Hi all, I am starting tomorrow, so just getting organized today, can I check when you count your calories, does that include counting non starchy veg, so for ex if I plan a meal do I need to weigh and count salad for example, also if I snacked on veg sticks do I count them. I know this probably sounds pedantic, but I find confidence in being precise, I am a failed dieter of 41 years, I want this to work. Just want to say to the admins of this site. Very very good, I am a professional I’e lifetime attendee of all the slimming clubs, and this motivates, and educates me more than anything I have experienced before. Also I’m afraid In order to reinforce my committent I will be going public on here regularly. I am ready to expose everything, hehe well I suppose I mean my mind, after decades of denial, so can’t wait to get started 76 pounds to loose.

Hi greenjanet and welcome!

Yes, count EVERYTHING. If you get an app like MyFitnessPal you can keep a diary – and plan a day ahead – with all your meals and this also breaks it down into carbs, fat, protein and total calories.

You can schedule in and count some snacks – veg sticks, nuts, occasional fruit – and then you know where you are.

I found it good to keep the carbs under 50g per day – many people here do – and this seems to work well.

Have you measured? Have you got “target” clothes? This really helps if the weight loss slows because you can see yourself shrinking anyway.

Drink drink drink – you can keep a tally of that, too, in MyFitnessPal.

Good luck! 🙂

Up to you – I think there are a variety of approaches here.

Personally, I’d suggest that the more precise you are at the start about weighing and recording, the more knowledge you will build up about portion sizes, fat and carb content (if you’re a lifetime dieter, you’re probably well versed in calories).
Armed with that knowledge, you can decide how much you can relax the weighing and recording as you go along. That makes it much easier to assess what you have in a restaurant, for example.

good luck with it

Thankyou for your kind reply, sounds good advise.

Hi thankyou for your kind reply, will do I have to be pedantic about this otherwise I loose confidence.

Agree with all posters above, with a slight variation. Every calorie counts so add them all. Milk in coffee/tea. Vegetables, salad, everything.

I run a really simple spreadsheet that tracks:
Morning weight (I do this every morning before breakfast)
Breakfast – Calorie amount
Lunch – Calorie amount
Dinner – Calorie amount
Other – Calorie amount
Total Calorie amount
Exercise – eg. 30 mins walking / 1 x 10 exercise set (10 push ups, 10 sit ups, 10 crunches, 10 bicep curls, etc).

I do list what I have for my meals, eg. Bircher/Pho/Steak&Veg/Salmon&Veg/10 almonds.

It’s simple but keeps everything in tracked. You can also plot your actual weight on a graph and compare against your daily target for motivation.

Hi, I am starting today after several failed attempts. I have piled on weight since last autumn and while I feel and look horrid my husband loves what he sees as womanly curves. Failed attempts were always when he brought home goodies as a treat and the addiction to sugar kicked in again. Anyone managed to overcome a saboteur?

Hi Custard Lover
I only have my cat to contend with – and she helps by wanting to share anything on my plate! – and all my friends are very supportive when I eat out or am staying with them.
There was a series on BBC1 recently – still on IPlayer, called “Lose Weight for Love” – it followed four couples that had each put weight on during the course of their relationships. The program took fairly drastic action of having them live apart for a couple of months to kick start weight loss and break bad habits, and they worked with nutritionists and personal trainers.
They weren’t following BSD, but it was more focused on the psychology of overeating, particularly in relationships – you might find it interesting and pick up some tips from those. I followed it because the first episode aired the day that I started BSD
the website doesn’t say how long they are going to be up on IPlayer for.

Lots of luck with overcoming the saboteur!

Many thanks Frog,
I’ll take a look – and maybe get a cat!

Hi custardslover
Yes my husband used to do that, what I did was expect him to do it, I’e try to sabotage me, and have a scripted blurb, like oh that’s so kind but I really don’t fancy a pudding blah blah, it’s when the unexpected crops up that we have to give in, so expect it, and you will be armed. It worked for me. Now I get miffed because he doesn’t bother as he knows I will say no.. Lol 😹😹😹

Thanks greenjanet. Mine’s quite canny – produces the yummy cake and says ‘OK, I’ll leave it here – you might fancy it later’ and of course I do. I see your point tho’ I need a strategy to be able to avoid it later or even just find the strength to put it in the bin.

Maybe it gets easier if one gets past the craving for sugar.

I think if you can get past the sugar craving bit, you will find it easy to resist the temptation. Why not think up some little personal rewards you can treat yourself to if you resist the temptation to eat the cake/biscuits/chocolate etc.? Like a long soak in the tub or new shower gel, new nail varnish or body lotion – sure you can dream up something to suit you.

Thank you for this SunnyB. Apologies for tardy reply – I was giving it a try. I am having real problems with the sugar thing and every effort to overcome it seems to have resulted in a binge on the stuff. The rewards never seem better than the sugar, even reminding myself of the harm its doing. Time to re-read the book and try again I guess. I am frustrated that my self control is so weak but grateful thanks to everyone who offered advice.

Just remember it’s not your self control that’s an issue – your body is addicted to the sugar and your hormones drive you to it to respond to your body’s demands.

The refined carbohydrates create the blood sugar spike and then when you ‘fall’ away from it, it cries out for more.

one of the things Michael recommends is not to have the sugar temptations around – is it possible to clear them out from your house and not even have them available?

You will be able to do it in the end – always support here 🙂

Hi Custarlover –
I know you have an issue with your OH tempting you with sugary ‘treats’, so if you can’t resist the sugar completely, perhaps you can make an effort to reduce the amount of sweet stuff you take in. Do you think you can cut out the potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, etc. ‘cos that would be a great start. Then try to cut out cakes, biscuits etc., but maybe allow yourself a low carb pancake, with a few berries and a little drizzle of honey? It might perhaps a way to ease into withdrawing from sugars and you can eventually leave out the honey – maybe swap it for cream.
I’m sure you can do this, it’s just a case of finding a way to make it work for you. Once you start to see results, you will find it easier to forego the cakes and stuff.
Good luck – keep us posted and remember we are here to offer support.

Thank you igorasusual and SunnyB. Been away for a few days and returned to a check up at doctor with dire warnings about the risks of being border line obese at my great age 😟. My husbands response to my report-back was to bring a couple of Bakewell tarts home when he was out….. He’s old school and thinks all this ‘diet lark’ is rubbish.

Thank you for the reminder that it’s about addiction not self control. Planning seems to be the key you are all recommending. I like the idea of cutting the stuff my OH won’t notice first ie potatoes, bread etc. So far no weight lost at all. Tomorrow is another day…. Thanks again for all the support.

Sorry to hear about the doctor’s news and your husband’s response. I guess you have to quietly make some subtle changes, which won’t attract too much attention – at least initially. It sounds like you are going to have to wean yourself off the carbs and sweet stuff gradually, but remember every little helps. It’s a shame you can’t get hubby on board, but I’m sure you will fine ways around that as time progresses.
Don’t worry about no weight loss yet, just keep cutting down and moving about and it will start to shift. Hopefully you will eventually be in a position to do the BSD 800 properly, but for now, cutting back to carbs wherever you can should help.
Shout out is you need to and good luck with it all, hope to be hearing news of positive progress soon.

Not sure if I mentioned here but the first day on BSD my daughter finally moved into her new house after days of worry and nearly being let down. My husbands response was to put a bottle of champagne in the fridge. When I told him I couldn’t have it he said ‘it’s not carbohydrate or sugar so why not’ – oh dear – I told him he could drink it and I would sit in the bedroom until he had finished. I think he got the message. I took it out of the fridge and we are saving it for when our daughter comes to visit, she can drink it with her dad.

The next day the supermarket promotions came in the post and he read out every cake, pastry etc that were on offer. No, I haven’t killed him yet but I have stuck to the diet 100%.

Well if he got the message on one occasion, I’m sure he’ll get it on others! Frustrating for you though, not to have his support and well done for sticking 100% to the BSD. It can’t be easy, given your situation. Here’s hoping we will be reading your positive results soon!

He did get the message, especially as he has seen my b/g results drop dramatically. However, I am right now making the veg fritatta for both of us and cooking him oven chips. Hey ho.

Well, at least you can share part of the meal and don’t have to cook two completely different meals.