Hello. Slight panic here. Started four days ago and have been good as gold with 800 calories and extremely low carb. Given up alcohol and caffeine. I drink loads (always). Everything I have read says the biggest losses are in the first week. So far, 4 days in, I have lost just one tiny lb! Help! Should I be worried? It is a little demoralising… Obviously good I have lost SOMETHING but hardly a storming start…

I am 46, not diabetic but probably on the way. Have 55lbs to loose. Am long time dieter lost and gained the same 4 stone 4 times. Now it’s getting really tough – age/a body that has been messed up with dieting. Went on nutritionist diet last year ‘guaranteed’ to get my weight off. Lost 1.5 stones and then went 4 agonising months continuing with regime with absolutely no change. Gave up in despair and rapidly regained lost weight. This time is going to the be the last time I loose this weight, if I can get it off, and I am hoping that the speedy results that the diet seems to get will motivate me. I have no shortage of will power when I am succeeding. The stories on here are very motivating, so that should help. Some others have already told me of their incredible successes – I am in awe. Would love to become one of them!

So….. you can see my disappointment with the slow 1lb start. Any suggestions?

Hi Bombalone, welcome to the posts and the BSD. I have just a minute before I have to head to work but I wanted to squeeze in a quick post because I can hear your frustration with the slow loss so far and I don’t want you to quit.
I am almost a year now on BSD and at goal since June (now maintenance) so I am speaking from experience.
This diet is going to work, even if it does so slowly for you. Everyone is different, and you may be a slower responder but very soon your body will start to respond and the weight WILL come off.
The best thing to do is to put your critical mind on hold, stop getting on the scale and just follow the guidelines. We are too quick to criticize and think it’s just not working because we are all so well trained to evaluate things! This is a moment NOT to evaluate — just do it for a bit and weigh in ten days or a week or don’t weigh at all — I never weighed because scales are abusive — I used a tape measure and that was always more gentle mentally.
Try to stay as low carb as possible (as low as 20 grams per day for now) (you can add in more later) and eat full fat foods to control hunger.
If you are just too hungry, eat a tiny bit — I probably messed up more days than I did right and I still lost all the weight. It is not the single day that counts, it is the day-to-day keeping on that works.
You are going to find that you get better and better at this as you go in — we LEARN how to do this — it took me four months to learn it well.
Measure your food, use a scale. Eat full fat, stay calm. This WILL work for you. Don’t fret — this is the most satisfying way of eating and maintaining ever.

Hi Bombalone, there are two possibilities. If your metabolism is reasonably okay you will be burning fat, so the reason you are not losing more weight must be water retention or solids. If you are not constipated (quite common on reduced carbs), it could be water retention which can have all sorts of causes.

The reasons people lose a huge amount when they first start the diet is because the body gives up the water it has been hanging onto ‘just in case’ if you are drinking plenty then it no longer needs to do this. Carbs cause water retention, so make sure you are aiming at low enough carbs for your body. Also try not to worry. Stress causes cortisol production which causes water retention. Later in the diet you will find there are periods where although you do not lose weight you lose inches, due to the replacement of fat in fat cells with water. Another ‘just in case’ cause. It is possible that your body is already in this state prior to the diet as you mention previous dieting. If you are not burning fat at this level of nutrition then you may have a more serious metabolic condition, but I doubt it.

Give the diet two weeks. Measure instead of weighing for those two weeks. and track bowel movements, upping fibre if you have to. Drink at least 3 litres of water a day, some people have successfully started losing weight after increasing this to 4 for a short period. Make sure you are adding a little salt to your diet, as your electrolytes may get depleted with all the drinking. Try upping the percentage of fat in your diet. It sounds counterintuitive but it really seems to work.

Hi Californiagirl and Mixnmatch,
What amazing helpful, kind, supportive people live in this zone out there on the internet. I am bowled over by your responses and kindness, thank you so much.

Caliorniagirl thank you for your welcome. You are so supportive, your positivity and confidence immediately give me strength. I think you – and Mixnmatch – are probably dead right about avoiding the scale. Your emotions go up and down with those numbers daily it becomes a rollercoaster. I started weighing again because giving up the scale is what lead me to put all my weight back on – so I felt I should keep a close eye on it. But I guess if I am doing the BSD there is little risk of my weight going up! So, I will get back to the tape measure / tight trousers! The thing that really helps is when you said “It is not the single day that counts, it is the day-to-day keeping on that works”. That is what i need to focus on, the keeping on. And stopping the critical mind. As you say, we are too quick to evaluate everything – I need to trust in it and go with it. So thanks for that I really needed to hear it.

Mixnmatch thank you so much for that incredibly useful and well informed info. I am not constipated and I am drinking lots but maybe I should try the 4 L for a bit and see what happens – worth a go and I love drinking water (?pre-diabetic?). My carbs are super low (below/around 20) and I am eating fat – wouldn’t cope without. Only problem with fat is that it reduces your quantities as it is so dense in calories, so I find it is a balancing act. I have done low carb before but never on so few calories – that’s what I am hoping will swing it this time, as the diet that actually works! I will definitely do as you suggest and give it 2 weeks without the scale and just get on with it. Thank you again very much indeed for the support and guidance.

It is so good to know there are people out there that can and will help, it’s amazing and very touching. This is the first time I have ever used a forum for a diet. I think it could make a huge difference for me, rather than going it alone. It’s great. I have long bored family and friends about my dieting – they are well and truly done with that conversation!

Keep us posted Bambalone!! 😀

Some great advice on this thread. Interesting and informative read. Thanks.

I’m a week in now. Holding on by the skin of my teeth!

Hang in there Bombalone.
I’m feeling so much better a week in.
I don’t weigh myself at all. Feeling lighter and brighter does it for me. If I stood on the scale and hadn’t lost anything I’d want to eat.

At the moment it’s working for me. I feel good 🙂

Good luck

Hi Bombalone,

Don’t give up! I was diagnosed with diabetes on the 24th October 2016. I started the blood sugar diet around about the 20th November I think. Because I am Type 1 diabetic I am not doing the 800 cal or the fasting days and I have still lost 7kgs. And its not just the weight, everyone tells me I look like I have lost more because its come off all the right places. As they say it will, I lost it particularly from my stomach. I have dieted most of my adult life and this is the only diet I have ever stuck to. After the first 2 weeks it has been so easy and is now my way of life. Not only have I lost weight but my BGLs are always in the normal range and my daily migraines and headaches have disappeared. I am so excited about feeling so good and so passionate about this way of eating. I would advise to try not to worry about the weight so much and look at the bigger picture, its about your health not just the weight. The weight will come off, it has to. I would advise you to have a look at the share your story section and find AMGSyd story and his spreadsheet of his diet. Fantastic tool for me. Good luck 🙂

Way of Life thank you! “Feeling lighter and brighter does it for me” should be a new mantra. I am trying to step away from the scales and your words will ring in my ears. Good luck to you too – sounds like you are doing brilliantly! Hang on in there… will you ever weigh yourself??

TrixieS thanks so much for sharing your story. It is helpful to hear that, like me, you have sorted most of your adult life and this this is the only one you have stuck to. You are doing so well! And that it is working without doing the fasting is fantastic as well. As you say, just like WayOfLife above, it’s the “feeling so good” we need to focus on. That’s where I need to change my mindset I think.

I do already feel good in some respects – much better in the head, clearer.

Will definitely check out that other poster you mentioned – sounds v. interesting. I’m a sucker for a bit of diet data! Thanks very much indeed.

Hi Bombalone

I’ll weigh myself at the end of 8 weeks.

Day 8 today and feel good 🙂

Have u had a good day?

Hi Way of life

At the end of the 8 weeks eh?! wow that’s hardcore! I’m impressed. You are so patient!

Have had a good day thank you. Feeling in control. Not feeling too hungry although early evening a bit tricky. Drinking far too much tea!

Tomorrow will be a challenge as going out to a family lunch. Not only a food/drink challenge but general “so what diet are you doing NOW jokes”. Deep breaths.

Do you get hungry still on day 8? My hunger is much less but still popping up occasionally.

Hi Bombalone,

I know that I can be very obsessive about weighing myself. I have tried the BSD before and did weigh regularly. When I didn’t lose I ate to console myself. I’m trying it differently this time. So far so good. It certainly wouldn’t work for everyone though.

Funny you should ask if I still feel hungry. Was thinking just half an hour ago that is the first day that I haven’t been so hungry.

I do feel lighter, less bloated and more confident.

I’m still thinking about carbs though and have just posted on another thread asking some experienced BSDers when these cravings may subside.

Hoping they stop soon.

Enjoy your lunch tomorrow. I’ll be interested as to how you get on. I haven’t had to experience a meal out/family outing in the past 8 days.
You’ll make the right choices!!

As the book says, there is a lot of “conventional wisdom” around diets and weight loss, but there are very few rules supported by actual studies. You need to listen to other people’s ideas and then figure out what works best for you.
The book suggests a weekly weigh-in. Some people weigh themselves less often, while others weigh themselves more often. Whichever schedule helps you the most is the right one for you. There is no right way or wrong way, just your way.

Hi Way of Life
That’s interesting. I have lost my carb cravings but definitely still have hunger. I could eat cheese or nuts but don’t have the cals left in the day for them! Am hoping this subsides. How were your carb cravings today? It could be we are experiencing the same thing, just interpreting it differently…
Thanks Jande9. I know you are right, it’s about finding the right fit for yourself. Sometimes you just don’t know where to begin though. In my case I have done so many diets over the years that I have probably tried most of the possible ways (in terms of weighing often, not often, not weighing, measuring only, using a tight item of clothing etc.) but as a result of all this I have just lost confidence in knowing what is ‘right’ for me, as those diets have ultimately failed.
HOWEVER on on, I will find a way this time, one way or another. Not sure I have the willpower of Way of Life to only weigh-in at the end of 8 weeks, but I think I realise I need to be less hung up on the scales generally. I need some weigh-ins for the success (hopefully!) which will ultimately motivate me to continue.

For the first few weeks I did have some hunger, but mainly in the run-up to meal time. It took a while for the penny to drop, but it dawned on me that I was actually supposed to be hungry before meal times. Up until then I was eating so much that I was only eating at set times out of habit rather than the need for a meal.

The positive thing is that this passed after three or four weeks and I currently seem to eat such a small amount and still feel sated.

Good point well made JulesMaigret! I think my hunger is mainly early evening. Getting ready for supper. So I should go with it!
FANTASTIC though to hear it passed altogether after a few weeks. Very encouraging to hear. Thank you.

Absolutely Jande9, I agree. Not weighing is best for me alone at the moment, it’s just my way. It’s the plan. Who knows in one weeks time….? I’m just trying to be a little stressy about it this time.

Bombalone – how was the lunch? In answer to your question, my carb cravings not so bad today 🙂

Jules maigret- that sounds great. If the hunger subsides within a few weeks then bring it on.
On another thread, orchid suggested I serve food on smaller plates. Going to try this from tomorrow. May trick my brain into thinking I’m eating more than I actually am.

Best wishes all