VLCD without meal replacement?

[Amelie24]

I'm on Slimming world just now but when I was younger I did a few months of eating 850 calories per day and was considering doing this again.
I would make sure I had adequate protein, carbs, vits and minerals.

Is 850 calories low enough to be a VLCD? is there a reason why VLCDs have to be Shake-plan style things?

xx

 

[Starlight]

850 kcals isnt classed as a VLCD a VLCD is under 800. However just picking a random number of calories to eat like this is dangerous, youll make yourself ill

VLCDs are meal replacements because the packs have the nutrients and things your body needs to function and being in ketosis means youre not hungry etc. If you go on a self made starvation diet you get none of that

 

[Attorney AK]

Yeah i agree i thought it was under 800.

 

[exiguous]

There are VLCD ketosis diets that involve food and not meal replacements available but you will have to take vitimans and minerals in order to stay healthy. Its not so much the calories that will put you in ketosis or take you out of it its the glucose - getting less than 30g of carbohydrate a day will put you in ketosis. Its an area you need to take care in as by eating very low calories but not going into ketosis can make you dizzy and faint or cause other undesirable side effects.