Hi Michael

You’re absolutely right. In commercial Kombucha there will be always be a sizeable residual sugar level to ensure the effervescent quality is maintained over a shelf-life. I’d imagine in home-made, the chances are that the sugar content will be higher, unless you keep a small hydrometer in the kitchen 😉

But sugar is, as you say, sugar.

Welcome back V, I wish my pounds would whoosh off, they seem to be sticking like glue, even after a good weekend. Can only put it down to not having done any exercise for the last 4 or 5 days with all this rain. Must be a shock to my body after doing 50 to 80 mins a day before. The sun is set to reappear tomorrow but the pool is cold now so I will just have to brave it. It is lovely once you get in.

Not looking forward to my weigh in tomorrow but will be here anyway. Hope the rest of you are doing well.

Carbs and calories are the basis of the BSD and Michael Mosley’s writings. They are also the basis of research from University of Newcastle. Let’s leave the discussion here.

Lol Bigeater. And with regard to the cream, if you’ve got spare calories and can fit it in within your 800 calories, it’s BSD friendly.

I occasionally do a dish consisting of courgetti cooked in a bit of butter with a sauce made of cherry toms, smoked salmon and creme fraiche. Delicious. Feels very rich and decadent, but not that many calories in fact. It’s a one pan meal: fry the courgetti till nearly done, add some halved cherry toms and cook again till relatively soft, then add the smoked salmon followed by the creme fraiche and heat till hot. Eat with joy.

Thank you Luckylinda, you have been most helpful.

Lol! Bes sign off ever! Congrats on reaching overweight! and I know it won’t be long before you are at your perfect bmi.
Xxx

Fba12 – That’s great your sugars are improving, as you said, might have just been an adjustment period going off the medication.

Hah, I’m certainly not the model of a perfect diet on this eating plan 🙂 I go over the calorie limit most days because I go to the gym and burn about 400cals, so I tend to eat about 1300 cals a day, which works out at around 900cal if you account for the exercise. I’m sure lots of people don’t do that, but it’s still working so seems to be ok for me.

I eat eggs, lettuce and tomatoes for breakfast most days (eggs cooked in a tsp of butter), salad with all sorts of veggies, chicken and some olive oil for lunch and then some kind of meat and veggies for dinner, often a stir fry or something like that. I eat nuts or greek yogurt if I need a snack before the gym.

Lol Bigeater!! Well done though and keep on keeping on!!

Lol Bigeater!! Well done though and keep on keeping on!!

Hi,

I recently wrote that I seem to be a binge drinker albeit infrequent. While I think wine doesn’t play a healthy part in weight loss, I have allowed myself a couple of glasses lately. Each glass 100 ml and what a miracle – I didn’t reach for more glasses. Obviously I CAN stop when I want to. Seems it only took a bit of mindfulness. Before I go congratulating myself any further, will report on progress in a while.

Have had a penchant for strawberries and cream lately. A real treat but doesn’t cream contain some calories.

Am continuing the BSD, same same, though have had a change from trousers falling down – ripped a pair from waist to god knows where the other night. Seems I also have a penchant for showing my arse!

On that note, I will leave off. Hopefully your arses are covered and your tummies full of lovely bsd food.

Bigeater

Hi caz1973
Hope your first day goes well. Extra water will not help with carb ‘flu, as this is about the symptoms of withdrawal from carbs, in the form of headaches, dizziness, feeling groggy etc. It is important to drink more, to ensure good hydration though and is vital to the body’s functioning well. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say the majority of people are under hydrated – I know historically I certainly was. Be sure to drink a minimum of 2Lts and a bit more if you can manage it. There are conflicting views as to whether the fluids you take should be largely clear water, or if coffees and teas count in the overall intake. I personally count all my drinks – weak decaf with almond milk, herbal teas, tea or coffee with cream, plain water or water with a twist of lemon, everything.

It sounds like you have done plenty of prep and I’m sure you will soon be posting positive results. Best of luck for some great results.

Hey everyone – hope people are still doing well and managing to inch closer to their ultimate goal.

After a particularly good result at last week’s weigh-in, I had to expect things not to be so fantastic this week. And if I’m honest, I have had an up and down week on the scales and with visitors staying over the w/e, there was inevitably a little alcohol and a couple of carby items I wouldn’t normally have – an ice cream and a focaccia roll. So registering a loss of 0.2lb for the week is not surprising and has to be accepted with good grace. Back to it today though and hopefully a better result at next weeks final weigh-in.

Hope to read lots of positive results for others this week. Has anyone reached a new low or hit that ultimate target this week? Looking forward to reading all about it.

Hi Rabbitoh4 – I have always done my own menu for the BSD and I would add that making sure to include fats in your meals is also important. Hope it goes well for you and you will soon be reporting positive results.

Too late for me FFBB, as I had a hysterectomy 11 years ago. So glad you aren’t getting it though….as if it wasn’t enough to feel like your uterus is falling out of your nether regions, why do we have to have PMT. Let’s hope it’s a permanent thing that you missed it this month.

Mary
xxx

This is an interesting turn of events (to me).

Got my period 4 days early. I wasn’t surprised that much as my breasts have been tender over the weekend so I was prepared (which shows how important it is to listen to our bodies/systems).

What did surprise me is that I have had NO PMT. Ever since I started my periods at 15 I have had awful PMT, I am a bitch, my temper is short, I don’t suffer fools gladly and generally have to bite my tongue to stop myself upsetting people. I also burst into tears at the drop of a hat! This has been the standard for 2-3 days out of every month for years.

Through being a size 14 up to a size 26 one constant has been 2-3 days of hormone induced bitchiness a month until now. The PMT was easier on LCHF but I still had symptoms.

I don’t know if this is usual on a low calorie diet (I still have the usual bad cramps/poop issues/flow) but I will monitor it.

I am wondering if this has happened to anyone else?

FFBB. X

Verano maybe those pounds will drop off in a few days like other holiday returners. If you were on a plane then water retention is massive.
Enjoying being away from work and lots of sunshine and really enjoying Mallorquin food. Lots of fish which I love. Managed a run each morning although not up to my usual speed. It is hotter than Scotland though so as long as I am moving each morning I’m happy.
Food wise have had the odd ice cream but avoided starch with meals. Will be over in terms of calories the last 2 days in the hotel but today moving to house in middle of nowhere and self catering so easier to calculate intake. Hopefully keeping moving each morning will be a help.
Have a good week all!

Only just come back to the forums so trying to catch up! Like some of you I did really well last year on the Fast 800 but then relaxed over xmas and ever since! I started back in earnest last week and I can feel a difference already! I’m not weighing just yet as I want to feel really in control before I risk any negativity! I think I have gained some back but hopefully not too much – we’ll see. Hardest think right now is passing up all the gorgeous fruit 🙁 Great start Purple Minion! Have a good week everyone 🙂

Hello Lee,

I’m doing ok. Weight coming off has been stubborn but I’ve managed to shed two inches off my hips which feels awesome.

Attacking this week with more determination and think I’m going to carry on with this an extra 2 weeks to make up for the 2 bad weeks lol.

My hubby said he’s noticed a change in me. He said I have more energy and seem happier. People are starting to ask if I’ve lost weight as well which is good because it means that the change is showing.

My daughters sports day today and a thousand other things going on at work = stress central! Trying to keep these cravings under control and not drink too much coffee. Doesn’t help that some international guests have turned up today with sweets and chocolates.

HelloAll! I have only just seen this thread. Genius! Thank you melb100 for sharing the link. I’m looking forward to this – what fun!

Hi Rabbit – if you do a search there will be a lot of threads on this and some very good advice. I use fatsecret to log my protein, carbs, fat daily but there is another site alot of people use here not sure what it is called. I think most keep their carbs under 50 – I don’t as I have a specific diet which doesn’t include meat/dairy. Everyone’s body is as individual as their personality and what may work for one may not work for another. If you are doing this for T2 then my best advice is to eliminate all rice, potatoes, pasta and processed foods. If you do this you will soon find that carb intake reduces significantly and you are on your way! I eat a plant based diet so my carbs are much higher but got really good results despite this. Reversed T2 and lost a great amount of weight so far. The first couple weeks will be hard (damn hard) but once you break through you will be amazed at how good you feel. Just remember to drink plenty of water – gallons 🙂 and best of luck on your journey – it really does work.

Seriously, NO veg? What do you put in a beef stew? Most soups have some sort of veg in them too.
Tomatoes, pulses and onions are hard to avoid.
I guess it might be possible to get all the necessary vitamins and roughage that you would get from veg from fruit, but no veg at all is incredibly limiting to any kind of healthy eating.

Personally I’m finding that cutting out the starchier vegetables has significantly reduced my kitchen repertoire, and avoiding carrots and parsnips is especially frustrating, as they are my boys favourite veggies.

Thank you AnnieW

Hi I am just starting and would like to know if there is there a level of protein, carbs and fat in grams I should aim for each day?

Hi back home again now and the total damage is 5.6lbs. It could have been a lot worse so I’m not too upset. I’m spending the next eight days back on a ‘short, sharp shock’ to get me back into the zone for the last four weeks of this challenge.

This week I will stay with 900/40 to ease myself back into true low carb eating. Then for the last three weeks plan on doing 800/30. So here goes …. I’m keeping on keeping on …..

Hope you are all doing well.

Thanks for your reply. Sugars seem to be improving last couple of days so whether it just takes time for the body to adjust to no medication? I am hungry most of the time which happened when I first started low carbs a year ago. To be expected on 800 calories I suppose but when the weight isn’t coming off it is a bit demotivating. Yesterday I had smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for brunch and a large salad with tuna and few olives for dinner. Hungry all evening! Few walnuts to try and stave off the hunger pains. Sugars were ok. Can you give me an idea of your typical diet for a day? Thanks.

Jenni – I’m not in Australia but in rural Scotland – but how much sugar did they contain? Surely that’s the clincher. Sugar is changed in fortified wines or sweet whites fermenting – but it’s still sugar.
Mike

Hi all – How did you do Ruthie and all?

Have just put a post on my thread as I managed to gain 1lb. Eating the right things but being “relaxed” about measuring and weighing. So back in the wrong direction. Having said that, all the other benefits of the sugar free continue so I am pleased to see that it’s not just about the weight loss. Back to it! All the best.

Hi all.. I had a quiet week as I got a shoulder injury in a long story involving a shaggy dog, a sheep and a river rescue. Doh. I also thought I’ve got the hang of how much I should eat now so I can stop all the measuring and weighing.

Wrong.

I’ve gained 1lb. I’ve been eating the right things but too much of them. So back to weighing. The good things are still going on though as I have kept away from sugar. My weakness is nuts. I have at least one late night a week and then a long drive home and I need to eat something during that time. Most nut packs are far too big to come in under daily calorie allowance. Have just found some at ASDA which are around 100cals in a small tube. Perfect. I know I could measure them out myself. Yeah. Those calorie bombs just slip down so easily. I am 51 and I know myself. These little tubes from ASDA cost about 32p I think and that’s fine. I can stop myself opening a packet, but once opened…well.

I stopped drinking like a few others have mentioned. Five years ago I think. Happier for that. The personal cost: benefit ratio had reversed as I got older!

Sugar cravings have gone. Mouth feels fresh in mornings. Yes it does. Skin is good and sleeping much better. Just been eating too many calories so no weight loss. Interesting though to see that it’s not just the weight loss which is making us feel so good, it is the absence of sugar.

So, I’ve just completed week 3 and it’s been a lot easier than last week for sure. I initially managed to keep the carbs down, but I’ve found that, unless I eat tofu for breakfast, it’s very difficult to keep them below 80 or so on a vegan diet. It’s all “good” carbs, from vegetables, beans and berries, but I’ll still try and work on keeping them down. That said, I’ve had significantly more energy over the last few days. I even managed a couple of gentle gym sessions! So I doubt it’s too much of a problem.

One more week to go and I’ll be halfway there 🙂

3 weeks down, 5 to go. Starting weight 19st 8lbs, current weight 18st 0.5lbs.

Well today’s the day no going back i weighed myself this morning and i am 13 stone 10 (shock horror) don’t think i will weigh myself until next Monday morning. I have done alot of prepping over the weekend especially my lunches and put them in the freezer at work as it seems to be my downfall if i don’t take anything to work i will pop out for a sandwich but this morning i have had 2 boiled eggs, i have Spanish chickpea and Spinach soup for my lunch and for my tea later on i have skinny chilli and some steamed cabbage and i will have a long walk tonight with my dog. I see lot of people saying to increase there water intake is this just so you don’t get like the carb flu or does this help with flushing out didn’t know if it was just a myth and ideally how much do people drink of water in the day. Feeling motivated at the moment and organised lets hope it continues Happy Monday everyone enjoy your day.

Hi guys, I’m new here and starting the 800 cals a day today. Will be checking in for inspiration, recipes and tips along the way.

I have just checked 3 brands of organic Kombucha (in Australia). All of them come in at less than 10 grams of carbs for 330ml. Sugars are altered in the process of kombucha fermenting. As with any other food its up to each person how they make up their calories and carbs for the 800 calories.

It was a long, slow, frustrating month of plateaus and ups and downs even though I never, ever go off-plan, but I have finally achieved my mini-goal of getting my BMI out of the obese category. At 5’2″ and 155 pounds, I am officially overweight. 😀

Twenty pounds until my next mini-goal of entering the only distantly recalled healthy BMI range. I won’t risk the ire of the fickle weight loss deities by putting a time on it. The days of me easily and steadily losing 3-4 pounds a week are over now that I’m just 30 pounds from my final goal. It’s a good thing, I know, because it means I’m not carrying 200 excess pounds anymore, but it can mess with your head something fierce.

Anyway, nothing but positivity and encouraging success in this thread. Bye bye, obesity. Don’t let the door hitya where the good Lord splitya.

Hey Fba12, that’s no good that your sugars have been too high. What have you been eating? Maybe there’s something that’s causing that which you haven’t thought of, lots of dairy or fruit or high carb veggies like corn or beans?
Hopefully they’ll come back down so you can stay off the medication

Good luck Inka….don’t be too hard on yourself the alcohol is very tricksy and gets you when you don’t expect it. Tomorrow is another day.

Maryxxx

Well done on getting through Lee, Mary and FFBB, I too resisted the wine ( can’t say the same for the Irish whisky though😩) sooo annoyed and disappointed in myself. This morning I will pour out the remaining ginger beer that triggered my lapse ( would not have had it if I didn’t have a mixer!!!!)
Oh well, did ok on the food side at least. Stay strong girls!

Hi Californiagirl

I am inspired by what you have said but could you give me an example of 20gms of carbs per day would be?

It’s ok to do your own menu plans, many people do. If you are doing this for health reasons (T2?) The main thing to remember is to make sure the carbs, especially white ones, are reduced and remember to take plenty of fluids. Best wishes for your success .

Thank you Luckylinda, that’s sounds like good advice!!

Do I have to stick to the menu plan or can I do my own as long as I am within 800cal?

Hi all
Its been awhile since I posted. Great to find this thread and the familiar names. My aim to be 9stone anything by August is probably just about possible if I get myself together. I’m 10st 7. My lowest was 10 4. I’ve been staying around the 10.7 for awhile now. Wine has crept in and so too bread, rice this weekend and a few chips fell into my mouth. I feel I can still do this but need my mojo back. I’ve never counted on this way of eating so pondering that (again). Wondering if the clever guts would get me motivated again…. thoughts or opinions would be welcomed. Great to read all the inspirational stories again x

Hi Kazza,
What do you eat? Surely most foods are covered in that selection of recipes! If there’s anything you do like, I’ll see if I have some recipes for you.
P

Well done FFBB!
It’s sensible to remove yourself from situations until you feel better able to cope. And you will you know. The longer you do, the easier it gets…
L xx

Thank you FFBB. xxx

Stay strong Mary, you can do this…. I did X and you’re right, a poached egg does seem decadent.

You are still doing well Lee, back on it tomorrow. X

Happy birthday Liz.

Well Done Fattyfbb, recognising our problems and overcoming them is a brilliant thing to do.

Thanks Lee, I am a little calmer now. Have had a long shower, prepared and eaten a salad and a large glass of water. (yeuk).
I would still prefer to be drinking wine, but I know I can’t. I am not really, really strict about 800 a day. If I go over its not by much so I don’t care lol. As long as its around the right number (i.e. below 1000) and I rarely go above 900 I am happy.

Take care.
Mary
xxx

Sunday night blues Mary. You’ve got this.
I’m distracting myself writing a packing list for Galway….

But I will admit I have gone over on my calories for the day. Will end on 991. Eeek!! But I felt like I needed it tbh as haven’t felt great, so refuse to feel bad about myself….

You’re right Mike. It would be hard to fit any volume of Kombucha into the BSD. The need to keep the yeast alive means that you need a fair slab of sugar.

If they find a way of keeping the yeast growing without the sugar, I have a couple of clients who’d love to know what it is before they place next year’s molasses contracts …;)

Oh, and Jenni – I forgot to say – I don’t have Dr, Mosley’s Gut book – just the Blood Sugar Diet book, which has no mention of Kombucha – or if it does I missed it and it doesn’t appear in the index.
Mike

I tried finding adverts for commercial Kombucha – perhaps I didn’t try hard enough, but i could only find two that gave nutritional information – which always makes me suspicious of food items advertised in glowing terms. In a typical 250ml glass of Captain Kombucha there is 14.75g of sugar. A similar helping of Plant Organic Kombucha contains 9.75 g of sugar. Neither seem to sit very sensibly for folk on diets aiming to lower blood sugar levels.
Mike