First week complete.

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  • posted by On a mission
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    Well one week in and I have to say I’m chuffed with myself. Think I’ve lost about 6lb and definitely have more energy. Bring on week 2.
    To be honest I’ve avoided the gym this week but need to get going again. Might just start with a bit of swimming. When does the low carb flu kick in???

  • posted by Skipping through the tulips
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    That’s a great result, congratulations. I’m on day 9 and felt weak and headachy between days 3 and 6. So with any luck you’ve missed it. I cut back on my activity last week but am aiming to step it up a bit now I’m feeling more human. Going to try a bit of walk/ running in the morning. Not sure how that’s going to be since I’ve not been eating breakfast.

    Most of my weight loss was in the first 3 days and it’s bern slow since then so I’m feeling a bit disheartened.

    I’m sticking to my 800, often less and carbs are under 50. Maybe I’m
    Not counting right

  • posted by WoodDuckie
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    Hi Tulips 🙂 As Autumn really kicks in Im beginning to imagine, the tulip festival which is a highlight of our year here in this neck of the woods, will see preparations soon underway 🙂 Please dont despair about the “losses” – (hereinafter referred to as the “discards!” :)) Maybe you didnt have as much excess to dispose of as many others 🙂 Its all relevant but I sense determination and trust are disarming the disappointment 🙂 With the dietary changes comes physical changes, different experiences and needs. Many things will change as the weeks go by and it is quite miraculous how adaptable the human body can be seen to be 🙂 I liken my journey as a vehicle which used to run on high octane “petrol or gas – (terminology depending on where you live . . . 🙂 – to now running on diesel! There were a few hiccups and splutters as the pipes and lines were cleared . . . and now its smooth running – (most of the time after 8 -9 months 🙂 Every support is here for you so if need be . . . please dont hesitate to give someone a shout!
    Quack Quack 🙂

  • posted by On a mission
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    Hi Tulips
    Thanks, Stick with it – it will happen. Are you drink lots of water? Others on here have suggested the more water you drink the bigger the loss. Good luck with the exercise. I’m going to start slowly too. With a couple of swims this week and maybe hit the gym floor at the weekend, so I can flop afterwards if I need to.

  • posted by Skipping through the tulips
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    Woodduckie, you are very perceptive!

    I do have some distrust about this way of eating long term for me. I’ve read the books and done some research and the evidence is tempting but then so is lots of other evidence. I can see that this WOE is very successful for many and lots of positive results in terms of weight loss and amazing health benefits.
    Neither do I have a huge amount of weight to lose. I started last week at 68.8kg and ended on 63.4kg. Ideally I would like to drop another 6kg which would get me to my happiest summertime weight( I’ve always gained a bit in the winter and naturally lost it in the spring when I’m more active and gravitate towards lighter foods). I didn’t own scales until I started this and my morning weigh in is causing elation or despondency.

    I generally eat meat or fish only once a week and follow a med diet with lost of pulses. I also eat lost of rubbish between meals too.

    The days when I’ve had really low carbs ( 20g) I’ve lost weight. and when I’ve been eating up to 50g i haven’t even though my calories were less than 700. So i can see all the advice on here seems true for me, but my evidence is based on 10 days.

    I’m struggling with the food this week as all the foods a see as healthy; chickpeas, beans, lentils, onions and even my beloved tomatoes, are loaded with carbs.

    I’m 52 and post menopausal and carry my excess weight around my middle. the worst place for my health. I think i used to burn calories a lot after too. Bu I also think I making excuses as in reality I’m less active and have spent the winter comfort eating.
    I’m trying to face up to some realities and can see i need to kick my bad habits in to touch and get my self in gear. I’m not quite there yet.

    My initial intention was to follow this way of eating for 2 weeks to kick start this new way of eating, then follow the 5:2. ( 5 days with the 800 low carb TRE and 2 days eating normally but not greedily) And i have no intention of giving up before the end of 14 days but its beginning to occur to me that perhaps I will be undoing all my good at the weekend if i transition to the 5.2. I don’t think the fast 800 is something I want to do long term.

    I love food and eating out and am feeling very deprived, which is OK when I’ve lost a pound but disheartening when I’ve been the same for 2 days. Writing this I can see how ridiculous I’m being!

    Off to put on some load music and clean the house, which always cheers me up

  • posted by alliecat
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    Hi Skipping! I’m so sorry that your are seeing this way of life as enforced deprivation, and I hope that that will change for you very soon. It’s still early days for you, so be kind to yourself. If you consume the requisite “good fats” you shouldn’t be feeling
    excessively hungry. This happens when your carbs are low enough to get you into ketosis, efficient fat burning 🙂 If you
    don’t mind a bit of advice from an old timer here, the 5:2 is more intended as a maintenance tool, and while it’s possible
    to lose weight on it, it’s not the most effective tool for weight loss. I’m insulin resistant too, so I definitely had to go
    the 20g of carbs a day route to achieve my goals. It’s all doable, and it just takes practice and commitment. Support
    is always available..just ask!

    Allie

  • posted by Skipping through the tulips
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    Alliecat, your advice is welcomed. I think i need all the help I can get. I feared you might say that the 5.2 was better for maintenance. I’ll see how I’m feeling next week.

    I’m not hungry except for about an hour before lunch and i expect that since its been a long time since dinner the night before. I suspect i might be eating too much protein and not enough fat. Ill look into what should be doing re the ratios of everything

  • posted by sixturkeys
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    Skipping, did I read correctly, you discarded 5.4kg in a week? That seems an awful lot! You seem to be almost vegetarian, JGwen amongst others is (I hope i’m right!) 100%, and am sure will have some suggestions, if she has time to post. On the “deprived” feeling, I have only been doing this since early Jan and can completely relate to the early rather doom-laden feelings of “I’ll never eat XYZ again” – but can say that now I really don’t miss XYZ, even after just a few weeks. There is so much which is delicious and filling which meets BSD principles!

  • posted by Skipping through the tulips
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    Six turkeys, yes that’s right. I lost about 2 kg both the first and second days. I’m sure I must have been chock full of glycogen and I certainly felt like I was peeing a lot. So I’m under no illusions that what I’ve lost is solely fat( ho hum).
    Yes, I
    Was definitely a meat avoider so I’m finding eating more meat than usual not particularly enjoyable. I’m a real cheese aholic and not particularly bothered about sweet stuff but could happily much through a family sized bag of crisps or half a block of cheese.

    When I don’t eat meat it’s quite difficult to keep my carbs under 50. Like this lunchtime I had a veg stir fry with cauliflower egg rice. Very tasty but 35g of carbs. Do you think portion size is the problem?

    It seems I’m eating too much protein too. Based on the .6g per kilo of target weight I should be having about 35g per day. Is that right.

    So,if I’ve got this right I need to up my fats and drop the protein

  • posted by sixturkeys
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    I wouldn’t say you had a problem! Others are much more up on macros and portion sizes and I am sure will respond. But main thing is that you feel (and are) well nourished and satisfied with whatever you are eating and enjoy it!

  • posted by alliecat
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    Skipping, how do you feel about fish/poultry, as opposed to meat? I had a bad experience with hair loss about 20 years ago
    when I devised a very calorie restricted diet for myself, approx. 35g of protein per day. This time around I did research on
    protein requirements for women, so that I wouldn’t repeat that performance. The results that I found were generally
    that 50-60g were sufficient for women. There are several formulas out there, but I chose to use this protocol:
    1g of protein for every kg. of IDEAL body weight. I never exceed 60g, even now that I’m 2 years into maintenance.
    Some vegetarians here settle on .8g. I’m fearful for you at a low of 35g, though. This way of eating can best be
    described as low carb, MODERATE protein and high (healthy) fat. 50g a day is a safe number, from my old timer’s
    perspective. Let us know how you do! My macros during weight loss worked out to 48-52g protein, 20g carbs,
    and the remaining calories came from healthy, plant based fats in avocado, seeds, nuts, and olive oil. I con’t
    straight through on the Fast 800 for 10 months with no ill effect, and 140lbs were thrown overboard!

    Allie

  • posted by Skipping through the tulips
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    Thanks for that Allie, 1g of protein will be plenty. They 35g I calculate seemed way to low for me. I generally eat meat / poultry about once a week and the same with fish. My gut feels healthier and I just prefer not to eat so much meat. I wasn’t a big egg eater but have really e joyed tithe last couple of omelettes.

    My go to sources of veggie protein; beans chickpeas and lentils All seem too high in carbs. I’m going to do some more research on this.

    Veggie fat sources are easy but sometimes a little too delicious. I’m avoiding nuts at the moments in case I lose control.

    Thanks for everyone’s support

  • posted by sixturkeys
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    Skipping, have been thinking of you; you have lost so much so quickly. I really don’t think you can have “just” peed out over 5kgs of glycogen in one week, which tho I understand is water “heavy” is the first accessed energy store in liver which needs to be expended before the fat reserves . So I wonder whether you have started already tapping into those, and whether you could do very well with carbs above 20g, with the protein and healthy fats Allie has mentioned. Even up to 50g is way below the “daily recommended amount”. You have not said you have any blood sugar problems. Slow and steady will win the race!

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi Skipping through the tulips.
    I had been eating a carb high diet for all my life, its one of the issues for people who don’t eat meat or fish that the easy option is to eat carb based. I lost a lot of weight in the first few weeks which was all fluid mainly from my legs. – When you are loosing fluid your body will be releasing electrolytes so its important to add salt to your diet to prevent carb flu.
    As a veggie its really difficult to get down below 20g of carbs a day. – I think that in the early days, just getting as low as you can works and then the lower carb intake/reduction in hunger means you can move on to time restricted eating so your 20g of carbs goes on to one meal.
    I find a Spanish omelette, so you stir fry some veg then pour beaten egg into the frying pan, and finish off in the oven to cook the top as well as the bottom is one of my go to’s. – I find that the pre packed stir fry veg packs are a little high on carbs, but if you pick a selection of veg which are low carb you can stir fry them. – One of the problems with stir frys is the amount of carbs in the sauces. Now I just fry the veg in butter and don’t bother with a sauce. I do like stir fryed Tofu as a protein source. Also scrambled eggs with a little cheese added is good. – Finally my favourite is veg cooked lightly in butter in a casserole dish in the microwave then put cheese on top to melt it.
    Radishes are one of the wonders of this way of eating, stir fried they change their nature in a way I had not expected.
    ——————-
    You may have seen me mention in the past that I use one of the cheap breathalysers to monitor ketosis. – One of the reasons I do that is because its so difficult for a veggie to get under 20g. – So I need to work it from a different angle and find out my own reaction to carbs. -For example, one thing I have found is that with high fiber / slow release carb sources like veg, I can have a slightly higher number of carbs a day and stay in ketosis. – I think it may be because your body takes a long time to break down and access the carbs in veg, so you don’t get the insulin spike that you would get from eating the same level of fast acting carbs.

    Hope that gives you some ideas.

  • posted by Mariet
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    JGwen, is that a specifically ketone cheap breathalyser or on alcohol one? (i understand you are using it to check ketosis)
    I’ve tried to look for breathalysers for ketones but can’t find any. However the alcohol ones come up on the search and I don’t know whether that’s just from the term ‘breathalyser’.

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi Mariet,
    It is one of the cheap breathalysers for alcohol.

    https://www.fatforweightloss.com.au/measure-breath-ketones/

    This is the model I bought which is the one you will see recommended on various sites for using a cheap breathalyser for testing ketones.
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N2YM9VA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Just to reassure people the breathalysers used by officials to check on alcohol levels use a different method of testing which doesn’t pick up on ketones.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Hi JGwen – I managed to purchase said cheap breathalyser to check my breath ketones, but am a bit confused as to how to interpret the results. I seem to be getting readings from 0.2 to 0.4, but have no idea what this means, as all the details on the information sheet refer to alcohol. If you are able to advise, it would be much appreciated.

  • posted by JGwen
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    This is the website I got the information from on using one of the cheap breathalysers. There is both text and a video on the site.

    https://www.fatforweightloss.com.au/measure-breath-ketones/

    On my breathalyser you can select a range of different measurement units. – This is the information from the site on which units to use and what the levels mean.

    *Keep in mind that the measurements in acetone would be mmol/L which is the same as the setting that shows you g/100ml of alcohol. The video shows you a more detailed version of this.

    Improved Athletic Performance / Weightloss:

    Above 0.5mmol/L

    Improved Mental Performance:

    1.5mmol/L – 3mmol/L

    Therapeutic level.
    3mmol/L – 6mmol/L

    Therapeutic ketosis would be to manage the following items:
    GOOD SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

    Epilepsy
    Diabetes mellitus
    Weight loss
    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
    Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
    GERD and heartburn
    Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
    ——————-
    I look at it as if you get any reading at all then you know your insulin levels are low and you are in ketosis. – Thats the main aim if we want to loose weight. – As the length of a fast continues, or in response to exercise the depth of ketosis increases.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Thank you for that JGwen, watched the video which was very helpful. Looks like I’m in ketosis, even though my read outs are in grams not mmol, so I’m happy with that. Means I can confidently take my new gizmo with me to Turkey, to keep track of ketosis while I’m away from the scales. Thanks again for your help.

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi SunnyB, if its the same gizmo I have you have a range of measurement units you can change between.

  • posted by Skipping through the tulips
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    Thanks for the great advice Jgwen and sixturkeys. the miracle of my weight loss seems to be over since i’ve not lost anything at ALL since Monday. My Carbs have fluctuated between 17g and 44g. I’m going to keep them under 20 today to see if that has any effect. I have to say its a bit disheartening and the glass of wine can be heard calling. I’m going to try and hang on in there till at least Monday which will be the beginning of week three.

  • posted by sixturkeys
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    Skipping, your discard is not a miracle, it’s your body’s response to your application! But a weekly response does not always happen, witness many posters here (incl very experienced) and you should not be disheartened. I think it is fair to say that the BSD does not mean that everyone has to aim for 20g carbs to “comply”. You might like to try a higher level for a cple of weeks and see how that works? This is (praise be!) not a “quick fix” approach so do not be too impatient with yourself!

  • posted by alliecat
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    Sixturkey is essentially right, skipping, re the personal carb limits we set for ourselves. It’s important to set some
    limits though, and then count religiously. That will give you a benchmark from which to start, and you can adjust them
    downward after you see how your body responds . The same process continues into maintenance, and is the key
    to keeping the lard off long term 🙂

    Allie

  • posted by sixturkeys
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    Yes, I wasn’t suggesting no limits! But that if steady discard happens for someone at say 35 or 40g, that probably I would have thought bodes better for long-term than going really low in the short term for sake of rapid discard (esp where there may not be insulin resistance which needs managing to start with). Anyway, we are all unique!

  • posted by Skipping through the tulips
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    Ha ha I understood that I still had to eat carbs within limits and haven’t run off to the chippy following your advice! Although the though is appealing. I’m going to follow your advice and do a bit of experimenting to see what works for me.

    Have a great weekend

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