Hello I started the diet 7 days ago, 5 pounds -2.26 kg loss so far. I am finding it relatively easy so far. I had two days at work – I am a nurse- and upped calories to 1000 as 12 hour shifts, drinking lots of water really helps. I am not diabetic or pre but would like to lose some weight. The main problem I have is using all of the foods that I bought as such small quantities for the recipes. So far so good I am inspired by the positive stories here.

Well done Angiebabe that is some serious weight loss hopefully I will be following in your footsteps. Fully agree with what you are saying I will just have to have patience when the weight slows down in the knowledge that it will keep coming off regardless of how quickly I would like it to move. It helps me reading blogs about all the awesome weight losses that everyone and I mean everyone is losing. So many times at ww Sw it seemed the same old people could do it where I always seemed to struggle this is definitely my time ⭐️

Welcome Vikkia really good weight loss, I’m still in pounds and stones so not sure how much 10.2 k equates to will have to google. Love the recipe book to just going through to plan next weeks menu back to work after having a week off want to plan ahead so no excuse to go off the rails with last minute decisions on what to have for lunch. Added bonus I am going to put away and save what I would normally have spent on buying lunches,so win win all round.
Big hugs everyone for next week 😃 Xx

Last meal out for a bit last night, but yet more friends coming round this evening. Shame we can’t have all our celebrations in one go.
Yesterday’s figures include restaurant meal with friends that we haven’t seen for months. Told one we were dieting, so we wouldn’t be going totally mad. She lives in the UK and asked us if we knew about the latest medical info on dieting. She pretty well described the BSD. Good to hear. The news is getting out. Anyway, no weigh-in for me this morning. Not chickening out, but a visitor arrived while I was still in bed and I didn’t have time.

Food: 1309 calories
Net carbs: 91

I saw there was a thread about 3 positive things about the day, which I think is a great way to keep myself going.
Already have one positive this morning! I went to my outdoor HIT class this am although had a bad back and felt really sore from all the yoga and pilates and workouts this week, but … I got up early and got there. I really enjoyed it and feel fantastic – so energised I am apparently driving my partner mad with my chatting!
I went for a smashed avocado and poached egg breakfast at the local healthy deli, with small griddled tomatoes,, no bread f course as well as green juice and it tasted really good and I feel full.
Sun is shining so it’s time to get out and garden 🙂

First week done, and really happy with my results this morning.
I have lost 6 and a half pounds – and an inch and a half off my waist !
Last Saturday morning I weighed 14st 6lbs, and now I am 13st 13 & a half pounds. That half pound made all the difference.
Crikey – in one week, I’ve gone from being 14st something to 13st something.

And I have eaten the most delicious food. I’ve found I love doing my meal plan for the week ahead, and look forward to cooking it – and I’m actually spending far less on my shopping. Bonus.

Onwards and downwards x

Hi everyone. Amazed at how well everyone is doing. I’m 2 weeks in and just wondering if anyone else is having any side-effects- I have “bobbly” upper arms which feels like a rash but I can only see slightly raised lumps no spots. Sometimes this is itchy and if I rub my arms the itch goes away. I’ve googled this and apparently can happen with a low carb diet – if you up your carbs it goes away, otherwise goes away after 6-8 weeks. Anyone else had this? It is a bit annoying but I can put up with it.

Day Six completed! Very proud of myself today. I got hungry in the afternoon and had some cheese, but had less dinner to compensate. Then we had family movie night, and Tim bought my favourite chips (crisps) and I didn’t have any! Or chocolate or anything! Amaze balls. Total for the day 855 cals 43 g carbs.

Normally feeling unwell would mean extra food indulgence to make myself feel better, because I “deserve it” somehow, or it doesn’t count if I’m sick or stressed. But not today!

I’ve spent the day resting, only really started to feel myself by late afternoon. Very sore throat still from the tube they put down it but otherwise good. I’m sure another good night’s sleep will do the trick.

Day 12
Morning everyone & well done to those of you still losing good amounts of weight!
It’s most interesting reading everyone’s posts highlighting both good & bad experiences. I think I’m emotionally where Carb_Addict is feeling rather hard done by & Whats the point? We had an interim weigh in & I have lost one pound & my husband has lost three! So far since starting I have lost six pounds & he has lost nine!
I wasn’t expecting such a low weight loss for me in week two particularly since because I plan & cook our meals I know that we haven’t deviated from the diet. I suppose my expectations have not been realistic but good enough for my husband who is already in a healthy BMI range & now heading for a lower one. I have three stone to lose to get to the top end of my healthy range at the moment being 32.6! My head says we are coping well & eating this way is doing us good but my emotions are encroaching on that sensible viewpoint🤔🙁

someone on R4 is talking about mulled white wine – sounds amazing.
Totally non BSD – well except it involves cinnamon & that’s good for diabetes

hi Yowzer
a liter is the same as a kilo if its very liquid – so water or equivalent it is, and something like milk probably not too far off, but denser liquids will weigh more

I find cups a bit of a nightmare – a cup of water is about 240ml, so I generally hold it in my head as quarter of a litre. but with more dense liquids, like oil, I just google (or with oil, use as little as I think I can get away with).
One of the reasons for using fatsecret rather than MFP is that there are very few entries where the only unit of measurement is a cup.

BTW – Fatsecret did confirm to me by email the other day that the net carbs (ie carbs excluding fibre) that is standard in the UK doesn’t quite work on Fatsecret UK. If a food has less grams of fibre than carbs (which is the case with most things), it isn’t a problem.
If you have food with more fibre than carbs, you can’t enter it correctly in the database (there is an error message that the total carbs must be more than the fibre – or “Fiber” 🙂 .
I think in the US, fibre as part of the carbs must be stated as sugar is on our labels – Total carbs X, of which sugars Y.

So – Fatsecret has a UK badged site, but not 100% thought through – they’re “working on it” allegedly

I started Pilates and Yoga 4 weeks ago, 3x yoga and 3x pilates per week, 2 HIIT workouts and walking the dog at a fast pace 7 days a week for one hour. Although feeling amazing I need to loose the weight for my health and get rid of sugary carbs. So I decided to start this and so far so good. 🙂 . It would be great to tie-up with like minds and see how we get on with the recipes in the book as well as potentially loosing the 14 kilos that I do need to loose together! So far have lost 10 kilos over last 12 months after a few years of ill health meaning I was not able to exercise as I had always done. I used to do triathlons as a hobby and run 10k every day, so I have had to get my head around the fact that slow is better and that I am now much order and can’t move as fast due to disc injury in cervical and lumbar. I am super pumped though and feeling very positive and so far so good!

That gives me an idea, Natalie. If you’re out shopping and see a woman trying to carry 34 bags of sugar, pay no attention…

hi

well done Krysia, that’s great

big decision last night/this morning – I’m going to stop weighing and logging food for a while.

Partly I had a bit of a backlog that I hadn’t entered for a few days (since the Ethiopian blow out, I still haven’t logged all of the recipes, and the carb in lentil shocker) – also had a bit of a pig out on cheese and walnuts yesterday evening.

So I thought I’d try a few weeks of still eating BSD style (and at least a litre of water at breakfast!), but not logging everything obsessively and just see how it goes
I’ll still continue to weight myself regularly so I don’t go too far off track
I’ve been doing it for four and a bit months now, and I think I’m just a bit bored with it.

There is a point where it is important to think about why how and what we are doing on the BSD so I do believe that it is important to step back and examine the process or how else are we going to make changes. I describe it as needing the headspace to plan to think and to adjust to what works and what doesn’t. That doesn’t mean we will have all the answers immediately and it doesn’t mean we won’t fall off the proverbial wagon. But if when we do we look at why how it happened I think it helps for the next time as there is inevitably a next time. But yes know when to stop thinking and just ‘do’ for a bit things often resolve themselves.

I’m sure there is psychological stuff around repeating actions frequent enough so they become established patterns and therefore less difficult. I’m on week 20 now and feel a lot calmer about the process still losing weight at a decent amount 2-3 lbs a week with the odd plateau but don’t have to count the hours til my next meal etc my body has adjusted as has my mind. I’m officially halfway through 61 down and 61 to go. I have changed I no longer rage against the devil that is salad! I like vegetables I too preferred white carbs and sugar but don’t miss them now. Ha my main complaint is the price of blueberries!

I think there are stages in the 8 weeks particularly if you repeat and they range from enthusiasm to boredom to rage to ‘hurry the ***up’ and then eventually a calmness does arrive. Interspersed by little gems like yesterday I’d been a little forward in ordering some size 18 trousers which I thought would be ready for a few weeks time but they slipped right on and fitted like a dream! I had to laugh though the company enclosed a gift yes you guessed it a box of chocolates! They went straight in the cupboard not tempted at all. That my friends is how far I’ve come! Astonishing.

I do this too, oldbluejeans. I’ve lost 2.5 stone and am now in the healthy range for my height, but I still feel a fraud picking out size 12 clothes and am waiting for someone to tap me on the shoulder and say ‘not for you dear, try something bigger’. I catch a sideways look at my face in the mirror and think, ‘your face is really fat’, but it isn’t! I look at photos from 6 months ago and can really see the difference, but it’s hard to believe it’s not a temporary aberration. But I’m beginning to believe it as I’ve stabilised my weight for nearly 4 months now.
On the funny side, I’ve posted before that once I was walking along when I had that ‘oh, I’ve forgotten something’ heart stopping moment. My handbag? No. My coat? No. It was my stomach! I felt weird without it bumping along!

Excellent Krysia How exciting! It’s such a great feeling isn’t it?

Hi how is everyone going, loving the recipe book. I’m down 10.2 kilos and 36.5 cms!!

Verano – great weight loss so far this week and do have a lovely low carb time at your hotel break.

Antigone – wow 2 stones in 9 weeks. That is amazing.

Today scales show 1lb loss at last. Now have powered through the 10 stone barrier and am 9 stone 13lb. Or should that have been crawled at a snail’s pace under the barrier.

Not been in the 9 stones since my early 20s. As I am 68 now its no wonder I really don’t know what my ideal weight is. Never mind it will be finding out what it is.

Morning all day 6 looming and the weekend, traditionally the ‘tempting’ time but going for a retail browse, not intending to buy but in the hope that i will be motivated by what i could wear if i stick to the BSD 👍, thats the theory anyway, the things us women do 😂😂.

Glad to hear you seem to be over the worst natalie and great about your weight loss👏.

Welcome lara and glad you are settling in with the BSD routine, ive found this group great for motivation and hints and tips so hopefully you will too.

Good luck today everyone 💪🏻

Thank you Verano!
I really appreciate your support and encouragement 🙂 Nobody in the ‘real world’ knows about this so I have no one to share my triumph with. Hubs knows I’m losing eight of course but he doesn’t want me going on about it so I keep it low key. Thank you 🙂
You are nearly at your next mini goal too- well done!

I had a strange dream last night that I got on the scales and weighed 132lbs, it’s a loooong way off what I weigh now but doable.

This is becoming an obsession but a healthy one!

WOW Antigone!!!!!
Great progress just keep doing what you’re doing it’s obviously working!

Hi Dona Rosa love your blog with you on the clothes front already a dress size down managed to get a pair of tights on last time I tried could only get them up to my thighs I only ever wear tights in winter before, I told my husband it is because they are thick tights nothing to do with my weight. As for the knickers front pleased to say mine are not rolling down every time I move hurrah haven’t thrown any away but looking forward to that in the very near future I need to have so many pairs in different sizes 🙂🙂

Morning Verano. Yesterdays carbs were great! More important than calories 🙂 This morning the scales showed that I have now lost 2 stones total in 9 weeks. I’m very pleased 🙂

Many years ago I was the weight I am now (71kg) – I was so horrified and depressed to have reached this by putting on weight I went to a slimming club (thus began years and years of yo-yo dieting) but now at 71kg I’m thinking how wonderful it is to be here (albeit still 8kg off target weight).

Also when I started this diet I was a good, if slightly tight fitting 16 (aka easily an 18 in denial) and I can now go into Marks and Next and pick a size 14 in trousers and know that I can get them on without lying down to do the zip up but I still look in the mirror some days and feel as fat as I did before I started. I know I’m not – it’s just that I still feel fat. Anyone else feel like this and does your brain eventually realise that you’re not the weight you were? Feels a bit like phantom limb syndrome, the fat’s gone (mainly) but my brain still thinks it’s there. Weird.

So have a good weekend all and here’s hoping all our scales show lower numbers this time next week.

Hi Natalie
Glad you are recovering from your op. Sorry your throat is sore. Just take time to recover and drink kind drinks.
Hope you and everyone else has a good week. It is 8 weeks until 9th of December (Christmas party time) so even a fresh start today will help us all reach somewhere by then.
I am still focused. That nasty bug gave me a kick up the bum. And my party is on 9th December so that’s my goal.
Trelawny. 4.5 is great. That would be 9 or 10 in a month which is fab. 120 lb a year! No mean feat. I think the chunking helps. We all know 8 weeks is a blink of an eye in other terms. So 8 weeks for some results is a manageable time scale.
Keep at it everyone. We are doing it for ourselves. I am looking at it as breastfeeding which was the last time weight fell off me. This time I am breastfeeding myself by giving up 1000 calories. It’s like when I was pregnant. I was as sick as a dog..but my body coped with keeping me going and feeding a baby inside. Now I just need to sacrafice those extra calories to grow a new me!
Hope you are all growing new you’s!
Tattiescone xxx

Good morning everyone end of week two down to 15stone 7lbs lowest I have been this year hurrah 😃 That is a weight lose of 9.5 lbs never in my history of dieting have I been able to achieve that.
Carb Addict I fully understand where you are but as Bissell said we can do this, like you been to ww and Sw strangely enough when it was weight day that was my treat day don’t even think like that on this one. I am in for the long haul just come back from walking my dog, my mind wanders freely when walking him. I was saying to myself I would love to be 10 stone so another 5.5 stones to go sounds a lot but this time know I am going to get there. From reading other blogs I am working on the theory of eating this way for the next 6 months that will soon pass, my birthday is the end of February what a lovely present I am giving to myself I am going to start saving the £5 I use to pay Sw or ww each week for a lovely treat to myself at the end. I am not beating myself up for where I am now I am what I am but more importantly is where I go from now we can do it slow some weeks and a gallop on others have a good day everyone big hugs to us all 😃👍👍👍👍

Morrning everyone. Well I am very pleased to report that I have lost half a stone in two weeks! Thrilled does not cut it. I have not stuck rigidly to 800 calories but have been under 1,000. What I have found is that I am not that hungry half the time unlike before, I have so much more energy and interest in doing things eg got up yesterday at 6.30am and for some reason, felt the need to reorganise a food cupboard!!! Sleeping better. My friend says that my shape has changed and I can see that myself. So FAT is melting as I keep chanting to myself in quiet moments. Went into wardrobe for a try on which normally leads to sulking and bad language. I can report that a skirt I just managed to fasten three weeks ago but that left that lovely red line around what should be a waist, I can now get my hand down the front! A pair of trousers – ok they are a 14 so a bit ambitious – literally flew up thighs and rear end and granted there is no way on earth I can fasten let alone zip them up, I can see that if I stick to this, they will be wearable in the not too distant future. On the knicker side, I found two pairs of ‘firm’ in the drawer that must have been bought years ago and obviously never fitted into. Thought ‘what the hell’ and dragged a pair on -they worked!!! Chucked all ‘thousand wash grey’ variety out as I have a nice bunch of new ones champing at the bit to be worn. A favourite pair of comfy black ones worn yesterday now appear to like sitting above the waist so might be joining the others in the bin. The book arrived after a blip with dozy delivery driver and am slowly reading through it although it may well be that it will not be that useful for me living in Portugal with some of the ingredients and if that proves the case, I will sell it on to another worthy person. Weather turned so going to dig out my slow cooker and do a lentil curry for tonight. Loving the posts and the encouragement of everyone. Keep on ‘melting’ everyone. Onwards and downwards from a bit of a damp Colares in Portugal.

DAY 5 of 7

Ok so now on the downward path towards 7!

Yesterday
Calories 1030 … not so good
Carbs 22.5g
Weight loss 1.4lbs … great!!!

Just 0.4lbs left to get to my goal of 2.2lbs this week so will need to have a really good day today as we’re away tomorrow for 2 nights in a hotel. Will do my very best and I must admit I find low carb easier to stick to than low fat when eating out. Anyway we’ll see!

I seem to have been all over the place this week and not really settled into this challenge at all well. Don’t know why just lost focus. Need to try and get myself back into the loop fully again. Think I may read some parts of the book again and hopefully that will motivate me! If not I can always watch the Panorama program again and scare myself into action!!!

Hope you had a good Friday. Have a good day!

Dear Carb-Addict,
I hope you don’t mind me butting in; I used to post quite a bit but am on ‘maintenance’ now, so don’t pop in that often but I read you post and it sounded familiar, so I thought I would offer my two pennies worth.
I think you have completely hit the nail on the head. I too, over think things (!) and tend to listen to that small voice telling me ‘ well, you never manage to stick to it, just one little extra won’t hurt, see you’ve blown it now, I knew you would’. Sound familiar? But do you know what? I HAVE stuck to it, I’ve NOT had that little extra and I HAVENT blown it.
Why? That’s the key question. I’ve always known I can lose weight. I just always put it back on again. Because I have always gone back to my old ways of eating. But with this plan, it’s so obvious to me what I shouldn’t eat, that I haven’t, if that makes sense. And at the risk of parodying Kate Moss ( we get confused for each other all the time 😀) no carbs taste as good as feeling healthy and looking good feels. I’m so proud of myself that I really don’t want to go back to where I was. And the longing for carbs fades, it really does!
I read in a rather strident cookbook a phrase that stuck in my mind too. ‘ there is more to life than just eating’. And I’ve found that helps me too. I’ve started daily exercises (me! Who would have thought it!) walking in all weathers, joining groups, singing, getting new clothes (charity shops are great for jackets!) even dating again (best glossed over, that bit) And although all aspects of food, planning meals, shopping, cooking and eating remain important, life IS about more than food.
I hope this rambling helps a bit. Stick with it, and be aware that the restricted calories bit is time limited, but the healthy way of living is forever.
Best of luck.

Hi everyone, its a lovely afternoon in Sydney, I hope you are all well, I have been very busy with looking after my grandchildren (two two year olds) every day this week and although I have read all of your posts and commiserated and put flags out for the differing problems I haven’t found a moment to post on the forum myself.

Last week the weigh in was good for me 4.9 lbs and 1 in off my waist, I knew I find it difficult to lose weight (thyroid problems) and my age of course, but a loss was a loss, I didn’t expect much this week after reading the forum for this second week, and naughty though it is I weighed myself everyday. (I don’t care I needed to do it and it was interesting watching it go up and down when I had been really sticking to the diet), I have watched my water intake and increased it. Constipation a little but I read what was said on the forum and thanks for that.

So the weigh in results for this week (Second week),1.5 lbs (I know I know but it went DOWN so happy with that), inches overall -1 off bust, 2and a half of waist (it doesn’t feel that different, my shorts haven’t fallen down yet but here’s hoping – but not in public!), and nothing off my hips at all.

So, I think its a good result – its down – thats all that counts and I am my lowest weight for about eight – ten years – still look like a bit of a barrel in my shorts and top but its a going down barrel!

Good luck to everyone with your weigh ins, love x

I’ve had all those same thoughts! Not this time, yet, I’m only in week one, but on every other diet. So much work and deprivation for so little, or so it seems sometimes. One of the pillars of this diet is supposed to be mindfulness, maybe you could try one of the recommended meditation apps?

200g down overnight. Hurrah.

However, after yesterday’s weight loss milestones, and mild accompanying euphoria for a few hours, I hit the biggest emotional low so far last night. I was overtaken by a sense of ‘I have so far to go and I’m not sure I can do this’, followed by a lot of self-chastising about how on earth I had left myself get so big in the first place. None of them were positive thoughts and none of them celebrated the day’s achievements, only an inner voice telling me that I’m going to fail at this. ‘As I always do.’ ‘You have no willpower or real desire to change; you like pasta too much. So you’re destined to be fat’. And so on. I was supposed to be going on a blind date today with a lovely-sounding man and I cancelled it yesterday because the old feelings of ‘I’m fat and going to be automatically rejected’ kicked in. I don’t see my good points and what I have to offer in these moments.

The good news is that, for once, I didn’t order a pizza (or two). I stuck rigidly to the plan. Taking every day – every hour if necessary – as it comes. Starting to realise how much of this journey will be about winning an emotional battle (believing in myself and being patient) as opposed to a physical one (i.e. true hunger). I think another danger is about expectation: all dieters want major results now and the BSD gives you such momentum at the beginning that when the weight loss slows down it’s pretty gutting! 200g off overnight is an achievement but part of me today is like ‘I ate 700 cals and 35g carbs yesterday, it should be more dammit!’ – completely ignoring the fact that a) the body is not a machine and can be inconsistent b) weight loss always slows down after the first week and c) a loss is a loss. However I have sense of mild panic already setting in as my head has immediately reacted with “if this 200g daily loss continues then that’s only a kilo loss every five days and that’s going to take you at least another 27 weeks of eating like this to get to where you want to be’. The other side of my brain rationally knows that a kilo every five days would be AMAZING and more than I ever lost with WW or SW. It’s also a healthy rate. But I want it faster. I need it now. I’m already stressing about getting saggy skin, even though I am months away from probably anything like that kicking in and a slower weight loss will mitigate against it somewhat. And I’m still viewing this as a temporary diet not a forever lifestyle change – another danger area….

A LOT of overthinking going on in this brain as you can see…

I see the theme of weight loss slow-down is starting to pop up on this thread. If our heads are not in the right space it is easy to think ‘I’m starving myself and for what?’ and then give up. The long view is going to be critical. For me anyway. I am so desperate to be slim – something I have never really known in my adult life – but heading into week 3 I am swinging between ‘why aren’t I thin yet’ and not believing that I can do it this time.

So today I plough on. A bit emotionally shaky and reflective but dealing with it. And sticking to the programme. Long view, long view, long view but have also decided to only focus on mini-goals of 7lbs loss at a time to take my focus off the overwhelming amount of weight I want to lose. It’s hard not to be so tough on yourself when it’s all you have ever known. You have to actually consciously challenge your thought patterns. I keep reminding myself that this strategy of self-criticism hasn’t exactly worked for me so far – in fact it’s sent me into the biscuit tin – so it’s time to change the record.

Journal entry over – thank you for listening!

Hi Natalie, pleased your op is over and you’ll soon be on the mend, and welcome Lara, how brave to acknowledge your diet ‘sins’ and want to deal with your T2D 16 years after diagnosis, it’s brilliant to hear your insulin requirement is down.

Day 6 for me and I’m truly amazed at the rapid improvement In blood sugar readings as someone pretty newly diagnosed. My doctor was very scathing about this ‘celebrity fad diet’ as he called it, insisted I see a dietician, who advised ‘regular portions of starchy food’ and buying Frankenstein food, processed, reduced fat cheese, yoghurt and revolting vegetable spread made in a factory.

I was so terrified by my diagnosis that for 3 months I did everything they said this and PUT ON almost two stones, despite previously holding a steady weight on a low carb regime and maintaining my exercise plan of rowing, walking, cycling and swimming.. Starting This plan is me taking back control.

Planning to weigh every three days and am looking forward to stepping on the scales this morning for the first time in a while, because I’ve been approaching them with dread, lately! Next doc’s appointment is in 6 weeks and I want to have lost 18 lbs on my ‘celebrity fad diet’!

I’ve settled back nicely into more regulated eating. Today’s menu is

Yoghurt and raspberries
6 almonds
chicken salad
Low carb lasagne made with cabbage, not pasta, and spinach

Happy Sgaturday, all. X

Hi All
I’ve been following the thread for a while now and thought it about time I put my two cents worth in.
I want to thank everyone for your inspiration, laughs, wry observations and particularly Lucia for being so Lucia!
My journey so far? Just completed 9 weeks and have reduced by 11 kilos or 24lbs so I’m happy with my progress. I’ve decided to continue until Xmas or until I hit 80 kg whichever comes first. I’ve got 20 kg to go till I hit that 80 when I will re-evaluate then.
Like others I’ve discovered I can live without a slice of toast in the morning. In fact I’m contemplating giving my bread maker away as I’m likely to remain on this Mediterranean diet for the rest of my life. 😀 Best thing since sliced bread huh ?!
Thanks again everyone
Cheers
Carol

Hi Everyone. I started the BSD on 8 Oct, so hope you don’t mind a late joiner to this forum! My starting stats were 43yrs 165cm 87kgs (192lbs). I have T2D (for 16 yrs now) and am insulin dependant. I have struggled with my weight since I was a teenager and managing the diabetes is a daily battle, with most days ending on the losing side 🙁 I usually crave carbs, which drives the insulin requirement higher, which makes me hungry for more carbs – it’s a vicious, exhausting battle.

My goal in starting the BSD was to get my daily insulin requirement down, my HbA1c to normal and to lose weight (20kg). I started with fairly low expectations. I couldn’t imagine eating so few calories. Before I started, I was eating bread at most meals, snacking between meals, eating lots of processed junk (chocolate, cookies) etc. I basically went cold turkey – a colleague said she found it easier to cut the “bad” stuff out completely rather than stick to the “everything in moderation” philosophy. That stuck with me, so I’ve adopted that approach. To my amazement the 1st week has been easier than I expected! I’ve kept the calories around 900, with 3 meals a day an NO snacking between (and NO bread!). Drinking LOADS of water and tea. Every time I felt that hunger “wave” or emptiness, I drank a glass of water. I’ve been lucky not to experience any major cravings or headaches so far. The worst side effect has been tiredness – I’ve been going to bed 1 to 2 hours earlier this week (usually a real night owl)! And the best thing is that I’ve been able to dramatically reduce my insulin intake this week.

I’ve lost 2kgs so far and I’m feeling lighter and more positive. My belly is “softer” – not such a hard swollen mass. I really hope I can keep this going.

Good luck everyone!

Hi Tigerlily2! I did some adding this morning, I hope you are now part of the group, too! 🙂

I haven’t tried any recipes in the book, they don’t look to my taste at all. I just modify what we already eat. If I make fajitas for the family, I wrap mine in lettuce leaves instead of tortillas (with tomato and fried onion and jalapeños!), if we have roast I’ll eat the meat and less-carby veges (no potato, luckily I like broccoli). It’s tricky if you don’t like any veges at all, I’m pretty picky but do like some and I’m trying to expand my repertoire. Tasty sauce is always a good way to disguise veges! I love satay sauce on just about anything. Maybe set a goal of trying a new vegetable each week? If you cut out sugar completely, your tastes definitely change and bland veges start to taste quite nice.

If each marble weighed a pound, when you picked up the jar you would feel how much you’ve lost!

Hi everyone, op went well. Still tired and sore and a bit groggy, it’s been less than 24 hours so I’m sure it will all improve. Worst is actually sore throat from tube, but on the bright side it’s discouraging me from eating!

Wow how wonderful and what an inspiration to others!
I would love to run a 5k but dont think I could now as I get breathless after just a minute…..I seem so unfit now. I cant believe when I was younger I used to love running After the menopause (I’m 58) I just feel so full of aches and joint pains, even though I try to get some exercise by walking the dogs. Thank you for sharing your journey. x

😄 marvellous

Actually you have a great shot at fitting new clothes …. sometimes when the scale is not moving, or moving much …. it still seems to melt away the inches on the waist, hips, etc.!!!

My goal is December 10th to get under 200 pounds … i already fit clothes better !!!

Thank you Shalimar, I’m really looking forward to the journey. I have a Christmas do in 8 weeks and a couple of dresses which currently don’t fit … I am determined to get into one of them by 10th December!

I actually know what you mean!!

I feel like i restart this every 2nd day … but at least i am re-starting. One of these days it’s going to “take”.

What we really deserve is to be healthy and to fit into our old jeans.

I deserve black jeans without a stretchy waist!!!! I don’t even fit my stretchy waist jeans right now.

Let’s be carefull though … no breaking our legs getting down and back up on the BSD wagon!!

HUGS 🙂

Oh yeah NUMI! a TOTM flake is allowed ..choc can stop you doing something a bit violent when you get those PMT mood swings! X

I started the BSD in January. And February. And September. And again on October 3 – but have already had a blip. I have managed to get myself back on track (ish) and one thing that is really helping me is reading these forums on a daily basis, so I thought I would start my own journal here too.

Even though I’m really not hungry I can’t get past the feeling that I want to eat. That I “deserve” to eat! This afternoon I was so close to running out to the shop and buying all sorts of junk. So bored of myself!

On the plus side, I didn’t run to the shops. And I am doing much better with regard to weighing and measuring myself and making sure I walk a lot more than I was previously. But I’m so envious of the organised people here who have spreadsheets and meal plans, cos I just can’t get that together.

The reason I want to stick with it is that it works – for various reasons I’ve not been to see a GP for a long time so I don’t know about my blood sugar or pressure but do know I’m losing inches from my waist and kilos from my weight, and that is encourahing. Have lost just over 6kgs so far, in another 9kgs I’ll have a BMI that is no longer in the overweight range. I should feel so much more positive, but I seem to struggle every day at the moment. Hope tomorrow is better!

Hi Mary Moo – did you survive the weekdays OK? I’ve lost 2 stone over 12 (or it might be 13) weeks. My weight loss is slow because I often work away from home, sometimes for weeks (yep, still working despite being nearly 70). The good thing is I can do this while I’m away. Egg and tomato for breakfast, very little, if any, lunch and just meat and veg for dinner. When I’m at home I love ratatouille so make a large portion of it to last over three or four meals and I either have it as it is, whizz it into a soup (with a tiny bit of grated cheese on top) or make a veg curry with it and chuck a few chickpeas in. The other good thing about it is that if you are starving you can grab a couple of spoonfuls without eating loads of carbs.

I would think between us all we’ve got enough tips to cover most circumstances. This is definitely the best forum I’ve ever been part of so keep posting and let us all know how you’re doing. Good luck with your journey.

That is interesting about the ketones drying your throat. I also find that whenever I increase water consumption (even if I’m not eating low carb) I suddenly get a lot thirstier. I usually don’t drink nearly enough, so when my body realises water is available it wants more more more!