Thank you…is there a table anywhere to find out the carb content of foods?

I’ve been doing some reading about fasting and drastically reducing carbs. Apparently once your body starts to use it’s own fat stores for fuel it can start to build up lean muscle which weighs more than fat. This could be the reason the weight loss isn’t as much as we hope it will be.

The other thing which I’ve often heard is that scales are the least effective way of measuring what’s really going on. Better to use a tape measure. As Inka13 says earlier in this post there are good things going on inside your body that you have no way of measuring.

Talking about tastes changing. I had some sprouts last night and they were really sweet. I’ve never noticed that before. Don’t know if they were sweeter than average or whether my taste buds have changed so much that I can even taste sugar in sprouts!!

I have on OH who couldn’t live without bread, chocolates and fruit! So I have to keep all sorts of carby stuff in. He has given up potatoes and only eats rice on the odd occasion we have Indian food. I make do with chicken tikka and salad! I’m not really a great lover of sweet things. Many years of training myself not to eat desserts because I was on a diet!

So for me I just have to be strong when I smell toast but in saying that it hasn’t been overly difficult. I always keep 85% or 90% Lindt in the fridge and my treat each night is two squares. I don’t feel even slightly deprived. After some red wine last night I thought I would have just one after eight, even opened the box, but then decided, no!!!! I didn’t!

So I can’t be an all or nothing girl which is probably why it’s taking me so long to lose weight!

Well done everyone. After a really good night outlast night with two g&ts, mulled wine not a bit drinker) and a three course dinner . Which I really enjoyed, just fished out the potatoes and did not have the biscuits on the cheese board. I am quite proud of myself that I can control my eating when out for dinner. Unlike my wobble at my sister in laws a few weeks ago. Onwards and downwards with a big smile on my face.

Good morning everyone & enjoying reading your posts. Amazing weight loss Suluro you must be so thrilled.
Sarah you just stick with it because you are so inspiring & show your brother how effective this way of eating is. Canidoit & PatC it looks like our bodies have reacted more slowly to this way of eating but isn’t it brilliant that we feel better, sleep better, more clothes fit us now & we have a much better understanding of how our bodies react to what we eat? This has been a revelation & eating revolution for me but we have been eating a little over 800 this weekend. I’m cooking an M & S roast chicken in a bag, one of their meal deals, as well as garlic mushrooms as a starter & ratatouille & roast cauliflower to go with the chicken. I am valiantly trying to resist opening the white wine that came with it but we will eat the Creme Brûlée but not put sugar on it.
Unfortunately it’s so easy to fall back into enjoying sweeter things & wine with that desire reactivated over our family weekend but I’m trying to keep going until the Monday weigh in & then one more week to complete our first eight week block. Suluro I agree thinking in eight week blocks is the manageable way to go because I have three more stone to lose!
Good luck everyone completing their final eighth week🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

End of week 11 and I woke the carb monster last night. Prosecco found me. So did red wine and a mojito. And a sliver of lemon cheesecake. And five after dinner mints. Feeling crappy this morning both physically and mentally. Have gone right back on it this morning but am disappointed with myself because I really should have been able to resist. But once it’s awake it doesn’t want to leave. Cravings are rough this morning so I’m staying right out of the kitchen

Rant over

Hope the weekend is great for everyone 💋

28 grams to an ounce, so 2 oz of carbs on good days and 3 oz on others.

Ive got quite a lot of choccy related goodies in the house now to go into xmas stockings but they dont bother me at all. I m not tempted even tho i used to eat quite a lot of choccy,specially while watching tv. However i darent have a loaf of bread,rolls,scones etc in the house as it would drive me wild. I wont keep bready things in my cupboard or even in my freezer ever again as i know i wdnt be able to trust myself to stop at one slice of toast – it would have to be half a loaf!easier for me to have none at all. Ditto pastries and biccies.
When my 24 weeks are up, i plan to re introduce a few root veg occasionally..carrot,turnip,an odd spud here n there,coz they feel manageable and are warming in the winter months. But still keeping apples,oranges and narnas as the big treats theyve now become!
LARA,i empathise,i think we all get a few days like youre experiencing. Even tho i sometimes get a day where i dream of buttered toast,in reality i think now it wd give me a sore tum if i indulged…and i think wd be same for you if youve been doing round 30 g carb a day. Maybe allow yrself extra carb ( tho not in bread/sugar form obvs ). Ive lost weight very well on up to 50 g carb a day..usuallly averages out to 40-45 g per day over a week x

2 fingers to the drug peddlers. They like to keep us addicted.

Am definitely all or nothing, which I think is why I take even the smallest failure quite so hard. I am very hard on myself and friends always say I’d never speak to anyone else like I do to myself. So that,, with my recent T2D diagnosis, means no bad carbs, ever again. I will add occasional fruit, porridge, a bit more cheese to maintain, but pasta, rice, spuds, bread and fruit juice are no longer on my radar.

Thing is, I knew this. But the medical profession frightened me into eating carbs again (‘you’ll die!! You’ll go blind!!). And they are so, so keen to have you on medication forever, when in fact you can play a big part in healing yourself. But that’s not going to keep the drug companies in private jets, is it….

Maybe I should fess up, I am not an angel, I just don’t really like sweet things, now a sausage roll or a pork pie and I’m lost. Like you lynne, I am diabetic and know what is best for me. I am cooking a chicken for dinner and had a little thought that I might allow myself some sage and onion stuffing (bread) but on reflection my BG was 4.5 this morning and that tastes better than anything.

I will tell you tomorrow what my final total is but it is around 25 pounds so not too different, particularly as my starting just after a ‘weekend off’ probably had me a little high in carb related water retention. I can’t think of any other diet I have tried where you can lose over a stone and a half in less than two months with so little feeling of hardship or hunger.

Sunshine-girl

It’s great not to be tempted by the chocolate etc. I have some in the cupboard now for when my granddaughters visit. And biscuits for folk at church.

Once upon a time none of the above would have been safe in my house, but now they just don’t appeal to me 😀

Mixnmatch – Perhaps I did it the way I did is because I was diabetic and being threatened with Metformin. Now my blood sugars are in normal – not even pre-diabetic – levels.

But we are all different.

Best wishes for your continuing journey.

Hi Mixnmatch
I’m still here! I stuck to the diet for the full 8 weeks – didn’t deviate at all. I have lost 22lbs which I am very pleased about but from all
the hype in the book I would have expected to lose more. I hope to maintain this weight loss over Christmas and then hope to do another 8 weeks in the New Year. Has anyone got any tips about maintaining the loss? Would love to hear from others who started on 3rd October – how did you all get on?

P.S. Unfortunately, the just having one does not apply to wine…….

I have been following the discussion about all or nothing and I cannot decide which I am. I definitely don’t ever want to eat a bad carb again but do not find it tempting to have them around. I have a giant bag of maltesers in my desk just behind where I am sat now (lots of mini bags inside) and I know they are there if I want some but I would never touch them. I also do not like other people touching, my hubby says but they have been there over a year, and I say yes and that is where they will stay until I want one. And that is the point with me, I can just have one. As for all or nothing, I do tend to get obsessive with whatever I am doing and always give it 100% to the point of getting on my husbands nerves at times.

Lara I don’t think you are suffering from carb craving, just the natural thing of wanting something you know you can’t (or shouldn’t) have. I went through I similar phase, I questioned why on earth I was doing this and had a few days off, but I still couldn’t bring myself to eat a naughty carb. Now 5 months in I know why I am doing this, my HBA1c is down to 5.9 after being 8.2 over and over again no matter what I did. Then I started this diet and watched my numbers go down and down. I dont want to risk a return to my old eating habits. You will be fine, just think of the positives.

I start tomorrow too! Good luck everyone! Looking forward to hearing about your first day!

😄

Hi …another relative newbie here. After reading the book, I started the diet last week, although very loosely to be honest as I,’m not great at counting calories! I’ve managed to cut out all bread, potatoes, pasta and rice and attempting to make my portion sizes much smaller. Started at 100kg and weighing in at 96kg this morning (day 10). ..so it is working! Looking forward to communicating with like minded people as I think we all need the support. Good luck everyone!

Hi everyone. After a good weigh in yesterday (down another 1kg), today has been really tough. Probably one of the hardest days in my 7 weeks so far. I was just cold and hungry all day, dreaming about bread and sugar. I haven’t eaten any bad carbs in 7 weeks and really thought I’d be over the craving phase by now. Have been sticking to v low crabs (avg. around 30 a day) and feeling good and today just so hungry ended up going over 50 🙁 At least they were healthy carbs, but still feeling a bit low and sorry for myself right now. Just not sure what’s going on. I’m getting lots of variety and healthy fats with every meal. Just hope tomorrow is better. So scared of undoing all the good work so far.

Hi Everyone! I am an Aussie starting this diet tomorrow! Eek! Not sure I’ll be able to do it to be honest – I’ve tried Atkins before and started off well but then the carbs found me 🙁 Anyways this time I’m going to join a forum – I’ve never really gotten involved with them before but it seems like a lovely positive place so here goes! It was encouraging to hear people’s results – well done to all 🙂

Thank you so much for this help…the first thing I need to do is to get my head around grams….I am still working in lbs and ozs….so a good lesson for me to start on today,! These tips are very useful, and although With Xmas coming up I want to use the time before to practisce the concept before starting rigidly after Xmas. If anyone else is starting out now let me know and we can support each other!

For 5:2 the best way is to realise that you will have to cut out the bad carbs on all days, and not just the fast days. This may not be totally attainable around Christmas, but if you have a party or something with contraband carbs just go straight back to a fast day afterwards. Try to keep all carbs down below 50g for faster weight loss, but this won’t be easy at all on non fast days so have an upper limit as well, I used 80g as my upper limit, with 40g as my Fast day target. Track all days including the 5 and try to keep your calories on all days below your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) which is your basal metabolic rate plus calories burnt by activity. On fast days, don’t adjust for activity.

Good morning everyone , wow Suluro you’re doing great. Aren’t you relaxing it a bit for Christmas?
I am really surprised ( I know I shouldn’t be) how much our diet affects our life ie, sleeping moods energy actual wellbeing.
I am very pleased to say my husband must be impressed with my diet as he has actually started cutting down carbs and he is certainly a carb addict much more than me really as he barely eats or drinks anything that doesn’t contain vast amounts of sugar. It’s been a week so far he hasn’t weighed himself or anything says he’ll know if he’s losing weight. We’ll see how it goes.
My weight loss is 18lbs so far but I am delighted with this as all my old clothes now fit me which is what I wanted.
I’ve not had the urge to run yet A New Me but you go for it ha ha. Carb_Addict get your brother on bsd you can support each other or even challenge each other. XX

Am completely new to this concept and not yet diagnosed with type 2diabetes but am sure must be well on the way…2 and a halt stone overweight and most of it on my tummy area…aaaargh! I intend to try the 5:2 bsd until after Xmas and then convert to the 8week 800 BSD. Can anyone give me tips on starting out in terms of some of the hurdles and how to overcome? Be so grateful, and need all the support I can get!

Sounds brilliant, I will hopefully get a walk today before I have to go back to the city.

Me too. New to this but had previously given up sugar and flour so know I can do it but need help. Good luck everyone

I think it means rather than a type 1 diabetic, we did have a couple of type 1 posters I think who were trying to adapt the lower carb way of life, but not heard from them lately. Many of us here are not diabetic or pre-diabetic.

Interesting discussion, I am completely different. I never cleared all the cupboards out, I have some small easter eggs I was given in there, and even some chocolate from last Christmas, I have never totally given up the bad carbs, just drastically minimised them, I have also changed the forms in which I have them (small side dish or taste of something particularly nice rather than part of the meal, or day off for Birthday cake etc.), and am the type of person where if I said to myself you cannot ever have something again, it would become an obsession. I regard myself as really lucky in this as I was never pre-diabetic or diabetic and so don’t have to worry too much about the blood sugar response, except in its fat producing mechanism and having come from 5:2 I am very comfortable with the idea of keeping my weight in check using intermittent fasting. For me, looking at my previous yo-yo dieting life, the key will be continuing to weigh myself, and be aware, if not directly tracking, everything that goes into the system. Mindful eating and drinking in other words. These are tools that I am confident will help me when I reach a final stable weight, and I will also carry on reading and posting here, on the weigh-in thread to help me keep my focus.

I am new to the forum, but have nearly completed 5 weeks on this wonderful diet. Having lost a stone and a half and got my glocose readings dowm, I can understand a sudden wish to scoff toast. I miss bread with my breakfast egg and the odd jacket potato! However, this week has been an eating out challenge, with a wedding reception that was only pork and cheese with crackers and bread. So hungry I munched on crackling and we left early and went home for some nuts! My weight stuck last week and although I put on a pound – even with sticking to the diet – and becoming dispirited, I am determined to carry on as I so want to come off insulin (I have already got my doses of this down and have dumped metformin- my doctor was thrilled). I have much more energy and people are noticing! Indeed, I had to get a new outfit for the wedding as the dress .i bought early this year was too baggy! Keep up the good work! Julie

I’m a total newbie too, so it’s a big change to my food habits which have got me to nearly 20 stone…

Hi there
Yes I am starting tomorrow totally new to the diet. I have the books and done some food prep. It would be great to have someone to keep me company. I am a bit worried about adjusting to the portion sizes as I do enjoy big portions so I’m preparing to be hungry for a few weeks until I get used to it. Linda

So sorry I haven’t replied to your great reply ( I couldn’t find my thread and have only just gone into my profile and realised there is a topic started link -duh) Congratulations on reaching your goal and thanks for your insight to how you maintain .Thanks for your encouragement, this forum really makes a difference.

Me! I know it seems crazy to start so close to xmas but I need to make a dent in things!

Hi everyone.

While reading the book and online it does often say you should check you’re a type 2 but I’m not. Is this just MM ‘covering’ himself?

Look forward to getting to know you all!

Hi to all you lovely people with all your amazing stories. I love reading all the posts so inspiring and encouraging. sorry I don’t contribute, I am not a great writer -( I did write a post yesterday then it disappeared – so annoying) So to keep it short and sweet I started on September 30th weighing in at 16 st 5 lb and today weigh 13 st 9 lb, so really pleased with the results in such a short time I am feeling great and have so much more energy and sleeping so much better. Just started on my next 8 week block ( I want to do it in blocks rather than thinking in months it will take me to get to goal. Good luck everyone, you are all amazing !

Yes Captainlynne – one bite won’t hurt is exactly what I used to think. Just one bite didn’t hurt but it was the thousands that quickly followed that really did hurt. And they always did follow because once you re-awaken those particular taste buds there is no stopping them.

I have followed exactly what you have done to the letter. Your tip about the black coffee while everyone else tucks into the bad stuff was particularly useful (although as I am ok with cream I do add it if it is available).

It would be rather wonderful if the successes of all of us on this forum start to change how other people – especially people at risk of diabetes – view the bad carbs.

I agree it is for life and a much longer, healthier and active life than we would have had if we had never found the BSD.

Thank you so much to you all for your advice. Mixnmatch your comment about seeing it as a 6:1 was a bit of a revalation and helped me to see it as a blip rather than a catastrophe. I managed to stick to the diet for the rest of the week and Wednesday weigh in saw another 2llbs off which I felt I didn’t deserve! Dinner party last night went a bit out of control and I scoffed the last six chocs from a box a friend boight me ages ago and I’ve manfully ignored. Luckily the kids have clearly been helping themselves so there were only those 6 left otherwise I may have had a lot more! Bad news is fasting blood sugar was 8.2!!!! this morning. Such a shame after managing to get below five in the past few weeks. Heigh ho! Just got to keep at it and I hope losing more weight will mean my blood sugars are a bit more under control. Abilia thanks for your inspirational words – you’re right I have to keep remembering why I am doing this, rozydozy it’s good to know I’m not alone! Thanks, everyone

KrysiaD- that sounds a good plan!

Your story is so similar to mine: yo-yo dieting over many years (55 in my case😱)

It’s always been so easy to think ‘just one bite won’t hurt’, but that leads to another, and another etc. This time, having lost the taste for those nasty carbs there is no way I want to reawaken those particular tastebuds again.

I think I always realised I need to be in control of what I can and there is only me can control what food I put in my mouth. And, like you, I’m all or nothing. When I started the BSD the kitchen was cleared of all ‘bad’ foods and the fridge stocked with BSD friendly foods. Even on trips (which have been many during the year) I’ve stuck to the BSD principles. It’s created some interesting situations – sitting on a railway station eating the filling from a sandwich and discarding the bread, drinking black coffee while others tuck into amazing looking ice cream concoctions – eating kebab meat in Italy wile friends eat pizza etc. It’s also led to some interesting conversations. Try telling an Italian about our alternative pizza bases!😱 So many people have asked why I don’t eat the carbs in a meal – many of them are diabetics or know diabetics so who knows what (if any) effect seeing my results will have.

After my track record of losing then regaiweight, I was worried too. But the reality is that I still write everything in my notebook. And I’m still losing weight (slowly) even though I’m not being so careful about calories – just carb watching.

Enjoy the maintenance stage of your journey – this is for life 😀

Hi everyone , is anyone restarting tomorrow?after about 6 weeks I got out the habit of weighing and writing stuff down…. Luckily am not back to square one , but I know my portions have crept up and my choices are starting to slip ,I have bought the book instead of getting it out the libray and have been sitting down and re-reading it also got the app for my fat secret , so going to use that to log everything for a change so wondering if anyone wants to ‘ jog’ along with me Also decided to get out my comfort zone on the treadmill I am huffing and puffing at 6 so aiming for 7 or beyond by the end of the week …..bit of high intensity there well for me anyway! !!!!!!!

Maharani kitten – it’s good to hear you are feeling so great and full of energy now.

I am feeling good also and am going to make the roasted broccoli and mature cheddar cheese soup today.

One major stress that I have had over the BSD is what happens afterwards.

Reading posts on this forum has made me realise I am an all or nothing person. So I have found the BSD so easy because I just haven’t had one single mouthful of bad carbs. What I am spectacularly bad at is what happens afterwards.

My very first diet was in 1965 – after a year’s secretarial course and eating in the carb fest that masqueraded as a college canteen I had to go on a strict diet. Then there was the next one and the next one etc etc….. I was so amazingly good at putting all the weight back on in record time.

But reading posts on this forum has really helped to formulate my own personal maintenance plan that that will really work for me.

I keep of all the bad carbs – absolutely off them – not even one single mouthful. That suits my all or nothing personality and I also find it really easy. I cannot do a little bit of bad carbs now and again. I never have ever since 1965 and am not likely to change now.

I will keep recording everything on fat secret and my notebook. I absolutely love doing it (sad I know) and it keeps me on track.

I will keep reading and posting on this forum – again I love doing it and it keeps me on track.

Then I don’t particularly need to watch the calories and can add more nuts (which I absolutely love) and a bigger portion of fage, more cheese some clotted cream on my berries as a treat (it still feels very wicked to eat fat). Just a bit more of all the lovely food that I have discovered on the BSD.

So now no more stress about what happens after I lose my last 3 or 4lbs – I can just relax and enjoy the journey.

Maharanni kitten …. i am up at 3 a.m. …. and i have to get up at 6:30 …

Stress hormones ….. cortisol anyone? The will play with blood sugar and sleep.

Sleep …. let’s home for some … and good blood sugars too!!

Hello all you gorgeous peeps! I have been reading the blog and what an amazing supportive lovely group of friends you have become, thank goodness we aren’t all finishing on the eight week mark, I would miss you all!
Stats, have got back to the weight before our holiday less a few ounces, but now feel less bloated and all of the indigestion has gone, it just goes to show how food and drink related it is. In comparison with some of your amazing losses, and well done to all of you who have lost huge amounts, to the people like me who have only relatively lost a little, we have lost, we have taken on board how important this diet is to our way of life, I definitely have more energy and have lost weight in odd places, my face, (cheeks), my neck, and my fingers to name a few, but it’s weight off. ITs a shame we are all over this World, how heavenly it would be to meet up and raise a glass or a cup of tea/ coffee and sit and have a chat, I just know we would all get on so well, love to all, Sarah tell that brother of yours to join us all in the BSD! X Everyone stick to it this week with a vengeance!!!! X

DAY 6

Good morning

Glad to hear you sounding so good Maharani!!

Well done immi! When you get your new hip your life will begin over too. Just keep going!

Not a bad day for me yesterday but over the last two days I have crept up by 0.4lbs. Not much but I really don’t want to be on an upward trend yet again!! Will have to try harder. Managed 4 of my 5-a-day yesterday but today I’ll focus and it will be five out of five!

Well just 2 days to the end of week 1 so let’s make them count ….. just one little extra push!

Have a good day.

LindaA
That is very helpful to know that you have found your ideal weight is near the bottom end of your normal BMI. My feeling is that my ideal weight will be around 58kg also as I don’t have a small frame either.

I have upped my calories to between 1000 and 1200 calories a day so I lose the remaining 3kg slowly but am still keeping carbs low.

At last!
After 7 weeks, 22lbs lost, I’ve had 8 hours of sleep yesterday, 9 hours of sleep last night and woken feeling like I could take on the world. So full of energy!! Off down to the kitchen to make up my soups for the week, then half an hour’s rowing and a deep, hot bath. And all before 9am! Feels amazing. Yippeeeeee!!

Hi Natalie. Getting to sleep? No problem. Staying asleep? Another story …..

Am being really good but all of a sudden my FBS has gone a bit wonky. 7.9 yesterday, 8.1 today. Have had to up meds again. Can’t work out why., have been totally on the carb and calories ‘straight and narrow’. Exercise, or lack of, maybe? Haven’t had much time for rowing this week. Puzzled. MK x

Gday all, week 13 done and dusted, been a big week of walking heaps and big session in garden today
Weigh In result. 130.5 kg
Waist 134cm
4.3kg loss for the week, very happy hard work paid off

Total weight loss to date 29.4kg

99kg goal, still feels miles away.
Have a great week all
Ps snoop hope ur weigh in goes well