Hi guys
sorry I haven’t been around much lately. I’m really busy at work and at home we are caring for a long time friend who has terminal cancer and can’t take care of himself in his flat so a lot of our spare time is being taken up by that.
Wendymay54, a couple of us found that our readings shot up around week 6. We were advised that this was down to the liver releasing stored sugar into the bloodstream. This cleared up in around about 2 weeks then the readings dropped again so stick with it. If your husband isn’t putting sugar or carbs in, then what is coming out is storage and that can only be a good thing.

Hi Bill great to see you back, was wondering where you had gone to! Hope you are still doing okay. Sorry to hear about your friend, but don’t forget to take care of yourself while you are taking care of them.

Thanks all for enduring my confessions.
Last day today and pleased to report that I have actually started back on the downward path – JUST tipped the scales at under 160lbs this morning after a week of sticking to the plan.

🙂

John

Thanks Bill , sorry to hear about your friend and hope your all coping as well as you can in this situation , it can’t be easy . We plod on daily with the diet and I still amaze myself at some of the food I’ve adapted to keep to 800 calories , although I just look at a plate of food know and I’m calculating how many calories on it , I’m like a reformed smoker

Hi to all the old faithfuls still out there.

I guess I’m destined to be a yo-yo man for the rest of my life. After a cracking Jan to May I’ve been up and down like nobody’s business since. I have to confess that I still love the old carbs and don’t yet have the will power to put them completely behind me.

The good thing, however, is that the BSD has given me such a powerful tool to set me back on the road after a few weeks on the binge. I’ve been off on one for the last few weeks, and managed to put on 10lbs or more. However, just one week back into the regime and I’ve shed 8lbs already and am back into safer territory. (167lbs this morning with 154lbs as a final goal – starting from 205lbs in January.

Perhaps I just like the excitement of the losing weight bit and find the maintenance a bit tame – I love drawing all the charts and graphs and feeling pleased with myself as the fat rolls off.

Anyone else had such problems? – any good ideas for “spicing up” the maintenance bit would be gratefully received.

Hope there’s still someone following this thread – is there another thread out there with all the old crowd on it?

Love to you all

John

PS, If Lucia’s still there, I’ve kept up my exercise – more or less an hour a day as promised.

Hi John. I’m so glad you posted this. I’m on a bit of a downer as I’ve been totally off the rails since May and back to where I started in January. I feel awful but am struggling to get motivated again and it’s not easy at this time of year. I’m not exercising much either.

I believe the yo yo weight thing isn’t good for you.

We need a kick up the jacksy I think.

Good luck getting back on track!!

You’re not alone. 😊

I’m a bit worried about the maintenance side myself, I similarly like the spreadsheets and graphs and sheer level of organisation that being this strict has forced me into, and like you I know that I still like the carby stuff, as I never totally went cold turkey. I am trying to look for variants at the moment that won’t trigger any cravings, so I can indulge occasionally and it seems to be working, but then I am still in 800 mode. I am beginning a first phase of maintenance in the run up to Christmas after my transition period from 800 to 5:2 or 4:3. Have you tried any of the fasting patterns? My current plan is to do one or the other with intermittent fasting periods of 16:8 on as many days as possible, to try to keep the idea of the plan going into normal eating.

Hi John – *waves*

Good to hear from you again.

I’m still around, but lots of the old-timers have stopped posting. Check out my threads to see if there is anyone on there you know.

I’m in maintenance now, but have lost more since reaching my original target. Not worrying too much about calories, just keeping low carb. But I know what you mean about charts etc. I kept really detailed notes – no charts though! Since I hit my target I’ve eased up a little on the record keeping, but still weigh every morning recording my weight and what I eat each day. Weekly weighin is noted at the front of the notebook.

Sounds like you’ll hit your target in the not too distant future 😀 Great results so far!

Mixnmatch – I knew when Imstarted the BSD that the only way for me was to go cold turkey, and I think it really helped. The only substitute I’ve tried was the coconut flour flatbreads. They were good. But I enjoy what I eat anyway and don’t really fancy any carb substitutes. Now I just focus on low carb without worrying too much about calories – sticking to the Mediterranean style food from the BSD. Just what works for me. I was worried about switching to maintenance but like so many things the expectation was worse than the reality. Best wishes with your progress.

Good to see some old stagers again

I agree that the key seems to be swerving the refined carbs permanently and evidently some people find that easier than others.

I’ve stayed more or less bang on my final weight of 122 lbs and I’ve maintained it for now 4 months. Can’t see that changing and I do keep under 50 carbs most days because I don’t usually eat till lunchtime (apart from a breakfast time coffee) and keep an eye on it with MFP

I think I also feel confident that I understand how to keep my weight balanced by not eating sandwiches or other easy lunchtime stuff and if I indulge myself any day, I cam simply adjust.

But let’s see how the Christmas roast potatoes or indeed the fruit (tangerines etc) go!

Good to see you IGOR xi was only thinking yesterday i hadnt bumped into you on the threads lately!
Well done on the maintenance!👍🏻

It is good to hear from you Igorasusul and that you are doing so well on maintenance. It has been so helpful to me to hear how you and Captainlynne are managing maintenance as in some ways it is harder than losing the weight in the first place.

Captainlynne – I have been a record keeper also – logging everything I eat and weighing every day. Of course it makes total sense to continue with the weighing and record keeping in maintenance. Why would you stop doing something that has worked so well.

My way of doing things in the past just didn’t work (lose a little bit of weight – then promptly stop the diet the weighing and the record keeping and hope that somehow magically the weight will stay off).

So following in your footsteps I am looking forward to a successful low carb maintenance.

As the title of this thread says – ‘this has to work for me’ because my life literally depends on it

Hi KrysiaD *waves*

Glad to meet another dedicated record keeper 😀

I think that in the past I did the same as you – lose weight, keeping a food diary, then get complacent, stop recording food intake and gain the weight back, with interest. That’s how a variety of slimming clubs made a lot of money from me. That, and persuading me to buy their products to ‘help’ me lose weight.

I was really worried about maintenance because of my previous track record. But I’m still losing weight somI think four things are helping. One is the simplicity of the original plan, then the length of time it has taken for me to get to this point meant food choices have become a habit now, then still keeping a food diary and, last but by no means least, these forums. Posting on here helps clarify my thoughts and keeps me accountable.

I started this for many reasons. My health, to be around a long time for my granddaughters (twins, 9’in January) and so I have more energy for the dashing around Imdomin my working life. As this thread says ‘this has to work for me’.

Hi string breaker,

You say old faithful such as Lucia.

I looked it up , old faithful, it a gush of hot air and water.
Oh yea?
I prefer to be called cute but gushing water is a new o e on me.

The Japanese have shown me that a single drop of water over time can wear away a mounting.
I am that single drop of water and the mountain is obesity and diabetes. It may take a while but I will eliminate it.

Missed you string breaker.
I am still hear but in the background reading all the blogs.
Still learning, still insane, still shifting my blubber.

Love Lucia xxxx

Hi All,

I see this thread seems a bit moribund, but I don’t know which of the current threads you’re all on.

Just a quick one to get back in touch – how are you all doing?

Bill, are you still out there?
Lynne – still keeping it off?
Lucia – still setting us all targets and keeping us on our toes?
Igor – keeping on the straigh and narrow?
Yowzer – still on the forums?
Etc etc. It would be nice to hear from you all.

I’ve been a bit up and down in weight – I think I’m just like that, but the BSD is so wonderful because it gives such an easy and effective route to getting back on track once the binge is over. I really don’t know what it is that switches my brain on and off being “good” and probably never will but at least now I can cope, and really believe that never again will I do that dreadful thing of losing a lot of weight and then two years later being even heavier than ever.

(BTW Lucia, I’m keeping up the exercise – I’m doing on average my age in minutes per day which is, I think, what you instructed)

Is there a more active thread that you’re all on?

Onwards and downwards,

John

John

Been absent for a while but just started a new thread on Fast 800’Forum.

Catch up with you there.

Bill hasn’t been around for ages and haven’t heard from him by email or Facebook.

Don’t know about anyone else – as I said I’ve been AWOL for about 3 months.

HI SB!!! thanks for calling me back here again! Havent been online much but its good to log in on here once more.
Where are all our old pals???? Come out come out wherever you are!!! JAN!FROG! MIXY!IGOR??? Ec etc….
Sounds like you’re doing well JOHN x Its great that youve broken that old cycle of losing and regaining..me too i believe.
I’m just a whisker away from 100 lbs down now on week 46. No cravings at all for bread,cake etc..
But i crave a lot of full fat yog and nuts,so i have to be careful with portion size!
LYNNE Good to hear from you,hope all well with you and that you’re still being yr excellent self!xx
Will look for the fast 800 forum… X

Hi Yowzer
I’m exactly the same when it comes to not craving sugar or carbs, but when I see full fat yoghurt and nuts, I can’t resist! Especially macadamia nuts.

It got to the point where I was eating 1 kg per fortnight and I then recognised that this was becoming an obsession and something had to give. As hard as it is, I no longer buy or eat any nuts, I had to go cold turkey!

Full fat Greek yoghurt is still a problem, but it’s not out of hand – yet!

I’m still managing to maintain after losing 30kg and will continue in this WOE for the rest of my life.

Keep it up!
Cheers
Linda

HI LINDA well done on still maintaining! Keep up the good work X
Isnt it weird that we can get such cravings, albeit much healthier cravings! Do we just have addictive natures I wonder???
I think with nuts,its that we still want to nibble,and nuts are so nibbly and more ish!😋 Ironically,for me, macadamia are the only nuts I can resist,but if i didnt stop myself,i wd eat brazils and almonds til they came out of my ears.
And YogFF is just so creamy isnt it,so it feels like a really comforting treat,i can just go into a trance,spooning it into my mouth! 😄
Wd be so nice if at some point you could reintroduce a handful of nuts into the mix,just for their goodness.
I agree with you,with that horrid Carb Monster now on the run,never to return,this is a WOE we can keep up for always. I had to get into my sixties before i found something that works for me! So glad that i did.
Take care,sending hugs! X

Hi Yowzer and Linda

Full fat yogurt and nuts get me too! And cream!

Hi folks, I know where you are coming from with the nuts thing, I am usually okay but dived into them a bit last night considering how calorific they are. Still it could be a lot worse, and no damage on the scales this morning, still a pound under target and holding. I direct people to this thread occasionally for the wealth of information on fasting blood sugars on the like and always wonder if Bill is okay, and just getting on with his new life. I like to think so.

Full fat Greek yoghurt does it for me, too – Brazils are my favourite. I allow myself a couple several times a week, but generally just before I go to bed, because otherwise I would eat the whole pack!

I too am 1lb under target and holding……………….

BTW Captainlynne, good to see you back, I was wondering just a few days ago where you were, and hoping everything was ok with you.

HI there MIXY! Good to hear youre still doing so well x 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Oh this is lovely! People popping by with their news. Nice one STRINGBREAKER!
THEODORA thats such a good idea,having nuts bedtime so you cant eat too many.
Well done on within a lb of goal 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Its reassuring to know that others share my yog n nuts fixation! 😄
Ive just had an ice cream cone filled with full fat Yog,topped with flaked almonds..lovely jubbly!..the only downside was..
You know how icecream melts all the way down a cone and you can bite the bottom off and suck the icecream out…doesnt work quite as well with yog,but gorgeous even so.😋 X
Ps one thing that i am bored with now is logging everything on mynetdiary…but its so useful to do it…any suggestions of another diary i could try..just something very simple..i cdnt get head round myfitpal x

Hi Yowzer

I’ve never got my head round the online diaries. I just keep an ordinary notebook for logging food intake etc. Can’t get much more simple – just not trendy😀

I made a mistake that could spell disaster yesterday. I dry-roasted a batch of Brazil nuts and then added salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne to them while they were still warm. By the time they cooled off, I had homemade roasted seasoned Brazil nuts making eyes at me from across the kitchen. I ate four of them (11 grams) and I am in no way exaggerating when I say they were the greatest nuts I’ve ever had. I had to nibble on each one slowly, languidly to draw out the pleasure. If it sounds like sex, that’s because it was.

I’ m lazy tho LYNNE… I like that it works out the carbs,fat,protein,cals for me! Otherwise a notebook wd do..i am a great one for little notebooks for To Do lists etc!
ESNECCA?.they sound like to die for..and worth it…I’m glad you savoured every nibble! X

Re reading this and sorry THEODORA i misunderstood you…you are a lb UNDER yr target,like MixNMatch.
Not a pounc away from yr goal which is how i read it initially! 🙄😀 xx

No worries, Yowzer.

I could never get my head around myfitnesspal either, so I use FatSecret which I find very simple. Give it a try and see how you get on.

Esnecca, those nuts sound delicious, so I am def not going to make them otherwise I would be totally lost. But I do always nibble my bed time brazils. It’s amazing how long one brazil nut can last if you nibble it mindfully.😜

Thanks THEODORA! funny you shd suggest FatSecret ! Coz i had just opened that app and was giggling to myself about the name while inputting tomorrows meals! 😄😄
Brazils are fabulously yummy! x

Esnecca thank you for making me laugh over you Brazil nuts! They sound Devine!

Hi stringbreaker,
I am currently on lucia 2017 thread.
I have suggested a new challenge,
Want to play?

Love lucia
Xxxx

Hi all,

I was chatting to a woman on the bus, i introduced her to the website, so a big hello to her.

Yes, i agree it isnt easy.
The first day or two my enthusiasm took over and i sailed through.
Then , when that run out, it was soooo easy for me to give up. So i broke everything down into smaller steps.
800 cals. No way!, so i tried 2000. Then 1500. Then. 1200. Then 1000. Sat there for a little while then down to 800.
If i went over 800 i didnt beat myself up. I just said my size 10 dress will not be bought on a tuesday it will be a wednesday, i have postphoned it by 24 hours.

Carbs 50 grams. No way!
So i did little steps. I did without carbs for one meal a day, then two, then all day.

Exercise , no way!
So i walked around the living room during the tv commercial breaks, then a little further etc.

I dont have the will power alone, nor the stamina. I cant do this for me, but if it is for anyone else, i am here 110%!
Crazy, i know.

Also, i didnt say 8 weeks.
I said this morning, or this afternoon, i will ease up on the eating and move a bit.

I did hit walls, all the time, everybody seems to want to feed me up even though i was the size of a house!
They were killing me with love.
So i got sneeky, sweets and chocolate i would put in my pocket, then dump them on some kid or someones desk and run!

When i said no for the umpteenth time to a sandwich / piece of cake etc.
I said, oh look! What is that out of your window.
The food peddlers were so nosey they would run to the window !
I would then leave the room and go for a tinkle.
This gave me time to regroup and come back with a different subject for conversation, new mats in loo, nice curtains in hall. Anything, ANYTHING to get off the food force situation.

I stopped going to burger king, mcdonalds, kfc, etc.
I find a tiny cafe run by oensioners who made delicious home made soup. So for a treat i would go there.

Yes, i did eat chips, but they felt stodgy further into the diet.
Crisps just tasted of a ton of salt.
Fish and chips, i could see the oil swiming in the bottom of the paper wrapper so that put me off before i started.

I got wrestless hands.
Didnt know what to do with myslef if i didnt have food in my hands.
So i took up crafts and puddle bashing!

I kept all exercise light hearted.
Bat and ball
Skittles
Hoola hoop
You know, the stuff kids 50 years a go would play with.

I even enjoyed jumping into tiny puddles in the street like a kid.

I went to the gym. That was scary. It took a lot of guts.
I kept my eyes shut a lot.
Then one day a skinny person spoke to me. They explained how to get more out of an exercise. The correct form.
They didnt judge me.
They treated me like, well a gym buddy.
That gave me confidence. And i never looked back.

So, here are my true feelings, my failings. My.. i couldnt cope with the steps in the diet so i broke it down.

Hope this helps.

Love lucia
Xxxx

Just wanted to acknowledge you, Lucia, as one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met (even though it’s just on a message board)

Not joking.

You make everything seem possible……

Thank you. Be acknowledged

Igor x

Igor – it’s really lovely to hear from you. I agree that Lucia is so inspirational but would just like to say that you are inspirational also.

Oh, thank you KrysiaD.

That made me well up. Appreciated 🙂

Igor
x

LUCIA,IGOR,KRYSIA,i have found all three of you inspirational in many ways
Other folks here too, a great gang of people ! You inspire and cheer and encourage me !XXX
Take a bow BSDers!
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Thank you Yowzer – we are all a great gang of people helping each other to succeed. I am so pleased I found this forum.

Lucia, your post was brilliant; inspiring and thought-provoking. A step at a time, a day at a time, slowly, slowly. So true and appropriate for the way so many of us live our lives. We will get there, somehow, might need to be flexible, might not stick to all the rules but with a realistic approach we will get results. Well done you!

Hi
Thank you for your kind comments.

I wanted to share how desparate i felt. How alone. How useless. How sad.

I could NOT just do the diet, just do the excercise. Goodness ,if i could i would have done it a hundred years ago in my youth.

I wanted to show how i just could not do it.
So i did it inch by inch.
Sorry, thats old fashioned.
I did it centimeter by centimeter.

I hate reading that so and so celebrity lost four ton in a week and now has a toy boy and a veranda!

I wanted to shout. Stop rubbing my nose in it. Havent i suffered enough?

So, i used to sneak on this website and read others blogs.

It took many months to even do my first blog and i wrote it to myself.

I know how difficult it is. If i could just be with you we could work as a team. Keep coming back here for inspiration, help, tenderness.

It was a hell of a path to walk.

Now i can go the gym, decorate my house, blow up the lawn mower, run for the bus, dance in the kitchen whilst washing the dishes, run and bring the washing in when it rains,
I couldnt before.

Worth it?

YES YES. YES
Every tear, every pain, every mood, every failure.

A thousand times YES.

What to join me on this side?
Come on, lets all hold hands and skip to the gate and back. We can hold each other up!
Even you with the high shoes, we wont let you fall.

Come on in, the water is fine!

Love lucia
Xxx

how wonderful to hear from you, i hope all is still going well for you

Hi gang.
Question… am i crazy?

Why do i sit and read millions of diet books then go and eat junk?

Go on websites, watch tv programes and find a tiny bit of news e.g. Fruit is good for you. Yay! So i go and buy a ton of bananas only to find. Oh no, not so good for you. So i throw the bananas in the bin and reach for chocolate.

I watch exercise programmes or the adverts on the shopping channels for this contraption or that. Then i feel knackered and think i have done the exercise when it is the people on the telly with a sweat on.

Why am i like dumbo, looking for that magic feather and not believe that it is inside of me all the time?

LOOK! I am even writing about it and the penny is not dropping.

Duh!

Yup, i am crazy and thick, and HUMAN,!

Going to look at the diet doctors website now for the miracle feather…………….

Love lucia
Xxxxx

Hi All,

2 years on. How are we all doing?

I’m about 1 stone above target but 30 lbs down on Jan 2016.

Here goes again.

Good luck and season’s greetings

John

i am still 3 stone down but need to be motivated in the new year to lose a further 2 stone. Lovely to see a message from someone who started this at roughly the same time as me.

Am going to start reading the clever guts recipe book to see where that leads

I’m still at target weight 😀

Christmas came and went and I stuck to my ketogenic diet and easily maintained my weight of 60kg. It’s now over 20 months since I reached goal and it’s just second nature now. Minimal carbs in the form of vegetables or a few nuts or a bit of yoghurt, no alcohol since July this year (just don’t feel like it now!) and absolutely no non BSD foods.
The cravings are gone and I intend to keep it that way!

Very well done LindaA,

LindaA – 20 months at goal is brilliant. It’s so good that the cravings go with this way of eating.

Hi stringbreaker, nice to hear from you again, I am currently about a stone up on target due to enjoying a relaxed Christmas maybe a little too much, but the plan is in for a recovery period in the new year. Come and join us on the 8 week reboot thread, or maybe the rolling 4 week challenge thread, another one started on boxing day, running to the end of January. Yowzer pops in occasionally, but I haven’t seen anything from Bill or captainlynne for a long time. Lucia is still posting regularly at the moment on her own inimitable thread as well.

HI Guys!
LINDA A very big congrats,that is some feat! X
Everyone else posting tonight,its good to see so much positivity and enthusiasm for a healthy 2018.
Thanks STRINGBREAKER for kicking us off!
After some feasting this last week or so, i am gonna do the 8 week BSD yet again,starting tomozz then see where i am up to after that
I tried 20g for 30 days pre xmas..tummy felt sore…
think i didnt drink enough water or have enough green veg..waist went smaller but i didn’t lose much weight..
Made no difference to my lympho- lipodaema as hoped
I might do it again ( betterversion) after my 8 week BSD …one things for sure,low carb is the life for me!
Glad to be amongst similar thinkers
Love to all,and very best wishes for a wonderful healthy happy 2018 XXX
here we go again BSders! Come on all you old friends out there,join back in,the waters lovely! And we are missing you! X wooohoooooo!