Has anyone heard about the Intermittent Diet? I'm thinking of giving it a go

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www.genesisuk.org/media-centre/articles/The%20Intermittent%20diet%20.html

It's not specifically for women who want to prevent breast cancer although who doesn't? The idea was to look at alternative ways of dieting to the standard calorie counting/Mediterranean diet as people find it hard and it's important for cancer prevention to keep your BMI in the heathly range.

I'm thinking of giving it a go as a part of my inevitable New Years loose weight resolution and it would be great to hear of anyone else who's done it or would like to give it a try.

My plan is to start a general 'good' diet tomorrow, throw out the booze and chocs and once the dc's are back to school at the end of the week start the intermittent diet.

I'm back! Having put back the 2lbs I lost. Hrmph! But not surprising really. I'm struggling to stick to it. I know, it's pathetic isn't it...

Anyway, I've decided that tomorrow and Friday will be my vlc days this week and am going to try to plan accordingly and to be more organised.

You're all doing so well - it's inspiring - keep it up.

x

Interesting, Os, think you're right.We've forgotten how to be hungry. I've found so much of mine is psychological yet I'm getting stronger - fairly easiliy turned down takeaway option last night as couldn't face "failing" a VLCD (and actually wasn't that hungry).

It's our 5th week for some of us, can't believe it! Fell into this and so far am hooked!

HI Maisie, i think we all agreed that this is a long-term downward trend of slight loss per week (with quite a lot of yo-yoing) so keep at it and don't worry!

So true about the 'fear of hunger' I used to eat when i wasn't really hungry so that I wouldn't be hungry at a later point in the day or as soon as I felt the tiniest hunger twinge I'd go and get something to eat. It seems somewhat crazy now. I now know that my head won't fall off if I don't eat for 6 hours or something.

What do you mean by 'sticking to it' Maisie? Do you mean the vlc days or the other days?

Oh, I do love the day after a VLC day, where your stomach feels all lovely and flat! Last night I had bacon, poached egg and tomatoes, it wal delicious, and about 200 calories! Felt like I was cheating as I was having bacon, but I'm just no-carbing and low calories on my VLC days, so don't know why I felt like that.

I have discovered chocolate mini milks, they are my saviour at 60 calories each when the cravings hit!

Am on 8th VLC day, I seem to have lost about 5lbs all in, but my weight does seem to yoyo about a bit. DH has lost loads (doesnt weight himself - but is looking very trim).
I had a bad week last week as I had a cold and so really needed comfort food but I am generaly finding it quite easy to do - lots of diet coke is helping though.
We are also finding that we are spending less at the supermarket, although the quest for fruit and veg that doesnt go off is ruleing our lives!

am doing VLCD today, anyone else? just had banana, looking forward to my spinach and egg. feeling smug!

smugness dangerous side-effect . it's SO nice not worrying on other days but reining it in so heroically twice a week and the weight loss!

Me again! Just had a plain omlette with a splash of soy sauce, v tasty. dh is unexpectedly working from home which is a shame as we can't go out for lunch as we normally would. I considered putting the vlc day off til tomorrow but I can't forgo wine on a Friday night!

hello! are you doing mon/thurs combo too then, Prof? seems to work for me - like you i don't want to bugger up my friday and quite like the 3 day spacing also.

I am now expat. I was doing Monday and Wednesday but I changed it because I'm usually busy on Thursdays so thought the busyness would keep my mind occupied and off the food! I also think having 2 normal days between the vlc days will be easier.

Mon/Thurs here too, it seems to flow better on the normal days if the VLC days are spread out like this.
It was lovely to get them out of the way Mon/Tues but by the end of the week I'd be back to my old bad eating habits instead of the lovely new 'small portions and not liking the taste of crap food' eating regime.

Only another couple of hours till bedtime then that's the hard bit done for another week [smug but hungry]

well done us all! Awake early again, poss due to hunger, must do the banana before bed thing rather than grabbing it for breakfast on a VLCD. Nice feeling to have it out the way for another week, 10 days over 5 weeks, quite pleased! [repeat smug emoticon]

Ugh - yesterday was hideous. I was fine until about 9pm and started to get really hungry. I didn't give in to it (wasn't going to ruin a whole vlc day so close to the finish post!) but I went to bed with a rumbly tum and feeling quite miserable. Slept badly and woke up about 5.30am, eventually got up at 6am and snarfed a bacon butty.

Can't wait to weigh myself this week to (hopefully) get a bit more motivation. I used to weigh on a Friday but I'm leaving it til Sunday as I don't want to weigh myself just after a vlc day, think Sunday will give a truer picture.

Ah well done for not caving Yaffle! Is it worth saving a glass of milk to have warm before bedtime to take the edge off?

I'm finding I'm eating less on my VLC days than even the basic 1 fruit/4 veg/2pts milk, but mainly through not liking veg all that much and drinking waaaay too much coffee.
Thursday I ate 1/2 carrot, 1/2 tin tomatoes, 1 salty drink only and about 3 jugs of filter coffee, less VLC, more eating disorder

Weigh-in this morning was lower than it's been for ages, I just love the fact I'm reversing that depressing upward trend that's seen me go from OK-ish to OMG in the last couple of years, and still actually having a life that doesn't revolve around The Diet :o

that's great, Zog!

ate SO much yesterday, was ravenous and ended having loads of lovely bread (which i normally avoid anyway), "healthy" crisps and chocolate..not sure whether undoes all the good work of VLCD or whether metabolism gets so confused that it registers less. will find out

Previously I've been fine Zog, I had a cup of milky tea about 8pm which worked for a bit. I assume it's a bit more difficult this week because I haven't had any big meals out like in previous weeks.

Well done on the weight loss Zog - I know how you feel about the diet. The only reason I could not cave in on Thursday was knowing it was only til breakfast and also that it's working and the weight's finally coming off.

Expat - I'm in the same place I think. Yesterday I initially tried to stick to my usual 1,700 calories but was soooo hungry I had to eat more. Still healthy, I didn't pig out but I can't shake the feeling that I 'cheated' even though the sensible side of me knows I have to re-fuel myself properly on normal days.

If I continue to feel the same I might have to up the calories on my normal days.

hi Os, how are you? Had a bit of a stressful week and ended up eating my weight in crisps/houmous/choc at the w/e..felt so ridiculously hungry but mainly was due to comfort eating i guess ..am fearing this diet could lead to eating disorder at this rate, sincerely hope not though!

Mainly works for me, just when i get stressed/don't sleep/have PMT seem to feel excessively greedy hungry Have lost weight overall but would have put some back on past couple of days. I'm fairly slim anyway but want finally to rid myself of some hidden flabby bits which i feel i shouldn't have after all the exercise i had been doing ..

anyway, no VLDC for me today as out tonight and don't fancy socialising over water and a banana again! Plan to do tomorrow and thurs but otherwise will stick to mon/thurs pattern. How's everyone else?

Weighed in this morning and lost another 2lbs :-) total 11lbs now.
Had a fairly heavy weekend, even though I want to eat better I'm still stuck in some patterns of bad eating behaviour that come out when I let my guard down.

VLC day today which I'm feeling a bit bleurgh about but sure it'll be ok once I'm up and about.

Weighed myself this morning and had gained 4lbs! However, I think that's because I've got the period from hell and am also rather constipated (sorry for tmi!) so I'm disregarding it and will weigh myself later in the week and hope for better news.

Was going to do vlc day today but just realised there's lunch provided at the conference I'm going to, so will do it tomorrow and Thursday instead.

Prof, don't know if you remember but i was posting the exact same thing a couple of weeks ago! think in my case it was water retention mainly. lost it (and more) as soon as period over so think you're right to wait. don't beat yourself up, as long as the trend is downward week by week (so I try to tell myself!)