I’m just finishing week 7. I’ve lost more slowly than I’d hoped, just under a stone so far, although I really have stuck to it, mainly using the food plan in the book, but hey ho, some people’s bodies are slower than others.

I had something very stressful this week though and took 3 days off. Shouldn’t have been a problem if I’d been sensible, but I was straight on to the sugar eg I ate a whole packet of the chocolate covered German biscuits yesterday. I felt really unwell last night, I feel guilty and I’m dreading standing on the scales today. I was an idiot!

I know I should just forget it and get back to plan today, but somehow I feel a bit down. I’m desperate for this diet to work, it makes such sense. I just wish I was better at it.

Sorry for the winge!

Hi 4stonetolose,
We’ve all been there.
It sounds like you’ve had a tough week. Be kind to yourself.
If BSD800 is too much for you at present there is always the options of 5:2BSD or low carb med style with no calorie counting.
My guess is that you’ll be determined to get back into the BSD800 to complete your 8 weeks.
Have you been incorporating any exercise or mindfulness meditation?
I’m a huge fan of both now. I walk daily (weather permitting) and do mindfulness meditation…….have a bit of an exploration and if you haven’t tried them, find something that suits you. They are just so beneficial especially when life throws you a curve ball.
If you find you’re not bouncing back your GP would be a good person to discuss this with.

I can sympathise completely 4stonetolose.

I am just starting my 6th week. I weighed myself last Thursday and to my delight I had lost another 3lb this week – making a total of 17lbs. I then weighed Saturday and the 3lb was back on!? So disappointing. I am keeping track of everything I eat; rigidly sticking to 800 cals, and 25-30g carbs/day. I don’t understand how it works so well for some, but not so well for others.

Yesterday I was seriously considering giving up. The weight just isn’t coming off quickly enough to motivate me. I was so fed up that last night, I ended up drinking a bottle of red wine, eating some bread and biscuits! I suppose I do feel a little guilty this morning, and have no intention of stepping on the scales!

If I don’t sort myself out and get back into this diet, I fear I will completely undo all the hard work I’ve already done, and quickly regain the stone I’ve lost. But my head does not feel in the right place about it anymore. I’m disappointed with the diet and have lost faith in it.

My weight is falling slower than I’d hoped too – 4kg in two and a half weeks, and lots of hovvering up and down
It’s frustrating, but I just keep reminding myself that it’s been there an awfully long time!

The days when I’ve put weight back on, or not lost anything, do appear to be days when I’ve made less effort to drink lots (water, not red wine) and been more sedentary.

If weighing daily is frustrating, have you thought about weighing yourself less frequently – maybe weekly?

I’ve also found a more healthy snack than chocolate for those late night ‘frustration binges’ – tiny oat and seed cakes with a teaspoon of cottage cheese. Occasionally takes me over the 800, but I figure it’s better than diving into chocolate or sweet biscuits – and I am making sure that it’s an occasional treat, rather than routine.

On the positive side 4stone, at least you felt unwell after the biscuits – incentive not to do it again! I know the biscuits you mean, and pre BSD I could easily wolf down an entire packet (and they were so often on BOGOF deals!). If you haven’t already, maybe don’t weigh yourself today, it won’t change what’s already been done.

Good luck with it MrsG & 4Stone

Switzerland, thank you for your good advice. You are absolutely right, I do need to exercise more. I started off really well, but have got a bit idle recently. I am recharging my Fitbit as I type. I haven’t tried the mindfulness side of things. I didn’t think I needed it, but as I’m struggling, I will definitely give it a go.

Mrs G, I’m really sorry that you’re struggling too. I do think your loss has been pretty impressive though. 17lbs in only 6 weeks! How about we both give it another couple of weeks? 😀

I seemed to be on a plateau in weight terms for ages though I could see and feel that I was thinner via my clothes.

I also use Ketostix which test if I am burning fat, so knew it was going from somewhere – likely from round my organs which after all is what we’re aiming for.

I was told fat goes from the visceral areas first (probably explains why waist measurement can go down fairly quickly – going from inside) and only then from subcutaneous fat (the bit you can see).

And the last bit of subcutaneous fat to go is the bit under the navel (the belly wodge). It would be!!

So don’t despair, don’t give up hope. It does work and will.

Good luck

I am going on holiday in 6 weeks time and was hoping to have lost a total of 2 stone or more in that time. I will have been doing the BSD800 for 11-12 weeks by then. I am disappointed to realise that I am unlikely to have lost that much weight by then, going by the last 2-3 weeks. I think I had gotten my hopes up too high from reading how much weight others had lost on here in such a short time.

If I don’t continue with this diet I have no idea of what I will do to lose weight. This has been one of the very few diets I have managed to stick to (up until last night!), and have not felt hungry. The only thing that has worked for me in the past was the Cambridge Diet some 5 years ago. Unfortunately I am not in the same financial position I was in then, and so am not able to afford it now.

Okay 4stonetolose, I agree to give it a bit longer too 😊👍

the positive is that you have lost a stone is six week, MrsG, so that’s half of what you wanted to loose before your holiday – and if that’s five weeks away, you could be well on the way to the second stone.
For me, it isn’t just about the weight, I want to feel better too – I haven’t lost as much as you yet, but I am starting to notice that I can walk at a fast pace for longer without getting tired and slowing to a creeping pace, and climb stairs and escalators more easily.

Cost aside, I’ve always thought it best to follow diets with ‘normal’ food – hence I’ve never done the Cambridge Diet, but it seems to be based on packaged food and supplements.
As a long term solution, BSD may get you to your target weight a bit more slowly, but it’s also building the foundations of a more healthy relationship with food when you attain your target – and stay there long term.

Good luck

I think it’s worth looking at the other options.

option 1. Do nothing. This will at BEST keep you at your current weight but lets be realistic… You are likely to regain, and if you throw out all you have learned and go back to your previous habits the regain will be FAST.

option 2. Switch to another diet that is less restrictive… but I will make a bet… I bet 95% of us have already been there and done that without success, it’s why we are here. If you lose slowly on BSD it’s pretty much conclusive to be slower still on anything else and the fact remains if you don’t learn to change your habits it will go back on again. How many times have I done that? I’ve lost count.

option 3. recommit mentally to the BSD800, allowing yourself to maximise your weightloss over time, relearning good habits and alternatives to your favourites along the way. This will give you the best chance at inching to your chosen goal. You may not get there as quickly as you hoped, but you will have achieved the best POSSIBLE outcome for your own body in that time and that is an achievement to be celebrated and proud of.

option 4. Switch to BSD 5:2, take the pressure off yourself to lose quickly and accept it will be a slow road.

option 5. switch to BSD, taking the pressure off completely but still relearning and ditching bad habits. A longer road again but a healthful one nonetheless.

The only way to change your life is to go ahead and …change your life. It doesn’t just happen by itself. BSD works. Our bodies are all different and the losses will change from person to person, and individually will change from week to week. We need to accept this and embrace the fact that if we stick to the plan that in any given week we have lost the maximum possible for our own body. Every day is a step forwards in health and learning even if the scales don’t show it.

I’m on week 7 and I’ve lost 16lb’s. it’s looking like I won’t lose this week but I no longer care. This is a new way of life for me. I still have almost 3 stone to lose so my journey won’t end at 8 weeks either. I still need to lose 2 lb’s to hit 10% lost so it’s hit or miss at the moment if I will make that by 8 weeks!

I’d say be kind to yourself, accept that we all have slips. The secret is not to have no slips but to jump back on the wagon straight away and move forwards. Consider your options and make your plan.

After week 8 I’m considering a kind of backwards 5:2 plan where I follow 800 for 5 days and eat more for 2 days. I’ve not made a final decision yet but we will see.

Best wishes to you (and the others struggling) good luck with today, tomorrow and the coming weeks.

Something that’s worked for me on a past weight loss attempt was having a higher calorie day when I was plateauing, like you I’d been sticking to it come hell or high water but not losing, I went out to dinner and although was still sensible I ate over my calories and the next day I’d lost again. It must give your metabolism a bit of a shake up.

Just want to congratulate Izzy on a brilliant post. Says it all for me.

Onwards and upwards, folks. Good luck to all.

Thanks Igorasusual 🙂

I aim to please! (and help if I can)

I’ve become quite passionate about the BSD lol

I think it is really, really, really important to suspend your critical judgment for the eight weeks — it is SO easy to get into that mental state where we want to evaluate what is happening, how far we’ve come, what we’ve lost, etc etc. I recommend just putting your more critical thoughts on hold for the eight weeks — commit to the eight– THEN at the end of eight weeks, you can evaluate where to go from there. It surprised me, at the end of eight weeks, how far I had come and how different I was about food, eating and just where my head was. We are all so well trained to bring our powers of evaluation out and scrutinize what is happening. Commit to the eight, THEN evaluate. You are going to be pleasantly surprised. I promise.

Thank you all for your fab advice.

Yesterday was a bit of a disaster, but I’ve binned all the tempting stuff now. I put on 3lb last week (today was weekly “record it” weigh in), but the fight back starts today!!

Hi 4stonetolose,
That’s the spirit, you go girl😀😀
Think of the alternative, staying fat and hating it? Besides, what else will you be doing with your time? May as well be losing weight and loving yourself.
Good luck
Linda