Does the stigma attached to VLCD's ever frustrate you?

BuxomWench

Full Member
I've just been on a parenting forum I go on, and there was a lady asking for help, and the title of her post was "what's the best way to lose as much weight as possible in 6 weeks". Much as I dont really talk about the diet all that much in other parts of my life, I couldn't ignore this post without mentioning Cambridge - she is suffering from fertility problems, is having IVF in 6 weeks, and has been told to lose as much weight as possible between now and then. Does that not scream "Cambridge" to you?

So I mentioned it, and a little bit about the diet, dont get me wrong I didn't make any outlandish claims or try and ram it down her throat, I just mentioned what the diet involved, what she might expect to lose and how much it cost.

Everyone else (not the original poster) practically jumped on me and said how unhealthy it was, how she wouldn't keep the weight off, how she'd have acres of loose skin hanging off her, how her fertility would be compromised, blah blah blah.

I just annoys me because I dont have any of those things, and in fact could not get pregnant before doing Lighterlife and losing 6 stone. Once we started trying after I got nearly to goal I got pregnant straight away. I'm not saying its a cure and I didn't make any claims but how could I not mention it to her.

It just annoys me sometimes how the 2 main healthy eating programmes on the market, WW and SW, always go on about how you should lose slowly like its some magic ticket to keeping the weight off. Its not. If you go back to your old habits, you will gain the weight, no matter what method you use. And as for loose skin, and all that stuff, go on the 5 stone plus boards of the Weight Watchers website and its teeming with threads about this...its a weight loss problem, not a VLCD problem exclusively. Hell, if we could guarantee to avoid it, we would probably be happy to lose slower.

I wasn't trying to make her do the diet - I couldn't give a toss to be honest what she does, but I had to draw her attention to its existence, the rest is up to her. I just resent the backlash.

Funnily enough she just posted saying "i find it really hard to do drinks etc as a diet, as im not a big drinker either lol slim fast made me feel sick". So she's obviously not that desperate to lose the weight. (I daren't tell her that pregnancy tends to make you feel rather sick as well). So she's not in the zone, not that bothered, I just mistook her for someone who was looking for a different approach.

But does anyone get sick of all the cliches? "that doesn't sound very healthy" etc etc. Do they not realise that losing and gaining the same 3 pounds on a healthy eating plan and remaining obese is not healthy either? Because any serial dieter who hasn't lost the weight after several genuine attempts on these programmes is obviously struggling with something...arghrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Never mind. I'm just glad I found it!
 
Hello...I've nipped across from the LL forum hope that's ok :D

I agree, in fact posted something similat earlier. My friend at work couldn't help but stick the knife in when I told her I had lost 7lbs this week. very good she said, trouble is with these diets is you'll put it all back on again just as quick. What do they know! Arghhhh...makes my blood boil!
 
Yes I've had the same thing on other message boards - nothing like the mention of a VLCD to start a "debate" lol

I went on one feeling mighty pleased with myself for losing so much weight - people were congratulating me until someone asked what diet I had done - everyone limmediately leapt on the "fad" diet bandwagon - it's unhealthy, I'll be covered in loose skin (no I'm not!) blah blah blah.

Everyone seems to know someone's neighbour's cousin's aunt who has done the diet for 2 weeks, felt rubbish and immediately put on 6 stone :D:D

I just ignore it all now, let the "only way to lose weight is 1lb a week" evangelists stay fat lol - I'm far happier and healthier after doing CD so I feel I'm capable of deciding whether it's good for me or not :)

Corinne x
 
Hello...I've nipped across from the LL forum hope that's ok :D

I agree, in fact posted something similat earlier. My friend at work couldn't help but stick the knife in when I told her I had lost 7lbs this week. very good she said, trouble is with these diets is you'll put it all back on again just as quick. What do they know! Arghhhh...makes my blood boil!


Hiya Positive Betty, People around me are giving me the same remarks. But I don't take much notice cause I was off the LL Wagon for some time and only put on 5lbs. We know how to control our weight once we reach our goal weight.

Love
jindal
 
Dont you think though a lot of these kind of comments are because people really dont understand how a VLCD works. I have to put my hand up to thinking the very same things, until I joined Minimins.

I think non dieters probably think of SW and WW as 'healthier' ways to lose weight because its more what they understand - cut back, eat healthier & youll lose weight. I know people who Ive spoken to recently have commented on 'how sensible' Im being doing WW instead of some 'mad' diet. VLCDs seem to be seen as a fast fix, you dont eat anything at all until youve lost the weight, so 'obviously' as soon as you start eating it goes back on. Its a total lack of understanding about CD/LL.

Any diet will work if you stick to it. Carry on the principles once youve got to goal & the weight will stay off.
 
:wave_cry:this is likely a wimpy way of dealing with it but I hide the fact that I am on CD because of stupid people and their nasty comments. xx
 
Only my OH, DD, DS and someone at work whom I fluffed it around to, know That i'm on CD. When I did LT 18m ago, I came across alot of ignorance, and so didn't want to go there again. It's not worth the hassle.
 
Wow...mind readers.....I've had 2 comments about this, just this past week alone! Both from females I might add!
I work in a prison and since losing 20 lbs in 4 weeks have started to get a few comments from Governors about how much weight I have lost and how they think I look really well.......when people ask what diet I am doing I tell them and the majority of people are really intrigued and ask tons of questions, which I am more than happy to answer.
However........2 women in particular have started making comments that the 'only' way to lose weight 'properley' is by doing a healthy eating diet like WW or SW.....they even said straight to my face, well this time next year you'll have put it all back on and even more!
To be honest this just makes me want to lose the weight even more AND keep it off forever just to prove them bloody wrong.....its so annoying that even when you explain everything there is to know about VLCDs, some people don't listen and just want to pee on your bonfire by being as negative as possible!
Grrrrrrr........having a rough time at work at the moment....sorry for venting....lol!
 
:wave_cry:this is likely a wimpy way of dealing with it but I hide the fact that I am on CD because of stupid people and their nasty comments. xx


Don't worry quizzicalgrrl I'm exactly the same :p lol wish it didn't have to be that way but some people are just ignorant and I don't have the time or the inclination to spell it out for them everytime if they're gonna be so narrow minded. Personally i think the ones who don't approve are just jealous that they don't have the same determination and will power (and gorgeous figures!) that we have. :party0011:
 
I can appriciate everything you are all saying. I had so many people tell me how unhealthy a diet LL was, and how I'd gain the weight again. It drove me mad. Ok, I did gain weight, but that's my own fault, but going back to my old habits. Now I'm on CD I've told very few people Im doing it, becasue it's just easier that way. My dad thinks it's the best diet Ive ever done, and my brother, a weight-lifting fitness fanatic thinks it's a brilliant diet, probably becausr he understands nutrition, unlike the ignorent others.
 
And also, I don't understand how SW can actually teach you anything about portion control. They tell you that on a red day you can eat 12 chickens if you want! How crazy is that! You may reach target, but then to carry on eating so much, surely that's not good!
 
It took me 11 weeks to lose 16.5lbs on Weight Watchers. It took me 4 weeks to put it all back on :eek:.

I only wish I had heard of this diet sooner .... I could have called myself youngfatmum LOL LOL LOL :D
 
I feel like I have to keep quiet about this diet, although obviously my family know, but when I'm feeling so positive about doing something about my weight and its going well, the last thing I need is someone who knows nothing about it pushing their negative comments onto me.

We all know it works and its safe and we are only going to put the weight back on if we go back to eating too much like we did before!

I wish some people would keep their opinions to themselves as myself, like a lot of you im guessing dont go around ramming our opinions down others throats!!!
there, feel better now!!!!:party0019:

Happy dieting
 
I don't know what gives people the right to have an opinion on anyone's weight, never mind the diet they are doing!

Its so frustrating, this diet is blimming hard enough, without having to defend yourself every 5 minutes, sometimes to people you hardly even know!!

I questioned it at the beginning, but more from the point of view that I thought I wouldn't be able to stick to it for more than a couple of days at most. But once I had looked through all the information that the lovely 'Heffa' got for me, I was more than happy to give it a go. I, like I'm sure most of the rest of you, have tried just about every diet going, and always faffed about with a pound here and there. And then put it all back on and more.

All I can say is that I wish I'd started this sooner, instead of wasting time doing other plans that didn't work for me. Hats off to the ladies and gents who have success on traditional weight loss plans, they just don't work fast enough for me!

Theresa x
 
Ah yes, the 'it's unhealthy and everyone I know who did it put the weight back on within a week of stopping' argument:p

Well, I did WW a few years ago, lost a shed load of weight, kept it off for a while, then piled it all back on again and more. The reason? Because I never changed my eating habits.

I knew the points value of every chocolate bar going, I used to hunt out the low point cakes and sweets, so I basically ate a rubbish diet, with a lot of zero point veg stirfry's as I'd always run out of points by dinner.

So what is healthier? Eating low cal choc bars which are probably full of 'filler', or eating a VLCD with all my nutrients (which I NEVER had before) which means I can get the weight off faster, and the abstinence will hopefully help me re-evaluate my relationship with food.

As others have said, it's not how you lose it's about how you keep the weight off.
 
Keeping the weight off it the key, Ive done a ton of diets, and lost weight, but maintening is the hardest this, and that goes for every diet.
 
It's all down to ignorance. I would never have a negative opinion on something a knew very little about. I haven't told many people that I'm on the diet because I don't want the negative comments, why should we have to hide it. It's our lives and our bodies and personally I think they should all mind their own damn business.
 
The first thing my friend did when I told her I was on this diet was quote the "95-98% of all people who lose weight put it back on again within 3 years".

I nod, of course, but I'm well informed and the actual statistic is that 95-98% of people who have 70lbs or more to lose put the weight back on within 3 years. I have less than 70lbs to lose.

AND that statistic does not say if they put it ALL back on. Gaining back some weight is to expected, given that quite a lot of people who diet are in their 40s-50s when women of that age naturally gain a bit of weight. It also doesn't account for any of the women who give birth during that period.

I just wish people wouldn't treat me like I'm an idiot and would be supportive once in a while.
 
SOoooooo funny i read this....just had a facial(hey a girls gota do something to cheer herself up haha)
the beautician told me that her friend had a stone to lose and did cambridge and in 6 months since has put on the stone she lost and three more and thats "what happens" so there is no point in doing it...she also said thats why my skins get bad (hello its good for her im having facials lol)
Not only did it scare the life out of me as im laying there thinking- will it happen even if im careful but im also sat there thinking...ive not bloody eaten for nearly 4 weeks...do i want to hear this! NOOOOOOO lol!!!!
Sorry rant over, its just ive heard it from so many people and this morning took the biscuit lol xxxx
 
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