VLCD and maintaining a healthy heart

[TaraTeal]

Hi Slim & Savers!

I am due to start my VLCD tomorrow and have now come accross some articles that have put the scares into me. I read about some possible links between VLCD's and Heart arrhythmia. I have good blood pressure and have no strong family history of heart failure etc

I am just slighty worried about something like this happening, the only possible link would be between potassium/magnesium deficiency and how that affects the electrical rythmn of the heart. Do you think it would be a good idea to supplement potassium and magnesium into my diet?

I do realise this may sound silly, as eating the wrong foods can mean deficiency in certain nutrients etc so people may find they are more nourished on a VLCD than before. I am just interested to know what all your thoughts are on this?

Tara.

 

[BordersGirl]

I am of the opinion that being morbidly obese (where I started) is more unhealthy than this diet. I had on the cusp of needing medication blood pressure readings before I started (my blood pressure is now normal) and I'm sure that my diet was incredibly unbalanced before as I ate what can only be termed as rubbish. I was also 'at risk of type 2 diabetes in later life' according to a blood sugar blood test. I haven't had the test done again but I may do when I get to goal but I'll bet that it's fine now too.

If you take a multivit / mineral supplement you will get all the vits / mins you need. I wouldn't over supplement in any area as it can cause problems.

 

[Pheonix2010]

I dont have any answers but I am currently under a cardiologist for heart palpitations /arhythmia which startd about the same time as i started the diet

i have been on and off the diet since august and the heart problem doesnt completely correlate with the diet but i had december off , no plalps and im back on day 11 and they have started again

im going in next week for an echo and to have a 24 monitor fitted , im going to ask my consultant what he thinks , but wont see him until march ,lots of tests in the meantime

it has been worrying me , but if i dont lose weight im at increased risk of heart attack and stroke anyway with a waist of 39 (now 36 and aiming for 30) and this is the only diet that ever worked for me

i have done a bit of research myself but seem to get led down lots of different tracks , my conclusion was it might be aspartame , so ive stopped using it , im going to try to give up coffee next and if ive still got them im at a dead end , hoping to finish the plan at easter and be at goal and never have to do it again so it wont be a problem and i hope there no long term damage

if the casue is low mag or pot why not take a supplement every day to cover yourself , it cant hurt and in fact i might start myself

if you find out anymore , let me know and ill do likewise

 

[TaraTeal]

Hi, thanks for your replies!

I agree that diet is often worse before you start rather than being on a VLCD. I work in a GP surgery so can keep a close eye on things. I was just interested to see if any of you had similar worries or have experienced anything and maybe managed to resolve the issues.

Phoenix, thanks for sharing your experience with me, I hope it all resolves for you. Apparently 98% of people suffer with some sort of palpitations and some don't even know it. Does your cardiologist know you follow a VLCD?

 

[Pheonix2010]

no I saw my gp and described my symptoms , he referred me and i have had appointments through next week for echo and 24 hour monitor , I wont meet my cardiologist until march and all the tests have been done

i didnt mention it to my gp becasue at the time i didnt link the two together really and also i was worried he would tell me to stop the diet an shoo me away without further investigation

my 5 yr old son has 2 diseased heart valves from birth , i read that first line relatives have a 1 in 4 chance of enlarged aorta , so i have another reason for wanting tests done , to be sure

 

[TaraTeal]

The diet probably isn't causing them, but I would def tell the consultant when you see them as it could be that you need a small change to eliminate them. As I said earlier there has been research into the link in potas/magnesium depletion and people on a VLCD. And these are essential to normal sinus rhythm, so it could be that a simple supplement may help you. Try not to worry too much.

 

[MiniMoosh]

I'm certain my diet now is 100% better than before. I'm now taking multivits and minerals again, I'm getting far more nutrients in the packs than in my former stodgy, veg-free diet. I'm at risk of diabetes, been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, have PCOS, bad hair, skin, nails.... I'm hoping this diet doesn't just help me lose weight but also help my health.

 

[TaraTeal]

I've always been good eating veg, but portion sizes of everything else where out of control and evening snacking ws my downfall, so I can guarantee I will feel the benefits of getting just what my body needs on this diet! For those of you who have been doing VLCD a while, would you say you feel the benefits to your health? i.e energy levels, skin, hair etc

 

[Pheonix2010]

Im sure im getting more vitamins and minerals now , I dont think Im lacking anything there

I do wonder if im losing heart muscle , after all when we lose weight quickly we lose muscle as well as fat and the heart is a muscle so it makes sense

Tara , i thought you started this thread because you were worried and now you are telling me not to and i wasnt , lol

 

[MiniMoosh]

Never thought about loss of heart muscle... I do get a bit breathless on the school run (on purpose, by going too fast) I hope that gives everything a bit of a tone-up!

 

[TaraTeal]

Im sure im getting more vitamins and minerals now , I dont think Im lacking anything there

I do wonder if im losing heart muscle , after all when we lose weight quickly we lose muscle as well as fat and the heart is a muscle so it makes sense

Tara , i thought you started this thread because you were worried and now you are telling me not to and i wasnt , lol

Lol you mentioned in your first post that your palpitations worried you. I started the thread because I hadn't seen it mentioned on any other posts/threads and was interested to know if anyone else has come across the same info and if it had made them worry slightly. It seems as though most people are of the same opinion I am though, and that the diet before was probably worse etc

 

[BordersGirl]

I've been doing it since August (with 2 planned breaks) and I would say that I'm a lot less tired than before, need less sleep and have more 'normal' energy. I don't think I'd necessarily have the energy to do lots of heavy exercise though. Walking (I take the dogs) is fine, and less effort than before but that's mainly because I'm 4 stone lighter I think

Hair - Well hairloss is one of the side affects for some people. I believe that it kicks in around 4 - 5 months in (certainly in my experience both on this VLCD and a previous VLCD). It happened to me last time and it's just happening again to me now. It's not terrible, I just notice that I have more hair on the brush than usual. It certainly isn't noticeable and I know that it will grow back with no problems at all. To be honest I think it's just an accelerated shedding of the hair that would be next to shed anyway as you lose hair all the time.

Skin - Not really noticed any difference to be honest but my skin has always pretty much been fine

Nails - Noticed that they are better on both VLCDs as they are stronger. Maybe because my diet is more balanced?

 

[TaraTeal]

Thats good to know BG. I'm hoping it will help with my skin, I used to have really good skin all through my teens and early 20s, now it's just breakout after breakout. I think in may be linked to my thyroid problem (diagnosed end of oct) but having a balanced diet might help me sort my skin prob out!

 

[Suze012]

I havent had any hair loss yet, but not been on it ages, skins the same. Get good days and bad re energy defo notice i have less on some days. Sometimes i get lightheaded too which i worry slightly about carrying my son around and up n down stairs but its just a worry rather as never had anything happen.

 

[Giza]

Like many of you, I began in much worse shape-inside and out than I am now. I really do hope that if you take the right number of sachets/meals/bars and a vitamin supplement, you shouldn't get into loosing healthy heart or other muscle tissues. I began this diet almost 2 months ago now, with highish bp and cholesterol, now both normal even though I still have a way to go. My worry is not using up lean muscle but gallstones. Hadn't realised this might be a problem until reading something about it on this site! There's always something!

 

[BordersGirl]

I think I've already got gallstones because although I've never had them diagnosed I do have the classic symptoms on occasion after eating certain trigger foods. Of course because I haven't had any of those trigger foods I haven't had an attack at all since starting this diet. I think my last attack was about 3 months before I started. I didn't get them often so I didn't do anything about it, and it didn't happen everytime I ate trigger foods so I took risks on occasion. And I'm in the classic group; fat, female and forty, and I think that many people on this diet that get them are in that category so may have got them anyway if that makes sense.

 

[Giza]

My mum has had them which is also an indication that I might.... there's no end to the fun of being female, hey?! At least I don't need to worry about TOTM these days - no, I've got the possibility of developing gallstones to look forward to instead (you have to laugh....)!

 

[BordersGirl]

Well if it makes you feel any better Giza I have gallstones and TOTM!

My mum's never been fat in her life (she has much more self control than me and doesn't drink anything like as much as I do usually) so I can't tell re the gallstones from that perspective.

 

[Giza]

While TOTM is never jolly, at least you can put slower weight loss down to something. I must say, I don't miss the booze. It always made me hungry since I stopped smoking - not real hunger, it just brought on the munchies! (I'll probably fast change my mind on that when I reach target)!