Hi all,
It’s been 3 months since something in me finally clicked and I decided to look after my health. I thought it would be great to take time to reflect, tell my story and how I reached goal. I know that I loved reading those stories when I started and it would be a great motivation so I’m hoping mine helps some people.

Discarded 2 st & 2 lbs / 14kg! 🙂 
I’m now 64.9kg or 10st 2, a weight I haven’t been for 7 years. So happy! Here are some poor photos of a before and now https://ibb.co/64cQFVW

Everything started when I read an article in the Guardian about MM’s new book and purchased it online the same day. I started calorie counting straight away as I didn’t want to put it out for another day but since I hadn’t read the book yet, I was still eating high carbs but keeping calories below 800.

Once I read the book and understand the science behind it, going low carbs was one of the best thing I did. The magical mild ketosis state with no hunger, constant energy and mental clarity is the best feeling in the world.
Thanks to the help and support of this forum, I went on to discover Jason Fung and his books. They resonated with me and after 4 weeks on the fast 800 I started to experiment with 24hrs fasting, and slowly increased to my now usual 3 days fast.I am mostly eating under 20 gr of carbs per day, keeping proteins between 65-80gr and the rest is fat. I stopped counting my calories which feels strangely liberating.

I believe this new WOE is manageable long term as during the 12 weeks, I went on holiday in Bali and relaxed my eating habits but couldn’t wait to come back to my new WOE. So I both manage to stay the same weight while enjoying my holiday and I also couldn’t wait to come back to this routine. That would have never happened before this WOE.

Friends and family are all commenting on my new face and body, telling me that I have melted. Best of all, 4 friends have now joined OH and I on the low carbs wagon and having great results too!
I’m not ready to move to maintenance as I recently had a DEXA scan (ie full body scan that tells your body composition, how much bone, how much muscles and how much fat). 

My results are here https://ibb.co/DLt8v7Y
Following the scan, it turns out that I have 36% body fat and a woman my age should aim to be below 30%. Also most of my fat is in the abdominal region which makes it even more important to shift… Therefore I will discard a further 10lbs/5kg and that would bring me to 30% bf. I’m a little concern at how slim I will look then, don’t want to look gaunt – but maybe it’s only getting used to my new face…

Equipped with all my knowledge and experience I am VERY confident that this is achievable and I will have the healthier body since my 20’s by the end of the year.
Thanks Michael Mosley, and thanks to this forum and its beautiful members! 🙂

ETA my detailed stats are under my profile for those who are number geeks like me. 

Wow! Thank you for your inspiring story Louise🌺. Your journey has been remarkable and you have really embraced this WOE. Many congratulations on your successes.
I couldn’t access the first link in your post of the photos. But Dexa scans show such an improvement!
Did you see that Gary Taubes (Why we get fat) is speaking in Melbourne soon? Some of your friends who are new to this may be interested.
KOKO Louise. High fives all round. 🤲

Thanks @merrymelba 🙂
Not sure why the link in my original post didn’t work – maybe this one https://ibb.co/64cQFVW
I saw you mentioned that event coming up, sorry forgot to reply, I checked my calendar and sadly I’m already committed that night
Im gutted, would have loved to attend!!

Thanks for sharing @LouiseKangaroo! I find everyone’s stories on here sooo encouraging. I agree that this diet is much easier to restart after a break than any other I have tried.

I started on 7th July, two months ago. I’ve gone from 58 kgs to 52.6 kgs today. I have had 3 weeks in there where I did not try to follow the diet (all my kids birthdays, a ski trip, and I’ve found the week before my period is nearly impossible to mentally handle and not eat chocolate). My early 20s weight was 50 kgs (I’m only 5 foot) and I would like to see if I can get there or at least fit into some of those clothes. I think because of my size I lose weight more slowly (probably should be doing Fast 700, but not too worried about it). The magic thing for me was finding out there is quite a difference (for me at least) between 12:12 fasting and 14:10 or 16:8. I don’t manage 16:8 every day, but try to a couple of days a week.

Thanks Louise – that link worked. An wonderful set of photos – I can see why you are over the moon!

Hi Louise
That’s a brilliant result and love the before and after photos – well done that woman!!
Jennie xx

Thanks @jennie10 ☺️ Very much appreciated

Sorry @melbelle I missed you reply earlier! Well done on your 6kgs discard, it’s a brilliant result over summer, especially with 3 weeks on a loser schedule. Impressive!
I have found the same regarding intermittent fasting, a 16:8 will give me much better results than 12:12 or 14:10 if only in helping managing hunger cues.
Keep working towards your 50kg goal, I have no doubt that you can reach it – or maybe we’ll find that we are happy a little bit above goal, who knows!!

Hi LouiseKangooroo
Thank you so much for posting this, it is wonderful to see the results in real life! The change in your photos is fabulous and it is very inspiring for a new poster like me. 14 kgs in three months!!
I have about the same to lose as you did. I started at 74.6kgs in June. I didn’t have scales but the doctor weighed me so I could claim gym membership based on being overweight! Talk about a double-edged sword. I was back there three weeks ago, having just started the bsd800, and I was 71.7 on the same scales! So surprised. Two years ago I was about 58kgs, but I’d be very very happy to be 63kg.
Did you set an end goal and then mini goals or something like that? I bought some scales two weeks ago and started to weigh myself nearly every day. I’m now at 69.3, but convinced the scales are wrong haha.
Anyway, looking forward to hearing more about your three month plan!

Hi @heiding,
Yes I agree, it’s nice to see results in photos/real life. I wish it was easier to share pictures on the forum.
I’m ecstatic with my results, I still can’t believe how quick and “easy” it was.
We seem to have similar weight goals 🙂
I did set myself mini goals, my first one was to get back into healthy range BMI, then it was to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, then it was to get my waist below 80cm and finally to get back to my pre-kids weight. Now I still need to lose a couple more kilos and gain some muscle to get to a healthy bf %.
I also used an app called Happy Scales, I set it up so that it broke down my weight loss journey in 5 equal mini goals and it was very encouraging to see the progress towards each milestone. I highly recommend that app.
Finally what I found the most encouraging, was to fit into some old clothes that were far from fitting before and also looking at photos and seeing the change. If you can, take some photos of yourself in undies face on and to the side and you’ll be amazed at the changes obvious to the naked eye from one fortnight to the other. It helps a lot when scales aren’t kind. 😉

Hi @louisekangooroo
Thanks for your response, that is really helpful, particularly about the mini-goals.
I’ve downloaded Happy Scales – looking forward to seeing how it works for me.
I’m pretty surprised at my loss, although its not as much (by far) as many others, it seems just right. I just hope my scales are right. For example, last night I was out with my best friend. We went to a Thai restaurant and then a movie (normally I’d have a choc top and popcorn, none this time) and I thought we made good choices like barramundi grilled with veggies – when it came to the table it was battered! I ate it but regretted it somewhat. Everything else was carb friendly. So I figured I’d have put on weight and bravely weighed myself, but I was another .3 down from the day before! I hope it doesn’t catch up with me. I have my daughter and her bf visiting today from Melbourne and we will be eating out some. I will def check menus first and ensure I order the right things. I’m off the booze which will come as a surprise to her and our friends 🙂
My bestie said last night she’d noticed my weight loss – felt so good! It was her sister who put me on to the 800.
I now have mini goals. The first was to get to a healthy BMI. I’m still about .5 away from that (at 68.6 today) and then I thought I’d just go by kilos lost and my nicer clothes – especially for work, I currently look like a hobo – fitting again – so a comfortable size 12, then maybe a 10 (Australian – same as UK but equivalent of a 6 in the US). I’ll try the photo thing D: My measurements have only changed by one inch or so (barely).
Thanks for helping me focus!

Well done @heiding
And it’s so nice when others start to notice!!! I have had soooo many compliments (and one negative where I was told I look gaunt?) and it’s a good boost. Ppl want to know how I got it done too. I don’t talk too much about the fasting as that freaks people out.
I’m an Aussie too btw! I live in Melbourne 🙂
And good thinking of staying off the booze, I have started to drink again after 8 weeks off and it has defenitely stalled my progress if not stopped it altogether. So might go off booze again and only reintroduce when I am at goal… only 4 more kg of fat to go 😛
Fitting in nice work clothes is AMAZING. Best goal!

Thanks @louisekangooroo 🙂
Yay – a fellow Aussie! I’m in Canberra 🙂
That’s so great about the compliments, its nice when it becomes noticeable ! I mention the BSD to others and its roundly criticised, which is understandable given the information we’ve always had access to. I emphasised to my daughter that it is just an 8 week program (the 800 part).
I have managed to not drink booze all of this month, I’m amazed and so happy! I’ve been in several situations where I would normally drink and haven’t. My friend said (to his wife, my dearest friend) that I was ‘sparkling’ at a night out with them and some friends last weekend, and was surprised I hadn’t had a drink to ease any social anxiety ! I realised that I’m the same when I’m sober, only without the bit where I go too far, forget things and also am tragically hungover the following day! Hello Sunday morning (a cool support group) 😀
I attribute this entirely to the BSD – it is just what I needed 🙂
Put some weight on today, I expected it after Friday night, good day today, fasted till late and ate well. Also walked 12 kms.
Congrats on just 4kgs to go!!