Lightweight/heavyweight!

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posted by misssay
on 25 Mar 2016 at 14:06

The weird title of this post is because I went out for a meal with work mates on Wednesday, and when it comes to nights out, I reckon I am a complete lightweight on this diet! I had one glass of wine, and felt like I had had a bottle! I assume that is because of the lack of carbs in my body. I had pre-ordered steak for main and cheese instead of a ‘proper’ dessert. I ignored the biscuits with the cheese (I am sensitive to gluten anyway, so that is relatively easy,) ate all the steak, mushroom and half the peas, and, I confess, * some * of the chips. I had 5 and left the rest. I was pleased that I stopped at 5, although stopping at zero would have been better!
So…next morning I was up on the scales by 2lbs. I expected an increase, but was quite surprised at 2lbs. One of them has gone this morning. I know that being back on track will soon get rid of the other one but it is frustrating, as I was teetering on the edge of moving down into the next stone this week, and now it seems unlikely, especially coming on the end of a 3 week semi plateau of saying ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ to the same 2 lbs several times!

My main thoughts are this though: how I ate on Wednesday was probably similar to how I will be eating when I am ‘off’ the diet. I put ‘off’ in inverted commas, because I know that it won’t ever be a case of truly being off low carb for me, if I want to stay healthy and feeling well, but long term I will be eating more calories but still low carb. It won’t be as low carb as at the moment, I hope, but if that amount of calories over the 800 and that small amount of extra carbs adds back 2lbs, I am wondering what will happen longer term when I increase my ca!ories. I know it wasn’t an actual fat gain as that doesn’t happen overnight. Anyway,I am rambling a bit. I am aiming to continue on the 800 BSD for a while, as I have a lot to lose, but it has made me concerned for the time after 800cals, and I think I will have to increase my cals and my carbs very gradually, to transition into 5:2 or 4:3 fasting.
posted by Christi1948
on 25 Mar 2016 at 14:37

Hi missay,
I am glad someone else has the same feelings, I am not diebetic however was told by doc I was pre diebetic and had to lose two stone at least, I am at the end of the seventh week and have lost 19 lb, however I am due to go on hols 10th April and am worried about my eating habits, I can give most carbs, potato, rice, pasta, bread, a miss, my problem is seriously sugar and everything that has sugar in it, ie cakes, puddings, chocolate. I have been so good on this diet so far I fear I will fall off the wagon! Fortunately I have to go see the doc next Thursday and I am hoping I have lost a little more and get a good report from him, I still want to lose more weight just not sure what will happen when I start eating ‘normally’ meaning less of all the things I used to like and more of the things on the med diet, will just have to see how we go on, I too have had a plateau for a couple of weeks, just like you up and down on the scales, I also have periods of extreme cold and hungar, am having one at the moment two days of freezing, and hungry, however not eating more! Staying with the diet! Anyway I have rambled on as well so good luck and hope you find the transition to 5-2 OK, when you get to that point.
Christine
posted by captainlynne
on 25 Mar 2016 at 16:05

Hi

I’m almost at the end of 14 weeks on the BSD. I was on holiday (5days) abroad a few weeks ago, and stuck to low-carb foods. When I arrived home I’d gained 2 pounds, which I lost in 3 days back on the BSD.

What did I do differently while away?

I ate a low-carb breakfast, like at home. But I ate a meal at lunchtime, while at home I eat breakfast then my evening meal (I’m just not hungry at lunchtime) And I wasn’t careful with portion control. (Apart from a steak – I ate half & took the other half back to the hotel for later). And I also ate again in the evening.

So, what did I learn? Probably the important lesson for me was portion control. Staying low-carb wasn’t the issue – it was how much of it I ate.

And I don’t think I drank enough, especially water.
posted by Janet1973
on 25 Mar 2016 at 16:13

Hi misssay, I also understand your frustration at the gain after just a little stray from the plan. I know exactly the same would happen to me. Thinking long term, I have a few strategies up my sleeve. Firstly, as you say, I do not intend to ever go back to eating the way I did before so my diet with remain much lower in carbs from now on. Secondly, once I get to my target weight, that will give me a few pounds ‘to play with’. This will be important as I don’t intend to weigh myself every day the way I do now. I think by then it will be better to be more relaxed and accepting of the fact that sometimes I will gain, but other times I will also lose. I’m also thinking I will build in a little ‘boot camp’ or ‘de-tox’ if you like, of a serious week of 800s every six or eight weeks so any weight that does start to creep back will be lost again with minimal fuss. Maybe similar strategies might work for you and put your mind at rest that you can make these changes for life. Wishing you all the best and fingers crossed for getting into that lower stone!
posted by Christi1948
on 25 Mar 2016 at 18:57

Hi Janet1973

There are some good idea there, think I might pinch them, I needed inspiration and reassurance, I know this post wasn’t for me, however thank you
posted by Janet1973
on 25 Mar 2016 at 19:00

No worries! All the best to you Christi.
posted by hashimoto
on 25 Mar 2016 at 19:19

Hi I experimented with raising my calories last week, I had finished the 8 weeks but wanted to continue….but this nagging fear of what would happen if I ate more would not go away…..well I had a week of 1000 to 1200 calories a day for a week. I didn’t put any weight on, it just stayed stable, I even lost half a pound!!! 1000 to 1200 was what I was eating before and still putting weight on. The difference was I did not eat bread, potatoes ,pasta or rice. I stuck to the principles of the diet.

Lynne has made a good point, forget the carbs!!! Stick to the principles of the diet. Eating the old way got us into this trouble in the first place! The only exceptions I will make are perhaps a roast potato and parsnip on Xmas day or other celebrations.

Like Janet I will return to the fast 800 if any weight creeps back on and get it sorted.
May I ask if you would sign this petition:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/125704

It is to ask the NHS to encourage T2 diabetics to follow this diet
Thanks 🙂
posted by Janet1973
on 25 Mar 2016 at 20:37

That’s a very reassuring experiment you did Judith, a great way of testing that its the low carb thing that makes the real difference for us. I haven’t counted calories for a couple of weeks now, only carbs (50 grams a day) and I am happily still losing weight.
posted by Mummytummy
on 25 Mar 2016 at 20:49

This thread has been very helpful and reassuring for me! Thank you! X
posted by misssay
on 25 Mar 2016 at 22:13

It’s ineresting to read how others share the same thoughts and concerns, and also the info from those of you who have tried different methods/experiements. Thanks for the replies, and, Christi, I think these threads are for everybody, so no worries. If anything in any thread is useful to someone, then the forums are doing their job. It’s good to know that other people are thinking and feeling similar things.

Hashimoto-just off to the petition page.
posted by Christi1948
on 26 Mar 2016 at 15:48

I had a bit of spare time this morning so tried some more clothes on, I now have a few more trousers that fit again! I had also lost another pound, so am very pleased, I think the not losing has stopped now, my measurements are also down a bit. I must say too that making all these new meals takes ages so I am using more calories just making them! I hope! Off to a very wet Easter vigil at church this evening so being cold and wet will hopefully use a few more calories, I can always live in hope!! I’m not desperate though, just want to run before I can walk.
posted by Janet1973
on 26 Mar 2016 at 16:07

Patience as they say is a virtue Christi, and you are proving you are going in the right direction. Keep the faith! All puns intended!
posted by Christi1948
on 26 Mar 2016 at 22:36

Hi janet1973,
We didn’t get wet or too cold as it happens, as it was a bit wet and windy we lit the fire just outside the door of the church, then everything was transferred inside the church, it was still a long service, started at 6.30pm we were home just on 9pm 5 mins from the church! Still all that standing, sitting and kneeling must have done wonders to my weight surely?
Tomorrows a new day and as it happens my meal is lamb and pine nuts meatballs with Moroccan salad, while the family have roast lamb with all the trimmings, then I have to do something with plums? again for the rest of the family, so that’s more standing to prepare these meals! I’m a Martyr to my family haha!
posted by hashimoto
on 27 Mar 2016 at 08:23

Christi isn’t it marvellous to be able to get into old clothes (usually hardly ever worn) it’s like being given a whole new wardrobe while not having to spend any money – I know, Bill, I’m a tight wad but I’m from Yorkshire so I can’t help it!!! 🙂
posted by captainlynne
on 27 Mar 2016 at 09:09

Enjoy those meatballs Christi. What did you decide to do with the plums?

Judith – so glad I’d kept my old uniforms as I grew out of them – gone down 2 sizes in blouses and have another 2 sizes in the wardrobe before I need to get new sizes!

This time it’s different – as clothes get too big I’m disposing of them. Because I’ll not need them again, will I? If something can be altered, I’ll do that for a while. But most going to charity shops or in the bin. 😃
posted by hashimoto
on 27 Mar 2016 at 09:27

Hi Lynne, I’m doing the same, no way I will let myself get that big again now I’ve found this diet/way of eating. I’ve still got two sizes in the wardrobe too!! I kept them in the hope that one day I could wear them again.

I bought two lovely pairs of trousers about 11 years ago, one week later I couldn’t get into them, so they have never been worn! I’d love to think the day will come when I can get into them. If the fashion has changed, well I really don’t care.

As the big clothes are being ditched I am regaining wardrobe space so that is a second bonus!!!! 🙂
posted by captainlynne
on 27 Mar 2016 at 13:36

Hi Judith

One item going to a new home was a sweater that had stood by me through thick and thin! I’d had it about 8 years and was really tired of it 😟! But my favourite sweater is going to have to go😱 I’ve tried it over a teeshirt, but it’s far too baggy (and almost indecent) to be seen in public 😳

Can’t wean myself off dark skirts and trousers, but I am trying 😃
posted by Christi1948
on 27 Mar 2016 at 14:05

Hi all, captainlynne, hashimoto,
I made my meatballs, everyone else ( hubby, two daughter and three grandchildren) had the lamb, in the end the plums are being eaten raw, they are so sweet and juicy, had shop bought apple crumble, and lemon tart, would never have done that when I was not on the diet. So I got off lightly there! I enjoyed the meatballs too.
As to the clothes I am trying on now I have just got my dresses to go then I can get my holiday clothes out, ( have got two lots of family visiting over next 10 days, ( one set of six, another set of 3 + dog) just one day before we go away!) I now have no more room in my wardrobe I have so many clothes that now fit, or nearly, (they were all in vacuum bags under my bed!)
Although I don’t need any clothes for the foreseable future it would be lovely to treat myself and get something really special. Is that being really naughty of me? I don’t care though, I have had to buy stuff that fits because of being so overweight, not necessarily because I liked the stuff.
Rant over! here to losing more weight, week eight starts in the morning!
posted by hashimoto
on 27 Mar 2016 at 14:41

Lynne, I am having to ditch my favourite jumper too, no matter how many times I have washed it you can still see the shape of my old stomach. It looks bizarre!!

Christi, don’t we deserve a treat for all the hard work we have put in? OMG my lawn has just turned white with hailstones – perhaps Lucia was not joking about that snowball fight she should have with Bill!!!

Back to what I was saying – I intend buying myself some new clothes to celebrate once I am happy with my fat loss. I kept a £20 M and S voucher a friend gave me at Xmas. I was going to use it towards the cost of some new trousers – so glad I didn’t get round to it as I would now be giving them away!! 🙂
posted by Rob
on 27 Mar 2016 at 17:38

This is the first forum I have ever joined so hope I am in the right one!
Just finished the first week on the BSD
Day 1 ..keen enthusiastic, determined..etc
Day 2… Never ate the food I had to eat today ( so hard to eat )
Day 3 starving, didn’t sleep well , wanted food, started to think what the hell where’s the proper food ( but never gave in
Day 4.. Starving, took photos of my belly and was horrified !! I always saw my self as 75kg I am 95kg ( weighed my self a month ago so assuming I was 95kg )
Day 5 not starving but determined as I am still sad with the look at my belly
Day 6 what a day, great menu!! Steak!!!!
Day 7 what a day , but starving

Stuck to the diet religiously don’t feel as if I have lost allot, buying scales next week

Joined the forum so I can help others and hope others will help me

What shocked me was…I was in the armed forces for 10 years , fire service and even a qualified gym instructor…dr Mosley book taught me allot of what I thought was right was wrong!!!

Does it get easier on week 2???
posted by Rob
on 27 Mar 2016 at 17:46

Hi please accept this long post
My first time ever joining a forum
95kg male ( always been 73-80kg) accident in work and now I am 95kg((
Just completed the first week))) stuck to the diet as stated in the book ( no treats, no snacks just what was written )
Day 1….keen enthusiastic and determined to do this
Day 2 …keen but avacardo!! Yuk
Day 3… Starving , all I can think about is food
Day 4…up all night starving, don’t think I can do this…
Day 5..woke up starving , feel drained and have no appetite ( took photos of my belly and disgusted , have the motivation again )
Day 6…lovely meals ( steak)
Day 7.. Lovely meals ( chicken )

This diet is so so hard, reading the book helped as what I thought was good eating was so wrong

I am here to be healthier and help others if I can, and hope I will have help also

What’s week 2 going to be like???
posted by hashimoto
on 27 Mar 2016 at 17:55

Hi Rob, welcome to the forums. It doesn’t matter which thread you use. You will always be welcome. This is the first time on forums for quite a few of us.
Don’t beat yourself up, we are all on here because of health or weight problems. You are among friends and part of this BSD family.

YES it does get easier. The book says the first two weeks are the hardest, so things will get better soon.

Re food – you could eat meals you are familiar with but ditch the carbs!

Looking forward to your future posts 🙂
posted by Janet1973
on 27 Mar 2016 at 18:14

Hi Rob,

Clearly all your forces training has given you great mind over matter techniques. But you need to eat!

Yes, it can be a bit of a shock at first to come down to 800 calories but you will find that the lack of carbs reduces your appetite and you won’t feel so hungry. But you need to spend your calories in meat and fats to help achieve that satisfied feeling.

However, there is another way. Many of us on the forums don’t count calories, only carbs. So for instance, we aim for a maximum of 50grams of carbs a day. There are no carbs in eggs, meat, fish or butter and oil. So we eat these freely until we are full, no calorie counting. We still lose weight because of the reduced carbs.

So if you are really struggling with the hunger, try just counting the carbs. But you must only eat when you are hungry and stop eating when you are full. Eat mainly carb free food and veg, stil no pasta, potatoes, bread, etc.

Here’s wishing you a more comfortable week this week!
posted by Christi1948
on 27 Mar 2016 at 18:26

Hi rob,
I felt awful at first, the first day I went to bed thinking I can’t do this, got up the next day, again, thinking I’ve bought all this stuff I can’t give up now, so carried on, felt weak and light headed, ( I chose a time when things were a bit quieter at home) got through that day then the next and so on until I was at the end of the first week and I had lost weight, so I was prepared to carry on, it’s not been easy, I have a really bad sugar addiction, ( unfortunately still have) I have been freezing and starving, I don’t know how I carried on to be honest, I just knew something had to give!
Sorry to sound so negative, what I am saying is it’s not all rosy however stick with it, if i can anyone can! The great thing is that every time you get on the scales you will have lost weight, you may experience a plateau, keep with it though, I will start moving again, I had two weeks where I lost two ounces!
Another tip, sorry, constipation, try having 1tbs flaxseeds (linseeds) with a pint of water one morning, things will star moving soon after.
Finally keep those posts coming and don’t forget to tick the box for notifying you of follow up replies, good luck
posted by Rob
on 27 Mar 2016 at 19:20

Hi thanks for the reply

I until I started the diet had 7 lattes a week ( sometimes more ) every latte came with a muffin !
Then I would bake a cake twice a week
Loved potatoes, pasta and cereals ( oh and the Indians/Chinese meals )

It’s a hell of a journey we are going through, and I have promised my self that I will never over indulge again, but I am a guy who has to eat the packet of biscuits, all the Pringles, burger…etc and then have a banana and think I am ok cos I ate some fruit….only to find out bananas are a no no!!

I do want to wear my jeans and shirt and feel good again so that is a motivation

Dieting for chocolate…. Want to eat the biggest Easter egg!!

However with all that said, I will be mortified if I done that, so with your comments it helps

I am looking forward to the 5:2 diet once I get the weight I need…78-80kg

)) happy Easter
posted by Rob
on 27 Mar 2016 at 19:24

Thanks for the reply

I don’t understand what you mean by what I can eat

This is all new to me…I have never read a back of the packet before , I just used to eat the content..go for a run/gym and never give it a thought…

Is porrage good ( the oats one with the Scottish guy on the cover ) as the breakfast menus ( except for the poached eggs/beans with cheese are horrid(((

Week 2 tomorrow.. Help!!!!!!! Lol
posted by Janet1973
on 27 Mar 2016 at 19:49

Hi Rob, one of the best things you can do for yourself at this stage is get to know food a bit better. You don’t need to be a walking encyclopaedia but you do need to develop an understanding of what is good to put in your mouth. Generally the stuff you cook yourself is going to be better for you. So any meat including the skin, eggs as often as you like, as much fish as you can face. Plenty of full fat yoghurt, butter oils, nuts in moderation. Vegetables grown above the ground are better than those grown underground but onions, leeks and carrots aren’t really the enemies in the grand scheme.

Avoid all bread, pasta, rice, potatoes of any kind.

Find an on-line calculator that you like and consult it frequently about foods you don’t know the composition of. I use calorie king because it tells me about carb content. The nhs do a calorie counter which is quite good too, just google them. Porridge is ok but when carbs are important, its quite high.

It might all seem a bit geeky but you really do need to know the basics for yourself, it will make more sense of your weight loss (or any plateaus you experience) as you go on. Do this for yourself. Count your calories up to 800 or your carbs up to 50 grams or both. You can do this, but you do need to put your mind to it. (Write down everything you find out, then you only have to look for the info once!)
posted by hashimoto
on 27 Mar 2016 at 19:51

Hi rob,
Re breakfast:
*omlette
*fried egg and beans
*fritatta
*1 sausage with grilled tomato and mushroom
* fage yoghurt with a sprinkling of ground flax seeds and some raspberries
* you could even have soup
* aldi do little packets of nuts and seeds. That and small bowl blue berries
*2 rashers of bacon and 1 fried egg
* baked beans and small bowl of berries

There are all sorts of combinations, you don’t have to stick to the recipes in the book, just keep to 800 calories or the principles of the diet – i.e. Low carb

Hope that helps 🙂
posted by Rob
on 27 Mar 2016 at 20:04

Wow, this shows how little ( well nothing I know ) about food

So when the book says I can have a poached egg with avacardo I can have 2 eggs??

So the golden rule is 800 cal or 50gm is all I can eat?

Just looked at the 4 week menu and that makes me feel like I am going to be struggling
posted by Janet1973
on 27 Mar 2016 at 20:26

I don’t mean to scare you but it does take a while to get your head around things. The book is based on 800 calories a day so if it says one egg, it means one egg. But if you are used to eating a lot of food, you might find it easier to try the 50g of carbs a day approach instead. For example, if a steak is 200 calories, you would only have 600 left if you follow the 800 programme. But if you follow the 50 grams a day of carbs program, you can have as much steak as you want because there are no carbs in steak. You still eat the same med style foods but count carbs not calories.

So its really a question of whether you can live with just 800 calories – many people can. But others might simply need more food than that. I can live with 800 if I have to but I prefer to count carbs because I can then have unlimited eggs, fish, butter, etc. I don’t have to weigh or measure everything.
posted by hashimoto
on 27 Mar 2016 at 20:37

Hi rob, don’t worry, I. Often have a 2 egg omlette or 2 poached eggs, 2 medium eggs is only 132 calories, very liw carb and. Helps you feel fuller for longer.. You will get used to it.

If you like plainer food. An evening meal of a fried chicken breast with a pile of low carb veg is a good evening meal.

Which regiment did you serve with? My grandad and brother served with the green howards and my dad with the royal artillery 🙂
posted by Christi1948
on 27 Mar 2016 at 21:08

Hi Janet 1973

I’m on my eighth week starting tomorrow and I’m only just getting the low carb thing durr! I am such an idiot, or just not savvy enough for this forum and iPad lark, so next week I will try and do very low carb to shift the last few pounds before I go to the doctors on Wednesday! Then I have a week in Tenerife for my birthday, I will come back and continue on the diet until I hit my target, I don’t know if I am being a bit ambitious but I would like to lose another two stone! Well thanks for making things a little clearer for rob, I have at least learned something again, it’s certainly been a learning curve for me in or ways than one! Cheers everyone, hope you all had a lovely Easter hols.
posted by Janet1973
on 27 Mar 2016 at 21:16

Hi Christi

You are being very hard on yourself there! I found a great website which really clarified things for me called diet doctor. I don’t think you are being too ambitious at all. With the right tools this is doable and I believe that between diet doctor and the bsd, we have the right tools. At last!
posted by hashimoto
on 27 Mar 2016 at 21:25

Hi christi, no reason why you can’t lose another two stones! 🙂
posted by Janet1973
on 27 Mar 2016 at 21:46

By the way Rob, I love lattes and still have one pretty much every day. 15g of carbs. No cake though.
posted by Cherrianne
on 28 Mar 2016 at 06:25

Hi Rob,
Do you have a smartphone you can download an app for tracking your food intake? This might help you not to feel so overwhelmed by information.
The good news for you is that men usually find it easier to drop weight than women, something to do with bigger muscle mass.
As you are concerned about the volume of food on 800 cals, I’m with Janet on this, suggest you don’t count calories but stick to 50g carb or less. Use a food diary app to help you learn what are good low carb foods, and how much you can eat. It will also track your intake so you don’t have to keep a running tally in your head.
If you do this the weight, blood pressure, cholesterol etc will take care of itself. 🙂
posted by Rob
on 28 Mar 2016 at 07:44

I was with the Royal regiment of Wales ))))

I am very new to understanding food ( 1 week new ) I used to eat cereal twice a day thinking it was good for you!

At present I am going to stick to the diet at written ( and when finding it to hard, have the portabelo and beans or pouched egg as that does give me a boost ) only going to do then4 week diet tho,, and during the four weeks I am going to read what is good food for the trillion of little bugs in our bodies

I do miss chocolate / muffins / “……….just 2 months ago I learned to cook and bake

What app do I download??

Christie …keep us updated on your progress, another 2 stone !

I also think Janet is the forum diet doctor so keep the tips coming

Does anyone think the food companies that produce food for us avoid eating them..

The focus I have is….I want to wear my jeans with a shirt and feel good, ( instead of wearing tracksuit bottoms and a baggy top!) another motivation is getting healthy

Why hasn’t this book been highly publicised …..doctors /nhs/…etc should be flying the flag?? I only new about it when I switched the tv on and seen it on the Wright stuff
posted by hashimoto
on 28 Mar 2016 at 08:41

Hi Rob, the book is still relatively new so that could explain it! I think a lot of the publicity is currently the occasional interview and people talking to their GPs/diabetes nurses.
I don’t know if you have seen the thread ‘Please sign our petition’? We are lobbying the government to ‘NHS to encourage T2 diabetics to follow the low carb diet….. There is a link on the thread and the web page enables you to post the petition to your facebook account. That way you will really help the message get out!!!

In my 8 weeks I have lost 2 and a half stones, gone from a BMI of 28 to 21.9. My breakfasts are always the ones I listed to you in a previous post – but mostly full fat yoghurt with berries and seeds or 2 eggs as an omelette or poached with grilled tomatoes. They are all low carb meals which will fill you up. Janet’s advice to count your carbs if you are struggling is a good one. Bill 1954 doesn’t count calories but sticks to the principles of low carb – ie no bread etc And his results have been amazing. I am eating more than 800 calories a day now but still sticking to the principles.

You might want to invest in some Ketostix ( just under £5 for a tub of 50 via amazon, free P and P). You dip a stick in your urine each morning, according to the colour chart on the tub you can check if you are fat burning. I have found it a useful tool.

Another idea might be to make a list of the foods you like most and google (or use an app) to find out calorie and carb content – it will take some time but save you plenty of time as the weeks go by! I’ll lay abet with you – when you see the results after your 4 week mark you won’t want to give up until you reach your desired targets!

Keep soldiering on (pun intended) and check out the petition! 🙂

If you miss baking there are recipes for low carb flat breads – coconut or chickpea flour – the latter are great with a curry.
posted by Rob
on 28 Mar 2016 at 08:53

Hi thanks for the reply, will most def sign the pertition

Wow you lost 2.5 stone, are you losing weight or are balancing your diet now ( like doing the 5:2 diet?)

I used to take vitamin c tablets every morning but stopped as I don’t know if there is sugar in them!

Took a photo today and I have def lost weight ( losing weight to be healthy and feel good)) )

Do you also train/keep fit in order to lose the weight you have? At present I can’t due to a major spinal op ( hence why I just ate and ate ( went to bed full , woke up full and just ate )

Which app would you recommend? As I always seem to download one I find annoying to use

Before I started the diet I went to the doctors to ask if my meds would play havoc with the diet, he said no do it but you won’t sustain it ( he is a very good doctor ) I then started the diet …started reading the book on the 3 day of the diet and I read what dr Mosley said the doctor would say and my doctor said it!!! The book is up there with the best books I have read…the people’s stories are truly heart touching

What I find at present people have a far better understanding of the diet and know so much about food ( what’s good and what’s bad and what the ingredients means ( where as I see low fat cake and have no guilt in eating 2!! )

They do say every day is a learning day

What keeps you going
What’s your aims
Do you find it hard?
posted by hashimoto
on 28 Mar 2016 at 09:13

Hi Rob, I don’t have a smart phone so just google on my pc, I tend to favour fitness pal but if that doesn’t pop up I use others. Sometimes I just google nutritional value for a given food. Some things are now firmly in my head – the easy ones like eggs!

What made me start….
I have hashimotos hypothyroidism ( it got so bad due to non diagnosis I developed a goitre and was going into mini comas) also chronic asthma and bronchiectasis.
I just kept putting weight on, no matter what I did. It actually got frightening by January because I was cutting my calories – but not my carbs). I tried Slimming World. no difference. I tried Weight Watchers. No difference. This was last chance saloon for me. I heard about it mid January and it has turned my life around.
I had a serious skiing accident about 21 years ago – multiple compound fractures to my leg, the tops of my tibias look like crocodile teeth! Achilles snapped etc… So most vigorous exercise is completely out for me. I can’t run any longer. No squash, no aerobics etc. But I can still walk – not the 100yards I was told would be my limit but 6 to 10 mile hill walks once a week. If you search for ‘Trust me I’m a doctor’ Michael mosley came up with some good resistance excercises – but being ex army you probably don’t need to look it up!!

As for back problems….
I haven’t had spinal surgery but I had problems last year with ‘slipped discs’. Four times. My doctor and physio both encouraged me to go to a local Pilates for Bad Backs class. It has been a god send! It has strengthened my abdominal muscles and protects my back. The Pilates is ridiculously simple, you don’t think you have done anything until you wake up feeling your stomach muscles ache!! Ask your GP and google to see if you have a class like that in your area.

As for commercial low fat cakes – pumped up with sugar for taste – it’s what got us all into trouble in the first place. I find the cocnut flatbreads which Bill1954 posted to the recipes tab really hits the sweet spot these days! I may have one topped with a dollop of full fat yoghurt and blueberries/raspberries as a lunch.

Rob, there is nobody on these forums who wouldn’t tell you it hasn’t been a big learning curve! It took me 2 weeks to ditch the low fat, sugary yoghurts and buy the real thing! So you are not alone. We will all have made some mistakes on this journey!

My current aim is to get rid of some of the remaining belly fat, but I am eating about 900 to 1000 calories a day now, but only sticking with the principle of the low carb diet.

Looking forward to your future posts and thanks for signing the petition. 🙂
posted by Janet1973
on 28 Mar 2016 at 09:28

Hi Rob
I’ve done every diet going and none has worked as well as this. I had two stone to lose and have lost one so I’m half way there. My main aim is just be in control of my body rather than being a slave to every bit of chocolate that passes in front of me. (Still addicted to lattes though)

As was said above, men do tend to lose quicker than women and just the simple removal of bread etc will probably cause you to lose a fair bit initially. The keeping going part is where your better understanding of food comes in as you will need to eat stuff that makes you feel the diet is worthwhile. Life’s hard enough without having to eat ‘diet food’ all your life! This is why doctors don’t get it. They haven’t realised yet that this diet is about proper food not just a lettuce leaf.

On the exercise front, you are going to lose weight whether you exercise or not so just do what you can after such a major operation. I guess you might be having physiotherapy and stuff? Some exercise is good but you really don’t need to be running marathons. Do what makes you feel alive but it doesn’t have to nearly kill you! How did you come to need your op?

One other suggestion – why not tell us each day or the day before what you are planning to eat and we’ll tell you if its within the guidelines or we can tell you how you can modify it to get the most from your 800?

I bet you’ve lost weight already. You’ll be great at this 😉
posted by acquamarine
on 28 Mar 2016 at 10:13

I would like to thank you all for the above posts and answers.Last week I had a full check up and discovered that both my fasting blood sugar and 2 hours post meal are slightly raised as is my HbA1c….I live iin Istanbul and finding a good understanding doctor is a bit hit and miss.I joined here a few weeks ago but only to lose weight as I knew that My blood sugars may be raised….as it happens I was correct.Anyhow, I had the Blood Sugar Diet book with me and showed it to the doctor….straight away he was interested but tried to tell me to follow the suggested diet from the hospital plus half a tablet of metformin morning and evening…I said well let me follow the BSD only and come back in 4 weeks…he tried to tell me that the metformin would lower my blood sugar,help me to lose weight and increase my metabolism and he wrote the prescription. Well..I haven’t collected the prescription and as I had read enough of the book to loosely start the diet I did so the following day…Thursday.Yesterday morning I got weighed and was amazed to see that I have lost 3 kg but I confess to being quite hungry at times.
So..I was going to ask you all if I need to adhere rigidly to the diet or stick to the low carb,no sugar diet with portion reduction…low and behold you have answered most of my questions on here.I was driving myself crazy looking at the suggested meals in the book as I cannot find everything here and vegetables are only available in season.One question…is the weight loss as dramatic not adhering strictly to the book?

Thanks and you are all a true inspiration to me. I just wish that the book is eventually translated and devised for the Turkish market as there is a massive problem here….people just expect that it’s a normal thing to have raised blood sugars 🙁
posted by Janet1973
on 28 Mar 2016 at 10:28

Hi Aquamarine,
You are doing so well!

To jump straight to your question about is the weight loss as dramatic? I would point you to our beloved Bill who has lost 25lb in his first 8 weeks and I know he doesn’t count calories but sticks to around 50grams of carbs a day. I’m sure he can tell you more himself if you wanted to ask him on the ‘this has to work for me’ thread or the weigh in thread. You might also want to check out the ‘what have you eaten today?’ thread. Same to you Rob, you might both get inspiration from the very simple meal plans in there.

I personally don’t like many of the recipes in the book so I just stick to the simple formula of a protein source plus vegetables or legumes for my meals. For example, sausages (veggie cos the only meat I eat is chicken) with cauliflower mash, roast chicken with three or four veg, a piece of fish with salad and chickpeas, etc, etc. I always add butter or olive oil to my meals. Full fat yoghurt and berries for dessert or a snack. I’m not the biggest loser on this site but there are some really big hitters around. Its not the meals themselves that make the difference, its the combination of the low carb, high fat that is the success behind this program.
All the best to you, keep posting.
posted by acquamarine
on 28 Mar 2016 at 10:32

thank you so much for your reply and encouragement Janet1973. I will check out those threads too.
posted by Cherrianne
on 28 Mar 2016 at 10:53

Janet that’s a great suggestion that Rob posts what he wants to eat and we can all help 🙂
It might also help you, Rob if you get a folder or book to write any breakfast, lunch or dinner ideas/ recipes in and their carb count. People are always posting their tips on the threads and you might see something you like the idea of.
Hi Acquamarine and welcome. You have every chance of showing your doctor the amazing difference the blood sugar diet makes. It’s good he was interested, many people have found their doctors to be indifferent or in opposition.
Everyone seems to lose weight differently, some people’s is dramatic, others slow but steady, yet others lose some then plateau then lose some more. Keep posting and let us know how you get on. You’ll get plenty of help if you need it.
posted by hashimoto
on 28 Mar 2016 at 11:07

Hi Janet, I don’t follow many recipes from the book either. I prefer meat or fish with veg done the way I am used too. I do like the cauliflower mash from the cottage pie recipe though. Perfect with a sausage or chicken or even on it’s own.
Rob follow cherriannes tip about a book. I write everything I eat in a book I use as a food diary. With the calories/carbs written against each ingredient. It gives you a store of recipes to dip into when you can’t be bothered to work it all out. Like cherrianne said there is a thread about ‘what I ate today’ where people post their day’s meals. 🙂
posted by Janet1973
on 28 Mar 2016 at 11:52

I keep a diary too. I record everything – weight, fat burning score from ketostix, how I feel (any pains I’ve got going on!), any important things that have happened. I will be able to look at it in a year’s time and see all the changes that have happened that I’m too close to appreciate right now. And if I start to struggle, maybe I’ll see the pattern that is causing it. I’m brutally honest too. When I’ve gone off plan I still record everything I’ve eaten.
posted by captainlynne
on 28 Mar 2016 at 12:25

Hi Christi. Looking forward to seeing you on the ‘Over the 8-week line and after’ thread on the Fast 800 Forum. Nothing ambitious about 2 stone – I lost 27 pounds in the 8 weeks and almost another stone since. I’m in my 15th week on 800 calories. Only another 3.5 stone to go!

Hi Rob. To answer your questions: what keeps me going? – determination to show the medics it not only works, but is sustainable. What are my aims? – as a diabetic to keep my blood sugars as low as possible, to get my weight down to a ‘normal’ BMI, and to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible to see my granddaughters grow up. Do I find it hard? Sometimes. I’m ok at home, but when I’m away I seem to struggle with portion control although keeping low-carb.
posted by Christi1948
on 28 Mar 2016 at 18:19

Bought a great book Mediterranean cooking for diabetics, delicious dishes to control or avoid diabetes by robin Ellis ( he was the first poldark on tv) not had a good look however if it gives me inspiration then it will do for me, I love books, and I read cookery books like novels! so hopefully will have more meals to try.
Off to our daughters in the morning for the day, (well half a day, she lives two hours away from us) so I am having eggs for breakfast then have got carb free plowmans, then going to just see what she cooks for dinner and wing it from there!
Looking forward to it as haven’t got there since before Christmas, they have a new dog, and have done more decorating to see, also catch up with the grandchildren ( two plus two stepdaughters) will look at the scales with interest when I weigh in on the morning after, haven’t eaten away from home since starting the diet! Eeek we shall see,
Thank you captainlynne will look forward to joining the thread, and losing more weight!
posted by Janet1973
on 28 Mar 2016 at 18:32

Sounds like you’re going to have a lovely day tomorrow. I’m sure your daughter will be thrilled to see you and will give you more protein and fats and less carbs. Dead easy! Have a great day.