Hello everyone in Week 2
I hope you are doing better than me this week. I have already fallen off the wagon. Being on holidays this week has resulted in a lot of social catch ups and eating out. I am not having a good week and stopped tracking on Tuesday. Having a few sweet things this week has returned the craving for sugar. I popped on the scales this morning and was very disappointed. So I am putting the hiccup behind me and am back to being motivated and am staying on track. I do feel physically better than I felt pre-BSD. I have been going to Curves (a circuit exercise place for women) at least 5 days a week and burning more than 300 calories each time.
During week 3 will be my 25th wedding anniversary and we are going away for 2 days before returning to work on Friday. I am planning to stick to as close to 800 calories as possible.
I have read the posts about only eating 2 meals per day and today I really did not feel like breakfast and started with a healthy lunch.
I will keep reading posts in the forums to encourage me.

Great results all! Daisiesmum hope your back is better soon as I imagine the pain is awful.

My goal in this 4 weeks was to get back on track. I was a week late joining but have managed to do so. A way to go yet but totally rapt with all your progress and how much I learn on the way.

Keep the faith xx

Remove all temptations from your home

Ebs here, oh! dear, good start to the evening with braised cod, lettuce and peas, however sitting on my own at 7 pm watching the TV and thought about that packet of dark chocolate maltesers hiding under the tee shirts on the top shelf in the wardrobe left over from Christmas. Well the temptation was too much 25 of those delicious crunchy little balls later and 250 calories, I felt sick, ugh! sugar overload. Beat myself up called myself all the names under the sun for failing to resist the temptation and gave the rest of the family packet to my daughter. Back on the diet this morning with a visit to the local store to buy some soup, without added sugar and low carb.

Oh, plus a little cheese and a small amount of other dairy produce ☺

Hi, I’ve just watched a Horizon programme on the BBC I – Player regarding so-called ‘clean eating’ that suggests that problems with gluten in wheat and other grains containing gluten are likely only scientifically proven for people who are diagnosed coeliacs. So my suggestion that you might read Dr William Davis’ Wheat Belly book now comes with a warning: perhaps we shouldn’t get too obsessed with it.

I enjoyed reading it, and it is persuasive, but after seeing the programme I’m now happy to eat a bit of nice bread again – perhaps it is better to limit the amount, and perhaps it is better to limit pastries and pies, but a very small amount now and again might be okay (except on the 800-kcal a day fast diet). And it seems scientists agree that trans-fats in many baked goods aren’t good so it’s worthwhile avoiding those.

Also, the Horizon programme focused on fears about gluten and did not discuss modification of wheat, or anything about wheat’s glycaemic index even though these topics featured strongly in the book.

As I’m not doing the 800kcal a day fast diet, and am not a coeliac, I think I’ll re-include a bit of wheat (and my husband will be happy). So I’m still aiming for the Mediterranean type Diet with quite small portions of usually wholegrain carbs, not excessive healthy fats, not excessive animal proteins, regular oily fish, plus vegetables, fruit, and nuts.

Hi All,
So I’m hoping that I can join your posting board. I’ve been on the fence about this diet since late last year. I don’t have diabetes or pre-diabetes of any kind, I just need to lose weight. I started my diet yesterday and today my scale moved down 1.5 lbs. I’m very excited but gosh was I ever hungry today. I had a wholesome dinner again this evening and I’ll keep you all posted if that’s alright. I need some encouragement from everyone on here.
Thanks so much 🙏🏻

KrysiaD – yesterday much quieter. Back to busy today. Tomorrow should be quiet – shopping and preparing for Sunday. Then on Sunday another busy day.

Monday it starts all over again. Why did I make a 9.30am appointment to see the Head at a school a few villages away? Wish it could have been later. But still …

Life at the moment seems to be one meeting after another.

Wednesdays are extra busy at the moment. Exercise and well-being class in the morning, after school club in the afternoon, then a faith tea and meeting in the evening. Leave home 9.30ish in the morning, finally home about 9.15pm. A few hours at home in between each event to catch up on phone calls and emails.

Still, keeps me out of mischief 😱😀

I am a runner and frequently do half marathon distance but I also run much further, when training for marathons.
I am after some advice on what people use in water, instead of high sugary items.
TIA

Hi Iwilldoit, and welcome.

Well done on your loss – that’s fantastic in 4 days. Like you, I have never joined a forum before, but decided it may help keep me on the straight and narrow, and it’s great how helpful and supportive everyone is, celebrating each others’ triumphs and understanding and motivating when we fall off the wagon.

For the first time this evening I had the munchies – think it was because usually on a Friday evening O/H goes out and I snuggle up on the sofa with a bottle of red and some crisps etc. Anyway, I checked my calorie intake for the day and discovered I could have a few nuts and still just about squeeze in under 800. I chewed them very, very slowly, and they did the trick – bit odd having them with a cuppa instead of wine though 😉 Now my first BSD weekend to get through……………………

Ah Esnecca – I had heard that there had been a Thunderdome-like-clash at Tesco’s – so that’s what it was all about.

Thank you so much for the oven roasted cauliflower rice recipe. I have copied it and printed it off – it looks as though it will be much nicer than our previous efforts. We are having it for dinner tomorrow.

Hi Iwilldoit and welcome to our group. Well done on your weightloss so far- you sound very organised! Lots of support and motivation here as we are all in the same boat, all looking to lose weight and improve our health. This was the first time I had posted anything, now love keeping up to date with others and it helps me keep focused too 😊

Hi summermoonstone -just to say Fage Greek yoghurt is Total. So you are already using it 😀

New Claire – the recipe says for two – you do d only eat half didn’t you? Having said that, some of the portions in recipes do seem larger than others.

Hi everyone, I’m really impressed by your determination to keep the exercise going. It’s something I haven’t started myself and is an area I have to work on.

I’ve had a week of ups and downs on the scales and in general. I ate something around Tuesday that blocked me up, so I gained 3lb over Wednesday and Thursday. I’m feeling better now so will push on through the weekend.

I’ve got dinner with my other half in a new gastro pub on Saturday. Alcohol won’t be an issue as I’m driving but I will definitely go over on calories! I’d be happy to break even this week when I weigh on Monday morning.

I can’t seem to get enough of nuts lately, almonds especially. Plain, roasted or smoked. The book does say not to have salted as they are moreish but this doesn’t seem to matter to my palate as they are moreish when they are plain!

Hi all. I’m new to the diet and new to posting on forums. I started Monday 16th Jan. I am proud to report I have lost 3.2kgs in 4 days. I have found the food delicious and cook the meals for my husband and 3 kids just adding some noodles, rice or potatoes for them. I’m not diabetic but feel unhealthy and overweight. I have been hungry but have found that I’m close to mealtime and can hang on. The worst is on a night when having a cuppa and usually several biscuits, but no more. I meal plan and write my shopping list. It was hard today in the supermarket and walking through the bakery, I miss my artisan bread! As I said before I don’t usually post but am hoping this will keep me on track.

On the bsd 800 Cals, what percentage of carbs should I set my fitness pal at?

Thank you Carb_Addict.
Holding your hand over the next few days whilst you are trying to get back on track.
Enjoy your evening out at the music festival.

Topcac I would also be interested to hear how your 48 hour fast goes. It’s totally doable if you have the motivation. I know how you feel about missing food though. I love eating especially if there’s chocolate involved!

I, too, have used bones to make stock, but find I prefer stock from raw meat/bones to that from cooked chicken. I just use a couple of chicken thighs instead of a stock cube, and it all blends in once it’s cooked. My go to soup these days is frozen leeks plus chicken joints or frozen lamb leg steaks, with lentils. I like pearl barley too, but need to look at the calorie and carb value before adding too much.

A chicken carcass in a slow cooker with some discarded veggie stems and peels makes an easy stock too, although not a fast one. That’s where the premade broth comes in handy. Since the BSD, I haven’t roasted any whole chickens so I haven’t made any stock. I’ve never made it with chicken parts that had actual meat on them, just the boney leftovers.

If you chuck a few chicken wings in a saucepan you soon have low cost, carb free chicken stock. Boneless chicken thighs with frozen leeks also make a good start for soup. I usually add some lentils, but cauliflower thickens it up too. I also add hot chilli sauce.

Much of the time overcoming hunger pangs is a question of mind over matter, but sometimes it’s very, very hard. I tell myself it’s mouth hunger, not real hunger.

Topcac, good luck on your 48 hour fast, I will be interested to hear how it goes. I was at a party the other week and I met a local chiropractor and his wife who were about to start a FIVE DAY fast, which seems a bit extreme, but he assured me that they did it 2 or 3 times a year purely as a health exercise (they were both very slim) – he seemed much keener than she did though 😉 They apparently have nothing but water the entire time!!

I only eat twice a day – on or off BSD. I have breakfast around 11am and supper around 7pm so as well as doing BSD, I am also doing 16/8. It just fits in with my lifestyle now I have retired and I rarely get the munchies between 7pm and 11am the next morning. Before BSD however, I used to snack/graze in the afternoon, but I have cut that out completely unless I feel really hungry, in which case I will have a few nuts (love nuts, always been a weakness, but used to have loads) or, if I am approaching my calorie limit, my snack of choice is a couple of sticks of cold cooked asparagus wrapped in a thin slice of smoked salmon or a couple of spring onions wrapped in a thin slice of proscuttio and grilled. Both are delicious and very low calorie and low carb so I am trying to keep one or the other in the fridge at all times.

I think it is largely what you are used to – eating tends to be a habit, as we all know to our cost. 🙁

Sorry about the denuded fennel shelves, KrysiaD. Just be glad you missed the Thunderdome-like clash where Jules and I duked it out for the last bulb. 😀

Have you tried roasting cauliflower rice in the oven before eating it? It shrinks the bulk considerably, but the flavor is fantastic and it has a lovely light, crisp texture. Rice a head of cauliflower and toss it with 1 tbsp oil. I used olive oil but you could use coconut oil as well. Lightly salt and pepper it, then spread it out on a baking sheet. Cook in a pre-heated 425F (about 220C) oven until it begins to brown in places, about 20-25 minutes.

It’s delicious on its own as a side, but I’ve used it mainly as base topped with shrimp scampi, creamy mushroom sauce or stir-fry chicken and veg.

sunshine-girl, I believe Kallawless is talking about the companion cookbook written by Dr. Mosely’s GP wife Dr. Clare Bailey, not MM’s original BSD book, so it actually is meant to be a recipe book.

Kallawless, I didn’t get the recipe book precisely because the recipes in the back of the BSD book were too approximate for my taste, both in measurements and in calorie/carb count. I got plenty of ideas from them, but then I went about it my own way, measuring and weighing everything and calculating the count totals in My Fitness Pal. Scientific repeatability with no surprises is my goal. I know it’s not the no muss-no fuss scenario you envisioned, but it quickly becomes second nature.

Kallowness my husband and and I have been using the recipe book since 1st October 2016. We have both managed to reduce our weight following the book. I cook to the instructions and don’t have a problem. If the meal is six portions this means four go in the freezer. If it says one aubergine I use one aubergine, knob of butter is one knob of butter. I don’t stand over the scales measuring four tomatoes or half an red cabbage, or even worrying about how many calories in a tomato! Just enjoy the cooking and the food. I would guess at 800 calories more or less will make a difference to your weight compared to what you have been eating.
This way of eating has totally changed my outlook on food. I don’t need the sugar, flour, pasta, rice, potatoes and feel so well since I have stopped eating them. Give the book a chance.
Just got the Hungarian Goulash in the oven for later. Portions will be frozen and taken with us next week if we can get away in our motorhome. Along with the butternut squash and pepper soup also anything else in the freezer we want to eat.

Another good remedy for untimely hunger pangs is chicken broth. It’s very low in calories and has virtually no carbs but still feels like a meal when you’re sipping a hot mug of it. Grate a dusting of parmesan on top and it’s heavenly. Just be careful to check the label when you buy the broth. Almost all of the brands, even the fancier organic ones, have added sugar. I’ve found Halal and Kosher versions to be the only reliably unsugared broths.

I get what you are saying, one recipe is for a small tin of sardines, what is a small tin, is there such a thing as a large tin. I live in a hot country so my courgette or red pepper and half the size again than the ones my daughter gets in the UK. A garlic clove here is about 3 times the size of the UK ones. I think you just have to use a bit of common sense and maybe some trial and error. I can say that if something is an add on or ‘serve with’ the calories are not counted. In defence of the book it is not meant to be a recipe book is about the science of diabetes and controlling blood sugar, which includes losing weight, the recipes are a bonus, added to that, many of us have followed the recipes and menu plans and managed to control our Blood Glucose and lose weight, if the calories are out or not included it is not by much.

Thanks sunnyb 😊 Wow mocnk 11 in 11 is amazing, enjoy your wine!

Hope your plan pays off TC. Got on the rower again today and managed a measly kilometre, but I figure every little helps. Think I’ll do a bit on the ball as well, just working on the motivation! Being disciplined about exercise is a real bete noire for me, so I’m quite pleased with myself that I’ve been doing a bit more these last few days and hopefully it will become a habit.

Anyway, have a good weekend and let us know when you have you next weigh-in results – hope they are excellent!

Hi KadiePlod
I have just taken a new spelt and rye loaf, fresh from the machine – made with 375 ml water rather than 430 ml. It has a much better rise than my first attempt, but has a slightly dished top, indicating that the dough collapsed a little. I agree with your suggestion that there may be too much yeast (as well as too much water). After I have eaten this loaf, for my next attempt I will use 375 ml of water and 1 tsp of yeast.
I suspect that there may also be scope to reduce the water further: when i peeked in the machine mid-way through the program the dough was very wet and sticky. But first I’ll see what happens when I change the yeast – just make one change at a time.

Hi all

I have been reading the Jason Fung book too and I’m amazed at what seems to be achievable. How much of our eating is habit? Today, for lots of reason, I didn’t get to eat anything until 1:30pm – which meant an 18+ hour fast – i felt perfect. My tummy grumbled a bit in my four hour meeting (tee hee) but otherwise I could probably have done another couple of hours. It’s fascinating.

My partner and I are going to try a 48 hour fast next weekend – from Friday 8pm to Sunday 8pm – with maybe a small meal on the Saturday night if we think we need it. Quite excited by the prospect. Only thing that concerns me is that I really enjoy eating and I think I will miss it!

Good luck, Mumofcrazynamedkids! Great that you are planning ahead. 11 pounds in eleven days is really something to celebrate!

Thanks SunnyB – haven’t weighed today – sticking to my plan – have actually reduced my water (was drinking upwards of 3.5 litres daily) to around 2.5 – 3 litres daily and am staying away from the gym until next week to see if it’s that.

Just got to get through a big family wedding on Sunday – but the thought of the reading on the scales first thing Monday should keep me on the straight and narrow!

Have a good weekend all

Happy Friday all! Don’t know about the rest of you, but a Friday presents a bit more of a challenge when on a strict diet, I am usually looking forward to a few glass of wine or some gin and tonics and organising something sociable. But after I have delivered my kids to their father in Manchester for the weekend (I’m on the Wirral near Liverpool) I will either be using my reserved calories (500) for a nice meal or I may have a couple of wines with a friend.

But this weekend I am not going to do the unlimited calories low carb that I did last weekend. If I drink, it will be within the 800, so I can then see what the result is. I know I will find it easier to stick to the diet if I know I can do this!

Wish me plenty of willpower please peeps!

Another pound loss today, so 11 pounds in 11 days whoop whoop!

So nice, Angela, that you had a nice walk along the canal yesterday with your friend! How is the weather doing there? Did you get any snow? Hope your sniffles clear up! Not sure which is worse; a cold or allergies? The Mimosa Trees are so beautiful –spring is on the way!!!! :–)

Today is Inauguration Day here in the U. S. ! It is also our college faculty day so instead of watching the new President be sworn in, I’ll be listening to the college President give her state of the college address. Each semester we all meet and she gives her speech! Classes officially begin on Monday.

I am meeting a friend and colleague in town and we are driving together to the college! I am thankful that she likes to drive since it is raining really hard this morning.

This weekend is still up in the air regarding my mom’s visit. She hasn’t contacted us yet to let us know if she is coming down or not. The weather report for her area shows snow on and off until about 5pm when it is supposed to snow into the early hours of Saturday morning. We are attending a 35th anniversary dinner on Saturday for my brother and sister in-law. My twin sister (who is also following the BSD now) and I are hoping there will be some meat and salad or vegetables for dinner, so we can stay on plan. We are dreading a dish like Lasagna but very possible since they will be serving a large of amount of people. There is sure to be plenty of carbs!

My blood sugar was down this morning but my weight was up 2 lbs. from yesterday! I’m not going to worry about it. Most likely it is water weight. I’m back on plan today!

I’m off to get ready for work. Wishing you a great weekend Angela! Do you have plans to do something fun?

Excellent news all, both on blood tests and weight loss – not so great news on the back front daisiesmum – wish you better soon

So how are we all preparing for the challenges of the weekend – I have two meals out so am practising my mindfulness techniques for when I am faced with a huge Jewish wedding on Sunday 🙂

Have a good one all
TC

What wonderful news Shadynook you must be so thrilled!
captainlynne Those are truly amazing results well done!
On-a-Mission might it be a good idea to have your HBa1c done now then again in 12 weeks just so you can have a good comparison? I’d like to do that but they’ll not give me the test as I only had it done last month before I started on this diet. I cant believe the nurse told you to ignore this diet … my GP is the one who told me about it and is quite evangelical about it. When I saw the Diabetic Nurse a couple of weeks later and said this was what I was going to do she stopped discussing any other options (not that there were many) and we just talked about this – so have to say full support from my health professionals.
I agree about Metformin. The side effects are horrendous! I told a Nurse recently that if that is how I had to to live then I would rather not … and I meant it!
I only started the diet on Monday but I do hope I can come back on here in three months time with the same sort of good news as Shadynook and captainlynne . You are my inspiration. Thank you

Hi Rhodie – it might be worth increasing your fat intake a little, as this helps you feel full sooner and for longer and it also helps to kick start the fat burning process. I have found this a useful thing to do and now rarely feel the need to snack. Also, increasing fluid intake should help too. If like me, hydration is something you struggle with, it’s worth giving this some thought and making it a conscious effort.

Good luck and hopefully you will be posting some great results soon!

Plateau are very common on the BSD. The good news is, if you stick with it, it WILL come right. If you find it lasting for a couple of weeks or more, check your carb intake (if you aren’t already). This was my problem and I found pushing them below 50g a day, upping my fat intake and drinking more, got things moving again.

Hope things will soon be moving in the right direction for you – look forward to reading some positive results soon.

Hi everyone – Chrysalis – well done on your weight loss. Welcome to MissFreddySausageDog. I too am worried about the forthcoming weekend – this will be my first BSD weekend. Thankfully no social events planned but quite busy with the family – so hopefully my mind will be kept occupied. My worst time is when I get home from work as I am usually feeling quite hungry – trying to work out it if really is hunger or if it’s because the habit has been to snack. I’m trying to have a fruit tea as soon as I get home. Another bad time for me (food wise) is in the evenings when I settle down to watch the telly – why is it that we feel hungry even though we’ve had a meal – another habit formed perhaps? So far so good – this is day 5 for me and I am resisting the urge to jump on the scales every day. I’m really hoping for a good weight loss on Monday 🙂

Fifi – I too slipped this week – amazed at how easy it was to get back into the groove. Pick yourself up, dust yourself down and back on the plan – I bet you will have done less damage than feared.

Great results Verano, JulesMaigret and SSG. The more we develop our ‘stickability’ to this WOE (way of eating) the more we lose! Stick at it fellow BSD’ers.
Daisiesmum – hope your back improves speedily and you are back to ‘bounding’ around very soon.

Have a great day/evening/morning everyone wherever you may be. X

Well done on your weight loss Chrysalis. What a start! I shouldn’t worry about the wine MM says its OK so that’s good enough for me

Yaaaaay!!!! Pom Pom dance for JM, SG and Verano.

I just love how this way of eating confounds the scary warnings on blood sugar. Great to see that reversals are possible, really inspiring, that we can eat well forever and safeguard our health with minimal reliance on drugs.

Well done to everyone, your posts have totally inspired today. My turn next week for blood tests. Eek!

Happy happy Friday, all. MK x

Welcome MissFreddieSausageDog . Oooh to be as organised as you! But I am going to try and plan next week’s meals in advance and buy on Monday. I have rambled through this week by looking at what’s in the fridge/freezer/cupboard and that’s not the best idea really!

Hi all,

I weighed myself this morning and am still on 6lbs loss, which is the same as the first few days. I haven’t exercised over the past couple of days though so I will make sure to do that over the next few days and see how I am on Monday morning after 1 full week. If I could lose another 2lbs by then I’d be very happy.

Finding it relatively easy to stick to the diet and just put up with the hunger, drinking 2 litres of water in work every day so that helps, although I’d love to have a couple of gins tonight. I have the big recipe book and tried the prawn and tuna fried rice last night – it was lovely but seemed like a very big plate of food compared to some of the other dishes, I’m doubting I was allowed it all, even though I followed the recipe!

It helps to read the posts here and spur each other on, I’m thinking the only advice I can give at this early point is to exercise if you are able, I am going to try to do some every day from now on.

xx

I’m so disappointed with this book. Maybe my expectations were too high but was really hoping to use it as a stand alone guide with no added thought or work needed. Don’t get me wrong, there are some lovely, tasty recipe ideas but the book itself is really badly edited. Rather than give exact measurements for the ingredients (which I really need if I am to keep to 800 calories a day) you’re presented with recipes that list “a knob of butter”, “half an avocado” , “4 tomatoes” ,”an aubergine” etc. I know how easily you can go over your allowance especially with high calorie items like avocados if not tracked exactly. While I’m presuming that the lack of specific weights means you should go for medium sized fruit and veg I would much rather work with actual weights. Servings are for 1, 2, 4, even up to 6 rather than a standard 1 or 2 servings. Meaning you need do the maths as you cook. The recipe don’t include all the calories. For example, the recipe for cauliflower cheese includes an optional 50g of fried bacon but doesn’t say if this is included in the calorie count and if not what the bacon calorie count is. So something else you need to look up separately and calculate for yourself. From the reviews and book cover blurb I really thought that this cook book would be a stand alone guide that you could follow for the 8 weeks no muss no fuss. Instead its just some useful cooking suggestions. I expected more from an endorsed companion guide and hope they will do a better editing job on the next edition.

Well done Jules, Verano and sunshinegirl! Health is definitely number one priority and every step towards better results is a victory to be celebrated.

So, there I was first thing this morning all ready to continue my developing habit of HIIT and “rebounding” on a regular basis, I reached for my exercise gear and… click… there went my back! No kidding! Yes, I do get the joke and I am laughing about it but it’s very sore. I did manage to losen up enough to do a slightly careful version of my exercises. However my back brace/corset type thingy which usually helps enormously is now no longer tight enough! It’s not exactly lose, but nowhere near as supportive as it used to be 🙂 Hopefully my back will sort itself out in a couple of days as usual. I don’t mean to give the impression this happens regularly, only very rarely but it has happened before.

Hope everyone is having a lovely BSD Friday.

Hey everyone, well done chrysalis!! I feel everyone’s pain who has had wine or is struggling what to do around social situations for the weekend. My friends and I go out every Thursday night and usually have some carb rich pub meal with two very large glasses of wine. I stayed strong though and had soda water and ordered the healthiest salad I could find which was actually yummy as! Very happy that they had a salad that the dressing was just olive oil and lemon!
Like others on this forum I am feeling quite lathargic especially mid afternoon. I feel that after I’ve eaten dinner i perk back up for a fairly long time. It’s just that 3-6pm time that I’m really not feeling great. Any suggestions out there?
Hope everyone is doing really well and staying strong!! 🙂

Thanks Chrysalis I am continuing with my Fat Secret page (if I remember) . I will try Fage yoghurt …. never heard of it before but often have Total so will look out for it when I’m next in the supermarket. Atm I am eating one from Lidl which is a huge pot of full fat Greek yoghurt not very expensive but very nice (only a couple of tablespoons at a time I hasten to add not the whole pot lol) Can’t remember the time I last ate full fat yoghurt!