We have successfully got through our first day treating it as a fast day & waiting to eat until supper. We have eaten & drunk the following
Four cups of coffee with a splash of semi-skimmed milk.
One cup of Bovril made with one teaspoon of Bovril to increase salt intake
4-6 1/2 pint glasses of water
100g of fresh prawns on a little lettuce with
100g of avocado
95g of smoked haddock baked in the oven with a little butter that melted but was not eaten served with
2 medium poached eggs.
100g full fat organic Greek yoghurt with
100g fresh blueberries
1 small apple
Total calories 747 but don’t know how many carbs!
We are used to fasting doing 5:2 so at the moment it feels just like our usual fast day with more to eat! My husband is seeing his GP tomorrow to check on how to modify his medication but as usual has had half his medication & is used to doing this. The unknown is how to eat reduced calorie three meals a day. Tomorrow will probably be more challenging!! Hope your day has gone well👍👍

My eldest is a convert to courgette, but not so keen on cauli mash – but he’ll eat it! Good to hear you have the family joining you for evening meals too! You’re doing really well – any plans for after week 8, or will you be in maintenance? I think I’ll need a few rounds to get anywhere near my target, but realise this is the long haul.

My weight loss has stalled in week 3 – but have heard this is usual. So I’m keeping at it!! I think regardless of weight loss I’m going to continue eating this way as I feel so much better!

*waves to tigs 🙂 *

Hi Jules
Have both books but on balance prefer the recipe book. Found it cheaper in Sainsbury’s than Amazon. I made the mistake of getting it on kindle first but appear to be an old fashioned girl when it comes to following recipes. If you are an avid reader you can get the first book from Amazon on a buy 3 for £10

Thanks for the advice Igorasusal. I will look at the menu before I go on Friday. I will not be having wine because I
will be driving! We are also out over the weekend but have managed to work round the two days with meal planning.

Thanks Shalimar. I did Yoga quite some years ago and found it very relaxing. I still use the back massaging movements if needed and even my husband has adopted a variation of it. Good luck to you and I hope the weight falls steadily away.

Hi Cowslip – your results are awesome too – it’s just they are showing differently – my waist measurement has only changed by an inch and a half!

Plus my BMI is higher than yours – so I’d got more to lose!

Just finished lunch and am now fighting a nasty caffeine headache. When my students leave for the day, I’ll pop out and grab some unsweetened iced tea. Definitely feeling a bit hungry today but I expected to with such a drastic drop in calorie intake. I’ve been eating a TON lately.

Hi Silverandgold. I’m just retired this year, age 67, Need to loose about 70 more pounds. I am not a big fan of exercise but i do enjoy walking, aquabics, some gym equipment, and i would like to do yoga.

Yowser, I remember you saying you waved goodbye to the carb monster as it wondered of down the road, and this plan is simples pimples, so on the bus we are rocking and waving. Missed speaking to you. Onwards to a slimmer Xmas yeaaaaa.

Ooh yes come round for dinner, I’m in Kent short pop over from wherever you are. 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌

Think of it as NO REFINED CARB Ploughmans (i.e. without the normal whacking great slice of bread) and NO REFINED CARB bircher – i.e. without all the refined cereal.

Does that help?

May I join you? 61, overweight despite years of trying (3 stone in 5 years is slow going!). Not a fan of exercise but I do like a swim a couple of times a week, for about 30 mins a session.

“No Carb Ploughmans” I am very confused – how can this be called “no carb” when there are at least 20 grams of carbohydrate in the meal? Am I missing something? Can someone please explain?? Same applies to “no carb bircher”!!

So nearly end of day two no problems so far and no headaches !
Have lost 1 kg and feeling resolute off for some minestrone soup and a chapter of the book for inspiration

Having ongoing sinus issues and not feeling to well …. but went to the library close to my house and printed out the readings for first 3 lessons. I am planning on being around this block.

Carb_Addict – have you MEASURED???

Don’t forget either to take your measurements, or easier, have some clothes to judge against. Because sometimes weight is reluctant but yet you find your clothes are looser. It’s the visceral fat melting away.

Weight in pounds can be really discouraging, so don’t get hooked up on that. Other people are other people and you are you and we are all individuals. So just check the MEASUREMENTS 🙂

glucomannan powder, ( Konjac root …… i think i’ve seen that advertised as a diet aid ….. who knows what that’s going to do to your body on top of everything else that’s happening. I would be really leary of that type of thing … The BSD diet is eventually going to retrain your body and your mind …. when you achieve the results you want are you going to be taking things like Konjac root (basically a crutch) …… and in a while you will be back where you started. My theory is that it’s way better to eat healthier and healthier. ????? Just putting my oar in.

HI phlebas

Sorry you are plateauing.

HAVE YOU MEASURED??????

What is your waist doing? Are your clothes looser, your face a little thinner, does your belt do up on tighter holes?

Because – I’ve got a tape loop for this 😉 – sometimes weight will stay the same whilst the visceral fat goes away and your shape changes! This happened to me, and happens to loads of people.

It is immensely frustrating and I don’t know why it is, because surely visceral fat has weight as well as subcutaneous fat????

But tell us how your MEASUREMENTS are doing!

And don’t despair! 🙂

Hi!
Hope it’s not too late to join in with you all?
I’m 5’2″ and 13 stone exactly. I’ve already lost 1 stone 4 lbs with Slimming World but then got bored and wanted quicker results! I’m a type 2 diabetic on tablets and 5 injections of insulin a day and I’ve discovered that I really need the support of a group, so here I am!
Forgot to say that I’m 46 and want to do something to change myself forever before I get any older and I’ve got 4 stone to lose! x

Hi RubyLondon, My mother and my grand daughter are both called Ruby!! Best of luck on your 30 lbs. I have a lot more than that to lose but feeling very motivated – today at least – ask me again in a few weeks! But I did think today was easy. I have not felt hungry and I haven’t had any cravings. Long may it last!! Wishing you all the luck in the world.

into my fifth week now. First four were a doddle tbh … but I’m feeling quite down now.

Have lost no weight at all for 5 days – have been absolutely accurately recording everything. I’ve stuck to <30g of carbs & 800 calories everyday, no alcohol, lots of water, sleeping okay. No reason for not losing weight that I can see.

I will continue & weigh again in another few days. Hope everyone else is doing better!

Well done, Fairyface – great stats and menu!

Just to say re the lunch – where are you going? Can you look up the menu in advance on the net and plan what you’re having?

Have a starter portion and a salad. Or two starters as starter and main. Or no starter and a protein laden main with a side salad and no potatoes. If you are drinking wine, get a bottle of fizzy water and drink it glass for glass (or two glasses water for one wine, depending on what sort of outing it is 😉 )

You will feel awkward and as though you are making a fool of yourself but, as Captainlynne here said the other day re her long stints in hotels for work – waiters are used to customers asking for different things (and no carbs is a very common thing nowadays), and other people are often far too worried about what they’re eating to take too much notice of what you’re eating.

You can say things like – I’m not too hungry this evening, had a large lunch.

You will be absolutely fine, and given you can’t lock yourself away for 8 weeks, you might as well just see how you go when out ! 🙂

Sooooogood to hear from you GREENJANET JAN! Arent you lovely trawling thru the messages,bless you
Big hugs and glad to have you on the bus ….beep beep!
Ps yes,pleased to report those curves are deffo getting smoother! Not such a Lumpy Lulu any more!
Stir fry sounds scrummy,i’ m coming round to yours for tea! 😋😋😋😋😋

It;s good to hear about others struggling with PCOS and accompanying insulin resistance – I’m on day seven of the BSD (although only second day on the 800/8) and have so far not lost a gram! Thrilled to hear about others having great results in their first week but it does make me wonder what’s happening inside me. Will keep plugging away but I hope I get some movement on the scales soon to keep my spirits up. At least I appear to be through the grumpy carb withdrawal phase!!

Carb ‘bloat’ from the little bit of rice round the sushi? Mmmmmm. Perhaps.

But I think more likely from any number of other reasons – and I say this because my own weight goes up and down in similar ways.

My main point was to say to you – if you fall off the wagon for any reason (congratulations on OH’s job, by the way :)), then you are VERY UNLIKELY to have done too much damage in one go.

So r – e – l – a – a – a – a – x (gosh that was difficult to type ;)), and just keep on keeping on.

Believe me, YOU WILL GET THERE! 🙂

Hello everyone and welcome to the people who have joined us all today.

Day 3

Breakfast: Smoked salmon and scrambled egg
Lunch: Big mushrooms baked with feta with a handful of watercress
Dinner: Garlic and rosemary fried lamb (page 130) with beans and quinoa

Breakfast: not a big fan of smoked salmon but I zapped it in the microwave for a few seconds to cook it and then added it to my
scrambled egg. Really enjoyed it.
Lunch: I had big mushrooms in the fridge, brushed them lightly with olive oil baked in oven with feta cheese. Had no spinach so
used watercress on the side. Really enjoyed lunch.
Dinner: Lamb was lovely, not keen on the quinoa so I would perhaps just dry seal a courgette if I cook this again.

Lots of water again today. Had a headache starting this morning so nipped it quick with a paracetamol.

Weighed myself today and I am 3lbs lighter than my start weight. So pleased.
Generally feel quite well. Slept well last night (first time in weeks) and managed to get through three hours of ironing done in one go. Not been able to do that without sitting down for over 12 months.

Before I found the Blood Sugar Diet I really thought I was going to die soon. Felt so slow and sluggish for a couple of years. Started to worry about having a fatty liver! Also not being able to walk very far without sitting down is very depressing. Clothes…….thats for another day.
I am out for lunch on Friday which I was going to cancel but my husband said go and have a lovely time with friends. Bit ‘iffy’ about it as Saturday is weigh day.

Hi all you lovely BSD bus peeps,

IM BACK!!!!!!!! Been to stress land and back, eaten carbs ++++++++ not the solution, so I’m on it and at it.

Yowser luvvy, don’t get despondent, the inches never seem to happen at the same time as the weight loss, feel the bod, are the curves smoothing out, keep up the good work 🙋🙋🙋🙋🙋

I’ve missed you all, and so I didn’t miss out have spent over an hour going through 330 emails to catch up, so we’ll done everyone, keep going, imagine Xmas with a slimmer bod. Woo hoo.

Chicken stir fry for dinner with courgettes, and spring onions, yum.

Am now going to order the new BSD book and a spirallizer.

🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌🙋🙋🙋🙋🙋🙋🙋waving

*Onwards and downwards!
Oh, I hope so!

However, there is a odd phenomenon in the bodybuilding circles known as “carb bloat”. Basically, if you have been cutting, and keeping the carbs low for a long time, and you eat carbs all of the sudden – especially “dry carbs”, ( rice, pasta, beans, potatoes, cereal… ), it can cause a strange kind of bloat/retention. Perhaps, that’s what happened to me? I don’t know. I only know it happened, and now it is gone.

I saw something so “sad-funny” the other day, and it just kind of stuck with me. It was meme that read : “I no longer eat food; I eat numbers.” So true, everything these days is all about calorie, or carb count :-/

I hear you Heather Patricia…
I spent the morning reading the book and I am starting the 8 week BSD today. Now in a panic that I won’t have anything to eat! I have 30lbs to lose.
… Hitting the shops. Good luck everyone!

I found something…
*TIP FOR “HARD LOSERS”… ( “Hard losers” – god, that sounds bad, doesn’t it? Sorry. We are out there, though, and we have to go about things a bit differently :-<) Ok, here’s what I found – two things…

The 1st : Do you guys know what glucomannan powder, ( Konjac root ), is? It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless substance that can be used to thicken sauces, or soup. Also, it makes you feel full – very fast. To use, simply mix a small spoonful with cold water, ( use a whisk ), and add to whatever it is you want to thicken – stir well. ( Work fast, as the stuff sets up quickly! ) This can be found at the HF/NF store, or ordered on Amazon. Also, it can be purchased in capsule form. Take two with hot tea, or broth, for when your tummy is really growling, and you are “out of” calories for the day, or “saving calories” for a meal out,or something special. Calories… The new “currency”, eh?

The 2nd : A*k%n$ has something new out. It’s called “Lift protein drink”. I tried it over the weekend. Not bad! 90C/ 20g P / 1 cb. ( If you are really cutting, it is damn hard to get 20 g of protein for only 90 calories – just saying. ) I got mine at Walmart. It comes in different fruit flavours, and fills you up surprisingly well =] You can have one of those, and a big garden salad, and still stay under 200 calories, easily.

Any other “hard losers”, ( thyroid, PCOS, Cushing’s, Prader Willi, … ), on here? Feel free to post your “tips and tricks” ! This is tough going, ladies, and we need to support one another <3

Hi Mixnmatch,

I agree! I’m sure today’s starters will be able to spur each other on, and hopefully inspire.

We are organised in opposite ways. I know my weight, but am going to do measurements tonight… the food on the other hand, I’ve counted and noted with diligence.

Very best of luck with your BSD!

Nice to see some other new starters today, we can all help to support each other when we need it. 😀

Starting body fat today (according to my scales) 40.6% so at least this goal should be easily achievable 😊 Waist is currently 90 cm with my height at 168 that is a ratio of just under 0.54.

I have been already gradually working my way towards the fast 800 by adopting many of the principles in my own version of the 5:2 and have been increasing the fast days as I got closer to my official start date, hoping for a ‘soft landing’ and during September all of my weekdays were approximately 800 calories. I have been relatively low carb even on my non-fast days so am hoping to avoid any bad reaction to the longer term reduction.

I’ll detail my food a day in arrears as I am pretty disorganised and rarely have the details exact in advance. So today’s food will come with tomorrow’s weight. I will only track changes to the other two measures weekly.

Thanks everyone. I started week 2 today and have continued with the squash and also drinking more herbal tea to try and cut down my skimmed milk consumption. I successfully ate out for a lunch and a dinner last week and it didn’t hamper weight loss so I was pleased. I’m going away this weekend so looking ahead to the pub menu where we will be eating so I can plan what I will eat. I don’t trust myself to have a break yet, too early days. I can honestly say that I haven’t missed anything yet. I know I will and I will undoubtedly slump a bit at some point, but right now I am enjoying feeling energised. My skin seems to be brighter and the bags under my eyes are less puffy.

Oh Doordie – weight can go up and down by 2-3lbs overnight NOT because of having one evening of not-quite-BSD eating, but because of water, where you are in the digestive cycle, and all manner of things.

So it won’t be that sushi, it’ll be something which – given the mysterious nature of the human body – even an expert (you!) can’t diagnose.

So, don’t give up, life’s not fair, sure, but not because of this.

Keep on keeping on. I am known as Igorasusual ARE YOU MEASURING, because that’s what I always say when the weight sticks…..have you noticed any clothes feeling loser after your three weeks? Is your face looking just a bit thinner when you catch sight of yourself? Anything else changed? I know you’ve had some dreadful health issues – so sorry to read about it – but can you see some things getting just very very slightly better?

Your slight weight gain IS NOT BECAUSE OF THE SUSHI – have you got it???? No reason to despair.

Onwards and downwards! 🙂

Hi sunshine-girl, You really live up to your name! Thank you very much for the encouragement. I will take all your advice especially about the exercise and the water. Best of luck.

My sad little weekend story …

I’ve been adhering to the BSD religiously. I was so happy that I had finally lost a few measly pounds, – after three weeks ;-| Friday, my husband came home, and begged me to go up to Fargo, to have sushi with him, and celebrate a raise. So we went. Yes, I did eat some rice, but it was mostly sashimi, and seaweed salad. Somehow I gained EVERYTHING back in one meal! Yes, I got on the scale Saturday morning, only to discover that I had re-gained the 3 lbs overnight. I was so upset, that I “cut it to the core” for the rest of the weekend – just protein shakes, LC veggies, and broth – about 600 C a day, and have managed to lose most of the weight. But, damn… Just one freaking meal??? This morning, I am tired, sad, and angry. SOooo hard to lose, and so easy to gain :-< Yeah, I know life isn’t fair – suck it up, Buttercup. Sometimes, I just get tired of “sucking it up”.

I add a spoonful of chia or flaxseed to my morning yogurt to compensate for the drop in fibre in the rest of the diet.

Thank you very much everyone for all your replies. I suppose its all a matter of common sense – but some of it is very confusing and at times seems to be contradictory.

Yes, I had a nurse practitioner once – she was quite good. She actually listened, and tried to help. They can be better than docs sometimes.

Lanky, exercise is difficult on 800 calories so just take it easy.

Heather, oh dear, rock bottom is a hard place to hit but you know what they say, the only way is up, hey baby, for you and me girl da da da da. Sing along and dance around the house. Nothing to fear here and we all make mistakes, you should have heard me singing that just now, appalling.

Tips, measure yourself, not all weight loss shows on the scales. Plan and shop and plan again. That is probably the hardest thing about this diet, make sure you have everything you need so you don’t have to go off track. Ditch the low fat food, it is full of sugar if sweet or cereal if savory, think yogs or sausages. Drink lots and lots of water. Take it easy the first few days, don’t expect to do lots of exercise, and some people get headachy, ratty etc (although I didn’t) some people experience withdrawal, they call it carb flu. It is your body yelling give me spuds, you just have to say no. It is like any other addiction, never easy to stop but gets better.

You will make mistakes and you will learn from them, I am in week 12 and learned something new just this week, but in a few weeks this style of eating will be second nature. Enjoy. When you are laid in the gutter you are looking up at the stars. God, I’m smultzy.

The old CAP was good for a range of activities. The rugby club needed it for the insurance – I’m guessing that the risk of personal or third party injury doing Zumba is fairly limited. Although for me all that dancing would be definitely dodgy!

Oh, Frog – that banana sounds absolutely divine!

*Love aubergines! Miss my old curry house back home. Woke up viciously homesick this morning :-<

Thanks for the responses thus far, appreciate it. On the exercise side of things I will heed the advice and try to stay inside the 800 calories zone and then play it by ear as suggested.

Great to have this forum to and the support it’s members offer👍

Thanks Igor! Yogurt is one of the things I really want to like but haven’t been able to bring myself to eat. But I’m going to keep trying it! I suspect I will soon just be having tea upon getting up and then having an early lunch and then dinner. I haven’t always been a breakfast eater so that may work better for me!

Princess! Small world! Perhaps we actually know each other! Though “rural Missouri” covers a lot of ground! 😉

Hi Sunshine-girl
3.5 is an awesome number. When I was on insulin they drummed it into me that 4 is the floor. So when I came off insulin 3 weeks ago I panicked a bit at some 3.7 readings and spoke to a specialist diabetic nurse. She said that normal readings for someone without diabetes would go as low as 3.5 and they would stay within quite a narrow range so that readings that low were absolutely fine as long as I wasn’t injecting insulin. She said I had made her day as they didn’t often get good news at the diabetic clinic.

Obviously once more people start this way of eating they will be getting lots and lots of good news as people come off their medication. We might also save the NHS a heap of money as they no longer need to treat us. That might actually save the NHS.

Many thanks Igorasusual!

I know exactly what you mean – walnuts are hugely calorific, aren’t they? Luckily I’d only eaten 6… and then when I went to calorie count them, the measure I found was for 7 – so I decided I’d best be precise and have one more. They’re nice, but not daily snacks! I’ve made a note to myself that if I want a desk snack tomorrow I’d better bring something a bit lighter on the cals than walnuts.

Thanks very much for commenting on this and the advice – it’s very much appreciated, particularly from someone who has clearly done BSD very successfully!

🙂

I know, I desperately wish I was back in Canada, or the UK. I feel like I would have a better chance of getting this sorted. Oh, well – you live and learn, I suppose.

Captainlynne. I am loving the cheese and yoghurt, although I haven’t really partaken yet, too many other good recipes I am trying out! It’s nice to know I can eat it. Re the progress, well tomorrow is my official first weigh in (I have been on scales daily so won’t be too much of a surprise;), but yes, I will post, perhaps joining the newbies site to share on there.

Frog – OMG it is really bashing your head against a wall isn’t it. I am little surprised at the lack of info medical professional have re this as it’s such a big issue (no pun intended). But maybe over time things will change, here’s hoping.

Well, he only did very basic labs – checked for anemia, and general thyroid test :-< ( I wished he would have done a full lab panel, but he didn’t. ) Oh, well, I’m not in Canada anymore, and everything here is “insurance controlled”. We haven’t gotten the labs back yet. I am hoping it will show something.

SAD MOMENT : I’ve been adhering to the BSD religiously. I finally lost a few measly pounds, after three weeks ;-| Friday, my husband begged me to go up to Fargo, to have sushi with him, and celebrate a raise. So we went. Yes, I did eat some rice, but it was mostly sashimi, and seaweed salad. Somehow I gained everything back in one meal! Yes, I got on the scale Saturday morning, only to discover that I had re-gained the 3 lbs overnight. I “cut it to the core” for the rest of the weekend – just protein shakes, LC veggies, and broth – about 600 C a day, and have managed to lose most of the weight. But, damn… Just one freaking meal??? This morning, I am tired, sad, and angry. SOooo hard to lose, and so easy to gain :-< Yeah, I know life isn’t fair – suck it up, Buttercup. Sometimes, I just get tired of “sucking it up”.

Welcome PeacefulWarrior (great name!)

Wishing you all the very best with your BSD.

And I don’t want to be a party pooper, so please take this comment in the spirit in which it is meant……hope you haven’t got too large hands, as a ‘handful of walnuts’ could be more calories than you think.

They are dangerous little b—–s, and I usually say that 9 nuts (mixed nuts that is) is 10g, because even that tenth takes it over the measure, d—n it.

Onwards and downwards! 🙂

The Diet Doctor web site has good recipes (besides the BSD book and recipe book) also look at Nom Nom Paleo, which is nearly free of bad carbs.