Very low cal diets - a good idea or not?

[Brunneria]

I've had some success with very low calorie diets - admittedly 20-30 years ago.
I got all Born Again and Zealoty about them too.
Actually believed that 'anyone can do it' - for a while.

If only I had known...

I think overall I probably lost about 7 or 8 stone across several diets and several years. The lowest calorie intake was several weeks at 330 cals a day. It was a shake that I made up with water. Others were veg only, and I recall one that was mainly cabbage. O joy. Each time I would lose, be overjoyed, and then simply fall off the wagon and face first into every high calorie, high carb food item I could find. Will power was like a candle in a hurricane as my body took over and sent me face first into carb fests of Epic proportions. Ironic really, considering the will power I regularly exert over other parts of my life.

The weight gain after each diet was quite horrifyingly rapid - as though my body was driving me to eat and regain - which of course it was.

Every time I ended up weighing more than I started.

In retrospect, it was perhaps unfair to expect a teenage body with reactive hypoglycaemia, polycystic ovary syndrome and a prolactinoma to react like a 'normal' person. But then I had no idea at the time that my hormones were so severely dysfunctional. You live and learn, eh?

The net result was that I seem to have taught my body to rapidly adjust its metabolic rate to varying food intake.

Bit of a pity, really.

Low cal diets definitely suit some people. Especially if they have 'normal' hormones, and 'normal' appetite controls, and haven't ever dieted before, or had any Yoyo dieting experiences. Horses for courses, eh?

 

[zand]

Zand, how many calories are you currently eating?

1100-1200 a day.

 

[Bluetit1802]

1100-1200 a day.

That seems about right to me. Plenty of calories and food to give you all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals you need without putting your body under stress and making you ill, like you say very low calorie diets have done to you in the past. Would sticking to low carb, increasing protein and making the rest up with fats with some intermittent fasting work?

 

[zand]

That seems about right to me. Plenty of calories and food to give you all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals you need without putting your body under stress and making you ill, like you say very low calorie diets have done to you in the past. Would sticking to low carb, increasing protein and making the rest up with fats with some intermittent fasting work?

Yes maybe, I'm just feeling very low about it all today. I do think I need to go lower than 50g carbs, and that means cutting down on the amount of raspberries and strawberries I eat. Yes I'll start again tomorrow. (Well right now really since I've finished eating for the day)

 

[Lamont D]

Yes maybe, I'm just feeling very low about it all today. I do think I need to go lower than 50g carbs, and that means cutting down on the amount of raspberries and strawberries I eat. Yes I'll start again tomorrow. (Well right now really since I've finished eating for the day)

OMG! I've just started and I've been up since six am!

 

[zand]

OMG! I've just started and I've been up since six am!

I thought you were supposed to be eating a small snack every hour? Or was I dreaming that?!

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

Yes that's my experience too.

The world seems to think that fat people always eat loads, so my instinct is to cut down even though I know that's not worked for me in the past. I was truly surprised at my reaction to the discussion on the other thread that I mentioned. I know very low cal isn't for me, but sometimes I want to show the world that I can live without stuffing my face all the time! So very low cal appeals to me, it seems 'right to deny myself food to punish myself for being fat' because that is what others seem to think I should do. It's a crazy attitude, almost like any other addict thinking it would be OK to have just one.....

I don't know what to suggest, but I do think that what worked in the past might not work now. Stupid diabetes and hormones keep moving the goalposts. Try something new - if feeling like you need to be punished isn't working out for you, try spoiling yourself instead by eating only the best, most delicious, healthy food you can get hold of. You deserve it x

 

[Lamont D]

I thought you were supposed to be eating a small snack every hour? Or was I dreaming that?!

No, I'm back to IF and very low carb!
My idiot diet!
Read my blog!

Wake up!

 

[daisyduck]

I have dieted all my adult life. The cabbage diet.. yuk! the shake diet , very low calorie etc etc. I've lost weight so many times and put it all straight back on.

Several years ago I decided I probably wasn't eating enough and scrupulously followed the one of the Slimming World magazine diets. I weighed every single thing and never went over 1200 calories in 3 months.
The first month I lost 10 pounds
The second month I stayed the same
The third month I gained 4 pounds !

I truly think I have slowed my metabolism . I have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome so I assume that is what it means ?

LCHF helped me lose 2 stones and I can now maintain fairly easily.. however I'm finding it almost impossible to lose any more. I've been the same weight for 2 years now and still have a couple of stones I would love to lose.
30g of carbs is ok for maintenance for me. Even under 20g doesn't guarantee weight loss now unfortunately

However just to throw a spanner in the works. I've been a bit naughty lately.. hubby has been very ill and I've been very stressed. Last night I gave in and had 8 Celebrations chocolates.. BG went up to 12.. eek ! but soon dropped again.. However.. this morning my scales showed a loss of a pound for the first time in ages ???

 

[douglas99]

I have dieted all my adult life. The cabbage diet.. yuk! the shake diet , very low calorie etc etc. I've lost weight so many times and put it all straight back on.

Several years ago I decided I probably wasn't eating enough and scrupulously followed the one of the Slimming World magazine diets. I weighed every single thing and never went over 1200 calories in 3 months.
The first month I lost 10 pounds
The second month I stayed the same
The third month I gained 4 pounds !

I truly think I have slowed my metabolism . I have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome so I assume that is what it means ?

LCHF helped me lose 2 stones and I can now maintain fairly easily.. however I'm finding it almost impossible to lose any more. I've been the same weight for 2 years now and still have a couple of stones I would love to lose.
30g of carbs is ok for maintenance for me. Even under 20g doesn't guarantee weight loss now unfortunately

However just to throw a spanner in the works. I've been a bit naughty lately.. hubby has been very ill and I've been very stressed. Last night I gave in and had 8 Celebrations chocolates.. BG went up to 12.. eek ! but soon dropped again.. However.. this morning my scales showed a loss of a pound for the first time in ages ???

This is why our metabolisms are so very different.
You had 8 celebrations.
In the past my snack was easily eight full sized bars, washed down with coffee and donuts.
But then nothing for the rest of the day, and heavy work with that.
I guess I did, and still balance my diet over a week, or even a month, rather than days.
It seems history plays a large part in our present.

 

[Lamont D]

This is why our metabolisms are so very different.
You had 8 celebrations.
In the past my snack was easily eight full sized bars, washed down with coffee and donuts.
But then nothing for the rest of the day, and heavy work with that.
I guess I did, and still balance my diet over a week, or even a month, rather than days.
It seems history plays a large part in our present.

An old saying is,

You are (weight) what you ate last month!

 

[douglas99]

An old saying is,

You are (weight) what you ate last month!

I would agree entirely.
But I'd include drank, lol!

 

[zand]

I have dieted all my adult life. The cabbage diet.. yuk! the shake diet , very low calorie etc etc. I've lost weight so many times and put it all straight back on.

Several years ago I decided I probably wasn't eating enough and scrupulously followed the one of the Slimming World magazine diets. I weighed every single thing and never went over 1200 calories in 3 months.
The first month I lost 10 pounds
The second month I stayed the same
The third month I gained 4 pounds !

I truly think I have slowed my metabolism . I have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome so I assume that is what it means ?

LCHF helped me lose 2 stones and I can now maintain fairly easily.. however I'm finding it almost impossible to lose any more. I've been the same weight for 2 years now and still have a couple of stones I would love to lose.
30g of carbs is ok for maintenance for me. Even under 20g doesn't guarantee weight loss now unfortunately

However just to throw a spanner in the works. I've been a bit naughty lately.. hubby has been very ill and I've been very stressed. Last night I gave in and had 8 Celebrations chocolates.. BG went up to 12.. eek ! but soon dropped again.. However.. this morning my scales showed a loss of a pound for the first time in ages ???

I could have written your post myself. I too lost 2 stones with LCHF which I have maintained. I have a lot more to lose though and would like to start on the next 2 stones.

Thanks for your support.