the best for ya or its going to seriously damage your health or worse still lose all that weight and gain it back if not more within a year or so?

I personally have around 11 stone to lose and would feel really disheartened if it all crept back on again. At the moment I love LT but due to being sick over the past two weeks (flu, chest infection and high blood pressure), the doctors took me off the diet and I am honestly struggling to get back into ketosis. All in all over the past couple of months I haven’t been really fit to give it a right good push as I had holidays for a week as well however I am back on track from tomorrow onwards. Fingers crossed.

I have really failed myself as I feel I have let the bullies win and that comment “ya are always going to be a fat b*****d” sounds so very true now. :break_diet:

I would really like to hear from people who have reached their goal weight and has maintained over a period of time and who maybe could offer advice to others and myself on how to get back on track and keep going. I like the straight talking attitude so don’t be afraid to let lose on your thoughts and feelings!

[FONT=&quot]Anyways I look forward to hearing from all of ya and I hope yas don’t mind taking the time out to answer my question, take care [/FONT]

 

[Lou1973]

Hi miss unknown

There are people on here who have lost weight on VLCD's and have kept it off but I have noticed as well that there are more who have lost it, put some/all back on and are restarting.

There could be a good reason for it ie people have lost the weight are keeping it off and don't need the support offered by the forum anymore and therefore have dropped off it.

But it's clear that like any diet a VLCD is only the first step ie getting the weight off. Step 2 ie keeping it off is just as important and requires just as much focus and dedication as losing it in the first place.

i would guess the biggest concern about VLCD's is that it doesn't teach us how to eat healthily and if we go back to eating how we did before we will put the weight back on.

A lot of people seem to move to a healthy food plan to lose the last bit of weight (ww/sw) in order to learn to make the healthy choice long term and this seems like a good idea to me.

Why not use a VLCD to lose the majority of your weight and then onto a healthy food plan to re-educate your body on what's good for it towards the end so that you have a food plan you can follow forever

In the meantime (and you asked for straight talking) make a decision and stick to it - your choice could be to do a VLCD, a food plan or not to do a diet at all but the key is here that it's your choice - no one is forcing you to do anything and it's your choice and you are the one that lives with the consequences of that decision - good or bad. One thing I can guarantee you though is if you don't give 100% focus to whatever choice you make you'll be in the same situation in a years time still trying to lose the same few pounds over and over again and that can't be good for you mentally.

 

[miss_unknown]

Thanks for that. I think its something that I will do as well when I finish LT is to join dietchef or ww and defintely with this diet ya have to be 100% focused with it. I am seriously thinking about changing onto cd as with LT I am taking chocolate shake all the time and to be honest its quite sickening the other flavors I just can't stomache at all. Well I started back today, blood pressure is down a bit so the pharmacist give me the go ahead to start back on it so I am hoping this week goes alright.

Has anyone changed from LT to CD and did they find it much better or returned to the old faithful one?

 

[somewhere_inside_is_me]

Sorry, nothing sensible to offer as I'm in a similar boat [loads to lose, tried all the 'normal' diets and really hoping LL will work and that I keep it off after].

Pretty pic! I have a blenheim Cavalier as well!

do it for you
Sharon x

 

[KD]

Maintenance is maintenance...whether you've come from a VLCD or a more traditional diet such as WW or SW.

As long as you've done the refeed thing, then all maintainers are in the same place so to speak.

I've kept it off for 3.5 years after a VLCD (Cambridge in my case) but a few years ago, I managed to put the whole lot back on after losing 6 stone with SW.

Nothing to do with SW being at fault...just hadn't got my head around maintenance. This time I have

 

[jules_1000]

hi i cannot offer much but i will tell u my story.
i have always been biggr than i wanted only by 3 to 4 stones (i say only...sorry) well i did weightwatchers n from 11 went down to 7 stones which was great i felt really good and sexy.
but in time i put it on as i went through stress and depression.
anyway in june i hit the 11 stone mark again and i was a perfect size 14 and i couldnt handle it and way in a few weeks of doing lt i lost weight i cheated in that too... but i did loose weight.
i was 9st 13 in my last weigh in that i had, but a day later i went to 10st 3 and i thought that was normal as i had food inside me.
over the summer we had wedding dinner parties u name it but i was carful... i did maintance but i did everynite each chicken. andtha made a diff....
anyway i kept it all off till oct.....i was going through a hard time and went to 10st 8
went back on lt but couldnt do it proper but i lost it to 10st 3 in the first week.
and then i have cheated the last two weeks i start well then i just fail i dont know what is wrong its cold i think or im not that upset about me weight but id like to be a little smaller i likethe sound of 9st some thing.
any way i still lost the weight in the past few weeks but only 3pounds
but im down to 10st. i have to say i still eat popcorn tho. everyday as its cold. but it doesnt stop me loosing weight
one thing i will say is that i had really bad hair condition after the first diet... my hairdresser wasnt impressed... but i think u can keep ur weight off. maybe not all...but who wants to be skinny....
maybe think about slimming world its slow but u are not as restricted
any way i hope some thing does work for u
best of luck babe

 

[Teg]

Best of luck with the diet.
I have lost 40lb - 50lbs every 2 years for the past 14years. It always creeps back up but as KD says its all down to the individual.
Since my Summer diet with LT iv'e been doing better. I try to follow an atkins style diet, but when I slip I slip big time. I see myself as on a diet the whole time but thats the way its gotta be. Being aware of this is half the battle for me.
After i've done LT for the 3 weeks, and fit nicely into my clothes again i'm gonna maintaine better in the new year. I need to break a habit of a lifetime.
Lets do this together !!!!!!!

 

[KD]

when I slip I slip big time. I see myself as on a diet the whole time but thats the way its gotta be. Being aware of this is half the battle for me.

Do you think that might be the problem? Because you decided to continue with another form of diet, you were still in diet mode....and hence, you slip up. After all, I can't imagine not slipping up on a diet when it's forever.

Once you get to maintenance, you don't have to ever do a diet again. It's totally up to you....You may find that is the only thing you can get your head around at the moment Teg, but it hasn't got to be that way.

Not a criticism of your way of eating, just a suggestion, because it took me many years to realise that I could actually maintain without dieting.

 

[miss_unknown]

well thank you all for your lovely replys and the ins and outs of other diets as well as lt. Like everyone has basically said ya have to be completely focused in this diet to keep to it, so heres to everyone been slimmer and much happier. Take care

 

[miss_unknown]

Sorry, nothing sensible to offer as I'm in a similar boat [loads to lose, tried all the 'normal' diets and really hoping LL will work and that I keep it off after].

Pretty pic! I have a blenheim Cavalier as well!

do it for you
Sharon x

Hiya Sharon,

Oh I love my lile Bobby, he is so sweet at times and great to get me out of a mood. Thanks for your comments chick.

 

[Lynn8124]

I have really failed myself as I feel I have let the bullies win and that comment “ya are always going to be a fat b*****d” sounds so very true now. :break_diet:

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

Hey, don't talk about yourself like that hon. I understand how you feel and I am the worst one for talking about myself negatively but I am trying my best to stop it, not easy changing the habit of a lifetime.

Just wanna wish you well on your journey and hope you find your focus again.

 

[miss_unknown]

Thanks hun for your kind words, unfortunately its the way I feel sometimes as well and I do have to get myself out of this rut so gonna give it a dam good chance.

 

[Teg]

Do you think that might be the problem? Because you decided to continue with another form of diet, you were still in diet mode....and hence, you slip up. After all, I can't imagine not slipping up on a diet when it's forever.

Once you get to maintenance, you don't have to ever do a diet again. It's totally up to you....You may find that is the only thing you can get your head around at the moment Teg, but it hasn't got to be that way.

Not a criticism of your way of eating, just a suggestion, because it took me many years to realise that I could actually maintain without dieting.

This is sound advice and i'd love to be where you are. I have a very bad relationship with food. I don't seem to find time to eat properly. I eat on the run. Even when I have dinner I scoff it into me as quick as possible so I can feed one of the babies or do something else that needs to be done. There are a lot of habits i need to change.
What I mean about been on a diet the whole time is that i always have to be so careful about what i eat, or else the pounds creep back up.(and they do) But isn't that the same for us all.

 

[Porgeous]

I suppose I would say I am aware of what I eat rather than careful. I am more educated about nutrition, calories etc which allows me to make choices, not always healthy ones but informed ones. I suppose it comes down to finding a balance.

xx

 

[KD]

This is sound advice and i'd love to be where you are. I have a very bad relationship with food.

I did too. It was appauling. Binge...binge...starve...binge.

I don't seem to find time to eat properly. I eat on the run. Even when I have dinner I scoff it into me as quick as possible so I can feed one of the babies or do something else that needs to be done.

I do understand that, but you do need to make it priority, and you can. Whether you can do it or not will depend on how important you feel it is.

i always have to be so careful about what i eat, or else the pounds creep back up.(and they do) But isn't that the same for us all.

I guess it's a different mindset. I'm not careful about what I eat because of the fear of the pounds creeping up. I'm careful about what I eat because I want to feel well. I owe it to my amazing body...that has continued to tick along despite the abuse I've given it.

Top priority for me, because without my body...well

Doesn't mean I always do the super duper healthy stuff, but I tend to eat for nutrition, because that's what food is for. Once you sort out why you eat and deal with it, the side effect is that the weight doesn't go on :clap:

 

[Teg]

Wow, never thought of it like that. There may be light at the end of my tunnel yet. lol

 

[miss_unknown]

I suppose I would say I am aware of what I eat rather than careful. I am more educated about nutrition, calories etc which allows me to make choices, not always healthy ones but informed ones. I suppose it comes down to finding a balance.

xx

Wow hunny I am really impressed with your picture and weight loss so far, well done!! Ya look really amazing