On June 2, I weighed 110k, and yesterday, four weeks later, I weighed 103 kilos (17 stone 3 to 16 stone 2). I’m not doing full BSD or fasting, just the basic Low Carb Mediterranean or BSD Way of Life. I’ve ended up having a few days when inadvertently, I’ve managed to keep to fasting calories, because I’ve had a lot of evening activities that meant no time for supper. I use the NutraCheck calorie counting website, and when I started, I was on a daily allowance of around 1800 calories per day, but I have now gone down to a daily calorie allowance of 1581 calories. Most days I am between 100-500 calories under that.

I’ve decided to go for a slightly slower, steadier eating regime which is basically the BSD way of life because I wanted to break all the habits and just commit to a sensible low-carb existence.

So far, I have found this working well for me. I am a creature of habit, so breakfast is greek yoghurt and berries or citrus fruit/apples and a sprinkling of nuts. On work days, I also eat about 40g of smoked salmon as a brain booster. Lunch is a hard-boiled egg, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, peppers and a tablespoon of either coleslaw or no-nut-waldorf salad (apple and celery in a light mayonnaise) and if I’m really still hungry, work canteen has tinned peaches but I try to avoid them. Supper is a variant of salmon/lamb chops/chicken breast/pork loin steak usually marinaded in lemon, garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil then grilled with either stir-fried vegetables and/or green salad with rocket and avocado. If I snack, it is, depending on hunger and timing, 30g of cheese, 20g of brazil, cashew and almond, carrot/pepper/cucumber with 40g of hummus and cherry tomatoes.

Have successfully given up all added-sugar products – this has been a challenge: the staff room over the past three weeks has been full of cakes and chocolates and doughnuts as thank yous and birthday celebrations, but I’ve stood firm. I couldn’t pass a plate of biscuits without grabbing a custard cream or a digestive, but now, I’ve totally given those up. I was addicted to chocolate, but haven’t had any for four weeks. The other thing I’ve given up is alcohol. There have been a couple of times I’ve had to drink a toast, but I made sure the glass was only just a sip or two, but otherwise, that has been straightforward.

The other thing I have committed to is upping the exercise. NC is a good website for encouraging this, because when you go over the exercise allowance, they show in their weekly overview how it is contributing to your overall weight loss for the week. I track steps and have walked over 10,000 steps every day except for 4 days during June (too rainy or too busy to walk) and I’ve also managed to do resistance training and cardio 5-6 days out of each week. Sometimes, this is only a 15 minute HIIT session, other days it is a full 40 minute workout. When I am below 15 stone/95 kilos, I’ll start running again, which

I’m aiming for 76 kilos, which will take me to a BMI of 24.8. I’m hoping to reach target weight by the end of the year, or maybe mid-January.

Well done Manxsprout! It says like you have it under control and enjoying it too. The smoked salmon is a great idea for a brain boost, my job takes a lot out of me brainwise so I might follow your lead on that.

And me too also regarding the work food, theres been a lot of catered events recently but thankfully they have had fruit and antipasti plates so I dont feel too odd not having anything. I was wondering if anyone else read this article recently regarding ‘cake culture’ in the office. Hallelujah someone has said something!
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-36608269

Yes, I read that recently.
I did work in one office where we did a take in cheese day – I had some olives from a friend that grows them in cyprus and imports them. There was a sausage day as well – someone who kept pigs!

Worst place ever I worked for having a cake culture was a health charity – a table permanently groaning under the weight of donuts, cake and biscuits.

I’m glad we don’t have the cake culture in my work place. There used to be one department that sat close to our team and they had a Thursday cake day every week which my team wasn’t invited to. We used to feel a bit snubbed but I was sometimes thankful i didn’t have to face the extra calories.

I like the idea of a sausage, olives or cheese day, down with cake!

I’ve started bringing in sugar free food for my office, they are all up for trying the different things I find or make, in fact my friend, who was a ginger biscuit & chocolate fiend during the day has now switched her office snacks to be sugar free. My husband has joined me and my son is about to, I can’t remember feeling this good and loosing this much weight ever, and I’ve ticked off most diets. The BSD allows me to eat normally, eat well, eat wholesome healthy food and feel amazing. I have found there is a great community of Sugar free cooks on line and I have embraced the new recipes. Today I’m off to a family BBQ (in a dress I bought two years ago but haven’t been able to fit in till now) with sugar free fruit muffins, sweet potato & chickpea buddha bowl, coronation potato salad & the creme de la creme, chocolate cheesecake, the main ingredient is avocado, it taste dark and rich and amazing, although my son who isn’t sugar free yet thought it was a bit bitter. One other bonus of the BSD taste buds 🙂

you are doing so well 🙂 sounds like the way you are doing it suits you perfectly!

Well done Manxsprout. Thank you for sharing your BSD way of life on the forums. All of the variants of the BSD work and I think that’s what makes it such a success. The old temptations aren’t so tempting when your body is being nourished and cared for.

Thanks for the encouragement – am really looking forward to next big target – 8 weeks in. I think the view seems to be from nutritionists that it takes around two months for the changes in our diets and habits to embed fully, so I hope that by the end of July, it will all be the new normal.

Luckily, over the past couple of years, I’ve acquired several really nice Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cooks, and once you leave out the flatbread/pitta/couscous, it’s really easy to eat very healthily. A lot of fish, chicken and occasional lamb, a lot of salads and my favourite, anything with aubergine!

knicky, the cheesecake sounds awesome. could you possibly share the recipe?

thanks

What Syb said!

Also, well done Manxsprout. I’m doing the same as you, with the odd fast day thrown in. I’m working a treat for me!

http://www.theherbdiaries.com/theherbdiaries/2015/1/19/raw-chocolate-cheesecake

The recipe can be found here, it’s not cheap to make and be warned those with sugar still in their lives may not appreciate it. It is also really rich but oh my days the most spectacular tasting thing ever, it tastes like the naughtiest thing in the world to eat, in fact typing this is making me salivate. I sliced it up into small portions and put it in the freezer so we can have it as a special treat.

Enjoy