Just want to expose that I am a) here and b) starting this 8 week program. I have a few challenges.

First I have never been on a “diet” so counting calories feels like writing down all my expenses and I know I start with very good intentions and suddenly unravel. To be honest I don’t care about food. Honestly, it isn’t a thing for me. In the past, living in regimented meal environments (I was in the military) I didn’t have to think about portion control. I ate what was in front of me and it was all fine. I travel for work, so it would be ideal if I had a systemic food program…I am good at regimentation. And I really know I won’t care about it being the ‘same’ everyday. Actually will be a relief to not have to put attention on it. I live alone so don’t have to worry about being tempted by crap lying around.

SO, I want to have a basic plan.
Morning: hard boiled egg(s). (which is fine as I never usually eat breakfast)
lunch: garden salad no dressing (no croutons) maybe some lemon juice
dinner: protein (chicken is usually easy) veggie.

Obviously no desserts or drinks (I don’t drink anyway)

is black coffee ok in the am? I can do without it if it is better.
30 minutes of cardio each day (treadmill is always available) and then some pushups and crunches

tons and tons of water

is that sounding right? And I eat this everyday? No fasting days now right????

Hi Massie and welcome!

Whilst you don’t need to write down your calories, I would recommend something like MyFitnessPal, which helps you keep a note of what you’re doing. You do need to ensure that you eat ENOUGH calories, also.

If you need to do this BSD, then presumably you’ve got some issues you think could benefit from being sorted, so a bit of organisation will really help.

Hard boiled eggs are good for breakfast. Garden salad (do you mean just greens?) is also ok, but you do need some fat and protein with that, so you probably need meat or cheese with it. And protein and veggies (not the potatoes, or other roots of course) is also fine.

However, if you get MyFitnessPal, you can just enter what you’ve said, and see what calories you’re putting in. And, perhaps most importantly, what carbs. Because if you can keep the carbs under 50g per day (or less – I try to do 20g), then you will see results.

Once you’ve fought through this entry thing once, then you will know what you are doing.

The BSD does NEED fat – this is what fills you up and ISN”T BAD FOR YOU despite what we’ve all been told. So add milk to your coffee, full fat if you like, and add into your cals/carbs for the day.

I honestly would recommend that you get yourself sorted out, just at the start, because it will enable you to carry on and this will bring you success.

Good luck!

I second the call for more fat, it does seem to be the secret behind this diet being so enjoyable compared to the rest, as it kills the feelings of hunger. Choose full fat yoghurt to have with berries, cream or milk in your coffee, and full fat cheese for protein, or oily fish, although it seems so alien to most of us who have been told for years it is the villain, it really is key.

If you really can’t face those get to love avocado’s and have lots with your salads. Good luck on your journey, you may find yourself appreciating food a lot more down the line, and wanting to experiment with flavours, that has certainly happened for me.

Well woke up day two feeling really good. And I get to have Cheese! Nice. I loved in France for a while so LOVE it.

So basically paying some attention to calories, reading labels to be sure I don’t have any sugar…and staying away from the starches and pastas…really pretty basic and should be easy going.

So nuts are good. Not trail mix I am assuming as they have sweet stuff…how about cashews?

And did I read somewhere that I should be using olive oil? Like on salads and such?

Anyways thanks for all the supportive input. I will report progress as I go. Thanks for being such a welcoming group!

Hi Massey56 – sounds like you have made a good start. The addition of olive oil and cashews would be a good move, both could be used with salad. Any nuts in their natural state are good in fact.

Try to use the BSD to add variety to your diet, as there are a myriad of tasty options permitted on this regime. Full fat yogurt is great and you can add allsorts of things to it for variety, berries are just one possibility – strawbs, raspberries, blueberries – and seeds too. This makes a great breakfast and can be used as a dessert or snack too, if you are feeling a bit peekish.

Guess what I’m saying, is don’t limit yourself. The regime allows for being creative with food, eating interesting food, eating healthily and well, without having to stick to a narrow range of foods.

Thanks so much for the encouragement…so far I am OK (day two so just out of the gate) and my energy is already better. The exercise is helping to focus me….loved reading that the hunger feeling is OK and akin to being an indication that I am doing the right thing.

No cravings (yet).

Definitely going to pick up some yogurt and berries for a snack option. I am drinking a lot of water which helps to make me less apt to feel hungry.