Blooming Heck Lesles that’s a fantastic result and thanks for sharing it. I’m on day 2 of the 800 cals per day and not doing too bad, but the lack of carbs especially sugar is a real struggle. I’ve had to result to drinking a diet coke or 2 just to take the unbearable cravings away…………..Thanks for the inspiration 15lbs in 1 week! that’s amazing well done you. x

I did it. I survived week 1.
On Saturday I felt so well I and wondered if I was doing it correctly and on Sunday I was ravenous. How weird.
Calories averaged at 900 per day for the week and I managed 2 fast days which does help with the calorie ‘banking’.
And I lost 15 lbs!!!! Can’t believe it. So chuffed and ready to take on week 2.
I have tried a couple of the dressings above (thank you for the ideas) one with lemon and one with mustard both of which were really tasty but I do find it odd adding oil to my meals after years of ‘low fat’ indoctrination.
And I ate avocado on purpose instead of avoiding it!
Does anyone use coconut oil? Does it make the meals taste odd?
Even though I have struggled with my weight for years, I have been very lucky with my health and not developed diabetes etc but when I read the book I thought it would be the best way to tackle my sugar/carb obsession. My answers to the carb quiz in the book were mostly yes. Not good.
The added bonus this week had been a whole week of no snacking between meals, mainly at this stage because the calories would not stretch to it. This is a huge thing for me. I would love to make this a habit and save the calories for healthy and satisfying meals….with natural oils!!
We can do this!

Hi everyone

I’ve been reading the benefits of adding butter, ghee or coconut oil and cream to coffee for breakfast. Apparently it’s great for keeping hunger away and for fat burning. Has anyone heard of or tried it? Does it work?

I don’t know. Isn’t it your blood sugar results rather than your BMI number that will tell you when it is reversed? You can have a high BMI and not be diabetic.

@movingmore thanx for the input – I find it easier to have only one meal because with this eating regimen I do not have to think about food the rest of the time…

But aside from the possible hunger, eating only one meal does not have any negative effects does it… ?

PS perhaps starting on a fast diet when your on antibiotics does not sound so easy… Good luck and hang in there! 🙂

I make my porridge using water, but not sure if it is the right thing to do. I use water as milk upsets my stomach.
Good Luck!

Hello, I’m new and confused. I am starting today, but I am having trouble following the thread. Any suggestions? I’m not very computer savy. I wouldnt mind doing a face book group if I cant figure this out. Any help appreciated. Thanks

Just noted your mention of hypoglycemic crashes. I had those prior to becoming full blown diabetic. I have read this is common.
I hope this change will prevent that for you. I’m hoping to reverse my diabetes now. good luck

Hi

I started today as well…..I like other people have done this before and I know it works so well….the 800 kcals is definitely the fastest route. I wouldn’t advise having all your calories in one go though….I think it would be so hard for the rest of the time. I tend to do three small meals and loads of fluids….I agree with the person who suggests a cup of tea with a dash of whole milk in takes the edge of your hunger. So far day one isn’t going great….I’ve woke up with a water infection and don’t feel great…the antibiotics prescribed need to be taken with food…..but im determined to do this for 8 weeks…Its so nice seeing all your messages and positive vibes….we will all do this together and come Christmas there will be a lot less of us all to hold x x

Hi don’t know if any has same problem I stuck to it all week then Friday nite fell asleep for 5 min on chair woke up starving headed straight for chocolate I’m so angry it keeps happening tho waking up during the nite starving I mean as if ive never been fed 😢

Me too have started today 🙂 Today 15 stones, target 13 stones – including some additional punds of muscle mass… 15 stones may not sound that much but I am a TOFI – thin on the outside and fat on the inside – and my fat weight is in my tummy all around my intestines. Sounds quite bad doesn’t it…?

My expectations are that the first days will be easy, because I have so much fat in my body, is that how you guys also expect?

My eating plan is to have all 800 calories at lunch, I do not know if that is the norm.

I am on medication for about 8 years and am very keen to reverse diabetes and getting off the tablets. I started the fast 800 with a BMI of 24.8 and after 4.5 weeks am down to 21.3. However my doctor thinks that I have to get down to 18.5 to achieve my goal to reverse diabetes. I can not find any reference to this in the book. Does anyone knows or has been told the same?

Hi All,
Great to hear that I was not the only one plateauing on week 3 – but at the start of week four I am down 8lbs with 1.5 inches off around the hips and an inch off my waist – so very happy with that.

Useful tip about watching the carbs – I think mine have been creeping up with too many carrots and swede in the veg part of dinners.

I view it this way – it took over 3 years for the extra couple of stone to go on, so 8lbs lost in 3 weeks is fab – but like Keid I am so close to being in the 11 stone something bracket that it is really frustrating.

Bought myself a spiralizer last weekend and despite being very skeptical, courgetti do actually make a very good substitute for pasta. And even hubby thought the roasted cauliflower florets were very tasty!

Cara54 – I so do not envy your mad work hours – but keep at it, any weight loss is a victory!

I’m starting week 3 I am going to keep going until happy with weight 8 pounds down so far quick at first but slowed a bit will keep on though

Hi guys…..was diagnosed with prediabetes about 4 years ago and doctor suggested metformin which I reluctantly agreed to. I take 2x500g slow release tablets a day. Been doing the BSD for 6 weeks and lost 8 pounds. I was a porky 15ish stone when I started. I’m 47 years old , 6 foot 1 and now 14 stone 5. I train regularly and have a waist of 34 inches. Been testing my blood sugar in the mornings when waking up and it’s regularly 7.2…..I was hoping (realistically or not!) to see a reduction in this. Not following the 800 calories religiously but haven’t eaten bread, pasta, potatoes, cakes, biscuits high GI or GL etc since I started the diet.
Any ideas or people experiencing the same….any advice would be welcomed and appreciated..

I’m in for the first three weeks, if that’s OK.

Chickpeas are my go-to for a fibre boost, but pretty high carb for anyone trying to keep their carb count low.

Brilliant idea on the four-week thread, Verano.

Hi

I have just finished my 16th week and would like to carry on but just committing to 4 weeks at a time.

My plan for the next four weeks is to stick to 800 calories and 30g net carbs a day. I’m finding it very hard to limit my vegetables to small amounts because of the total carb content. So I’m going to count net carbs in the hope that I will also be able to increase my fibre intake, some days it’s been as low as 2 or 3 g…. far too low.

Would love some company on this journey .

Hi loopylou and Snoop and anybody else who is carrying on.

I have done a lot of reading this morning and I realise my fibre intake is very very low with some days less than 5g!!!! So I’ve decided on a new plan for me. I’m going to count net carbs. I’m finding it very difficult to ration cauliflower or sprouts etc to very small portions because of their carb content but they have good levels of fibre, hence the net carb count is acceptable. Also when I checked through Fatsecret I found that the foods with little fibre are also foods we really shouldn’t be having much of such as dark chocolate and wine!!

So, my plan is to try and increase my fibre intake to at least 12g a day and keep my net carbs at 30g and calories at 800.

I thought of starting a new thread ‘Another 4 weeks anyone? Tuesday 25th October’ Then people who don’t read this thread also have the opportunity to join us.

Can I join you for another round? I’m finishing my first 8 weeks tomorrow, but some of it has been totally off-BSD due to visits, marriage and poor planning.
Am due to visit my parents for a few days for my mum’s 80th birthday in mid-November and will probably slide a bit for my own birthday early December (big party of friends visiting). But am keen to keep going till Christmas and then review. I’ll undoubtedly need to carry on for quite some time after that, but an ‘official’ break will probably be good for my mental hygiene rather than just letting myself get away with it for a day here and a day there.
I try to stick to 800 calories but for health reasons I have to have lots of fibre in my diet, so under 50 g of carbs is nigh-on impossible for me (I can’t eat psyllium husk or chia seeds). Not diabetic or pre-diabetic, so the carbs are less important, and I’ve given up on the notion that I will see the rapid weight loss that some manage.

Oh well done Zinnia. I wonder if we were to add together all the weight lost by the people on this website how much we would have lost. It must come to tons.

End of week 4 and another 4lb lost making a grand total of 1st 7lbs (21).Feeling good but this is the first time I have actually missed the masses of fruit I used to eat ,hopefully the craving will go ..Hubby reports his blood sugars are consistently in the normal range and booked into see the Diabetic nurse next Monday.. Hope you are all doing well ☺

Hi Verano. I am carrying on. I will try to stick to 30g carbs , although sometimes I go over, although not sticking to 800 calories. Although there will be times when I go completely off plan , like next Saturday when I am going to afternoon tea in a swanky hotel for a friends birthday, but I will endeavor to get straight back on the bike afterwards. Would love to have you aling on the journey whatever you decide to do. I’ve still got two stone to lose.
Krysia, how do you test that you are in ketosis. Do you use the pee sticks? I have some (admittedly they are 10 years old from when I tried the Atkins diet) , but they are remaining resolutely negative. Maybe it’s time to refresh my supplies.

Thank you Natalie….Im.just trying to get my head around calorie amount I never gave thought to carbs…..is there a limit to carbs aswell?

I eat quinoa, but in small amounts as it is quite high carb.

I need a bit of help please…..what are everybodys opinion of porridge and quinoa….is it ok to have on BSD…..

Hi everyone.
Weigh in today, 11st 1lb thats a total of 11lbs since 3rd October, so not too bad.
Had portobella mushroom with poached eggs and melted mozzerella cheese for breakfast/brunch ugh, did not like it at all, will nor repeat.
Keep up the diet everyone
l

Well done. I love to hear of success stories is really motivates me to continue. Have been going for 6 weeks now and lost 2st 1lb still got loads to go.

Hi,

I am a returner – I did the 800cal from start of August to mid Sept but then life got more complicated and I fell into more of a 5:2 or Med style pattern. Trying to stay on principles but with a few splurges. I want to get refocused to get to target.

I started at 99kg and now at 86kg healthy BMI is at 79kg (I am 5ft 10 / 178cm) So 79kg is my main target but would be nice to have some wriggle room below that. I have already been able to come off my blood pressure medication, I am not prediabetic so not testing blood sugars, though i was in the risk factors. Not now. And with 2st less weight I am able to exercise and have done 5k challenges with parkrun 3 times now, though always walking a bit of it, my target there is to be able to run all the way.

And though the muffin top has shrunk I still have more than a handful to grab, be nice to see the end of that before Christmas.

Hi happyhols – I currently have less than 10lbs to lose and last week lost over 3lbs. I am starting Week 7 and it’s not been plain sailing the whole time but I’m down nearly a stone and since my total loss target was 23lbs I think that’s brilliant. Only having a stone to lose may take you longer but over the 8 weeks I would say it’s definitely do-able if you can stick with it.

Good luck! (and ignore your friend :))

Good Morning All 🙂
Count me in! I’m not a FB fan so will be coming on here instead for some moral support. We can do this! Good luck everyone.

For me Natalie these days a high carb day is 50g (yesterday was 51). I don’t think that’s high anyway so luckily I still have no cravings. I have been playing around with the macronutrients to see the effects so have had very low carb weeks rather than days. I don’t know if that still counts as cycling? I’ll go for between 30g and 50g this week and see what happens!

Help needed please…….is it ok to have porridge without milk and quinoa on BSD…I am trying to think of different things to eat….

Don’t add the exercise calories to input, stay aiming for the 800 consumption. The exercise just adding to the losses side of the equation. Though some people add a bit extra food if exercising heavily – but not to the level burned off, just listening to their bodies if need a bit more.

On the other hand when I have had a bad day for falling off the wagon I do try and add extra exercise to mitigate the effects!

I would like to join starting today after receiving the book

someone bought me some 90% back from Africa once, it was gross! so with you on that. I am trying to avoid all together at the moment whilst I get into the swing of things. Am hoping then when I do try chocolate again it will seem way too sweet (hope being the word!)
good luck to you too

Well good morning all (I hope it is a good morning ) how are my fellow 12 Sept BSD-er getting on?

End of Week 6 – where has the time gone? Well I don’t know the answer to that but I know where the weight’s gone – off of me! I’m down another 3 1/4 lbs (don’t forget the 1/4 pound now) which makes a total of 13 3/4 lbs in the 6 weeks. Slightly miffed it wasn’t a neat round stone but delighted that I seem to be in the swing of things now.
I know that some people have had problems with plateau-ing and even putting on so I thought I would share my losses over the last 6 weeks so you can see the journey I’ve had so far.
Week 1 minus 6 3/4lbs
Week 2 minus 1lb
Week 3 plus 1lb 🙁
Week 4 minus 3 1/4lbs
week 5 minus 1/2lb
Week 6 minus 3 1/4lbs
Total 13 3/4lbs

So – not all plain sailing and some weeks you do wonder why you bother. However, I can pretty much say that craving for sweet stuff has more or less gone and I’m now thinking about what maintenance will look like for me. I think it’s important to give it some thought because otherwise the temptation is to just be lazy and go back to the way it was before. My OH has lost 13lbs too but needs to lose more than me so I’m going to stick with this until Christmas but maybe up my calories (from fat and protein) to 1000 and see how I get on.

Would love to hear how you’re all getting on
TC

Thanks for that snoop, it has cleared it up. My other question is, I use the app MFP and this calculates how many calories you have burned during exercise. I used the 800 calories on the food plan but also I have done 45 minutes of exercise which has given a calorie count of 862. So the question I am asking is do I include this as well and I therefore can eat extra or just stick to the 800 calorie food plan?
The MFP looks like this first thing in the morning:
Goal – 800 Food 0 + Exercise 0=0
By the end of the day:
800 calorie= Food 1376 + Exercise 862=which gives me a positive balance 286
Hope this makes sense
Mary

Morning everyone

Well I’m in a quandary !!

I need to rethink now that we are at the end of 16 weeks. The first 8 weeks I was eating no simple carbs but not doing 800 and lost 14.6lbs.The following four I was on holiday for a good part of the month and stayed the same. The last four have been swings and roundabouts. My reboot was great, following 800 and 30g carbs I lost 6.6lbs, then 3.6lb the following week but the last 10 days I’ve lost my way and have put on!!! Anyway, in total I’ve lost 8lbs in the last 4 weeks!!

So what next????

Back to 800/30 if I can, up my carbs to 800/40 or increase everything to maybe 1000/50. Possibly even 5:2 for a few weeks . Can’t seem to stay within 800/30 at the moment. Just not sure. Don’t know!!!!

Anybody carrying on after tomorrow and if so which plan???

I made a mistake in getting some 100% dark choc yesterday- it was not good! Think could maybe made it into hot choc but would need some kind of sweetener perhaps. I’ve switched to the 2% Total yoghurt from full fat since I’m getting through quite a bit of it. Good luck for week two!

Good luck for this week Catriona!

Morning all! Good luck to us starting today!! Weigh in is 12st 10 🙂

Thanks snoop, you may have guessed I screw up and have temptations run through my head often, so I forgive myself and move on.
It’s not how many times you screw up or how often you are influenced by temptations, it is what you do about them and what can be learned, there is no point in re-inventing the wheel, just be happy someone took that potential to screw up away?

Schnitzel varying carb levels is definitely a thing! I’ve tried it. It’s called carb cycling (popular with body builders, apparently) and the pattern can vary but basically you alternate low and higher carb days. The idea is that you never have to suffer carb flu. On the other hand you never lose the carb cravings! I prefer BSD. It I suppose it depends how high your higher carb days are.

Hi Llandudno,

Your friend does have a point as the weight loss is theoretically based on the deficit between what is needed to sustain you at current weight and the 800 cal you are having. So someone carrying 5 stone extra weight will have a bigger deficit and so you hear about big losses but as a percentage of target may not be so different to someone’s lower loss.

I say theoretically linked – as it is on average but on the day to day week to week you can have so much variation, plateaus etc.

But don’t let your friend discourage you from doing this as every step to a healthy weight is a positive thing.

Or maybe this should be ongoing week 1. Anyway I have done really well this week as I have lost another 3 3/4lb. Making my grand total 2st 5 3/4lb. Even after 9 weeks this still feels unreal. I can’t believe how easy this has been. I feel I can say that it has been surprisingly easy compared to all of my dieting efforts over the last 45 years.
It’s wonderful to be able come on here and see how many people are succeeding in losing the weight that has been blighting their lives for who knows how long. Keep going forward everyone. Onward and downward

Oh I have some good news…..This morning I decided to tidy up my bikini area and lady bits and guess what !!??
I could actually see them without having to pull my stomach out of the way and bend over every which way. Now I decided not to weight myself when I started BSD and haven’t .. but this is definitely working. I have a skirt that I bought last year I couldn’t fasten the waist then but will try it on at week 8.

MIssZiggy👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Hi folls

Well done to all who have done well and to us who haven’t done so well keep up with it don’t worry and just think I’ve swoped to the 5:2 for a couple of days 😜 See we’re still at it! Got loads of excuses me! Lol but if it keeps us going. 👍

Anyway have a good day peeps

Morning guys and gals. Day 1 of week 3 and at today’s weigh in I am down another 5lbs. 11lbs in total in 2 weeks. Bloody marvellous. Never feel hungry and feel like my taste buds have completely changed. Here’s to the next week. 😀💪🏾

Great loss Busybee! And thanks for the tip Mixnmatch, I don’t drink coffee but I should get myself some sparkling water for special occasions.

I stuck to my plan and finished day 15 on 843 cals 20g carb. Much better.