VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) is a collective name for diets where you eat a maximum of 800 calories per day and choose to replace your meals with, for example, a shake, soup or bar. But what result can it give? And is it really sustainable in the long run? Here at NordIQ, we answer the most common questions about VLCD in various themes.
VLCD – a low-calorie diet
A normal calorie intake is 1,800 – 2,500 per day depending on age and weight, but if you follow the VLCD, you are supposed to eat a maximum of 800 calories per day. You replace your regular meals with low-calorie products and the goal is to lose weight quickly.
What can you eat?
Meal replacements in the form of bars or shakes are most common, but some people prefer to eat something hot and therefore choose low-calorie soups*. The variety of the diet is usually reduced if one chooses to follow the VLCD. It is also possible to create VLCD recipes yourself, as long as you keep track of the number of calories.
Results of VLCD
that you follow the diet for a maximum of three weeks straight. They believe that it takes about this long for the body to get rid of the sugar cravings and to get used to the reduced intake of calories. However, they recommend that you slowly but surely start eating more after these three weeks, because living on 800 calories is neither sustainable nor healthy in the long run.
What you should be aware of is that if you have been eating VLCD for a while, the body burns fewer calories than it did before, because the body runs at low speed and instead wants to conserve the energy it has. For that reason, weight gain is a common result of VLCD, as one goes back to their old eating habits due to feelings of hunger.
This is how you measure the result
The goal of a VLCD regimen is to lose weight quickly. Initially, you weigh and measure yourself. Then you do it again after one week and then again after week 2. Week three you measure your results and then start adding healthy calories to your diet plan. If you return to your old eating habits, there is a great risk that you will gain all the weight again. Losing weight is usually not a quick fix, but rather a lifestyle change that you can live with for a long time.
How long can one follow VLCD?
A maximum of three weeks in a row is recommended.
Pregnant and follow VLCD
As a pregnant woman, you have a greater nutritional need and therefore it is NOT recommended for pregnant women to lose weight during this time.
VLCD and drinking alcohol
Beer, wine and soft drinks are among the biggest calorie culprits out there. This is because the amount of sugar in the drinks is often high. Alcoholic drinks are therefore not recommended during your VLCD regimen.
Alcohol also stops fat burning in the body because it instead works to burn the alcohol.
Adverse effects of VLCD
Colds, headaches, nausea or constipation are common complaints when following a low-calorie diet. Sleep is also said to get worse even though you feel tired. You also get hungry because you eat too little. It can feel hard and heavy, because the body is running at low speed.
VLCD vs LCHF
Actually, there are not many similarities between VLCD and LCHF, although both more than both can be seen as a weight loss method. LCHF, which stands for Low Carb High Fat, focuses on counting carbohydrates more than the number of calories. By eating more fat than carbohydrates, one hopes to be able to put the body into ketosis. A condition that causes the body to get its energy from fat instead of carbohydrates. With LCHF, you can eat your fill of clean food that contains fat and protein.
During a VLCD regimen, you mainly eat meal replacements and the total calorie intake should not exceed 800 calories.
VLCD and exercise
Exercising hard while eating very few calories can be difficult. Dizziness and nausea are common and many feel that they cannot push as hard during a strength training session, for example. The body needs energy to train, and if you don’t eat enough, you don’t have that energy. The risk of muscle loss becomes greater the fewer calories you eat, because you cannot use the muscles as much
Not losing weight with VLCD
There are those who do not lose weight with VLCD. In the end, it’s about finding a way that suits you. There is no one-size-fits-all weight loss method.
*NOTE! At NordIQ, we do NOT recommend skipping meals to lose weight, but advocate a healthy and balanced diet. By counting calories, we believe, on the contrary, that you can eat all you want if you just plan well. So no bans.
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