At the start of week five I find myself stuck and not losing weight. It’s happened to me before on other diets and I wondered if anyone has been through similar with BSD and how you jump started weight loss again?

Hi Mayroko
Firstly, stop comparing – your success is your success and should be celebrated!

We all lose at differing rates and sadly, some of us lose much more slowly than others – I’m one of those too. However, this is by far the most successful eating plan I have ever tried. Have been on the plan for almost a year, with two long maintenance periods along the way and where I would normally have lumped huge amounts back on, I gained just a kilo each time. Overall I have lost approx. ten kilo and am on the last push to drop the last 3.5kilo.

Stick with it, it will come right. Watch your carb intake as well as monitoring the calories. Stay positive and celebrate your losses, no matter what they might be.

Oh dear that reminds me of how hard it was to get rid of our treadmill that we never used. It was huge and took up so much space. And so heavy and hard to move! But no point advertising it for sale, literally thousands there already. Gave it to a friend for about a year but when she renovated her house she gave it back. Literally couldn’t give it away. But eventually a work friend of my husband took it. I was so glad to see the back of it.

I wouldn’t mind owning a rowing machine or elliptical, but there is no way my husband will let me buy one after that experience!

Hi everyone congrats on ask the weightloss!! Incredible! Im a bit discouraged i started last Monday and in one week only lost 1.8kg…. and I’ve been super strict only 800 calories per day, walked 3x and been driving water. .. is this at all normal? I feel i should lose more on first week like everyone else! Thx 🙂

Seaviewjoy I think a reading of 11.2 in the morning shows significant impairment. I’d advise you to see your doctor for testing but it sounds like you might already have it under control.

Lucia when I am having a really awful time I read your posts and I regain zest for life.
Been a stressful few days but I have kept walking, kept running… even though I have also kept eating – unfortunately more of the wrong stuff than I should have. BUT I am in a much better place than I was, in every way – and I am determined to keep the wagon moving, albeit with the first blip of the year.
This is a long journey to better health and the nasty stuff which is occasionally chucked at us is just an obstacle to give us exercise – dodging practice, if you will.
Keep going all… and remember the tortoise got there before the hare!

Just wondering if anyone else has been using a monitor for blood sugar readings. i had my suspicions that mine were high. i had gotten a monitor free and hadn’t used it but after reading and looking at videos by MM i decided to record the detail. this was the first week. My first readings in the mornings were highest 11.2 following fasting and then 8=9 during the day. I reduced carbs significantly , am taking cacao and cinnamon in my smoothie with avocado spinach and almond milk, cider vinegar in ginger tea. Im watching cals too but taking this time to get used to the food changes. Then i will do the 800 a day for 8 weeks. Yesterday i got a reading of 6.3 following fasting and then 5.1 today. After a week!! I will continue to monitor and see what happens. I have at least 100lbs to lose but am not paying attention to that for the next weeks. I reckon its a symtom and it distracts and depresses me.

Hi
I’ve been doing the med style way of eating since end of November and following all the highs and lows in the various threads. First time posting but felt we are approaching this very similarly, not weighing and counting so much but applying the principles. I’m in the chilly West of Ireland enjoying how I feel with this way of eating. Trying to increase my levels of exercise which tends to be my downfall. The aim is to get to 10000 steps each day and go from there. I’ve found that I’m not hungry much but today just felt like eating….mainly nuts then snacking on roast chicken! Need the routine of work again tomorrow. Good luck on your journey and look forward to hearing more from you in 2017!

I guess if you make the pancakes thin enough, they could be used for wraps – haven’t tried this though, so don’t know how they would hold up. Worth a try though I guess.

Hi Rambling Rose,
Very well done on your 10kg loss – excellent progress! I started the BSD about a year ago (check out my profile for my progress) – like you, I didn’t get hung up about counting calories/measuring everything. Unfortunately, I still have the capability to down a bar of chocolate so I just have to tell myself not to waste the money on it in the first place! Like you, I do occasionally crave a bag of crisps, I like the zinginess of salt & vinegar.
You mention that you expect your weight loss to get harder over time – you are probably correct. I know my weight loss stalled towards the end of last year (probably boredom setting in, my clothes were fitting better so why continue, etc) and then I fell victim to Xmas temptation. So I’m trying to get things back under control again and finally reach my original target. Being in cold & chilly UK I’m finding it difficult not to graze at the moment – it’s anything to keep warm – and things have been a bit up & down re the weight loss (or lack of it). But at least it was a nice sunny day today and I managed a Sunday morning walk which I haven’t done for several weeks.
I’m not sure I have any special ideas for keeping on track – I know that variety is key to maintaining interest in what I eat. I know that it’s easier to stick to things when you plan your meals & shop accordingly. I also know there is little point in stressing & agonising over things if you do fall off the wagon occasionally – much better to put it behind you and start afresh the next day. Simply following the principles of the diet (as you have been) is probably the best approach.
Anyway, good luck with your efforts – hope you make your target!
Rose

HFW was working in Newcastle to find volunteers to .help the city lose 100,000 lbs in a year. Prof Taylor was at the launch being iNterviewed in his academic and OU capacity on obesity rather than for his low carb low cal work specifically. Not many signing up on the day, I must say, and more than one tubby Geordie going past and muttering about ‘bloody southerners coming up here and telling us we’re fat’.

Interesting social experiment though, it’s for a BBC/OU programme later in the year. They’re trying to get people to ‘own’ their weight and not be shy talking about it under the slogan ‘weigh aye, man’. Then lose it, obvs. MKx

I’ll keep you company over here, I am still counting but nowhere near the 800 calories mark as I am basically now trying to either maintain or lose weight very slowly as I am so close to my target. I am still trying to keep the carbs pretty low, but will occasionally have a slice of toast or piece of chocolate and like you seem to no longer suffer from the cravings imperative to finish a box / have another slice. In kilos I have only about another two to lose (or did before this weekend but that’s another story and I expect since my calories haven’t been high enough even with the higher carbs that the extra weight of the last couple of days is mostly water and will go again as soon as I get back to normal.) I am going to throw in a fast day tomorrow just to help it along, so a 6:1 week for me.

Lots of very interesting posts here. HFW prog should be interesting. At last I seem to have broken my Three week stall and lost one pound this morning. Only another two days, looking forward to the next four week challenge. Onward and downward.

Hi Ebs, I have had awful leg cramps in the past. A daily magnesium supplement tablet helped with that, I haven’t had one for years now (even though I no longer take magnesium).
Worth a try if the extra salt doesn’t help 🙂
There are also natural sources of magnesium – from memory Brazil nuts, leafy greens.

I have been on an 8 weeks to Xmas forum but the other participants seem to have dropped off line since the 8 weeks were up so looking for some new folk to journey with. I have lost 10kg (Yay!) and am delighted with the simplicity and sustainability of this way of eating. I have not been strict about calories as find the counting and measuring drives me nuts and i always give up, but have found the basic principles of the diet do the work for me. With high protein foods, I feel full and don’t crave snacks. My portion sizes are way down and, most miraculously, I have lost my sweet tooth. For the first time in my life i can have one piece of chocolate occasionally if someone offers one, be slightly overwhelmed by its sweetness, but still rather enjoy it and not want another. I have always been a slave to the siren call of the rest of the bar or box of chocs. Now all my sugar comes from fruit which i am probably overdoing at the moment since we are in the stone and berry fruit season (southern hemisphere) but still find i am gradually losing weight, so happy to keep going as i am. I can walk past the cafe cake and biscuit display and have no interest in spending money on them. My nemesis is still salty snacks like crisps and roasted nuts, but even they have become occasional treats and I don’t have the cravings or the will to eat large quantities. So far so good, aiming to lose another 15kg over 2017 and anticipate that the loss will get harder over time so will be glad to read all your good ideas for keeping on track

Happy Sunday Angela! The anniversary party turned out well. It was a group of about 20 close friends and family. My mom seemed to take it well that you she couldn’t attend. I know she was a bit disappointed but was enjoying watching it snow and doing lots of quilting. I see my mom a few times a year but really need to make more of an effort to visit her. She lives about 3 hours away.

There was only a couple BSD friendly foods (kind of) at the dinner. The menu was Fettuccine Alfredo, Spaghetti and Meatballs with Marinara sauce, two types of salads, fruit and french bread with butter. Drinks were wine and beer! Carrot cake and Red Velvet cake, bowls of chocolate kisses and peppermint patties on the dinner tables.
I chose 1 meatball although I’m sure it was also made with breadcrumbs and a bit of the Caesar Salad minus the croutons. I also drank wine and had a beer. It wasn’t perfect but I got through with minimal damage!

It sounds like you did well Angela avoiding the birthday cake! Nice that your tastes have changed and you’re not craving sweets. Coffee with cream has helped me through quite a few times when I have wanted sweets. Unfortunately I still get hit by those cravings now and then. I have found that if I just don’t have it, it is easier then if I have a little. Once I taste something, like for example, “just 1 cookie”, I want another and another. If I don’t have it at all, I don’t have as intense of a craving.

Your walk down by the sea, watching the waves, sounded wonderful! What a nice day you had. And. . .no “PIT”. . .I have this feeling your going to have good results on the BSD this coming week. Congrats!

Tomorrow morning I plan to stop on my way to work at the medical center and get my blood work taken care of. I have put it off too long and it’s time to face the results. I will find out my cholesterol break down, my fasting blood sugar and my A1C. I’m just hoping it isn’t too out of whack. I won’t be able to have any food or water after 7 pm tonight in order to get my blood work done at 7 am. It should take a day or two to get the results.

Today I plan to get things in order for the work week ahead! My husband and I are also planning a walk while the sun is shining. The sky looks blue right now and rain is expected again by the end of the day so we need to get out there and enjoy the day.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! They go by way to fast.

Happy Monday! starting weight for this week is 123.9.
Sorry bout last week, had a bit of an emergency at home with my husband. He had a ‘small’ heart attack. He is back home and doing fine now thank goodness. A ‘bit’ of a shock for us and a huge wake up call for him!! No complaints now with the food changes etc. Going forward all is going to be good, we have signed up for Tai Chi classes at our local school. Waiting on a letter from the Hospital about a 2 month free session as a gym hubby can go to, so that will be good.
Have set a goal of getting to double figures by Christmas if not earlier.
Onwards and downwards!!!
KJ

Hi sunnyb,

Thank you for your tips.. I am really enjoying everything I am eating on the diet, so yes, I must leave out the bread!! Or indeed look for the oops bread recipe! I have bought some edarme spaghetti and it’s delicious… I will just keep going and must resist the bread.. A great tip for almond pancakes too.. Could I use them as a wrap sometimes?
I lost 4.5lbs in my first week, so would really like to keep it going and do it properly..
Thanks, 🙂

Oh that’s wonderful sunshine girl! I have fallen in love with Scandinavia in the past few years but especially Norway. I have not seen the fjords yet — we have only been skiing but I want to go back again in the warmer months. You’ll have to let us know how it is in April.
To expand my “northern resume” we are going also to Luosto, Finland this year (in February) to see the aurora borealis — sp.? — and to enjoy winter activities. The funny thing is that we have been hopelessly in drought in California for almost five years but this winter is a huge blowout with 200x normal rain and snow (I know JMarie41 has been talking about it) in many areas and now I am leaving a great California winter to go visit….more winter! LOL!!

Rowing! Do 600 yards all out for 4-10 reps — build up!

Hi WilLuck – if you need a snack, have a snack, but make sure to account for it in your daily allowance. If you have something with a fat content, it will be more satisfying and the effect will last longer. Snack possibilities might include, a few nuts, a coffee or tea with a half tablespoon of whipping cream (less cals and carbs than double, but with a similar impact), 50g or so full fat yogurt with a few berries and/or some seeds, a small piece of cheese, a couple of crackers made with almond flour.

Hope this might be of help – good luck.

Greetings fellow BSDers,

Time for my weekly report on my progress, so after my third week:
Loss for the week – 1kg (had a tad loss of will power yesterday and ate too much milk chocolate)
Loss since beginning – 7.3kg

As my target for the month was 6kg loss, I can say I have already hit my goal and hopefully in this last week will surpass it even further, which will be a great victory. I am still enjoying the supper recipes but for breakfast resorted to switching between greek yoghurt and creamy scrambled eggs. Lunch is usually a salad or leftovers from previous night. Still adamant to carry on as I have a lot of fat to drop.

Thanks everybody for your great posts, the ones I get the chance to read are generally very encouraging and it is great to see everyone doing so well.

Be good and persevere

Hi Jane-Elisabeth – glad you have made a start and that it’s going okay. With regard to the bread, I would suggest best avoided if you can manage it, at least for the 8wks. I’ve been doing the BSD for some time now and only get really hunger now, when I have increased carb intake. Try thinking outside the box, use gem lettuce leaves as a vehicle for toppings, make pancakes with almond flour, or try making some Oops! bread – google it there are recipes online.

SusanJG – it does all feel really daunting to begin with, but it is amazing how quickly you get used to the BSD way of eating and it becomes almost second nature.

Shout out both, if you need help or support – lots of lovely folks on here will be happy to respond. Remember to post your results, we love to know how people are getting on.

Good Luck on posting some great results soon.

KrysiaD, that’s wonderful news about the roasted caulirice. When your husband says it’s better than potatoes, then you know it’s a major achievement. 🙂

Hi,
I have started today and feel a mixture of excitement and trepidation!

Lynne – I think I will be joining you and will soon be a baby again also.

Today I took some of my favourite too big stuff to a really good dressmaker to be taken in. She is 82, still does dressmaking and is superb at it, does lots of walking and is a committee member for U3A. I want to be just like her when I am 82. Not the dressmaking bit as I am rubbish at it, but the staying active and involved. At least with the BSD we have the tools to make it possible. Its quite possible I will still be teaching pilates when I am 82 – although hopefully not 6 days a week as I am now.

Have done 8K steps so far and it is so cold here in East Anglia that I have really not enjoyed the walking. The frost hasn’t lifted from the grass and the pavements today. One more walk to get over the 10K. I usually love my walking, but not today.

Hello all! I hope everyone is doing well. I’m enjoying my first week of maintenance, but it’s a very strange feeling to not be so calorie restricted. I feel very uncertain about how much is too much vs how little is too little! Trial and error I suppose (hopefully not too much error!)

As we near the end of this four week challenge, I’m thinking of starting a new thread on the BSD Way of Life forum for new maintainers and those almost there. Haven’t thought of a title yet, but I plan to keep it to four weeks. It’ll start on Tuesday 24th.

Enjoy the rest of the day.

Hi Yowzer49 – how are you getting on?

Hi happyvegan,
Sorry to hear to were ill, especially so soon after getting started. As the others have said, don’t panic and keep going. I noticed many years ago that my weight varies day by day and some of that is fluid retention. As a result I weight myself daily when I am trying to loose weight – I see the progress day by day and if weight in day is high, at least I know that my weight has been coming down, so don’t react so badly to it.
Like you, I would have expected to loose quite a bit having not eaten for few days, but your body could well be holding onto fluids – it is a self-regulating mechanism and will try to keep fluids and salts if it thinks you need them – and if you are ill – you will need them.
Give it a couple of days and weight yourself again. Hopefully you will find it is ok. As others mentioned – most of us hit a plateau at some time in the 8 weeks, mine was towards the end, but many others had it in the earlier period.
Good luck and I hope you are now feeling better!

happyvegan

Really sorry to hear about your dreadful second week. Like you I would have been upset not to have seen a bigger weight loss. From what everybody is saying on this forum, this diet works! Keep focused and hopefully next week will be a rewarding week. I will look forward to reading about next weeks weigh in. I too weigh in on a Sunday.

Sorry to read of you ills happyvegan – that result must have been hard to take. However if it helps at all, plateauing in week 2or 3 is very common on the BSD. I know it doesn’t make it any less frustrating, but you can hopefully take heart from know that the weight will start to drop again soon, if you stick with it.

Good luck at the next weigh-in.

Thanks Chrysalis. Interestingly the BSD book doesn’t list the amount of carbs in its recipes at the end and focuses on calories. I am struggling with energy levels today and feel extremely tired, despite a good night’s sleep.

Hi All,

Just thought I’d pop in and say hi… I started the diet a week ago Wednesday…
My Blood results came back and shows a rise.. Unfortunately pre diabetic. So I am trying to get myself back on track.. So far so good. I am missing bread at lunch time, sometimes.. I usually eat Vogel as it doesn’t have any added sugar, but haven’t had any for over a week.. Would it be ok to eat this occasionally?

Had a dreadful second week – we both got a really severe flu and weren’t able to get out of bed for 5 days never mind fly back to the UK. Nausea was so strong I hardly ate anything until second half of the week then only tiny salads. I consoled myself that at least I should have had some good weight loss and yet on today’s weigh in I’ve lost only 0.2kg this week ! That was really hard to take and must admit I did get bad memories of all those other diets that work well for me in the first week but not after that. Don’t really think that will be the case with the BSD 800 but sure you know what I mean.

Sticking at it as now on normal food again and back on MFP to make sure I can keep a track on the food as I don’t want another result like that one.

Hi Yowzer *waves*

Great results 😀

My busy times start again later today until at least Thursday or Friday. If we need to keep busy to keep young, at this rate I’ll soon be a baby again LOL.

At risk of seeming to endorse a commercial product, my (until now, as a bit carby) preferred recourse was Ovaltine (Ovomaltine to our non-UK friends) with a dash of brandy – great for sore throat and that “bunged-up” feeling.
A more appropriate alternative is ginger tea with a bit of cream and whisky – sounds vile but tastes actually quite nice – but purely for medicinal purposes.

Ok thank you I’m new to this so haven’t fully got to grips with carb counts ! I’m using MFP so I will soon realise what is adding up !

Thanks for your recipe Margaret. I’ll certainly give it a go!
Love its name!!
Alcoholic Horlicks!!
I might change it to Medicinal Horlicks though, just in case people thought that I might be enjoying it!!!!

Bless you

Hi Seasidenana, there is nothing wrong with apples in terms of calories (72) but they do contain around 20g of carbs per apple so if you are restricting carbs to, say, 50 that is nearly half your daily allowance, same with pears. I tend to have one per week in a ploughman’s lunch. Good luck.

Sorry, auto correct does insist on putting spaces between words Iwilldoit!

Hi I will do it, I started counting carbs after reading on so many threads here that it really makes a big difference to weight loss. 50 grams of carbs per day seems to be the general advice. It seems quite late for carb flu as most people seem to experience it for the first few days as the body adjusts, but we are all different and I am no doctor! Make sure you are having enough carbs as well, over time I guess you will work out what is right for your body. Just listen to your body and if it is telling you it is tired then rest😊

Hello everyone I’m only on day two, but thanks everyone for your inspiration and ideas. One thing I learned very quickly, I don’t like plain tap water much so always take a big glass of Robinsons black currant low sugar to bed for sipping during the night. I have now replaced this with cold fruit tea in a berry flavour.

One poster mentioned apples ? I must have missed something as I thought it was ok to eat apples ?

I went out for lunch with my family yesterday for my birthday and there was a halloumi cheese salad on the menu which I was able to have. I was worried about the eating out aspect, I imagine you have to ask for restaurants to leave the carbs off the plate if there is nothing on the menu. I blew out the candles on my cake, but did not eat any. My family said a little piece could not hurt, so I have explained I must stick to this properly all the time for 8 weeks.

Giving up alcohol will be a toughie for me as I love my glass of wine, but it will be an essential part of my plan.

I’m aiming to lose 70lbs, so the 8 weeks is just a start to a long term change of eating habits. I have MS so can’t exercise as much as I would like, this may mean a slower loss, but we will see how we go.

I’ve just discovered this stuff called cloud bread – egg whites, egg yolks and cream cheese. Substitute for bread if hankering for it…….

Currently cooking in oven at mo – ill let you know how these turn out!

Free cycle! Brilliant idea, thank you. The world must be full of unused exercise bikes. Thanks for your help friends.

I just love Greek yoghurt with passionfruit, then grilled mushrooms with a poached egg, and chilli scrambled egg with a touch of cheese. Breakfasts have never been so good since starting this plan.

Hi Anna-Maria and Californiagirl, I too am going to Norway this year, 30th April cruising around the fjords. Brrrrrrr but should be fantastic scenery.

I have greek yogurt with berries and flax seed most mornings, mostly because it’s quick and I’m always running late. Sometimes I substitute cottage cheese for the yogurt. If I have more time I’ll do eggs, scrambled with smoked salmon, chives or with tomato. I also like portobello mushroom caps, broiled with goat cheese, almonds and sprinkled with chives.

Big congratulations on your weight loss Miss FSD and Theodora. I’m a bit worried now that I should be counting my carbs?? I just assumed if using MM book recipes that would all be done?? Advise please?? I have been on diet now for week and fatigue has hit in past day, is the carb flu that everyone talks about? I’m still so motivated as have a loss every day but know this will slow. I also love my yoghurt, walnuts and berries. Tonight’s treat is steak with peppercorn sauce. The meals have been really tasty that all the family have enjoyed, although middle child complains about vegetables! Had the stirfry pork last night, delicious! No courgettes due to shortage though so substituted with bok choi instead. Happy dieting folks!!

Hi Ebs
In sympathy with you with the leg cramps. I’m on last day of week 2 and have been wakened with them through the night, on and off since starting the diet. Really painful and difficult to tell yourself in this case it’s the weight falling off!! I have found though that the days I add a tiny bit of salt to cooked veg or eggs, I tend not to be so bad at night. I would definitely try the salt and don’t be tempted to stint on the water. I seem to remember this happening to me the last time I was on the diet and the cramps did wear off in time.
Good luck x

I like to add either mustard or horseradish sauce to celeriac to take away the celery taste, I like it a bit but it can be overpowering.

Weight is the same today and BG up slightly to 6.4, no particular reason just one of those things. Still alcohol free and Sunday is easier for me, it is when I have opened a bottle of wine on Saturday and feel the need to finish it off on Sunday. Looking forward to Tuesdays weigh in.