UK Fat Chicks Meet dieters in your area, discuss weight and food issues unique to the UK.

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 08-17-2012, 01:15 PM   #1  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
lozzieemay's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3

Default Tempted to VLCD.. So fed up!

Hi, this is my first post on these forums.. I tend to use ******** regularly, but find some of the members have been quite narky of late and I can't be bothered for that behaviour! Anyway..

The short of it is that I have 83lbs to lose, to take me from 209lbs to my goal of 126lbs. I know the healthiest option is to count calories and exercise regularly, calories in and calories out etc.. But I am SO miserable. I suffer with depression and social anxiety disorder, but find its progressively getting a lot worse since I've gained all this weight..

Back in December last year I weighed 136lbs, so I've gained 5 stone in just seven months! Its my own fault - I got lazy, got greedy and for some reason started binge eating...

I'm an impatient person anyway, & I just want this weight off me! I'm not used to being this big, and I'm only 5ft 3 so don't carry the weight well either.

My original intention was to consume 1300 calories a day and exercise 3-4 times a week - apparently this would've given me a 2lb a week loss meaning I'd be at goal weight by June 2013..

But lately I've become so miserable, uncomfortable and generally not feeling too well either that I'm leaning towards a faster option such as a VLCD of 800 calories a day or less..

I've followed a plan like this before, it's what helped me lose weight in the past & I probably would've maintained the loss if I hadn't of gone off the rails so badly!

Must note I had a baby boy July last year, gained 5 stone during the pregnancy going from 9.7 stone to 14.7 stone.. But by consuming 800 calories a day, taking a multivitamin and exercising now & again I managed to lose all the weight and was down to 9.10 by the November, so basically lost 5 stone within 4 months..

Obviously I gained all the weight back, but that was through fault of my own.. What I'm wondering is do I follow this VLCD method again? But ensure that this time once I'm at goal that I refeed properly in order to maintain the weight loss... would that even work?

I'm desperate now. The fact I can barely walk up the stairs without being in pain with my knees or panting for breath is killing me! I'm only 22, I don't want this lifestyle for myself
lozzieemay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2012, 03:07 PM   #2  
Senior Member
 
QuilterInVA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Yorktown, VA USA
Posts: 5,435

Default

You need at least 1200 calories a day to get adequate nutrition. VLCDs don't work in the long run because you need to eat like a real person so that you can keep it off. Slow and steady (like the tortis and the hare fable) leads to permanent weight loss.
QuilterInVA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2012, 12:03 AM   #3  
Knocking down walls.
 
theox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Southeastern US
Posts: 1,597

S/C/G: 278/ticker/125

Height: 5'4"

Default

Hello! Welcome to 3FC! I'm sorry you feel so bad about your current weight. Being overweight can be very uncomfortable and definitely puts more stress on the body than being at a healthy weight. Losing a substantial amount of weight and keeping it off is difficult for most people. It's nothing to do with being lazy or greedy; it's mostly physiology and psychology. The trick is finding the right tools for your body and mind.

A few questions:

VLCD's are only supposed to be undertaken with medical supervision. Have you talked with your doctor about what you want to do?

Were you under medical supervision the last time you tried a VLCD?

You say that your depression and social anxiety disorder have worsened as you've gained weight. Are you currently under treatment for your mental health issues?
theox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2012, 03:27 AM   #4  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
lozzieemay's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3

Default

I wasn't under medical supervision last time no, I can't really afford VLCD's like Cambridge and so on, so before I've always just eaten low carb & high protein, under 800 calories and taken multivitamins.. I was happy and healthy, admittedly tired sometimes but nothing else.

I'm currently on sertraline anti depressants for my depression and social anxiety disorder, they work well but I'm finding now that I've gained so much weight I just feel constantly miserable and down.

I've done a few online calorie calculators, and the average is giving me 1300 calories a day with exercising 1-3 times a week to lose 2lbs a week & be at goal by June next year.. Maybe I should stick to this healthier way rather than basically starve my body?
lozzieemay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2012, 06:59 AM   #5  
mountain walker
 
mountain walker's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: South Wales
Posts: 813

S/C/G: 364/354/196

Height: 5ft7"

Default

lozziemay vlcd's ultimately are unlikely to give your body what it needs in the long run.
I know I may sound 100 years old but I think it is much more important to change your lifestyle in to something that is manageable for life not just a quick fix.
I have tried so many quick fix diets myself and (alongside some pretty significant mental health problems) I always failed.
I am finally receiving the correct treatment and my change of lifestyle is easier and easier.
If your antidepressants are not suiting you .....ask your doctor to consider something else.
I am not sure where you are in the world but in Wales we have Exercise on prescription where a GP can refer you to a local gym for assessment and cheaper access to their facilities. There is lots of evidence to say that regular exercise is a really effective treatment for a range of mood disorders.
Please be kind to your body and ultimately it will reward you!
mountain walker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2012, 07:08 AM   #6  
Senior Member
 
3CatsMeow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 125

S/C/G: 170/ticker/slim

Height: 5ft 6

Default

I can't give you advice as well as others, but all I can suggest is find some posts by kaplods, she seems very wise on these subjects... She'll probably be able to explain best why a VLCD is usually a bad idea....
3CatsMeow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2012, 07:33 AM   #7  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
lozzieemay's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mountain walker View Post
lozziemay vlcd's ultimately are unlikely to give your body what it needs in the long run.
I know I may sound 100 years old but I think it is much more important to change your lifestyle in to something that is manageable for life not just a quick fix.
I have tried so many quick fix diets myself and (alongside some pretty significant mental health problems) I always failed.
I am finally receiving the correct treatment and my change of lifestyle is easier and easier.
If your antidepressants are not suiting you .....ask your doctor to consider something else.
I am not sure where you are in the world but in Wales we have Exercise on prescription where a GP can refer you to a local gym for assessment and cheaper access to their facilities. There is lots of evidence to say that regular exercise is a really effective treatment for a range of mood disorders.
Please be kind to your body and ultimately it will reward you!

Hi :-) the antidepressants I'm on aren't a problem, it's just I'm causing trouble for myself by letting myself gain so much weight and progressively feel more depressed about it..

I'm from Wales :-) South Wales near Cardiff.. I'm actually a member of a gym as it is and my job pay the membership, admittedly I haven't been in a while but I'm going tomorrow morning to try & ease myself back into exercise.
lozzieemay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2012, 10:24 AM   #8  
mountain walker
 
mountain walker's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: South Wales
Posts: 813

S/C/G: 364/354/196

Height: 5ft7"

Default

hey lozzie i am from penarth! 3catsmeow is right kaplods is a wonderfully wise lady from the us who has a post grad degree in psychology ( I think)and really gets to the heart of a problem.
mountain walker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2012, 05:43 PM   #9  
Knocking down walls.
 
theox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Southeastern US
Posts: 1,597

S/C/G: 278/ticker/125

Height: 5'4"

Default

Mountain walker really hit the nail on the head!

I think you will serve your health and body better in the long run if you work with the more moderate diet/exercise plan you mentioned above, rather than pursuing something as extreme, difficult to sustain, and potentially dangerous as an unsupervised VLCD. There are a lot of reasonable diet plans out there, as I'm sure you're aware. There are communities for most of the major types of plans/programs on 3FC, so you've got a place to come for support with whatever plan you choose - even if it's "non-plan" of calorie counting.

Like mountain walker said, there is a growing amount of evidence that exercise helps some mental health problems. Starting back at the gym (or even just walking) could definitely help you feel better. If your medications work well and your current worsening of symptoms is related to your weight gain, could some sort of complementary treatment help you feel better mentally? It might be worth discussing with your physician. It really does become much easier to manage the physical stuff once the mental stuff is under control. FWIW, I've had a lot of success using the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques provided in David Burns' self-help book Feeling Good (along with other things my shrink has "prescribed," including exercise). That book is aimed at people with depression, but I know there are other CBT books out there that focus on anxiety. I'm not any sort of medical expert, but perhaps CBT or a similar type of therapy could be useful to you.

And yes, kaplods does a wonderful job of explaining things! Her posts can be very enlightening.

Last edited by theox; 08-18-2012 at 05:47 PM.
theox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2012, 01:11 PM   #10  
Little Miss Random
 
sh3l5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: West Midlands, UK
Posts: 1,810

Height: 5 ft 6

Default

lozziemay I am in a similar position to yourself. When I got married in August 2010 I was 8 stone. Since then I have lost control to the point that I am now over 13 stone. I too have lost weight before my calorie counting and exercise.

It seems we have a similar amount to loose and will be doing it in a similar way - we can buddy up if you like? I'm from Hereford too which is about an hour from Cardiff
sh3l5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2012, 03:18 PM   #11  
Senior Member
 
JoseLo's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: North East England
Posts: 304

S/C/G: 406/394/200

Height: 5"7

Default

My gut feeling is that is too low... 2lb a week is a fine loss, you have to be kind to yourself and your body, not so long ago still you had a baby! I guess it takes time to recover.

I know how horrible it is to feel fat and unhealthy and just bad about yourself, and Summer '13 feels a long way away, but you havr to think, it is not as if you have to wait that long just to feel good; every pounds on the way is a mini victory, and you feel feel so good as you tick off each stone, feel your clothes get looser, feel yourself managing the stairs easier, etc. It might take a while to hit your goal but you will begin to see difference before you know it!
xxx
JoseLo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2012, 09:39 PM   #12  
Senior Member
 
pixelllate's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,164

Default

IMO, I think its most important to first figure out why exactly you got impatient and regained the weight and come up with a weight loss method (will prob take a few tries) that will allow you to get to goal-while still getting adequate nutrition-and that may vary from person to person, and maintain that.
Me, I like to eat alone, eat big meals and I'm carb sensitive. Its hard for me to lose weight without eating fewer, but bigger meals and staying away from bread. But that is ME, and other people can lose weight and keep it off in other ways.
pixelllate is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:47 AM.


We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.