Some questions from a newbie. :)

Hi there! I finally decided to join up with a support group, in hopes that it would give me the motivation neccessary to continue with my weight-loss regime. I have a few questions, of course, that I hope the experienced cc'ers can shed some light upon.

First of all, I've always been really overweight, save for a very short period of time in high school when I was a 'reasonable' size. Both my parents are quite heavy, and to top things off, I was diagnosed with PCOS in my teens. The first time I lost a lot of weight was in eigth grade, heading in to highschool. Unfortunately, this was only because I practically stopped eating all together; securing one meal every other day. Yes, I know that was very unhealthy, and it all came back within a few years. Which is, of course, the reason I am in this situation in the first place.

I feel terrible that I allowed myself to get this way again, and have finally decided to do something about it. For the past four days, I have been on a strict 800 cal diet, drinking 8 glasses of water a day, and have incorporated walking into my weekly routine (which worked, until it decided to snow storm in April). I am looking to lose 120lb by next October/November. Yes, I know rapid weightloss and VLCD diets are unhealthy, but I have been taking multivitamins, and the food consists mostly of vegetables and lean protein.

I hate living in a home where certain fiancees always buy the most unhealthy junk and flaunt it. It's a bit of a motivational killer. But I really, really want to be a healthy weight, which in my case, would be around 140lb since I'm 5'3", and have a fairly large frame. In a way, I'm kind of proud of myself for cutting out junk cold-turkey, though it's only been a few days, I feel that, having passed the three day hump, I can definately continue down this road.

My questions include:

I'm 21, 5'3" and 260ish, and while rapid weightloss is unhealthy at best, I want to know what the physical reprecussions will be. As in, will VLCD style weight loss result in saggy skin? I know the stretch marks are here for life, which I can handle. I just can't afford a tummy tuck when I reach my goal weight.

I've done a similar diet in the past, and while it worked wonders for over a year, I lost my motivation at one point. How long should it take to build up to a reasonable amount of calories, say 1200, after reaching your goal weight, without starvation mode screwing you over?

Are there any tips for those suffering from the weight-loss difficulties of PCOS? If so, what did you do to combat the weight-gaining effects of the syndrome?

What weight do VLCD dieters generally plateau at, given my size and weight?

Please don't post about how unhealthy an 800 calorie or lower diet is. I've already read a ton about the potential side effects. I just don't have the patience to do this over a two to three year period. I am very result oriented, and the quicker I see results, the more likely I am to stick by the diet for a long period of time. I've had great success with low-food intake diets before, and even comitting to eating everyday is a big step forward in my 'diet brain'. Yes, it's kind of like a crash diet, but I'm confident that I can keep the weight off once I reach a healthier weight.

Anyways, thank you everyone for your time! All comments are greatly appreciated.

please reconsider your 800 calorie a day starvation.

Believe it or not, you will lose weight faster if you eat more.

I'm sure you'll get tons of posts.....just please re-consider

~H~

if you dont want to hear it then i think you've joined the wrong community. we want to help people reach their goals in a healthy manner adn 800 calories is literally starvation. so, no one here will support that. i really hope you'll reconsider. even if you lose the weight 800 calories is not sustainable and you will likely gain it all back and youll be miserable in the process. i hope you will resolve to do this healthily because you deserve that!! :)

The thing is, my BMI is horrendous, and right in line with the utilization of VLCD dieting. I've done a great deal of research in regards to the matter, and severely/moderately obese people are perfectly fine doing VLCDs as long as the diet isn't a permanent thing. Usually, they last a couple of months at best, which should be enough time to at least shrink my stomach a bit for the rest of the long haul.

After only four days, I really am starting to feel a lot better, both physically and psychologically.

I'm afriad that if you look at the posting guide lines that appear at the bottom of the page every time you write a post you'll find that it says that this site is about healthy weight lose and that pro - ana post are prohibited.  

You will not find support here for an 800 calorie a day diet.  It may have worked before... but you also gained the wieght back and then some... so did it really work?

Also you have PCOS.... your body is a complex system that already has one malfunction...   It is very easy for more malfunctions to develope when one already exsists.   So we aren't talking just about extra skin here... we are talking about actively pursuing a course of action that could cause you to have more health problems.   Is quick results (( with almost certain regain)))  worth the risk of more chronic health problems?

Remember you didn't gain the weight over night so it's not going to leave over night. We get into too big of a hurry. Please do it the healthy way. Don't ever go under 1200. Good luck to you

Your BMI might be bad, but believe me - we've got members who have started MUCH higher than you (600 lbs, in some cases) and are losing weight the healthy way.

VLCDs are done under the supervision of a doctor or nutritionist. I didn't see any mention of those in your post. And I agree with luna - PCOS is an extra hurdle that you are dealing with that can end up making your plan even more unhealthy.

Finally, if you've had "great success with low-intake diets before" you wouldn't be having to do another one now.

This is a great support group for people who are willing to do it the healthy way. But we can't support a starvation diet.

The side affect of not eating enough is ruining your organs, skin, hair, nails on top of stress, exhaustion and wrecking your metabolism so that you are guaranteed to put weight back on.

PCOS comes with (as I'm sure you know) complicated hormonal imbalance issues, even if this was recommended by a Dr, which I doubt, I'd ask for a second opinion. I really think you need to think again.

I did research at Columbia University this summer studying two groups: VLCD and gastric bypass.  Firstly, the VLCD NEEDS to be done under doctor supervision.  There are very specific shakes and supplements you need to be taking because it is not possible to get them from the diet if you only consume 800 calories.  That beign said, we found this group to be very unsuccessful in terms of continued weight loss (we followed for a period of 5 years) and actually, there were numerous times we considered ending the study because people were pretty sick. 

The results will be published next year when our last subjects reach year 5, but IMO-VLCD is neither effective, safe, or smart. But if you feel it is the right way to go-you need to be referred to a physician who specializes in that.

Original Post by pyrogirl06:

I'm 21, 5'3" and 260ish, and while rapid weightloss is unhealthy at best, I want to know what the physical reprecussions will be. As in, will VLCD style weight loss result in saggy skin? I know the stretch marks are here for life, which I can handle. I just can't afford a tummy tuck when I reach my goal weight.

You know rapid weightloss is unhealthy at best so why do it?  Even people who have their stomachs surgically reduced and can only fit 600 cals of food in per day before they throw up have a prognosis that they will only lose half of their excess body-weight.  So in your case your strategy is only going to get you to down to 200lbs at best.  Then what happens?  You eat even less?  Drop to 500 cals a day? 

The other thing that happens to these patients post operatively is that they are at severe risk of malnutrition and have to be on constant supplements and monitored very frequently as a result.  Finally, many of them find that they start regaining weight on relatively low amounts of food because their metabolism has slowed down to a crawl.  You mention 'starvation mode screwing you over'.... well, if you want to be 270lbs in a year's time, this could be the way to get there.  You've already experienced yo-yo-ing... it's not good for your health.

But I expect you know all this already.  Do reconsider.  Ruining your health for the sake of quick results would be such a pity.

CC does not support unhealthy or dangerous diets and behaviours.

My mother actually had the gastric bypass surgery, so I'm well informed about the issues that have arisen because of it. Most people suffer a lot of problems later on in life, and the fact that there are ways around it, such as consuming fatty liquids (icecream), it doesn't produce reasonable long term results. Yes, they eat less due to their modified biology, but they don't neccessarily maintain the will power not to find ways around it.

My mother lost all her weight after this surgery until she had a child, and found ways around it. My PCOS can only be improved by weight loss, which was what my original doctor told me-- when I was under her care, she suggested I went on a VLCD. I've just never had the time to bother with all the medical reasoning behind it, and have opted to take vitamins and supplements, along with healthy eating, to keep my health in check.

I really don't consider this an anorexic diet, because I have noted that I plan to work my way up to a reasonable amount of calories in time. If I can't lose the weight, I will never be able to have a child, as I have, maybe 4 periods a year. I know this will fix itself if I am able to reach a level close to my goal weight. This isn't a forever diet, it's a temporary kick start that I plan to replace with behaviour and lifestyle changes afterwards.

I will talk to my current doctor about the possible reprecussions, but I can't afford a nutritionist, and I certainly can't afford to not lose this weight.

I have a feeling that you aren't going to listen to us, no matter how many people try to discourage you.

But I would like to ask a question. You say you won't be able to commit to something unless you see immediate results (which in my opinion actually suggests a lack of willpower).  Why do you think you will have the willpower to adjust your diet as you near your goal (assuming you are successful), when most likely you will have drastically slowed your metabolism and so upping your calories will cause you to gain weight at that point?

You don't have to answer. But I want to remind you that there are many members here who did start morbidly obese, and chose to take the more difficult, but more healthy route, and are very glad they did. You aren't the first person to be in your situation nor will you be the last - I only hope you make a well informed decisions.

Oh, and if your doctor is not a nutrition or weight loss specialist, chances are s/he had about 4 hours of nutritional training in med school. There are lots of doctors out there who are as poorly informed about weight loss as the general public.