Hi everyone
I’ve been very inspired reading all the posts and it’s been keeping me going for the last couple of days.
Started the BSD for the first time yesterday, and so far it’s been great, no hunger, which I’m very surprised by !
What I wanted to ask is there anyone writing on the site who has lots and lots to lose ? I have lost stones in the past but always put them back on with stones more added on. I now have got to stage where the pain in my knees is so bad I can hardly walk, and obviously the weight continues to pile on. I am now determined to stick with this diet and the end goal is to get rid of about 8 stone ( eek !!)
I don’t have any medical problems, diabetes etc, just want to kick start my new healthy lifestyle.
Here’s hoping it goes as well tomorrow.

TONS and TONS of people here have TONS to loose …. and have already lost TONS!
Read some of the other threads … I have 70 pounds to loose … and lost 10-20 already (haven’t weighed in at the gym … been sick etc. so i don’t know what i gained back the last few days).

Advice i’ve gleaned and used so far :

Don’t get yourself all worked up if you blow your calories, etc. NO GUILT. Just get back on the horse.

Record your foods, exercise, measurements, weight, blood sugar readings … what ever. Be honest with yourself. I just use an ordinary notebook. You can buy food content counter books, check out MyFatSecret website … frankly you can google the name of the food with the words “calories carbs” and get at least an approximate.
Pull down men
Read the other threads and reply to them as appropriate. Pull down the FORUMS thread tab.

Buy or borrow Michael Mosley’s book. Cookbook available in UK … coming in December in Canada.

There are lots of people here in similar circumstances.

Hey Determinedthistime!

I’m in the same boat as you! Feeling very inspired by all the threads and posts on here and in part they are what have motivated me to take this plan very seriously and make a proper effort to follow it. I also have a lot of weight to lose – at least 6 or 7 stone to put me into the range I want to be in. I am horrified with myself for having let myself get to this state and now have a lot of work to do to reverse it. I am not diabetic but have insulin resistance (related to PCOS) so this is a sensible plan for me to follow. Shalimar’s advice is great – especially about logging your food and measurements etc. I would add to this by saying:

* Planning/preparing is key. Make sure you have lots of BSD-friendly foods on hand so that you don’t fall into the snack trap!
* Drink lots of water and then more after that! It will help with flushing nasty toxins from your body, keep you hydrated and help manage your hunger.
* Don’t be afraid of fats – go for full fat yoghurt or cream, eat avocados and nuts (in moderation!), don’t be afraid of bacon! These will all help with satiety. Some people find it hard to break from the low fat way of thinking as that’s what has been drummed into us but really low fat usually means sugar, chemicals and lots of other artificial nasties that are best avoided!
* If you get cramps or feel a bit under the weather, adding a little bit of salt to your meals/drinks can be very beneficial. Try a miso soup or bouillon/stock drink, mash up some hard boiled eggs and season with salt and pepper, sprinkle a little sea salt on your veg etc (along with some butter!) – this will make you feel better.
* Experiment! Try new recipes or ingredients. I am just starting to do this and have plans to spend the weekend trying out a few new recipes. This will help keep food boredom at bay and also (for me at least) reignite interest in cooking and what you are putting into your body.
* Take your body measurements. Igorasusual and Californiagirl on these forums have given this advice and it is definitely something I will be following. Sometimes the scales can disappoint but if you are also tracking your measurements you can see changes that are not reflected by the scales.

I could probably go on for ages but I’ll stop now! I hope today goes well for you. If you can do today, you can do tomorrow, and the next day and so on. The challenge is on! 🙂

Hi Shalimar & Flash21
Thanks both for your advice, I’ll take it all on board. I am logging everything, writing down and counting and it’s going well. (So far!!) yes, as you said it’s just a question of taking one day at a time and being prepared, food wise.
Going to have a good clear out of food cupboards this afternoon, getting rid of any lurking goodies, and sorting of herbs and spices.
I tried to make a healthy buckwheat pancake this morning ( my own made up recipe!!! ) but it went in the bin, and I ended up with oatcakes and cottage cheese. Are oatcakes ok or not? I am waiting for my BSD book to arrive, so not sure. Also the cottage cheese is low fat, am I supposed to be eating full fat ?
All advice, gratefully received.

Hello Determined,

Good to hear you’re already logging and counting etc – it’s a useful habit to get into. Clearing out your cupboards is also helpful as you can remove all temptation!

I just did a quick check of oatcakes (Nairns brand) online. They have 58.6g of carbs per 100g so possibly not the best thing to go for if you are trying to keep your carb count at or below the recommended 50g per day. But it doesn’t matter for now as you’re just settling into the diet and figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Ideally you should eat full fat too as fat helps to keep you feeling full, tastes better and unlike the low fat versions of things, tends not to have added sugars (and other chemicals) to make it taste nice! It’s quite counter to typical dietary advice so some people find breaking away from low fat quite a scary prospect, but take the plunge! Have a look through the recipes on here whilst you wait for your book as they’ll give you an idea of what other people are eating.

Hi Flash
Ok, that’s great, many thanks. Just planned food for rest of the day….some of the recipes sound really nice.
Looking forward to this new adventure, and feeling very positive, the forum is a great help.
Thank you.😀

Pleasure 🙂 What’s on the menu for the rest of the day. I’ve got a bacon and leek frittata with coleslaw for lunch. I hope you enjoy this BSD adventure!

Ooooh, that’s sounds yum, I might copy that tomorrow !
I made a ratatouille last night with tin of tomatoes, and roasted a load of peppers, onions, corgette etc. I had that with a chicken breast, which was tasty. I only had half the ratatouille last night, so for lunch I added a bit of water, blitzed it and had it as soup, with a sprinkling of Parmesan. Chilli in it too, so it was filling and spicy… And I feel quite full now ( it’s weird) normally I would have had a thick white bread cheese sandwich with crisps, and then look for something sweet !!
I also made a quiche last night for my other half ( he had with chips & beans !) so I think tonight I’ll have a slice of the innards, no pastry with a big mixed salad.
Going to supermarket tomorrow, so I’ll work out beforehand what I need…..haha this is like a full time job, I’m sure it’ll become second nature soon though……I’m in it for the long haul.

I have to admit to it not being homemade, it’s from Asda… I’m not usually keen on ratatouille but I like the idea of it being blitzed into a soup. I, too, would typically have gone for a lovely white bread sandwich with a chocolate bar or something after. I am enjoying eating in a new way and hope it will continue. Good luck at the supermarket!