Hello. So, I had the intentions of BSD’ing at the appropriate 800 cal per day and started a thread last week to track my journey. But, that didn’t pan out. I said today that if I didn’t actually comply with the diet I’d start over. So here I go!

These are the stats I had logged:

5/5/17 – 171.3 Lbs (SW)
5/6/17 – 170.9 Lbs
5/7/17 – 169.1 Lbs
(Goal = 145)

I’m headed to bed. Tomorrow morning I will move into Day 1 of the 8-week plan.

Not sure what will follow the 8-weeks, assuming I complete them. I’ve heard some folks continue BSD’ing for many weeks and/or months after the initial 8. Some just monitor weight and follow a maintenance plan such as 5:2.

Well, I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

Thanks for listening!
Onward I go. 🙂
Cheers!

Hi Nabs, good for you for coming back to it. As I always say, keep on keeping on…

It does get easier and the first 2 or 3 weeks are the worst. I am in my 10th month and still mainly do 800 cals with no refined carbs and this is now my life.

Hi Sunshine-girl, that’s impressive! I am amazed how many people have made this a way of life. Maybe I will too. Thanks. 🙂

I am a person with diabetes so this is not just a diet for me, it is my way of life.

Aloha Nabs! I see you “started again” — I hope it is going well for you! Don’t worry too strictly about the 8 weeks — just keep going, and if you have a bad day, just start up again the next day. In the long run, this is about reprogramming our brains to make good food choices and ultimately end the diet/gain/diet game forever.

Californiagirl, hello!!!

Haha, thank you. I kind of suck at this, but haven’t totally abandoned it yet.
Actually I still haven’t gotten through a single day at 800 calories. I’ve eaten whatever I pleased for the last week.

One last try? Okay, why not? I’m a little worried about Mother’s Day, though. I’m not a mom, but I am visiting mine and that always results in too much food in my tummy. Then again, I visit her nearly once a week, so it’ll be a challenge I always face.

Tomorrow: Day 1.
Again.

Then again, I could be going for a legendary failure streak! It’s entirely possible that this diet isn’t for me. But I’m still gonna try once more. 🙂

Happy May 13th!
Day 1. Here I go. *Karate chop! Backflips!*

Nope nope nope — I do not accept that YOU suck at this — we ALL suck at this — do you know how many of us have messed up? (more than once!! 😜)
There is a learning curve here and you are just starting the climb — you have to stay focused on it long enough to start to change how you think about food — that would be, oh, eight weeks….
It doesn’t matter if you EVER do a 800 calorie day — it matters that you eat low carb, skip sugar and refined flours and stick with the Mediterranean principles — it is going to work, even done badly, it is going to work.
Just give it the 8 weeks, do it badly or well but don’t quit for eight weeks. I got better and better at it and by the 11th week, I was on a roll! I know, sounds like I was a “legendary failure” but… It still worked!
(Grab a copy of Gary Taubes book “Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It”. It really got me refocused on avoiding the wrong foods. People like me are high-insulin types (they call horses like me “cresty ponies”) and the number one thing we need to do is LOWER our insulin response — once you get that down, it gets much much easier)

Californiagirl, you’re my BSD angel! I think I will grab a copy of that book as you recommend it so highly and I will keep up with low carb Mediterranean style nutrition! And I will keep going even if I make mistakes.

You rule!! 😀

I just figured you need a reason to go to Hawaii and celebrating your success would be a really good excuse to finally go there! 😜 ⛱

Haha! Brilliant! Thank you. 🌈🏄🏻‍♀️🌴🌺

By the way, I bought that book and am reading it now. Fascinating stuff so far! Carbs really do pack a punch, don’t they?

I was thinking… since it’s been such a challenge for me to adhere to 800 calories per day –sure, I aim for that but always miss the mark– maybe I can approach this the 5:2 way.

He mentioned that as an alternative approach and I think it might just be more achievable for me.

At any rate, I’ll mentally aim for 800 cal/day: clean, low carb, nutritiously delicious food. But if I miss the mark, I can just do my best the next day and try to get at least two such days per week (or more if possible). And on the other days, still work to stay as close to the 800-goal as I can.

And the whole while, ultimately keeping it as wholesome, low carb, and Mediterranean influenced as possible. 🌼

That will absolutely work. You are going to do great. And yes, carbs are NOT friends to those of us struggling with weight issues. My favorite line in Gary Taubes book is: (from a research Doctor/scientist): “carbohydrate drives insulin drives fat” — in other words, when you eat carbs, you raise your insulin levels and your raised insulin levels encourage your body to store what you eat as fat.
I use that line as my personal mantra! LOL

That’s awesome. I pretty much finished the book! He makes me wonder if counting calories is even necessary?? As the idea is to eliminate carbs (like a smoker needs to eliminate cigarettes). Especially with all the examples he cites of physicians prescribing diets to their patents that do away with carbs but encourage eating fats and healthy meats as desired/whenever hungry.

I also think about Jason Fung’s work on fasting to repair the insulin response. If you ever read his book, The Obesity Code, you may find that he too explains that insulin is the factor in adiposity. He says that fasting is the best way to break the insulin-resistance cycle. He claims we must have recurrent periods of very low insulin, which he suggests we utilize extended periods of fasting to achieve. To be honest, after reading your book and revisiting the notion that it is insulin to blame, I think blending a low-carb diet with extended periods of fasting might be a strong strategy. Extended periods of fast mean little to no food at all for the duration of 24 hours or more…

Now I’m reevaluating the whole thang.

And that is exactly how the BSD works best! The fasting really does help reset your insulin levels and the low calorie in between keeps you losing. I have tried having more calories and staying below 20 grams of carbs and it does work but it works better with low calorie also. Even Gary Taubes notes that you will have to think about calories at some point, even if you start with just controlling the carbs.
I haven’t read Jason Fungs books but they have been mentioned many times on these forums. I have been using 18-20 hour fasting periods and they are very helpful, especially for maintenance (where I am now). Some folk are able to fast for much longer periods but 20 hours seems to be my personal limit — by then I just need to eat — probably because I am very active and sporty and that burns calories (plus I have a high muscle/weight ratio).
If you are interested in fasting experiences, you could start a new thread asking about it — you will get a lot of responses.
I would say you’re on the path to success — just wrapping your head around the carb/insulin connection is incredibly important. I cannot tell you how grateful I am that I ran across the 8 Week Blood Sugar Diet over a year ago now

Yesss!! You’re winning for sure.
😄🏆🎆

Hi Nabs
Like you, I have been on and off the wagon and am also questioning whether the BSD WOE is for me. However I know I feel better when not eating the white stuff and that if I introduce them into my diet again I will regain the two stone I have lost.
After reading the information here, I have downloaded the book and have spent the afternoon sitting in the garden reading it.
Food for thought!
X B

Hey Nabs, how’s it down south?