At the intensive level (3 meal replacements per day), Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCDs) provide 800 Kcal per day with a low carbohydrate intake, changing your metabolism towards ketosis. This typically occurs by day 3-4 and you typically have reduced hunger and improved energy levels after a few days of hard work. It can greatly complement your choice of medications and it is also a requirement pre-bariatric surgery. If you decide to trial the VLCD programme, we would recommend 2 or 3 meal replacements per day for 6-12 weeks. VLCDs promote rapid weight loss that is safe and nutritionally complete. However, following the VLCD programme, further work needs to be done to help you maintain the weight loss for as long as possible.

There are many VLCD products that are currently available on the market. Optifast is widely used in Australia/New Zealand and can be a good starting point. You may visit their website for more frequently answered questions.