Hi everyone. I’m new to the bsd. Previously, I’ve spent years doing SW on and off. I’ve been really successful whilst doing it but then hit the fan when I’ve stopped. I just can’t seem to get a balance. My only concern is that I have so much to lost that 8 weeks will not be long enough. Can I carry on for longer than 8 weeks? TIA xx
PS. Im not diabetic.

A warm welcome to you Sunshinegirl! We now have 2 of you with the same username 🙂 Regarding your question about
following the Fast800 for more than 8 weeks…ABSOLUTELY!!! I have the dubious distinction (VERY dubious!) of being the
“biggest loser” actively posting here. When you say you have a lot to lose, I know a thing or two about that :). I carried on
for 10 straight months, and discarded 10stone along the way. The BSD can really be life changing Sunshine. Shout out
if you have any questions or concerns, and one of us will be by your side. Congratulations to you for making such a
positive decision to change your life. Help is on the way! 🙂

Allie

Thanks Allie. That’s an amazing result you have achieved. You must be so proud of yourself. Only 1 question…. can you have no added sugar squash to flavour water or not? Thanks for your support superstar!
Michelle x

Hi Sunshinegirl ( this could get confusing …I will have to call you Sunnygirl !)

About the flavoured squash.I would say avoid any artificial sweetners. Maybe try adding a plant infusion to water if you don’t like the taste of plain water ? I sometimes add a sprig of mint, rosemary and lemon verbena to my water.Allie and Birdy have mentioned a ginger infusion too.
Research shows that artificial sweetners can spike your insulin in the same way that sugar does so it would be best to avoid any diet/no added sugar drinks. Aim for 3 litres of water.
I think it is important to crack the sugar cravings and that won’t happen while you are maintaining the ‘sweet’ tastes.The cravings do lessen with time . We have a different approach from SW..BSD is a low carb, moderate protein and healthy fats way of eating which we see as a life time change, not a diet as such.
Pop over to the weekly thread ‘ One Week at a time starting…..” You will find ongoing support there from lots of experienced BSDers ( Allie is our star ! 😉 )
All the very best to you

Sunshine, does “no added sugar” squash have any artificial sweeteners in it? (I’m American, so not familiar with this
product). It’s best to avoid artificial sweeteners, because they provoke a spike in your insulin response just like sugar!
It seems that our bodies can’t distinguish a difference between sugar and sweeteners, so although there isn’t the calories,
the outcome is the same. Thank you for your very kind words, Michelle. I’m not unduly proud of my weight loss, but I
am proud that I have been able to maintain it for 27 months. That’s the true accomplishment for me…No more yo-yoing,
in my future 🙂

Michelle, Wendy and I have been cross posting again! As you can see, we’re 2 people with the same voice 🙂 Wendy is
too modest to mention it, but she has had outstanding results, too. We’d love to welcome you to the “One Week at a
Time” thread, and there is also a monthly one, entitled “Judicious July” Both of these threads are very active, and the
more experienced BSDers can be found there. They both are warm and lively and what makes them so effective is that
there is a wonderful mix of members, from newbies to maintainers, and everything in between. Looking forward to
getting to know you, and celebrating your progress! 🙂

Thanks guys. Lemon and mint in my water from now on! I’ll pop over to the other thread and have a look. 😊

Hi Sunshinegirl, we have a longstanding member of the forum who is Sunshine-girl hence the comments on the similarities of your name.
One thing that I enjoy about this forum is that while the BSD was the start point for us, we have the freedom on this forum to share information on the science and current research into diet and healthy body composition. – So we not only understand why the BSD is different to the S-W in how it works, but also how to head into maintenance with success once we get to our targets.
In short, this Way of Eating becomes a WoE for life, not a short term change in the number of calories with the aim of going back to old habits afterwards.

The main difference is in controlling insulin levels, if you keep those low enough your body can access your fat stores, once you learn that secret you can continue long term working towards your targets.

I have been on this path now since October 2017, and have discarded 7 stone – (We don’t loose weight here, because something you have lost is something you don’t mind finding. We don’t what that weight back again, its not like S-W where the business model depends on people rejoining.. 🙂 But, the reading on the scales isn’t the best method of monitoring progress. I would recommend taking a whole range of photographs and measurements, because sometimes there is an inch loss but no scale loss.

It is more accurate to say that the key to success is not in maintaining blood sugar levels, but in maintaining a low level of Insulin. – High levels of insulin do not just keep you fat but also prevent other hormone systems from working as they are designed, that includes the hormones which control bone density and muscle strength. Our bodies are designed to release insulin as soon as they taste anything sweet, so anything with artificial sweeteners raises insulin levels to some extent. – But the good news is that healthy fats are a good addition, for example one of my delights is that now coffee with double cream is on the menu.

As others have said, you will get a friendly welcome from the weekly or monthly threads, and do shout out if you have any questions.

I all, just to say I put the hyphen in my name because I am on another site who also had a sunshinegirl and I had to change it slightly as it wouldn’t allow us both to use the same name. You can all just call me S-G.

Sorry about the name; ive tried to change it but i cant 😐

I’m sure we can share and be two rays of sunshine

I’m all for that, SG! No worries, Michelle..there is absolutely no way you could have known 🙂 “sunshine-girl” is SG to all of
us already, and you are “Sunshine” or Michelle. Easy!