Hi everyone! I am so glad to see that you all still posting in this forum. I haven’t been on since Christmas. I’ve been in a bit of a funk…eating of track, exercising less, etc. Maybe it’s the January blues? I finally got the courage to weigh myself this morning and was surprised to be down a pound. I guess that the treats were still far less than what I used to eat and I was still more or less following the BSD for the main meals. I have set a mini goal of loosing 3 lbs to bring my total weight loss to 40 lbs. I hope to find some motivation to get back to exercising. I find exercise to be harder than the diet, for some reason.

So I weighed myself for the first time 2 days ago and I was so pleased that I’ve lost so much weight. You wouldn’t know it looking at me but I guess the scales aren’t lying.

I’ve been pretty good on the diet, alcohol being the main challenge and the few nights out I’ve had I’ve stuck to Gin. Three in total which probably isn’t great.

But not the point of the post today. I work in an office and during the week it’s easy. I’m low cal and sugar all day using miso soup for lunches. And I get a lovely cooked meal when I get home straight from the cookbook. Sometimes I have a larger portion as I have had so few calories during the day… But the problem…. Weekends feel so much harder. Might be because I spend time feeding my little girl but I have the urge to graze, which I know you all know is the fastest way to fail on this diet… I’m fighting the times with water but if I did want to snack… Are there any recommendations? Straight out of the fridge food that won’t eat up too many calories for the day.??

Hello everyone

Have been following the posts avidly since I joined last week. Had my week two weigh in this morning and am happy to report a 4lb loss this week. I have lost 8.5lbs in two weeks which for me is a phenomenal weight loss. I have been careful to keep a check on the carbs and have only had one apple all week- I craved apple yesterday so had it with some yoghurt and pecans for my evening meal! I am finding it a challenge coming up with new ideas but have bought the receipt book and a low carb cook book I saw in a charity shop so I will spend today looking for some variety. Thank you to everyone who contributes to this forum- it is so helpful to read the tips and advice. I still worry that I haven got to grips with the diet but from what I understand it’s about keeping to 800 calories and keeping the carb count down. My husband can’t believe that I am eating all “the wrong things”. This morning I ate a mushroom and cheese omelette for my brunch. Am making the skinny lasagne for my evening meal – it’s delicious. I have been thinking of “jelly tots” this week so I am going to treat myself to a bar of 90% chocolate so that I can enjoy a piece with my coffee as a treat! Have a good week everyone in the January Club.

Thank you Happygirl & I think you can be having a hot toddy because spirits are fairly low in sugar & better than wine & you can include it in your calorie count! My toddy of choice when unwell is hot milk with honey & a shot of brandy or whisky! We call it alcoholic Horlicks👍😀
I hope you soon feel much better.
Margaret xx

Thanks Sunshine-girl will try extra salt, see if that helps

Most fruits contain fructose (fruit sugar) some more than others. If you taste a fruit and it is very sweet don’t eat it, i.e. mango, pineapple, bananas, melon – and for me oranges send my BG up. Dr M says apples, pears and berries are okay but restrict apples and pears when you can counting carbs. I have a freezer full of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and blackcurrants.

Ebs, sounds like you need some salt in your diet. Although hidden salt is not good for you because there is loads of it, if you are not using salt and you are drinking lots of water you will be depleting your salts which the body needs to regulate various things. Have a little real salt on an egg or tomatoes and see how that helps.

Have been suffering from leg cramps since start of diet, anyone else with this problem and any ideas?

Hi
I got an exercise bike on Freecycle for the same reason – my poor sore knees and it seems to be fine so far – no extra knee pain.

Hi SunnyB, the meal was nice thanks. Not too many sins either, the starter had a rye bread and the main had lentils and we skipped dessert. I can forgive the rye bread as it did have nice large grains throughout.

I’m feeling nice and clear today, thanks for the tip on chia seeds, I will give them a go. The thing that blocked me was a protein bar, I should’ve known better as I had issues after eating them years ago. As it was a freebie and only 4g carbs with no sugar, I decided it would probably be ok if I drank lots of water with it. Definitely wasn’t ok! Lesson learned.

With a good day today I should be close to last weeks weigh in, so all is not lost. I’ll report back tomorrow.

All the best for your weekly weigh

Hi All
Week 3 for me and continuing the downward trend which I’m very pleased about.

I can’t believe I’m still losing, as with WW and SW the losses would definitely have tailed off by this stage, I really think I just can’t eat carbs and lose weight – obviously it must also be related to the lower calorie intake too as when I tried LCHF previously I got a bit blase and added so much fat I ended up gaining weight.

I’m super impressed by all the success stories being shared here, Daisiesmum, CaptainLynne, Sunshinegirl, Getyourcarbon, Verano, JulesM to name but a few – you really are helping me so much! I feel a bit guilty ‘lurking’ as I tend to read the posts late evening on my email and then don’t post much myself – I have replies on my head but don’t get round to signing in and posting them. I think my mini goal this week should be to come out of the shadows and join in!!

Thank you all!
Sx

My halo slipped this week too – you are not alone. Work is hard at the moment, had some issues with my son at nursery and I just broke one evening…..

Got back up on the horse and carried on going.

It’s easy to beat yourself up but the important thing is that you mentally let yourself have the slip up and not punish yourself for it. You are only human after all xx

I have a quick question: which fruits contain a lot of sugar?

hi I was the same as you. Been on diet for 13 days..quite a few without weight loss..
All of a sudden another kg dropped off. Measure yourself..I was happy today even though no change in scales for 2 days to see I’ve lost 3.5cm on waist and 5 cm on tummy..just below belly button..search for plateau or whoosh in search function..Don’t give up..this is just the beginning😊😊😊

Thank you so much for the fabulous suggestions everyone.

I’m almost through week one and I’ve given a few of these a try. Yesterday I made my own version of Hueveros Ranchos: 2 poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce with chorizo. AMAZING.

Almost through week one – had one fail/wobble day, I’m an emotional eater and this week was tough for a couple of days but I got back to it the next day.

Nobody’s perfect are they?

X

LindaA – I love that word ‘carbage’. How well it describes the rubbish food that we all used to eat.

Good morning everyone
Well done and congratulations Wendy and Fairyface and Miss Ziggy.
In theory as you point out, we are nearly at the half way mark, but in practice, I am no where near it!!!

I have picked up a bit of a head cold so everything tastes like plastic to me!
I have no energy to be out and about but I am still sticking to 800 cals. I am looking at a bottle of whiskey and trying to calculate the ingredients of a hot toddy!!!! Whiskey, carb free?, Water, no problem, lemons and cloves, great, sugar, bad, but could be left out
Calories??
Anyway, I know I could try lemon and honey, but my DNA wouldn’t accept it!
Hope you are all doing well

Cheers

End of third week of being back on the BSD & this week I have lost nearly 1 & 3/4lbs so since 1st January I have lost 6lbs. It’s all rather slower than I had hoped but I have lost inches & continued to lose weight since 1st January.
I hope things are going better for you Sarah & eating over 800 but following lowish carb principles still works although more slowly as I have shown😀
Keep on going everyone we only have one more week to go until the half way stage👍👍
Good luck everyone 🍀🍀🍀🍀
Margaret xxxx

Hi Raintoday

Salsify is fabulous. Blanch it in boiling water (no need to add salt) and then fry off in a little butter either on its own or with dill or even (tin hat on!) a few thin slices of fennel. Lovely with all fish, even meatier white fish.

Well I just thought I would update this post – stepped on the scales and literally overnight it’s gone down by 3lbs. Very happy as that’s my first stone!!!!

Enecca
Thank you so much for the roasted cauliflower recipe. It was a huge success yesterday and not at all watery like my previous effort – husband actually said the cauliflower was better than potatoes. So at last cauliflower has become a part of our diet.

Maharani kitten – what an interesting conversation you had with Professor Taylor. How great that he took the time to answer your questions. He must enjoy getting feedback that this way of eating really works and how nice to hear that he cycled to the event.

Raintoday – how lovely to be in the size 12 jeans. Although we are doing this for our health all the good that we are doing is hidden inside our bodies and as we don’t have our own personal MRI scanners we can’t see all the good we are doing. Smaller clothes are a really good way of measuring how well we are doing and it does feel good to get comfortably into smaller sizes.

Exercise bike is probably the lowest impact on knees, so I would try that, if you can get access to one.

Hi JM, I missed a bit there…don’t quite know how that happened. Such a pity you didn’t get to see your mother this time. Do you see her often? Did you have your anniversary dinner?

We’ve been quiet here, had my daughter’s partner’s birthday yesterday…I managed not to eat the cake and had a coffee with milk instead. Strangely enough it seems enough maybe because I wasn’t a coffee drinker pre BSD. But then a lot of my tastes have changed.

My peak, apart from not eating the cake, was a lively walk down by the sea yesterday. We don’t get waves too often on the Med but these were quite special and I came home with hair and sunglasses covered in salt. It put me in a good mood for the day!

The pit..nothing much comes to mind BSD wise..I’ve been quite careful food wise and I’m enjoying being outside. Today we’re due rain so we’ll see how enthusiastic I am about walking.

Have a super Sunday, enjoy your rest day! Angela

I’m just starting the 800 BSD and determined to fulfil every aspect. I’m thinking some of the exercises will be hard on my knees. Has anybody discovered some good HIT ideas which are knee sparing? Swimming is not an option.

Great news for your daughter, Natalie. I wish I had £1 for every person who ever told me how well they feel when they give up bread/wheat products. When I was seriously low carbing for more than six years, reports on the reduction in joint pain, digestive upsets, skin problems, particularly, were startling. Even if people I’d nothing else, losing gluten made a huge difference. Bread is always one of the hardest things for me to give up, and it’s cruel that we have an award winning artisan bakery 250 yards from where we live, Got to be done, though. Mkx

Hi Chrissie63
You’re going to be very much in touch with your body from now on so feel free to ask if you’re not sure of anything.
There’s a really good website that goes very much in depth into low carb high fat, check out dietdoctor.com.
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=8f9ee6ec773386bf9f3c99a1c&id=040e8fa0d1&e=c31378dea5
It gives heaps of advice, recipes, motivational stories from people all around the world that follow this way of life. I love it and will never go back to eating carbage!
Touch base every now and again and let us know how you are going.
Cheers
Linda

Hi Natalie – good news on your daughter – that gluten-intolerance /celiac is popping up all over – so glad the info is so readily available – I had the breathlessness after climbing a short rise of steps going into work – disappeared after a couple months of eliminating gluten (had other symptoms that caused me to see an MD which led to labs and diagnosis)
Sunshinegirl-the way I read your post about amylase was that the pancreas in a diabetic is impaired in production of insulin and amylase – the amylase lack causes starches to be incompletely broken down in mouth and stomach(?) therefore leading to blood sugar spikes. If amylase is supplemented, then starches (and likely other foods) would be more thoroughly broken down, resulting in less /no BS spike.
To me, digestive enzymes are in the same category as vitamins and an item I use occasionally if I get into some gluten. (gluten-ease). Not an excuse to eat off-plan on a regular basis – but a tool to mitigate the impact when I do. It’s plain to me -both from my experience over the past 6 months and what I’ve read on this site – that I have to remain committed to this WOE (we seriously need a different acronym(?)) in order to stay healthy and reasonably fit – but meals out, buffets, travel, and just plain old temptation intrude from time to time and having this sort of tool at hand makes sense to me.
Still think it would be an interesting experiment …….
Celeriac mash ? that’s celery root, right ? may have to give that a go – thanks for the idea !
Has anyone tried Salsify ? (aka oyster plant – a root veg)
We’re getting poured on here – think I will stay in and knit and cuddle sick kitty …. stay warm and dry, all !

Hi Anna-Maria — I think by the 11th of February you should be past the shaky/low blood sugar thing — but maybe watch yourself carefully during your training days to see and evaluate your own body’s response.
The really good thing about finally getting to the true fat-burning stage is that you don’t crash the same way — you are burning fat and it just doesn’t leave a person with absolutely no fuel.
But I would eat more food for sure — you will not wreck the diet by eating on the really big exercise days — you will burn off the excess and you will need the power.
Sounds very fun! You go girl!

Thanks LindaA for the reassurance. I guess I have not really been in touch with my body for years (history of child sexual abuse and violence so it didn’t seem safe to be aware of my body) so having it ‘talk’ to me now feels a bit scary. Congrats on your great loss and on maintaining it. Don’t think I will ever be 58kgs but losing 30kgs would be a great start!
Thanks again

Hi Chrissie63
I had the muscle pain in my legs for the first week. Just another symptom of the carb flu I’m afraid, it will pass.
I’ve more recently started getting cramps in my legs but that is due to my lower salt intake as I no longer eat any processed foods. Now that I’m adding more salt to my food and taking magnesium tablets, that’s getting better.
I’ve been on maintenance since September after losing 32kg and now float between 56-58kg by simply upping my fat and still going virtually carbless and sugarless.
Any questions, just ask.
Cheers
Linda

Hi everyone,
So great to hear of people’s successes but I’m also finding the “oops” moments comforting. I started Jan 16th so not quite a week and weighed myself this morning (I was trying to wait a week but couldn’t quite make it!). Amazed that I have lost 3.7kgs! Only found the first two days really hard, grumpy, tired, weak, but now feel much better. Had scrambled eggs with a bit of shredded cheese for brunch and it seemed like a lot of food!
My only concerns are some muscle pain in my legs and shoulders and, instead of constipation, I have had the reverse every day. Not sure what that is about as I’m not sick. Muscle pain might be magnesium (which I will start supplementing today) or sodium perhaps? Any advice gratefully accepted!
I will not post much but I read every day and I’m so glad to have the support of this wonderful community. Congratulations to us all!

Gday all, week 21 done and dusted, and first week of drinking cider vinegar tonic done,
Weigh in result: 123.7kg
Waist 126cm
1.6 kg lost for the week.
36.2Kg loss to date

Cider drink definally easier to drink in the morning with the honey. Gout still there in the back ground, though I feel like I have more energy. Have a good one all

Does anyone else hate that woman in wii. Who says you only have 4 minutes left, keep going.
I don’t want to know, I am knackered. Just keep quiet and say…done!

Love Lucia
Zxxx

Hello all I’m another Newbie starting the 8 week BSD on January 21st. After that I will be continuing a low carb plan as I have a lot of weight to lose.

Cravings just go if you don’t give into them. Distraction seems to be the key, either by having a drink instead, water or herbal tea especially are mentioned as useful, or just by getting busy with something else. If they persist, you can try a spoon full or two of full fat yoghurt, or a bit of peanut butter on a teaspoon to make them go away.

How exciting MK! Meeting a celebrity – well he is to us!

My twelve-year-old daughter had an assortment of symptoms that didn’t seem related and her doctor couldn’t find reasons for except to say they were just normal variations of the human body. Lots of pimple-like lumps on her upper arms, breathlessness that wasn’t asthma (she’s slender and fit) and joint pains. I found a claim on the internet that the arm bumps can be caused by gluten intolerance and I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try eliminating gluten from her diet. She was very willing to try, and her own internet searches linked her other symptoms to gluten too. So no bread, biscuits, cakes (except specially bought gluten-free) etc, I thought a three week trial.

And after only two weeks, guess what. Arms completely smooth, which they haven’t been for at least two years. No breathlessness, no joint pains…

Wow Miss FSDog and Theodora, you are both doing so well! Loving the sound of the meals you are having 😊 I had a fast day today as not really hungry, drinking tea and decaf coffee then had pea and spinach omelette with salad for tea, which was delish.

raintoday, my aim is to get off tablets, not take something totally unnecessarily. To produce amylase just chew every mouthful 20 times.

MissFreddieSausageDog, your day’s menu sounds great, and what an amazing first week you have had – well done indeed.

I too had Greek yoghurt for breakfast, but with blueberries, which as become my standard breakfast – still cooked my O/H a full English though 😉

This evening I had 2 courses, and my day’s total came in at 819 calories and 40g carbs, but think it was too much for me. I am used to eating 2 – 3 courses for meals, but I felt quite bloated after supper this evening – maybe my belly is shrinking on the inside if not yet on the outside 😉 Supper was really tasty though, and consisted of Portobello mushrooms with garlic butter followed by a large portion of wilted spinach, topped with a 4oz fillet of undyed smoked haddock, and a poached egg, all topped with a tablespoonful of hollandaise. And we call this a diet!

I must say though, I have been freezing all day, but I warmed up after eating this! Feeling very optimistic that this is going to work – though I am missing my wine 🙁

Hope everyone else has had a good day?

*getyourcarbon* whoop whoop! Excellent progress and a lovely update to read. I allowed myself wine last night. But as was at friends then got persuaded to have chilli (without the rice) So the calories saved for wine meant I went over by approx 350 cals. And then today consequently I have felt like bingeing on carbs all day. I haven’t, but decided to not calorie count and just stick to low carb. Back on it strictly tomorrow, but I suspect this may well be my regular pattern….5 days 800, 2 days approx 1200, it has to work for me, so this seems doable. I will hate not seeing the scales move, but with any luck by Wednesday they will again be going 👇.

Up early for a walk in the morning.

Happy weekend all x

Morning all from a hot tennis bound Melbourne

Weigh in after 21 days

Start 93.1lkg – 14st 9lbs

Now : 86.5kg – 13st 8.5lbs

Loss 6.6kg – 1st 1/2 lb

Waist round belly button start : 110cm

Now: 101cm

Loss 9cm : 4 inches

I haven’t stuck to it every day

More like 800x 4 , 900 x 1 , 975 x 1 and 1150 X1

I also have a blow out planned for Australia Day and had one 2 weeks ago so just the smallest window of flexibility but a rareity.

800 is 800 and that’s always my intention

My wife has lost 5.1kg down to 85.2kg and she’s pleased and had a new outfit on for the Tennis yesterday

I’ve had 2 genuine full on weight loss comments

My advice : Remind yourself why you need to lose the weight regularly . Treat all days as the first day and the only day.
Eat a lot of sugar free chewing gum – saves me many times
Glasses and glasses of fuzzy water with lime lemon
Soup as a dinner works so well for me and on average 75 calories

Stick with it and if you’ve recently fell off the wagon then dust down refocus and go again

Good luck

Hi – weigh in today the 1st one and lost 6lbs this week and 2 inches off my waist. really happy with it. I actually feel better this week too having got over the flu the week before. If you have the recipe book its worth working out what to eat each day. loved the full fat greek yougurt with crushed nuts and some raspberries chopped up on top for breakfast. for lunch today was an asparagus omelette with green salad and dinner was the Thai fish cakes, found the mixture a bit sloppy but it tasted lovely. the rest is in the fridge so hope it will be a bit firmer for tomorrow. Certainly feeling motivated after the 1st week, don’t expect to lose the same amount of weight in week two but even 2 or 3 lbs would be fab.

Lovely to see the newcomers enjoying good losses and whoosh moments!
Hi there ORCHID and LINDA ! XX

Hiii CAP’N and KRYSIA xxx hope youre both enjoying yr weeknd.
I recently read we need to keep moving to delay ageing so you two are doing well keeping so busy!
LYNne, i am still losing after my 24 weeks on 800 cals.. lost 3lbs in the first two weeks post 24…. weighing tomoz to see if i have shaved off a little more..having 50 g carbs still but slightly more calories now..yesterday someone said i am ‘ vanishing!’
Nice to see some new year starter folk who are delighted with the lovely big first few weeks losses!xx

Whoo! I was feeling guilty coz i hadnt checked in..but it seems verrry quiet here ..
Just wanted to let Total full fat yog lovers know that tesco now have 170g pots..havent seen them before,only for the 0 % ..this is a handy size if you want to take one to work etc
I think theyre 75 pence per pot so three pots equals 510 grams at £2.25,so a slightly bigger amount of yog and a little cheaper than the 500g pots..theyre usually £2.40 in tesco when not on special offer,which doesn’t seem to happen often! Whenever i am browsing looking for the sometimes elusive full fat pots, two or three people always grab the % fat pots! Theres always plenty of them!
Hope everyone doing ok xxxxx

I’m not counting my carbs as I’m using recipes in MM book. I do keep a record of calories and stay roughly under the 800 but try not to get too obsessive about it as I figure once I’ve finished it will be easier to stick to the lifestyle change. Weekends are so hard. Took my youngest to a birthday party and had to resist cake! My wedding anniversary this week and we are out for dinner, going for tapas so I can avoid carbs!! Everyone sounds like they are doing so well. New Claire great to go to gym. I do weigh myself everyday as I have had a decrease and it keeps me motivated. May give it a miss after tapas though!!!

How do you all get over cravings? and so happy for you,,

Thank you Sunshine Girl for this “Basic Shopping List” It is very helpful as I have only started this BSDiet this week (Monday) and dont know what to eat most of the time. I have dieted off and on all my life but this is so different to anything I’ve done before – can eat butter! cheese! full fat yoghurt! haven’t eaten some of these things for years! So your list is very helpful as I am always wondering what to have for the next meal. I know I have to become more organised.
It sounds as if Sparkpeople.com is the same sort of thing as any dieting/fitness site/app (I tried to log into it but it wouldn’t accept my e-mail address for some reason) There are loads of these sites and apps around and it looks as if most are the same sort of thing you just find the one that is best for you. I have started using http://www.fatsecret.co.uk this week as I’ve found that is the easiest for me but it’s interesting to see what others are about. The advantage of having the app on your phone is that you can do it when/wherever you are and not have to wait to get home to go on your computer but yes you are correct in that they are the same sort of thing and I don’t think you are missing out at all. Thank you again for your advice

Hi – my fasting blood test was 51 in October that’s when the doctor said I was diabetic. She also told me I had a high reading 12 months before. I asked why no one had told me and she couldn’t answer! At that time the only thing the doctor told me was I had a fatty liver, he asked if I drank a lot of alcohol. I told him I didn’t but he never once mentioned glucose or diabetes, so for 12 months I wasn’t even aware I was pre-diabetic. Be strong and determined and you WILL do it.
Best wishes Kate

Thanks KrysiaD 😀

I don’t know if being busy keeps us young, but it keeps the little grey cells working!

For the record – since 17th December I’ve stayed between 8st 6lbs and 8st 8lbs. This has to be the longest (so far) that I’ve maintained weight loss. In the past it’s gone straight back on, with interest.

I’m not feeling deprived and can’t see myself ever going back to the old way of eating. I feel so much better, blood sugars are normal, and I can’t afford to start buying bigger clothes