Hi KrysiaD

I thought I was going mad but I find 70% too sweet and moved to 90%. Who knows what I’ll do if that becomes too sweet?

I used sweetheart cabbage and filled it with a mushroom, onion and pork chop mix (bound with an egg) and baked it in the oven it was really nice and very filling, just not the most appealing sight. I made three and only managed two and just couldn’t convince the family to have the other one!

In Germany for work this week, so that will be a challenge. Just going to avoid the Backerei and focus on Bratwurst and Lachs. Might treat myself to a Bircher Muesli and FF yogurt for breakfast, though!

Greenjanet
Everyones food sounds really yummy. My favourite food this week was sea bass with a stirfry which included samphire. I have only just started eating fish and the sea bass was amazingly good. Have never eaten samphire before but I really like it.

I really love sweetheart cabbage (the pointy white ones). I love it in place of rice or pasta or in a stirfry. When I make a stirfry I tend to add loads of mushrooms (I could eat mushrooms every day) and then add whatever is in the fridge. Courgetti is lovely also. The only veg I don’t like is cauliflower – even as cauliflower rice.

A favourite lunch is tinned salmon mixed with herb and garlic cream cheese with a rocket side salad.

My special treat (apart from coffee) is a square of 85 or 90% chocolate. I have recently stopped having a square of 70% chocolate because it is too sweet!! I had two bars left and had to pass them on to my husband because I just didn’t enjoy it any more.

I really don’t recognise myself as I have changed so much from the person who started the BSD in May. The day before I started the BSD we went out for a meal and I had the most enormous desert and ate every mouthful. I then had 2 cappuccinos sprinkled with chocolate. I really couldn’t imagine doing that now. But before I started the BSD the one thing I thought I couldn’t give up was my cappuccinos. How wrong I was. I enjoy my black coffee (or coffee with a dash of cream) so much more. I can really taste the coffee now – not just sickly sweetness.

Hi Badlands

Again, great news for me as I have to lose a similar percentage (and only halfway there after 12 weeks!). Well done – definitely worth the effort!

Hi KJ!
Remember weight loss is not linear. A friend told me that recently when I put back on some weight. You should be super proud with what you have lost already, and use it as motivation to lose more. I am using your hard work as motivation also. You have lost 10kg already! That is awesome, so remember that. Now I am going to have some raw nuts………………

Hi,

I’m starting tomorrow and have been reading up on recipes, in the scrambled egg breakfast recipe it says ‘a knob of butter’ but just how much is this in grams?

Thanks,

Thank you Sunshine-girl girl. I think it is bad that people advertise on a forum like this. The tech people are really good at taking posts down.

It’s amazing! And it’s OK to weigh everyday if you want to check on progress.

Hi frog

Van Morrison can’t even think what he sang, but have a lovely time. 💃💃💃

what about eating a teaspoon of peanut butter if you get hungry, it is very filling, if of course you don’t like peanut butter have some full fat yogurt

Hi Frog

Get that Donna Karen jumpsuit on soon it sounds amazing. I too had them in the 80’s (you know when they made great music) they are so flattering too. Mine is from m&s velvet with lace not quite Donna Karen but hey it will feel good to wear with statement heels :)) changed my hairstyle this week too so I now have a choppy bob. This, including the weightless, makes you feel like a new person too 🙂

Nickix ….. Def no carrots especially no parsnips check the carb count you would be shocked there are 7 carbs even in 100g broccoli and there goes me thinking they didn’t count how wrong I was! Stick to the greens 🙂

X

Hi, I use full fat Greek yoghurt. I’ve been using blueberries and raspberries as well. I also sometimes add a teaspoon of peanut butter to make it more interesting (I use Meridien as it has nothing added)
Be careful with the mango as it’s quite High in sugar. Good luck for the week ahead! I’m part the way through week 2 and feeling positive.

Not quite Jan – I opened another bottle that was in the wine rack!

Yesterday I had the mash with a lamb burger, today with a pork chop that I cooked in foil with apple, garlic and sliced tomato in the foil – really nice – and bay leaves, that I did remember to take out!

I’ve just bought the coffee/spice grinder that I wanted – I got a salter one in the end, from Robert Dyas.
Off to see Van Morrison this evening, so trying it out will have to wait til tomorrow!

I went to the branch of Waitrose that stocks the low carb ice cream – they did actually have the oppo one in salted caramel – a first! But also the intense chocolate one called Frill, so I got that in the end. Had one spoonful and put it away – delicious though!

Hi Tigs

Any one can join in I’ve just called it this as I’m at week 18, all the more the merrier, it’s good to have a goal isn’t it, gives you something to work towards, I had a wedding to work towards in September, it really helped. So now I want to loose 12.5 k before my birthday in eight weeks time. So good luck to us . 🤗🤗🤗

Lucia I am pleased to hear that your broom is working. Fly high.

I’ve been doing this for 2 days- I feel full up all the time! I feel like this isn’t how you should feel on a diet!! Am I eating too much or is this diet just amazing???

Happy Monday, and happy Halloween! Starting weight for this week 126.65.
Yes I know – that went up 2kg. Not going to beat myself up for it, but – bugger!! Only have myself to blame for that, as went slightly off the rails end of week and weekend. Oh well, just means I have to work harder this week!!
Now that the weather is improving in NZ (even if a bit chilly this morning) going to add in a morning walk – will just be around the outside of the building I work in but will kick off my day.
Onwards and downwards!!
KJ

Hi Miracleworker, I personally don’t think there is anything wrong with a sweetener, the only thing is you will still have that sweet craving butI do in coffee and I have milk but I only drink one per day. If you are having milk think about how many you have and how many calories that can add up to, around 20 cal per cup, 5 cups and you have already lost 100 cals from your 800 allowance. I drink green tea (it must be real tea not a fruit infusion) and don’t much like the taste so add a little lemon or I buy some with mandarin orange in with it. No sweetener, no milk.

The chorizo and chickpea soup is my fave and I have just put chorizo on my shopping list for tomorrow so I can make a batch, it freezes well.

Good luck, you won’t regret it.

Think is fine by me ! I shall repost tomorrow evening, hopefully managing not to gnaw on iPad in desperation 😀

Good for you Krysia, we don’t want any rubbish on here and only 15 pounds in 9 weeks, slow coaches

Hi greenjanet

I’m a little way off joining you here as still in my first 8 weeks. Happy with it all though and looking ahead to you peeps that have experience and how to manage things some weeks down the track. I have set up my accountable thread as The Christmas Challenge so definitely got that same goal going on.

My fave dinner is fresh fish with Cajun spice, sautéed in small pieces in olive oil, with either a salad or broccoli with a sprinkle of parmesan. Would have fish at least 4 nights a week as we get it here so easily and it’s super fresh.

Go hard with the goal to Christmas. Cheering for you! xx

I have started today. I have decided to do the 7 day plan in the book as a first step. I am a real comfort eater for sugar and carbs but have also been reading around about sugar and it’s quite scary. Starting weight 74kg (11st 9) and I hope to be under 10 st 9 by Christmas. Good luck!

Starch – I have reported your post as it is advertising.

Hi everyone , hope your weekends have all been great!

Couple of quick questions. I’m wondering what yogurt you buy as im so used to buying fat free… its for my breakfast with passion fruit or mango. Does anyone use any other fruits? I’ve just gone with the book!

Q2… How much veg can I eat with a chicken breast? Is it massively portion controlled and what veg is best to have?

Thanks so much again for reading. Am determined that Saturday next week will be a happy weigh in!!! :0)

Thanks Ziggy & yes we also have two birthdays to negotiate in November my husbands on 16th when he will be 70! & mine on 19th when I will be 69. Birthdays have in the past always meant a celebratory meal out & we have a meal before a classical concert at a local theatre on 16th & something also happening on the following weekend for both our birthdays that is a surprise for my husband so I’m not writing about that 😉However a glass or two of wine might be involved so not allowed on our diet. Hey ho we still have to live, enjoy life & negotiate life’s curve balls 😀
I also wish Christmas didn’t happen but now having grandchildren hope that a little bit of magic may be generated seeing it afresh through their eyes & try to ignore the over commercialisation & expense that seems to be the current Christmas experience.
We are off to see Steele Eye Span tonight & the Dr Strange film tomorrow & we did have a lovely time with our grandchildren & family yesterday.

Well I’ve watched the programme, bought the book, read online forums and thought about it endlessly and I now think I’m ready to start! Have been in the kitchen preparing for this week. Have made the chorizo and chickpea soup, smoked salmon egg quiches and easy bolognaise from the book. Really scared about being able to stick to it! I tend to have a cup of tea with a sweetener in if I get hungry so am wondering what I can have instead?? Does anyone still have milk in their drinks or sweeteners? Don’t think I can face unsweetened herbal teas!! Tomorrow is d-day! Wish me luck!

Well done. I am so new to this. I am 25 and currently at my heaviest but i went to the doctors for my tests and they said everything was fine. However, my middle is huge and and BMI is obese – almost off the scale! Hopefully starting tomorrow. Really excited. I’ll be sure to keep checking this forum to see how everyone else is getting on. Good luck guys x

Thanks so much for the positive advice and good wishes Lucia. I agree with the others that you should be a motivational speaker !
Weighed in this morning, have lost 6 lbs in 4 days, that has never happened before. Deviated a little today as I had my first meal out, omelette with salad and a cup of tea, I really wanted the savoury tart, frites and red wine . Going to work out the calories now.
As for exercise, I do very little, I feel embarrassed walking along the street let alone going to a class or gym. Had a nice walk today with my other half despite aching hips so plan to increase the walking and dust off the exercise bike.
Will be reading everyone’s postings to keep me spurred on.
Have you all have a great week !

Quick update: Been to the gym this afternoon, now trying to make a meal plan for the week. To me (at least now in the start) planning is essential. (Don’t trust myself to wing it at all!)

Not sure what’s best for me and my partner (we’re quite different), so my plan will be lunches and dinners and I’ll try to keep that 500- 600 calories in total. Then each of us can use the rest of the calories for the day the way we prefer. Me, I would definately want something to snack on in the evenings, but skipping breakfast usually isn’t a problem. And I’ll rather eat my calories than drink them, where as my girlfriend probably will save up to have a glass of wine once in a while.

Tonights dinner by the way is ratatouille with lean moose/elk meat. How’s that for a Mediterranean – Nordic diet combo? 😉

What are you guys having for dinner?

WEndy……good on you, at least you’ve started planning it in October😱 I always hope it will go away….Christmas that is. THe only thing I have planned is to have Christmas Eve Christmas Day and Boxing Day New Years Eve and New Years Day off BSD.🍷🍷🍷🍷 I will continue up until then and after. I have a birthday and family gathering coming up in November😐But I intend to not stress myself over what I should or shouldn’t eat. 👍🏻👍🏻
ZIggy 🙂

Oh and I’m trying to plan Christmas food for an early shopping order & it’s driving me nuts😥 So I really want a glass of wine but can’t! but I feel like I’m herding cats trying to sort out one set of children coming for an early Christmas meal & the other coming for Christmas itself. Also don’t mention presents or decorating the house🙁

Congrats BellyBeGone on getting through your third week! I loved your post.
I finished week three yesterday and have lost 12 lbs. so far. During week 2 and 3 I lost very little but I kept all of week 1 loss off and added a few more pounds to the loss during the past 2 weeks. I have had a roller coaster of emotion, some days feeling low and others feeling fine. I am usually not a moody person but this way of eating has been difficult at times. The low calories get to me now and then. I am ready to see the scale drop more so I am checking out my “lose it app” where I’ve tracked my eating to see where I can improve. Each week I’ve made a huge batch of homemade chicken and vegetable soup and divided it into 12 containers. I’ve had it for lunch each day. It has really helped! My husband has been eating it too for his dinner which makes it nice to not have to cook every night. He saw how much weight I was losing and checked out the BSD book and now is following the plan too.
I went clothes shopping and bought a pair of black pants that would have been too small 3 weeks ago. My other pair of black pants are getting too baggy –yay! I love them though so might have to have them tailored. They were expensive so I don’t want to part with them yet!
Congratulations again on losing a good amount of weight! Wishing you a successful week four!

It will be our four week weigh in tomorrow but I think we may have sabotaged ourselves yesterday with having family to lunch because we drank some wine & I don’t really know how much we ate of our low carb food because I couldn’t weigh portions. We avoided eating pasta & rice & had quinoa & carrotetti & courgetti but were tempted by some spicy prawns & bread crumbed prawns that were put out as nibbles but avoided the chilli crisps & went without breakfast to save calories. So we did try to keep to BSDiet apart from the wine!🍷& that did show in my husbands bloods this morning that were up from 5.0 to 7.6! Just goes to show how finely tuned our bodies seem to be to the smallest sugar intake😳

Yes, Monday it is… as I said above, I’ve been dabbling for a few days (3 or 4) and have already lost 2lb!! I’m still getting my head around the principals of the diet, but I’m looking forward to it (though a tad nervous). Mondays are 500 cal days for me and I normally load up on carbs the night before, but not this time, so I will probably be very ‘Halloween Friendly’ too – he he he. All the best Tink (you don’t mind me calling you ‘Tink’ do you? Not too familiar?) We can do this!

Hello Nickix I have just looked in my GI Collins Gemm book that uses a traffic light system to show GI and swede has a red light (don’t eat), carrot an amber(eat in moderation) and celeriac is green so it looks like that is OK! Have you tried cauliflower mash as an alternative?
Well done it’s great you are getting into smaller clothes💐

Hi
I found a brilliant cottage that I rent where my cat is very welcome – excellent solution, we’ve been about six times now. Sussex rather than the lakes – I don’t think she’d like sitting in the car for that long!
Well done on the bread – why not trying adding potatoes to the exclusions? (and not replacing them with rice/pasta 🙂 )
By the time it gets to Januaty you’ll be almost there!
Have a good holiday

Hmm

Perhaps the cap was trying to tell you something think of the carbs it’s saved you lol did you put anything with the cauliflower mash

Hi Jan
Yes, lunch was really nice – the cauliflower mash tasted completely different heated in the oven compared to microwaving it yesterday – less watery and incredibly buttery. Froglet liked the pork and the cauliflower!

I have a chicken to cook too – M&S have started offering the choice of a starter instead of desert with their dine in for £10, which is great, so I had garlic mushrooms to start.
Oddly the screw cap on the bottle of wine just kept twisting round and round, which was frustrating, will have to take it back.

Thank you sunshine-girl. As you say we are all learning.

Hi Snoop

I got a fab morphy Richards one of eBay new but cheaper it came from Lakeland products 39.99 really recommend it I procrastinated for so long, durrr meals are so different now as it adds another dimension I cooked a lot of courgettes but of course needing oil to stir fry, but now I just steam the courgettii 😊😊😊 fab u Lus in the voice of revel Hawood if you’re a strictly fan 💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃 hehe I’m a bit crackers today got my accts up to date so celebrating 😇😇😇

I got the book and have even posted on here re what to shop for, well I am going to the Lakes for a quiet break on my own (wish I could take the cats) and I will go on some short walks AND just cannot hold off temptation off the delicious pub meals to fend off any chills, and also Christmas is coming and I want to enjoy a nice week off so one new year resolution I will make now and keep is to start the first week of Jan AND being off for a week during Christmas will give me plenty of time to prepare properly and do some advance cooking the main change I have implemented is I cut out bread as of two weeks ago and hardly miss it and take the almond milk shake in the recipe sections to work very nice , greek youghurt , berries (though I do sieve it as raspberries are very bitty ) mmmmmmmmmmm

Hi frog
Ooh your dinner sounds yum I’m cooking roast chicken, yep definitely an advantage having birthdays In the hols. Ooh so the weight race 🏁 has started, brilliant just the sort of impetus I needed , I’m finding it hard to keep focused but you seem to be going strong😇

Indeed, where would we be without Lucia. Today is my birthday. Doing a bsd friendly cake (no icing and just eggs, ground almonds, clementines and yes some sugar but less than recipe calls for). Almost a year in for me now and although occasionally I have gained a little weight I am able to lose it again and it’s Lucia’s thread which helps hugely in keeping me motivated. Yes I know about the health arguments and of course that’s why I am doing this. But Lucia doesn’t half help when I need a kind shove. And we all have days like that… her humanity is inspirational. I sure hope you got that job you went for some time back…. their loss if you didn’t!
Julia

topcattone, I always said I would not advice anyone to stop their meds as it is dangerous ground. However, knowing what I know now this would be my plan. I would stick with the Metformin while I am in the changeover phase, especially as I will want treats on my trips away but I would start the diet, as Frog say, it will get you used to low carbing ready for the big push.

If you look at what your meds do they are to keep your BG low(ish), if you can do the same with your diet then you don’t need the meds and you could even be taking too much as your BG has gone down anyway. You do not want to go hypo so when you get on the diet proper check your BG regularly and if it is going down, reduce your meds ever so slightly for a few days. The worst thing that can happen is your BG will go up and you can put the dose back up if you want. If your BG continues to go down because you have been sticking to the diet then reduce your meds again. Just take it slow and don’t worry. Not taking your meds will not kill you (I hope) just listen to your own body.

I was looking back on a post from mid July (I started the diet on 21st June) and I was asking a similar question. I said then that being on 38 units of insulin I was going to reduce to 36 and see how it was. I was so scared, what was I doing to myself. Well, read the above, the only risk was for my BG to go back up. I am now on 24 units daily and have also reduced my Glycazide because I was having hypos of around 3.2 in the afternoons and I found out it was that drug that caused them. We are learning here all the time. Stay safe and keep on keeping on…..

Hi, I would love to join you , i am starting tomorrow, very apprehensive as i always struggle to lose weight. My current blood sugars are in the twentys so really need to do something 🙁

Weight- 13.5
waist- 46 inches
Hips- 48 inches

I have all my meals planned so here goes, good luck 🙂

Thanks Badlands, great encouragement to me, new diagnosed Type 2 and starting out on the BSD. What was your HbA1c when you were diagnosed?

Also Frog, very encouraging that you have reversed your diabetes, a great spur to me that it works. Well done.

Thank you for your advice Frog, very useful.

Hi Snoop
I think Jan said she’d got an electric one.
I started with a very cheap pencil sharpener type spiraliser, which was great at first, but the teeth buckled after a few months use and it was so small it limited what veg worked.
I replaced it with a Salter one about a month ago because I saw in on special offer locally, and I’d used a similar model at cookery school. Really happy with it, and use it lots.
They are on Amazon for £11.99 now, and I spotted different brand in a branch of co-op recently for £9.99.
Lynne recommended a Cuisique spiraliser – also on amazon.

Whenever I go to the RSA, they usually have Parmesan lollipops as a canape.
I’d always assumed it was just melted cheese, baked with a stick in and allowed to cool.

When I worked there we used to joke about them a lot – I shall never forget the look on a colleague’s face when she finally tried one. They are a bit of a marmite food – you either love them or hate them.

Perfect low carb canape – I was circulating amongst different tables at an event last week
– hopefully no-one noticed that I ate four of them! (they are more-ish!)

Waitrose cauliflower mash cooked in the oven is AMAZING
totally different from microwaved – thanks for the suggestion JulesMaigret

Sunshine Girl – I will definitely try making my own at some point.
The Waitrose one was fairly smooth – and very buttery (although I didnt taste that at all yesterday). The nutrition details aren’t on the website, which is odd – I will check the amount of butter in it before I chuck the packet