Anyone Ever Do a VLCD
As a pre-req for WLS, my doctor has put me on a Very Low Calorie Diet which I am meeting with a dietician abour tomorrow and starting on Friday.
Anyone every do one of these with any success. From my understanding so far, it is an 800 kcal a day suppliment eating plan that consists of shakes, energy bars and meal replacements. I was able to try one of the shakes and it tasted pretty good. My concern is not eating regular food for a few months.
If anyone has any testimonies or recommendations, I would appreciate it.
Thanks
Thanks for the response, karmie. I am prepared to do this and am actually looking forward to it. I am just hoping someone can chime in and let me know how it was for them. I will be limited to 800 kcals a day and expected to lose 3-5 pounds a week. Unfortunately, the prientation that I went to covered three seperate programs so they did not go into too much details for each individual plan.
Hi, I am doing a VLCD right now on my own. Mostly HMR products. I have done them 3 times in the past but I had always regained eventually. But, this time I am doing it as my surgeon requires me to lose at least 60 pounds before my surgery and so far I have lost 56. Surgery on 10/20. But I will keep doing it for the next month up until surgery so hope to be down 80ish by then. The HMR program has bars and meal replacments but I just do the 70+ shakes which is their lactose free product. I cant have the bars in the house because if I get 5 I want to eat them all on the same day. It is like having candy in the house to me. I am not in their program officially this time, I buy off the internet, so I will occasionally have veggies and put frozen fruit in the shakes. But the very first time I did the VLCD was in the early 90s at the HMR clinic and I lost 130 pounds in 11 months. But I totally lost control once I had to start eating food again. But, I think it is a great tool in prep for surgery.
By the way the first 3 days to a week are pure hell, all you think about is food and how hungry you are! But I promise it gets easier and eventually you just drink your shakes and dont really think about it much. I work at home now so it is easier for me but if you go to a workplace get yourself a shaker bottle so you can mix up a fresh shake for lunch with a bottle of spring water.
By the way the first 3 days to a week are pure hell, all you think about is food and how hungry you are! But I promise it gets easier and eventually you just drink your shakes and dont really think about it much. I work at home now so it is easier for me but if you go to a workplace get yourself a shaker bottle so you can mix up a fresh shake for lunch with a bottle of spring water.
Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.
HW 491, BMI 70.4 *** SW 444, BMI 63.7 *** CW 364, BMI 52.5
Oh, just wanted to say, ask me anything you want I am usually checking the board a couple times a day as my home computer is behind my back all day. I work for a company over the internet on a computer they sent me for my work only so my office is kind of a double computer network and when I take my breaks I usually jump over here for a moment. Keeps me from EATING! LOL!
In the HMR program I was talking about, the basic prescription is 5 shakes a day which equals 800 cals. but the HMR clinic always stresses "more is better" and though it is hard to trust it is actually true. I would usually average more like 7 or 8 shakes a day when I was doing the HMR program in the clinic the 3 times I did it with them and I stuck to it religiously. And be prepared for a happy surprise because the first week of the fast you lose a huge water weight loss. My best "first week weight loss" I lost 17 pounds! But after that I lost a consistent 5 to 7 a week
On my own right now I am doing more of a hybrid, they had a program called "healthy solutions" where you do 2 shakes, 1 meal replacement and at least 3 fruits/veggies. Right now I am usually doing 4 shakes (and sometimes I use different whey protein shakes not just theirs) and then I eat veggies at night. Occasional frozen fruit tossed into a vanilla shake in the blender.
But I did not find the bars or the meal replacement entrees helpful. The bars I already mentioned, and the meals had way too much sodium for me. Salt sensitive BP.
Well, time to go back to work.
In the HMR program I was talking about, the basic prescription is 5 shakes a day which equals 800 cals. but the HMR clinic always stresses "more is better" and though it is hard to trust it is actually true. I would usually average more like 7 or 8 shakes a day when I was doing the HMR program in the clinic the 3 times I did it with them and I stuck to it religiously. And be prepared for a happy surprise because the first week of the fast you lose a huge water weight loss. My best "first week weight loss" I lost 17 pounds! But after that I lost a consistent 5 to 7 a week
On my own right now I am doing more of a hybrid, they had a program called "healthy solutions" where you do 2 shakes, 1 meal replacement and at least 3 fruits/veggies. Right now I am usually doing 4 shakes (and sometimes I use different whey protein shakes not just theirs) and then I eat veggies at night. Occasional frozen fruit tossed into a vanilla shake in the blender.
But I did not find the bars or the meal replacement entrees helpful. The bars I already mentioned, and the meals had way too much sodium for me. Salt sensitive BP.
Well, time to go back to work.
Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.
HW 491, BMI 70.4 *** SW 444, BMI 63.7 *** CW 364, BMI 52.5
Thats great info Donna and exactly what I was looking for. I really appreciate it. The program I am starting is through Henry Ford Health Systems and it sounds pretty consistant to what you did/doing. I can have shakes, bars and a few soups/meal replacements. Without getting too personal, did you have any problems with side effects? I heard that fatigue, hair loss and enlarged gull-stones are among the problems associated with this diet.
Scottie - My referring physician is requiring me to do this as a pre-req for my surgery and his referral. I'f I don't comply, I would have to find another doctor or pay out of poket which probably won't happen since funds are tight.
Scottie - My referring physician is requiring me to do this as a pre-req for my surgery and his referral. I'f I don't comply, I would have to find another doctor or pay out of poket which probably won't happen since funds are tight.
"Thats great info Donna and exactly what I was looking for. I really appreciate it. The program I am starting is through Henry Ford Health Systems and it sounds pretty consistant to what you did/doing. I can have shakes, bars and a few soups/meal replacements. Without getting too personal, did you have any problems with side effects? I heard that fatigue, hair loss and enlarged gull-stones are among the problems associated with this diet."
Hi Al,
Yeah sounds the same. The HMR has a chicken soup one but it is a lot of sodium and theirs is kind of yucky!
1. Fatigue. Yeah definitely at the beginning. Get more energized as you start to melt off the pounds and feel not so weighed down. And, in general, in the high 400s weight just tired all the time. But I remember when I was in the clinic programs people would complain about some stuff but they could not really get that yes, when a person over 400 is eating about 800 cals they are going to lose much faster than others and be more drained. Not the same issues as someone doing 800 cals and trying to lose 50 pounds. It still takes me a lot to get any exercise in. Now I have a bad leg to throw in the mix but even before I remember it being very hard to get in the physical activity. the program I was in called it "PA" and you were suppossed to work up to 2000 cals a week. They had formulas for figuring the deficit. I remember at around 400 one of the times I did it they said that I got 13 cals a minute for walking.
2. Hair loss. Never had it on the VLCD. The HMR stuff has about 20 grams of protein per shake and some of the ones I use like Inspire from bariatriceating have 30 grams per shake. The key to not having hair loss is keeping the protein up. My nut actually told me to keep to the high #'s they have for guys since I did start at 491 and am 5' 10", so I try to get in 90 to 100 grams of protein a day.
3. Gallstones. I cant say because I had my gallbladder removed when I was around 22 because of reflux problems. But I do know that gallstones are a risk for a VLCD and also for WLS in general so even if you dont have problems preop you could develop some after the RNY. But not everyone does. But I had my gallbladder removed laprascopically from the belly button in a day surgery suite and went home the same day. Not a big deal.
Hi Al,
Yeah sounds the same. The HMR has a chicken soup one but it is a lot of sodium and theirs is kind of yucky!
1. Fatigue. Yeah definitely at the beginning. Get more energized as you start to melt off the pounds and feel not so weighed down. And, in general, in the high 400s weight just tired all the time. But I remember when I was in the clinic programs people would complain about some stuff but they could not really get that yes, when a person over 400 is eating about 800 cals they are going to lose much faster than others and be more drained. Not the same issues as someone doing 800 cals and trying to lose 50 pounds. It still takes me a lot to get any exercise in. Now I have a bad leg to throw in the mix but even before I remember it being very hard to get in the physical activity. the program I was in called it "PA" and you were suppossed to work up to 2000 cals a week. They had formulas for figuring the deficit. I remember at around 400 one of the times I did it they said that I got 13 cals a minute for walking.
2. Hair loss. Never had it on the VLCD. The HMR stuff has about 20 grams of protein per shake and some of the ones I use like Inspire from bariatriceating have 30 grams per shake. The key to not having hair loss is keeping the protein up. My nut actually told me to keep to the high #'s they have for guys since I did start at 491 and am 5' 10", so I try to get in 90 to 100 grams of protein a day.
3. Gallstones. I cant say because I had my gallbladder removed when I was around 22 because of reflux problems. But I do know that gallstones are a risk for a VLCD and also for WLS in general so even if you dont have problems preop you could develop some after the RNY. But not everyone does. But I had my gallbladder removed laprascopically from the belly button in a day surgery suite and went home the same day. Not a big deal.
Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.
HW 491, BMI 70.4 *** SW 444, BMI 63.7 *** CW 364, BMI 52.5
Hi Al!
I've done well on a similar program. One thing I've noticed is that if I consistently stick with the program, I lose well. After an initial adjustment period, I'm amazed that I am really not hungry. I mean, I'm eating 6-7 times a day!
However, if I "cheat" by adding carbs, I seem to have more desire to cheat again. I can get away with eating additional protein. I love shakes, bars and pudding, but try to add in soups and warm drinks too since that's a more realistic transition to real food later on.
Good luck!
Patty
I've done well on a similar program. One thing I've noticed is that if I consistently stick with the program, I lose well. After an initial adjustment period, I'm amazed that I am really not hungry. I mean, I'm eating 6-7 times a day!
However, if I "cheat" by adding carbs, I seem to have more desire to cheat again. I can get away with eating additional protein. I love shakes, bars and pudding, but try to add in soups and warm drinks too since that's a more realistic transition to real food later on.
Good luck!
Patty
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