soba noodles 😉 thanks, Google

Gained 200g after yesterday’s picking (albeit healthy picking of fruit!)….need to stay on track now as this is the moment where I usually jack it all in…
Am feeling inspired by all your focus and losses though – well done everyone!

Good luck seriousmission, its tough and there are times when we all want to jack it in but all the stuff I’ve read about this diet are that it works. Its based on good science and yes its hard but we all know that the most satisfying things in life are hard. Keep going, you can do it. Steve.

Don’t jack it in seriousmission !!!
As Steve says it’s not easy but it gets easier and you really do gain more Energy and feel great.
I have bought a yellow dress size 16. ( I love brightly coloured dresses ..Boden and Gudrun Sjoden are my faves and great for ample figures !)
I am determined to get into it ! I am presently a size 20 but hope by the end of my 8 weeks I will be closer to an 18 ( British sizing)

Find Something Pleasurable to focus on seriousmission and remember you are not alone. We are not machines. We have emotions and moods and life’s challenges to deal with and we don’t always feel motivated . I promise you ..as you keep going and feeling great you won’t want to stop .

All the very best xx

Thanks THANKS everyone, this is just what I need – love this thread, it helps so much!
Am on track today…
Hope everyone else is doing ok?

Hi wendleg. I love the sound of your dress. And entirely agree that some tangible goals are very motivating. I am sure it will look lovely really soon. This time last year I was 18/20. By April I was a 12/14. This way of life really does work!

Careful buying too many new clothes! I started at size 22 and had bought myself a beautiful fitted size 18 dress I had no chance of fitting into but fell in love with. I was only able to wear it once! It was a little baggy even then so I had almost missed the ‘wearability window’ when my birthday came round. Sadly, as I inexorably headed to my current size 12, it had to go to the charity shop.

OMG !!! That is amazing to hear caronl and Mixnmatch.
I’ve never been size 12 in my life. Maybe 14 ish in my teens/twenties but I always thought I was much bigger. As fr as I can remember I have been any size from 18 to 22.

Being 12/14 will be incredible for me. I will get there .I will

I’ve got an ample bust too ;-). Did that decrease ?

I’m loving this forum and sharing our expériences and supporting each other

Oh my goodness, you guys are such an inspiration to me and such a blessing. I got really close to “jacking it in”. That is not an American expression but I love it. My hubby is a Brit … I will have to ask him if he ever said this. Ha Ha! We usually say throwing in the towel. But, thanks to all of this wonderful chatter we are doing … I am ready to keep going. Mixmatch, you really set the bar for us!!! I would LOVE to be a 12 again. A 14 would be awesome too. Going to do this with you guys helping me along. I am so glad we have each other during this journey!

I had a glass and a half of wine last night and ate over my 800 calories. I was feeling good and celebrated (not too badly) but felt so guilty about it. I had just finished a boat certification course that is mandatory now in our state of Virginia. Anyway, I am almost 68 years old and my attention span isn’t as good as it once was. So I was so relieved to get that over with.

Back on track to day. Let’s get it done!!!

((Group Hug))

Hi wendleg. Bust? What bust ;-( One of the downsides I fear is that I seem to have no bust or butt any more! But It’s worth it to be hovering below size 14. The last time I was this size was around 1984…… Maybe if you start off well-endowed you will keep more than I did! By the way, for Spain (or even before…) gazpacho would be a good option. Minus croutons of course!

Happy Friday everyone 🌸. Carolnl thanks for your idea re the egg plant. I didn’t have time last night but I think I will try to make a vegy lasagne. I don’t have the blood sugar diet recipe book but I think there is a recipe in there. I’m getting a bit bored with my meals – I pretty much have exactly the same every day to make it easy but I need to mix it up a bit. What is everyone doing re exercise? I went for a run/walk this morning but now I am starving. I think it’s hard to find the balance with exercise. Might stick to walking. Have a great day everyone! 🌺🌼

Hi Seriousmission.
I would have a look at adding L-Carnitine as a supplement, especially during the period of carb flu. There is some research that people who have had high levels of insulin for a long time so are Insulin Resistant benefit from taking it. It is an amino acid that is important in the process of converting fat into fuel. The main source in our diet is meat, and the next 8 out of the top 10 sources in our diet are off the menu if you are eating low carb. – So it is specially important if you are a vegetarian.

Hi Katesuccess (like the name!). You could check out the recipes section on this site – Luvtocook in particular has some inspired ideas. I am particularly fond of the moussaka recipe! dietdoctor.com is also a good source. I am sure you are right to want to mix things up a bit. This way of eating should be a pleasure not a chore!

I agree, it’s much easier if you enjoy what you’re eating otherwise it really is punishment! The BSD book is brilliant for ideas.
Re exercise, I’m not doing anything too strenuous like running at the moment as I think I would become too weak/hungry – I’ve been on two long walks (1.5 hours) since starting this and may build it up, will just see how I go.
I lost 1.6kg today – after 5 days – am SO pleased and I couldn’t have done it without you’re support…I so nearly ditched the whole thing on day 3 but I feel I’ve broken through some sort of psychological barrier and this boost has made me stronger so THANK YOU everyone!!!

Well done seriousmission !!!

That’s a great result !!! You should be proud of yourself and you didn’t jack it in at all ;-))

Keep going and don’t doubt youself ever

You can do it and we are all here to help you along the path to feeling fantastic !

xxx

Hi All.

This is the end of my first week. It’s 7 days since I started this journey and I want to thank you all for your kind words of support. Knowing that there are lots of you out there going through the same thing and experiencing the same challenges makes me feel part of a team and not so lonely. It’s a very personal thing that we are all doing and only we can do it but for the next 7 weeks I am determined to keep going. I weighed myself this morning and took my bloods. I was 122.2kg and 7.5 respectively. That’s an amazing 3.5kg weight loss and a drop of 0.5 on the blood reading. I know I am probably the heaviest in the group with the most to lose but I am very pleased with my progress so far and I am determined to beat this. Thanks again everyone and I hope you all have a great weigh in.

Steve

Great stuff, Steve!

End of my first week also. Results:

98.5 (<2kgs)
6.1 blood sugar (<.5)

Onwards and upwards, folks!

also meant to say I made some vegetarian bolognaise today and it’s bloody amazing! and so much for just $10. reckon I can get at least 5 or 6 portions

Oh thanks for the diet doctor website. Lots of great recipes there. Iv just sent some asparagus in the supermarket here in New Zealand- yaah. I love it. Well done on everyone’s results this week. Let’s keep it up!! 😀

Hello everyone
Weigh in this morning and I am down another kilo . That makes a total loss of 5 kilos since I began and I am at the end of Week 3.

My progress is

Starting weight 100kg

End of Week 1 : 97.5
End of Week 2 : 95.9
End of Week 3 : 94.8
There’s a long way to go but I am happy. I must say I am not doing much exercise about from walking .Hope to increase that soon. I am not feeling deprived.I enjoy my tasty, nutritious food. Thanks everyone for all your support and encouragement .Let’s keep going.

Ps My bust is intact :-))

Well done Steve ! Well done Freshstart.

Great results !! Be very proud xx

Thanks wendleg and congrats to you! 5kg down, wow! thats inspiring cos we started at about the same place, so hopefully i have that to look forward to in a couple weeks 🙂

as for exercise, do you like swimming? it’s a pain having to get into swimwear and shower etc after, but for me that just means i have to make the most of the pool and I’m in the pool for 40mins to 1hr, which is a good workout

Thanks Freshstart

I have been doing aquagym for a long time and started yoga last year which I loved. It really made me more supple after a hip replacement.

. Unfortunately following a hysterectomy and pelvic floor surgery in June I have to go carefully and my surgeon said no aquagym for several more months.I spent most of the summer recuperating and reading loads, getting fatter. Hence my decision to start BSD from September.
I am walking around a lot at school but I am not nearly as active as I used to be. I need to walk more .

I went back to aquagym this week just to be in the pool but I have to be careful what I do as my ligaments are still healing.
Keep on going FreshStart !

Congratulations Steve, Freshstart and seriousmission- wow, that’s fantastic! I had a real struggle on thursday and friday. Just felt tired and over it all. And I felt really hungry on Friday night after dinner so I ate a handful (a big one) of these candied nuts I found in the cupboard along with a glass of red wine, and then some more nuts.. . Aaarghh!. There was some beating- up -of -self after that I can tell you… I felt awful about it.
But I got up on saturday and had a walk, and reading all your posts made me feel less alone so I started afresh and soldiered on.
The meals in the recipe book have been a saviour- in the past I have found restricting calories meant boring food- but these are really yum.
Wendleg I’ve been back at yoga and it really does help. Not just physically but with the negative head noises. I do hope you can get back soon.
I am on day 6 and just weighed in- I’m down 2.5kg. Yay.
Good luck to everyone, hope your weekend is good. Hang in there. 🙂

wendleg, wow, good for you in finding ways to improve your health despite some of the challenges you’ve had. i love that determination.

and, wolfgirl, woohoo! 2.5kg is great. I know what you mean about reading this posts and feeling less alone. it’s great

aww thank you FreshStart! Same to you. xx
And everyone, I just found something that may explain this weird tiredness, lethargy, aches, and general blah feeling I had at the end of the week. It’s been described as the “carb flu”. You may already know about it, but I certainly didn’t, so I thought I’d share. I’m not sure if we can post links here, but a simple google search will reveal it. Veeery interesting…
xx

has anyone here used shakes like protein shakes as replacement meals for this diet? if so, can you recommend any to me, particularly in NZ? i’m thinking of using this every now and then, not as a complete meal replacement.

Thanks FreshStart

Well done Wolfgirl ! That’s a fantastic loss. Move on from the wine and nuts incident …and keep posting here 😉

Yes I had heard about the ‘carb flu’ I got headaches and brain fog but fortunately it didn’t last too long.

I can’t help with the protein shakes .Just memories of the dreaded Slimfast on one of my numerous weight loss attempts !

How are you doing Steve , Katesuccess and seriousmission ?

Wendleg, holy cow! You have had quite the summer, haven’t you! You are such a great support system here. I would have never known your struggles.

Hi all – have finished week 1 and am 1.6kg down – no shift from 2 days ago but I’m going to keep on trucking and not compare myself too much to all you guys as I am so happy to loose anything even if it’s not as rapid as others! Congrats by the way everyone – amazing results! Went to a party last night with Greek mezze and managed to reallly restrain myself and stay off the booze.
I thought I’d share my menus today to help me stay on track:
Brekfast: 100g full fat yoghurt, 1 small sliced apple (from our garden!) and 1 tbsp flaked almonds (200 calories)
Mid morning snack: large mug of veg bouillon + 1 carrot (50)
Lunch: grilled portobello mushrooms with goats cheese & pinenuts & watercress (170)
Dinner: small poached salmon fillet, approax ½ tin cannelloni beans, cherry tomatoes, basil & 1 tsp olive oil (should be 380 cals!)
What are you guys eating today?

Oh Violinist at this rate I will be a new woman by the time I retire ( 2 years to go) New hip, menopausal “lifting” ;-)) and hopefully a lighter, sprightly body . My dream is to run around after my grandchildren when my boys are ready to start a family. No pressure boys 😉 Hopefully at least one of them will be back in France by then. Life in Australia is so appealing for young people and I totally get that after seeing for myself on our first visit to Tasmania and Cairns last year.

But it’s so damn far !!!!

Feeling very motivated and focused on this program.I really feel I can do it after years of abusing my body with yoyo dieting. I’m fortunate in that I don’t take any medication ( I’ve just got new spare parts ;-)) and I want food to be my medecine.

Seriousmission, you’re doing great ! You are right not to compare. We are all unique . Keep going and don’t doubt yourself. You did really well at the party !

Today I’ve been drinking green tea. I had a bowl of very vivid green soup for lunch which was just bits of veg and fresh herbs wizzed up in the Vitamix. . I don’t crave a hunk of crusty bread with it anymore. French baguettes taste like cotton wool to me, yuk. I like a good rustic grain loaf but they don’t really tempt me at the mo.

We have a chicken in the slow cooker so I will have a portion of that and lots of salad tonight. I am presently drinking a cup of espresso coffee with the obligatory sqaure of Lindt 90% choc .

The sun is shining.Life is good xx

Seriousmission, don’t worry about the varying weight losses. We are all different and will all probably lose at different rates. You seem to be doing amazingly well! I have stalled in the last few day and my weight hasn’t changed since Saturday… Despite doing pretty well sticking to it and being under 800 pretty much every day (apart from the Wine and Nuts Incident… :))
I felt down when I stepped off the scales just now, but then reminded myself I’m here for the long haul. And any loss is good.
Thanks Wendleg for the encouragement- your meals sound yum too. I cooked the chicken korma with cauli rice last night and it was really nice. Doing salmon tonight. I’m still having some mid-afternoon and after-dinner peckishness, but drinking herbal tea helps. I also bought some Japanese miso soup for an easy work lunch if I don’t bring my salad and tuna etc. It’s very low in calories and rather filling and I quite like the taste.
hi Freshstart – hope it’s going well. I think with the shakes just be really careful to check the carb content- I think many are quite surprisingly high in carbs? I’ve found I seem to get a bit hungry a few hours after having one, but haven’t really experimented all that much so am not really much help!
Anyway Good luck everyone.

Hi everyone. Well done everyone. You are all doing so well. I’m still pottering on. I don’t have much weight to lose (bmi 24) so my loses are very small compared to everyone else. To try to speed things up I’m trying to keep carbs at 20gm per day which I’m finding it quite hard. I do find a tsp coconut oil in my coffee in the morning is helping with hunger which is good 😀

What a wonderful thread of supportive people! Today is day 2 for me and I’m already anxious about the weekend as I know I’ll be eating out and will be tempted by chips/potatoes/rice/pasta… Trying to just take one day at a time and get organised. Some days I work from home (easy for food but challenging for being distracted by snacks) and other days I’m out and about (tempting coffees, biscuits etc and got to be organised for lunches). I’ve upped how far I’m walking my dog and trying to remember to drink water… Looking forward to checking in on this thread each day for inspiration – everything I’ve read so far is incredibly positive. Thank you!

Just sending lots of support and encouragement to everyone.
Yes Lifebeginsat38, everyone on here is lovely. Noone is judged . Feel free to ask any questions. Lots of very informative and enlightened people who generously share their experience in their posts. There are some stunning successes too. ( You know who you are 😉

Don’t be anxious about the weekend. Would it help to tell yourself that chips, rice, pasta, biscuits etc might be tasty but in nutritional terms they are doing your body NO GOOD and we all want to be good to ourselves and nourish ourselves with healthy proteins and fats, don’t we ?

If you are craving those empty foods don’t worry it will pass. I never thought I would say that but I can honestly say after 4 weeks I am not in the least tempted by pizza, chips, pasta biscuits etc.
I want the food and drink that goes in my mouth to be good for me.

OMG I am sounding a bit evangelical

Hi lifebeginssa38 and welcome. Congratulations on making a start You will find lots of support on this site.it is a good plan to take one day at a time. You sound as if you have a good idea already of what this way of eating entails. If you do need a snack (even after a glass of water!) then try to make it BSD friendly – a boiled egg, half a dozen almonds etc, Weekends are often a challenge! I find pubs and restaurants are happy to substitute chips etc for extra green veg – and frankly I think we have a much nicer meal as a result! And keep an eye out for better choices – chicjen caesar, aubergine parmigiana etc. If you are eating with good friends, perhaps you could bring along cauliflower riceto share?

Anyway you will soon be finding inventive solutions on your journey. Do join in where you feel like it. We have monthly (zoomers) and weekly (i have a plan) challenges that give a good mix of newcomers and more experienced members. You can check out easily which thresds are the most active. Wishing you lots of success.

Thank you Wendleg & Caronl for your helpful words. I’ve just cooked the veg curry and cauliflour rice for my dinner and have 2 extra batches for moments I have a can’t-be-bothered-to-cook day!

Hey don’t worry about the days you stay the same or put on a small amount, there will be days when you lose that make up for it. I had a recent event where I felt really bad after eating some cooked salmon on the way home from work. When I put it into MyFitnessPal (excellent app btw) the calories where over 500 (taking my daily total to over 900) I felt so bad and worried that I could not eat anything else that evening. I held on and weighed myself the next day and was gobsmacked to have dropped another 1kg. People have already said we are in this for the long run so take the rough with the smooth but above all stay strong. Good luck everyone.

Steve

Please remember when thinking about there only being some small changes on the scale the impact water has on our weight. For a start off our bodies are around 60% water, on average the amount of water ranges over the course of the day within a 2 litre range, and each litre of water weighs a kg. ————– Secondly remember the whoosh effect. Our bodies don’t burn fat out of a single cell at a time, they burn a little fat out of a range of fat cells at a time, and replace that fat with water. Only when the fat cells are they empty and collapse do the cells release the water.

sweet… *anticipating the whoosh effect* 😉

Hi I’m Sabah can I join you in doing the blood sugar diet , everyone sounds so great on here!
I’ve been trying on my own but can’t seem to stay motivated. I know this group started a couple of weeks ago but can I just jump in 🙂 I don’t have a blood sugar problem however in my recent blood tests the doctor said my cholesterol was too high and wanted to start me on statins. I managed to get some time to lose some weight which hopefully will help keep me off the medication. Apart from the weight loss , has anyone found an improvement in their cholesterol levels?
I’m 47 , 5 foot 2 and weigh 13 stones 4 i would really like to get down to 10 stones.
Also I’m good with breakfast and lunch and then I end up blowing it in the evening !!! I’m Asian so its really hard not to eat chapati or rice 🙁 is eating one homemade wholemeal chapati really not allowed?

looking forward to joining you all tommorw 🙂

Welcome Sabz,
Yes, you will find everyone on here is so supportive and helpful, and just lovely. In the BSD recipe book, Michael M’s wife Dr Claire Bailey comments on how hard it is for some of her Asian patients to replace chapati. The book has a recipe for chickpea flatbread which is a suggested replacement. Good luck on day one and check in here if you feel down or need a boost!

Steve,
yes- I agree about not worrying about little blips here and there. It’s a process and day to day changes ups and downs are to be expected. After my several worrying days of no shift, ( I snacked on left over chicken after dinner and felt really bad) the last two days have been good again.
Hope everyone is going well, here’s a hug if it’s a bad day. ((( )))

Hi Sabz
Welcome to the forum and all the best on your Journey. As Wolfgirl says there are lots of delicious recipes in the BSD recipe book. The Dietdoctor website is good too. I love veggie curries with chickpeas and spicy prawns. There are recipes for seed crackers too. Not quite the same as a chapati though !
I think you are right to resist the statins and to try to change your eating habits to regulate your cholesterol. There is a lot of research which seems to prove that statins are not that effective . It would be great if you could show a good bolod result to make your doctor think again ! We are all here to support you.

Remember too that it is the sugar that is the ‘enemy’. Follow the BSD principles and you will definitely see results. Butter ,eggs, full fat Greek yoghurt are all ok after years of misleading information that they were ‘bad for us’
All the best and keep posting xx

Hello, newbies! A very warm welcome to you all from New England 🙂 🙂 🙂 You’re all off to an enthusiastic
start. There will be bumps and stalls along the way, but there is a large community of long-termers/old-
timers on these forums, and we are always out and about, and very happy to share our experience and
strategies. Just shout out, and we will find you!
I began this lifestyle in june of 2016, weighing 285lbs. (that’s not a typo) Ten months later I weighed in
at 140lbs. The largest victory however, is that I’ve maintained the loss for 17 months. Just a few thoughts
to share about this life altering journey…
1. This is a low carb, moderate protein, high healthy fat program. It’s not the protein that keeps you
feeling satiated, but fat and fiber. Excess protein gets stored as fat, much the way carbs do.
2. Not all calories are equal, so establishing your macros will be what gets you over the finish line.
3. Those of us that discover we are insulin resistant often need to take the carbs sufficiently below
50g to see optimal results on the scale.
4. Carbs are sneaky and hide everywhere, so use an app to count them. Fruit is treacherous when
it comes to carbs, and a small serving of berries is the best choice 🙂
5. This is an adventure, and certainly a steep learning curve for us all. In addition to MMosley’s book,
I found that Gary Taubes book “Why We Get Fat..and What To Do About It” was indispensible in getting
my head around all the misinformation that we’ve all been taught about “healthy eating”. I highly
recommend it!!!

Keep up the great work, everyone! Best wishes to all!

Allie

Hi everyone! thank you so much for your wonderful messages of encouragement! I made it to the end of today successfully 🙂
Wolf girl, I just got my copy of the BsD recipe book and I did a bit of batch cooking to help me stay on track. It’s great to hear about everyones success, really motivating .

Steve, your point really helped keep thing in perspective today. not all days can be great I just have to pick myself up and keep going. I suppose it’s what you do the majority of the time that matters.

Wendleg, what a fab motivator, I really want to go back in a few months time and show great results hopefully. All the time this doctor was saying eat less fat , eat plenty of fruit , I was thinking this is soo confusing he is saying one thing but research is saying otherwise!

Alliecat WOW! your results are really inspiring, that must have been some journey. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and tips , it makes all the difference knowing that others have been successful on this change.

Thank you everyone for your support your all doing great and that really helped me 🙂

Is it just me or is it natural to get obsessive about food? I am now reading diet books and watching food programs for leisure – This cannot be right!? I had a really bad day yesterday and lost control at about 10:30pm when everyone had gone to bed. I was munching on crackers, eating spreadable cheese with smoked salmon and had 4 cups of Hart & Soul Soup at 49 calories a push. Normally one is enough. I tried to think of my own advice today and not stress about one day of chaos. Its not been easy but a long walk this morning and keeping under 800 calories so far has helped. Oh well, its the big weigh in and measurement day on Saturday morning so if I am good today and tomorrow I should be fine – I hope ! Good luck everyone. Steve.

Hi Steve, i stay away from watching food programs and recipe books because it’s like out of sight out of mind . if I can’t see it i’m less likely to want it. Going to bed earlier when I’m hungry also avoids the lat night munchies 🙂

Keep it up today is a new day 🙂

Hi StevePoker,
Oh no, watching food shows and reading recipes are probably not a good idea. Even now, two years into maintenance, I have to be careful about triggering eating by visual cues.
There are probably two reasons this happens— one physical and the other mental — so limiting exposure takes away two powerful systems. First, the research shows that your insulin starts being excreted by your pancreas when you only THINK about eating. This “clears the decks” of extra blood sugar so the body is ready to eat and prepares your metabolism to digest the food.
Insulin of course, is your fat storage hormone and it also drives your brain to look for and consume food. As you look at food shows and recipes, you are literally increasing your background levels of insulin. One of the goals of controlling refinined carbohydrates is controlling your insulin — when your insulin is low, your body can mobilize and use your fat stores.
The second is mental — just looking at food and thinking about eating makes us want to slide into old habits where we see and eat — reminds me of that old joke “ I’m on a seafood diet, when I see food I eat food” ha ha.
Even to this day, two years at my desired weight, I cannot watch food advertisements on the TV in the evening — especially pizza ads — do you KNOW how many pizza ads there are??! Some evenings just watching a dumb sit-com there might be so many food ads that I have to leave the room during the ad breaks. If I watch them I literally get hungry.
My advice therefore, for what it is worth, is to go cold turkey on the recipes unless you have just eaten and you are planning the next meal and absolutely avoid food shows. You can add them back into your life later and observe how well you can tolerate them.
As a final thought, I think you should cut your carbohydrate intake to 20 grams per day for a few weeks to get your fat better mobilized — perhaps your hunger is organic in the sense that you are truly hungry and you haven’t lowered your insulin enough to get it freely flowing to fuel your cells.
Watch Dr. Bikman’s podcasts on insulin resistance and get a copy of Gary Taubes book “Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It” — both were incredibly helpful to me.

Hahaa, Julia! I was up to my recommendation just yesterday on this thread for taubes book, too:)
Have the aspens begun to change color at Tahoe? They are always such a sight! A few weeks
yet for New England.. xxx
Allie

Hi Allie! Yes! I saw your familiar and CORRECT recommendation about the Taubes book. I honestly think it was the very start of my gaining control as I read it about two years before the BSD and I was already trying out the suggestions with some small success.
It was fun reading about your windy-wild trip to the Cape — I’m so glad you were able to get away for a few days — it is just hard trying to make sense of job loss, and radical instant change of routine. The beach walking must have been beautiful and the double rainbow breathtaking!
I am at Tahoe today, and the aspen are just getting gold, fluttering in the wind and it feels so much like fall! Mornings are cold and afternoons are warm — delightful! My favorite time of year!
I hope your OH is well — I think mine has finally decided he will embrace being retired and he’s becoming a trail-hiking-Nazi — I’m being left behind!! More uphill, more uphill…!!!!