I used to use stevia daily in my apple cider vinegar-sparkling water beverage, but over time I lost the taste for it. I can still tolerate it in modest amounts. Erythritol is a problem if there’s more than a couple of teaspoons in anything because the cooling effect makes me heave. The best option for my tastes is a mixture of erythritol, inulin and monk fruit extract (also known as Lo Han Guo). Zero blood sugar impact across the board, injection of prebiotics from the inulin to keep your gut flora happy and the combination obscures any odd aftertastes and deficiencies from the individual elements. https://www3.netrition.com/nunaturals-losweet-pure-lo-han-guo.html

I still have the occasional artificially sweetened beverage (Zevia Cream Soda is amazing) and some strawberry preserves with erythritol that I pair up with freshly ground peanut butter when I want a hit of that classic PB&J flavor. It doesn’t set me off on a mad sugar craving, but then again, I’ve been doing the BSD for a long time and I’ve gotten stricter as my tastes have changed. I don’t know if I could have hacked baking my first Christmas on the program. Having said that, I did manage to go to my favorite sushi place on Christmas Eve and stick with the seaweed salad and tuna sashimi while avoiding all the rolls and dumplings I used to love.

It’s fab to read all your posts which I have done all year and now I feel the urge to share…if I can anyone can … I’ve been following this WOE since Feb this year firstly just the general principal of Mediterranean diet then after losing 6kg (I’m an Aussie) in 6 months decided to do the 800 cal I’ve completed 2 rounds with the 5 -2 in between and have lost 19kgs (40lbs) size 20 now size 10/12 … I was a serial dieter tried and paid for every diet, plan, book group meeting, food provided plan out there over the last 20 years. This way of eating has done it for me like no other, and after the 3 days of the first week of 800 cal I have NEVER been hungry. I now feel confident I will never return to my old ways of eating. I have 4kgs to reach my goal and today have emptied my wardrobe of clothes that hang off me. My family have been super supportive and my darling hubby has never once complained about my calorie counting obsession and today again encouraged me to give all these clothes away without hesitation knowing I now need a new wardrobe. So if you are thinking of doing this or just started. DO IT I mean really do it…. read the book cover to cover as many times as you need to understand it all. Track your food every single morsel that goes in your mouth and it will work. Thanks Michael Mosley you have literally saved my life.

One quick question to all your experts: with Xmas coming up am wondering if I dare make any of the low carb cookies I used to. Do you ladies find any issues with the sugar replacements (my favorite being liquid stevia, and Swerve/erythritol if I must use a dry product)? Do you get stalls in you weight loss or extra hunger if you use them and still stay within your calorie and carb budget? I have cut way back on my use of those re. concern about effect on gut bacteria, but will like a few around Xmas or I will feel like a martyr.

Esnecca and Theadora – you wouldn’t believe how much better I feel about teaching Pilates since the BSD. I was incredibly lucky that my weight didn’t seem to affect my classes – but it is so nice now not to worry about my weight, especially when I meet a new client.

Luvtcook – I have also been a yo yo dieter (I started dieting when i was 19 and I am 70 next year). I agree with SunnyB that the BSD is very forgiving and it is easy to get back to when things go wrong.

Jande9 – that is a very interesting article. I definitely feel the benefit of eating a bit more protein – especially when I have been very active.

SunnyB, thank for sharing your story. And yes it does help. Nice to know that this truely works for real people and not just the few that other diet programs feature in ads.

So far so good, and I totally agree with you about this diet or way of eating being very flexible. I have switched meal times around when I had to and found no downside. I had tried the 5:2 for about 6 months several years ago but always stuggled with hunger on fast days. With BSD I am never really hungry. I do hear the kitchen calling to me around 8:00-9:00pm as I had developed a bad evening munchie habit over the years. I have every intention to make that my one firm rule…eat nothing once dinner is done. If I have planned any type of “dessert” (yogurt with raspberries or other sensible thing) then it has to be budgeted and at the end of a meal. If I can tame that beast it will be a major acheivement for me.

Thanks for your kindness and encouragement.

Hi everyone 🙂 I have just turned 50 and would like to shed the 20kg I have steadily gained over the past 20 years. A recent barrage of blood tests with a new doctor has revealed that I am extremely healthy and I would very much like to stay that way. I am reasonably fit and active and not suffering from any particular ailments except for some long standing reflux (well controlled by ongoing medication). My starting weight is 85 kg and at 5’2″, I’d love to be lighter for the sake of the long term wellbeing of my joints and every other bit of me.

I’m very good at following eating plans strictly and have tried numerous approaches over the past few years. I don’t eat a lot, mostly averaging under 1500 calories a day, and I eat very litle sugar, very few processed/unhealthy foods at all, but this has not resulted in any weight loss. For a few months I followed a strict 800 calorie/day plan and didn’t lose any weight. Then I stepped it up to 2000 calories a day and didn’t gain any weight. I habitually drink a couple of stubbies of beer and a few glasses of wine and/or spirits each day, but during a period of three months when I drank no alcohol at all and substituted unsweetened herbal teas, and didn’t change my diet at all, I didn’t lose any weight.

I am now wondering if insulin resistance lies behind this intractable weight issue. In the past, probably over half my daily calories have come from carbs so this is going to be an interesting experiment. I LOVE every kind of food that belongs in the Mediterranean diet so I am looking forward to everything about the next couple of months and beyond.

Hi Nonna Mary,

It is a lovely memory and yes, I’ve just got to bite the bullet, separate out the emotion and get on with it. It’s just funny how these things catch you unawares – well, it did me that’s for sure. Thanks. Marie x

n.b. I’ve never posted on this thread before but I always visit to read what’s happening. It always feels like all of life is here. It’s lovely!

Thank you so much for that link, that sounds ideal.
I prefer the room temperature/hay box method, where you heat the milk first then leave it to set at room temperature, but out of desperation, put my last attempt (with Yeo Valley Greek style) over a water bath after it had set as much as it was going to, and was cold. It did make it set firmer, but it was still a bit gloopy, and reheating it made it let out a lot of whey. (I use the whey to make a yogurt drink so it doesn’t go to waste, but there is a lot of whey!)
In the past I have had fizzy yogurt drink (not made by anyone I know) and it was always quite strong flavour, it would be awesome if this same culture makes that same fizziness and flavour when warmed! I sometimes add a mix of powdered rose petals and mint to the diluted yogurt drink, courtesy of one of my nieces.
If I can get the basic yogurt right, I want to mix cinnamon and mashed spinach into it. It was a favourite side dish of mine years ago.
That blog post about making kashk misses out a stage, and I have my doubts that it would have the same tanginess if I had tried it with the any of the yogurt I have made recently. Ah, she does actually specify sour yogurt. :S
Fortunately, unlike my MIL, who much preferred home-made to shop bought, I am quite happy with shop bought! Especially the big ‘packet’ that I was given recently which is superior to the jars you usually see in this country. I am a converted kharejee! 🙂 (‘ha’ is the plural ending)

I had reserve response from my district nurse at my DR’s but that is only because of my dietabes and meds, I was recommended to try this by stroke nurses. Due to my minor stroke, I am getting lots of support from the DR ‘s and the stroke unit at the hospital. It is ok for people to have options but the thing is, folks, we are taking control of our Health. This may not work for everyone but to me it is worth a try.

Annie x

Hi alliecat,

I enjoyed the positivity of your post, as I am on my first week I feel that I am floundering a bit but determined to keep on to finally sort my weight and diabetes. I get one diabetic checkup a year and very little support from my medical centre. I have never been offered a healthy eating course or if I need podiatry I have to pay £38 out of my pension, also in this area you definitely can’t see a dietician because I was told by a doctor “they are only for seriously ill patients”. I don’t feel seriously ill but I think that I should have access to a dietician. The only advice I have had from the DN, it use the eatwell plate and when I told her that I am going to do the Blood Sugar Diet I was warned of doom and destruction. But I have remained almost pre-diabetic for the past 4 years so they can all sod off until they get their head around this WOE, I will plough my own furrow with the excellent help of this forum.

Thank for the welcome Welshannie I really feel at home on this forum.

Thanks SunnyB, it never occurred to me to try drinking the bulk of the water earlier in the day. I will try that starting tomorrow, I try to drink about 3 litres per day plus one or two cups of coffee. I know that I should drink this amount every day but it is hard from a very low base, but I will persevere and win….. 🙂

Don’t know if it helps, but I too am over 60 and have reached target, having used the BSD on and off over a 20mth period. During that time, I lost 30lb or 20% of my starting body weight. The beauty of the BSD is it’s very forgiving, it’s easy to get back to when things go a bit wrong, it’s easy to assimilate into almost any life style and produces positive results relatively easily.

I too had been yo-yo dieting for years and when I hit menopause it seemed nothing I tried would produce anything more than a few pounds lost. Finding the BSD has been a revelation and has completely changed my attitude and approach to the way I eat. I have been maintaining for a month this time, but am planning to try to drop a few extra pounds, to give me some wriggle room, having been away on holiday and gained a few pounds – pleased to say even then I didn’t go above my target weight.

There are plenty of us on the forum, who are older and have still managed to successfully achieve the losses we desired using the BSD. There is nothing special about those of us who have reached target, so there is absolutely no reason that it won’t work for you too, Luvtcook.

Set yourself some mini goals to help keep you focused and to give you a sense of achieving, while you are moving towards you ultimate goal. I have no doubt that you will get to where you want to be – best of luck.

Taurusmmuk – warmest welcome, – wish you the best with the BSD.

Thanks 😎 SunnyB for helping Taurusmmuk out. Hopeful the night trips to the toilet will settle down.

Now that is a idea with the buffet – go for the quiche and leave the pastrybehind. Gives me an idea to make some on the weekend without the pastry to keep in the fridge.

Back to work tomorrow after been off for over 4 weeks after mine minor stroke. So lunch ready and breakfast planned. Looking forward to getting back to a routine.

I thought I would tell you guys about my dogs. I have two dogs 🐕 both German shepherds, one is ten and the other one is two years old. And THEY ARE NOT HAPPY with me and my family as there are no scraps left on the plates as we are eating all our food. Image what they may be saying to each ‘ no leftovers again …😠. The older one, Misty, is so hopeful and keeps giving us her paw 🐾 even after we have finish eating. And the younger one, Daisy, sneaks in to the kitchen behind me and tries to lick the plates as I put them in the dishwasher. 😁.

So day 3 has been the best one so far as I do not feel hungry today.

Have a good day tomorrow
Will catch up with everyone e tomorrow.

Kind regards
welshannie.

Thank you Verano, I have a lot to learn and am most grateful for your reply. If I use MFP I’ll use 20 or 30g for carbs and see how the calorie totals work out. I’m also hoping that the end of the plateau is in sight!

Marie123…it is lovely that you have that memory. Can you not drink tea without milk? I didn’t think I could until I found out I am lactose intolerant. I couldn’t drink it with milk now. You do get used to stuff quickly on this WOL.

Advice from the Financial Advisor was …sell the house and downsize, then come back to me and I can invest your money….I am sitting there thinking…I don’t think so!

Today I finished my 3rd 24 hour fast. If I don’t lose weight this week I will have to chop my leg off to do it!

Take care all.

Lots of love
Nonna Mary
xxx

Sorry if you already know this but exercise causes small tears in our muscles which fill with water during the repair process, hence the almost immediate weight gain which goes away quite quickly. Also our muscles strengthen during our rest days, not when they are being exercised which is why, generally speaking, we shouldn’t do the same exercise everyday. However a rest day doesn’t have to mean doing nothing, just do something different that uses different muscles to previous days exercise. I run several times a week and on other days do strength, stretching or core exercises. Swimming is good too – but I hate it unless in the sea on holiday.

No need to find me elsewhere Allie, I know where you live. And I LOVE reading the posts on this forum. First of all….its full of “been there done that” so really great info and inspiration. And frankly I mostly love the warmth and affection you all have for each other. Half of weight loss is attitude….and you ladies have such a positive attitude in spades.

One thing that might be a great forum to start is just to have a place for everyone’s success stories…..anyone that has hit target regardess of how little or how much weight loss. And include ages and diet history. Because it is so comforting and encouraging to see that others like oneself (in my case over age 60, a lifetime yo-yo dieter, with 70 more lbs to lose) can see that it CAN be done. So many times the success storied are men in their 40s who lose fast and easy, and those of us that have hit brick walls over and over think that their experiences just don’t apply, whether thats true or not. But to hear that you all have succeded so brilliantly throws all the excuses out the window. As you have said, “If I can do it you can do it”….I am printing that off and taping it to the refrigerator.

You ladies are my heros and feed my soul as well. Maybe someday I can legitimatley join you as an “after reaching your target” member.

Put that in the “ITS JUST NOT FAIR” column.

There was an article in the paper (Toronto Globe and Mail) looking at a study on muscle loss as you age. They looked at high intensity workouts (H) and low intensity workouts (L).
They found that younger people benefitted from 3 H workouts a week, but as you get older a HLH pattern weekly was better, alternating H and L. This was because it takes longer for muscles to recover when you get older so your muscles don’t have time to heal when you do all H workouts.
They also found that your muscles don’t respond to protein as well as you age, so you require more to trigger your muscles into repair mode. They suggest .5 gram per kilogram of body weight per meal.

Hi Yowser — my mother had very troublesome lymphodema after a hysterectomy and she hated to wear the compression stockings — she finally started to get lymph massage about once a week and that really really helped enough that she quit wearing the stockings except for long plane flights.
The lymph massage is a special technique that moves the lymph fluid up toward your heart and out of your extremities. I know she had to hunt for a specialist but that person helped her immensely.

Wow all you 20 carb guys rock! I am so in awe of you all,with yr low carbs and yr high weight losses! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Youve all made me see its NOT impossible to do.
Thanks for all the food ideas xxxxxx
Ps ESNECCA pls pass on my regards to yr mum and her poor feet! She has my deep sympathy..i wdnt wish this on my worst enemy X

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. 🙂