Nicola (Nicki ?!?) – Can’t put it any better than the beautifully eloquent Allie so I’ll just add my congratulations – what a brilliant result.
Madmare – glad that you are joining this challenge too – one step at a time is the way I’ve taken it also. Hope things go well with the new target. xx
Jackie – I can still only work in old money – 8 stone 13lbs – wow – woohoo!!! Tea with sugar in your bottle – I remember that, too – and given with love no doubt. How things change.

Hello everyone,
I’m not new to the BSD but have just sort of dabbled before.This time I’m in the right mindset and have been lurking for the last week or so,learning and gaining inspiration and ideas from various posts.I’m 57 and have just over 3 stone to lose and don’t seem to be the kind of person who loses a lot of weight in a few days so I’m in for the long haul.I’m following the plan quite strictly but do find it a pain to weigh and measure everything!I’m having about 20-25g of carbs each day and between 800-900 calories,drinking 2-3 litres of water and herbal tea a day,also the occasional bovril.My daily steps are between 17,000-20,000 a day,I’m doing bodypump 3 times a week,also Callanetics to tone up.I also do hillwalking and will start cycling soon when the weather improves a bit.Despite changing my way of eating drastically and doing lots of exercise the results aren’t very forthcoming.I feel full of energy,although my hubby and sons can’t understand how I exist on 800 calories!I reckon it’s going to take me until the end of the year to reach my goal weight.How do I keep going ?

Allie you’re so sweet, thank you 😊

Mokovex, congratulations! Many of us have experienced the same thing……feels like it can’t be true after so many attempts in the past have failed. Enjoy the new you.

Hi Wendy,
Congrats on getting back on it! Sounds like you’re diet and exercise are spot on. Could it be that you are losing fat but gaining muscle with all of the exercise? Have you measured yourself as well, to see if your shape is changing even if your weight isn’t? On 800calories a day a low carb, you will lose weight, but it can be slow! I had 2 weeks of no weight loss but now I’m losing about a pound a day again.
Hope you see some results soon x

Super quick flyby. I weighed myself this morning. It wasn’t good news. I felt sorry for myself and have made very bad food decisions all day. I am dumb.

Tomorrow I will weigh myself and post the new high 🙁 and my targets for the challenge. I’m hoping that will help keep me on track. I think the lack of daily weighing (combined with inability to track) has just sent everything ‘weigh’ward.

Nicola12,thanks for the encouragement.I’m feeling thinner,hubby says i look thinner but haven’t measured myself yet.That’s brilliant,losing a pound a day,hope that’ll be me soon.

Also keen !
my goal is to get to 55kg, currently hovering at 59. My main issue is that binge with the attitude that i can just start again in the morning and one day won’t make a difference, but days turn into weeks and months. So, i’m going to stay accountable this time (for the 1000th time) and regularly post my (hopeful) progress !
Good luck everyone 🙂

Hi everyone
I wanted to do the BSD in conjunction with MFP but that says I need 1200 calories per day for my weight and I wanted to do the 800 BSD. I have quite a bit to lose and lost 1 stone before on this WOE but have put it all back on so that’s why I thought use MFP for extra support. Sorry I’m moaning! Please may I join this thread a bit late? I keep missing the start of these monthly challenges. This month I must actually drink the water and not just think about doingso. Good luck to all, I think you’re amazing,

All you have to do to avoid the MFP daily calorie message is simply avoid clicking the complete button. Completing the day doesn’t confer any particular advantage so there’s little point anyway. Put in the calorie limit you want, adjust your macros how you want starting with your daily carb count (50 g is popular, mine is set to 20 g because I’m insulin resistant), then your protein (.5-1 g per kilo of ideal weight). The fat will be whatever is leftover.

Hi everyone, I’ll join this thread a bit late if I may. I’ve had a bit of a hiatus due to a bit of a health issue. I stopped getting restful sleep, experienced super low energy throughout the day and started compulsively consuming carbs and chocolate (not just the dark kind either). I thought this was mental weakness and lack of willpower until my hair suddenly started falling out in great clumps. This has happened to me before so the penny finally dropped. Got my iron and B12 levels tested, and I’m really low, so I’m now on a regime to get them back up again as quickly as possible, but it’s going to take some time. I’m not sure why I start craving carbs when my levels go low but it may be the lack of sleep (I get restless leg syndrome when my iron levels get too low and that stops me from getting enough deep sleep even if I spend enough hours in bed), or the fact that I’m desperately trying to get quick energy into my system so I can make it through my day. I was so focused on getting the weight off that I forgot to keep tabs on how much iron I was consuming. Anyway, I’m back on supplements now and everything I’m eating is high in iron, vitamin C and fibre or gut healthy foods to help with the transit issues that are always responsible for me stopping taking the supplements. I was scared to step on the scales to find out what the damage from this episode has been, but I bucked up the courage this morning and it is a gain of 3.4kg. Not good, but it could have been worse, I suppose.
I’m not going to be restricting calories or total carbs much at all during this challenge as I need to ensure that I am including a variety of high iron foods in my diet along with the supplements and that is going to include some higher carb things like lentils, chickpeas and beans, and higher calorie things like nuts and seeds, nut butters and dark chocolate (I just recently found a variety of 100% chocolate that has 30% of my iron requirement in a portion but that portion contains a lot of calories). My doctor wants me to eat iron-fortified foods like bread, pasta and cereal. I’m holding off on the pasta and cereal at the moment, but I am eating the odd slice of a very high fibre bread made with iron-fortified 100% whole wheat flour, chia, flax and sunflower seeds. I may be able to cut back on it as my levels come up again. I’m not expecting to lose much weight in the 4 weeks as a result of all this, but I’m really keen to get back on track as much as possible. I have to say that I really missed eating all the good food. Even as I felt driven to eat all the horrible white, stodgy foods, I really didn’t like it. I ate sauerkraut yesterday for the first time in weeks, and it was sooo good! I’m looking forward to broccoli and lentils tomorrow.
Goals for this challenge will be to stick to cut out the refined carbs and stick to BSD as closely as possible within the other parameters that I have to meet, drink 2-3 litres of water each day, get lots of sleep (I’m off work for 10 days at the moment so that will help) and to start back with 2 days per week of gentle exercise once I’m feeling more rested.
Good luck to everyone on this challenge. I look forward to catching up with all the posts and I hope that everyone who wants to lose weight on this challenge will lose more than I’m going to!

Having hit target I thought it would be okay to tiptoe back into the world of carbs whilst I was working away. I had one freshly baked breadroll and chips with dinner and then in the morning I had one hash brown with my cooked breakfast and one slice of wholemeal toast with marmalade afterwards and I have put on 3lbs. I am very cross.

Morning all

To goal 2lb, kebab and chips I had last night won’t have helped much.
Luvtcook- thanks😉

Linda- really pleased for you that your blood sugar was good. Keep focusing on the health markers and your weight will get there.rr
Jackie- tea and sugar in a bottle Wowzers! I am sure in the future people will look back at how we feed our kids now and comment on the carb load. You have done so very brilliantly and it’s a real adventure to see where your body will take you when you care for it.
Wendyq- you totally sound like you are all over this, echo the suggestion to watch the measurements rather than the scales as your body adjusts.
Jackieppp& Jen Jen – hello 👋 looking forward to seeing your progress
Arctic fox- wishing you well as you stabilise,
Marcassin- sure you can drop that pesky 3lb in no time

X

Hi Articfox,
Sorry to hear that you haven’t been well. Your post was very timely for me. I have been starting to run out of energy by the middle of the afternoon, and I was just thinking to myself this morning that maybe after 5 months of BSD reserves of trace elements may be running low.
I wasn’t worried by it because I have increased the amount of physical work I am taking on each and every day – so for me the point where I started to run out of steam was after 8 hours of physical work, when I move on to paperwork and planning for the rest of the day. A great improvement on how I was coping with work/life when on a high carb diet. I have plenty of fat left to fuel myself but I haven’t been taking vitamin or mineral supplements, which I guess I should have been.

Hi everyone, I will join you if I may. I’ve been following bsd for 3 weeks now, nut I am away this week on a break with my oh before returning to work after 3 months off sick. I have a lot of weight to lose and am looking at it 14 lbs at a time. Not sure what my current weight is as I don’t have scales here but will weigh myself when I get home. My goals for this month are to lose 10lbs, to manage my return to work and to increase my activity and exercise levels.

We’re on the 2nd page of posts already – so much for me coming up with this better this challenge. I’m sorry for not commenting on the above posts but I don’t know where to start at this point – I am blown away by those who have reached targets and hearing inspiration stories like Allie’s of incredible loss and maintenance. It continues to be my inspiration.

Ok so I’m here, late to the party and determined to do well this challenge having started 1lb higher than the last one (up to March 20). This is not a surprise – I have not tracked due to lack of access to a kitchen, I have not resisted carbs on many occasions (due to lack of funds and it being cheaper when you can’t cook for yourself) and I have on occasion, binged on definite no-nos (no excuse for this other than feeling low). In fact the only good thing I did this month was walk a fair bit.

I need to be realistic and realistically there’s a chance that my cheating over the last few days isn’t showing on the scales so my weight may go up rather than down initially. So I’m going to set myself a lower challenge this month – by the end of the month I would like to be 205lbs. Which is just under 8lbs and 2bs a week. I need to keep my fluids up. I need to resist temptation.

I am home for the next week and no excuse not to be on diet. If I break diet over the next 7 days I will be very angry with myself. Then I’m away at Easter. I can try to eat BSD food then with some portion control but won’t be able to track. After that I don’t know what happens. Almost certainly another week at home being good and then possibly a week working away where it will be harder but hopefully will have access to a kitchen.

It’s nearly 11am and I haven’t eaten anything yet. Partly because I planned to have a poached egg on spinach and there are no eggs. I’ll go out in a bit and get some. And not buy an Easter egg. That’s today’s biggest challenge.

Back from shops – didn’t buy anything naughty. Actually bought a lot of fish – so there’s salmon for tonight, herring roe and or squid for tomorrow’s breakfast, red fish for dinner tomorrow night. Good job I love fish.

Shanshu, sorry to hear things aren’t going well for you, you’re not dumb, just human like the rest of us! Great that you’re getting straight back on it. I bought about 7 Easter eggs yesterday (for family) and am keeping them locked in my car boot to avoid temptation!

Jenjen, on all the other diets I’ve tried, I’ve had the same mindset, that I can just binge today and get back on it tomorrow, one meal/cake/dessert etc won’t make a difference. What makes this diet different for me is that I use ketostix so I know when I’m in ketosis. I had one day of eating some ‘naughty’ food, and the next day I knew I’d been kicked out of ketosis. It take a me a few days to a week to get back in, and in that time I’ve got low energy, headaches, cravings etc. So for me, having a meal off plan will sabotage me for the next week, which just isn’t worth it. This has really helped me to stay on this WOE .

Late perhaps but I shall join in if I may. My diabetes nurse whispered Michael Mosley as I was leaving three months ago – I was looking perplexed at the time – and I have another appointment with her on Tuesday. My BMI was 30, it’s now 25 so I’m hoping my blood sugar average will show a significant drop.

I’m also meeting friends for a weekend away at the end of the month, so I stand no chance of sticking to the 20-30g carbohydrate range I’ve been using. If anyone has advice on how to handle the inevitable curry evening I’d be interested to hear it.

Nicola12 – thank you. I’ve told everyone not to be my eggs and am only getting them for the nieces and nephews (and asked my parents to pick those up for me so I wouldn’t be tempted). I need to get some more ketostix as I think mine have been opened too long (they’re nearly a year old) and they weren’t showing me in ketosis when my weight change and other factors indicated that I was.

spot – Ah curries. I think you can do this low carb by a) avoiding poppadoms/naan and rice as an absolute no no. It’s hard to know if they are adding sugar into their pasanda or kormas – otherwise technically these should be friendly. Otherwise go to something without sauce – maybe something cooked in a tandoori or maybe try a lamb shashlik which is also without sauce?
Also if you order a side of saag paneer – that should be spinach and cheese and is delicious. They may add something sweet to it though although I don’t when I make it.
I think it’s hard to keep in calories but you should be able to find something that is low in carbs.
How to avoid temptation of the stuff that you like with carbs though I don’t know. I gave in last time I was at a curry house and had poppadums but without the mango chutney. I think technically they are less carby than naans but I don’t know that for sure so don’t quote me on that. Good luck! (Also avoid eating too many onions)

Nicki, I like the way you think, it has “winner” all over it! 🙂 Using keto sticks is using the tools at hand, so I applaud
you for that. There are a great number of “all or nothing” personality types on these forums, and your reasoning
will see you across the finish line. I sometimes make reference to the fact that when we recognize this in ourselves
(that would be me), it can be used to our advantage, and be seen as empowering, also! In the end, it’s really about being
willing to do whatever it takes, and not being a victim of our worst impulses. Keep it going, Girl! Esnecca is one
of the true role models here, and she always says “Not one step backward!”

Allie

Hi
Thanks Esnecca for advice on MFP. I have now changed calories to 800 so that’s a good starting point to match the BSD. I’m loving everyone’s threads. Sorry I don’ t have advice to give yet but hoping to do so in the future.
(Drat…….eating cornflakes at the moment in the middle of the night. Going to forgive myself and make a proper start again in the morning).

Morning all,

Today -0.2lb
To goal 1.8lb

Spot- so good to hear increasing number of stories of health professionals sending people the BSD way, let us know how Tuesday goes.

Alex49- welcome and I hope this forum helps you in achieving your goals and as you transition back to work and the potential challenges that will bring.

Spot, I was pleased to hear that it was actually a health professional that pushed you this way instead of you having to persist in the face of disapproval like some people. How good that you took her advice and it has worked, hopefully it will encourage her to keep spreading the word.
Please update us on your blood results when you have them.

Aww thanks Allie! Your post has (unintentionally) made me feel like a fraud! I had always planned to do 7 weeks of the BSD before having a break for Easter weekend which is also my anniversary which we’re going away for. And after the weekend getting back on it for another 8 weeks before we relocate to Scotland. By that time I’ll hopefully be at/near my goal weight and the lifestyle change which is part of our motivation to move up there will help with maintenance. It’s always been my thinking that I’d do 2 separate chunks of the BSD, and then find what works for me in terms of maintaining. Breaking it into chunks has helped me stay on track as it’s been time limited, but at the same time I know I’m not looking at it in quite the right way, and subsequently feeling like I’m cheating 🙁

Thank you for the welcome Marcassin and Mokovex, and the advice Shanshu – I’ll update on my progress mid-week and we’ll see how the curry weekend goes after that.

Nicola12, I’m also facing this issue of finding a maintenance diet. My initial idea is to keep on with a food diary, have an average daily calorie and carbohydrate target and see where it takes me. The second 8-week half of my BSD starts in April and I’ve bought a Libre Sensor to get two weeks continuous blood glucose monitoring (for £50 I don’t think it will be a permanent arrangement!) before then. It gives a two week window to finally find out how much effect each of the main carbohydrate sources have on spiking my blood glucose, something I have no way of telling yet. Each day at a fixed time I’ll eat a small weighed portion of either bread, rice, pasta, biscuit etc, and discover what I can go back to eventually and what I can’t. Then I’ll go back into ketosis until my BMI reaches my target, but I’ll know what my system can cope with once I get there. I’m hoping staying on an upper limit of 20% carbohydrate by weight will work for maintenance, that’s the same proportion my BSD has used on the restricted 800 calories a day.

That’s really interesting, I too am currently experimenting with maintenance and trying to work out if it is safe to introduce more carbs into my diet.
After 24 hours eating carbs normally on Wednesday and gaining 3 lbs and feeling hungry all the next day, I’d say the answer was no. It’s possible that the three pounds was mainly fluid as the carbs were retained as glycogen and that if I carried on eating moderately I would just have stabilised at that new weight but I didn’t want to risk the alternative which is that I’d go on putting on 2 to 3 pounds on a week.
So I fasted on Friday and I’m back at square one, still unsure of how to go forward. I know I’m not going to cut everything out forever but like some people drink alcohol only at weekends I am going to indulge only at weekends and accept if I do I will feel hungry and lethargic the next day like a hangover.

Hi to everyone who’s joined this challenge since I last posted. Hope everything goes well for each of you and I’ll look forward to catching up with you as the challenge goes on.
I’ve also decided that at the end of this challenge I’m going to start increasing my cals (though not my carbs). I’m already in my healthy BMI category and so even if I have more to lose (dependent on key health markers but which is likely) I’m happy to do that more slowly. So, I’ll be very interested to hear how everyone goes with maintenance plans.
spot – I’ve toyed with the idea of trying a Libre Sensor. I’ve decided to keep using finger pricking for the next six months (mostly for financial reasons) then look again in September. Again, I’ll be really interested to hear how you get on and how useful you find the info that you get.
I tend not to eat out at Indian restaurants these days but when I have an Indian takeaway I do as Shanshu suggests. I’ll have chicken tikka (dry meat) which comes with salad, or a dry Tandoori dish. I found the raita-type sauce that came with it (which I love) did raise my bgls so now make my own yoghurt-based version (Verano’s suggestion). I steer away from the breads etc altogether and watch my portion size – and it’s grand.

For info, weighed myself this morning. Not a lb shifted so far even though I’ve been absolutely strict since Tuesday. I guess I’m just going to have to be patient. (It’s bright and sunny here – isn’t it amazing how sunshine can help you deal with all these things more lightly!).

Hi Everyone.Im back after completely straying from plan for about 2 months Carb addiction has been completely uncontrolable.It started when I was stressed and worrying about a few things and got out of control very quickly.from a low of 80.3 kg in november Im now 83.2kg.So its time to get back on track. IM starting with high protien at every meal.I will be over on calories but I won’t be hungry.Also weigh daily and monitor BGL each day.hopefully I can loose 1kg /week.

Thank you for mentioning the Libre Sensor. I would also be interested in hearing how it goes as it sounds like a useful tool when going into maintenance.

Welcome back Buttelover and good luck for this challenge 🙂
I’m in a similar position to you, and similar weight difference (although I’m another 10kg more), i was going well up until November when I got down to my lowest weight since starting BSD – 91.2kg. Since then My weight has gone up and down (mostly up!). Last week I had got down to 92.5, but I’ve just spent 5 days away with my family and ate carb foods, mainly because there were limited cooking facilities where we were staying. This morning I was up to 94.5kg again, but hoping that some of this is water weight, as I’ve had temporary gains like this before after eating carbs. On the plus side I did do loads of walking, about 20,000 steps per day.

Quick question about carb flu – does it actually give you a sore throat so it’s hard to swallow and a streaming and/or blocked nose? Cos I suspect I might just be poorly instead.

Shanshu, I’m my experience carb flu hit very early on, in the first 2 weeks anyway and for me was joint and muscle aches and pains, and headache. I think you may be poorly 🙁 take care and I hope you feel better soon x

Stress really is a b**stard, not only are you feeling emotionally anxious and miserable but it affects your sleep so then you feel tired and hungry and also you have raised cortisol in your blood sending messages to the brain to stock up on food to prepare for fight or flight.
If you understand the mechanics of why stress makes things so difficult it is a little easier but it’s still tough.
Sympathy and support to everyone struggling with stressful situations.

I have just read the Why we get fat book by Gary Taubes.
He mentions that with all the people he has worked with who went on a low carb diet for 12 months there was a point during that time where their tastes changed and they lost their sweet tooth. Apparently all of them could identify the 1 or 2 week period where this happened.
This raised three questions for me which I wonder if the maintainers could answer. Is this loss of a sweet tooth also a loss of carb craving, – so is it just sugar you stop craving or is it carbs as well?

He doesn’t mention when the change occurred within the 12 months, which suggests that it will vary for each individual. —— Have maintainers who have successfully kept the weight off also gone through this and have those who reached their target weight without reaching this stage been the people who have struggled in maintenance?

Hi JGwen, great questions! I have been maintaining for over a year having lost weight following BSD. I’m not familiar with Gary Taubes writing so can’t comment specifically but I can share my experience. As you say, I expect everybody’s journey is as unique as they are.

I am not diabetic, but I am in the highest risk category possible, which is why I chose BSD.

I am aware that, like most dieting styles, low carb seems to have its faddy or extreme side. I know low fat dieters who avoid fat like the plague, the same seems to be true for some low carb devotees avoiding carbohydrates. In my humble opinion BSD is more like a reduced carb diet, focusing on very small portions of good carbs found in veg, pulses, legumes and whole grains.

I used to crave (and at times in the past, binge eat) carbs, particularly grains (bread etc). Once I’d got through the few days of adjustment after starting BSD I found that I had lost my carb cravings and sweet tooth completely. The only sugar or sweet things I eat now are those naturally occurring in veg and occasionally fruit, and a square of 85% cocoa chocolate per day. It might be worth a mention that I don’t use artificial sweeteners or other sugar substitutes, so that may help curb the sweet cravings. I no longer crave either carbs/starches or sugar/sweeteners.

800 calories isn’t a lot of food, there’s bound to be a season of ‘finding your feet’ when you’re finally off the hook! I have had to be careful not to become a carb-o-phobe, but I follow the Mediterranean principles where possible and so get most of my carbs from lentils, beans etc which seem less “addictive” and I find I need very little to feel satisfied and soon feel bloated if I ever overdo it.

I hope this helps, no doubt other BSDers will share their experiences too, it’ll be interesting to glean the info and learn from each other.
Take care.

Hi everyone, challenge day today, down a little from last week so still 500g above my target. In fact looking back over the past three months I seen to have cracked maintenance, just a pound or two above where I hoped. Yesterday I walked 15000 steps helped by a game of tennis and helping out for half a day in the Birth Unit when workmen were in my office. It would be much easier if I went back to clinical work, midwives don’t stop for a minute! I would too (I love it) but I’m too old and achy for the shift work now.

Interesting about tastes changing. My sweet tooth has all but disappeared for day to day but I can still thoroughly enjoy a luscious dessert occasionally, I just don’t want it all the time. In fact I’ve had a fancy for a creamy angel cup cake since Christmas, I haven’t seen exactly what I have in mind though and I’d rather not have anything than have something that’s not just what I want. In the old days I would have eaten anything sweet if I couldn’t get what I craved. I haven’t developed the antipathy for carbs that some report.
Best wishes for a good result to you all and a good head space going forward.

Hi All.I just read back to the start of this challenge. Well done to all the achievers.im so impressed as for me its difficult to be consistent .I failed to plan my meals yesterday and ate very little in the morning then over ate in the afternoon and had chocolate before bed.my son stacked the fridge with goodies.It a weak excuse So im mindful of advice from someone on these forums who said ‘we are responsible for what goes in our mouth and we can control it with focus and determination’.or something like that .so today determination is my theme. Wt 82.4kg.have great day.

Hi to everyone. I have only just seen this thread as have been on another one. Lovely to see lots of familiar names and hoping you won’t mind one extra.
I’ve lost my way since Christmas. Got down to 9.12 from 12 stone and then Father Christmas brought me new scales. I weighed 10.5 and a half on them! I was mortified. It also meant I must have been 12 and a half when I started. Since then I have fluctuated between 10.5 and 10.2 and this morning I am 10.4 and a quarter! I want to get down to 9.12 (again!) Really, this time . My waist is 31.5 inches down from 40 inches so that’s a big plus too!
I am going away on 17th April for a few days. Trying home helps to look after my 95 year old mum who lives with us. So it’s a trial run. Only going in motorhome 20 miles away but it’s the first time we’re trying the help. This short break is needed now as I have polymyialgia rheumatica so mum is getting harder for me to manage. I’ve also had breast cancer recently so that was another factor.
Sorry if that’s all TMI thought I needed to set my stall outso to speak!

Good luck and much love to everyone x
Tillybud

Hi Tillybud
It’s lovely to see you on here. I know how frustrating and disheartening it is when you’re bouncing up and down around the same numbers and you’ve had/got such a lot going on so staying focused on BSD must be doubly hard. But you’ve lost a great chunk of weight already and that drop in inches off your waist is fantastic. It’s a great idea to focus on the next three weeks to the 17th April.
You can do it, Tillybud. You’ve done it before and you can do it again!

Hello marie123. This is where everyone’s hiding! Thanks for your words if encouragement
I feel more positive now. Especially as the dates tie up. Something to aim for. Family here over Easter do that will be tough. I made bread the other day and a coconut and lemon cake. I’ve had crisps, nuts and wine too so I know it’s self sabotage. This short challenge though should be doable but at the end of the day it’s up to me! Or should I say down to me 😬

So my frustration is I’ve really gone back to basics this week – weighed everything, no snacking, picked up my steps – 10k most days – and what have I lost – not a sausage! O lbs, nil point. I know the lbs will come off – just not today, grrr!!!

Mariet – that’s great news in terms of the last 3 months maintenance. I find it really helpful to read your posts so please do keep posting how you’re going.

Butterlover – determination is a great theme – I’m going to borrow it for the next week too, if I may.

Hope everyone else has a great weigh-in day. Off to Pilates now so will catch up with everyone else’s results later.
Marie x

Tillybud – you go girl!

Weigh in day again! -2lbs down this week I seem to be on a bit of a roll at the moment and this one takes me into to infamous 7lbs that I struggled losing and putting on over and over agin last year so hopefully I can cram it and get rid of it over this challenge.

On the discussion of craving carbs I am no where near maintenance but I can say on my journey it’s down to mindset, last year I “occasionally”let slip in some carbs (above 50g) at the weekends but this time 5 weeks into 8 weeks and 16lbs down I haven’t gone above 20g and that’s with having lots of white carbs around and cooking for the family but my mindset is different this time around and I have no desire for anything carby but that could all change in an instance I guess but I also am very aware not to buy or have all my weaknesses in the house – sugar
/carbs are so addictive and I guess for me this time around it’s best not to have those foods in the house to avoid temptation and if I do over indulge it’s with bsd friendly foods. All the sugary/carb treats are very restricted in our house at the moment and although the family moan about seeing another broccoli 🥦 they all get it and enjoy the results and health benefits we are gaining so it is now a pure choice if we take on sugar/carbs as I now don’t make it easy or available in the house. So don’t know if we have stopped craving it but definitely in the mindset to not choose them.
Keeping on keeping on…………

Welcome Tillybud and all recent newcomers – I hope you find this thread as inspiring and motivating as I have. It’s certainly kept me from going too wayward in recent weeks.
Good luck to everyone weighing in today – I hope your weeks have gone well.

So I joined on the Friday so only been back on diet for 4 days but there is a decrease. I am a little sceptical as I was eating very badly on a few of the days before Friday so it could still go back up – we’ll see. Either way I largely seem to be back in the zone – keeping to 800-900cals on BSD food. Not been so good on the walking since Sunday as have a heavy cold. In fact, I haven’t really left my bed since Sunday as it’s too much effort. At least that stops me going downstairs all the time to snack.

Challenge starting weight: 212.8lb
End of week 1: 209.4lb (-3.4lb)
End of challenge goal: 205lb (4.4lb from target)

I’m hoping that Easter doesn’t derail me too much and I surpass that goal by 20th April which is a week before my birthday. It would be amazing if on my birthday I could be celebrating with an all-time BSD low which is 9.4lbs away. It’s something to aim for.

After the weeks of stalling I had hoped for a big whoosh this week, but its just a mini version. – Down just 0.9kg this week.

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I’ll measure and report tomorrow but today will be a test of mammoth control. Its my birthday and my colleague has (kindly) brought in a lovely looking cake and surrounded it with little sweets. I’m not amazingly sweet toothed, I prefer crisps, but when it’s sitting there and you’re hungry and expected to eat your own cake……….

I know how you feel Marie123. I was expecting a bigger loss today. Had a good reason for loss to have increased in comparison to yesterday and instead was up 0.1 kg on the scales from yesterday. :-} So having to look for positives today, but am finding them. Am preparing the bedrooms in holiday let today ready for the next group of guests and its so much easier to get behind the beds to wash down walls and vacuum against pre BSD days.

Half a pound up so not too bad had a week of leaving does and funerals. The food is really not BSD friendly tried my best but succumbed to some lovely quiches.
Back on track now.
I read yesterday a really interesting article of what happens to body fat as you lose weight, its converted to carbon dioxide and water. It was a eureka moment! I finally realised why you need to drink water!
I have always started off with the best intentions but forget or get side tracked but have already drunk a litre. It helps with the steps as I have to keep nipping to the loo!

Madmare – yes, I almost said in my post earlier that I think my 0 lb loss this week is because I haven’t drunk enough water – yet again. It sounds like you’ve done well given the week you’ve had.
M2M – wow – what a situation – no idea what I’d do – but HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Oh2bthin – you’re definitely on a roll – and it’s great to hear about your mindset being different this time.
Hummingbird – 7lb – half a stone – woohoo!
Shanshu – It’s brilliant to hear you’re back in the zone – take care of yourself and I hope you feel better soon.
JGwen – you must be in one fantastic frame of mind to turn washing down the walls and hoovering behind the beds into a positive. Respect!
(Btw, It was reading your recent posts about how the whole fat cell/water/woosh thing happens that finally helped the importance of drinking water click with me – thanks).