Hey fionabloom!

Glad you are enjoying this thread 🙂 Don’t worry about your blip. You’re just starting out and figuring out how to make this work in real life, so ups and downs will happen (at least they are with me!). I think 28lbs will be easy to lose on this plan. Just remember to prepare, drink lots of water and don’t beat yourself up if you hit a bump in the road. Good luck!

It’ll happen. Most likely slowly, which is super annoying but if one thing PCOS suffers have to have, it’s patience 🙁

Glad that apricots are on the lower carb list, I will add them to my shopping next week. But oh how I miss bread! I only have to look at it to gain several pounds. Gah. Stupid hormones!

But at least we are aware of what we need to do to treat our bodies kindly and make them more healthy. We’ll get there in the end.

I am 55 and have dieted ‘all ‘ my life. I think I am insulin resistant – if I lose 1lb a fortnight with the usual low- fat advice I’d be lucky. I am scared of failing – so I hope going public will make me accountable. I have read lots of inspiring posts – so I aim to do the BSD 800 – quick weight loss will motivate me. Here goes!

It is so natural to feel guilty and blame ourselves for all sorts of stuff isn’t it????

It is not very constructive.

I still eat in the living room for now at least …. my small fridge is on the kitchen table. But i am reminding myself to really enjoy my food and make it tasty …. with only 800 calories on them menu …. i need to be mindful of every tasty bite.

I remember eating cake and such that wasn’t even very delicious … just because it was wasteful to leave it!! Same with economizing on the BIG bag of chips/crisps or big bar of chocolate …. definitely Penny Wise and Pound Foolish!! 🙂

Thankfully I found the tiniest satsuma lurking at the bottom of my bag so that saved the day last night! Despite still feeling like I could eat a horse, I stayed strong and had chicken and salad for dinner later. So not too bad a day in the end. And I even remembered to pack my lunch for today. Onwards and downwards!

Just browsing through the article ….. i may try and print it out at the library … i find it difficult to read online. Although i very surface perusal leads me to believe this is about useful strategies rather than mindfulness … but certainly both may be employed for our
benefit.

I was browsing this topic : Commitment devices, where we make it very unattractive to not follow through on an intention;
when i was reminded, i think, of something Carolyn Myss, talked about.

Keeping promises … especially to oneself. i.e. I’m going to quit playing online Mahjongg after this game …. it’s good practice for your promise/commitment keeping “muscle” to grow stronger.

I frankly try NOT to make promises … or to “be here now” and keep them.

I’ve been on diets where i eat a meal and 2 hours later i remember i was supposed to be on a diet.

I was always guilty of eating and doing something else – watching TV, surfing the net, conference calls etc. As a result I was mechanically shovelling food into my mouth and absent-mindedly grazing on side dishes (garlic bed, rice, dhal – all typically all high in carb).

I now focus on eating – I typically make meals with several discrete components and strong flavours. I am much more aware of the food, eat more slowly and typically eat what I planned with no collateral grazing.

Hi blue, welcome back from your trip.

Yes, 100lbs is a nice round number 😃 What I have to remember us that I’ve come a long way, reached my ‘healthy’ BMI and the weight the medics have always said they wanted me to be. I’m currently in the experimenting stage for the future. I still write down what I eat, but not the calories/carbs – do I want to do that for ever? It’s a new stage in the journey.

Glad you found it relatively easy to cope when you were away from home. Great results😃💐

Interesting what you said about not adjusting your posture etc! I’ve been able to start wearing shoes with heels instead of flat ones (at 5’1″ everything helps). Skirts are straight rather than fuller. If photos are being taken I don’t go into hiding. (When the DM wanted ‘before’ photos, the only ones I could find were from 2004 and 2012!). At the very least now, if someone is criticising me they can’t call me a ‘fat *********’

Not sure about ‘floating’ but walking is certainly a lot easier. I cover distances I’ve not managed in years. And shopping in ‘normal’ shops – that’s taken some getting used to. It was difficult to find clothes in larger sizes near where I live, but now the size I need is the size everyone else buys!

The whole DM experience was interesting. They emailed me two photos on Monday – the one that was published and one taken in a skirt and blouse. Yes, I’ve printed them(A4!) but still can’t think where to put them. It’s embarrassing!!! But one thing I have decided to do after seeing them is to see about getting contact lenses. I used to wear them years ago. With the developments since, it may be time to get them again. Seeing the optician next week (all being well) so I’ll report back what I/we decide 😱

From the first video. Pay attention in the present moment non-judgmentally.

You need to use your judgment to ascertain when to cross the street.

But it is not useful to blame, shame, judge yourself or other people. We never have all the facts on which to judge anyway.

Hi Frog enjoy Dorset , lovely part of the country.

Krysia your post made me think about stress and blood sugars and thinking about my level of stress the last few days this may have had an effect. Travelling Tuesday, always stressful ! Catching up on post etc yesterday ! Maybe tomorrow will be better!

Igorasusual , I’m not even sure why I’m doing this! I decided not to test after reading how unreliable fasting bloods are but thought I needed a measure of some description. Mistake!!!!

Will be having my 6 monthly review soon so hopefully my HbA1c has gone down. I’ve been following low carbs for 3 months now so at least I’m into ‘new’ red cells! We’ll just have to wait and see.

I have a hospital appointment tomorrow, nothing to do with T2, but know I will get weighted so it will be interesting to see how much I’ve lost since last summer!

I just started the Palouse Online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Saw the first 3 videos so far.

I browsed the topics and thought instead of starting a new topic iwould just use this thread.

The process of trying and FAILING to do the 800 calorie blood sugar diet plan made me see that my getting “pissy” or indulging in negative thoughts and stressing out about tiny tiny things had a DIRECT effect on my diet success. At even the smallest stressor i would loose focus of my major objective and reach for unneeded food or alcohol.

Must get a copy of Ram Dass’s Be Here Now …. as this MBSR video says …. the only moment we live in is the now = the past is gone and the future isn’t here.

Got to interrupt and wake myself up when i am getting off track … or indulging in emotions, behaviours, etc. that have NOT served me well in the past.

Would love everyones input.

Great news I’ve weighed myself this morning. It’s day 4 and I’ve lost 7 Ibs. I know it’s water but still, I’m ecstatic! I can feel that I’ve lost weight as my clothes are looser.
Can anyone tell me what’s the view on sugar free squash? Are all artificial sweeteners a no no? I believe that they raise blood sugars (except for Stevia)?
I drink lots of naturally sugar free drinks like water! However I do like squash for a change.
This is a great forum and full of ideas. Thanks

I’ve started again in earnest too. Hopefully this eight week block will go well. Need to watch my evenings and cravings for bread, choc etc – days are fine. Good luck, everyone who’s starting again or continuing on – I’m here to cheer you on 🙂

Thanks all. I’ve tried the Thai Red Curry – delicious though quite rich. Bolognese – strong and tangy, also the portion size was huge. And the peanut butter and cream cheese dip. I added extra veg to all of them. All really tasty and very filling. I don’t eat meat and have found it easy to substitute fish/tofu/quorn.

Good luck everyone.

okay I did weigh in the end – 20lbs in 28 days.

Weight loss is slowing a lot – from reading the forum plateaus seem quite common in week 4/5 … I’m going back to basics & making sure I weigh & record everything. To get to absolute final goal I need to lose another 67lbs; I want to have a really good few weeks now if I could lose another stone that would be brilliant.

I am finding the eating plan really easy – no carb cravings, no alcohol cravings, not really hungry … when I’ve gone over (twice) it is because we’ve been socialising. I’m eating lots of veggies, eggs, cheese, some fish, nuts & yogurt. Lots of mint tea!

On Monday I weighed under 11st. 10st 13 lb. Last evening I ate late and for some reason after that I snacked on crackers hence this mornings weigh in is 11st 2lb.I am not surprised and I don’t like it. This is the first time that I have had a binge type snack this year. I am back in line and I shall not eat until about 11 and therefore have a decent mini fast.
This evening I will be going to a quiz that includes a fish and chip supper so during today I will get some activities in although I am somewhat limited because of my painful hip. When it is suppertime I shall only have half the chips and no batter. As dessert is a choc ice I will take a pear for me. Plan made.

whoops – sorry, congratulations on the ankles too.

I don’t really think about my ankles too much. Probably because I have (had – they’re getting there) ginormous calves. When they are slim enough to buy the perfect boots, maybe I will turn my attention to ankles!

have a good day
I’ll see the sea later – off to Dorset this afternoon!

That’s good news Yowzer, and something to work on which will keep GP happy…am also not good when stressing . it affects most of us am sure

Where is Lucky and Gavin? Hope you guys are doing ok

Any ideas on this folks? how do you add a picture on here? I have a photobucket account….ta

Hi LouLou007. I am sixty two and three-quarters. Enjoy your new start in life. It is great that your husband will be with you from the outset. Support each other and travel this new journey together. X Sandie

Hi Lucky
have you recovered from your weekend? Glad that you had a brilliant time!
come back – but don’t tell us any more about your yorkshire puddings – GBBO is hard enough!

rather than needing to post things twice, you can always look back of your own posts by going to your profile and clicking on ‘replies created’
you can also find other people’s posts in this way too, if you recall seeing something interesting and remember who it was by, but not which thread.

Snoop – re avocado.

Just got a really lovely ketogenic cookbook written by two ladies who used low carb whilst they were being treated for cancer (some research about the benefit of low carbs slowing growth of cancer cells, which could be v helpful if proved correct)

Anyway, saw a good recipe for a rich salad dressing of puréed avocado with some chilli pepper mixed with yoghurt – you could experiment with spices and I thought might be good with some finely chopped spring onion – works over salad but they were suggesting over cooked broccoli. Sounds yum to me. Very rich.

Made me hungry! 🙂

Don’t forget the ankles Frog! (I know I am a lucky woman)

wow Billingebabe – beach and a border terrier – sounds like heaven 🙂
– not to mention looser trousers!

Can I just mention again to those worrying about fasting sugars (apart from have you read all the threads about it? Use the search box) – OH’s medics all say “liver clears out sugars overnight so often high readings” , fasting blood ls therefore notoriously unreliable as overall BS measure, exactly the reason why HbA1c tests used to get a more long term measure.

Bill1954 here (hi Bill!) gave fasting bloods up and measured before and after meals. But read his “this has to work for me” thread.

Hope that helps guys. 🙂

Morning both – congratulations on getting to pre-holiday weight Verano.
And Krysia – a stone in a month or less (3/4lb is just a poo away 🙂 ) – that’s brilliant, well done
I didn’t lose anything yesterday – but I was surprised I lost so much the day before – I think I just have incredibly slow metabolism!

I’m off to Dorset today for a few days – will try & stick to very BSD!
the friend I’m staying with is very good at cooking in line with my diet, so should be OK

Many many variable results from fasting bloods – use SEARCH as Frog says

And CONGRATULATIONS on your weight loss – be pleased not panicked.

🙂

Please don’t panic. No need – and no problem with water weight loss as you have seen.

Keep on keeping on – and ditch the low fat dairy (see my earlier post)

I guess that proves the logic of NICE recommending against home testing then.
Use the search box for the numerous pre-existing threads on fasting blood sugar.

I’ve never tested myself, relying on the longer term HbA1c tests, which give results for a longer period. There are many threads and conversations on here about the reliability (or not) of fasting bloods tests – use the search box in the top right hand corner.

Aria – I always have a border terrier/ terrorist with me who is obsessed by balls & likes swimming. Usually Climping beach.
Deb – I didn’t link my sweats at night to alcohol consumption but they went away by the second or third night. Don’t think I was drinking enough to get dizzy when I woke up, initially thought that was my blood pressure but because of all the thirst & loo trips thought my BS might be high.
Don’t know if others here tried the 5:2. I did & failed miserably. I am finding 800 calories easy to do on daily basis and seeing quick results really helps my motivation. Bra now does up on middle fastening, trousers looser and more room for my thighs.
Best of all – I spend many happy hours admiring my slim ankles.

Hi everyone. My first day was yesterday and my glucose monitor didn’t arrive until 12pm yesterday so today was my first fasting blood test ever.

OK having a semi panic now. Have just woken and taken a fasting blood test at home and it’s 6.2. This is pre-diabetes. I did a test yesterday 2 hours after breakfast and it was 5.3 so I presumed I was OK.

I have also jumped on the scales and am now 18st 11lbs.
In one day after weeing loads I have lost 5lbs.
I understand this is water but isn’t it too much for my first day? And then to wake to a 6.2 blood sugar test! I’m in a panic now.

Please can anyone advise. I went on this diet as I’m ludicrously overweight and have failed every other diet out there. I didn’t think I was pre-diabetes yet. I thought it was years away…….

Thank you.

I have put this post on my diary on here too as a reference to look back on.

Love mine!

I make an omelette in it, and it is absolutely delish…. ( ibought an accessory pan tho for this ) well worth it

OK having a semi panic now. Have just woken and taken a fasting blood test at home and it’s 6.2. This is pre-diabetes. I did a test yesterday 2 hours after breakfast and it was 5.3 so I presumed I was OK.

I have also jumped on scale and am now 18st 11lbs.
In one day after weeing loads I have lost 5lbs.
I understand this is water but isn’t it too much for my first day? And then to wake to a 6.2 blood sugar test! I’m in a panic now.

I’m going to write this as a seperate post to ask for advice.

Well done Verano for the weight loss. Your holiday weight has come off so fast. I think that dropping calories too low for one day is ok and must be helping with the weight loss.

The blood sugar level is annoying. My blood sugars were swinging up too much even in the week before they suddenly become normal. In fact they were running a bit higher than normal that week which was why it was a shock that I no longer needed insulin the following week.

I feel that perhaps there is a tipping point where when enough fat drains out of your liver and pancreas they can start working properly again. Until then – even if you have lost a lot of that fat – the fat that is still there seriously impairs how they work. These thoughts are not based on any scientific evidence and are just me trying to make sense of what happened to my own blood sugars. In the last three weeks fasting blood sugars have gone no higher than 4.9 and they no longer swinging up high after meals like before.

This morning have dropped 1 1/2lbs since Tuesday so have just got 3/4lb to lose to get to one stone lost since 3rd Sept. A bit faster than my first stone which took 4 months to lose.

Fantastic food yesterday and still not many calories. Could have done with a piece of fruit, to be honest, to up the fibre, especially as I had room for it in the calories and carbs.

Figures for today:
83.9kg
-0.4 kg
Overall change -4.6 kg
691 cals
31 net carbs

All the weight put on at my parents is off, along with a little bit more. Even if I don’t hit my mini goal for the end of this month, I will before we head to Gibraltar.

Antigone, it’s not easy to make good food choices when you’re on holiday with other people. I found it very hard when I was with my parents. I cringe at the thought of some of the things I ate with them, just to be polite (I was amazed at just how unpalatable I found chips, for example). Good luck.

Mental4ever, there is a YouTube video for the OXO spiraliser and for lots of other spiralisers too. You might find they will give you inspiration. The OXO one, if I recall rightly, says you can do carrots (if they’ve got a large diameter – 1.5 inches comes to mind), beetroot, apple and squash. I imagine you could also do parsnips, potatoes and sweet potato if you’re eating those. Might be hard work with a hand-held one though. On the downside of spiralisers, we’ll be spending a fortune on courgettes this winter when they’re more expensive, as we had them for lunch and supper (OH even requested them instead of spaghetti, though he did have lots of bread too).

On the poached egg and avocado front, I didn’t think my OH would go for that either. Mushrooms or tomatoes maybe, but not an avocado. I presume they do actually go together, but it’s not what people are used to for breakfast. Maybe if you omelette the egg, it might seem a bit more conventional.

DAY 3 of 7

Yesterday
Calories 614
Carbs 24.5 g ….. net 16.2g
Just wondering if maybe thats too low?????

Anyway this morning I’ve dropped another 1.4lbs so just 0.6lbs to get rid of my holiday surplus so really pleased about that.

When this week is over I’ll be with you Frog and upping my carbs maybe to 40g and then 50g I think.

My fasting BS was 7.3 this morning so really unhappy about that. But will wait and see what happens over the next few days.

Have a good day.

HiLouLou007 i am also 63 and have never lost any serious amount of weight ever, but you will find this diet very easy, i started in June and have lost 25lbs, almost at 2 stone, so amazing for me. If you can google the Daily Mail there are some good recipes on the health beat Diabetes page. Good luck

Hi Kristin, I have a similar thought to you regards prevention of diabetes. Also my sugar addiction and eating way too much. Like Shalimar, I tend to eat to emotionally support myself, whether I have had a particularly successful day or awful day!

I agree that it is the food & drink consumption, recording in a diary for one week usually brings it home; exercise is important and try to work towards daily routine, starting 2-3 times a week initially; your ‘little me’ ego will be chattering constantly in your head, to distract you, so yes meditation / mindfulness is useful, again daily is what to work towards. I have done meditation for about 3yrs now, mainly to deal with life’s stressors; it really does help, just 10-20mins.

Most importantly, be kind to yourself, you have had decades of honing these habits; they are not going to instantly disappear. Baby steps and recognise you are moving in the right direction. With the support of these forums and the nuggets of advice from Dr. Michael ‘s BSD; we will all get there.

It is good to have goals, as it states intention to yourself – have it written down so you can see it every day, with a feel good picture.
Good luck!

Hi. I’ve been meaning to post for ages but I’ve been really busy at work. I too have pretty much fallen off the wagon but luckily not put on any weight. .I’ve been ‘BSDy’ for the meals but failing on the crisp, chocolate and wine front.

I’m 50 on Monday (totally distraught and in denial) and am going to various parties and going on holiday next week. I’m going to start again properly after that although I’ll continue to avoid bread which gives me stomach ache. I’ve also got a friend doing BSD now which is good.

So I suppose the next goal would be Xmas. A stone off by then? Possibly going to Rome between Xmas and New Year so that would be a good incentive.

Hi Avila,

Thanks very much for your reply – well done on your weight loss. It’s encouraging to here of your success. May I ask if you were doing the low carb med style diet, or the low calorie/5:2 diet?

Hi,
I have been lurking (stalking) the forums on this site for a while and I was wondering if you would mind if I joined here? Lucia I have now read just about your whole story in the last week or so and I have enjoyed your posts hugely. Such a positive inspiration!

Currently having a prep week prior to OH and intend starting on the 800C lifestyle change next. I’m newly retired and 63 years old (though that sounds way too old to me – its like weight, if I don’t look in the mirror I mostly feel fine) and need to loose 16 – 20 kg (sorry I’m Aust and been using Kg, mL etc for most of my life). OH is joining me on the plan, mainly to support me but he needs to loose 10kg too. Monday is D-day. Mondays are such a good day to start something. Always keen, determined and strong on Mondays!

Good wishes to all in their journeys, keep supporting each other and learning along the path to new health.

Hi C. Lynne
I don’t know – I go away for a few days (to a very wet Auckland) and come back to check to in on your thread, to find out that you’ve hit the DM and that the weight is still dropping off! Congratulations to you and must have been hugely scary at the same time! 100lbs is a very neat number, but in the long term – which is where we’re all heading for; is finding that magically state of ‘normality’ and staying there.

My Auckland visit meant not being able to weigh every day and being very aware of what I might be offered to eat and then eating out, what might be good on the menu. Found it relatively easy to stick to, thanks to your shared experiences on here. Happy to find the scales reporting in at 71kg only another 0.8kg to reach 50lbs gone! (start of Week 25). Its difficult to describe how I feel, very light, very active and that’s with only half of what you’ve achieved. Perhaps you feel like floating? Found myself in a conversation with several others at work yesterday, where I mentally noted that I didn’t feel the need to adjust my clothes, adjust my posture or suck my stomach in. Heading towards normal in my head at least. Six kilos to go to my first BMI normal target.

Interesting to read peoples’ thoughts about Turmeric. Hubby and I having been taking it for a couple of years, they are high strength capsules (Now Foods, Curcumin, 120 Veggie Caps(650mg)) from a USA website called iherb.com we’ve found it very helpful. We also take Vit D and Vit K and magnesium, seem very reasonably priced compared to NZ.

Looking forward to your next weigh in on Saturday and to read how everyone’s getting on with BSD!

Cheers
blue1919

Today:
167lbs this am
765 calories
70 carbs

Working on eating habits in the home with everyone. Super busy day schooling, so that helped me resist the urge to nibble. Mental4ever, you’re holding fast in spite of a few days away. Doing great to have only added a pound. It will soon be gone!

that sounds nice Igor – I love fish with lentils.

Kristin … good for you to try and nip things in the bud … before you possibly get diabetes.

So far i have had my ups and downs with the 800 BSD plan … but i have stayed away from breads, chips/crisps, chocolate, cake … even sweet potato fries with chipotle dip!! A Kaiser roll and butter still sounds wonderful.
I need to stop buying liquor that i like. (p.s. i don’t like the tast of most liquor). The liquor store has moved to the mall where my gym/fitness club is located so i’m there quite often. I have to just nip THAT in the bud.

I have learned a number of lessons with the BSD plan …. and one is that if i get upset or stressed i do tend to eat to much AND turn to some alcohol. I am going to have to try mindfulness and meditation.

The BSD plan involves 3 points … the food, the exercise, and getting one’s head straight. It’s clear they all go together and that i have work to do on all three fronts!!

How’s the week going?? Hoping all is well with you and your family and you’re getting good sleep.

still having my ups and downs … really swollen feet but i’ve taken some steps that will help.

Finding lots of helpful hints in these forums!!

Hi Yowzer

At least your blood pressure is going the right way! – so that’s good news.
As well as stressing about getting away on time, “white coat syndrome” can cause BP to rise. My GP practice has one of the “do it yourself” machines in the reception area, so that you can do it while you’re waiting. Mine is always in the normal range now, so if I’ve done it in reception and give them the print out, they don’t always bother to do it again.
I did one of those 24 hour blood pressure test things a few years ago – the biggest stress was organising to collect and return the thing, as the service had just been outsourced to a private provider who had a rubbish phone system so impossible to get through to them – and I have vague recollections that there was a transport strike, so I had to walk there. No distance at all now, but I was still really anaemic, so three miles was a real endurance test. It’s a bit inconvenient, but although it’s called 24 hour, you don;t need to leave it on through the night. Another thing with it was that my cat, Muji (this was pre Froglet) really disliked the noise, and first just looked startled, then started hissing when the BP cuff started inflating.

All resolved eventually when a consultant reviewed the huge list of drugs and said “stop taking those, and the blood pressure will go”, so that got rid of two lots of medication, and there was another one that I’d been left taking way beyond when I should have, so the list reduced very quickly.
I caught the second episode of that “Drug Free Doctor” program last night – it was really good, must be on iPlayer – worth watching.

And brilliant news on the cholesterol, well done.
Very interesting about the trans fats
I thought they’d been banned in the UK – but on googling, there seem to have been a couple of calls to ban them, including from NICE, but no action.
They recommend low fat everything on DDCC

Hello. I started the 800 plan today. I am a huge eater and have 100 to lose. I am not diabetic as of yet but have high bp and have hypothyroidism. I have to admit I am starving today. I hope this will soon go away and I also have a huge headache. I am thinking the carb withdrawal as I was a HUGE carb aholic. Not sweets. Just breads. Pasta. Potatoes in any form… Oh and alcohol. I will admit I was a nightly wine drinker as well. Awesome to see so much success. Is it possible for me to lose 100 lbs on this plan. If love to lose a majority by Mid March for a vaca! Thanks and nice to meet you all!

I laughed at the restaurant Sunshine Girl – in the UK I really like cote restaurants – they have a brilliant fixed price menu, and easy to choose BSD friendly from it. A friend who is veggie always suggests that we go there – then is fed up with the veggie selection – happened about 3 times so far! Each time I remind her that she should have ordered from the standard menu rather than the prix fixe.

Last time I went, I had a smoked salmon starter, which came on sourdough. Carefully ate the salmon, left the sourdough – and then ate it before they cleared my plate away. Was only tiny, and quite thin, but I was cross with myself!
Shame that you didn’t have a nicer time though – hope the company made up for the bad food!

I’m having 50g of carbs as my top limit, but aiming to be below it. Today not quite as good as yesterday; 51g of carb and 822 calories, but happy enough with that.

GBBO without eating was hard – I should have made some jelly!