Hi Hosta
I have found fat secret really helpful if you are in the UK. Very easy to use – it has to be for me. It tracks carbs calories fat protein etc and you can save all your favourite meals.

I agree with Shalimar that the people who track calories and carbs (50g and under) do the best. It did take me 4 months to work that one out but once I realised it the weight has just flown off.

Hello everyone,

I hope Monday is treating you all well so far….

Nedds mum – sorry to hear you have been unwell. I’ve had a cold since Thursday and it has definitely made me feel sorry for myself and want to eat all kinds of things that I shouldn’t even be thinking of. I caved yesterday and had ice cream (for my sore throat, of course….), which means I haven’t lost anything yet this week (weigh in tomorrow) but hopefully I won’t have gained either. I hope you feel better soon. Be kind to yourself! More hugs coming your way 🙂

shalimar – hope you are also feeling better now – get well hugs for you too. I guess it’s that time of year when colds and bugs are rife. I haven’t exercised and I have definitely had wine! But I will be back on track from today and hopefully when I’ve got rid of this cold I’ll be able to do a bit more exercise too.

soosiewoosy – welcome and good luck! Your meal plan looks tasty 🙂 I’m not much of an exerciser at the moment due to a severe back injury but I think anything goes really! Do what you enjoy as you’ll be more interested and committed as a result. If you like dancing, dance around your living room for as long as you can. If you run, go for a jog. Hate running? Go swimming! The choice is yours really. I think Michael Mosely advocates the HIIT style of exercising (high intensity interval training) – if you do a search on the forums you should find some more about it and I think he covers it in the book.

RozyDozy – Hello! I am also a comfort eater and stress and/or feeling low has me craving all the crappy stuff. Sometimes I can ignore it and other times I will fall face first into a bag of crisps or a big thick slice of bread with peanut butter and jam. I like your advice though, getting things out of your system definitely helps.

Enjoy your day everyone – speak to you soon!

Well … awake and raring 🙂 ….. it’s not surprising … because it’s mostly the people on the forum here that have noticed its the reduction in the carb count WITH the 800 calories that does the trick so to speak. It’s the people in the forums that made it known to try for 50 carbs or even less that really seems the most effective. Maybe it’s not necessary for everyone …. but lowering the carb count also seems to help getting past plateau and stalling times.

Loopylou – well done on your reboot weight loss. Yes, I am the same – 30g carbs is the max I can eat and still lose weight. Am a bit envious of the majority of people on this forum who can eat 50g and easily lose weight, although it’s strange – the longer I stay below 30g the more effortless it becomes.

Verano – well done on your weight loss and your average carbs (even with the Victoria sponge) were well below 50g. I am so pleased you are continuing with the weekly challenge as it really helps me.

Was thinking this morning that if the NHS had given me the BSD book 4 1/2 years ago they would have saved heaps of money. All the insulin pens, test strips, lucentis injections for retinopathy (£800 an injection) and all the appointments at the eye clinic and diabetes clinic. In fact it looks like I have single handedly brought the NHS to its knees.

Of course all dieticians would have to be retrained so they could support us on the BSD – which would be an expense – but just think what that would save.

Do you live in Australia, Natalie? Or did you eat all those cals for breakfast?!!

First week done, although slipped up o Saturday by having a takeaway curry (chicken shashlik, popadoms, veg curry and onion bhajis) despite that feel a lot sharper and lost 6lb 8oz. Much more focused today as started walking and counting calories more religiously.

Was woozy and snoozy, but now awake and raring to go!

Just received my 8 week BSD recipe book and was flicking through, looking for the calorie content of each meal, and couldn’t SEE anything….then….got my microscope out and lo-and-behold! Teeny, tiny print to the side of each recipe! How ridiculous! Well, moan over, off to plan lunch and supper!

Happy Thanksgiving Shalimar & CallMeDeb!
The start of day 7 for my husband & I & we re-weighed ourselves to find our correct seventh day weight & it’s still 6lbs for him & 5lbs for me. We decided we were eating too few carbs so I made Apple porridge with cinnamon from the recipe book for breakfast & it was delicious. I am tending to not eat many breakfasts because it saves some calories for lunch & dinner but because we are retired & at home we might try brunches this week. I’m going to be tempted by cakes this afternoon because I will be meeting my beading ladies & there are usually cream cakes! But must resist or it might skew this weeks result as it still feels like an ongoing experiment & learning experience. On we go hopefully downwards in weight!

Don’t know what will work for you.

My suggestion …. be kind to your body and let it adjust to its new reality … that first week weight loss is a lot for your body to adjust to.

Lots of people do adjust their carbs lower …. do it a little at a time and see when you have results. Many people try for 50 carbs or less.

If the scale isn’t moving perhaps your body shape is …. for example … are you fitting in your clothes better? Can you fit into some clothes that used to be a bit tight.

Hosta 🙂 HUGS

I track calories and carbs. I use my paperback Diabetes Counter book ; MyFatSecret and i just Google things.

I write them down. I usually have 1 page per day … and i write down everything including blood sugar readings and any hints and suggestions i see here or anywhere.

If it’s something i eat all the time i put them on an index card so i don’t have to look it up again.

I have not found MyFitnessPal or another site useful … it’s like i’m all thumbs … i can’t figure out the site easily …. so i won’t bother. One site i try will just NOT put in my information correctly.

I do acquabics, i walk, and will try and add yoga and TaiChi (i have videos and can do it at home if i move my butt). I can gage my fitness level from what activities i can do … and i do see the doc for tests. I really don’t see how fussing with a website will be that much help ….. of course OTHER PEOPLE JUST LOVE DOING THESE SITES … more power to them.

I’m kind of a no fuss person.

I started diet 2 weeks ago. starting at 110 kg. Week1 lost 4.5 kg but have plateaud in week2. I walk 5000 steps most days. and have been averaging about 850 cals in both weeks. My carb avg is atound 75. both weeks. Do i need to get below 50 to make this diet work for me?

Ok…….. I weighed myself. Tick. Actually hadn’t put on weight since I last weighed myself 60 years ago, though i feel like I have. 5’9″ tall and 117kg. Dreadful. 7 stone needs to go. I only used kgs because I can see them more easily on my scales 😂 Mushroom omelette for breakfast ….. Just wondering how everyone is tracking their food intake? Think I’m going to use my fitness pal. Does anyone have any other methods??

KrysiaD 🙂 HUGS

You bring up a good point …. what will an increase in carbs do when we are off the 800 calories plan.

I used to curse the fact that 1 piece of toast with peanut butter just short my Blood Sugar through the roof. Now i don’t eat either … but what happens if i do????

We will have to be very careful about how/when we increase carbs.

Lots to think about.

Thanks

That’s wonderful Natalie 🙂 HUGS

Congrats on your 7 kg. loss.

Your body just might be taking a breather and making some adjustments.

If your carb count is around 50 g. …. you might want to gradually go a little lower.

Plateau times now and then seem to be normal from my readings around the forum.

HUGS 🙂

I’ll probably post several times a day soosiewoosy! Is this my fourth or fifth today?

I’ve finished eating on Day One. Calories: 784. Carbs: 36g. Excellent!

p.s.

Are the newbies aware that most of us try not just to keep our calories around 800 …. but TRY to keep our carbs down to around 50 g (and that we don’t deduct fibre grams?) ….

You can count these things by google-ing the food with the words calories carbs …. or … there are paperback books … or … sites like MyFatSecret.

Other tips :

Be kind to yourself ; be kind to your body as it makes adjustments to its new reality …. and get ready to polish your halos on the good days and ignore the bad decisions … and get ready to admire yourself in your mirrors.

And if you fail … do what i do … just call “REBOOT’ and start again

Hi Shalimar – being able to have my coffees with a dash of cream has become an enjoyable part of my 800 calories. Have not noticed it pushes up blood sugars – unlike my cappuccinos with real chocolate sprinkled on top. What I do feel though is that it seems to kick start my energy levels and I can exercise for longer but I only do a fraction of the mileage that others are doing on this thread.

You are doing really well without metformin. I am now off insulin and am not sure how much I will be able to increase carbs and still stay ok. Maybe when I have lost all my excess weight I will be able to increase carbs and still be ok. I suppose my pancreas and liver are still in ‘intensive care’ while the visceral fat is draining out.

I am shimmerling on MFP, I would love it if you added me!

Cozzarella 🙂 HUGS

I think preparation is key!!

soosiewoosy ….. 🙂 HUGS …. woosy????? how much woosy in the soosie????

I have the ingredients for a denver omelette for breaky …. but it’s more likely to be for lunch-y … depending on when i get to bed … the joys of retirement … and single too … i can do whatever i want 🙂 🙂 🙂 and i love it 🙂 🙂 🙂

Hi there, I’ve started a Facebook group for BSD dieters! The Facebook group makes it easier to maintain conversation and reply directly to others.
Hope to see you there!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1468420283184807/

As you say, the evidence is far from conclusive, but I’m guessing rather then having a direct effect on blood sugar, it is more likely that an increase in adrenaline will up the metabolic rate to support “fight or flight”

Hi there, I’ve started a Facebook group for BSD dieters! The Facebook group makes it easier to maintain conversation and reply directly to others.
Hope to see you there!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1468420283184807/

Hi all

I’m starting today too. I’m treating this a new way of eating rather than a diet. I weigh 11st 5lbs and am only 4ft 10 so really need to get cracking. I spent last week psychologically preparing myself and now I am ready!

I had porridge for breakfast this morning and mow off to make chickpea soup for lunch!

Hi, I’m finding the plan easy and varied and have a decent weight loss so far. I cook and prepare everything from scratch – weighing and measuring everything via My FitnessPal for calories and macro information. The last few days I’ve noticed a stall and then today, a gain of half a kilo.

Is this normal and has anyone else encountered the same? I have already been able to discount menstration and hormone fluxes out of the equation. It seems disheartening so early as I have around 12kg to lose – having lost 7kg so far.

I am increasing my exercis as i can tolerate as I have osteoarthritis, so find cycling swimming and light resistance work the best for my joints, though admittedly I do not have a great baseline of fitness.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Elle

JulesMaigret HUGS 🙂 … YOU are so LUCKY!!!

captainlynne 🙂 HUGS ….. and they probably ate crap!! Unless they had passed out.

Or maybe they just stay up all night …. and watch the Blue Jays win, win, win, win and win … the same game over and over!!

Canada time …. is not the same as UK and Aussie time … so i’ve been enJOYing being up all night!!

GRATITUDE!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

We are very lucky they have a smallholding where they keep a few pigs so they take the windfall apples and pears from our garden for the pigs.

We have had a bumper crop of apples and pears this year so I’m fighting the temptation to eat the lot in one go!

I’ve made and frozen a lot of compote that will come out later in breakfast with yogurt, but in moderation as it is really quite carby.

Hi Shalimar! You made me laugh out loud! Yes, I will stop being a TOFI and become a TOTI!

I must admit I like being a one-forum girl!

Kirsty, I buy ground flaxseed (Bob’s Red Mill, organic golden flax meal) from Amazon. If there’s an offer on I buy a couple and freeze what I don’t immediately need.
I buy chia seeds from Bulk Powders.

Hope this is helpful!

soosiewoosy 🙂 HUGS

I usually post everyday ….. in fact you could say i’m a postwhore …. i may even be annoying …. BUT whatever ….. 🙂

CHEERS to being THIN on the INSide AND the OUTside!! 🙂

p.s. you can post in any and all the forums!!

Hi all, just signing in on first proper day on this way of eating.
UK
Start weight 142.4 lbs
Goal weight 130lbs

But real goal is to stop being a TOFI (thin outside, fat inside) and maintain a constant weight.

I started on the 5:2 diet, but felt I wasn’t really in control, so this appealed to me as more consistent.

A copy of the recipe book is winging its way to me today, so looking forward to reading that.

The really good thing about the 5:2 diet is that I found a forum where people post daily and log their weight. I have posted on the BSD forums before but there doesn’t seem to be any follow-up. I really appreciated the feeling of camaraderie I found and would love to get that here, if anyone’s interested in posting every day?

Have a great day, everyone, especially the newbies!

RIGHT ON Sopisue 🙂 🙂 🙂 HUGS

Ah JulesMaigret … it is so nice too have food from your neighbour. We used to have a garden and chickens and sometimes gueese …. GOOD FOOD!!! Supermarket stuff does not compare!!

Who says caffeine pushes up your blood sugar ???

I googled it … and saw nothing conclusive. Some say bad, some say good. I assume the caffeine in coffee, black teas, soda pop … do have an effect depending on how much you drink … there may be a blood sugar effect of anything that revs up the body a lot

Most people, like me, drink coffee in the morning. I have mine with cream. I get moving around. I’m sure the cream and the fact that i am up and active does increase my blood sugar. Frankly if i am eating healthy and not too much my blood sugars are fine… even without metformin. When i am doing the 800 calorie plan i don’t seem to need metformin …. and i still drink coffee and cream … but i do count the calories/carbs

?????

Hi all I’m starting this today too and am just about to write out my shopping list for the week. I won’t be stopping off at the coffee shop for my usual coffee and cake!

Good luck to everyone and here’s to December 4 and lots of lbs lost and being healthier all round.

My grandma’s oats were definitely on the al dente side with a pinch of salt and a wee dram of the whisky! what was left was stored in her “porridge drawer” and reappeared at teatime as a sort of squidy flapjack. Even as a five year old I wondered what the smoky taste in her flapjack was….

My dad would have raw eggs and sugar for his breakfast – I only ever had it as a hangover cure with Worcestershire sauce.

Lunch today is portobello mushroom, blood sausage and duck eggs from my neighbour’s trusty birds. This will reappear as a weekend breakfast.

It depends on whether you like your oats mushy or al dente.

I just pour boiling water over my oats … stir for a couple of minutes …. and eat … or add anything i like.

My mother made mushy oats … i not likey!

when it was close to payday in our house … and no milk was to be had … we ate oats dry with a bit of sugar and cinammon powder …. but then again we ate pickled herring embryos, raw eggs beaten with sugar, blood sausage, etc. 🙂 🙂 🙂

kirsty 🙂 HUGS …. hey lots of people have so much more to loose!! Honesty if wonderful …. so is how you will look in your mirror at Christmas!!

Bring a plastic container of various veggies … and perhaps a hummus dip?

Have a sandwich and just eat the filling ….. i.e. A Club Sandwich …. chicken/turkey, mayo, lettuce, tomato, bacon, cheese …. without the bread (order in restaurant and eat contents with knife and fork)

Can also eat hamburgers and wraps … just eating mainly the filling

Left overs from meal in plastic container

Plastic containers are your new best friend.

Salad dressing … on the side … is another new best friend

Can of tuna or salmon …. you can bring celery and mayo …. you need to supply a can opener … i can eat these things straight from the can

Divide up cheese … whatever kind … with plastic wrap or container …. plastic container of veggies and a bite of cheese … and a baggie of some nuts and or seeds

You didn’t say if you meant in restaurants or eating at your work desk or in a staff lunch room.

Your imagination is also your best friend …. cause lunches are usually not that big an amount of anything

Morning everyone, well it’s here D day or BSD day, I thought I’d be miserable when I woke up this morning, as I usually am when starting a diet but I’m not, I’m excited and looking forward to meeting the new me, it may take a while but I’m more determined than I’ve ever been and I’m so pleased that I joined this forum. Yesterday I was too embarrassed to write how much I weigh but if I’m going to do this, and I am, then I have to be honest with myself and all you guys too, so here goes, I weigh 110.1kg or 17st 3lbs. there I’ve said it and I feel better already. my first goal is to get under 17st so I’m going to get on my exercise bike now. (after I’ve cleaned the cobwebs off it, hahaha)!!! Hope you all have a great first day. we can do this. 🙂

Thanks Veranda for keeping us all on the straight and narrow!

If you’re making porridge using rolled or jumbo oats, you don’t need to soak them overnight just use a mix of water and milk, warm it and dimmer for five minutes or so on a rolling ‘gloop’ and it’ll be fine. You get a porridge with texture rather than the smooth semolina-pudding like consistency that seems more common these days.

Soaking overnight is however best if you’re making bircher muesli.

Hi

Loopylou I’ve just started a new ‘7 Days’ thread … 7 Days(3) …’Add a little extra’ . Starts tomorrow as this one finished so for those needing the extra boost of a new 7 day challenge come on over!

ElizabethB56 and everyone … HUGS, HELLO

I am not sure what the answer is …. except perhaps trial and error

I wonder if one could try the 800 calorie plan for a couple of weeks on moderate exercise … and see if you lost weight …. and if you do loose weight your body might get used to the calorie limit and you could gradually increase the exercise and eat the 800 calorie, perhaps putting your carbs in the hour before exercise.

Otherwise … maybe do the Mediteranean low carb plan on 4 or 5 days … the days when you do strenuous exercise … and do the fast 800 calories on the other 2 to 3 days.

Has anyone tried something like this??

I just think the body needs some lead time to get used to new things especially when it’s a big change
??????

Morning losers this weeks scales lied to me, I thought they were wrong so weighed again, the wow went back to that’s ok down to 23s 3lb that 5lb last week start of BSD 25s 1lb that is 4 weeks down, did not realise how long until I checked my start date, because in my mind that start date was way before that it was the mental preparation I put my self through, looking ahead to potential pit falls and what really made me look for the biscuit tin, I came up with stress and annoyance, so I looked at mindfulness again and use this in time of biscuit hunting, and if I choose to have one biscuit I do, then count it towards my daily carbs, which then shows me what a waste of my carb allowance that biscuit was, all part of the lifestyle re-adjustments.
As for clown trousers I have plenty, but still using a few pairs for a while longer ?

Hi this will be the third 7 day, just 7 days, challenge.

For those of us on the second round of 8 weeks this is our penultimate week so just two weeks left to reach our second 8 week goal …. not sure if I even had one!!!

Still keeping to our theme of staying with 800 calories and picking our own carb level I though it might be an idea to ‘add a little extra’. Sorry that won’t be chocolate or wine!!!

I will be staying at 35g carbs and my ‘little extra’ will be some exercises with light weights to help stop all that saggy skin forming as I get ‘thinner’ !!!

Please join me on this short journey.

I’ve got my head around breakfasts and what I’ll eat on the BSD diet, with the help of the books. Where I’m having more difficulty is ideas for lunch away from home. I’m at work 3-4 days a week and in the past I would have grabbed a sandwich. Any ideas gratefully received. Thanks!

Hi Busybee and Hosta!!

I say let’s do this as well!!

I’m feeling very positive!!

HUGS 🙂 🙂 🙂

I found some brilliant organic oats called Flahavan’s . They come in a paper bag (for a change!) and Tesco sells them. I’m pretty sure they are not “processed”.