Everything You Need to Know about Your Very Low Calorie Diet

So, you’ve made the leap towards a brand new you. Congratulations! Facing those habits that hold you back takes a lot of courage, but the results are well worth it!

Right now, you might be feeling excited but also a little nervous. That’s completely natural. The more you learn about your new program, the more at ease you will feel about just how easy it is to reach your goals.

At Optislim, we have been helping people lose weight for over two decades, so in our latest blog we share everything you need to know to get started:

1. What is a Very Low Calorie Diet?

First things first, you may be wondering what are these 4 letters VLCD stand for? A VLCD or Very Low Calorie Diet is a low calorie, high protein, total food replacement used for rapid weight loss and the dietary management of obesity.

Losing weight safely and quickly on a Very Low Calorie Diet requires that you substitute your daily food intake with nutritionally complete liquid meals, known as VLCD shakes, containing less than 800 calories per day.

2. How do VLCD shakes work?

VCLD shakes work by restricting calories and carbohydrates consumed and increasing your overall protein intake. This helps you enter a fat-burning stage known as ketosis, where your body starts using fat stores as its primary source of energy.

3. How much weight will I lose?

Providing a greater weight loss than any other forms of calorie restriction, VLCD shakes can help you achieve a weekly weight loss of between 1 – 1.5kg per week. Imagine that?

4. How many shakes should I have per day?

The Optislim range of VLCD shakes is designed to be flexible and evolve with you through the different stages of your weight-loss journey. The three phases to choose from include Rapid Weight Loss where you’ll replace 3 meals a day with shakes, Steady Weight Loss – where you’ll replace 2 meals a day with shakes, or Easy Maintenance – where you’ll replace 1 meal a day with a shake. Read our BMI guide to which phase to start in here.

5. What else can I drink?

While you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to remember to drink plenty of water. We suggest 2 litres per day (over and above your VLCD shakes) to stay hydrated, flush waste and burn fat. Our tip: Try infusing cold or warm water with lemon or lime for a deliciously different twist!

And the big question, “can I have my morning coffee?”. You are most welcome to enjoy coffee or tea. We just recommend limiting your intake to no more than 2 cups a day and reducing your calories by switching to skim milk and artificial sweetener, or simply trying to cut down to half of your usual sugar and milk.

6. How long do I need to follow the program?

Everyone’s weight-loss journey is unique and how long you should stay on the program will come down to your personal goals. If you have a BMI of 30+, we suggest you kick start your weight loss with 3 – 12 weeks on the Rapid Weight Loss program under the guidance of your GP.

If you have completed the Rapid Weight Loss phase and want to continue to see results, or you have a starting BMI of 25 – 29.9, you can follow the Steady Weight Loss routine of 2 meal replacements a day.

Once you have reached the exciting milestone of your goal weight, you can maintain this by following the Easy Maintenance Phase and replacing one meal a day with your favourite Optislim shake.

If you have any further questions head over to our FAQ section or contact our customer care team on customerservice@optipharm.com.au.

Wishing you the very best for your Optislim VLCD shakes journey. We can’t wait to see what you achieve!