Hi Red-riding. Re: weighing, my mood is pitifully affected by the scales. 100g down and I’m sunny and full of joy, 100g up and I’m miserable. Saying that, I must weigh myself half a dozen times a day. My weight can vary 3lbs up and down in one day. I tend to lose 2lbs from going to bed to getting up. So it’s mainly water that makes it go up and down, apart from losing some fat, of course!
So as its your first week you should hopefully have lost a little already. But maybe only weigh yourself if you won’t be disappointed ( and waiver) if you haven’t. Stick with it though, the BSD certainly worked for me. So I’m mainly sunny!

I weigh myself every morning, after the morning toilet visit and before consuming anything. Although I’m unhappy if things have gone up instead of down, I find it motivates me to stick more tightly to the calorie and carb allowance and pay more attention, so that I have a better result the following day. And if it’s gone down, it motivates me not to do anything to mess things up.

Of course, there are times when things go in the wrong direction despite my best efforts, or things plateau, but generally I still find daily weighing comforting, but we are all different and we all need to find what works for us. Although I weigh daily, I have an end of week weigh-in on Monday mornings, when all progress checks are taken and recorded.

You should see good results in the first week, so don’t be scared to weigh yourself, as it will almost certainly be a positive result to spur you on.

Good luck!

I always vary several pounds during the day depending what stage of food input/calories used I am at.

I take the morning before consuming anything as my benchmark, apart from it generally being the lowest as I have not eaten for 12 hours and my body still used energy to keep me alive etc, I think it is the most likely to be consistent. After lunch will depend what time I had breakfast, and how much etc – just much more complicated to work to.

The level of variation is why I don’t get too excited nor too stressed out by smaller number changes a can be part of that range. So I look for the range. After a week I am in the 96-97 ish kg range instead of the 99-100 kg range. So there has been a loss but I am wary of saying it was 100 down to 96 because I would be taking the top end of one and the bottom of the other. Just happy that the average is downwards.

Saying that I have fallen off the no refined carb wagon today, my depression was strong and I resorted to familiar comforts. Note to self: avoid any cards or cash on you when dog walking, just because I need to pass the shop does not mean I have to have the means to buy, if I had had to make a special trip then inertia trumps the munchies most times.

So do I call tomorrow back on the diet as day 1 revisited? Or still call it day 10 with day 9 on the naughty step?

You are in day 10 tomorrow with an important lesson learned and forgive yourself. 🙂

Well done for getting right back on the bike 🙂

Igorasusual is right, you are on Day 10 tomorrow. Just because there was a transgression today, does not void your efforts to date. Don’t waste time and energy stressing about your slip-up, refocus and get back on track. You will probably find that what happened today makes little to no difference anyway, so just move on and get back to what you were doing before. Good luck!

Avila as Igor says forgive yourself and continue on. Sounds like you’ve lost a good amount regardless.

Is it better or worse thn your slip that I have been drinking “full fat” ginger ale by mistake. 2 litres over the week! All that sugar! And now I have eaten some cheese and a handful of nuts to make myself feel better!

Avila, definitely carry on! We will all slip up at some point, it’s important to learn how to get back on it quickly rather than panicking about failure.

I ate too much this afternoon so have to forfeit my chicken portion tonight, only kale and tomatoes for me!! But actually I don’t feel hungry really, so no bother. I’ll have the chicken for lunch tomorrow!

Dinner out last night was fun but we got a deal that included pudding and I ate it all! And then my friend pulled out bags of sweets to give us!!! So instead of eating badly day after day I just ate them and then got back on it today….. that’s the sensible thing to do, right?!! Lol anyway all over now 🙂

Keep it up people, you’re doing great xx

YAY! Avila came back on the wagon!

Well, this is a great time for a song; especially where there is NO SLEEP TIL BROOKLYN:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk

Remember this song Avila! We will throw you a feast you won’t forget!

Thanks all,

Well Gabi dog was glad for her bits off the big cookies – and oat and raisin not as bad double choc? (Don’t tell me will probably turn out to be more sugar than the chocolate). The craft cider was all mine though.

Tomorrow is a fresh day, and on the good side I should be at a good steps rate.

Hi Jake100. I’m an older mum too. I’ll be 50 in 8 weeks and my boys are 10 and 8. I find that they force me to be active and they’re so supportive of the BSD.

Used the new oven tonight (so clean!) to cook a rather sad little Quorn grill. Only 110 calories. I’ve managed to stick to just over 800 calories today but 1000 steps under target. I said it yesterday but it’s worth repeating I think: the full fat Greek yogurt is so much more filling than low fat. I’ve not dared to have any cheese yet though as ‘cheese’ and ‘in moderation’ can’t exist in the same sentence for me.

I’m away at our Head Office tomorrow at an all-day meeting where lunch is provided (sandwiches, crisps, cakes) so I’ve decided to brave the inevitable ribbing I’ll get and take a salad with me.

Welcome Jake100 – good luck in your first week! And Avila well done for getting back on the wagon – we all have our wobbles – last week I had my ‘Doritos moment’ which was not my proudest day (a big bag of Doritos, cheese from the fridge and a bagel – urgh – I was so tired afterwards!) May this be a good day (and rest of week!) for all of us 🙂

Oh folks I found a great way to cook chicken breast yesterday, so delicious, I have to share 🙂 I always found chicken breasts cooked in the oven really dry and tough but I discovered this way of cooking them yesterday on a cooking website. It’s called ‘dry poaching’, you just wrap the breasts in slightly oiled parchment paper (I used normal baking paper) and put them on at 200 (or slightly less if a fan oven) for 20-30 minutes, testing to see if they’re cooked through. You can just add salt and pepper to the chicken or your favourite dry rub or herbs if you want (I added chilli pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, onion powder, ground cloves and ginger and sea salt and pepper which was lovely). And it’s the tenderest, juiciest chicken breasts ever – they sort of cook in their own juices and are not dry at all!

Here are the instructions: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-the-best-chicken-breasts-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-211453

Have a good day folks and well done Claire for taking your salad to the meeting – v impressed at your dedication 🙂

Kx

Hi everyone, hope you don’t mind if I join you all. Just started yesterday ( I did this for 2 weeks last spring but for various reasons stopped) and really need the help of some diet buddies 🙂 I go away 8 weeks today so am determined to stick with it. I’m an older mum, I will be 50 in 18 months time and are determined to be fit at 50 rather than 50 and fat! My 13 and 9 year old daughters keep me busy and I’ve found it difficult in the past to avoid carbs while cooking for the family. I carry all my weight around my middle and am fed up of looking like an apple on legs, not to mention the health implications 🙂 Looking forward to hearing your success stories

Evening all and welcome AliceinSwitzerland. Another weirdly similar person to me! I too am an apple on spindly legs with thin arms. Are you actually in Switzerland?

Taking salad to the meeting worked a treat. No comments. The Pret yogurt pot for breakfast has really messed with the calories today though, coming in at an outrageous 364! Homemade equivalent is 183. So I’ll be over 800 today which is irritating

Weighed myself again this morning. Lost half lb. really pleased as I cracked last night and had a bag of hula hoops!

Well done Claire. There are so many more temptations with family around so you’re doing amazing. I’m sort of lucky in that I live on my own so can ban snacks. Also ironically I broke my ankle about 3 months ago and got into habit of getting most grocery delivered. Has cut down massively on temptation.
Just discovered my new favourite breakfast
Avocado, wilted spinach and poached egg mmm!

Thanks Claire0310, yes I do actually live in Switzerland, I’ve been here for 25 years now and can’t ever imagine moving back to UK. I do visit regularly, we were in the Lakes, Llandudno and Manchester for our summer hols in July. I have read a lot of the posts and figure it’s easier if I plan a few days meals ahead. Then I can see how I can adapt what I’m having to suit the girls, 1 vegetarian and 1 meat loving tiger 🙂 Trying stir-fried veg and shirataki noodles for lunch

Welcome AliceInSwitzerland, I am an apple too 🙂 Your lunch sounds lovely! The planning definitely helps me, I put my planned meals in a google sheet for the week and then I find it easier to stick to. Good luck and I hope to be reading your success story soon 🙂

And congrats Claire to you! Things are moving, woop woop!

Karen

Thanks Karenv, it’s really great to know this group is just an email away, makes it a whole lot easier knowing everyone is going through the same things. Thanks for your support. I hope that we’ll all soon look more like apple cores with legs rather than juicy fat apples 😉

Can we start a new thread just for Apples on Sticks lol.
I’d join
Good luck

LOL The Toffee Apple Girls 😉

I feel better already knowing I’m not the only apple walking around!

I’ve had an interesting diet day today. So busy out and about that I didn’t eat anything until 4pm. I didn’t feel particularly hungry at all. I read once that Joanna Lumley doesn’t eat until lunchtime on the basis that she doesn’t want to ‘wake up’ hunger! Maybe something in this?

I’ve not had breakfast since Monday and not missing it so far. I weighed myself this morning and have lost 7lb since Monday. I know it’s mainly water and starting at 18 stone there is plenty to loose but I’m ecstatic. Even at my biggest I was still in size 18 jeans, so I’m pretty sure my bones are made of lead!

I’m aiming for a size 12 and healthy. I’m not diabetic but my mum is and I had spinal surgery recently. Comfort eating while not being mobile is an easy way to gain weight. Back on my feet, swimming, walking and feeling inspired!

Secretly thinking I need to buy new scales!

What a great start REDRIDING! I its a good feeling isn’t it!
Welcome to the newbies x too tired to read all the news but will be back to see what youre all up to x

It is interesting how we all have different things we are looking for. Red Riding – if no breakfast is suiting you then fab, keep doing it. For me missing breakfast was the first fail in my days pre BSD as then often not bother if busy lunch time so then massively overate all the wrong things and needing sugar hits. So I am using the BSD as a discipline to eat at stages through the day instead. Its great how we can work the plan to our different lives.

Well after day 9 was a write off, I ended day 10 about where I ended day 8, so time to get onto the next bit of new loss. I have to say day 10 was really really hard – withdrawing sugar and carbs again. Today tricky but not as bad, though I was able to be in the same room as jam doughnuts and actually didn’t want them – the other options with less of a sugar load were tempting but the extreme sweetness of the doughnut seemed too sickly. And this from someone who can (could) chain eat a pack of five ….

Amazing willpower! No eating of sugar infested jelly donuts! 😀

Hi all, hope you’re looking forward to a fun weekend.
I’m really struggling with this diet atm. The hunger I’m still getting is manageable if I eat my evening meal early ish.
But I’m getting light headed very low energy most of the time. Blood pressure is fine so I’m guessing it’s low blood sugar.
I’m not diabetic or press diabetic so no medication to adjust. I’m drinking at least 2 litres per day.
Thinking of upping the carbs a bit to see if that helps.
Any other thoughts?

Hi Chrissie

Also make sure you are getting enough salt. You are washing it out far more than usual – try some salted nuts

Hope that helps.

Thanks Igor x
Have also bought a vit n mineral supplement today which includes b vits and iron and others. Let’s see if that helps as well!

No worries, Chrissie – just been reading up on the salt thing, as I occasionally feel a bit light-headed as well.

Another thing recommended to try, to add a bit more salt in, is to have a stock cube in boiling water as a drink. Or miso soup. Those are two things I’m trying as well as keeping an eye on the sodium content on My Fitness Pal.

I have started taking slow release magnesium tablets, too, as those are supposed to help with leg cramps. One very helpful effect has been to greatly improve what is known as ‘digestive transit”! No issues at all there, now!! 🙂

Mmm will add some of those packet miso soups to shopping list. I was worried about “digestive transit” before the diet, but not been a problem lol.

After a very hard week at work I must report that I’ve had several proseccos, but have done my best to keeps carbs down. 800 cals – not a chance today 🙁 I’ve not suffered from light-headedness but I’ve been quite hungry this week (my first). Sugar doesn’t really feature in my diet (I don’t add sugar to anything and cook most meals from scratch). I’ve bought a stack of celery and plan to use it for snacks this weekend, along with planned eggs & ham for breakfasts. First PT session tomorrow, hope it goes well!!

Keep at it everyone!!

this morning (Week 2 day 6) my scales showed 95.5kg (started at 99 and a bit). 95kg is my first target, and though this is the morning weigh in so will change through the day as I eat, and has the extra 0.5kg just seeing the ’95 ‘ at all makes it seem in reach.

95kg is my first target because as well as being a round number it marks the line when my BMI changes from obese to overweight on the NHS calculator.

Very motivated to keep going into week 3…

You’re doing great Lovetocook. Good luck with the PT.

Avila Wow. Congratulations. I do find having targets of about 5kg more reachable somehow. Oh to be just overweight lol.

We all start from different places ChrissieW – what matters is that we are all making a difference to ourselves.

Left me in a good mood and skipping along with the dog walk – hopefully good for calories too!

Anyone else find shopping quicker on the diet? So many aisles to not even go down at the supermarket!!

Morning all. Not having a good weekend. It’s been carb-tastic and my stomach doesn’t like it! Focusing on making sure the rest of the day is on track.

Hi Claire, that’s all you can do. Draw a line in the sand, forgive yourself and move on. I’m thinking about doing a food diary on Instagram so I can look back on the meals I really enjoy. That way when I’m having a tough day I can look back and show myself I’m not missing out.

Having said that I let myself have a slice on bread today. But I have accounted for the calories and had no butter. I just needed something to go with my huevos rancheros brunch. A life with no bread is not one I can live and this is s lifestyle change for me not a diet.

I’m still convinced my scales don’t work. According to them I’ve lost 12 lbs in a week. Still about 6 stone to go. Is there a thread somewhere for people with lots to loose?

Hi Red-Riding

There’s not really a thread for those with lots to lose.

I started this last December when there were far fewer threads, so started a new thread as I finished each 8 weeks. I’m now on week 35 which tells you I had a lot of weight to lose.

Yesterday I hit the 6 stone lost target and still have another 7 pounds approx to lose.

If you want to check out my threads, they’re ‘over the 8 week line’, ‘over the 16 week line’, ‘over the 23 week line’ (I was going on holiday!) and the current one is ‘over the 32 week line’. All on the fast 800 forum.

You could always start your own thread too 😃

Hi guys! I lost 3kg in week 1, sooo pleased!! But trying to keep it really small in my mind so I don’t rest on my laurels then get lazy with it. One problem… I’m going on holiday on Thursday for 11 days, France and Italy. I know this diet is meant to be all Mediterranean but I’m worried my in-laws will feed my croissants, I’ll crumble and it will all be over!! We are also going hiking for a couple of days, I think I will need carbs to get me up the mountain! Any advice for holidays/higher activity levels/etc? Also obviously I won’t be able to weigh myself for 11 days either so worried I’ll accidentally put on weight. I’ll be so annoyed if I come back lots heavier! (clearly a little bit might happen..!)

Thanks team, hope you’re all having a good weekend and enjoying the sunshine xx

Great weight loss abi .. I don’t have any real advice except if you can eat full fat yoghurt and berries / nuts am sure that would sustain you in place of carbs…bit difficult when others plan the food choices tho.

Thanks Lynne, that is amazing congratulations. Does it get easier or harder with time? I was worrying about the 8 weeks knowing it would be no where near long enough to get me close to a healthy weight. Have you stuck to 800 Kcals the entire time?

I have a holiday in 6 weeks, so I will have done 7 weeks by then. Was planning on an active holiday sticking to med eating principles, but a few drinks and treats. I also plan to get back on the 800 Kcals as soon as I get back.

Any advice from a pro to a newbie?

Hi Red-Riding

I found it got easier with time. My tastebuds have changed and I don’t miss my ‘go to’ foods from before BSD. I had to buy cakes last week (for visitors) and just looking at them in the store made me feel ill!

Yes, I have stuck to the 800 calories, very low carb.

Many of us ‘old-timers’ decided to just continue on the 800 calories because we had do much to lose and wanted to lose it asap. I think it was the speed of loss at the beginning that gave me the impetus to keep going. Combined with determination to prove to the medics that not only does this work, but it is sustainable.

I’ve had a holiday in Prague, one in Italy, a day conference and a residential conference while on 800 calories BSD. The day conference and Prague were in the early days. The conference food didn’t worry me. Prague taught me I needed to watch my portion control. I gained a couple of pounds but lost them within days.

At the residential conference I knew roughly what would be available. Went straight to cooked breakfast, ignored toast. Only ate a small amount of cooked meat and salad at lunchtime (now I only eat breakfast and evening meal – not hungry inbetween) because evening meal was so late. For dinner, ignored dessert. Decided on main course, then starter – asking for any changes I wanted. Found the portions far too big and could only manage about half of what was served.

Italy I was staying with friends. Had warned them no pizza, pasta, etc. So they took me to supermarket to buy what I could eat. We ate out 4 times. The antipasto is great – sliced meat and cheese. I’d have been happy with that. For the main – meat/poultry and veg or salad. We were taken to a great ice cream cafe – they make it on site. They did dairy free, but not sugar free! So I had my usual cup of black coffee. The lady who invited us offered me some of the strawberries and cream off her sundae, but I declined. I’ve found even strawberries too sweet now – and there was probably sugar on the berries and in the cream.

What I was/was not eating led to some interesting conversations. Especially with other diabetics.

Alcohol is not a problem for me – I’ve not drunk it in many years – but some on here have commented on how it makes it harder to stick to the BSD.

For me, it has been easier to avoid ‘treats’ and I honestly don’t miss them. The longer I am on this the easier it has become. I just didn’t want to risk going back to the old way of eating.

On holiday I stick with the Mediterranean style food, very low carb, but don’t worry about calories. Just watch portion sizes.

Hope this helps. Any questions, please ask.

Thanks Lynne, that is all great advice. I’m not a big drinker either and can give it up at home no problem. Hopefully in another 6 weeks my tastes will have changed like yours and I won’t fancy my usual treats.

I’m just having lunch and dinner. I love breakfast but that is the meal that is hardest for me to stick to plan so missing it out entirely seems easier at the minute.

The only carbs I’m eating are in vegetables, beans and pulses and avoiding the really starchy ones. Good thing I love my veg x

Hi All, back home after a lovely holiday. Lost WiFi and any semblance of self control the last couple of days?! Avila read the post re being in the same room as jam doughnuts and was in awe. Gregg’s has been a daily stop off for me on the way to work. One day on holiday I saw a Gregg’s shop on Cardigan high street and made the family cross the road ! I have wondered if the price of Gregg’s shares will plummet! For some of us it’s the end of week two is anyone weighing in tomorrow morning?

Don’t hold that awe any longer Leasko – just had a piece of cheesecake and pack of crisps!

It was the extra glass of wine last night, sat in my gut – awake and mildly nauseous all night (and I mean all – if you want a run down on what was on Radio 4/world service just ask). in morning risked breakfast only to lose it, but did end up settling gut a bit. Then had to go out and work, but not able to face food until home tonight via top up of petrol, and the reduced cheesecake called to me… and was craving salt, hence the crisps.

very naughty – but as the only food of the day not too bad on calories, and my argument is that I needed some quick access fuel, and cheesecake has fat for fullness right?? Not that I actually came up with the justification before the event….

What an end to week 2 – weigh in in the morning, now for some serious catch up sleep…

Welcome back Leasko and well done on avoiding Greggs!

I’m weighing in tomorrow for my second weigh in, not sure how it will go as I’ve been ill this week with a heavy cold and not sure if that will hamper the weight loss even though I’ve stuck to around 800 cals each day, fingers crossed its ok.

Good luck to all the weighers for tomorrow!

I’ll be weighing in tomorrow but not had a good weekend so I think I’ll have gained. Not desperately bad but not great. Need to sort out weekends.

Abisaysyes: mountaineering: depends on how far and how hard. How about puy lentil salad with feta and olives? If I’m doing a big mountain day, I would (even now) take sandwiches. I would recommend avoiding flapjacks as even the ‘healthy’ ones are loaded with sugar. Apples are good but heavy depending on how much water you’re carrying. A big cooked BSD breakfast should set you up and you could always take boiled eggs and cooked meat?

Wow what a brilliant site and helpful thread. Hi all, I’m Veronika, 57, Sydney, 35.1 BMI… Thank you NHS calculator, I just found out that’s obese :-// I’m autoimmune central — Coeliac, diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism earlier this year (hence 20kg weight gain in 2 years), and have just tested positive for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Getting my second cataract done tomorrow (yippee!!) and starting the 8 week BSD on Monday. The time has come 🙂 Definitely cannot do this alone and am soooo glad to have found this site.

As feared, I have gained. Disappointed given that the extent of my dietary crimes weren’t that great. Big lesson for me is to continue logging everything I eat at weekends not just during the week

Morning All, I stayed the same. To be honest I am fairly chuffed as I wouldn’t have been surprised if I’d gained. That’s 3lbs for the two weeks. Not brilliant but with kid’s off school and holiday… fairly miraculous !
Claire, I know what you mean re recording food, I do the same…. logging back onto MFP today.
Good luck everyone 😃