My post disappeared, sigh but my message ‘( after reading the most recent posts) was not to be despondent if you don’t see any movement on the scales for a few days, a week etc … remember it takes time but you are on your way !

No one who has been on the forum long term would say this is a short term fix . You have to accept you are in this for the long haul, so celebrate those victories , however insignificant you think they are . Think in terms of the health benefits not just those numbers 😉

So keep posting , let us know how you are getting on, tell us what you are planning, have a rant if you wish, we will always provide a friendly ear !
Have a good week everyone
Wendy, SunnyB and sunshinegirl

Yippee, I remembered to copy that message and all is well .

I have come to the realisation that nuts can no longer be part of my life . I have to get my head round the fact that although ‘ healthy’, there are an insidious temptation and I have to resist because I lose control. Same with dairy ( I have been here before !!!) so I just have to remove it because again, I am overindulging.

I have said this many times but I realise as a serial over-eater I am always ‘ at risk’ .
That’s my commitment for the week and ongoing weeks until I can find peace with the bloomin things !

It’s getting hot again here which is nice after some very dreary days. I am investigating a trip with hubby in September , just for a few days , so that keeps me occupied . I like doing the research .

Here is the updated list

I wonder how JGwen is getting on in Wales ? We miss you JGwen ! Haven’t seen Julz for a while either ( stop running those marathons, Julz and come and say hi !!)
Worried that EC , Lauren , Britta, Bryla among others , haven’t checked in for a while . Hope you are all ok xxx

wendleg, Sunny B, sunshine girl
JGwen
sixturkeys
Starina
Verano
ADD6605 ( Dawn)
Riccoh
Russianroulade
Tulip1 ( Clare)
Mifoz
MerryMelba
Maryanne Carlos-Mascarenhas
WindyJulz
articfox
Olive1
lauraknits
Marsie (Marilyn)
EllieAllegra
EC:Erin
Hello66
Jordana
Alipetunia/Alison
RubyG and hubby
Ditchedthemet
Dizzychicken
SlinkyTinks
LonelyAdipose
Emzijw
Barefoot girl
Life Diet
allicat1A ( Allie, formerly alliecat !)
RedRooster
nhatha3432
sprox
skittle
Daisybean
workingfromthe fridge
Bombalone
PSL68
ScottM
florobo85/Lauren
Tamara1
MillieMoo/Claire
SummerTwinkles/ Summer
Sheila Canning
JustKeepFasting
Bryla
kiltgirl
Deb2003
Donnadoobie
HappiR
WilLuck
PaulaZ
Faithlyn67
Onetowatch
nicnocgee
Smead01 ( Samantha)
Goforgoal
Britta
Mokovex
DebOflo
Riverrock
HopefulinOz/Donna
Quetzal
Onnipinoy
Magicbean
Pashasmum
avisamuelgrey
scotsgirl57
Annamarieboo
peanutbutty
erinmc82
Kat2020
xx1flump1xx
Ncij678
LizzieTOFI
Jeremy Fisher
Green and White
Garmmcns
Chrissybabe63
Reuby19
Elle-Mae
Bissell
Puddingtoast
Steph2
Antigone
LifeUniverseEverything
ellie666
Buffylover /Rebecca
Stilltrying
Nokie/Lynda
Onestep
Mizztraveller
Antigone
JoeyBee

Thank you for including me on the weekly list Wendy.Although I post mainly on the Advancing to Autumn thread at the moment I still read all of the threads most days and find them helpful.I have put 18lbs back on since Christmas and have been losing and regaining the same 7lbs for months but feel that hopefully my head is in the right place to get stuck into this woe properly now again!Dawn X

I watched this Jason Fung video again yesterday. Long, but excellent motivation to keep going. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nJgHBbEgsE&t=5s
I can recommend it. And if you do watch perhaps you could share your biggest take-away from it here.

I think mine is the importance of metabolism in maintaining weight loss, and a lowering metabolism being the main reason most people don’t succeed on normal diets long term (see 20mins in), and the importance of fasting as a way to keep metabolism high when dieting.

Weigh-day for us today, and as expected, we’ve both gained over the weekend, but we’re on track for a decent week. Hubby is travelling for work today, on an actual train! Neither of us is terribly happy about that, but he has his BSD-friendly packed lunch, so that’s one thing that’s good.
And I just ordered him pair of work trousers in a size 34, as even his 36s bought in the past couple of months are requiring a belt to maintain decency now. That’s down from a 46-48 at his heaviest, and a 44 this time last year!

Wendy, I completely understand about the nuts – I have no self-discipline or restraint, and now only occasionally buy nuts, and then prefer to buy pistachios as by the time I’ve shelled them to eat, I have eaten less than I would with almonds etc. The only one I have managed to find some sort of truce with is Brazil nuts – Sunshine-girl mentioned having 1 Brazil nut (at 30 cals per nut) and I thought she was nuts herself, but in my head I have re-framed a single Brazil nut as a nutritional supplement and not a snack, and I do manage to have just the 1, in the evening, after supper with a portion of milk kefir.
Which brings me on to dairy – I could not exclude dairy from my diet, but also know it can easily be overdone with me. I take my coffee black, unless we are travelling and then I make myself an iced coffee (50% espresso 50% double cream), but cheese is my downfall. Any cheese, any time 🙂 I do have to limit myself, and I think the last week’s gains are down to all of the above – portion sizes, nuts (almonds were consumed last week), cheese, and double cream (iced coffees on Saturday and Sunday).

Back on track this week, measuring and weighing food again, no snacks (Brazil nut and kefir allowed) and cheese only as a small part of a meal (so no aubergine melanzane this week then).

Have a good week everyone!

I’m still here and trying to keep up with the posts as regularly as i can. Thanks for the shout out Wendy.
I’m just ticking along, mostly on plan, occasional snaxident, but my baseline lifestyle is so much better. I dabble in a bit of fasting like Jeremy but not in a rigorous way. I do still find it fascinating that once i have real hunger, not just mental ‘i think i want to eat’ hunger, i feel totally amazing and find it a very relaxing sensation. must do it more!
Still running – who’d have thought!? The official marathon i’d entered has been cancelled / postponed so I have committed to running a set marathon distance on 21st August round a lovely part of Aberdeenshire, along the west part of the river Dee. I have a support crew and running buddies keen to help so I’m quite excited. It’ll be complete a week before i turn 40!

I’ve felt a bit meh about food….. I feel like i should be being stricter but equally recognising i need to fuel my body to run. And its really hard as running fold are all about carb loading which i just wont do. Anyway, I had a good look in the mirror today and think i’m looking pretty good – I’ll take that as a win! I havent been on the scales in ages as i just dont think it will help the head space. Might start back to weighing and having a bit of a new push on once we get to September.

And for newbies….. dont think running marathons is part of this life style….but equally note, Ive always been active but absolutely hated running. I started BSD in April 2020 just as lockdown first hit and i started small runs about the same time – not related, just cos my friends set challenges and there wasnt much else to do…… i didnt run more than 5k at a time until December and well frankly I’ve not stopped. I dont think its the BSD way of life which has caused this but i think the mental switch was flicked – look after yourself, be determined, you CAN do this, you dont have to be the same physical person as you have been, there is a way – and this has allowed me to sort what i eat, when i eat and really focus on things that help my wellbeing, running is just part of that.
This way of eating has been liberating.

Wendy, as always everything you say resonates with me! I too am an ‘over eater’ even of all things good. Thankfully the only nuts i really like are pecans so its fairly easy not to have them about. Dairy though, i can go too far with but equally know i wouldnt want to cut it out. Learning moderation is a challenge! Oh and dark chocolate too – i’ll never be a ‘just one square after dinner’ sort of girl!!
I was feeling a bit flat the other day, like ‘this is it I’m just never going to be slimmer’ and i remember Wendy telling me off for this mindset last year! I am not destined to be hefty….. I can control it, I can progress and i have the tools! I am not a victim to weight issues, but I am a carb addict and i need to manage my life along the right path!

Have a good week folks. Sorry for the waffly post!

Great mantras Julz!
Just watched the first half of FatFiction (Its on YouTube) – I had not made the connection between tobacco and sugar industries before 💡 Interesting that the very few smokers I know are all dedicated low fat/ high carb evangelists! Happy Tuesday all:)

Weirdness alert – I was disappointed not to be asked to step on the scales or have my BP taken when I saw the nurse for a screening test this morning!

RubyG I was surprised not to be weighed when I was first diagnosed. They also didn’t tell what my blood pressure was apart from way too high, they did tell me what I should aim for but no advice as to how to lower it apart from more medication. I wasn’t told what my blood sugar reading was to make me diabetes nor what I should be aiming for and again no advice on how to. All I have learned have been from Michael’s books and on here.
I seem to be on a weight plateau, no movement, I expect it will shift soon, hoping for a big leap.😁

Hi everyone, feeling a bit better today but still a great deal of confusion over covid testing for family RETURNING TO UK. Daughter insists it is not necessary for vaccinated and doesnt even think 12 to 17 years olds need to test for UK. Thats not our understanding. One ray of hope is the video on .gov.uk says the test can be 3 days before travel which gives us a couple of options, pharmacy or airport. Although the airport is just a pilot (ha ha) scheme run by the local hospital to check people coming into France – will go and see them on Saturday and ask about it. If anyone out there knows the truth – why does the UK gov word things so complicatedly. The French have done a flow chart, thanks for sending that to me Wendy – and it is simple.

Lost the pound I gained over the weekend. Logged everything and got to 737 kcals and then when I sat down for my bolognaise is realised I had forgotton to add the parmesan cheese to my calculations so hopefully I was just inside 800 cals. Must have done something right.

RubyG how dare you say you thought I was mad. Okay so I am a bit. The point about the one brazil nut was that it contains nearly all the selenium for your daily needs, plus lots of other BUT that they are 30 cals each so to be careful. Glad I was able to help.

Elle-mae and RubyG, sorry to keep knocking the UK but when I came to France I went to see the gynae for my 2 yearly smear and she asked for my previous results (as in a piece of paper with the results on) I told her I didnt have one, she asked for my blood test, cholesterol, the whole damn lot and I could provide nothing. I now have the complete set of results from all my blood tests going back to when I was diagnosed in 2006 and at least the last 6 lots of tests (every 3 months). I know everything about all my medical tests, results etc and will have them with me when (if) I return to the UK. The only thing is you have to hang on to things so when I go for my mammogram in September I will take the photos from my last one as the doctor wont know me and it saves time having to apply for medical records. Yes we pay so it is almost like going private but we get it back into our bank accounts at various rates so, as someone with a lifelong illness I get refunded at 100%. Most people in the system get 70% and those who have extra insurance get the other 30% from the insurance company – no need to claim, it just gets paid automatically. I think I am going to be a terrible patient if I come back, insisting on knowing everything. Give the surgery a ring and ask what your exact results were so you have a baseline to work from. Also I think you can register with some site or other and see all your medical records. My daughter told me the other day that I took her for her booster shots when she was 7 months old. Has the date and everything.

As Wendy says the weather is picking up here, picking up, it is roaring in. 34 degrees today after nearly 2 weeks in the low 20’s. Pool is a cool 22 degrees but I can be sure it will be up to 24 by tomorrow so I will be back to swimming again and maybe get a bit of a weight loss boost although I dont find exercise very efficient for weight loss, good for heart, lungs, muscles, etc.

Have a good week everyone. Take care.

Just a quick check in to say I’m still hanging in here. Not quite where I planned to be at this point, but content enough. This week is looking a bit of a minefield as we have at least two, possibly three, social events, which will make things a bit more difficult than a usual week. However, planning extended overnight fasts and OMAD on a few days, which should help.

New neighbour has roped me into attending a pilates class with her on Friday, so this could be the start of a new exercise regime.

Have a good week everyone, make each meal count and if you’re tempted to snack, stop for a moment to check you are actually hungry first.

Hi All,

Well…..my back on track 2 weeks between 2 holidays has been somewhat wobbly on the eating front…..but doing my best. I feel better mentally though so that’s a plus.

Love to all
T xxxxxxxxx

Hi everyone, good to see you SunnyB, you might not be where you want or need to be but at least you are here and that is enough for now. I am sure you will enjoy the pilates.

Glad you enjoyed your holiday Tulip and especially as it has given you a mental boost.

Sun is out, pool is 25 and I will be going for a swim later today. Thats if I can calm my stomach. I have just taken 2 Imodeum, not sure what the problem is but I had a week off the probiotics while I was waiting for my delivery and have been back on for a few days. Maybe that is it.

Daughter is all sorted with testing regime. She is bringing tests with her and they do them online the night before travel home. Saves us having to run around trying to find out the best places, best prices, best timings etc. And we dont want to be having to go to places to have the tests taking time out of their holiday. All sorted. Now just have to do a big shop to get all the kids stuff in. Cereals, burgers, pizzas, oh no, a hex on my house with all that poison 🙂

I am feeling a bit less stressed (maybe that is another cause of stomach problems) but forgot to mention that daughter had my favourite cat put to sleep on Monday. Poor old Cinders, nearly 23 years old. It would have been cruel to let her carry on so it was for the best. Me and daughter crying our eyes out on Whatsapp.

Lost the rest of my 1 pound gain so need to get down a further 3lbs by 23rd ready for the onslaught. Have a great week everyone.

Hi everyone,

Antigone- fat fiction is an eye opener isn’t it, didn’t realise it was on YouTube too.

Sunshine-girl, great news about your family visit, I was just looking into this again for us to visit my parents and ridiculously all the tests, euro tunnel etc is still cheaper than a holiday cottage in the uk. Im sorry about your daughters cat, they are part of the family so leave such a hole.

Windy, fantastic on the running, I really don’t know how you have the energy to run, I would love to but just don’t have the energy, still waiting for the dizzyness and fatigue to pass 😆

Glad everyone is having a good week (or content at least) so far, we’re (hubby now joined in) not doing too bad, although finding the differences between the books and my fitness pal quite annoying so had a few too many carbs yesterday but hey ho 😕
Drs texted to ask me to book in for bloods again so results from Monday will see if my blood glucose has improved from the last 2 weeks with the BSD. Quite excited.

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone xx

Hi everyone,
We have a bit of breathing room here finally. I spent the weekend on evacuation alert. Luckily I had been making arrangements to move my horses to a place a friend organized nearly 500km away. I was feeling that it was the best thing to do as we are surrounded by fires so there isn’t really a safe place nearby to evacuate them to anymore. Then when we got put on alert it was a bit of a scramble to get them moved, given that we had hot ash falling on us, but thanks to the kindness of two complete strangers who loaned their truck and then drove more than 1600km in just over 24 hours, we got them moved.
I had hardly anything to eat over the weekend as a result, and was suffering from lack of sleep. So by Monday I was pretty hungry. I ended up succumbing to some junk food after that, but because I’ve been eating so healthily lately, it seems my system is not used to the junk anymore and it made me feel quite unwell and gave me a headache. So hopefully I can remember that the next time I’m tempted.
Anyway, we got a bit of a break early this week with cooler temperatures and a tiny bit of rain so we are off alert for the moment. It is heating up again now and we are expecting some bad winds by the weekend. I’m just trying to carry on as normal as much as possible. I have a bit more time on my hands now without the horses to look after, so I’m working to get the house and garden in shape. I am picking a 4L bucket of green beans every other day at the moment. I take them over to my parents and they are cutting them up and putting them in the freezer. We’ve also made pickled beetroot and dill pickles from the cucumbers that I grew. So hopefully we’ll have lots of healthy food put away for winter.
SunnyB – I did pilates several years ago, and I did really enjoy it. Helped my posture immensely. It is something I’ll have to look into here once things open up again. In addition to the wildfires, we’ve had a raging Covid outbreak just to the south of us, so we’ve been put back on restrictions, although not a full lockdown. But gyms and fitness studios are closed again. I just got notice that my online gym membership renewed, so I should start doing some of those classes again. Mostly yoga and strength training on there, and no pilates, but it should all still help.
RubyG – I’ve started eating brazil nuts too. Mostly because eating more selenium is recommended for lipedema. I’m having 3 per day as that is what is recommended to get enough selenium. It is working for me as I find them quite edible, but I am never tempted to eat more than my 3.
S-g – glad to hear that you are finally going to see your family, even if it is a bit disruptive!

Hello. Amz here. I really want to focus, but I’m struggling with my depression and self-destructive choices. Fasting, eating healthy, exercising- it’s so hard to do my best… but I know I’m not the only one dealing with such issues so I want to at least start taking steps towards my goal… so I will work on one thing at a time—- this week, until next Wednesday, i would like to eat no grain or sugar.

Hi everyone,
I posted earlier, but it seems to have disappeared.
I was just checking in after a very stressful weekend. We were put on evacuation alert and I moved my horses 500km away so they would be out of the smoke and safe. We are still surrounded by fires, so there was nowhere nearby that I could safely evacuate them to. The biggest and closest fire was threatening us on two fronts. Anyway, things have improved slightly this week, and the smoke has lifted for now, so I’m able to get more done in the garden and around the property. I’m keeping the horses away though because we are expecting things to get worse again this weekend.
Anyway, I didn’t eat much over the weekend, and then went way off plan when I did start to eat again. But at least I noticed how awful it made me feel as I’ve been eating very well the last few weeks. Plenty still coming out of the garden. I’m harvesting a 4L pail of green beans every other day at the moment. I take them to my parents place and they are cutting, blanching and freezing them. I harvested 5 courgette this evening. We’ve been making pickled beetroot and dill pickles as well. So lots of healthy veg put away for winter.

Oh, I see my original post is back now. How strange!

Amz – no grain or sugar is a great starting point. Step by step is a great approach when you have other challenges in life as it makes it manageable. Let us know on you got on next Thursday.

ArticFox – So great to hear of the help you got from strangers. It’s great how people can be there for each other when it’s most needed.

AMZ !!! So glad to see you and to know that you feel you can come back to our safe space any time . I really feel for you and the challenges you are constantly facing. The depression must be a tremendous struggle and I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to find the right space just to cope with every day , never mind any weight loss . Have you a friendly doctor you could speak to just to get a bit of help even temporarily ?

In the meantime just do what you can . I would say steering clear of any processed , high carb foods will make you feel physically better and you will have more energy ultimately . On a good day maybe try to prepare a batch of food to freeze or just have simple protein ready to put with veg or salad ? You don’t need extra pressure . How is your daughter ? Are you having to cook for the family ? Don’t try and do too much, one step at a time . You know you will find friendly support on here any time . You are not alone, Amz xxxx

Articfox I cannot dare imagine the challenges you are facing there and frankly I don’t know how you cope with it all ! I am just glad you and the horses are safe and if you didn’t manage to eat healthily all the time, well so what ? Sorry it made you feel a bit yuck , that’s what carbs do when we are not used to eating them . I am sure it was hard to get your head around healthy food choices in such challenging moments when you have to react quickly. Take care xx

Clare , glad to hear you are feeling a bit better xx

I am still off the nuts and dairy is reduced to a bit of cream in my coffee . I’m off to Pilates now which we do outdoors in the warm weather . I have booked a few days away in September as I mentioned so will be researching markets around the area. I have found a very peaceful gite on a farm with beautiful countryside and friendly owners and animals ! It’s about an hour and a half’s drive from here so not too far but far enough to give us a change .

Wishing everyone a good day whatever you are up to xxx

Arcticfox….you have so much to deal with! You are doing so well and so positively under really difficult circumstances!!
Amz…..fab idea, starting with those 2 real basics, I am sure you will feel much better for that- I really struggle with mental health issues too and I know the impact they can have on looking after myself….I also know now, through this WOE, how much healthy changes help my mental health…..sooo, I try to remember that….sometimes it works better than others.
I’m not doing super duper well with my eating at present but I am holding my current weight and not gaining more (on top of gain of 4.5 lbs over last few weeks above my attained goal weight of 1 lb under top of normal BMI for my height)…..after my hol next week I aim to really knuckle down……mmmmm, and really need to try and be sensible today and tomorrow pre-hol but am somewhat stressed with pre-hol prep….camping, so lots of extra prep….. *QUESTION*: any good tips on easy things I can buy as snacks/ meals whilst camping that are compatible with this WOE? I haven’t really got time to prepare stuff in advance. We will have a mini fridge (cool box) that we can plug in and a couple of cool bags with freezer blocks, plus bags to contain dry goods. I will be with hubby and my youngest 2 kids who will b happy to eat loads of carbs as well, so temptation all around and so easy to have things like bread, pasta, crisps etc!!! Plus we will be really active, long hikes etc, so energy required.
xxxxx

Hi

I think you are right

I’m not good at cutting down on favourite things so I think its best for me to cut out bread all together !

which perhaps is what I should have been doing all along !

I take full fat dairy and nuts within my daily allowance and this does help keep things ‘normal’ lifestyle on not ‘diety; for me

54

54

Hey everyone. Great to read and catch up on the thread.
I’m back from my holiday, and although I wasn’t as consistent with low carb whilst away, I felt in control and haven’t given up, which I likely would have done this time last year.
Wendy, I too run, although only small 5k distances, and always try to increase my calorie intake for run days a bit, what ways do you achieve that without ‘carb loading’? Great news on the marathon, and so inspiring to hear your journey.
I am completely addicted to cheese and nuts..and even love eating them at the same time! I tend do have a small chin I of cheese if I’m hungry/craving, but after reading this thread, I’m going to make a much bigger effort to completely minimise these, as I have such little control with them when I’m stressed at work etc!
Anyways, just checking in, loving the sunshine

hiya,
just had a weekend away, oop north to see Peter Kay and well, let’s just say i took full advantage of a trip to Carluccio’s and the buffet breakfast including LOTS of pastries – sod it, it’s a treat after all.
anyway back to “normal” on Sunday night and it turns out (as of wednesday night) i’ve lost another 61lbs taking my total to 1.5 stone in 2.5 weeks. (weird body of mine)
one query i do have is that I tend to eat my greens like they’re going out of fashion so averaging 3/4 whole brocolli, plus a courgette, plus asparagus or green beans with evry main meal (the missus eats the other 1/4!) and i know they’re “free” calories, but there must be a couple of hundred per meal? – is this normal – the only way i can seem to control my hunger cravings.

Ellie … I take it that the 61lb should have read 6lb!? Regardless, you’re making great progress. Personally whilst in weigh loss mode, I have always counted both cals and carbs in everything, including veg, to factor in as part of my daily allowance. However, your results say that what you’re doing is working well for you, so just carry on. Tweaks can be made later if things stall.
AMZ, really pleased to see you posting again. Your approach for the coming week sounds a great way to start to get back on track. Don’t make your life unnecessarily difficult, just do what you can.
OrangePanda, similarly, your plan for the coming week is a good one. Taking things a step at a time and not tackling everything head on, will hopefully make getting to grips with this WoE easier.
Arctic, can hardly believe all the difficulties and uncertainty you’re facing. Really pleased you have been able to get the horses to safety …. must be one huge worry off your mind. These lessons about the consequence of resorting to junk food, are very valuable…. although have to say I’ve fallen foul a few times myself regardless.
Joey, well done on managing your break and maintaining some control… not an easy task.
Tulip, not gaining is a plus so well done on maintaining. Re snacks/meals whilst camping, I guess it depends on what cooking facilities you have, but I’d think in terms of eggs, cheese, salad, pre-cooked meat …. a rotisary chicken for instance. Could you make a crustless quiche or frittata to cut up for snacks perhaps?
I’m making slow progress back to target, however as that’s with a number of social events this week, I’m quite happy to see any small steps in the right direction.
Remember, if things getaway from you don’t panic, just get right back to eating the BSD way as soon as possible.

Hi everyone. First of all arcticfox, my heart really goes out to you and even if I have a moan now and then I dont know how you are coping and you are in my thoughts. With all the fire problems in Europe it seems Canada has dropped off the UK news radar. Parts of the south of France are on fire but that might just be the ‘usual’ seasonal, usually caused by idiots with portable bbqs, campfires, cigarette butts etc. Hopefully it is nothing more. Here in the southwest we are warming up but nothing like even Spain at 45 degrees yesterday. We hit 34 yesterday but that is just a normal summer. In fact we have just had a thunderstorm and a heavy downpour.

So, back to my woes. Dd just texted, her bloke has just been given his kids passports by his ex and, i think you have already guessed what comes next, yes – one of them is out of date. Seems like there is little to no chance of getting an emergency appointment so they are not coming. My dd and the 2 boys will still come but I know she will be miserable but she really wants to come. If she cancelled now her boys would be let down. What a great big pile of poop his has been. Maybe we should just sell up and go back.

So many people posting, I dont know if I can keep up. Will now look on YT for Fat Fiction.

It might be helpful for people to say which diet they are on when they ask for specifica advice as we are such a mixed bunch. We tend to assume everyone is on BSD 800 or Fast 800 but some of you might be doing 5:2 and have larger allowances on some days. Just say what calorie allowance you are on. And, week on week, we cant necessarily remember although I often look back at profiles to see if anyone has a medical issue or states which diet they are on.

Ellie666, all calories should be counted as they can soon add up if you are on v.l.cal it might only be a matter of 50 or 100 which tips you over. Although a few here and there are not to be worried about.

AMZ just do what you can and look for people on here for support.

Joeybee – there should be no carb loading, in fact MM suggesting dropping exercise rather than eating carbs. My brother is a gym fanatic and has just been diagnosed with high cholesterol so I told him to stop the rice and pasta pre-gym. He thought he wouldnt be able to do his workouts but I put him onto boiled eggs, lean meat, a few nuts, cheese etc. He is doing fine and his cholesterol is right down to normal again. Your body gets used to not needing the carbs and starts searching for stored fat to live on. That is one of the main principles of this diet. So really no-one here should be eating any carbs – no bread, pots, rice, pasta….. you know the list..

I know this diet is strict but it does work and it is also worth it for the other health benefits. When you burn more fat the first place your body loses it is around your internal organs which causes all sorts of problems, diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver and so on. Although, having said that, it is better to do your best than not do it at all.

Well, I am going off to have a little cry now. Take care everyone and have a good week / weekend.

JoeyBee ! It’s WINDY julz who runs, not me, I wish !!!

Oh SG, the roller coaster of your travel plans makes me feel so sad for you as you seemed to have it all sorted . I am sure you have investigated fast track passport applications, but what a disappointment 🙁 There is not much to say to help . I don’t suppose a later flight is an option ? If my boys were on their way to see me I would be in bits until they actually got here . Even to be on French soil would be a bonus but it is such a minefield right now . I know you will be glad to see your daughter and the grandkids but it’s tough that they can’t all be there . Have a good cry, I would .

What a awful time you are having Articfox! I feel for you and hope it improves very soon.

SG such a shame that everyone cannot get there.

Ok so I’m on the BSD and I’m struggling.
Everyday my carbs are up to about 75(max) I can’t get it lower than about 50, the recipes I put into my fitness pal the carbs are quite different and it throws me.

So today I’ve had Greek yogurt with berries and sprinkle of flaked almond
The spicy tuna fish patties with mixed salad and plum with double cream.
Progress seems to be very slow, no more from Sunday and actually went up a 1lb yesterday so don’t feel I’m doing it right. Can someone set me straight please x

Hi Onestep … well, I’m not seeing anything horrendous in what you have had today, nothing glaringly high in carbs, assuming the patties weren’t made with potato of course. Being under 100g carbs will work for most people and 75g seems reasonable. Insulin resistance is reason why some of us push carbs much lower than that, so it’s not necessary for all.
Where are you week-wise? It’s not unusual for stalls to happen, or even to hit a plateau, around weeks three/four. But aside from that, weight discard is never linear, so there will be times when despite doing everything right, the pounds just refuse to move. Are you measuring yourself? I ask because whilst the pounds might be sticking, it’s common for inches to disappear first. Perhaps you’ve noticed garments not being as snug as before.

Finslly, try not to be disheartened by things seemingly not happening…. stick with it, it will come right.

Onestep my weight has stalled this week despite walking a bit further each day, but my jeans definitely feel looser. Been very busy today have read all the posts but not had time to respond. SG so sorry about you visitors, hope you get to see them soon. OH’s ex would do similar things! Arcticfox you have so much to deal with. ellie666 lucky you getting to see Peter Kay. I am on the Fast 800 just for the record with trying to fast from dinner around 7/8 pm to breakfast around 11.30 am not today or tomorrow as have to have breakfast earlier due a hair appointment and to having to go into the office.
Take care everyone x

Onestep – it sounds like you’re doing the right thing and just need to keep going.

Our weight can vary quite a lot from day to day, often due to the water stored in our bodies, so over a few days we often do see nothing change. I’d recommend weighing less often – say once a week. Even then you can still get anomalies if your weighing day happens to be one of your higher weight days.

Another thing I’ve done in the past is measure my waist size. It’s motivating when weight hasn’t dropped but waist size has – it’s more evidence that you are doing the right thing. I find waist size does fluctuate a little less too.

Thanks Sunny I’m only only 12 days in! The tuna patties were out of the BSD recipe book so not a potato in sight ☺️ But I Haven’t measured maybe that is my downfall, things are looser but only a bit.

Thanks Elle-mae fingers crossed we get a whoosh soon.

Thank you Jeremy, yes you are right I think I’m so excited to see the weight leave and I see others who have a huge amount of loss in the first few weeks and wonder where mine is, I know I shouldn’t compare. I started on a Sunday so will make that my weigh in day. I’ll get out the old tape measure too.
Thank you all for the reassurance I will continue as I am and hopefully see a difference soon x

We’re all unique, Onestep and unfortunately some of us lose much more slowly that others ….. I fall into that category myself, so can appreciate your frustration. Try not to compare your progress to that of others thpugh and embrace every little win, whether it’s half a pound, a waistband feeling looser, not feeling bloated or sleeping better. Remember it’s not just about the scales, you’ll find lots of well being and health benefits from this way of eating.
Twelve days is ver early in the process, so try not to stress, just relax and try to enjoy the journey.

Hello all!
Checking in from California and reading so many posts — hang in there everyone — we are going to get through this. Hang in.
No despair.
The world is a beautiful place — we can’t always control what happens but the beauty remains.
Arctic fox — I’m guessing you are in western Canada and I am not much further south in the Sierra Mountsins of California. The fires have been awful, especially the Dixie fire around Lake Almanor and Mount Lassen — it is smoky and hot here, very different from the usual cool and clear air. I’m so sorry you had to move your ponies, that’s very scary. Good people always show up to help, don’t they?
They are going to get a handle on it. Good you are getting in healthy summer produce.
Sunshine-girl, I love your honesty. You wear your heart on your sleeve. Can your daughter use a passport service? I paid $300 US dollars last time I had a passport problem (ha ha, I was moving to Bath that year!) and they sorted my passport in 24 hours. Worth the money – can she find a high-end service that can sort that? It’s just money
Amz, sweetheart, good to see you posting again. My intuition says you conflate your physical self with your self of personal valuation. You are beautiful (we’ve seen that in your posts) and weight does not change that. Being overweight does not makes us unloveable or bad or stupid — no matter what message we heard from our parents.
You can change this. You don’t have to be perfect, in fact, that will get in your way. I bet you have a lot to offer.
Take care all. Reclaim your lives now that Covid is controlled. Grab your life and don’t let it go.
Julia
Lake Tahoe, California

Hi all, just checking in to answer a few of your questions even though others have given great advice.

Onestep, as a diabetic I have tried and tried to do the 20g carbs but I just cant get it right. If I have v. l. carbs my calories drop too low and the balancing of getting everything right is just beyond me. I manage to stay around 50g and have still seen big improvements in my blood glucose and lowering of medication and insulin. You are doing just great so dont let it throw you.

Elle-Mae, I followed this diet so strictly for 8 weeks and only lost a total of 9lbs. One reason was my use of insulin – makes me sound like a junkie – it was my drug use did it 🙂 But at 5 months I had lost 18lbs and now wobble around 23 to 25 lbs down and basically maintaining while still trying. I have seen people on here losing 20lbs in 2 weeks and I have seen them come and go. Some have come back saying they have regained it and it was often because they thought they had sussed this out and didnt need to try too hard any longer – that is not specific to anyone here or to this diet – it is just the way people think. A bit like the ex smoker who thinks they dont need to smoke anymore so just have the odd one and are soon back there smoking. Staying power is the secret here and even if some people no longer post I hope they are still following the basics and the principles. One thing about this diet is even if you slip up and gain a little it is not long before the results kick in again. You will lose more, this is just a blip.

Californiagirl, where the heck have you been. Nice to see you.

Following on from yesterday’s post about daily weight fluctuations. I got on the scales today and was 1.5lbs lighter than yesterday which was already a very good day. While I’m happy about that, yesterday wasn’t actually a good day for me – neither was it one of my fast days, nor did I stick to low-carb – so I know it’s probably just a 1 day blip.
Hoping it sticks though!

Thanks sunny and sunshine, makes me feel so much better! Here for the long haul and small wins
as promised no weigh in today 😀
That’s brilliant Jeremy I’m sure it will.

Have a great day all x

Talking about carbs, I have just had a big shock – frozen peas, 1 cup 100 cals and 24g carbs. That little item takes me over the 800 cals and up to a total of 64g carbs. Luckily I havent eaten them yet so will rethink my meal.

Weight down again so I have lost 2 of my 3lbs goal and now just have to get through the weekend without messing it up.

Californiagirl – glad you think I am open and honest. Daughter already looked at using a rapid service and it is not allowed for children. Something to do with trafficking laws.

Okay, just changed peas for grilled tomatoes and that is 50 cals and 14g carbs. Total for day 705 cals (give or take) and 45g carbs.

Thank you SG I too am a slow loser, this has been the fastest it has gone so far. I think maybe I have done a little bit of my own thing and need to stick to the book recipes. Mostly it’s just been swapping my meals that I had calorie and carb counted around due to circumstances, some things taking to long to make with other commitments and had the roasted beetroot and figs meal planned for lunch yesterday but the figs had gone off so quick rethink and fell back on my trusty favourite Greek salad. Have a lovely time with your daughter. Seeing mine next month 😁

Hi Sunshine girl!
Thank you for the shout-out— I have been in California since the pandemic started — we wanted to go back to the UK but so far, it hasn’t worked out. We are more “free” in California — there were restrictions for Covid but they have been lifted and we have been able to travel anywhere in the western US very easily, especially if you drive. Right now the only rare restrictions are masks and it’s a county-by-county situation — some ask for them, some do not, some ask that you mask if not vaccinated, some don’t care.
Overall, most restrictions are gone. No one talks about Covid anymore. Restaurants are full and you can’t get a reservation! So annoying!!
Back to BSD — I’m like you, now 5 and 1/2 years following this way of eating and doing well. I DID gain about 5 Pounds during Covid, which is weird because I didn’t do anything different and now I wonder, was it stress? Because I have lost those 5 pounds again this summer and I didn’t really change my habits. An interesting question!
So, daily, I have only coffee with heavy cream for breakfast. We eat lunch about 11:30 (we are working from home) invariably a big salad with lettuce, arugula, beets, peppers, anise, egg, cheese, pumpkin seeds and homemade olive oil dressing. Dinner is meat or fish and veggies. No snacks but I have lost the desire to eat between meals.
As often as I can, which is somewhat limited by a husband who REALLY likes his regular meals, I try to fast. I had a terrible time getting to 24 hours — I tried and tried, but didn’t really get past 20 hours. But, practice makes perfect, and I can now go 26 hours very easily. I haven’t tried multiple days yet but I’m still “practicing”!
I love your comments about France. I love that place — omg, a whole lifetime of wonderful memories in France. I miss England too — I want to go back — we had such a lovely time in Bath in 2019 — we are waiting for it to become easier. I wonder, we are Americans working in the UK, we are still waiting for a “green light” — there must be a lot of people still “on hold” waiting for Covid to go so we can return to our happy lives.
I hope you have an absolutely wonderful time with your daughter and whichever (hopefully all) of the grandchildren who can make it to France.
Take care Sunshine girl!
Your postings are very helpful to people, I think.

This is a PS —
My husband had his bloods done this morning — he is forced to follow BSD principles because his wife says so, and I make him listen to Dr Bikman podcasts, ha ha,
Overall, his numbers keep dropping — his glucose (formerly a bit high) is normal, his HDL is excellent, Triglycerides are very low — LDL is just on the upper end of normal but normal (I’m thinking this might be genetic as it has seriously improved but hasn’t gone down as far as I would like), blood pressure normal (130/70)
All in all, even better than last year!
And this has been achieved with a very low carb, high fat diet —his fats are butter, olive oil and any fats occurring in meats — as little as possible any seed oils or soy oils or hydrogenated fats —
Very few carbs except vegetables and wine/beer

Hi everyone

Californiagirl, I had to laugh at your description of your husbands diet – because you told him. That is exactly the same here. Hubby had some worrying results just over 3 months ago and doctor asked for a retest in 3 months. Out went the lunchtime sandwiches – he now has one slice of bread with whatever on top. No more honey on his very healthy oats (didnt seem to think he was doing anything wrong as honey is natural – right -) 3 months later all bloods back in the normal and below range. What would they do without us.

Things are still hopeful here with daughters bloke having an appointment in Glasgow Monday morning. That is still cutting it fine but lets be optimistic. Also another flight possibility on the Wednesday so they would just miss 2 days of holiday. Daughter and grandsons are still coming as planned and letting him sort out his own children – not in a bad way – just nothing she can do. Anyway, can you guess who is the most hated daddy in the world right now. I did tell him to practice crying in public ready for the appointment.

Just one bit of good news. I have currently got my insulin injections down to 15 units which is even less than the doctor put me on when I first started using 15 years ago. Last night I switched the dial to 15 and count the clicks… 11, 12, 13, 14, no 15. Okay, do I get a new syringe just to do one unit. Lets not bother. This morning my BG is still low at 80. Going to keep it at 14 for the coming week. That should help with more weight loss.

You are all a bit quiet, hope you are doing okay. 35 degrees today so hiding in my little office with my mini fan on my face.

Hi all, a while ago I posted that I had made a meal planner showing calories and carbs daily and I think I have found a way to share it with you. The cells adding up the calories are locked to save the formulas. I find it useful as when I have chosen a dinner I can see how many calories are left, I can’t cope with the maths lol. If this sharing works and you would like to use it please feel free to do so. Fingers crossed this works 🤞
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hHKRxFxlaPTlz30zvAZwi-nZ-1CpQ8CZ/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=117962190858152686418&rtpof=true&sd=true

Hello everyone!
Nice summer holiday – but complete fallback on carb-based diet during longer family visit. I didn’t manage to buy and make the right food – stepping on old nice lovely relatives’ toes and ‘destroy’ their planned meals for our family visit. I just didn’t manage to do what I planned. And from that on I kind of lost it. Completely. And have a constant headache (yes due to carb diet). I am finally back home – but haven’t managed to reset my mind to plan as before. I need it. Well – tomorrow is a new day – feel miserable as I have restarted too many times the last months, but now I will be back to work and will have routines and that helps. It is like I need a few days to get back on track. Sunday will be semi-strict, Monday will be strict. From Monday and onwards will be strict. Looking so much forward to that – fell so much better then.

One more thing – I am planning a four-day mountain trip with tent and will carry food and tent and sleeping bag and clothes + jetboil to heat water and use dried food…. Do you nice smart helpful people have suggestions for relevant bsd-food to bring on such a hike that will last for a few days, that is not heavy or that is dried and can be eaten with boiled water? Everything I find is freeze dried high-carb-meals. Would be great if you could share relevant meals… Have the best week-end everyone!

Quetzal

Hi everyone, I’m sat inside at the moment to get away from the choking smoke that has turned our skies an eerie yellow. I was doing some more fire-smarting this morning and took two more bags of combustible garden waste to the dump. Just have one area around one of the back corners of the house left and then will tackle around the garage.
I’ve been doing better with my eating, but still not fully back on track. We had a couple of very warm days again, so wasn’t bothering to cook, and that seems to always throw me off a bit. Anyway, I have a lot of eggs in at the moment, so will perhaps boil some up so I have some for quick meals.
Quetzal – I do a chia and hemp seed porridge that might work in your situation. Normally I would use almond milk or coconut milk with it, but you could try adding some protein powder to it and then just add water. Also, I had a professor in uni who used to do multi-week canoe trips. His wife used to make all their dried meals from scratch rather than relying on the commercial ones. She made up the recipe, then dried it very slowly overnight in the oven on its lowest setting. I’ve never tried it, but seemed to work well for them. Probably works best for things like casseroles or soups and stews. In my evac bag currently, I have little tins of olives and sardines to go along with my nuts and things. In quantity they would get heavy, but one or two might be okay as they are very small. I also have a packet of Knorr cream of broccoli soup. Not something I would necessarily eat normally, but nice for camping or in an emergency when you want something hot.

Hi Quetzal,
I can relate to finding good food on the backpacking trail —it’s kind of a conundrum which I struggle with every time I go into the back country. We hike in the Sierras in California — lovely John Muir country and we are jet-boil fans too!! Ha ha!
I have to say, my first jet boil so surprised me with its power that I burned my oatmeal in it the very first day of a backpacking trip and the whole trip everything else tasted like burned oatmeal. It literally annealed the oatmeal to the (not really) non-stick liner and I finally threw it away and got a new one! (That was on Mt Whitney — highest point in continental (not Alaska) US — my first experience with Jetboil (now a fan).
So BSD-wise, don’t worry too much — you will be hiking, carrying a pack and dealing with cold and hot weather — a few carbs will not cause any grave damage and in fact may be very useful, so don’t stress, just enjoy!!
When I am backpacking I have nuts and dried jerky (meats), freeze-dried meals, oatmeal and raisins, dried fruit, granola.
I have experienced a huge loss of appetite while backpacking so take something that can appeal to you even when you are exhausted — seriously, you are out in the wilderness and you are your own “self-rescue — this is not a great time to try to diet.
You’re going to be burning 1000+ calories every day — just enjoy. Take some instant coffee and hot chocolate mix for breakfast (make your own) — it gets me through a lot of tired mornings.
Lunch I found was best served with a trail mix — that way you can eat and hike at the same time.
Dinner, yuck, always so tired I just wanted to crawl into my sleeping bag so something ready to go — dehydrated spaghetti or macaroni and cheese.
My husband carries a small bag of whisky — and measures out a small portion before bed. I’m more of a wine/beer fan but his whisky has been helpful at high altitude (for us in California that is 11,000 feet to 14,000 — that’s 3353 meters to 4267 meters) — you can get a backpacking-secure boda-bag to hold alcohol!
Me, well, I’m always the front runner when we get back down and we’ve sighted the brewery/bar. I think backpacking is the excuse to have a few beers! I mean, all those wildflowers are beautiful but….
Live well.

—————————
Weekly Weigh-in
—————————
13st 7lbs today, a 6lb loss from when I started 12 weeks ago, and nothing lost in the last 3 weeks. I’m pleased about those 6lbs, but this is not the progress I need for my long term health.

The fasting is going really well, but I think I’m just eating too much on non-fast days, including a few too many carbs.

So, time for a change.

I’m going to keep going with the 3 days a week of fasting until 6pm, and then give myself a 1500 calorie limit on other days after taking off calories burned while exercising.

—————
Summary
—————
Start: 13st 13lbs (195lbs/89kg) – my heaviest ever!
Weeks 1-3: A bit of a false start – one good week and 2 bad. 13st 12lbs (lost 1lb)
Weeks 4-6: Started intermittent fasting. Difficult at first with a lot of brain fog. Limited weight loss of just 1lb. 13st 11lbs.
Weeks 7-9: Added low carb to 2-3 fasts each week. Much better progress and lost a further 5lbs. Total loss: 7lbs (13st 6lbs)
Week 10-12: 2-3 fast days each week. Fasting going well. But carbs at weekends letting me down. Gain of 1lb (13st 7lbs).

On my diary tracking thread, I posted that I managed to gain about a half a pound a day last week, which has annoyed me, but will not derail me.
I did a 19hour fast over the weekend, from Friday night to about 2pm Saturday lunch and felt good for it.
But, I have also suffered from constipation this past week, a new problem in my diet (sorry if TMI, but I won’t be the only one), so have had some psylllium husk this morning in a drink, and will aim for a larger than usual water intake through the day too.
I find it difficult to understand, given that I do eat some form of vegetable at every meal, including fermented veg yesterday, and a daily dose of milk kefir, so my gut biome should be happy, but at the moment it isn’t.

In response to Quetzal’s request for BSD-friendly backpacking foods – I was going to suggest beef jerky or pork scratchings as lightweight high-protein snacks (check the packets to see if they have added carbs), along with some almonds etc. I think it’s John West that do little plastic pots of tuna, which would be lighter to carry than tins.
We have used lookwhatwefound.co.uk meals for camping in the past, they are not carb-heavy (we used to have them with a pouch of rice, pre-BSD days), but you may need more than 1 pouch per meal (they are cheaper than other camping brands of ready meals), and if you watch the heat they are easily warmed through in the jetbboil, but take care not to catch/burn as CaliforniaGirl has already warned.
I just had a look at the Wayfarer meals, and the Steak and Vegetables is a 300g serving, with 23g carbs (7.7g per 100g) – all of their other meals are mixed with rice or some other form of white carb.
Boiled eggs are always a camping staple too.