Hi all. New starter today fresh from holiday and a beautiful bouncy, overfed, carb loaded belly 😄.
I’m starting on Monday after I’ve prepared and bought the food I need. My question is, do I really need to start with the 800 calorie BS diet? or do I combine 5.2 with BS diet?
I’m not a diabetic but need to lose over a stone plus I have a large waist and high cholesterol and totally addicted to carbs
I would be greatful of any advice ..

It’s up to you. Have you read the book …. and/or the information on this site???. There are questions and quizzes to take to help you make a reasoned decision.

Suggestion …. After you examine the site/book.

If you are unsure … START with the 5:2 …. that way you get to take the 800 calories a day for a spin and see how you tolerate it.

Thanks for taking the time to reply I’ve followed the 5.2 in the past but fell off the waggon. I’m halfway through the book and just waiting for the recipe book. I know it’s only 8 weeks but it seems so harsh. 😄 Guess the payoff is the rapid weight loss.

Hi. I’m only on week three but I have been following the 8 week plan. Generally speaking as long as you are organised then I haven’t found it a problem. I have been hungry at times, but I just drank more water. So far, I have lost 8llbs, but I would like to loose another 14. I find it easier to be strict with myself, because when I do stray, I don’t do things by halves. If I have not reach my goal within the 8 weeks, then I am going to do it all over again. I feel loads better in myself, so it has more benefits then just loosing weight. Good luck 😉

Spuddy61, it isn’t at all harsh. After about day three, it starts to seem sensible. Certainly that’s what I found at least, as I have more energy and generally feel jollier.

If I remember rightly, in the book Dr. MM suggests trying the BSD 800 cal diet for two weeks and then reviewing your results and how you feel. Then he suggests another review a couple of weeks later. Maybe, you could just set yourself a two-week target and see how you go. There’s one thread on here that covers seven-day reboots, so only a week.

If you’re looking for rapid results, the eight-week 800 calories seems to work for most people. I am losing more slowly than others, but even I’m managing over a kilo a week, and that’s more than I’ve achieved on other diets. Plus, I feel great.

The other thing some people do is a kind of lead-in to the 800 cal diet by starting off with a few weeks of 5:2. If you try that, you might find that 5:2 is enough to achieve your goals.

Whatever you choose, there’s plenty of friendly support on this forum.

Ah thanks everyone. I don’t think I’ll weigh and measure myself until after the weekend.. I just wondered if results are better if you are pre-diabetic/diabetic or it doesn’t make a difference. All I know is if I cut down on carbs, I feel so much better. My downfall has always been bread…especially tiger bread.. oh and cider so a definite no no..

I’m not diabetic or prediabetic, but I’ve got a spare tyre (truck size!) that I’d like to get rid of because I have a hiatus hernia and the extra fat round my middle does me no good whatsoever.

SPUDDY lots of advice here to help you decide,so all i want to add is that before I began,it seemed a terribly harsh regime to me. I wd never have started except my friend had done it and had wonderful results.
I was very apprehensive and felt quite down about beginning it,but begin it i did, and was amazed and pleased to find that after a day or two,i didnt miss bread or any other simple carbs at all…and i was really enjoying eating more nutritious foods,specially the full fat foods. I am now on week 14 so have gone far beyond the 8 weeks that once seemed un doable and impossible. Last weigh in I had lost 40 lb and i expect to hit at least 42 lb next weigh in which is due now..so that will be 3 stone off and several inches from waist,some off hips and a much much flatter tum! Give it a go,ease in gently if you want to..people do it all different ways..different strokes for different folks! X good luck whatever you decide!

Wow that’s fantastic. Well I will be going for it on Monday. I love cooking so hopefully can cook lots to freeze. Thanks for advice..