Hello all
I am about to embark on the BSD and desperately need this to work for me. Will it really work for everyone?

I have struggled with my weight all my life, reaching 130lb through calorie restriction when I got married 6 years ago but yo-yoing to 170lb at different points, a lot on my 5ft1 frame. It’s ridiculous but when I am happy with my weight and feel good in my clothes I just feel so much better in myself. But I haven’t felt that in so long.

I had my daughter 4 months ago and have lost 20lb of my pregnancy weight but am stuck at 161lb despite calorie restriction to 1200-1300 per day. I’m worried my hormones are messed up at the minute and causing my body to hang on to this weight. I’m sleep deprived, I’m stressed, and being miserable in my body is just not what I need on top.

I’m so worried I am going to slip into post-natal depression and really need something to work so I can feel like me again. I’m scared to go to 800cals as it feels so low… but the reviews and stories I’ve read suggest it’s do-able. I’m hoping it’s the jolt my body needs to create some movement.

I will start today and hope this is the answer for me

~ dochas

Welcome dochas, many of us here will empathise with that feeling you describe, of not being happy in your own skin and how detrimental that is to emotional and mental wellbeing.

You don’t say if you are breast feeding, which does eat up more calories. If you feel 800vcalories is not doable for you right now, concentrate on the carbs. Not all calories are equal and it is those accompanied by high carbs that we need to avoid.

It is surprising where those carbs hide out, but as a starting point rid your menu of obviously high carb foods – potato, rice, pasta, cereal based foods and anything sugary. Try to avoid all processed foods and get into the habit of read nutritional panels, so that you can easily put aside anything with a high carb content.

Please feel free to join in on any thread, but the two most useful to beginners (and old hands too), are the weekly and monthly ones. Because there is a good mix of people on these, at various stages on their BSD journey, there is plenty of good advice, experience based knowledge and heaps of support and encouragement.
All best wishes to you ….

Hi SunnyB
Thanks so much for your reply. Nice to hear others are in the same situation and great tip on the carbs – I’m shocked at how high some foods are! Wish I’d been surveying carbs sooner than this!
Will join in on some of the threads you mention.
Thank you
~ dochas

The community here is very welcoming and supportive and I have found it invaluable in helping me get to where I want to be.

Will look forward to seeing you out and about on the forum and reading about your progress.

One last tip is to be sure to include good fats in your menu, don’t go for low or fat free options and remember to hydrate, hydrate and hydrate 😊

Hi docas … just wondering how you are doing? Hope things are okay with you, that you are staying well and have made a good start with the BSD.
Best wishes