Hi Sunnyb, if you really feel the need for scales, then if possible take your own with you! I know this sound extreme, but buying new ones over there may give a false reading either too high or too low compared with your own! I know I loved stepping on my mothers scales as I appeared to be 3-4lbs lighter than my ones 🙁
The real test is how your clothes feel on you, if they are still fine, then you are fine.
If you already know how you will manage with the heat increase (I retain fluids at least 2-3kg until my body acclimatises), then factor that into your clothes measurements and weight so you don’t panic. I remember coming back from a holiday in Sri Lanka, a still skinny me, many years ago and finding that my stomach was extended by inches and I was 8 lbs up – it was all fluid retention from the flight. When I asked the doctor for tablets for the water retention he refused saying my body was doing exactly what it was designed to do and preserving my fluid levels in extreme conditions. It fixed itself in a week.
Like you I am wondering how I will cope travelling and on holiday at the end of April. I am driving from Hertfordshire via my family in Scotland for a few days then onto Orkney for an 8 day stay and driving back. The holiday in Orkney is full board, and I will just have to manage by not eating the carbs and being sensible.
The driving up and down is going to be the killer – motorway service stations are not exactly well known for their healthy fare! Last time I went up I started buying espresso’s for my caffeine fix instead skinny late’s to cut calories. I was eating packets of mints like there was no tomorrow and crisps as well Now I can have full fat late’s now that will hopefully keep me fuller and alert – and hope their are salads in the shops. What I really want is a plate of soup! I will take a flask with soup for the way up, and the idea of a supply of hardboiled eggs as someone else suggested is a great one. Any other tips/suggestions would be welcome.

Well, ok, sunnyb, yes you can buy them if you really really really need to. But, bear in mind, they may give you a different reading to your ones at home. You’d have to give them at least two pounds grace up or down. Thats the ww leader in me coming out!

Its going to take me two or three days to get back into fat burning I think, but next Saturday I am going to a work reunion and Monday is my birthday. I would like to be officially under 10 stone by then but as no one else will care but me, we’ll see how it goes!

Jpscloud, wonderful weight loss. You’ll have a good 2nd week:)

Thanks Hashimoto 🙂

Excellent news jpscloud! Well done!

Hi hashimoto – like the sound of that, I’ll definitely take those with me. Think I will get the stix now and see if I am comfortable with them, before deciding on the scales.

jpscloud – Well done on your weight lose, that’s a brilliant result – especially if you managed that with a lapse or two. I hope you will stay focused and have excellent results again next week. Look forward to hearing how you do.

Hi orchid – yes I was thinking of taking ours with me, as we’re driving and so baggage weight is not an issue. I am going to make and take some sesame crackers with me as snacks – got the recipe from the diet doctor website. They are savoury and a little bit cheesy and quite satisfying. Also going to take some seeds and nuts for nibbles and try to find salads and such en route.

janet1973 – Hope you manage to get under the 10st mark before your events – I have just managed to duck below that line myself, but am still short of losing a whole stone. Thank you for the input of the scales – you’re definitely wearing me down! Will see how I go between now and a week Thursday and take a decision then.

Thank you everyone for your encouragement and input – all very much appreciated. Good luck to all for a good week and positive results at next weigh-in, will look forward to hearing how everyone does.

Thanks Janet and Sunny 🙂

Well done, jpscloud.

End of week 7 weigh in gives me a half a pound loss fhis week – 16 lb loss so far with two inches off navel and waist measurements. That was after a more relaxed couple of days yesterday and Saturday, and a meal out on Wednesday night! Those inches were gone really early on, and haven’t changed since, but I think that with so much to lose, the weight has to come off from all over, so my body is bound to share the loss around a bit!

My OH has lost 8 lbs and an inch and a half from his navel measurement. He has been less strict generally, but he has much like less to lose and, until we ran out of test strips, his blood sugars were looking good, so we are happy enough at the moment.

Hello, checking in for end of week 1 weigh in! I’ve just been reading posts from people who are half way through the plan and beyond. It’s so encouraging and makes me want to still be here at the end of week 8 declaring a miracle! Anyhoo, down to business; I lost 6lb this week. Despite a glass of red, a glass of white and a modest slice of (my) birthday cake on Sunday :-). Maybe those treats will catch up with me this week, but I’m chuffed to bits with that result. TBH, I felt a bit queasy after the cake so took it as a clear message to stay away. Hardly felt hungry after the first two days so I know it’s possible. See you soon xx

Thanks Patsy – well done Misssay and Mr Misssay as well!

Thanks jpscloud. ‘Mr Misssay’ -now there’ s a name which made me chuckle!

Hey Everyone!
Glad to see everyone’s doing so well still. I hit the start of week 7 tomorrow & am still really pleased with the results of this diet. I’m 17lbs down so far & 3 inches from my waist and hips – so really pleased. I wasn’t pre diabetic – but have tested my blood sugars recently and they are down to 4.8 from between 5.5-6, so again couldn’t be happier.
These forums have been fantastic! Such a great way to keep motivated and get inspiration – well done everyone, really fab to see so much support out there & so much weight loss!
My biggest vice on this diet has been alcohol – I still love a few drinks on a weekend with friends and recently did some research on how our bodies process alcohol. Really interesting to know that as soon as alcohol is ingested your body uses this as it’s primary fuel source. All other food is then stored as fat until all the alcohol calories have been used up. I read on a number of pages that 1g of alcohol equates to 7 calories – pretty hefty amounts! So advice was to eat low fat and low carb on the occasional day you are going to drink alcohol – this will mean that less fat is stored when you do treat yourself. It certainly has made me stop and think about the levels of alcohol consumed & why it makes people put on weight. I definitely will limit the alcohol more because of this – but it’s also great to know the processes your body is going through so that steps can be taken to help your body maintain it’s weight loss. Not sure if this was of interest to anyone – but thought it was worth a share 🙂
Have a great week all! xx

Hi all,
it’s so encouraging to read about everyone’s weight loss. I’ve just signed the government petition as I think we must spread the word about this way of eating. I’m just finishing week seven and have lost 24 pounds. My husband is at end of week 6 has lost 26 pounds, his hba1c is down to 42 cholesterol 3, all medication greatly reduced, he’s having repeat bloods in two weeks but is thrilled. Waist measurements down by 4 and 6.5 inches too. We are going to continue beyond 8 weeks. Good luck . Much joy

Finished my 8 weeks and have lost 19lb and am back to ‘healthy’ BMI .. Hooray!. I have had a couple of ‘dos’ to go to though ‘ so admit to some wine being drunk in the last couple of weekends, otherwise I have been stuck to very low carb..

I do still want to lose another 10lbs though, to get to my ‘happy’ weight of 10st , so am going to continue on 800 untl i get there , then ill start on BSD Medi 5:2.. (no more events for another three weeks so hopefully Ill be able to do it in that time )

Hi All, late signing in today, weighed in this morning and after 2 weeks I’ve lost 8.2lbs. I did have a couple of Hot Cross buns, but then wished I didn’t as they gave me indigestion. When will I learn this is one of the reasons that I am doing this diet is because I can’t eat bread. Haven’t lost any inches off my waist/buttonhole measurement, but as someone said in their Thread, have a lot to lose so there are plenty of places for the weight to be lost.

I find it so encouraging reading all the posts and the replies of encouragement and hints and tips of how to go about doing this way of dieting. I do wish I had found this web site a while ago..

I have found it easy to stick to, and also I don’t seem to be craving any of the sweet stuff, which is so good. I can actually go to my local garage and fill the car with fuel and not come out with any chocolate bars.

I have 3 goals this year. Lose more weight before 20th April, as I’m taking hubby to London for his 60th birthday, we have a wedding on 25th June and the final goal is to visit my daughter in Australia in December.

Hope everyone has a good week, and here’s to week 3.

Hi Lolo, very interesting reading and some good tips if one must drink alcohol. I liked to have a couple of glasses of wine every so often, but have learned to mostly not to indulge. When I do, I really pay for it with my body protesting vehemently! I now get a worse hangover feeling from only one glass than what I used to get for quite a few more :-(. So, I tell myself, why would you deliberately bring about this horrible ill and achy feeling? .. and so far it has worked and I didnt even feel like drinking any alcohol. If I do have alcohol in a social situation, I have a white, mixed with plenty of soda water…. Tastes OK, makes me feel like I am not missing out on anything, doesnt make me feel sick, is cheaper because my drink lasts longer and best of all, it only has a fraction of the carbs and cals a full strengths wine would have. I also have done a bit of reading on a few health and diet related issues. I was interested how fat cells work and was surprised to find that apparently, our bodies stop producing them at adolescense. When we get older and fatter, they just expand, and they can do so to quite a large size. When we loose weight, they shrink again waiting for us to give them new excess fat to store. Apparently, they dont die and just sit there. Other sources claim that when they reach a certain enlarged size, they are able to devide…. That is a horrible thought…. :-(… For me, the take on all of this is, that these nasty little cells sit there and wait for me to eat bad foods again, so that they can grow again, and they are supposed to be able to do this very quickly, to make me fat and overweight again. I dont want to let them, so knowing their game, I can now be on guard not giving in to their commands. My view might be a bit simplistic, but it helps me imagine what my body does and also keeps me focused on doing the right thing for my body. We only have one after all, it serves us well and it really deserves to be looked after. Wishing everyone continued success ….. and here is to a rapid decline of our fat stores!!!!

Hi everyone, I made it through Easter unscathed and that for me is unbelievable. I won’t say I wasn’t tempted at all but the cravings were tiny in comparison to previously and easily managed by remembering how far I’ve already come 🙂

So my second week loss is 2lb, 1st week 8lb. A slow-down but not unexpected from all the experience here.

I feel lighter and happier 🙂

Keep going everyone!

Caught a nasty sinus infection and had to go to the doc today. while I was there, I ask her to order all the blood tests suggested by MM. Have to wait until I am better and rhen have this done. Have not mentioned the diet, she seemed preoccupied … but will tell her when the tests have to be repeated at a later stage. There are a few chronic med conditions on the female sight of my family, so even if the results are OK, it doesnt hurt to keep an eye on things. Because I feel so lousy , today turned into a fasting day eithout intention. … just a handful of nuts and peppermint tea. The doc gave me some antibiotics to take…. I am worried that, they will kill off any of the good work I have done…. Any thoughts or afvice on this, anyone? Have not started to take them yet…. Cant take them on an empty stomach and will have to wait until dinner is ready….

On Week 7 now, was going to have a ‘fat’ weekend after week 8 and go out for a meal to treat myself but we went out over the weekend and I didn’t take a packed lunch. Ended up with a carb heavy breakfast and lunch, finished off with an Easter Egg. Then last night I was unprepared and ended up with a dominos pizza.

Feeling bloated, have indigestion and feel like I have let myself down. Lacking the motivation to get started again but I have prepared my meals for today so no excuses. Whenever I over eat I seem to get into almost a depression – I just give up on everything, no motivation at work…etc.

Going to get back on the horse, I am planning on another 8 weeks anyway as we are getting married soon.
I have lost 2 stone 3 lbs so far but not weighing myself any time soon as it will demotivate me even more 🙁

Hi Lesley91,
Dont disspair…. you will make it. Most people seem to have a setback at some time, but you have the right attitude … Yes, get back on the horse, and dont cry about yesterday! Dont forget, that your weightloss up to now is fantastic and if you hadnt stuck to your guns up to now, you would not have got that great result! You know that you can do it, you have already proven it. I know how you feel, I have been at that point many times before, not on this diet, but just about all my life, before this. I let it beat me so many times, and I made silly excuses to myself, why it is OK, to stuff my face again! …Really being able to say no, takes time, but once you have done it a few times, you will be all the stronger for it! . just contuinue the great work you already have done…. Let me know how your next weigh-in goes. Dont be scared of it, just take whatever the scale says, as a new beginning, you will be up and running in no time. Chin up… We are all behind you!!!! 🙂

Hi Inka,
Thank you so much for your encouraging words, every other diet I have tried I always just think ‘ oh, I will start again tomorrow’, this is the first time I have stopped and told myself TODAY! And you are right, you can find so many excuses to eat rubbish – when the best reasons are the ones to eat healthy and get fit.

My weigh in day is Friday so I will definitely post it and embrace it!
(Also, pizza isn’t as good as I remember aha)

Thank You! xxxx

Morning All,

Its week 5 for me & after a call to the doctors this morning I have a very big smile on my face!
Had a Hba1c test last Monday & got the results this morning. In Nov 2015 it was 54mmol & the result today was 44 mmol 😝. Best encourangement ever.
Weight is down from 151lbs to 140lbs…
So have decided to reduce my metformin from 1000mg twice a day to 500mg twice a day.
Had a few slip ups but got back on that horse!!!!

Just need to increase the walking😬

OK people
The Easter hurdle is gone and in the past now, there were quite a few of us who had little slip ups.
That is in the past now, feeling guilty about it won’t undo it, so, like Lesley91 says, lets all jump back on the horse, we have a clear straight run in now to Xmas in the choccy stakes, by which time, I guarantee that most of you reading this today will not even like the taste of the stuff.

Fantastic blood results, Sabrina, no wonder you have a big grin on your face! 🙂

Inka, If your doctor has given you antibiotics I would take them, you don’t want that sinus infection to get even worse and derail you for a couple of weeks – and end up on a much longer course of stronger antibiotics! Doctors don’t give antibiotics out like candy so she obviously thought you needed them – even if she appeared distracted.

Once you have finished the course you can eat the foods which will promote healthy gut bacteria. Health food shops sell capsules of live probiotics which you keep in the fridge, they’re expensive but if you feel the need it is an option.

Hope you feel better soon, sinus infections are miserable 🙂

Quick question – weighed myself this morning, to find myself lighter than I was before the blip over the w/e and 1.2lb down on my weight yesterday. My question is, would my apparent weight gain from the w/e be due to poor hydration? Thinking about it, I probably wasn’t even up to 2L per day over Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I was back on track Sunday and Monday, which makes me wonder if the lack of proper hydration had caused retention and a change in the scale’s reading.

Sabrina77 – great blood results! You must be really chuffed to have made such headway.

Thanks guys, the slow weight loss in the last couple of weeks was a little discouraging but the blood results have put a spring back into my step!!!

Hi Lolo
That alcohol stuff is really interesting. I don’t drink but know plenty who do.
I saw something on TV – might have been Dr Mosely- setting light to one teaspoon of alcohol- enormous flame that lasted quite a while- they said ‘that’s how much energy it contains.’ Alarming!
Great you researched that.
Penny

Hi Inka
Love your imagery!
But the poor things are only making sure you don’t starve in a famine…😊
Penny

Hi Inka
I feel for you – sinus infection is nasty.
I don’t see why the antibiotics will be a problem.
Hope you feel better soon.
Penny

Hi Sunnyb
Yes I think poor hydration could have done it. And water is heavy, so if you retain it ….
Penny

Thanks Penny, I’m guessing that it was probably at least part of the problem. Feel like I’m on track to hit my goal of a stone lost well before 8th April now. This Friday might throw up a small problem, as it is my husband’s birthday, but I will be sure to save plenty of cals and carbs during the day and keep the fluids up!

Hi pmshrink, Penny and Hashimoto,
thanks for your well wishes and advice.
I have started to take the meds and some painkillers as well. My teeth/ jaw is killing me. The funny part about this blasted infection is, that the “rest” of my body feels fine, just my stupid head is all clogged up! Hopefully things will begin to improve soon.
Diet-wise, I am going OK. Due to a lack of appetite caused by my illness, but the need to eat something to be able to tolerate the meds, I had a handful of almonds and an apple for breakfast. It was just an ordinary Fuji apple, my favourite type :-), which previously did not taste thaaaat sweet to me, but this morning tasted extremely sweet, so sweet in fact, that I had to force myself to finish it. It was also really filling and I didn’t feel like eating anything until about 5 hours later – had poached eggs with cooked garden fresh homegrown tomatoes 🙂 and onion, with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese – oh, soooo yummy :-).
Not sure what the scale will say on my 5 week weigh-in this coming Monday (can’t believe its been nearly 5 weeks already) but I have noticed that my jeans I wore when I went to see my doctor yesterday, were much looser fitting! I am tempted to weigh myself before this though. MM stated in his book that he weighs himself twice a week. I know about weight fluctuations which could occur daily, but was wondering if it really has merit to do so….. What is everyone else doing? Do you think its worth looking at the scales more than once a week? Looking forward to hearing from you…. :-)…

Hi Inka
I recommend steaming your head twice a day and not eating cheese!
Re weighing. I weigh every day. Which michael also recommends somewhere. He says it helps. I used to hate waiting a whole week then being disappointed (WW) so I d rather know sooner and adjust things. I haven’t found daily fluctuations to be a problem.
Penny

Oops thought this was a new recipe

I’ll get my coat

Hi, I weigh every day too, same reason as Penny 🙂

Morning all, sounds like Easter was mixed! I didn’t have any Easter eggs or chocolate at all although I admit it helps that there are no children in the house as I don’t think I would be trusted with theirs!

Weigh in today tells me I have lost 13lbs in two weeks which I am thrilled with. I have relaxed a bit this week in terms of calories but have stayed as low carb as I can possibly do (just veg and beans, no bread, rice, pasta, cereal).

Keep up the good work everyone😀

Ok everyone, I will heed your advice and start to weigh myself more frequently…. sounds pretty logical.. Being able to see if you have to make some changes to your food intake. Recording everthing and knowing what foods might be the culprit when things dont turn out once in a while, will certainly helps with this enormously. I kind of know when I pigged out, without looking at my food diary. It is also very interesting to see the nutritional breakdown for the day. Sometimes I think I did well and when everything gets added up at the end of day, I get a surprise when I exceed my daily goals for fat, carbs and ultimately the cal count :-(! .Thanks all, for your prompt responses, as usual :-)….

Hi Inka
I weigh everyday and have found it a real encouragement to keep going – either because the scales are down which is a boost, or the same or up and then I dig in and redouble my determination. I have a spreadsheet on which I record everything as I go through the day, so I can see after every item recorded, what cals and carbs I have consumed and so know what I have left to keep e in or around the 800cals/20g carbs. A bit control-freaky, but it’s worked for me.

Hi Inka

I’m another daily weigher – for the same reasons as everyone else.

I record my weight, fasting blood reading and everything I eat in a little notebook (rapidly coming to the end of 2nd notebook since starting this!) so I can take it with me when I’m away from home. And take it to my medical appointments. It’s what works for me and helps keep me on track.

Hi Inka, I mentioned I weigh every day but I also keep an excel spreadsheet of my data to take to medical appointments with me. It really helps. Medical staff like properly kept records – they’re scientists after all! 🙂

TWills63, amazing result! You must be so pleased and you are at the point where the diet becomes so much easier! 🙂

OK, I did it this morning! I weight and measured myself – and also created a spreadsheet like many of you suggested. So, the result of my weigh-in was -0.7 kg and 1 inch of my wait…. not sure if this is correct though… I cant remember how “loose” or “tight” I draped the tape measure across my belly button :-). So made a note, to help me remember this for next time. I am at W4D4 and so far in total have lost 6.5kg, or, according to my weight converter, 14.33lbs. I grew up with kg’s so I am not so good unterstanding imperial measures. … but I hope this is right.
A BMI calculator says that I am obese (class 1), whatever that means. The value is 33 :-(… It also suggests that my ideal wright is between 50kg and 67kg. This sounds a bit unrealistic … I was never ever in my whole live 50kg, even when I was much much younger and pre-children! It makes me doubt this suggestion as I feel that I would look like a “scarecrow”, if I was that light. In the good old days, I always hovered around 63-65kg, but I was so much younger then. Can older bodies still look good and healthy when reverting back to a “young weight range?” Maybe I should aim for that…. it’s a bit depressing to see that I have to loose so much more weight than I thought …. Instead of 20 something, I now should loose a further 5kg or so? There is no way, I can achieve this in the next 4 weeks, when my 8 weeks are over. Can I continue the BSD this until I reach my goal? Are all BMI calculators created equal? Which ones are better, the ones which also consider your age? Is there a good reliable app? I use FitnessPal for everything, but it doesn’t seem to have this. …. which one are you using, or are you using a formula to calculate it yourselves… and then there is the reference list which is supposed to help you find your ideal recommended weight range. They also seem to vary a bit…. What do you do/use to determine your weight/BMI stats correctly?

… Thanks so much to all who responded again…. your views and advice are truly appreciated … So glad that I have found this site and all of you :-))))!

The NHS website has a BMI calculator (or it used to) I need to look at mine – I was classed as morbidly obese – and was always in denial about it!

I am continuing the diet for another 8 weeks as that will take me up to my hen do and then the wedding! At the moment my dress doesn’t do up – that was 6 weeks ago so hoping when I try it in 2 weeks the zip goes at least half way!!

I measured my waist..etc but same as you forgot the exact poisitioning of the tape measure, I can tell you for sure I have lost 2″ from my neck and thighs. * I do weigh myself almost everyday *

These forums have kept me going, thank you to everyone! Xx

Inka older people, slim body? Think Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma! I’d have her body any day!!!

You have already lost a lot of weight! Captainlynne has already done 14 weeks (42lbs gone) and quite a few of us are still following the diet now we are over the 8 weeks. Use the nhs bmi calculator and put in your old weight first – you will see how much you have achieved already. Then put in your new weight. I use it every time I lose a bit of weight, it’s very encouraging.

Remember NHS bmi calculator!!!! 🙂

Lesley and inka – tape measure – don’t suck in, breathe normally then measure:)

Lesley keep going and that dress willl fit 🙂

So you made me wonder.. Just checked out my BMI and it was 34.3 and obese when I started.
Now it is 29.4 and overweight.

Woop woop 🙂

Way to go Lesley91
you’re getting great results and that dress is just going to slip on. Well done

Morning all from a sunny Ireland (any other Irish here?) I’m on W2D2 of my second 4 weeks (quick recap,started at 12.2.6- did 4 weeks lost 9.8lb, had a week off regained 3.2lb) I’m now 11.5.2, started my second 4 weeks at 11.10. Delighted with myself, had a whoosh of 2.4lb from yesterday’s weight.
I’m finding it easy to resist temptation, I’ll think I want chocolate or crisps, then I’ll pause for a few minutes & just say no! I think I’m strengthening my resolve and hope that the temptations start to decrease. Easter eggs galore here but I’ve hidden them out of sight. I’m religiously doing my 10,000 steps a day – half of its just the usual walking here/there but I get a 30-45 min walk in every evening if I haven’t hit the 10k mark. Well done everyone, feels like we’re part of a growing (but shrinking 😉) movement. Hell, there’ll be some fine slinky people walking about this spring/summer😁