Hi
I’ve been on the BSD for 28 days straight. Started at 14 st 2lb and currently at 13st 8lb. Waist down to 38inches from 40. I’ve basically not lost anything since end of week 2.
I’m eating 800-900 calories each day, no potatoes, rice, pasta or bread. 1/2 litre to 1litre water a day. Tracking in my fitness pal. Porridge and yogurt for breakfast or eggs, salad with chicken or fish for lunch, chicken or fish or soup with veg for eve meal. Occasional dark chocolate for treat, don’t drink alcohol. Snacks of cheese, nuts, yogurt and berries but not often.
I’m at about 62g carbs average a day which is higher than recommended I know but my calorie count is consistently low. So any ideas why the loss has slowed and not been quite a swift as others have achieved? I’m not finding it difficult now I’m past the first few days but I’m frustrated!
Would be grateful for any tips to help me understand what tweaks I might need to make to help things further.
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Hi Funkydoofamily and welcome 🙂
The first thing that strikes me is your water intake. I found that on days when I didn’t have much water the weight loss would falter a little so I would say you need to be having upwards of 2 litres a day. Aim for 3 which I have found to be optimal.
Then theres the carbs. From what I understand (others please correct me if I’m wrong) that if the carbs are too high your body will essentially run off those instead of the fat. To test that theory try some Ketostix (available on amazon) Basically you pee on them and if they turn pink you’re in ketosis meaning your burning fat not carbs.
My starting weight was 17st 4 on 15th March and I’m now 16st. Last week weight changes were uneventful but things seem to be moving again now.
As a side note I’ve noticed that I remain the same or put on a few oz on a Monday! Still haven’t tracked down what I’m doing on a Sunday to make that happen!?!
If you have any other questions please do ask, theres lots of friendly folk with plenty more experience than me here 😀
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Thank you. Will try the sticks you mention. I guess I just assumed that consistently having 800 calories would shift the weight, even if there was a excess of carbs on some occasions. On some days I drink a lot more water than others but will try and up it more. Thanks again.
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No problem. It’s amazing actually how big a part the water plays in this diet! Keep us posted 🙂
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Hi funkydoofamily
I would definitely recommend at least two litres of water a day (and not any liquids with sweeteners in them). Also try to get your carbs down to 50g or below. You would probably do that just by substituting your porridge for eggs or yoghurt. You can even have more than 800 calories as long as your carbs are low. And thirdly, get more fat in your diet, full fat yoghurt, butter for cooking eggs, olive oil on your veg/salad, that sort of thing. I love my ketostix too. -
Any ideas for easily portable breakfasts to reduce those carbs? I commute into London 3 days a week and don’t like to eat before I leave (6.50am) so I get a long stretch between previous eve meal and breakfast. I’ve been making porridge and taking it in thermos to eat on arrival and keep yogurt and berries at work but there aren’t cooking facilities apart from microwave there. I am starving on arrival 8.40 so it needs to be quick!
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I use 60g full fat greek yoghurt, 30g blueberries – put in one small container the night before into the fridge. Separate container, 3g linseeds, 3g sunflower seeds, 3g pumpkin seeds, 3 almonds chopped plus good pinch of cinnamon. Take both to the office, mix together and eat. I make this each evening and have it for breakfast, it last me to lunchtime (165 cals and 10g carbs).
That leaves you space to have a hardboiled egg or some cheese after to get to what ever you want your breakfast to be.
hope that helps. -
Omelettes are ok re-heated in the microwave and I would have thought sausages might be ok too. I have used slim fast shakes in the past, the cafe latte and strawberry ones are very nice but not particularly low carb.
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Thanks for that. I have all those items in and have just weighed out ready for tomorrow morning. Have also boiled some eggs so can take those in for later on if needed. I also make gram flour scones for 25 calories each which are good as a filling extra. Here’s hoping!
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I have swapped years of eating porridge for breakfast for full fat yoghurt with fruit, nuts and seeds, almost identical to that mentioned about. Porridge always used to fill me up until lunchtime (5 hours later) and to begin with I was ravenous by 10am but actually I ended up waiting until 1pm for lunch and although I admit I was hungry it was nowhere near as bad as it has been so I think my body is getting used to it and I really don’t miss the porridge (in fact I look forward to the yoghurt more!)
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I’m new to this and am not intending to do the full diet but cut as many carbs as possible.
However….I don’t understand why porridge and oats aren’t OK. Oats help reduce cholesterol; aren’t they full of fibre and vitamin B? And I thought they were complex carbs!Please explain – really confused!
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Hi Rowantree – there is an explanation in the Blood Sugar Diet Book – Chapter 1 under the section carbs and insulin. This diet is about reducing the carbs to stop blood sugar spiking and help reverse diabetes. It is also a good preventative diet as well to ensure weight loss and not get to diabetes in the first case, so it is not looking at cholesterol which oats and barley can help.
Oats, particularly processed oats are high glycemic load – that is they release their sugars into the blood quickly thus spiking the blood sugars. All processed oats do this, which is why it is suggested you avoid them – thus porridge oats which is what most muesli is made from. Rolled oats, the type that is unprocessed – is slow release – lowish glycemic load so you can use them – they are what my grandmother would have used and needed soaked overnight before cooking, or toasting lightly and adding to cranachan, we also used them for putting on herrings before grilling the herrings – they are delicious.
I have not tried them in muesli whilst on the 8 week diet and intend to add them in and barley on the 5:2 phase which I start soon.
Hope that helps.