Hello everyone, Please may I join you all?
I too have decided enough of the fat, time to shift it. I do minimal cooking, downright lazy as hate washing up, and loathe salad. I don’t do breakfast, but have read that a later one is fine so that’s O.K. Starting today as have been shopping, full of enthusiasm. Found some feta cheese, and Greek yoghurt ( not a yoghurt fan, but need to eat something!) Dear me, I do sound frightfully picky. I can never think of what to eat, apart from chicken breast and spinach. Haven’t dared weigh myself or do blood sugars – tomorrow. I do exercise, walk the doggies, potter in the garden and ride, doesn’t seem to make much difference to the fat though. Having had a go on a mini trampoline, such fun, have ordered one for me to bounce about on. Be grateful for your support and ideas of eating without to many ingredients as can never find things like chickpea flour? Thought I’d throw in a couple of fast days just to boost things along, good or bad idea? Thank you.

Good on you for starting Winifred. When you say fasting days, do you mean the 800 cal per day and then also fasting? If so I wouldn’t recommend that. 800 cal per day is already low so I wouldn’t suggest going lower!

Hating salad must limit you a bit, but I’m sure we can help! Do you like fish? Steamed fish, is just as easy to cook as chicken. Also, smoked fish can be eaten straight out of the fridge. Eggs are great. Boiled, poached, scrambled. Accompany with mushrooms, or tomatoes, broccoli. Hummus is a staple in my house and I have it with everything.

If you want a substitute for rice, then grated cauliflower, or if you can’t be bothered with that I’ve bough quinoa and buckwheat which does the trick and cooks in the same way.

I’ve also been making curries with a paste and using either pulses or chicken. I’ve normally accompanied this with poppadoms (make sure they are chickpea ones and not flour ones though!).

Hi Winifred.

I have been on this journey a few weeks now and I offer a few suggestions.

If you can’t be bothered faffing around with prep’ing meals etc, like me, I went to the major supermarkets who have boxes of salads already done, you just peel back the sellophane and eat it.
They have a variety of salads, so if you don’t like lettuce, they have alternatives.
I go to the deli counter in the same supermarkets and get a packet of sliced …. Chicken, ham, pork, beef etc.
And throw a few slices onto the salad.

I get the frozen mixed veggies, and throw that in the oven, sometimes I open the oven half way and drizzle something like olive oil and add seasoning etc, or herbs.

I get a chicken breast, cut it open, throw a bit of cheese in, close it and stick a bit of bacon around it. Throw it into the same oven as the veggies.

I have egg, bacon, mushrooms and toms as a fantastic main meal, like a full English breakfast.

There is hardly any effort in all the above and all of them are tasty and healthy.

Re the hating of the washing up, cook in baco foil then bin it, salads you can eat straight from the box and bin it,
Use paper plates and bin them. But this isn’t good for the environment. Can’t you get a dog and have him lick the plates?
Yes, I heard you all go eeehhh!!!!
There are ways of getting around all your choices.

There is one thing though that you are missing…..
My hat is off to you……
I applaud you….

You have taken the biggest step … In deciding to go for it. Great.

Keep blogging, keep asking, keep sharing, keep laughing, keep losing.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Thank you Timmy and Lucia for your support and thoughts. Salad.. hmm… I was talking to a nutritionist a while back and she made the helpful comment ‘learn to like salads’ , at my advanced age I have no intention of changing my antipathy to salads to one of adulation. Simply cannot see the point of wasting time eating it. However, as you say there are plenty of other things to eat, fish being one. Curry, never tried cooking one yet, but there is always hope. Think I’ll save turning the oven on just yet, Lucia as temps 30-35 at the mo’. Breakfast a good lunch option. My doggies would adore plate cleaning, great idea, but then they’d get fat too. No worries, I’ll stick to the minimal wash up.
Actually I did peek at the scales and am not as heavy as I’d feared, must’ve been all that traipsing about in Prague and Vienna etc.
Just another query and I’ll stop wittering, seen quinoa in the shops but never known what to do with it. Buckwheat?where does one get that? and again what do you do with it? Many thanks.

Hi Winifred

I’m not trying to change your mind re salads, but once you have been doing the BSD a bit, it might be worthwhile trying a few things because honestly your taste does change……I know you don’t believe me!

I have been really enjoying a few leaves of baby spinach with feta cheese on, plus some baby plum tomatoes.

Also, if you’re yearning for toast with your eggs in the morning, strangely enough baby spinach as a base (perhaps with some mushrooms also) is a great alternative. Yes I KNOW that doesn’t sound right – spinach for TOAST??? But do give a few things a try, you may be surprised.

Did I mention some chicory wrapped with ham or sliced cheese (like Leerdammer) as a lunch snack?

I’m sure many people here are finding they are thoroughly enjoying things they never dreamed they would.

Thank you Igorasusual, No, I do believe you that my tastes will change and am more than willing to try something different like spinach with feta, or mushrooms sounds a good lunch alternative. I do find I’m my own worst enemy and have absolutely no control whatsoever, so am avoiding things like pkts of ham, cheese etc as will eat the lot. Will go to butchers tomorrow and buy 1 slice of ham for lunch and give the doggies the fat rind with their supper. I use cron-o-meter for toting up calories, fats, carbs etc and everything seems to have heaps of carbs. Oh dear. Need to read the guidelines for this way of eating again, methinks.

Stir fries and simple frittatas are my best friends, at the moment. They enable you to get plenty of vegetables in the diet with the attendant spread of minerals and vitamins and perhaps more importantly get used to actually tasting them rather than smothering them in sauces or gravy ☺

Out of interest, what is it you loathe about salad? My OH calls it rabbit food and would probably rather not eat it but he doesn’t (quite) loathe it, even eats it reasonably happily when I put it in front of him. If you just find it tasteless there are many vegetables which can spice/pep up a salad, many of which I now absolutely love. Even a simple leaf salad can be made tasty with herbs and baby leaves of different sorts. Watercress, parsley and spinach are my particular favourites.

Buckwheat flakes make great porridge 😊 Quinoa can be used as a kind of rice substitute or in soups etc. Buckwheat itself I have no idea about but I did buy a packet during a brief flirtation with the ‘Sirt food’ diet so if I find out I’ll let you know… Perhaps it will be used in soups and stews as an alternative to pearl barley. I also have some buckwheat flour I think which is still looking for a suitable recipe. I may try making some ‘Corn-ish’ low carb pasties this weekend, and might include a small amount as although it is relatively high carb, it is ‘good’ carbs.

Thank you Mixnmatch, that is so useful. I think my mindset (at the moment) is that salad ie lettuce, takes hours to eat, is tasteless and am looking for food about an hour later. I will try adding different salad veg like baby spinach, watercress etc to jazz it up and see. I had to look up frittata, sort of baked egg with veg, sounds good. I haven’t tried stir fry yet, but sounds a quick veg option, not having a wok – I binned it – I can use a heavy cast iron frying pan I expect. I have managed to lose 2K so that’s encouraging. Not drinking enough water though, keep forgetting. Think I’ll give the buckwheat a miss as I don’t bake or make soup – yet.

Salad can be dull. However, as has been said there are varieties. Pepper Rocket in the mix with some chilli bits for example. Get some really decent flavoured Olive Oil, top notch pepper and Red Sea Salt (Health Food shops usually have this). Add Cider Vinegar to your Oil, whack in some seeds, stuff in the crumbled Feta and mix it all around in a bowel. This is no longer a lettuce leaf I can assure you!
If you have a good lump of that mix with your Omlette or Fish (reacquaint yourself with the variety of white fish not breadcrumbed) that you can just cook in foil as mentioned above, (with some carefully chosen fish type dressing and some herbs) and some sliced tomatoes cooked in the same pack.
If you have been to Greece just cast your mind back to some of the stuffed things they serve up, Aubergines, ‘beef’ Tomatoes, peppers etc. Do not remember the Baclava!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Losing 2K already is fantastic. Go for it. Look forward to the new you.
Sincerely,
Rams (another recent starter and non fan of lettuce) 🙂

Thank you Raminski, that is so helpful. Ah Greece, love the food especially dolma. Used to make them . Had some bread yesterday, big no no as made me hungry.

I have been on this diet for 4 weeks and worked my way through the menu plans in the book and have only had salad twice and that was because I had a lettuce in the fridge that needed eating. There are so many other good things to eat. I think I have had something different every day for 4 weeks except where there was something I particularly loved.

Thank you all.
Well, here I am again having fallen into the ditch big time and put on weight.
Blame it entirely on being in Holland for a week and just not being able to resist their wonderful, but dear me, so fattening food. Chips with mayonnaise, glorious ice creams etc. TUT.
I was fine whilst in Prague etc as did so much walking weight stayed steady, but now. Woe is me.
Anyway, back to the drawing board and to eating healthily and cutting bread, Brie etc.
Excuse not to do much exercise, temps pushing 40, so trifle warm. Doggies disgruntled as have curtailed their walks to 15/20 mins max. Please don’t say Go swimming. If you saw me in my bathing costume you would shudder, as I do.
Off we go again. X

Hi Winifred,welcome and good luck!…
…just my thoughts to add to the host of ideasalready here for you!
I wasnt a lover of green veg two weeks ago..i seem to be addicted to it now!
Being able to put some delicious grass fed proper butter on them helps…
and Birds Eye do veggy steam-bags..stick in the microwave and 3 mins later theyre ready with no steamy kitchen or pongy cabbagey smell. They do a variety of mixes,my favourite is green medley: broc,peas,beans with a hint of garlic.
As for salad, i wasnt a big fan either but ive just had a load of lambs lettuce,watercress,red onion and celery with my dindins..its so nourishing,packed with vits and mins,so for the sake of good health if nothing else,tuck in..you’ll be glowing! 😋 Xx

My OH is a long time salad hater, but if I drizzled a spoon of Tahini over it and a little really good quality balsamic over it and add a twist of seasalt, he will scoff down every last bite.

I have found there are plenty of meals that can be put together on this diet, with almost no preparation or cooking. Have you thought about antipasti? just put together a selection of cooked meats and/or fish, a couple of small cubes of cheese, some pickles and some cloud bread – recipe can easily be found online.

Sunny B
Have you tried cloud bread? Sounds interesting. Would love a decent bread substitute.

Winifred … must be hard if you’re not into cooking but there are so many ready prepared alternatives such as the vegetable steam bags. Fish and chicken are available in bags ready for the oven or microwave. Just be careful of any sauces! It’s a quick meal with no washing up after!

Good luck!