Vicki Gunvalson lost 22 lbs in 3 months by eating 500 calories a day: dumb?

The last time we talked about Real Housewives of OC’s Vicki Gunvalson, 54, she was dealing with the fact that her then-boyfriend, Brooks Ayers, was a conman who had faked Non-Hodkin’s Lymphoma by lying and falsifying documents. Vicki has since split with Brooks, she has a new boyfriend, and she’s lost an impressive 22 pounds. She did it in a way which sounds dumb to me though, she claims to have been eating just 500 calories a day and she gave up carbs.

When life gives you changes change everything. I lost 22 pounds. My face has settled in from my surgery from three years ago finally, it’s so embarrassing I looked like a freak. But, you got to go through that. I’m a work in progress.

It was over a three month period and I cut out all alcohol. 500 calories a day. No carbs, I just did lettuce and grapefruit in the morning, celery carrots, just very raw. Nothing really for lunch. I’d just do hot lemon water. At night I’d have salad and protein. It worked.

I was at such a depressed state. As you get older, I’m 54 now, your metabolism changes. I put on like 10 pounds from my 40s to my 50s. I never felt strong… I wanted to feel like Ok, I’m going to be single now, I’ve got to look my best.

[From ET Online]

People can definitely lose weight this way. Starvation mode, as many people believe it, is a myth. Vicki’s body isn’t going to struggle and hold on to that weight unless she’s underweight. What often happens when you try to eat so few calories over time is that you end up being so hungry you binge. Plus it’s hard to get enough nutrients. People on these punishing diets also often go back to the way they were eating before and end up gaining the weight back. At 5’7″ Vicki should be eating around 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day and she would be losing weight sustainably at 1-2 pounds a week. She wanted fast results though. As I always say, I hate it when celebrities tout these extreme diets. Eat less, move more. It’s simple and there’s no “one weird trick” or food group to eliminate. A “diet” is a lifestyle change, not a quick fix.

Getting back to Vicki, she looks great and I’m glad she’s happy again. She recently said she was extremely depressed after all the drama with Brooks at at the lowest point she’s been in her life. Vicki is dating a politician named Steve Lodge, whom she’s said has never seen her show, RHOC. She’s also in some sort of feud with Tamra Judge. This seems to stem from an interview Vicki gave to E! in which she said that Tamra was friends with her one moment and would turn on her the next. That’s part of being on a Real Housewives show though, right?

Look what I found in the Bravo studio. Flashback to season 9 or 8? #rhoc

A photo posted by Vicki Gunvalson (@vickigunvalson) on

We don’t get a lot of photos of Vicki so it’s hard to find a “before” photo, but the photos of her in the purple and red dresses are from the last week, and the photo of her in the black dress is from May, 2015. She looks about the same to me so I would guess she gained weight in between and that’s what she lost.

FFN_OC_Housewives_AFP_061716_52095754

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98 Responses to “Vicki Gunvalson lost 22 lbs in 3 months by eating 500 calories a day: dumb?”

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  1. susie says:

    I don’t know if “dumb”. But def a lie. shouldn’t 500 calories a day for 3 MONTHS loose more than 22 lbs?

    • Mrs. Darcy says:

      No, your metabolism slows down big time when you starve yourself. I lost around the same amount when I was a dumb teenager starving myself over the course of a few months.

    • Ellie says:

      Agreed! 22 lbs in a month, fine. 22lbs in 3 months! That’s just over 7lbs a month. Can’t you lose that eating normally?

      • seriously says:

        I wish it was 5 pounds a decade only. Once I hit 40 I’ve been gaining 3 pounds a year steadily, with no change in the amount I eat or work out.

    • Trillion says:

      Plus bear in mind that carbs are the ONLY FUEL the brain can utilize. It will not convert fats or proteins for energy. Carbs are our system’s #1 choice for energy. My sister lost a lot of weight on the “Ideal Protein” plan so yes, she’s several sizes down, but her mood? YIKES. Carbs, people. We need ’em. Vicki should build some muscle mass to help out her middle-aged metabolism and and triple her daily calorie intake with balanced, high quality food and just CHILL on what the scale says.

      • muffin says:

        Our bodies will absolutely convert fat and protein for energy . Why do you think people lose weight when they eat less? It’s because their bodies use the stored fat for the energy it;s missing . I think everything goes to glucose eventually just carbs get there faster .

      • Bridget says:

        @muffin: because carbs are in everything. The above poster is correct: the brain runs on glucose. And if you cut out all carbs, you’re cutting out a lot of very important nutrients because it means you’ve cut out fruits and veggies. Not to mention, fat is the most inefficient fuel for the body (you actually burn more calories working out when getting your heart rate high enough to burn glucose as fuel) and the body isnt using stored fat for energy. Eat fruits, veggies, and a few whole grains. You’ll feel happier, your brain will feel clearer, and you’ll be more likely to actually sustain any weight loss over the long term.

      • KiddVicious says:

        Actually, ketones are the brain’s preferred food. And the body has the ability to convert fat and protein into the minimal amounts of glucose it needs. The body needs very little glucose to survive, being keto-adapted, meaning burning fat for fuel instead of carbs, is the healthiest you can be. I’ve been living off ketones for about 15 years now, never been healthier. My hormones have balanced out, breezed through menopause with no hot flashes, no problems at all. Cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugars, etc are all perfect. Better than most people 20 years younger.

      • NeNe'sWig says:

        +1 for keto, @KiddVicious

        Carbs are NOT the only fuel the brain can run on.

      • Bridget says:

        It’s funny, because I actually edited out something specifically about that, as there’s just so much minformstion out there about keto diets and it felt a little bit like splitting hairs. Especially since true keto diets are supposed to be medically supervised and are mostly used to help manage drug resistant seizures or to help starve cancer.

      • Susan says:

        I’ve been doing a keto diet for the last month and have never felt better. I’m more alert, feel better emotionally and physically and just have a better mood overall. So I’m not sure how you can say a diet like that isn’t fueling the brain. Plus, I’m basically pain free for the first time in a decade from various joint pains caused by arthritis and lupus. Not to mention 15 pounds lost in that month.

        On the other hand, I’ve done a VLCD (very low calorie diet) that targeted 700 calories a day in the past (under medical supervision) and it was very miserable and I was starving and obsessed with food all the time even if I was losing. So I think Vicki chose the wrong path this time too.

      • KiddVicious says:

        @Bridget: I almost deleted my post because I didn’t know if I wanted to open this can of worms. LOL Using a keto diet for epilepsy control, seizures or cancer definitely does need to be medically supervised. Eating keto for weight loss, weight maintenance, health maintenance doesn’t need to be, but you do need to know what you’re doing. I think the most dangerous part of it is getting electrolytes messed up since the diet does act as a diuretic, but that problem is easy to fix and maintain.

        One of the biggest myths out there is that you don’t eat vegetables on keto. I eat a LOT of vegetables, more than when I wasn’t keto-adapted.

      • Wiffie says:

        Many cultures and tribes have naturally ketogenic diets, Inuit, etc. Very high fat and protein and low carb, and the body adapts. The brain clearly functions on fats and proteins when keto adapted, or these people wouldn’t be alive.

      • MB says:

        I have to say that I am absolutely loving all of the Keto-followers who understand that no you DONT need carbs in your diet in order to stay healthy and alert.
        I have fallen off the bandwagon recently and the increase in sugar has made me lethargic and emotional. Monday morning I am back into a keto lifestyle and cant wait, it really is amazing.

      • Maya says:

        I eat a low carb / high fiber/protein/healthy fat diet and my mood has only improved since my blood sugar is more stable. I am a bit of an endorphin junkie though so that may help. I lost 50 lbs and have kept it off for four years.

    • muffin says:

      She probably measured wrong , if she measured her food at all .

    • Bapril says:

      That’s exactly what I was going to say!

      • Lauren II says:

        This plastic woman is completely off the rails. Her life will always be a mess because her priorities are askew.

    • Reder says:

      Starvation mode actually isn’t a myth they just have the wrong definition of it. People think of you starve yourself metabolism slows down to the point you stop losing weight..NOT TRUE🙄. Your body burns fat carbs and proteins for energy which fuels your metabolism. Fat is always burned first.. Your body will never go into “starvation mode” until it their is absolutely no fat cells left so it starts using essential proteins for energy. This will only happen if you are anorexic.

    • susiecue says:

      That’s what I was thinking. Not worth it!

  2. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    So stupid. The second she starts eating normally, it will all come back. It’s setting yourself up to fail. But I’m not surprised.

    • Kitten says:

      Yeah she’s destroying her metabolism by doing this.

      • Zip says:

        You can’t “destroy” a metabolism, you can just slow it down. All she has to do is something called “reverse dieting” and she’ll be mostly fine.

      • Kitten says:

        Sigh. Sorry I didn’t phrase my comment specifically to your liking.

        “She’s stalling her metabolism by doing this.”
        Better?

      • LondonFields says:

        Zip – I have never heard of reverse dieting. Just Googled the term, it really makes sense. Thanks!

  3. Mop top says:

    Poor Vicki. It has to be exhausting always seeing things about her body/weight she thinks she needs to change. Being on TV really seems to do a number on people, especially women.

  4. Sara says:

    HOW CLEVER MUCH CLEVER YAY FAT IS THE WORST THING EVER SO UNHEALTHY

    Thank god she lost weight! How else could she feel good about herself! 500 calories a day is such a great way!

  5. mytake says:

    I’m sorry, but she is a terrible woman. I have zero sympathy for her.

    • NeNe'sWig says:

      Same here, she is a piece of work. That bs with her old boyfriend Brooks enrages me – there’s no way she wasn’t in on it. And she still won’t apologize for her part in it.

  6. Pugglebum says:

    Not just dumb, but dangerous. Moreover, wholly irresponsible to make that kind of risky behaviour public so that other people might misguidedly follow and put themselves at risk.

    • Esmom says:

      +1

    • Starkiller says:

      Anyone who would seriously model their dietary or lifestyle practices on the “risky behaviour” of a third-tier reality star has only themselves to blame.

    • Kate says:

      +1. So very dangerous not just for her own body but for those women young and not so young who are bombarded by our body obsessed culture telling them fat is the absolute worst thing you can be.

  7. Hegimal says:

    God 500 a day after 12 weeks and that’s all she lost?

    If I was existing on that kind of starvation diet I’d be expecting way better results than that. But she is in her 50’s and I know weight loss is way more sluggish past 40.

    I’m still nostalgic for my early 20’s when you’d eat a few salads and after a week you’d lost 5 pounds 😂😂😂

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      Right? Or I’d give up m&ms for two days and lose weight. What happened? Lol

    • Jane.fr says:

      I have thyroid problems and a naturally very slow metabolism. “made to resist famine” was one doctor description. I cant’ lose weight with a “normal” diet. On medically monitored 700kcal/day diet, it takes around two month to lose 2-3 kg. Since it’s driving me crazy and very un-nice and since every chekup says I’m healthy, I decided that big can be beautiful.

  8. littlemissnaughty says:

    I don’t know why you would have to cut your calories this much to lose 22 lbs in 3 months. That’s not necessary. Did she not work out at all? Because I’ve done some dieting that was definitely on the verge of being irresponsible but I was still eating more than she did (allegedly, I’m not sure I believe her). I was also working out though. I sustained that for something like 4 months with cheat days and I was HUNGRY. All the time. I’m never doing that again (hopefully). It’s just unnecessary.

  9. Extremely funny to me, i just returned from hospital after being declared severe anaemic by family doc. I fainted during breakfast. The day before, i had lost huge amounts of blood during menses. The cause of it all was my stupid desire to be thin even though i love eating. It is a dangerous trend and celebrities should not boast about starving. It messes up with your immunity and that would contribute to your being more upset physically and mentally.

    Real depression is much more complex and sadly underrated . You don’t get suddenly depression because your pet died. Feeling upset and getting depression are two different things, one is normal and the other one is physiological. The imbalance of neurotransmitter dopamine in your brain is what depression is. You don’t get it suddenly. Calling every time you feel sad, depression, is a disservice to the real sufferers.

    • Esmom says:

      I hear you on the depression thing. My son struggles with the worst, blackest depression you can imagine, it took years to pull him out of a very dark place. So when someone says “I’m so depressed” about something trivial, I always think “You have no idea.” But at the same time, I don’t think people mean any harm when they say that. They just don’t know how lucky they really are.

    • Tulip says:

      I’m glad you were able to get help and I wish you all the best on your recovery.

  10. Crumpet says:

    Unless you under the care of a medical doctor, that is dangerous.

    • pinetree13 says:

      Isn’t 500 calories a day just plain ol’ anorexia? Like how is under-eating that drastically for MONTHS not anorexia?!?!

  11. Jen43 says:

    I am following the Fast Diet by Michael Mosley. He advocates eating 500 calories for 2 days a week and eating the amount of calories it would take to maintain your weight the other 5 days. I am trying to lose 8 lbs and have lost 3 pounds in 2 weeks. The 500 calorie days are really, really rough unless I am on the go all day. I can’t see how this woman could have done 500 calories for 3 months. I believe in starvation mode, which is why I think she also only lost 22 pounds.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      You can lose the same amount of weight without torturing yourself. Restricting your calories that much ALWAYS backfires in the end. You have to change the way you eat, permanently, to something you can sustain, and you have to exercise. I have been on every diet known to man and they don’t work long term. Ever.

      • Zip says:

        The Fast Diet, also known as 5:2 diet, is something you can do longterm. I’ve done it for quite a while and it’s actually not as bad as it sounds. When you’re busy a 500 calorie day is fine. There is not more of a calorie restriction than doing a normal one where you just eat less EVERY day. The weekly total of cals would be the same.

    • Kitten says:

      People tend to see fast results with that calorie-shifting approach but I just don’t see how that’s sustainable long-term. Also, it wouldn’t work for me when I’m training because I need fuel.

      • Trillion says:

        Adding weight-bearing exercise to your routine is the bomb. I’m talking heavy weights/kettlebells. You really can change your metabolism this way, not to mention being stronger and looking better. And no, you won’t bulk up unless you’re taking drugs or really really trying hard to add size. I added heavy lifting, shorter but harder workouts and used a calorie tracking app and lost a little over 20lbs in around 4 months and have kept it off (without effort) a year so far. I work out w/ Fitnessblender.com (free). Not tracking calories any more because now I know what a reasonable quantity is from that experience. I’m 50 and am fitter and stronger than I was 30 yrs ago. Crazy.

      • Kitten says:

        You will bulk up if you are eating more, period.

        Many women don’t realize this.

        When they’re complaining about “bulking up”, what they’re missing is that that they are eating more because they’re working out, thus hungrier. You can’t eat a pizza after your workout just because you did an hour and a half at the gym and expect to see results.

        But yeah, that’s the only time I’ve ever “bulked up” from weight-training–when I was consuming more calories from fat and protein. I put on muscle mass but I didn’t look cut.
        If you keep your caloric and fat intake in-check and weight-train on a steady basis, you will get lean and cut. I’m also much more fit now than I was 10-15 years ago. You MUST incrementally increase your weight though, to see the best results with barbells or kettlebells, etc.

        Personally, I’ve seen the most effective results from a strict-but-healthy diet and consistent weight training. Cardio alone doesn’t do sh*t for me.

      • Bridget says:

        Not to mention, women should be doing weight bearing exercise as it helps us maintain bone density – which is hugely important as we get older!!!

      • Grant says:

        A woman lifting weights will never bulk up the way that a man would, simply because her body doesn’t produce testosterone in the amounts that a man’s does. So while she might put on some mass, she’s not going to look like Arnold or Chyna unless she’s also taking performance enhancing drugs.

      • Kitten says:

        @Bridget-EXACTLY. I am always getting on my mom about this!!! She is bound for Osteoporosis between her diet and lack of weight-training. Although, she does some lifting and stuff when they’re working in the garden, she just doesn’t do enough…

      • Jen43 says:

        I don’t think it’s all that difficult to bulk up. Maybe that’s my body type. Last spring/summer at the gym I was doing a lot of lower body exercises with heavier weights because that’s my problem area. The scale didn’t move at all. When September came around and I tried on my jeans, they were all tight in the thigh. I was beyond upset with myself and stopped the lower body weights for a month or so. I think my problem is that I have too much leg fat.

      • Bridget says:

        @jen: fitness is gained in the gym, but weight is lost in the kitchen.

    • AG-UK says:

      @Jen43 I have done the 5:2 for a while ago and I did lose weight I don’t really do it now and still the same but I just think it makes ME more aware of what I eat on the other days. I still go to the gym on those days but I guess whatever works for someone it worked great for me.

    • JS says:

      The 5:2 diet as well as carb cycling is good if you’ve reached a weight loss plateau/weight lost slows down/when you’re trying to lose those last 10-15 pounds.

      Before I got pregnant I did a version of 5:2 for years without really realizing I was doing it and it really isn’t difficult and it certainly isn’t torture. You get used to calorie restriction on certain days and you really don’t feel like it’s a “fast” after a while. Paired with HIIT it’s an incredible way to burn fat (no HIIT on the restriction days though, light exercise only). It doesn’t work for everyone but it worked for me…lost 15 pounds years ago and kept it off.

      • Jen43 says:

        Losing that last bit of weight is my motive. I’ve been at my current weight for so long that I think my body is very comfortable here. I would like to drop no more than 8 pounds and hope this does the trick.

    • Tifygodess24 says:

      Here’s the thing she’s not a large woman to begin with, so In three months she’s not going to lose all that much, even with starving herself (if that’s what she really did). 22 pounds sounds about right, given her age and start weight. There’s a very good chance had she dieted with a higher calorie limit she may have only lost half of that weight. Bodies are fickle like that. I am also a firm believer starvation mode isn’t a thing, the real problem is when you starve yourself like that you can’t get the nutrients your body need and that’s where the problem really starts. That’s why people who do these extreme diets should always be under medical supervision and given supplements to replace what they are not receiving. Not to mention major calorie restrictive diets can also lead to ED and a slew of other emotional and physical problems.

  12. Mrs. Darcy says:

    CB can I ask about the 1200-1500 calorie thing? I know that fits a lot of weight loss advice, but then I also have read things saying that is way too few calories and will still result in slowed metabolism. I was doing MyFitnessPal religiously, 1400 calories a day calculated for 1lb a week loss (yes I’m quite fat right now), exercising regularly for two months (sometimes I ate my exercise calories which I know they say can be bad but mostly I did not, which would have meant my net calories were well under), and no joy whatsoever on the weight loss front. Yes I feel fitter/have gone down a belt loop, so I don’t base everything around the scales.

    But STILL. It leaves me with questions. Am I eating too much or not enough? And if we are only consuming a few hundred calories a day in net calories once we’ve exercised, how is that any healthier than starvation diets? Sorry I know these are questions for a nutritionist but I have tried every diet under the sun, I was really hoping something as straightforward as calorie counting and exercise would give me some results but even that it seems is not an exact science. I cannot function on 1200 calories a day when I am exercising, I would seriously die. And while I don’t approve of Vicki promoting unsustainable and unhealthy weight loss schemes, I know how hard it is to lose weight over 40, it suuuucks!

    • Kitten says:

      It’s healthier because you’re still getting nutrients/vitamins/minerals from the food you eat. No matter how low your net caloric intake is, your body is still absorbing all that stuff.
      And then your body is fueling itself and metabolizing and processing the food you eat through physical exercise. Not fueling your body adequately, not taking in the proper amount of nutrients, carbs, and protein is never healthy and can put you at risk for serious health issues if done on a long-term basis.

    • AntsOffTheScent says:

      Nutrients is the answer to why it is healthier than starvation. Your net intake is low, but your body is still getting the vitamins, minerals, etc. that it needs. If you are exercising, you may not see drastic changes on your scale as you are building muscle tone, but the numbers on your belt loop don’t lie. Your fat cells are shrinking. Yay!
      If you truly aren’t seeing results after months of following the plan and holding yourself accountable, it’s time to see a Dr. and make sure that all your systems are functioning correctly.
      Good luck!

      • Mrs. Darcy says:

        Thanks @Kitten and @AntsOffTheScent,
        I do have a slightly low thyroid thanks to having radiotherapy years ago, and basically since I had chemo/cancer/steroid weight/all that jazz I have been unable to maintain any significant weight loss. I have had my (basic) thyroid and hormone levels checked and they come back fine. I hate to say it but I think I probably am eating too many carbs. I know it’s healthier to eat than to not eat, but when you’re feeling like you are working hard and it’s not working it’s very frustrating.

        So I do no think that weight loss is ever going to be easy for me at this stage, but I need some results to keep me motivated. I live in the U.K. so advanced hormone and nutritional testing is not really something they do here, so mostly I need to figure it out myself. I was just wondering who if anyone had had sustained success with the low calorie lots of exercise thing. My Mom eats like 1200 calories a day and works out and stays slim but gains weight super easily too.

        But then I see all of these weight lifting (I do Pilates and lift light weights, I’m talking about the big weight lifters) protein shake packing women on Instagram talking about thousands of calories a day needed for “fuel” blah blah blah and get confused. It just feels to me like that is the trend, and that is so not what I’ve been taught my whole life. Plus I’m 41 and most of these women are in their 20’s or early 30’s, which yeah, whole other ballgame metabolism wise.

      • Kitten says:

        I run 50-70 miles/week and I weight train 3-4 times/week and I still have to be super-careful about my caloric intake. I don’t know who these women are who can consume thousands of calories a day but I assume they must be professional weight-lifters or something….if I ate that much, I’d be huge.

        The carb thing is frustrating, Mrs Darcy. I gained 4 lbs over the past months just from overdoing it on carbs (cook-outs, beer during the week, and too much popcorn before bed) and I’m in the process of dropping it. No popcorn and a beer for dinner lol and only complex carbs after I get home from work. It’s amazing how quickly I can “lean up” from just messing around with my carb intake. My exercise routine is still the same.

        Keep at it though! I know it’s hard–it gets harder for me every year too–but you sound like you have a really good handle on things.

    • Bridget says:

      If you’re really stuck, see a professional. Not an online coach of some sort, but see a Registered Dietacian. Aside from that, make sure you’re logging things in accurately. And you’re correct – 1200 is unsustainable for most folks, especially if they’re physically active!

    • littlemissnaughty says:

      If you’ve gone down in size, you’ve lost fat. It’s that simple. But if you’re fixated on the scale, you really need to see a doctor/nutritionist and have them look at your diet and excercise plan. Because it’s also extemely important what you eat to get those calories. And it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach either. You might also just need more patience. Which is something I don’t have to I can’t help you there. 😉

    • Sarah says:

      @Mrs Darcy – the role of exercise in weight loss has been overstated, I’ve heard. 1400 a day seems fine for weight loss purposes.

      I did about 6 months of approximately 1200 (some days over that, I never deprived myself) and I lost nearly 10kg but the first several months were very slow and I didn’t notice much coming off on the scales but my measurements were shrinking

      • Mrs. Darcy says:

        Thanks @Sarah , I do think exercise is important for me as if nothing else it does motivate me to eat healthier. It’s good to hear that you got there after a slow start, too, thanks. It feels like everyone looks upon it as an exact science when not everyone has the same metabolism, so we compare ourselves to people who do lose weight more easily and get discouraged (and I speak as someone who was a healthy weight most of my life before I gained weight with chemo. I totally need to write a book called “Cancer makes you fat” lol).

        @Kitten That is amazing, I am a slug compared to that! You must be so fit, regardless of a few pounds on the scale. I definitely could up my exercise game but I’ve only just started again in the past few months aside from walking and pilates. Cardio does make me feel better, I just have to do more of it.

  13. Hannah says:

    She could have lost that or more eating well/food optimising.

    I lost 2 stone ( 28 pounds) in two months food optimising – half plate veg, quarter carb and quarter protein and walking an hour a day. It never came back.

    • tracking says:

      Did you go back to a normal diet, Hannah, or did you stick with this? I know some very weight conscious people for whom this is basically their normal diet. Seems like a healthy way to do it.

      • Bridget says:

        That should be a normal diet, FYI.

      • Hannah says:

        Pretty much. I maintain that way. Only difference in my diet now is I would eat more than a quarter portion carbs. I do half veg, a very filling portion of pasta/rice and protein. And I eat whatever on Saturdays.

    • Trillion says:

      Awesome!

    • JenniferJustice says:

      tha’s only 3.5 pounds lost per week is great! Glad you’ve kept it up. Once the metabolism is changed, the walking almost makes it easy.

  14. Lucy2 says:

    That sounds unhealthy and dangerous. I’ve never seen anyone qualified suggest less than 1200 cal per day. I have to think, if she’s being truthful, she probably did some damage to herself.

    • Susan says:

      That’s not exactly true. Most medically supervised diets done in clinics, either in patient or out patient, are VLCDs, or “very low calorie diets”. They are for the obese though and usually target 700-800 calories for women, a little more for men. But they emphasize getting appropriate nutrients and protein from meal replacement shakes usually, not living on lettuce and celery like Vicki is claiming. And they test your blood weekly and do regular cardiac work ups. But they are still very low calorie and have high effectiveness for initial. weight loss.

  15. Ivy says:

    Tl;dr the comments but I’m guessing a lot of people are saying she’s unhealthy and that diet is dangerous.
    I lost 60 pounds in 4 months using the ketogenic diet which I believe she did, and it’s what most celebrities do to lose weight fast (I.e. Kim Kardashian). 800 calories of protein a day and 300 of vegetables and 100 of healthy fats was my daily intake. Weight loss works differently on every body. You need to take a bunch of supplements with this diet, but I’m willing to bet hers was physician supervised like mine, because it’s very expensive. Look up MediClinic. Odds are she’s completely healthy and the hardest part of weight loss isn’t losing it, it’s keeping it off.

    • NeNe'sWig says:

      I doubt she followed a ketogenic diet – that meal plan she briefly described makes no mention of any fats, and having protein only at dinner time? I’d be starving.

      Congrats on your weight loss, Ivy! 🙂

    • Bridget says:

      Awesome you lost weight, but that’s not a keto diet. Keto is 60% fats, 20% protein, 20% carbs. The diet involves an almost absurd amount of butter and heavy cream but actually not a ton of protein as the body synthesizes it as glucose if there’s an excess – which would keep someone from going into ketosis.

    • Susan says:

      I’m a big fan of ketogenic diet but your diet doesn’t sound remotely ketogenic. Ketogenic diets are *high* fat, *moderate* protein, low carb diets. Yours was excessively high protein, and low fat. It sounds more like a successful Atkins or clean eating diet rather than ketogenic.

      Congrats on your success though.

  16. memei'mfirst says:

    My guess is that other celebs also eat tiny amounts to maintain such low weights. She’s just being honest.

    • JenniferJustice says:

      She probably got the idea from Tamra Barney.

      • Grant says:

        Tamra Barney is extremely fit and has a muscular physique that would be impossible to maintain on 500 calories a day. So I doubt that she got it from Tamra.

  17. krtmom says:

    She’s only 54?

  18. Isa says:

    I wish that eat less, move more was working for me. Although h will say that getting rid of processed carbs has really helped my stomach.
    It sounds like she was on a prescription weight loss pill. Those things make eating 500 calories a chore from what I’ve heard.

  19. QQ says:

    her Face (surgeries?) is sooooo Strange, is like weird eyes, weird chin, crazy lips, a vague uncanny valley made of Claymation

  20. Giddy says:

    Is anyone surprised that the man she is dating has never seen the show? If he ever does he might run for the hills! On the other hand, she said he’s a politician. He might be enjoying the greater exposure he’s getting because of being with her.

  21. MAnthony says:

    I haven’t watched the show in a long time, but Vicki’s personality always was very type-A! She takes things to the extreme. Work was her obsession for a long time. I’m guessing she’s channeled her drive into dieting. Hopefully she’ll be okay, but she eventually will drive herself crazy

  22. JenniferJustice says:

    She looks the same to me, so IMO she starved herself for nothing.

  23. sauvage says:

    Something that drives me nuts about the English language is the fact that the word “diet” may mean two very different things: NUTRITION, as in: the food you eat, and, well, DIET, eating less, or differently, than you normally do, short-term, in an attempt to lose weight. I find it dangerous that those meanings are used synonymously. “Oh, so what does your diet contain?”, “Well, I’m on a diet, so…” It’s like going on a diet is the normal way of eating, linguistically. IT’S NOT!

    • Helena (the original) says:

      Yeah, “diet” in my mother tongue simply means the food you eat, nothing to do with losing weight. Iam pretty sure it used to be this way in English (brit) too.

    • mary s says:

      “Diet” is simply a multiple meaning word. Kind of like the word “run”. Run out of sugar, a run on the bank, a run in a stocking, giving somebody the run-around, the path runs through the valley, I run 3 miles…

      • sauvage says:

        I’m not sure that’s compareable. A verb that may also be a noun and needs different affixes in order to change meaning is different, in my mind, from a single noun having two very distinct meanings. That’s just me, though.

      • Helena (the original) says:

        Obviously not the same, but whatever.

  24. shewolf says:

    You dont look your best by losing weight. You can weigh whatever you want but if you dont work out you’ll look like melted wax.

    • mary s says:

      I think sometimes it’s okay to first focus on weight, then focus on toning and strength. If you hit a plateau, you can kick your weight loss into gear by adding cardio workouts.

  25. Frosty says:

    HCG Diet.

  26. Marianne says:

    I once knew someone who would only eat cucumbers (well I think she did eat other stuff when she got home) but for like a 905 work day all she would eat were cucumbers. Im surprised she never passed out.

  27. Dirty Martini says:

    I also question the 22 pounds in 3 months only eating 500 calories a day. Earlier this year, I went through a very rocky 2 months on a personal level. For about 4-6 weeks, I completely lost my appetite and was probably averaging about the same number of calories for several days a week. I dropped about 18 pounds in that timeframe. I am a few years older than her, so even with a slower metabolism due to age and starvation diet……I dropped much more, much more quickly on a per week basis. (I have to say — loss of appetite and depression is a tough way to lose weight, but I wasn’t sorry to see it go!)

    ALl good now personally–and half the weight came back pretty quick too. Trying to maintain a good middle ground….

    PS–she looks rough (doesn’t she always?) even if she has lost weight and truthfully I can’t tell that she has.