My three positives……………

1) Just signed up for 2 Futurelearning courses, starting 8th and 15th Jan and am really looking forward to taxing my brain a little bit more than usual. They say learning new things helps to stave off dementia, so got to be a good thing!

2) Slept really well last night, for the first time in weeks.

3) Totally back on my normal BSD WOE after the Christmas and New Year excesses (although I didn’t partake in refined carbs) – I was sooo craving something fresh and light – so, what with the good night’s sleep, I am feeling refreshed and reinvigorated.

Can I add a 4th please?

4) Came home from walking the dogs this morning to find o/h re-grouting the tiles in his bathroom – something I had been asking him to do for months and had totally given up on ever being done! He is also replacing all the sealants etc, which means he’ll have to use my bathroom for a day or 2 while it all dries, but I can live with that! (As long as he’s not in there when I want to use it!😜)

Toby I find fizzy water with lots of ice and lemon means that i feel that i have a ‘drink’ ( and curbs any ‘wine’ cravings, a bit of a potential downfall for me ) .. I Haven’t found it to be a problem in the past when doing this WOE ..

I also gulp (lots) of real organic black coffee in the morning when fasting and mint or green tea later on .. My favourite tea at the moment is Pukka ‘Cleanse’ tea.. apart from the name .. its actually really nice!

Marie123 I am interested in the cyber security course, if you have a link, as I got my Amazon account hacked at Christmas and, although they didn’t get away with anything, it was an absolute pain to get anyone to help me. All okay now but I thought I was quite savvy and didn’t answer or click on links in the many email I received, they still got me.

Also the Science of Nutrition course has 2 run dates so 8th Jan but if you are busy I think 12th or 15th March.

Envious of all you in in the Australian Sunshine!! Wet grey and very windy here!

anyway i weighed this morning and down 1lb! Very happy with this.. I officially started at 12.10.5 on Tuesday . but on Sunday i was 1.5lbs higher than that (this was the ‘shock’ weight which made me realise just how much I have been fooling myself) . So I am now really happy ! .

I haven’t eaten yet today ( last meal was almost15 hours ago ) so feeling in the zone.. .. I have pork mince for later which i will stir fry with some cabbage, cucumber a little onion and red pepper and 5spice garlic soy and ginger.. (yum)
also have fast day hiccups! ..

I am not diabetic or even pre-diabetic according to blood sugars .. but I love my carbs and know this WOE does work for me ..
I agree that success does come from self belief ad its also easy to negatively ‘self believe’ that we are doing ok when we are in reality ignoring the problem .. ( this is what i definitely have been doing).

One great thing about the international community here i think will be that we are eating ‘winter food’ roasts casseroles curries etc in the UK and reading about t others eating ‘summer food’. We should get lots of good ideas of each other ! .

Any great Pan Asian inspired low carb ideas would be great for me!!.. I love that type of food and all types of fish especially .

I do have a great Madhur Jaffrey recipe i really love for Salmon in a Bengali Mustard sauce . (dont know if we can post links but its easily googled) . Its low carb and yum ( obvs no rice though! ) I would use green beans cauliflower or courgette instead

Thanks everyone for those warm welcomes and comments.

Took notes from above and did a lot more reading all last week, i can see now by understanding a little better that losing muscle shouldn’t be a concern.
Calories wise i probably a little over 800 for the first two days but HIIT training last night was one intense 45/50 mins, so i won’t beat myself up about it. Eating twice a day, late morning and evening which seems to work for me and haven’t felt the need to reach for any sweet or white carbs!

I’ll update my profile with my stats and first weigh in will be Saturday.
For now it’s all positive and moving in the right direction.

Thanks all.

1. 2 days in and feeling/adapting fine.
2. Made a batch of beef & offal meatballs, followed by a batch of skinny chilli. Both delicious!
3. Excited for what the weeks ahead hold for everyone on this journey.

Great idea, V, thank you for bumping. Hopefully everyone who is registering for a course (particularly the Science and Nutrition one starting on 8th Jan) will post on this thread, including their Futurelearn user name, so that we can all be study buddies. Like you, I have now introduced myself (Theo J) and am now “following” you. Perhaps we can all “follow” each other?

S-g, thank you so much for drawing our attention to Futurelearn. I have also registered to take the Nutrition and Wellbeing course, starting on 15th Jan, if anyone feels like joining me?

HI Toby
It was only found to be a slight elevation in a increase appetite, i wouldn’t drop fizzy water because of this. I personally find i don’t crave while drinking it but i normally start drinking this with my evening meal. Before that its herbals teas or water.

Predictive again! ‘ just leaves me speechless’.

Have revived S-g’s Future Learn thread.

Just thought I would revive this thread for the forthcoming courses.

LOL! It is difficult to work out JM! Just leave some M.D. speechless.

Would anybody like a separate ‘Futurelearn’ thread?

Also, what are people’s view of fizzy water? I drink litres of the stuff on this diet as it somehow helps kill cravings for food/alcohol/sweet drinks – but I now hear it actually increases your appetite. What do others find?

Ok admission, I started this at the same time last year – lost 13kg in eight weeks. and then spent the next 10 months putting all back on again. Christmas finally saw me back where I started.

Trying again, with a view to having learnt my lesson that I cannot just go back to old ways afterwards. Seem to be suffering worse hunger pangs this time – couldn’t sleep last night, but perhaps I just cannot recall them last time from the early stages. Anyway – determined to stick it out again and ironically I spend more time cooking tasty food than when not on the diet, so that’s a plus…

Good luck everyone.

Thanks Squidge, getting stuck into some work today and going to skip breakfast so I can balance out the calories. Feeling as determined as ever to stick with it.

Love and hugs to all my fellow intrepid souls!

Whilst most of the recipes weren’t for me, I did quite like the look of the Lasagne, very easy to make BSD-friendly.

The script did seem a bit jarring “I lost 12 stone on low-carb, but sod-that low fat here we come” with lingering shots over Tate and Lyle aisles in Tesco. Interesting that the Turkish guy, who seemed to have a particular thing for biscuits, actually put weight on. Can’t think why on a diet full of flour, honey and rice.

Kazz, just reading the title of that episode in the link was enough to pop a blood vessel. STOP SUCKING UP TO CARBS, KERRIDGE. Have carbs kidnapped your daughter and this is the ransom price? Are they paying you a billion dollars? Did you at least see them help a little old lady cross the street once? Because they are not “joy” not a “celebration” not “living” not “love” and not freaking “comfort.” For a literal global pandemic’s worth of people, they are a curse. He knows that very well, of course. Like Verano says, he’s making a calculated move of suppressing the truth to sell drugs to junkies. Always a lucrative business.

I’ll look out for one of those books, Kazz. It sounds a good thing to take shopping.

Millmoll, do which you feel will be most encouraging! I’m doing it daily now, but I expect weight loss will slow up, so might switch to less often later on.

Hi! I’m on day 3….. feel ok apart from a massive headache…. carb withdrawal I imagine. Weighed myself on Tuesday and I was 15 5. Don’t know whether to weigh myself tomorrow or wait till next Tuesday…. decisions decisions x

It hasn’t even started yet and the course has already given me an insane idea for a new dish. I signed up for that class by University of Reading and Historic Royal Palaces about the feasting habits of British monarchs from Henry VIII to Victoria when I was looking for Nutrition because I saw that it only had a month and a half left of being available to free users. It’s a completed class, so you can just click through non-stop. The links, videos and integration with the resources of HRP are engrossing and sent me on numberous romps through Tudor recipes thinking of ways I could change some and marveling at how little I would have to change others. So now I have like three sligtly crazy Renaissance dishes derived from actual period sources that I want to translate to BSD.

It’s probably the sleep deprivation talking, but this is fun! I always was a book nerd. It feels like I’m back at school on the first day with my brand new Trapper Keeper and pencils sharpened to a dangerously fine point. 🙂

I basically go by the rule that any veg that grows above ground will be lower carb than any root veg apart from peas or sweetcorn. Anything green. I’ve got a little carb counting book and read it cover to cover a couple of times when I first started and it never leaves my side! You’re doing well, Squidge – a great start. 🙂

Linda I think it was the model Kate Moss who said “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!”

A quick update on my third day…down 200g. It would have been more but my sweet neighbour brought me back some cheese from Corsica because I fed her cat over the holidays. She said I didn’t get cakes for you I brought cheese! She has no idea how quickly I can suck up a lump of cheese! Cheese is my downfall..love it!

I am slowly going back to logging cals and carbs and had a huge shock; a grilled vegetable tart is one of my lunch standbys and it uses a sheet of filo pastry for each tart. I was horrified to see the cal and carb count (14g) for just one sheet…we love it (and I’m not diabetic)so we’ll continue to eat it from time to time but I’ll balance it with a modest dinner. Disappointing but a good reminder that guesswork isn’t acceptable.

Which is better for logging Fatsecret or MFP? Is there a difference? I think I used Fatsecret in the past but of course have forgotten my log in.

I also love the sound of the smoked trout, Cameron. I do buy smoked mackerel, will look out for the trout.
I agree, Natalie, it does get easier. It’s become normal for me now thanks to KOKO…I haven’t eaten white carbs for over a year now (except for 2 slices of bread on New Year’s Eve a lapse brpught on by alcohol) and I really haven’t missed them at all. Thank goodness…

I look forward to hearing about everyone’s journeys…there’s always something to learn…

Kazzee couldn’t agree more. I know there are courses for horses but pushing the same outdated ideas, especially when he chose the low carb route for himself, is just tantamount to blatant commercialism. I know this WOE is the best for me but it is difficult at the start when you consider cutting out foods that have been the mainstay for most people. But of course we know it can be done and does eventually become a new WOL.

Yes, all, I’m signing up for the course beginning on the 8th also. Great suggestion
s-g, and thanks! I like the idea of study buddies, a term I haven’t used in decades.
Something else to talk about, Theo! Seems that I’m spending more and more
time here, to the neglect of other things…I’m blessed to have an O/H who is
oblivious to a disorderly home 🙂 🙂 🙂

I spent the day at the zoo with my family.
1. Not many choices for lunch there but I ate my roast chicken and didn’t eat my chips. Only one tiny crispy piece, and that was enough.
2. It was cloudy most of the day – cool and pleasant for lots of walking – but then the sun came out and the meerkats we were watching lay on their backs in the sand, soaking up the rays.
3. 23 grams net carbs today. And that is after seven different vegetables on my plate at dinner time!

I so agree with you Kazz. Just watching it now and appalled at the sugar content. He is feeding their addictions instead of changing them.

Nonna Mary
xxx

No not me! I guess we all need to go to the ‘welcome’ area and introduce ourselves as BSDers?

I’ve edited my profile and am Verano BSD , VB, and have just signed into the welcome area.

Morning all. Like Sandy47, I was disappointed with the Tom Kerridge programme last night. He starts off stating he lost 12 stone by low carbing and ditching beer. Then his whole programme was about low calorie and low fat alternatives and shows how to make muffins for breakfast! He used sugar, honey, milk, flour, bananas, to make a 197 cal breakfast muffin – I was screaming at the tv! The people he was handing the diet packs out to were large men and women and for whatever reason, were comfort eaters. He said that low carb isn’t for everyone and some people may struggle so here are some alternative ways ….. What was so annoying, he obviously knows the effect on our bodies from sugar and refined carbs, so how he could make a programme supporting the opposite to what he knows the truth to be? Why not at least explain to the volunteers how refined carbs keep you feeling hungry and the more you eat, the more you want? It’s on BBC iplayer if anyone wants to see it. BUT, if you’re in a happy place, don’t watch! Hope this link works…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09l5mfr/tom-kerridges-lose-weight-for-good-series-1-1-comfort-food

Kazzee xx

Chewsnoo, from what I’ve read, the low carbs are the most important for controlling blood sugar, slightly less important if we’re only concerned with weight loss – but for the best results we should keep both low.

I woke up with a headache this morning. It eased after my first cup of tea. It might not be diet related though, as I sometimes got headaches before I started. Have you cut down on coffee? I think doing that can cause withdrawal headaches. If that’s what it is, they shouldn’t last long.

I’ve lost 2lb since yesterday! Total weight loss now 4lb, which I’m pleased with. My husband (who is only weighing himself weekly) ate two chocolates yesterday, but otherwise we’ve both stayed on track and feel fine. We used to drink every night and so far it’s not been difficult to go without – I had thought that might be the hardest thing.

Oh good – will be great to have some study buddies – are you all registered under the same user names as here? Just so we recognise each other – I’m simply Theo.

Green-eyed monster rearing it’s ugly head here, Essie. 😉 I could cheerfully kill for those sneakers 😱 Not that I would, of course – I am far too gentle and like you far too much for that 😊 But I’m definitely suffering from a bit of sneaker-envy – but you can keep your snow and ice, thank you 😜

Zolou, I expect we’ll all have days when we do less well. An extra helping of salad sounds like a minor wobble not a total wipe out (to continue the surfing theme).

Sun is just coming up over the mini mountains so it will be a positive day! I really wish I could oversleep SunnyB. I usually wake around 4ish and then find it so difficult to get back to sleep …. mind racing!

Anyway yesterday…..
1. I did a little more of my jigsaw which is really relaxing.
2. Continued reading David Cavan book about diabetes but had to skip quite a bit.
Doesn’t sound too positive but it was because it’s got me closer to the end! If I start reading a book I have to finish it!
3. Made the best peppered steak I have ever made, used sriracha instead of Tabasco, and enjoyed it without guilt. It’s so good to be out of that ‘low fat’ nonsensical way of living.

Have a positive day!

S-g thanks for highlighting Futurelearn. I have just looked back at my page and I did sign up for both The Science of Nutrition and Nutrition and Well-being and still have both of them online. I think it was February last year when they stopped unlimited access unless you upgrade. Anyway I didn’t finish either course because I took ill so I’ll definitely be there with you all!

OK all signed up and also January 8th Liver Disase:Looking After Your Liver ….. think this might be very useful for me at the moment!

Hi all, I’ve registered for the 8th January course as well. I haven’t used Futurelearn before but everyone here has given it such a good write up I’m looking forward to it. As Esnecca and Theodora and others have said it will be good to study with other BSDers (although at only 7 weeks in, with a 2 week lapse over Christmas I don’t consider myself fully fledged yet).

I really think Day 3 is the hardest. That was yesterday for me, I definitely ate too much chocolate and felt miserable (from carb flu, not guilt). Since I started being strict (or trying to) on Mon, this is Day 4 for me and I feel much better. My eating is well controlled, no cravings, more energy. I am yet to eat dinner but expect to be well within limits. We spent the day at Taronga Zoo, it’s right on the harbour in Sydney on a steep hill, the giraffes get a beautiful view! But a bus (or cable car) takes you to the top then you work your way down, zig zagging across the slope, so it wasn’t too strenuous. Three hours of slow walking. And stopping a lot of course to look at the meerkats and Pygmy hippos etc.

Well done everyone sticking to this woe. Some days are hard, but mostly it gets easier.

Haha Natalie. I just read my post and had a good laugh.we are finished emptying our sheds now we have junk all over the yard and there have been some challenging discusions about what to keep and what to get rid of.tomorrow we start trying to give away or sell some stuff.The skip is full and I need to go to the recycling center.Im exhausted and sunburnt .Hopefully the scales will show a good result tomorrow .Im on the couch for the rest of today.I hope everyone is having a good day .

Lol Butterlover your first sentence reads like you can now fit your car in the garage because you lost .4 kg and you were personally taking up too much space before! Until I read on for the explanation.

JGwen I found that really interesting, and Inka13 it never occurred to me before but OF COURSE it’s not just people feeding their dogs too much, or too many treats! It’s all those commercial dog foods. Those dry foods in particular must be very high in carbs. So we’re not just damaging our own bodies, we’re unwittingly mistreating our pets, thinking we’re giving them a ‘scientifically balanced’ diet. I don’t currently own a pet, but when I’ve had dogs I couldn’t stand the smell of canned dog food so gave them dry food (often with a raw egg because it looked rather dry and unappealing) plus plenty of bones and table scraps. Definitely something to rethink for the future.

That should read the *heel* balls up around my ankles, not the hell. The hell is everywhere and it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

I have nothing but respect for your battle-the-elements gear, Theo. You will see in my next picture that I am wearing some rather unsightly and bulgy socks that are technically OH’s but will be mine until this frozen hell thaws. They’re alpaca wool socks he got from his parents for Christmas and the fact that the they are so huge on me that the hell balls up at my ankles doesn’t deter me from stealing them. They are fuzzy little furnaces and the entire world could try to pull them off of me but they’d fail.

As promised, here’s another Christmas sale treasure. They are platform sneakers by the one, the only, my cartwheel-turning forever girly-girl favorite Betsey Johnson. Like everything she does, they make me grin ear to ear. Goofy? They sure are and that’s the whole point.

https://s13.postimg.org/6gjacs1if/bets.jpg
https://s13.postimg.org/ygndx1x93/bets2.jpg

I took a course on FutureLearn once about the French Revolution and it was outstanding. A couple of the history of food subjects caught my eye when I was looking for the Science of Nutrition. I might just have to have a romp through monarchical feasting as I learn about digestion and macros. Seems like an entertaining combination.

I’ve just signed up for the January 8th course too, Theo. Let’s pack this class with BSDers, shall we?

I just Googled it and I’m familiar with it under its other name, kamut. It is massively high in carbs. One cup of it cooked has 45 grams of carbohydrates. That’s more the double my daily limit for everything I eat. The 7 grams of fiber is not bad for bread, but completely overwhelmed by the high net carb count. Protein is better than Wonder Bread at 11 grams, but significantly lower than the sprouted multigrain I used to eat when I was still labouring under the delusion that whole grains were good for me.

If you’re doing the BSD for general reasons and don’t really care about carb counting or spikes in blood sugar, a seldom-indulged dalliance with heritage grains could work for you. There are people who eat a slice of sourdough or ryvita crackers or oatmeal on a regular basis while on the BSD. You will lose weight more slowly, however, and depending on how mild your addiction really is, feeding it this kind of stuff will keep you hooked. In the end, it’s just another opiate.

Consider baking low-carb bread instead. You can do amazing things with egg whites, vinegar, psyillium husk, almond flour, coconut flour, flax seed meal, lupini flour and other non-grains. I posted these in another thread just today:

https://thebloodsugardiet.com/recipes/easy-savory-breakfast-bun/ , https://thebloodsugardiet.com/recipes/broccoli-sandwich-bread/ , https://detoxinista.com/the-secret-to-perfect-cauliflower-pizza-crust/ , https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/lupin-flour-corn-muffins/ .

Good luck!

Hi Marsie and happy New Year.
I agree that it is time we moved forward rather than keeping on, so when we are home next week I intend to move on, lose the weight I know I have gained, and then tackle the next three stone.
Oh, and well done on keeping control over the past couple of weeks- I have not been so good but have got back on track a little since New Year’s Day by ditching the white stuff, though still having too much alcohol! But we are on holiday and loving our time with the family.
X B

Hi all.
I am just starting the BSD for general health/common sense reasons and because I know I have a slight carb addiction (according to the quiz and knowing myself!!).
I see that whole grain bread isn’t given a totally bad rap and that in the weekly diet a Tuna Wrap is included. So it;s not completely banned!!
I don’t eat bread as a rule since reading the Protein Power Life Plan in 2008. But I like to bake bread when the kids come down and then enjoy eating it!
I have discovered Khorasan flour which is an ancient grain and is said to have heaps more protein and fibre in it.
Has anyone used it?? If Doctors/researchers read this, could you let me know what you think??
It will obviously still have carbs, but could I eat this on occasion???

Jackie

I meant to say please do post your seedy biscuit recipe – I’m going to try making flaxseed biscuits this week (in fact I’ve got the page with Tom Kerridge’s recipe for them open on my Kindle – 1g carb per biscuit – got his Dopamine Diet book for Christmas). Would love some crunchy biscuits to go with cheese – and I love seeds.

Marie

Talking about TK I’m off to iplayer to catch up with his new TV programme.

Hi Allie

Definitely not boring to me Allie – it’s always lovely to get these snippets from people’s lives and memories. x

Morning All.good news I lost . 4kg yesterday .we can now park the car in the garage.for the first time in 10 years . we used it as a hangout space for our 3 boys.After they left home it became a dumping ground for their stuff.now we have a selection play stations with games.bikes .every kind or sports equipment
.motor bikes stereos.microwaves to dispose of and 2 more sheds to sort out.Sorry the moral of the story is when they move out make them take their stuff.At least 2 more days of work I may lose another kilo.thanks for all you support.

Allie, I’ve joined up for the Science of Nutrition starting on 8th January, as s-g suggests – thank you s-g – and also the Nutrition and Wellbeing starting on 15th January. Just hope I can find enough time to do both concurrently. Would be good to have some buddies.

I’ve also done a few Futurelearn.com courses – mostly not health-related – and would also recommend them.

For anyone who is newly diagnosed with diabetes there is usually a short 2 week course which you can do. You’ll find it listed under the Health (and Wellbeing?) section. If you’ve done some reading around the topic you may find you already know a lot of it, but I found it useful while trying to get to grips with some of the what is diabetes – type questions. Like sunshine-girl, I’ve never paid to upgrade.

Allie – if you haven’t visited their website they also have a range of creative courses you might be interested in.

Sunshine-girl – I’m about to start one on cyber-security but the Science of Nutrition one is definitely on the list .