Coming off a very low calorie diet

This topic contains 6 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by TracyJ 10 years, 10 months ago.

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LobsterB

8:14 pm
11 Feb 14
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Hello!

I am coming off a very low calorie diet to start 5:2. The low calorie diet has shifted 18lbs pretty quickly but it is not an approach I wish to sustain long term. 5:2 is clearly a way of life.

I anticipate my weight will go up slightly before it starts to come down so I intend to not weigh in for a four week period to let things settle out.

Does anyone have experience of this and if so do you have any tips/suggestions?

Many thanks 🙂

arla

9:48 pm
11 Feb 14
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I suspect it will be a very personal thing ie how your body reacts and how long you were on the VLCD.

because of a medical thing (gallbladder objecting to most food while I waited for surgery) I ended up on a far too low & zero fat diet for 5 months (and only lost 3kg in that time). After surgery when I was able to eat normally I steadily gained weight. I started 5:2 to try & reverse that, and it’s taken 6 weeks (and 1 day) for my body to suddenly drop 0.9kg (around 2lb). I didn’t get discouraged starting with a long plateau cos I’m doing it as much for medical benefits (preventing Type 2 diabetes and hopefully improve cholesterol as it’s starting to creep up from my normal low). Also I knew that my metabolism was likely in starvation mode.

I’m doing this for 3 months minimum to see what happens, and at the half way point am pretty sure I’ll continue. It’s adaptable (ie I can fast another day instead if I have a social event planned for a fast day), and it’s not difficult. I’ve had hungrier normal days than I get on fast days. Even if it takes 6 weeks to lose another kg, that’s better than gaining!

LobsterB

10:02 pm
11 Feb 14
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Thanks for the reply – I’ve only been on it just over 3 weeks so hopefully after a few weeks of adjustment the numbers will keep heading down.

Good luck!

Lindyw

11:01 pm
11 Feb 14
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Well done on your weight loss so far Lobster 🙂
You will find IF much more sustainable as its only 2 days out of 7 that you need to watch your calorie intake. On the other 5 its normal eating just not in huge portions and if a slice of cake is calling you – you can eat it.
Good luck 🙂

TracyJ

12:27 pm
12 Feb 14
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Hi LobsterB, so glad you have realised that you will take time to adjust to 5:2 (coming from an extreme diet) and that you’re locking away the scales. I wish everyone approached this lifestyle as sensibly and with as much mental preparation for the possibility of an initial negative impact.

Have you checked your BMR & TDEE numbers in the ‘How?’ section? If so, was your ‘very low calorie diet’ below your BMR for your daily intake?

If it was, then I think you may want to consider eating right up to your TDEE for a week prior to your first fastday, in order to try to ‘shock’ your body out of starvation mode (which you may be in – even if you were only on the VLCD for a short time) before you commence with 5:2.

However you decide to proceed – good luck and let us know how you get on 😀

LobsterB

4:57 pm
12 Feb 14
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Hello TracyJ! Thanks for your response!

The VLCD is ketogenic (approx 600 cals a day) so I will initially gain my glycogen back (approx 4lbs) – as long as I don’t go crackers for the refined carbs and booze my body should get back on track fairly quickly. I lost 6 stone 7 years ago on a VLCD and I have kept it off all these years. I’m now just shifting the last bit of baby weight – my little boy is only 4months old so I’ve done quite well.

I would like to lose around 15-20 lbs but not in a hurry to do it now I’ve shifted the bigger half! A VLCD is very anti social – I want to be able to have a lovely time without thinking diet all the time. Plus the 5:2 is a long term approach that can be modified to suit. That appeals. Not to mention long term health benefits.

I plan to move into 5:2 Monday and just keeping the feeding days nice and clean.

Watch this space 🙂

TracyJ

12:17 pm
13 Feb 14
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Oh well 5:2 should suit you nicely then, especially if you’re not fussed about speed. I think you’ll really like the health benefits & once you get into it you’ll probably have no qualms about keeping the lifestyle on forever. All the best & congrats on your new little rugrat 😉