Luvtcook, as far as adding carbs back in occasionally is concerned, I think it depends on whether you are addicted and / or diabetic. Fortunately, I am neither and so, whilst I went really low carb for my 2 back to back rounds of 800 (averaged between 20 – 25g a day) and was incredibly strict and focused throughout, now that I am on maintenance, I happily allow myself a few extra (err….sshhhhh…..refined) carbs occasionally. But I do make sure they are ones worth eating and do it very mindfully. For example, I love moules, but they just aren’t the same without frites so when we go for supper at my favourite waterside pub, that’s what I have. Or, sometimes I’ll have a piece of wonderful artisan bread. And, boy do I enjoy them – but they are occasional treats, enjoyed all the more because I don’t have them often – and therein lies the secret. If we start eating empty carbs again regularly, we will be back where we began our journeys. And, anyway, I have totally lost any inclination to eat rice / pasta / potatoes (other than the aforementioned frites) or any bread which isn’t well worth the eating.

Throwing in a fast day after such an indulgence will certainly undo any small damage done “weight-wise” and, as mentioned above, it is an important maintenance tool in my armoury.

V – please don’t worry about it, I’ve certainly made up for it today and will, hopefully, be back on track with my water tomorrow. Really pleased that you have managed to drink a bit more, well done.

Mary, I suggest you build up to fasting gradually – how are you on, say 16 / 8?

PS Further to stairs without handrails, I have made the conscious decision to always put on my trousers / socks etc standing up, and not steadying myself on anything other than the one leg. Took some doing to start with, but easy peasy now.😁

Hello. May I join you all please? I am a long-time lurker on this site, and had some success with the diet, losing 33kg between April and November last year. I had just over 8kg to go to reach the top of my healthy BMI but a combination of circumstances has led me to fall off the wagon and put back 14kg since January. My epiphany moment came on Saturday when I carried some shopping up 5 flights of stairs and realised I was struggling with it -and it only weighed half of what I had put back on! So I started again yesterday and hope to see some improvements soon. I am joining the forums so I can both be encouraged to eat healthily and so I am publicly accountable for my food intake!

Wow, Esnecca – my pompoms have gone into overdrive!

The boots sound AWESOME – feeling quite jealous😝😜😉 Feeling another little boot shopping trip coming on, as I bought myself a pair of black suede heeled boots just last week, but by no stretch of the imagination could they be described as “hot”, more “practical” 😁

But what a way to celebrate – beats a food treat any day of the week!

Luvtcook – I have definitely found servers are much more accommodating when they realise I am not just being ‘high maintenance’. It would be lovely to think that the world will catch up with us and realise that all the starchy carbs are bad for us. So we are actually ‘trail blazers’ until then.

You are right that this is a revolution in obesity and T2 diabetes.

We are so lucky as we will not go blind or lose our toes or feet. For me that is a major incentive to keep going on this forum and the BSD.

Verano – I do agree that the medical profession is lagging behind us and are still promoting out of date ideas. It is absolutely up to us to spread the word. I carry on posting on this forum because it helps me so much. Maybe people who stop posting don’t need that support and carry on effortlessly with the BSD.

Allie – your cruise idea would be awesome.

Love the sound of those boots, Esnecca, they sound amazing! And a great reaction from your OH. Sadly, I can’t wear heels that high anymore – my feet just won’t bend enough. I did get a great reaction from my OH, when I put on a jumpsuit I bought recently. Bought it online and expected to be sending it back, but it is fabulous on and makes me feel great – OH said hubba, hubba, so it definitely didn’t get sent back!

Feeling better about things this week, a I am slowing clawing back a little of that wriggle room again. Getting back to the 800/20 and 16:8 has helped with that and I’m feeling in control, even with a couple of cocktails at the w/e.

Here’s hoping that your weigh-in tomorrow is not as bad as you’re fearing, sunshine-girl. Make sure you make today count and you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised when you get on those scales.

Think I’m doing okay-ish at regaining a bit of wriggle room. I have a small loss at the moment, but won’t post anything on that until tomorrow. Over the w/e I allowed myself a little latitude and had a couple of cocktails and one tiny roast potato. Resisted the macaroons in the fridge and between meal nibbling, which I was tempted to do yesterday. Didn’t count anything over the w/e, but did so Wed, Thur and Fri and am doing so today. Have decided to a counted 800/20 during the week (not withstanding any unexpected eating out) and allow myself a little more freedom on w/e’s. Hopefully that way I can keep things under control.

Best of luck to us all when we step on the scales tomorrow – will look forward to the reports.

Thank you so much. I have been adding in 10g of carbs each day so will substitute almond milk today. I think that is the only part of my diet that I haven’t recorded so it will be fascinating to see what happens. I’m most grateful for these helpful comments.

Allie: impossible …. can’t be ….. stairs without rails ….. who could even imagine

Hi troops!

Just a quick pop in as am at work and taking late break…

EC – so good to see you again… glad you are on the mend. Thanks also from me, I shall also purchase some Vit Ds on the way home tonight. A very useful read. We shall crack this blasted psoriasis!

Mary – how’s the sinusitis and your grandie doing? What did you think of the results show last night? I guess even the good dancers have to experience a dance off at least once – I don’t believe the votes at all, all rigged in my opinion … bet it’s Alexandra next week against Susan or someone!!!

Allie – yes, that’s the right book. It’s an amazing read – I’m about 1/3 of the way through. Yes, it is quite off putting when you think how toxic it is to the brain. I’ve dropped you a very quick email. So, tell us about what clothes you ordered then?

I should imagine everyone is getting run off their feet with Thanksgiving this Thursday. It is Thursday and not Friday?

Okay my lovelies, see you tomorrow. Normal service should resume now I’ve had chance to catch up with over 500 emails!

Kazzzeeeee xxxx

Hi Luvtcook I’ve been BSDing for almost 17 months since July 2016 and I really don’t miss those sort of carbs now. I’m not at goal but have been ‘maintaining’ for almost 5 months now …. need to get back on the losing track again …. but I really coudn’t eat sushi, which I loved, or noodles or rice again. They just no longer hold any appeal. The other problem is that once you ‘allow’ yourself the odd carb heavy food the easier it becomes to have more and more and it becomes like a slippery slope. Also if you do eat too many carbs you end up ‘hungry’ again.

I did enjoy dim sum my favourite being Har Gow but trying a piece several months ago it was just slimy! I certainly don’t miss it now!

Way to go Luvtcook….I was going to fast for 24 hours, but at 2pm today I felt very strange. I waited but didn’t feel any better. So I have had some Celeriac Mash, Cottage Pie that I had frozen. Feel better now. Will try the fast again tomorrow.

I have been thinking for some time that we need a “conference” or some such…so that we can meet up and discuss our triumphs and downs. Maybe MM and his wife, will be able to help in that direction?

Take care peoples.

Nonna Mary
xxx

Hi again, Brava – 1 cup of almond milk fulfills 45% of recommended calcium
for the day. I completely agree with Theodora, adding the yogurt will get
you where you want to go! I’m just 69, so I understand your bone density
concerns 🙂 Best of luck,

Allie

Question for all you success stories and maintainers: the principal of MM’s other diet, the 5:2 is eat “normally” 5 days a week and fast 2 days a week.

I never expect to ever be able to eat “normally” and not count carbs, but would like to know if you have any experience or luck with having a shall we say “relaxed carb day” and fast the next day, to allow for the occassional Pad Thai or Shrimp Dumpling. I can live without bread but a life with never another Dim Sum brunch would be so very sad.

Frankly, I would be thrilled to death to do a backward 2:5 and have relaxed carbs 2 days a week and do 800 cal/low carb the other 5 (with care to not have sugar spikes. Advise would be to never do carbs for supper, but brunch or lunch when you can handle them better).

Thoughts?

Not a bit of it, luvtcook! This WOL is analogous to the fountain of youth 🙂
I used to have to go up or down the stairs one step at a time, using bilateral
handrails to pull myself along the way. Now I can travel up or down without
touching the rails at all. Have faith, all things are possible 🙂 🙂 🙂

Allie

Esnecca and Theodora: thanks for the encouragement on the fast….good to know that they have been so successful for you with no problems. I do love this forum….so many knowledgeable and very helpful kindred spirits.

Verano: I have the same bathroom fears as you do. Part of it is the extra weight and the difficulty of climbing/decening stairs to a bathroom, not to mention the embarrassment of leaving the table twice when everybody else has been just fine with no breaks. Age and childbirth have reduced my effective bladder capacity to what must be walnut size and the water just seems to go straight through me. The good news is all that extra exercise. Or not. Oh well, just another challenge of aging.

I like the way you think, Luvtcook – A BSD cruise would be wonderful, be it
virtual or otherwise! Failing that, we could meet up in NYC 🙂 Maybe I
will add it to my “goals left to achieve” which thus far consists of stabilizing
my weight and 1 year in maintenance. With 33lbs down and 67 left to go,
a nice 100lb. number has the ring of symmetry to it. When you achieve
your birthday goal, we are just going to have to put our heads together and
come up with a few other mini goals to propel you forward. Keep the 100
club in your sights!
Sorry to hear about your ex, though I’m glad it didn’t turn out to be life
threatening. A stressful night, for sure!
I’m off to put together an ingredient list for the long holiday weekend.
I’ll be hanging out in the kitchen while o/h watches college football,
working on Mary’s (JoesNonna) recipe for kimchi as well as yours for
cauliflower/red pepper soup. I’ll let you know how they turn out. I need
to get this done tomorrow. You know that it will be “crazy town” on
weds at the grocery store. I bet your brother will be in for a big change
in your appearance when he comes in from Pittsburgh for the holiday 🙂
It gives me enormous pleasure to be able to say “talk to you later!”

Love,

Allie

That is a GREAT strategy Ali……I do the same. If you decide ahead of time when you are in more of a motivated logical frame of mind, you will be so much better off. And do not hesitate to tell them you can’t have the potatoes and rice, and could you please have a second vegetable instead. The cold will go away once your metabolism “get it”. Heavy socks for now.

Theo so very sorry to hear that my challenge has mucked you up so much. I can understand how difficult it must be to change you water drinking and I suppose there’s nothing clever in taking a backwards step in your wellbeing.

Water consumption improving again today. I think the answer is to never go out then the subconscious fear of being unable to find an accessible bathroom would disappear ….. maybe that’s a bit drastic!

Promise you Allie I am doing my very best. Already on my third 500ml for today and it’s only lunch time so I have great hopes for today!

Sometimes it’s just the little things that can kick start you again. Last night we were eating out with friends who we’ve not seen for several months. One said I look younger every time he see’s me, well not sure about that but another said wow you have lost weight your face is so slim. In actual fact I’m the same weight as when we last met the only difference is that I am no longer wearing my ‘fat clothes’. There is a moral somewhere in there. Today I had a phone call to say how well I look now that I’m pain free and yes that does have something to do with it, but I think it’s mainly due to weight loss and a slightly shorter haircut! Nonetheless, they have all given me a boost and so today I’m feeling much brighter and back on track.

So although I can’t ‘see’ you I just want to compliment you all on your achievements and say how much better you are looking, and how much healthier you are since you started this journey. You all look great! So let’s carry on and see if we can drop down into that next stone and look and feel even better!

Hi all, I am still here but not going near the scales until tomorrow as I am sure I will be crying. I will be getting my head back into gear from now on. The first thing that popped into my email box this morning was a message from Joe Wicks (the diet guru) giving me 4 tips to keeping motivated. Yeah must check that out.

See you all tomorrow.

Brava, how about some lovely full fat Greek yoghurt (my favourite is Total Fage) for breakfast, plenty of calcium in that, plus protein and good fats – add a few berries and a nut or two and it makes for a wonderful, filling breakfast which feels quite decadent. In fact, I’m addicted to the stuff!!

Wow! This is so helpful. I had a lurking sense that perhaps I was dodging the issue. I remember years ago with Weightwatchers careful measuring out a set daily amount of Low fat milk. I will now do a daily allocation as suggested and then come clean on fat secret. I’d hate to be undermining myself, too silly. My only concern is calcium, I’m 70 and wary of problems with bone density etc. The only cheese I eat is an occasional spoonful of ricotta on mushroom toast. I’ll investigate almond milk. Thank you everyone. I

Lovetcook, well done on your fast so far. I agree, once you get your head around it, it’s not actually that difficult – I certainly never feel actual “hunger” and I have learned to consciously enjoy that “empty feeling”. Fasting is also a great maintenance tool to have in one’s armoury. I know you aren’t there yet, but you WILL be, I know, and then it comes in very useful, once or twice a month.

I enjoy fasting and have found that after one day, I generally lose a couple of pounds, but a longer one can result in much greater losses. My longest to date was 49 hours and it resulted in 4lbs loss initially, but it seems to have a kick on effect and I lost another 4lbs over the course of the next 3 – 4 days, even though I was eating normally (BSD friendly, obviously, but not weighed or calorie restricted)

In fact, I am 18 hours into a 36 hour fast atm (started at 7pm last evening), just because I was feeling rubbish after challenging Verano to change our water drinking habits – she was to drink a pint before eating, I was not allowed to drink anything at all for at least an hour before eating. This has resulted in my water consumption going way down, and my body water percentage has dropped a whopping 3% in just 3 days! So today, it’s water only for me as I really need to get hydrated again. I would continue the fast for longer, but my favourite niece and great niece are visiting tomorrow, haven’t seen them since this time last year so really looking forward to it, and we are all going out for a family lunch, so that is when I will break fast – actually it will be nearer 41 hours by then!

Good luck with the remainder of your fast – I’m off to have yet another pint of water!

PS Verano, great on your BS fall – yes, just take it and run. How’s the water consumption going?

Esnecca it looks like it could be fasting that has made my BS fall to it’s lowest ever despite no longer taking metformin. The week or so before my last HbA1c I was only having two meals a day so probably doing 15:9. I don’t know if that counts as ‘proper’ fasting but my diabetes nurse did mention fasting as a possibility for lowering BS. Anyway, I’m just going to take the new lower figure and run with it!

PS Allie: even more weird is that I also have two cats (not classy Siamese….mine rescues). Yes, our stories sound very similar.

My ex-husband (and still good friend) also a college professor. He was in town last week for a national neuroscience seminar and after having dinner at my place together with our son, had a fainting episode later in the middle of the night in his hotel room on the way to the bathroom and fell. Called me in a lot of pain (thought he had cracked some ribs), so I fetched him and spent the next 3 hrs with him in the ER doing EKGs, X-rays, blood work, the lot, to try to figure out what happened. Yep…..our stories sounding all too much alike. Note: he is fine and on the mend, hospital still not sure what caused it, suspects maybe dehydration and blood pressure change standing up too quickly from bed.

OMG! I have been absolutely freezing! Especially my hands and feet. And I’m normally the one telling everyone else to turn the heating down, being a menopausal woman and all. 50lbs is an amazing loss Theodora – that’s about the same that I’m aiming for. I just use kilos because it sounds less!

I’m managing to remember to drink enough, but you and luvtcook have mentioned the salt thing, so will need to keep an eye on that. Have just had a surprisingly satisfying lunch of home made borscht and a bit of feta. My main worry is lapsing into snacking when I’m at work as there are always biscuits and cakes brought in by well meaning colleagues.

I’m eating out tonight so have already checked the menu online and decided what I’m having so I don’t succumb when I arrive and am hungry.

I’m a coffee fiend too – double espresso for me every time, so never had to bother about counting milk. But I’m sure it would soon add up if you have more than a cup a day, so do please account for it.

Good luck.

Hi Brava – Welcome to the forum! I’m also a coffee fiend. I now drink my
mugs black, but when I started my quest to lose 50% of myself and began
measuring my carbs with exactitude, I switched to unsweetened almond
milk to use in my coffee. I even got o/h to make the switch. If you measure
out 1/2 c each day to use in your coffee, you will only add 15 cal. a day, and
no net carbs. The very best of luck to you!

Allie

Good advice already, alibalibee, and a great idea to have a thread for newbies..

I think you are right, once we are used to this way of life, it is often difficult for us old-timers to remember how hard it was in the first week or two. I started BSD800 way back in January and suffered quite badly from carb flu. I felt weak and tired and headachy, and in fact struggled to even give my dogs a short walk! But the very worst thing, and what made me very nearly give up, was how COLD I was – all the time – didn’t matter how many clothes I wore, how high the heating was turned up, how many hot water bottles I cuddled, I couldn’t even take the edge off the cold that was pervading my body. Fortunately, the good people on this forum kept me going, and it passed within a week or two and I started feeling amazing. Haven’t looked back since, did 2 rounds back to back and lost 50lbs and have been in maintenance ever since.

Drinking loads of water is crucial, you need to keep really well hydrated, but as mentioned above, you will also need to replace some salt, which gets washed out because of all the extra water consumption, otherwise it is easy to suffer from cramp.

Weighing and recording everything is important whilst trying to lose, but now I’m in maintenance, I don’t weigh anything, just stick to the principles, and it’s worked for me.

Before long, you will find you become totally energised and wonder why no-one told you about this WOE years ago! Good luck, just keep on keeping on and it will eventually become second nature.

Allie, touching base with you and a handful of other regulars has truely become a bit of sunshine in my day that I look forward to. You are right, it becomes a sisterhood of support and encouagement.

I am no where close to hitting 100lbs down (not unless you count all the weight of I have lost, then regained, over the last 10 years, then yes, I am a full member).

Currently am down 33 lbs with 67 to go, but have re-lost 15 of those 33 in under a month on BSD which far exceeds anything I have done before since hitting age 50. I am now 2 lbs away from the lightest I have been Oct 2007. I have been tracking every diet I have been on since 2007 on an excel spreadsheet (new set of columns for each year, each new diet). It is practically a case study in the failure of the traditional calorie restriction diet….because each new diet is successful…but stops a little short of the prior low point, and the next diet starts a little higher than the last. It looks like a staircase when viewed in toto….but unfortunatley the staircase is going up not down.

Hopeing this will be the last “biggie” and that after this I will be operating within a normal and manageable 5 lb gain/loss range.

I am very hopeful about this WoE. It makes absolute scientific sense and the success stories of you and other who have done it complete the loop. It works in real people, and really, the toughest of the tough who are insulin resistant, T2 or pre-diabetic, whose metabolisms have been damaged by years and years of dieting.

The good news for me is that, unlike you, I found this forum at the beginning of my journey and not at the end.

Wouldn’t it be lovely to celebrate BSD losses with a low carb 3 day cruise annually….a supportive reunion with 1, 5 & 10 year pins awarded for KEEPING IT OFF. We should do it virtually if unable to in reality. I take that back. I vote for reality. How wonderful to have everyone that has kicked T2 diabetes and/or lost over 50 lbs on BSD to all get together for a meet up with Michael Mosely and Roy Taylor & other T2 BSD and therapeutic fasting advocates (Jason Fung) …and have a photo of a sea of people fist raised in success…none of whom are are blind, none missing toes or feet. There should be a big banner overhead estimating the total $$$ saved on medication for the lot. I’d happily pay to fly to Great Britain to do that. I think the euphoria from the water fast may be kicking in….but I truely believe this is a revolution in the understanding of obesity and of T2 diabetes. Finally. Its about time.

WELCOME BACK EC….I HAVE MISSED YOU SO MUCH…

Thank you for the links. I have read them and I am although I do take multivitamins…I am going to make sure I get VitD tonight and take that daily. I have used the VitD creams, but they can damage the normal skin. So you have to be very careful.

Sorry you are healing…take it easy for goodness sake! It must be getting very hot there now… quite the opposite here, the central heating is on and warm clothes are being worn. I know you are busy, but please pop in occasionally and let me know you are ok. Well done on not going back to carbs. I can’t see the point even though I am having problems losing.

I don’t have much to report here, so I will just wish you all the very best and will be back soon.

Lots of love,
Nonna Mary
xxx

Thank Esnecca – I know what you mean about estimates. I did a bit of experimental weighing of foods before I started this and was shocked to see that my helping of muesli was actually three times the size that it should have been. No wonder I now need to lose at least 20kg!

Coffee is water, basically, because you don’t eat the grindings. Milk is not. You should weigh it and count it on FS. It’s high in sugar and there have been several posters here who discovered to their dismay that they’d been drastically undercounting calories and carbs because what they thought was “just a splash” of milk added up to many ounces a day.

Good luck!

Fasting lowers insulin and blood sugar levels dramatically and takes hunger with them. I’ve only been genuinely hungry once on an extended fast. I just spent a lot of time planning my break fast meal and let the fantasy combinations carry me through to the endzone. I hear you about wanting to shed those post stat. I had so much weight to lose and my life on the line. I’d already wasted two decades getting hyper-obese. I had no more time left to waste.

Last year at Thanksgiving was the first time in a decade that I could do up the airplane seatbelt without needing an extension. It was a close call, though. I had to suck it in, Shatner style. Now coach feels like business class did. 😀

Ancient Weaver: correct….doing a 4 day water only diet (with some extra salt). I am now 2 1/2 days in having started Fri night around 7 pm as last meal, and it is going fine. More of a head issue than a stomach issue…..very boring with no meals to punctuate the day. Lost two pounds for my regular weekly weigh-in on Sun, but another 2 lbs since then, so I would count those extra lbs as a loss of 1 lb a day on the fast so far. As I said, really doesn’t feel much differnt than doing the 800 except for the desire to eat something interesting rather than any real hunger.

I can see myself doing a 4 day fast maybe twice a year for health (immune & disease resistance) reasons, but may do a two day fast each month to augment the BSD diet as I have 67 lbs to lose and want them GONE. Am now 33 lbs down from my max weight but have gained/lost/regained/lost ect ect the same 20 lbs for years now. So yes, I am trying to turbo charge the diet at this point. Am at 215 now and am aiming to get under 200 lbs by New Years Day. My birthday is the end of Feb so shooting for another 15 down by then. After that am going to have to get more creative to find some goals to finish off the rest. Maybe will need to plan a big trip. It would be exciting to actually fit in an airplane seat comfortably. Over the years they have gotten smaller and I have gotten bigger. Not a good combination for pleasant travel.

I’m glad you’re beginning to see the beginnings of that special BSD energy that descends like a transfiguration. I had already cut the white carbs for a few months before I started the BSD, so I was spared the flu. The most challenging thing for me on week one was simply developing a new process in the kitchen that introduced the brave new world of weighing, measuring and counting calories and carbs. It cramped my style, a style I had down to a science because I’ve been a committed home cook for a very long time. Using MyFitnessPal to record everything immediately added more complications to what had been an efficient moving system.

It was all worth it. By the end of the week, I was actually enjoying all that data gathering. It was enlightening. I still do it daily even though I’m at my goal weight and in maintenance. And I’m still terrible at estimating. 😀

So count. Measure, weigh and count everything you eat. Whatever your current calorie and carb intakes, you cannot trust your estimates to be even in the ballpark of accurate. I was shocked by how wrong mine were. That’s not to say you have to lock yourself into the 800 cals right away, but you have to know the full reality of how much and what you are eating. Then if you want to make adjustments down the road, you’ll know where you stand.

Keep your eyes on the prize, Ali, and good luck!

Thank you once more Verano, I am drinking coffee, my addiction of choice, with not much milk so am counting it as water +. Maybe this is where I’m falling down as far as rapid weight loss goes. I have changed what I eat since using fat secret, so no more Carb Free Bircher or Beetroot Falafels, much as I enjoyed then, and even though that is what I was eating when I had the initial loss. I like the detailed info on fat secret and the easy ability to change portion size etc. It’s an interesting journey and I’m grateful for the comprehensive discussion on these threads.

Thank you Luvtcook – those are some really helpful tips, and I’ve loved reading your posts on here. Yes, this is my first time on a low carb diet – I was one of those who always believed that carbs were healthy and that eating them for every meal was necessary. I confess that for a long time I though low carbers were cranks – sorry! I can absolutely see that it makes perfect sense now – why is this not wider known?

I had read something on another forum about upping fat intake at first so have been doing this over the weekend. One thing that I found that helped when I was feeling really miserable was to warm up some milk (we only had semi skimmed) and add some cream and cinnamon – it was really comforting. I doubt that I’ve been keeping at 800 calories, but haven’t been too far off. I reckon anything under a thousand is OK just now.

Every time I feel tempted to give up I give myself a stern talking to – why would I want to put myself through this again? And thanks to you, I now know that I won’t ever lose weight like I’m doing at the moment, so that’s really good to know! That hour of feeling great this morning has given me something to hold onto!

Tony, hats off to you !!!! What you have done is amazing given you are traveling. This diet is challenging enough when you are on your home turf in can be in control of your schedule and your meals. To do that on the fly is heroic. Good for you!

Ali, yep, you have the low carb flu. The good news is that you should be within a couple of days of getting over that (the really crummy part) and in another week should feel pretty good.

It sounds like this is your first time doing low carb. If so, you have in your grasp what low carbers call THE GOLDEN TICKET. You only get this once as a newbie….but you will lose weight like crazy, and it will never happen again. Once your body figures out what is going on and learns to switch over to burning fat and ketones, it will remember that forever. If you chuck it in now and start eating carbs, if you try giving a low carb diet a shot again it will work….but not as fabulously as your very first time. Of course you will not feel like total crap on future go arounds. But that is the price you pay as a first timer….but the rewards are amazing if you can stick with it a few more days. You are almost there.

You might try upping your salt intake a good bit Often the headachy stuff is from a salt/mineral impalance and drinking some salty broth helps a lot.

You could also try eating a bit more so you are not dealing with both the 800 calories and the low carb at the same time. For the first 10 days you will lose enough with just the low carb alone and then could go back to the reducing your calories. Eat something fatty and filling….up your fat intake. Have more butter on your veg. Try a brown butter sauce (cook 1 Tbs butter in a skillet until it turns a golden brown and then add a squeeze of lemon) over some cooked fish or chicken filet.

Just be a little bit easier on yourself……an extra 400 calories right now to help you through this is better than dumping the diet. So do only what you can handle. Its a marathon not a sprint. It is a whole different ball game once you get over the low carb stuff. Hang in there…good luck!

Four weeks in now. I am on my way home to Australia again, this time from a UK trip. Haven’t weighed myself for a week and a half but had to buy new jeans in the UK!!! (For the right reasons…. :-p )

It will be nice to have some “proper” food again, having lived on protein shakes and bars with the odd salad and eggs thrown in – plus plenty of tuna and salmon.

I have managed to keep up the cycling, on hotel exercise bikes, averaging 80 mins a day over the four weeks. No alcohol for four weeks either and that has been difficult on the long haul flights. I feel pretty energised though.

Blood sugar readings are averaging around the 5.1 mark for fasting over the last three weeks. I know that I shouldn’t read too much into that but it is keeping me going.

I am surprised, but shouldn’t be having read the posts here, that I don’t really feel hungry, and actually have plenty of energy.

Day one here too, 12 hrs after you Melnz. Ended a weekend of walks with cheese and wine with the extended family, but also cooking a pot of butternut squash soup for lunches in the next few days. Short run this morning, then a berry/almond smoothie. Excited about this.

Hello all

I decided to start a thread for those in their first week to discuss problems that we’re having (if any) to get support from each other and from all you who have been through this already. I felt like that there wasn’t too much on here about the negatives of starting out and so thought we might be able to help ourselves through the tough times. The more experienced BSDers on here are really great, and I love reading all the threads with loads of great advice in, but I think sometimes it can be easy to forget what it’s like in the first week when you’re denying your body everything it craves. I seem to have spent an inordinate amount of time on here reading everything that I can, partly to keep me busy because at the moment it seems to be an awfully long time in between meals!

I’m on day 5 now and have had horrible carb flu this weekend – really bad headaches, feeling nauseous all the time, and being really irritable – I gave my son a half hour angry lecture about not doing one piece of homework, and nearly stormed out of the super market because it was full of Christmas cakes and pastries.

And yup, got the keto halitosis as well, although I was strangely elated when my husband told me, very gently, that my breath smelled really weird – I knew that meant I was going into fat burning. I’ve read it doesn’t last very long, but also that it’s due to eating too much protein, which is weird, cos I’m mostly veggie and don’t eat very much protein i thought.

There is light at the end of the tunnel though: this morning I woke up feeling great, not particularly hungry and full of energy. Ate my breakfast of yoghurt with berries and seeds, was raring to go. This only lasted as long as the cycle to work, and I’m now back feeling dizzy and weird, head aches again, but the fact that I experienced that this morning gives me hope. I guess that it’ll take time to get rid of that carb flu feeling altogether, but I’ll get there.

And I’ve already lost 3kg, which is motivation in itself, as is the fact that I didn’t have to strain to get my cycle jacket done up this morning. It will get better! In fact, it is already!

Rant/spiel/monologue over!

Ali xx

well, …..a whisper from the far south!
break needed for multiple reasons….mostly work deadlines and attention to other priorities (mind you, I write this listening to an interview of one of the founders of “black lives matter” after the Australian marriage equality “survey” which thankfully resulted in a resounding yes vote!! and I still struggle with the personal/political!!)

anyhoooo….just read assiduously through probably weeks and weeks of old posts and hoping to be welcomed back to the fold 🙂

me….recovered broken rib…still recovering broken toe (sorry …and seriously sympathetic, Heather re slow healing injuries and work!)….more than enough people staying and while mostly on BSD friendly eating….not counting Kg etc

However, Mary. I really wanted to add a hopefully useful input re your psoriasis

Some years ago, I attended a great seminar by a prof Hollick who presented alongside other things, some very interesting research on vit D…and interestingly, since then (as I think I posted some time ago), there’s also interesting research on Vit D deficiency in both obesity/insulin resistance and depression

see https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3130965/

http://drholick.com/

hope some of it may be of use

Me…I’m OK if hankering some “quiet” time after too many visitors and deadlines!!
weight….not down as stopped “diet” but not up (well, 1kg) as still on “principles”….just over 4 weeks to Christmas so still hope for the 70kg weigh in !

Summer here….my busiest time re work but will try to check in, as….well, it’s a good thing and you’re such an amazing team!!

I’m very close to 11,4 so I should be there by Wednesday, but I’ll be away from the internet by then, until at least Thursday, more likely Friday, and away from my scales effectively until Saturday, as my most meaningful weigh ins are always first thing in the morning.

Esnecca, Luvtocook, do you really mean three/four days of no food at all? (Other than water.) :0

Good morning

I had a mixed day yesterday. We were eating out last night and I didn’t drink my full quota as a result. I find that, subconsciously, I drink less when I know I’m going to be away from home. It the past I have been to a restaurant that doesn’t have toilet facilities on the ground floor, and although this is very rare, it can cause huge problems. So, I tend to drink less water on the days I know I may have a problem. There is no excuse today though as I’m home!

Have a good day….. just 2 left now!

Krysia you are absolutely right. I just wish more people would post just to give encouragement to those just starting on their BSD journey. We know it can be done and whilst the medical fraternity are, in the main, still promoting outdated ideas, I guess it’s up to us to help spread the word.

Brava I also use fatsecret as I find it less complicated than MFP. Water is very important but other liquids also contribute to the over all amount you should have each day. I’m not sure what the exact amount of fluid is but strangely enough we are conducting a little ‘experiment’ with water on another thread. Theodora has reached her goal weight and gone under it and is also finding it difficult to gain a little. She drinks lots of water but with a lower consumption she has started to gain weight. On the other hand I, who don’t drink enough, find that when I increase my intake the scales move down. This is in no way scientific but I guess the best way is to try it and see!

When I commenced the BSD on the 1st of September 2017 I was a type 2 taking novamix 30 12 units pre breakfast and 34 units pre dinner. I weighed 104.6 kg which is in the obese category for my 170 cm height and my hbac1 in August was 7.6.
After following the program for the last 12 weeks I am now 91.4 kg’s and last weeks hbac1 was 6.1 and I am no longer injecting insulin morning and night. I am still taking Byetta 10 mg pre breakfast and evening and Diabex 1000 with those meals. My bgl figures have tracked steadily throughout and I can’t believe the difference in my well being following this lifestyle change,
I have dropped two trouser sizes and have had to purchase some new clothes but am very happy to do so.

I am thinking of switching to 5.2 from the first of December but may continue on the BSD path asi continue to my goal of 72 kgs. My doctor was amazed with my results when I saw him this afternoon and I plan to continue to shock him when I go for my next hbac1 in February next year.

Thank you to everyone who contributes to these forums as the support network and willingness to share the ups and downs of the journey is invaluable.

Good luck on your own individual journeys

Best wishes

Cameron
Melbourne. Australia
20/11/17

I wondered what that blur of shocking pink was way over yonder. Thank you, Theo. I’m sure you’ll cheerlead this even more wildly: I bought a pair of black suede Calvin Klein ankle boots with a 3-inch stiletto heel to celebrate being under 120 lbs for the first time since puberty. Embossed with a tiny slightly metallic snakeskin pattern, no less. I asked my OH if they were hot and he nodded soundlessly with his mouth hanging open. Now that’s what you call a NFR. 😆

Thank you, SunnyB! I am enjoying it so much that not even my mother’s plaintive plea that I eat her mashed potatoes and pies at Thanksgiving on Thursday could dull my glow.