👋🏼 New here & new to the BSD! Started on Monday 26th September with not stacks to lose, and technically still – just – in the “healthy” BMI range. Doing the BSD vego with a little bit of fish, so a slight additional challenge.

I’ve struggled to lose the last 5-10kg since my early 20s. Even without tests, I know I’m carb addicted and at risk of metabolic syndrome (if not there already): I get incredibly sleepy and nauseous after almost every meal, very light-headed and cranky when hungry, and despite having a smallish frame I carry a significantly disproportionate amount of visceral fat around my middle (and basically none on my hips, butt or thighs) and have done my entire life. My cortisol levels have been through the roof since I was a teenager, and healthy weight loss has been next to impossible except for 12 months in my early 20s when I ate basically nothing but celery and tuna (that was gross and awful, don’t do it).

My goal is to look healthily (but not obsessively) athletic, to not bulge around the middle anymore — that is to not feel self-conscious about my stomach and back when wearing even vaguely form-fitting clothing. Bonuses are: it’d be great to feel confident enough to take off my cardigan in the summer time and bare my arms, or to wear a swimsuit in public. Right now, both of those are out of the question.

I started at 63.3kg, waist 79cm, body fat 26.6
day 5 today I’m at 61.8kg, waist 75cm, body fat 25.5

My goal by 8 weeks is to get down to roughly 54kg (I’m 164cm tall so that’s still very much in the healthy BMI range), with a waist of 70cm & body fat of about 20-22%.

I’m happy to stop earlier if I’m happy with the way my clothes fit me. But 54kg is a rough guess based on the lightest weight I’ve ever been — I still wasn’t “skinny” looking so to speak, and had a pretty thick waist even then.

The last two days have been slow / standstill and I imagine it’ll be slow af for me throughout the 8 weeks, as I don’t have huge amounts to lose. I think I’ll be happy with an average loss of about 1kg per week (which is roughly 2.2 pounds). But even if I keep losing *something* each week, I’ll be happy.

Good to join the party. 🙂

Hi Nettle

Yes, contacts do weigh less😀

I prefer the photo that was published. I liked the skirt, but not the blouse – think it was the colour! It was a really pale pink – seen it a lot in the shops since!

Still trying to decide where to put the photos!😱

I had my colours analysed years ago (I’m a winter) and might decide to treat myself to the full package – colour analysis, style analysis and make-up lesson. Feels like I need some good advice to kick-start my new wardrobe. It’s really difficult knowing what suits me after all these years 😱I just feel so out of touch with clothes!

I’ll try to post the photos on here tomorrow. I did post the before photos a few weeks ago.

Hi Christi

I’m still using the chia mix but dialled back the psyllium, I find I am experimenting with all sorts at the mo, a veritable laboratory rat.
In the past I tried Tumeric as Blue mentioned….however for me it was dynamite. Once tried never forgotten.
N.

Hi Blue

I see from your results you are doing a great job. Doesn’t it feel satisfying, unlike any weight loss I have worked at in the past. I’ve just completed 29 weeks, lost 18kg and in normal range BMI so I, like Lynne, am experimenting with the wriggle room thing. A few more kg down if and when, or not. Pressure is off and a feeling of staying this way permanently is with me every day. That normal in your head you mentioned. If I suck the abdominals in now, there is bone, right there near the surface.

N.

Hi Captainlynne
I saw the red dress on HRH and the red shoes. Apparently she has been working on her figure, SHE’S NOT THE ONLY ONE!

Do you realise that contacts will thin you down? They weight a bit less than specs. 🤗

Thumbing through the latest popular mag today, saw a great section on fashion for the larger girls, too late, flick over to next page! I am off on a holiday next week to shop and yes, I realised that the choice will be much greater in the average sized range. Lots of trying on to fathom a suitable new look. Recommenced one of my classes yesterday, we’ve not met up since April, questions were asked, weight loss noted, information exchanged.

Which shot do you like the best, skirt and blouse or published one? Leave them both handy so you can look, enjoy and consolidate your success.

N.
PS On the subject of the Duchess of Cambridge, does anyone else get annoyed at the press still calling her Kate Middleton? I have yelled at them about it several times over the years…and it is years, but it persists. WHY?

I’m not overkeen on fennel (I used Fennel toothpaste for years, so fennel in/with food or drink always tastes like … well, cleaning my teeth)
– but cod with chorizo sounds delicious – & I have a chorizo sitting in the fridge when I get home
Maybe on a bed of leeks, instead of the fennel.

HI Doordie – hope that the appointment went well – and the Doctor wasn’t too weird.
Did you take your husband along so that the Doctor had someone to explain his diagnosis to?
(that’s me being just as bad, and assuming that the Doctor is male!)

No Caldini – the lesson to learn is that champagne is tons less carby than lager 🙂
belated happy Birthday
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/alcohol

I agree with flash that eating real food is a better way of eating in terms of re-educating yourself with good nutritional info.
I also never quite feel that a drink (or shape) is a proper meal – I’m a bit the same with soup.

I’m still clearing stuff out of the cupboards (throwing, not eating – well mostly!) – but my final day pre BSD did include champagne & afternoon tea at a very nice hotel 🙂

Quick catchup as we’ve been really busy. On Monday we had:
Avocado with tuna and spring onion
Chickpea and pecan nut salad
Courgetti prawns

On Tuesday:
Pears, cottage cheese and walnuts
Spanish chickpea and spinach soup
Stir fry chicken

On Wednesday:
Hard boiled egg and half an avocado
Chilli and green veg
Feta cheese, courgette and raspberry salad

Wednesday was also my birthday. I bought some tubs of chocolate sweets (small brownies etc) from M&S to share round at work. I ate two of them, which is fairly restrained for me! But I shouldn’t have done it. In the evening it was Toastmasters and I was Timekeeper so it seemed appropriate to mention that it was my birthday. Needless to say I ended up having a pint of lager or two (four actually) bought for me. Well you know what lager does to your hunger levels. On the way home I had 7 of the 8 cookies in a packet of Fox’s Crunch. Erk! Well, it was my birthday. Back to normal On Thursday.

I think there’s a lesson to be learnt here though. Be prepared for failure. If I think I’m going to waiver, accept the fact but make sure I have a better alternative e.g. Red wine instead of beer. Some healthy food in my bag instead of biscuits from the late night shop.

Thursday’s food:
Cottage cheese, raspberries and spinach (I’d have happily left out the spinach)
Crayfish lettuce cups
Another small M&S brownie (last one, promise)
Harissa chicken

Hi everyone
I emailed fatsecret yesterday – I’d tried to enter a food to the database, but got an error message saying that total carbs had to be higher than the grams of fibre. I emailed pointing out that it claims to be a UK website, the UK/US differences on carb figures, and asking for an explanation. It’s odd, I don’t check everything now, but did cross check most entries that I used for the first week or so, and the nutrition seemed pretty accurate.
I can see me going back to my trusty spreadsheet at this rate!

The journey down to Dorset was good. I heated my lunch before I left (in a Tupperware type container) & wrapped it inside a jacket in my luggage, and it was still perfectly hot when I ate it on the train about an hour later. I may have made the carriage stink of broccoli, but never mind!
Ann had made a delicious aubergine curry for supper, which was great, with lemon dhal, probably a bit carby, but I just had a small portion, spinach & pine nuts. Think I’ll ask Ann for the aubergine recipe.

Bit of guess work on quantities, but have just logged it and I think around 800 got the day and 50g of carbs.

AFTER DAY 15

Weight: 72.6 kg
Walking : 9250 steps.

I bought a spiraliser a few months ago but was a bit disappointed. Maybe I should watch the YouTube videos – it was probably me not using it properly. Will do that right now!😊

Had the cod with chorizo and fennel baked in the oven, flavours were good but the fish wasnt quite done after the time and temp in the book, so will try it at a higher temp next time as i don’t think 190 is high enough.

The salmon crusted with lemon zest and dill and ground almonds with roasted veg was tasty enough, times and temp were right, as fish was cooked through, but might need a bit more lemon zest or a drizzle of lemon, for my taste as i like strong flavours.

Next might try the skinny cottage pie, so fingers crossed its good, with be nice comfort food on winter nights.

Kristin I too have 100 (plus a few more) to lose and am on my third eight week cycle. I have recorded my weekly losses on my profile, and the plateau so although we are all different it will give you one persons progress so far.
I didn’t weigh myself until the end of the first eight weeks as the scales made me nervous early on. I don’t have diabetes but my chloresterol is great now.

The first weeks seemed to go slowly but now I’m in a bit of a groove so proof it does get easier and those pounds have started to add up when I get to 56 I will be half way so down hill from there I hope. My goal is next May.

Lots of nurses here !! I am one too !!
I started last sunday, too scared to get on the scales !! Uniform is feeling looser though.
Going ok, lots of planning & I have just got the recipe book which looks great.

I am drinking lots of water & using the stairs instead of the lift.
I havent felt hungry yet but its early days.
I really want this to work as I am fed up of being fat !!!

How you doing Tired?

Yes lots of luck Old Tigress. Me too 62 and Nurse, started on Monday and actually managed to stick with it! Good luck I am sure you can do it! Barbara

Starting today. Nice to other”mature” women having success. I ‘m 62 and don’t want another heart attack or slowly die of diabetes. I’m a nurse and have seen what can happen. Wish me luck!

Thank you Snoop. I really feel that I have achieved part of what I set out to do which is to prove I am not diabetic. I’ve still got a way to go in my weight loss journey but I am confident that I can do it and also get my sugar numbers down to normal.

Janey. Have a great holiday in Spain. I too seem to have kicked the sugar habit although I am planning to make a tiramisu this weekend for guests and planning to have some – the key word here being “planning” not just randomly indulging. I’m trying to learn a bit of Spanish for a holiday we are taking in December. Hasta luego!

I’ve been eating low carb @1200 calories using MFP for most of a year. The difference between MFP and the BSD, for me, is that I drop 400 calories of fat. I still eat quite a bit of fiber (30-40 grams most days).

Formally, the BSD doesn’t restrict carbs – they are to be considered side dishes, rather than the main event, and should be made up of high quality carbs (with lots of above ground veggies & fiber and few or no simple starches). Some of the recipes in the book are a bit too high carb for me – so I still count carbs and calories to make sure the higher carbs don’t mess with my blood glucose levels.

Hi everyone, I am pleased to say I am less stressed today!!
Lunch cheese and butterbean salad with dressing. Snack – apple and 5 peanuts. Dinner – courgette and bean bake, (we all loved this meal). Greek yogurt and blueberries. Quick walk this evening.
Felt a tad hungry this morning and felt a bit light headed, but drank some water and had a coffee and the feeling passed. Of course it could have been the stress!!! I had a mid afternoon snack which is unusual, but have been following a vegetarian diet so it could be having no meat, as it is the first time I’ve felt like this while being on the plan.
Hope all is well with you all xx

Yes, as long as it is not the pre-packaged processed meat with can contain pumped in sugars or cereals. If you roast it yourself or buy it from a supermarket rotisser section, or if you have bought chicken breast or thighs etc and cooked them yourself. I do sometimes buy cooked chicken breast from the cold meats section, as long as it looks like real chicken it should be okay. If I am wrong someone will come on and answer because I don’t live in England and in my supermarket you can see them being cooked.

That’s okay at least I know I am doing it right

I forgot to add, I’m going to stick to this ratio for the next few days and see if my energy levels remain high whilst exercising:

800 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
25 g Carbs (13%, 100 kcal)
90 g Protein (45%, 360 kcal)
38 g Fat (42%, 340 kcal)

Hi Igorasusual,

I changed the values as suggested, and the fat % is still coming out to be very low. Details below (based on carbs 50g, and using the recommended value for Protein):

800 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
50 g Carbs (25%, 200 kcal)
108 g Protein (54%, 432 kcal)
19 g Fat (21%, 168 kcal)

I’ll scan your posts to get a better insight in fat and carb ratios.

Thanks

Protein not FAR behind. ***** predictive text 🙁

Hi there!

Most people here try to keep carbs at 50g per day or under.

Try putting that in the site. It will recommend the protein necessary to maintain muscles (I always use the recommended middle figure as not very active or very inactive) then add calories (it may say too low, if so ignore) and it will calculate the fat.

I think the fat will come out c 60% roughly with protein not daw behind

If you search for my posts you will find some recent replies on something called – I think – fat content or similar.

Hope that helps 🙂

Yes, sadly it IS the largest figure 🙁

In that case, I count the biggest number on packaged food. But when I use a calculator my daily carbs are just one figure unless I go into every item one by one, guessing I am still using the higher figure. Just checked, for example oranges, 15.5 carbs of which 12.1 are sugars, 3.4 are dietary fibre – so yes, I use the top figure. of 15.5 – is that wrong, am cheating myself out of some grub

>I planned for about 10 days before starting

Thanks, I should do this but I am going to do day by day for now otherwise I will talk about it and not do it.

I am like the smoker standing outside the hypnotherapy clinic smoking 20 cigarettes in 10 minutes before he goes in for the treatment.

Tomorrow I have planned

Breakfast
Protein Shake

Lunch
Chicken Breast and Frozen Veg

Dinner
eggs and ham

Water and black coffee

I am taking it day by day tomorrow I will flick through the recipe book and choose Saturdays plan but will try to add more veg.

Hello!

I am new here and am planning and preparing for starting this diet in a couple of weeks. I looked over the existing topics and couldn’t find this answer anywhere. In some of the recipes he says to add 3 oz of chopped cooked chicken to other ingredients. Does this mean I can use any kind of chicken, such as rotisserie or roasted or grilled? I know it’s a silly question I just want to make sure I’m understanding how to prepare meals the right way.

Thanks for your help!

I planned for about 10 days before starting – grazing down the stuff not on the plan and shopping for the good stuff, with meal plans in place, not the same as the book but adapted to my own tastes and as a ‘home aloner’ allowing for the other portions later in the week etc.

In the end I didn’t stay with the fixed menu for more than 2 weeks but it gave structure at first, especially to my shopping trip (quick as just skip whole aisles).

I didn’t have donut type things in the house when planning – they entered but never survived 24 hours in my house! And cheesecake was my nemesis at times over past 8 wks. But still 2 st down. 2 more to go….

Agree with others that all the sugar in the one day before could be an intense detox effect, plan and start a week later with a gradual come down…. seems a good suggestion. And I say that as an impatient person….. planning can be your friend

Snoop I lost count! 🙂

I did think it would be better to do real food so I could get into good habits with food.

The meal replacement just makes things easier to start with, but I guess its harder later coming off the meal replacement shakes and going back onto food.

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. I used the calculator ( http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ ) to target a 40%,40%,20% (carbs, protein, fats)split, but the fats came out very low (80g, 80g, 18g) with a warning! Is this ratio incorrect for this diet?

To move the fats consumption into the healthy range (49g) and setting 60g for Protein, the Carbs value goes to 30g (15%, 30%, 55%).

I compared this to the last three days, using myfitnesspal, and these are numbers extrapolated:

Day – kcal (Carbs, Protein, Fats) – Exercise kcal
Day 1 – 840(74g, 64g, 21g) – 1098kcal
Day 2 – 1,375(139g, 65g, 56g) – 918kcal (I felt light-headed for most of the day)
Day 3 – 840 (66g, 80g, 28g) – no exercise
Day 4 – today

Apart from noticing that I cannot stick to 800kcal!, is my ratio of carbs to protein and fats incorrect? What should I be targeting to not feel light-headed after doing exercise?

My dad was /is total teapot – the dr told him to go on to caffeine free tea back when it was almost unheard of, because he was drinking so much tea. He had to learn to face teabags instead of loose tea for the first time. He would have a full pot even if only him and top it up to stew some more…. I used to joke that there were only 2 reasons why he would not have a pot on – asleep or out of the house! Unsurprisingly I have been able to make tea for as long as I can remember yet coffee was totally absent until my future brother in law was brought home. As a child I apparently refused tea right from the start, as a teenager I found coffee to be equally yuck.

As for ignoring work buffet – WOW! Pat yourself on the back. I can avoid what is not there, but cave in when I have it under my nose, such is my limited willpower….

That’s really interesting Igorasusual .

I’ve just checked a few packaged goods on Fatsecret , such as Nairns oatcakes, and the packet shows ‘available’ carbohydrates and the amount of those carbs that are sugar. In a separate heading it has the fibre content. Fatsecret shows the ‘available’ carbs as ‘carbs’ then subtracts the ‘fibre’ giving a ‘net ‘ figure!!! This is plainly wrong!!

Anybody using Fatsecret needs to be careful when including ‘manufactured’ foods. The carb value is the ‘net’ value.

Igorasusual do we count the net carb figure for fresh foods?

Hi. I’m on day 4. Going really well 1/2 stone down (I know probably just water), but my concern is that in comparison to normal , my fibre is very low. I track my food usually on My Fitness Pal so have continued. I’m not eating the quantity of veg that I usually eat. Still lots of variety and all the lower carb types. What have other people found? I usually add oat bran to my morning food but have stopped this due to the high carb content. Any thoughts?

Thanks Avila. I would like to cut back a bit on tea. I rarely drink coffee but I’m a proper tea pot! I’m waiting for the dramatic come down from no sugar (refined type, I’m still eating berries) but I’m amazed that it feels fine. I sometimes think that it’s more about where my head is when I’m trying to lose weight and this determines my success. I regularly exercise usually, so I’m just stepping it up a little. Managed to ignore a buffet today at a work training event, it took all my willpower!! Just ate my little box of food!

Although I have been around most of the other forums, mainly Welcome, I am starting my own first foray into BSD Fast 800 on Monday too, so will keep dropping in here to see how it is going. I have already lost 6 stone, with the last three being due to my discovery of the 5:2 version of this diet, although I have been working up to the full fast by progressing from 5:2 to 4:3 to 2:5 which is where I am at the moment. I am going away to Cornwall this weekend and will be eating (and drinking) whatever comes, but on Monday I will be joining the strict measurement club again. Best of luck with your new beginning on Monday. My mid term-goal is to get into the top end of my healthy weight bracket before Christmas.

Still going strong Babs, well done! Emphatic non diabetes is great! Hopefully you husbands numbers will also drop too.

I’m actually on holiday in Spain this week so alcohol intake has been higher than in recent months. BUT desserts, ice creams and sweet treats are still not really on the radar – I’ve definitely kicked the sweet tooth. My biggest pitfall this week has been bread, , but I’ll get back on track when we get back to U.K. This weekend.

Onwards and downwards!

Net carbs are total carbs less fibre.

In the UK the carbs shown on packaging ARE net carbs.

Net carbs are what we count.

Hope that helps 🙂

Me too.. Day 3.

Hello again. Good news on the first mini- weigh in – 2lb down after three days. Enough to keep me going anyway.

Fish and Mediterranean vegetables, from the new recipe book, tonight.

Not hungry. Rather thirsty, and I’m not doing enough to keep up with that.

Also, rather tired. I feel exhausted reading about 10,000 steps! Well done. Maybe tomorrow …
Good luck all x

Doordie … the final operation was just the hysterectomy … because my ovaries were already gone. They thought i had a tubal pregnancy so they took one tube and ovary out … but i got a post surgical infection and they ended up taking out the other ovary. Then i had the continuous painful period … so they did the hysterectomy.

I did fine. I’m actually still taking a low dose estrogen decades later — but i seldom remember to take the pill unless i’m hot flashing.

P.S. there are still old fossils around!!!

P.S.S. …. i still feel “randy”… but my sex life sucked the same before and after. I still appreciate** a good** book!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 even when i haven’t taken my estrogen!

Hi Plumptious,
What a tremendous achievement! I’ve just read this entire thread in total admiration. I’ve got an awful long way to go, but stories like yours, and especially your comments in your post earlier today, are a tremendous inspiration. Congratulations to you and your partner.

Hi Poppetini!!! ,,,, saw you in the other thread.

I realized yesterday that if i’m reaching for liquor or simple carbs … or just eating a ton … that there is something wrong and i had better figure out what it is and how to respond to the problem other than with food. Or just to acknowledge the problem and my feelings about it and figure out how to be at peace with it.

Hanks, hubby cook the red thai curry on Monday while I was at zumba class. It was really good, I had cauliflower rice and he had nothing with it, guess that is why he is doing well too, not diabetic or overweight but just developing a little tum.

Tonight I am making the lamb tagine.

Those are great ones …. especially love finding the silver linings.

Today i add

… had cheese omelette with bacon at mall restaurant after aquabics (no toast, no fries, no tomatoes) and the waitress just charged me for the cheese omelette plate …. FREE BACON!!! 🙂

Just carbs, not sure what net carbs are

Hi Shy,

Yup, Fatbloke is right, Bran Flakes are quite carby. Bananas too. And while nuts are good fats, watch out for the calories. Another really helpful poster on these threads – Igorasusual – has recommended this calculator to figure out your macros: http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ I hope it helps!