Posts Tagged ‘VLCD’

Calories in vs. calories out: It’s the cornerstone of weight loss.

By The Refresh You Staff   Category: Refreshing Experts , Weight

In accounting, numbers aren’t just close enough, they’re exact.  So when it comes to a person’s weight, just how much do the calories matter? Is calorie restriction the only fool-proof weight loss method?

Well, sort of. Some people might consume 3000 calories a day and lose weight, while others might hit just 2000 and gain a few pounds.

“Rather than thinking about cutting calories, we like to talk about ‘calories-in’ versus ‘calories-out’,” says Dr. Susan Isensee, Medical Director of the Comprehensive Weight Management Program at Dean Clinic.

The principle is simple: If you burn as many calories in your daily activities as you consume through foods and beverages, you’ll neither gain nor lose weight. Small numbers matter — if your intake exceeds your burn by even 50 to 100 calories a day, you’ll gain a small amount of weight. Over the course of days, weeks or months, it shows up on the scale. And not in a pleasant way.

So if you want to lose weight, the number of calories you burn should exceed the number you take in through food—and that’s how calorie-restriction diets get their name.

“Many of these diets encourage daily exercise and calorie counting depending on your gender, height and weight,” says Dr. Isensee.

Dr. Isensee and her team help patients manage their weight using a variety of health and weight management programs, one of which is called the Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD).  This medically supervised program initially uses meal replacements consisting of high-protein, low-calorie shakes and bars to replace food for about three to six months.  Patients transition back into eating a healthy balanced diet and take part in a long-term maintenance program, working with Dean’s clinical team.

In the VLCD program at Dean Clinic, patients participate in weekly group meetings to talk about nutrition, their relationship with food, healthy habits, and exercise to help prepare them for the transition back to regular food.

“People ask how our VLCD patients can give up food during the initial phase of the program,” says Dr. Isensee.  “The first week can be challenging for many patients but then, as their bodies adjust to the program, patients say it does get easier.”

Dr. Isensee says the program isn’t for everyone; but for many, it can be a very successful part of their life-long weight loss journey.

“We recently had a man lose 120 pounds in a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) program,” said Dr. Isensee. “He went from needing 600 units of insulin each day down to 20 units a day. That is incredible, but it is something your doctor needs to monitor, so constant medical supervision is very important in diets such as these.”

The average patient coming into Dean’s Comprehensive Weight Management Program has lost and regained 30+ pounds more than five times in his or her life.

“Patients require a comprehensive approach to treating their obesity from individual nutrition appointments to bariatric surgical care,” says Dr. Isensee.  “But if you think about it, calorie management and exercise is the basis for all of these weight loss approaches.

Dr. Isensee recommends talking to your doctor and getting a physical exam if you plan to lose 10-percent or more of your current weight. This is especially important if you have any chronic conditions or are taking any medications regularly because your dosage may change as your weight changes.

Want to calculate your BMI? Want to find out how many calories you burned based on your weight, type of exercise and duration?  Dean Clinic offers health calculators and other wellness tools for free at deancare.com/healthtools.

For more information on its Comprehensive Weight Management Program, visit deancare.com/weightmanagement for free informational meetings and webinars.

Stephanie’s blog, part 8: Fifty pounds lost and counting. But maybe counting backward.

By Stephanie   Category: Refreshing Stories , Weight

Stephanie was one of our winners in the Refresh You $5,000 Makeover for You and a Friend Contest. After starting the Very Low Calorie Diet Program and making it through the transition phases, she’s done very well. In fact, we changed her photo because the original one just doesn’t cut it anymore. Now she’s back to real food and ready to report more progress. Stephanie’s blog is 99.9% unedited. You’ll read it all, as it really is — the triumphs, the setbacks and the results. To read all of Stephanie’s blog entries, just use the word “Stephanie” in the search box in the upper right.

So it’s been a while since I wrote a post. Life certainly has a way of taking over and things have been a bit out of control for me. Work has been busy, I’m taking two classes right now, and let’s just throw a few holidays in for good measure. But that’s just real life.

At least part of the appeal of the weight management program was that it removed me from real life for a while. And while we all hope we can gain the skills to continue the journey in our every day world, we don’t actually know until we get there.

When I left you last, I was looking forward to starting back on real food. And when I did,  it was just as great as I had hoped.

It wasn’t overwhelming, and it was very freeing to be making my own food choices again. I had lots of fun finding new ways to cook veggies and slowly, but surely, I added in other food groups.

Then, after three and a half weeks on real food, I had my first real test–a meeting and weigh-in with Toni the Nutritionist. And again, it was great. I hit 51.3 pounds lost! I have lost weight before, but I have never hit 50 pounds. I was proud of what I had done and determined to keep working towards my goals.

And then it happened. The first big derailment.

I’m not talking about a few extra calories. I’m talking about nearly two weeks of veering off the plan. It started the weekend before Thanksgiving with a night out with friends. You know, dinner and drinks. And while it should have ended there, it continued the next day. And the next. And then I thought, “Well, as soon as Thanksgiving is over, I’ll get back on my eating plan and start exercising again.”

It is truly terrifying how quickly old thought patterns can creep back into your life. And so here I am. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, promising myself that tomorrow is a new day and the perfect day to get back on track.

I know mistakes and bad decisions will happen. After all, being healthy will be something I need to work on every day for the rest of my life. The real test is how I handle these mistakes. Will I let myself spiral out of control until I’ve gained back that 50 pounds and then some? Or will I forgive myself, stay with it, and permanently change my life? (And hopefully next time, not wait two weeks to get back on track!)

Stay tuned to find out.

Oh and one more thing…I haven’t weighed myself since I met with Toni, and I don’t think I’m going to for a while. I meet with her again in two weeks, hopefully enough time to undo any damage I did. I need to keep pushing and continue to lose weight, but if I can maintain over the holidays, I will be in good shape. Wish me luck!

Stephanie’s blog, part 8. My goal: Run a 5k. My motivation: Beer tents. (Hey, you wanted honesty, you’re getting honesty.)

By Stephanie   Category: Refreshing Stories , Weight

Stephanie was one of our winners in the Refresh You $5,000 Makeover for You and a Friend Contest. She’s in the midst of the Very Low Calorie Diet Program and doing remarkably well. In fact, she’s doing so well that we changed her photo — the original one just doesn’t cut it anymore. Stephanie’s blog is 99.9% unedited. You’ll read it all, as it really is — the triumphs, the setbacks and the results.

As I said in my last entry, my husband and I started a Couch to 5K program. It is basically a very slow and conservative program that helps you build up to running a 5K. (Do a Google search on C25K and you’ll find dozens of customizable programs. Actually, just click here and I’ll Google it for you in a new window. )

As well as I’ve been doing on my calorie intake, my calorie burning has been off to a slower start. Since I’m only on straight VLCD for another few weeks, I’m starting to panic about my lack of activity. Some of you might say that running a 5K is pretty ambitious. Why not start with a walking program?

So I am going to divulge the real reason. And stay with me, because I promise I have a point.

Summer in Wisconsin, in certain circles, is also known as beer tent season. Now I don’t plan my entire summer around which beer tent is hosted in which town. (Some of you do – you know who you are). But there are two or three that I like to attend with friends.

I was wondering… How can I justify spending an entire evening at a beer tent drinking and eating? Can I just never go again? Because to be completely honest, a beer tent is not the kind of activity that would still be fun if I were drinking soda. Amiright?

However, beer tents are generally tied to a community festival of sorts. And nearly every community festival includes some sort of fun run/walk. I’d feel a lot better about spending the night at a beer tent if I had run a 5K or even 10K earlier in the day.

If I complete this program, I should have no problem running in these events next summer. Eventually, I will meet my goal and I need to find ways to maintain that goal while living my life.

OK, the beer tent thing isn’t the only reason I want to run these events. It would also be a really big accomplishment for me — something I set out to do and finished. Something tangible that my family could watch me do and maybe even be involved in.

I’m already seeing results. After doing the program for one week, I lost 4.8 pounds. I’ve been averaging around 3 pounds per week throughout the entire VLCD, so it’s no mystery what gave me the extra push last week.

Now my grand total weight loss is just under 40 pounds. (I’m almost there!) Two more weeks until I get to eat real food! I’ll keep you posted!

Tricia’s blog: Here’s an excellent tool for keeping track of calories in and out.

By tricia   Category: Refreshing Stories , Weight

Our guest blogger, Tricia, provides a word-for-word account of the Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) program at Dean Clinic, part of the Comprehensive Weight Management program. If you’ve been reading along, you know that’s a fake name, but she’s absolutely a real person.

Last time I promised I’d tell you about a great resource that has helped me a lot. In fact, it’s been absolutely golden.

Ladies and gentlemen, CalorieKing.com.

One of the ways I can gain weight easily is by going into pretty powerful denial about what and how much I am actually eating.  CalorieKing is a really easy (and free) program that helps you track exactly what you are eating – and subtract calories burned exercising – so you can’t get away with denial. It’s really helpful. When I am working on my laptop at night or checking Facebook after dinner, I just jump over to CalorieKing and enter the info. It’s quick and really simple. And it doesn’t let you get away with anything!

So I continue on, in maintenance mode.  Ideally, in maintenance, you continue to lose weight since the calorie levels are still low. Because I have been struggling (and perhaps because I am exercising) I have put on five pounds. Not what I’d like to report, but I am still winning the battle.

At times I wish I was back in the low-calorie part of the program. No decisions to make. No portions sizes to worry about. I loved having all that extra energy to redirect to other parts of my life. But – I’m here. I keep learning. And I have the support of the program staff whenever I need it. If you are considering the program—DO IT! You won’t regret it.

Stay tuned… there’s much more to tell you about my adventure.

To see all of Tricia’s posts and her complete journey through the Very Low Calorie Diet at Dean Clinic’s Comprehensive Weight Management Program, use the search word “Tricia” in the search box in the upper right. To learn more about the program or get started yourself, click here and have a look.

Stephanie’s blog, part 7: Want to see her progress? Prepare to be impressed.

By Stephanie   Category: Refreshing Stories , Weight

Stephanie was one of our winners in the Refresh You $5,000 Makeover for You and a Friend Contest. She’s in the midst of the Very Low Calorie Diet Program. As she and her husband Aaron journey through their makeovers, we’ll share their updates. Their blogs are 99.9% unedited. You’ll read it all, as it really is — the triumphs, the setbacks and the results.

The last few weeks have been fairly uneventful. No crazy parties to attend, no family in town, and no work functions with giant spreads of food and drinks. So to spice up this entry, I’m including a photo. It’s not an after photo, because I’m not finished with this journey. It’s a progress photo. And it shows progress that I am very proud of. Check it out:

To date I have lost 35 pounds on VLCD!! I have gone down 2-3 pants sizes (depending on the manufacturer). I have more energy and I am happier. I still have a lot of ground to cover, but for now, I’m focusing on my accomplishments and these are all very big accomplishments for me.

That being said, I have to admit, I’m getting pretty sick of shakes and bars. I only have three weeks left of nothing but shakes and bars, and then I head on to the dreaded transition. A lot of people in class are very worried about transition and past participants have shared with me how difficult transition is.

Maybe I’m being naïve, but I’m really looking forward to transition. It works by slowly swapping out bars and shakes for real food. In Week One, I will be allowed to eat 4 ounces of lean meat and a cup of vegetables with my reduced number of shakes and bars. Week Two, I’ll add fruit. Week Three, dairy. On so on. The bars and shakes were great for rapid weight loss and some mental reprogramming, but obviously, it isn’t permanent. I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned in class to real life. And I’ve definitely learned a lot.

Toni the Nutritionist, yet again, dropped a little gem on me last week that really hit home. She said calories should be treated like money – more specifically a checkbook. You have a limited number of dollars in your checking account (or calories per day). You can spend them however you’d like. But the best plan is usually to pay your bills first and then use what’s left for fun. When applied to food, you should always “spend” your calories on nutritious food that’s full of the things you need to be healthy. If you have calories left over, you can go ahead and have that cookie, or chips, or whatever. And of course, when you’ve spent all of your calories for the day, you’re done eating.

I suppose it is no surprise to anyone that I’ve never balanced my checkbook in my life and I really just ballpark it when it comes to how much money I have left to spend on things. Clearly, I have let that way of thinking dictate my eating habits as well.

That’s all for now. My husband and I started a Couch to 5K program this morning. In the next entry, I’ll fill you all in on how it’s going and why we chose that program (the reason may surprise you). Stay tuned!

What happened to Tricia? What about her diet? Where has she been? What’s going on?

By tricia   Category: Refreshing Stories , Weight

Our guest blogger, Tricia, provides a word-for-word account of the Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) program at Dean Clinic, part of the Comprehensive Weight Management program. If you’ve been reading along, you know that’s a fake name, but she’s absolutely a real person.

When we last heard from Tricia way back in June, her progress was remarkable. Sure, she had a few setbacks, but the combination of expert support and a new way of thinking about food has continued to show results. As she mentioned, it’s the mental part that triggers the eventual undoing. Let’s see how she fared through the summer.

September 14. It’s been a while! There’s a lot to tell.

Several months ago I officially entered the maintenance stage of my program after losing 42 pounds. As I mentioned in my last post, it proved to be more challenging than I had expected, despite warnings from the staff to approach this next phase soberly. Here’s what I know: having learned about better eating habits in my classes is VERY different from applying those habit in real life. The default, if I am not paying very close attention, is to revert back to the eating habits that I had long ago put on autopilot.

I am still having shakes for breakfast and for lunch I have soup every day — takes the guesswork out of the formula. I have a small bowl on my desk that I try to keep filled with fresh fruit or baby carrots or grape tomatoes. That part of my day is manageable.

It’s night that threatens to undo my success! When I get home I am tired and pretty wound up from work.  I generally cook dinner for my spouse, who eats different things than I do. And it’s while I am grilling him a steak to go with his potato smothered in 1/3 a stick of butter that I start to want to nibble. That’s my undoing. The witching hour. I have to say I struggle with that daily. A few tricks are helping: I sometimes have a shake or a piece of fruit at my office late afternoon to tame the hunger beast. It also helps to drink a large glass of water when I get home.

My desperation tactic when all else fails is to pop in my Invisalign retainer! I can’t eat when I am wearing it. Plus, it’s easier and more socially acceptable than wiring my jaw or donning elbow locks so I can’t get food to my mouth!  One clear and painful lesson is that losing weight with the very low calorie diet holds no guarantee unless you really, really put into action everything the staff tells you while your weight is disappearing. If not, those pounds are standing right outside your front door waiting to get in.

Now to the fun, upbeat news!

One day in June something snapped and I just put on running shoes, walked out the door and started running. Unlike previous attempts long, long ago, I did not run half a block and then walk. I kept running! I ran for about a half mile straight. Not pretty. Not fast. But there I was doing it.  And I have kept it up ever since. I used to joke with my runner friends that running was to be reserved for those rare occasions when you were being chased. Now I get it! It is really tough going when you start a run, but when you get in the zone it becomes almost hypnotic. I went to a runners’ store and had a foot-strike analysis to determine the best running shoe for me and got some quality running shoes. I found MapMyRun online, which helps me determine distance anywhere I may run.

I’m still not fast. The other day a guy walking ahead of me (we’re talking normal walking) kept pace with me while I was running. I will never win a race. But a year ago I would not even have considered running, in part due to my weight. Now I am running my first 5K at the end of this month. Look. Over there… Monkeys are flying! I also did a fair amount of biking and kayaking over the summer. It felt good to do those things minus the weight I had the previous summer.

OK, that’s it for now. Next week I’ll tell you about an incredibly valuable resource I’ve been using to help me along the way. Talk to ya then!

To see all of Tricia’s posts and her complete journey through the Very Low Calorie Diet at Dean Clinic’s Comprehensive Weight Management Program, use the search word “Tricia” in the search box in the upper right. To learn more about the program or get started yourself, click here and have a look.

Stephanie’s blog, part 6: Sure, I’m on the Very Low Calorie Diet, but my family isn’t.

By Stephanie   Category: Refreshing Stories , Weight

Stephanie’s blog, part 5: The breakdown arrives.

By Stephanie   Category: Refreshing Stories , Weight

Stephanie’s blog, part 4: Exercise, losing streaks and Miller Park.

By Stephanie   Category: Refreshing Stories , Weight

Stephanie’s blog, part 3: The first week is done, and the results are in. One word sums it up: Wow.

By Stephanie   Category: Refreshing Stories , Weight

Stephanie was one of our winners in the Refresh You $5,000 Makeover for You and a Friend Contest.  After we met with Stephanie and her friend/husband Aaron (who’s going the refractive eye surgery route) we sheepishly asked them to blog about their experiences and tell their stories. They agreed, and as they journey through their makeovers, we’ll share their updates. Their blogs are 99.9% unedited.