This will be a strange Bastille Day in France this year with no or very low key celebrations but here we are approaching July 14th and ready to take on another week.
However you are feeling….enthusiastic and euphoric, or disappointed and disgruntled, remember that progress is different for everyone and commitment will get you where you want to be, so don’t ever give up.
Welcome to any new members, all the very best to you and remember you are in safe hands here if you need any advice and support .
Here’s to a great week everyone !
Wendy and Sunny (who is an absolute star keeping everyone motivated with her gentle encouragement)

Here is our updated list !!
SunnyB
Merrymelba
Niamh and Dean ( Neegan)
EC
Caronl
Clarinet cathy
Bryla
Windyjulz
Georgiejeorge
oLive 1
Puddy
Dreamscometrue
Gattina
melH
rosyapple
LovesGroodles

timetochange
Patricia
Articfox
Double Dutch
PTR
Britta
Film24
Rebeccakershaw
JGwen (of course !!)

PlumpGoose
Russianroulade
DebbieDarko
weebleswobble
nicoles212
Steviep
Zuzuvela
Frog
GreenGal
EachPeach
SusieMac1957
Limes254
Butterlover
PhoenixBurns
Quetzal
Waitaminute
Riccoh
Tulip1 (Clare)
ADD6605(Dawn)
Gyllb
EllieAllegra

Roheryn
AuroraB
Sweetgirl
BlueSkyz
Karenwm
SusieMac1957
Jeremy Fisher
ClemFlo
LR800
Eowyn
Kevlondon and Mrs Kev
Scubado
Lulu16
Shammy
sunshine-girl !!!
Beattie66
2eviltwins
Violinist ( Catherine)
Sarah 1968
Angelsand
Lecurie
Choccybuttons
Sonz

Week 5: Gain 2lbs. Back to normal eating this week (but trying not to overdo it!!) as part of a 2-week break. Very happy with just 2lbs gained because I was going to put a lot of water weight back on when I started on carbs again. At least that’s what I’m telling myself!! One more week’s break before getting back to it. Running has great being back on carbs. Managed 1hr 43mins yesterday – no problem.

Progress so far:

Week 1: Lost 8lb. 800 cals. TRE. Great results, but a tough week with ‘carb flu’ and horrendous running that turned into walks.
Week 2: Lost 2lb. 1150cals, low carb, and no longer TRE to make life easier. Running a little better but still some walking needed.
Week 3 (this week): Lost 2.5lb. 1150 cals. One day on unlimited cals, but low carb all day. Increased running mileage to burn more calories and did 5 runs. No need to walk in runs this week – more back to normal.
Week 4: No weight loss (or gain), but 1/2 inch off my waste. Was a bit naughty this week and my daily calories were over my 1150 target most days. Carbs were still low. I’ve decided to take a break for 2 weeks which I hope will get my determination back. Two runs since being back on carbs… Running is a different world – so much energy and so much faster and so much more pleasurable!

Hi all
I’m back on 800 this week. I had a “week off” last week to fight another battle, but happy to be back this week. I have gone up and down on the scales a bit this week but have managed to end up where I started, so that is ok. I’ve slightly lost track, maybe this is week 11 or 12 or thereabouts. I’m hoping to hit my 15kg milestone by the end of the month, in time for summer holidays. I’ve been reorganising my wardrobe the last few days. I have clothes in several sizes so there hasn’t been a need to buy new stuff yet, but it is good to be getting rid of some of the bigger things.
Fingers crossed for a good week for everyone!

Hi Everyone Im still gaining and loosing with very little over all progress.Today I’m 90.2kg.which is a slight loss.My goal this week is to be under 90kg by the end of the week.Im feeling quite positive as I’ve been going to the gym and I’m missing breakfast most days.The worry is that my blood sugar is getting worse.Im not officially a diabetic but this morning.7.5 is quite high.I use my husband’s bgl equipment and when Its high I fast till it’s under 6.I know it’s due to late night snacking ,so I will double my efforts to stop eating after dinner.I hope you all have a good week.never give up

Hi everyone
and Happy Bastille Day Wendy and another others in France.🥂
Winter here and EC has recommended a good place to buy some harissa – a delicious and spicy middle eastern sauce – which will warmme up. And EC also has posted an eggplant/aubergine recipe. And then today my newspaper printed this recipe – which combines eggplant and harrisa. It is for a pasta sauce – but I think the sauce itself sounds delicious, and could be teamed up with zucchini spirals, or konjac noodles. I have also recently been using “pasta” made with edameame beans (from Coles)
https://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/mushroom-harissa-and-eggplant-pasta-20200605-h1okka
I aim to keep on track this week and have had a good start to the week 🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️
Shout out to DCT, 6Ts, Articfox, Shoegirl, Butterlove and EllieA. 🌺🌺🌺 and any of the old-timers who might be lurking – Birdy76, Elky, LouiseK, Kafin, WoodDuckie, Heiding et al. – I hope you are all OK.

Week 3 completed, and a much better result – just what I needed. 4lbs off, for a total loss of 13lbs. That first stone is tantalisingly close! Mrs Kev also lost 4lbs, taking her total loss to 20lbs. More importantly, my blood sugars are completely normal – morning readings are usually around 4.5, and evening reading often similar, up to around 5.5. This was as important to me as the weight loss, and it’s great to see a positive impact from eating better that’s not only reflected in the scales.
Food-wise we’ve had another good week following the recipes – the curried mince and peas was an absolute revelation! Last night we did the beef rendang, which was melt in the mouth after 3 hours of slow cooking. Unfortunately I decided to cook the pak choi in soy sauce and a bit of rice wine, it didn’t really go with the dish.
This week, we’re pulling together some of our favourite dishes from the past 3 weeks before experimenting with a few things from the blood sugar diet book. So far still just about managing to stick to 800 cals per day – sometimes the combination of meals takes us to 850 or 900, and the occasional extra snack, such as a boiled egg or handful of nuts, or even a cheeky bowl of berries and yogurt after a meal, may push us beyond 1,000, but we’re not doing this every day so I guess it’s not doing us any harm.
Now we’re into this, I’m finding it pretty easy to stick to the meals – being able to pad anything out with green veg is really helpful as I don’t feel like we’re missing out. And we’re even managing a couple of 2-meal days throughout the week, not so hard as I’m not usually hungry first thing in the morning.
The only thing I’m not really doing is much exercise – I do cycle a bit, but my diabetes has given me balance problems and some muscle weakness in my legs, so I’m hoping to reach a tipping point: the more weight I lose, and the longer my sugars are in the normal range, so I may be more physically able to take more exercise and help the process along. Anyone else suffer these symptoms, and did they improve as your weight and diabetes management improved?

Oh wow, well done Kev and MrsKev – thats a great post! Well done and so glad you are feeling all the benefits. Really made me smile!

I think I have completed 12 weeks now. Weight loss has slowed but is still on a slow downward trend. I’ve lost 1st 6lbs and would like to loose another 5lbs – these are proving difficult.
I had an easy weekend (I have always struggled with Saturdays in lockdown due to ‘family’ dinner – I stick to BSD principles for the meal, plan a few extra calories and tend to let myself down with wine!) This weekend was a bit like that, plus a cheeky 2 ciders in the sun on sunday with friends – but I’m ok with it, not beating myself up, it was a treat and recognised as such. Plan is now to really graft for the next few weeks and get those stubborn 5 lbs off! Mixing up OMAD and 2 meals to help stick to calories.
I’m trying to make sure I do my meditation daily to help, getting some running in (genuinely found I need the endorphin rush, especially when I’ve not been at work – its easy to be lazy and overly food focused!) and doing plenty of walking.
I’m still fascinated by the mental aspect of this, I always knew weight and mental wellbeing were closely connected but gosh what a journey this has been. I am so glad of it all as i really think i am in a better place for it in so many ways.
Here is to a good week for everyone, we got this!

Hi Merry! I have just recently sneaked back on to the monthly thread. I made EC’s aubergine/harissa/anchovies dish last night which is delicious! Had it with a lamb steak. It is really helpful to have some tips and recipes to renew my enthusiasm (i’d gone as far as forgetting abt passion fruit until mentioned here…). Like you I hope all those who were so active on the forum last year are well. Here’s to getting back on track.

Firstly, thank you for the new thread and kind words, Wendy. Sorry to be a bit late the the party this week, but so pleased to see there are already people posting results and plans for the coming week.
Britta, I have everything crossed to you hitting your 15kg milestone really soon. You’re doing brilliantly!
The same goes for you, ButterLover – I am confident you can crack the 90kg barrier this week and get to grips with that late night snacking.
Merry, really pleased you are so upbeat, despite it being winter for you.
Kev and Mrs Kev, you’re both doing wonderfully well and I’m pleased your blood sugar is down too, that must be very heartening. I’m sure you will be over the one stone lost mark by the end of this week, Kev.
Those last few pounds are the hardest to shift, Julz, but hang in there, you’ve got this far and you can definitely wave goodbye to those remaining pounds.
6T, great to see you posting! Hope you will not be a stranger and will post some updates as you get back into the swing of things.

On a personal front, I continue to maintain at or around target weight, with the inevitable small daily fluctuations. Content to be where I am and grateful to have the tools supplied by the BSD, to stay in control.

Have a brilliant week everyone … looking forward to reading about your progress.

Morning. I’m still trying to find my way around the forum and think I’ve posted yesterday on an old thread.
Thanks Rosyapple for reminding me about tofu. It isn’t a staple ingredient in my shopping basket as I’ve been disappointed in the past with the texture, despite trying to get rid of majority of water the texture hasn’t been great. I should persevere with it. I’ve screen dumped your message and will follow that when I try it again, so thanks for that.
EC, I’ve only just caught up on messages from last week and would love to see your recipes. If you are still willing to email over to me my email is chglfc@gmail.com. I’m not sure if there is a recipe section on this site, I’m a bit of a technophobe. Well done for your weight loss and your neighbour noticing!
Hi Sonz, what a weight loss! I was delighted with 3lbs so you must be on cloud 9! I’m still finding my way around the forum and am going to try to save this page to the home screen on my tablet so I can access it easily. Everyone has been really welcoming and encouraging whilst I’m learning about this WOL. Today I plan on walking the dog and looking forward to a lovely salad for my main meal. I’m still trying to wrap my head around carb intake and I’m sure I’ll understand this better once I’ve read the book so I know the best veg and salad to eat.
Wendleg, thanks for including me in this week’s roll call.
Hope you all have a good day.

Hello friends
Britta-I’m ever so impressed at almost 15kg in 12 weeks…..my loss is only a little more than 1/2 that….but still the right direction and like WindyJulz I’m OK with a treat and then back to it!!!…I’m here for the long haul
Sixturkeys….lovely to “hear” your voice from the past and glad you enjoyed the aubergine dish-its a weekly regular in our house….and MM the new one sounds amazing (aubergine, mushrooms and harissa….three of my favourite ingredients!)….i will definitely try this week (and the edamame “pasta” I’ll look into….I tried a lentil one but was seriously underwhelmed (: )
I’m about back to almost where I was at the end of my BSD a few years ago…..this time, am determined to continue-I’m being brutal with my “naked in the mirror” stares in the morning to remind myself to not bask in achievements, but remind me where I’m headed!!!- amazing how it’s been so easy to convince myself that those extra kg didn’t show (oh yes they did!!)
Lecurie-your post must have come in while I was typing…..I’ll email you now!)

Hi everyone – great to hear how everyone is doing. Some great results and great attitudes even if numbers aren’t shifting. I’ve had a couple of tricky days, mainly due to hormones which often leaves me feeling exhausted and bloated. Still, I’m very excited as my other half has decided to start a vlcd at the end of this week….essentially f800 without the fasting. I think this will make things so much easier and make planning things simpler too. He is overweight and it will be great that both of us can work on being healthier and fitter together. One thing that has shifted in me is that I really can see now that processed carbs will never be part of my lifestyle again…I’m looking forward to having reduced pain and inflammation and whilst I can’t change my injuries and autoimmune disease (genetic), I can certainly not add to these issues by having unnecessary starches and sugars – I’m done! So, despite a challenging few days, I’m feeling very optimistic about the future – it may not be a quick or easy journey, but I know it will be worth it! Have a good week all xx

Hi everyone ! So pleased to see sixturkeys back on the thread ! I hope we see more returners , for sure ! I wonder how articfox is getting on with her house sale/moving plans ?
Still enjoying the warm sun here but I like the sound of the recipe ideas which are being shared. I love aubergines ! I made JGwen’s mini frittatas this weekend and they are in the freezer.
Just had a lovely long chat with my boys which always sets me up for the day !
Wishing you all a great day whatever you are doing xx

Only managed half a pound this week which is really disappointing as I have been averaging 40 min exercise per day, every day. Still determined and keeping on… I love aubergine and use it to top a bolognaise mix and covering in cheese sauce. I always partially cood the aubergine slices to soften them first but any leftovers are left in the cooking down oven to make them into crisps. Yum.

Bone fete nationale a tous

Morning all. I ate bread yesterday, no idea why but I had a really strong craving for it. I’ve drawn a line and starting fresh today. I’ll continue reading the book today and regain my focus as I may need it when we go away next week. I plan on continuing to just have one meal a day, my evening meal, whilst away and hope this is doable.
Hope you all have a good day.

Hello to all! Awesome job everyone with all the weight loss and thanks 😊 for all the help (Amazing Recipes) in my first week. I am one week in now with a few hiccups along the way. Had some stressful news – my brother-in-law is very sick and hospitalized with COVID-19 and my Uncle is now on hospice – so my emotional eating took over. I got the worst stomachache from sweets. My weight loss was still 4lbs which I was happy 😃 with considering….back on track today! Any suggestions on how to deal with emotional/stress eating would be helpful.

Sorry to hear your news 2eviltwins. The emotional/stress eating got a lot easier for me once my body had been free of sugar for a few weeks. Also I developed a pretty regimented approach of 3 meals a day at pretty much exactly the same time every day and after a while eating at other times seemed less appealing. So in some ways if you’re lucky it might just take care of itself. But accidents happen and as you say, you just get back on track and don’t dwell on it.

Is it sunny anywhere at the moment? If it is I’ll come for a visit because this is just ridiculous! Today I put the heating on and I have been dreaming about buttery crumpets and beef stew with mash… I spent the first couple of months on this diet having salad for lunch which I was very happy with, but there’s something about salad that just doesn’t quite go with woolly jumpers and central heating!

Sorry you’re struggling with the cold, Britta, I hate being cold too. You could have the beef stew, but swap the usual mash spuds for mashed or roasted cauli. Hope you warm up soon.
Lecurie, just draw a line under yesterday and move on. Any impact will likely be minimal, espevially if you are back on track.
2eviltwins, sorry you have had so much bad news thrown at you over a very short period of time. Not surprising you turned to old patterns of behaviour. As you say, it would be good to have a better way to cope, so maybe think about a little meditation when under emotional stress? It only needs to be a few minutes of concentrating on breathing slowing and deeply, if you can’t manage more than that. If nothing else, it might give you space to evaluate if you really want or need to eat anything. Well done on the 4lbs loss though, that’s a good result.
Seems to be a little quiet on the thread this week. Hopefully everyone is doing okay and not struggling, if you have a moment to spare, please let us know how you’re doing.

Hello Britta – Thanks for the kind words and good advice – still struggling today. It is hot and humid here in the States – I am near the shore but we have limited places open since I am on the East Coast. Salads are a staple right now which is wonderful and delicious…but I am with you and always dreaming of crumpets with lemon curd.

SunnyB – As always great advice and inspiration!

Hi all,
A bit late checking in this week. Have started my 4 week holiday and have gone to our summerhouse with my OH and daughters. As I knew and feared eating habits are disrupted. Just more food in general, some treats and the wine…
It’s going ok, I’m aiming to maintain for now. As long as I don’t gain weight I’m happy.
It’s easy to wake up the carb cravings again though. Have got to resist!
On the positive side I’m getting a lot of natural movement and exercises in.
When I think about how much pain I had in my hips 6 months ago compared to now it’s a different world! I can get the slightest hint, but it is not restricting me anymore.
That alone should be motivation enough to keep me somewhere on the straight path during this holiday.
Tomorrow we will be hiking up a (small) mountain – rain or sunshine!
Have a good week to you all!

It’s the sense of injustice at the rubbish summer I think SunnyB, I want BBQ weather, not central heating!
Meanwhile my other half has returned from the supermarket with beef brisket and pork shoulder so slowcooker food and cauliflower mash in July it is. I might put roast turkey on the menu at the weekend in pure protest at the weather. If nothing else it would definitely surprise the kids!

Olive I just saw your post. I’m also slightly worried about the holiday treat trap and actually considering taking the scales on holiday when we go in a few weeks! Fingers crossed for your maintenance and keep us posted if you develop some good strategies?

Hi 2eviltwins.
I am sorry to hear your news. Don’t be to hard on yourself about stepping off the wagon. We have all done it. – One of the advantages that those of us who have a lot of weight to loose is that we get time to look at the emotions and how our bodies react to what fuel we supply it.

My experience has been that after a time of eating this way, I suddenly realised that comfort eating – in the traditional sense of a high carb, binge, no longer hit the spot. – It just made me feel bloated, and lacking in energy, and my mind didn’t function as well. For some people we come to this realisation after a traditional period of indulgence like Christmas. for others it can happen when stress occurs in our lives. It too me time to realise that carbs fog my brain. So in time I realised that having a carb heavy outbreak just makes me feel worse rather than better.

I did go through a period of wondering if using carbs like an alcohol to shut off your brain for a while when you have a set back is not part of an instinctive self protection system. Sort of a way of numbing feelings long enough for the first wave of emotions to pass. But it time I realised that even if it was, I felt more comfortable not going down that path. I have realised that when I encounter a problem I feel better if I am able to do something about it. Obviously if someone is ill and in hospital there may be nothing you can do for them at this time, but there may be other people who care about them who you can help and in doing that you are indirectly helping those in hospital. In my experience, in widening the view to look for people I can help and then acting on it, I feel more positive than I would do if I kept my view on a narrow situation that there is nothing I can do.

2eviltwins, please do not feel that by moving on to talking about “treats” as a response to stress I am belittling your current situation. I just feel that one of the possible good things that could come out of your situation is a discussion between us on what we all do to deal with stress.

Finding other “treats” that ease you when you are feeling stressed isn’t easy. I did read recently that experiences stay with us as something that makes us happy much longer than possessions. – We adapt to changes in our daily lives and it becomes our new norm. But we don’t adapt to experiences. so the memory of them keeps us happy for much longer than a possession.

A nice long soak in a bath, or time to just sit out in the sunshine work for me. However, they may not be easy to manage when you have family making demands on your time. Perhaps in those situations you have to think in terms of something all the family can do because its not practical to take time out for yourself. Perhaps we can help you here 2eviltwins if those of us with family commitments share their treats to see if there is anything that resonates with you.

Maybe when starting out, maybe just focusing on the maintaining the lower carb levels and not worry so much about the calorie count. – Or maybe have something more luxurious. than you would normally have would hit the spot ?

Morning everyone
Thanks SunnyB re drawing a line, I have done and think my carb cravings may have been because we had drinks at weekend. I’m back in good head space now, I find I feel more focused when fasting and am doing OK just having my one evening meal. I do a really lovely, flavoursome salad and savour evey mouthful. I’d wanted to have salads next week when we go away but OH does all the cooking and said salads aren’t great when camping as we just have a small fridge and cool box so will be challenging keeping salad stuff fresh. That means I’ll probably be having more carb based food whilst away but want to still stick to one main meal a day.
I wondered if I was on the wrong forum as it seems really quiet this week compared with last, presume lots of folk are just busy.
Hope you all have a great day.
Britta, I feel your pain about weather. Here in the lovely North it was glorious on Sunday but has rained since and nothing but grey skies. Even just seeing some blue sky lifts my mood. I think I’m just a typical weather obsessed brit!

Hi everyone ! Sending you all love and hugs, especially to those who are struggling right now. Thinking of you 2eviltwins . Trust in the doctors ….and I do hope your brother in law improves .It’s so scary I understand it’s a very emotional time..Yes definitely Sunny B has offered some great suggestions and JGwen is legendary for her wise words and research based advice.

The weather really does affect our mood doesn’t it ? I am lucky in that we have had a long stretch of sunny weather here in SW France but the last couple of days have been more overcast. Yesterday I started knitting tawashis which I recently discovered to replace the washing up sponges I am always chucking away ! That’s a very calming activity 2eviltwins and you certainly don’t have to be an expert to turn out a cute knitted square.I am going to attempt one with hemp yarn next.

Yes, when feeling low I do think it is important to resist reaching for a carb loaded treat which won’t really make you feel good for long, and most likely will cause a slump in energy and all sorts of recriminations you certainly don’t need.
I know it takes a while before carbs lose their appeal but it does happen.
Glad you have regained your focus Lecurie .No, you are not on the wrong forum but maybe as you say the dismal Uk weather is affecting mood ?
Still no news from articfox ? I hope everything is ok . Bryla ??
You will be fine on holiday Olive but do your very best to avoid carbs as much as you can because as you say there is the danger they will awaken cravings which will be hard to resist. Bread, pasta, rice etc are no longer part of my life even when we goaway so if you can keep to adequate protein, healthy fats and veg you will be ok.
A treat for me is very very dark choc 😉
Britta you have done so well you have nothing to fear about holiday treats and it wuld be a shame if your holiday was spoiled by the numbers on the scales which as you know vary so much. Just choose wisely as you always do and maintaining will be manageable.You can always tackle any slight gain on your return but enjoy your holiday which hopefully will be in a sunny place !

Hi EC ! I am going to be trying you recipes ! Keep posting and passing on your inspirational ideas !
As well as knitting 😉 , maybe the cooler weather could be an opportunity to organise recipes and shake things up a bit ? I often find a nice low carb recipe idea, save it on my computer and then forget about it ! It would be good to create a few more staples . We have lots of lovely summer veg available right now . My son sent me a photo of some greens he found in Melbourne not realising it was kale ! So he made kale crisps ! You have the most spectacular fish and sea food in Tasmania EC but are you totally veggie ?
Hi Merry ! I hope you are coping with lockdown there ..Fortunately my son’s girlfriend was able to join him in Melbourne after the ski season was cancelled .She had gone to work there for several weeks but it didn’t happen.
Hi sunshine-girl ! Don’t be disappointed about your discard, you have had great results and your determination is an inspiration.
That’s a great attitude EllieAllegra and it is brilliant that your OH has decided to join you. You are absolutely doing the right thing to improve your health.I am sure that if I had found this way of eating years ago I could have lessened a lot of (hip) pain and inflammation as you say.
We haven’t yet heard from everyone on the roll call list 😉 but please do pop in and post and let us know how you are doing .
Have the best day you can everyone !! xx

I suspect this is spam…………….

post from barr6 reported

Sorry Wendy I didn’t see your post …. I’ve reported it on the Positives thread too!

Saves me reporting them!

I put my email address on the forum this week and have started receiving spam mail from people re weight loss programmes for women. There must be some lurkers here! I’m glad I didn’t click the link on the spam post.

Hi Lecurie, I don’t think that the spam you are receiving is necessarily connected to a spammer joining the forum.

Unfortunately it happens from time to time that someone joins the forum and then starts positing adverts for diet products, or for products that are not related to this WoE. – Because of the way this system works when someone reports to the post to the admin they also include in their comment to admin a request to remove the “reported comment”. As well as putting a comment on the forum to let everyone else know they have reported the post to admin. That way the admin doesn’t get flooded with lots of reports.

These forums are not private, the general public can read them, and anywhere that you post an email address that the public can see is likely to suffer from problems with spam. There are systems which constantly trawl the internet looking for email addresses which they can add to databases as sell on.

One way around the problem is to make changes to how the email address is written so that a human can would out what to type but a computer can not. It can be as simple as adding extra spaces, or more complex by writing numbers and telling people that they should enter the number not the text.

A while ago Wendy posted an email address so that a group of us could exchange email addresses and chat away from the forum. – When she did that she set up a special email address with one of the systems that allows free email accounts, and after we contacted her that way we exchanged genuine email addresses to chat on. She also took steps to protect that email address from spammers working out what it was.

I know its too late to fix now. Although you could ask the moderator to delete your post with your email address. But hopefully this will help you in the future.

So nearly end of week two for me. Weigh in tomorrow morning eek. Not sure what to expect after first weeks 4.4kg loss. Iv allowed myself around 30g carbs but have really managed to up my protein with soya milk, soya yougurt and soya protein powder. I’m even having it in my coffee in my 8 hour window! Big plus is I’m still not hungry and eating smaller portions. I feel like it’s working so whatever scales say I will keep going.

Hi Wendy, I was having a quick scroll down and saw you were asking about me. I’m still checking in quickly every now and again, but the thread is so active, I’ve found it hard to keep up and read everything when I’m so short on time at the moment. I am preparing to move out of my flat on Aug 28th. Had the removal people out for estimates last week and trying to get it booked. My things have to go into storage for 2 weeks so I’m not allowed to pack any food. I’m afraid I’ve got a bit off track with trying to use up some things from the back of the cupboard that I would not normally eat now. I’ve already noticed a big impact on how my clothes are fitting around the waist, so I’m going to have to find another solution to getting rid of the food without it going to waste (or waist!).

Hi team
Lecurie-I’m so sorry that you’re getting spam after sharing your address for the recipes!! Hopefully it will decrease soon-my email server has a function where you can block the sender before moving spam to junkmail. It doesn’t entirely stop them all, but they’re greatly reduced!

Wendy, I do eat fish regularly (which, as you say is so good down here!) -our farmers market has a fish monger who brings a catch from the (wild) west coast….and it’s scallop season just now!! I have a great recipe for Calderata (Spanish Seafood soup)-it’s low carb, but not low calorie unfortunately (probably because of the white wine and brandy in it!!) so an occasional treat only-and we’re having a Moroccan fish tagine dish with chermoula and olives tonight as it’s a family birthday

I’ll keep putting recipes on the site as I have time. Understandably, you’re only allowed to post original recipes (which I have, but not solely) for copyright reasons -Maybe I’ll create some adaptations! 😉 Choccybuttons, if you don’t eat dairy, google a recipe for soy feta (tofu, coconut oil nutritional yeast, cider vinegar and spices)-it’s a great protein source if you don’t have dairy-I’ll post my (original 😉 ) recipe for leek, cauliflower and feta soup!

Apart from a damned migraine last night, all’s well here-late walk for the collie but heading out now

weird how weight loss changes as we get older. When I was younger, I’d easily lose from my waist and bust-now they seem to be the last to reduce -however I have lost almost 5cm from my waist which has me almost in a healthy range for CVD risk but I’d like to see at least another 5cm gone!

Wishing you all a great weekend

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to check in. I’ve been busy for the last couple of weeks because I’ve had some work come in over the last couple of weeks for the first time in months, which I am so grateful for! August is always my quietest time of year and there is nothing on the cards for September, so I’m not getting my hopes up for now, but I am pleased to have had things to get my teeth into in the short term. I’m still really struggling with low mood which has been triggered by the isolation and financial worries of all the ongoing restrictions, or perhaps more specifically by the difficulty in being able to look forward with confidence to things changing. I am generally good at being solution-focused, so when plans go off-kilter I would normally cope by adjusting my plans, or making new ones. That is hard for many of us to do in so many ways at the moment. I have started some medication to help with my mood and I’m optimistic that it might just give me a little help to boost myself back out of a hole. Fingers crossed! It does all make me more grateful than ever that I started BSD when I did and was able to improve my general health vastly and I feel sure that I would have been struggling even more now if I was still relying on bread and ginger biscuits to get me through tough times!

Well done to everyone who is persevering whether the scales are giving you the feedback you are hoping for or not! I do believe that even when the next pound discard seems elusive we will still be benefiting from a healthier diet. My experience, like that of others, is that once the carb monsters have been beaten this WOE starts to feel much more comfortable and natural. It was definitely the beginning of changing my relationship with food, but it was a real battle for a while, so I sympathise totally with anyone who is getting tripped up by cravings and old habits around carbs. Stay strong and whatever you do, don’t beat yourself up over the wobbles.

KevLondon – I am not diabetic, but my dad has T2D (he is well into his 70s, so of course that is an added consideration) and he finds that weakness in his legs is problematic. He has exercised every day without fail for years (exercise bike and cross trainer), but feels that his legs don’t seem to get any stronger. He doesn’t follow this WOE and largely follows the old NHS advice of eating very frequently and eating a lot of carbs. I had hoped that by doing the BSD I could show him that a different way of eating was possible and beneficial (he has read the Diabetes Code by Dr Fung), but he’s not convinced yet! Anyway, my understanding is that what you and he experience can be fairly common in T2D as part of diabetic neuropathy. A neighbour who is a similar age to my dad also had similar problems and he has followed BSD and found that better diabetes management improved things a lot. He is enjoying being a lot more active and feeling stronger now. All anecdotal, but hope it helps a bit to know others out there are in the same boat.

I’m still happy in maintenance and haven’t felt any temptation to slip back into old habits. I have continued to discard very gradually – I’m not at all sure how many calories I eat a day now, but I do know that refined carbs don’t feature at all and healthy fat and protein are still the lion’s share of my diet. However, I totally understand why the change of routine for holidays can be a big challenge. No holidays on the cards for me at the moment and since much of my 6+ months following BSD has happened during lockdown, there haven’t been any big tests for me so far. I feel as if I’ve only really tested this WOE in laboratory conditions! I really hope that everyone who is holidaying now, or just about to, can really enjoy their breaks and not be too preoccupied with the food dilemmas. Jason Fung talks about a cycle of feast and fast being normal in human life – I think I’m right in saying he doesn’t believe that we can’t ever relax a bit as long as we balance that out with our good habits most of the time.

Sending best wishes to everyone.

So week 2 complete. Iv lost 0.9kg this morning (just under 2lb) little disappointed it’s not more – I know I should be happy with an loss lol. Brings me down to 91.6kg.

Havnt been as strict with water this week so need to address that. But can see my tummy fat starting to go and I’m walking everyday and just feel better. Just need to keep my motivation!

Tre eating is going well. I try to stick to 8 hours.

Well done ChoccyButtons! 0.9kg is great. We all discard at different paces at different times. We all like a nice round number, but progress is progress and it all adds up. You are doing brilliantly. Definitely worth keeping an eye on the water. It starts to be a good habit after a while.

Hi all,

I’m new and a first-timer on the BSD. I started on Mon 11th July and lost an amazing 10lbs in my first week – 18% of my target weight loss… so I’m hooked!
I’ve tried every diet under the sun and to be honest I’m always great in the first 4-6wks before falling off and never resuming – but I’m 50 now and this time I’m determined it must be different. Which is why I’ve joined the forum (never joined one before!).
I have to weigh every day (I know you’re not supposed to) but I get so much motivation from both seeing a loss AND seeing no change.

I’ve stuck to the 800cals and eaten really well. It’s helped me rediscover my love of cooking!
For brunch today I had:
4 bacon medallions, dry-fried with mushrooms
2 poached eggs,
Chargrilled Asparagus spears
and half an avocado
..all for just 387 calories

I’ve discovered my wok and my ceramic frying pan are my dearest friends – both with lids.
I use a few squirts of fry-light oil to start of any meat or veggies in the pan and then splash in some water and pop the lid on – you get the delicious effect of fried bacon etc but (with the added water) the accompanying veg steam beautifully and it all cooks so quickly.
It coq au vin tonight (we had it last weekend too and my family are demanding it again!) – I have it with Cauliflower Rice/Mash and the whole thing is less than 400cals (including the red wine, bacon and brandy!)
This diet has made me appreciate the foods I love again – and experiment with herbs, spices, new tastes and creative ways of cooking.
I’m so grateful to have found it.

I started, as although I’m not diabetic (yet!) I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about 5yrs ago.
Since then my pain levels have been creeping up and up until a few weeks ago when I got to a point where out of sheer desperation and despondency for my future I spoke to my (slim, healthy) sister. I’ve never been honest about my weight or about the sheer amount of food I ate (often secretly) and my lovely partner (who has lost almost 4 stone on low cal diet over the last year) forgives me every food-transgression and diet-failure. But I know something has to drastically change, otherwise my 18.5 stone self would be heading into my mid-50s as a serious health-risk. My sister suggested this wonderful book and WoE. I WAS nervous at the start, couldn’t believe I would do it. But I have. I have done 12.5 days of it now and feel AMAZING. I have NO fibro pain at all. And that is since day 3… I hope that’s what’s different for me this time – it’s actually well-being, pain relief, health that are my motivation.

I’m sorry this is such a long post. I think I just needed to get this all out somewhere!
I’m sure I’ll need some support and motivation in weeks to come (after all, I’m only on day 12 lol x) But if I can help any of you with the same, I’d be really happy to do so. Good luck everyone and congrats on getting as far as you all have x

Hi Urchin …. what a brilliant start – huge well done!!! Loving the determination and recognition of your non-scales victories. I too weigh every day and actually, there is evidence that those weighing daily do as well if not better, than those who weigh weekly.

Just keep doing what you are doing and if you hit any bumps, please come and vent to us. There is a heap of experienced based knowledge to be tapped here, as well as encouragement and support. Please be sure to keep us posted on progress, which I’m sure will be positive.

Hi JGwen- Thanks 🙏🏼 so much for the thoughtful message. I appreciate your insight and knowing I am not alone in my struggle. By default I am a caregiver but as you said sometimes we need to let go…because someone else can help a person more. Also, I need to help myself by taking care of my health by eating better/losing a few pounds. I am finding everyone here so helpful. Thank you. 🦄💗

Wendleg- Thanks for your kind thoughts 😊 my brother-in-law just got out of intensive care and was moved into a regular room…so things are looking much better for him!

Any advise anyone can give for me on carbs from vegetables would be great. I am still struggling with coming up with menus each day that are low carb since I eat vegetarian and normally eat tons of veggies. Many veggies count as carbs on MyFitnessPal and add up after awhile – so once I add in a protein I can’t get my carb count too low. Any suggestions?

Welcome Urchin. Great going! This WOE massively reduced pain from osteo arthritis for me and the benefit is still there after 6 1/2 months. I am so glad to hear it has had such a huge impact for you too. Definitely a source of huge motivation to know we can reduce or eliminate chronic pain. Keep us posted with your progress x

ok so here I am, my name is clive and I`m about to start this diet as need to lose a couple of stone,usual mid waist weight, mainly beer is my tipple but cut that out last week, and so here I am, new start from me as am border line diabetic 2

great post ,thank you, I`m pretty much in the same boat as yourself, and reading such a positive post will spur me on, just need some recipes now, cheers

Hi everyone – I hope you don’t mind me popping in for a minute.

KevLondon – I’ve just read your post. Great results xx.
About your exercise question, I started BSD, including exercise, when I was first diagnosed T2 in 2016. I also had balance problems and muscle weakness when I first started exercising (in fact, I only realised how bad it was when I started exercising), although I don’t know if my issues were related to my T2 or simply to having never exercised and being older – exactly mid-sixty coming up soon!

Anyway, I didn’t start exercising until a few weeks in and started by just walking, building up to 10,000 steps a day. After a couple of months I joined some local classes which focused on improving balance, flexibility and strength. Both helped but the classes in particular really helped with my balance. It’s loads better, in fact it’s good. As for my arms I might have built a little bit of strength but maybe more like maintained what was there. (I suspect the latter might be related to my effort – or lack of effort – as much as anything!). I’d say exercise-wise you’re right – you will reach that tipping point. Do what you can as you can, and don’t worry, it’ll all be there waiting for you when you feel able to do it.

Nowadays, I’m so much more physically fit and active, and I feel strong. I’m healthier than I have been in years and I feel fantastic. My daily bgls are the same as yours, and my T2 has been in remission for 4 years. It’s all doable and it seems to me you’re doing it – great going!.

Jennie xx
Also, a big shout out for Mrs Kev, too. Fantastic weight loss.

Welcome Clive, well done on ditching the beer and making a fresh start for a healthier you. Check out the recipes on that part of the forum and also on the 101 ways with Cauliflower thread. Just doing a search online, fir liw carb dishes will throw up a huge choice too. Be sure to calculate the calorie and carb content yourself though …. there are apps available to help with this, MyFitnessPal and FatSecrets are the most often used ones.
Anyway, wishing you will on your BSD journey and please shout out if you need any advice, support or just somewhere to vent or celebrate.

Oh, and also, Wendleg, I’ve been meaning to come on and wish you a happy retirement. Belated, but best wishes. xx

Back Again! – I had a burst of enthusiasm and low carb eating in May – then had a ‘day off” for my birthday six weeks ago.
Back from being AWAY on holiday, determined to stick to it this time; I’ve spent the morning reviewing spreadsheet logs of previous diets/low carb eating and weight loss – bit of a data geek! First big attempt was 12 weeks in 2016, when I lost 15kg. The positive thing is that typically each time I’ve had a serious burst of low carb eating, I’ve not put all of the the weight back on again, typically only 20%. I need to repeat 2016, and then do proper maintenance.
WHile I was away I read a book about CBT and weight loss, which was more about creating good long term habits, rather than focusing on the actual weight loss. While I’m not going to follow it (no fast-start-diets /food group exclusions etc) there is an awful lot in the process that I think I’ll find useful.
Still addicted to porridgey breakfasts, I’ve recently discovered bircher muesli – still my carbiest meal of the day, but it does work well at keeping me full, and Bircher has fewer carbs than porridge.
I’ve also been making baba-ganoush (if you’re not familiar with it, think hummus but with aubergine instead of chickpeas) recently – something I’ve always liked, and a good accompaniment to almost anything! Lots less carby than hummus – each time I make it I end up adding more garlic.

Midway through week 4, and it’s been a tough week. I have self-sabotaged several times this week and I don’t even know why. When I’m with the family I never think twice about it, but when I’m working alone, I found myself sneaking downstairs when the house was empty and having a bowl of cornflakes. I’ve done that 3 times this week, so now I’m hoping that I will at least maintain the same weight as last week rather than gaining when I hit the scales on Tuesday morning. Yesterday was on plan, fasted for 16 hours until this morning and planning another 16 hours tonight. Fingers crossed it’ll do the trick.

Mrs Kev was very disappointed in me, as we promised ourselves a treat meal when we hit 2 stone loss. She’s half a stone ahead of me whereas I, with luck, will be halfway there come Tuesday. These are just the mental/emotional demons that anyone who’s had a lifelong issue with food will recognise, but it’s annoying that I can’t shake them when generally I am enjoying the diet, feeling full enough and keeping my goals in mind. I hope I can find my mojo again and have a few good weeks. We’re off on holiday in 3 weeks’ time, which will be challenging, but if I can get back in the groove before then it should be easier.

I should add that my blood sugars have barely been affected by my misbehaving – typically they are 4.4-5.5 at start and end of day, the worst they got was 6.8 one evening, otherwise under 6 at all times.

Hi everyone, good to hear all your stories and experiences. I have been on fast 800 now for 12 weeks and have lost 3 stone. I’m obviously delighted but the last few weeks have really struggled with motivation. I want to lose another 4 and am happy plodding away a bit slower with an average of 2 pound loss weekly than the larger figures I’ve been achieving. Can anyone advise please on transition to maybe 5:2 ? After the initial 1-2 weeks the hunger disappeared and I found it challenging but manageable. At the mo I feel hungry all the time and am craving carbs like crazy !! I don’t want to sabotage my efforts as when I have fallen off wagon (birthdays and the pubs reopening ) I have been punished on the scales with 2-3 pound gains.I suppose this is the reverse of the ‘metabolic slip switch’ I’m wondering whether I should continue on fast 800 or change.
I’ve loved the comments and the clothes that I can now wear due to my loss but on this wet Sunday all manner of naughty goodies are calling me !
Hoping I can summon some willpower ..