This diet is awesome! First week I lost six pounds and I finished the second week on Thursday with another 3 1/2 pounds off. I have never been this good on any diet but am so determined to get my health sorted that I am not tempted in any situation. I am hungry but all that tells me is that the diet is working.

On Monday my husband decided to join me on the diet so I hope he loses a lot too, I will keep posting on this thread for both of us. We are eating so well and having lovely tasty meals with lots of vegetable so we must be healthier all round. I weigh everything to try to keep good track of calories and write down and add up as I go along – this seems to work well. I have made two batches of meat dishes and portioned them then frozen them so we have a few standby meals ready. I have also enjoyed butternut squash and courgette spaghetti which stir fries very quickly in one cal spray fat in a non-stick frying pan.

Best tips this week are drinking zero calories fruit tea and cleaning my teeth – nothing tastes good with minty clean teeth!

I do weigh myself every other day at the moment and a pound has gone each time as the diet is so quick. We walk a 2.3 mile circuit each morning around 8.am then come home and enjoy our breakfast. It’s good to get the exercise out of the way early and although I really should do more, just at the moment I haven’t got into the habit of fitting it in.

This morning I went through my wardrobe to look for trousers that might fit and found eight pairs that fit now with two more that don’t quite so they can act as an incentive. Until this morning I was managing on just a couple of pairs so now have a whole new set of outfits at no cost.

Hope this review is of interest to someone and happy dieting to all.

Sounds like you’ve got the right motivation.

One thought, some people on here (including me!) have found going for a walk after meals can help shift the weight, especially during the inevitable “plateaus”.

Thank you for that advice, this forum is so full of helpful dieters. I know I will plateau at some point so I might save having a go at walking after meals at that point. We are retired so time is very flexible but going early morning means the day is free.

Today was the end of week 5 and another 3.5 lbs have come off. I was disappointed last week as I only lost 1.5 so today was really encouraging. I am now down a total of 16 lbs and just feeling so much better. Great to have clothes that are comfortable again and the tingling in my feet and fingers has gone. As we are both on the diet in the house it is much easier to do this and there aren’t any tempting things to eat in the cupboards. We are into a routine and are eating a lot of vegetables and repeat meals quite often as we know they are satisfying and low in calories.

I was talking to friends yesterday about what happens at the end of the 8 weeks and I know that will be the tough part. We thought we might try starting with 5:2 but with 5 days at 800 calories and 2 days of eating more freely. Of course there is the scary problem of ‘Christmas’ at the end of the 8 weeks and we only hope the will power is going to be there. It would be good to have a lifesize picture of our pre-diet selves to stand in the kitchen to frighten us away from the chocolate etc.

Side effects of the diet have been interesting – here is random list of things we have noticed. I am sleeping much better with my activity tracker telling me that I am getting around 5 hours deep sleep a night whereas before it was around 3. Not waking twice in the night needing the loo is great. I am finding kneeling and sitting on the floor with my granddaughter much easier. My skin is looking older as the fat leaves wrinkles behind! My husband has stopped snoring as much (perhaps that is why I am getting more deep sleep). He has also stopped complaining about aches and pains in his joints which is a great bonus. We are both feeling the cold more than we did in the past. Anyone found any other interesting side effects?

Well, three weeks left for me and four for my husband. It would be great to have lost a stone and a half at the end of the process so must keep going. Will report back next week. Happy diets one and all.

Great to see how well you are doing Muffin Maclay . I too have noticed the tingling in my legs has gone and my hips don’t ache half as much when walking. My skin looks so much better and after years of feeling constantly hungry and craving carbs and sugar I can turn them down. My loss is 12 lbs after 4 weeks but would like it to be a stone and a half by Christmas as this would bring me down a clothes size. Christmas is going to be a challenge but determined not to undo all the good work. May do 5:2 then start the BSD in January as still have lots to lose.
Keep up the great work !

Well done Peapod, side effects are an interesting element of this diet.

In the last few days I have been really tempted to fall off the wagon and am having to keep myself in check. Weight loss has slowed right down but I think that may be to do with a lack of exercise as things keep stopping our walking. Tonight I had a cube of cheese to try to stop myself from eating carbs of some sort. Now I am typing into here the temptations have gone so I must make myself check into this forum in the evening which is when I am tempted.

Any suggestions for what to do to keep the threat of eating wrong things would be gratefully received!

Pleased you resisted temptation. It is so hard, especially if like me you ‘picked’ at food during the day before the diet. I have been having a teaspoon of peanut butter when the hunger strikes . Reading posts on here certainly helps too.

It’s good to see that your losing weight at a similar rate to me. I’ve lost 17 lbs after 5 weeks (starting weight 12st 10lbs). I had good losses weeks 1, 2 and 5 with a plateau weeks 3 and 4. I too am feeling more hungry this week so I grab a few cashews when temptation strikes. Hoping to reach the 2 stone mark by the end of week 8.

Hi Norm…… We are certainly close in starting point and weight off. I was 12st 13.5lb when I started. Today was the end of week 6 and I only lost one pound – rather disheartening really but I have not managed to walk much this week so am blaming that. I eat a few almonds when desperate and they do help. I was aiming for 1.5 stones by the end but I am not sure I will get that far. Then of course there is the ‘Christmas’ problem! I think I will just stay logged in to this Forum for the whole holiday to try to stay on track.

Still, 17lbs in 6 weeks is still amazing and I feel great and have lots of clothes that fit now.

End of week 7 and another 1.5 lbs gone. Total loss now is 18.5 lbs. I plan to continue till 19th December when my son moves house and I will be helping him sort the place for the week leading to Christmas Day. I will try to plan to have sensible food as much as possible but will be eating when I can while being busy. There is security in the diet and it has become quite a way of life in the last 7 weeks so I hope there isn’t too much disaster when I can’t guarantee calorie intake. I really hope to make the stone and a half by next Thursday as that was my goal so a real push this week with exercise and careful eating.

This week I have turned to a few almonds for snacks when I have felt very hungry and they really do save me from myself. Anyway only 10 days to go for this stretch but I think I will come back to the diet after new year and a holiday in the alps. It is such a good way to move the weight quickly and easily.