I’ve had multiple bouts of nausea, some of which lasted a few hours, others dragged on for a week. The last bout was around Christmas and I actually vomited (we had guests over for dinner, so that was fun). I felt much better afterwards and haven’t experienced any nausea since.

Since I find it almost impossible to eat when I feel like throwing up, I have little food advice to give you. I stuck with mugs of chicken broth dusted with a grating of parmesan because my mom used to make that for me when my tummy was upset as a kid. Also, I found that a tablet of Dramamine helps. It works just as well when you’re stationary as it does when you’re being jostled in a car or boat.

There are courgettes around in some supermarkets. Morrisons have them but they are really pricey. Not sure about the other stores.

Angela, any old full fat plain yoghurt will do for cooking, as the taste is lost amongst the other ingredients, but it gives the same sort of richness as cream.

Prior to BSD, I always used supermarket’s own (generally Asda Greek). I only use Fage because it was recommended on here, so I tasted it and it is soooo delicious that I now have it for breakfast, with berries, every morning, so I always have it in the fridge. Plus it is a bit lower in carbs and calories than other plain Greek yoghurts. For example, 125g Fage (which is my breakfast serving) contains 6.25g fat (Asda’s 11.75), 4.75g carbs (Asda’s 8.25), 11.25g protein (Asda’s 6.38), and 120 calories (Asda’s 156) And, let’s be honest, on BSD800, every little carb / calorie saving helps 🙂

Mind you it is a lot more expensive so I guess I ought to really keep a carton of supermarket’s own for cooking with, and for the dogs for that matter, who get a portion each as a treat a couple of times a week, and also love to lick the cartons out as and when I finish them.

Butternut squash is pretty high in carbs are 11.3g per 100g and not sure how cucumber would fair. Rather than spaghetti style substitute, how about cauliflower rice/couscous or mash?

Kelp noodles! Some people hate them — they come out of the bag crunchy and smelling like plastic — but I’m their greatest evangelist. You just have to put in a little effort in prep to get the texture and taste right. Once you’ve done that, they are incredibly versatile replacements for spaghetti or long noodles of any kind. Most importantly, a 12 oz bag of them has a grand total of 24 calories, 4 grams of fiber, zero net carbs. You could literally eat the whole bag and it wouldn’t even register on the calorie/carb log. That gives you all kinds of leeway to make delicious creamy cheese sauces and other calorie-rich toppings like a real Bolognese.

The trick is to thoroughly rinse the noodles in a colander, threading your fingers through the strands to unwind them from the block they’re in when you open the bag. Then soak them for an hour in a bowl of hot water (I use a kettle-full) with the juice of a half a lemon or lime. Drain and rinse again and set aside until they’re ready to be mixed with the dressing/veg/sauce/whatever. The acid in the citrus and the heat of the water soften the noodles so they lose that plasticy-crunchy texture and can be twirled on your fork like proper spags. They also clear away any weird flavors from the brine and bag.

I posted my recipe for shrimp lo mein using kelp noodles in this thread: https://thebloodsugardiet.com/forums/topic/fab-food-for-february/#post-55215 .

One of my two go-to brands of kelp noodles is available on Amazon.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Tangle-Noodle-Company-Noodles/dp/B00CPQ1C54/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1486998875&sr=8-1&keywords=kelp+noodles

Day 13:
Somebody today mentioned chicken skin improving. I too have noticed that the skin on my arms is looking quite alot smoother and younger looking – is it because we are better hydrated?

Hi Shanshu
I’m used to drinking quite a lot of wine, most of friends like a drink too and social meetups are usually quite boozy – probably how I got this fat in the first place (start: 17st 8lb).
You are doing brilliantly getting your steps in. I’ve managed to crank it up to walking for a good hour each day which I think is about 6,800 steps.
Race you to the bottom!
Nancy x

Don’t be disheartened Rozy, try to get back to the BSD basics and perhaps have a close look at the carb intake, to see if you can budge yourself off that plateau. Get the hydration thing sorted too, as we all know that is important for BSD progress.

Well done on that 2lb loss cmawp – getting really close to that main goal now! With luck and a fair wind you could well be there by this time next week.

Hope everyone else is doing okay.

Also good luck with your weigh-in tomorrow NancyB

What are you adding sugar to? Eleven grams of sugar is a lot, and the premise of the diet is that the refined carbs — flour, rice, potatoes, cereals, sugar — should be eliminated. It seems to be you’d be better served to cut out all the sugar, even reducing the natural sugars as much as you can, reduce the overall daily carb count to 50 g or less (a goal you could almost attain just by cutting those 11 g of added sugar) and replace those calories with some lovely filling healthy fats, like olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds and cheeses.

Hi,

anybody else starting the 8 Week Plan Fast 800 today?

the coins are a good idea…. My friend brought me this little phrase. I am putting it on my fridge
“Most people fail
rather than succeed
because they give up
what they want most
for what they want at the moment”

Love the idea of taking photos thanks! I keep 8 coins in my left pocket and move them over to my right pocket as I eat throughout the day. 1 coin = 100 calories when the food bank account is empty it is time to stop eating.

Just wondering how things going for all you first dayers. I am thinking up tasty meals to make this a pleasant experience. I am also photographing the meal to keep on record. What I didn’t do was add up the calories. I wouldn’t say I have had that many, but 800calls won’t amount to much food . considering I eat like I worked on a building site. Have done my aquarobics and walked the dog. Now I must get the ironing out of the way. Evening will be hardest

JulesMaigret – nope, definitely not taking any of those things. Guess my body is having a weird bump but it’s good to know it’s happened to others too. It’s so disheartening when I’ve been so good!!

NancyB – I’ve gone strictly no booze. Not really an issue for me as only tended to have the odd glass of wine anyway some weekends so I’m just stopping for the 8 weeks.

I gave up the booze for the first eight weeks, but I have an ‘all-or-nothing’ view to things, so it was easy to introduce a complete embargo.

Also I preferred to eat the calories rather than drink them 😉

Interesting point about the salt JM. I tend to oversalt, will cut down a little.
On the subject of appetite, I read some research that fizzy water triggers the appetite which figures as it does taste slightly salted.

Hi everybody!
Alcohol?
I’ve had 4 or 5 G&Ts with diet tonic during these first 12 days of the diet, and this weekend was very good, I think, had just 250ml red wine in pub with friend Saturday night and 125ml red wine with restaurant meal yesterday Sunday lunchtime. I have since read that alcohol should be completely avoided during the first month of the diet to give the liver a chance to start functioning properly. Oh dear – will now endeavour to forego alcohol from now on. What are other people doing in this regard?
Two week weigh-in for me tomorrow Tuesday at 6pm. Will post result.
Nancy x

Thank you, Theodora, for the cooking tip. I have eaten greek yoghurt but not tried cooking with it. I can’t get Fage just the Nestlé which to my taste buds isn’t quite as nice.

Unlikely to be muscle at 1lb in 24 hours, unless you’re taking ARMs or strong steroids, which I’m guessing you aren’t or you’d probably have mentioned it. More likely to be the body responding to the change in diet/weight by storing a bit of short-term water. I have said it before, but the body is a very complex and resilient thing and can behave in a wholly unpredictable manner.

In my first solid eight weeks, I lost at an average of just under .7lb a day which is, I understand, quite an aggressive drop. This was however far from linear and I did have the oft-mentioned plateaus, but now I try to take a longer term view. I’m now at around 2lb a week and am very happy with that as I drift towards my target, having met my primary health objectives.

Thanks for that – I’ll have a look at carb intake – one of the problems that I seem to experience is trying to find items of food that, whilst ‘good’ in one respect are bad in others.
I have upped my water intake a bit – can always do more.
One intriguing thing – I read on another thread the idea that measuring blood sugar in the early morning – I have been doing it around 05:30 – 06:00 (I’m an early riser) is measuring the fact that the liver is releasing sugar to combat perceived hunger. I read that after I had measured my sugar this morning – 7.1 – so have just checked again – about 11:30 and it is 5.9. For the time being (I measure my sugar twice a week) I think that I will take two readings each time, one at my existing early hour, the other a couple of hours after breakfast so that I can build up a comparison
As for fats – not having any obviously fatty foods
Thanks again
Mike

I made a couple of good choices and a couple of disastrous ones this weekend. It is time to become serious about my diet and I will try my best with incremental steps.

First step – get more vegetables in my meals. I am pleased with my progress with this – I’ve made soup for lunches again this week (celeriac and roasted peppers this week).

Second step – get more moderate exercise into my days. I walk for half an hour most mornings and now the evenings are getting lighter I will try to do half an hour in the afternoons as well. I will also try to restart my extra flights of stairs at work.

Next step is to reduce carbs little by little. I’ve had very little success in past attempts so I’ll do this gently this time.

Fage is also on sale in Asda at the moment (£2 for a 500g tub)….

Angela, Captlynne and K8sgettingthin – just on a point of interest, re cream and / or crème fraiche, I have ditched both in favour of Total Fage yoghurt and now never have cream in the house. I have it for breakfast every morning, it is just sooo delicious, even o/h has started eating it – not for breakfast, but as a substitute for cream with desserts – it’s all I ever offer guests too, and they all eat it without any adverse comments, don’t think they even notice. I also cook with it and any recipe at all which includes cream or crème fraiche, I just use the equivalent amount of yoghurt and it works a treat. The pork with mustard cream sauce has long been a favourite in this house, and I have made it regularly for about 25 years, with the addition of mushrooms, and have always preferred it made with yoghurt.

Now nuts (Brazils in particular), on the other hand, are my downfall, and haven’t yet found any suitable subsititute 🙁 I do try to limit myself to 10 a day.

So I’m 25% through the 8 week programme and so far so good. Mainly…

Except this morning I weighed myself as I have every morning since starting and instead of losing 0.8lb as I did every day this week, I had put on a whole lb. Why?? I’d like to think it’s muscle because I’m exercising more but does that sound right to other people?

Anyway my stats for Week Two:
Weight loss: 5.6 lb
Boobs: Down 3 cm
Chest (beneath boobs): Down 3.5 cm
Waist: Down 4 cm

Total so far:
Weight loss: 19.8 lb (incl. 4lb from cutting carbs the week before diet started)
Boobs: Down 10 cm
Chest (beneath boobs): Down 15 cm
Waist: Down 5 cm

So everything is going in the right direction I think (bar the extra lb this morning). Maybe the weight will stop coming off my boobs soon and start coming off everywhere else!

Hi FindingMe – I definitely don’t mind advice. I’m just not convinced I was tired so much as lazy.

Anyway – well done for getting back on the programme. I anticipate having an ‘oopsy’ day tomorrow as I have a funeral to go to and then it’s Valentines so we are having a meal out. I have a plan to keep close to the 800 calories having perused the menu in advance but it may all go to pot on the day. Hopefully I’ll be able to get straight back to it on Wednesday.

Good luck Bainsey. My BP was very high just before Christmas, and although not pre diabetic, probably not far off it. I already had the 8 week BSD book and the recipe book months before but hadn’t acted on it.

Now just over 6 weeks in and I have lost 20.5 lbs! Would like to lose at least another 10 lbs, but I feel this is achievable. I have only ever lost around 10 lbs in 3 months on previous diets and then fallen off the wagon so this is a vast improvement for me.

BP down from about 160/120 to 130/86.

Good luck to you, and keep checking in on the Forums.

Thank you Captainlynne and Angela06, you have made me feel so much better as I am addicted to cream – I also have a spoonful when I happen to go to the fridge…. which can be quite often. I also made the huge error of buying salted cashews promising myself I could just have a small handful now and then – it’s amazing how quickly an entire bag can disappear…… Both will be left of my shopping list and out of the basket from now on as I cannot be trusted. Struggle with butter also. If I’m going to shift my huge amount of fat, I need to be more vigilante – the weight loss is not happening and I can only blame myself!

I want to get back under 73 kg, just 0.3 kg to go. I know it is not much but my weight has been 72.8 then 73.3 then 72.9 then 73.5, get the picture, so getting under and staying under is my current goal.

Hi Not giving up this time, The Optifast sachets are used by Doctors in Australia treating severe obesity for quick results while still getting solid nutrition and includes having some vegetables once a day. It is a good way of getting started in your circumstances. Stay focused on introducing real food in a week or two. Many of us use Optifast as a meal when pushed for time. Good luck with your journey.

Good luck – call out if you need help 🙂

🙂 yes it works – keep it up

Hi all, well done SunnyB on your fantastic result this week. You’ve got your eyes on the prize and I can feel the determination oozing from you! Keep up the great work.

RozyDozy, don’t be too disheartened by the plateau. You’re getting a good idea of what maintenance might feel like. Have a little word with yourself before you go into a shop or prep your BSD friendly post-activity meal and take it with you to eat after swimming or other activity.

I had a good result this week; 2lb loss. This takes me to 2lb from goal weight. I even had a night out on Saturday, so it’s good to see that I was able to limit any damage this week.

I’m just restarting the BSD after a major lapse over Christmas & had been using courgetti instead of pasta. It’s now got like gold dust in the UK, & probably will be for some time until UK crops come on-line, so I was wondering if anyone has any ideas for something similar. I know there is something called a spaghetti squash but that is out of season at the moment – has anyone tried something like butternut squash or cucumber?

Couldn’t believe the scale this morning, had to get back on twice. I have lost a fantastic 10.lb, it was worth drinking water instead of wine. So excited that’s almost a stone, only another 8 stone to go. This is going keep me motivated for this week.
Good luck to everyone this week. Sharon

Well done, SunnyB, on making your mini-goal! It can be done – and good luck for your final 4lbs.

I still seem to be treading water. Unusually for me, the past few weigh-ins my weight has been stable (it’s very up/down normally) but I was at 10st 2lb 8oz so I wasn’t too bothered since the 2lb have been more in evidence than the 3lb/4lb/5lbs of earlier in the year. But the past couple of weigh-ins have shown a rise – yes, it’s my overindulgence. This time last year I still had 2stone of blubber to keep me warm – I’m plundering the recipes like a good ‘un but I’m aware that I’m grazing again. I’ve definitely upped my activity levels since Xmas but the past couple of times I’ve been swimming I’ve come home feeling absolutely ravenous, I could eat a horse. I’ve also become too fond of calling in at one of the local food shops ostensibly to top up with a veg or two and something non-BSD slips its way into my basket – Stick to the list, Rose.
I will be glad when the warmer weather returns & I can turn off the central heating which I am sure is making me feel thirsty all the time, I’m probably confusing thirst with hunger so am taking in food which I don’t need rather than liquid.
Anyway, it’s a nice day today and I need to go to the local PO so that’s a 50min walk in the bag. And I should be getting back into the garden/allotment in coming weeks.
Anyway, good luck everyone – hope you are edging nearer your targets.

TumtumP

You’ve done so well with this way of eating – it must be the best feeling to have reached so many goals – and for your 16 year old daughter to take on the BSD for good health is absolutely terrific. To motivate a 16 year old daughter to eat in such a healthy way says it all. She must be almost as thrilled as you to see what you’ve achieved in just 6 weeks!

Libby well done too – how good is this!

To all of you in this starting January thread — It’s so good to read all of your successes and also the struggles we all have when it doesn’t go so well. Loads of support to help on those calorie challenged days!!!

I’ve just started week 4 – and am also really pleased at how I’m feeling – lost 3.8kgs in the 3 weeks but clothes are already fitting better – they just must have been too tight before!!!!!! usually when I try and lose weight I’m excruciatingly hungry all the time and craving sweet food but not on the BSD……..

Wow Libby & Tum Tum – you are both doing SO well!!!!!

I have my week 5 weigh in this Thursday, but cheated yesterday with wine so am back at it now super strictly in the hope that my week 5 would be as successful as yours!

Keep up the good work!

Jess xx

Starting the 8 week BSD today ….after getting told i have high blood pressure and pre diabetes by my doctor ..i weighed myself and measured myself….after I’d stopped crying I’ve decided to reverse it while i still can ….wish me luck

Morning Everyone!

Today is the first day of week 6 for me! I am happy to report I have broken through week five with a 4.8lbs loss which is so great after 3 weeks of not shifting much! Total Loss 15st 10.1lbs to 14st 5.2lbs!

My tactics for week 6 are to split my 800 calories in to 4 sections of 200 each. Leaving 200 cals for coffee with soya milk. Coffee is my biggest ‘trip up’ at 39 cals and 2.5g carbs a pop for 100mls of soya.

I am also going to make sure I drink more water!!

I still have 26 lbs to go to target which is over 8 lbs per week loss needed to do within the 8 week timeline, So I have decided to continue on the ‘8 week challenge’ for as long as it takes to hit target. Then I will transition to 5:2 using Med Style! Excited!!

Best of Luck All!!
Libby x

Great to read that so many are reporting good results and cracking mini-goals along the way. I too can report achieving another mini-goal, which was getting to 9st, but actually I broke through that and came in as 8st 13lb today at my weekly weigh-in. This was a slight bounce back from the lowest weight registered during the week, but I’ll happily take it.

So I’m setting a new mini-goal now. Aiming to drop 4lb to get to exactly 2st lost, which actually is only 2lb away from my ultimate goal of 8st 7lb, which was my weight when I got married almost 20yrs ago. 2st 2lb might not seem like a big deal in the scheme of things, but being very short means that I was almost three dress sizes bigger than I am now.

Anyway, hope everyone is making good progress towards their next personal mini-goal. Looking forward to reading everyone’s great results soon.

I agree with the reply from Captainlynne although I have not been doing it for 9 months now I have reach my goal I plan to maintain my current weight 79kgs by continuing to monitor cals and eating the med style.
I still do not understand why the NHS is not promoting this form of eating and lifestyle as it would help resolve some of the crisis they are having in always

So really chuffed, Day 7 was on Saturday and 5lb off! I stayed on plan Saturday but Sunday was a little bit messy. Was down 6lb by Sunday but ended up on an impromptu day and evening out with the OH a few naughty cookies and dinner (although a good choice) . weighed this morning and seems to only be 1lb back on so fingers crossed it will stay that way!…
One day with some sugar and minimal carbs though and getting out of bed was horrific this morning so lethargic! lesion learnt
xx

Aldi sell cacao powder and various other superfood powders. All around £2

End of week 6 weigh in-amazed to say another 4lb gone! That’s 1stone 10lb !! Lots of mini goals achieved with this loss-down into the 15 stones, 1 and 1/2 stone DONE and under 100kg. Also lost 1/2″ off tummy that had plateaued for 3 weeks-7″ gone from there.
Actually starting to notice a change in my hips. And tummy. Also noticed skin has improved-I’ve always had “chicken skin” arms, little bumps and they’ve gone! Gone everywhere! First time in my life.
I have surgery on my foot at the end of this week so focusing on eating nutritional foods. Also my 16 year old daughter has been so impressed she is following the diet-not for weight loss but for health. Delighted beyond words

Reporting a much more successful weekly weigh-in today and also breaking through a mini-goal! So, came in at 8st 13lb dead, which is a 3.4lb loss over the week and takes me past my mini-goal of hitting 9st. So, although this result is actually a slight bounce back from the lowest weight registered throughout the last week, I’m more than happy with the weekly figure. In fact, this has been one of my most successful BSD weeks to date! Now my next mini-goal will be to drop another 4lb, to get the exactly 2st lost – this really feel attainable now and I’m hopeful of getting there before the 9th April.

Good luck to everyone, especially those facing their weekly weigh-ins today. Looking forward to reading lots of great results soon.

I did read somewhere that salt triggers the appetite (which is why restaurants add so much to food, especially starters, not to promote thirst), which may account for why salted nuts are more “more-ish” than unsalted ones.

Well done bloke41.

Welcome back Verano. Congratulations on the 11 pounds. You’ll get this next mini goal – welcome to your lowest weight for many years.

Good morning

Will definitely try your recipe with blue cheese and spinach, Snoop, it sounds lovely. Not sure about the salmon one as I’m really not that fussy on cooked smoked salmon. I am definitely going to try and eat more courgette meals this week in an effort to reduce my calorie intake.

I’m still just logging what I eat with gay abandon but tomorrow I will be back on track again. I had less than 40 carbs yesterday and just less than 1000 calories and I think I might stick to those figures I’m finding 800/30 a bit low at the moment.

Angela06 you did well with your guests. It is doable if we try.

Last night I made a Thai green chicken curry which was very nice but I had roasted cauliflower rice with it. The ‘rice’ itself was quite good but it just didn’t go with the curry. Will have to rethink that one.

I looked at the lasagne recipe sunshine-girl but I’m not sure it’s for me even though I love lasagne. I think I might make my own Bolognese sauce, even with the red wine, and use courgettes instead of aubergine. I think it may have been Marsie who suggested using crème fraiche loosened with a little water instead of the sauce in the recipe, which I have tried but don’t like. In fact looks like I’m just rewriting the whole thing!!! Never mind will give mine a try and let you know.

Tonight I’m having courgetti with a similar ‘peppered’ type sauce to the one I made at the weekend but will add more vegetables to make it into a main dish. Maybe spinach and a spiralised carrot with asparagus as a garnish. Will experiment.

Have a good day.

Glad it’s not just me Angela!

With the nuts, it seems it’s the salted and/or flavoured ones that cause the problem for me. I read somewhere that plain unsalted nuts cause fewer problems. Unfortunately I could easily still eat too many. And cashews have so many carbs.