Planned Interruption

A planned interruption is an interruption in the VLCD treatment days. Dr. Simeons referred to it as Unforeseen Interruptions of treatment and here is a copy and paste direct quote of what Dr. Simeons says about it:

Unforeseen Interruptions of Treatment
If an interruption of treatment lasting more than four days is necessary, the patient must increase his diet to at least 800 Calories by adding meat, eggs, cheese, and milk to his diet after the third day, as otherwise he will find himself so hungry and weak that he is unable to go about his usual occupation. If the interval lasts less than two weeks the patient can directly resume injections and the 500-Calorie diet, but if the interruption lasts longer he must again eat normally until he has had his third injection.
When a patient knows beforehand that he will have to travel and be absent for more than four days, it is always better to stop injections three days before he is due to leave so that he can have the three days of strict dieting which are necessary after the last injection at home. This saves him from the almost impossible task of having to arrange the 500 Calorie diet while en route, and he can thus enjoy a much greater dietary freedom from the day of his departure. Interruptions occurring before 20 effective injections have been given are most undesirable, because with less than that number of injections some weight is liable to be regained. After the 20th injection an unavoidable interruption is merely a loss of time.

I have used planned interruptions for sanity sake more so than because of traveling or schedule issues. My first round I did a Planned interruption at about day 25 for 10 days. During those 10 days I ate mainly phase 3 style meaning no sugar/no starch. I did not count calories. I ate plenty of fat, protein, veggies, dairy and fruit. I maintained my weight fairly well. The morning I resumed the VLCD I was 3 pounds above where I was on the last dose before the planned interruption. I lost weight the first few days back on the VLCD/hcg just like I did my first week during the VLCD/hcg at the beginning of the round. The planned interruption did not slow my weight loss. I maintained an average loss of .82 a day over that 57 day round. I did 25 days pre interruption then another 32 days post interruption. Transitioned into phase 3 and stabilized like a rock!

This interruption I have had a few sugars and starches as well. I haven't weighed for a few days and probably won't weigh until after my first VLCD. I expect that I have gained b/c I have REALLY enjoyed my food, plus I have had my TOM! LOL! BUT I'm not concerned about the gain since it will come off very quickly once I resume the VLCD.

I have personally experienced great success with Planned Interruptions. They give me the much needed break from the VLCD foods along with the opportunity to load my body with healthy fats and protein which the VLCD lacks. I am currently sick of eating this way and ready to go back to the VLCD and finishing out my round. I remember feeling the exact same way during the PI I did my first round.

Some of the tips I share with people so they can have successful Planned Interruptions are:

1. Interruptions should not take place before 20 VLCD with hcg. So day 21 VLCD would be the first day you'd be allowed to do an interruption. If you take a planned interruption before then, you may have issues with regaining weight very quickly.

2. You must do the transition from VLCD/hcg just like you do when transitioning into phase 3. You will take your last dose in the morning ONLY, do the VLCD that day plus 2 more days, then start eating phase 3 style.

3. Dr. Simeons did not say that we must avoid sugar and starch during a planned interruption. He does say that we must eat AT LEAST 800 calories. If you avoid sugar and starch you will maintain your weight loss. If you chose to eat it, plan to gain and have to re-lose some weight when you resume the VLCD. I do recommend that you focus on healthy fat, lots of protein, mixing veggies, fresh fruit, and full fat dairy when on a planned interruption.

4. If your planned interruption is LESS than 14 days from the day 1 of eating phase 3 style, meaning not counting the transition days, then you simply chose your start date and continue with the VLCD/hcg. If your planned interruption lasts LONGER than 14 days then you need to "eat normally" for two days WHILE taking the hcg. NOTE: Dr. S says "eat normally" NOT gorge! So, you do NOT load again when you are ready to start the VLCD.

If you are considering doing an off protocol length round. That means you plan to do more than 40 VLCD's with hcg, you may want to consider a planned interruption at some point during your phase 2. I think the VLCD is really tough on the body. The low fat and limited food selections cause our thyroid and adrenals to be stressed along with our bodies practically being protein deficient with only 200 grams of protein a day. That is why I recommend a Planned interruption during longer rounds. It will allow your body to be deeply nourished so that you will maintain better health while you are trying to lose effectively.