I am half way through week 3 and am really getting on well with the BSD. I struggle with veg but have managed to do pretty well until now.

I have been diagnosed with shingles and have been feeling pretty rough for the last week. I have kept under 800 calories and 50g carbs without a problem but am finding it really hard to eat any vegetables and fruit, other than raspberries with my yoghurt. I have been having scrambled eggs for breakfast, just cooked in a little butter, yoghurt and raspberries for lunch and then differing things for tea like a small can of chicken soup or tonight I had 3 slices of ham and a chunk of cheese (which I really enjoyed!).

I am keeping my water intake up but can’t do any exercise at the moment and only walk a bit at the best of times, I am not very fit though have been moving a lot more over the last 3 weeks. I am not diabetic but at 13st 2 (was 14st when I started), 5ft 4 with a round middle, I knew I needed to do something.

My worry is that the last three days I have struggled to get my calories up past around 600. I have had more than enough to eat today and don’t feel hungry at all. I have been falling asleep very early so not even got time to squeeze in a full fat snack before bed. Do you think this is OK or should I really be looking to hit 800 cals?

I still can’t believe I am on an eating plan that keeps me this full on less than 800 cals!

I’d be less worried about your actual calorie intake than the fact you are missing out on a lot of fibre, vitamins and minerals by not eating much veg. We often do lose our appetite when we are ill, don’t we? But this is precisely the time when we need to eat for nutrition to get over the illness. What you are eating sounds fine but I do think you should try to get some veggies in there. Coconut flour is also good for fibre as well as protein and a little bit is very filling – I made Bill’s flatbreads today. At the very least, take a supplement for the vitamins and minerals your immune system needs. I hope you get over the shingles quickly, its not a nice illness (if there is such a thing!)

Thank you Janet. We have a vitamin tonic in the medicine box so I will take some of that I think. I really do need to get some coconut flour and try those flatbreads when I feel well enough 🙂

Hi teej
if you are really worried about calorie intake and you are struggling to eat veg, you can give the calorie intake a boost by adding a couple of teaspoons of olive oil (about 105 cals per tsp) or a little butter to your food.

Thanks Bill. I have stocked up on some fresh veg soup mix which is currently on the stove, complete with olive oil. A schoolgirl error in that when a I got it home and looked at the deeper ingredients, it has potato in it but only a small amount and the carb levels for the whole bag are only 32g so I figure the good will outweigh the bad in that small amount. I have also managed to get some coconut flour so plan on trying your flatbreads if a I feel up to it later. Topped off with some prawns, baby tomatoes and little gem lettuce, I should be getting a few more nutrients in me over the next couple of days compared to the last. It doesn’t help that I haven’t lost a pound this week but been spurred on by all the other similar stories in week three and not wavered, other that the few homemade Mother’s Day goodies which I just had slivers of!

Onwards and upwards!

Hi Teej,
It seems that most people are going to plateau at some stage or other, that’s what I get from the forums. But don’t be too hard in yourself – your body is genuinely sick at the moment. Your mind’s priority might be to lose weight but I think your body has more pressing issues just now. Eat to boost your immune system and be kind to yourself, the rest will follow. The flatbreads are really quick to make and the coconut flour will help you.