Loving the frequent posting in this group!
Well done to everyone on their weight loss. Brilliant motivation for us all. My scales were very kind and showed a loss of 3.4kg so far. But my official weekly weigh is not until Tuesday, so hoping to have 3.5kg by then. However, my big aim is to loose 30kg, so quite a way to go yet. Happygirl…please stick with it…it will happen…
Just had a lovely cup of coffee and planned next weeks meals and shopping. We are driving from Germany to UK on Thursday, so had to work in travel and shopping split into German and British. A little complicated this week but very motivated to keep going.
Done many diets/dietary changes before but never felt so content with the options available to me. Even though a Sunday afternoon treat of biscuits or cake with the coffee would have gone down well! I do find it easier during the week when I am pre-occupied with a busy job.

Love reading all the posts –LOL–my knickers aren’t rolling down either! That’s a big plus.

My weight loss may seem like a lot, but my eating was nonstop, refined carbs all day long. That’s why I was retaining so much water. My dh is helping this time by not having cookies around. He eats ice cream, but I can take or leave that. He basically eats low carb most of the time so that helps.

The hardest part is going to the grocery store and seeing all my old carb favorites or new items to tempt me. This is the worst time of the year! My favorite store bakery has the pumpkin donuts with the cream cheese frosting now–major tempting to me.

This week is going to be tough since I’m working very long hours and short lunches so no exercise, planning will be essential. And checking in with you all.

HI again , I previously posted that I would not weigh myself throughout this diet but I would take measurements. I am pleased to report that I have lost 2 inches off my waist after one week😮However I do think this might be water as I peed a lot during the first three days. I have much more energy now and seem to be rushing around cleaning the house and ironing today at great speed. I went out with my husband yesterday to an Italian restaurant for lunch. I really wanted the risotto but ordered a chicken Cesar salad instead with a glass of prosecco…my first glass of wine this week. I am really missing wine with my meals. I can cope without the carbs but no wine 😥 I do feel well and I feel lighter too. I know I haven’t lost much and I have a fair way to go but it’s happening.

I love this forum it’s just what I need to keep motivated.

ZIggy

Miss Ziggy I feel exactly the same! Somehow the weekend doesn’t feel right not having any wine at all. I also have an open bottle of Rioja that is left over from last weekend when we had family to lunch. I’m hoping it will “keep” for eight weeks so I can have a glass when our eight weeks is completed. My husband & I will also have our joint birthday celebrations coming up in November so not having a glass of something then would not feel at all OK!🙁

Thank you for your kind words Carb Addict.
I am trying to stay motivated and I haven’t given in yet.
We will fight the fight for the next 7 weeks anyway.
The weight has to come off at some stage. I hope😃
At least I haven’t put it on.

This is a lovely supportive group and so many good results reported already! Good luck guys! Onwards and downwards xx!

Yowler you are so right I always say onwards and upwards but my new saying will now be onwards and downwards.:-)
Miss Ziggy I had a shock this morning…..not seen my ankles so slim for years. I could not believe my eyes even my husband noticed when I pointed them out to him.. It must be the diet.
There have been some fantastic week one weight losses. I am delighted with mine.

I think 💭 I am the only Canadian on here, but I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving 🦃 anyway.

Dad and I went for an epic drive today to look at the beautiful fall colours up north. 7 hours driving total! Long day, but really worth it.

It’s late, so I will do a full check in tomorrow, but… weigh in day will not be denied! I am down 7.6 lbs! This is more than I lost the first two weeks combined last time, so to say I’m pleased is an understatement!

Tomorrow is a statutory holiday, so no work, but definitely walks. I have to make up for sitting on my butt all day today!

Cheers for now,

Deb

Happy Thanksgiving CallMeDeb …. I am from Canada too!!

I am retired …. but i will join you in a walk on Monday!

I Wish us all GOOD LUCK!!

Happy Thanksgiving CallMeDeb and Shalimar..hope you have a lovely day.

My scales went up 0.1kg today but onwards and downwards…looking forward to my week 1 result tomorrow morning.

Have a good week everyone.

Disney Nut … at least it was only a smidgen of a gain …. Good luck with the DOWNwards!! HUG 🙂

Thanks Shalimar…I think the smidgen is probably due to a lack of fibre. Need to find something to add to my food that helps with that.
What is everyone doing in that respect? Do you have similar issues?

So I slipped up yesterday for the first time. I had been feeling unwell most of the day (inexplicably exhausted) and had gone out for dinner intending to order some lentil soup and a salad. I asked the waiter not to bring the usual bowl of croutons. But he did. After staring at them for five minutes I ate them. And then I decided that I couldn’t face another salad and ordered a portion of deep-fried vegetable spring rolls, battling internally with myself all the way. (Pure habit – I always used to order them in that restaurant.) And I ate them too. Then I gave into to my exhaustion and went to bed, ending up sleeping for 15 hours.

I made myself get on the scales this morning and they can’t decide whether I have put on 400g or lost 100g. (400g would hurt a bit as it’s 20% of my overall loss so far, but the lesson would be a productive one.) As such, I’m not going to log any weight for today.

Mentally I’m fine with it and cutting myself some slack. I was clearly not well yesterday and I didn’t use the one slip-up as an excuse to do more damage. I left the restaurant having resisted dessert which for some reason I really wanted too. I’m back on the BSD today and moving forwards. I’m not even sure how much I enjoyed those spring rolls – certainly not ‘+400g enough’! But the experience has made me think about habits, and how we so often get stuck into a pattern of doing things because it’s what we have always done. So I might stay away from that particular place for a while until new habits are firmly in place.

@ Disney Nut: obviously look at balancing your food intake for more fibre but you could also try psyllium capsules. You need to take them with a lot of water and the psyllium + water swells up into a kind of gel in your stomach (filling you up) and acts like an internal broom (no further description needed!). 100% natural and great for internal cleansing. The brand ‘Solgar’ has a good product.

Carb_Addict …. HUGS HUGS HUGS 🙂 🙂 🙂

good luck with the BSD today!!

Happy Thanksgiving Shalimar & CallMeDeb!
The start of day 7 for my husband & I & we re-weighed ourselves to find our correct seventh day weight & it’s still 6lbs for him & 5lbs for me. We decided we were eating too few carbs so I made Apple porridge with cinnamon from the recipe book for breakfast & it was delicious. I am tending to not eat many breakfasts because it saves some calories for lunch & dinner but because we are retired & at home we might try brunches this week. I’m going to be tempted by cakes this afternoon because I will be meeting my beading ladies & there are usually cream cakes! But must resist or it might skew this weeks result as it still feels like an ongoing experiment & learning experience. On we go hopefully downwards in weight!

Evening from Sydney, Carb_Addict

Hugs to you from afar, don’t beat yourself up it was one day, you have plenty more until weigh day, are you drinking enough water – I actually measured mine out yesterday and I was well below what we are meant to drink and it does fill you up. I went out for lunch last Wednesday and did the best I could but it was a fixed menu so I couldn’t mess with it, so just said ok that’s done, stick to BSD the rest of the week, the next day my weight went up and then came down again, – you want this so much and you are so supportive of everyone else in 1 October starters, give yourself the same love and support. My daughter came round with some muffins she had made today, I asked her if she minded if I froze mine and ate it on Saturday. I am going to visit a friend In Brisbane in November I haven’t seen her for thirty years so that and this incredible forum is keeping me on track – I am never ever going to be a fast loser, my poor old body is too messed up with dieting, but I haven’t ever felt so supported nor focused, and we are supporting and focusing on you – and you are right a lot of it is down to habit and we have to learn the new habits of BSD living, good luck my dear.

Day 7. Rather a haphazard supper tonight because I forgot our local village butcher is closed on Mondays. I found some tempura battered cod in the freezer & we had that with some quinoa & flageolet beans! Oh well total calories today for me was 807 but more for my husband because he found his small bag of pumpkin & sunflower seeds left uneaten from yesterday & ate them!!😀😀🙀

Hi everyone,

Just checking in. I was away for weekend at a wedding in an Irish castle. Pretty amazing couple, location & weather. I was dreading the food & drink situation because I had started the diet on 2 Oct, I was down 5 pounds by 7 Oct and now I was going to be surrounded by amazing food, champagne, friends & family. They weren’t just having cake, they were having a ‘cake room’ for dessert. I was good as gold but it was very, very difficult.
I had a total of 2 G&T’s and one glass of champagne for the whole weekend which anyone who’s been to an Irish wedding will know that’s a triumph. We do love a party! I had to skip the canapés, had salmon & vegetables for the dinner and just watched everyone piling it high in the most divine cake room. Torture, but I was strong. I knew if I tried one I would have tried four and my bsd would be over and I need to do this.
I brought a green shake and a flask of butternut soup to have the following day while everyone else was having the hangover fry ups. Got home very late last night so weighed myself this morning and I’ve stayed at 5 pound loss so no harm done & back on track now.
Looked forward so much to reading all the posts on here today as I usually check in every day. Love all your stories and updates, your successes inspire me, your advice helps me and it’s so good to be part of a worldwide group all committed to the one goal, taking responsibility for our health.

Best wishes from NeNe xxx

NeNe you have some iron will there!

So we’re already in to week two and I’ve got a new favourite thing. Those salad bowls that all the supermarkets do now with just the basic salad ingredients and nothing more. I find half is perfect when beetroot, olives and feta/tuna/chicken and a drizzle of home made vinaigrette are added and it saves the bag of leaves festering in the fridge when I decide I’m going to cook something for the next few days.

I seem to have lost 3.4kg somehow whilst eating delicious food. Having portions of different soups in the fridge has really helped, particularly at lunch time when I normally don’t eat. I also now have a variety of meals in the freezer so all that time I spent with my nose in my laptop have been worth it. I need to pull all my recipes together now and build myself a stock of simple meals that can be made from kitchen staples.

My baggy jeans are now not even touching my thighs (yippee) and my tight jeans are feeling less snug but I’m not going to get excited about them because they loosen up with wear.

Energy levels are good, especially good actually given I have an underactive thyroid. It must be all those good nutrients I’m eating!

Well done everyone for getting through week 1, it’ll be week 3 before we know it 🙂

Hello everyone
Hugs to you Carb Addict. Just remember that it’s not the falling down that defines you- its the getting back up and continuing the battle.
My language has become very military!!!
NeNe, you are so going to lose weight with that will of steel. I am Irish too but I couldn’t contemplate going to a wedding and doing what you just did.
I still haven’t dropped any weight according to my scales and my wonderful husband has suggested that the scales must be wrong. They aren’t. I only bought them last week.
However I feel great, the sober for October plan is going better than I expected.
I’m eating like a sparrow and never thought I would feel so good,
Tomorrow is another day so good luck to one and all.
CarbAddict, you are well able for this challange. You’ve done so well so far. Don’t let a minor glip set you back.
Cheers

Morning All, had my first week weigh this morning and can happily report a 3.4kg loss for week 1. Trying to stay motivated even though the scales haven’t moved in 2 days now but sticking to recipes from the book today with yoghurt & berries, chickpea chili and veg gratin tonight…I am convinced there will be change by tomorrow 🙂
Hope you all have a good Tuesday….

Thrilled about everyone’s successes so far and taking inspiration from it! NeNe I need you here, now! Lol.

Mixed bag to report here: got back on the BSD yesterday after Springrollgate and all was going great until I hit a majorly ravenous late night spot. I knew why – not enough protein for dinner. Knowing I would not be able to sleep, that water wouldn’t cut it, and that the cupboards were now bare of BSD-friendly protein prior to my going shopping today, I ordered in Japanese food. I chose consciously: salmon sashimi, some tofu and a crab/avocado salad the size of my thumbnail. No sushi! I knew it would take me over my calorie/carb count for the day but I made a considered choice. 800 kcals just didn’t cut it for me yesterday: I was still feeling a bit flu-ey too.

Today’s weigh-in: well, seeing as I got two results yesterday, I have either maintained the same weight gain from two days ago (400g) or I have put on 500g since yesterday, depending on which result you look at. I’m looking at the scales quite dispassionately – a weight gain of 500g is around an excessive of 3000 kcals on top of one’s basal metabolic rate. Ie I would I have had to have eaten 1500+3000 kcals approx to have legitimately put on 500g of fat overnight if my maths is correct. Clearly I came no where near this on either day. But it is interesting to see how, once you put your body into ketosis, how fragile the weight gain situation is. Or maybe it’s just my body – either way, it shows me how little I can deviate from the BSD without negative impact. Plus, you can never gauge the water retention situation and I know I didn’t drink nearly enough yesterday, so it’s highly likely some of this gain is water.

As for today, I’m re-motivated and off to the supermarket shortly. For me, tracking my weight daily is allowing me to correlate my choices/actions with direct consequences, so it is proving a really useful exercise. My spirits are high and I know I can do this. I also know now, from the last 48 hours that: a) I need higher protein levels at night (fish seems to work better for me, as much as it pains this 95% vegan to say it) b) 2+ litres of water is vital and c) there’s no way this gain is actual fat so it should come off easily again if I can stick to what I’m supposed to be doing.

I appreciate all the hugs but am totally fine – it’s like a science experiment, and I will learn, adapt and evolve along the way!

Have a great day everyone.

Week two and I had a bit of a blip this weekend. In the past I have tended to be “all or none”, doing the ‘diet’ properly or blowing it completely. So on Sunday afternoon after a big walk, I really needed to sit and relax and drink lots of tea etc but instead I had it in my head to tidy the whole house. I couldn’t face another week of a messy house. I had planned to just have brunch and dinner but by the time I cooked food for my family ( husband and two boys – one being quite a fussy eater) there was lots of food left and I ended up overeating the leftovers especially the carbs! I felt I had blown it and was really annoyed with myself, but with encouragement from my husband I started again on Monday and got back into the swing of things.
This is a major change for me. Before BSD I would have thought ‘what the hell’ and eaten everything I could lay my hands on and carried own eating for days. So what did I learn from this?
1. Listen to my body, if tired sit down and rest
2. Ask my husband for help with clearing up after meals so I’m not tempted
3. Remember it’s just one slip up
4. Be kind to myself

I liked what Happygirl said in a previous post – remember that it’s not the falling down that defines you- its the getting back up and continuing the battle.

Hi ok if a late starter joins? I did start 2 weeks ago and was doing great but got a bit complacent last weekend 😳😞 but straight back on it so hopefully……….. especially with help. Worst thing is people where noticing the difference already!
My problem is constipation? Anyone know of a solution? I have an auto immune illness and a slow transient bowl is a side effect! That means I feel so full but hungry at same time ! And I never go! I suppose sweetcorn is out of the question?
Thanks for listening

How much do you drink?

Heart goes out to you. I’ve had a gain too but mines bigger! But I’m having problems with constipation! As you say onwards we can’t quit now! Good luck for your next weight in

@ Nickix: Baristagirls is right to ask the question – you need at least 2 litres of water/ herbal tea a day to ‘move things along’. Sweetcorn is too starchy and carb-heavy to fit within the BSD I think. Also, if you scroll up a few messages you’ll see another in the group asked same thing and I suggested psyllium capsules. Easily obtainable from a health food shop. Try a few herbal teas that target the issue too – there’s a few out there. Good luck!

I have about 5 cups of tea/coffee a day and I drank a litre of water yesterday too. I’m trying to increase it but I’m having to get up in the night for the loo! I’ve stopped drinking anything after 8pm but still had to get up last night thanks

@carb_addict thanks. Yes I’ll go back on the herbal teas. And I’ll try and pop to the herbal shop on way to work and see if I can get some of those capsules. I much prefer natural stuff. Thanks for the help folks 👍

Nickix… I used to drink a litre of water a day max and since starting the BSD I’ve upped it to easily 3 or more, that doesn’t include my coffee or anything else. You get the fat out that way too!
One trick I read on one forum which really works is to wake up earlier, drink a pint of water, lie down for half an hour. It really helps things moving.

Thanks Everyone fingers crossed and good luck to everyone else to 😀

Wow, this thread is so busy I can’t keep up! Congrats to MissZiggy, CallMeDeb, Wendy1947 and Disney Nut (and anyone I missed) on your weight loss. 🎉🎉🎉
If I could give you a virtual ticker tape parade I would!! I’m really hoping for results myself when I weigh in on Thursday morning… fingers crossed.

I just finished day 6 and I spent a lot of the day cooking and freezing portions of BSD friendly food. I had my own slip up last night, when I went to empty out some wine from a bottle in the fridge from before I started BSD. Instead, (in my weary evening mood) I emptied into a large glass and drank it. Thankfully it was the only wine in the house, and I was too tired to throw together snacks to keep the binge going. Oh well… there’s gonna be days like that.

I also find it impossible to drink water, especially that much without flavouring it with a stock cube or artificially sweetened cordial. I know this isn’t great, but one step at a time.

Hope everyone is feeling strong, sending good willpower vibes from down under… 😀

PS. What is ketosis? There is some serious science stuff here that I am missing!!

Hi Butterfly_Moves,

Ketosis is the state in which the body runs out of carbs to burn for energy so it starts burning fat supplies instead. This is the principle behind the BSD as far as I can tell (not having bought the book!) and is the same principle behind Atkins and the other low-carb diets. The body first turns to carbs for energy in our day-to-day lives; by depriving it of carbs it has to look to other sources. Fat is the next one on the list. That’s why the weight lost is rapid: because the carb count is so low. Hope that helped!

That’s a brilliant explanation of ketosis Carb_Addict thank you!
Our calorie count is ok but still coming to terms with adding up the carbs we are having but think we must be below 50! I was always told that being in a state of ketosis makes breath smell like the old pear drop sweets & fifty years ago when training as a student nurse this was viewed as alarming for a patient & if noticed was to be reported asap. I suppose the old viewpoint was that the liver or kidneys could potentially be under attack! How things & knowledge changes.😀

Oh dear. I have not lost anything this week:-(
Been out all day and took tuna with some salad and water. Unfortunately we were at the Caravan and Camping show walking all day and I panicked because I had not taken a few almonds for emergency use so I bought a nut snack and ate the lot! To top it off I had cooked a 400+ meal again tonight. Not having a good day. So put out with myself.

Thanks for the explanation, CarbAddict! Now it makes more sense why monitoring carbs makes a difference.

Fairyface- Sounds like a nut snack would be a relatively healthy indulgence so don’t let it get you down. Watching the weight loss pause must be frustrating, however.

I guess that’s where this group is so helpful. It seems so much easier to move to on, after confessing to a slip up in this safe encouraging space. Not to mention the helpful feedback and tips. Thanks everyone!

Has anyone else noticed that as resolve increases to stick the BSD, you also feel more grit to apply to other parts of your life that need work? I’ve just found a new clarity in facing up to other things I need to change.

Maybe it’s just that I’ve spent less time this week either slightly drunk on wine or in a hungover haze the next morning!!

Yikes–put in 23 hours of OT so far this week, but still managed to lose a little. Calorie intake yesterday was a little over 800, but not bad compared to what I used to eat 🙂 And I broke down and had 2 Dark Chocolate Dove Squares. I didn’t feel guilty and luckily I stopped there.

Good Luck to all of us today!

Yes, ButterflyMoves–I feel like I really want to clean my house–and believe me it needs it!

Hi Fairyface don’t beat yourself up tomorrow is another day we can do this just take one day at a time. I am determined to make this life style change work I am going to lose my weight don’t mind how long it takes as long as it does.
Shalimar enjoy your visit to VON big hugs 😊
I too am struggling with the carb amounts looking at the receipe book going through the menus but as long as I am keeping to the 800cals happy for the moment. Never really liked cooking much preferred snacking hence my weight but I am starting to enjoy it have been doing some batch cooking which helps plus I love my slow cooker chuck everything in and dish up when I finish work.
Onwards and downwards as we are saying

I was doing so well Getting my life back. I am determined this diet is going to work for me. I have felt so positive, I FEEL so positive just cannot believe what I have done. Tomorrow is another day:-)

You ARE doing so well Fairyface, we are playing a long game and the biggest battle is to stay positive (which is the best fuel injection for willpower) and you have that COVERED.

Onwards and downwards indeed!

SierraValley- my house is only clean because I’m procrastinating from doing my tax report!!

We are trying out different recipes from the BSDiet recipe book & can highly recommend the beef stir fry with asparagus. It was delicious but I did adapt it with the ingredients I had so we had thinly sliced broccoli & green beans instead of asparagus & some flageolets beans however we will certainly have it again & it is very filling!
We so far have managed to keep around 800 daily calories but are finding now it’s better to not eat breakfast but have a larger lunch & supper. So far so good but my scales this morning only showed I had lost 2ozs! hopefully it will increase to pounds by the end of the week!
You all seem to be doing brilliantly even with a few ups & downs along the way😀

Really enjoying reading all your posts.
I lost 5lbs the first week ( though on Sat the scales had a mind of it’s own). Came out with an itchy rash and then panicked that I had a ketosis rash so upped the carbs. Have now decided to relax, enjoy the meals ( daughter loved the cauliflower and broccoli gratin ) and count calories instead of carbs for a bit.
I made the flapjacks but cut them into 16 instead of 24– oops but instead of beating myself up, I thought a) eating healthy foods b) far less calories than I would usually eat and perhaps most importantly I can follow this and lose weight even if it is a slower process.
As you say onward and downward .

Happy to report 200g down overnight <dancing>, back in mental control and feeling skinnier around the middle somehow. “She’s back in the game”!!!

@ Fairyface….Butterfly_Moves is right. We’re all playing the long game here. The nut thing doesn’t sound like a major disaster. We’re human, not saints or robots: there ARE going to be blips. You can do this. If can succumb to a bowl of spring rolls, wobble (literally) and then get back on it, you can too. Today is a new day and an opportunity to re-start all your great work.

@ Wendy1947: yes, ketosis does put the liver and kidneys under strain – hence why it is not sustainable as a long-term approach. But the carb level is the vital thing – it’s high enough on the BSD for the body to work efficiently. Remember the original Atkins when no fruit or veg was allowed but you could stuff your face with zero carb steak and butter? Yuk. And awful for you. Poor liver – talk about having to work overtime. Even the Atkins has been modified now to include veg and some fruit.

@ Butterfly_Moves: you did make me smile with your ‘wine haze’ comment. Yes, when you take control in one area and see a) that you can actually do it and b) the benefits, it’s going to make you look at what other areas in your life you want to work on too. Momentum! It’s a process I started personally exactly a year ago that has seen me since quit my job (of 14 years), start my own business, move city, go back to university and make some brave decisions in the ‘love’ department. My health and physical appearance is the last (and arguably most challenging) piece of the jigsaw to work on now, hence why I’m here with you all. I’m much happier since I decided to be brave and tackle head-on the things that left me unfulfilled. So I raise my glass (of water with a slice of lemon) to you and wish you the same journey of discovery. It’s not always easy but it is always, always worth it.

W1D6 and I have upped my water intake. As someone mentioned somewhere it helps get rid of fat. I had to mention that I baked hubs some walnut and date cookies and I was able to do this without sampling. I resisted because I’ve got my eye on the prize. I need this forum to keep me motivated and on track. Love all the good information everyone is sharing.

Damn right folks. Thanks for the encouragement.
Husband and I are going away in our motorhome for a few days. Meal plan is done and bought. Recipe book and scales packed. Sorry not read everyones posts but will do if we have internet connection tonight. Although we are going wild camping in Wales for tonight and then book on a site tomorrow.
Must add again…..thank you for all your support folks. This forum is ace.

Love and ((((((x)))))) hugs to those who need them.

WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER………NAY…..WE ARE DOING THIS TOGETHER.:-)

Thank you Carb_Addict it’s a comforting thought that we can lose weight & protect our liver & kidneys. 👍👍😎😎

I can’t find the post now but I also have a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to sort out various areas of my life. CHores etc I have been putting off for years😱. I feel much lighter mentally as though a fog is lifting. Last night I made a beef curry for dinner I made rice for my husband and I roasted spiced cauliflower for myself and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now after dinner I had such a burst of energy that I did housework while my husband watched football. I can’t remember the last time I felt like doing housework in the evening after dinner. I wonder if many of us have the *lows* associated diabetes even before being diagnosed? I work 6am-1pm and pre diet I would get home and eat mainly carb laden foods for lunch. My favourite was a generous helping of Ryvita with what ever I could on it or sandwiches with a packet of crisps. Then I would fall asleep. For some reason I have not been having my usual afternoon nap.
Well for me it’s week 2 and it’s all going well. I wil have a glass red wine on Friday night or it will not feel like the weekend. I feel as though I have been so good I deserve a treat.
I love reading about all of you and how you are getting on. I wish there was a chat room were we could meet and discuss things further.
KEEP ON KEEPING ON……
ZIggy🙂