I believe while it’s important to stay focused on this lifestyle, it’s also important to enjoy life once in a while with absolutely no guilt. A piece of dark chocolat, a small glass of wine and mindfulness. We’re all doing a good job here

I like the sound of your breakfast Angie… must have that one day…
Like you I am eating loads of spinach and I haven’t made time for any mindfulness yet!
It’s so nice reading about what others are doing in the same boat… I too have the book next to my bed and try to have a quick read in the morning or at night.. I saw a whole section on exercises yesterday that I must have skimmed past very quickly when I first read the book because I don’t remember it at all! 🙂

Lindarina thanks for that reminder… for I realise that’s the way to go when I finish the 8 week plan… and I mustn’t get demotivated and give up after the first slip up like I always have before with diets!

Started Mindfulness last night – now to do some weights and toning up. Happy Sunday everyone and enjoy the delicious food

Avocados with feta sounds delicious, Angie. I’m going to try that soon.

Brunch today was halfed bell peppers filled with refried beans, cajun spices and a bit of cheese. In the oven to melt the cheese and topped with guacamole.
Maybe a bit carb heavy for those of you who are very strict, because of the beans, but also loaded with protein and good fats.

Breakfast 1 poached egg on smashed avocado with grated parmesan. Snack of strawberries cashew nuts and Greek yoghurt and tonight lamb tagine out of the recipe book.
Really enjoying this diet.

Borrowed a dog today – a great way to help me get out in the sunshine (and then stay out in the rain!). Dr M’s Ploughmans for lunch and then some tuna with a tomato and veg combo for dinner. (Having stuck to the recipes for the first couple of weeks I’m now feeling brave enough to use the principles to create my own meals – with the aid of the invaluable myfitnesspal of course!)

Hope everyone has had a good weekend so far.

I’m new to this forum. I did the 5:2 before, lost 30 lb and felt amazing, but I suffered a bereavement and l put it all back on very rapidly as self care went out the window.

I know I can lose it again & I’ve decided to do the BSD this time around. I could do with the support, do you mind if I join you?

Hi everyone.
We have a good wee group going.
Today’s plans
2 egg scramble with mushrooms peppers
Miso soup (it’s actually really nice)
Tuna or chicken salad.
Water and peeing
Cleaning and laundry (4 kids on a farm!!)
Singing. Walk after tea..hopefully!
Shrinking..hopefully.
What are all your plans?
Tattiescone xx

To Frazzledmum
Aw I really feel for you.
Sometimes it’s best to say less to your family especially if they are not supporting you.
Just dish up theres and then (smugly) dish up yours quietly.
It’s funny isn’t it. Nobody really ever comments or judges each other on what we drink. I.e 2 cups of tea or 3 litres of fizzy water..it’s just like ..well we are all different..some folk are thirstier than others…
Then..you mention you are trying to slim and suddenly everyone is looking out for what you put in your mouth!
Just you carry on. You are doing really well. Like me you are trying to improve things. It can be difficult in the family unit. But it’s just another project along the way.
Take each day by day. Break the day into 2 or 3 meals and try the best with each one. No one can argue with that.
Punctuate the day with swallowing water. Drinking and peeing is the new hobby! I just tell myself that every pee is progress.
Tattiescone xx

Hi
Groundhog Day moment
By last Friday day I had lost 3lbs and today after the weekend I have put it all back on again!
Weekends are my down fall I went to a friends house Saturday night and they had home made pizza, Friday I had a bottle of wine with OH and yesterday went to a friends 2th wedding anniversary. I had not realised how carb heavy buffets are – apart from the salmon everything had carbs, rice salad, pasta salad etc and tonight the OH has said we are going to have a Chinese take away with other friends.
Any ideas for low carb? Everything at the local Chinese is either deep fried in batter or has suspiciously thick and glossy sauces that have to be packed with carbs
I am depressed!!!

This cycle of losing weight in the week and gaining it at the week end is depressingly familiar. Need to become. Hermit and not socialise

Last Monday 11stone 11 and a half pounds- this Monday thanks to the diet – 11stone 4 and a half pounds!!! Yippee as I cannot remember being that weight for years. Roll on next Monday and a BIG thank you to everyone for your support. Only 1 stone to go!!

Madmare I have just read your post and so sorry that the weekend was a failure with your diet.
Treat todsy as day one again but best to avoid any wine or carbohydrates as once you have eaten them the craving gets worse.
Good luck as we all want to succeed to our ultimate goal of feeling thinner, happier and liking ourselves again.
Recently I was at a pub and there was a long mirror in the ladies loos and someone said it makes you look thinner. I stood in front of it and yes it did. It made me feel fabulous and I walked out of that loo with my head held high. So that’s why I want to lose the excess weight to always feel like that.
Good luck everyone

RobOnAMission – Borrowing a dog is a great idea! I kind of did that yesterday, my friend was taking his dog for a long walk and I tagged along. It’s a good way to get out and about 🙂

Haha Tattiescone – water and peeing! That’s so true. I think everyone at work probably thinks I’ve got some kind of continence issues, I’m always off to the bathroom!

I did pretty well on the weekend compared to a normal weekend, I’m not going to lie, there was pizza! But I only ate 2 pieces, whereas normally it would be 3-4. Tonight is another story though, I was really on track all day but then went to the movies tonight and bought chocolate. I really didn’t even enjoy it and now I feel ill, hopefully that will make me learn my lesson and next time I’ll just take some nuts to snack on if I need a snack. Onwards and upwards, back on the horse tomorrow.

Hi everyone
Just lost a post so if this comes up twice bear with me

Week 1 completed, now 13st 8lb – weight loss 3lb – so exciting!

L Odour – of course you may join us. Good luck with it let us know how you’re doing

Angie TM – Well done on your excellent 1st week weight loss.

Tattiescone – my food for today will be strawberry smoothie (well, already had that), 2 egg mushroom omelette, piri piri pork with leeks, broccoli, carrots and peas thrown in.

Madmare – try eating less calories in the week then you can look forward to your weekend blowout.

Nilesedge – that’s good, you cut down on the pizza and also THOUGHT about what you were eating. Mindfulness thrown in there without even realising you’re doing it.

Miss sunshine – where are you. Hope you’re doing well.

Onwards and downwards xx

Well done everyone for Week 1! It was meant to be the first week of my third Fast-800 but didn’t go so well so I’ll restart tomorrow I think: rather kaiboshed by the sunny weather in the UK which always tempts me to too much prosecco 😉

But as a third-timer I can assure everyone that this diet – and more importantly, this WOE (Way Of Eating) – really DOES work! If you do stick rigidly to 8 weeks of 800 calories and low carbs you can achieve tremendous weight loss and various related health benefits. But even if you fall off the bandwagon occasionally you will still lose weight gradually.

I call the BSD “the diet that welcomes you back with open arms” – it really is that simple! You go a bit overboard one day – forget it! Get back on board the next day and you’ll be fine. What I love is that you can do the BSD a number of different ways and it still works. I was pretty strict for my first Fast-800 in January then towards the end, and into my second, I moved more into a kind of 2:5 (or sometimes even 3:4!) Fast:800 where I’d be pretty good during the week then relax it a bit at weekends. So that may be a way forward for you if you’re really struggling with doing the strict 800 every day. Better that than give up completely.

But be reassured: whatever I’ve done, there has been steady weight loss. 24lb so far and counting! Yes, sometimes you plateau for a while – and also what I and others have found is that the weight loss is not linear. Sometimes you have a really bad day yet the next morning (I weigh myself every day) another pound has come off. Other days you think you’ve really nailed it but no change the next day.

This article about “the whoosh effect” was posted by someone on another BSD thread and is really helpful to understand this erratic weight loss thing http://100down.org/the-whoosh-effect/

Good luck everyone!

Tattiescone, your plan made med smile. Nice to know I’m not the only one living in the bathroom these days 😀

Today looks like this (hopefully):
L: 2 wasa crisp breads with creme chese, tomatoes and strawberries.
D: Chicken chop suey with lots of veggies and cauliflower rice.
Snacks: carrot, babybel.
And lots of liquorise and peppermint tea with lemon slices. It tastes soooo good, and a hot cup really quells my urge to snack in the evening.

Thanks for the welcome Jackieppp 🙂

Day 1 is going well, I had a good breakfast (2 Linda McCarney Sausages, 2 poached eggs, 4 chestnut mushrooms, 4 cherry toms, 1 slice of the small warburtons and a sprinkle of Dukkah). Under 400 cals and left me feeling as full as an egg. I’m going to have a browse at the recipes and get organised for the next couple of days. I’m feeling really positive and have enjoyed reading this thread.

I’m weighing in today at 201.6lb and took other measurements too 🙂

Hello! May i join your wonderfully supportive group please? I decided to start this diet after always battling with my weight and years of losing and gaining. I started on the bsd800 5 day’s ago and its been tough,I love carbs! But I am already seeing the benefits. I’ve read this thread and found it soooo helpful. I go on hols in 8 weeks and hoping to.lose 1.5 – 2 stone, do you think that’s doable? Hope you don’t mind me gate crashing? Good luck everyone,, we CAN do this!! X

Thank you dreamscometrue for the Whoosh effect explanation which I found really helpful.
Out for restaurant dinner tonight and tried to be good in my choices. Pushed the boat out by having a diet coke then on sparkling water all night with the exception of 3 mouthfuls of red wine.
Asparagus with hollondaise and crispy quails egg which when it came was a quails egg coated on a round potato croquet. It was small so I ate it.
Main course was fillet steak and greens with one field mushroom. I asked for peppercorn sauce in a seperate dish and had 1 teaspoon of it and then went for the French mustard. Said no to the chips.
Black Americano to follow and said no to the lovely home made shortbread biscuit which accompanied it. So on the whole nor bad. I have also planned out my meals until Thursday which helps me stay on track.
Good luck everyone for this week and looking forward to reading more of your great posts.

Madmare, I agree Chinese can be a minefield! I go for San choi bau which is the delicious pork mince you spoon into lettuce cups, and the stir fried veg in oyster sauce. Good luck!!!

Hi there – me please !
I’ve weighed in this morning at 141lbs which at only 5′ 1″ is too much ! I agree with another poster / hoping that that going ‘public’ helps with motivation. I love carbs and don’t eat meat so carbs generally make up the bulk of my meals. I’ve cut out sandwiches for lunch with only the occassional slice of bread (I have a breadmaker so never buy bread but sometimes the smell of fresh baked bread is toooo much – generally my willpower is pretty strong though). My husband has followed the 5:2 for a number of years and maintains his healthy weight, but I can’t get into it in the same way.
I’ve got both MM’s books so lots of recipes etc – I just need help with the motivation. My day job varies from being fairley active to very inactive on a day to day basis but we’re all trying to walk during lunch times and encourage each other in that. On weekends I can achieve 20,000 steps – not sure that balances the week out?
I always have (real) porridge and berries for breakfast and salad for lunch but I can struggle for evening meal choices and tend to go for quick halloumi and peppers salad occassionaly in a wrap, fish with salad or veg which gets boring. Ive adapted the harvest pie which was lovely though.
Sorry for the blugh – just looking to committ and for support.
Well done to all the successes – here’s to mine 🍾

Hi All. Completed my first week yesterday; overall stuck to the calorie intake; albeit protein intake a bit too high. Wednesday and Saturday I felt depleted of energy but other than that I have felt fine. I had two cheat evenings when I had 2 large G&Ts; still maintained 800 calorie intake but not good calories. Most days have managed between 10k and 12k steps but no other exercise. My initial weight was 146.8 lbs; BMI 26.4; FBS 6.2; yesterday 141.4lbs; BMI 25.4; FBS 5.4. I’m hoping that some of that loss was fat and that I can achieve my goal of 126 lbs in the next six weeks when I go on holiday; 15.4 lbs to go. I have enjoyed reading all your posts and it is nice to know that I am not alone. Good luck everyone.

Week 1 done. Well done everyone.
Started last Tuesday at 244.4pds dropped to 237.4 – 7 pds down exactly
Tues, Wed, Thurs – 800 cals or less each day
Fri, Sat , Sun – way over the 800 mark (Beers, BBQs etc)
Yesterday – back strict under 800cals

Basically 4( under 800cals) :3 ( bad days)

This week I’m aiming for better but 7pds so happy enough.

Good diet. I just go on mentally you literally can’t get fat if you don’t put the food in your mouth. My fitness Pal is great.

Everyone sounds like they’re doing really well, even with some slip ups here and there (bloody weekends!)

I had a good day food-wise and I went to the gym! Woo! I’m a bit worried about tomorrow though, we have a work lunch at a tapas place, which means food sharing and having very limited say over what gets ordered and probably limited veggies. I guess I’ll just try my best and have a light dinner.

*parachutes in*

**Emergency lunch squad for nilesedge**

Three words:
Hard
Boiled
eggs

Cook two in the morning, take into work with you, eat just before going to tapas. Pick at any suitable vegetables but consider the eggs your main meal and the tapas an optional pudding. Any questions from colleagues? I find a claim of IBS flare up works a treat.

*parachutes out*

Hi everyone,

Please can I join you all? I started a bit later on 27th May, so today is day 4 for me. Successfully kept to 800 calories each day so far. Felt nauseous today but hoping that is my body adjusting and won’t be a permanent thing.

i don’t have diabetes, but do have PCOS. I have been on a trial to treat PCOS with metformin but I did not find any benefit to taking the metformin so have ceased taking the metformin. Hoping this way of eating will help improve my overall health and lose weight.

Ginko, I have PCOS too and I had some bouts of nausea early on. I only vomitted once (when the in-laws were visiting for Christmas which was awkward, to say the least) and haven’t experience any stomach upset in months. My doc tried to put me on metformin back in the 90s and it didn’t do a thing for me either. If they’re still doing trials of it after all these years, it just goes to show how little research and attention PCOS gets from the medical establishment.

Many of my symptoms have abated thanks to the BSD and the attendant weight loss. This is how I plan to live until the rest of my days. PCOS is a chronic condition, as is the insulin resistance that comes with it. No meds are going to fix the fact that my body does not process sugars the way normal people do. The BSD has shown me how to deal with this reality and has given me a new lease on life.

hi all you lovely new people.
I do have diabetes but have refused tablets for the moment so trying really hard to stick with this plan. However,
I have cheated! today and had a Turkish Delight and a corned beef cob so few extra calories and carbs there.
Never mind it’s all a learning curve. New day tomorrow – still feeling good and in control which is the main thing.Tried Hummous today and loved it. It was flavoured with roasted peppers and I dipped peppers into it. Had 200 calories worth and then put the tub down. So in control!!

Haha, thanks for parachuting in Melb100, great suggestion! I will try it 🙂

Doubled quantities on no carb bircher to have as brunch. Do you think that’s ok?

Hi everyone.
Everyone old and everyone new! I’m sorry at not getting everyone’s names in..I do this on my phone and get a bit dizzy with the scrolling up and down, but I read and love all your posts. I hear you all and feel you all.
I am due to weigh self on Friday (that’s my 10 days ) so..2 full days of bsd800 then a morning weigh. I have been good. At the weekend I chewed a bit of pizza..but then spat it in the bin! Normally I am the bin!
I feel slimmer and more energetic and sleeping well. Like a log. Mood appears bright and positive..could be the sunshine or a bit of everything!
Everyone is doing well. Even though you feel you are off the wagon..probably a “bad day” is still only 1200 calories which is still probably less than old you! Just keep doing the best for every meal.
I now try and comfort drink. “Drink those cravings away. Drink in that slimness. Drink that nasty person at work away down the plughole! ”
Today
1 slice wholemeal bread (needed it!) .chicken..cheese
Miso soup
Homemade egg fritata (minus the tattie) salad.
Options hot chocolate

Well done everyone!
Keep shrinking
Tattiescone xx

Great to know that symptoms can improve on BSD. Thanks Esnecca.

Day 5 today, feeling better than yesterday. Shouldn’t have jumped on the scales yet but i’m already down 3.5kg! I started at 127.8kg so have a lot to lose – would like to get back into 80-90kg by Christmas.

How’s everyone doing?

I had to eat lunch at a seminar today. A whole wheat baguette (about 70 grams I’m guessing), with shrimp and majo. A big carb load these days. And guess what? I’ve been feeling like an extra for The Walking Dead ever since. I had to take a nap after work, and could barely speak in whole sentences for a while😄

“Drink those cravings away. Drink in that slimness. Drink that nasty person at work away down the plughole! ”

That’s so funny Tattiescone!

I’ve been having a couple of sedentary days work wise so I’ve been dragging the dog out for a long late walk, managing somehow to go from 3000 steps to 10,000 before dark!

Cup of tea and bed for me now 🙂

Love reading everyone’s updates!

You do make me laugh Tattiescone!
14,600 steps tonight probably due to my run after work so 58 high intensity minutes this week and I need to do 150 so still some way to go.
Resorted to 3 squares of Green and Blacks dark chocolate at work this afternoon but only 20 calories per square so not too bad and it was filling.
Tried cauliflower rice this evening – not bad! I had it with lamb tagine out of recipe book which was filling. Hubby turned his nose up at the rice as he isn’t fond of cauliflower. On the whole he likes some of the recipes which helps.
Good luck everyone and don’t forget the weather is going to be warmer tomorrow!

Hi everyone
If anyone would like to do a few steps for me I’d be very grateful as I have trouble walking sometimes. If you all could do an extra say 500 steps for my that’d be my 10,000. It’d have to be daily mind cos I don’t want to fail!!!
Tattiescone – I think you’re right my 800 cals are more like 1200 BUT I’m still losing weight.
Night all – see you tomorrow

Hi everyone
If anyone would like to do a few steps for me I’d be very grateful as I have trouble walking sometimes. If you all could do an extra say 500 steps for my that’d be my 10,000. It’d have to be daily mind cos I don’t want to fail!!!
Tattiescone – I think you’re right my 800 cals are more like 1200 BUT I’m still losing weight.
Night all – see you tomorrow

Tattiescone, you’re so right, this diet is great because the calories are so low that even if you mess up a bit, you’re still eating way less than you would have been normally.

Despite Melb100’s fabulous suggestion to deal with my work lunch, it didn’t happen as I had meetings right up until lunch so no time to eat anything beforehand. So I just ate the tapas, but tried not to go overboard and didn’t drink wine. Unfortunately most of the tapas were bread-based and I actually felt really awful after lunch. Lesson learnt!

Weighed myself today, only down 200g since last week, oh well, at least no gain!

Have a great day everyone!

Why on earth do I buy kale? The bag goes into the salad drawer in the fridge and a week later it is thrown into the recycling bin unopened!!!!!

Kale chop up put on a little olive oil and roast in the oven – dress with little soya sauce (or something else savoury) and this is what passes for crisps…..

And Nilesedge well done for not drinking and not going overboard on tapas – were you not on the journey what would have happened???

My journey has been a bit slalom recently – emotional eating creeping in and I was relaunching on 22 May not starting- the first couple of weeks were much for successful in terms of loss – I am frankly just bored and tired. Managing to keep off bread, rice etc and off booze (except for a small nip of vodka last night) but not down in the right number of calories. But guess still better than how it was “before” will be trying to pick up the pieces once the kids are back at school (or am I just making excuses????)

I love kale, but I’ve done the same many times with many a fresh food. Is it because you don’t really know what to do with it or because you’re planning to have it in a salad but when the moment comes it doesn’t look appealing? I don’t understand why raw kale became a thing. It’s a cooking green. It tastes best cooked.

My advice to you would be to sautee it in a pan with some water and/or chicken stock until it has softened. Add a clove of chopped garlic for the last minute or so of cooking. Drain out any remaining liquid and use that as a sipping broth during a fast or in a soup. Put the cooked kale in the fridge where it will easily keep for a week and have it as a veg side with a protein. Or, if you want to have a complete meal ready to go, add it to a bunch of eggs and make a frittata. Kale marries extremely well with turkey sausage, so if you happen to have any of that, brown it and toss it into the frittata too.

Hi folks
Aw frazzledmum.
What about a wee change?.
I really am enjoying the miso soup at lunch. It’s only 40 calores. Sometimes I chop up a bit of chicken or mange tout into it. Feels like a big bowl of light almost takeout soup. Even at work it looks kind of like normal soup so not too diety looking. That way you get to surf through to more calories at night. I definitely like a bit more in me at night (:-)! . Ha ha
Even an options hot chocolate made with 100 ml of milk plus water is about 100 call but just as good as a choc and gets the fluid in.
Tonight I found out that 3 x giant Yorke buttons have 135 calores! !! I was shocked! And very unable to spit them in the bin as they had slid down into my intestines!
Och well. I won’t be doing that again!
Tomorrow am is my day 10 weigh in.
I will keep you all posted.
Then I will go for another 10 days. I need to break it down like that so I can almost guarantee a loss as I get demotivated if I don’t lose or if I stay the same. Plus 10 days x 6 feels shorter than 7 days x 8…in my wonky brain.
Keep drinking and shrinking!
Tattiescone. Xx

Frazzledmum – pre-diet I would have drunk alcohol and eaten far far too many tapas!
If you’re bored, have you looked at the recipe book? I borrowed it from the library and its great, so many different ideas. Good luck 🙂

I think I had a whoosh effect this morning, of course it happened the day after my official weigh in day, I lost 500g since yesterday, which makes 3.3kg since I started, which is great for me, especially seeing as I really haven’t stuck to it properly many days! Last night I even went out for dumplings and drank beer!

Keep going everyone, it does work 🙂

Thanks everyone for your advice on kale. I think its because it comes in such a BIG bag. Also I would use it in smoothies but haven’t had any.
I will be having a G&T on Saturday as it is National Gin Day! and my first since going on the diet. My advice to everyone is to plan a week’s meals in advance, write it down and use the recipe book x

So 10 days in and I’ve lost 5kilos!
No bread no spuds no rice no pasta but I’ve never once felt hungry or craved sugar
I eat a good breakfast of either eggs or porridge, skip lunch and just have some oatcakes or a piece of fruit and have my main meal around 8. The recipe book has some excellent suggestions and I find I can be creative with spices and flavourings
I feel pretty good and I really the notice the few pounds off my ass and my face looks a bit thinner
I’m not actually counting the calories but removing the carbs has worked for me
The tipping point will be when I get my cholesterol rechecked in a month. It was borderline so I’m looking for a good reduction 🙂

Well done Elly.
Tomorrow I am going to make a BIG bowl of salad for around 500 calories and dip in and out of it during the day.
Just wondered when I have my tonic with the gin should I have diet or non diet please?

It’s been great reading everyones updates.

I’m coping with the reduced calories much better than I expected. I skip breakfast, which is great, because I’m not much of a morning person and would much rather have an extra 30 mins in my bed. I don’t miss it and look forward to lunch. I’m putting more effort into what I do eat and enjoying every morsel. I’ve not cut carbs entirely, but they’re minimal.

I’ve seen the scales shift 3+ lbs since Monday morning and that’s a great motivator. The next few days will be harder I suspect, as I wont have work to keep me busy; I’m on a study day today and already finding myself wanting to boredom eat!

Off to have a Miso soup as this thread has reminded me I LOVE the stuff.

I think I will have to buy some Miso soup as well

Had a stray from the diet yesterday which brought my calorie total up to about 2000. The old me would have gone off the rails and considered the weekend blown anyway. The new me is right back on track whith a good plan for today, already plotted into the food diary👍

The scales show a 2 kilo gain this morning, but the measuring tape on the other hand shows 1 cm off my waist. So I’m optimistic. 😄