Our next 4 week challenge for those who are comfortable with the shorter timeframe. We are winding up on our “interactive ….. ending 21st February” challenge with our final weigh-in posts tomorrow (Tuesday 21st) then starting over here with renewed vigour – aren’t we? Of course we are 🙂 All welcome to this party.

Thanks, Marsie, yes I’ll be there! Hopefully will get away from this lengthy stall. Suspect it is the coffee and cream also too many nuts. Will cut out coffee again this week and see. I have been doing 16/8 BSD. Good luck everyone on next challenge. X

I’ll be there too- aiming to get from bmi 26.9 into the 25s and having a normal hba1c test at the beginning of March.

Looking forward to this challenge as I’ve not done one for a while.

My goal is a modest 4lb loss so no pressure there. Six pounds would be better but we’ll wait and see. I have decided to be a bit lenient with myself during this challenge so I’m not doing the 800/30. I plan on increasing my carbs to 40g if I can, but lower than 50g, and my calories to 900. I just need more fruit and vegetables. I find weekends really hard so for a week or so I’m going to work on weekly averages rather than daily ones and see how that pans out. We should all cut ourselves a little slack now and again!

Hope this challenge is a happy journey for us all.

I’ll join in. Am up to Week 6 of my first 8 weeks on BSD but finding my motivation waning a bit. I’d love to lose 4kg in 4 weeks.

My goal is to get to below 12 and a half stone,hoped I would have got there before now ,it has been slow going.Hopefully I’ll be more focussed and stick better to the BSD.Think the last 4 weeks has been me understanding it all and trying to implement.There are a few things different to the book which doesn’t mention carbs,just calories.Also,is it right the number of calories you use up should be more than you take in?I’ll attempt to do that 6 days a week.That’s a good idea Verano to do weekly averages,as I had a rubbish weekend.

Hi Folks – mind if I join in on this challenge? I am on a final push to target weight and this four week challenge might be just the thing to help to get me there. Coasted a bit last week and so had a slight bounce back at this morning’s weigh-in. I now have 4.8lb to shift and if I achieve that, I’d like to go for two more.

Afternoon All,

Count me in. I’m looking to:

* Weight – drop 5lbs over the period, which will take my total loss to six stone (84lb) since September. 7lb would put me to within a stone of target.
* Exercise – Keep up the current weights/resistance regime (3 times per week – RFU ‘Veterans’ regime) and training (once per week as part of prep for Supervets game in April)
* Walking – keep up the steps to over 14000 per day average and get at least one fifteen miler as part of the prep for my Autumn “Marathon”.

Need to focus more…

Hi there, I will be in. I had wanted to get to 11 stone before my trip to Alicante on 7th April, but it is still 6lbs away as I have only managed a total of 2lbs on the last challenge. I still have 3 weeks to my HbA1c and just over 3 to my doctor visit. I want BG to be 5.5 and weight down to 72 kg – sorry I mix my kgs with my stones but my scales weigh in kgs and my doctor understands kgs, but I convert to stones to share my results with my daughter. It is a family affair. Anyway, I will keep on keeping on… It is now nearly 8 months since I started this plan so I dont give up easily and not ready for a break yet.

See you all tomorrow with my new weight.

Thanks for starting another challenge, Marsie, to keep us motivated, and great to see so many people joining already.

I am on Day 1, Week 6, and I seem to have hit yet another plateau (my 2nd so far) and only lost 0.5lbs in the past 7 days, though 17lbs since I started.

I refuse to set myself up to fail, so am giving myself hopefully achievable goals in this challenge. So my personal challenge is to, firstly break this blooming plateau and not encounter a 3rd, and secondly to get my BMI to under 26.

If I get there sooner, then I will update my target BMI so that I have something else to work towards.

Come on Challengers, let’s all gird our loins and get this weight MOVING 🙂

PS I’d also quite like to finally lose some inches from my waist! So far, I seem to be losing on my backside which is where I LEAST needed to lose it! Grrrr!! So some (any) reduction is waist size would be a nice bonus in this challenge.

I’m in for this new 4 week challenge. Got a few social events planned over this time so 4lbs off by the end will be my goal. I also don’t do any form of exercise so that has to be a goal. Still thinking about what exactly I will commit to exercise wise but definitely on board.

I definitely will be there but need to have a think about my goals. I have joined the last three challenges but just seem to lose and gain the same few pounds.
See you all tomorrow!
X B

I’d love to join you all on this four week challenge. I have a couple of meals out in the diary, but will choose wisely…

I started on 30th January but after a great first week I’ve been static for the last two at around 75kg from my starting weight of 79.8kg. Clothes are looser and I’ve lost 4cm from my tum, but I want to break this plateau so need to stop tipping over the 800cals and drink more water!

My goals are to lose at least another 3kg, to drink at least two litres of water daily, to stick to 800cals for at least 5 days out of the 7 and exercise 4 times a week.

HI all

I’m in – this will be my third 4 weeker – I really like them. Final weigh in tomorrow so we’ll see what the scales say but will set my challenge for maintenance.
Weight: If I could lose a couple of pounds over the four weeks that would be great as the challenge of Easter will be upon us soon, plus I have a week off next week, with lots of eating out on the cards.
Exercise wise: I am at the beginning of a 300km challenge (to run, row or swim the total by the end of the year). This looks to be far too low so I will up it to 500 ( I think) and keep this in mind for this challenge.
Mindfulness: Biggest thing will be to stay off the chocolate, which has been my absolute nemesis for the last three weeks. How I’ve not put on a stone is beyond me but i’m counting my blessings that my body seems to be able to burn it off OK at the moment. Not counting chickens though so going to spend some time concentrating on mindfulness as that seems to be my downfall.

Looking forward to catching up with all of you after final weigh in tomorrow

TC x

I am in also. Weight today is 9st 7.75lbs which is at the higher end of my maintenance so the challenge for me is to drop 2lbs in the 4 weeks.

Good morning BSD eaters. Yet another new beginning and I have decided not to aim too high but would like to lose six pounds over the next four weeks. That would take me to the two and half stone mark and half way to my initial goal of five stones off.
I check in each day and love to see the way everybody deals with the ups and downs of this WOL.
As is often quoted on this forum – keep on keeping on and let’s hope we are more like a spring bunny by Easter.
X B

I’d like to join this. It’s a while since I’ve dieted but really need to lose weight before summer as I’m sick of avoiding getting my photo taken on hols! More importantly though I’d like to get down to a healthy weight (a healthy BMI for my height would be below 12 stone, but 10.5 stone would be better). Right now I’m weighing in at 13 stone 8lbs, so my goal for this 4 weeks is to get below 13 stone.

I’d love to join you all on this challenge as I think it will be a great motivator. I have managed to lose 5% body weight doing what I’m calling a ‘transition’ to 800F (didn’t manage to average 800 cals for the 10 days) and starting my first proper 8wk cycle today so this fits perfectly.

My goals are two fold – eat less and move more so I’m going to go for a 10lb weight loss which will get me to 10% loss of BW and a daily count of 10k steps (have just bought an activity tracker and yesterdays count was 2358!).

And just to really motivate myself I’m going to pop in and record my step count daily on here. It will make very boring reading I know and I apologise in advance but knowing I’m going to make them public might keep me motivated enough to dash out with the dog on a late night stroll just too get the number up (Dog wags tail haha)

Hello, I would like to be challenged too! I am now in week 8 and have lost 20lbs in weight (now 11st 11lbs) and 4″ from the waist. I am delighted with my results as the eight weeks spanned four family birthdays and a week’s holiday in New York. Husband has lost a stone too, despite the odd bottle of wine. We really have enjoyed using the recipes from the BSD Recipe Book and the quite rapid results on the scales.

My long term goal is to achieve a weight of 10st 10lbs which will be a “healthy weight”, BMI 25 and longer term, to try and get a healthier waist of under 32″. My even-longer term goal is to maintain these healthy statistics permanently and not put the weight back on.

I’ll chip away at it for the next 4 weeks and hope I can head towards the lower 11’s on the scales.

I’m in too. I’m hoping for 3 pounds a week loss. For those of you who don’t know me, I started BSD at the end of June last year, lost 2 stone (with a fair bit of yo-yoing) by mid- November and then had a break. I put back on about 9 pounds, but am now back and feel ready to commit again to BSD. I have a big birthday in May and would really like to be near goal by then. Looking forward to going on this journey with you all, old friends and new alike.

Count me in also. I like to lose 2 pounds a week during this 4 week challenge.

Hi everyone,

Some really wonderful goal-setting for the beginning of this 4wk challenge.

For myself, I really am aiming to have my weight move consistently downwards instead of this mad up and down over the same
1.5 kgs. Slowly would be ok, just as long as it is steadily.

To achieve this, strand 1 is to increase exercise under the guidance of the sports physiologist at my gym. Chest infection hanging on for yonks took its toll, unfortunately. Strand 2 is to redirect my efforts to banishing the carb monster that I’ve never really controlled, still snacking thoughtlessly. Strand 3 is an unpleasant thing to say, but having been with two of my siblings recently, I want to keep their images firmly in my mind – they are both morbidly obese, both unwell, both several years younger than me, and, sad as I feel for them, I don’t want to be them. Not to be obsessive about this, just aware.

Good BSD-ing folks. I’m really looking forward to reading the many and varied progress reports xx

Hi everyone,
I’d love to joint this challenge.
Today is my first day on the BSD but I did do a ‘sugar free’ week two weeks ago. I’m going to New York on 21st march so hope to maximize weight loss by then.
I need to lose 3 stone to get to a BMI of 22 so have a way to go. I don’t know how much I can lose in 4 weeks but hope to ditch about a stone.
I was previously very large, lost 13 stone but have put 2.5 back on. I have my diabetic annual review at the end of March and having been in remission, want to stay there.
I have a question if anyone can help. I am addicted to Fage total 0% fat yoghurt and I don’t like semi skimmed milk- just skimmed. Is it okay if I continue with those two low fat food?
Happy shrinking to all,
Shrinkle x

Well, I’m starting this challenge at 73.3 kg so still not got under the 73. My goal for 4 weeks is to lose 1.3 kgs in the first 2 weeks, then see. Then it is my official BG test which I want to be 5.5 and weight down to 72 kg when I see my doctor. That’s it basically, so not asking for the world, just struggling to get weight moving again.

All my goals for this 4 weeks are exercise related. I don’t want to gain and will eat low carb, under 40g throughout, and no sugars of course, but loosening up slightly on cals. 2017 was meant to start with a structured exercise plan but didn’t. I’ve still lost well, but like JM, want a do-able exercise plan that’ll take me forward as part of a lifelong routine. Have signed up for a charity 55 mile bike ride in June. 21lbs to go, but because I’m T2D, want need a food and exercise lifestyle for the long term.

Eye exam today was really reassuring. Guy was great ,knows Prof Taylor and was enthusiastic advocate for BSD – he very kindly said ‘but you can’t have much more to lose?’ Which cheered me right up! none of the doom and gloom I get at GP who has me convinced after every visit that I am absolutely huge, that I’ll go blind and have my feet amputated at any minute! Eyes fine and it’s a tiny cataract but right in middle of eye that’s the problem, relatively easily fixed Really relieved. Mkx

My goal for the next four weeks is to try and get into the stone below! I have lost one stone so far and am on week 7 day 3. The scales are not moving much at the moment and I have been static for the last few days and I haven’t lost much at all in the last couple of weeks! If I can lose 7lb in the next four weeks that will take me into the 10s!! Not seen them for years! I need to lose another two stone to get me to the top end of my BMI. I am also trying to increase my steps. I am only averaging about 5500 at present so I need to try and increase them over the next month or so. Two great challenges ahead before 21st March and hopefully with the lighter evenings I can achieve them!

Hi Shrinky – seems you have already made some great progress and I’m sure you will have more success. The recommendation is to go for full fat even with dairy products, but I guess if you can’t stomach it, then best to stay with what you know you are happy with. The 0% Fage is only 0.02g more carbs and there is seems there no variation in carbs between whole, skimmed or semi-skimmed milks, so you are not doing any damage to carb intake there. Be sure to include fats in your meals though, as these are important on the BSD, to help you feel full and stay feeling that way for longer and also helps with the fat burning process.

Reading other people’s statements for their four week challenge, I realise mine is perhaps a bit light-weight, so I’m committing to getting to 8st 9lb, increasing my activity and hydration and finally to start to build time into my day, specifically for some meditation.

I am going for a multi phase challenge again, seems to be a theme with me 😀 Starting today is my last formal controlled reverse diet week, aiming for an average of around 2300 calories per day, which should be slightly above my calculated TDEE. From Sunday I will be on holiday in Cornwall though, and won’t have my trusty scales with me for a week, so will be winging it from then, a slightly scary prospect. After I get back from Cornwall, I will spend the remainder of the challenge period trying to set my future maintenance pattern, including one 500-1000 calorie fast day, and one ‘free’ day, during which I can eat and drink whatever I like, even too much of the white stuff if I want to, as long as I keep control and do it mindfully rather than giving into cravings. See how the carb monster behaves on a bit longer lead. After the four weeks I will review how that has worked, if I have put weight on I may either add a second fast day or if the carb monster has been running amok will drop the free day to one a month rather than one a week.

Golly, I weigh everyday and my usual weight loss recently has been maybe .2 of a pound at a time or even staying the same or bouncing up a bit. However, this morning I have lost 1.6lb in one whoosh so really pleased with this start to the challenge! BMI now 26.5 so on the way to the 25s but FBG still hovering around 6.2 first thing in the morning before falling into the 5s after breakfast. However, my meter and the online Hba1c calculator predict my next test result in March will be about 35, well in the normal range so still hopeful for that. I am putting off booking the appointment but I think I will have to do that soon.

I’m like you Rosebery, in that I normally see 0.2 to 0.4lb loss a day if I’m lucky. I confess though that my exercise regime is shaky at best and if I don’t make a conscious effort, hydration is also a problem area. My intention is to work on both of these during the challenge, to see if I can improve both areas and hopefully by extension my weight loss results too.

So Day 1 and I failed at the first hurdle , only 7961 steps. But on the plus side it was x3 more than my base weekday amount and the solution is obvious – spend less time reading all the great posts on this forum and spend more time pleasing the dog .

May be I need to get a dog!

Hi All. I’m in.
Goal 1.weigh all food and get closer to 800 cals/day . 2 Increase exercise especially when not at work. 3 loose 1 KG /week and maintain a consistent loss. I’m feeling somewhat pumped, I lost 5 KG quite easily last year and I really want to do it again. Im keen to be generally more healthy and be responsible for my own well being,

Would like to join this challenge, please. After a major health scare in early February — and the subsequent talking myself back from the stratosphere, I am ready to get back on track. For this challenge, I WILL lose 6 pounds (the one I regained, and an additional five). I also hope to continue with my set of indoor exercises (still cold and raining like Noah’s time here daily). Need to get doing the exercises on a more regular basis, and hope to fit them in at least 5 days a week by the end of the challenge. Will fit in daily walks as weather permits (would be mired in mud currently).
Also, I think I should re-read the book to figure out where the heck it says you can indulge in copious amounts of chocolate &/or lightly salted nuts if you feel like it. It surely must say it somewhere, or I wouldn’t have done it for the last three weeks !!!
Looking forward to getting back on the proper plan —- and good wishes to us all !!!

Already lost .2 of a kilo so going in the right direction. BG is around 4.5 but not reducing meds until after my HbA1c in 3 weeks. Wednesday is my swimming day in Winter but the school holidays have put a stop to that (pool too full of kids) but I have done 50 mins of aerobics. I would love to get rid of my bingo wings and have been doing 50 arm curls per arm and 50 triceps thingies (arm in air and curling behind shoulder) on each arm and doing facial exercises every day. It is easy whilst watching Emmerdale or whatever. Hope it helps but at 64 do I have any chance of improvement. I keep on keeping on… and keep trying.

Reading everyone’s posts here is very inspiring, but has made me realise that my goal is a bit wishy washy! I think I just had “lose 4kg”!
So to be more specific, my goals are:
1. Walk 70,000 steps per week
2. Stick to 800 calories during the week
3. Drink 3 litres water each day
4. Keep net carbs to under 50g per day
And fingers crossed these 4 things will lead to a 4kg loss over the 4 weeks 🙂

If it’s more than that it will be a bonus, but as it has taken me 5 weeks to lose 3.9kg I’m not holding my breath!

First 2 days have gone well, managed 13,000 steps yesterday and 8,000’today so goal 1 is on track. Food has totalled 795 cals and 804 cals and net carbs around 50g so all good there. Just need to work on the water 🙂
Early days yet I know (very early days). Good luck to everyone else – let’s do this!

BfitB470 – your post made me chuckle 🙂 I think you’ll find the info about chocolate and salted nuts on the same page in the book where it says you can drink wine whenever you feel like it!
Yes, I’m re-reading the book too 🙂

All this talk of wine, chocolates and nuts, I can see I’m going to have to buy the book!

On a technical note, BfitB470 (or anyone else) can you tell me how to insert emoji’s into a post. I tried earlier and they disappeared when I submitted it.

Hi there
As I am just starting this week 800 Cals, would love to join in. I have a goal to lose at least 15% of my weight before i get called back to the hospital who seem determined that when i return, they will put me on Insulin. I’m determined that they won’t.

Once i find my pedometer i can let you know how many steps i am managing at present (well below 10, 000, but upping the time i spend walking by 5 mins a day.

Have been struggling for ages losing a few pounds here and there then putting it back on, so can empathise when the weight doesn’t meet expectations, but hoping that keeping to the plan will work fo0r me and even allow me to reduce my doseage of Gliclazide

A great start to this challenge with all the posters who are continuing on with their personal goals and programmes, and with the new starters.

Good luck to us all with our endeavours. Hmm, a random thought…….should I be wishing us luck? Or should it be good management? Or good concentration? Or good mindfulness/awareness? oh, the heck with it, good wishes to everyone 🙂

Keep posting, I just love reading everyone’s thoughts and the conversations they generate xx

Hi everyone, could I please join in? I would love some company and motivation as I continue on…I’m on day 10 today of the 5:2. I think I’m doing it right but I’m just not sure. 2 days of low calories (800 ish) and keeping low carbs and sugar the whole time.

Started at 70.6kg and today I am 68.6. I’m mostly doing it to shift my tummy fat and control my moods/help my skin etc. Last week (wk 1) I had headaches, dizziness and nausea. Still feeling a bit weak today but getting better. I can’t help feeling guilty about what I’m eating though, lunch included 2 small squares of 85% dark chocolate and butternut squash soup (amongst other things) so now I’m thinking I’ve been too relaxed on eating sugar and carbs and I won’t lose overnight! Easy to obsess isn’t it!

So today I’m 11st exactly. Goal to lose 4lbs by the end of the challenge. Best wishes to everyone for the 4 weeks ahead.

Hi all. I’d like to join this challenge too. My main goal is to lose 4kg which will take me down a bit below 80kg for the first time in two years. This morning I was 82kg so surely I can do this!!! Also I need to do a lot more walking and I’d like to get into a bit of weight training and resistance exercises and record my progress better than I have been doing.

Good luck to everyone with your goals.

Good morning, so, yesterday I made loads of vegan chocolate brownies for a do I am going to. They might be vegan but they surely aren’t bsd! Anyway, we were out last night dancing and when we got back I ate chocolate brownies at about 11 pm. Couldn’t resist! This morning I took my FBG in fear and trembling and it was 5.2! Not sure how that happened but quite pleased.

Good morning

Today is cold, wet, very windy and miserable. I’m in my 8th BSD month and feeling absolutely ravenous this morning. So, I thought have a day off. Then I decided no, I’ll have my crumpets with a little extra mature cheddar and some butter, only 10g, but I’ll log it all. I’ve had them and really enjoyed them but I’ve also got them into proportion. I’ve put them into Fatsecret and I’m going to stay on plan for the rest of the day and there shouldn’t be too much damage. Maybe I can still stay within a 1000 or so calories and probably 75g carbs. High I know but I feel so satisfied after my breakfast that on this one occasion I can live with the carbs.

Why am I telling you this? I was really on the verge of just blowing today but instead I’m having an indulgent day, no guilt, just enjoyment, and keeping on keeping on!

Verano, isn’t it amazing that you can have one crumpet because you chose to, not because the carb monster was in control and you could stop at just the one. Been catching up on a few threads. Sorry to hear you’d been ill. Hope everything is OK now.
Rosebery, I don’t think I could resist brownies staring at me either. Not too much harm done though by the sounds of it. You should be pleased.

Hope you don’t mind me reporting this here, but I have just realised that it was exactly a year yesterday that I originally started the BSD. I have had two long periods of maintenance during that time, both for long vacations but all the while observing the BSD principles limiting weight gain to a couple of pounds each time returning to the BSD proper afterwards.

Even though I have had these breaks and am a slow loser, overall I am lighter than this time last year 1st 10lb and have another 4lb to get to my originally planned target, with a desire to lose at least 2lb more after that if I can. I’ve dropped two dress sizes and feel fitter and look better than I have in years. So I’m hoping that this four week challenge will help me stay focused and help to push me to that final goal.

Weight today is 72.9 so now I am under the 73kg I am hoping this is the start of a downward movement. Certainly motivates me to carry on, especially over the weekend. BG 4.7. so still good. Nothing much else to say, glad everyone is doing well and not too much temptation out there.

Hi all

Well done Verano on the control issue – that’s what it’s all about – some days we are just hungry but rather than blow it all you’ve enjoyed and carried on regardless. I’m having a similar day myself – really hungry (maybe it was the 90 lengths in the pool this morning) so bought some extra chicken and ham at the supermarket – now busy polishing my halo…..sickening 🙂