JulesP, well done on fessing up. 😊. Many of us totally identify with you. Time to get back into the swing of things, now though, my lovely. Think of Spring, just around the corner and feeling fabulous! KOKO!

Kazzee xx

Welcome Shanshu, you’ll find lots of support here.

Milalin, all the best for your upcoming surgery, we’re all thinking of you and sending big hugs x

Alliecat, i am so impressed with your weight loss and managing to maintain it. I have a question for you, if, after 8 weeks I have still not got to where I want to be, do I go onto the 5:2 diet for a while then go back to doing 800 again? I’m probably being thick but couldn’t see anything in the book about this, only about maintaining.

Thanks a lot Shanshu x

I’ve just been reading all the posts from the last four weeks – everyone is so supportive, it’s lovely.

Good luck for the last two days and especially good luck and best wishes to Milalin for your surgery.

I’m looking forward to talking to all of you more in the coming weeks.

Hi I lost three stone in about 3 or 4 months. Hardly any exercise except walking in that period, though plenty before and after. Kept strictly to 800 for 5 weeks, really low carb (sub 20) for longer. Currently size 8 BMI 23.

Had insulin resistance, now ok, easiest diet I ever followed xx

Hi, Lauryloo, and congratulations on your upcoming wedding. How exciting! I’m no expert on quoting from
MMosley’s book, but I do highly recommend this WOE for weight loss. You will probably get as many answers
to your question as there are maintainers here. I don’t think that my rate of loss was particularly dramatic or slow.
I’m 5’7″, and I lost a steady stone per month over a period of 10 months. When I began, I was too disabled for
exercise, so it played no role in my losses. For me, keeping carbs <20 per day is what I credit for having the
most impact on my results. Second after that was avoiding alcohol for those 10 months. For my individual
body, as few as 2 glasses of wine per week guaranteed a stall on the scales for an entire week! Others may
not see the same result. I hope this helps 🙂

Allie

Aha!

I’m not terribly good on the measuring, weighing and calculating front, but I can see I’ll need to find out how much I can eat and drink without gaining weight. Probably it’s about what I’ve been having these last three weeks, with just a few extras (such as wine) now and then.

It means Total Daily Energy Expenditure, Squidge. There is a calculator for this, on Mosley’s 5:2 site I believe. If
I don’t have the correct location, I’m sure someone else will be along to direct you to the site!

Aww 🙂 thank you for the reply and advice! I’m looking forward to seeing how much I can lose!! X

I started 1st Jan and have lost nine pounds so far. I’m not diabetic and am doing it for weight loss and general health reasons.

Exercise is definitely a good idea. The book reccomends it to help with the diet. It will also help tone you up, so you’ll look really great in that dress. (Stick to the healthy eating exercise and you’ll look just as great in it on your silver anniversary!).

That’s excellent, sunshine-girl! It’s obvious that you’re really focused, which must feel wonderful 🙂 You are one
of my “go to” ladies when I want to increase my knowledge of how to manage T2D. It’s a miracle that I was
neither pre diabetic or diabetic, but have to put it down to genetics alone (no history on either side of my family).
There has been some recent conversation on the threads about whether this diet is intended for control of blood
sugar vs. weight loss. As someone who was previously morbidly obese, I’m sure that I would have eventually been
pre diabetic, so it all seems like a moot point to me. The BSD is the way to success, either way 🙂 🙂 🙂 I really admire
all of you ladies that have, or have reversed T2D. It’s quite an achievement!

What’s TDEE?

Yes, I think dry January has helped. It means less calories in of course, but also it would probably be harder not to snack after a glass of wine.

We weren’t big drinkers compared with some people we know, but had become slightly concerned we could be heading that way. It was just habit really and we need better habits! In the past we’ve made half hearted attempts to cut down on the drinking (and to lose weight) and it didn’t work. We’re going to set a limit on how much we drink in the future (and it’ll be within the government’s guidelines). We’ve decided on a monthly ration, so if we unexpectedly go out with friends or have a celebration etc we can fit that in without cheating.

I think I need firm rules. If told I could have a small slice of cake a week while maintaining my weight, I’d have a small slice. If told I could have ‘some’ cake, I’d eat an entire Black Forest gateau, nine doughnuts, a pack of muffins and a Victoria sponge.

Hi, I’ve done the bsd before to much success however I’ve always put it back on again!! But now it’s nearly my wedding and with my dress fitting in 9 weeks I’m gonnA try the fast 800. I know you shouldn’t really do this for weight loss but having heard the weight loss claims, I have to try it as I’m desperate to lose it for my wedding! Besides given the rubbish I eat it will probably do my body a World of good at the same time!
Can I have any stories of success? How much you’ve lost and in how long? I know everyone’s different and different heights etc but I just want some motivation. If you’re about 5 ft 10 and female like me I would be especially interested in your weight loss!! I’m starting at 13 stone 4!!
Would also like to ask if exercise is recommended on this version or not?

Thanks

Laura

Thank you Squidge, but you have an entire army of maintainers here, and we’re more than happy to share those
strategies with you when you’ve reached a weight your happy with 🙂 Pre BSD, I had lost a substantial amount
of weight on 2 previous occasions, but never managed to keep it off. By the time I found the BSD, I realized that
maintenance was going to be the bigger challenge of the two! I thought that I had truly “wrecked” my metabolism,
and never would be able to eat anywhere close to my TDEE. It was a revelation to me to discover that I was completely
wrong in that assumption, and as long as I keep my diet low carb, I now HAVE TO eat that much to keep from losing
more weight.
I think I recall that both you and your o/h were planning on a dry January. Do you think that has made a difference?

Allie

I made a batch of this yesterday https://elanaspantry.com/cinnamon-pecan-brittle/

I used to make it before and it’s easy to make and yummy to eat – therefore portioning it up is everything lol. I used 200g of pecans and this batch will last all week. I’m not being religious about counting though as long as I see my scales move regularly in the right direction.

going to try a recipe from the diet doctor site later for almond flour breadsticks. I’ll report back later if those go well.

You’re a total inspiration, Alliecat.

The weight loss is truly impressive, but for me your biggest success is in keeping it off. For now I’m trying not to worry too much about the maintenance aspect, but once I’m there I’ll definitely be seeking your advice.

Hi all, I haven’t posted for a week as I’ve totally gone to pot again, when I fall off the wagon I’m often too ashamed to go near the forums. Esnecca, I’ve tickled that poor dragon’s tail until it has screamed for mercy! Mydaughter went back to uni a week ago so comfort eating seems to have set in, an absolute carb fest, too much to mention. Every morning I tell myself this is the day I get back on it and usually have a decent lunch then go mad for rubbish food the rest of the day. So, obviously no longer in the 9’s. Hopefully posting and coming clean in here will help me back onto track. I’m now going to treat myself to a week’s worth of catch up on your posts, lovely silver lining. Hope you’ve all been doing well. Jx

Hi all, I haven’t posted for a week as I’ve totally gone to pot again, when I fall off the wagon I’m often too ashamed to go near the forums. My daughter went back to uni a week ago so comfort eating seems to have set in, an absolute carb fest, too much to mention. Every morning I tell myself this is the day I get back on it and usually have a decent lunch then go mad for rubbish food the rest of the day. So, obviously no longer in the 9’s. Hopefully posting and coming clean in here will help me back onto track. I’m now going to treat myself to a week’s worth of catch up on your posts, lovely silver lining. Hope you’ve all been doing well. Jx

Squidge, Jules and Sandy13, Congratulations! You’re all still standing, and making good use of the forums to
stay on track. 🙂

Diabetty:
I can really relate to weigh-in phobia! I didn’t find the courage to do that until 2 months in. I expect that
you will soon want to know how one week’s losses compare to the next though, and just go for it. I hadn’t weighed
myself for a good decade and a half before that, and I finally had to ask my doctor where I had started. Our
capacity for denial can be quite shocking. I began my magnificent journey on June 8, 2016 at 285lbs. Ten
months later I was down 140lbs, 10 stone! I’ve maintained that loss for 9 months, and have added to it. Today
I am 138lbs, and exactly at the midpoint in the healthy BMI range for my height (5’7″) .

Keep going ladies…the scales will one day be your best friend! Same goes for this WOL (way of life).

Very best wishes to all of you!

Allie

Big Ron, I’m doing OK thanks. My weight is coming down, but not as quickly as many others here. I suspect I’m eating a little too much when I estimate quantities.

The advantage of the shakes is that it should be much easier to know exactly what you’re consuming. I couldn’t stick to them though – I want real food. Still, we’re all different and this approach could well be best for you.

This morning’s weigh-in was a decent 73.6kg. That’s 3.3kg, or half a stone, in eight days. Surely it can’t all be water…

Hi Squidge, i agree with you about Jules tattoo, I think it will look very fetching!

I was worried I won’t have a big loss this week but you’ve made me see the sense in just carrying on even if it isn’t lbs. I am quite happy looking up recipes & trying them out and don’t crave carbs, although I did used to eat a lot of wholemeal bread (& butter of course). But it becomes a way of eating that, hopefully, we can continue for life.

Excellent!

The doctor did note it down, I covered my eyes! So adult 😊

Jules, if you get that tattoo, we’re going to insist the forum allows us to share photos, so we can see it!

Diabetty, could you ask your doctor or someone else to check your weight on the scales, but not tell you? I bet once you’ve lost weight, you’ll want to know how much you were near the start of this ‘adventure’.

I’ve lost a lb! That’s my entire loss for this week, but I’m fine with that. I’m losing weight, feel fine and making changes for the rest of my life, rather than taking part in a short term race.

I’m too scared to weigh myself at all. Haven’t for years! I don’t think I’m huge – always described myself as a ‘big girl’ was size 18 bottom 20 top but no weighing!! Too much of a reality check. I am though seeing and feeling a difference in the fit of my clothes so may yet pluck up the courage 🤔

Hi Diabetty, I’m just coming to the end of my second week and I am sleeping so soundly that I didn’t know when my husband got up this morning. He even went for a shower, which is next to our bedroom, & I only woke up when he came in with a cup of tea, then it was a struggle to open my eyes! We must be doing something right but I’m nervous about weighing myself tomorrow morning!

Thanks Squidge and other people for your kind words…I’m sleeping better without needing to wee. Amazing. Will try the magnesium tablet suggested. I cheated last night by having a Chinese but only succumbed to a few salt and pepper chips plus a half share of chow mein. My 1st carbs in about 3 weeks. I do find it hard when I’m cold tired and hungry to love non carb food. It will come. Plus you have to be super organised. I’m loving reading everyone’s posts. So helpful and encouraging. Feeling better 😊

Hi there, Judy! I haven’t seen a new post from you in awhile….How are you managing? Just thought I’d check on
you before you head to Palm Springs 🙂 You must be a golfer!

Have a wonderful trip!

Allie

Hi Esnecca could I ask your advice please

I have a slow cooker oven in my range, that goes to 80 to 90f. Is that too low for dehydrating? Currently it’s only use is warming plates as I have plug in slow cooker I’ve used for years.

You are just so right about logging all you eat. I was thinking of low carb bacon and eggs and recoiled in horror at the calorie count. This is so much harder than low carb without calorie counting, but so worth it.

Cover all your bases at once by using a food tracker like MyFitnessPal or Fat Secret. You can easily log every morsel you eat by looking up the nutritional stats in their built-in databases and selecting the applicable amount of it you used. The apps will then tally up calories, carbs, fat, protein, fiber, sugar, etc. It’s much easier to plan menus using these tools, and if you’re diligent about entering your food before you eat it, you won’t be stuck with nasty surprises like discovering how many vegetables are high in sugar after you’ve eaten a pound of them. It also makes it possible for you to tweak your intake should you find that you are not losing at the rate or quantity you hoped for. People who do it randomly based on nebulous ideas of how much they’re eating and what foods are “freebies” often go far in excess of judicious calorie and carb counts. Measure, weigh, count, log.

Is it me, or does diet doctor not give calorie values? If that’s the case I think I might wait for maintenance to use some of their recipes.

There’s a website called Nutritiondata self and you can find detailed nutritional values for most foods there. Unfortunately you have to approach most things from the angle of looking up foods you fancy and then compiling your own list, rather than consulting a list. I have built up a list of my favourite low carb food on the website, which helps. I usually settle for old familiars, but you can build up the nutritional values of any recipe. I agree with sunshine girl’s basics, and I’m off to investigate diet doctor

Good luck!

Can’t wait to reach maintenance. For the moment I am sticking to the low calorie method. If only salads were as appealing as chips, and sometimes I find myself with a piece of bread in my hand. Strangely enough, I find it easier to resist sweet things than savoury.

I appreciate the info and thanks for good wishes, “You snooze you gain” and “Esnecca”

I’m taking courage from Theodora’s example. Successfully maintaining and enjoying a couple of glasses of wine on weekends!

Such good news about your horse Articfox. Not so much the fall. It sounds like you two have a very strong bond. And as for needing new, smaller riding breeches – WELL DONE! Yahoo for that 🌟🌟🌟🎉🎉🎉👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

A dehydrator or your oven at a very low temp (140-150F, say) makes the salt stick too. You don’t need oil. Just soak the seeds or nuts in salted water for a few hours, drain them, and while they’re still glistening toss them with salt and any other spices you like. Pop them in the dehydrator/oven and let them do their thing for a couple of hours. They’re done when they’re dry and crispy. You get a serious crust of spicing that way and zero extra calories from fat.

Did you check the ingredient to be sure it didn’t have sugars (dextrose, maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) or potentially counter-productive artificial sweeteners like malitol, xylitol, sucralose, aspartame, and saccharine? Calorie count, in my experience, is far less significant than sugar content when it comes to losing weight on this diet.

Oh dear, I must be really weak willed because I can’t imagine any tea replacing a glass of Chablis or Sancerre. I cling to the thought that I can maintain, with vigilance, on a low carb regime and am prepared to cut down on the high fat, high calorie goodies until I lose my weight.

I watched a prog the other day which showed that fish was much better for weight loss than meat, so I’m off to the fish market next week to stock up on goodies. Also the local Chinese supermarket has frozen squid tentacles which are great in stir fries.

Many, if not most, practice nurses are still giving out the old party line of low fat, high carb eating. They are only experts, or even barely qualified, in the sense that in the kingdom of the blind the one eyed man …. One of them, presumably in an effort to discourage me from drinking, told me that a glass of wine had as much sugar in it as a can of coke and would raise my blood sugar in the same way. Not sure if she just thought I was stupid, or if she actually believed what she was saying. The fact that she was more than a little obese didn’t lead me to believe she had much idea what she was talking about. GPs seem to be a little more familiar with the latest research, but they are not so very expert in most cases. They are very keen to monitor diabetic patients because it brings them extra income.

It’s probably safe to say that most refined and processed carbs, flour, sugar, bread, biscuits and cake can safely be dispensed with. Also that losing weight can, for many people, entirely reverse type 2 diabetes in that it restores the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. In the process of establishing a balance drugs can temporarily lower blood sugar a bit too much, but the more your body can regulate itself the fewer drugs you need. Do not believe anyone who tells you a biscuit, even as plain as rich tea, is a good thing.

Hi Flick, my horse is really well at the moment, and I have been able to ride him again which is nice. I came off him last night unfortunately, but not his fault at all, and he stood by patiently for me to get up, so I was really pleased about that.
Definitely shape shifting in the right direction. My smallest riding breeches fit easily now, and are actually getting a bit too big around the waist. Might have to retire them in short order!

Hi arcticfox and thanks for your good wishes. Hoping you get over your fall quickly too! X

I hadn’t thought of the salt. That would make them an extra delicious snack.

Hello everyone, I’m still holding steady at 81.4kg. However, I am fasting today and into tomorrow so that should kickstart some weightloss again. I’m actually doing it not so much for the weightloss (although that will be a good side benefit) but because I fell off my horse last night and am suffering some pain, inflammation and bruising, and I am curious to see if fasting will get my body into repair mode and maybe that will help me heal faster than usual. I haven’t fallen off in almost 3 years, so I was overdue, but it certainly doesn’t get easier as I get older!

Milalin, good luck with your surgery and hopefully you’ll have a quick recovery after!

Cambridge Diet is/was firmly based on a low fat, high carb way of eating. I worked very briefly for Sue Kreitzman, who was married to one of the “inventors”. They had both lost a LOT of weight and kept it off by avoiding fats and oils as if they were poison, in fact in that respect they made obsessive look like easy going.

The Atkins shakes are ok, and readily available. I don’t envy you existing on shakes, but definitely wish you luck.

That sounds like the ideal combination. You get all the positive feedback on your brilliant accomplish but none of the stealing of your precious kimchi. 😀

Mary, well done you! I would have probably bagged it after two false starts. Good for you for conquering kimchi.

Essie, the deviled eggs sound wonderful. What a great way to breath some life and additional probiotics into a tired old standby. Will be giving that one a shot for sure.