Hi all
I weighed in down 3lbs for the week. I am happy with that. Now 11st 3lbs. No alcohol at all. Sneaked in a few peanuts last night but no scale change (yet)….
Thanks all.

Sunny…. 8st!!! .. That’s amazing.. Well done! .. if only I could ever get below 10st id be really happy. I’m one of those people with a v slender partner who eats like a horse and never gains ..Id love to weigh less than him .. ( but I never have since I’ve known him though- and that’s 25 years!)

Sadly my scales were up a little this morning 12.8.. . it means a 2.5lb loss from my official start weight , but a 4.5lb loss from the weight I recorded 2 days before I ‘officially’ started back on BSD.

So quite good…. But today hasn’t been so good. – or it was until about half an hour a go ….Why have i just eaten about 100 cals worth of dark chocolate I wonder ? 🙁

You need more fat and fiber. Not as a general rule, but in dishes. When you want to fill yourself up to bursting in the way you miss from when you gorged on carbs, that is the winning combination. Cheese and flaxseed crackers, konjac noodles with sausage cream sauce, 6 oz grass-fed sirloin steak, compound butter (butter with herbs and/or cheese) and a side of broccoli rabe or spinach sauteed in olive oil. You wil find it far more satisfying and long-lasting than the brief sugar high of carb binges.

Hi Jande! Have you taken a look at Luvtcook’s “Good Eats” thread? It’s
full of exciting low carb recipes and links that might seduce your palate!

Best wishes,

Allie

How wonderful that so many people have positives and wonderful things to post. Mine for today are:-

My darling Jovis has a permanent job at the age of 65! I am so proud of him.

My new car is brilliant and I am going to visit my best friend of 50 years tomorrow.

Life is just so wonderful at the moment I can’t stop smiling!

I really hope that wherever you are and whatever you do, it is joyous and makes you happy!

Love
Nonna Mary
xxx

Interesting points you are raising, You snooze to gain. That’s why a whole
bevy of maintainers here, myself included, refer to the BSD as a “way of
life” and not “a diet”. We haven’t fallen back to trying to include bad carbs/
sugar in our lives in our version of moderation, and many of us have a year+
or close to it of maintenance behind us. Good luck to you and everyone
else walking this road with us. The only way to fail is to abandon the
principles of the BSD 🙂

Allie

Although I initially started the diet to help with my pre-diabetic blood sugar levels, I also needed to lose some weight. When I started the diet my fasting blood sugar level dropped very quickly and then stabilized at a good place so after 2 months I stopped testing it, and then just concentrated on the weight loss.

I have now been in maintenance for many months but I still am not happy with how I eat, which is low carb throughout the week, and a bit of a splurge on the weekend. I find my weekday diet to be unsatisfying and I too often snack on cheese or other low carb items. I miss that feeling of fullness you get after a big feed of pizza or spaghetti, and I haven’t found anything else that can give me that. The closest I’ve come are dishes with lots of lentils or beans. I have become leery of all carb foods even from whole grains or brown rice, because I am worried about starting on the slippery slope leading to weight gain and blood sugar issues.

However, I am probably eating a more healthy diet than before, with plates full of vegetables and minimal sugar and alcohol. I just wish it was more satisfying.

Weight loss regimes (diets if you insist) are specifically designed to lose weight. Therefore it’s nonsensical for the Times to claim that any method of eating has no long term effect when, by definition, its effect is short term. It’s the long term, daily effort that is involved in maintaining weight loss that’s the problem. No one off weight loss is irreversible and no “diet”, once you stop following it, could possibly be “effective”. A bit like complaining that makeup needs renewing.

‘Evening V! I missed your early post today, but happy that you can keep
in touch on your travels 🙂

Sunny, you’ve had one of those wonderfully productive days today!
Everything falls into place with a good night’s sleep, doesn’t it?
How wonderful to be able to plan 3 months in the sun! I’ll be waiting
until at least May to feel that warmth on my face. Is this a new adventure,
or do you do it each year? As Theo suggests, I think my internal combustion
engine has been working overtime to heat my body, and I’m very happy
the temps. look far more seasonal for the remainder of the week!

It’s relatively easy (well, not impossible), I think, to lose the weight. However, I have noticed that thin people actually seem to put a huge amount of effort into STAYING thin. You can never, ever again let your guard down because if you eat food without exercising caution you regain those pounds, so you need to accept that permanent control is how thin people live. One day “off” a week or month can rapidly turn into almost every day.

One small step I have taken is to always drink jasmine tea rather than booze with Chinese food. I’m working on the need/taste for lager with curry, but that’s a work in progress.

I must say I find the thought of lying there and having my fat cells heated to the point of destruction nothing short of terrifying, especially after seeing what it did to the pork!

Hi everyone – pleased to say that like some others reporting, I too had a good night’s sleep last night. Took me longer than I would have liked to get to sleep, but slept well which is the most important thing. Certainly felt much better today anyway. Somehow, today got very busy, which is why I’m quite late posting, but at least it’s given me a few positives to add here.

1) Had a charity shop snoop and found a new pair of Next trousers for £6.50 in a size 8 ….. AND they FIT!
2) Have spent sometime writing a news letter and revising brochures for a Turkish friend who runs a small tour business. Great sense of achievement pulling it all together.
3) We are starting to plan our drive out to Turkey and best part of three months in the sun. That gives us something to look forward to in the grey and gloom that is England at the moment.

Firstly, huge congrats to all those posting any kind of loss. Very impressed by the amount of some of the losses being reported, but any loss is a loss, so embrace any shift in the right direction.

My personal result for this week is fairly modest compared to some at 2.6lb, but actually that’s a good loss for me, both because I’m a slow loser and because I’m pretty much at the end of my weight loss journey, so the loses tend to be harder won. However, this lose means I have three pounds left to shift to get to my new goal weight of a flat 8st, which I’m very happy about.

Tomorrow we go to my parents for a few days, so I will be without kitchen and bathroom scales. I will be taking the ketosticks and endeavouring to eat mindfully, modestly and within the BSD principles. With luck I will maintain, if not lose a little. As we are not sure how long we are going to be away, I will probably be reporting my weight status for the end of week two late. Just hoping it won’t have to be a gain!

Keep on keeping on folks.

Me too, Kazz. ME TOO 🙂 🙂 🙂

Big thumbs up, Allie – I hope you have ice grippers that fit over your boots? I’ve got some. Can run for the train in them and everything whilst others are slip sliding around in their Uggs! 🙂

Hiya Allie – I posted the loss on Saturday afternoon I think! It is easy to miss posts as there are a lot of threads. I would just hate it if anyone thought I was ignoring them, so apologies if someone has commented and I’ve not responded… 🙂

xxx

Good morning/afternoon/evening to you all!

I sympathize and relate to all that are sleep challenged, like myself 🙂

1. I can report on a full 6 hrs. for last night, something that falls into the
“once in a blue moon” category for me.
2. The frigid temp. here in the northeast U.S. has finally broken, and
I’m geared up for a lovely walk today. Cabin fever has been the watch
word of late!
3. I’ve seen so many new members joining us at the beginning of this
year. It makes my heart soar to think of the possibilities for all of
you, and it makes me very happy to follow you on your journeys.

I feel refreshed, happy and ready to live every moment of this day!

Hi Bridgetreilly. They carried out an experiment on ‘Trust Me, I’m A Doctor’ (UK) that showed that carbonated drinks increase ‘ghrelin’ levels (which is apparently the hormone responsible for hunger). Here’s the link if you want to take a look in more detail.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/29tx4RFjTKZnBsPv9R4W3DV/can-fizzy-drinks-make-you-eat-more

Hope this helps.

Sixer, JuliaV

So good to meet you both. This bunch of friendly people are all that you need to help, guide and champion your causes. Better than attending any club! Keep posting, anything at all!

What’s wrong with sparkling water?!!

Good morning, all. It’s lovely to hear new voices on this thread. A warm
welcome to you all! Everyone seems to be starting the New Year in style.
For all those that have just or are about to celebrate a BSD birthday, I’m
thrilled for you! I have set my sights on celebrating 1 year in maintenance
mid April 2018. It’s so nice for me that Theodora will be reaching that
milestone at the same time, and we can look forward to it together 🙂
For those who travel about on numerous other threads, isn’t it marvelous
that we have so many new members? For the first time ever, I can’t keep
up!!
Kazzi, how on earth did I miss that post about your 3 lb loss this week?
Old scale or new, it’s still 3 lbs 🙂 🙂 🙂 A pound is a pound, Joes Nonna,
and they all count. Congratulations, everyone!!!!!!!!!!
To all my friends here, I continue to watch for your posts, and hope to
see you all very soon.

xoxo
Allie

Hi Verbatim – welcome welcome!

Thanks Nonna – you’re not far off 4 stone lost! KOKO! 🙂

xxx

Hi Sixer, welcome to the forum. The fact that you prevailed over such a brutal opponent goes to show what a true fighter you are. That same power that carried you through the worst of cancer and treatment is now going to be dedicated to reclaiming your health in a different area of endeavor, and it’s important, I think, for you to recognize and acknowledge how much ass you’ve already kicked so you can feel that strength inside of you even when the numbers on the scale don’t cooperate.

Illness is so debilitating, and with the chronic pain and complications of treatment to deal with, I imagine you’ve felt weak and exhausted for a long time. You can build up to exercise. Just set it aside for now. The biggest feat of strength required for success on the BSD is mental focus and we all know you have that because you are a survivor and dragonslayer. Focus on that for the time being. Once you’ve cut all the carbs and your body is getting some nutrient-dense food and burning fat for energy instead of sugars, your body will feel very different. When you’re up to it, you can start very modestly with a short walk or something like a 10-minute exercise video on YouTube targeted to people with mobility issues.

You’ll work it out. The dragon hasn’t a hope in the world against your courage and strength.

Hello 🙂

NSV or positive….

1 – today am wearing a tunic style top that is “for best” but needs to be worn before it gets too big!
2 – a colleague I’ve known years but don’t see very often was in the kitchen earlier today and he commented that he thought I’d lost weight! “I can see it in your face” he said! Yey! He then went on to recommend walking gear for damp, wintery weather… useful! 🙂
3 – I only woke once last night and boy does it make a difference! I feel so much better today! Normally I wake every couple of hours.

K

Hi Sixer. You’re very welcome! Glad you found my post helpful.

Sounds like you already know what you’re doing, whereas I am just starting to explore low carbing. I’m trying to cut out the forbidden foods I love so much but that I know don’t do me any good. I have a sweet tooth & one biscuit is never enough! So I want to see how it goes eating more strictly without counting calories. I don’t find real food that interesting, so hope I won’t overeat, as long as I have plenty of veg & fat to sustain me. I’m finding Diet Doctor quite useful in terms of knowing what to eat & why, though it is a bit scary contemplating all that fat & so few carbs (20g per day max). I’ve been extending my fast for a while, skipping breakfast, & that’s fine. I just want to feel in control of it all.

I lost some weight at the beginning of last year but lost my motivation because I was bored of the food I was eating & really craving bread, biscuits etc. Naturally most of the weight came back. I didn’t really know how to go about a low-carb transformation but am making more of an effort to understand the right approach. I’m not a details person but it’s obviously important to prepare properly & plan meals. I’m very much still learning but also making changes already.

I ‘d love to keep in touch & compare notes, even if we’re not following exactly the same method.

Weighed in at 16st 2lbs, so 6lb / 2.7kg lost this week.
How long till i break into the 15st / under 100kg mark??? Next mini step is on!

Well done everyone.

I watched that programme last night also, V. What about him (supposedly) having his belly fat rendered down by those waves? Pfffft! Fair play to putting it to the test but he certainly wasn’t convinced was he? 🙂 At least I didn’t feel like screaming at the tv unlike last week! 🙂

Thanks for the tip on the article….. I’ll check it out.

Kx

Hi All

4lbs down from last week although the caveat that I am using a hotel’s unnecessarily complicated gym scales.

My pennyworth (which probably doesn’t have that value) is that isolating the impact of gut bacteria on a single food, unless you carried on the experiment for a period exceeding the natural bio-viability of a particular range of gut bacteria, would be extremely difficult and I’m not sure would tell you that much. Isolating a particular variable in a massively complex environment would just be too difficult. Obviously, your choice but it seems a real pain, if you’re not seriously diabetic.

NSV – I’m currently in Qingdao, China (famous for its breweries – Tsingtao) and have just come back from a restaurant meal, where I had squid and veggies and a lovely simmered fish in spinach, washed down with sparkling water and all with not a hint of noodles or rice to be seen. – all very BSD – a big win in a diet usually rich in refined carbs and sugars. I did avoid the intriguingly translated “Duck’s blood in red sauce”, as they couldn’t confirm the duck had been following a BSD compliant diet.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Verbatim, it is always lovely when someone takes the time to post. Welcome and thank you again. I has taken a long time to get to this point. I actually started in October 2016 when I weighed 19th 4 pounds. I initially lost a stone, then maintained for a long time, before finding Canadaliz. I re-read her posts to remind me it can be done.

Kazz, you are not far behind me and I look forward to you catching me up. I would go for calf length, snakeskin with a pointy toe, for looks, but a square toe for comfort. You are doing so well. I am so proud to be a member of this sisterhood. Keep linking arms ladies. By the way, where are you all…I have a few weeks off and you have all left. You are missed.

Love
Nonna Mary
xxxx

Hi everyone,
I’ve been lurking and following you all for a few months but have finally decided to register so I could post CONGRATULATIONS to Joes Nonna, Mary. I have been following Mary’s progress or sometimes lack of it and despairing or cheering along with you. You have been keeping the thread going and been an inspirational support to newcomers and strugglers alike, especially since CanadaLiz stopped posting. So ra ra Mary and May the scales be with you.
V

I should imagine Christmas and New Year has something to do with it. Before Christmas my morning readings were between 4.5 and 5.5, then by the 20th December with a couple of meals out but still not eating carbs they went up to 5.0 to 5.6. By the time Christmas had been and gone they were around 6.9 to 7.7 with one day hitting 8.8. The odd chocolate, a sweetish drink, oh go on then just one mince pie and suddenly it has gone out of whack. It will only take a week or two to get it back down but it is not a quick fix. I have had to increase my insulin from 24 units to 29 and it is still coming down slowly. I hope to be back on track by the beginning of next week and then I might think about reducing the insulin by a unit every 4 or 5 days. Slowly, slowly does it and dont worry, you know it works.

Hi JuliaV…oh, you are so good to write again…thank you so much and thank you for sharing your story. It means so much to know there is somebody here who understands all the issues that we suffer during and post treatment. I also had issues with pain prior to diagnosis/treatment and have had surgery for scoliosis too so I do understand that additional burden.

And thank you for that reminder…I do tend to forget and can get angry that I still feel so bad but it’s really only 8 months since I finished treatment and you are right, it is such an assault and indeed casts a long shadow. I really hope this way of eating works to help me lose this 20kg I need to lose as I feel that losing that weight is bound to alleviate the various aches and pains and hopefully put a bounce back in my step. I find exercise very difficult at the moment also but hope to give it a good go and do what I can and ideally see some improvements in my fitness level which is worse than it’s ever been. I know they say we can’t go back to our normal selves but a new normal that is somewhat similar would be nice, right??

Are you only just starting? It would be nice to keep in touch so that we can compare notes! Thanks again for writing!

Well done S-g you are obviously in the best frame of mind for BSD. Keep on keeping on …….

Bugger – I’ve just posted and it’s disappeared! It will probably show up after repeating myself….

So, first of all, hello, sorry I have been scant of posts recently…. everyone is storming along, particularly you Nonna Mary! Bloody fantastic results and your sixties will be swinging at this rate! I meant that in dance terms, obviously!

Allie and Tillybud – I agree totally and said something similar on another thread but at least we have all the info on here and know where to find it.

I weighed in on Saturday and have lost 3 lbs. I posted that on another thread…. BUT am only counting it as 1 lb as my new scales weigh 2 lbs heavier. So was 16.2. Need a big push now to get me over the edge into the 15’s! C’mon Kaz, shift yerself! 🙂

Meanwhile, I’m checking out cowgirl boots. Found a UK online shop! Question is, do I go for square boxy toe or traditional pointy? Ankle or calf length? Two tone snake skin or keep it a bit more sedate whilst I break myself in? I’ve not ordered yet, just window shopping…. but boy does it give me a warm fuzzy! 🙂

Have a good day, y’all! 🙂

Kazzeexxx

Hi Theodora…thank you so much for your lovely and encouraging message! I am well used to low carb lifestyle thankfully and always enjoy/feel good on it however I now believe that counting calories is so important, especially with all the issues I am dealing with so am really looking forward to cracking on with the BSD and finally getting rid of this weight! Thanks again!

Hello Sunnyb! Thank you so much for your response and lovely words and of course your encouragement! I really appreciate it! I will definitely look at all the various threads and join in 🙂 I’m feeling more positive and excited that this might actually work for me! i have done ketogenic which is very similar but not with counting calories and this might be the thing that makes the difference! Thanks again!

I followed the diet (and exercise regime) pretty much religiously for 8 weeks. Christmas came along and I let go a bit, but not that badly.

Blood sugar levels fell dramatically during the 8 weeks and I lost 10Kg, though I wasn’t all that overweight to start with (5ft 8ins, was 80KG)
Trouble is…even though I am still being super careful, my reading have moved from an average of 5 to 6, up to 7 to 8.

I cant understand why….not much has changed in terms of diet or exercise…has anyone else experienced this?

SunnyB and Esnecca. Thank you so much for your words of advice and encouragement. I am determined not to fall over this time and see the 8 weeks through and then plan to convert to the 5:2 way of life.

I weighed this morning and lost 8lb in week one, but even better, my constant hunger seems to have eased. What’s not to like?

So I go into week 2 not only happy but also determined. And you are right, I am not a slave and will not be beaten by a looming holiday. Thanks once again.

Hello Sixer. I wrote a long post here last night & it seems to have disappeared😐. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that you’re not alone. I was diagnosed with ER+ breast cancer in May 2015 (turned 50 that August). I underwent surgery, chemo & RTx, finishing active treatment at the end of January 2016.

I gained lots of weight on chemo, because of the steroids & also ended up with type 2 diabetes (steroids again probably). I didn’t tolerate tamoxifen so have been receinving 4-weekly hormone injections instead, & since last June have also been taking daily hormone tablets. I have fibromyalgia anyway, so already had widespread pain, including in my hands, wrists, elbows, knees & (worst of all) feet & the hormonal therapy has made this worse. I don’t exercise because of this. So I really sympathise & empathise with you. As for the fatigue – that’s part of fibro & chemo etc exacerbated it hugely. As you say, the menopausal symptoms, which mimic the drug side-effects, also make life hard-going.

I’m new to the low-carb way of life, so can’t offer any advice as far as that goes but as you can see there are lots of lovely people on the forums with wisdom to share. What I will say is just remember that your body has been through an assault that shouldn’t be underestimated & you deserve to be kind to yourself. Cancer treatment casts a long shadow which I think only those who have been through it can truly appreciate.

Sorry if I’ve gone on too long but I just wanted to offer my support on this latest stage of the journey.

I started yesterday too, Sarah!

I’ve planned out my week’s meals from the book and shopped accordingly. So far I’m finding it hard but manageable. I have a tiny pot of toasted nuts and when I’m desperate, I’m letting myself have a couple of those. Also lots of water and cups of tea.

Hi everyone, just got back from the chiropodists and feeling lighter of foot. Not only that, I am 4lbs lighter than last week. Started at 78.4kgs so I have met several goals on the way, said goodbye to 78kg, said goodbye to 77kgs and only 1lb to 12 stone. So many mixed measurements.

JGwen, why do you want to do blood tests. The machines – even the good ones – are like scales, quite inaccurate. When are you going to measure, what time, what food will you have had, will you be fasting, are you going to do it every day, before meals, after meals, beteen meals. Why do you want to stab yourself in order to get an average idea of – what – if you are not diabetic your blood sugar readings will mean nothing. As an example, just to support me, my husband let me test him pre breakfast after 10 hour fast, my BG was 5.2 his was 7.8 – does that mean he is diabetic, no, it means nothing. Tested 2 hours after breakfast mine was 5.2 his was 8.4, does this mean he is diabetic. Seriously, the readings only mean anything if you are diabetic. Also, pricking your fingertips is painful, squeezing the blood out is painful (especially if you have cold hands), pricking the finger cause the tips to lose sensation so eventually you will have no feeling in your fingertips. Pricking my fingers twice a day is worse than the injections in my stomach every night, more painful. Can I also say, if you are going to do this, do not prick the exact tip of your fingers, prick the sides, also use a different finger every time so as not to cause too much nerve damage. Sorry cant help with a brand name as mine is prescribed by my French doctor and is called One-Touch. The machine will cost between £50 and £90, the finger prickers are around £30 for a box of 100 and the measuring bands that go into the machine are around £30 for 60 – 2 months if doing daily.

That is just my opinion, anyone else feel free to disagree, agree or give your own opinions. All welcome.

Hi folks, Could those of you who use a blood sugar tester give me some advice please on what model you use and how well you get on with it?

I am not a type 2, but having read about the research which suggests that the mixture of gut bacteria effects the blood sugar impact of different foods I would like to use a blood sugar tester. There seems to be a wide range of machines, some of which also test if you are in keto.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I am pleased to report that I have lost a further pound, so now weigh in at 15 stone 11 pounds! Eight years since I weighed this little. In fact I weighed 15 st 8 pounds in 2010.

Thank you for your kinds wishes. I read all the threads and can see lots of people are doing well and losing weight. I would LOVE to be 15:7 next Tuesday for my Birthday, not expecting it though.

Take care everyone, best wishes and lots of love.

Nonna Mary
xxx

I hadn’t realised that butternut squash is high carb – will really have to rethink my options too 😞

Wow everyone, well done – some great results and some real determination! I posted my first week results on the restart thread, but I’m pleased to say that much to my surprise the weight loss is continuing in week 2 and I’m melting like the wicked witch of the west. I did put a lot on recently, so it’s all new weight that’s coming off again and will be for a few weeks yet. Don’t think it can have got a proper foothold (she said scientifically).

The diet is getting easier as I find what works and I really like the 10,000 steps target as it’s so adaptable. It’s inspired me to go for some lovely frosty morning walks which I would have missed out on otherwise, and motivated me to tidy up the house more! But sometimes I’ve just gone shopping to get my steps up 🙂

Hi, I’ve had both that and the opposite. As Squidge said your body is adjusting, and if you’ve upped your fat your body may well struggle to digest it for a while. Mine settled down after a couple of days, came back when I had a high fat meal a couple of days later then went forever.

Now I tend to have the opposite but keep green veggies up and that helps.

Weighed in today at 147.8.
Start weight was 152.6 so just a smidgen under 5lbs gone!!! Looking forward to another week of lovely food and a healthier me. My ultimate goal is 126lbs so I’ll keep chipping away towards that and keep a close eye on my fasting blood sugars. Well done everyone, amazing results! X

Wow Congratulations JGwen! That’s a real achievement since October!

Starting objective: “My start weight for this reboot is 83.1 kilos (down 7.4 from my start under the 4 week October 2017 challenge and a wobble at Christmas). My goal is a healthy BMI (79 kilos) by end Feb. A bit of wriggle room would be nice, but probably not realistic!”

This week I have lost 2.2kgs (5lbs) – so I am now 80.9kilos. I haven’t been in the 80’s for four years, so happy. The top end of my BMI is now only 2 kilos away. And the Christmas wobble (in more ways than one!) has gone. It has generally been an easy week, apart from a thumping headache on day 3. And I have really enjoyed trying some new ideas like cabbage noodles! I think I need to prepare for a bit of a slow-down next week, but with all the support, humour and good ideas on this website I feel in the right place. Wishing everyone a good second week.

Sarah, I like making veggie soup too. Unfortunately most of the things I use to give it body are high carb – butternut squash, sweet potato, carrots or parsnips. I’m looking for alternatives.

Loss this week 2.1kg, which takes me up to a total loss of 21.9kg since starting 800/aim for 20g in mid October.

I probably could have done better if I hadn’t come across a book that interested me. – So I did my usual trick of just essential chores and keeping my head buried in the book until I finished it, and then heading to the computer to research options that occurred to me as a result of all the trains of thought the book inspired. Meaning minimal steps for 48 hours.

Still have another 13.1kg to go to my target weight. But I don’t know if that will be enough to get rid of the spare tyre, as I seem to have lost a shoe size but surprisingly with that amount of weight, not yet a dress size. 🙂 – The treat myself to new clothes are on hold for a little while longer, but maybe I could join the shoe fetish group. :-)))))