Just wanted to start a discussion on these, and see if anyone had done one?
There are a few "programs" around, and I think James mentioned VLCDs briefly in a MuscleTalker 2 months or so ago.
Howard's Way program costs about 80 quid a month and is a ketosis inducing diet with packet food for 4 x meals a day.
I recently tried "Lipotrim", a ketogenic diet which drops you to somewhere under 600 calories a day, which is around 30-40 quid a week... less than most of us spend on food, especially if you eat out.
It used to be a prescription diet from Doctors for very overweight people, but is now available with pharmacist supervision.
Well.. with My array of Pharmacy contacts and the fact that I know more about diet and nutrition than most of them, I gave it a shot... and was very surprised.
Lipotrim is a food replacement diet. There are shakes and flapjacks, but I am told the latter are pretty rank... so I stuck with shakes. Chocolate, Strawberry and vanilla... and a chicken flavour soup mix. All are vegetarian but I wasn't too fond of the chicken soup, tbh.
For males it is 2 sachets a day made up with a pint of water, and around 2-3 litres of water a day on top.
Ladies get 3 sachets, equating to around 75% of the male food replacement.
The idea behind it is that your body goes into ketosis, and starts burning fat for fuel.
Your liver converts fat to ketones and you then start to lose around half a pound of fat per day.
It has a muscle sparing effect as your body will burn ketones before glucose, whereas on a reduced calorie diet with carbohydrates your body is more likely to covert muscle to glucose for fuel.
I have to say I was sceptical. So sceptical I called the manufacturers (A research institute) 3 times.
In the end I spoke to the American doctor who does the voice over on the Lipotrim video, and had a good long chat with him about it.
When I raised My fears about muscle loss, he laughed at Me (bastid lol) and told Me that your body isn't stupid and when in a state of ketosis (induced starvation) that it holds onto muscle and burns fat first, whilst also helping supress your hunger.
Well, long story short I did a month... with a couple of cheats *coughs* (I realised I could eat food with no carbs and not get kicked out of ketosis, so I cheated at weekends to stay sane)
How did I feel on the diet?
As My body changed over to burn the fat rather than carbs I have to admit I was a bit moody... felt tired and a bit ropey. I had a couple of early nights too. Actually a good thing :P
After 5 or so days though, it got easier, and after that it was actually great.
2 weeks in and I felt I had way more energy, and after 4 weeks I lost 14lbs with no real noticeable muscle loss.
Downside of the diet? Low protein... 60 grams per day! So I am debating that next time I will be taking in extra whey to up protein to around 2-240g, which may slow things a little, but keep the fat loss high.
I'm cutting this short here as My eyes are sore, been on the PC all day for work, and urgh.
I am going to do a test, a 6 week heavy training and eating plan to regain My lost muscle, and then try again.
With a lead in of a protein and fat diet to put Me into Ketosis before I start the lipotrim, I may find it easier.
I'll keep you posted anyway once I start, but until then if anyone wants to discuss, feel free.
Also if anyone has any first hand experience of a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet I'd be interested to chat (No carbs Mon-Fri midday, then carbs Fri - Sat midnight, train hard Sunday and back to no carbs again). Seems interesting and a number of articles state it works rather well.
<message edited by Dodgy Dave on 12 June 2008 21:46>