Haha again, Allie, doesn’t take much to lead us astray, eh?😄😉😄

But at 68, I’ll take being “naughty” as a compliment 😀

Cheers 🍷🍷🍷

You’re naughty, Theodora, and a bad influence! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Haha Allie, we’re BSD twins, obviously separated at birth and one whisked across the pond!

Verano, thanks for the suggestions, but I’m a bit of coffee afficionado (double esspresso) and adding anything at all to my precious cup, let alone cream, sounds like the work of the devil to me😱 And even before BSD I didn’t eat chocolate, but maybe I’ll give it a try. Mind you, o/h eats dark chocolate as if it’s going out of fashion, so I’d have to find a very obscure hiding place or he’d eat the lot in one sitting 😈

Allie, glad V’s suggestions sound more palatable to you, will be interested to hear how you get on. In the meantime, maybe I’ll have a glass of wine 😜

Those are great suggestions, Verano! I’m just about to place my
online grocery order for friday delivery, and I’m now going to
add to it. Thanks so much! 🙂

Theodora and Allie how about a little cream in coffee or a few squares of dark chocolate? Won’t take up too much room in your tummy but will add a few calories.

Oh Theodora, when I open my mouth I hear your words coming out!
Are you sure you aren’t my ventriloquist handler? I wonder if we
haven’t painted ourselves into a corner not wanting to go any more
below target but unwilling to gain either 🙂 I know that drinking wine
to maintain weight is neither wise or sensible, so I try not to do so
more than a few times a week, and like you I just don’t feel like
eating more. I have to force myself to put 1/2 oz. of nuts or 1/3
avocado onto my plate! I, too, feel wonderful and energetic and
don’t feel like eating for the sake of eating. Are we becoming
“nutters” do you think? 🙂 Nobody wants to walk with me either.
At 5’7” I have a long stride and my husband doesn’t do a good
job of keeping up either. By the time the walk is over I’m 1/2 –
1 block ahead of him so I’m walking alone anyway! I don’t think
that I’ve cracked “the code” on all of this either. But it feels
marvelous to know I’m not alone. Always great to chat!

Allie

Yes, luv2cook, I agree and see exactly where you’re coming from. After my dance or gym classes I always seem to weigh a pound more the next day.

It’s the specific viili starter that Happy Kombucha sells that I was recommending. It’s less stringy than viili usually is – mine is now not stringy at all – and has an excellent flavour and texture. I’ve pretty much tried them all now, and I really think this viili makes the best yogurt.

I often make labneh, too, and even more often, I strain a bit of the whey off and add chopped herbs – usually fresh dill, but sometimes garlic and green onions – and use it as a dressing or cold sauce. It goes extremely well with the beetroot falafels in the book!

I just love the flavours of fermented foods, and would choose kefir or yogurt over chocolate any day!

I can feel the holidays coming because everything just keeps speeding up! Sorry to take so long to reply — before I know it the day is gone — also the time change for daylight-savings time has left me disorganized mentally — so funny, I don’t understand why California can’t do what Arizona does and just stick to one time!
Allie, I love that you know Williams art museum — actually my daughter ended up doing their Masters in Art History there and so she lived and breathed the art museum for two years — it was an amazing program and she is SO much fun to go to a museum with now (she gets a crowd when she starts to talk about a painting) but she decided not to teach (or work in a museum) and is working on developing a women’s bicycle clothing company in the mountains — not exactly what she trained for but she is happy so we are happy.
I loved the Berkshires and my OH loved them too and he is often rabble-rousing about buying a house there, however, they have long cold winters and I really don’t know if he truly understands how that would be (he grew up in Los Angeles).
I might like to spend some summers there — east coast summers are insanely beautiful.
And wow, Harvard legacies in your family! I would love my granddaughters to try for Harvard (or Williams) –I told their parents that they should move internationally for their school years and that would help them get in. It must be incredibly hard to get accepted — kudos on all the hard work in your family.
Mary, it’s not rude to ask about my dad, I am the one who brought it up! I like your thought that he must have loved my mom very much to stay married for fifty plus years, despite the fact that he is gay.
They were married about 47 years before she found out and it was only when he was diagnosed with full-blown AIDS that the doctors insisted he tell her.
It was a very damaging bombshell to my whole family, and especially my mom, but they stayed together until she died (ten years ago).
We have all come to grips with the history of it now — each child has their own “take” on it — he is still my Dad and he is still here, he had a very successful response to the anti-viral drugs — he is not well now but honestly, he is a strong person.
Kazz — did you make it to the end of the fast? I might have just eaten something at the 35 hour mark and there is NO way I could have watched a cooking show — ha ha — self-induced torture — I can’t even watch TV sometimes because all the pizza ads make me hungry! I am a See-food, eat-food person — have you ever heard that joke? “I’m on a sea-food diet — I see food and I eat food” — I know it’s an old one!
I love the articles being cut out by moms everywhere! My mother was famous for cutting articles from the newspaper and mailing them with just a scribble on top “thought you’d like this” — we called them mailbox-spider food!
Electrician coming today to install a new thermostat! Yay, I am always too hot in this house — the BSD has revved up my metabolism and the inaccurate thermostat is killing me! I think my metabolism has gone on overdrive and I really do attribute it to eating BSD friendly foods and low-carb.
Take care all — have a great day (wherever you are!!)

Esnecca, well done on reaching your lowest weight to date. Have no idea how I managed to miss that fantastic announcement over the weekend!

Krysia, I’m with Esnecca – took real guts to teach Pilates pre-BSD. Take my hat off to you, well done.

Welcome aboard SunnyB, and congratulations yet again on returning from your wonderful, extended holiday still at target.

Personally, I still love black and I have bought some new black clothes – dressy ones to be sure, my casual wardrobe has seen a new injection of colour. Though, like you, all my new clothes are of the “skinny” variety, all super-fitted.😝

Allie, I eat approx. the same amount of protein as you, give or take a few daily variations. My exercise consists solely of walking – a lot of it though, 2 big bouncy dogs see to that. I have always given them 2 x 90 mins walks a day. That used to add up to approx. 6 miles in total, these days it is over 10 miles because I walk so much faster. When o/h walks with me, he used to complain about how slow I was, saying I didn’t walk, I ambled. These days, however, it is more likely to be him who is lagging behind (and he is super fit – thinks nothing of cycling 60 – 80 miles for “fun”!!!) I don’t do any weights though (other than carrying vast amounts of shopping), what with 3 hours a day walking, I don’t have time for any extra over exercise!

I don’t think I have got this maintenance thing sussed yet, despite 6 months practice. I don’t know about “starvation mode” my metabolism seems to have gone into overdrive. I am eating up to my TDEE (and beyond some days) but
I too am at my lowest weight since my 20s (40 years ago) and dropped yet another pound this morning. Weighed in at 110lbs (7st 12lbs ; 49.89kg), so 9lbs below target. I guess I am going to have to force myself to eat more, but I really don’t feel hungry and it seems pointless to eat for the sake of it – that’s why we all put on weight in the first place after all, and I don’t want to go there again! The days I don’t lose any seem to be the days I drink alcohol, but I would prefer to give my new, healthier liver at least 4 days rest a week, and I’m not sure I should be drinking alcohol in order to maintain (though I oh so easily could😜) Oh well, I’ll just have to eat a few more nuts, or cheese or something I guess, but hope my body adjusts and the whole thing stabilises soon. On the plus side, I cannot remember when I last felt healthier, more energetic etc. so all good there.😊

The night time toilet visits should reduce as your body adjusts, but try to drink the bulk of your fluid intake during the day and limit intake an hour or so before bedtime, so that most of the necessary elimination happens before you settle for the night. Hopefully that will help to limit the number of times you need to get up during the night.

Allie, My lovely grandie, Noodle has just left with her mother and the news is…I get to have her every other Wednesday from now on as my DD with be going into work. Yay. I get to play with my lovely baby and give her back later.

Kazz, as long as you are sure. I very, very rarely get hungry and quite often used to forget to eat. I have to say today I could see such a difference in my daughter. She has really lost weight, in just 2 weeks. I am such a proud Mother! You job sounds very high powered and stressful. I hope you have a good unwind programme! Your mom sounds great. My mother once asked me what my friends thought of me being fat! I told her they are my friends because of who I am, not what I am!

We have a financial advisor coming in a bit. Hopefully, he can tell us the best way to handle the house etc. We are thinking about equity release, but something in the back of my mind is telling me just to sell up! Will let you know later.

Lots of love,
Mary
xxx

Hi RBeany – thanks for that link, think I have seen the Happy Kombucha site before, I will take a look anyway.

I have made labneh (a young cheese) from kefir before, but thanks for the reminder that it can be used for cheese, as it had completely slipped my memory. Haven’t tried kashk before, but it looks interesting and a good way of using up excess produce. Didn’t know kefir could be used as a sourdough starter. I’ve never been a big bread eater, but I actually don’t mind a little sourdough occasionally and my OH likes breads, so I might give that a try sometime.

Thanks again for the links and info. Much appreciated.

Hi Alliecat,

I’ve just read your post about your Mother and wanted to mention something that’s happened with me recently.

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been thinking about giving up my cups of tea (with milk). I’m only having 20g carbs and the tea uses too many of these, especially as I’m slipping back into having more each day. But each time I think about it, I feel this emotion welling up. I know it’s to do with my Mum who died a couple of years ago. For all my adult life when we got together the first thing we’d do is have a cup of tea and chat about anything and everything, then have another cup of tea and chat some more. I’m just really struggling to give up that bloody tea. I know I will give it up but think I’m going to also have to feel sad for a time as well.

It’s funny the emotions this process throws up and you find yourself having to deal with.

It was just a hunger wave, Mary, I’m fine now 🙂 Like you, I’ve only done 24 hrs before! I’m not sure I’d do it on a regular basis but I just want to see if it makes any significant difference. If it does, I guess I’d do it again!

Allie – I feel sad for you too, that your mum didn’t get to see your amazing achievement. But you know how very very proud of you she would be! If there’s such a thing as an afterlife, you bet she knows! 🙂 I don’t mind at all you asking what I do – I’m a personal assistant at a law firm. Been at this particular firm 20 years. I go down to our London office occasionally because I organise events as part of the role but generally I don’t do much travelling nowadays. I organise a lot of it though with 2 partners whizzing all over the place! I support 5 people in total so it does get busy!

And on that note, I’d best crack on! 🙂
See you tomorrow xxxxx

Hey Mary, do you have Noodle, today??

Luvtcook – How clever of you to find me over here! I bounce around
on a number of different threads, and haven’t had an opportunity to
get back to the one where we usually talk 🙂 I did go straight thru
for the 10 months without any breaks because I felt so healthy
and energetic that I couldn’t think of any valid reason to stop.
I did indeed worry about loss of muscle mass and optimal nutrition,
though. 18 years prior I was on a very calorie restricted diet (500-
600 per day) In retrospect, protein was probably 35gm a day. After
5 months I was getting brushfuls of hair in my hairbrush each day
so I choose to stop. Prior to beginning this program I did some
research on the net and found that the recommended amount
varied widely between bodybuilding/gym rat sites an others. Some
people use 50gm as a figure, but what I’ve found the best way
to calculate requirements is a formula I found on this site by
a poster I don’t see around much these days. It made sense to
me and I’ve been following it from June 2016. It’s 1 gm protein
for every 1-1.5kg of IDEAL body weight. A kg is 2.2 lbs. I just
divide 138 lbs by 2.2, arriving at @ 62gm of protein. I don’t
usually don’t get that much ea. day though, probaby 50-55gm.
The differential of 1-1.5 seems to do with how hard and how often
people lift weighs, etc. I mostly do brisk walks and lift 5lbs weights
a few times a week, so rely on the 1 kg figure, not 1.5. There is also
a website called World’s Healthiest Foods, whfoods.com that is
very useful for researching the vitamin/mineral content of vegetables,
etc. I’ve learned a great deal from it, and manage to include foods
that I think are lacking in the Fast800. I hope this helps! I’ll be
keeping an eye out for your posts!

Allie

Hi Everyone – Thanks for starting a Maintainer’s Thread MnM, as others have said, it’s been needed. Hope it’s okay to tag along too, as I am keen to maintain and not slip backwards.

Having recently returned for holiday, I still haven’t quite got my head back in the zone, but I’m happy that I am below target and aim to keep it that way. Have started weighing daily again, which I find helps to keep me focused. Although I’m still below target, I’m keen to build in a few pounds wriggle room again, but have yet to get back to counting calories and carbs, which is something I need to get a handle on in the next few days. That said, I have broadly been sticking to the BSD principles, with a few relatively small transgressions – no major carb-feasts.

Exercise is STILL something I need to get a proper handle on and that is something else I am keen to sort out in the next couple of weeks. Like everything else, it is a question of habit and one I need to cultivate.

Well done to everyone who is successfully maintaining.

Allie, given you were on the BSD for a longer stretch than many, did you have any nutrition issues especially with keeping up your protien? With so low a calorie allowance, I am finding it a challenge to “eat the rainbow” and get in enough of the key nutrients for a balanced diet. So much of the stuff the dietitians throw at us is not reseach based and more “tradition” than anything. Did you have any issue maintaining muscle mass? Did you take any breaks between 8 week cycles, or just powered on until you hit your goal? Ditto for the others, as I am no sure how many months others did BSD as well.

Good morning all!
Mothers will always be mothers, regardless of their ages or
ours, I believe. Kazzi, one of the things that saddens me the most
is that my Mother died before I had found the way out of obesity and
disability. I’m sure that it caused her much stress and anxiety. I
wish that I had been able to give her that gift.

Last evening I had 2 glasses of Chardonnay, and I’m starving at
9:00am! I can hear my stomach growling…loudly.

Kazz, I’d be really interested to know your profession, if that isn’t
too personal of a question. Do you have to do any traveling? You
seem to keep long hours when the commuting time is figured in.
It makes me feel quite lazy, by comparison! At least I can take
a brisk walk or lift some weights today 🙂

Wishing you all a joyful day,

Allie
xoxo

Hi Yowser49 – It’s really nice to see you posting again! I’m sorry to
hear that your lymphatic system isn’t functioning well. I’m one who
has shed 146lbs following this WOE. I have stayed at <20g of carbs
throughout the journey, but now that I have been successfully
maintaining for @ 6 1/2 months the max I currently allow is 30-35.
For those who need a lot of variety to keep interested, this may
not be of interest to you. My philosophy has been to keep it simple.
All my proteins are clean and lean, i.e., wild fish, free range chicken
breast, 1 x month pastured/grass finished steak, 1 x month roast
pork tenderloin, hardboiled organic eggs, organic greek yogurt.
I do still count grams of protein, according to LindaA’s formula:
1 gr of protein per kg of IDEAL body weight. Just about all of
my fat comes from plant based sources, i.e., 1/2 oz of almonds
or walnuts, 1/3 avocado, olive oil, 1 tbs chia seed, 1 tbs raw
unsweetened cacao nibs. I do include small portions of roasted
orange vegetables, 1/2 a carrot or 1/3 c roasted butternut squash
for the betacarotene value. My green vegetables consist of kale
or other bitter greens included in soups, as well as either cruciferous
vegetables, i.e., broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts or 8 oz.
of steamed spinach ea. day. The following will bring you in @
16-18 net carbs per day:

Breakfast: 1/2 c greek yogurt
8-10 small raspberries
1 Tbs each of chia seeds and raw unsweeted cacao

Lunch: hardboiled egg and avocado in a spinach salad or
2 hb eggs with 1/4 c raw unpasteurized kimchi/kraut or
1 c. soup w/ a hardboiled egg

Dinner: 3-3.5 oz of animal protein
1 c. broccoli or 8 oz steamed spinach
1/2 c mashed squash, or roasted califlower, or an
occasional 1/2 a roasted 6″ carrot or 1/2 a roasted beet

Snack, if needed: 8-10 nuts

The warm weather is over here in the northeast region of the U.S.
so we’re pretty much past dinner salads with added ptotein for
dinner, but we made ample use of them in the summer months.
Perhaps this will help?

Best wishes,

Allie

AngS, FYI I have often found that when I up my exercise (to the point where my muscles really hurt the next day) the scales show and increase due to the swelling in my muscles. And bingo, happened to me today.

I am doing the eliptical trainer twice a week (walking and Tai Chi on other days) and I raised the resistance setting yesterday a notch. Scales show 1.5 lb increase this morning which I know is just the muscle soreness as have been squeeky clean on my carbs and calorie counts this week. And I do expect that over time I should see some increase from real muscle being added. I wish I had a clue as to how much weight is actually ends up being muscle, but a study found that older adults put on bed rest for just 10 days lost 1 lb of muscle in their legs alone. Also, after age 40, people typically lose 8 percent or more of their muscle mass each decade unless they engage in stengthening exercieses (weight bearing, or resistance). So if you have not actively excercised in a while and now start, you are likely to put back on some of the muscle lost. It should result in faster weight loss down the road….but sure is discouraging when you see it hit the scales and mask your weight loss in the short run.

Hi s-g good to see you doing so well. I do read the November thread but don’t post often, as you say, it can get a bit obsessive. How was the Mindfulness course? I started it but I just couldn’t get into it. I remember many years ago, before some surgery, I had a session with somebody and was given a ‘relaxation’ tape, but it just didn’t do it for me. I don’t think I have the patience. Is your new course a follow on? I must admit to signing up for quite a few courses this year but haven’t had the staying power. Maybe next year, now that my hip seems to be sorted.

I won’t forget if you don’t……

Oh Kazz is it worth it if you feel so hungry? I can only do 24 hours because I don’t feel hungry but I can’t go shopping without wanting to buy everything in sight!

You are amazing. I hope you get good results!

Lots of love
Nonna Mary
xxx

Mary – I’m at 41 hours into the fast and could gnaw my arm off….! I’m going to make a black coffee and fill my water bottle…. I did sleep badly last night and I’m sure feeling tired makes you hungry! I shall persevere until tonight where I have steamed greens and beef stew to look forward to! I only have to chuck it in the microwave!

Kxx

Allie – I think, reading between the lines, my mum is quietly relieved that I’m finally getting to grips with this WOE and doing something at last. When I have to sit down because of backache, whilst she’s paying at the till, is not a good thing! Plus, I do very much take after my father’s side of the family and he died age 59 – 21 years ago. I’m only 4 years off that. It’s like the unspoken thing! “Oooh, you’re just like your father” are the words that echo frequently! She cuts out articles about any health thing relating to IBS, Psoriasis for me, in fact, she’s saving the BSD series this week in the newspaper for me (even though I can read it all online) but I don’t tell her that…. 🙂 We all get snippets of articles whenever we meet up! 🙂 She posts them to my sister and my uncle who live further afield. We’d be disappointed NOT to receive them! 🙂

Kxx

SUPERB news PB !!! You must be elated. How are your BSL levels looking?

I should say “was” like giving up cigarettes, now it doesn’t appeal at all and when I have snuck a small slice once in a blue moon, it tasted sweet, smelled yeasty and was horrible!

Hi Veiled1 – That’s a bloody awesome result after one week – well done!
I’ve made porridge on a Sunday – enough for 3 days which I kept in the fridge and just microwave a portion each morning. In the end I ditched breakfast! So much easier not to have to worry about it or crave the toast! It did desolate me in the beginning but once the inches and pounds start to drop, you feel great! Giving up bread is like giving up cigarettes to me. 🙂

Hello there,

I am just starting out on the plan this week and very exited about what I have read . My question is can anyone recommend a meal replacement shake that is reputable and reasonably priced?

Many Thanks

Rebecca

Hi Yowzer,
I’m also sorry to hear about the lymphoedema and lipodaema and hope that the 20g carbs helps to relieve your symptoms. I’m 13 weeks (or maybe 14) into BSD and have been keeping to 20g carbs – and I promise if I can do it anyone can. It’s been working well in that I’ve lost weight and my blood glucose levels have come down. But, I can’t really offer advice as I know I haven’t got it quite right yet – it has been a bit of a scramble at times. The issue I found is balancing eating up to my 800 cals whilst making sure I stay at 20g carbs. Also, in the last few weeks I’ve relied too much on animal protein i.e. meat and green veg (but that’s just me). So, this is a really helpful question and a great reply from Esnecca. I’ll be trying a lot of these things out, too.

Now your back, hope you keep posting and let us know how you get on. Fantastic weight loss by the way.
Marie x

NB Liverpool is my home town also. It’s many years since I lived there but I go back a lot to visit family and still call it home.

Hi V, I am still here reading but not posting as much as I am also on the November challenge. I have to cut down on my posts as I get a bit obsessed with the site. I still like to see if there are any newbies needing help but tend not to jump in so much if others have also answered. It is a matter of time management as I have been doing a Futurelearn Mindfulness course and starting another one around 12th November. Plus I have just bought another French course to mix things up a bit and get back some enthusiasm. Well done one reaching your lowest weight even though there are ups and downs. I was down yesterday but up 200 gr this morning hey ho.

Dont forget to keep on keeping on…

Hello everyone, hi again SunnyB, we have been around together a long time, also with Verano and KrysiaD – seems like old times. Marie123 you must have hit the back arrow at the left top of the page, that takes you back to where you were before you posted, i.e. no post. After posting always use the Forums key and pick All Recent Topics to take you back to the main list of topics.

I dont know what happened but I too had a little gain this morning. Might be that I didn’t use the toilet yesterday or that I added some cheddar cheese to my evening snack, although you wouldn’t think going 100 cals over would cause a problem. I think we have to accept that our bodies are used to v.l. cals and, as those in maintenance know, reintroducing more is a slow process. Anyway I am not there yet but a glitch can also be for no reason at all so I dont get upset about it.

This morning I had a 45 min brisk walk in and around out village with a stop of at our new tea shop. My favourite is called The Des Anges, tea of the angels and it is jasmine and lemon verbena – no biscuits, honest. Biscuits are not my thing.

I posted earlier about my weight being the same as last week but forgot to mention that I smashed my step goal – was aiming for 70;000 for the week and actually got to 92,500 steps 🙂

Well, I just wrote a long post and lost it, so will keep it brief.

Any chance of changing the weigh-in to Monday?!?. If I’d weighed in on Monday I’d have reported reaching my first Nov Challenge target of 10st 13lb (a 1lb loss) but weigh-in on Tuesday and I was back up to 11 stone. Oh well, so be it.

The good news is I started doing Pilates last week. I’ve done it twice now and so far I’m enjoying it. I also went to the Gym on Monday and quite liked going on the equipment. Early (very) days but a good start. Still walking and beginning to enjoy it. I’d like to lose 4lbs this month, so still do-able, but my main focus is to broaden out the range of food I’m eating to make sure this woe is sustainable, so I’m going to tuck myself up at home, search through the recipes on here and start cooking.

Some great reports yesterday. It’s always lovely to hear when lots of people are doing well. May it continue, and for all of us, in the coming week.
Marie x

Hi SunnyB

I got my starter from here: https://happykombucha.co.uk/products/viili-yogurt-starter.

My kefir often goes thick, too, and I love it like that. The viili, however, is much milder and has a creamier texture than the thickened kefir does, although my thinner kefir is very creamy. My husband loves the viili, but he doesn’t like kefir. I give spare kefir grains to the dog or the hens to eat, and they love them. I am thinking of eating them myself, and have always meant to experiment with recipes! I also always have a backup in the freezer of both kefir grains and vili culture. There are plenty of recipes online for making cheese with excess kefir, and there’s also this recipe for kashk, which I haven’t tried yet: http://www.bottomofthepot.com/2014/03/homemade-kashk.html. See here: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jul/19/kashk-kishk-recipes-yotam-ottolenghi for recipes to use it in. I’m sure excess kefir and viili could be used for that. I also use kefir for a sourdough starter…but of course such things are not oin th emenu at the moment.

Thanks ESNECCA! like VERANO said,what a fab reply! Thats so helpful and inspiring. The sesame noodles sounds fantastic,i love the taste of sesame! X

Sorry to hear of your problems Yowzer but glad to see that you’re back here to try and solve them.

Esnecca what a wonderful and concise reply. I have only been below 20g once and that was by accident but after reading your post I think I will try harder to limit my carbs.

Hi Brava you don’t say how far into the 8 weeks you are but it seems quite common to plateau after around 3 weeks and can last for a week or two. I can’t help you with fat and protein but most people stay below 50g of carbs a day especially if they have diabetes. The most common figure for carbs is 30g a day, but that is an arbitrary figure, with some people needing to stay below 20g to lose weight. I think it may be a case of trial and error. Enjoy your journey.

WEEK 3 DAY 1

Good morning

Week two is done and dusted so let week 3 commence!

We seem to have lost quite a few people from the start of this short journey but hopefully the ‘remainers’ are all managing to refocus.

Well done Caronl that’s a great start for you. You will find that you eventually lose the ‘taste’ for potatoes etc. just try to persevere. Planning is essential and water is also but for some reason lots of us find it difficult to get enough each day. Just one point other liquids do count as well such as tea/coffee soup etc. Water is the drink of choice but if you manage 1.5lts a day that should be sufficient. Somebody will put me right about that I’m sure! I don’t know if you are following the MM series in the Daily Mail at the moment but it has some good tips, one of which is planning ahead. You can get the Mail online to catch up with the series. I remember in my early days here I used to plan my day’s meals ahead on fatsecret, never could do more than a day at a time, but it did help me to stay away from very carby foods.

So for my second week I have had a miraculous loss, not large at 1/2lb, but a loss I wasn’t expecting. This day last month I was at my lowest ever BSD weight and I’m only 2.5lbs above that now so I’m not feeling totally despondent. In fact I think I am really refocusing and getting my mojo back …. thank goodness.

Very interesting post about exercise Ancient Weaver it makes me feel far less guilty but I must do my resistance exercises more regularly!

Have a good day and hope this week sees some real steps forward towards our goals.

Well done, AnneF. Strong willpower you have. I too love chips, but haven’t had one since starting the BSD. I was a pound up yesterday, but it’s come off again. Still waiting patiently for that magic 8 on my scales. I really need to try to increase my exercise regime…

Agree with the superb support from others. Thanks to everyone on here. It’s the best forum I’ve ever been on. Thanks, AnneF for starting it. This forum has really helped me so much. 😄

Morning all challenge buddies and well done to all you losers and maintainers out there, and if your loss wasn’t quite what you were hoping for think on these words of wisdom from my mum – ‘if you lose a pound count it as two – the one that you lost and the one that you didn’t put on!!’

I am also posting a loss this week of 1.75lbs which I’m really pleased about. One, because I faffed about for the first half of the week and only really stuck to it for 4 days and two, I am back in the 9’s which is a blessed relief.

I, like mokovex, feel like I am back in the game and have been able to resist the tonne of cakes (there’s STILL cake!!), straying only to the odd square of dark chocolate if I’m desperate (twice in 4 days).

Have a good hump day all
TC xx

I started on the 6th Nov, and I have always had trouble going to the toilet during the night to do a wee due to prostate problems. I have been drinking all the water that I should and I am now going to the loo about six times a night. Will this tail off as I become acclimatised to the extra water, I certainly hope so. 🙂 I am retired so can rest during the day but I hope it gets better.

Hi, I have started the 8 week plan and lost weight rapidly to start with. I’ve been stuck at the same weight now for a week despite following the recipes carefully. I’d like to see if portion size is a factor and thought I’d track calories using MFP. In order to set a goal I need to be able to enter the percentages of fat, protein and carbs that make up the 800 daily calories. Skimming through the 8 week book, I can’t find this information and I wonder if anyone has the answer please? It would be useful to see if the three meals I make in a day are in fact coming in at more than 800 calories.

Good morning,

I am thrilled to report a 700g loss this week though the thrill was tainted when logging as I realised I weighed 200g less than this 2 months ago. I really have been up and down since. During that time I weighed less frequently and stopped logging and even though I kept to the principles I think I was consuming too many high calory foods like cream, cheese and butter so now I completely understand what I have to do. I’m also going to sign up to MFP or Fat Secret again and try to reduce my carbs.

Good luck to everyone!

Have a great day everyone

Annie x

Hi all. An early post on a busy day. I’ve been following the conversations with interest – particularly on exercise, where I do little more than a lot of walking at the moment. Time for some resistance exercises I see!

Anyway at the end of week 2 (but for me 12 days, as a late starter), I have lost a further 1.2 kilos, 2lbs 10oz. So 3.2 kilo, just over half a stone since I started. I hadn’t realised it was half a stone until typing this, so now feeling reasonably content. I can see a difference in my face and slowly-emerging waist, which is really encouraging.

I can’t say that I found this week easy. I do miss potatoes/rice etc. But I am trying to make do with hummus, cauliflower etc. For the coming week, I want to plan a bit better so that I vary things a bit, drink more water (which I still find a struggle), and carry on with 5:2. I also plan a browsing trip to find some nice clothes to buy nearer Christmas!

Good luck to everyone for the coming week. I’m thinking of the pink top and pom poms!

Hi there all, hopping on as although I reached my first target (64kg – yay) I have decided to lose some more and get down to 60kg, mid range healthy BMI for me. As of today 63.6kg, lowest so far and 13kg of weight loss since 8 August (😁😁😁😁).

Was floating about 64kg for a bit, then it went up (I weigh every day, so this is in the space of a few days) so am refocusing and concentrating again. Low, low carb first, calories second (portion control more than actual counting at the moment but if that doesn’t work I will get MFP out again).

So, my aim by 28/11 is to be 62.6kg so I can say I lost 14kg. Leaving breakfast as late as poss, only 2 bits dark chocolate a day and green veg with the protein.

When I am 60kg I will go to the Dr and get cholesterol etc measured, can’t face it yet in case I have to give up cheese!

Juliet, I think that I too will only weigh myself once a week; they can become a bit obsessive can’t they?
We have a big family buffet that I’m hosting later this month (everyone brings a plate and the table can end up looking a bit beige). Always a danger zone for me and has led me off the straight and narrow on more than one occasion to the point when you throw your hands in the air, declare yourself a failure and put it down to yet another failed dieting attempt. BUT, I shall plan ahead! I think I’ll make some individual quiches and a big salad, I may even make the very yummy salad I had for lunch today. I’ll make sure everyone takes their leftovers with them and anything beige that gets left will go straight in the bin.

Allie, thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions of which there were many!!! I found your carb restriction interesting; I haven’t really thought about that, just picking recipes from the ones shown although avoiding very obvious carbs like bread, rice, pasta, etc. It would be interesting to sit down and work out the carbs in a typical day. I remember when I was on it before also losing all interest in carbs and I can’t wait to get to that stage again! How many calories do you eat a day or are you only counting carbs?

Have a good day fellow BSDers!

Love Marianne

Well done Macloud and AngS on your losses :-). Isn’t it great to see those scales come tumbling down!

I totally agree Luvtcook, to have long term maintenance guys joining this forum to carry on supporting us newbies is brilliant! Such a lovely thing – thank you 🙂

Test of willpower for me yesterday – dinner in fantastic fish restaurant that offers unlimited, refillable chips ( and I have been before and I know their chips are good!). Didn’t even go there…. Grilled fish and salad thank you…it was delicious, I really missed the chips, but they are not my sort of food. ‘I don’t eat that, it’s bad for me, my body does not like it!’ That’s gotta be my mantra – it’s working – fasting blood back to normal levels for the past couple of days!!

Happy Wednesday everyone 🙂