I lost 100 pounds 4 years ago on a very similar diet that I designed myself, but I did allow more starchy carbs. However, I often ate only one meal a day, around 5pm (total of 500-700 cals a day). On weekends, I sometimes had 2 meals (Breakfast and Dinner). I also occasionally did 2 fasting days in a row, with only broth or lemon water. The main reason I am trying this is because I am having yearly blood work done at end of March and need my A1C to be below 6. I have not been officially diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic but I am very obese and a store bought test had my A1C at a 7 a few months ago. Last year’s blood work was normal.

Must a person eat 2-3 meals a day for this to work?
Are complete fast days (bone broth and water) OK to do 2 times a week?

Also…when I have done low carb in the past, sometimes a kidney will ache and/or I feel like I pass a stone on occasion. It is not horrible enough to go to a doctor but it is a concern. If I add more starchy carbs, this never happens. I also find that my system gets blocked up from too much protein. If I add even a small portion of starch, such as Quinoa or a Pita, I am fine. One of the things that brought me to this diet was the support for fasting and the fact that we are allowed to have some beans.

Any thoughts?

Lisa different people approach this diet different ways, some have one meal a day, some two or three. Many people fast regularly. Most stick to low carbs (under 50 g, or even under 20 g if they have blood sugar issues) but I’ve found I need a bit more than that for my mental health and possibly to avoid mouth ulcers. I think you can be successful as long as you stick to the general principles, you might need to experiment to find your optimal way of eating.

Thank you for your thoughts.
When I have done a similar diet, I am usually between 45-60 g carbs but the fat percentage seems REALLY high to where it scares me. I use FitDay to log my food and when I have been on a similar diet, it seems like
the fat percentage is too high. For example, if I have a 1/2 TBL of olive oil and a 1/2 avocado, my fat percentage goes way up for that day of 600-800 calories.

Why does that scare you? Olive oil, avocado, nuts, yogurt, seeds, grass-fed meats and line caught wild fish, these are healthy fats. They are necessary for your body to function (unlike carbs) and help keep you satiated and full, all the more important on a very low calorie diet.

As far as fasting is concerned, the BSD is fully compatible with it. Feel free to have 1, 2 or 3 meals a day. Whatever suits you. I never eat breakfast, for example, and every couple of months I do an extended 3-day fast. This month it was 4 days and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I am insulin resistant so I don’t eat starchy carbs of any kind. I eat fewer than 20 grams of carbs a day, almost always fewer than 10. I avoid fruit, with the exception of the occasional raspberry or blueberry, and vegetables that are high in sugar like beets, onions and tomatoes. Nor do I eat beans, pulses or cereals, including so-called healthy ones like quinoa and oats. I eat plenty of protein and never get constipated, largely because I make sure to include high fiber foods in my daily regimen. Have you tracked your fiber intake? It should be at least 25 grams a day, but most people don’t get close to that figure.

I lost 200 pounds in 14 months on the Fast 800 and I’ve kept it off for 4 months, even losing a few more pounds as I reversed out of the 800 calorie ceiling. This system works. You don’t have to do it as strictly as I have. Plenty of people on this forum eat vegetables, fruit and beans I wouldn’t even be in the same room with. 😀

Good luck!

When it comes to the oil and oily foods you dont have to have loads. You can even put your olive oil in a spray although I use rapeseed oil for cooking as olive oil is too expensive but also doesn’t reach a high frying point. When I have avocado it look to see what hubby is having that day and he shares it with me. Nuts are of real benefit for cholesterol, especially walnuts, but just having half a dozen doesn’t do massive damage to your calories. Work it into your daily allowance and if on some days you go a bit over because of the oils, reign it in the next day to even it out. Just remember you are not being told to eat loads of fatty foods, you are being asked to replace bad fatty foods for the good ones. There is another part to this as because I no longer eat bread or potatoes which I had with margarine (chemical waste product) I now have butter but only use it now and then say for cooking scrambled eggs.

Thank you all for your advice. About the fats…my Mom (in her 80s) has always eaten healthy fats but she has had to have 3 stents and is on a statin. That is what worries me.

Thank you for the encouragement about fasting. Eating one meal a day is best for me most of the time. And, going 48 hours with just a few servings of bone broth has worked well in the past but it does clog the system up a bit.

About fiber…I have not been able to get 20g of fiber into a 600-800 cal diet with one meal a day. I have tried to take flaxseed and fiber supplements. Still clogs “the system.” The only thing that de-clogs is beans and starchy carbs. I do not need to have a large serving but seem to need the starchy carb every day.