A VLCD Journal

[goldenaky]

It all started in 1990, when I was 19. My mom was dying of cancer. I became a compulsive overeater once I started suffering from depression and anxiety. After my mom passed away and I broke up with an unsupportive boyfriend I got myself back on track and lost the 100 pounds I had put on in 8 months. Unfortunately depression and anxiety came back in 1992 and 4 years later I lost 40 of the 100 extra pounds, but I got off track during the following years as I got married, moved overseas three times (Brazil-USA-Brazil-UK), and had two children.
In April 2008 I found myself again being 100 pounds overweight. Several little things happened then helping me to get into a seriou diet mindset again but I think the main one was my doctor putting me on a hypnosis treatment for anxiety and depression. I got myself on a VLCD by eating healthy balanced food, counting calories, and taking vitamins, calcium, and omega oils supplements. Since then I have been eating around 460 calories daily divided in 2 or 3 meals. I lost over 40 pounds.
I feel much better now. I started walking more, running, working on an elliptical, and weights. I am not sure how long I will stay on this VLCD, sometime soon I may slowly increase it to 800, 1200, 1500, until I reach my goal weight (around 145 pounds) and then I know I will have to spend the following years working on maintenance. I swear I will never let myself go that way again.
I intend on walking a full marathon for breast cancer treatment and research in June 2009.

 

[goldenaky]

In June I started the couch25k routine. As the weather was not nice I did "week 1" on my elliptical for 3 days, then I repeated it running on a park 6 times. I also walked easily 6 miles for a fundraising, I regret not signing up for the 12 miles route instead. Unfortunately I have injured my knee last week so I am giving it a rest before getting back on the elliptical and then running.

My usual diet consists mostly of: roasted skinless chicken breast, egg whites, tuna, cod, haddock, and occasional lean pork or beef, ricotta; courgette, aubergine, tomato, carrot, greens, lettuce, onions, beets, apple, orange, plum, prune, fig, grapes, melon; 50% whole grain crusts away bread, rice cakes, reduced fat peanut butter, skimmed milk, alpen musli, matzo crackers, melba toasts, and chocolate.

 

[Jellybabie]

Hi
i am so sorry to hear about the very sad loss of your mum, its such a heartbreaking thing to deal with especially so young, my heart goes out to you.
Well done for deciding its time to take control over your weight and get fit and healthy.
Can i ask, do you feel hungry on your VLCD?
I too am on a VLCD but it is a meal replacement plan which puts you into ketosis therefor reducing hunger

Diane xx

 

[goldenaky]

Hi Diane

Thanks for your kind words. No, I don't feel hunger. After reading many threads here I suspected I was in ketosis. I bought ketostix last week and got a purple result.

 

[goldenaky]

My plan for today is:

black coffee

crusts away toast
4 fried egg whites (no oil)
200g melon
10g reduced fat peanut butter

110g roasted skinless chicken breast
2 tomatoes
120g carrots
10g reduced fat peanut butter

Buckets of water.

Totals: 428 cal, 10g fat, 36g carbs, 45g protein

 

[Jellybabie]

you seem very determined and organised and im sure you can do it! Well done on your weight loss so far, i will be popping in to check on your progress! If you need any help or support feel free to ask!

Diane xx

 

[goldenaky]

Yesterday I had: 100g chicken, lettuce, 2 tomatoes, 30g ricotta, 65g tuna, 1 toast, 2 little prunes, and 20g peanut butter.

Total: 431 cal, 12g fat, 7g carb, 53g protein

My average for this week is under 450 cal daily but my weight is up and down between 87.7kg (193.3lb) and 87.2 (192.2) for the last 8 days! It is so frustrating! I checked with a ketostix today, I am still in ketosis (second to last darkest grade). I guess my body is getting used to a complete lack of exercise because of my knee (much better now) and also because I stopped with my daily 4km walks to take my eldest daughter to school. With this crappy weather we are not even going out to the playground.

I must remain more stubborn than my metabolism!

 

[WhiteSheep]

Hang in there! You have gotta lose if you are eating the amount you are. Good luck for tomorrows WI.

 

[goldenaky]

My elliptical cross trainer is broken! :cry:Not sure if we will be able to fix it, one of the arms broke on the where it connects to the horizontal bar.

I have lost 4 pounds this week, half of that came off yesterday after walking for 3 hours.

I went to a party on Saturday, I believe my calories were around 630 then. Because of that I ate less than 400 calories on last Friday, Sunday, and today.

My menu today: chicken salad (120g boiled chicken breast, one large carrot, few raisins, 50g ricotta, lettuce), 400g melon, 2 dairy milk chocolate squates.

Total: 397 calories (9g fat, 35g carbs, 40g protein).

 

[Jellybabie]

Hi Goldenaky
Sounds like you are getting on well and you must have so much will power if you can stop at 2 squares of dairy milk! LOL, i couldnt do that!! Just make sure that you DO take all your bodies daily requirements in vitamin supplements every day or your body could go into starvation mode and the weighloss would slow down big time. I tried to devise my own very low cal diet a while ago (not as nice and varied as yours!)
Stuck to it for a whole week and lost 0lbs! I was gutted, totally. But i think it was my body going into starvation mode, the guttedness(is that a word? lol) lead to binging for a week!!!!!!!!!

Diane xx

 

[goldenaky]

Yes, I do take multivitamins, calcium, and omega oils supplements daily. I don't believe in most of what is out there about starvation mode because if the food intake is smaller than energy expenditure then fat loss has to happen eventually. There is no way around it. Sometimes it takes a while to see results, though.

Not long ago I could easily eat a 200g chocolate bar. These days, thinking in caloric values is how I control myself. I decided to feel proud of myself by sticking to 2 squares instead of going down in a guilty and self hatred path which was my routine for many years. I have broken the cycle, I have no fear of binging. The weight I am losing will NOT be regained even though I know the maintenance road will be harder and it will last my lifetime.

Today I made a big batch of soup with 50g dried green lentils, 50g lean meat from a bacon joint roast I made for the rest of the family yesterday, 6 egg whites, and seasonings. It doesn't look very nice but it is good. My desserts are 2x10g peanut butter.

Totals: 446 cal, 14g fat, 36g carbs, 46g protein.

I have been craving oats what is weird since I never liked them. I have yet to find a low calorie recipe using it. I tried making porridge but the result was disgusting. I may just eat them as granola and semi skimmed milk.

 

[goldenaky]

Yesterday I reached the 50 pounds lost milestone! :thankyou:

I have been doing well. I ate a little more yesterday than I had scheduled (apple, carrot, half slice of cheese, 2 pringles) at a picnic but I was still under 500 cal.

 

[sassey50kg]

Congratulations on losing 50lbs, that must feel great. You are doing so well x

 

[goldenaky]

Thank you!

It was the time of the month again on Monday and with it I hit yeat another plateau.

 

[goldenaky]

Let's see if I can post my weight loss chart. It is in kg.

 

[goldenaky]

I have lost 5kg this month but only 1kg came off during the last 2 weeks. I hate, hate, HATE plateaus.

 

[goldenaky]

Yesterday I started week 2 of c25k, it was not too hard. I did it early morning but by 3pm I needed a big cup of coffee or I would fall asleep.

 

[goldenaky]

Aaargh. Can't get off this plateau!

I did the second week of c25k again today, it was much easier than 2 days ago.

5kg/11lb/0.8st in one month is not bad but I feel I could have lost much more. I have started taking Fibra Sure today to keep things moving, I was constipated for days. Not sure how could my body absorb the amounts of green peppers, lettuce, and broccoli that I have been eating...

 

[goldenaky]

I lost 200g this morning! Finally!

Thursday's menu:

Chicken Breast Skinless roasted, 50g; Cod Loins, 100g; Lettuce, 100g; Red Pepper, 200g; Tomato,1; Sainsbury's Smooth Peanut Butter 33% Less Fat, 10g; Apples, 1; Cheerios, 10g; Broccoli, 70g

calories:397, fat: 8g; carbs:44g, protein: 47g



Friday's menu:

Semi Skimmed Milk, 200ml; John West Tuna Chunks In Brine, 1 can; Egg White, 4; Sainsbury's Smooth Peanut Butter 33% Less Fat 10g; Banana Raw; Apples. 0,5; Clementine, 0.6

calories: 499; fat: 8g; carbs: 48g; protein: 58g

 

[Jellybabie]

you are doing really well Goldenaky!!! And im sure the plateu wont last for long, just keep going and you will bash it down LOL

Diane xx