I will catch up folks , I will

While you are waiting for me, here is the new weekly thread . You are all so supportive to each other you don’t need me to nag

What a brilliant bunch you are xx

Wendy x

Sunshinegirl and SunnyB are doing a grand job keeping the thread going while I am faffing about . Thank you dear friends x

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

hi there! this is a seasoned bsder rejoining the ranks if i may?
i’ve followed the plan twice with good results.
but then i had a nervous breakdown in 2019 and after a few tries i’ve found a medication that can help my anxiety – with the side effect of gaining 5 stone.
now my brain is fixed i’ve tuned in physically and realised my body is broken. my sleep is poor, i sweat like a horse, my hip hurts and i have sciatica.

so i’ve ordered the obligatory big shop, booked myself in for a farewell carvery tomorrow and am fixed to start again on wednesday.

i wish you all luck this week – i feel grateful to have some company on my journey x x

Welcome back Erin! Sounds like you’ve been through the mill, so really well done for rejoining! You’ll soon feel so much better on so may levels – but you knew that. Hope you have a good first week.
Wendy you are always so brilliant at keeping up with everyone, I’m sure you’re allowed to step back for the odd day here and there!
This is going to be a great week I think!

Hi Everyone, I’ve been desperate to start this for too long. I never seem to have got passed the first day without succumbing to the wrong foods. Today, I have done it and I am feeling so pleased and motivated to continue this journey. Thanks guys 😊

RubyG and hubby reporting for duty, both a touch heavier than we were 2 weeks ago, but determined not to let the small gain settle in and get comfortable.
Here’s to a good week everyone, it’s May next week!

Morning all morning all.

Currently 81.5 kilos, would LOVE to be 80 as a nice round number but that might be a tad ambitious for a week. We shall see!

Hardest thing for me is not going straight to the fridge every time I get stressed / bored/ annoyed, since I’m still working from home. Our meals have always been quite healthy but its snacking has always been my downfall. Still, I managed to resist partner’s kitkats yesterday and had a boiled egg instead. Yum. (Actually I put a bit of salt on and it was genuinely delicious). Meal by meal, day by day.

Morning all….not as nice as yesterday with the lovely sunshine we had,I’ve never been so brown in April !
Anyway,started BSD properly yesterday and started off with half an avocado with an egg in the well for breakfast,lunch was mini quiches and dinner was cowboy beans with a slice of wholemeal seeded bread. Today’s breakfast was avocado,poached egg with spinach,I’m making the leek and celeriac soup for lunch. Now what I’m curious about us portion size,do we cut the portions down ! I tried last week as a tester with the BSD recipes and gained a pound,so what did I do wrong ? Too much on my plate ? Not enough water ? I’m baffled,any help greatly appreciated.

@flump it’s been a while since I did the “proper” fast 800 diet so others may be better placed, but I remember some of the calorie counts in the recipes were well off.

So I would weigh everything and enter it into tracker like my fitness pal for a week. I also found that a really helpful (sometimes stark!) reminder of what a portion looks like after a habit of overeating has skewed perceptions). Remember to track things like oil used in cooking, dressings on salads etc.

The bright side is even if you’re over calories last week for whatever reason, you’ll still be benefiting your body by cutting out obvious sugary treats, crisps etc.

Evening everybody.
Wendy, thanks so much for setting up the new weekly thread, you are a gem 🙂
Erin and Flump, welcome! Sounds like you are both on track for a very positive week.
Kat – welcome also. The first three or four days are the hardest, so if you can get through those you are well on your way. And trust me, it’s worth it 🙂
Flump – the advice that PeanutButty has given you is spot on – the recipe book carb and calorie counts aren’t entirely accurate. Depending on which book you are using, some show the nutrition for 1 serve only, but are highly dependant on the actual brands you use. I strongly recommend that you get a good set of kitchen scales, and weigh and input absolutely everything into MyFitnessPal or FatSecret. Keep in mind that you are tracking net carbs (total carbs minus fibre). Depending on which country you are in, some countries labels already show net carbs whereas others show total carbs only. It sounds like some of your meals were quite carb heavy – beans, bread, and celeriac are quite carb heavy. For example, one serve of the cowboy beans is 41g carbs according to the cookbook (if accurate), and 100g of celeriac contains about 7.5g carbs. This diet requires you to limit carbs so that your insulin levels are low enough for your body to switch to fat burning mode and access your fat stores. Depending on how insulin resistant you are, some people go into ketosis/fat burning mode if they keep net carbs under 50g a day. Others, especially those with pre-diabetes or T2 diabetes or who are particularly insulin resistant, might need to go as low as 20g a day of net carbs. So I would recommend that you sepnd a week tracking your carbs and keeping under 50g net carbs a day, and see if this makes a difference.

I had two lovely non-scale victories today. As the weather gets cooler here in Australia, I pulled out a winter skirt that I haven’t worn for probably 9 or 10 months to wear this morning. It was laughably loose – so loose I couldn’t even wear it. I have packed it on the op shop pile with delight. Then, as I was driving to work, I noticed that my engagement ring keeps spinning around on my finger – it seems my finger has gotten thinner too 🙂

Have a lovely day / evening everybody 🙂
Donna.

Any thanks,I’ll get that tracker and go from there. No point just using the recipes shown and finding out your going over your limit. I don’t eat things like cake, biscuits,crisps, chocolate etc,nothing sweet for me,don’t even have sugar in drinks and only drink sparkling flavoured water or diet/caffeine free coke ( goes nice with the vodka) lol

Good job Flump. Just to deliver more bad news, diet drinks will provoke an insulin response even if they don’t have any sugars, and your body will process any alcohol before it can even start to think about switching to fat burning mode. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news 🙁

Oh blimey,thanks for the info. I only have a couple on a fri or sat night,that’s my treat of the week,so I guess no treat now then ?

Hi everyone, welcome to peanut, Kat, erin and xxlflump. Great to see hopefulinoz, britta and rubyg are still with us as I am sure there will be many more by the end of the week.

Flump – Hopefulinoz has already given you some good advice but have you read either the BSD 8 week book or the Fast 800. Well worth buying one of them. You say you dont eat cake or biscuits or have sugar but, even though these are the worst of the worst there are so many things that contain sugar. Not in the white crystal type but foods that turn into sugar in the blood like potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, breakfast cereals or anything made from cereals like pastry, rice cakes etc. I notice you had a mini quiche – was that in a pastry case??? Also, half an avocado was a good choice but then you had it again the next day. If this was to use up the other half then okay. Just remember, although really good oils in avos, they are very high in calories – 250 cals in one or 125 in half. I have them infrequently. Dont be put off by having your errors pointed out. I have been doing this for nearly 5 years and still make silly mistakes. Until you get the hang of it you might want to add up your cals and carbs on the food you intend to eat, not what you have already eaten. You can always leave something out if it is coming in too high or too carby. Look at it this way, you are contributing to this site because you want support. You will get plenty of that. You also want to learn – stick with us. It wont be long before you are giving advice to another newbie. We have all been there.

How have I done. I set a goal of 1kg to Friday and reached it early so added another 0.5kg for up to today. I have lost 1.6kg and I am so pleased. I think I have been missing a trick by not doing the TRE before. I still eat 3 meals a day and I still have around 800 cals. The difference is I dont seem to need an afternoon snack as breakfast is 10.30 and lunch around 1 to 1.30 by which time I am ready for an earlier dinner. Also no evening snack to steady my BG and prevent a surge during the night. My body has got used to being hungry and is not flooding my system to compensate. I am still running at 19 units of insulin and will reduce to 18 tonight. I know it doesnt mean much to people who are not diabetic but it is my absolute aim to severely reduce insulin and maybe, just maybe, I might not need injections every night.

Have a good week everyone. And anyone reading and thinking of joining us, just jump in and say hi.

Just a quick check in to welcome newcomers and fresh returnees, as well as to thank Wendy for the new thread and to greet all our usual travellers.

Ruby, I’m sure you and hubby will kick that small gain into touch PDQ. You have both made great progress and I’m sure you’ll be reporting good things again soon.
Kat, well done on making a start … the first few days are the toughest and you’ve cracked the first one. Onwards and downwards!
Erin, sorry you have had such a rough time, but great you are now able to focus on your physical wellbeing… good to have you back with us.
Flump, I don’t have anything to add to the solid advice already given. It takes awhile to get to grips with the new regime, but once you get a handle on it, it quickly becomes second nature. Don’t be disheartened by your experience last week, just concentrate on honing your BSD skills and keep us posted.

I continue to maintain, admittedly not quite at the place I’d like to be, but maintaining all the same. Still working on mindset and WILL get back to target sometime soon, but probably not this week. Have decided not to beat myself up about it and accept that for now, I’m a few pounds adrift.

Have a great week everyone. Remember, this is the place to come and vent if you need to, to ask questions, seek encouragement and support AND of course, to celebrate all the wins, both on and off the scales.

Thank you hopefulinoz and sunnyb …..I can now see why I put weight on….it’s quite confusing what you can and can’t eat and it’s going to take me some time to get a grip if this,I will persist tho. Yes I had avocado two days running to use it up,the celeriac was in with a leek for soup,I didn’t weigh anything but it made two soup bowls for two days. The mini quiches were not in cases as I know pastry us bad,and I’m in the uk….just to clear that up…..where or who can I get advice for meals as in like a planner so I know I’m going forward & not backwards ? I really need to do this to feel good and look good and for health reasons….I have spinal stenosis in my neck and lumbar and need to lose 3 stone to help relieve the back pain. Thank you to all for your help,what a fantastic bunch of friendly,helpful people you are.

I always advise if you aren’t following the meal plans and recipes in the book, to keep things simple … at least on the beginning, while you’re getting to grips with things. If you are catering for others who aren’t on the BSD, it makes sense to make something they can share and just have carbs added to their plate.

Weighing and measuring is essential, to keep portion sizes in control and obviously recording and tracking what you’re consuming is important too. There are apps to help with this, or just use a spreadsheet if you prefer. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll soon be making good progress and sharing successes with us.

By the way, if you leave the stone in one half of an avocado and pop it on a container in the fridge, it will not brown and will stay fresh for a day or so.

Hi flump, I’m like SunnyB – just keep it simple to start with. I’d make sure every main meal is half non-starchy veg – as a general rule this is all things green or things that grow above ground, with things like purple broccoli thrown in (good for eating the rainbow), a quarter protein and a quarter healthy fat. I always make sure I include something in my meals that is tasty and delicious but a small amount of it, and you can just play with the flavours how you like!

So my formula, and it’s just my opinion – others might disagree!

Ideas for proteins:
– chicken, lamb, beef, pork, fish, eggs, cheese, Greek yoghurt, nuts

Ideas for green veg
Any salad leaves, cucumber, broccoli, spinach, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, any kind of “tops” like turnip tops, broccoli tops, beetroot tops (but not the root/bulb) etc. Mushrooms (I know not green but they have AMAZING nutrition for virtually zero fat, carbs or calories) – if you use chestnut mushrooms for example they are exceptionally high in vitamin d and if you put them in the sun for an hour before using them it gets even higher! Cabbage, pak Choi, etc, kohlrabi

Idea for healthy fats
– olive oil, nuts, avocado, Greek yoghurt, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds

Ideas for the deliciousness
– mustard – whole grain, English, Dijon, anything! Salted nuts, strong cheese, vinegar – apple cider is great, garlic, chilli sauce, any spices or herbs, Serrano ham, lemon or lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, stock cubes, butter, sesame oil, sesame seeds, basically anything that tastes quite strong so you don’t need a lot of it but it’ll really lift it

Then things for moderation
Fruit – stick to berries, maybe apple/pear, steer away from tropical or bananas peaches etc.
Things like barbecue sauce – I’m talking a teaspoon but I don’t think there’s any point making yourself miserable!
Tomatoes, onions (high in carbs but delicious)
Beans/pulses

Things never to eat
Bread, pasta, rice, noodles, cereals, grains of any description, couscous, bulgar wheat etc etc.

Simple sauces can be made using onion plus mushroom plus garlic plus stock or yoghurt plus herbs/spices of your choosing

Simple stir fry – any green veg plus protein plus sauce eg soy and garlic, or chilli and garlic and a dash of water etc. Depends what flavours you want, bean sprouts are delicious and low in cal and carb and also filling

I eat a lot of sort of “picky” lunches – not the worlds biggest fan of eggs – so for example today I had cottage cheese with cucumber, a sprinkle of seeds, a couple of pieces of ham and some almonds – I just sort of snacked on it for about half an hour.

Part of the joy of this is experimenting but we’d also be happy to help – my biggest tip is plan ahead – I plan a week ahead – using an app, you’re less likely to stray if it’s planned in and if you do it a week ahead you can plan your shopping round it too and then you can just buy what you need. Also you can run ideas past us and we’ll be able to tell you if it’s a good choice or a substitute for it!

Lauren xx

Flump, I tend to eat two meals a day, as I find that easier within the 800 calories, and I track everything beforehand on MyFitnessPal to make sure that I am staying within the 800 calories (a tad over is fine), my protein goals (approx 1g per ideal kg of body weight) and my carb limit (50g for most, some have to stay as low as 20g depending on insulin resistance).

For lunch, I don’t have too much variety. I either have a long rectangle pepita seed cracker that I can but here in Australia that doesn’t have any flours, just seeds and is relatively low carb. I top it with 50g mashed avocado and sea salt, and 20g vintage cheese. OR I have a tuna salad, or I have one or two poached eggs with sauteed mushrooms and spinach.

For dinner I, like Lauren, love a simple stirfry – I do enjoy the Peppered Pork Stirfry from the Fast800 book, or I will have a combination of broccolini, red capsicum, mushrooms, chicken with garlic and ginger and sesame oil and might sprinkle on some sesame seeds at the end. Or I have a bowl – I often sautee zucchini (courgette) and sliced mushrooms with a bit of garlic sauteed in a teaspoon of olive oil or sesame oil, add a small amount of chicken, and I might add a tablespoon of ricotta if I want to make it creamy. I absolutely adore cheese, so if it fits within my goals on MyFitnessPal, I might add a bit of cheese on top.

Really though, if it fits in my MFP goals, and it is a healthy food that is likely to keep me in a fat burning state, I can eat it. While losing weight I am avoiding fruit (can you believe that 100g of apple can contain 14g of carbs!!!!), but when I move to maintenance stage soon I do hope to add some berries back in. I have found that I do need to keep my protein levels above 50g a day so that I don’t feel too hungry, I do need to add some salt to my food or drink so that I don’t get lightheaded, and when you can fit them in, the good fats (like oils, nuts, avocados) really help with satiety…but they are easy to overeat and conatin lots of calories so you really have to calculate it. Oh, and drink LOTS of water – at least 2 litres a day. I love to add in some mineral water and herbal tea for variety.

Best of luck – you’ve got this 🙂

thanks to everyone for the kind words and support.
my food’s all prepped for tomorrow and i’m ready to go!
i’m going to do intermittent fasting so i have:
olives, cheese cubes and gammon cubes for meal 1 and salmon fillet, salad and home made dressing for meal 2. bovril for emergencies!

i’m on a double shift and there’s always toast, biscuits, chocolates and crisps about. but for now i have an iron will! i can’t bear how i look and feel.

good luck everyone x x

I started the BSD diet this week with the hope of lowering my HPA1c level which is 44 putting me in the pre-diabetic range. What could I expect my level to be after 8 weeks or is that like asking how long is a bit of string?

Hi Everyone, thank you for your lovely words of encouragement. I’ve cracked day two and I’ve been surprised with how little hungry moments I’ve had. I’m preparing myself mentally that the next two days may be different though, so if it is, I can push past any challenges. I’ve got a lot of weight to shift (currently 290lb/20 stone/131kg) but lucky that at the moment I’m in good(ish) health. My weight has impacted me on different levels over the years & I feel like I’ve turned a corner to start making much needed changes. I just hope it isn’t just a day two optimism! 😊

Glad day 2 was a good one, Kat. There are bound to be some wobbles along the way, but just shout out and someone will offer support. For now though, you’re doing great!

Hi ncjj678, it is rather late here now but I will come back tomorrow and have a chat with you about your numbers. First of all, could you let me know if you are on any meds, are you doing daily finger prick and what has your doctor told you. I sort of expect you to say no meds, no pricking, and doctor told me nothing or hopefully, no meds, no finger pricking and doctor told you to go on the BSD. See you tomorrow.

Hi All,

Newcomers welcome, sounds like you are making a fab start.

Well, I’ve had a few dodgy days where I have fallen into the carbs….so, today I am having a reset, I am having a reset, I am having a reset!!! Just to get it in my head and to ask for some support!! We were talking about set weights last week and I think my body is still stuck on one (now not a terrible one, being top of normal BMI for my height, bit nonetheless I need to lose a little more to be comfortably into normal and allow some leeway)- so I lost 1.5 lbs over 3 weeks and now after a carby 5 (5!!!!) days I am back up there and was feeling all round dreadful physically and mentally by last night so I know it is bad for me (I weigh daily to keep me accountable but my official weight is the average of the week measured on a Saturday ….so I have a little time to turn it around I expect some may come off quickly i.e. may be water weight, but even so)….!

I plan to post daily or twice daily for a little bit to help me with accountability so catch you all later.

Love to all, Tulip xxx

You’ve got this Tulip! I’m having a wobble too as I’m just so tired and there’s been a couple of cooking disasters so I need to just get through a day without slipping! I was doing so well and now I’ve just lost my mojo and got stuck on the same weight (considerably higher than BMI!) We can both do it! I’m thinking in terms of one meal at a time rather than a day!

L x

My mojo also went walkabout yesterday, as I grazed my way across the kitchen – no carbs but lord only knows how many calories. To get my head and body back in line, I am going back to MFP early days of tracking, when I did actually track everything, and I’ll make a meal plan from there.
Like Lauren, one meal at a time!

Ruby and Lauren, sometimes it’s better not to look too far ahead and just focus on what’s happening today. I’m sure you’ll both be back on track soon and making good progress again.

I’m mixing up OMAD and TRE this week, while marking time until I can find the oomph to get back to full on 800/20 and ditch those last few pounds.

Anyway, however you need to approach this …. one hour at a time, one meal, one day or one week at a time, we’ll be here to cheer you on.

Lauren and Tulip – I am right there with you. I have had a very frustrating couple of weeks. I have stuck to the diet 100% through various challenges including OH’s birthday celebration, a family holiday and numerous events. I have measured, weighed, planned in advance, and there have been times where it has been really really **** hard to maintain the willpower not to ‘have a treat’. And regardless, my weight loss has stalled completely 🙁 Prior to this I was losing on average 1kg a week. And it has just stopped. I might lose a measly 100g one day, then stay at that weight for 3 days straight, then lose 200g only to go back up by 100g the next day. There have been occasions where I have had to stop myself from having an all-out temper tantrum in the bathroom. Truly. Like, jumping up and down screaming and wailing. Not attractive for a mid 40’s woman!

But, that article I posted recently about body set point said the following
” Your plateau is a normal and necessary part of the process. You must stall in order to move forward (again). And when you understand why–or more importantly, accept this reality–it changes everything. Your body does not like change. I don’t care who you are; it’s very resistant to anything that takes it out of its comfort zone (a.k.a. homeostasis). When that change occurs–specifically when you try to lose weight–your body does everything in its power to get you “back to normal.” This is a process known as set-point theory. If more people understood that stagnation is an expected and natural part of the weight-loss process, then they wouldn’t quit prematurely. If you ask me, set-point theory is the reason why so many people fail on long-term weight-loss goals. If more people understood that stagnation is an expected and natural part of the process, then they wouldn’t quit prematurely. Sometimes the scale isn’t moving simply because your body is adjusting to change……Your body is just adapting to its new reality. Once it does, that’s when you’re ready to take the next jump and see a “whoosh” of new weight loss.””

So needless to say, I am clinging to that with hope! Tulip, I honestly believe that sometimes it might not hurt to ‘shock’ your body with a bit of a break from the restrictions – you might find that once you get back into it, your body loses at a quicker pace. It is also great because it sounds like it reminded you that you actually don;t feel good when you eat that way, so next time it probably won’t be as tempting to you as a result. And don’t forget ladies, we have to take it easy on ourselves. We are human, and have these crazy lives with so many commitments and limited hours in the day. There are going to be times where it doesn’t go to plan. No big deal – we just hop back on the horse when we are ready. Ths isn’t a race. You have both had amazing successes already, so look after yourselves, and lets do this together 🙂
Donna xx

Hi all
Wow so much amazing support and advice! Thank you Donna, HopefulinOz and Lauren for the really useful discussion around carbs. I think you are right and the ‘800’ element of the diet tends to get more focus and attention that the ‘what you eat’ element which , for me, is the most important. Not only will reducing your carb intake help you get into ketosis faster, but it will leave you feeling fuller for longer. This, for me, has been the real lesson of week one. My food was delicious and filling! What a surprise!
My week 1 went really well and I lost 3kg! Aiming for 2kg in week 2. This week I am going to focus even more on cutting those carb elements into touch. My Ocado food shop this week was 3/4 vegetables! And all I could think was, ‘wow- that looks delicious!’
Until next week,
Anna

Anna!!!! That is an amazing result – huge congratulations 🙂 What an amazing start – your body is obviously loving the changes you are making. 🙂

Hi just popped back to answer the question from ncjj678. I am not sure of the numbers you use as I work on a different scale but you say it is pre-diabetes. (I have just looked on a conversion scale and it is 6.2). Okay, that is quite low so dont get yourself into a tizzy about it but it is a warning sign that you could be heading for diabetes if you dont do something about it now.

This is easily rectified. Cut out the bad white carbs – potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, breakfast cereal and other cereals (quinoa, bulgar wheat, lentils, other breads). Try to stick with the 800 cals if possible but the carbs are the most important thing for diabetes management. To get to your question, I saw results within around 3 to 4 days and was down to normal levels within 3 weeks. I am full blown T2 so not coming off this diet any day soon but for you the 8 weeks can completely kick this into touch. However, you will still have to be careful about what you eat when you get down to a normal HbA1c but that is for the future. Just stick with it for the 8 weeks and your doctor will be pleased with your results and you should be diabetes free.

aww thank you everybody (Donna, Lauren and Ruby and anyone else I have missed) 😍😍

Well, so far today it has not been quite the 800 cal ish reset I had planned BUT quite low calorie and also completely BSD friendly foods….Thurs is my usual 800 cal day so I am hoping that today will lead me gently towards actually achieving that, unlike Monday (my other regular v low cal day), where I rather slipped on calories and also rather more leftover roast potatoes than the one I had planned…..

Hope everyone else is having a manageable day today 😍

I am going to report in later when I hope to have stuck with my dinner plan.

I am also just feeling tired and blah today- maybe the days of carbs, maybe overdoing busyness last couple of weeks, maybe a combo which is making it harder to do the healthy eating too.

Love to all xxx

So far, today is on track – 444 cals and 20g carbs, which includes the cauli rice for supper, and I plan to recover a bag of homemade curry of some description from the depths of the freezer. I just need to avoid the peanut butter jar/yoghurt/cheese/nuts between now and supper, and dark chocolate after that, and I should be fine. The occasionals had started to become daily treats again, it happens so easily.
I have just checked back in MFP and I weighed the same yesterday as I did 26th March, so I am managing to maintain at least, with a 4lb swing over the past month (+ or – 2lbs from where I am now), but I do want to get into the lower-11st bracket and then decide where I go from there.
OMAAT!

Just wondering, does anyone know how many calories “incandescent with rage, steam pouring out of ears, hopping mad” burns?!

Lauren- hopefully burns lots of cals!! What’s up? xx

Good job Ruby, you can do it 😚

SG, ncj…..pre diabetic/ risk of developing diabetes range Hba1c in the uk measurements is 42-47…..Mine were 42 when I started last May, but I didn’t have them checked again until December, when they were 34 (yay), by which point I had lost about 2 and a half stones on the BSD proper for 12 weeks and then med style after that- I am sure it happens much faster than that on the BSD, from what MM says, but I didn’t get checked earlier.

Tulip xxx

Tulip long story short, I released an assessment to my students yesterday that’s due next week. It’s replacing an exam so I was expecting them to you know take it in that spirit. One of them has conferred, trapped off to people at work about how one question doesn’t make sense and made me look like a complete chump!

wow, that is so unhelpful!!! Sorry to hear it Lauren xx

Lauren I think the good news is that as far as I know “incandescent with rage, steam pouring out of ears, hopping mad” burns a lot of calories! – especially if you don’t try to make the feeling go away by eating cake, which I have sometimes done and won’t recommend… 😉
Not quite incandescent, but here it’s that week+ before period where the hormones throw their weight behind the carb cravers and aargh, between them they are putting up a fight! So far team resolve, willpower and stubborness is in the lead, but they are having to pull out the stops! B… hormones!

Britta aren’t hormones awful!

Thanks for replying Sunshine Girl. I’m not on medication and don’t have to do finger prick tests. GP just said try to lose weight and make better lifestyle choices. She didn’t ask me any questions about my lifestyle. I want to lose weight and get fitter anyway so am using this as my motivation to do that. I would like to lose 4 stone. GP said I can re-test HPA1c level in October so hoping in 6 months I can see a big change. I’ve seen some people say stick to 20g carbs. I’ve not really tracked those. I have weighed everything out and only stuck to recipes from BSD recipe book keeping to 800kcals but i’ve not followed the 8 week plan. Do you think that matters?

Hi Tulip1. That’s great and really reassuring. So what do you now for maintenance or are you still trying to lose more weight. Thanks for replying.

Hi Ncj….well, I am playing about now I am at the top of normal weight range, with just maybe losing a few more pounds but not much- so I am doing BSD style eating with more calories, plus occasional whole grain carbs e.g. quinoa, brown rice, but small portions and keeping an eye on portion sizes overall (not just carbs), and also kind of doing 5:2 (Mon and Thurs low cal 800-900 ish)….it’s a bit vague, because I am pretty happy with my weight (have now lost 3 st 4 lbs ish) but still off recommended waist size by just under 2″ (having lost just over 11.5″ from my waist already) and think it would be ideal to have a few lbs leeway within normal range…..
But my blood sugars, blood pressure, HR, fitness etc are all good now. Also just kind of, you know, trying to keep healthy and find the right maintenance for me…I also love the med style allowed treats- red wine and dark choc, yes please, although totally abstained from alcohol the 1st 12 weeks (lol there would be nothing left for food right?!!).

Hope that helps xxx

Tulip1 I love wine and usually a regular part of my diet. Going to refrain for a while. I’d be on my back after one glass eating this few calories. I’m only 3 days in but not as hungry as I thought i’d be and i’ve enjoyed what i’ve eaten so far. Will you still have your Hpa1c monitored?
Huge congratulations on your weight loss and 11.5 inches off your waist. That’s brilliant. I’d be thrilled with that 😊

ncj….thank you yes, I am delighted….I had got quite round! (only 5 ft 0 so that was a lot of waist for me!!). It will just be checked once a year now like before as I am on bipolar medication that can raise blood sugar (which is how they picked it up to start with), but not sure what would happen if I wasn’t- seems sensible to have some monitoring tho any way. I think it is like, I’m not pre diabetic now, but need to watch my ongoing diet as I guess have that tendency xx

I’m 5’0 too and waist is definitely round! You sound like you are doing great.

Ok 800 BSD Gurus I need your knowledge.

I am happy at week 7, 8kgs down and fitting into clothes. Still cant see my feet for my belly………when does belly fat go! Is there anything I can do to shift this faster. I have a ball to go to and the rest of me fits into the dress but I look 4 months pregnant. The ball is on the 22nd of May.

All and any advice welcome.

Sam

Sam – I feel your frustration! I can only speak from my experience, but it does seem to be one of the later areas to start slimming down. I have had my collarbones reappear, my rings become loose on my fingers, legs visibly slim down, but still have this stubborn tyre when I sit down. But, like you, I am still in the weight loss stage also, with 5kg to go, so hoping to see it leave my body by the time I reach goal weight 🙂 One thing I will say though, is that I don’t have the ‘bloat’ that I used to have. Definitely a big roll of excess fat, but not the bloat. This WoE has worked wonders for my IBS.

Hi all. I have recently come across a cold-water teabag called Twinings Infuse. The label says they are ‘naturally flavoured’, with ingredients list including white hibiscus, rosehips, peach flavouring, apple pieces, passionfruit flavouring, roasted chicory root, orange peel. The nutrition label states:
Energy 35kj
Protein, fat, carb, sugars all less than 1g

Any thoughts on whether 1 of these a day in my mineral water, particularly in the non-eating window, is likely to spike blood sugars or impact the fast at all? I do have a cheap breathalyser on order, so will be able to test it myself when it finally arrives, but very curious whilst waiting 🙂
Many thanks,
Donna.

Hi Sam,
Sadly we can’t control where the fat goes from, equally sadly our bodies appear to be wise enough to realise that keeping our fat stores in the same location where our bodies are designed to carry the weight of pregnancy is the best for daily activity. So thats why we end up with collar bones emerging and shoe size dropping before inches are discarded from our waist.

Well done in fitting into the dress.. – You could try adding exercises to tone up? You could try time restricted eating, or fasting. And a week before the event you could head to the shops to get underwear to redistribute the wobbly bits cos all the rest of the people in the room are not going to see what you are wearing under your dress.