Or even, go for just using seaweed, I bought some wakame dried seaweed from a Chinese/Oriental supermarket. It gives a bit of crunch and texture to miso and isn’t too carby.

Catching up on the weekend’s posts. So encouraging to read others results – well done Team January!

I’m 2 weeks in and 10lbs down, with a goal of 40lb. Managed to put on 2lb during week 2 due to an incident with a Christmas cake, so was hesitant about hopping on the scales, but pleasantly surprised.

Things I’m finding that help:

Hot (not boiling) water with a good squeeze of lemon first thing in the morning. I pre-slice a lemon to last me the week.
Drinking more water during the day. Schedule reminders in your diary to prompt you whilst you get in the swing.
Log food for the day ahead – really helps keep on track and know what you have left to ‘spend’.
Hop on the scales once a week only. I’ve learnt to my own detriment that weighing in too frequently can knock your confidence.

It’s all about changing habits, often ones we’ve had for years, which takes time. Don’t beat yourself up if you have a bad day. Re-focus, plan and be proud of your results so far.

I’m sticking to the recipes in the BSD Recipe Book like glue. Low-carb lamb hotpot over the weekend – delish.
Jacks

Don’t get me wrong I do love eggs but the thought of eating eggs every single day just seems daunting to me….

I have noticed that eggs keep me incredibly full though. No need to snack at all. I gave up white bread/pasta a long time ago and didn’t really eat a great deal of it anyway so the shift away from pairing those carbs with my meals shouldn’t be too hideous. I am fond of potatoes though – maybe once I get to the 5:2 section I’ll be able to have very small portion of roasted new potatoes.

There is a fabulous hairy bikers recipie for Spanish chicken which uses new potatoes… I’m going to miss it! Waah!

X

It came as a huge shock to me. I am very lucky that I have a neighbour who keeps ducks and has a regular glut of eggs. Slightly runny scrambled duck egg with a dab of butter is unbelievably fabulous and keeps you full for hours.

hi,
dont do kgs but so delighted i have lost 12lbs in week of what i am calling my big belly house diet. sorry terrible play on big brother but it keeps me cheerful !
expecting less next week but i think this system is really achievable. also i blood pressure has fallen from pre hyper tension to near normal.
keep the faith.

Thank you! I’ve made a note of all those, got a list of different foods/meals scribbled down – makes meal planning much easier!

I love chorizo! Keep forgetting you are allowed meats like this. And cheese too. I’ve got to totally readjust my thinking around food… been stuck in the fat-is-bad trap for too long!

X

Also starting today, my plan today is 2 boiled eggs for breakfast, plain yoghurt and blueberries for lunch and a stuffed pepper with mushrooms, onions, plum tomatoes and 25g cheddar with a small slice of pork leg. 725 calories. Looking forward to finding out how others spend their 800 calories. Good luck Sal x

Hi all,

We are all doing so well aren’t we!!! Keep up the good work and losses all! :o)

Week 2 day 7 for me… Currently weighing in at just shy of a 7lb loss for the 2 weeks. I’m not a massive “loser” when it comes to diets so I am really pleased – plus “hormone” stuff has come into play this week so I think this is messing with my scales.

Week 3 starts tomorrow… Got to keep going… I’m really enjoying this diet, if enjoying is the right term. I’m not particularly hungry and am enjoying trying the recipes from the book and online. Holiday is on the 18th Feb so have a very clear goal ahead.

I had a meal out on Friday night and was really pleased with myself… had a deli board to start so 1 slice of mortadella, 1 of salami and 1 of prosciutto along with feta cheese and olives. I then had a burger (without the bun) and the chips that came with it I made them swap to salad. That alongside diet coke and I was really pleased with myself!! Calorie counted it all and i was only slightly over as I over compensated for the burger but I will still really pleased and was probably under. Next meal out is on the 29th Jan but that is at my local pub and when we go it’s the only meal I have that day and I will have a roast without the potatoes so will be an easy meal for me to control (as long as I don’t succumb to the baked camembert!).

The hardest part of this weekend has been ignoring the wine – normally when it’s raining outside on a Sunday I do a jigsaw with a glass of wine in the afternoon and I really missed this. I got through it though and didn’t do it…. It was so hard though. Dry January continues….

Week 3…. here we come!!!

Much Love,
Rebecca xxx

Some konjac noodles are better than others. I find the very thin ones or the transparent ones are better than the others. I got some mixed seafood from the Chinese supermarket and some XO sauce (watch out, there is a cheaper high carb version) and added Chinese lettuce to the mix. They certainly hit the spot when you want something filling

Unsurprisingly, the majority of my favourites include yogurt and some form of cooked egg, but others include:

Tomato, mushroom and bacon
Grilled field mushrooms with goats cheese on top
Chorizo and tinned tomatoes and chilli (I actually had an egg, sorry)
Pastrami and smoked cheese in lettuce “wrap”
Smoked salmon and cottage cheese with lettuce and tomato
Two soft boiled eggs – quick and easy

Some of these require some prep, but not very much.

Congratulations on your first week loss Shelby. I also have read about other large first week results, but for me a loss is a loss. I never lose weight easily so as long as the scales record losses I am happy. I have set myself weekly loss targets using a “How Much Weight Loss” calculator on a healthy weight forum website (www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/weight-loss/ ). I have written down projected goal weights for the next 9 months. When I feel hungry or am tempted to eat something I look at what my weight could be on my birthday (in May) or in 6 months time and I want the future target weight more than eating something now. It’s helping me to also imagine what I could be wearing at important dates in 2017. Good luck this week and thank you for posting.

I love the Harry Potter reference Cleverblonde. I managed to make my mini goal and got below 11 stone 7, just by 1 lb but psychologically it was great. Stayed at a friends house on Saturday night and went a little over with the carbs but avoided wine and dessert so I just enjoyed the dinner and chalked it up to experience. Starting back into an exercise regime today. I had surgery before Christmas so really have done very little exercise between the surgery and the illness that preceded it. Just a pilates class today but its a start. Good luck everyone with this week

Hi SunnyB, congrats on the continued success!

I weighed in today with a 2lb loss. 6.25lb to go.

I’m feeling very buoyed by the success of last week and feel back in the BSD groove as I did before Christmas. My girlfriend is joining me on the fast 800 today for the first time so there’s a full house of us pushing in the same direction. She’s aiming to do 4 weeks which will be a nice support as I draw closer to target weight.

Hello,

Just starting the BSD this week. I’m fine with options for lunch and dinner, that has been a breeze but I’m really struggling with breakfast.

I don’t eat yoghurt – unless its ‘in’ something im baking because I’m just not a fan of it so that’s one food group out of the window.

I have a busy life, work full time, 4yr old son, long commute, pick up and drop offs at pre school so a grab and go option at least a couple of days a week would be ideal.

I can imagine eggs/frittatas etc are going to become boring so quickly. Can you lovely people share your go-to breakfasts with me? I’m looking for inspiration.

Thank you x

Lovely news to start the day Daisiesmum. Congratulations:-)

Welcome SueBlue, I felt a bit hungry in the first 2 days. I went over by 100 -150 calories, but I made sure they were “healthy” calories such as frozen raspberries or fresh strawberries or blueberries. As the weather was hot I forced myself to drink water every hour. I made up some iced tea by infusing the Twinnigs Strawberry, Raspberry & Loganberry herbal tea. My sugar cravings have diminished and when I feel like chocolate I have a square of the 90% cocoa Lindt chocolate. It is not sweet nor creamy and I don’t feel like having anymore. Good luck. Look forward to following your progress.

Wow 4.4lbs is great Shelbo! I usually lose weight at around 1lb PER MONTH so am looking forward to seeing if the BSD has better results.
I remember I was overweight in my late 30s and was determined to lose it before 40. I lost about 1 1/2 stone at 38 following a low GI diet, so I was slim at 38 and 39…. but put the weight back on (and then some!) by 40! Even though I was overweight at 40, I was still a good 15kg (2 stone?) less than I am now! So best to nip weight gain in the bud. Anyway well done on your loss this week – hopefully I’ll have a similar post next week!

Welcome to the new week Everyone!

Inka13 – hope you had a great birthday w/e.

Hope anyone weighing in for the week today, has something good to report. I am pleased to say I am registering a small loss for the week – 1.2lb – having survived my birthday w/e, which included some alcohol and inevitably, cake. During the week, the scales best result was 2lb down, but I am happy to accept 1.2lb as the week’s loss, given the uncounted consumption over the w/e.

This week, I’m starting from a position of 3.8lb to go to reaching my first mini goal of hitting 9st flat and with determination to get moving more and to get back to full on counting cals and carbs.

Looking forward to reading everyone else’s positive results soon. Meanwhile, remember we can definitely do this, so stay focused and keep right on going.

Well, bloke41, I’m not much of a travelling companion for you! Today’s weigh-in: 78.6 kg. At least I am still going down, even if it is very slowly. Haven’t been strict enough since the end of the festivities. Will have to step up the pace a bit this week. Hope you’re doing well.

Hi Meg71, I’m not part of this group, but thought I’d add my penny’s worth: my OH wasn’t interested in dieting either, but after a bit he saw I was enjoying what I was eating and has joined me to a certain extent. He’s not doing the diet strictly, but he is losing weight (almost no bread, no potatoes, courgetti instead of pasta, and a reduced amount of breakfast cereal and hardly ever as a late-night snack). So just stick with it for your own sake anyway and you never know, your husband might join you. As for the alertness and increased energy, I can vouch for those too! And as for the 4 kg, what result! It won’t all be water, that’s for sure. 🙂 Good luck.

Hi happyvegan I totally agree with you and have found some MFP entries for some foods to be a bit unreliable so I tend to check against the packaging values or Tesco/Sainsburys online to validate them.
However sounds like despite this you’ve had a very successful week so well done!

Hi Chrissie63

We have much in common, starting today, age, T2, fears about lines, last resort! let’s hope we succeed together.

If you get too low on blood sugar, i think you would have to treat the hypo. I use glucose tabs, because they are measured, instant and easy to carry. But lets be positive and cross that bridge if and when we come to it!

Hope you enjoy your trip to our shores!

Anniflower

Huge congratulations Daisiesmum!!!!!!! Or rather, not huge!!!!!!!
How fantastic for you, I am pleased for you!
Have a great day and an even better time at the Dr. If that doesn’t sound weird.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen.. very good news from the daisiesmum camp this morning, pardon me if I shout it from the rooftops I HAVE REACHED MY GOAL WEIGHT!!! Woo hoooooo! I am blown away (not literally like last week) on previous weight loss programmes, progress was usually so slow especially towards the end, but I have lost over 2lb this week! I am now slightly under my new normal weight of 8st 12lb. I am celebrating with some rose lemonade flavoured sparkling water :D. I will save my BSD friendly celebratory meal until after I have seen my Doctor tomorrow.

I am totally convinced by the BSD as a way of life and am no longer interested in carby or sugary foods at all. So plan to maintain by just increasing calories and one or two indulgences like cream in my coffee or a bit more cheese. I’ll probably continue to keep an eye on calories and carbs until I’m on an even keel!

Have a great BSD Monday everyone!

Well done on you first week New Kathy and welcome SueBlue. Done my weigh in just now after my first week and have lost 4.4lbs so I’m happy with that despite reading in other threads that people have lost a lot more in their first week 😊. I’ve gained an additional 2 stone in the last 18 months on top of already being 2 stone over my ideal weight and have tried numerous failed attempts at shifting it because I just wasn’t seeing results quick enough to keep going therefore adding to a vicious cycle of comfort eating because I felt fat and horrible! I had planned to shift it all last year in time for my 40th last year in September (fit and fabulous was my mantra) but work got in the way as I went from one stressful project to another. I am determined now however that this is it and time to take back control and I will still be fit and fabulous @ 40….so I’m giving myself till my 41st this year to get there 😊!!
This forum has been invaluable so far as it’s given me the motivation I needed that I can do it and I will keep coming back to lurk or update on my progress. I’ve been finding 800 cals so far quite manageable despite my initial reservations and haven’t really felt hungry, had the expected headaches at Day 2/3 but no carb cravings and even made some nachos for my OH at the weekend without flinching! After a little stall on the scales yesterday (went up 0.2lbs) I decided to read up on plateaus/whoosh effect and that was really enlightening as I suspect that is what has happened to me in the past, I have lost fat but it hasn’t shown on the scales yet because my fat cells were holding onto the water that replaced the fat and it can take days/weeks even for them to release…I just need to be patient and persevere and remember to drink at least 3l of water daily!! I’m going to up my game this week and start a walk/run programme that will hopefully keep me moving in the right direction.

Happy Monday all and hope this week goes well for you all 😊

I use this which I find very useful:

http://www.poundforpounddiet.co.uk/list-of-common-foods-by-carb-content.aspx

JulesMaigret
So pleased to see you back on this thread. Your posts are so motivating and informative.
M

Hi Everyone

A word of warning. Like many people, I have been using myfitnesspal to plan and log my food and find it invaluable. Can’t imagine having to calculate it all myself. I had used it off and on for a few years before starting the BSD plan so I’m used to there being quite a variety of nutritional values for the same food as most are entered by users who do not always values accurately and, to be fair, values can vary from brand to brand.

One way I had found to suit me previously was to use the Sainsburys entries. They had always been useful and in serving sizes that were helpful. However, yesterday I realised that a food I had used in my breakfast had no carb values in it. Unfortunately, after getting my breakfast set up on Day One on myfitnesspal, I just used the copy feature to enter it quickly every day after that so the incorrect entry had been used every day. So I had been under calculating my carbs every day for the first week. So frustrating when I have been trying really hard to get it right and I am kicking myself for not checking it like I would normally do. I was very happy with my weight loss anyway so that’s ok but just glad I spotted it in time or I could have been eating too many carbs for ages………

I guess what had happened was that the person who made the entry on myfitnesspal was only bothered about calories and didn’t bother to add anything else.

Maybe this applies to other similar sites but I have no experience of them.

Hi Orchid
Thanks and yes I agree working out what to eat takes some effort. I messed up yesterday when I had to make something without working it out first and overdid it on the lentils. It would have been fine if only I had looked up how much cooked lentils I could have as the rest of the dish was just low carb veggies, I’m very busy getting ready for trip back to the UK but I’ve learned my lesson as I couldn’t eat for the rest of the day !

Just want to tell you that I have found your postings to be really helpful. Before I started on the BSD 800, I read loads of them and have adopted many of your suggestions. Your story is inspirational and really made me believe that, at long last, this plan might just work for me too. Thank you for taking the time to help others like me.

Hi New Kathy.
Just wanted to thank you (and everyone else who has posted here) for sharing your experiences.
I’m on Day 2, so a bit behind you 🙂 I’m also 51 and from Sydney – but not a teacher 🙂
I only bought the book on Saturday, read it cover to cover that night and started yesterday (Sunday). I’ve been dieting for much of my adult life, although looking back there were times I didnt really need to be! Now I’m at my heaviest. I’m pre-diabetic, not diabetic, but also have an auto-immune disorder so am looking to lose 20-25kg if I can, to improve my health and prevent developing diabetes. I’m on Prednisone (steroids) at the moment, an unfortunate side effect is weight gain, and an increased tendency to get diabetes, so I’m looking to reverse that.
I found it really hard at work today, was SO hungry! So I’ve decided to have a bigger breakfast and lunch tomorrow and a smaller dinner to see if that helps.
It’s really encouraging and helpful to read everyone’s experiences, so again thanks for sharing 🙂

Busybee
Hope you have a lovely holiday.

Yesterday I had a hungry day – ate more at every meal than normally. Maybe because it has been a bit stressful this week as I had been feeling very sorry for myself because I had been working 12 hour days 6 days a week and was doing admin on my day off (don’t feel sorry for me because I had booked all the work in my diary myself so I had total control of it).

Husband was ill with the same virus he has had since Christmas so we couldn’t go to granddaughters birthday in Kent yesterday. He was grumpy I was grumpy and we had a big row. Very unusual because we rarely row. So in the evening – instead of my usual fast after evening meal I ate even more.

I added it to fat secret and the day totalled at 1899 calories. Actually not too bad for a blow out. The extra food was mascarpone cheese, two extra squares of 90% Lindt (one of them at breakfast) and some of the Tesco finest roasted nuts. I avoided the high carb ones in the packet. So actually not bad for bad day.

So different from pre BSD days when a day like that would have consisted of a huge carb fest and lots of insulin injections to cover the carbs.

This morning woke up and was just not very hungry so had a very small breakfast. Blood sugars not too bad at 5.5. Am just working in the morning and evening today and have the afternoon off to go to the hairdressers and then wander around the city centre. So a lovely day ahead.

Well done ClarinetCathy and NewKathy

I also find this forum so encouraging and inspiring. And that first week’s loss motivating isn’t it ?

Hi Chrissie

After the first couple of weeks I found that my mind felt sharper and my concentration improved, although I put that down to sleeping a lot better. As a recently diagnosed diabetic I don’t actually measure my blood sugar outside my quarterly HBA1C tests, however on a more general note, I have switched to using nuts/falafels/slices of cooked meats as snack replacements.

Hi DenSol and welcome there is a menu plan at the back of the BSD book, however eggs are the go for breakfast as they are very filling and my husband and I find we dont need to eat again until lunch. Over the past 3 weeks I have so far lost 3kgs, however only needed to loose 6kgs which I have found in the past those last few kilos are so difficult to shift. Hubby needs to loose 8 kgs we both need to loose the fat from around our middle. I have gone from an 83 cm waist to 78 cm so its a start. Planning, planning and more planning is the key to this diet, I usually spend some time on the weekend writing down a menu for the week then buying all the ingredients in one go so I dont have to face the shops and am not tempted to buy chocolate, my one down fall. So good luck and keep smiling.

Morning all,
Just a quick check in as I am at the airport flying off to the sun for a week! I have lost another four pounds this week which, at last, takes me over the two stone off.
See you when I get home.
X B

Hi everyone,
I’m just starting today 16th Jan. Never thought I would post in a forum but you all seem so friendly and supportive and I could use that. I am trying to study (half way thru my PhD in English Literature) and I’m worrying that lack of carbs is making my brain fuzzy. Its hard to concentrate, but maybe I’ll get past that bit? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also I’m a diabetic (type 2) and I’m worried about not having my go-to carbs available if my blood sugar starts to drop. How do other people manage this? I am pretty motivated by going to the UK (from Australia) in April to speak at a conference but I have lost weight before and just put it back on. This is a last resort for me.
Thanks for listening!

Weigh in is tomorrow after 3 weeks, just had for the first time the chickpea and hazelnut salad for lunch which I would highly recommend, so much food for 2 now really full. The only problem so far is loosing too much weight from my face which is fine in your 40s or 50s but not such a good look in your 60s when all the lines appear from nowhere, oh! well at least the disappearing stomach is a bonus.

Thanks Sunshine Girl! Got a chuckle out of your talking ban. I have had one or two of those myself. 😀 Two weeks in, feeling great, have lost 18 pounds and am eating more nutritiously than I have in a long time! And the food tastes so good. I think I’ll wait to talk about it anymore (to friends) until I get my tests done at the 8 week mark. Then hopefully the results will speak for themselves.

Congratulations! That is so great, and so encouraging too!

That’s a great use for them, Julie. I hope they satisfy!

Hi everyone,
I’m just starting today too. Never thought I would post in a forum but you all seem so friendly and supportive and I could use that. I am trying to study (half way thru my PhD in English Literature) and I’m worrying that lack of carbs is making my brain fuzzy. Its hard to concentrate, but maybe I’ll get past that bit? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also I’m a diabetic (type 2) and I’m worried about not having my go-to carbs available if my blood sugar starts to drop. How do other people manage this? I am pretty motivated by going to the UK (from Australia) in April to speak at a conference but I have lost weight before and just put it back on. This is a last resort for me.
Thanks for listening!

SueBlue you can organise your eating however you like, have a bigger breakfast and smaller other meals if that is what you like, as long as you stay within 800 cals and the right sort of food. I like to have a smaller breakfast and big dinner so I don’t get snacky in the evening, but you can do it the other way around.

Day 2 for me too
Surgery last September led to the mandatory use of steroids so gained 6 kgs of unwanted weight. Giving up wine in the evening will be hard for me
No motivation for exercise either

Hi Chrysalis
I’m just starting out too, this is Day 2 for me. I bought the book on Saturday, read it cover to cover and then started yesterday – no time like the present!
I had avocado and poached egg for breakfast early this morning and have been absolutely starving since then. Decided to change my lunch break at work to an hour earlier today, rather than succumbing to an unhealthy snack.
I’m used to eating a bigger breakfast, decent lunch then a smaller evening meal, but this plan is the reverse… I’m determined to do it though! Good luck to all other new starters 🙂

Dreamscometrue, pollymv64 and candoit, I am also a teacher and completely understand the need for a glass (or 2 or 3) after a day at work. I have found starting in the holidays (Friday 6th for me) means I have a good 3 weeks to break that habit of reaching for a bottle of Riesling as soon as I walk in the door. Recess is a killer, I am usually starving by then because I eat breakfast around 7.30am and recess is at 11am and then lunch at 1.40pm. It will be interesting to see if I can cope without snacks when I return in 2 weeks. I made a promise to myself to drink 1 litre of water between breakfast and lunch and another litre of water between lunch and dinner and so far so good. I still suffered from carb flu and am only now, day 11, not getting headaches.
mocnk, kiddo and mixnmatch, I am on week 2 now and after a staggering 5.9kg loss in week one, I’ll be happy for anything in week 2. Weigh in is Friday and I have decided not to weigh myself everyday as it plays with my emotions too much. I’ll just wait until Friday and be happy with any weight loss.

Hi there!
My names Sal and I’m starting today.
Can anyone provide me with some example meal plans by any chance? Looking forward to connecting with others about their journeys on this diet.
My main issue is a love of red wine, the inhibition regarding self control around potato chips after a couple of reds haha and needing to give my liver a break.
Thanks

Welcome too to DenSol, best of luck and let us know how your first days go!
As far as meals plans go, I have never drawn one up but have a few favourites from the website and recipe book that I can cycle through and breakfasts are either eggs or Greek youghurt and berries. Eggs especially keep you full. Actually, I think the BSD recipe book has a meal plan at the back? Just keep in mind the calorie count of some of the recipes is actually a bit higher than noted as a lot of people have found.
Best of luck!

Welcome Meg! Fantastic loss so far, Mixnmatch is right, some of the loss is water but if you read back on other threads, it is paving the way for better usage of those cells! And it definitely is for real! If you have managed to dodge the dreaded carb flu then you should just keep on feeling great! There may be ups and downs along way but as someone who is one their second 8 weeks with a few wobbles, my carb cravings have gone and I find 800 Cals more than satisfying. I have even stopped needing to snack on nuts etc between meals. Water is key as everyone says. Sounds like you are off to a brilliant start so well done!

First week weigh in: 2.1 kg loss (4.6 lb) – happy as I had a big deviation on day 6 (niece’s 21st birthday party) and still lost.
Powering into week 2 now. I am going to try out some BSD Recipe Book recipes this week.
Reading the Forum posts helps to keep me motivated. Thank you everyone.

End of week 1 results: lost 2.1kg. I am happy with this as I had a big deviation from the plan on Day 6 (a birthday party) and a small increase in calories on day 3. Powering into week 2 now. Hoping to at least equal this loss this week before my 25th wedding anniversary in week 3.
I am going to try out some recipes from the BSD Recipe book this week.