Well I made it through the day! My lovely granddaughter “Noodle” is thoroughly spoiled by her mother and screams if she is not amused. Most of the time I was able to amuse her and at one point decided to take her for a walk, but left her in the hall as she stopped crying and went to sleep. She didn’t like taking the bottle of expressed mommy milk, but we went for a walk this afternoon and again she slept for an hour. Yay Me! I bloody needed it. There is a reason you don’t have babies at 60! Her mother was beside herself at having left her, but said I was the only one she trusted. She is going to have to leave her with me more regularly for her to get used to not having someone play with her constantly. I did try the TV at one point, but she wasn’t interested. “That’s Not My Unicorn” (a book) worked for a while lol.

Tomorrow I get a long lie in. 11 hours with a baby and I am shattered. I might watch The Mummy tonight (not usually a fan of horror, but loved Brendan Fraser’s because it was funny). I find the thought of Tom Cruise as a leading man hilarious so I should enjoy it. Apologies to any Tom Cruise fans…he just doesn’t do it for me!

Kazz did you get your results? I hope they were favourable.

Be careful out there!

Lots of love
Nonna Mary
xxxx

LOL …. YES … it really is about time you both did something more constructive!

But Theodora just so pleased you’re still jumping, cheering and shaking! Thanks for your support as well it makes me remember just how far I have come …. and how much better I feel for it. Noooo I do not want to go back so thank you all for helping me stay on track.

Theodora, what happened to our plan to get something accomplished
today?? 🙂
Okay, I’m turning off my laptop, NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS Still jumping, still cheering, still shaking 🔮🔮

Hey Verano, don’t sell yourself short. You have reversed T2, and lost weight – you are an inspiration. More so because you are not perfect – it justshows what can be achieved if we just keep on keeping on.

Verano – the credit is very much due and I salute you 😚

Kassi + Mary, just too many posts on the new Nov. threads to make
it over to my “home page” before now! However tiring your day
may prove to be Mary, I’m sure you completely and utterly enjoyed
spending it with your 5 month old Grandie. Look how far your daughter
has come in trusting anyone beyond herself with her precious
child! Did you succumb to using the t.v. as a babysitting aide?
I won’t tell anyone 🙂 What is her name, by the way?

For any and all still reading this thread, I’m thinking of you!
Please come back soon…

Allie
xoxo

Allie not for the first time you have brought a tear to my eye with your very kind words.

Yes I do have diabetes but I’m now in remission and have been medication free for nearly 3 months. My next review is in less than two weeks and we will see then how well I’m really doing! So, you see, for me, I am already in the ‘winners circle’. My aim was to reverse my diabetes …. done … so now, with less incentive than before, I just want to lose weight and look better!

I hate to disallusion you but I start/contribute to these threads for purely selfish reasons ….. I need all the help, advice, enthusiasm, friendship, laughter and joy that everyone brings to this place to keep me on track!

Allie, again, thank you, you give me credit where it isn’t really due …. but I like it and thank you!!!

No official diagnosis AngS, just going by my own knowledge – I bought a monitor and do a fasting blood test every morning since starting this malarkey!

Well done on another 1lb down!

Hi, Verano, I find it hard not to give a solid 10 thumbs up to everything
Esnecca has to say here, but it is certainly a “sword of Damocles”
that you have hanging over your head if being T2D is part of the
challenge. You have achieved so much on this front, not to mention
all the threads you have created that are so knowledgeable and
informative. I know that you are a role model for many, probably
that is why I always see you in the winners circle! It’s on the
horizon for you, I just know it in my aging bones. I’ll be with you
every step of the way, and there are too many that agree with
me to begin to try to post the names of us all. Many thanks to
you for all that you do to inspire us!

Allie
‘

And I love hearing myself quoted as often as possible. So you see we all win! 😆

It’s perfectly understandable, Lessmuffintop. Nobody wants to get into drama with old friends at a social event. We’ve all got our hang-ups and pet peeves and I think most of us have learned to deal with our friends’ quirks over the years by deflection, compromise or just keeping our mouths shut. These are ingrained patterns of behavior and hard to break out of. The only thing you should be reproaching yourself for is blaming yourself for her boorishness. You should congratulate yourself on being a kind, forbearing friend and build yourself up instead of knocking yourself down so next time you’ll be in an empowered place instead of having to carry the weight of her pressure on top of your self-flagellation wounds.

I found it easier than I expected to shut those situations down. I don’t discuss. I don’t negotiate. I don’t even form full sentences. If I am offered or encouraged to eat foods on my Hell-No list, I just say “Nope” then ask the server/host about x and y instead. One syllable is far more effective than an explanation because it leaves no opening for debate. Think of your friend as a telemarketer trying to sell you something. What’s the best way to get out from their chatty clutches? “No thank you.” *Click*

I’m with Kazzee on this one it’s always inspiring to ‘hear’ the joy in your voices when you ‘talk’ of your achievments and how good you feel now. Don’t just reserve your ‘chats’ for the maintainers thread because you do help others with your enthusiasm and we’d miss out.

Theodora ever the diplomat!

Esnecca I am one of those people guilty of saying ‘life is for living’ but generally in the context of slotting life into BSD rather than the other way around, as you say, as an excuse for eating the wrong carbs. Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with your level of self control, I wish I was. I think that one of the ‘problems’ with these threads is that there is a mix of those with diabetes, and other health problems, and those without and it’s often difficult to distinguish one from the other by their posts. Obviously if you have control of your diabetes living the BSD life,, as I do, you can’t go back to your old ways unless you want to return to previous bad health. Whereas the consequences of eating carbs for those with only weight problems, and I don’t say that to make light of a weight problem, are less severe. So, although some people do advocate that ‘life is for living’ they may not be the ones suffering from diabetes etc. I can so identify with Kirstie Sullivan from the link above when she says ,” I’m terrified of going back to that place of hunger and sickness and pain and obesity. I see carbs, I see all those things”.

Thanks for all info on carbs and protein. The odora did give me a teach in a few months ago but has done me good to have a revamp. Thanks you are right most folk don’t bother but one friend does as enesca says take it as a judgement and then I feel pressure but it is my fault for giving in. Like you say happens with alcohol and I would be the first to say why would you to pease someone!

Instead of ricing the cauliflower, mash it next time. Use a food processor to whip it up with some sour cream, ricotta or mascarpone. I always put in a clove of garlic and some chives too, but for a shepherd’s pie you might to keep it more plain. Your call. Add some melted butter on top for added yumminess and to help it brown nicely in the oven. Just be sure you measure the dairy and keep the additions modest so your calories don’t get crazy. I promise you won’t miss the potatoes at all.

I’ve actually found that a lot of people are oddly invested in what other people eat. They take your choices as a silent judgment of theirs, or for whatever reason find the very idea of avoiding certain foods to be the nemesis of “having fun.” That’s most prevalent with alcohol, but by no means restricted to it. After all, how many times have even committed BSDers on this forum pulled the old “life is for the living” card to justify eating bad cards?

Caronl, forget about everything you ever did and learned doing WW. Push it out of your head. Use MyFitnessPal or Fat Secret to look up foods, log a day’s worth and the app does all the math. Weighing and measuring takes a second, and it’s necessary to proper cooking anyway. It’s easy, enlightening even, and keeps you mindful and aware of what you eat. It bears no relation to WW’s arcane point-counting tedium that only distances you from your food and gave you PTSD.

Lessmuffintop, have to agree with both Verano and Allie – most people don’t notice, let alone care, what you are, or more importantly are not, eating. As Allie says, it’s a little more difficult in somebody’s home, when they have spent time and effort preparing a dessert and, like her, I generally have just a taster. My excuse to the hostess is always along the lines of “the main course was SOOO delicious, I’m afraid I ate too much and didn’t leave room for dessert, sorry”.

Thanks all for the feedback and advice.

I should say I’m on day 5 now. It’s been hard going but far from impossible. Some early feedback. I’d say I’m in carb flu now alright. Not fun but it’s a good sign. Energy levels are lower which shouldn’t surprise me but my head does feel clearer despite the headaches (day 2). I track everything via my Fitbit down to to mls of milk in my coffee which could be easily overlooked. Ive been staying on 800, my daily calories burned are typically around 3500 so it’s quite a deficit for me. I went for a 5km run pushing a buggy on day 2 and struggled with energy so I won’t be trying to break any parkrun personal bests anytime soon

Very similar position to me rice pasta and potatoes. My OH is vegetarian with fish and has a healthy diet. In general we eat healthily cooked meals. My downfall is the other rubbish I consume before, after and in between meals! Already discovered cauliflower rice (amazing substitute), and spiralized courgettes in lieu of pasta or noodles. So It’s potatoes I’m missing, we had a lovely quorn shepherd pie last night and I had to forgo the lovely mashed potatoes topping 🙁

Emu: As for NHS Approach I’ll be taking a similar approach to you and ignoring any advice that endorses a high carb diet. I have an appointment next week and will attend. I hoping they will be open minded to my approach and retesting in a few months, either way it’s my choice.

Thanks again all.

Lessmuffintop, the only time I’ve encountered the “expectations of
others” question has been when I’ve been a guest in someone’s
home and they’ve gone to some trouble in preparing a homemade
dessert (pudding?). I haven’t wanted to ever hurt any feelings, so
I get by by eating the smallest serving possible, and I’m fairly
insistent on that. Just don’t want to draw attention to myself,
I guess! I appreciate the problem, though. I do in general agree
with Verano, however. Most people are too involved in their own
“feed” to notice! 🙂

With you, again, Allie.

I too have spent far too much time today sitting at my pc, and indulging myself on this forum! I agree, we don’t want to appear smug, and we certainly don’t FEEL smug – as you say, we are just further along the road. But if we can make others who came to BSD a little later than us realise that it is a road that CAN be travelled whilst still living life’s journey to the full, then maybe we are not wasting our time sitting on our butts having a bit of fun after all – see you over in maintainers, sis (though obviously not until after we have accomplished something productive😉) 😘

It’s ‘Mindful Coffee and Cake’ under ‘The BSD’ above

Lessmuffintop never feel like a party pooper. In my experience most people are usually so involved with themselves that they don’t even notice what you’re eating! I’m racking my brains here to try and remember when somebody questioned me about not eating something. Even when we have eaten Thai or Indian food nobody has questioned that I don’t eat rice. Don’t eat cake to please somebody else and if you do feel like some then savour it as though it’s your last meal. Somewhere at the top MM describes eating cake with coffee it’s worth a read.

Nonna Mary – Goodness, the hair stood up on the back of my neck as I read about the flower scent… but then I did have to laugh when I found out it was the tumble drier sheets. I’ve experienced the smell of cloying flowers coming from nowhere just in my house. Thought may be a loved one who’d passed over was dropping in for a visit… I don’t use tumble drier sheets though, but probably could be the plug in from the hall drifting although entirely the wrong scent! Who knows?

I hope your exhausting but lovely day is passing well with your grandie.

See you tomorrow
Kazzee xx

Theodora, you are absolutely correct that our ramblings might be better
placed on the maintainers thread. The point is well taken, THANKS!
Absolutely the last thing I would ever want to do is appear “smug”
for those who are struggling. I just so passionately believe that
all things are possible with this WOL that my enthusiasm some-
times gets the better of me! I will always be here to encourage
and support our friends who are NO DIFFERENT than we are, we
just may be a little farther down the road. Many thanks to all
who have indulged my fun today, but I need to stop “messing
about” on the Nov. threads, and get up off my b**t and try to
accomplish something productive before the day is out.

Much affection for you all!

Allie

I LOVE reading about you maintainers and how good it is to be at goal! It inspires me to keep at it!
Well done to you all!
Kazzee xx

Haha indeed, Jackie – FOUR raspberries!!! You daredevil!!!!!

I tend to have blueberries with my yoghurt – never counted them, but whilst losing, I allowed myself 40 – 50g. Now, being almost as daring as you, I allow myself 60g😜 though I don’t actually weigh these days, just do it by eye! But my yoghurt “allowance” is building by the day – now about 250g!!! Not all at once, between 175 – 200g for brekkie, the rest as snacks. I have been known to have a total blowout and eat 500g in a day – though only since hitting maintenance! As it is all Total Fage (nothing else quite hits the spot), if I go on that way, particularly as the dogs eat it too, I’ll need to take out a mortgage to pay for it!

Jackie, you’ll be joining us on the maintenance thread before you know it – well done, and keep going.

Haha, Jackie! Four raspberries instead of three?? You are a real
risk taker, aren’t you?? 🙂 I “dare” to allow myself 10, IF they are
small!

😁😁😁 have realised it was because I am wearing my daughter’s jumper today. All my own clothes still fit (now fit properly instead of straining at the seams) which means it isn’t as obvious I’ve lost fat. I would definitely recommend buying/finding some new clothes to people once they’ve reached a milestone, it’s a great boost to see yourself in a new light.

Am now ready to move to weighing myself in stones and lbs, as before it seemed like such a big number, but now only need to get rid of 8llbs to be fully done and mid range BMI. I lost 2 stone following the BSD in 3 months, being kind to myself and lots of Low carb high cal treats like 90% chocolate and double cream when I needed it. Although I did really check with myself whether I needed it, so 98% of time did eat mindfully. I didn’t have that much to lose in grand scheme of things, so I felt that was fine. Interestingly I am now back on all the foods I had at my strictest through choice (spinach/tuna mayo and spring onion for lunch) today. No interest in anything else. Though I did have 4 raspberries not 3 with my Greek yoghurt this morning 😂😂😂

Hi JimmyLanger, my OH had a similar shock at the beginning of October. And now we find ourselves completing 4 weeks the BSD today. I’ve joined him on the lifestyle and eating changes, as I need to lose weight and could only be so far behind him on the blood sugar side of things.

The eating changes have been easier than expected. The recipes available are great, but also sometimes I find them too complicated. We’d developed a habit of taking our ‘normal’ lunches and evening meals and replacing carbs with fruit and veg, or in the case of melas like fajitas – just dropping the carb heavy tortilla wraps. I guess like a lot of people we’d slipped into the habit of using potatoes, pasta and rice to fill us up, instead of healthier veggies. And of course portion sizes have been increasing. Breakfast was the hardest challenge, giving up toast and marmalade was offset by the discovery of natural yoghurt … with nuts and berries. It’s delicious.

We have both lost weight, though OH is finding it harder – but then he has less to lose! We’re not sure how we stand with getting another Hba1C test, but OH would like to be retested after the 8 weeks @800 calories, partly to see if it’s working and to see if he can get it down below 42 by then – reversed is the target in our house. Various appointments were booked with the diabetic nurse etc. but OH has cancelled them, as his aim is to reverse the diagnosis … not follow the NHS plan to put him on a ‘carbs with every meal’ diet!

Here’s hoping the science holds up for him, and yourself, as it seems to have done for so many folk on this forum.

Good luck with those targets!

Caronl, I think most of us probably have scales which calculate our body fat and water %ages, but they are not totally accurate, but do give a decent guideline. If your local fitness or leisure centre has a bodytrax machine, you can get a really accurate measure.

However, you can use this online tool which, whilst being as inaccurate as the scales, if you don’t have those, will give you some indication of your body fat and, indeed, your breakdown of nutritional requirements. As I say, not perfect, but an interesting exercise.

https://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/bodyfat

Allie, I think that my method and Linda’s are very similar apart from the fact that she uses kg, I use lbs and my method of using lean body mass more or less equates with “ideal weight” – they both gave me a very similar answer when I tried them.

Caronl, Theodora’s method is probably more accurate than the one
that I’ve used, but I don’t have a special scale nor have I ever had
a body scan done. Figuring out the correct amount of protein was
important to me when I started out because 18 years ago I went
on a serious calorie restricted diet. I lost 60lbs in 5 months back
then, but I had to stop because my hair started to fall out! (As best
I can remember, think I was probably eating @ 35gm per day).
I didn’t want to repeat that result, so this time I used LindaA’s
formula: 1gm of protein for 1-1.5kg of IDEAL body weight. The
differential has to due with how much gym work one does.
This has worked great for me. I hope this helps!

Allie

Hi all. Many thanks for the helpful comments and advice. As you say, it is difficult to step back from years of a low-fat approach. I will focus on the carbs and aim below 30 g – I found the pictures on the Diet doctor website were a good starting point. And moving away from daily porridge! I see the “M diet” refers to 45g a day protein. Theodora’s method looks really good – thank you – but I have no idea of my body fat %age to kick-start the calculation. Do you get this by buying fancy weighing scales? Sorry for the basic question.

I loved the idea of seeing cake in a more negative light! Hope I get that far!

Well done, Jackie – we’ll have you joining us inveterate mirror twirlers before you know it!😉

Great analogy, Jackie! Thanks for sharing it 🙂 We could probably
have this conversation all day long! Congratulations on your
loss. I couldn’t be happier for you. I’m doing another of my virtual
back flips in your honor 🙂

JimmyLanger – good luck, but what you aim for is totally achievable on this diet. I’ve just done it, having been diagnosed as pre-diabetic August 8th this year. Now BMI 25 (from 30) approx 13kg loss and that’s based on 8 (ish) weeks strict diet and now just following principles. But you do really have to follow the principles, get your portion sizes sorted and keep low carb. If you do you won’t, in my experience, be hungry. You may be fed up and slightly sad, but that’s the mental stuff, not even MM can fix that. But more than made up for by the increased energy, improved memory and general sense of getting on with life.

So good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Welcome Jimmy.

I’m sure with determination you will reverse you diagnosis – it is certainly possible, as many of the members of this forum have proved. Personally, I have no experience of diabetes (thank goodness) but I have been a successful BSDer since January, lost 50lbs (bit over 22kg) in 2 rounds of back to back 8 weeks, and have maintained for 6 months. This WOE is works for weight loss, and is doable for life! Which, make no mistake, you will have to do – though obviously not the 800 bit.

I think you will be surprised by just how easy it is – well, at least not as difficult as you are expecting. The hardest part is getting your head around the fact that fat is GOOD (at least the right type of fat). Fat also fills you up, which is good. Please remember to drink lots and lots of water, and when you think you have done that, drink some more! Also, all the extra water can wash your salts away, so add a little extra salt to your food.

Be aware that you MAY experience carb flu. Not everyone does, but it can be quite debilitating if it happens to you. It can make you feel weak and headachy for a few days, but will soon pass. If it does happen, stick with it, it is a sign that your body is transitioning between burning carbs and going into ketosis (burning body fat) – initially it won’t know what’s hit it, so give it a chance to adapt.

I would advise that you weigh and log everything that passes your lips, I found FatSecret great for doing this, though others swear by MYFitnessPal – both free apps.

There are so many knowledgeable people on site, so if you have any questions, fire away – someone will know the answer. If you are doing well, we will cheer you on. On the days when you feel like giving up, feel free to have a moan – we are used to that, and can provide untold support. Trust me, we have all been there!

That’s all for now, except to wish you GOOD LUCK!!

Alliecat – had a mirror moment today in gym. As if I was in front of one of those funfair mirrors that make you look long and thin. Nope, same mirror as usual, it’s me that’s changed! 😁😁😁 by 12.8kg, to be precise 😁😁

YES, Allie – I too can SEE my pulse, and I am TOTALLY in love with my clavicles, my ribs, my pelvic bones and, almost most of all, the GAP between my thighs😛

NOT-ONE-STEP-BACKWARDS indeed😊 Thanks Esnecca!

Caronl – as far as how much protein you need, you need to work out your lean body mass. To do this, deduct your body fat %age from your weight in pounds, and what is left is your lean body mass.

Now take that figure and, depending on how much you exercise you do, you have to multiply it to get your protein requirement, as a guide:-

Sedentary – multiply lbs of lean body mass by 0.5
Light activity (e.g. walking) – multiply by .6
Moderate (30 minutes of vigorous activity 3 days per week) x by 0.7
Active (1 hour per day 5 days per week) x by 0 .8
Very Active (10 hours of vigorous activity per week x by 0.9
Athlete – x by 1.0

Once you have calculated your protein intake, add in your allotted amount of carbs – as Verano says, most “losers” try to stay under 50g a day, many go down to 20g – and then whatever is left of your calories can be good fats! Others may have different formulas, but that is the formula I worked to when I was losing (50lbs), and it was successful for me – now 6 months in maintenance and no longer really count. Hope it helps

Well done on the weight loss everyone! This challenge is working for me -2.6lbs down and more motivated than ever!. I love the discussion on carbs and vitamins -having just had a horrible virus I have committed to spinach every day but tbh I have started taking a vitamin c and zinc tablet in water with my dinner -probably not keto friendly in all honesty and done out of pure fear of getting ill again. I loved the link Verano-it is all in your head – eating and wanting cake -it is hard to disassociate chill down moments and stress moments with cake or chocolate. It is good to see you could get to another place. The bit I find hard is going out with people and they have a pudding or a bit of cake and 1. I don’t want it and 2 it will be sabotage but I don’t know quite what to say because I feel like a party pooper. Last week I had a bit of cake i did not really want , did not really enjoy and cost about £4!-how dumb is that!

Motivation is here today/ love the thread/is keeping me going …….thank you!

Haha, YES Theodora, I have those full length mirror moments too 🙂
First thought is always “who ARE you?”. Second one is “good grief,
you ARE narrow!” Here’s a little experiment for you to try…I was
looking at the inside of my wrist the other day, and I could SEE
my own pulse! In addition to pelvic bones and ribs, this is all
somewhat of an anatomy lesson, isn’t it???
I never, ever want to forget how I physically felt in my fat body.
Blue skies and fair winds ahead. As Esnecca says, NOT -ONE-
STEP-BACKWARDS!

Caronl, I totally agree with Verano that it is a challenge to let
go of the notion that fat is bad for you. Even now, I keep all
my protein clean, pastured beef, free range chicken breast, wild
salmon, organic eggs. I do make a point of eating a measured
portion of nuts and 1/4 – 1/3 of an avocado each day. Although
I’ve never had blood sugar issues, (a miracle in itself) my chloresterol
was sky high. Today every one of a complete set of bloods is now
in the optimal range. A further incentive to eat plant based fat
is that I now no longer have dry skin, my hair is much shinier, and
I have long strong fingernails that grow at an astonishing rate.
Just something to think about 🙂 Oh, downing 3 liters of water
every day has a big role to play, also!

Best of luck to you,

Allie

Yeah, Allie – I’m with you, sister!

I too have no real interest in increasing my food intake, very happy and feel satisfied on what I am eating already. And, like you, every day when I step on the scales I am just praying for – well not an increase exactly – but certainly not another loss. To stay the same would, of course, be the ideal!

Again, like you, on the days I indulge in alcohol, I am far more likely to do fridge fly-bys at midnight! But I’m not sure that is a successful long term, or healthy, strategy! And, yes, I’d forgotten to mention the cheese! I do so adore cheese!! Good bread, cheese and nuts were my downfall – and even without the bread, I am happy to munch way too much cheese, just on it’s own! Or with nuts for a bit of crunch! Better still, with a glass of good red wine! Better still, with 2 glasses!

I agree, health should be our primary concern, none of us are getting any younger and I had a nasty health scare a few years ago so, when I beat that, I promised myself I would get as fit and healthy as I could for whatever time I have left (hopefully a long, long time), which I have largely achieved. But oh, it is so good being thin too!😉 Come on, admit it Allie – I bet you do a little twirl in front of the full length mirror whenever you pass, just like me😜

I hope the novelty never wears off, because I KNOW we can maintain just as long as we still remember how horrid it was being fat!

PS Allie, maybe we should be having this discussion in our “maintainers” thread – it must be a bit depressing for all those who are desperately trying to lose, to read about us desperately trying to NOT lose!! Sorry, folks.

I suspect like many others I’ve found myself here after a rude awakening following a routine blood test and the shock of the dreaded word ‘Diabetes’! I say shock but it shouldn’t have been. We’ve all seen the news and stats about this epidemic for years now. I suspect like many others I thought “I’m still young(ish) and healthy enough to sort my sweet addicted diet out before that happens to me”.

Well too late! A HBA1C test result of 49mmol has put me just into the diabetes range. I say ‘just’ but that’s cold comfort. I’ve yet to discuss these results with my Doc or practice nurse but following web research I’m now keen to avoid meds if possible. I’m especially motivated by research claims about ‘reversing diabetes’ i.e. the BSD Fast 800. Sounds scientifically plausible to me but the ‘proof of the pudding is in the eating’…or literally not eating the pudding in this case!  Presumably as newly diagnosed I’ll be retested in a few months? I would love to get down into the prediabetes range or even better if that’s even possible?
In some ways I should welcome my rude awakening, it will force me to adopt permanent lifestyle changes which can only be a good thing. The alternative of continuing on in a blissful state of ignorance while the disease progressed unchallenged would be so much worse. So Diabetes…let the challenge begin now.
Hoping this post which I intend to update weekly with genuine weight loss results, will help motivate me through what looks like a really tough initial 8 weeks ahead. Perhaps I can encourage others along the way, please feel free to encourage me.

STARTING STATS:
40 year old male. Weight = 92kg. Height = 5ft 11 inches. Sturdy build. BMI = 28.3 (overweight). Relatively active either jog, bike or walk most days. Recent dietary habits = terrible with considerable card (sweet) binging in previous few months. HBA1C of 49mmol on initial diagnosis: 25/10/2017
GOALS

• Drop 10kg to 82kg by the 8 weeks to bring BMI to around the 26 mark
• Drop to another 7kg to 75kg more slowly by summer. BMI = 23.9
• HBA1C…wells let’s just see what happens with that in the meantime I’ll remain open minded and positive)

Wish me luck!

Hello everyone,
I would like to join this challenge. I started the BSD last year and did really well but fell off the wagon this year. I am now at 92.3kg my heaviest weight and I only fit into one pair of pants. My goal for this challenge is to be able to fit in to my other pants again so I don’t have to buy another pair of fat pants for summer. Initially I would like to loose 7kg to fit into said pants but I have 30kg to reach my ideal weight.

I did well yesterday although I nearly missed my goal – ok I did miss it by 50 calories. I logged everything to find a total of 798 calories but still needed my evening snack to stop the dawn phenomenon and that cost me an extra 50 but still 850 is not too bad. Had lost weight this morning but not enough to get me excited.

Today I have had poached egg with grilled mushrooms, then chicken breast with roasted red pepper salad and tonight I am doing a sausage casserole which makes a total of around 650 cals which gives me room for a snack, again between 50 and 100 cals.

Cant wait to see the photoshoot MnM – I am a bit behind, could you remind me which newspaper so I can watch out for it online.
Have a good day everyone and keep on keeping on…

Theodora, your post really did “sing” to me today! I’m in exactly
the same place as you are, at 12 lbs. under target. Now when
I step on the scale it is with the hope that I haven’t lost more
weight. I just am not interested in eating more food, are you?
I haven’t figured out maintenance yet, either, so after 6 months
it is a work in progress for me, too! Like you, I’ve been spared
an addiction to sugar so I don’t care about it. When
thinking about what foods contributed to my grotesque weight
gain I would have to point to artisanal bread and cheese, plus
wine. Throughout the 10 months it took to lose 50% of myself
I completely abstained. Now I can get away with several glasses
of wine with no ill effect, but that’s no strategy for maintaining
weight long term, for me! This journey has been about optimal
health and not just being skinny again, and I don’t think my liver
needs to get compromised in the process. That would be insane.
Another observation I have made is that if I do put wine on the
dinner table I’m far more likely to cruise by the refrig about 11:00pm
and eat yogurt, so it does mess with 16:8 as well.
So, I’m right here with you, and we’ll figure this out together 🙂

Wishing everyone a great day!

Allie

Hi Caronl the Diet Doctor website is really useful just sign up for emails and you get a weekly letter. I was struck more by the second half of the article when she talks about the consequences of eating ‘cake’. I could so identify with that.

I don’t think there is any specific advice in the book and I’m sure somebody will come back with figures for fat and protein. When in comes to carbs it’s a bit of trial an error. Generally most people stay under 50g a day, 30g being favoured by many, but some people need to be low as 20g or less.

When it comes to fat that is a really difficult one. It takes quite a while for most people to get rid of the brainwashing that low fat is the best way. Once you accept that healthy fat is good you feel quite liberated. When I first started this WOE lots of people worried about what they would eat in restaurants etc. but in fact it’s easier to eat BSD friendly than low fat and it’s wondeful to enjoy a knob of butter on vegetables or fry an egg in oil.

Counting …. well at first it really would be useful to use an app or website just to familiarise yourself with the carb content of foods. Some food we thought was really ‘healthy’ is in fact very high in carbs. I know you don’t have a great deal to lose but if you want to lose and maintain then you need to know about carbs. The other side of the coin is that dark chocolate can be eaten in moderation, Lindt 90% has just over 1g carbs per square , two a day could quite easilly fit in your plan, if that’s your poison!

Thanks for the link Verano. I’ve ended up spending 30 minutes on that website – the temptations of the internet! I was struck by the comment there ” The most common mistake when starting a low carb diet: Reducing carb intake while still being afraid of fat.” I’m beginning to feel a bit lost in advice to add butter, cream etc to my food – it feels so counter-intuitive. Is there anywhere in the BSD literature a key table setting out the ideal breakdown of protein, fat and carbs? I ask this with a slightly sinking heart, since I have had enough of counting calories/WW points etc, but perhaps I need to do some more groundwork.

Verano, thanks for the link, and an interesting way of looking at things.

On the other hand, a burger has always looked more appealing than chocolate cake to me! (though I always used to have the bun too). But I just haven’t got a sweet tooth, so cakes, biscuits, chocolate etc have never figured in my diet, yet I still got fat!!

Obviously I cut out all the white refined carbs, but some of the things that made me fat are allowed on BSD – nuts in particular. I just ate far too many of them, grazed on them all day!! That and wine!! And pastry – I do (did) like a good pie or tart!

Upon reaching maintenance though (very nearly 6 months ago) I have reintroduced these things (not the white carbs obviously, although I do allow myself the occasional fries when out for a pub meal), I just limit my consumption – initially I was having a glass of wine every day, now I try to go 3 or 4 days a week without any alcohol (more for the sake of my liver than any other reason) and then allow myself a bit more on the other days, which incorporates social occasions very well.

Maybe my total lack of desire for anything sweet is the reason I have been so successful on BSD, both whilst losing and in maintenance, as I now eat anything I fancy (other than the pastry and artisan bread, which I love, and potatoes, rice, pasta etc, which I never particularly liked anyway) just not too much of it. My main problem for the future now, as I see it, is my total (no pun intended) addiction to Total Fage yoghurt!!! I am eating far too much of it – where I used to reach for nuts, I now do a fly-by the fridge and have yet another spoonful of yoghurt, and it invariably doesn’t stop at one spoonful! The dogs have become addicted too, and now expect a spoonful each, every time it comes out of the fridge!! However, this morning I weighed in at my lowest recorded BSD weight yet (110lbs, 7st 12lbs, 49.89kg) which gives me 9lbs wriggle room and is too low, so I really need to up my calorie intake again. You’d think I’d have the balance sussed after 6 months, wouldn’t you?

Anyway, good luck to all who are still trying to lose, I guess I’ve had it very easy, not having a sugar addiction.