People tell me (friends that don’t have experience with this diet) that the BSD will only cause my metabolism harm in the long run as it’s such a low calorie diet, and that if I go up to 1600 calories a day afterwards I’ll just put the weight back on. I’d prefer to do 1600 calories a day rather than the 5:2. Please someone tell me I’ll be able to eat more than 800 calories a day and continue losing weight! I don’t think I’ll ever get used to such a low calorie diet.

Hi there and welcome!

I think that many people here are thinking that they will continue avoiding refined carbs (the bread, pasta, potatoes etc) for life as they have seen so many benefits.

As you carry on with the BSD you will strangely find that 800 calories does get easier as your body transforms to get its energy from fat cells. So you shouldn’t conclude that you will feel like the 1st week for the whole 8 weeks.

Re the maintenance. I found it very helpful to type my details into the following site, which will tell you how many calories you need to maintain weight. (It was less for me than I thought!)

http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com

For you it may well be 1600 calories per day or more. But remember that the calories from refined carbs are not the best for you – great veg, meat, fish, full fat is the way to go. Or certainly I’ve found.

Hope that helps and good luck with your journey – it does get easier and the success you might achieve is well worth it!

I have found that if I do eat any carbs at all it piles weight on, I had one pub meal this week and I have put 1.5 lbs on even though the rest of the week I have stuck to the plan, Wales every day and done 20 minster hiit a day. I feel really disheartened that my body is supersensitive to carbs and I am struggling now.

Debs

Where are you in your journey? On maintenance? Still on the 8 weeks?

Individuals are very different and have different sensitivities.

Tell us a bit more, including how many carbs/cals you have been eating, and how many you are targeting and how many your pub meals were? Perhaps people here can then advise from their own experience?

Don’t despair! [virtual hug]

I am on maintenance I started in January this year and lost 21lbs in my 8 weeks since then on have been restriciting myself to similar food so low fat yogurt and 20g blueberries in the morning, celery peanut butter cream cheese, and an apple for lunch then at night things like chicken, fish etc with no carbs on the plate, cauliflower rice or mash instead of potatoes. Some mixed nuts, small portion and one piece of dark chocolate.
On occasions like birthdays which is around one a month I would have typical pub grub including chips and on a Saturday I will have some spirit to drink like brandy or whiskey so one “naughty” night usually. Since the 8 Weeks I have lost half a stone but since May I have been up and down with that half a stone. I have been doing the 30 day shred exercise in the last month plus half hour quick walks at lunchtime.
I drink green tea 98% of the time when I have a hot drink very occasional cup of coffee. 2 litres of water a day on average.

I’ve done some thinking about this, and have been monitoring my basal metabolic rate (calculated) as my weight drops. It is currently 1469 calories, without any exercise. I am currently doing 800 during the week and 1600 at weekends, which I am currently regarding as a maintenance level. If you are eating the right foods and it seems you are (although I prefer full fat yoghurt and cottage cheese as I often seem to be a bit low on fat at the moment) then I wouldn’t have thought that it could hurt the metabolism to have a temporary limit like 800 calories on this diet. You are more likely in my opinion to hurt it on a traditional low fat diet of similar or even more calories.