Hello to all the busy, busy challengers,

Up by 200gm from last Tuesday, but 500gm from last Friday. Today = 62.2kg.

My weekend blew out a little: dinner on the balcony by the canal was ok food-wise, but added a couple of glasses of sparkling shiraz, an old Christmas favourite of ours. The little tonk-tonk tour around the canals to view all the decorated houses was wonderful, people work for weeks on end to put up all those lights, carol singers outside one house on their boat jetty adding to the atmosphere. People pay close to $40 to do this tour, weren’t we lucky to have a friend with a boat? Sunday lunch became Sunday long lunch became Sunday early dinner (no alcohol) before our couple of hours drive home. It was the long lunch early dinner where I just lost track of what I was doing. Oh well, I love my friends’ company, so am not complaining. Strictly, strictly for the next few days as we have another long lunch at Sandalford Winery, very special, on Sunday. We will be with 3 other couples. We all first met at a local squash club when #1 son was in his 5yo kindy year and we celebrated his 50th birthday 3 weeks ago. Long time friends, a lot of history between us.

Seeing good results above, so well done everybody. Butterlover, we’ve already spoken. JackieM, you are doing so well, aren’t you……really got it sorted 🙂 S-g, fingers crossed for good results. Such an active thread, it’s quite thrilling to be part of it. Hope everyone can keep it going as we get nearer to Christmas.

One Day at a Time………..xx

Oops, Sunshine-girl, you posted while I was typing. A blip, I’m sure, as you are very clever at working with your diabetes and this WOE.

Cheers, Marilyn x

Hi Marsie, I only ever eat this way, no carbs but I must have done something wrong. That square of dark chocolate a couple of times a week is maybe every night. But there is no good beating myself up as I have done my best. When I look at my blood readings for each day I am at a loss how to get them lower. I am reading at under 100 in the mornings (5.5) and usually around 70 in the early evening (3.8) – how can I go lower than that. Looking back over the last 3 months I have had about 4 occasion when I have gone up to 120 (6.6) and my doctor tells me to be between 80 and 120. We will have a chat tomorrow but I cannot cut out anything else.

Hi all. I’m still plugging on – just not very good at joining in the discussions this week! Though I have found the discussions really interesting.

I have lost 0.7 kilos (1.5lbs) this week. Better than the week before (0.25k), but still comparatively slow – some of the results here are very impressive! I am not sure if this is just a plateau, having lost 7.5 kilos (16.5 lbs) since mid October, or whether the odd treat for St Nicholas on 5 December has played a part. So I shall keep better track this week and continue my drive to d r i n k m o r e w a t e r! 3 more kilos to get to my BMI range. That would be a really lovely way to see in 2018!

If you’re losing weight it’s not a plateau. It’s probably the “odd treat” (that phrase is such a delicately British a way to tip-toe around a harsh truth) slowing you down, but you’re very close to your healthy BMI so that could be a factor as well. My reliably steady losses slowed down dramatically as I approached the magic number. Get back to counting and measuring, caronl. No oddness. Precision. You’ve got the greatest start to your New Year in sight!

Hi Guys, I would like to join this challenge. I seem to be going through a phase where the scales are not moving but I am still loosing inches. So my aim by Christmas is another inch to off my waist, so I am down a another dress size.

I suppose I’ve had a successful week or two weeks on this challenge. My weight is almost the same as it was when I came away three weeks ago. Unheard of! I usually put on maybe four pounds which I lose quickly when I go home but this time I’ve probably lost a smidgen. So all positive at this end.

S-g nothing is static. Readings do go up and down but as long as you are still doing all you can you can’t ask for more. Wait until tomorrow and see what your doctor, or should that be ‘dishy doctor ‘ has to say! At least you are down 50% on your insulin …. very, very positive so keep that in the forefront of your mind. Good luck tomorrow. Let us know how you get on.

Congratulations to everyone for the good results. Last week’s damage is that I’ve put on 1.8kg, so currently sitting at 800g heavier than when I started this challenge. I’ve found it quite difficult to get back on track this time for some reason, but attempting a fast day today to try and give myself a kick in the right direction. The worst thing over the past few days has been how irritated my gut has been, so I’m now motivated to see if eating more BSD compliant food helps to calm things down.

Hi Jackie – so impressed with your progress- go you!

Hi everyone – great to see such encouraging results – today I ate-

Two poached eggs with a slice off halloumi, spinach, tomato and mushroom and a Jerusalem artichoke

Lentil soup – I did have a slice of bread so not great – Parma ham and theee dark chocolate stars.

Hi all,
I am a late joiner, and I have been lurking for a few days and what struck me is the depth of feeling, and the empathy/sympathy and support for fellow travellers on this thread is palpable. I am on week 4 and was on another thread that just died out and I was looking around for a new home and found all this staggering information on this thread, but I won’t be able to post as often as some on here, but will keep up with everything because it is so inspiring. I will be finishing my 8 weeks just after Christmas and carrying on as soon as the dust has settled, but have firmly resolved not to overindulge as that would sabotage my previous weight loss. I haven’t lost a great amount of weight but as I was already doing The 5:2 Fast Diet before I found the 8 Week BSD, I think that I didn’t have a lot of high calorie food to give up and I have only dropped from 90.7Kg to 84.3Kg last Monday, but it is at least a loss.

Thank you Esnecca. Well said!

Thanks to everyone’s tips and support I’ve managed my first 17 days and a great loss from 106.8 start to 102.1kg! 4.7 kg! I have to work it out in lbs it sounds better! I’m ecstatic. Under 100 here I come!
Also saw my nephrologist yesterday and he’s happy I’m doing this and confirmed my surgery for 25.1.18. Hoping to get to 98 by then. Getting under 100 is the 1st goal though. Thursday at dialysis I’m having my bloods done so will be interesting to see changes there too. I’ve been surprised how easy it’s been. Having said that a little snacking has crept in. I’m watching that.
All the best to everyone x

Morning all,

Can’t believe it is Wednesday already, the kids have been off school with a couple of snow days and so I am completely thrown. Feels like a Monday morning. Anyway, bit late but here goes,

Start: 130.7lb
Week 2: 131.6lb
Today: 129.6lb

Total of 1.1lb off and back to my lowest weight on 23rd November. 👍

It really is a struggle at the moment. I am just so very very hungry, in a way that I haven’t been for a while. I haven’t needed to snack since August but wondering if I need to add a snack in so as not to sabotage myself. Best filling snack ideas anyone?

Last night, hubby said ‘you will post on the forum first thing won’t you?’ he is fabulous and totally gets that my morning routine of coffee and posting on here, as soon as I get out of bed, keeps me accountable and helps me to get outside of my head. I remember how awkward that felt back in September? when I started but has now become such a pleasure, so thank you all 😀

This morning I have my health MOT at the gym. I am particularly interested in the cholesterol number, was 7 in May. Isn’t it funny how these appointments can have such emotional weight? I KNOW that everything about my health has improved but would still like the validation of some numbers recorded by an external organisation.

Topac – I really love your idea about adding what you would have eaten to the empty tin. How marvellous! and what great feedback for you at the end of the day.

S-G – I am sorry to hear that you are wrestling with your results. Hoping that your doc appointment has gone well and you have some ideas going forward.

Arctic fox – well done for continuing to post on here, I am sorry that life has been a bit tough for you recently, and though the successes haven’t necessarily come in lbs loss yet, continuing to remain engaged with the forum will hopefully minimise the damage. Keep going.

Milalin – well done. ONEderland here you come.

x

Hi Mokovex, well done getting down to your lowest weight again, new territory from now on! I’m the same re forum, love checking what everyone is up to and getting new info. Although I only started posting again a week ago I’ve been reading posts since I restarted BSD in Sept and it’s been lovely to see new names plus all the ones I remember from my first time last year. Such a kind, inspirational forum.
Re snacks I wonder whether upping fats in meals might help instead? If my meal hasn’t contained a lot of fat my occasional dessert is frozen strawberries/blueberries/raspberries heated in oven topped with Fage, splash of cream & almonds. Stops me craving snacks and helps me get benefits of longer fasting windows.
Good luck with the mot.

Hi, everyone.

Well done Mokova, I agree about the forum. I so wanted to post the results of my lunch out with friends when I got in last night from singing in my concert and I had no broadband and no phone signal (here in deepest darkest Surrey).

Well done Milalin sounds like you’ve got an enlightened doctor! As you say – watch that snacking, it’s always been my downfall. Do you find absolute prohibition easier than allowing “the odd snack”.

As foe yesterday, You were all right encouraging me to talk about my diet. I told my friends about what I was doing, they were interested and supportive, and interestingly Dr M seems to have moved this WOE from fad to mainstream. As soon as I mentioned his name they saw it as a legitimate option.

I had a delicious halloumi salad with no dressing and lots of olives. Then I had dessert, which I didn’t need because I was full, but I had natural yoghurt with chopped nuts and no date syrup. Way over 800/20 which I knew it would be, but a fantastic meal and low carb. I ate nothing else all day as I was full, and won’t eat till lunch time so I have the added bonus of a 24hour fast (usually 17 hours).

Btw one question came up in the evening, I had a coughing fit and the kind lady next to me gave me a throat swetet which I took because I was desperate. But I’m sure it was pure sugar. I sucked it very slowly then threw half away when I decently could. Do any of you have advice on good, low carb through/cough sweets for a newbie please?

Welcome to you, Jim47. Join in when you can, keep us posted with your news, good or not so. Pretty good people on here as you’ve seen.

That’s the way, Mokovex, back to your low. You are on your way again☺ Fingers crossed with your test.

JulesP, I’m liking the sound of your snack. Makes good sense, it’s enjoyable and it works for you☺

Talk loudly to me everybody. I’ve been asked, again, for rocky road to stand as friends’ Christmas gifts. I have the 3 bowls to hold the chocs but tonight is making night. Too easy to lick fingers, or test, along the way…😈

Mokovex – Is it cold where you live? I’ve not snacked at all on BSD until the last couple of weeks when I’ve started having some additional Fage yoghurt on an evening. I’m also feeling very cold, but that’s probably the weight loss. Great news – getting down to your lowest weight again – and good luck with the Health MOT. I’ll be interested to hear how you get with your cholesterol as I’m focused on that too, at the moment.

Milalin – Hi, and that’s great going – 4.7kg/10lb -(I always have a kg convertor open when I’m on this site!). 10lb is a great number, but getting under 100kg is a brilliant target and so doable. It’s always lovely to hear when someone’s ecstatic – it jumps right off the page.

JGwen – I’m the opposite. I can lose lbs but can’t seem to lose the inches, particularly from my waist. My arms and legs are quite slim now, but I’ve still got a barrel waist and I’ve now got a turkey neck! Still, I’m working on it…

Jim47 – Hi, and welcome. I’ve just calculated (clicked a button) your weight loss – 6.7kg – is 1 Stone in my language. That’s a great loss. Are you continuing with BSD in the New Year? I’ll have done 5 months on BSD next week and I’m wondering whether to shift to 5:2 in the New Year. What do you think of the two diets/woe?

Sunshine-girl – what jumped out at me in your results post was the bit about you nowadays being on half your insulin – what an achievement, truly. Hope it’s a good meeting with your doctor.

Well, I’ve lost 2lbs this last week so have lost 4lbs to date on this Challenge. My initial target was to lose 3lbs which I’ve met. This means a total weight loss from my heaviest of 4 stone. I lost 1 stone 3lbs before I started BSD and the rest since I started in August.

So, I’m not going to set another weight target for this challenge. I’m going to keep walking down that garden path. I want to make sure all those BSD habits are bedded down. Ok, I clearly need to stop writing now……

Hope everyone has a good week.

Well done Marie123 to have reached your target. Good job. Total loss of 4 stones is amazing.

Marsie. YOU CAN DO IT. you don’t need to taste test it, you know the recipe will work. This is a gift for someone else, NOT for you. (Don’t usually shout with caps but you asked us to!)

Hey Marsie, Don’t forget Kush’s image of toxic, luminous yellow visceral fat!

VictoriaM – thanks x

Flick, I carry two things in my back pocket at the moment to be pulled out and used judiciously but effectively as required – one is that image of Kush’s of visceral fat, and the other is Esnecca’s ‘Not one step backwards’ Works for me, too.

Marsie – DON’T

Thanks marie123! And yes 10 lb sounds so much better! Reading your post reminded me I’m fasting for my cholesterol / fats in my blood tests in the morning. I’ll be looking for some changes! Good work everyone😊

VictoriaM thankyou too. I’ve got a couple of messy days happening. So I will pack snacks and pre make my shake to take to the hospital as I’ve got fasting bloods in the morning. I’ve also got an ultrasound booked that means I’ll be racing from dialysis for that appt and no time for proper lunch until late. Truly though, on a normal day I try to do a brekky shake then sml meal at dialysis and a big salad after. Then the evening meal. That’s my pattern at least 4 x a week. If I snack it’s a little bag of almonds and/ or 1/2-1 punned of strawberries. I do generally find it easier to not snack but I’m armed these days to limit the damage esp on a day like tomorrow.😊

Mokovex Hi and thanks, yes I’m stoked!

Hi everyone, down another 100g this morning and just finished a 30 min aerobic workout. Looking back over my daily results shows I am too low most of the time SO why are my official numbers higher. That is the puzzle. If I increase insulin my results will go through the floor and I will be trying to rectify it all the time. If I reduce insulin the numbers will go up. I think I need to lose another stone to get some kind of movement with my bloods. Week before Christmas and I am still keeping on….. so will see what the New Year brings. Seeing doctor at 2.30 so will let you know what he has to say. Can I just say, yes he is very dishy but he is also very picky. There is always a BUT with him – lets hope he is in a forgiving mood.

soo, Feb – cholesterol 7, today 6.8. Will admit to feeling more than a smidge disappointed.

Things I have thunk:

1. I actually did way more damage (hit the Haribo hard) between Feb-August 2017 so possibly it was higher than 7 when I began BSD?
2. I don’t know the breakdown of the numbers, LDL & HDL.

So, group wisdom, anyone experienced anything like this? I have probably had high cholesterol for years (3+) Any thoughts or things you may have read on how long it takes to bring that number down? Is it slower if it has been high for a long time? Any particular foods it is good to eliminate or restrict? Have you done anything that has worked?

On the positive side, all of my other stats are good. BMI, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, hip/waist (0.78 when I measured this am, 0.8 when gym chappie measured) my resting heart rate is low, and my Vo2 max is EXCELLENT!!!!!! (legs do under the table jig in Starbucks). He was impressed and just said to keep on.

Thanks for tips on snacks. It is cold here Marie123, an unusually snowy UK. Might give the Fage yoghurt snack a go. Well done on your loss for this challenge. Brilliant!

Sunshine girl – way to go! Would your doctor accept ‘unofficial’ numbers? Let us know how the appointment goes.

x

Hi Mokovex.I always have a high cholesterol but when I ask for a cardiac risk factor calculation including blood pressure its ok.Im quite low risk . I don’t have diabetes yet and I refuse all medications and quite a few tests.Im trying to treat diet related conditions with diet.If I have tests its only when I want to do something about the results. IF I don’t have symptoms and feel fine , I refuse tests and only go to doctors every 2 years .thats just me I want to be responsible for myself.
Well done to everyone posting so well at this busy time of the year.

Hello, I’m back again. Just been to see lovely doctor and he says I am perfect – I think he means my results are perfect. When I pointed out it was in the diabetic area, he said if I wasn’t diabetic he would be worried that I was heading that way but I am so all is okay. It is like saying I am only just diabetic. He says I expect too much of myself and when I told him how much insulin I was on he said it was hardly worth bothering with, he would take me off completely if I could stomach metformin. Maybe I should try it again but it gave me 24/24 hr sh–ts and I dont want that again. So, I will keep on keeping on… and in the new year try for new lows. Also I had lost 1.5kg since my last visit. That was major for me as I have been creeping up.

Mokovex, I showed him the numbers on my machine and he said it is what he would expect and I could do no better.
Regarding your cholesterol, are you on any medication as that is quite high. Do not despair, when I started on this plan my cholesterol was up in the high 6’s and some 6 months later was down in the 3’s. Doctor picky makes me have a test very 6 months because he is still unsure of this diet when I tell him I eat fat. Teasing him really I should say good fats and oils. It is the only thing that has ever brought my numbers down along with my triglycerides which used to be scary high and now under the normal bar.

Thanks for all the loud talking, as requested, (I do love this forum) but I have to now ask for it again tomorrow night. Late change of plans tonight but, as I need to give the rocky road to my friends on Sunday, then tomorrow night is deadline for making, Friday night for chopping/wrapping, Saturday is my time with granddaughter for her 17th birthday (our customary annual Nana+Holly day) then to “Symphony in the City” our favourite annual outdoor concert by the Swan River. Can’t miss that! And, I will need to concoct after full days at the cricket … the Ashes are in town, woohoo:) We are going to the WACA for the first two days and fifth day if it lasts that long. (Apologies to anyone from US, Canada etc who don’t get the reference). Missing days 3 and 4 of the match is awful but we have big clashes with other important things. Life just gets busier!

I’ve just read that back and I sound rather manic so I’ll stop now. “Night all xx

ps Just saw your post s-g, great reaction from Dr Dishy. So pleased for you x

Hi Marie123,
I will carry on with the BSD after New Year, and the reason I started on the BSD is to try and get some discipline into my eating. I found the 5:2 Fast Diet too easy and didn’t seem to work for me, allowing me to eat too much good on plan food on non-fast days. I feel that the BSD helps me to focus on basic needs and reinforces the amount of food that I was overeating. I had a sticker on my fridge that stated “Whatever You Are Looking For It is Not In Here”, didn’t make any difference, I still went looking for something to put in my mouth and I feel that that is tied into my upbringing. Having been born just after the war when food was scarce and my family were seriously poor, we savoured every morsel of food and on a few occasions were clinically hungry but not in any danger as we were living in the country there was always rabbits to catch or someone in the extended family would give us some fish that they caught. I can remember when the salmon were running up-river we had it every day for a fortnight until we were sick of it. But this insecurity left me with a dread of feeling hungry, and my mum had been a cook in a big country house before the war and could turn out some amazing meals with seemingly few ingredients and whenever I said after a meal “that was smashing mum”, she beamed with pleasure. Having said all this I have always associated a full stomach with being in a safe place and have eaten in the past until my stomach has ached whenever things were not going right in my life.
I have used this information over the years to cut down on my food consumption but still for over the last twenty years mostly ate good stuff, but always too much. And a lot of the so called good stuff was high carb, which had been recommended on the eatwell plate by the powers that be, so it had to be good for you, and if it was good for you then more was even better. If only we had known about this plan 30 years ago, how much better would our health be and how much would the NHS, have saved in the past decades. There is so much to take in with all the advice on here I am so glad I stumbled on this forum, and thank you all for your innate good sense and empathy.
Jim

Jim,

What a wonderful response.

Hmm, considering what you’ve said about the 5:2 Fast Diet I think I might be better staying on BSD. Being able to eat relatively freely on some days wouldn’t end well for me. But, being on 800 cals/20 carbs for 5 months is enough for me just now, so I think I’ll slowly increase my calories for a few weeks and then start 8 weeks again early in the New Year.

Thank you for sharing your background. You’ve described your story beautifully. We were saying the other day just how deeply riven those emotional connections are between food, and childhood, people and places. And, even when you know what you’re doing, how hard it is to stop. I definitely know that one!

I’m glad you’ve joined this thread.
Marie x

S-g great result! Maybe you are expecting too much of yourself. He’s happy so you should be too. What a great way to end the year. Did you have slow release metformin last time? Anyway, given that metformin only reduces your BG by 10-15% maybe you could persuade him to let you ditch the insulin and just try to control by diet? Something to think about and aim for in 2018! For the moment just enjoy a successful year and enjoy your holiday …. but without too many treats!

Hi All, some fantastic tips and recipes posted on this forum from a very positive group😊I have great news to share 3lbs off in week 2👍
It was so helpful imagining foods I didn’t want to eat covered in yellow visceral fat!!! The mind can be so powerful💪 I completed my fast and that really helped me focus on what choices I made. YIPEEEEE! And a little dance 💃 I have dropped into a lower stone!! I can’t post my weight yet (it feels heavy)but next year as I get my weight lower my confidence will improve.
Thankyou to all I hope everyone is battling on.. not long too go! 😊

Thanks V, having just finish my second Mindfulness course I should know more about self compassion and not do myself down so much. The results were good but not as good as the time before or the time before that. What is different, I have to ask myself. Well I am about 4 or 5 kgs heavier, always saying the weight didn’t make much difference to me maybe that is what I should rethink.

When I get back home on 31st Dec I will be straight onto a full 8 week starting from scratch BSD to get rid of a few kilos.

Funny old day, all going well food wise until after the gym. I’m in a fuming mood about a Governor thing (I’m Chair of a Governor’s at a local school) and other people’s sheer lack of organisation and lack of vision is driving me nuts (impotent to change it sadly – at least in short term). I thought the gym was the place to vent as I hadn’t been for a couple of weeks because of a cold, but despite enjoying session I Then willfully came home and Wilfully and with Rebellion in my heart ate nearly 100g of dark chocolate and not even 90% – a mix of 70% and 85% and I went to the shops especially for the latter. Of course, compared to the bad old days this is nothing, but it’s clear I still have some way to go on the ‘not finding answers through eating’. Came home and stuffed face with beef stew and yoghurt and chia seeds. Only now feeling satiated and ready to stop.

On a more positive note, Am trying a new thing of not eating after 7pm or before 10am. Not quite the full 16 hrs but best fit with how my days go. So, it’s 19.06 and the end of my eating day. I could happily go to bed now! Sadly I’ve mistimed the online shop and the van won’t be here until between 9 – 10pm.

S-g 2018 will be our year!

I have ouchies, went to an HIIT class at the local gym, followed by a reasonably gentle cool down on a cross trainer in the gym then a couple of hours later did my usual Wednesday double badminton for the last time before January. I unfortunately went over on my ankle in the second session and banged my knee as well and it hurts, both the knee and the ankle are burning! ! I am trying to keep them both moving but am expecting major stiffness at least in the morning. Found a letter from six years ago today, inviting me for a free NHS health check so I am going to make an appointment. I am not sure why it disappeared six years ago to only be rediscovered now, but probably can blame denial since I would have been at least 17 stone then. It will be interesting to get some feedback on blood levels and health factors you all talk about, it is probably a decade since I last went to the doc’s. Welcome to the party Jim and well done being perfect sunshine-girl, and Verano, you are doing so well, I am sure that 2018 will be very special for you. It is always a pleasure ‘talking’ to you all.

Hi Sueonit

Just about to go to bed, so won’t be long but wanted to give a big shout out to you – 3lbs off this week is great but dropping down into the next stone is fantastic. You must be thrilled and deservedly so! If I could post one of those emojis ?!? I would, but I can’t so I won’t.

Marie x

I’ve managed to lose half of the 1.8kg that I put on last week in just 2 days. Most of that has been water weight as I have been having to run to the toilet almost hourly in spite of being very remiss on my fluid intake. I found I wasn’t able to fast on Tuesday as planned. I gave it a good try, but just got too hungry in the afternoon, so ended up having a late lunch and then dinner later. My office was very cold, and I was glued to my desk for most of the day, so I think that really didn’t help. I haven’t been getting much sleep over the past couple of weeks, and I think that might be driving hunger as well. I’m off work now until after Christmas, so I’m looking forward to being able to look after myself a bit better. My horse appears to be on the mend and if he can stay that way after coming off his last dose of antibiotics tomorrow, then I can cut back on the number of visits and hours spent with him daily to something a little more reasonable. I need to get back to the gym or my kinesiologist is going to fire me!
Mixnmatch – I hope you are not too sore, but some ice for 10min several times a day for the next couple of days might help if you are and you are not doing that already. Not just for the ankle and knee, but it works well if you overdo things at the gym and have sore muscles too.

Hi lovelies

Got through the 3 course Xmas lunch yesterday. Not sure whoever said it but it’s true, people don’t notice what you aren’t or are eating. I had pumpkin soup to start but only about 5 spoons as I didn’t like it. I’m just not a fan of pumpkin soup. Turkey dinner minus the potatoes and stuffing with mashed pumpkin and roast parsnips but didn’t eat either of those. I just ate the turkey and sprouts. I did eat 3 spoons of the small portion of gluten free xmas pud and brandy custard. No breakfast or dinner. Next Weds will be the next challenge. Team 3 course dinner and overnight stay in London with a free bar!

Crazy busy at the moment. KOKO! I am determined to get to 15.13 by the end of December! Ideally by Xmas day! Start the new year in the 15’s!

Good luck everyone.
Kazzee xx

Good going, Kazz – that is real discipline. Have another strategy in place like that for next Wednesday and you’ll smash it!

Like you, my eye is now on the end of December. Having said I wasn’t going to set another weight loss target for this challenge, I’ve changed my mind. All day yesterday this idea of not giving an inch to my diabetes was rattling round in my head. I’m still losing steadily (1lb or 2lb a week) that might get harder the nearer I get to my goal weight, so why waste the two weeks still left in December. Looking beyond the 26th, (and past the 25th!) my new target is to lose another 3lbs to reach 10 stone by 31st December.

I’m away now until Monday so hope everyone has a good weekend – and happy birthday for Sunday, Verano.

Thanks Marie, yes, I’m treating Xmas day and Boxing day just like any other weekend! It is good to have a doable mini goal and I’m sure you’ll get to 10 stone by end of Dec. Just over 2 weeks to go for us.

Arcticfox – I recognise also a cold office makes me miserable and I feel the urge to eat stodge to keep warm. I ignore it and just get on to maintenance (again) to moan about the chill which gets worse as the day goes on. I can’t type properly with cold hands! Also lack of sleep and feeling tired gives me the urge to stodge up, but again, I recognise what’s going on so have a hot black coffee, 6 brazil nuts or small piece of cheddar as the fat and protein will sort me out! Glad your horse is on the mend. Lucky you, having finished for Xmas! Well done on the loss.

Sueonit – excellent results! I’ve not really fasted much this week after all although am planning to do it today – last meal was 1pm yesterday, so hoping to go through until tomorrow lunchtime.

Good luck everyone else and see you all soon.

Kazzee xx

Hi everyone, checking in for the first time in ages and enjoying seeing some old friends here. Love that these 4 week challenges are still going, so great that you all have a supportive community.

Instead of my usual absence due to failing at my diet, this time I’ve actually lost weight while off-line. My doctor put me on Duromine (appetite suppressant phentermine), I resisted a bit at first but she gave surgery as the other option… so drugs it is! This was after trying a dietitian and exercise physiologist and twenty years of trying other ways to lose weight. I’d had success here with BSD but couldn’t seem to stick to it. Anyway in three months of Duromine I lost 9.6 kg, more than 10% of my bodyweight. I was happy with the experience, it reduced my appetite and interest in junk food and gave me a bit of extra energy, but nothing weird or manic. Just made dieting easier. Dry mouth and some nausea. But that all finished five weeks ago and now I need to keep off what I lost and lose another 15 kg! I plan to start proper bsd800 after Christmas (and I think I’m getting an electric tracking doohickey for Christmas that will help) but can’t just eat junk until then. I was thinking of trying intermittent fasting with a couple of carefully chosen 600 calorie days. I’ve never tried that before and I’m worried that I’ll just be putting myself through the toughest part over and over without getting into a routine. Any thoughts?

Hi Natalie, I’ve alsohad success with Duromine and lost a lot of weight with it. i think BSD is more effective long term though, it’s taught me a different way of eating so that even with the odd blow out I can easily lose any little gain. It’s given me tools that no other weight loss regime has ever supplied. After using Duromine in time all the weight came back. I’m not afraid of that now.

Having said that, if it’s helped to get to a place where you can move on with your plan then that’s a great thing. I hope you can combine the weight you’ve lost with BSD to make a fabulous future!

Marsie, I am so envious of you! Days at the WACA for the last Ashes test there! I’ve never been to the WACA but I looked over the fence when I was in Perth years ago. Such a beautiful ground. And it looks like it’s going to be a fabulous last day. Enjoy!

I’ve had three seriously strict days and have been rewarded with a moderate loss. I hope I can hang on to it but I have a huge party tomorrow, it’s a yearly event and commonly goes on for 3 days… I’m only attending for 24 hours and though I have a plan I know it’s going to be hard.

I have my celery sticks and BSD friendly olive dip and sparkling mineral water all organised. My downfall is likely to be the champagne flowing like water among the live music and many friends I only see once a year. Plus hot weather that makes champagne so attractive. Wish me luck!

Hi all, still around the same weight and not likely to do better as we have our big meal out tomorrow then it is house sitters arriving and will be making them a meal then our journey begins with a meal on the ferry. So not holding out much hope for Tuesdays weigh in but I will do my best.

Hi Marie, I am really pleased sometimes a little in disbelief when I step on the scales!! This is a great thread, it is motivating reading (Kazz’s yellow Fat)everyone’s posts and hearing how they manage this WOE.
You are so focused and determined and doing so well I am sure you are going to achieve your goal! GO GIRL!! and thankyou and Merry Christmas to all. I am away from Monday so won’t post until New year but am determined to follow BSD principles 😊

I’m always a bit befuddled and daunted by people who don’t eat until lunchtime or only one meal a day and say they are not hungry. I’ve successfully done BSD in the past but never like that! Three meals a day for me please. And an afternoon snack.

It’s funny how people (including doctors) generally react with horror if you tell them you’re only eating 800 calories, but if you’re having weight loss surgery that’s what they tell you to eat – after and even before! Even when I was on Duromine forums, people would argue that someone else’s calorie intake was too low, but then others would say ‘isn’t that why we’re taking these pills?’

I was a sceptic about 800 calories at first but now I think quality is more important than quantity. We need to nourish our bodies. I am not always in agreement here about BSDers focus on fat and protein to the exclusion of fruits and vegetables, yes I know they contain carbs but so many other good things too (and the BSD diet as outlined by Dr M isn’t ‘low carb’ anyway). My mother had a salicylate intolerance and had to avoid most fruit, veges and spices and it wasn’t healthy. Anyway, those are my morning thoughts. You do what works for you. You have to balance the advantages of weight loss against the disadvantages of cutting out lots of vitamins. I lean towards a more plant based BSD than fat based BSD. But still with fat. Olive oil even helps you absorb the vitamins from the plants.

No idea why I went off on that little tangent, as I sit here digesting my breakfast bacon. Love you all, have a great day!

Hello,
Excuse me for jumping in but I’m surprised to read about anyone taking Phentermine. This has been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years because of its side-effects; is it actually prescribed by doctors in Australia?
Just professional interest!
P xx

Natalie, I am one of the people that befuddle you…..do not eat breakfast. And, I am the LAST person who thought I would ever be saying that. I have always eaten a good portein filled breakfast. And I was someone who was always looking at the clock counting the minutes to my next meal. And worst of all….felt I absolutley would NOT be able to get to sleep with the hungy empty fealing in my belly after 8 pm.

And low and behold: its all learned. Every bit of it. I have been doing low carb for 5-6 years now, and in the early weeks when I first started was amazed how “not hungry” I was. Then over months and then years, I quit losing weight on low carb alone, and the “hungries” came back. Not as bad….but still needed a snack if the breaks between meals went beyond 4 1/2 – 5 hr.

When I started BSD I started with the thought that I would eat when hungry. Day 1 had a late-ish breakfast of eggs and bacon at about 9:30, and just waited to see to see when I really thought I “had” to eat. Found not all the hungry until dinner. Ate the rest of what I had left of my 800 cals for dinner….but I really really wanted a snack at night, but too bad, calories all gone. Ditto for Day 2. Day 3 I had breakfast but come dinner time, was not really hungry.

At that point I decided I would prefer two 400 calorie meals a day instead of breaking such a low number or calories up into 3 smaller meals. And no snacks. None.

Part of the issue with less hunger is LOW carbs. They make you hungry….at least they certainly did me.

And nobody is more surprised than I am that 2 meals a day does it for me. I have black coffee first thing in the morning, a lunch or breakfast (depending on what kind of food I want) around 11:00 and then dinner at 5:30 or 6:00.

The evening snack was the hardest thing for me to break but it went too.

The body is very very trainable. I have worked in the medical field all my life and had been an Assistant Administrator for two rehab hospitals over my career. It was amazing for me to learn that rehab nurses can actually retrain bowl regularity in a quadraplegic patients who have had a massive spinal cord injurys. Initially regularity is stimulated with drugs, but then the body learns the schedule and can do it on its own. Just as you may wake up at the same time each morning minutes before your alarm goes off.

In the same way you can train your body when to expect meals. And some folks feel that it is best to “keep your body off guard” and switch up when and how many meals they have.

So it is different strokes for different folks. You may have an uncomfortable couple of days, but your body will let go of past habits and old expectations.

And you are right….regardless of what we are eating we need a good balance of all the vitamins and nutrients. But there are many ways to get there….and ways to avoid the more problematic carbs in doing so. It may be challenging, but it is possible. The veg is the most important thing, but the fat helps keeps you satiated, provides key omega 3s, and as you said, helps with so many critical nutrients that are fat soluable.

Hi all, just a quick check in before I head off to the beach. After a seven day stall (stable weight 😏) but sticking to the plan regardless, I woke this morning to reguster a loss of just under 1 kg – 0.900g. Whoo hoo! Despite having read about these whooses I have to say i was quite startled and had to doubke check a couole of times.

Any way I’m absolutely thrilled – I’m now just over a third of the way to my healthy target weight. As I anticipate more stalling to come, I may not make my December challenge target of 70kg.

Natalie, all the best wishes with your weight loss challenges in the New Year, looks like you are off to a great start.

I’m one of those people who only eats lunch and dinner, and genuinely I’m never hungry until somewhere between 12 and 2 when I eat a delicious lunch, featuring plenty of veg. I spend the afternoon happily not hungry until it gets to dinner time somewhere between 6 and 7pm. The bonus for me is that I (my poor old liver) get the benefit of intermittent fasting AND 2 decent sized meals to sooth that eye brain connection. I’m also keeping carbs down as I need to get results fast. I am easily discouraged, love love love delicious carbs, so the type of person who needs to see an excellent cost/benefit return. But that is just me.

I love how this forum shows us how different all our bodies are, how different approaches work for different people and I agree with you, hats off to everyone who is giving it a crack and finding their own best path to gain control over their health.

It is interesting that MM is not explicit about what level of macronutritients BSDers should shoot for, other than broadly stating, low carb, 45 g of protein for your average woman is reasonable, and good fats are good. I expect this is in part to do with creating the necessary space for everyone to find levels within that broad framework and 800 cals, to settle on what works best for them and actually keep going. i did a rough count on the first day of the new cookbook meal plan – my maths (which is not my strong point) came out at rougly 24 grams carbs, 28 grams protein and 65 grams fat. I expect the proportion would vary between days and average out higher on the carbs and proteins across a week but haven’t added them up.

Cheers everyone, talk to you on Tuesday weigh in day for me and end of Week 5 and on the downhill run for the 8 week commitment.

Pancita – I thought it was the combination fen-phen that was banned but they found phentermine by itself was ok? My doctor (in Australia) only gave me one month prescriptions at a time, starting with lowest dose then increasing to medium, with a check up each month before another script, and only the recommended 3 months in total. So I felt like it was as safe as such a significant drug could be. Safer than being so obese maybe, or surgery. I didn’t have any serious side effects, would have stopped straight away if I had. But I totally understand your concerns, I have always been very anti-drug in fact I rarely even take Panadol. I ended up very happy with my Duromine (phentermine) experience and I feel it’s given me a good start. I haven’t been this light since having children.

Luvtocook – that’s true about the body being trainable. I just still find it hard to imagine skipping meals. I’ve always had a very bad physical reaction to going too long without food; shaky, weak, irritable, unable to think or make decisions. It’s a horrible feeling. I’m pre-diabetic now but I was like that even as a normal-weight child. So I’m not sure if my body would get used it it or not. I guess it’s lucky I don’t have to.

Flick – I’m surprised that the MM diet Day had only 24 g of carbs, I know a lot of people aim for 20 or so but it’s lower than I was expecting. I don’t try to go under 50 g, I am miserable on really low carb diets. Depressed miserable. I did a low carb diet before my wedding, never again! I think 50 g of nutritious carbs is fine, personally, it’s still pretty low and it works for me. It took some years of experimenting to arrive at that number, too low and I’m miserable but too high and I get cravings and don’t lose weight! As long as I stick to fruit and veges and stay away from processed carbs I’m fine. Processed carbs make me sleepy and bloated and dopey. And fat.