If anyone has any advice for me I should be pleased to hear it. I have been doing a vlc diet for a bit over a month now and am desperate for it to succeed, though as I have had T2 for 4 years now, I understand that my chances of success are correspondingly reduced, as too many of my beta cells could have been damaged by now.
-
Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »
Advice on Low calorie diet welcome
- Thread starter Tannith
- Start Date
OK, so on another thread you asked for the pitfalls. Here's the problems I had.
Firstly, in the beginning they called the Newcastle Diet a 600 cal diet. This was factually incorrect as it was 600 cals of shakes and 200 cals of a normal meal, salad for instance. When I did it there was very little published about the Newcastle Diet and I only had snippets of info to go with. Please don't go any lower than 800 cals.
Will you be doing the shakes or normal food? Make sure you have enough fats. My mistake was to not add, say a tablespoon of olive oil, or equivalent to a salad. I ended up stopping at 7 weeks because I was in agony with pains in my bones. Eating whipped cream fixed this better than any painkillers lol.
When I was young I used to diet by eating my favourite foods, which were mostly carbs. I neglected protein as I didn't enjoy many protein rich foods and I also cut out fat as it was high calorie. Don't neglect to have protein, it's important to keep your muscles healthy, and your muscles are what help to keep your metabolism healthy so that you don't regain the lost weight at the drop of a hat.
Drink plenty of water. I used diet coke in my younger days and this was a huge mistake as it caused/exacerbated my NAFLD, another thing that helped to mess up my metabolism.
Weigh everything you eat and log it on something like MyFitnessPal, bearing in mind that the values shown there aren't always right as it also has USA data and sometimes the American values aren't the same (as we have fibre already taken off the carb figure on food labels in UK and in USA they aren't so the Americans have to do an adjustment for that, we don't). I used MFP in conjunction with the carbs and cals book and also an old calorie counter book that I have had for years. I did this even when low carbing, because if the calorific value is wrong on MFP then chances are the carbs calculation is wrong too. Nevertheless it's a good thing to use once you have been doing it a week or so. It takes a while to get used to it. Others may have different apps that they might like to recommend.
Being kicked off the PC now as hubby is using it for work. If I think of anything else I will reply again later.
Firstly, in the beginning they called the Newcastle Diet a 600 cal diet. This was factually incorrect as it was 600 cals of shakes and 200 cals of a normal meal, salad for instance. When I did it there was very little published about the Newcastle Diet and I only had snippets of info to go with. Please don't go any lower than 800 cals.
Will you be doing the shakes or normal food? Make sure you have enough fats. My mistake was to not add, say a tablespoon of olive oil, or equivalent to a salad. I ended up stopping at 7 weeks because I was in agony with pains in my bones. Eating whipped cream fixed this better than any painkillers lol.
When I was young I used to diet by eating my favourite foods, which were mostly carbs. I neglected protein as I didn't enjoy many protein rich foods and I also cut out fat as it was high calorie. Don't neglect to have protein, it's important to keep your muscles healthy, and your muscles are what help to keep your metabolism healthy so that you don't regain the lost weight at the drop of a hat.
Drink plenty of water. I used diet coke in my younger days and this was a huge mistake as it caused/exacerbated my NAFLD, another thing that helped to mess up my metabolism.
Weigh everything you eat and log it on something like MyFitnessPal, bearing in mind that the values shown there aren't always right as it also has USA data and sometimes the American values aren't the same (as we have fibre already taken off the carb figure on food labels in UK and in USA they aren't so the Americans have to do an adjustment for that, we don't). I used MFP in conjunction with the carbs and cals book and also an old calorie counter book that I have had for years. I did this even when low carbing, because if the calorific value is wrong on MFP then chances are the carbs calculation is wrong too. Nevertheless it's a good thing to use once you have been doing it a week or so. It takes a while to get used to it. Others may have different apps that they might like to recommend.
Being kicked off the PC now as hubby is using it for work. If I think of anything else I will reply again later.
Last edited:
i have done the newcastle diet but slightly modified .... i was having the tesco ultra slim shakes and a plate of veg for evening meal but to make it more interesting --- i used a bit of soy sauce and chinese 5 spice to make stir frys with carront onion , broccoli , cabbage , mushrooms etc
i also used reduced fat cheese mixed with a bit of dijon or wholegrain mustard to put on top of partly steamed veg such as mushrooms , broccoli , green peppers and cauliflower -- then baked in the oven
I admit this pushed my daily total to approx 900 calories on those days
another meal idea a 5% fat beefburger served on a "lettuce " bun -- very tasty minimal carb
i also rode an exercise bike for about 8 to 12 miles a day which burns off 360 to 540 calories
as i am type 1 i also have to factor in some calories for potential hypos so my actual daily intake was about 900 to 1000 cals per day
after 8 weeks on this diet i lost 10.1 kgs
agree really important to track your macros and exercise
i also used reduced fat cheese mixed with a bit of dijon or wholegrain mustard to put on top of partly steamed veg such as mushrooms , broccoli , green peppers and cauliflower -- then baked in the oven
I admit this pushed my daily total to approx 900 calories on those days
another meal idea a 5% fat beefburger served on a "lettuce " bun -- very tasty minimal carb
i also rode an exercise bike for about 8 to 12 miles a day which burns off 360 to 540 calories
as i am type 1 i also have to factor in some calories for potential hypos so my actual daily intake was about 900 to 1000 cals per day
after 8 weeks on this diet i lost 10.1 kgs
agree really important to track your macros and exercise
bulkbiker
BANNED
Don't do it?
Could lead to a permanently reduced RMR.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4989512/
Could lead to a permanently reduced RMR.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4989512/
Ryhia
Well-Known Member
I was told I was pre-diabetic during a checkup in late 2017. I was diagnosed T2 early 2019 when doc decided to do a spot check on bloods because I had been complaining of itching skin which I had had for a few years so should not have been diabetes related. Initial HbA1c was 54, a second confirmatory HbA1c came in at 52. Just before diagnosis I had seen a tv programme about the Newcastle diet. On diagnosis, I read all I could on Roy Taylor trials and decided that a VLC diet was something I could do as I was used to VLC diets, 800 to 1000 cals being the norm for me when I was trying to lose weight - I didn't use shakes rather I was having salads and soups and things. I understood that exercise was good so I was also using an airwalker for around an hour a day. No problem with the diet until one day my blood pressure hit the roof and I was also started having palpitations. I got a shock when I checked my BP so phoned an emergency appointment with my GP. Initially a nurse took my blood pressure and my pulse then went running for the doc. My doc said he thought I had gone into starvation mode - he reckoned the exercise was probably taking up 300 of my 800 cal intake. Doc told me I could continue the diet but if I was exercising, to up my cals to 1000 a day. I also needed to have a Holter test as it was suspected that I may have developed atrial fibrillation. Tests showed it was an ectopic heartbeat which fortunately is not so bad. I lost 10kilos in weight whilst on the low cal diet, this was around 12% of my body weight so I was hoping for a good result when my next HbA1c (3months after diagnosis) came around. That HbA1c came back at 47 which was quite disappointing. I actually believed at the time that I could reverse my diagnosis, and whilst 47 was better than 52 it was certainly not the "cure" I was hoping for. I also found that as a result of the diet I had lost all my muscle strength and was as weak as a kitten. After the 8 weeks I changed to a low carb diet and by 8 months I had lost around 22 kilos well over 15% of body weight and got my diabetes under control but I do have to be very strict low carb to keep my bloods in order. I went from being pre-diabetic to T2 by following the dietary advice given to me by the HCPs so for me Low Carb is the only way to go.
Daphne917
Well-Known Member
I had similar issues to @Ryhia when I did the ‘ultra slim’ diet (similar to Newcastle and Slimfast etc) when I was in my 20s approx 40 years ago. At 800 cals per day it was vlc and I managed to lose just 7lb in about 2 months. However it made me very ill and when I finally went to my GP he told me to go home and have a good meal as my metabolism had gone into starvation mode and was beginning to ‘shut down’ my body. He sent me to an endocrinologist who said that I was one of his few patients who could truly blame their metabolism for their weight and gave me a stark choice - eat healthily and live or try to lose weight and be very ill or worse. I chose the former. I managed to lose some weight when I began taking Thyroxine for underactive thyroid about 10 years ago and low carbing for my T2 but I am still bigger than I’d like to be but I have managed to maintain my current weight.
I’m going to tag a couple of people, @Tannith who I know have used or are using a VLC diet. Not sure how much either of them are around at the moment, but hopefully they’ll see this. @OzBlossom and @Chook
Like @Ryhia I too was disappointed with the results of the low cal diet. No change in my HbA1c of 52 and whilst I lost weight it wasn't as much as I lost when I changed to a higher calorie, but lower carb diet. My heart also went back into Afib and my muscles were weak.
@Tannith you remind me of myself. I was so driven to get a cure that I really believed Professor Taylor's methods would work for me. The disappointment when they didn't was immense. I know that you will still want to try this method (I did!) but take care whilst you do it.
@Tannith you remind me of myself. I was so driven to get a cure that I really believed Professor Taylor's methods would work for me. The disappointment when they didn't was immense. I know that you will still want to try this method (I did!) but take care whilst you do it.
That sounds awful! What was the high BP you and the nurse took?
As I’ve said in another thread, I’ve had T2 since 2008 and this year with reduced carbs and exercise have lost a lot of weight and my hba1c is at 38
So I don’t know about beta cell damage but in at least me, way over 4 years had success so I wouldn’t rule that out. Have you had significant hyperglycaemia over those 4 years?
Ryhia
Well-Known Member
Bearing in mind my BP has always been ok, when I checked at home it was reading 189 over something - I was so shocked at the 189 I didn't take a note of the bottom reading. I didn't see the results of the reading at the surgery just know the nurse hurried out to find the doc and he came straight in to see me.
MrsA2
Expert
I used the recipes and advice in Michael Mosley fast 800 diet for a month at the start of last year. As did my husband and my son. We managed a month and lost weight. I was diagnosed t2 2 months later.
I have since tried some of those same recipes and they produce spikes on my meter.
so I no longer use those recipes. Others of them are OK bg wise
My son has since regained all the weight he lost.
My husband and I continue low carbing, him 20% of the time. He has lost a little more and is now stable.
I have gone on to lose a further 2 and half stone and have never been hungry since.
I eat to my meter ( ie staying within bg limit)
I have since tried some of those same recipes and they produce spikes on my meter.
so I no longer use those recipes. Others of them are OK bg wise
My son has since regained all the weight he lost.
My husband and I continue low carbing, him 20% of the time. He has lost a little more and is now stable.
I have gone on to lose a further 2 and half stone and have never been hungry since.
I eat to my meter ( ie staying within bg limit)
I don't know. I stopped testing after a few months. Shan't make that mistake this time though.
bulkbiker
BANNED
This is an interesting although quite old study..
You may not be doing yourself any favours at all.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/1056872794000778
Their diet was allegedly about 800 cals..
You may not be doing yourself any favours at all.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/1056872794000778
Their diet was allegedly about 800 cals..
Yes these diets always were dangerous. I can't see what's changed now to make them healthy all of a sudden. Professor Taylor seems fixated on pancreatic fat, but there's more to T2 than that. As your link points out there's also insulin resistance and fatty liver. Overall health can take a battering from this sort of diet too.
In fact I suspect if I had never tried to be below a BMI of less than 24 I would not have become diabetic at all
Last edited:
Yes, I am aware that vlcal diets can lead to a slightly reduced Basal Metabolic rate afterwards. This can be mitigated or even prevented by ensuring adequate protein intake during and after the diet, and also exercising to increase muscle bulk. In any case worst case scenario is it would mean the person could eat slightly less than previously. A tiny price to pay for something as major as reversing this awful disease!
Yes, I have never understood Prof Taylor's fixation with pancreatic fat. I also don't understand the science behind following Calories which are best left to slimming companies and their marketing. It is well known that Carbs are the biggest contributor to stored body fat and, of course BS gain. Fat doesn't contribute much to either. Why follow a measure, Calories, which includes fat rather than just concentrating on the Carbs. It's a mystery to me. Sadly the NHS is also following the Calories path.
People don't necessarily choose the easiest diet - and low cal diets certainly DO require a great deal of sustained self discipline.
However I think it's worth it because if you have not had T2 for long enough for your beta cells to be damaged beyond repair, it offers reversal of T2 rather than simply reducing blood sugar on a day by day basis.
bulkbiker
BANNED
I'm afraid that this is untrue.. both on the "damaged beyond repair" statement which has zero scientific backing as well as the "reducing blood sugar on a day by day basis".
Once you can pass every diagnostic test for T2, as I have done, I really don't think that low carb is any worse than V low cal and is certainly far easier to adhere to.
As always though you must follow the path you wish.. although you may well be doing yourself more harm than good.
Last edited:
I thought that too. I found out the hard way that Professor Taylor was wrong in my case.
