There has been much posted on the subject of constipation, and you will find many strategies. I’ve never used unulin, but many do.
I get extra fiber from chia seeds, a small handful of raspberries, and 1/2 a small avocado. I’ve heard of mangesium supplements
too, as well as raw ginger. Have a look. I’m sure that you will come across something that looks promising 🙂

Good morning all!

Well, I need not have worried that I hadn’t lost any weight. I hopped on the scales this morning and I’m very pleased to say that I’m down 5.2lbs! That’s after 5 days, so a pound a day is good enough for me!:-) Feeling even more motivated now to continue with this WOE!

Louise ~ How did the appointment with the hypnotherapist go? Sounds interesting!

Louise & alliecat ~ I use Metamucil (contains psyllium husk) occasionally, to relieve the ‘issue’. It’s a very gentle laxative, and seems to work pretty well! I’ve looked into adding pure psyllium husk powder to food, and it seems to be quite good stuff … a natural fibre which can help to regulate blood sugar levels, reduce blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol, cleans the colon, and helps to keep you regular! Sounds good to me!

Baby Bumblebee ~ We’re getting closer to that weekend challenge … we need to hold on to our willpower and stay motivated! My weekends usually begin on a Friday! Stay tuned!

Brit – 5.2lbs – that’s great news – congratulations.

A pound a day!! That’s awesome! Great discard 😊😊

I’ve bought extra fiber that dissolve in water or anything, hopefully that will help.
Big NSV here : I declined chocolate cake in the afternoon. Well I did better. Said chocolate cake was left on my desk for me to eat for the whole afternoon and I resisted it without any struggle.
I also declined office drinking!
Like my hypnotherapist said “in the waste not on my waist” 😅🤣

Britin, the hypnotherapy was really good. First appointment was 1.5hr. For the first hour, you discussed your life, your goals, your struggles etc.
Then the lady did a 30 min hypnosis on me. The idea is to convey your want and your goals to your deeper subconscious. So that when push comes to shove, you stay in control because your subconscious tell you to.
The messages that she conveyed to my subconscious while in hypnosis was that I was in control – always, I would make the best choice food wise and for my health, that I would focus on the feeling of satiety and push away my plate even with food leftover in it.
Today was my first day post hypnosis and low and behold I stopped eating halfway through my salad cause I had enough 😳😁
I would have never done that before!!
I have a copy of the hypnosis session on mp3 and have to listen to it daily or every other day to ciment the new way of thinking.

Louise ~ well done for declining that chocolate cake … that really is a test of your willpower, especially if it was left on your desk! And the office drinks too! Brilliant! That hypnotherapist must good!

Good day, all!

Brittan, losses of a pound a day can be very motivating, I know. Your body is discarding the fluid retained by the carbs.
After the first 7-10 days in, the actual fat burning begins, when we switch over to burning fat for fuel instead of glycogen.
For the majority, weight loss can be variable from week to week, and doesn’t indicate that this WOE isn’t working for
you 🙂 I’ve read thousands of posts in the past 2 years, and I realize that my losses over 10 months of a consistent .5lb
a day, or a stone a month, is the exception, not the rule. Staying with <20g of carbs a day is what made it happen for me.
We are all different though. If you haven’t taken starting measurements, do so. There will be weeks ahead when you see
disappointing numbers of the scale, but your body will be shrinking, and it may not be reflected on your scales. Sometimes
it’s not all about what we’re seeing there. The process is still working, so believe in it and yourself, and you will certainly
get to wherever you want to go, I promise! 🙂

Allie

How are all my newbies going? Billie, SLB, Baxter, PurplePetunia, NewDayRising, 7babies, Baby Bumblebee, SarahlouH, and my fellow time zone friend BritinHK?
How are you adjusting to this new way of eating? First couple of weeks are the trickiest as we adjust to a lot less carbs. I know I had a head ache for days before I suddenly felt much better and like the clouds parted.
Thanks to the more experienced Kafin, Alliecat, JGwen, Jennie10 and any other I’ve missed (sorry!) for keeping this thread real and for sharing your knowledge and first hand experience ❤️

Hi all,
Just finished reading all the new posts – Wow! Things have really taken off here (hopefully along with the weight). 🙂

Just stopping by to update progress after 5 days my weight is down 2.65 kilos. I am not new to this WOE and know it is mostly fluid but I can’t lie it is very encouraging to see the weight go down like this and add to that my clothes have felt so much more comfortable to wear.

Like some mentioned, my sleep patterns have changed. I am experiencing what I’d call a deeper sleep when I do fall asleep, it is wonderful. On a less happy note, being winter here I do notice normally my skin gets dry (aircon/cold days etc) and it is now drier than even that normal despite drinking so much water. I don’t want to go over-board with the water intake but wondering if anyone else gets really dry skin when doing this and if you have any ideas/tips other than slathering on the lotions/creams as I am doing now.

Cheers!
P.

alliecat ~ thank you for those inspiring words! Yes, I’ve already taken my starting measurments, so I’ll be sure to re-check them at intervals, and especially whenever the weight loss stalls!

PositiveSpin ~ Well done on your fantastic loss! It really is very encouraging when you see the numbers going down, isn’t it. Regarding dry skin, I’ve read that taking a bath (if you have one!) with a cup of oatmeal in it can naturally rehydrate your skin, the oats are soothing to the skin and help the skin to retain moisture from the bath water … who would’ve thought? Also, a few tablespoons of oil added under hot running bath water … doesn’t have to be a manufactured fragranced product, you can use coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, which are probably better for your skin … just make sure you clean the bath straight afterwards, otherwise there can be some very slippery disasters!

Hello there Positive Spin:) Well done on your encouraging progress! Not sure where you are (in the southern hemisphere cos you say its winter where you are as it is here where I reside!!!) So here is my take on the dry skin thing !!!) I dislike feeling “greasy” after a lovely warm/hot shower . . . so dont add any cosmetics to my routine -(which is pretty rustic and basic!) – but – find my skin benefits greatly from a rub over with one of those “net” body washers – and instead of soap, find a body wash stuff which is far less harsh is of great benefit. Im a great believer in feeding from the inside as well as the outer and have fishoil and evening primrose caps each day. I also believe the oils I ingest these days . . . walnut, avocado, olive – and the avocado fruits have greatly improved my skin – even though Im told it was beautiful to start!!! 🙂 Wearing cotton socks keeps my feet soft and silky . . . (I have been known to occasionally “buff” heels and “toughened” spots with a handheld “sander”! 🙂 and then massage them with something like the old fashioned Nivea milk or the Nivea moisturising liquid – (or maybe the old fashioned Oil of Ulan maybe worth a try?) – maybe before adding the socks 🙂 (No socks right now BUT short sheepskin Ugg boots/slippers seem to provide (maybe a small measure of lanolin . . .?) I find the Nivea is light, no frills and when sufficiently massaged or stroked in isnt greasy 🙂 I also do my best to avoid man made fabrics . . . cotton singlets and skivvies closest to skin seem to nurture it better – particularly through winter 🙂 PS: And you all thought ducks had feathers didnt you . . .? Well underneath all that down . . . Quack! Quack!!

Hello all,
I’ve weighed this morning, which is day 6 and I’m pleased to report I’m down 8lbs. I know I shouldn’t get excited because it’s mostly water but I am motivated by losses, so I’ll take it! I was out for a meal last night but managed to order a salad with grilled chicken while most others had gourmet burgers, it was ok but after weighing, I’m glad to have done it.

BritinUK – Today will be a challenge, I’ve got a wee day trip, so fingers crossed I can avoid too much temptation, although If I do cave, I’m not going to beat myself up, I’ll just get back on it tomorrow. Stay strong my friend!

LouiseKangooroo – You do well to remember everyone’s names! The hypnotherapy sounds good, nice to have an extra bit of willpower and confidence in decision making.

Anyway, I’ve enjoyed reading back the posts, good job to everyone plodding away and keep it up! 🙂

Yes it’s good to see that everyone is keeping with it 💪
Today is the last day of my 3rd week. It’s been surprisingly simple so far, I’m very please. Can’t wait to know the total discard for the week and I’ll try and translate it in pounds as that seem to be the language around here 🤣🤣
Have a good one everyone x

– Baby Bumblebee – 8lbs is massive!!! My first week was a really good discard but I don’t get why some people say it’s just water weight?
I didn’t really care if it was water, it was centimètres off my body and my clothes felt so much better straight away. Also the water never came back so too me it’s a true discard.
Good job!

Hi Louise, I’m still here, keeping on keeping on. 5+ weeks in, and the novelty has worn off, and I feel like I’m in the groove. My Bookclub nibbles night was a learning experience. I pre-logged what I planned to eat into my app, but when they were on the table in front of me I had a couple of carb bits. Afterwards I put the figures into the app. How can such a tiny morsel of pastry have so many carbs??? It was a wake up call and I shan’t be repeating that any time soon. On the other hand, a good discovery this week was that, kebab meat doesn’t have any carbs, so meat and salad and ditch the pitta and that’s a treat dinner. Also tucked into the repertoire for the future (though not yet tested) is McD quarter pounder, no bun, plus garden salad, is a possibility if everyone else is having takeaway. McD has a good nutrition calculator on their website where you can tailor make your virtual meal, adding and removing different elements. I’m not recommending them, but I know a visit will happen sometime and I want to be prepared.
Baby Bumblebee, PositiveSpin and BritinHK well done on your great starts. I lost a lot week 1, nil in week 2, and around a couple of pounds each week since. I only say this to encourage you to hang on if week 2 is not so great. Most people quit diets in week3 apparently, so if you can just hang on past that you should be good for the long haul. There’s lots a great advice from others on this site, and everyone is so supportive, it’s lovely.
One other mindset change I’ve taken up – I’m never again going to say “I want to lose x by …”. I’ve learned weight loss isn’t a straight line. Instead, I’m going to say, “I’m going to make good healthy food choices and not eat carbs until…”. All I can do is keep my head’s part of the deal; my body will do what it will do, but eventually it will have to follow. Well, that’s my theory anyway.
Have a good weekend everyone, Bx

Hi Babybumblebee – I’m with LouiseKangooroo on this, who cares what it is – 8lbs down is brilliant. Hurray – go you.

I can attest to much smaller discard in week 2 too – just found my rant earlier in the thread 🤣
Week 3 will deliver a quite exciting number!
Baxter do you know how long you want to stay on the fast 800 for?
I’ll be at it for another 5 weeks then I’m on holiday for a week in Bali. Not sure what I’ll do on my return, probably another 2 weeks on fast 800 to recover from the holiday 😅

Hello everyone. Today is my first day on the 800 diet.
July and August are probably the two hardest months in which to do it, but I’m going to go for it!
As a man, beer is going to probably be the thing I’ll miss most, to be honest.

Welcome Eddie! Good on you for making the first step.
Jul Aug is winter for me and I’m making the most of lovely soups, and roasted vegetables and meat.
For you in summer it’s the perfect time for salads and grilled meats! Yum

Hi LK, I’m not so much thinking about this as “doing BSD” but more as monitoring my macronutrients daily, aiming for 20g approx of carbs, 70g of protein and then fats to get me to between 800-1000 calories. I’ve read a lot on the DietDoctor website and watched their videos and interviews. Also I’ve gone back and read the posts from others on here who have lost a lot of weight, and I can’t find any reason for stopping this plan after 8 weeks. There’s no foods that I’ve really missed, and I don’t like most alcohol, and have about 3 drinks a year, so that’s not an issue for me. Yes, I did fancy a cake one day in town, but Mr B had his adult head on that day, and a bemused look with a raised eyebrow and a gentle “Really? Do you really want one? “ was enough to see me back to the car park with my resolve still in tact. So, in answer to your question, how long am I here for, given I’m losing about 2lbs a week, I think my answer is probably somewhere between this time next year or into 2021, and then some variation of this for the rest of my days. The way I feel at the moment is that the logging and weighing foods is quick and straightforward, and not an imposition, and is definitely worth the end result. Having once reached a healthy BMI but got scared and didn’t know how to maintain, this time I’m better prepared, and I won’t give up the benefits so easily.

Well Allie, I have finally crawled out of my hole. After hitting a very stubborn plateau last summer I decided that maybe giving my self a BSD break might help. Generally stayed low carb (30 g or so) and more of a maintenance calories level (1800 ) I did pretty well staying there for a while but hit the rocks with a couple periods of chronic fatigue and two bouts of bronchitis (my achilles heel health wise….respiratory infections). I ended gaining back 10 of my 50 hard fought lbs on BSD from the prior year. I do attribute part of that to a stubborn conviction that I could have daily kefir (9g carbs for 8 oz) and still do BSD…..I sooooo wanted to do the “good gut” thing. Sadly, I don’t think I can.

I made multiple attempts to get back on BSD in winter/spring but the scale would not budge….would lose 2-3 lbs and then for no reason they would pop back on. Also I was struggling….the 800 cals that was so easy for me before was not cutting it. The worst was that I was so hungry late at night and had difficulty getting to sleep.

These forums can be so supportive for many newcomers who don’t have a lot of prior experience and need info. But for me, if I am stuggling, talking about it just leaves me wallowing in the frustration. I knew BSD was the answer for me but just could not “get in the zone”.

I am also not one to want to jump on every crackpot idea for losing weight, especially the “one food” miracle diets. But I have a lot of respect for a handful of keto recipe bloggers and Melissa Sevigny is one of them. She has recommended the EGG FAST as a way to break a plateau, and I was open to trying it.

She and a couple of longtime low carbers / fasters (Jimmy Moore, Dana Carpenter ) advocated a 5 day egg fast. Eggs, a bit of cheese, cream cheese, and HIGH fat (minimum of 1 Tbs fat for each egg eaten). So rich scambled eggs, egg salad with mayo, egg “muffins” etc. And a crazy think called BULLET PROOF COFFEE (coffee with 3-4 Tbs of fat from grass fed butter, MCT coconut oil, and maybe some heavy cream).

Sevigney speculates as to why it might work ( egg yolks are extremely high in Choline, which as it turns out is critical to our liver being able to metabolize fat, etc). This may be part of it….who knows. It seems pretty obvious that what probably is working is that you end up with ZERO carbs for 5 days.

So I gave it a shot….and IT WORKED. After months of NADA I dropped 3.5 lbs in 5 days….and gained only 1 back after returning to a BSD diet.

More importantly it got me over the hump….broke the plateau and got me into deep ketosis where I wasn’t hungry any more.

Since starting that on June 2 (5 days Egg Fast, BSD since) I have lost 14 lbs.

Along with others on this forum, I am a believer in short bouts of fasting, but I tend to get heavy GI flushes when I do.

The answer for me is the crazy Bullet Proof Coffee (BPC). I now make it with 1 Tbs of Irish grassfed butter, 1 Tbs of MCT oil, and 2 Tbs of heavy cream (few drops of liquid Stevia), put in blender….serve with sprinkle of cinnamon on top. I now do 2 ” near fasts” days a week and have one of those for lunch and one for a late supper (decaf coffee for that one). Each is 300 cal….so total of 600 cals for the day, ZERO CARBS…..and lets me get to sleep.

I do my BPC near-fasts on Tues and Sat, and BSD the other 5 days (no breakfast). But I do more like 1000 calories on those days and walk 2 1/2 – 3 miles a day to burn off the extra 200 calories that are over the 800 cal BSD guideline.

I am also sticking to more like 10 – 15 net carbs, most from green vegetables (broccoli, tossed salads) etc.

As with many others positng on this forum, I fully admit that what works for me may not work for others….but I just feel that if it can help someone else, I wanted to share it.

In closing, I have found two recipes that have been HUGE helps to me : one for a very soft, and to me, delicious and easy flax bread, and a flax seed cracker. The crackers have essentially zero carbs, the flax bread 1.9 net carbs for a thick 3/4 inch slab of a slice. They add round out my low low carb diet and help my GI move’n and groov’n.

The bread is very “pumpernickel” like….add caraway seeds to mimic rye bread.
****************************************
Brown Flaxseed Bread from elanaspantry

Full of healthy fiber and ultra delicious, we are absolutely in love with this bread!

Baked loaf weighed 1.3 lb (21oz) 1964 cal for the loaf
This comes to 94 cal and 1.1 net carbs per oz

Servings: 12 3/4-in (1.75 oz) slices 164 cal per slice net carbs 1.99

2 cups brown flaxmeal (6.2 oz)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon Celtic finely ground sea salt (or 1 tsp coarse)

In blender:
5 large eggs
½ cup water
⅓ cup olive oil

Instructions:

In a med bowl combine flax meal, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Mix well
Put eggs, water, and olive oil in bullet blender and mix well (or beat well with a whisk).
Stir wet ingredients into remaining dry, mixing well

Allow batter to stand 3 minutes or so to thicken (try letting stand in bowl vs in loaf pan and see if it makes any difference).

Gently spoon batter into a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan (or line with parchment paper).

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean

Cool for 30 minutes

Cal for entire loaf: 1964 carbs: 77.5 fiber: 53.6 net carbs 23.9
Servings: 12 thick slices cal 164 per slice net carbs 1.99

******************************************************

Rosemary & Sea Salt Flax Crackers Mellissa Sevigny IBIH

★★★★★
4.6 from 28 reviews

Calories: 998 plus 80 cal more for whole flax and chia seeds now 1078
Net Carbs: 2.6g* FOR THE WHOLD $#@% BATCH !!!

Batch weighed 4.8 oz. …roughly 5 servings of .9 oz each

INGREDIENTS

1 cup ground (or milled) golden flax seeds (3.1 oz)
LTC: add 2 Tbs (.6oz) of unground flax seed and1 Tbs( .3 oz) chia seed for nice crunch
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated parm – (good old dry Kraft parm in the green shaker can works great here)
1/4 tsp minced/crushed dried rosemary
For top: Sea salt, black pepper & chia seed sprinkled over

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) . Set out one sheet pan and prep 2 sheets if parchment paper (drizzle oil on one, place second on top and move around against the first to oil both well.

Add all of the ingredients (except salt) to a medium bowl. Stir until fully combined.

Form your dough into a ball and place between two sheets of parchment paper (no bigger than your baking sheet). Roll out the size of the baking sheet for crackers, or divide ball in two and roll out extra thin in two batches for “chips”.

Leave top sheet of parchment on and place the lot on the baking sheet. Bake 3 miutes.

Remove from oven. Take off top sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chia seed.

Return to oven and bake 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. Insert cooling rack into baking sheet still in overn.

Cut the warm cracker into squares (it score a grid) with a knife, bench scraper, or pizza cutter.

Spread crackers over the cooling grid in oven to all the bottoms to crisp.

Bake 5 additional minutes.

Turn oven off and let crackers dry in oven as it cools down.

NUTRITION

Serving Size: 1 batch
Calories: 998 Net Carbs: 2g
Carbohydrates: 34g Fiber: 32g
Protein: 55g
Fat: 70g

Love to y’all LTC

Going to repost these two flax recipes on the Good Eats thread so they can be more easily found in the future. LTC

Excuses for barging in here, but just wanted to say *welcome back* to Luvtcook. And congratulations on finding what works for you. I am trying to keep an open mind on bullet proof coffee!

Everyone is welcome here! Us newcomers need the wisdom of long termers so please, keep coming 😄
———
This morning is the first day of week 4 for me. I will share some stats in a minute as soon as I can get out of my warm bed and weigh myself 😉

Massive 3rd week, I’m soooo happy!! 1.8kg/4lbs gone! 💪💪💪
I’m going to try and bottle the feelings for the weeks with a smaller discard like last week 😅

Start —— 79.5kg / 175lbs / Waist 96
Week 1, fast 800 = -3.8kg / 8lbs
Week 2, fast 800 = -0.7kg/ 1.5lbs
Week 3, fast 800 + one 24hrs fast = -1.8kg / 4lbs
Now —— 73.2kg / 161 lbs / Waist 92
Goal —— 65.0kg /143 lbs / Waist 80

Total discard to date, -6.3kg / 14lbs.

Might be worth adding that I measure 172cm or 5’6. I’m now back into “healthy” BMI territory. However my waist is well over 80cm, so more work to be done. I’ve only started to track my waist measurement at the end of week two but it has already reduced by 4cm since then. I’m so pleased cause that is the only measurement that matters to my health.

Hi LK! Massive, wonderful results from your diligence 🙂 Congratulations and I trust you enjoy your upcoming holiday to the max 🙂 Quack! Quack!

Welcome back Luvtcook! It’s good to see you posting again!
I wanted to comment on your experience with the 5-day egg eating and your bullet-proof coffee — somewhere along the way I read (or maybe heard in a podcast) (it was PROBABLY a Dr. Bikman podcast because I am a fan of his) that there is a way of “fasting” called “fat fasting” and I think your egg program fits that perfectly.
As you know, fasting brings down your insulin levels so your body can access your fat stores (for newbies, insulin is the “fat-storage” hormone and acts like a little sheriff locking your fat away in your fat cells and not permitting it to be released for use — which makes you ravenously hungry and gives you a crashed blood sugar level with all the creepy related low blood sugar symptoms).
“Fat fasting” is eating only fat, so you are taking in some calories but they are in the form of fat and fat does not raise your insulin levels (again for newbies, protein has a moderate effect on insulin, carbohydrates a pronounced effect on insulin but fat barely moves the needle).
Eating eggs with fat would be a very fatty diet, even with the protein in eggs, as eggs are high fat. And drinking bullet proof coffee is the same.
So a 5-day egg and fat diet would be an almost perfect “fat fast”.
I can see how it would be successful and could very well be a useful way to break a plateau (although i might not do it regularly).
So your experience is very interesting and dovetails with the research I have read.
Oh wow, I just had a terrible thought — when I was in high school we used to do a three day banana and milk diet — 900 calories of non fat milk and bananas (like four bananas and four cups milk per day). OMG!!! What I did to my insulin levels!! Oh that is a nightmare memory! I had totally forgotten it until now.
Anyway, welcome back!

Welcome back Luvtcook! I have so missed your recipes. The egg fast sounds fascinating but I’m not a fan of Bullet Proof Coffee! I think I need to do a little more reading about eggs and I will definitely give the bread a go?

Like the others I am really glad to see you back Lovetocook. – Your post about an egg fast is also well timed. I have been struggling to think of options for a high fat, keto diet for a vegetarian, of course, the solution is more scrambled eggs and omelettes as well as baked cheese dishes.

Thanks for all your kind words folks. Glad to be back. Hope this will be the start of the final leg of my journey. Am anxious to join the maintainers club and benefit from those that have unlocked the key to making the weight loss a life long achievement.
XOX

LTC

You are spot on Californiagirl. the Fat Fast was created by Jimmy Moore, and he is also the one that developed the Egg Fast. I am not sure which came first but I think the Egg Fast was a tweak on the Fat Fast for him….a bit more sustainable, less monotonous, and still not too high in protein. The egg fast should come in around 1200 calories and zero carbs. Both are intended to be very short term as they are far from giving you the nutrients you need. But they seem to work to break the log jam when nothing else seems to. I am just so grateful to be losing again. After really solid success on BSD before, the stall was devestating to me…..like the world was upside down and there was a whole new set of secret rules that no one let me in on. Not a happy time. Glad to be back in the groove.

I must say that I find some of the topics intimidating as a newbie, here my main concerns are to manage the 800 cal and 20 carbs every day 😅

LK don’t feel intimidated. You seem to be doing really well just doing what you are doing so just keep going! For some, after a while, there needs to be a bit of tweaking. Sometimes weight loss stalls, sometimes boredom sets in, sometimes going off plan leads to a weight gain. We are all human, and for those of us with Type 2 diabetes this is a ‘life plan’ , rather than a weight loss plan so finding new ways to stay motivated is essential. Just ignore the topics not to your liking … I do!

Please don’t feel intimidated, Louise 🙂 Success is guaranteed for those that don’t go beyond what is between the pages
of MM’s books. This is an open forum, and many of us have moved on to adding additional knowledge to our arsenal,
because we’re interested in the science of it all. Fasting, OMAD and the finer topics of autophagy, etc. are posted for
those of us who are interested, but just getting your head around 800cal. and 20g of carbs is a learning curve, and
mastering that will take you anywhere you want to go. Verano is right, you always have the option of “stepping over”
discussions that aren’t of interest to you. They will go on regardless, so it’s completely up to you to decide where
your comfort level is. Enjoy the process, for it’ ans adventure for us all.

Allie

Thank you for setting up this thread! My mum and I are doing the diet together, and started on 4 Jul. I’m not diabetic but I do have PCOS and I am sure a diabetic in waiting with a history of it in the family and being blessed with carrying the weight around the middle. So far I feel really good; More energy and the hunger pangs are waning. I am a terrible cook but I am trying hard (which is not easy with a 6month old baby) but thankfully I love the Mediterranean dishes. I’ve not had any cravings yet – here’s hoping it stays that way, but I feel in the best frame of mind for a diet that I have felt for a looooong time. I have enjoyed reading all the comments and tips here. Thank you everyone for your great advice – I’ll be reading even if I’ve nothing useful to share myself. Cashews are currently my snack saviour when I need something fast. I was interested to read about the porridge oats – will watch that, and I need to up my water intake. 🙂

Thanks for joining this thread Emandmum! Well done for making the first steps, it’s great that you and your mum are doing it together.
And of course you have something useful to share 🙂 personally I feel encouraged by all the other newbies, knowing that I’m not alone in the first weeks of making the change to a new WOE.

Welcome to the newcomers!

Emandmum ~ it’s great that you are doing it together for support, I think that really helps!

Eddie B ~ Good luck with the plan!

Louise & Baby Bumblebee ~ Big congratulations on your fabulous losses! Keep up the good work!

Baby Bumblebee ~ How did you get on over the weekend? I will confess to having succumbed to wine (I won’t say how much!) … couldn’t let hubby drink it all himself! Food wise, not too bad … although I did steel a couple of baby potatoes yesterday! I figure I’m still learning and it’ll take a bit of time to have complete control! Back on plan properly again today though! For me, this plan is hopefully going to be for life, and weekends are a big part of my life enjoyments, so they’re going to have to be factored into the equation somehow!

Louise ~ Yep, some of the topics are way over my head!Lol Like you, I’m concentrating on sticking to around 800 cals of low-carb Med-style food. I’m eating a much lower carb diet now, and I steer clear of starchy carbs (except for the baby potatoes yesterday!). However, whilst I do keep track of what I’m eating each day, I’m not going to obsess about counting every little calorie, or gram of carbs, that passes my lips. I’ve tried doing that before, and I know that when I become obsessive about it, that’s when I give up, because it no longer seems like a normal way of life to me, it seems like a big chore, and I don’t want my life to become a chore. I enjoy cooking, and I enjoy eating nice food with my family and friends … I want to continue to be able to do that, within the parameters of a low-carb, Med-style diet. I know some people prefer doing things differently, and they are very successful at it. And obviously, for diabetics, it’s especially important, as I’m well aware with my husband who’s Type 2. I do think it’s important that we all need to work out what suits us best as individuals, and how we can make it work for us, because if this is going to be a WOE for life, we need to make it fit into OUR life.

Good luck to everyone for the week ahead!

Morning Everyone,

Today is 2 weeks since starting the diet. I started at 13st 2lbs and am now 11st 5lbs (although, I have become obsessive with weighing myself and when I weigh myself at night, I’m back to 11st 7lbs – this has been the way all week).

I’m really pleased. It is also TOTM too and I have been really crabby. I’m not normally like this. I am on a short fuse and wonder if it’s to do with the diet. I’m no longer feeling hungry all the time. The other day, I made a pizza using a cauliflower rice base. It was lovely, but I couldn’t eat it all. I gave the rest to my son, who was watching my every bite as I ate it waiting for me to finish it.

I have stuck to the diet religiously, but last night in a fit of crabbiness, I hate about 15 cocktail sausages. I should have just gone to bed, but I was watching a film with my son.

Do you think the crankiness could be to do with the diet? Still feel like this way today, but hopefully it’s just a bad TOTM. Hoping it is.
I have a top that I love and it was getting really tight around the boobs. I wore it yesterday and it wasn’t tight anymore.

I have been painting and sorting the house out in general now that the builders have finished their work. I think I’m just miffed I can’t get motivated to really get stuck into the house and sort it. I did sell lots of things on Facebook marketplace and made £100, so not too bad, but why can’t I shake this mood from hell?

Hi New Day Rising, I’m afraid I have no answers/advice regarding your mood, but I just wanted to say, OMG! … What an amazing result you’ve had in just 2 weeks!! That’s nearly a stone a week! How brilliant are you?! Very well done! Hope that helps to lift your mood! 🙂

Sorry, that should have read 12 st 5lbs. I am wishful thinking. I was in such a rush typing. Thank you though, I have almost lost a stone in 2 wks and that is good enough for me x

I found this: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19995772/how-to-cut-carbs-0/
It seems that there may be a link to a drop in serotonin, which causes depression.

New Day Rising ~ Still, nearly a stone in 2 weeks is very good going! Great job! I was beginning to worry you had chopped off a leg!Lol

Britin, you made me laugh with your tale of wine over the wkd. I love your outlook on this new WOE. I’m 100% there with you. Tis has to be something doable on the long run and carbs certainly have a place in my life.
Now I may follow the lead of my MIL who do eat carbs but her portions are much more in check than mine. She’s so slim!
NewDayRising, 1 stone in 2 weeks is a massive result!! Well done.
I wouldn’t worry about weight fluctuation during the day, it’s completely fine. It’s not a reflection of you putting on fat but rather the fluid and food you ingest. I weight once daily, first thing after a wee when getting out of bed.
Also if you’re coming to TTOM you would probably be carrying extra water weight. I think your 3rd week will see a big discard 🙂
AFM I just completed a 23hrs fast. It worked really well last week, help me dropped 800gr. It’s easy enough that I just skip breakfast and lunch. I always skip breakfast so no change there. Might do a 2nd fast during the week.

Hi NewDayRising,
When you move from eating a carb high diet to a low carb diet you are changing the fuel source used by your body, including your brain. – It does take time for your body to adapt to this change.
I promise you, after a while you will find you feel so much more alive when you are in ketosis rather than when you eat carbs that its like the difference between a cloudy day and the sun coming out.

I am hoping it will pass soon enough. I’m sure everyone around me will do too. Haha.
I took my son’s PlayStation 4 to trade in at a games shop yesterday and they wouldn’t accept it as I didn’t have the charger. I was livid. Felt so sorry for the man behind the counter while this 5ft, 40 year old woman with a 9 year old and 2 year old in tow asked him to explain their policy. 😚
I then went shopping and as I’m attempting to put the trolley back, the wheels locked. A nice man came to help me, but I wasn’t having any of it. In the end he went ‘Look, let me put it back’ and grabbed it from me.
Then, my kids and dog are all sat more or less on top of me on the sofa and I just wanted a bit of space. Normally, I’d be like ‘Awww, how lucky am I?’ Not yesterday!

Yes, JGwen!!! It does represent true freedom to get rid of the carbs once and for all 🙂 I would describe it as a natural
high, and it’s absolutely free. Why do so many resist it? I can only surmise that it’s the addiction that is still “in charge”,
and the denial that goes along with it. We can only share the news one person at a time, but it’s up to them to receive
it! I hope that you’re having a cool day in Wales. Another hot and humid day in New England, so I’m hiding out in the A/C.
There are plenty of chores to catch up on, though! I talked myself silly yesterday on skype, so I could do with a quiet
day.

How are we newbies doing?
Im in the middle of my 4th week under fast 800 and doing well. Determination still as strong as day 1 despite discard having slown down a little. I won’t stop until my body fat percentage is at an acceptable level!

Hi Louise ~ I’m doing fine, since the weekend! I’m going away tomorrow though for 10 days, so I’m a bit concerned about how I’ll manage to keep on plan. It’s not a holiday as such … I’m off to help my son & daughter-in-law who are about to have a major house move/re-location. I have an early morning flight, but I will weigh-in when I get up in the morning … so that will be my 11th day on plan. I won’t have any access to scales whilst I’m away, but I’ll endeavour to stick to plan as best I can, and I’ll check-in with you all whenever I get chance, whilst I’m away!

Keep up the good work everyone!

You’ll do great Britin. You know the essentials of the plan, just stay of carbs, don’t worry too much about the 800 calories and you’ll pick up the calorie counting when you’re back home.
If you stay in ketosis by keeping your carbs around 20gr you will keep discarding even if you eat more than 800.
Plus I’m sure you’ll be a little extra active preparing the big move!

Louse ~ You said, ‘Plus I’m sure you’ll be a little extra active preparing the big move!’ … Yes, that, and chasing around my 10.5 month-old grandchild!Lol