I have not counted, weighed or measured, either myself or food, for the last 5 weeks. Tomorrow will be judgement day! I will weigh and measure myself and then I will spend the next 7 days weighing and counting my food. I have to be realistic so I’m going to aim for 1000 calories and 40g of carbs just to get me back into the groove. Even without getting on the scales I KNOW I need a short sharp shock! Would love some company for the next seven days ….. after all it’s just 7 days!!!

Welcome back Verano. I will join you for a quick short sharp shock. Maybe I will break the 15 stone barrier. Good to have you back.

Love
Nonna Mary
xxx

I’d love to join you and Nonna Mary too, Verano. My goal has strayed somewhat on the latest four week challenge. I want to be able to lose 3lb by end of 7 days to bring it to a stone in 3 weeks and I can set a new goal on the four week thread

Hi Verano – I will join also. Have been trying since Christmas to get back into the groove. Have only eaten BSD food but portion sizes have become too large – especially the nuts and the cream. When I got brave enough to weigh myself last Thursday I was shocked that I had put on 5lbs since the beginning of December. At weigh in today have lost 3lbs – but need to lose another 2lbs plus at least another 3lbs so I have some wriggle room.
So far i haven’t got lower than 1250 calories a day – but will cut down to 1000 for the challenge. A quick short sharp shock is exactly what I need.

Verano, welcome back! A good tune-up is just what one needs every now and then. When I have had periods of loosy-goosy eating, it actually feels good to get back in the groove and regain control. Hope it works for you. LTC

Luvtcook – you are so right – it does feel so good to get back in the groove after some bloody-goody eating. I was really surprised just how good it feels.

DAY 1…..
So lovely to have some company so thank you all for coming along for a short, sharp shock to refocus.
The results are in and there is no doubt that I need this NOW. So whilst I’ve been away I have gained 6.2lbs. In some ways given that I have been waited on hand and foot for the last five weeks it should be a far higher gain. Like you Krysia I have remained more or less faithful to BSD but my portions have been far too big. Yogurt and berries for breakfast followed by eggs! Just too much. And then of course there’s been chocolate to ‘sweeten off’ after the Stilton! What more can I say! On the positive side I’ve learnt to love green tea with jasmine so hopefully no longer having milk in drinks will help me reduce my carbs a litttle.
That’s the bad news but unfortunately there’s more ………
The real truth of the matter is that over the last 6 months I have now regained a total of 14lbs from my lowest weight since starting this plan. Am I staring metformin in the face again????
NO …..
I just need to focus and take one day at a time, and yes LTC , I think a good ‘tune-up’ is just what’s needed at the moment, probably for several of us.
Spring is here and it’s time to dispose of the ‘hide all’ clothes …. so.here we go ….just 7 days to reboot our bodies …..where are my scales and my Fatsecret app! Good luck everyone and let DAY 1 begin …….

Oh dear – have just noticed the auto correct went slightly crazy in my last post. It should have read loosy-goosy eating.
Verano – 6.2lb gain is not bad after five weeks. It sounds as though you had a really fabulous holiday. OK – we have both gained a bit by going a bit overboard on the lovely BSD food (and I have realised this week that it wasn’t just the nuts and cream I ate too much of – but I had trebled my portions of yoghurt, Stilton and dark chocolate).
You say you gained 14lbs over 6 months – but just think how much you would have gained if you had eaten the same amount of carbs over that time. I once gained 10lbs in one week during a holiday in Ireland – just by eating industrial portions of delicious bread from a bakery – which set off a massive carb fest lasting several months and resulted in a total gain of several stones.
Spring is a brilliant time to reboot our bodies. I started on the BSD 30th April 2016. One of the best decisions I ever made.

I’ll join you guys for a reboot. It has been a very calorific Easter holidays 😉

Hi Krysia …. almost your 2nd birthday! Reading your post has made me realise just how these forum boards mean so many different things to diffferent people at different times depending on their goals, health isssues etc. It would be interesting to know how many of us ‘old timers’ there are still using this site. I still find the site really helps me to stay with this WOE and I’m sure you’re right about gaining even more weight eating the old carb way. Before I started the plan I felt as though I was on a runaway train that just wouldn’t stop. Now at least I’m in control of what I eat.
I know this has become a ‘way of life’ for you and it has for me too. Now if I’m faced with bread or rice or potatoes served with a meal I have no problem in leaving them on the side. In fact I doubt I could eat simple carbs now.
I often wonder ‘whatever happened to …..’ So many names have disappeared I just hope that they have met their goals and stayed healthy…. that really was the main aim for so many.
As for today so far so good!

Welcome jojodoodle. It’s just 7 days and these short shocks really do work if you stick with it for just 7 days!

I had already started on Monday with a reboot. Seeing the post made me think it would be good to join others on the journey. 😊

Verano – that explains exactly how I was pre-BSD. It was like I was on a runaway train. I would struggle to diet for a while – lose some weight – then in a flash it was all back on (usually plus a few pounds more). I just couldn’t stop eating the bad carbs and sugar and hated myself for my lack of control.

The forum does really help and even when things are really hectic I still read the posts. It is so lovely to get back on track and know that we haven’t put on stones and stones – even if our portion sizes have gradually got too large over time. So have now got portion size under control again (thanks to fatsecret and the kitchen scales) and my head is in the right place for this challenge. I do feel a little hungry today but know that will go away in a few days.

Hi KrysiaD,
I understand what you mean about the carb cravings. – I fell off the BSD wagon shortly after starting when guests left pizza and bread behind, and realised then how much it felt like an addiction. The Why we get fat book by Gary Taubes was very helpful for me in explaining the science of why carbs are addictive in the same way as alcohol, which has in turn helped me cope when I crave carbs.

Hi guys! I’m in…although I’m only looking at this again now so will have to start tomorrow! Already eaten too much today, but won’t eat anything else today. Need to get back on it, kick start to lose 13kg (2 stone) before the Summer really hits. Would love some encouragement to keep at it as I am not very consistent but know that this needs to change! You’re all doing well, and we can do it!! Abi xx

JGwen – It does feel like an addiction. I realised quite soon after starting the BSD that all I had to do was to completely avoid the bad carbs and all the cravings went away. I hated being in the throes of an out of control carb fest and it was such a wonderful feeling to be free of all the cravings. At the end of the month it will be two years without the bad carbs.

Abisaysyes – well done for starting. There is so much support and knowledge on this forum. I couldn’t have done it on my own without this forum.

DAY 2 of 7

Hope yesterday was a good start to the reboot week for everyone. Weighing and measuring yesterday made me realise just how many calories I have been eating lately! I did manage to stay below 30g carbs yesterday but was over on my calorie target. Goodness know I only managed a 6lb gain I reckon I was eating and drinking way in excess of 2000 calories a day! But starting to feel back in control again now.

Krysia my ‘runaway train’ was fuelled by ‘mindless’ eating rather than a carb addiction. I never craved carbs or had ‘carb flu’ I was just eating way too much!! I do feel back in control since I started BSD and I’m just so much more ‘conscious ‘ of what I’m eating now so when I do have crispbreads, or whatever, it’s by choice.

Welcome abisaysyes. As the title says …. there’s no time like the present… so pleased you have found your ‘present’. It can be hard to remain consistent at the start but one day at a time, together with the support here, should see you through.

JGwen how did you find the Gary Taubes book? Some people have said it was a really tough read.

So DAY 2 starts here … let’s make it a great step towards success.

Hi Verano.
I like the Gary Taubes book, lots of data and not padded out by repeating the same point for pages when it could be covered in a single paragraph.

Verano – I think my daily calorie total had slowly crept up to more than 2500 a day – now I am weighing and logging into fat secret my portion sizes look somewhere between half and three-quarters smaller than they have been lately. It is lovely that we can eat too much without the huge weight gains we used to have when we ate the bad carbs.

Had a really good day yesterday with calories at 1065 and carbs at 20. I ate my food much more slowly than I have been lately and actually enjoyed it more than when I eat much faster. This 7 day reboot has come at exactly the right time for me.

Hi Verano.
Now the weekly rush to drive the rubbish bags down to the collection point is over I can answer posts more fully.
I found the Why we get fat book by Gary Taubes very helpful. The info about how carbs are addictive, and info on the impact of sugar on the brain which helped me understand why it was such a fight to change eating patterns at the start was very informative.
I was stressing about some things, for example, being a vegi its really difficult to balance protein, low carb, and incorporating lots of veg and stick to 800 cals. – so the research that there isn’t any negative side effects of limited amounts of veg eased my mind. Once I get down to my target size so can increase cals I will be able to increase the variety of veg in my diet.
I was worrying about long term maintenance and falling off the wagon, but the evidence that at a point between 12 and 18 months of being low carb you loose your sweet tooth has helped me think that through. My target now is to stay low carb until I get to that point. – If I loose as much weight as I need to loose before that point then i will increase cals but not carbs.

I had a friend call round at the weekend who is going to one of the diet clubs each week and is so proud of having lost 2 stone. I happened to have this book out and was going to talk about some of the research it quotes with him but it wasn’t possible. He was almost shouting he was so determined to push the point of view that you are allowed chips and bread and chocolate in moderation and will loose the weight, and fetched his book from the car to show the stickers he had from the class for each weight loss threshold (half a stone, stone, biggest looser of the class that week). He even offered to bring a pack of the chocolate bars he is allowed each week to show me what I could have. I haven’t worked out what was pushing his buttons – that I was saying research shows the weight will not stay off long term unless he cuts out the carbs long term, or, just the idea that someone had not had bread, or rice or pasta or sugar for months, or that I have lost nearly 2.5 times more than him in the same period. But his reaction was fascinating.

Well onto day 4 now for me and a morning weigh in. 3lbs down which is great. But to be honest I just feel so much better in myself. Immediately feel less bloated and puffy. Feeling like I have more get up and go.

Feel sorry for him – as he is still keeping those things in his diet he is bound to return to them in larger portion again unless he is the epitome of self control. However, JGwen, if they don’t listen to you, there’s not a lot you can do!
I know the type – my friend has been on that sort of thing trying to shift just 9lbs and hasn’t done it yet in a few months – when she heard what I did in two weeks she couldn’t believe it. But still has extremely carby meals.

I do agree Maid2measure. This diet should change how you eat generally for life. Biscuits and other snacks are my biggest downfall and I think give me the highs and lows. I like the way I feel on this diet – more even keeled.

Wow, JGwen, that’s quite a fascinating reaction from your friend! High on chocolate, perhaps? 🙂 🙂 🙂 I think
I would have dropped the subject too, a case of diminishing returns, one might say! You have it “going on”
as the kids might say, and your splendid results speak for themselves. You will sail into maintenance,
and hopefully continue here with us to share your experiences with others who will be acquiring the life
long tools to change their futures, too. We “Taubes Women” have the keys to the kingdom, so continue
to help californiagirl and me spread the word 🙂 Have you got a date to ride in Montana yet? That sounds like
heaven!

Allie

Hi Alliecat,

I am unsure why he was so far on the attack. His story did change a little during the conversation, it started off that he had a couple of slices of toast every breakfast, and sometimes a couple of slices of toast at supper time when taking tablets. – Then it changed to a couple of slices once a week….. He was just determined to try to convince me that slimming world or weight watchers (I am not sure which) is right and anything else is wrong. Sometimes Neuro Typical male ego is something I just don’t see the purpose of, and why the decision he made on the way for loosing weight has to be the only right way….. Never mind, more incentive for me to keep on keeping on.

He’s not the first person I have met who seems to be strongly opposed to the idea of dropping all carbs, and I must admit, the idea of dropping them for months, never mind the rest of my life would have been a step too far for me at the start of this WOE. It does take being open to reading the research get your head around it, but equally there are situations, such as friends who have health problems and feel at their age that having ‘treats’ is an important element of their lives where its quite understandable that they don’t want to follow this WoE.

Thanks, for the vote of confidence, the Taubes book has helped me think about maintenance differently. I was struggling with setting targets on weight loss/ size loss / and none food treats to celebrate. – I have now resolved to stay low carb until I loose the sweet tooth. I was checking the published guides on dress sizes to work out how far I have to go today. I am getting close to my initial target weight, but am certain now that I will eventually join you in the 100lb loss club by the end of this journey. I am throwing myself into getting on with the renovation of my home at present. But riding trip will happen. I need to build up the hours in the saddle with my own horse first before planning riding holidays. – Don’t want to spoil a riding holiday feeling saddle sore. :-0

Thank you very much for that JGWen. I think I will read the book, can’t have too much knowledge can we!

I think that 12 months is probably a realistic time frame to lose a sweet tooth. I have been low carbing for 21 months now and I think maybe 8 or 10 months ago I realised that I no longer enjoy anything sweet other than 90%Lindt chocolate and that’s hardly sweet really.

Following on from what you have said Krysia, I couldn’t agree more, we now seem to eat far many more calories combined with low carb and not gain huge amounts. It must be down to the carbs.

JGwen your friend is just one of the millions who are still brainwashed into believing that you can still eat ‘normally’ and lose weight permanently. It never fails to amaze me that so many people seem to think that you can’t live without bread, chips, rice and all manner of other carbs, but we know you can! I don’t bother to explain anymore I just say I don’t eat potatoes etc. end of conversation.

Jojodoodle it took me quite a while to give up chocolate digestives and crisps. Now I do have the odd crisp but only two or three, and Lindt 90% chocolate. I feel the need for something crispy so I usually have a couple of crispbreads but I count them in my allowance. I know this way of eating can seem quite stringent at first but it is quite flexible once you get into it.

Oh V., your back at last! I need to enter this happy reality on the “Positives…” thread 🙂 Inspite of eating in
culturally different ways, the damage on the scales is quite minimal, and you will surely reverse it in a
manner of days. I know you! Of more importance by far is that you’ve had a wonderful travel experience,
and I know I’m not alone in hoping to hear more about your adventures in the Far East. I have to tell you
how much I admire you for not allowing mobility problems to stand in the way of enjoying life 🙂 I honestly
forget that I’m no longer disabled, and I need to start planning more outtings, myself! You’re exactly right,
NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT! Thanks once again for hosting another great thread 🙂

Welcome, jojodoodle!

Krysia and M2M… I hope you’re having a wonderful day!

Spring cleaning is on my agenda this afternoon. How uninspiring.. Ughh

Allie

Hi Verano,
Some authors tell you in the first paragraph of a chapter what they are going to tell you, then tell you what they are going to tell you, then tell you about the research that confirms what they have told you, then tell you about multiple case histories each of which illustrate what they have just told you then have a 2 page summery of what they have just told you in that chapter. – I find books like that really hard to read. After the first couple of pages I have got the message thank you and now either please add more information or I am going to get so bored that I will put this book down.

The why we get fat book isn’t in that format. I would say that the book is packed full of data and isn’t repetitive. So for me its at the right pace but I know that others may find it a difficult read.

Just picture me doing a Johnny5 impression – more input …..

JGwen sounds like my sort of book. Can’t stand repetition, repetition, repetition just turns me off. So even more reason for me to read it. Will let you know in the not too distant future!

Allie my friend HELLO!

Yes an amazing trip, including 19 days cruising, and still just 6lb gain (1 off this morning!) I have to admit to the odd inch square of chocolate cake, but just an inch, a few of slices of rye bread but other than that no bad carbs, just too much of the good stuff! I think Krysia is right that if you have extra calories but leave the bad carbs alone you can control your weight quite easily. Sometimes I got odd looks. Ordered Hainan chicken rice without the rice. They looked at me as though I was mad but had extra water spinach and it was served with chicken broth, so very BSD, friendly.

After 21 months I realise that I have to fit BSD into my life rather than the other way around to make this a life long way of eating. I don’t beat myself up over the odd indulgence because I eat them mindfully and they are few and far between. We all find our own way to be healthy, it’s not a case of one model fits all, unlike ‘slimming’ regimes.

Will write more later off to cook just now.

Not too bad thank you Allie 😊
Just trying to stay positive – seem to get so hungry but was already up to calorie allowance, however I knew I wouldnt sleep unless I ate, so I boiled an egg and also had some cheese. At least it was the right food. Just need to flush it down with water!
You certainly should plan outings – spring beckons

I’m in!
Back to basic! Thank you Verano!!! Love it!
In week 5 of 8, 800 kcal, I found myself comfort-eating with to big portions!
To much tasty fat and carbs out you go. 7 days from today is perfect to get back (haha! my autocorect gawe me “bacon” instead of “back” 😂😂😂)!
Yey!

DAY 3 of 7………

Glad you are joining us Buddhas wife. I think we all need a bit of a jolt now and again to get us back on track.

M2M water, water, water seems to help when the hunger pangs hit. In fact today I promise to get my full quota of water. I have been really lax lately so have to get back to 1.5ltrs a day and then onwards and upwards from there.

I have managed to get myself back to just two meals a day which I thought would be much more difficult than it has been. Guess it’s a case of mind over matter.

JGwen just off to get a sample of the Gary Taubes book on my kindle. Will let you know what I think.

So DAY 3 begins here ….. hope everyone is getting back to basics without too much difficulty.

Verano I was interested in that you eat 2 meals per day. How do you organise that – big brekkie and dinner or brunch and dinner?

I still find I work best on 3 meals – but it could be that it is just what I have always done. It was successful me when I did this diet last year. Though a big calorific lunch can be a downfall. I usually do homemade soup of salads.

Jojodoodle I mix and match a little depending on how hungry I am. Usually I have a late brunch between 11am-1pm. Then I have dinner around 6ish. Some days I have yogurt and berries, then soup lunch and dinner. I guess I only eat when I’m hungry now so sometimes I eat 3 times a day. No regular pattern really.

I probably do half my week yogurt and berries for brekkie then soup lunch. I have found in the past it works for me. But as you say it depends on the day – sometimes bigger portions or different options.

Good to hear others stories – I have never contributed to the forum before. I think I should have done before now 😊

Not everyone is happy posting. I find it helps me to stay a little more focused.

Hi Jojodoodle,
Hope you don’t mind me jumping in to answer your question regarding 2 meals instead of 3.
I found after a couple of months of being low carb (aiming around the 20g mark) that my appetite reduced. So I was quite happy starting the day with a coffee while doing the online part of my work, then had breakfast. Gradually breakfast moved later in the day as I got to realise what hunger feels like and only eat when hungry. (That still sounds like a strange sentence to type, but I didn’t realise the difference between I crave something to eat, and I am hungry until after a few months of being low carb).
Now I may have something mid afternoon if I am hungry, maybe a couple of scrambled eggs with cream cheese, but if not I leave eating until the evening. It means I have much more options for my evening meal because I have more cals to play with, and I am also getting a mini fast in every day which helps the body stay in fat burning mode and I understand should help in preventing loose skin. Having lost 5.5 stone so far I am relieved to be able to report that while areas go through a wobby jelly stage as the inches reduce there is no loose skin so far.

As to posting, sometimes the process of explaining something to someone else helps you think it through for yourself. – Also I like the 4 weekly challenges, just knowing that there is a day a week where you will be weighing in and reporting can be helpful when you are struggling. – For me the assistance of people on the forums when I was starting out or had questions was invaluable and I would like to “pay back” by also joining in the chorus of voices offering their experiences.

Hi all, thanks for the updates and encouragement! I’ve lost 1kg already, but had some granola after my healthy breakfast of an egg and some salmon… oh dear!!! Still lots to learn. Keep going everyone – I’m at a hen do tomorrow morning with limitless brunch of bagels and prosecco!!! Any tips for not going overboard? Or should I just restart on Sunday? Thanks all XX

Interesting JGwen. I have found that on some days I don’t feel that hungry. Other days scratching around. I have only done the 8 week stretch once before so I don’t have long term evidence on myself. Good to hear about those wobbly bits firming up – I could do with some of that.

Hi, Abisaysyes. Are you using one of the apps to track calories and carbs? A medium size bagel is 270cal
and a whopping 51g of net carbs. You might try having a BSD friendly breakfast before attending your party,
and give the bagels a pass 🙂 Best of luck!

Hi all – what a great idea to reboot for a week. I’ve only just picked this up – a bit late to join you now but good luck everyone.
JGwen – your friend’s reaction is really interesting. I imagine he was very pleased at having lost 2 stones and had worked hard to achieve that…maybe he couldn’t accept there are alternatives…?
I’ve come across people against giving up carbs before and I must admit I was one of those people too – say no to pasta – never! Even on my diabetes training course last year they were adamant that complex carbs should be a part of every meal – although smaller portions. My usual pasta portion was definitely all wrong – but a smaller portion was acceptable and they encouraged me to eat low fat versions of food such as low fat yogurts. I asked a question about the bsd and they weren’t very favourable.
I will find the time to read the G Taubes book… Just so much work-stuff I have to focus on now that in my free time I just want to switch my mind off.

Jojodoodle – welcome to the site. I’m not doing this reboot but have been around for a few months – I’ve lost 2 stones so far and have lost my way recently but slowly getting back on track. This is my second time doing this – I did the 8-weeks last year and lost 2.5 stones then put it back on again so I started again in January this year.
I find that I do best on 3 meals a day – my most calorific meal is lunch which I have at work during the week – usually a massive salad. I try to keep within a 12-hour window – having breakfast about 7 am and dinner at 7 pm so that I can have a 12-hour fast overnight. Being VERY strict is the only way I managed to stay on track – any leniency is a big disaster for me – I cannot do just one small slice cake… Good luck with it and I look forward to hearing how you’re getting on.

Thanks JGwen for the wobbly jelly-goodnews! I was a bit worried about that. I hade 30 kg to lose. 8, is gone😉
And thank you all of you!
Todays breakfast was porridge of 11g oatmeal cooked with raspberry. No milk. 2 cups of coffee with 170g Otatmilk.
Lunch was 30 g black kale and 10g garlic fried in 5g butter and 5 g oliveoil and 175g minute steak. All topped with 30g frech endive, 30g raw zucchini, 30g (homemade) fermented wegetables.
Total 50g protein, 14g fat and 30g carb (6 g over my plan).
So what can I eat for dinner with 38 g protein and 25 g fat left?
One more question; how much is one stone in kg?

Hi Buddhas wife
1 stone is about 6.5 kg but easier to round up to 7 kg.
1pound (lb) is 0.5 kg 14lbs = 1 stone
It’s easy to get good at working out these conversions on this forum…
Your lunch sounds lovely except for the steak – I’m veggie 🙂

Ho Gattina,
I have been thinking about his reaction. He’s just one of those people who always has to give advice and be the knowledgeable one on any topic.

Buddhas wife. The easy way to work it out is that 1 kg is 2.2 lb. so 14/2.2 is 6.36kg

Thanks Gattina! & JGwen!
Now can understand and follow better.
I’m planning to become a vegan to (was a vegiterian for 15 years before). It might happen when I reach my weight goal. Do you find it difficult to follow this program as a vegan?

I have been a vegetarian all my life which is part of the problem. Its much easier to go low carb if you eat meat. Most vegetarian protein / main course products you buy from stores are quite high in carbs, even home made pulse based dishes would be too high in carbs for me during the weight loss stage as I am trying to stick around the 20g range.
Its been quite difficult for me to have a varied diet on this way of eating, its been a lot of scrambled eggs and omelette based meals and stir fried tofu. I don’t really like fish – unless its drowning in vinegar – but I have resorted to it on a few occasions just for a change.
Why don’t you look up some recipes and run the ingredients through one of the apps such as fat secret to see what the result would be?

Gattina I also eat within a 12 hour window. Eating into the evening has never been very good for me. I was also successful last year and lost 16lbs over the 8 weeks. I am hoping for this again.

JGwen – very interesting info about the Why we get Fat – Gary Taubes book. Will order it from Amazon. Perhaps your friend should read it – although I’m sure he won’t.

Verano – I’ve just discovered 2 meals a day. Very helpful if I am eating out and want to eat more calories at that meal. I never thought I could do it so was quite surprised that it was do-able.

Allie – have had three very good days on this challenge. Hope the spring cleaning went well – it is lovely when it is done. I am really impressed by your energy levels.

I have been ultra strict with myself since this thread started. Hopefully Tuesday will show a movement. I have tried to monitor my protein this time as usually I just eat. I have logged it, I just didn’t try to keep it at a certain level. I am going for 63 g.

I usually only eat once a day. I find it very easy not to have anything until my evening meal. Tonight it is Duck with vegetables (sorry if you are Vegan/Vegetarian).

I have to ask about the Gary Taubes book…is it very complicated? If not, why can’t someone fill us in so we don’t have to buy the book? Just asking.

Stay well everyone.

Nonna Mary
xxxx