Newcastle diet questions

[scullyx100]

I am going to start the Newcastle diet shortly after my birthday in a couple of weeks. I have read up on it extensively and have bought the shakes from shakemyweight.com as these are what came up when I googled optifast. I planned to take 3 a day with then 200 cals worth of non-starchy veg as in the original trial. However, unlike the Optifast shakes these shakes are only 130 calories each which I didn't realise before I bought them. On the original diet it says they just used the shakes but as you are not allowed any dairy I assume they mixed them with water. However because my shakes are lower calorie this would mean only about 400 calories from shakes per day which I think would be too low. If I mix with skimmed milk each shake would be 200 cals making the 600 and then 800 with the veg but worried about doing this because of the no dairy rule. Has anyone successfully completed this diet, using milk instead of water for the shakes or would using milk mean that the chemistry of how the diet works would be changed?

 

[scullyx100]

Or perhaps I could just have 4 shakes per day with water?!

 

[douglas99]

I used tesco shakes with skimmed milk, this appeared to give me the right balance for nutrients and calories, very similar to the original optifast.
And dry fried veg in the evening.

 

[scullyx100]

I used tesco shakes with skimmed milk, this appeared to give me the right balance for nutrients and calories, very similar to the original optifast.
And dry fried veg in the evening.

Thanks. And I'm presuming it worked for you? Did you just do this for 8 weeks and then a 'normal' calorie controlled diet?

 

[douglas99]

I did a low fat diet for about a year, then finished off with the Newcastle diet.
I does seem to have reversed my diabetes, now I eat normally, but avoid putting weight back on.
Yes, I watch the calories, but it's second nature, and doesn't really require thinking about nowadays.

 

[Pipp]

I am going to start the Newcastle diet shortly after my birthday in a couple of weeks. I have read up on it extensively and have bought the shakes from shakemyweight.com as these are what came up when I googled optifast. I planned to take 3 a day with then 200 cals worth of non-starchy veg as in the original trial. However, unlike the Optifast shakes these shakes are only 130 calories each which I didn't realise before I bought them. On the original diet it says they just used the shakes but as you are not allowed any dairy I assume they mixed them with water. However because my shakes are lower calorie this would mean only about 400 calories from shakes per day which I think would be too low. If I mix with skimmed milk each shake would be 200 cals making the 600 and then 800 with the veg but worried about doing this because of the no dairy rule. Has anyone successfully completed this diet, using milk instead of water for the shakes or would using milk mean that the chemistry of how the diet works would be changed?

@scullyx100 , do you mean you have purchased meal replacements from 'Shakethatweight' rather than 'Shakemyweight'?

If it is the former, they have several methods and they provide information with every order they send out. You can also find the information on the website..
www.shakethatweight.co.uk
Mixing the meals with milk should not be a problem. With Newcastle diet it is the calorie restriction that matters. Opitfast was used in the original study, but it is not readily available in UK, and subsequent advice from the Newcastle team is that it is fine to substitute other low calorie meal replacements, or even to use real food but severely restrict calorie intake.
Do make sure you read the guidelines, check with doc, particularly if you are on medication, and be sure to monitor blood glucose. I would never recommend anyone start a diet such as this, without being fully aware of how to reintroduce food at the end, and that you need to consider how you will maintain the desired weight.
Most important is to keep your GP or nurse informed, ideally get their support.