Hi Sprite,
I can’t really speak to your situation as I’m not an expert in anxiety by any means, but I can share my own story. I never experienced severe anxiety until 6 years ago when I was unlucky enough to be caught in a ‘reign of terror’ in my work unit. I managed to get out of that work unit within about 6 months but I was left with residual anxiety that manifested itself when waiting for elevators, waiting in line at the supermarket checkout, and when encountering running, screaming kids at the supermarket, all of which were completely unrelated to the initial situation in which I developed the anxiety, so it has left me a little baffled as to why. However, it seemed to lessen and then disappear over time, but my weight was creeping up over time as well. Now that I’ve lost 10kg, I have noticed some anxiety reappearing when I have to stand in line or wait for an elevator. I didn’t really think that I was using food to cope with anxiety, but it seems to have provided a numbing effect. I really hope that it goes away as I continue and get healthier overall.
Hope you can find a way of keeping on that works for you. I do find that in general having less sugar and other carbs in my diet seems to keep my mood more even.

Crikey, Allie – 64 degrees? No wonder you are burning more calories, I feel far less concerned now, as I am sure that’s what the problem probably is. Mind you, in the extremes of temp you have been experiencing, your heating system is probably doing well getting your home up to 64! On the plus side, Hartford (no idea if that is where you are actually located, but the only place I actually knew in Connecticut) is now on my favourite list on the weather app on my phone and it tells me that the temp is set to get steadily higher this week, possibly even out of the minuses altogether. Here’s hoping anyway, and it may just solve your problem (heating and weight loss)😊

Thanks for the hugs, duly received and very much appreciated, my friend, and obviously returned with interest. 🙅🏼

Hello All. Walked around local deer park today, managed the daily step count of 10k . No weight loss. Trying to drink 3 litres plus everyday. Although this means I am up twice in the night . Onwards.

Fingers crossed the whoosh fairy stops by tonight for a good send off before round two. Great news that the back isn’t a serious problem and I hope it mends soon for you. Onwards and downwards!

Huge, ginormous hugs, Theo! Across the pond they come 🙂 I’m heading
straight to the refrig. for 1/2 an avocado now, to add to my lunch of
hard boiled egg and kimchi. It has been extremely cold in the apartment,
and the heating system is working too hard to get above 64F.

XOXO

I’m ‘vertically challenged’, Allie, so 8st on me is fine and a 21.1 BMI which is in the middle of the healthy band for my height (or short!).

Allie, how can it possibly surprise you, that we all care? Particularly as you are one of the most caring, helpful and encouraging people on this forum. We are friends, caring is what we do.

Now, as far as a “new normal” is concerned, please don’t go there because, despite what Wallis Simpson once said, there IS such a thing as too thin (though not quite so convinced about being too rich 😜 though I’d quite like the opportunity to find out😋) Your normal must be where you WANT to be, and obviously you are below that at the moment. So was I and all my family and friends, most of whom had been really supportive, started telling me that I was looking too thin, scrawny in fact and, in hindsight, I was. Hopefully those days are behind me, as I have managed to regain half a stone and, at the moment anyway, am holding steady. You may find that you are eating up to your estimated TDEE but, as you have been experiencing such extreme cold in Connecticut recently, you are burning more calories just to keep warm? Example, both Essie and I had cravings for fat last week, listened to our bodies and ate more, and even so we both recorded a slight loss in weight. It had been extremely cold (though nowhere near as cold here as it is over there) and we were obviously burning more. Hopefully this is what is happening to you, so try upping your fat intake for a few days and see what happens – I used full fat yoghurt (one day I ate almost 0.5kg!!), nuts and cheese.

Sunny, 8st is exactly where I am at and very happy to be there, and I’m sure you will have a very successful weigh in tomorrow. This time next week will be my first BSD birthday, so hoping to weigh in at exactly 8st on that day,

Thanks Theodora

Thank you, Sunny! It IS time for a new strategy…I always enjoy reading
your posts, and like you, I try to circulate around to our new members.
I seldom have to add any thoughts, because you cover the main issues
expertly and very articulately at that! I hope you see 8st very soon 🙂
At that weight, though, I’d have to be hospitalized 🙂 🙂 🙂

Hi Sixer, welcome from me too, and so pleased to hear your treatment to date has been successful.

Personally, I cannot recommend this WOE (way of eating) enough, but as Sunny says, it must become a way of life (WOL), as far as restricting carbs are concerned. If you can do that, and so many of us still on this forum have, you will keep the weight off forever, no more yoyo dieting. And this way of eating is truly enjoyable, once you get your head around it, and once you start burning fat instead of carbs, you will not feel hungry, you will reduce your carb craving, and your energy levels will soar.

Good luck, there are so many fantastic people on here who will be only too happy to hold your hand in your journey.

Allie – this is definitely the best place to come to ‘whine’, although that word seems very negative to me – I think ‘vent’ is a more powerful, positive term for what you did. Continued unwanted weight loss is concerning and you shouldn’t feel bad for bring that to the forum. Hope you will soon be able to resolve your excessive loss. With luck it will prove to be a deficit on TDEE intake and easily rectified, but I think you are wise to have a general health check anyway. Daily weighing might help you, so that you can see where fluctuations are happening. Best wishes to you, Allie – hope to be reading more positive posts from you soon.

I’m still on my quest to push down to a flat 8st and have been making fair progress toward that aim. Weekly weigh in tomorrow and hoping that there won’t be any unwanted blip upwards at that point. Enjoying the feeling of being in control again – find weighing, measuring and recording makes me so much more aware of what’s being consumed.

Essie, just got a brain storm! We used to live in Easton, CT for 25 years
before moving here. There is an excellent raspberry field there that allows
for berry picking, on or about Labor Day. It’s a beautiful site, high on a hill,
and I’ve picked there on numerous occasions. Lots of wind in my hair,
and rarely anyone else around during the week. If you’re still in the area
come August, we should plan a road trip!

Milalin, that’s truly shocking. It isn’t even a healthy diet according to mainstream thinking. Well done you for sticking to your guns, and hats off to the lovely quiche lady. Hope you get out soon, or at least get a decent set of supplies in xx

Wow, thanks for the info on dehydrating. It’s not something I have ever thought to do, but I LOVE dehydrated raspberries and the flavour explosion on the tongue. I will definitely have a go at dehydrating some myself, plus blueberries. Not keen on them frozen and as I have them every morning for breakfast I am forever having to pop out to replenish my fresh supply (sadly from a shop, not a bush), so having some dried ones in the store cupboard would definitely be a bonus, particularly as the flavour is intensified.

I love this, Esnecca! I must confess to looking for a dehydrator online but have stopped short of buying it on the grounds I must try it out in the oven first, which goes down to just below 50 degrees centigrade so looks like I’m ready to go, subject to having some raspberries, that is!

Thanks Theo! Yes simple!

Hi there Sixer and welcome. Sorry to read about your health issues and your struggles with your weight too. I can empathise with being desperate to loss menopause weight gain and failing to make real headway. Lots of us on here are in menopause or post menopause and have turned to the BSD to shift stubborn weight that nothing else has been able to move. Think the important thing is to embrace the BSD as a new lifestyle, not a diet. Learning a new approach to what we consume, changing our relationship with both food and our bodies and wellbeing.

I’d recommend joining a few threads which look like they will be helpful to you, as the advice, support and encouragement of the people on the forum is invaluable to staying the course. I for one would have given up, had it not been for the folks here helping to urge me on and carry me through.

Best of luck to you as you begin you BSD journey and I hope we will be reading positive results from you soon.

Jackie, dried fruits are so ridiculously overpriced I get a nosebleed just thinking about it. They often have added sugars as well, blueberries and raspberries included. Even the bulk bins at the organic coop and full of sugared fruits. The ones that are already enormously sweet like cherries and figs still have added cane sugar or fruit juice. People want everything to taste like a raisin, even fruits that aren’t the sugar bombs that grapes are. Bluberries are actually tarter dried than they are fresh. I think it improves them dramatically. The sugar-addicted market apparently disagrees.

My bestie in California has a golden raspberry bush in her back yard that her toddler son denudes like a swarm of locusts, bless his heart. I told her if she should ever have a bumper crop, I’ll take in all the surplus, turn it to crunchy sweet-tart magic and send them back to her. Well, some of them. Naturally there would be a percentage taken out for administrative costs and consulting fees. 😀

This year I intend to strip local farms bare of all raspberries when they’re in season, inexpensive and at peak freshness. A few days of dehydrating and I’ll have a stock of raspberries to keep OH and me stocked through the winter. I’ll powder some of them up to add to OH’s seed and nut not-oatmeal (almond meal, hemp hearts, whey protein powder, shredded coconut, oat fiber, sunflower seeds, chia seeds). When he adds almond or hemp milk and microwaves it, the raspberry should flavor the whole thing. It’ll be like those packets of quick-cook flavor oats onlyactually good for you instead of being a fake health food. Virtually carbless and high in protein, fiber and omega 3s, it’s far more filling than the gobs and gobs of steel-cut oats he used to eat.

Aha!! Found what I was looking for re followers. Simple really – at the start of the comments, there is a filter button which can be set to show all comments, bookmarked comments, your own comments, or comments by people you are following! So problem solved – obvious really, think I was just being a bit dense!!

Hi Californiagirl…thanks so much for your reply and your very kind and encouraging words! I am really looking forward to starting and I have actually signed up to the Online Program which starts next week so that should be nice for a bit of “hand holding” too! Again, thanks for your reply 🙂

10 thumbs up, tillybud!

Hi all you wonderful positive people! First day on a new week and it’s good to see no-one seems to be suffering from the Monday Blues.

I’m feeling really tired today, having slept very badly last night, but I intend to get an early night tonight and hopefully feel better for it. Still managing to find some positives though:

1) Scales still showing a loss at the moment. (Just hoping they still will when I do my weekly weigh-in tomorrow!)
2) Made some more yummy almond crackers today.
3) Bought a lovely big silvery framed mirror today. Been looking for one for a while, to hopefully brighten up our dingy upstairs corridor – hoping the mirror will bounce some light around up there.

Keep posting everyone, ‘cos I love to read all the positives people are finding in the little day to day things of life.

Welcome to the posts Sixer — I’m sorry to read of your troubles right now but you’ve come to the right place for support and insight — I hope we can help make it easier for you.
This way of eating will have a lot of benefits for the menopausal symptoms — mine eased considerably within just a few weeks. I also read that low-carbohydrate/sugar diets are being prescribed for cancer patients — so hopefully it helps you there too.
This diet has worked for so many of us where all other diets have failed. Just step on in and don’t give up — you’ll get better and better at it (I had to LEARN how to do it) — it is a wonderful thing to make friends with your body again.
Keep us posted.

Thanks V and s-g. I’ve done that – ie gone to notifications etc – but it only shows when someone has replied to a comment I have made. So far I am “following” 4 people and 3 people are following me. But I thought the whole point of “following” someone was so that you could see the comments THEY had made? Otherwise I can’t see much point in following them!

Just wondered if I was missing something?

Theo, Flick, LTC, and Julia (californiagirl), I almost missed your thoughtful
and kind words because it is the start of a new page. I’m very humbled
by your concern, and plan to take your advice to heart. I scheduled a
check up for the end of the month, and have begun to weigh and measure
everything, as well as step up my weigh-ins to more than 1 x wk. I really
thought I was coming in daily at close to my TDEE of 1429, but there is
no way to be sure of that unless I keep close track of it. I had been
holding steady at 138lbs. for 4 weeks, so I thought this was all behind me,
but apparantly not. It’s an unusual problem to have on a diet forum, and
not easy for me to talk about. I knew Theo would understand my stress
about it, but I’m a bit overwhelmed by the compassion from everyone
else. What an outstanding, powerful gang of friends you are 🙂
Theo, there is much that resonates in your post about the possibility of
a “new normal”, and it IS possible that’s unconsciously what’s been
going on with me. I kind of “lost it” yesterday, and thus my “Whine-Out”
to you!
You all are the best!!!

XOXO
Allie

Good to read that everyone seems to be sticking with it and making progress. I confess I haven’t counted cals/carbs over the w/e, but the scales haven’t shown any ill effect of that. Did have a cocktail on Saturday night and a very tiny piece of cake my Mum brought us back from Madeira. Other than that, I have been low carb for sure, but the cals have probably been more like 1000 that 800.

Back with it today and hoping to be able to report an overall loss tomorrow at the first weekly weigh-in. Generally feeling good, apart from being tired from sleeping badly last night, but I’m quite comfortable with how things are going.

Really looking forward to reading everyone’s results tomorrow.

It was the muffins that did it for me. People need to learn that if they want to loose weight they should stop eating what is essentially cake for breakfast. Giving those muffins to someone who has an over eating problem is like giving light beer to an alcoholic.

I survived the weekend!!! No alcohol and low carb and a parkrun. A little over my 800 calories (just under 1000) on Saturday but I’m counting it as a win. 🙂

Dont worry V, I will hunt you down!!!!!!

Hi S-g great to hear you are in such a good place. I’m only dipping in and out of the threads at the moment but trying to keep in touch, sorry if I miss your posts.

Victoria, I think the problem with the Kerridge programme starts when he says his diet is too difficult to follow and he is using an NHS approved dietary format. It is like he is saying Hey folks I lost loads of weight by doing this but dont think you lot are capable so here is another s—t diet plan like all the others. What a cop out – although he is probably right, there are not many people who could do what we do so just be heartily proud of ourselves.

Thanks Essie I will be asking again when I actually come to dehydrate!

Also if you read someone and you either know them or are interested in what they are saying you can tick a follow button.

Victoria I don’t have a liver problem either but I thought that the liver is one of the most important organs in our body and it really seems that it is! The liver course just started today and is just three weeks so still plenty time to join.

Theo look at the top right hand side of your home page and next to the little bell you will see a number, for messages, if anybody has responded to your posts etc. I think!

hi sprite, it is possible that what you are suffering is carb flu and loss. When you completely changed something in your life, especially if you give something up, there is a period which is similar to mourning a loss. This can cause both the anxiety and sleeplessness. Carb flu is withdrawal from carbs which makes you feel like poo and you just want to wrap up warm and snuggle down somewhere quiet. These thing pass so, unless you have a history of depression and anxiety, dont give up the diet just yet. Or keep on but with a less rigid regime like the 5:2 or the Med diet. I guess I am lucky because I have not suffered from any effects from the diet except elation at the weight loss and better BG results. I did go through a period when I panicked that this diet affects the BG so quickly that I thought it might be dangerous but I got over that and have been following this way of eating for nearly 20 months, sometime on the 800 and sometime of the Med style when I want to have more calories – like holiday.

Dont fret, it will be okay. (Except for the bit about suffering from depression).

Hi JGwen positive thoughts and take a look at this cover all aspects of our lives. That’s why I think this way of eating is so successful for many because we don’t think of this as just a ‘diet’ but a whole new way of thinking and living. So yes post anything you feel is inspirational, we get inspiration in our lives from all sorts of sources.

Yes, I’ve Just started Science of Nutrition as well and haven’t learnt anything yet, but they will have to assume a low starting level, and we will have probably thought more carefully than some about why and how we eat. I’m not sure about comments from people you are following, I haven’t had any notifications about others I’ve followed yet, only notifications of people following me.

Sound like I might do the liver one next. I don’t have a direct liver problem at the moment, but it’s very caught up with diabetes and obesity.

Hi all, I finally got around to watching the Tom Kerridge programme on catch up. At least I started, was put off by him saying that low carb diets weren’t for everyone, and not giving the people on his programme a chance to see if that WOE worked for them. Then I gave up completely at the point that he stared making breakfast with honey and banana.

Such a shame, presumably he couldn’t make a low carb programme because of money and sponsors, so made a general diet one instead.

Hi Verano,

Thanks for the suggestion on posting on the take a look at this, but it wasn’t an inspirational book relating to diet. Its the story of a lady who was diagnosed in her late 40’s as being high end functioning autistic (Asperger) and her working through the process from thinking about how to ‘fix’ herself to appear ‘normal’ before deciding to come out as being on the autism spectrum and celebrating the positives of the difference in the wiring of her brain. I realised that I am an Aspie a couple of years ago.

LTC – Hi, just a quick note here this morning. I know that you have access
to great ingredients where you live, but your comments about dehydrated
fruit made me think to pass along this website, “nuts.com” to you.
I use it for too many things to mention them all, but definitely my source
for organic chia, organic unsweetened cacao nibs, and raw nuts. They
also have a large baking section. The customer service is flawless, and
the turn a round time is 24 hrs! Shipping charges are very reasonable
also, if you hit the minimum for an order. Also a ton of “superfoods” to
check out! 🙂 Will be leaving a message for you later on “after reaching
target…” when I get caught up on today’s posts!

xoxo
Allie

Well, the last day of our first week rebooting. Looks like everyone is having some sort of success even it is just recognising the situations to avoid and the triggers to overeating! This is all important stuff and is so valuable when it comes to the maintenance stage of this plan.

I SOOOO need to practice what I preach (not that I’m preaching – far from it). Yesterday I had to drive 120 miles to attend a ‘tea party’ for my cousin’s 60th birthday. I knew it would be a cream tea so I said to myself ‘just have a cup of tea’. So I prepared, I had a late, large-ish brunch, got all dolled up and off I went with my OH. Hmm – best laid plans and all that – the sandwiches came out, then the cakes, then the scones and jam, sitting…right in front of me…with all my family watching. THE PRESSURE!!!! I caved. I won’t tell you what I ate, but I did learn two things. 1) it really doesn’t taste as good as you think it will and 2) never underestimate the power of peer pressure. I’m a wimp – I know it – but the good thing is that I ate a very light supper, went to bed and refuse to feel guilty. Back on it 100% with effect from the last naughty morsel at 4pm yesterday.

So weigh in tomorrow everyone – well done to Natalie who has already had that pleasure – let’s hope it’s a pleasure for us all. See you all then!

TC x

Esnescca, doing the dehydrator sounds like fun but I have come to a point where I have zero room in my apartment kitchen for one more gadget. I actually seleted this apt based on the kitchen size. It is supposed to have an eat in kitchen nook but I have line it with bookcase/shelving and a bakers rack FILLED with locking glass jars filled with various dried ingredients, cans of food and spices spices spices. Stuff hanging from hooks on the wall, stuff on top of the kitchen cupboards (mine don’t go to the ceiling). Suff and more stuff.

Maybe something to look forward to for the next kitchen. In the meantime, have been buying dehdrated raspberries from Trader Joe…they are fun popped into the middle of homemade sugar free chocolates.

The faux mein recipe looks wonderful and that is a dish I used to get a lot and really miss.

By the way….after my oat fiber konjac noodle debacle (Amazon is refunding the cost and not even requiring that I send the remaining bags back as proof….thank heavens) spend part of the day trying a bloggers recipe for homemade oat glucommanan noodles. She touted them as great for noodles and noodle dumplings. To me they were too puffy and fragile.

Going to try a second batch today leaving out her recommended baking powder and cutting down the amount of water she recommended putting in and see where that gets me. Will report back if it works.

Recipe below:

1 whole large egg
2 Tbs glucomannan powder
1/4 cup oat fiber
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon coconut flour
3/4 cups fat free chicken broth or warm water

This is my second round, first time was entirely successful – lost 15kg in six weeks and blood sugar went from pre-diabetic to middle of normal range. So some reassurance to newbies

1. Hunger pangs tend to fade after the first week or two
2. Don’t beat yourself up too much over cheating – I tended to get quite slack over the weekend, particularly with wine, but didn’t have too big an impact overall.
3. 800 calories can only ever be a guide, it cannot be the same for large active men as small non-active women for example. I found 800 calories pretty much undoable but 1000 was fine.

Still seemed to work.

Mokovex, like you, I’ve felt full at times too! That really hadn’t happened in years! Also an Apple family!
Hi Everyone, my routine has also gone to pot, with a second admission through the ED last night. It’s been a struggle to get food in hospital that works, and the place is full of chronically ill.
Luckily I had the forethought to grab a bag of cherries, a sml spc fruit pot and almonds on the way out the door to emergency . I was offered white bread sandwiches last night. I ate a few almonds and 1/2 my cherries and the protein fillings of the sandwich . A full on carb Brekkie arrived with more white bread, marg, jam, weetbix and juice . I asked for egg , none available, so they brought me another sandwich, so again I ate the protein filling and a few cherries. Lunch came late as I was to move to the ward so the same type of sandwich appeared. Again I ate the filling, this time it was accompanied by a sugary cordial and sugar jelly. Which I threw out. The lady in the bed opposite heard me going on and next thing her daughter had bought me a vege quiche and tea. She wouldn’t let me pay and I thoroughly enjoyed it minus the pastry. Wonderful people!
The evening meal came … 1/2 the bowl/ plate was a huge amount of white rice, with sml mixed veges and some sort of pork in an attempt at sweet n sour type gravy. Btw the meat was 1/2 fat! Accompanied by juice and icecream! I showed the nurse and said it was basically inedible and that I needed high protein and no sugar. Eventually another meal came , of which I ate the beans and tinned peaches. The pork was cut into 1 cm cubes of the same fatty pork. Drowned in a salty brown gravy. Something essentially poisonous to renal patients! You guessed it, icecream and cordial as well. I gave it to visiting children again .
After that one of my dialysis nurses came in to visit another patient and saw me. I told her what I’d been offered. She said the other renal patients just have the ‘dialysis sandwich’ rather than the hot meals. It’s a mixed 6 pc sandwich with 2x the filling and I usually have 2 but discard the bread . So off she went to the dialysis ward and found me one! Lovely nurses doing their best to look after me. I know most of the dialysis nurses so she said in future when I am well enough to walk to their ward they’ll be happy to supply me. I have no idea what calories I’ve had but I’ve managed to stick to the principles against the odds in hospital. Again, I’ve raved on, but I think how in the past I’d have just given in because I was hungry and bored and eaten all that crap. In my mind I see that white bread as poison now. I asked the nurses if it was at least the high fibre wonder white type and they said no. Tonight I’ve ordered omelette for breakfast, the nurse was not sure if it would come. I did get it earlier in the week, but I have a backup plan tomorrow as my daughter is driving up from Canberra tonight and will visit me with berries, Greek yoghurt and almonds so I’m really looking forward to seeing her and getting the goodies. Any wonder sick people get sicker!
I know the health department is on a budget for meals but in the long term a lot of sickerpeople will be a bigger burden on the health $. Ok my rant is over for now.

Hi Flick – no not upset at all – i’m always pressing the wrong buttons!
SSB

Inka, you may way to try the flax seed bread as rolls or mini loaves….they will rise more and be less dense. The full loaf is a VERY dense loaf but thin slices make great toast. Good luck.

Hi V – I too have just started the Science of Nutrition and agree that so far it’s a bit dry, haven’t actually learned anything new yet. But early days. Can you enlighten me though – when you are “following” someone, is there a facility to see what they have to say, without trawling through everything? Otherwise, can’t see much point in following, so hopefully I am being dense and have missed this function?

A lot of us weight ourselves everyday to keep us on track but it can be a double edged sword. Sometimes I would weigh in with a 3lb loss by Friday, relax over the weekend and blow it by Tuesday which is my official weekly weigh in. It is really up to you. Measurements should be taken at the beginning and then I re-measure every half stone lost. Another time to measure is when the scales are standing still, you can still have inch loss without losing weight.

Im with you on the hibernation, shopping this morning, chiropodist tomorrow and then the rest of the week to myself (retired live is great).

So today is my start day. I am planning on hibernating this week and doing as little as possible so I don’t crash energy wise.

When my daughter gets back from school we will get on the soup making process together.

So I have begun….

How often should I weigh myself & check measurements?

Pretty much going into hibernation this week.