Oh dear Ebs you certainly have some challenges lined up. I guess if it were me I’d probably not count calories on those days (it would stress me out too much!) BUT make healthy choices, watch my portion sizes, and stick to the BSD principles around carbs.
Some suggestions for Chinese – when I did Weight Watchers a few years ago I remember Beef in Black bean sauce was diet friendly, but just have the smallest bit of plain rice with it. Other suggestions – veggie stir fries (e.g. Satay Vegetables, Vegetables in Oyster sauce), an Omelette, or soup. I love combination short soup as it seems so healthy with the clear broth and all the lovely fresh veggies and slices of meat, prawns in it – I’m not sure of the carb count for wontons though! Just steer clear of the deep fried ice cream lol 🙂
Alternatively eat half of your meal and take the rest home to have the next day?
I think I’m going to have ‘calorie amnesia’ on Australia Day and just go back to counting calories on Friday.

Thanks TumtumP!! Best of luck to you too!

Hi Ebs. That sounds challenging. For me the worst part is the smells of all the yummy food, so the Chinese restaurant would be tough. Eating the fruit and cream sounds like a great plan for dessert! Good luck! Let us know how you do!

Chrissie,
Oooo, that’s a tough one. If your friend is one who likes to feed people you might want to tell her ahead and ask her not to say anything. OR You could have one glass of red wine and really make it last. Or add fizzy water to half a glass so that you can make it look like you have two. You could not eat all day and then eat what you need to. You might go over a little in calories but the extended fast beforehand would make up for it. Good luck!!!

Hi Chrissie
Would would you like to happen if the situation were reversed and you were the host? I’d like to know ahead of time and be able to cater for my friend.
Cheers
Linda

Hi Ebs
Be careful of the sauces in Asian foods, most of them are full of sugar/carbs. If you’ve got any bottles at home, check out the labels, you’ll be very surprised!
Linda

Thanks Linda, That is very good advice and something I had not considered. I will talk to her beforehand.
I love this forum!
Chrissie

Good morning January BSDers,

Chrissie63..there’s a thread called Etiquette about telling the host/ess that you have changed your eating habits. I remember that the consensus was that it’s better to tell in advance.

I’m finding weight loss slower this time round, I’m down a kilo this week, just under 4 Kgs since 3rd January.
I’m walking more and have given up breakfast so I think I must be eating too much cheese and walnuts, my favourite thing at the moment.
I still haven’t cracked the desire to graze. I wish I could as I think that will be the key to maintenance. But still I have a long way to go yet before that!

Well, that’s enough about me, how are you all doing out there? It’s gone quiet on this thread….

Have a good day and make good choices!

Thank you tumtump for your reply. I had not seen the 50g carbs anywhere but will keep a better eye on it. Myfitnesspal said 64 for yesterday. I am not strictly vegetarian but avoid meat. I am trying to stick to 3 meals a day and no grazing – the hunger pangs have not been too bad and I have had only a mild headache. Day 3 today – playing badminton tonight – more a triumph of effort than skill, and the 60-80 year olds that we play with run us ragged! They’re great! xx

This is a great thread I’m finding it really helpful as I’m only on Day 4. I’m doing BSD 800. Yesterday was the first day I managed to get the balance right on MFP I wasn’t having enough protein at first. I was not at work yesterday so spent the day batch cooking and freezing so I have a head start for working days this week. I work long hours, so it’s going to help that I have meals ready for my late return. I’m taking salads with me. I am not good at eating early breakfasts, (I tend to skip and go to work) but trying to make myself eat and change my habits.

I have not yet managed to weigh myself as my scales need batteries ! Hoping to get some today and face the weigh in ! I’m guessing at 200lb as I have gained since my last weight check a few months ago when I was 194. Time to do this and avoid future diabetes and liver damage. (I was drinking too much wine).

I’m going alcohol free for 8 weeks. Tough as I’m single and have a good social life !

3lb off! And another half inch on the tummy. Total of 1 stone 2 LB gone and 6.5″. Pretty chuffed and I can see the next stone weight not too far off. Will be a huge boost to get my weight down into the 15s!!!

No need for early breakfasts. I find that the earlier in the day I start eating the more I eat. Take your breakfast with you and have it for lunch. Only habit you really need to tackle is refined carbs, sugar or starch

Seasidenana: as Iwanttobeslim said, not eating breakfast is perfectly OK if you’re more comfortable with it.

Hey Angela06,

I started on the 1st and am also down 4kgs but I haven’t lost anything for over a week.
A couple of times I have mucked up and lashed out to 1500cals for the day but otherwise I have been steady. When I have broken it, it was because I was so physically pooped so I re assessed my protein intake which was too low. Although I am disappointed with the slow weight lose I have dropped 9cms around my waist.

I am wondering if my new physical fitness program I have followed from day 1 is slowing the actual lose of weight

I have been going to the gym every second day and walking up to an hour every other.
At the gym I do HIT for 30mins and weight resistance for 30mins which includes stomach crunches and squats.

Does anyone know if it is true that muscle weighs more than fat ?
If so, when will my weight start to drop again or am I doing everything all wrong.

Would be grateful for a response 🙂

Congrats! Fantastic results

Seasidenana I started on Saturday too. 4 days down, 3 to go and it’ll be a week down. I also have a busy job so this afternoon I’m going to bake a tray of chicken breasts ready for salads.

Hi Candoit,

On the muscle vs fat question. I believe that muscle takes up about 17% less volume than an equivalent weight of fat, but that is an average and it depends on the type of muscle. Also following sustained or vigorous exercise the muscle will hold some water for tissue repair so that may have an impact on weight.

Day 15 and My weigh in this morning was another 2 lb’s off, so that’s 13 lb in total. I am also down another inch of my waist, only 2 inches in total (I only measured myself at the end of week one), but definitely the right direction!

Yay, just need to start the flipping exercise! someone kick me up the bum?

Hi Candoit

A pound is a pound is a pound! But as JulesMaigret says above, muscle is much denser than fat, so takes up less space. An easy way to visualise it is if you were to put a pound of apples (dense) and a pound of marshmallows (light and fluffy) side by side, the pile of marshmallows would be FAR larger than the pile of apples. It’s the same with muscle and fat. Hope this helps.

Mumofcrazynamedkids (I’m dying to know what they are called 🙂 ), well done on your results. And well done everyone else who has had some success, no matter the size.

Hi Theodora, great explanation for the muscle fat comparison, totally explains why Candoit is seeing more cm loss than the lbs on the scale…..also to my shame explains why I am seeing more movement on the scales and less on the tape measure! I may be losing fat but I am definitely not adding any muscle!

Can’t wait for the light nights to increase a bit more and the weather to thaw a little and then the kids and I can get back to evening walks, I hate Jan and Feb for the long dark days!

(My kids are called Gypsy Snow and Pirate Jack. Not the most bonkers. But raises a few eyebrows *hee hee*)

Hi again Mumofcrazynamedkids – glad you found my muscle / fat explanation helpful. Hopefully Candoit will too 🙂

I have lost 3.6kg in my first week, but not so much as a smidgeon off my waist 🙁 I suspect your explanation for this applies to me too – though I do walk at least 3 miles every day (but always have done (dogs), so that’s not increased exercise) So I too must do better on the exercise front – I am trying to increase my steps though, and wear a pedometer all day to check that I am!

Loving the kids names 🙂 Do you always call them by both names, or just Gypsy and Pirate? I have a friend who’s daughters are called Truly Scrumptious and Bianca Diamond. They are both adult now, and have both dropped the 2nd part of the names (which their mum always used when they were growing up), but seem happy with the first part.

ShrinkMe81 great to see someone else started the same day as me. You have had a great idea with the chicken breasts. I had a very long day today and took a tuna salad in a cool bag, which worked fine. I have a partly cooked meal ready in the fridge just to finish off so it’s not too bad. I just wish I could have a glass of wine with it 🤔🤔

Hello everyone. Lovely to hear about f progress. I fell of the wagon yesterday and had sweets so was pretty disappointed with myself. Picked myself back up and back on track again today. Just finished four weeks on Sunday and no loss for the week so any ideas what I could be doing wrong. Other than yesterday have kept my carbs below 50g everyday and my calories under 800. I cook all my own food so I tink I’m tracking accitly I weight out the ingredients. Maybe I need to exercise more. Was hoping to avoid that lol.
Any suggestions welcome.

The forum is very motivating though I know if stick to this will help. I still have 3 stones to lose before I get to a healthy bmi here’s to hoping that it will be soon.

3 weeks 3 days in down from 103 kg to 95.5kg. That is pretty strict during the week, but some cheating at weekends – particularly with wine. Fasting blood sugar down from pre-diabetic to bottom of normal range. Blood pressure down from 140/90 to 120/70. Starting to fit into shirts not worn in years!

Very happy.

Thank you for recommending the diet doctor website. It’s very very good.

Thank you all for replying.
Great analogy Theo!
MOCNKs it is hard in winter to excercise but having a kelpie really helps as she goes crazy if she isn’t walked regardless of weather. I imagine it is a lot milder in Vic, Australia than where you are.

👍😀

Well I went out to my friend’s retirement dinner at the Chinese, the prawns were fried in batter, the chicken was cooked in a really spicy hot sauce, the duck was covered in fat in a sweet sticky sauce and the curried veg was also sweet. I tried, well yes I did try, I took the batter off of the prawns and ate them, removed the fat from the duck and scraped the sauce off of the chicken, I did eat the curried vegetables, in fact there was more on my plate at the end of the meal than the beginning, all carbs and fat. I weighed myself this morning (hubby said no, no dont do it) but had to, and nightmare I had put on half a kilo, how can that be. Well back on the diet this morning scrambled eggs on beefsteak tomato, not looking forward to Australia Day!

Also uped my exercise this morning, took the dog for a long walk then went from a swim in the ocean, such a lovely morning and no sea breeze for a change. Hopefully more exercise will help with the weight loss!

Hi,

I started the diet on the 16th of January (I weighed 91.9Kg) and I have lost 3.5 Kg. The first week the weight came off quickly, but now this week it seems to be coming off a lot slower (In 0.1 everyday). I know it’s obsessive to weigh yourself everyday, but I can’t help myself. Is this a normal thing to happen in the second week or is there something I should be doing?

I have stuck to the diet recipe book and only eaten things from there (apart from the occasional salad when I eat out with my friends) and no snacking. I drink tons of water and walk an extra hour and a half everyday (and about 20 minutes of that is uphill).

Any advice?

Some great results everyone and good that still lots of posting activity. Ebs you did well stripping all your food, much better than my willpower, sure it will show in the next few days. Brilliant results toby101! Ly24601 it sounds like youre doing all the right things but try to limit the scales to every 3rd or 4th day, it really does help 😊. More exercise needs to be on my agenda too. Enjoy Australia Day all you aussies 👍.

to be honest all, I don’t think there is anything wrong with weighing every day, it puts you more in tune with your body and in fact Michael Mosley does encourage it, you can see the ups and downs , which are natural, it doesn’t always correlate to what you ate the day before, its hard if you get disheartened easily, but as long as the overall trend is downwards then its all good. knowledge is power!

Hi, I started BSD on 9th of Jan and although progress is a little slower than some of you I am happy that I reached my first mini milestones this morning as have lost first 1/2 stone and now into 12s! I had hoped to get there before my 2 week weigh in but had a little slip up on Friday night with my OH, I did so well with a low carb dinner and glass of red wine for a treat, however the after dinner cocktails were my downfall!! I’m back on the wagon now! I weigh myself daily too just to keep progress on how things are going, I did have a small gain on Monday but I didn’t let it dishearten me as I knew why (cocktails!!). I know I’m not going to see some of the fantastic losses that others have reported but I’m keeping motivated 🙂

Hi all,

Hope you are all ok – seems things are going really well for us January peeps!

Well today is week 4 day 2, I’m 13lbs down and have lost considerable cm’s from my waist and “rolls”. I am excited about this weekend as I’m hoping to get my stone and also my stone tips me into the next stone bracket… double whammy!!! Feeling on top of the world, especially as I am today wearing a top that 3 weeks ago I could not fit into.

Dry January is coming to a close. Before January I was quite a heavy wine drinker (bottle a night) so this has been a big deal for me to stop. I am currently planning on having some nice wine on the evening of the 1st with a lovely meal, probably Roast Lamb as a treat, and then I am dry until the 4th Feb (Lunch out for a birthday, will eat well but will have a vino) and then I will be dry until my holiday on the 18th… That’s the plan. I’m wanting this to be a lifestyle change and I feel this has really helped my dependence on wine in the evenings. Who knew peppermint tea could be so nice!!!

The only downside I have had is that my ‘womanlies’, for want of a better word, has appeared – considering I am on the pill where I don’t have any, this worried me, however my doctor says this is not uncommon with rapid weight loss and he wasn’t worried (just to re-assure if anyone else has had this!).

All I will say to any newbies – It works!!! I am someone that even when religiously sticking to Weight Watchers or Slimming World, I only lost 1lb a week or so and this was so disheartening and I ended up caving in and gaining more than I had lost. This diet, once planned in advance which is essential, is proving to be the best thing I have done. I am just excited for the future now!!

Much love and positive vibes to all :o)

Rebecca xxx

BuffyLover

You’re doing great and I am impressed with your weight loss. I am on week 3 day 3 and have lost 8.5 lb which I am really happy with. Like you, I’ve been a member of slimming world and Weightwatchers over the years and usually only lose one pound per week and not every week so I am really really happy that this diet is working for me. I am working with girls who are doing slimming world and it will be interesting to compare our journeys. I’ve notice that they seem to eat a lot more than I am eating – one girl didn’t stop eating all morning today. She had shredded wheat and banana, then less than one hour later she ate a pear and then she ate an orange and sliced fennel and then ate a massive salad and low fat cottage cheese! I sat smugly next to her having had berries and full fat yoghurt for my breakfast and honestly didn’t feel hungry. This diet is really suiting me! I hope I can keep losing and my aim is to lose three stone over the next few months and then I will be 9 stone 7 lb. I am going to make low carb pizza tonight from the book – it sounds delicious!

Not long now til the January starters are at the end of their first eight weeks! Good luck everyone!

Hi my name is Michael and I am from Southampton I started this diet on the 3rd Jan 2017 in this time I have gone from 18st 3lb I am now 16st 9lb, I am finding it very easy so far.

I have stopped drinking and I am not even missing potatoes or carbs. My blood sugar levels seem to be getting better and I am hoping to come off my tablets

Happy Australia Day from an ex pat here

Tonight’s dinner will be a 120g tuna steak with roast veg , light basting of oil, and maybe a small Amount of Quinoa with chilli garlic red pepper and onion
Will marinate the tuna in a very small amount of soy sauce and fresh ginger for an hour before frying – delicious

Total calories around 275

It’s a rippa

Hi Buffy lover,
Thank goodness someone has mentioned the weird ‘womanly’ thing!! I haven’t had one for years, I really thought that those days were long gone, then Bam! Along came one this week and frightened me to death! I have lost 10 lbs since the 9th Jan and I am really happy with the diet, but I didn’t expect that to happen . You have reassured me that it isn’t unusual with rapid weight loss. It won’t put me off the diet but I will mention it to the doc next time I go.
Thanks for the reassurance and good luck with the diet !!

Pre-menopause, very low cal diets can certainly cause very heavy extended periods, there has been some discussion about this on another thread I think it was called “just for the ladies”?

Hello all thanks for the posts it’s great to see the progress people are making. I’m only on day 5 as I was a late January starter. I have lost 2lb so far, I’m weighing every day just to get more in tune with my body. I’m also doing photographs weekly. I won’t lose as much as some of you as I have mobility problems, but will try to build in extra exercise. Im in this for the long haul, another 68 lb to lose !

Well done! You give the rest of us inspiration.
I started on 16 Jan, have lost 8lbs, but seem to be stuck, no downwards progress for the last few days, despite upping exercise! However, the best bit is the blood sugars- fasting this morning 4.1, despite having reduced basal insulin. If this continues, i’ll be dropping another couple of units soon.

My Fitness Pal keeps saying I am not eating enough, but we know better…….

Thank you everyone for this forum thread. I love to read the suggestions, advice and progress of the January starters.
It was my 2 week weigh in today. Total of 9.25 pounds and now 3 inches off my waist. All heading in the right direction.
I had a bit of a plateau midweek (I can’t help myself, I have to weigh every day) but reading through the thread I realise that’s normal so wasn’t disheartened and stuck to my guns.
Keep going! It will be worth it!

Hi Anniflower

Your journey so far is identical to mine. (apart from the fact I’m not diabetic). I too started on 16th, lost 3.65kg (8lbs) in first week, and then nothing! 🙁 Not a smidgeon of weight gone since then and nothing at all lost on my waist measurement since I started (waist was the only measurement I took).

Determined to keep on keeping on, though, as I know it will happen – I am sticking to BSD800 100% and even dropping below the 800 most days. So good luck – I’m sure we will both be showing another loss soon.

Cathy, well done on your results – fantastic.

Well done Michaeljohn. Great progress.

Thanks, Theodora. Great to have encouragement.. I too am sticking to it, ; losing weight is great, but I’m really after reducing the diabetic issues. I’m 64 and active; I don’t want diabetes to slow me down!

Linda

Thank you so much for this information – I will need to keep going for longer than 8 weeks to get to within a healthy BMI range and was concerned that 8 weeks would be the limit. Can I ask you how you decided what your target would be please? 56kgs is about the middle of my healthy weight range and what I would ultimately like to be. Currently on day 5 and feeling less anxious, calmer – visited GP last night BP was 121/81 with a small dose of medication and back on HRT – on 28 Dec it was 155/107 (without meds or HRT) so she was very pleased with that and (thankfully) interested and supportive about the BSD diet. Next visit is 1 March so hoping to come of the BP meds at that one.

All help and wisdom gratefully received – OH is sceptical (but he has seen me try every diet going so I can’t really blame him!).

Morag

Hi I am new to the forum I did pit something on last night p, I started this diet on the 3rd Jan and since then I have lost 16.5 pounds it’s great I do t feel I need to have any extras I the way of food.

Blood sugar seems to be coming under control also.

I have to book an appointment with my doc in the next 4 weeks and hoping to come of tablets fingers cross

Hi all. Doing well. Down a stone now. In the middle of week 3. Had my first meal out with kids and a friend tonight, I just ordered a rump steak with salad and some coleslaw. Also had one white wine spritzer. As I was at the dentists today having a filling I had no lunch, so still under 800 cals. And like many have noted, I don’t feel hungry….Although that hasn’t stopped the desire to order/eat carb rich food. I have started fantasising about biscuits and pastries. I would have loved a burger and fries. But because I am good at rigid rules for periods of time. And the desire to lose weight outweighed the desire to stuff my face. I was good. But I do still worry about my long term willpower, and really hope the desire for the carbs reduces over the coming weeks!

Michaeljohn- 16.5lbs is fantastic, well done!
I’m only in week 2, I lost 5lbs in the first week but expecting less this week.
I’ve found the forums on here really helpful and supportive.
Good luck over the next few weeks 🙂

Hi Morag
I’m 5’6″ and had originally decided that 63kg was to be my goal weight, but that was just a number I selected and my body had a different plan!
At that point I started on maintenance, stopped counting and recording everything and just decided to keep the bad carbs out of my diet and increase my good (read saturated) fats.
Like Captain Lynne, my weight continued to go down until I reached 56kg, then floated around that.
The research that I’ve done indicates that your body will determine its optimal weight, so I just decided to go with that and not worry too much about it. If I start to float a bit high, I do some fasting and just continue with water and bone broth until I’m at 56kg again, then go back to 2-3 meals a day.
I don’t eat when I’m not hungry and when I do, I eat high fat to stay satiated.
Feel free to continue on the BSD800 for as long as you want. It won’t hurt you.
I’ve never had high blood pressure, but I have noticed that my blood pressure has reduced since I started this way of eating, at home when I’m relaxed, it’s often around 90 something on 50 something!
Cheers
Linda

Australia Day over after cheese and biscuits, Pad Thai, Pavlova, red wine and port, no self control, week 5 will not be good when it comes to my weigh in on Tuesday. Back on the diet today, scrambled eggs on tomatoes and 2 black coffees.

Hi, I am a newbee having started on Australia Day. Day 1.5 (!) and going ok.
Wondering if anyone is missing crunchy food (not fruit & veges). I am used to toast and biscuits and wondering what I can replace them with.