Two weeks in

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posted by Flick
on 27 Nov 2017 at 20:53

Two weeks and 4.2kg down, I am so grateful (and just a little bit stunned) that I found Mosley’s book and this wonderful forum and STARTED.

This was me two weeks ago –

60 and happily retired from a demanding career, proud mother of two wonderful daughters, love to cook, bushwalk and scuba dive. So why BSD? Over the last10 years my weight has crept up and up, peaking at 82 kilos 5 years ago (my healthy weight range is between 55 and 67kg). Since then two attempts to lose weight, low carb high protein and more recently a simple calorie counting, resulted in some weight loss, but it was erratic and very hard won.

So why BSD now? Because, like everyone in this forum, I am smart. I am carrying all this weight in my middle (I look like a barrel with legs) and information on how dangerous this is, is everywhere. (fatty liver and dementia anyone?). Annual health check last year was fine, fasting blood sugar was 4.9 and that is how I want it to stay, slightly elevated triglycerides this eating style should address, oh and I would also like to enjoy yoga without my tummy getting in the way.

Progress so far – starting weight 78.3kg BMI 28.7 current 74.1kg. I find two meals a day is working best for me so have settled into a 16/8 pattern. After trawling through this forum I pay attention to drinking loads of water, keep track of carbs (mostly around 20), no alcohol (sob) and no snacking. I am stunned that I am not hungry.

My goal is 60kg (despite this terrific start 60kg seems impossible) and maintain a low carb, Mediterranean way of eating into the future. Just now though I’m having a bit of trouble keeping protein at a moderate level.

So good luck to everyone who started in November, we laugh in the face of Christmas feasting!
posted by alibalibee
on 27 Nov 2017 at 22:10

Hi Flick, just wanted to say that I’m in a similar place to you (albeit a slightly heavier place!) – started 10 days ago, have lost around 4 kg so far, and am wondering why I haven’t done this before. My initial goal is to lose 20 kg, and then see how I feel. Like you I really can’t believe that I’m not hungry and keep thinking that I must have overeaten, even though I’m logging every single thing that I eat, down to the two hazelnuts that I had this afternoon.

I like that you say we’re all smart – we are! And we’re doing the right thing.

Look forward to hearing how you get on.

Ali
posted by Flick
on 28 Nov 2017 at 00:28

Hi Alibalibee, that is a fantastic start! Well done you. I’m so pleased to connect with someone else starting out, so I’ll be following your progress as well. I’m planning to join the December challenge. Just need to formulate reasonable goals for the month. I’m expecting my rate of loss will slow down and achieving my target weight will likely take at least two rounds of BSD, but I don’t want to set the bar too low.

I’m also doggedly logging everything – a great tool for managing calorie and macronutrient intake, having a record to help identify any patterns if things start to go off track will be an added benefit. I’ve already had a minor 3 day stall – managed not to comletely flip out thanks to the plateau threads here – but it was a challenge.

So not hungry, lovely new consistent level of energy throughout the day and I swear I am sleeping more soundly.

What’s not to love? Hmmmm … maybe saying a sad goodbye to risotto.
posted by Esnecca
on 28 Nov 2017 at 00:57

I went to a steakhouse a few weeks ago and they mistakenly brought me someone else’s order which had a big ol’ side of risotto, mushroom it looked like. It used to be one of my favorite dishes. I told the server indignantly that this wasn’t my order and to remove it from my sight immediately. I found it genuinely offensive. When I got over the indignation, I was so happy at how repulsed I’d been. I love that I’m still encountering these benchmarks of how much my body, tastes and foods I am drawn to have changed.

It won’t be sad for long, Flick. Your accomplishments will build up and they’ll be the source of joy in your life, not some sugary poison disguised as good food. Well done! And a big round of applause and pompom shaking for you too, alibalibee!
posted by Flick
on 28 Nov 2017 at 02:05

Esnecca, thanks for the encouragement, I am looking forward to that day. Right now, even though I’m not hungry and am eating delicious meals and beginning to taste the sweetness in some vegetables and lovely mineral flavors of others, occasionally through the day a dish or an ingredient that will now be banned forever pops into my head, and I sigh. I don’t feel at risk of wavering (yet) but it’s not unlike when our beloved, aged, family cat died! Go figure …
posted by Esnecca
on 28 Nov 2017 at 02:24

It makes sense to me that you would experience a mourning period for foods that have been sources of pleasure for many years. I expected to be mired in it, but it didn’t turn out that way. It’s like the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. He could have brought her out of the darkness of Hades back to light and life if he’d just keep looking forward. Instead he glanced back and she was stuck in the underworld for eternity. Squash backwards-looking thoughts as soon as they creep up and keep your eyes on the prize. What’s in front of you is so much better than what’s behind you.
posted by Flick
on 28 Nov 2017 at 03:39

😀
posted by alibalibee
on 28 Nov 2017 at 21:17

I think my first week was spent in mourning for toast!

I’ve stopped weighing myself daily because I was getting a bit too obsessive – I didn’t lose anything one day and was distraught! And having read the plateau threads on here I know that I need to just keep going.

It’s funny how quickly you get used to this way of eating: I was running late for a meeting and didn’t have a chance to get something proper for lunch, but there were sandwiches there so I took a couple. I considered eating them cos I was really hungry, but couldn’t face it and just ate the filling out of them instead and had a cup of herbal tea, and it was OK. Really appreciated my dinner though! I never, ever thought I could control my eating like this.

And Esnecca – I appreciate your pompoms – thank you!
posted by Flick
on 29 Nov 2017 at 11:00

Alibalibee – that is so impressive to make such a sensible choice when under pressure and with very few options to hand. Well done you. I haven’t been challenged yet and hope I have your presence of mind when I am.

The threads here are incredibly useful. Having avoided a meltdown over a three day stagnate on the scale, I woke on the fourth to measure a .5kg loss. Totally consistent with the shared experiences here so I’m hoping to find I have a more measured reaction when the scale stalls again, which of course it will.

Cheers for now,
posted by alibalibee
on 29 Nov 2017 at 12:12

Same here Flick – stagnating for a few days, weighed myself today and am 0.6kg down. This is day fourteen for me and I’ve lost 4.8kg and 5 centimetres off my waist – I’m down to the next notch on my belt, it’s never been used before!
posted by Flick
on 30 Nov 2017 at 04:59

Whacko Alibalibee, 👏🏻👏🏻🌟🌟🌟 what fantastic results and a great reward for all that patient weighing and logging, not to mention eating of sandwich fillings. 5 centimetres off the waist is a wonderful start to long term health. I’m getting increasingly frustrated finding my round middle – it gets in the way! No change to my waist and hip measurements yet. I expect I’ll look like a barrel with stick legs before this body of mine gives in and gives up the flab.

I’m day 2 into another stall – 74.1 for the last three mornings. Not panicking though. Focusing on how well I feel and trusting that the scales will move sometime soon.

I say, “74.1, we’ve been together for a while now, and it’s been …err… great, but it’s over, I need to move on.”.
posted by Esnecca
on 30 Nov 2017 at 05:22

I didn’t lose an inch from my waist for ages. I had to lose something like 30 pounds before that measurement budged. I started with a longer way to go, granted, but that asteroid belt of belly fat hung on far more persistently than my giant ass. Still, it gave up in the end. It’s 30 inches now. It was 57 when I started. Eyes on the prize!
posted by Flick
on 30 Nov 2017 at 05:40

That is so impressive Esnecca! And so encouraging to be able to know, for sure, that the BSD works. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, but that the commitment will pay off.

I pretty sure I’m in for a war of attrition with my asteroid belt.
posted by FlyZaknAmiera
on 30 Nov 2017 at 10:04

R1W2D4 and I’ve lost 4 1/2 lbs since I started (was trying lchf for 12 weeks before that and lost around half a stone there, but didn’t like the high fat part) I’m happy with how it’s going and enjoying my meals – can’t want for more than that. I’m not diabetic or pre diabetic, so only recording weight/ measurement changes. It will work and get me into the normal BMI range I’m sure
posted by Esnecca
on 30 Nov 2017 at 10:05

It’s been there for a while so it has established itself firmly in its defensive posture. You’ll chip away at its perimeter every day a little more until you break through. You just might have to imagine it happening for a while before you can actually see it. Asteroid belts weren’t built in a day and they don’t Jericho into dust in one either, but they do tumble down in the end.

You and ali are doing great. You will both win your epic battles for the fate of your galaxies. 😀
posted by Theodora
on 30 Nov 2017 at 11:44

Essie, that is sooo impressive – you’ve always been my BSD hero.

If it’s any consolation, Flick, it took weeks and weeks before I saw any reduction in my waist measurement too, although the pounds were dropping nicely. Then suddenly almost 2″ gone. After that it reduced steadily from a start of 38″ to where it is now, 26″. I lost 50 lbs altogether, though I only started out to lose 28lbs – 2st seemed like a nice round figure and it never in a million years occurred to me that I’d be able to not only lose more but, more importantly, keep it off. But 7 months in maintenance and going well. So you can do this, it really works, just keep on keeping on.

By the way, by way of encouragement, near the end of week two I hit a plateau of 10 whole days, and a similar length one a few weeks later. On both occasions the wonderful whoosh fairy then paid me a visit, so I still managed to lose all my excess weight in 17 / 18 weeks.

BTW Loving the conversation you’re having with the 74.1 – “it’s not you, it’s me” kind of brush off. I’m sure it’ll take the hint, if not, just get nasty, and it’ll skedaddle for sure😉
posted by marie123
on 30 Nov 2017 at 13:33

Hi All,

Have I just entered an alternative universe – asteroid belts, conversations with kilograms, R1W2D4 (Round 1, Week 2, Day 4 ?), Orpheus and Eurydice – love it!

Alibalibee – 4.8 kg and 5 centimetres off your waist is great going. I have the same problem as you, Flick. I’ve lost a lot of weight but still have a fair bit of fat round my waist. It is heartening to hear it’s often the last weight to shift.
Funnily enough I was thinking the other day about starting to have a conversation with my visceral fat, or my overlarge tummy, gently encouraging them to leave – well, I’m definitely going to start now!.

By the way, my weight loss has happened just as Theodora describes, although my plateaus can be even longer. Frustrating, but great when you get that sudden weight loss. Hope things continue to go well.

Now, back to earth…..

Marie x
posted by Flick
on 30 Nov 2017 at 22:58

Hello all, So happy to report that 74.1got the message and has slunk off – 73.6 and absolutely thrilled.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, they are encouraging and calming. I can be a bit Type A and become frustrated, self critical and then despondent if I’m not achieving goals I have set for myself. It is so helpful to discover how complex our bodies are (I had assumed the flab would reduce evenly) and how powerful patience and self care is on this important lifestyle change. I have to work with a body that seems to be very efficient at storage, so be it.

I spent time yesterday developing a list of measurements and non-scale victories that might help during future stalls. The waist to hip ratio calculator I used (90cm/108cm = .82) basically concluded, ‘You are a big risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke! Print these results and proceed directly to your GP.’ Good motivation.

Hi FlyZacnAmiera, great result for two and half weeks! I am also very confident this way of eating will work. Stay in touch. Today I’m also R1W2D4.

Well I’m off to sort out some of the smaller size clothes I have. After two dieting attempts over the past 5 years I have a range of sizes. Maybe need to look at my shoe collection as well. I swear the weight loss to date is all coming from my feet!
posted by alibalibee
on 2 Dec 2017 at 14:11

Well done on the whoosh Flick – it’s relief isn’t it? I was similarly stuck on 91.4 for a couple of days,but am happy the scales this morning said 90.9. And that was after eating much more yesterday, but also drinking much more water.

I’m going out for dinner later to an amazing sounding mediterranean restaurant where it looks as if around two thirds of the dishes are really low carb. Can’t wait. I’m not calorie counting tonight, so was delighted to find out that prosecco has only one gramme of carbs per glass. I’ll have to make sure I limit myself to a couple of glasses though, don’t want to risk the drunken munchies.

Also can’t wait to try on some of the clothes that have been pushed to the back of my wardrobe because they’ve been a bit too tight. I put on a coat yesterday that I haven’t had on for a few weeks, and whereas before it was slightly snug around my belly, it is now positively roomy, even with the several layers I was also wearing.
posted by Luvtcook
on 2 Dec 2017 at 16:40

Congrats to Alibalibee. After the struggles for the first week, your perserverance has certainly won out. Well done you.

Flick, found this in the web for you….rated well. Not an everyday thing….but to have once in a while to fill that void, it should work.

note to all: what ever you are “missing”, just Google it as low carb XXX (fill in the blank) and somebody probably has come up with a pretty good low carb sub for you. Lots of good low carb breads out there that make GREAT toast (in my opinion many toast better that they are as just plain bread, but there are a couple of exceptions).

LOW CARB MUSHROOM CAULIFLOWER RISOTTO

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock
9 oz. mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
1 shallot
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¾ cup white wine
¾ cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese
4 oz. butter
salt and pepper
fresh thyme

Instructions

Bring the stock to a boil and set aside.
Chop the mushrooms and fry in butter until golden.
Finely chop shallot and garlic and add to the mushrooms.
Coarsely grate cauliflower and add to the pan.
Add half the wine and all of the stock.
Let simmer uncovered until the liquid starts to boil down. Pour in the remaining wine. Add the cream, and simmer until the cauliflower is soft and most of the liquid has disappeared.
Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Add some variety! Chopped asparagus makes a lovely addition to risotto, as do thin slices of leek. Feeling particularly decadent? Try tossing some cooked, diced bacon or pancetta into the mix.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/low-carb-mushroom-cauliflower-risotto
posted by Flick
on 3 Dec 2017 at 03:13

Wow Alibalibee that was some whoosh you had! Mine was more modest but very welcome. I have been the same weight these last two mornings again so it is beginning to feel like a pattern has set in. None of the smaller sizes fit yet but they are neatly staked in order of probability, ready to go. I read somewhere in the forum of people missing the window to wear some outfits as the weight kept dropping off, hilarious dilemma to encounter.

Hope you’ve enjoyed dinner out.

Tomorrow weigh in for me will mark the end of week 3. The time has flown.

Luvtcook – thank you so much for the recipe. I’ll give it a whirl mid week, minus the wine as I’ve committed to tee total for the eight weeks. Perhaps a squeeze of lemon at the 3nd.

I wrote a post in the December challenge thread to let you and Esnecca know that it did eat a dozen oyster with Esnecca’s delicious dressing last Thursday. A glass of iced mineral water with lime and a simple side salad of mixed greens with a few shavings of Parmesan – I felt like a million dollars! Can’t thank you enough it was love boost. Sadly that seems to have post disappeared.
posted by alibalibee
on 3 Dec 2017 at 12:58

Luvtcook, that recipe looks delicious!

My meal out last night was delicious, and managed not to drink too much! Did succumb to a few mouthfuls of dessert though, and felt like I’d had a complete sugar overload and got a mild headache from it. Before I would have had my own pudding and then eaten everyone else’s left overs! But I haven’t put any weight on, which I’m pleased about.

Hope you’re all having/had a lovely Sunday, I’m having an extremely lazy day and refuse to feel guilty 😁
posted by Luvtcook
on 3 Dec 2017 at 14:01

Flick and Alibalibee: Esnecca is right (as usual)….patience thru the ups and downs. Today is my “weigh day” and officially 20lbs down in 6 weeks (plus my prior loss of 13.5 lbs from last year), so am very happy.

I do weigh myself daily just to calm myself down and learn not to freak out when the weight goes up when I know there is no reason for it. My weight has been jumping up and down all over the place. Two weeks ago I was really bummed that I was not seeing a loss even after a fast of a couple of days on top of the steady 800 cal/ 20g carb on all other days. This week was payback time….”lost” 5 lbs this week for the “official weigh day”…..but I know that 3 lbs of that was my overdue loss that was owed me and had just not shown up on the scales. Go figure.

It is just nuts has weight loss happens. For me the dual lists that I keep….daily loss vs weekly loss….helps me see that crazy insignificant ups and downs are to be expected….and to also focus on a longer term weekly target where it all evens out a bit better.

Note to Flick: the first half wine in the Faux Risotto that is added early will burn off….you are wise to skip the second glug as it will hang on. I use Dry Vermouth (per the recommendation of Julia Child) for cooking as it keeps forever and is always handy with no need to open a new bottle when a bit is needed for a recipe. And its safe to have around as I have no desire to actually drink the stuff. Great for making a pan sauce from the drippings left after sauteeing a chop etc. Add 2 Tbs to the pan after you take the cooked meat out….cook down by half, throw in 1 tsp of butter and swirl, and pour over your chop, filet, whatever. The alcohol burns off but leaves a lovely flavor.

So glad to hear you treated yourself and that it helped. On a low carb way of life, losing the bread and potatoes is a small price to pay to gain the luxury of creme fraiche, butter on veggies, Brie cheese. And well marbled steak. Mmmm. Remember there ARE treats on low carb. You just need to redefine them. As in oysters. Yes please.
posted by KazzUK
on 3 Dec 2017 at 18:12

LoveTC. Thanks for that tip on making a sauce. I will get some vermouth. I don’t know what we’d do without your recipes and foody tips!

Well done Flick and Alibee on your respective whooshes!
posted by Flick
on 3 Dec 2017 at 20:57

Morning everyone,

Alibalibee, well done at your dinner, what an interesting and encouraging reaction to sugar. Of course you shouldn’t feel guilty. While don’t trust myself to stay on or get back on track if I bend the rules, loads of people can and it looks to me successful deviators are the ones who do so mindfully and don’t waste time retrospectively feeling worried about it.

Luvtcook, that is impressive weight loss over 6 weeks. You must be feeling really chuffed. Good tip to use dry vermouth. I agree undrinkable! You are absolutely right about the joys of butter, cheese, crème fraîche. For dinner last night lightly steamed asparagus with a dipping sauce of melted butter with garlic and lemon zest. Individual sauce pots so we could double dip! Luxury

End of week 3 results for me

Starting Weight – 78.3kg
End week 3 – 73.2kg (third day at this weight 😟) 3 weeks and 3 separate stalls
Total Loss -5.1kg

And drum roll please …. today I measure a .5cm reduction in my waist! I think all this weight is coming off my feet and hands and under my eyes!
posted by alibalibee
on 4 Dec 2017 at 10:09

Flick, that is a brilliant result! Well done. And I’m so glad that you’re finally seeing results around your waist. Are you noticing a difference in how your clothes fit? How are you feeling energy wise?

I’m very happy this morning that I’ve lost exactly 6kg and 6cm off my waist. When I started this 19 days ago I thought I would be really happy if I could get below 90kg before Christmas, but I’ll hopefully reach that target sometime next week. I feel great – I feel like I’m in control of my eating for the first time in my life, I feel calmer and can make rational decisions about food. And I like that feeling.

Happy Monday everyone!
posted by Flick
on 4 Dec 2017 at 23:16

Oh hats off to you Alibalibee – that is absolutely stunning! 🌟🌟🌟89 kg here you come! Isn’t that feeling of calm control a wonderful thing.

Three weeks in and I’m still revelling in this consistent energy I have throughout the day. I really hadn’t paid attention to just how tired I was, how erratic my energy levels were. My sleep is significantly improved. A good 8 hours peaceful sleep is becoming the norm. These non scale benefits alone are enough to keep me focused.

You are very kind but I thought the half centimetre loss on my waist was laughable! I’m sure will start reducing eventually. Interestingly my clothes do seem to be looser and more comfortable. Perhaps the fat is softer.

On a brighter note my weight budged today after another three day stall, down .400g so I’m pretty chuffed. That brings me to a total 5.5kg loss.

Enjoy the day
posted by Esnecca
on 5 Dec 2017 at 00:12

Laughable?! It’s marvelous! Don’t minimize your hard-won accomplishments. Just because it’s not a monumental number doesn’t mean it’s not a clear win to be celebrated. You’ve been concerned that there was no downward movement on your waist since day 1, and now only three weeks later there’s been downward movement so high five yourself, strip to your jockeys, blast “Old Time Rock n’ Roll” and dance in your stocking feet like Tom freaking Cruise.
posted by Flick
on 5 Dec 2017 at 01:10

You are so right. I was being churlish and completely missing an opportunity to feel genuinely pleased. So …

High fives to me – fat deposited around my middle is finally beginning to give up the ghost, starting today with .5cm blasted off. It’s the beginning of the end for that pesky asteroid belt and I raise a triumphant middle finger to it.
posted by Esnecca
on 5 Dec 2017 at 02:15

*breaks into enthusiastic applause* Yeah! Go suck a lemon, asteroid belt! Soon you’re going to be nothing but a few meterorites getting flushed down the galactic toilet! (This metaphor doesn’t get any less bizarre as it develops. :D)
posted by Flick
on 5 Dec 2017 at 02:28

❤️
posted by Flick
on 7 Dec 2017 at 22:14

Week 4 is certainly living up to the common experience. 4 days in and .3kg down. Today is third morning at 72.5. Gosh bodies are complex. Modest (welcome) weight loss, measurements are not changing, but my clothes are visibly roomier – both tops and bottoms (yippee to that).

Meanwhile the social activities of the silly season are cranking up. I’ve successfully navigated a couple of functions without mishap so that builds confidence and more able to relax and enjoy the fun of it.

We have had an unseasonal cold snap here in south east Australia and I have been freezing. I had to turn on the central heating and on evening light the fire – IN DECEMBER!
posted by Flick
on 8 Dec 2017 at 22:24

Well the ‘three day stable followed by a weight loss’ pattern of mine seems to be established. Today a 0.3kg loss. I am very happy with that and excitingly this takes me just past a total loss of 6kg which is a third of my revised weight loss goal of 18kg. Yippee! T-shirt stretched overhead while I run around in a soccer (football) style celebration.

Alibalibee – how are you going?
posted by Milalin
on 8 Dec 2017 at 23:18

Flick thankyou for this topic. I’m new to all this and will be at 2 weeks on Monday. Day 12 today! I’ve just found this so am eager to read previous posts over the weekend. I don’t have a specific end goal yet but my aim atm is to maximise what I can lose before 25.1.18 which is my next major surgery date. I am so happy with my experience so far and hadn’t even stumbled until I smacked yesterday. So that fitted into the 8 week plan. Also I’ve already halved my insulin and getting great bsl numbers. So excited to find all of you for info, advice and support.
posted by Flick
on 9 Dec 2017 at 05:15

Hi Milalin, welcome and what impressive results you are achieving. I’m so glad you found this forum, you’ll find so much useful information and many, many encouraging and heart warming stories. I also check into the December challenge thread -‘busy busy with Santa’s elves …’ you will find it is full of people, just like us, doing their best to gain control of their health and weight. It’s brimming with encouragement and friendly advice. Still plenty of time left to join in.

I look forward to cheering you over the coming months. Happy reading
posted by alibalibee
on 9 Dec 2017 at 12:20

Hi Flick, not been on here for a bit cos my phone’s goosed, and was also having a bit of a stall so wasn’t feeling like posting. But, was my work Christmas lunch yesterday and I’d already decided I was going to give myself a day off, but all I ate that wasn’t on the plan was a bit of rice and half a piece of cake – I didn’t actually want the other half, which is unheard of for me. I ate many more than 800 calories though and wouldn’t you know it, I weigh less today than I did yesterday – over half a kilo off in the last two days.

Welcome Milalin and congratulations on your achievements so far. I think we’ve picked the worst time of year to try and lose weight, but i suppose there is no time like the present.

Hope everyone else is coping with the Christmas onslaught.
posted by Flick
on 9 Dec 2017 at 19:59

Hi Ali, Don’t you just love how weird and unpredictable our bodies are, that is a fantastic loss after some stable days. And how about changing tastes -that is so encouraging for the long term, I’m really impressed with your navigation of a work Christmas lunch – I reckon they are one of the hardest functions to manage.

My three day stable one or two days of loss, then another three day stable is pretty entrenched now. I will probably completely melt down if (and when 😩) and stall stretches passed 3 days!

I love the term ‘goosed’ – not heard it before and will now adopt it. Here in Australia we say cactus as in ‘my phone is cactus’. (Apparently this is a reference to the stupendously successful introduction of a biological control for an invasive prickly pear plant. It was decimated) 😀
posted by alibalibee
on 10 Dec 2017 at 21:24

Cactus is a brilliant word! I think goosed might be a particularly Scottish word but as I’ve lived more than half of my life here, i think I’m entitled to use the lingo.

I discovered today how to use my fitness pal properly, (after installing it months ago!) and so had a look back at what I’ve been eating for the past three weeks, andmy carbs have been much higher than I thought. I’m often going over 50g a day, so I think I’m going to try and cut back a bit to nearer thirty. I think any less might be a problem, because I love my veggies. Are you all tracking your carbs, or just avoiding the real baddies? I keep having a look at posts on a some keto forums, but they seem to be a tad extreme…
posted by Flick
on 11 Dec 2017 at 06:59

Hi Ali, I have used ‘goosed’ already – my new favourite word.

I keep (mostly keep) carbs at or under 20. I only eat two meals a day so it doesn’t feel too much of a hardship although I do miss carrot and pumpkin. I am having trouble sourcing spaghetti quash kombucha squash. Various sources on the forum point to between 20 and 50 and many hover around 30-50 and do very well. I keep mine low in part to keep cravings at bay but also because I know my body gives up weight very begrudgingly. I would be excellent in an apocalypse. My system seem finely tuned to carbs and responds with a resounding YES YES WE NEED MORE OF THOSE.THEY ARE DELICIOUS. Rice, pasta, salty crackers with cheese, fruit, all my previous favourites, along with vegetables. I wouldn’t want to be eating less vegetables overall.

I think the level of low carb, between 20 and 50, which suit you best, is the one that gets to the sweet spot between ‘possible to continue on with this way of eating in a happy manner’ and ‘enough weight loss to keep up commitment’. That spot is a very individual thing. And you have some great results so far!

I seem now to have a bit of a problem getting protein down to useable levels of about 20-25 grams in each of my two meals. Apparently our bodies need about 1-1.5 grams of protein per lean kilo of body weight (I set this at what my healthy BMI will be) BUT it can only use about 20g at a sitting (and takes a couple of hours to process that). Any excess is used to make up our carefully planned calorie deficit or worse, stored as more wretched fat. As I understand it, this amino acid thing starts fresh each day. I mostly manage to keep it within a reasonable daily limit but not the 20g per meal. I might try harder if I became despondent with the rate of progress.

Speaking of which, weigh in tomorrow and half way through the December challenge. So far this week I have had three 3 day stalls, today is the 3rd day at 72.2. Fingers crossed for tomorrow. I am beginning to refer to my stall days as stable. Helps a bit
posted by Esnecca
on 11 Dec 2017 at 08:01

I track every bite of every type of food I eat. The “real baddies” include plenty of vegetables (root veg being the obvious example), or fruits disguised as vegetables like tomatoes. In order to stare down my hellbeast of a weight problem, I had to cut anything high in sugar and carbohydrates ruthlessly. No “but they’re complex carbs!” (I did that whole grains nonsense for years and only got fatter), no “beets have vitamins!” Single digit carb figures in a hefty serving, no more than one or two grams of that sugar or they shall not pass, period.

If you don’t have blood sugar issues of any kind, you can have looser standards about this sort of thing, but I’d been hyperobese for nigh on two decades and doing the BSD with the strictest focus was the only weapon capable of slaying my insulin resistance dragon. To be that precise, you can’t guestimate and expect to be even in the ballpark of accurate, in my experience, no matter how much of a BSD pro you are. Some meals I know by heart now because I’ve made them so often, but I like to keep things fresh and I’m always introducing new ingredients and recipes, so I couldn’t rely on the same ol’ same ol’ to keep my counts in check.

Keeping carbs ultralow does not require sacrificing vegetables. It simply requires being particular about which ones you eat piles of. Your best best is greens, raw and cooked. I ate 6 oz of spinach, 4 oz of arugula, 2 oz of broccoli sprouts and 1 oz of pea shoots today alone. (Plus numerous pickled veg.) Spinach was steamed, sauteed in 1/4 tsp of Kalamata oil with one small clove of fresh garlic and served with Greek feta crumbled on top. That accompanied two chicken sausages stuffed with kale and more cheese. The rest went into a dinner salad that I call “Fomenting Ferment” because I put 30 grams of every fermented food I have, and I have a lot, in the bowl and toss it in a dressing of more fermented stuff (brown miso, kimchi hot sauce, Bulgarian yogurt).

Tomorrow I’m making a big bunch of chickory and eating the entire head of it for lunch. I’ve done the same thing with rapini, escarole, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, Tuscan kale, collards and more. A little garlic, a little crispy bacon, a grating of parmesan, a couple of eggs poached in the braising liquid with the greens, high quality olive oil or a pat of grass-fed butter and you have a feast before you at very little cost in carbs. Just weigh everything (both before and after it’s cooked) so you’re not relying on intuition and you’ll see in integers how easy it is to eat VLC.
posted by Esnecca
on 11 Dec 2017 at 08:18

Flick, I try to distribute the protein between my two meals as well, but it’s usually lopsided and has been from the beginning. I don’t know how much of a real effect that’s having on your weight loss. Losses progress in fits and starts, stagger forward and back, loop-the-loop around your head and giggle maniacally at your confusion. It’s hard not to get bogged down in overanalysis, a syndrome I am intimately familiar with. I’ve jiggered figures here and there during plateaus, especially as losses slowed to a crawl when the goal was in sight and I had so much less to lose than in the beginning. I can’t say if my tinkering made any difference whatsoever. In the end, I believe that it was the fewer than 20 grams of carbs of day for 14 months that lost me 200 pounds.

It’s rather kind of your body, I think, to ruminate on life for a couple of days between drops. Regular shifts with an identifiable pattern are less jarring once you know that’s how your body operates. I’m glad you’re redefining the pattern as stability rather than stall, because stalls are a crueler thing. I once gained 4 pounds in two days not having changed anything that I ate. I’ve been up and down fractions of pounds and whole ones, jerked around by the whim of the scale until I had whiplash. I wailed and gnashed my teeth and ran naked in a storm raving to the uncaring gods like King Lear. (Okay not that last one. The neighborhood kids didn’t deserve that kind of sight. 😉 ) Embrace your body’s oddities and try to roll with it as much as possible. When you hit a long stall, or worst, the see-saw nightmare, you will look back on this time with wistful longing. You tough it out, weep if you need to, hate-watch some Netflix, defiantly devour a (small) steak. Then the losses will resume again and you’ll get your clothes back on and out of the rain. 😀
posted by alibalibee
on 11 Dec 2017 at 08:51

Morning! Well, it is here, and a lovely bright cold frosty one too. So cold that I’m leaving my bike at home and going to get the train to work. At least I get to have a good walk too.

It’s really interesting hearing about everyone’s carb intake. I don’t have blood sugar problems, but like you Flick, my body loves carbs. So much so that it creates a special place on my belly to store them. So yeah, I’ll be keeping more of an eye on them. And Esnecca, thanks, I know the perils associated with root vegetables, but somehow kidded myself on that beetroots were OK! I’ll have to wait til I start reintroducing them.

Had a little scale victory this morning: I’m under 90 kg for the first time in four years. Woop!
posted by Flick
on 11 Dec 2017 at 09:53

Ali, that is great news, stupendous and fabulous effort!

We will now take a moment to say farewell to the 90kgs. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🌟🌟🌟🌟👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 See ya -wouldn’t wanna be ya!

And hello to to a lovely bowl of steamy garlicky buttery rapini ❤️ and the much more desirable 80s. Enjoy them as their days are also numbered.

Thanks Esnecca for your dependable support. I love the idea of my body ruminating on life and you are right. I looked at the scale this morning and thought, oh yes, it’s still only day 3. It is often hard to get a real hold on the time scale of this – forever and the many twists and turns ahead.
posted by Esnecca
on 11 Dec 2017 at 09:53

You weren’t kidding yourself, Ali. One of Michael Mosley’s most beloved recipes is the beet falafal, so it’s entirely reasonable that you might think they were an all systems go veg. I’m just much stricter than Dr. Mosley. 😀 Also I think the portions in that dish are tiny so you enjoy the nutrient benefits without jacking your sugar/carb numbers way up.

I adore beets, by the way, and I miss the golden beet carpaccio I used to have at least once a week in the old days. Like you say, maybe cut back (our out) for now, but you don’t have to worry about blood sugar so it’s not forever.
posted by Milalin
on 11 Dec 2017 at 11:49

Thanks Flick for the warm welcome!
posted by alliecat
on 11 Dec 2017 at 14:24

Hi Flick, I’m just taking a quick moment to comment on getting enough, but not TOO
much protein. It can appear in places that we usually don’t consider, like cruciferous
vegetables. I’m in the USA so I measure in oz., not grams. An evening meal consisting
of 1 c. broccoli florets (4 gr of protein) and 3.5 oz of organic chicken breast (22.75 gr
of protein) gets you where you want to go, and makes up the difference for what may
be shortfalls in other meal(s) for the day. I’ve calculated my requirements in terms
of ideal body weight, so I need about 60 gr of protein to maintain my body weight
and muscle mass. I often fall a little below this, but always manage 50-53 per day.
As a result, in the 17 months that I have been on this program (7 months in maintenance)
I don’t feel that I’ve lost muscle mass, which of course affects the amount of calories
we can process each day. Just my take on it! I’m happy that you’re doing so well.
Carry On!

Allie
posted by Flick
on 11 Dec 2017 at 21:03

Hi Milalin, how is it all going? There are so many threads here I keep missing your updates. i’ll do a bit of a scan.

Allie, thanks for sharing the information and your experiences, good to know that with a reasonable approach our bodies work this stuff out. I think I’m pretty much on track and just fretting about issues around the margins. I’ll try to lift my head up a bit today and focus on the beautiful blue sky here today.

So today is significant, 4 weeks done (so half way through the first 8 weeks) and also half way through the December challenge. Here is how the numbers are looking for me

Starting weight – 78.3
Week of – 72.2
Loss = 6.1 kg. I am so excited by this result

Week 4 was very slow compared to the previous 3 with a 0.6 kg loss. I’m happy to take that. My asteroid belt feels strangely squishy – hopefully that’s a sign it’s about to whoosh away. Or at least part of it.

Most excitingly, after absolutely no movement in my troubling waist measurement, and then a
very modest 0.5cm loss – somehow over the last 7 days this has exploded into a wild 4cm loss. Coupled with a 3cm reduction in my hip measurement – I am practically disappearing!!

Finally my sleeping is so deep and reliable now, I can hardly understand how I survived with all that tossing and turning, finally falling to sleep at 1 or 2 in the morning. The answer must be niypt very well.

Off the walk the dog now before it gets too hot. But before I go, I’ll just have one little rant – WHAT IS IT ABOUT 72.2 THAT MY BODY IS SO ATTRACTED TO? Four days .. four whole day, what can be left to ruminate on? Enough already. Trust me, the 71s are going to be great!

All the best to those snowed in – stay safe and for what it’s worth, it looks beautiful.

🤗
posted by Milalin
on 12 Dec 2017 at 01:07

Hi Flick! I haven’t posted much yet and can hardly keep up with everyone else’s updates. I’ll get there, hopefully in the next few days. You’re encouragement is great! Atm I’m at dialysis. I’m up at 5, leave for the hospital about 6. I’m doing a combination of shakes ( breakfast)as it’s easy on my 4 x hospital days and normal meals. I’m not strictly adhering to 800 either. So I have the shake b4 6am. At 11 hospital sandwiches arrive. I’m on a high protein renal diet so I just eat the fillings which are not overly generous anyway. About 1p I have about 100g strawberries. I’m finished here by 3 when I have plain salad with tuna/salmon or egg. Sometimes I have Greek salad. In the evening I cook from the books. My go to quick meal is the no carb ploughmans meal at night if I’m tired. I’m doing Home Traini for haemodialysis and I’m smashed of an evening. I have also started walking but it’s still a bit sporadic. I’m going to bag the nut snack idea. I think it was Allie’s. Everyone is so helpful and welcoming. I’ll get sorted with your help. I’m on now as I slept well straight after I did my dialysis set up this morning. I’m going to try n reply to a couple of other people that have written me lovely messages now. Wishing you and everyone here every success 😊
posted by Flick
on 12 Dec 2017 at 21:18

Woohoo – excellent start to week 5 with a tentative step into the 71s.

71.9 on the scales this morning. I’m thrilled. It is just the boost I need as I head towards my two biggest silly season challenges. I’m hosting a small group of girlfriends for drinks on Thursdsy. We’ve been friends since our children were in pre school – 28 years. I’ll have the food choices organised, but alcohol will be the big challenge. There will there be delicious french champagne and we have a long history. Sparkling water, plenty of ice and fresh lime is the plan, and focus on my wonderful company.

Following hard on the heels of this challenge is a beach weekend with some of my favourite local dive buddies. Dinner on Saturday night, no idea where, and a trip Sunday out to a beautiful island, dives followed by a catered picnic on the island. My plan is to have breakfast (yoghurt, berries) that day – haven’t eaten a breakfast for 4 weeks. The risk of course is that diving, and the water will be cold, makes me starving! Plan to eat only BSD foods and just cope with the sensation of hunger if necessary. Oh and take a bag of almonds in my dive bag.

71.9!
posted by Esnecca
on 12 Dec 2017 at 22:38

Congratulations! You see, there was nothing to worry about even with four days of no scale movement. And holy crap, man, I can’t believe your waist! You lost 3.5 cm in a matter of days! That squishy asteroid belt feeling is totally fat loss, by the way. That’s why your waist measurement plummeted even as the numbers on the scale stayed the same or moved down slowly. The dense fat gets replaced by water. The scale can’t tell the difference, but the tape measure can.

You are rocking it out, Flick. Keep your eyes on the prize during your events. Do not look backwards, even with your old friends of 28 years and when you’re wet and shivering. Everything you do is entirely at your command, and knowing you, you would be brutal to yourself if you backslid. Lots of recriminations, regrets and self-punishment. So swat away any stray thoughts like the gnats they are. This is who you are now and it’s awesome.