I have been more or less sticking to the 800 for over 2 weeks. When I say more or less, last Sunday I had a sandwich when out, brie and rocket salad, and later counted it on MFP and reduced for rest of day so still 800 cals – but carbs higher than should be of course.

I stupidly didn’t weigh at first week but did lose 3.5 pounds last week. Yesterday I was sooo good, and yet I’ve put on a pound. I had homemade veg soup about noon. Then about 2.30 a salad with cottage cheese and a little feta. At night 2 Linda McCartney sausages with cauli mash with some butter, dash cream _ sprinkle parmesan.

Also I don’t feel thinner, and feel rather bloated (not just since I ate the bread). I am drinking at least 6 big glasses of water, often more. One day I ate 2 lots of pulses and that was a mistake.

Just feel I’ve been trying for over 2 weeks and it;s not dropping off like for some of you. I also keep looking forward and wanting to feel an improvement. I feel rather tired not full of energy. I am tempted not to weigh for a week, but still want to feel lighter.

Hi Barby,
It’s the week two blues that are responsible for the way you are feeling. It happens to quite a few people around week two or three. You might hit a plateau, have a gain of a pound or two, or feel a bit tired and teary. A couple of people have reported feeling angry. Hang in there and next week you’ll feel better.
Your body is doing an amazing amount of adjusting right now. You need to treat yourself kindly during this time, rest if you need to. Maybe plan a little non food treat to celebrate a particular weight loss milestone. It will give you something to look forward to and keep you motivated.
You might be feeling bloated because you are having more fibre than normal?
Read through some of the other threads and you’ll see that frustrating as this week is, it does get better 🙂

Thanks Cherrianne.
I hadn’t picked up on the 2 week blues, but I definitely had them last night. Much better today. I think I’ll stick to a weekly weigh in, instead of daily- better for morale. I hope.

Try not to compare your results with some of the people who’re losing more and think you’re failing. 3.5 lbs loss in a week is very good.

A variation of a pound or so from day to day seems to be normal, whether or not you’re on any kind of diet. My weight went up two days running last week, but I lost weight over the course of the week.

Hi barby, what Patsy says about not comparing your results to others is so true. The contributors to these forums have different start points, different medical conditions/medications, etc that influence weight loss. My weight loss hasn’t been a straightforward downward slide, like Cherrianne says you can plateau, go up before coming down again. Just yesterday I had a major splurge – I’d felt lousy for a couple of days (fighting off a cold) and this morning my weight had gone up by over a pound which I put down to all the extra liquid I was imbibing because I felt ill. Today I feel a lot better and things are under control. Yes, it can be frustrating when things don’t seem to be going the way you want – sometimes you just have to tough it out – but once you are past the worst of it you can take blips in your stride. Best of luck, Rose

Hi Barby,
I lost the same .1 of a kilo twice last week and nothing till this morning, which is weigh-in day and 0.7kg came off. It happens. We hit a plateau and then the body moves on.
As the other say – we are all unique and our bodies will adapt/change in different ways at different times.
Stick with it, and watch the carbs. Has your waist measurement gone down at all?

Thanks all for your encouragement. If it weren’t for this forum I’d have probably felt rough and decided to give it up, as not suiting me.

I have also had a bit of a headache, so that must be the reason.I agree with Jane re weighing weekly. I know from past experience that if I see my weight go up (when I’ve stuck to it), it really puts me off, so I then binge. So I won’t weigh for another week, and hope I feel it in my clothes.

I am trying to vary my diet all the time, all the extra veg may have bloated me.

The trouble is, before I started this – I knew I was huge, but managed to ignore it and just kept eating mindlessly when I felt down.I was in a way happier then in my little binge bubble.

Now I have confronted how big I am, am aware of myself , it’s on my mind, I hate it and want to lose loads quickly, it makes me feel bad. It will of course take ages, so I have to be patient. One thing I am doing is having a short term goal – looking forward to losing first 5% of my original weight – then 10%. Apparently that alone can be beneficial health wise.

Great to hear all your stories, thanks 🙂

Barby it will happen, and quicker than any other diet. In a few weeks time you will look back at this post and wonder why you worried. It is hard when you so desperately want change, but there are major changes happening already in your body and you will definitely lose weight on 800 calories a day.
The huge, quick losses are usually from men. It’s unfortunate for us but female bodies are designed to conserve fat because they nourish new life. No matter that some of us have passed that point, it comes down to biology.
Look for changes in your body rather than the scales. You will notice things like buttons not straining, looser waistbands, not so out of puff on exertion, putting socks or tights on more easily. Maybe you’re whizzing through the housework or paid work quicker, sleeping better. These little victories are signs of progress that you need to notice and celebrate.
The best thing you can do is to keep plugging away at the BSD, and keep posting on here. We’ll help you to stay motivated. Next post try and think of one improvement you’ve already noticed. You will be able to look back on your progress with each post you make. 🙂

That’s the way to do it Barby
Set yourself smaller, interim targets with maybe a small reward attached to each one attained.
Much better than setting a target that feels unobtainable at the outset.

Hi Barby – what Cherrianne and Bill1954 said 🙂

Thanks everyone, you’re all lovely people x.

I do feel my clothes are the tiniest bit looser, haven’t got any great energy yet though. Ashamed to admit that I had got so large that even climbing the stairs is an effort, so can’t wait till I do that easily! I must now try and do a bit of exercise, that may speed things up.

Hi Barby, well done 🙂
Your tiny bit looser clothes will be much looser soon. It’s early days yet and some people do seem to get off to a slower start.
Keep an eye on your carbs and portion sizes to make sure you aren’t compensating for your disappointment by eating more.
Walking would be the best form of exercise that you could do without over exertion. Prof Taylor did say that strenuous exercise isn’t recommended when you are on such restricted calories.
You are sure to see those longed for results soon.

Hi barby, it won’t take too long before you realise that you can go up and down stairs effortlessly. Like Cherrieanne said, you will lose weight more quickly on this diet than any other :).

Hi Barby – just increase your step count by 10% each week and you will soon see a difference to your stamina. If you live in a house with stairs, walk up and down the stairs once before each meal – even if you don’t need to. You will feel yourself getting less breathless and speeding, then increase it to two stair climbs before each meal. These little changes all help.
The other thing to look at is how sedentary you are. If you are sitting a lot through the day – then make sure you set a timer for every 30 mins and get up and walk tor a few minutes. That is one of the tips in MM’s book.
Keep smiling – things will change for you!

Hi Barby, I’m not losing the lbs like many on here, just 1-3 a week. But have lost 3 inches on my waist and look noticeably a different shape, both based on my clothes and in others reactions! I’m 6 weeks in and the cravings, hunger and routine have all settled and I’m finding it all very easy. So stick with it. It’s worth it.

Thanks Funky and everyone – I am trying to be a lot more active when at home, just up and doing stuff, the house will be so tidy! I then sit at laptop again for 10 mins, and have some more water while checking in here. I’ve been up and down stairs more than usual.

Also I sit all day at work, 3 days a week, plus nearly 2 hours in car, so terribly bad for me. I have started wriggling at my desk, just to move a bit – in fact colleague asked me did I want the loo!!! Been getting up more and walking around.

When you live out in the sticks and have to drive as nearest shop 3 miles away, it’s hard to build walking into daily routine. I can’t get off bus one stop early. But when doing supermarket shop, I will now park at furthest distance from door. I’m also trying to walk more briskly everywhere.

Little steps, will have to build on that. I do have a bike languishing in the shed somewhere. If I went on that now I know I’d need oxygen after a few minutes, but I will start soon, as even just up the road would be something for me.

Hello Barby and everybody !

It’s been nearly 4 years since you had the big diet rampage, how is everybody doing ? I hope you all managed to lose what had to be lost and have been doing good since.

I came here as I was looking for explanations for the big belly syndrome I had for a few days. I started my diet 8 days ago and I have been sticking to it quite well. I don’t have a lot to lose and I didn’t have a weigh in yet as I won’t be back home for another week, so the results are a mystery to me and I can’t tell if there’s progress by my clothes, which is a bad sign. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, and then the big belly, which is why I am contemplating having a full fast day like I used to. Let me tell you now, that did work! I will try sticking to lemony water today.

I hope some of you reply and share your experience and results.