…and I am at the end of my 8 weeks BUT it feels more like the beginning to be honest. The beginning of what? The beginning of me believing that if I set my mind to something that I thought was nigh impossible – I can actually do. And that that is a brilliant feeling. I have stayed off sugar for 8 weeks and I have lost 4 kilo. I wanted to loose more but I had a holiday in between and did drink some alcohol and had to guestimate what I was eating calorie wise. Although I didn’t put on which I was happy with. I enjoy eating this way and I don’t want to stop. I would like to loose about 7 more kilos and I think it is possible. Any tips aside the book I would be most grateful for. Also has anyone given up dairy and still done the BSD? So to close this post – I feel good, I am positive and my skin to be honest has never looked better and I have soon much more energy in the morning. I had a long flight on my way home and ran out of healthy snacks. With a 7 hour layover I ate what was available – my son’s breadsticks – and what was so interesting was how it played havoc with my digestive system. I know its about dinner time, so i won’t go into unnecessary details but the internal functions are well happy with my new eating habits. I will stay on the forums as I still have some work to do – this is a lifestyle that we have had the guts (pardon the pun) to create for ourselves and its hard in this super laden world of ours – but anything is possible. Thank you ! Would also love to hear from anyone else that is nearing the end or has ended –

How do you feel?
Whats your plan of action?
Do you, iike me have further goals?

Hi Silver, welcome to the veterans club!

I have done a lot of weeks on this diet, I’m at the weight I want to be at so have increased my calories but stuck to the principles. No starchy carbs for me, thank you very much!!!

A lot of us feel the same – the new life style not a diet!!!
🙂

Hi Silver
I have done the 8 weeks without any dairy. I am dairy intolerant.
I use soya milk and yogurt. ( shockingly a lot of ‘natural’ soya products have sugar, but some don’t)
My plan is to continue- I ve done a few more weeks now, til I get down to the right weight. 10 lbs to go. Then like Hashimoto I’ll increase cals a bit and see what happens.
Penny

Thanks for your post, Silver! Look forward to learn how you keep going.

How do you feel?
* up and down, largely dependent on what the scales say, lol – I know shouldn’t be so dependent, but I’ve got so far to go, I can’t be complacent for a minute;
* suspicious and wary about everything that passes my mouth (I used to be completely relaxed-and-comfortable and could never understand the Food Police around me who turned every social situation involving food & drink into a uncomfortable fight over who was the most virtuous);
* slowly getting over my anger at the medical establishment, Big Food and Big Pharma for having tricked me for so long with their lies and deception (that anger too will pass, lol!);
* rarely feel hungry, have lost most my response to the usual triggers (sight/sound/smell of food).

Plan of Action (in order of importance)
* keep in touch with Forums (esp. valuable when weight seems to be plateauing).
* lose another 20kg to get to BMI 25
* keep negotiating meal-by-meal with my non-diet partner, esp. since food & drink are integral to the ‘social contract’ which keeps the relationship going;
* keep up the measuring (what gets measured, gets achieved!) – daily fasting blood sugars and weight, plus a timetable of targets/actuals as a I go;
* keep up the water intake, despite waking throughout the night;
* Keeping Busy has been wonderful in taking myself out of the mealtime routine – getting into The Zone is my form of Mindfulness;
* maintain avoiding social situations involving food & drink – that way compromise lies!
* since exercise only affects weight loss by about 15% or so, I’m just concentrating on keep up my routine of 10K steps a day

Further goals?
* losing another 20kg/40lbs at the rate of 1kg/2lbs per week – not overly confident about how this will be achieved since I’ve eliminated 99% of food & drink causing harm. I jump those hurdles when I get to them;
* BMI 25, achievable by 1 Sept if I keep losing 1kg/2lbs per week.
* once BMI 25 is achieved, (1) I can seriously consider dropping the diabetes medication (already half what it was) since I’ve got hard evidence (daily readings) in front of me; will keep relying on annual blood tests for feedback on cholesterol and blood pressure; (2) will need some additional strength fitness training; (3) can focus more on daily blood pressure readings than blood sugar (weight and FBGL is enough measuring for the moment).

I will be finishing my 8 weeks in 5 day’s time. I have so far lost 11.5kg and am back in the healthy weight range. I have lost weight previously on weight watchers and always (rather rapidly) put the weight back on. So I am feeling rather nervous about what happens next for me. I have been looking into the book The Every Other Day Diet by Dr Varady (she was featured in Micheal Mosleys BBC documentary) and it looks like I will follow that for a while to keep the weight away. If anyone has any experience with this I would love to hear as I fear I might go overboard on the feed days and start putting weight back on.
Congrats to everyone over the 8 week mark. You should be so proud !!!

I do hope some others chime in – I am at the start, so its really comforting to read about people who made it to the end! Congratulations to you all!

Your points are so thought-provoking, RodB. The ‘uncomfortable fight about being virtuous’ hits home already, others are very invested in what you do/don’t eat because they project emotions onto themselves as a result. I know I do/did. Being on the other side more and more these last years has been interesting. My mother nearly had heart failure at me when I suggested low carb as an inflammation fighting diet a while ago, got really vehement. I will just not mention it – she does have type 2 diabetes, so I really want to broach this subject, but softly-softly is called for I think. i will lend her my book after I have got to grips with the recipes I like.

and yes, the darn scales having a direct trigger on the days mood is super tedious!

Silver, glad to hear you and others say your skin looks better! I could do with that as a side effect.

Tania, I suggest sticking around on these boards for support as you work out how to plan your diet going forward! you should be super-proud of yourself, and your resolve to keep on top of things 🙂

Hi RodB
I love yr plan and have saved it for reference.
You’re doing fantastically. I’m sure you ll reach your goals.
Best of luck.
Penny

Brilliant and encouraging replies!
I wonder have any of you eaten sugar – like a piece of chocolate post the 8 week?
How did it taste – did you enjoy it?

Silver I was talked into trying something sweet at Easter and although I could taste a flavour, I couldn’t identify it as being sugary or even sweet, it was just, well, a taste.

Hi Penny
Best wishes on reaching your further 10lb goal!
Cheers,
Rod

Hey silver,

Good point! Around Week 8, partner accidentally put sugar in my tea. It tasted dreadful, lol. All they say about tastebuds changing is true. I never thought it would apply to me, but I should have remembered when I gave up table salt decades ago and how terrible anything over-salty tasted after that lifestyle change!

I think “testing” yourself, in small ways and from time to time, is part of Mindfulness and monitoring your reactions in a very detached/scientific way is part of the process – am I “attached” to things thing I’m eating or “detached”? Especially after Week 8 when we’ve gone through so much change and seen only good results. My Buddhist nun acquaintances remind me to stay detached in all things (which is obviously easier said than done). I know what will happen with a piece of chocolate personally – my BGL next morning will go up and any ‘attached’ enjoyment at the time will be cancelled out.

Rod