Hello!
I’m 45 and seem to be finding it almost impossible to lose weight. I’ve never been slim but it’s even harder now. This is my last resort!!! I need to shift at least 3.5 stone but I’m hoping 2 stone might have vanished by the school holidays. I’m forcing myself to do a HIIT workout (Joe Wicks dvd) about 4 or 5 times a week plus a bit of cycling when the weather is nice at the weekends.
It would be lovely to have a diet buddy so we can spur each other on. My partner is super fit and loves exercise and in good shape and he’s v supportive (never comments on my weight, just wants me to be healthy) but I’m sure he must be bored rigid with my diet talk so a Diet Buddy would be great to give him a break!
Thanks in advance!
Tummymummy
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Hi Tummymummy,
Welcome, There are two threads that you may want to join for support. – There is a weekly challenge and a 4 weekly challenge. Please set their aims and report weight and inches results as well as share experiences. You will get a mixture of newcomers and more experienced BSD’s on both threads so just jump in to join us. If you look through the list of all recent topics you will see the names of the threads. – Also the common threads include one for recording our 3 positives for the day, and a thread where we share links to youtube videos and articles that are relevant.If you need any help just shout out.
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Thanks, JGwen. I couldn’t find new forums. They all seemed to have been going for ages with hundreds of comments! Hence, I started a new topic. Maybe I am looking in the wrong place?
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Hi Tummy Mummy, If you click on the forum link and then get the drop down menu – go to recent topics. You will see your own there, then underneath it you will see the May -1 week challenge. We try and start it every Tuesday but it was a bit later this week and you are free to jump in at any time anyway. (I’ve been AWOL for 2 weeks so just getting back on track myself)!
Another way to look at things is to click latest forum posts and you will see the thread next to the persons name at the top. You can just click on that link and it will take you through if you find the comments interesting.
If its a very long thread scroll down to the bottom and just click on the last number page to take you to the most recent post. Hope that makes sense?. Just keep asking. Failing that click on anyones name (above) and it will take you to the thread where they are active at the moment.Good luck – see you on the other side!:) Tully x
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Sorry the thread is called – One week at the time: week 5 – 15th May 2018 xx
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Thank you so much, Tully! Really helpful! x
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It can seem daunting at first, there are so many of us, some of whom followed the BSD for months and are now in maintenance, and others are newcomers.
If you go to forums on the main menu, and then to All Recent Topics, and scroll through the list the 4 week challenge is called Voom into June. – Its been a pattern going on for a few months now. This one only started on Tuesday this week – we all report in with weight lost each Tuesday, but chat the rest of the week about experiences, questions, recipes. 🙂
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Hi tummymummy, and the warmest of welcomes to you 🙂 There is something magical that takes place when
you join either a weekly challenge, or the 4 week one. Unlike newbie threads, it’s an opportunity to meet a community
of BSDers at all stages of the journey, and it makes the learning curve that we each must adjust to when beginning
this way of life so much easier. We also have a great deal of laughter along the way, and there is a generosity of
spirit as well as a wealth of knowledge to be shared. I’m looking forward to getting to know you, and I wish you
much success in reaching your goals. As JGwen has already said, the weekly challenge is called “One week at a
time – week5 – 15May 2018”, and the 4 week one that has just begun 2 days ago is entitled “Zoom into June with a
low carb VrooOOm!” Hope to see you there 🙂Allie
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What a lovely welcome – thank you very much, Allie! x
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Hi Tummy Mummy,
Can I join you! I started today and also need a buddy. I am 47 with an mid section that need to go!
Sam
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Hi Tummymummy,
How are you going? We have talked before on my post, but now I’m talking to you on your post. I started on the 13th so this is the 2nd day of week 2. I am doing all right but I am craving. Today I had scrambled eggs and smoked salmon for breakfast, pumpkin soup for lunch and tonight we are going out for dinner to a pub. It is the first time I’ve been out and to be honest, I’ll probably have a glass of wine. I hope I can get a low carb offering. Tried the zucchini spaghetti last night and I have a bit to learn. It wasn’t really cooked with 2 minutes steaming; in fact, it was barely warm. So I will cook it a bit longer next time. I had it with pesto but next time I’ll have it with a hot sauce. I have got over the disturbed sleeping that i experienced in week 1. Now I am sleeping really well.
Exercise is a big one for me, and I’ve been out walking most days. I have a dicky knee and struggle to do my physio knee exercises. This is my challenge for this week. Be good to hear a report from you!Cheers, Sallyo
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Hello! Sorry I’ve been AWOL! Busy weekend! Sallyo and Smead01, you are very welcome! I’ve just completed a week and I’ve lost 4lbs already which is an amazing boost! I thought I was going to cry about not having booze for our 2 bbqs this weekend but actually, it was fine. Just me and my partner. I had a banana pancake for breakfast (295 calories) on both days but just had a Skyr for lunch on both days (100 calories) so that I saved 400 for the bbq. I probably went over my 800 but I did a HIIT on Saturday and a leisurely 12 mile bike ride on Sunday so I will have burnt off all of the additional stuff. Phew! We just stuck to chicken, prawns, sea bass plus bbq peppers, giant mushrooms and red onions plus loads of leafy salad. And I used dijon mustard to avoid mayo and other sauces.
Sallyo – I think eggs are the answer to absolutely everything. If I have eggs, I can cope! Much, much less hungry. Banana pancake has 2 eggs and 1 banana so I get a bit of sweetness and the eggs keep me going all morning. Because it’s sunny, I am being lazy about food prep. I find it really easy to buy some precooked and sliced chicken and then shove it on some salad leaves plus I mix a bit of dijon, vinegar and olive oil together for a drizzle of dressing. So quick and I’m satisfied. I just add boiled potatoes for my partner!
I mentioned Skyr – v new discovery. Very high in protein, v low fat. Sometimes just have that for lunch instead of soups because I get super bored with soups. I’ve done spiralized courgette a lot in the past. Bit of a faff cleaning up the stupid spiralizer but so low calorie. Although, I tend not to steam. I just chuck it in with whatever sauce I am making! See – super lazy!!!!
Desperate to get rid of my great rolling tum. It’s my biggest worry. My weight is all in my bust and my tum and I am 45 so this is NOT GOOD. So Smead01, we are in a similar situation!
I hate exercise and I am NOT sporty, but I am just trying to do 5 Joe Wicks HIITs on my dvd each week. At least it’s only 20 mins of my day inc warm up. And I like cycling in nice weather and there’s a good cycle route near me. My partner loves cycling so he is being good and making me do it at weekends. I think doing exercise makes me less likely to cheat because I don’t want to feel like I wasted the awful 20 mins of exercise by ruining it with unnecessary calories. And also, if I do manage to shift this flab, I need to make sure I am vaguely toning up. Don’t want to be left with rolls of it!!!!
How much have you two got to lose? i really need to lose at least 3.5 stone but 2 stone by the school hols is my initial target for these 8 weeks. Building up for a HIIT with a coffee as I’m not working until tomorrow! (Apart from some piano lessons this evening)
Tummymummy
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Hi Tummy Mummy, I am 65 and I talk kilos because I’m Australian. I would like to lose 7 kilos. I lost 13 kg on the 5:2 diet but I’ve put on 7 of them in the years since I stopped doing it. My BMI is now just on the cusp between ‘over weight’ and ‘obese’. I definitely want to get it down to the low side of ‘over weight’. But most of all I want to get out of the pre-diabetic camp. My blood sugars were 6.8 at the last fasting blood test and this is a new development. Before this my blood sugars were ok. It’s ageing I guess. I have also developed an unsteady heart beat and my heart beat is too fast. And my dodgy knee. All this can be put down to being over weight and not betting enough exercise. I have joined the global epidemic of life style disease. I want to reverse this. I am over caring what I look like. No one notices old women and I like it. But I don’t want to go down the drug path and be decrepit and unable to work in the garden, which is pretty much how I feel atm. So this is the line in the sand.
Had a good meal out and I did enjoy a glass of shiraz. This will be a rare event over the next weeks. I was able to get a meal and say ‘no potatoes’ and they gave me extra beans and carrots.
I have taken up your tip on eggs and have been eating quite a lot of them. Normally we have our own eggs as we have chooks. But it’s winter here and they aren’t laying. So we have to buy eggs. Never mind. I love your banana omelette.
Made ricotta cheese today and that will be a good thing to have around. Let’s do this! -
Poor you! You’re doing absolutely the right things though. I worry that I am pre-diabetic too. Determined not to go down the Type 2 route. I know that in your mid-40s onwards, women need to do weights. I haven’t started yet, but it’s something you could start v gently and with less mobility. I’ve been reading about it. It can make a huge difference. I’ve been concentrating on cardio stuff but I’ve got some v cheap weights and I am going to look up some simple exercises.
The banana omelette is my saviour! Seriously! No alcohol is seriously boring but I can do it a limited period of time. I don’t actually drink v much these days anyway. I don’t drink on weekdays but I normally like a gin and slim and a few glasses of wine at the weekend. But I figure that if I can do these 8 weeks as strictly as I possible, my stomach will shrink, I’ll feel fuller faster and I’ll find exercise easier and more enjoyable. There should be a cumulative effect. I want to enjoy myself on holiday in France for a week but I’ll return to the 800 afterwards to shift more. I worry about the tummy fat. That’s the dangerous stuff. Ricotta – mmmmmmm! I am missing cheese. I looked longingly at some cheese in the supermarket this morning but when I read the label and saw the calories for even the minutest portion, I walked on by!!! Boo hoo!!!!
Keep at it, Sallyo! -
Hi Tummymummy,
Sorry for butting in on your thread, but I tend to spend a little time reading through all new posts each day, rather than focusing on just a couple of threads.
I have seen before you referring to your banana pancakes, and wondered if you realised that they are probably too high in carbs to be part of this Way of Eating. – While you will loose weight if you cut your calories down to 800 a day, you are also setting your body up to make itself more efficient with energy, so when you go back to eating you will struggle to keep the weight off.
If you instead keep your carb level low as well as your calories low, then your body can burn fat to make up for the difference between cals eaten and cals burnt so it doesn’t adapt to a low calorie lifestyle. –
There is a thread, Take a look at this, which you may find interesting looking through and following some of the links, Or search on youtube for Jason Fung presentations which provide a quick way of learning more about carbs, insulin and being over weight. If you want to look at the science in more detail then the book Why we get fat by Gary Taubes may suit you. -
The banana pancake recipe is on p.22 of The Essential Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book!!!!
It’s 295 calories (one mashed banana plus 2 eggs). Otherwise, I would never have discovered it! I tend to have it for breakfast and then I’m not starving hungry all morning and I’ve still got 505 calories left to play with! -
Sorry Tummymummy, I haven’t ever followed the recipes book, so wasn’t aware that there was a banana pancake in Dr MM’s books. So many of the recipes were for meat or fish eaters, so I just found it easier to count carbs and cals.
There are 23g of carbs in a medium banana, you may see a many of us talking about daily carb limits of between 20g and 50g.
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Hello, tummymummy, and a warm welcome to these forums. I’m glad that
you’re enjoying the recipes! Many of the old timers here, like myself, just
adapted our own recipes, eliminated the carbs, and have done extremely well
at maintaining our losses, which is the big prize, afterall. I know that MMosley
doesn’t emphasis counting carbs, but many of us have found out by trial and
error, that we are insulin resistant, and that counting carbs is essential to
obtaining consistent weekly losses, and avoiding extended plateaus, which
can be very frustrating. Gary Taubes book, “Why We Get Fat..and What To
Do About It” is an excellent resource and compliments what can be understood
by reading Mosley’s books. Two months in I hit an 18 day plateau. I did
more internet research on how to get into ketosis to maximize burning our
own body fat for energy, instead of having to go through the carbs first.
Dropping my carbs to <20 a day made a monumental difference, and
allowed me to lose a consistent 3.5lbs a week for the next 8 months.
Everyone has a different tolerance for carbs, and I know JGwen was only trying
to share this information with you. One of the wonderful things about the BSD
is that it is universally flexible. You will find what works for you! Most fruit
is quite high in carbs, and many of us limit it to a small handful of berries each
day. Belly fat is the most dangerous to our health, and by eating this way
for 23 months, I’ve lost 20″ from my waist. This was accomplished in a mere
10 months, and I’ve maintained it for 13 months. All tropical fruits are high
in carbs, and I keep strictly far away from them.
If you have any questions, just shout out, and one of the more experienced
BSDers will find you 🙂 Best of luck,Allie
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Hi all,
I am using the recipe book. When I have thoroughly got a handle on them I’ll take up adapting my own cooking. I find them surprisingly good. I am a gourmet home cook and so is my husband but so far we have been delighted with the food coming out of the kitchen. Tonight I am going to do the chicken drumsticks with a coating of almond meal and baked vegetables. I think the banana pancake is terrific. Today I made a mushroom omelette for breakfast. For me having a good breakfast sets me up well for the day.Unsolicited advice I find unhelpful.
Sallyo -
That’s your perogative, sallyo. Best luck to you rejecting the open hearted advice and goodwill that is at your disposal.
I learn something new each and every day from this community of exceptionally intellect and caring women. Sad! -
Obviously I meant intelligent 🙂
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No need to take it personally Alliecat. I’m just saying what works for me. When I want advice and ask for it, I’ll be ready to listen and learn from other’s experiences. Just now I’m in the experiment stage and I want to learn in a way that works for me.
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No worries, sallyo. I’m more than happy to let you learn in a way that suits you. With all new endeavors, there is
a learning curve that we must all master. If you need help, just ask. Newbies come and go, unfortunately. Comments
about unsolicited advice are rare in this community, and I never take them personally, or give much credence to them
either. I wish you only the best.Allie
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Hi Tummy mummy,
In response to your question I have 15 kg or 33 pounds to loose. I hope that conversion is right. I have always been in pretty good shape naturally and have found as I have reached my forties weight has been creeping on over the years. I like nothing more than to sit in front of the TV at night when my kids have gone to bed and each chips (crisps) and drink red wine. I am 175 cm and 82Kg and most of my weight is around my mid section. As we know this is bad fat.
I am hoping that no one is mistakenly going to congratulate me on being pregnant!
I started this diet in Feb but my father in law passed away and so that derailed things but I am happy to be on it again. I found the same a described by Alliecat, low carbs = much more weight loss. So I have been happy to skip the bananas and have opted for lower carb berries instead.Glad to be taking this journey with you and hopefully we can support each other through it
Sam
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Very happy to know you, Sam! I’ll be looking forward to reading of your future progress. This is an exciting journey,
not enforced deprivation, so just shout out if you hit a rough patch. The community is here to support you!
Best,Allie
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Thanks for your post alliecat,
I do have a question that you may be able to help me with. I have my mums birthday and she would like me to take her our for dinner in a couple of weeks. If I slip up will it be problematic to the whole diet. I want to do this 800 bsd but my work and sometimes my lifestyle means people are providing food for me. Have you had the same situation and what have you done?
Sam
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Hi, sorry I haven’t posted until now. I discovered one of my best friends has breast cancer yesterday afternoon. She’s only 45 and has a toddler. It rather focuses the mind. I don’t want to miss out on happy times with my son and my partner so getting rid of the dangerous tum and out of obesity is a priority!
I think everyone likes to share what has worked for them with some zeal! But people are so different. Age, hormones, physical disabilities, mindset, lifestyle, time etc are big variables. You literally have to discover what works for you and not over-complicate it. It’s just nice to know someone else started the process at a similar time and keep track of each other!
I don’t religiously stick to a recipe book. I’ve got the 5:2 recipe book and the BSD one and find they’re helpful for a few recipes that I wouldn’t have thought of. Omelette’s make me feel a bit sick but I think eggs are really helpful to me in the morning. Mashing a banana and adding 2 eggs to make a banana omelette/pancake is perfect for me and palletable but it won’t suit everyone. I’m not fussed about the carbs in the banana because I don’t eat pasta, rice, potatoes, bread etc in the rest of the day. I literally have some fish/chicken with some green veg and a bit of dijon or measured out dressing at lunch and teatime. And if calories allow, a Skyr (81-100 calories).
I think it is really tricky going out for meals. V difficult to control at someone else’s house. Nightmare! Going to a restaurant is a bit more in your control. I think, if there’s an option for fish without a major sauce plus veg/salad, it’s the way forward. Prawns are good! But it’s awful having the temptation of so many nice foods and smells about! I think I’d get a very large jug of water with lemon slices and ice in and attempt to work my way through it during the meal!!!!!
I started the BSD a while ago but got derailed by events. I’m an emotional eater and also, I wasn’t v well. I think the hardest part is saying, ok, I had a bad day yesterday on the diet but I haven’t ruined it and tomorrow is another day, don’t give up.
In essence, 800 calories a day for 8 weeks is easy to remember. I cannot cope with faffing around with points and syns and glacial weightloss. I need to see success, fast results and seriously limit my intake. As I get older, carbs don’t seem to agree with me and I personally find they are wasted calories because I’m hungry about 5 seconds after I’ve eaten them! I sometimes crave bread and butter but the minute I go down that route, I get into bad habits. Must resist!!!!! -
Yes, going out for dinner and eating something that isn’t in the plan but was served up by your host, well, it’s only one meal. You haven’t blown the diet. Life happens. Just get back on the horse. You could always tell the host well before the dinner that you are trying to limit carbs. That way s/he won’t serve up pasta! When i’m cooking for guests I like to know ahead of time if there are things they don’t eat.
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I agree, Sallyo. Life happens! If you really don’t want to derail the diet, can you ask your mum to postpone and go after your initial 8 weeks? Then you have something to look forward to.
I’ve done so many blasted diets, I know what derails me so having a plan before a meal out and sticking to it is the best option! -
Hi there, Sam! It’s very nice to have a gentleman with us. I wish you every success 🙂 When a restaurant
evening looms, I go online and read the menu first, and preplan what I’m going to order. That eliminates
any impulse eating, or wine fueled bad choices. Restaurants are far more accommodating these days, and
generally will replace the stodge with extra vegetables. I’m sure your “Mum” is very much looking forward
to spending the evening with you, and would be very disappointed if you cancelled. I’m sure that you will do
just fine, though. Another tip I have to share with you is that I always have a bowl of hard boiled eggs in
the refrigerator. I always take 1 or 2 with me when I know I might have to contend with non BSD friendly
choices. Those and a handful of nuts at the ready have never failed me! Even though I’m 23 months down
this road, I still continue the practice. Just shout out if anything else occurs to you, and I’ll find you!Best,
Allie
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How’s it going, Sallyo? I haven’t lost any more weight since last Tuesday but I expect there will be a couple of pounds off by Tuesday. It’s half term holiday coming up so, that could be a bit tedious with no alcohol. Boo hoo! Some of my work colleagues are going out for a big Indian meal tonight and lots of drinks, no doubt. I decided that I wouldn’t be involved this time! Can’t face having that much temptation in my way.
I think the 800 calories is pretty manageable although, I quite often get up to about 900! Definitely easier than doing 500 calories on the 5:2. Haven’t had time to do any exercise for a couple of days so got to do fit it in tomorrow for sure. Groan! -
Hi Tummum! I’m going brilliantly! I had to go out to a ‘shared meal’ event tonight. I made fish patties to take, with tzaziki and someone else brought salad, as I was hoping. Basically I just avoided all the risotto and pies and other carbie offerings and completely bipassed dessert. It was all much easier than I thought it was going to be. I am surprised by how I can do this! I confess to a glass of Shiraz this week when we went out to eat at the pub and a g&t on one occasion at home. The alcohol question is tricky! I’m not weighing or measuring until Sunday but my pants feel looser, so here’s hoping! Exercise has fallen in a heap and I have to get back on that horse!! Good walks earlier in the week but I MUST do my knee Physio exercises or I can’t keep up the walking because my knee hurts. Luckily the mindfulness practice is well locked in. At least one plank is secure, and the food gets easier. Enjoy your long weekend, as we call them in Australia. Good idea to miss the Indian booze up! I actually find public occasions easier than private temptations.
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Well done, Sallyo! Sounds like you are storming it! Your evening out was a great success by all acounts! I don’t think a boozy indian half term meal would be remotely helpful for me though. Everyone would be urging me to drink and it’s quite hard finding anything that doesn’t contain a lot of sugar or copious calories in an Indian meal. I couldn’t sit there eating okra and spinach all night! TORTURE!
As it happens, I would have had to cancel as my 10 year old is ill and I’m on Florence Nightingale duties…what a marvelous start to the school hols!
I shall be back on the old exercise regime tomorrow. Needs must! Unless I catch this bug and end up losing weight another way! ARGH!
Have a good weekend! x -
Ah, it’s school holidays, not a long weekend! Stay well, for goodness sake! Fortunately there was no alcohol at the event last night. You definitely made the right choice.
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Hi, Sallyo. Still going strong! I looked up ‘plateau’ on here. Seems as though lots of people experience plateaus but quite a number of them in Week 2. Which cheered me up no end as I hadn’t lost anything since my initial 4lbs and was feeling a bit blue! Anyway, I had lost 1lb this a.m. which is heartening and I am hoping I have a ‘whoosh’ in the offing! (Apparently, your fat cells can store a load of water and it can suddenly expel the lot after a bit of a plateau – WHOOSH!) I want to remain on schedule. Trying to lose about a stone after 4 weeks and another by 8 weeks! Can’t believe I will be a quarter of the way through my initial 8 week stint tomorrow. Not starving hungry nor finding it hard to stick to as I had feared. Hooray!
Hope your knee isn’t too bad and you’ve managed to get a bit of walking in? I didn’t exercise for a few days because of the Florence Nightingale duties but I’m back on track now. Did a HIIT yesterday and today. If the weather is nice tomorrow, I think I’ll be dragging my son out for a decent cycle ride! We all had 5:2 chilli for lunch in the garden today. The boys had tortillas with theirs but I stuck to salad leaves. Can recommend that recipe – only 241 calories a portion. I just chucked some jalepinos on top for extra zing! Yummy! -
Hi tummymummy! Your goal of a stone in 4 weeks is quite realistic, and represents a middle of the road expectation.
Plateaus can be infuriating, but don’t qualify as a “plateau” until they persist for 2 weeks. It is very common to experience
them in week 2 or 3, but they can occur at any time. I had an 18 day one after 2 months in, and the solution was to
re-evaluate net carb grams and up the water. Each one of us is unique, but the greater forum is full of caring and
generous advice. Keep on keeping on 🙂Allie
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I hooted with laughter at ‘middle of the road expectation’! Thank you, Allie. I don’t think more than a stone is realistic for me after 4 weeks! I will be pleasantly surprised if I actually make that target! But it’s something to aim for.
Apart from the banana (23g) in my banana omelette/pancake thing, I’m not having any carbs. Just protein in the form of meat/fish/eggs and green salad with a few tomatoes and red peppers thrown in. Although, there were kidney beans in the 5:2 chilli. I’m not eating any pasta, rice, bread or potatoes or root veg. And no booze.
I’m having to make a conscious effort to drink a lot of water as I’ve never been good at that. I think, in the context of 8 weeks, 10 days of no weight-loss feels like a plateau even if it isn’t officially a plateau! If it felt like a plateau to me, it was a plateau! But, it’s good to know that that’s entirely normal! And that I might get a ‘whoosh’! I’m keeping up the tedious exercise too. So, eventually the weight will go. I’m consuming far fewer calories than I normally would and I’m doing regular exercise so the laws of biology/physics/chemistry etc dictate that I must shift it sooner or later!!!
Hope you’re having a good week!
Tummum -
Hi Tummymummy, I hadn’t lost any more weight in my week 2 weigh either. But I did lose another half inch off my waist measure so that was something to celebrate. No exercise. And two glasses of wine this week. So that has to stop. Also yesterday we ran out of gas while I was making mushroom soup for lunch. I ate cheese and nuts but by 5 o’clock was was starving and the only thing for it was to have a piece of toast. Oh dear. I don’t feel too bad about it and I’m not going to throw in the towel. I’m picking up the pieces today. Hopefully the gas will arrive soon. It’s cold and wet, (Southern Hemisphere), so salads don’t appeal. For me it’s not so much about weight as about getting the blood sugars down. Losing fat from my waist is probably a good sign that this is in progress. Carry on!
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Tummymummy, I’m glad my sense of humor isn’t lost on you 🙂 I really don’t take myself too seriously, and see no reason
why we can’t have a few giggles along the way. You sound as though you have a very solid plan, and are committed to
seeing it through. Ten days of a plateau can feel like an eternity, but you are “hanging tough”, so cudo’s for that 🙂
The only way I broke mine was to conclude that I was quite insulin resistant, and dropped the net carbs to <20.
After that, 3.5lbs departed from my obese body reliably, week after week! I’m looking forward to following your
successes, so just Carry On 🙂 🙂 🙂Best,
Allie -
Oh yes – it’s winter for you, Sallyo! It’s definitely easier for me to do this diet in summer. Salad is so instant with everything!
Has the gas come back on now?! What a nightmare! Not surprised you had to improvise your food! Just have to write that off as something beyond your control and forget about it!
Well, I am 5lbs down after exactly 2 weeks. I had hoped I’d be 7lbs down but bodies don’t necessarily work to schedule! Pleasingly, I am almost out of ‘obese’ on the BMI chart and into overweight’. Looking forward to being overweight! 😂😂😂
I didn’t take a waist measurement because every time I measure, it’s different so I concluded that I wouldn’t get an accurate measurement for realistic comparison! My clothes feel a bit looser so something is definitely happening. I could really do with a whoosh though! That would be v motivating!
I really want to be 2 stone down for my week in France. I can pretend to be sophisticated! -
Fantastic Tummymummy! What good news! Just converting 5 lbs to kilos, so I know what we’re talking about: 2.27 kg! That’s fantastic! My pants are looser too and I’m on the cusp of ‘obese’ and ‘over weight.’ Desperate to be over weight! But let’s not forget, I don’t focus on weight!!! I try not to because it can be a slippery slope to despair. It seems out of my control. I try to focus on doing the right thing with my diet, exercise and mindfulness and leave my weight in God’s hands, if you know what I mean. You eat like a French woman and you’ll be right.
Still no gas. My husband has been on the phone all day to the gas company but it hasn’t helped. Hopefully we’ll get it tomorrow. Usually we order when one bottle runs out but it’s his department and he must have been sick when the first bottle ran out and suddenly both bottles are empty. Whoops. Luckily we do have an electric oven so I’m making roasted chicken thighs, roast pumpkin and a fancy salad with grated beetroot, orange, parsley and mint and a sumac dressing. I could have done something like that last night but I kept expecting the gas to come so I wasn’t ahead of the game and needed to go shopping. Now I’ve done that and planned the week’s menus. I got my copy of Gourmet Traveller which has a special Middle East theme. Very spicy. Just no flat breads. Sad. It’s also really wintery today, really for the first time this season. Rain, wind, freezing. So we need food! I’ve got it covered tonight. -
I think you’re so right about the slippery slope to despair! Feeling a bit like that today as no more weight-loss again. Sob!!! I looked at a few more old forums that mention plateaus and there were a number of people who had lost 4lbs in the first week, the nothing or 1-2lbs the following week. Some people didn’t have any decent weight-loss in weeks 2-4. So, I am just reminding myself that it’s completely normal at this stage. It’s just rather galling when I am trying hard and I am doing exercise. And when I say I don’t enjoy my 20 minute HIIT, I really mean it! It was an absolute chore this morning. But I forced myself to do it because it might eventually help! It’s just a bit frustrating to see other people shedding 10lbs or so in a couple of weeks! But maybe they have more to lose. And everyone’s bodies deal with this stuff differently.
Hope the gas is on now? At least you are cooking up a storm in your electric oven! Sounds absolutely delicious!
I’ve been feeling hungry and wanting to pick at things today and yesterday. I think it’s because it’s half term holiday. I’m at home more. And having to do more cooking for my son. Not a good combination. I was hoping we’d be out doing lovely cycle rides in the sunshine but the weather has been awful! So unfair.
Hope all well in Aus! -
Plateaux are a fact of dieting. It’s your body’s method of fighting a famine. When you restrict your usual food intake your ancient body thinks we’re in a famine and your hormones kick in to stop you losing weight and store your fat! So helpful! Amanda Sainsbury Salis explains all this in the Don’t Go Hungry Diet. She is a scientist who was inspired to study weight loss because she was obese. https://www.dramandaonline.com/ I don’t know what she would think of this diet. She did give the 5:2 the tick of approval. But in general she disapproves of diets that remove whole food groups (like carbs). She teaches eating a varied, balanced diet with lots of fruit and veg, as unprocessed as possible and learning to recognise your hunger and satiety levels so that you only eat when you are actually hungry and stop when you have had enough. (It’s about mindfulness I guess.) Tame the famine monster, reassure the body that there is no famine. Her book is my foundation. That’s where I’m coming from and why I try not to let myself get too hungry.
Hope the weather has picked up and you can go cycling with your son. Well done on fighting through on the exercise. I find that the hardest bit. I just don’t want to do it! Not helped here by weather either! Upward and onward , Tummymummy!The gas arrived yesterday morning. Thank goodness. We all had showers! And eggs for breakfast.
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Thanks, Sallyo! You talk a lot of sense. I watched a programme on the BBC last night called the Big Crash Diet. Lots of people were put on 800 calories a day for 9 weeks but using soups, shakes etc. Not real food. After the 9 weeks, they gradually reintroduced real food a meal at a time. Their results were amazing. Reversing diabetes, fatty liver disease and so on. It was pretty motivating.
Still haven’t lost any more weight today – sigh! But it’s been nice enough to cycle with my lad so a good 45 mins of effort in total. Don’t think I will do a HIIT today having done some cycling. Hooray!
I think you could do this diet and include carbs but it would be much harder because carbs are so empty. I’m hungry 5 mins after I’ve eaten them. I survive by eating eggs, chicken and fish plus veg/salad. If I were throwing those calories away on e.g. bread (my nemesis), I would fail. I can’t stop eating bread normally. And actually, carbs agree with me less and less as I get older. My skin and hair and digestion is so much better without them.
Hooray for the gas!!!! What a relief!!! -
I think Amanda Sainsbury was coming from a different place. The BSD is a completely new way of eating. It’s not a cutting down, it’s ditching the carbs entirely. It helps to read around, watch YouTube videos, because once you understand the science it all falls into place.
You shouldn’t feel hungry on this way of eating. You can eat mountains of fibre rich food, and don’t be scared of fat, that makes you feel full.
Once you’re through the carb cold turkey your body won’t want them; your gut wants them now (do read Clever Guts for the science) but it won’t once you’ve ditched them entirely. You’ll soon be able to differentiate between hunger and cravings.
Watch as many Jason Fung videos as you can find, amazingly helpful. Commit to this WOE and it’s a real lightbulb moment when you discover how the food industries, Pharma, the medical world have all been leading us by the nose. Do look at all the associated work, you’ll be really excited. -
Yes, I have read all the books and seen all the progs. Still hungry sometimes!
It’s not rocket science though – 800 calories a day for 8 weeks, protein fills you up more than carbs, eat loads of veg and exercise! -
I tend to agree with you, Maggie. It’s the fiber and healthy fat that keeps us from feeling hungry, not protein. Excess
protein gets stored as fat, just like carbs, so this lifestyle is categorized as low carb, moderate protein and high
(healthy) fat 🙂 I can recognize that you’ve done a lot of reading also, and Jason Fung, Gary Taubes and Perlmutter
are often mentioned on this forum. You are probably way ahead of me with respect to Taubes book, “Why We
Get Fat..and What To Do About It”, but in the event that you haven’t had an opportunity to read it, I highly recommend
it! I found it life changing, and I’ve never looked at our food supply in quite the same way after reading it 🙂 Carbs
are the devil, and sugar is poisonous 🙂 🙂 🙂 -
Allie you are so right about carbs. Since I discovered MM I’ve been such a convert and am reading everything I can find. My reason for starting it was to bring down my blood pressure and cholesterol and I’m now pre-hypertensive. I dropped my medications long ago because they made me feel terrible, and with my doctor’s agreement! I now find there’s no evidence that statins are effective and blood pressure medication is only treating the symptoms. When I was first diagnosed I tried to lose weight and was confused to discover that fructose sent my BP soaring. I couldn’t join the dots then, now I can.
I wasn’t badly overweight, 10 lbs brought me down to a healthy weight, but I’m determined to go as far as I can now I’ve got the tools. So 15 pounds gone, 28 to go. Tbh I find ketosis makes it a breeze – I hope I’m still saying that in another 4 weeks!
Maggie -
Actually, on reflection I think one of the things I really like is that I feel in control of my body; it doesn’t tell me when to eat, I decide. What a transformation 😃
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Hi Sallyo,
Jason Fung has some useful presentations on youtube which explain the difference on the impact on metabolism of just cal reduction v a diet to keep insulin low and calorie reduction at the same time. –
There is a large amount of research published which confirms that if you cut calories but have high insulin levels your body will not be able to access your fat stores and will become more efficient in the use of food sources. But when you have low insulin levels the body can access fat stores and there is a very minor reduction of metabolic rate.