8lbs loss now. Feeling good. How is everybody doing. It’s a new day folks! xx

Yes I am cruel…

I saw it there, just behind the wardrobe.
It was cowering, hunched up, looking lost.
It looked at me with those big eyes, asking, no, pleading with me to take it back,
Remember how we loved each other, the fun we went through,
It started to inch towards me, slowly, one tiny step at a time.

I reached , just past the tissues,…..
And grabbed the yard brush and gave it
THE BIGGEST THRASHING Its life.

It seems my memories of our relationship were all sad and tearful.

I scooped it up and put it out with the trash.

So team, if you don’t know how to get rid of a pound of Blubber, see above.

Yes , I am cruel.
But I don’t want it back.
Ever.
Full stop.

My right knee is looking pretty cute and slim.

How is your day going?

Love luica
Xxxxx

Thanks, do you know of suitable alternatives

Im in Aus.

I’m aiming for 10,000 steps average every day..so some days might do 15,000 and another 8,000etc with a couple of yoga classes thrown in. When I have lost a bit of weight might do some HILT classes.

Stay strong! My worry is I will get bored with it and give up 3 – 4 weeks in. …

Hi guys. Yes, Frog, there are lots of fantastic walks in this area. OH says that if we lived in the UK, we’d be unable to move for parked cars and people out with their dogs. It isn’t a declared natural park, but it’s beautiful enough. We don’t go to church but when the almonds are in blossom, we call this place ‘God’s own garden’.

Tabletalk, not sure what half and half is. I have it with skimmed milk. Heresy, I know, but I’ve tried upping the fat and it just isn’t right. Spain isn’t good for cream, if that’s what it is. No idea where all the cream from their dairy industry goes, probably France. We only have UHT cream and even find it difficult to buy fresh milk locally, only UHT, which I’ve now got used to.

That was an interesting run-down of food, Tabletalk. My first thought was: that looks like a lot! Just goes to show how I’ve adjusted to smaller portions. I even left some of my supper salad because I was full. Yesterday I had coffee-flavoured milk for breakfast, fake chicken madras (75 g chicken plus a bit of onion, 2 tbsp of chickpeas, cauli and courgette, all weighed and accounted for) and a pear for lunch, huge salad (biggest little gem I’ve ever seen) plus a can of tuna in oil (drained oil – sunflower oil) with a tbsp of olive oil and lemon juice for supper.

Out of interest, does MM have anything to say about five-a-day in his book? I try to get more than that, and that could be a part of my carb problem as I’m certainly eating too many tomatoes at the moment by the look of it. Not many left on the plants now, so that’ll change shortly.

OK, now for figures:

86.7 kg
-0.2 kg
– 1.7 kg

Yesterday’s food and exercise
820 cals
88 carbs
40 minutes or so of gardening.

Hi yes keeping each other on track will be good! I’m in the UK, how about you?
I’ll be ok as long as the scales keep going down, even if it’s a small amount! As soon as they show a gain (for no reason) I’ll hit the fridge!
I’m doing hiit training 3 times a week, are you?
A x

Hi Amandah, I was wondering how you were going. As Caro said above day by day. We are both aiming to be under 90 k sooner rather than later so lets keep each other on track. Are you in UK or Aus?

Keep drinking lots of water. I am having a good day today – I think it will be the three week point where i falter..

I suffered with headache for 2 days seems to be clearing this morning (hopefully)!
Yesterday I had omelette for breakfast
Lunch was salad and dinner was the courgette and prawns
I have a no sugar jelly at hand in the fridge (only 10 cals)
So far I have lost 1.4 kilos (3 days)
I would like to be under 90 kilos by the end of the 8 weeks but we will see, my weight goes on quickly but doesn’t like to come off!

Before BSD I used to think serving sizes were inherently ridiculous artifices that bore zero relevance to the way people actually ate. Now that I weigh and measure, I have a completely different understanding of serving size and how much food I actually need to feel satisfied. I’d been counting carbs for six months or so before starting BSD, but I had no idea how many calories were in my go-to meals. Salad dressing is a big one. I used to use a 1/4 cup of olive oil for every family sized salad. That’s 473 calories in oil alone! On top of that, I usually threw in some cheese — a block of feta, crumbled, 240 calories, half a package of blue cheese, 400 calories — and then of course the veggies.

Nowadays I use exactly 2 teaspoons of olive oil in all my salad dressings, usually with a tablespoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of vinegar. The trick is to whisk the dressing at the bottom of the salad bowl, add the veg and then toss everything with your hands. Tongs or spoons are nowhere near as effective at spreading around small amounts of dressing. When you use your hands, the dressing distributes perfectly, and it takes much less time to accomplish than it does with tools. The end result is fresh, crisp and delicious. Far better than the much heavier salads I used to make that I thought were great at the time.

Ok now on day 4. Down from 103.6 to 102.7 this morning. Long way to go.

Still feeling focused. I just have to stay away from the wine.

This morning I had the green tea smoothie.

Lunch is salad w beetroot/feta/avocado and a boiled egg (all measured)

Dinner a small fillet steak with baked fennel.

And I think I will even have enough for yoghurt with berries and almonds.

Sunnyb well done on the weight loss. I know I wont get the big numbers like some people but would be thrilled with 10 kilos by the end of 8 weeks. Aiming to be under 90kilos by xmas which would put me back in the overweight catagory rather than obese!

What are everyone else’s goals?

Lucyjane.

Hi Amazing Lady,
What an awesome effort!! I’m in my first week and am a very slow starter, I let a very stressful work day get to me and I caved. All is not lost however. Reading your posts has me all fired up again, you’re an inspiration. Onwards and upwards pip, pip.
Thanks heaps

Thank you for the link to the BBC program’s study, Frog. It’s fascinating that ACV had such a marked effect on blood sugar levels in the short term but not in the long term. They also properly note that overly strong acetic acid, like any acid, can be harmful to the lining of the esophagus. It can damage tooth enamel as well, which is why I always drink my solution with a straw to ensure my chompers aren’t awash in carboxylic acid.

Natalie, that is an amazing story. I had heard that some people found ACV helped reduce their acne, but never that it beat a persistent wart into submission. Congratulations on your liberation from such horrible pain! Foot pain is agony. I had a corn on a toe once and that was torture enough, thank you very much.

Ok I know I’m a chatty Cathy on here today. Just excited about making it all the way through the day in less than 50 carbs and 800 calories. Watched/measured food like a hawk today!

Menu for today:
Coffee with 1/2T half and half
2 egg omelette made with 1 T half and half
1 cup sauteed spinach
1/4 bell pepper sautéed

Tuna mixed with salsa stuffed in Joseph’s flax pita (4g net carbs) with 0.7 oz sharp cheddar cheese, 2T full fat greek yogurt
1 cup romaine lettuce with 1 T regular fat dressing

62 calorie portion of 70% dark chocolate
1/4 T natural peanut butter

4 turkey meatballs
1/2 cup green beans in butter

30 min walk at incline of 2 and speed 4
Numbers:
819 calories
64g protein
23 g carbs
50 g fat
Not hungry!!

Thanks for walking these days out with me as I put the pieces together.

Week 4 Day 1:

Breakfast: 2 x boiled eggs
Lunch:
Dinner:
Snacks: Chocolate Cake
Drinks: 2 tea with milk
Water: 12 glasses
Calories: 517
Carbs: 47g
Steps: 22937 (including 6km walk)
Weight loss: 300g (60.9kg)
Fast: 16 hrs

Didn’t really stay focused yesterday with a big piece of chocolate cake. Hope to have a better day today.

I love NYC PrintonianStud – amazing cheesecake!

Wow Snoop – 55 miles to a supermarket that is remote – you must have superb access to lovely walks though!

At home, I have Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury, Co-op and a couple of independents within a five minute walk – although they are small branches, the nearest biggish supermarket is about half a mile away.
I once moved to Sussex for work, and was so panicked about being six miles from the nearest pint of milk that I did my biggest supermarket shop ever the first weekend – including UHT milk that was still unopened when I left eighteen months later!

Snoop that does sound like a challenge with the food acquisition itself. I use my fitness pal which tracks calories, carbs, fats, and protiens. So maybe you could discern what are the best protein and fat sources for you, and create your menus around those. Any carbs in the diet seem to come from a gram here and there in the meats, yogurts, cheeses, and low GI veggies (green things). The book and website give some good lists. It may take a little studying to get it tweaked for what’s available to you. Maybe consider switching to half and half instead of milk. It’s higher in fat but lower in carbs, and you don’t need as much to lighten the coffee.

Healthy Again, all the recipes center on getting calories mainly from fats and proteins and avoiding the kinds of veggies/fruits that will spike the blood sugar. Portions are decent considering only 800 calories a day and you get a lot of bang for your buck with veggies like zucchini, green beans, squash, broccoli, salad greens, cabbage cauliflower etc. So yes, you can work out your own recipes, but keeping the macros high in fat and protein and low in carbs is the key to not being hungry all day.

couscous is made from wheat – so not a lot different to eating pasta
depending on how much you are restricting your carbs, you may be able to include small quantities, but best avoided – much the same as pasta, rice, potatoes & bread.

Healthy again
Many people on here don’t follow the recipes, or mix and match – I haven’t used any of the recipes, but just cut down on the carbs (I was aiming at below 50, am now trying to restrict to 30g)

54 you’re absolutely right! My dessert disaster this weekend was 25% choice in the beginning and then ended up being 75% bigger and and badder than I meant to be! If you will all permit me to make up random statistics : ) I will say that when I’m strictly non sugar I can do it, but the minute I have a treat I’m in risky territory. So it’s best to stay away as you said. Maybe in the end we’ll figure out how to enjoy the treats in true moderation. Ugh… slippery slope! I remember somewhere on the site or in the book Michael talking about wanting to throw out the toaster to avoid the temptation : )

I love courgetti!

My son is better already thankfully, he had a high temp yesterday and was tired and lethargic, he kept telling me places that hurt 🙁 I think he had that kind of all over feeling of pain that comes with some bugs. We spent most of the day snuggling, However he didn’t have any other symptoms and today he has been a lot better.

Our schools have been back since mid august, so my daughter is well established there and enjoying it 🙂 my son started pre-school nursery mid August too and he has been enjoying that as well. Time passes quickly – I remember trying to get pregnant with my daughter, my wonky ovaries meant 20 months of trying to conceive, so we started trying probably 2002, eventually getting pregnant in 2004, and it just doesn’t feel long ago at all!

Right I better get some snoozing done! Night Ms Frog! and all

Can you swap meals on the provided menu plan in the book with other recipes from the book provided as long as the calorie count is similar? ie. Sardine dip for peanut butter dip or veg fritata for mushroom ‘risotto’?

It is indeed coffee-flavoured milk. And delicious too as far as I’m concerned. I’d really miss not having it if I had to give it up. It takes me right through to lunch, sometimes as late as 2.30.

Calorie-wise, it fits in; carb-wise, probably not. I suppose I could try having a smaller one, but OH makes it for me and it’s taken me years to train him to make it just the way I like it. Changing the parameters is probably not a good move.

Is couscous classed as a natural carb? Can I eat it on this diet or should it be avoided? I prefer it to spuds and I find it ideal in salads.

Hi Izzy
fish recipe sounds good, I’ll try that
I had courgetti this evening, with ham,, mushrooms and mascarpone with some parmesan on top – tasted great

hope that your son feels better soon – are all your children back to school this week?

hey buddies. My son was ill so I’ve been busy with him as well as trying to get our outfits made for The Rocky Horror Show on Friday 🙂 getting there and my son is better so normal service resuming tomorrow. I just popped in to say I have a new favourite way of cooking fish! I browsed a few recipes tonight before putting a few ideas together.

Mix up 3 tbsp lemon juice in a bowl, add a tbsp tomato puree, 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp celery salt, salt, mix it all together. spread it over both sides of fish (enough for 2 fillets) and leave to marinate for 10 mins. Add olive oil to a large frying pan, and heat it up medium-hot, add fish to the pan and fry both sides – I like mine a little crispy but that’s your choice. It was yum! I had some oven baked veg with it.

I dont want to discourage people just the opposite

I do have an AWFUL lot of weight to lose so it comes off quicker, than perhaps someone with less, when i step away from the bread, cake, crisps, biscuits, sugar etc etc that i used to eat tons of.

Hey snoop… just got your ‘ponds’ comment !!!! very clever

Id need a big garden for 16 Ponds !!!

Hi Tabletalk

Alas this is a no sugar diet so step away from the bread, desert and sugar TOTALY

If you were a smoker and gave up smoking one day but then had half a fag and a cigar the next, im afraid your still a smoker !!

i try to be very strict as i know i am very bad, one biscuit will make me have another and ill give in for the day and thats it,,, no more healthy eating.. so I stay away from temptation !! (boo hoo)

Hi Snoop

Im a coffee lover too

Wont cut it out as i realy like that first cup in the morning

Used to have 8+ a day, now trained myself to have 4 morning, lunch, tea, bedtime

I measure milk and count calories, (hate black coffee) 50 ml FULL FAT for THE DAY. Put this is a jug and use this, any left is bonus for next day.
200ml in a cup is a lot !!!! (Its coffee flavoured milk !)

if in doubt perhaps rely on the the 3 good old healthy eating staples, chicken, fish and salad !!

@josie53 …

Oh dear we are soul sisters. I lost close to a stone in April and then did exactly what you did. Put it all back on 🙁 this time I am going to go until the end of October at least and aim aiming to lose over two stone. I am scared of my ability to not give up but I really can’t as else this weight will never come off!

Hi Yowzer: Thanks for telling Moogie. What I did was changed my log -in name to this one here and my password and I was able to get in. I also used my other name and sent a message that I forgot my password and Moogie sent me a new one. So I will use whatever one will work.

Do you go by the same name there that you use here?

Thanks for the encouragement, Tabletalk. My biggest difficulty will possibly be getting hold of ingredients. I’ll have to wait and see. Nearest supermarket is a 55 mile round journey. Anything with fish is going to be difficult. But I’m sure I’ll be able to find substitutes.

One of the things I might really have to think about giving up is coffee. I have it with a lot of milk (200 ml) for breakfast. Bit like a latte macchiato (tiny amount of espresso but all that milk). Not many calories, but 10 carbs right there.

hmm, I thought bake off – Bread week, no chocolate, that’ll be OK
first up – chocolate bread challenge!!

Hi Everyone!
me too Imogen – too many plateaus!
The current one has been so long I’ve decided to kick start with being v. strict for a few weeks.
Today about 9.5k steps, 650 calories and 28g of carbs. I am going to try and keep below 30g average for a while.

Now – can I watch bake off without snacking?

Hi Tabletalk – I am in the UK so the carbs are net with the fibre deducted. I absolutely love pears, cherries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries and it has been so hard to restrict them. I have also had yoghurt and fruit for breakfast for years but I am beginning to like eggs for breakfast instead.

Yeah! Back of the bus, with my BSD buddies, thanks Jan🌻

Hi Yowser,
I found the second cycle of BSD relatively easy, just continued very much the same; however, I do have frequent, sometimes extended plateaus which have stretched my patience…this 3rd cycle has been harder, think changing some foods, or adding new recipes might help with that…have found a tendency to repeat the same foods and may have got a got a little bored 😕 hence the little treat yesterday!!

Hi Imogen and Yowser

We is back on the BSD bus, all on the back seat together.

Yowser I see you are doing well, go girl, and Imogen what’s a wobble when you are on the back seat. We can all do this together.

It’s still lovely sunny weather here so still in fage and strawberries mode. Long may it last. 😎😎😎🍓🍓🍓😎😎😎

Hi Janey🙋

Glad you’re still with us…all the way from Sweden…never eaten Brazillian food – exciting!

JANEY! Yay! So glad you called by x
Hi how are you? Sweden eh! How swish! Ohh those brazilian restaurants are very meat heavy arent they! Hope youre enjoying some tasty grub anywayand maybe a cheeky little glass of wine or two ! XX

HIIII IMOGEN! yes i think so too..Lucky deserves time out but its very noticeable when she’s absent! Miss her lovely warmth and humour!
interesting about the Oppo..i havent tracked any down yet..lots folk here seem to love it and its a shame it hasnt agreed with you as seems to be a good low carb treat. Hope the hangover has passed..not a good feeling is it..well done tho on being at week 20! Is the second cycle easier/ harder/ same as first one?
I am just embarking on week nine and wondering if i will get a bit bored soon..i think i need to ring the changes and try some different meals! X

Hi all, can’t speak for Lucky but I’m still here! Currently in Sweden in business… Eating a lot of meat in a Brazilian restaurant!

Hi Arty,

What a great life…enjoy!

Hi Yowser,

Hope all good with you?🌻

Yes, I’ve been missing the old gang😞, notice that both you and Igorasusual both active supporting the new starters🙌

Agree with you regards Lucky, she puts others before her own needs and deserves some downtime also… just wanted her to know that she’s missed and appreciated!

Went slightly off plan yesterday, feeling a little jaded and decided to have a treat so my first try of oppo icecream (though delicious), a disaster for me personally as my body no longer used to processed food of any kind and suffered awful ‘hangover’ this morning….back to strict BSD me thinks! …Week 20+ but still a long way to go.

Hii IMOGEN! ive been wondering where LUCKY is too..and TIMMY and JANEY..tho Janey was here briefly yesterday i think..
Hope Lucky hasnt run herself down too much..she’s always so busy,usually stuff for others too..she’s a little mother hen to everyone and i know she said on sunday she was feeling very tired x

Day 18 BS 8.6 mmol/L . Things are going along and into a regular routine. I did not tell you guys that I am a professional fly tyer here in Oz ,have been running my business as a sideline to full time teaching. Now retired since August 1st that is what I do, paint landscapes water colours and oils and tie flies and go fishing in my new boat…. does sound and is good. Oz has some beautiful waterways and the weather is usually good. I am sure ladies you may be married to a fly fisherman so you will know what I am talking about.

Hope everyone is well

Okay 4stonetolose, at least this time you know what to expect and I’m sure you realise that your goal is not an impossible one, as others have proved here on the forum. Don’t think in terms of 16weeks, think in terms of goals to be achieved. Set yourself some mini goals, to help keep you focused and motivated – there is a mini goal thread to give inspiration for this. Remember to take some measurements, a reduction in these can help spur you on, as much as seeing the reading on the scales go down.

Make good use of the forum as there is heaps of advise and tips and a whole crew of lovely supportive people that you can vent at and get encouragement. Looking forward to reading your positive results soon …. Good Luck!

Okay, I have consulted the Oracle (my spreadsheet) and my next mini goal is also a biggie. 2 more pounds lost and I have lost 30% of my former body weight!

2 more after that and my weight starts with a 12 for the first time in decades.

Has anyone heard from lucky?? Did she move (forums) without leaving a forwarding address?…..😱😅 Hope you OK Lucky and just enjoying yourself.x