[ValRock]

Ok, I want to clear something up. HOW you lose the weight has NO bearing on regain. UNLESS you learn nothing in the process.

SO, eating a VLCD will result in regain if you have an all or nothing mindset and go back to eating high caloric junk 24/7. The diet itself does not cause regain, it's falling off the wagon and staying there, that does.

It's so so so important to learn how your body works. Learn what works for you. Learn what you can sustain. It's lack of understanding this that causes people to fail.

Edit: ok, that sounded like I advocate VLCDs as a long term solution. That's not what I mean.

[kellie105]

I dont feel like thats true.. IMO it matters how you lose the weight, do it the wrong way and you lose water and muscle and put your body in a state of starvation then once you do eat normally (not junk or binging) you have done potiental damage to your metabolism. This changes how your body responds to and uses food.

[Thighs Be Gone]

I am not going to be popular here. But I am not concerned about your low calories. I would be if you were 100 pounds and 5'5".

Do what works for you. I will be honest and admit this now. When I started I was on 1300-1400 calories, taking Alli and running 3 miles or so each day. I was fine and it suited me and it worked. I was never hungry. I learned what and when to eat.

[Thighs Be Gone]

I wanted to come back and tell you something else too. If you are eating that low you must make excellent use of every calorie. Focus on the leanest of proteins, lots of veggies--fresh ones, and very limited complex carbs. Get some exercise too so you don't get flabby!

Do yourself a HUGE favor and read about the Glycemic Index. Stick to foods that are the lowest on the scale!

[sensualappeal]

Originally Posted by bargoo

This is what happens when you go too low.

Definitely dealt with that before too. Everytime I'm on a severely calorie restrictive diet, I end up failing and gaining it all back in a very short period of time.

[roxmysox]

Originally Posted by ValRock

HOW you lose the weight has NO bearing on regain. UNLESS you learn nothing in the process.

Thank you! I got myself so frustrated reading this thread, but you basically summed up all my thoughts in this one sentence.

Honestly, different people lose in different ways. A VLCD is not as bad as people want to make it out to be and can be very useful for quick weight loss. For me, I've recently started dipping below a calorie limit that most people would find acceptable and that's what it took to get the scale moving again for me. I have to lose weight now. I haven't posted about my medical conditions (and won't hijack your thread by doing it here) but I'm out of options and this is what is working now. If it's working for you, more power to you!

Anyway, 1000-1200 barely qualifies as a true VLCD so I'm not sure why PP's think that you are dipping too low with those numbers- aside from the assumption that it will cause you to binge at some point, or my favorite, that it will all pile back on the second you "eat again".

Good luck.

[banananutmuffin]

Yep, I dropped my weight with what could be considered a VLCD... although I combined it with IF so I did have a fewer higher calorie days (but not many). I have gone back to eating what I would consider a "normal" amount of calories, and have maintained my weight loss. I actually do believe that dipping into a VLCD to spur weight loss or break through a plateau can be healthy, and I do not believe that you will automatically regain the weight when you go back to eating normally.

But "normally" is key here. Some people go binge-crazy after being on a VLCD, and this is what can lead to regain (plus more).

Also, I tend to think the "never eat less than 1,200" calories rule is bogus. I am small and very sedentary. All of the calorie calculators basically tell me that I should be eating around 1,000 calories a day to maintain my weight.

i've been on 750 cal/day since march 1st - i'm five-two and according to calorie calculators, i should be taking in 2000/day to lose weight (?!?)

for "extreme" fat loss, 1600 calories is recommended.

at 750cal/day, 1 - 2 3-mile walks, splitting firewood and similar heavy manual labour, tabata workouts every three days (i'm up to two sessions now), and rebounder work (still can't get past 25min - what up with *that*!?) on the days i don't tabata or are too sore for it, i'm losing 3 - 4lbs and no, i'm not cheating: breakfast was a small can of tuna (110 cal); at 1030, i had a plain garden salad (free food); at 130, two poached eggs with 1tbsp hot salsa (150cal); snack was 1tbsp home-made nutella (60cal); haven't figured out what dinner is yet but a home-made fudgesicle for 95 calories is featuring. somewhere along the way, there will be fresh strawberries (50cal), frozen fruit mix (dark cherries, sour cherries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for 60cal), shrimp (80cal), and an omelette (2 eggs + 2 whites + salsa = 184cal).

according to the calorie calculator, the fat should be melting off me like grease off a grill - and yet it isn't.

calorie calculators are all well and good but they are not commandments - they're a jump-off point bec when it comes down to it, unless you're hooked up to a sophisticated computer that tracks everything from your respiration, to your blood pressure, to the amount of ketones in the breath you exhale, you have no way really of knowing what your metabolism is up to.

if you have a BMI of 30 or more, then a VLCD is actually pretty okay (subject to the caveat already mentioned re it's not a free pass to the buffet once you're off it) - it's not like there isn't enough stored fuel to back it up. the only thing is it MUST be supervised by a doctor.

which is good, from my pov, because it's more accountability.

[Samantha18]

If I remember right, On Biggest Loser the females eat 1,200 calories a day, and they exercise for hours and hours. 1,200 is the minimum a female can eat. So I think there is nothing wrong with eating on the lower end. It's great you are checking with your doctor, and that shows you are being smart about it. I'd see what they say to know for sure. If it's sustainable for you, then fantastic, that's what matters.

I'm starting at close to the same weight as you, and I'm much shorter. I used to try to diet on 1,400 calories many times and failed. I've been losing on 1,700 (close to 5 pounds this week) and haven't been hungry, so if 1,200 doesn't work for you, you can always up it a little and see if you feel better. But who knows, 1,200 might be the key for you, and if you're not hungry, then there's no sense in forcing it. 1,200 isn't too rapid of a weight loss, but will probably have quicker results. I'm sure with bypass they go under that even (but I'm not 100% sure so don't quote me there). My only concern is if you plateau or something, you won't really be able to reduce your calorie intake if your body adjusts to those calories. But everyone is different and that might not be an issue with lower calorie diets.

As for your cravings, mine always go down dramatically after the first week or two of dieting. It could just be your mind and body adjusting to the new eating plan.

[Zazaa]

Hey Amy! Its been over a month since you first posted this thread, and I was just curious as to whether you were still maintaining a fairly low-cal daily meal plan, and how your weight loss/energy levels have been?

[mkroyer]

FACT- the more fat you have to lose,the lower you can go, calorie wise

FACT- it is NOT about how low you go,but rather how LONG you go low. That is why almost ALL vlcd have phases of dieting and refeeding, and they are generall short-- 2- or 3 weeks at VLC with 1-2 weeks or more at high calorie. Please dont go for more than a few weeks without a break or you will suffer some extreme symptoms and metabolic adaptation issues. ANd also, NO INTENSE EXERCISE. your body cannot support it!! light strength training a couple days a week--to preserve muscle mass, and walking, at most

i do agree that this should be supervised though, to make sure it is done in the healthiest manner possible