The sense of community on the thread is really uplifting and even though I can’t always check in as often as I would wish, there is a wonderful momentum where everyone boosts and supports each other ! Thanks Sunny and all the lovely members of the thread who keep things going !

We are not going to stop now ! Stay with us, start out with us, you are all very wecome !
Don’t worry, you can work your way through the Fast 800 at your own pace.You have to find out what works for you ( not always the same for everyone) , while keeping the basic principles to the forefront.

Just shout out if you need advice as you get going, if you need help staying motivated or just want to maintain .
There is something for everyone !!
Wendy and Sunny

Thanks for getting us started for another week Wendy. I know work has been keeping you very busy recently and am sure everyone understands you aren’t always able to get on the forum. However I am confident that between us, those of us using the weekly thread can keep the momentum going when you are unable to be around.

On a personal note, I intend to tackle this week in the same way as last week, observing the BSD principles with a view to maintaining, before reviewing next week and maybe then look to drop a couple more pounds …. maybe.

Hopefully there will be many of our usual folks joining us here for another week and maybe some new people too. Whatever point you’re at on your BSD journey, do join us here to share experience and encouragement.

Thanks this forum thread is great. I’ll keep checking in and hope to give and get support over the coming weeks. It’s very supportive. Thanks all. X

Hi All, please count me in for this week. I made a good start today. Long overnight fasting period that I broke at noon. I was slightly hungry before that, but was busy training a new staff member, so the time went by quickly. Only issue was not drinking enough. I had a 1L bottle of water with me, and I only managed to drink about 1/2 of it by the end of the day. Oh well, there is always tomorrow. I’m trying to keep to around 800 calories for at least every work day this week to try to kickstart a bit of weight loss. I’ll see where I am on Friday to see if I want to continue with it through the weekend or not. I’m back working at my office and even though that means a bit more planning with food, it is quite amazing how easy it was to slip back into my former good habits that I was practicing before I started working from home – eating within a defined window and no snacking. At least all the hard work has paid off in that regard, and it shows that you can change your associations of place and habits. Previously it was habit for me to graze all day in my office and have afternoon runs to the supermarket for sugary things to keep me going, so I’m very pleased to find that the impulse to do that has instead been replaced by the need to consume only water with some salt between meals.

I’m in for my third week. Had a reasonable week last week, only deviation was on Saturday when wine got in the way – I will cut this out this week. Its become a naughty habit cooking for and eating with my father (he lives with us but i only cook for him once a week).
I’m down 2lbs so thats ok. gone from 12st 10 to 12st 2(and a teeny bit).
Quest for this week is to push hard, keep to the 800 calories, keep up the walking and hope to see 12st flat next week…..

Thanks for the thread Wendy and Sunny, and for all the support from everyone. Sharing experience really helps.

Hi all, I’m here. Thanks for setting up Wendy and I hope you have a calmer week. Good luck everyone! X

Goo morning everyone, I’m here for the next week. Today’s news is that I have now lost 2 st! It’s amazing when I think of all the downward pressure on my joints that is now gone! Today at my Zoom Zumba class I’m going to focus on being light on my feet, not the fairy elephant that my father always said that I was!

Hi all!
I’m still here. No weight loss over the last week, but other non-scale victories. Another cm off the waist. With 11 kg down I’m now fitting into my old favourite jeans. Was 7-8 years since those fitted. Funny (or sad) thing is that now that they fit I notice they are not really in fashion anymore. The legs are a bit wide – now all jeans are tighter – and the waist is lower than you would find now. So they will become “stay at home” jeans now. Anyway, these were my goal jeans, and I’m only half way to goal. Will they become too big in the end…I guess I hope so 😄.
Best of luck to all this week!

Good morning all! Day 9
Thanks for setting up the thread Wendy and to all who contribute. It’s good to hear of your successes but also of the pitfalls, I guess that’s where we do our best learning.
I did my first 800cals yesterday after a week on 1,000. I had 3 meals and a milk allowance. It was quite satisfying, surprisingly so in fact. I’m feeling so much more comfortable in my body even though I’ve some way to go.
I’ve got some tasty recipes to try and all the ingredients in…. and my new bed to build which was rudely delivered at 7.15! Had a rough night and was planning on a lie in, oh well 😊
I hope you all enjoy your days, 🌹🍏

Hello everyone

It’s week 2 of my reboot. I lost 2.2 lbs last week. I am strictly following BSD, walking and fasting and so was a little disappointed not to be able to report a 4lb loss in my first week.

My plan for this week is to keep going. I am walking every day and have started doing the walking at home videos on YouTube by Lesley Sansome. I enjoy them. I was in ketosis but I’ve no more Ketostix left now to check. I should be, Ive stuck to the plan 100%. I am planning to drink more water this week. I drank loads of water when I worked and am aware that I don’t drink as much when at home. I do feel better for being back in control. Has anyone else noticed that eating low carb makes it difficult to get to sleep? Today my weight was 150.6. Last week it was 152.8. My goal for this week is to get to 148.0 or less. Have a good week everyone and I’ll look forward to reading about your progress.

Hi CC,
What is your experience with Ketostix? I use them and even when I know I’m in deep ketosis it doesn’t give a high reading. Am very interested in how you and others think they work.
My experience with sleep is that it is fine, but I know that right at the start it was a bit disturbed. I’m guessing it was my brain buzzing with the mental change keeping me awake.

Hi Timetochange,
You asked about sticking to 800 calories for longer.

The secret for maintenance is to stop thinking in terms of calories. – Our bodies do not have any mechanism to measure calories. The hormone systems which control how our bodies use the food we eat respond to the mixture of carbs, protein and fat in our diet.

If you keep carb intake low enough to keep insulin levels low your body can use fat for fuel. – Then its down to if you want to use food you have already eaten and stored as fat, or healthy fats that you eat each day as your fuel source.

Hi everyone. Thank you wendleg and Sunny for setting up the new thread. It was lovely to read of all the successes and commitment last week, congratulations to all of us!! I’m entering Wk 2, joining ClarinetCathy on a reboot. My first week was a bit patchy, and I haven’t quelled the carb monster yet. But I am going in the right direction – down 1.4 kilos or 3 pounds. Frankly I am just relieved that I stopped the creep upwards – it was getting near a Significant Number!. So I shall press on, and hope for another 3 pounds this week, and more important, to put the carb cravings to bed.

Best wishes to everyone for a good healthy week.

Sounds like you do need to work on the hydration, Arcticfox. It’s always been one of my pitfalls and one that I work on daily. Hope you manage to get your fluid intake up over the next few days😁.
Julz, I’m sure we’ll be celebrating you getting to the 12st mark very soon. Keep on keeping on.
Puddy, huge congratulations on getting to your 2st marker 🎉🤸‍♀️🤹🏼‍♀️ Don’t worry about moving into maintenance. Remember how this whole thing seemed daunting at the beginning? You cracked that though …. just as you will maintenance and we’ll be here to offer virtual hand holding while you get used to it.
Olive, hang on to the jeans for now …. who knows when fashion will declare them in style again! By then, they might well be too big though I guess and you then can treat yourself to new smaller ones😁.
Rosie, well done on cracking the 800 and finding out you can successfully do it. That’s a very rude time to make a delivery, but enjoy the new bed!
CC, your body will catch up and 2lb is a loss and any loss is a plus, so embrace it as a step in the right direction. I’m sure you’ll be seeing more positive results soon.
On the ketostix debate, I found them an okay indicator but not the best and I also got to feeling guilty about using an additional single use plastic. And actually I think the results achieved using a cheap breathaliser are more reliable. These are quite cheap and readily available if you’re interested in getting one.

Have a good BSD day everyone!😁

Hi it’s lovely to see you articfox, Sunnyb and Wendy, clarinetcathy, caronl and jgwen. We are all taking care of ourselves, making the best of this slow time.
I’m here for support too as I’m drinking tea all day and need stop snacking. I did good yesterday and today, and I have a routine of last meal at 6pm and breakfast at 9am.
I’ll have to check if I’m in ketosis in the morning.
Here in uk it’s lovely weather, just wish I could get out to a new park to enjoy it.

Hi everyone ! The online school platform has been a bit less frantic today which is a relief. I decided to give my kids (and their parents !) some light relief producing worksheets on songs . I chose the parody of the Beatles ‘ I wanna hold you hand’ ..I gotta wash my hands ( !!) , the Shrek version of I’m a believer by the Monkees, Bruno Mars ‘ Count on me’ (all about friendship) , Dance Monkey and ‘Don’t worry, be happy ‘
It made me smile anyway and the children are still learning English !
About sleep issues . I always find that the days when I do my fasts I have more difficulty getting to sleep and generally feel colder.
I have used Ketostix and also the breathalizer.My understanding is that the Ketostix become less reliable as time goes on. The breathalizer ( recommended) by JGwen is , I think, a better option and is cheap. I invested in a Ketomojo meter from the US (delivered to France) because I felt it would help checking my ketone levels and also my hubby’s blood sugar levels ( presently prediabetic) I buy a pack of ketone strips and glucose strips.It is expensive initially but I find I don’t really need to check my ketones that often as I have been doing BSD for so long so that keeps the costs down . It is useful for hubby though right now as no way am I going to allow him to fall into the diabetic range.I know I am bossy !!!
I am presently reading Gary Taubes’ new book.’The case for Keto’ The first part was a bit heavy going (lots of science and the various ‘diets’ that have failed us ) He is extremely thorough in his research .The part I am reading now is very interesting .He doesn’t push LCHF eating as such but details many interviews with health professionals who have transitioned from advocating low cal, low fat regimes after seeing the benefits of low carb eating on themselves and their patients. He talks about salt, animal fats , cholesterol , vegan and vegetarian keto etc in a very measured and reassuring way .
He very much sees carbs as an addictive substance and there is much talk of abstinence for long term success. He begins his chapter on Defining Abstinence
« Abstinence from everything that is starchy or floury and sugary means : Don’t eat these foods «
We know that eating carbs will raise blood sugar,stimulate insulin and promote fat accumulation and hunger and that is very much the message. One message I have to take on board is that berries, nuts and nut butters, seeds and seed butters can be eaten but in MODERATION. Eric Westman is particularly strict on this account as he tells his patients not to eat those foods as they are likely to stall weight discard.
I think that can be an issue for me.It’s easy to get complacent and think that healthy foods are ok but it is still very possible to over eat even healthy foods . I certainly have to moderate my nut consumption.
Here’s another chapter ‘Making adjustments’
‘Abstaining from carbohydrates does not imply eating less ; it implies eating fat and fat –rich foods ‘
Also ‘ the best diet , the one that ‘works’ is the diet that we can sustain, to which we can stick for life’
Taubes shows pictures of two versiosn of breakfast and dinner, both with the same number of calories.
Roast chicken breast, broccoli and potatoes v Two chicken thighs, more broccoli, no potatoes, butter
You get the idea !
Taubes mentions David Unwin too who advocates LCHF/ketogenic eating for his patients with diabetes. He describes this as turning everything that is white on your plate to green ‘
One more message ‘ Those who succeed are those who come to think of abstaining from carbohydrate-rich foods as critically important to their health, in the same way that ex- smokers consider continued abstinence from cigarettes vitally important and members of AA consider the abstinence from drinking.
This means you will have to figure out how to avoid temptation in a world that will serve it up, literally, by the platefuls ‘
So we have to be meticulous about what and how we eat as we might be in any other area of our professional and personal life .
It’s not preachy although the extracts I quote might sound a bit direct. It just hammers home what we already know ?
Anyway I will send this now as it is time for hubby’s Zoom meeting with his bar chums !
Back soon !

Happy new week, everyone! Just catching up on posts and thinking what a positive, solution- focused bunch you all are. And what a vast resource of experience and wisdom there is.

Like Olive I found my sleep was a bit disturbed early on because I suddenly felt so ‘buzzy’. It settled down quickly though and my sleep is now the best it has ever been.

I bought some ketostix at the beginning and used them every so often for a couple of months. I found them reassuring, but eventually I concluded that because I was sticking to 800/20 wasn’t going to fall out of Ketosis suddenly and I didn’t need them. I have an idea that I would feel it if I dropped out of fat- burning mode, but I’m not sure how true that is. Now I am a bit curious about what my personal carb limit is I am toying with the idea of a breathalyser, but think that might be inconsistent with my efforts to be more relaxed and listen to my body! My fat Secret has been my no. 1 tool to help me stay on course, but we all find different things helpful.

Not sure what my next goal ought to be. it will be my BSD 4 monthiversary on Friday so maybe just arriving there feeling happy and grateful is enough.

You’re right Bryla, we all need to learn to listen to our bodies and develop an understanding of how it functions and what it needs. And the tools we’ll each choose to help us with this will vary.
For quite sometime I relied heavily on ketostix, which I eventually swapped out for a cheap breathaliser which then became my new support.
However, as I’ve become more in tune with my body and noted how it behaves according to what I consume, even that has become of much less importance and is only occasionally used these days.
Hope you continue to keep control on thise snacks Patricia. I’m sure taking it a day at a time will work well for you.
Wendy, love the idea of using songs as s teaching tool and you’ve chosen some great ones for your pupils. Thanks for all the research info …. very interesting.

Hi Olive_1,

When we first go into ketosis our body creates additional ketones that it doesn’t burn. These are released in our urine. Over time our bodies become experienced in being in Ketosis and no longer produce surplus ketones. So the pee sticks are then no longer a reliable way of telling how deep you are in ketosis.

There are two options of testing the level of ketosis when you are regularly in ketosis, the blood testing. I looked into buying a ketomojo but officially they only sell in the USA. –

There are two options on breathalysers. (don’t worry, you will not cause a false positive if the police test you for alcohol. The cheap breathalyzers do a different test to professional standard testers for alcohol. ) There is an expensive model of a breathalyser for testing for ketosis, there is also a cheap breatherlyser sold on Amazon called the AT6000. – I posted on the take a look at this thread a link to a video comparing the results of the two. – they were both producing similar readings, but one is about 20 times more expensive than the other.

I have in the past also posted links to articles on how to use a breathalyser, to test for ketosis on the take a look at this thread as well.

I found it very helpful to test, it helped me judge just how insulin resistant I am, and work out how many carbs I have to stay under to stay in ketosis. – It also showed me how long it takes me to return to ketosis if I step off the waggon.

Hi JGwen, thanks a lot for the detailed answer. I didn’t use the Ketostix from the start, only about 2 months into this WOE. So perhaps that is why my readings were low. May consider a breathalyser, sounds very interesting.
With regards to exercise, I just started a 21-day online yoga challenge. 15 min a day with special focus on hip opening positions for better flexibility. Feels really good. Some of you may remember that I’ve had hip problems that was treated with cortisone injections a couple of months ago. The injections together with rehab training and the weightloss has helped, and it is now a lot better. Hoping this yoga will help further.
Any others that has experienced improvement in the exercise area?

Hi everyone
Day two of week two here, so far so good. 8 weeks of 800 calories seems ever so slightly daunting but it hasn’t been too bad so far, so fingers crossed. I lost a lot of weight in the first week – 5lbs! Experience tells me that won’t last, so am brazing myself for tougher times ahead. But anyway, here’s to one more week – good luck!

Btw does anyone happen to have recommendations for cookery books or blogs that are good for the BSD other than the BSD books?

Hi Britta
We often recommend
http://www.dietdoctor.com
Lots of recipes…lots of articles and info too.
I quite like Jamie Oliver ‘s 5 Ingredients which can be adapted. Simple and uncomplicated.

Hello everyone!
Long time lurker, and have tried this before, but back on it! After weeks in lockdown/isolation (which have not been kind to the scales… so many snacks), and having a stressful job that leads me to stress eat – i’m unhappy with my body, sleeping poorly, and lower mental health that i’d like. So, time to give it another go and STICK TO IT. 2 days down, on the 3rd day now and still just wanting to eat all the time! i know that will pass. Good luck for the week team 🙂

Welcome Film24 …. stick with it, it does get easier. Feel free to come and vent here if things get tough, we’re always happy to listen and offer support. We’ll look forward to celebrating your wins with you, so please keep us posted on your progress.

back here for this week too!!….so many and so much enthusiasm is truly inspiring!
I’m doing well on the food front, and plenty of long walks- but shocked when I did a short yoga sequence the other day at how much upper body strength I’ve lost!!…so Olive, I will be joining you in trying to make it a regular thing

Have just left a big pot of ratatouille simmering while I finalise a grant application-smells good from my home-office and have added some anchovies and olives for good fats.

Re all the comments on keto sticks….I have a combined BSL/keto blood device that’s available in Australia-the brand is Freestyle-not sure if it’s also available in the UK?
CC I’m not sure if it’s ketosis or semi-fasting that makes sleep difficult but I have experienced it. I find a hot bath at night helps (only an autumn winter option for me as most of our hot water comes from the boiler!!)

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Morning all 🌞 Day 10
I’ve been child minding since 5.30! Last time I was here I pigged out on carbs so I brought a bigger and more appetizing breakfast with me. So far so good and only here til the children get picked up for school so should see it through, I will not eat a crumpet!!! I know that if I give in now it’ll make it harder for the rest of the day.
I’m really quite confused about the keto thing. Do I need to monitor? Will there be detrimental effects if I don’t go into a ketogenic state, muscle loss for example? Bit concerned. I’m currently having 3 meals with about 5 hours between each as well as 3 (total) hot drinks with milk between breakfast-lunch-dinner. I’m still waiting for my BSD book, so happy to carry on like this til I become more educated…
Wishing you all well whatever you’re doing today and thanks for all your posts here x 🌹🍏

Morning, day 16 for me. The past few days have been ok, stuck to plan and 800 calories. Had a few hungry moments but coping and keeping busy!

Rosyapple – Ive never gone as far as checking keto levels etc, assuming it all works and I keep logging all my food and drink I dont think that I will – but then I’m not fighting blood sugar levels etc. I can see the appeal though and the information you draw from it must be interesting. You will enjoy the book – it might make you tweak a few things but will certainly help you understand what its all about and help with your decision making. It is all about finding what works for you. Keep away from the crumpet – it will not do your body any favours, no nutritional benefit what so ever, it will make you hungry and sleepy and bring no benefit! Its hard, I know, but think how chuffed you will be if you resist and how annoyed you will be if you dont!!

Film24 – I know the wanting to eat all the time thing…. some days thats been me. Since getting my act together i seem to have made good progress in breaking that and havent felt that way for a while – and if i do I just remember that the next healthy nutritional meal is not that far away and the time will come to eat it, being hungry til then is ok

Have a good Wednesday all

Morning all. Well a couple of days of wonky eating triggered by a new job offer so but of fizz and bits off plan. That was then. This is now. Back on. Will have probably halted this week’s weight loss as a result, but I’m more interested in just being able to get straight back to plan and keep going. Just having my morning tea then I don’t eat until early or mid afternoon depending on when I feel hungry. Then dinner. Two meals seem to be working best for me. I have a coffee with whole milk late morning and it fills me up plus lots of water all day. Have a good one today sun is shining with a beautiful blue sky here. X

Welcome, Britta and Film24! Lean on us a bit whenever you need to. Julz- and SunnyB are absolutely right, it does get easier with practice. At the beginning I thought about food ALL the time. When I could eat next, what it would be etc and I still occasionally have a day, or just a couple of hours of that- but now I know that that’s not the same thing as being hungry and even if I am genuinely hungry, that’s okay and doesn’t need to be fixed immediately.

Don’t panic, Rosy!
Film24 – do you have an idea about what you’re going to do to manage stress instead of turning to food? I have the same tendency to hoover down comfort food when work is beating me up. Before the restrictions I got in the habit of going for a stomp around the block while taking deep breaths and looking at the greenery instead of heading to the kitchen (I’m fortunate that I work at home quite a bit). Now it’s pulling a few weeds in the garden, completing a household task, doing some stretches or 5mins on the exercise bike. Anything to switch focus for a bit and let my body and brain calm down. I think it helps to have alternative coping strategies at the ready when you are trying to move away from habitual, unhealthy ones. Just a thought.

Don’t panic Rosy! No detrimental effects. Ketosis just means that your body is in the state when it will access our fat stores for energy. That makes it easier to lose weight and seems to be what gives many other health and mental benefits. If you are following the principles, as you are, you need have no fears about muscle loss. Jason Fung (a low carb and fasting expert) points out that our bodies are far too clever to damage themselves in this way. I have had a few panics along the way that I have missed something vital or misunderstood something, but just keep it simple! Many of us do more reading and adopt different tweaks as we get into this WOE, but that’s icing on the cake (BSD-friendly cake, of course). If we are keeping are carbs low and our calories under control, then we have the essentials covered! If you have time, maybe browse the forums here for discussions about all these sorts of things. It should put your mind at rest and fill in some gaps in understanding.

I’m with you on the upper body strength, EC. I used to do 3or 4 yoga classes a week and just haven’t kept this up at home. I need to schedule in some planks and dust off the dumbbells, I think!

Hi all
Thanks Sunny and Wendy for the this week’s thread – I’m in for another week.
I’ve been re-reading Jason Fung’s The complete guide to fasting – I know that fasting can be beneficial and is a brilliant kick-start to getting the body back on track. I’ve dabbled with 24 hour fasts in the past and good results from doing that, but I’ve never been brave enough to go longer than that. 24 hours allows me to eat once a day and the thought of not eating at all for more than a day does scare me – but the results are appealling so I’m toying with the idea of experimenting. I will let you know if I decide to go for it and how I get on.
Beautiful sunny day today – garden is still a mess as I haven’t spent enough time sorting it out so that’s the goal for this week.
Hope everyone is keeping well.
x

Hi everyone,
Day 3 on 800 cal and I am starting to struggle a bit with hunger. I’m trying to just ride out the waves and stick to my eating window, but it is challenging. On the lunch menu though for when I break my fast is the first harvest of salad from my balcony garden. Excited about that!

Gattina, I’m sure Wendy will offer some fasting advice. I personally just do the occasional 24hrs which is my longest, so I’m not best placed to comment on going for longer. Actually, I unintentionally did a 24hr fast today, just because of how the day eventually panned out.
Arctic, the hunger pangs will pass and it will get easier as the days pass. Meanwhile, if you need a little something to help you through, have a dollop of full fat yogurt or a cube of cheese perhaps. Don’t worry if you are occasionally a smidge over on cals, as we’re in this for the long haul and it will all balance out over time.
Timetochange, sounds like you have a working plan, so just keep going 😁
Good to see you eith us EC, Julz and Rosy. Hope you managed to get through your babysitting okay, Rosy.
“If You’re facing in the right direction, all you need to do is keep walking.”

Hi everyone ! Some great advice on here ! Bryla your experience and approach is really helpful for newer members so keep it coming !
Our poor little cat Betty ( she has grown up , nearly 8 months now !!) has had a traumatic day , driving to the vets in her basket for her pre op.Vets here have started to do operations again and Betty is to be sterilised tomorrow, bless her. We also managed to get hairdressers appointments, yeah !!! Mine is May 26th and it feels like a real treat, something to look forward to !!!

Hi Gattina ! Yes I am a fan of fasting and like you I started with 24 hours as that was perfectly manageable while I was at school all day. I was more flexible at weekends and apparently it’ s not a good idea to do OMAD all the time.
These days at home I never have breakfast so I get in a good 16hour fast.
I think you have to work up to longer fasts.If you feel comfortable with the 24h it doesn’t take much more effort really to get to 36 hours as if you think about it , you are sleeping for the last stretch ! Nothing terrible happens and I definitely find that the longer I go, the less hungry I feel.I drink water ( add salt), black coffee, tea, infusions etc. If I feel I am struggling a bit I allow myself a splash of cream in my coffee .Not a ‘clean fast’ as they say but there are still benefits.

Just remember Gattina that fasting is not meant to be an endurance test . As soon as you begin to feel unwell it’s fine to stop .That is what Jason Fung advises. Build up to what works for you.
I have an app on my phone called ZERO which you can use to track your fasting hours which I find quite motivating. You can log each one and a a graph is produced of your fasting history. Another one is Fasting Tracker which is a bit more sophisticated as it informs you what is happening in your body at each stage of your fast.
I definitely get an energy boost as a consequence of my fasting and I think it is becoming a maintenance strategy for me. I don’t put pressure on myself though.I can do 2 x36 hour fasts some weeks, only 1×36 or just 24 hours other weeks. Yes, it is a useful reboot strategy but I wouldn’t advise it as a regular damage limitation after massive carb overload.It would be better, in my opinion to stay low carb as consistetly as possible.I think a fast after a very carby period would probably be quite uncomfortable and would generate a lot of carb flu like side effects , headaches etc as the carb detox happens.

I hope that is helpful, anyway Gattina . Just do what makes you feel good and there is nothing to fear. Hunger will not kill us ..it is actually quite liberating to really feel hunger ( I never knew what true hunger felt like) As Jason Fung explains, hunger comes in waves and you can ride it out and it passes.

Thanks sunnyb for the encouragement, and Bryla I appreciate the advice on avoiding snacks. I’m definitely going to stick a list of things I will enjoy doing on the fridge! Doing vs eating!
My list is
Cycling on the exercise bike
Pull weeds (not so favourite!)
Cleaning counter top
Washing up
Cleaning paint on bannister and doors
And instead of that sick feeling of too much, I’ll have done what I intended to do.

Morning all, another sunny one 🌞 Day 11
Got my book, 8 week BSD yesterday so been reading loads. Really interesting.
I’m on day 4 of 800 cal and all seems well, lost 3llbs so far this week, 1llb away from losing my covid half stone that I put on !!
It’s strange, I’m not sure what weight to aim for, the book says to make your goals big so I looked at weight charts and the upper limit for my height is 10st 6llb. This would mean a loss of 4 stone, (though I’ve already lost 1st 8llbs previous to starting this). I’ve been on the larger side all my life and partly it’s feeling odd to go for the above weight because I have no reference point and also I can’t imagine where this 4st is going to come from 🤔 I suppose I’ll have to see how I get on….
Defo worried about loose skin too, I’m 48 years old…
I’m going to read the chapter on exercising today, been for a walk, going to batch cook for the next few days and a bit more gardening me thinks…
Have a great day everyone and thanks for your messages, all are inspiring and encouraging x 🌹🍏

Hi all
Thanks Sunny and Wendy for the fasting advice. I got used to the 24 hour fasts when I did this back in January – it really made a difference to my bg so I’m going to reintroduce a 24 fast at least once a week. I’ll work up to a 36 hour fast – you’re right Wendy, you do stop feeling hungry so it’s probably a case of getting over the mindset of going to bed without food. What does OMAD stand for?
Acticfox – fresh home grown salad – how lovely. keep at it – the hunger will subside …
Patricia – doing vs eating! Good idea – that should become our mantra 🙂
Rosyapple – Loose skin is a concern for me too – I can already see signs of it from the 2 stones I’ve lost and I have a long way to go to the top end of my healthy bmi. I’m not sure that there is a solution – I may end up one of those women who tucks her extra skin into her knickers every day!

I have only just checked the thread as today our little Betty went to the vets for her op and two return trips have taken up most of the day.
Sorry Gattina OMAD means One Meal A Day which I did most work days . Haven’ tbeen at school for a while now though !
Just see how you get on with the weekly 24 hour fast and build up slowly ?
Loose skin ? Yes, I remember asking the very same question. I have discarded 30 kilos/5 stone and I can honestly say I do not have any loose skin . I am 62 so my skin could also be said to lack the elasticity of younger women but no real issues… I still have an amount of belly fat I would like to part with but certainly nothing loose to tuck into my knickers ! I did start fasting very early on and I can only assume that helped as Jason Fung has often said that he has never referred any of his patients for surgical skin removal even after they had lost considerable amounts of weight.
My arms are not toned and my legs started looking a bit wrinkly but less so now as they get treated to nice body butters . I am honestly just grateful to be in better health and I don’t really aspire to a ‘beach body’ 😉
Rosyapple , I never looked at weight charts as I am not convinced those numbers are applicable to everyone. My body seems to have found a natural , happy place and even though I think the charts would say I should be lighter, I think it depends how you feel.
It feels comfortable right now .
I would suggest continuing as you are doing, the habits will fall into place naturally and be sustainable . Don’t worry too much about your final target , just see how you feel as you progress ?

The BSD /Fast 800 books were just the starting point for me and I felt a need to learn more so I spent months reading nothing but books about nutrition. I found it all fascinating ( and a real eye opener ) and everything I read just convinced me that low carb was the way to go .Like lots of other contributors to the forum, I would never look back now .
That’s a good plan Patricia ! Watch what weeds you pull up ! You know I am a fan of nettles and the more I read the more I see them as super foods !
I wonder what has happened to
Niamh and Dean ( Neegan) ?
Georgiejeorge ?
melH ?
Time to switch off now but I will be back soon !
Take care everyone xx

I’m new to this forum but have been doing the Fast 800 on my own. This is my 3rd week. I lost 8lbs in my first two weeks but haven’t lost anything this week. I’m putting a lot of pressure on my self to lose more and am feeling a bit frustrated and demotivated. I would like help with a couple of questions.

Is it normal to not lose as much after the first two weeks? What kind of loss should I be pleased with?
I have been eating oat cakes (which only contain oats) . Are these really better avoided as they are a carbohydrate?

This forum has already helped and given me lots of motivation!and support. So glad I found it xx

Hi Rebecca
You’ve got off to a great start. Well done. One thing I think many would say is to not rely totally on your scales. How your clothes fit is usually a much better guide to how your body is changing. Something feeling looser can give you a real boost.
Do you use an App to track your food intake? Lots recommend FatSecret which will allow you to enter the foods you eat and keep an eye on the carbs. [I am in Australia, and prefer the Easy Diet Diary App as it has many Aust foods in it, and allows building recipes etc.]
Oat cakes can be 4 – 6.5 carbs each – so if you are having a few each day they will add up. We are all different and this isn’t a one-size-fits-all lifestyle. Many find that keeping carbs below 50g per day helps with weight, inflammation, etc and some find around 20g is what they need. Look at all the videos on the “Take a Look at this” thread and podcasts etc. https://thebloodsugardiet.com/forums/topic/take-a-look-at-this/page/16/#post-122550
Also – have you looked at the Diet Doctor site? It has so much useful information, as well as recipes (not need to pay for a plan from them) and these visual aids to what food groups are good :
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/visual-guides
Keep posting and asking questions 🙂 🌺🌻🌼

Hi Everyone.
I have been reading the posts on the forums for the last six months. I have even gone back to read many past posts since the beginning of the BSD forums. I have been encouraged by many of the posters such as wendleg, JGwen, SunnyB, caronl, ClarinetCathy, Dreamscometrue, arcticfox, MerryMelba, and many, many more!
I’m looking for support. I am outing myself today, and I confess that over the last five days I have eaten 5 litres of ice cream and a whole mud cake. I had lost 6kg while lurking in the BSD forums and doing the Fast800 on my own. But over the past few months, I have put almost all of the weight back on. Things have been challenging for me, and when I get down, I tend to binge on sugar.
I’d like your support to regain some control over my eating habits, and lose that 5.5kgs that I have regained. Please may I join your wonderful virtual community? Many thanks.

Good morning everyone! And happy bank holiday, if you have one in your part of the world.
4 months ago today I started this WOE with no understanding of how it would change my life. My self belief was very limited and I’d only set myself the goal of following it for a week as an experiment. I am very self-disciplined in most areas of my life, but I thought I just couldn’t control my eating and stop food being an emotional crutch. I was wrong and my relationship with food, my understanding of what my body and brain need to function well and my self-concept have changed beyond recognition, hopefully forever! Dr Mosley will always be my hero because his book got me started, but it is this forum and this specific thread that spurred me on day by day. I simply can’t express how grateful I am to Wendy and SunnyB for their commitment to us all and their generosity with their time and care. Thank you both from the bottom of my heart (and every other organ that is now also much healthier). And thank you absolutely everyone for sharing your struggles and wisdom so I have never felt I was doing this alone. 4 months feels like a real milestone and I’m at the end of the beginning.

A big welcome Rebecca and LovesGroodles! Rebecca- you should be pleased with any discard. It is absolutely normal and actually inevitable for weight loss to slow down after the first couple of weeks. The theory is that initially we are using up our glycogen stores for energy. Glycogen is held in water, so when it is used up, we get rid of a lot of water too. That water weighs a lot, hence the rapid discard. Once we start to use our fat stores for energy (which will happen if we’re keeping carbs low enough) the downward trend will be slower. 1 to 2lbs a week is realistic and safe according to the experts, but I think most of us have a week or even weeks where the scales don’t shift, which is where Merry Melba’s point about non -scales signs of change is worth it’s weight in gold. I wish I could show you the graph of my weight loss over 4 months from FatSecret. It is definitely not a smooth, steep line downwards after the first 2 weeks! But the trend is down and down. If you stick with the principles, it happens. It really is okay to have a week or more of no discard. Doesn’t mean your body isn’t beavering away making changes that you can’t see (or weigh) yet.

Well done with that previous 6kg discard LovesGroodles. Now you know the WOE works and you know what derailed you, so you can do it! I know I bang on about this, but if sugary food is how you cope with stress, have you got some alternative coping strategies lined up to draw on instead? We all need ways to cope when the going gets tough, it’s just that some are healthier for us than others.

Have a good day everyone!

Hi all!
Welcome to all newcomers! Please join us. There are really no questions that can’t be asked here.
Rebecca – it is normal to lose a lot of weight at the start, and that this can slow down. The advice from MerryMelba is very good, to keep an eye on the carbohydrates, and pull this down a bit if you are stalling. I find that focusing on amount of carbs is more important than focus on number of calories, at least that works for me.
LovesGroodles – welcome! If you have done BSD before you can do it again. The fact that you are here shows that you are very motivated.
I wanted to share that I hit a major milestone today, for the first time in a long time I saw the figure 7 instead of 8 and 9 at the start of my weight, was 79.5 this morning. Hurray! Started in Jan on 92 kg (14 st, 7 lbs) and now at 79.5 (12 st, 7 lbs) so 2 stone off!
So am feeling great – but now comes my big enemy – the weekend! Need to stay focused and not deviate. This is hard when the rest of the family is eating “as normal”. But the results this morning was very motivating so will do my best.

Olive! That’s brilliant. 🎉 What a great milestone.so pleased for you. Hang on tight to that wonderful feeling. You can definitely overcome the weekend challenge 👏

Hi LoveGroodles
I just wanted to send positive thoughts. The whole 5 liters of ice cream scenario sounds familiar. If you haven’t already it might be worth looking up Binge Eating Disorder. You may or may not have that, I do, but either way you’ll find some interesting insight into what causes binges and what can prevent them. Fasting for one thing is a big no for me. I know it really helps other people and I have felt tempted and done it a few times. The result is always the same, I loose weight but sooner or later I end up eating a loaf of bread in one sitting, which then starts of a period of uncontrolled and trance-like bingeing. So I stick with the 800 calories and I never skip a meal. This is me and not you, but if you haven’t do look it up, it may give you some useful tips as to the ice cream problem. Good luck!

Hi everyone, and a special hello to Rebecca and LovesGroodles.

Rebecca, as others have said, it is very normal to lose a lot at first – mostly water – and for it then to slow. So don’t worry, it will still happen. The weight loss is not linear, and you may find you go a week or two – or even more – without loss and then more disappears. There’s been some really good advice on here already and I’d also add to that something called the “whoosh” effect – this article explains it https://100down.org/the-whoosh-effect/. But basically it’s along the lines of when you lose fat, the resulting space is filled with water and this may take a bit longer to disappear. So even though you are not seeing any change on the scales, it’s all happening inside.

You might also want to try varying your eating pattern from time to time as that can help. Maybe sometimes have three small meals a day and other times give 16:8 a go (eating just within an 8 hour window e.g. brunch at 12 and dinner at 7). I’ve found it can help kick start weight loss by breaking things up a bit.

LovesGroodles – great name! Do you have one? I have a labradoodle who is the light of my life! Welcome on board and you are in good company here. So sorry to hear you have had a difficult few months, and I hope that things are improving for you now despite these challenging times? Don’t worry about the ice cream and mud cake – honestly we all have bad days or weeks, but the beauty of this diet is that we can pick it up again and soon start seeing results. So be kind to yourself, draw a line under it and get going again. I’ve found the best thing to do is to plan meals from one of the BSD books. You don’t have to think too much and it gives you a structure to get back on board. Also don’t compare your progress with others as everyone is different, but only you are you!

Hope everyone else is well? Happy VE Day to those that are celebrating X

Bryla, thank you for those very kind and generous words. The forum was so essential in getting me to target, that it’s important to me to offer support to those still seeking theirs.
Rebecca, I feel your frustration and clearly remember being at the very same point myself. I too stalled in week 3 and even though I was doing all in exactly the same way as weeks 1 and 2 nothing seemed to be happening. Be assured this is not unusual and just marks your body adjusting to the new regime. If things stay the same for another week, it might well be worth reviewing you carb intake though and perhaps check on your hydration too. Good hydration is very important for our bodies functioning at their optimum. Most importantly, reject any negative thinking…. You’re doing great and this blip is just that, this frustrating period will pass and you’ll soon be reporting good thing again.
Groodles, please, please don’t waste time and energy on beating yourself up for your recent digression. Okay, it wasn’t ideal and not the best coping strategy, but it takes time to turn around deeply ingrained habits, so just leave this event behind you and move on. We’ll be here to offer whatever support we can, so please come and vent, ask questions and share any little wins too. We’re looking forward to sharing your journey.
Olive 🤸‍♀️💫🎉 woohoo!!! Well done on breaking it that new kg bracket. A great way to step into the weekend! I’m sure you’ll be able to consolidate this result in the coming week.

Keep going everyone.

Hi LovesGroodles,

Well done in moving on to ask for help, I also spent the first 8 weeks that I was a member of the forum listening and learning from the key figures who were active on the forum when I joined back in 2017.

For me having a strong WHY is the key. You need to think of something(s) that so important to you that when times are hard your WHY is more important to you than the immediate hit from a sugar rush. For me it was getting back into the saddle, and every day I had the advantage of spending time checking on my horses. Each persons WHY will be different, it could be a special event coming up for which you want to look your best, it could be a sport or activity you love and can’t do, it could be to recover from a health problem.

The next thing is to celebrate steps along the road . You can do this in simply day for day activities. – Every time I lift a feed sack of it reminds me of the strain I was putting my body under carting around that level of weight every day. Or it can be a way of inspiring and marking bigger steps. for example, I needed to replace my car anyway as my old one would need work to get through its MOT. – So I decided that my reward for myself would be to replace it with a 4×4 as a step towards getting out and about with my horses and I set my target for replacing my vehicle as successfully discarding the first 3 stone. – Not only did the time spent searching online for information on makes and models in my price bracket help distract me from food when times got tough, but also every time I got into the new vehicle it reminded me that this Way of Eating was working and I wanted to keep on with my successes.

Devising you WHY, and the successful steps will be a very personal process for you. I get your desire for ice cream right now. I have looked wishfully at that section in the supermarket at times. – My aim instead is that I will have an ice cream, but I will have it as a one off as part of the beach experience that I will have this summer.

The “whoosh effect” – love it! – thanks Dreamscometrue!

Thank you so much for all your amazing advice. I wish I’d found this forum earlier. I completely understand the binge eating LovesGroodles. I’m definitely an emotional eater. I do similar things particularly in my car. I think it’s because no one can see me. I’m just coming out of a bad marriage and adjusting to being a single mum of a beautiful two year old. So when I’m tired or feeling overwhelmed by everything that has happened it’s just so easy to reach for the carbs. I don’t think I even taste it anymore. This is the first time I’ve really admitted that to anybody.

Congratulations to all of you for sticking at it. Olive you have done amazingly. Keep at it. Your posts have really given me a boost of motivation and have really helped me see it is a journey. It’s not going to happen overnight. Do any of you have any days off? For example being less strict at the weekend? Or do you find it’s easier to stick to the diet full time?

Thank you all again xxx