So I did the 800 at the beginning of the year and lost 40+ pounds, got my blood sugar back on track and then spent all summer ruining my hard work. I didn’t mean to – I just started having days off and then it became consecutive days off and I stopped tracking altogether and when I was on holiday, ate stuff I should.

I put on 22lbs in about 4.5 months. I didn’t even eat that badly (I certainly didn’t binge) but I ate carbs and the occasional ice-cream and cut down on my exercise a bit. Has anyone else had this extreme level of weight gain when they haven’t maintained?

My doctors have said that I can’t process carbohydrates (Syndrome X) so I’m guessing it may be that. Either way it is very disheartening.

So I’m back on the 800. One week in and I’ve lost 6.8lbs. I’m making sure I’m tracking and I also thought coming back here was a good idea as it helped me so much last time.

So if it’s ok with you, I’m going to post daily updates here in this thread. Keeps me honest.

Well done on your 800 at the beginning of the year, and you can definitely do it again. ONce you can do it for the first time, it’s like riding a bike. But it’s just keeping it up. I lost nearly two stone, and have put half back on. I’m now 3 days in to the second round, and lost 4lbs.

I’ve realised it’s about discipline, which I’m not always great at

You can, and you will, do it! Never give up!

Thanks Fatblaster – you’re right it is discipline. And the stupid thing is that eating the wrong food makes me feel awful. I didn’t realise how badly I felt until I did the diet and started to feel better. And now so much of that is back again – needing to nap because I’m tired all the time, tingling in my hands and low mood. So I’m very annoyed with myself because there is no reason to feel pants – I just need to not eat carbs.

Already the tingling is less although I’m still overtired but I’m hopeful that in a few more weeks I’ll feel better again. It took about 3-4 weeks last time to really feel good so I’m looking forward to that feeling again.

I’ve just had a very late breakfast of a poached egg and half an avocado plus a small bit of goats cheese to tide me over. Lunch will be a couple of hours but just salad with some anchovies (maybe some feta if I can fit in the calories) and then tea tonight is Thai green curry that I made at the weekend with either konjac rice or cauliflower rice.

Hi Shanshu
I’ve restarted after a 3st loss last year, but put it all back on again same way as yourself. So after numerous non starter weeks, I am now going for it. I’m looking at a very strict 12 weeks. I am going to do this by the book, and keeping my end goal in mind as my new mantra. So may I tag along for the journey. Hope we all have a controlled day 😊

Hey GreenJanet – it’s such a relief to find others in the same boat. I’ve felt like such a failure but I guess failure would be to give up trying. I’ve realised that I’m an all-or-nothing personality. I can’t do this halfheartedly – I have to track, I have to be strict otherwise it doesn’t work for me.

Today is going to be really stressful for me workwise. Hopefully I will convince myself not to stress-eat in any way.

Hi Shanshu, I might also tag along for the ride – I’m starting again today… Having slimmed down by about a stone earlier this year, I’ve now put most of it back on again through sheer lack of willpower and love of red wine! I don’t have diabetes or any major health issues, I just feel gross, fat, tired and out of shape, so I need to do something about it. It’s going to be really tough this time – last time, I had a summer sunshine holiday to look forward to, but this time I’m right in the middle of my most stressful, busy period of work between now and December, which is when I’m at my worst for turning to wine and snacks. Not sure how I’ll manage, but I’m prepared to give it a go!

Hmmm – I can already tell today is going to be a long one. I ended up having a little bit of breakfast (60g of smoked salmon, 2 red bulls and a packet of seaweed totalling 155 calories). I felt I needed something to keep me going because I have a tough meeting later this morning.

But now I’m just hungry. I’m going to have to ride it out I guess. Will try to postpone lunch until 2.30pm otherwise I’m never going to make it to dinner at 8pm.

Tomorrow I’m going back to fasting in the morning I think.

Hi Shanshu and Linnypinny
I’m coping with my history of failure, my lack of willpower, my large amount I want to loose etc blah blah, we all have it don’t we. Hehe. Anyway I’m tackling this differently this time I have a end goal, I’m 60 on Xmas day this year, and I have been dieting 😂 since I was 19, so this time I am going to replicate what I did last year on this plan, by being purist to the plan, but I am going to have 1000 cals, but will aim to get lower, but I’m being realistic about my abilities.
I am also making each meal into a pleasure, for breakfast I am having warmed through frozen strawberries, fage yogurt couldn’t live with out it and 12 g of flaked almonds on top, so this is my desert breakfast. I have to have food I look forward to until the appetite suppressant effect takes over.
I’m weighing myself daily in kilos, as they go down in smaller increments, and I am aiming for 24kilo in 12 weeks, yep I know may be unrealistic, but it’s keeping me on the straight and narrow. so my mantra is 24 in 12.
Well it’s keeping me motivated at the mo, but I am determined, and planning ahead for the unexpected. That 24 kilo wouldn’t take me to an ideal weight, but it would be enough to make me feel not like an overweight person anymore.
So come on girls don’t despair, just get focused, and never mind stress Shanshu, use it, flip it over into a positive, we can’t change our problem but we can change our minds to tackle things as a challenge instead of a problem.
We can all do this together.🙋💃🙋💃🙋💃🙋💃

Hi LynnuPinny – hopefully we can all support each other when the temptation to break diet comes along.

Hi Shanshu.
The red bulls I think would have stimulated your appetite, its not all lost try to have a salad or something for lunch, and keep sipping water to quell the hunger pangs. Dr.M says they come in waves, so we are all of 🏄 today, a warm drink is also good for hunger, don’t despair just plod on. It will all work out. I’ve found it’s all about planning for the unexpected. People know when I’m on plan as I go everywhere with all these little containers of food, and spoons forks etc.
We will all get there. 🙋💃🙋💃🙋💃🙋

It’s so good to have people to talk to about this.

Very quick summary of me. I started putting on weight at about 21 – partly due to depression, partly due to bad portion control, partly due to PCOS and insulin resistance which means I can’t really process carbs so more likely to turn them to fat. I got really big and apart from the Cambridge diet (which worked when I was on it) I really have had no success with dieting. Until I found the 800.

My starting weight then was 17.5 stone (248lbs) and got down to 14.4 stone (202lbs). When I weighed myself before restarting I had rocketed back up to 16 stone so now got to get rid of the weight I put on more.

Slow and steady wins the race. I have my eye on a Halloween costume I want to fit into.

You’re probably right about Red Bull stimulating my appetite. I wasn’t going to have any today but felt I needed the pick-me-up.

Right – time to meet the stress head on.

So I went for a lunchtime walk to stave off the hunger. Decided I wasn’t going to push it as hard as Tuesday (because I got really hot and sweaty then) and yet somehow got better times (12’16” for mile 1, 11’13” for mile 2 and 14’09” for mile 3 but had to keep stopping for traffic on the last bit so that affected time). Not bad for a fatso like me.

It’s amazing how much by resting heart rate has dropped since I restarted 11 days ago – from 87 bpm to 76 bpm and realising little details like that helps spur me on.

Lunch in 45 minutes…

How did your day go Shanshu.
For a pick me up other than a really good tea to sip, I love Waitrose rose lemonade tea bags, they are so fragrant and don’t have the usual twang of a fruit tea, and as they are pricey I reuse the bag twice, which is nice even second time around.
My starting weight was 110.2 kilo, this time around so frustrating I lost 16 kilo last year, and just lazily put two thirds back on, but everyday I will be a bit less than the day before, she says hopefully.😁😁😁
I’m having the eggs with crime fraiche omlety thing this evening out of the large recipe book. But some of the recipes are uber fussy, can’t be doing with too much fiddling. When I get in I want something quite quick.
My fav snack if I have to have one, is gherkins with Milano salmi wrapped around it ooh so yummy.
What’s everyone having for their dinner.🙋💃🙋💃🙋

I survived the day and had a chicken and anchovy salad lunch of under 200 calories. Currently have 469 calories left for tea which is an abundance. So I will be cooking a duck breast and having it with some stir-fried veg – pak choi, courgette, spinach and a flat mushroom.

During the week I tend to keep things pretty simple – I don’t use either book really.

Breakfast if I have it is either Greek yoghurt with berries or something eggy. If I’m skipping breakfast I have Itsu seaweed crisps.

Lunch is generally a simple Green salad with a protein of some kind.

Then dinner is veg and protein – either as a stirfry or grilled or leftovers from the previous weekend. At the weekend I’m more creative and my bf and I (who is not doing the diet) make a variation of something in one of the books or something we know should be low given the ingredients and just count it up as we cook it. I then split it by the number of portions I need it to be in order to fit the number of calories I’m allowed!

Had enough calories to make a creme fraiche with whole grain mustard toppings. Result.

Day 11 Diary
Morning was hard but got better after I did a power walk which seemed to stave off the hunger a little. Breakfast was smoked salmon and seaweed, lunch was chicken and anchovy salad, tea was duck breast with green veg and a creme fraiche sauce. Small amount of goats cheese to tide me over to the morning.

Calories: 783
Carbs: 20
Water: 2.5L+
Steps: 15,281
Exercise: 2.79 miles in 34minutes and 40seconds (including 12:16 and 11:13 miles)

Really good day today. Hope that shows when I step on the scales in the morning Tomorrow I am working from home – this tends not to bode well for me as I am more tempted to eat and less motivated to walk.

Please can i join you? I lost 2 stone on BSD this summer, but since i completed round one i have been on and off- carbs are terrible for me and once i start ic ant stop – i need help to get back on the wagon and get clean again – it usually takes about five days and the cravings go but while have them i feel totally out of control! any tips?

Of course you can Onetowarch- the more the merrier.

What is it about the carbs? Is it specific food or just how you feel when you don’t eat them?

If it’s specific food then get it out of the house and replace with other stuff. Is there a substitute you can use. I’ve started using Konjac root based pasta replacement on some
nights to bulk out food.

If it’s absence is making you feel rotten then perhaps distract yourself with some kind of exercise? I was so hungry today but went for a fast walk instead and it took my mind off it and made me feel so much better because of the serotonin I’m guessing.

Weighted myself this morning and I’ve not lost anything in nearly a week. I know I have to persevere and it will get going again but it’s sooo difficult.

I see others on here talk about fasting. Has anyone done it, what did it do for you and how did you do it? Thanks

Keep the faith Shanshu, there are always plateaus along a journey. Once the plateau is overcome you’ll start dropping lovely amounts again!

Onetowatch, stop the temptation by giving away all the sweet/bad stuff that usually tempts you.

If that’s not possible (isn’t for me as I have two young boys) then keep it in one cupboard only and out of sight.

Make sure nothing bad is in the fridge as otherwise every time you open it to get something healthy you’ll see those bad items winking at you, begging you to eat them!

Thanks FroggyRanger – the plateau has come so much earlier this time than last time but I guess that’s because my body is more used to BSD or something. I will persevere!

Shanshu, I’m basically at goal now but I’d like to shave off another five pounds or so. My weight loss has slowed to just a couple of pounds of month, so in June I introduced an extended fast for the last few days of the month. I’ve been doing it every month since. The first one was 60 hours long, the last (and longest) was 72 hours. I’ve lost at least 6 pounds each time. I dropped 7.5 on the longest one. Sometimes a pound or two came back a couple of days later, but that’s how it’s been with me in general lately — hovering up and down a few pounds until a sliver of a loss cements itself. I don’t think it’s fasting related.

I’ve come to truly enjoy these fasts. I find them invigorating mentally and physically, and seeing those kinds of results on the scale is always a rush. Since we’re both insulin resistant, you might have a similar reaction because insulin production plummets after 40-42 hours of zero calories. It feels great to me.

Thanks Esnecca – that’s really useful to know.

Day 12 Diary

Hmm – an ok day I guess. Fasted for 16 hrs. Had a purely protein lunch of duck breast and goats cheese and then this evening venison steak with green veg. Not the best meal planning in the world but was stressed and unhappy all day (non diet related) so at least I stayed on calorie target even if my step count was appalling.

Calories: 741
Carbs: 11
Water: 3L+
Steps: 2,317
Exercise: zilch 🙁

I’m away seeing family for next two days. Will be impossible to calorie count so I will do my best to keep portion size low and all food ‘low carb’. Hopefully there will be some walking involved so at least my step count won’t be as appalling as it is today.

Hi all
Day 4 for me here, and yep the plans working, plenty of nighttime trips to the bathroom hehe, it’s so wonderful this plan, I felt so much better after even only 18 hours, clearer head, although I’m not drinking enough so I am a bit headachy, and lots more energy.
Mind you I’m struggling to stay at 800 it’s more a 1000/60 for me, but hey the scales are going down every day so plenty of time to tighten up, in a week or so.
Shanshu good luck with the rellies, your job doesn’t sound like a barrel of laughs, you have my sympathies, I used to be a senior midwife, full time and three on calls a week where we were called in all night due to lack of staff. I decided eventually it wasn’t compatible with life, the stress was through the roof all the time.
But your eating and thinking you can control, keep at it, don’t be harsh with yourself, and you will get there. If it all goes to pot this weekend, its only two days out of 7 don’t despair. I keep reminding myself it took me 38 years to accumulate my extra baggage, emotional and physical so a few delays are fine. We will all get there, one day at a time
🙋😊🙋😊🙋

Day 13 Diary

Trie to stay away from carbs. Managed it during the day but sneaked a teaspoon of mash at dinner. Plus I doubt the cravy or chutney was low in carb.

Calories: 1200+ at a guess
Carbs: ?
Water: 3L+
Steps: At least 11,000
Exercise: Brisk walk after dinner

Tomorrow will probably be the same but won’t put me off getting back on the wagon with vengeance on Monday. Have a good night everyone

I’m in 2 threads so excuse the identical update in both:

Week 2 ended: I lost 2.6lbs this week. A lot less than I hoped but I don’t suppose the weekend helped as though I kept low on carbs I massively exceeded calorie count as staying with relatives who just don’t ‘get it’ and would have been offended if I had ordered a started for my main. Plus I had a large glass of wine on the Saturday.

Week 3 – With the exception of a work dinner tonight at a Japanese restaurant, there is no reason I can’t stay on diet all day. Not sure how tonight will go but I am planning on eating very little prior to the dinner which hopefully will mean I don’t go too over tonight. I just don’t know what to order. I can’t find a menu online so can’t plan for what I might be able to eat. Anyone eat Japanese regularly who might be able to give me a steer?

Hi Shanshu – wow, you’ve had amazing results. Family meals are head for me too but I just make up for it with other meals.

I think the advice for your Japanese restaurant meal (maybe too late for you now) but from what I’ve read on this site, consider filling yourself up on salad/veg before your work dinner so you don’t get tempted for the ‘bad stuff’ when you’re hungry. I would choose sashimi with a salad – ask for no rice and the dressing on the side. I love tataki which is rare beef. If you don’t like raw food, they might have grilled protein like grilled fish or grilled beef.

Morning all
How’s it going day 6 for me and a unbelievable 4.4kilo down, at the mo loving the feeling of being in control. Just need to be mindful of obstacles to this, so my mantra of 24 in 12 is now 20 in 12.
For anyone reading this who like myself has failed miserably many times to get restarted, please don’t pre judge yourself if I can get re motivated and stick to it then absolutely any one can, I am absolutely the worlds weakest willed person.
I’ve discovered it’s waiting for the right timing, dive in and hold your breath until the appetite is under control, and the monster is in the cupboard, and my appetite monster is definitely the biggest.🐘🐘🐘🐲🐲🐲
So feeling very nervous that the real fat me I have lived with for 39 years will explode out of me and take over this mindful BSD friendly Jan.
Here goes day 6 woo hoo
🙋😃🙋

Hey lisas71 – thanks for the advice. I’m pretty good at temptation so I’m not going to eat much beforehand so save more calories for tonight. And I do like raw food so sashami and/tataki sounds good!

greenjanet – that’s great progress. It’s hard when you doubt the ability to continue on but I think you need to say to yourself – I did it yesterday, I’m doing it today so I know I can do it tomorrow. And if a day comes when you’re not so good you can still to yourself – I did it for 16 days – I know I can do it for at least that amount again.

This isn’t a diet – it’s how you live now. It’s like work. You get up and you go every day and that’s what you do. Some days you don’t go because it’s a holiday or you’re off sick but that doesn’t stop you going back the next day.

I struggle with denying myself stuff. The thought of never having the stuff I love again makes me crave it even more. So instead I say to myself – you can have it but you don’t have to have it today and that usually stops me from having some.

Hi Shanshu
Yes you are so right, my mind is in the same place as last year when I lost 3 st, so I know the right time is now. It’s strange because I have restarted many times, and my weight loss was very slow, not like this time, this is almost a replica of last summer, the first time I did this plan. But hey feeling great, loads of energy, onwards and downwards. 🙋💃🙋

That’s great news – headspace is really important.

I did really well first time (Feb-Apr) and lost 3+ stone but then took summer off. This is my first time retrying. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep on track. It’s good to have goals. I had a 6 week goal to get down to what I was . 1/3 of the time past and I’m 2lbs away from being halfway there. So I’m on track I think.

Here’s a thing, if you eat cauliflower four times in 6 days, do you reckon I might wake up looking like one, hehe finding veg to eat in autumn is much harder, last time it was salads all the time as it was summer. I even heat my strawberries up in the morning for my brekki 😃 It’s a hoot isn’t it.

Hi all,

Sorry for the lack of posts – I kinda fell off the wagon a little last week. I had a work dinner on Monday and went over calories and then had a few crises at home plus a heavy cold which left me feeling sorry for myself and in turnt led me to eating chocolate coated rice cakes and a lot of cheese on more than one day. That being said I could easily have eaten absolute rubbish so I guess it could have been worse. Overall I lost just under 2lbs so end of 3 weeks I have lost 11lbs to far. I did much better than this last time but I was much stricter last time.

This week I’m just going to have to try a lot harder – I set up the wii last night ready for me to do a workout first thing this morning and I did manage to do that workout (first time since April I think) so that’s a good start.

Also I made (or rather my housemate made) the hungarian goulash from the recipe book last night. We followed the recipe pretty accurately but I swapped almond flour for corn flour and the end result was 332 calories for a serving. I had it with zero noodles (16cal) boiled in veg stock (52cals) and instead of creme fraiche I had 85g of 0% greek yoghurt (48 cals). Also had about 100g of broccoli (34cals) just to get some veg in. Total calories = 483 but high in carbs at 38.4g. However – next time I’d use less puree, different stock and green peppers (rather than red and green). I have another portion available for later in the week.

So I did a little better and a little worse yesterday. I got up early and did a 30 min aerobic workout and then a two mile speedwalk over lunch. But then I slightly ruined it by having a second pork steak in the evening taking me well over calories.

Oh well – it’s a start.

I also tried dark chocolate (a very small amount) for the first time in ages hoping that I would like it. It’s supposed to be good for you in small portions and I thought it would be a treat. Hated it.

BUT today I had the brain wave of grinding some sea salt on it and I really enjoyed it.

Keep going Shanshu, we all have easy and tough phases. Salt and dark choc is a lovely mixture!

Thanks Froggy Ranger. I’m definitely getting back in the groove now. Maybe I was just a little cocky this time – the whole ‘I’ve done it before – I know how this works and I can be a little more liberal and loose than I was’. NOT THE CASE.

However, a bit of discipline and now the results are coming on. Since Monday I have lost 2lbs (I was struggling to lose that in a week last week), I have done 3 x 30+min aerobic workouts (I’m doing the Wii Fit EA Active 2 9 week programme) and plan to do another tomorrow and a bonus one on Saturday with my step raiser under my Wii Fit). Plus I’ve been better with the steps, Monday I was just shy of 16K, Tuesday I only managed 7K cos working at home, yesterday I did over 15K and I’m already at 5K today (It’s 10.15 am and I’m working from home).

I’m also managing to keep to the 800 calories this week so I guess the thing I need to work on this week is my water intake. It’s been approximately 2 litres a day but I’d like to get it up to 3 litres. I’ve already had a litre this morning so hopefully I’m getting better on that front.

Today I’m having a light breakfast of sugarfree Red Bull (I really need to cut those out soon) and 2 packets of Itsu seaweed crisps. Lunch will be a half portion of the hungarian goulash on top of two grilled large flat mushrooms with a topping of a tablespoon of greek yoghurt on each. That should leave me plenty of calories for a portion of my seafood saganaki served on a roasted miso aubergine with some fried green veg on the side. And maybe even a square of dark chocolate with salt again.

I’ve got to the point where I’m starting to enjoy it again – thank god for that.

Hope everyone else is ok?

Woo hoo – I now have lost a stone since I restarted. Not as quick as last time – I think I lost that in just over two weeks last time and this time round its just under four weeks. Still not back to the weight I was when I stopped though so a fair bit to go.

Onwards and upwards – yesterday I was largely on track calories wise, slightly over carbs wise and very good with the water at over 3L. Also I walked 15k steps and did 40 min aerobic workout.

I’ve nearly drank a litre already today and despite lack of sleep I still managed to force myself to get up and work out this morning so I am getting better with the discipline.

I think I’m alone in this thread but that’s okay – more room to dance with joy! If others are lurking – I hope it’s all going well with you.

So I’m at the end of Week 4 and this week I took it a lot more seriously than the week before and unsurprisingly have achieved much better results.

Firstly I’m sticking closer to the 800 limit and am sometimes less whereas the previous week I verged on 1200 some days. I’ve been better at drinking water and most importantly (along with keeping my step count at 12K or above on most days) I also did a workout 5 of the 7 mornings.

The result is this week I lost 4.4lbs – woohoo! This means that I have lost 15.4lbs in this first four weeks and am 7lbs from my short term goal which was to get to the weight I was last time I came off the 800. Which is really depressing – think how much further I’d be if I had not spent the summer ruining my hard work! No time to dwell though – this week I plan to be as good. I’ve already worked out this morning and I have no plans this week that might lead to temptation (bar on Friday night when I’m going to visit a friend). I’m thinking of making a meal I would normally have on the 800 and maybe having a low calorie alcoholic drink to celebrate.

However, I may be able to get to my short term goal by my intended date of 28 Oct (Halloween party) but almost certainly will get there for 4th Nov (40th birthday party – not mine). And then I need to think about what my goal after that will be. It would be nice to have lost another stone before I see my parents just before Xmas. Which would be 14lbs in just over 6 weeks. Totally doable I think so long as I don’t succumb to too many Xmas treats.

Well done and enjoy!

Hi Shanshu

How is this week going? I read your whole thread … you have motivated me! I got to a target of 24.8 BMI but thought about losing some more only to get the virus from hell for the past 2 weeks and am now 5.8lbs heavier.

Today I feel better! so am hoping to get back on the 800 cals . I will try and follow your thread and keep up with you as you are obviously om a role!

PS You do sound stressed! I have just left a very stressy job and looking back I now realise I should have taken care of myself much better …so take time out, sleep more and do some mindfulness and something nice every day.