That’s excellent phlebas, 4 inches lost is amazing, I have lost 2 off my waist so far. Disappointing weigh in this morning, 1 lb up since the weekend. 🙁 Daughter has been cooking so calories have not been counted and carbs have probably crept up. She is off visiting her dad over the next few days so intend to be stricter while she is away.

Hello Determined,

Good to hear you’re already logging and counting etc – it’s a useful habit to get into. Clearing out your cupboards is also helpful as you can remove all temptation!

I just did a quick check of oatcakes (Nairns brand) online. They have 58.6g of carbs per 100g so possibly not the best thing to go for if you are trying to keep your carb count at or below the recommended 50g per day. But it doesn’t matter for now as you’re just settling into the diet and figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Ideally you should eat full fat too as fat helps to keep you feeling full, tastes better and unlike the low fat versions of things, tends not to have added sugars (and other chemicals) to make it taste nice! It’s quite counter to typical dietary advice so some people find breaking away from low fat quite a scary prospect, but take the plunge! Have a look through the recipes on here whilst you wait for your book as they’ll give you an idea of what other people are eating.

Hey preston88 and welcome!

You are in the right place for advice and tips and recipe ideas so keep browsing the forums as you will pick up so much useful information. Don’t be frightened of switching over to full fat. Try to think of it that low fat basically means something that has all the stuff which makes it tasty and filling taken out and replaced with sugars, additives, chemicals and other nasties which are not doing you or your body any favours. Full fat foods keep you fuller for longer, generally taste much more delicious and you don’t need as much of them. You can start swapping things slowly – for example, full fat Fage/Total yoghurt with berries instead of Muller Lights. Then try adding a little cream into your cooking (cauliflower rice with bacon, green beans, a splash of cream and grated fresh parmesan is heavenly!) or putting proper butter on your veg. You will soon start to notice you’re eating better quality food which fills you up AND lets you lose weight, it’s a win-win!

Don’t worry about not liking fruit and veg. Your tastes will change and you will hopefully find that you start enjoying them more. Try to stay away from tropical fruit such as pineapple, mango etc as they are high in sugars. Similarly vegetables that grow underground should be limited (potatoes, parsnips, carrots etc). Berries and citrus fruit are good in moderation. Leafy green veg is great and will also help with fibre content. I’m a huge fan of cauliflower as you can flavour it really easily and it’s quick to cook.

Willpower I find goes hand in hand with preparation, planning and motivation. You know you want/need to lose weight so set some mini goals so that the big figure of 5 stone isn’t too overwhelming. For example, I am hoping to drop a dress size by the end of December. I’ve chosen that so that I don’t get too obsessed with numbers on the scale. Take things day by day or even meal by meal. Congratulate yourself on the good choices you make but don’t beat yourself up if you slip up or things don’t go according to plan. You’re only human after all! But if you follow the plan, browse the forums, are willing to try new and different foods/recipes, you will be onto a winner. That first step on the scales when you’ve been on the BSD for even only a few days will definitely make you want to keep going!

Use this thread to update us with how you get on and to ask for advice. Look forward to hearing from you soon! 🙂

So do you count calories, carbs, fat etc for all your meals? I am just trying to follow the 8 week plan in the book at the moment. No idea really what I should be aiming for each day as far as intake of carbs etc, just to stick to 800 cals a day at the moment.

Hi Shalimar & Flash21
Thanks both for your advice, I’ll take it all on board. I am logging everything, writing down and counting and it’s going well. (So far!!) yes, as you said it’s just a question of taking one day at a time and being prepared, food wise.
Going to have a good clear out of food cupboards this afternoon, getting rid of any lurking goodies, and sorting of herbs and spices.
I tried to make a healthy buckwheat pancake this morning ( my own made up recipe!!! ) but it went in the bin, and I ended up with oatcakes and cottage cheese. Are oatcakes ok or not? I am waiting for my BSD book to arrive, so not sure. Also the cottage cheese is low fat, am I supposed to be eating full fat ?
All advice, gratefully received.

7lbs in 10 days! WOW! You are doing brilliantly! Glad you solved your computer problems so you could come back and tell us this news 🙂 You’re racking up the steps too, which is fantastic. To be honest, as long as you are counting your carbs and still avoiding all the refined sugars and so on, I don’t think a few extra calories really matters. Ok, it may slow your weight loss but so far it seems as though you’re not having too many problems on that front anyway. If I were feeling weak I’d prefer to up my calories a bit and see what happened.

I’ve had a bit of a blip and so have decided to restart properly from yesterday. I am going to try some more recipes from the book and from the ones suggested here. Am trying to be better and planning and preparing too.

Keep on keeping on!!

Just bought the books so just reading through them now. My main issue is having done every diet under the sun I’m used to “fat free” foods – eg mullerlights & skimmed milk etc so worrying a little about going full fat. Also I like my food (hence the weight). I’ve been cutting out chocolate etc recently which is killing me but paying for PT lessons so seems silly to carry on eating my way through the “nice ” stuff when I’m dying in the gym! Have tried the 5:2 diet before & that was ok – just sticking to it is the issue

Any tips for help would be great – not fantastic with fruit & veg but getting better & also don’ like anything too spicy

Willpower tips gratefully received

Ideally need to lose over 5 stone

eggs … any way … i usually throw some chopped onions and chopped ham in a pan … add the eggs on top in any way … and fry

can of solid white tuna or salmon … and Miracle Whip … chop celery if have some
cottage cheese with a ton of chives
sardines in oil from the can
pickled herring tidbits

Big pot of soup …. Add chicken (just added legs with skin on to the pot just now), or other meat, dry lentils and/or can of beans of any type, any vegetables (green beans, celery and cauliflower this morning) … use water and some whole allspice, bay leaf, i added poultry spice and turmeric this morning …. OR just use bought stock/broth. Can add cabbage etc. too.

Chilli : fry up some hamburger meat and onion, add can of whole tomatoes, add any vegetables and/or any kind of beans, peppers if you have it …. cumin, chilli spice, salt and pepper. It’s my cleanthefridge chilli.

I love sugar snap peas, sliced cucumber, tiny tomatoes, fresh sliced peppers, avocado, chopped vegetables …. in any combination … raw and naked … or with dip

I don’t cook …. i love to eat out … like ribs, cornfried catfish …. i just have them with vegetables instead of potatoes

If you have an oven … i hear that chopping up vegetables and put them on a baking dish with salt and pepper and any herbs you like … just roast them in the oven

Hi topcac

Have taken your advice and eat a few more calories a day, I have been using cooked chicken and occasionally cheese. I did a long walk yesterday and keep drinking on my way round so not quite so weak. Day 10 – 7lbs off. I am feeling better though as I am getting nearer to the two week mark, which I am sure will be a turning point in the way I feel.

How are you doing?
Hillybob

Well done Norfolkgal!

Day 28 here – 4 weeks in. Life is pretty mental ATM, I’m not having much time to think about eating (which is good). I still haven’t weighed myself – I must get over my fear of the scales – but am back in my size 14 clothes & have lost 4 inches from my waist in the last 4 weeks.

Hi Flash21 – so nice of you to ask. Have had some problems with my computer and have now sorted it out thank goodness. Things are going really well – I am on Day 10 and have lost 7lbs so far so I am feeling very positive. I still get a bit weak and tired on my walks (I did 15,200 steps yesterday). I don’t think I can manage on 800 calories a day but the additional calories I am eating are all good. I have resisted wine which is such an achievement and the more I think about the calories I was consuming the stronger it makes me to keep off it! I love Michael’s book. without exception (other than the Miso soup) I have loved every recipe that I have cooked. Feeling so good and am determined to keep going.

Now how are things with you??

Hillybob

Doordie I don’t have PCOS but I’m having uterine fibroids removed in a couple of weeks so I’ll let you know if that makes any difference.

Hmmm, sadly I still do love the taste rather than being put off them. But with this new figure and new way of eating, I can consume nowhere near as much as I could without getting stomach pain, haha! Quite a good deterrent 🙂

Am not brill or PC savvy and guess this should be really easy to do, but how do you add a picture on here?

I have a photobucket account

Thanks

Fellow PCOS sufferer here too! My weight loss can be extremely slow and stubborn at times but then there are occasional points where I will drop – sometimes by only a 1lb, but a loss is a loss! I have learned that I need to be extremely patient when I’m trying to lose weight and I am not naturally patient AT ALL! I can totally understand you being at the end of your tether, it is so very frustrating. Are you drinking lots of water? I used to worry about retaining water weight but then read that the more water you drink, the more it flushes out water weight, which doesn’t make sense really but does work. I’m not a big water drinker typically but am trying to increase my intake whilst on this plan. For PCOS sufferers the low carb suggestion of around 50g/day may need to be reduced even further. What is your typical carb intake? Are you tracking all your carbs and calories?

Oooh good to know! Thanks 1960smp 🙂 I’ve stuck to Fage but willing to try other brands! Will head to Sainsburys when my big pot runs out.

Keep on singing Jan!!!!

Avila …. Interesting notion that it’s best to take a month off between rounds. I have just been on holiday for most of September and have followed the principles but certainly not stuck to 800 or anywhere near it!!!! I put on 2.6lbs, just over a kilo, and am doing a 7 day reboot at the moment keeping within 30g of carbs. Today is only day 2 but it may be interesting to see if my ‘break’ from BSD kick starts my body into losing more!!!

Will keep you updated.

Thanks Janey, yes, I agree with you, once on a roll it gets easier…so here I am, rollin….

Flash, have just bought some Yeo Greek Yoghurts in packs of 4 small pots which was all I could find ( Sainsburys ) and they are creamy and lush….

Breakfasts:
Fage with blueberries (sometimes with a sprinkle of cinnamon too)
Boiled eggs
Bacon and eggs
Omelette

Lunches/dinners:
Cauli rice with bacon, any combination of green veg and a splash of cream and fresh parmesan stirred through
Cauliflower cheese
Rotisserie chicken with salad
Green veg medley with bolognaise sauce (meat version or veggie)
Scrambled egg with bacon, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms (I sometimes like breakfast for dinner!)
Crustless quiche (Asda and other supermarkets do them in their chilled aisle) with salad or veg
Prawns with coconut cream, ginger, garlic and chilli
Courgetti (courgette noodles – make your own with a spiraliser or get them ready made from Asda or Sainsbury’s) with garlic and herb Philadelphia (full fat!) stirred through – can also add chicken or prawns
Deli meats with salad

Have a look at the recipe section on here too as there are some quick and simple meals which you might like.

Thanks Flash, yes that does sound agreeable with me…yum
I aim to get through today, positively, then tomorrow and so on…tiny steps and one day at a time…

Hi shalimar,

There’s been a parallel thread running since 16th June ‘positive thoughts thread anyone’ that you may like to read.
Best wishes.

Does this help reduce thyroid craving for carbs and sugars

Flash21 – Thank you. I leave in the very early hours of Saturday morning (3am to be exact) for my remote Scottish island holiday so won’t check in now until my return

Hit another mini goal, but one I already reached then slid back on. Gone under the 75 kilo mark and now at 74,9. Wedding ring still on and looking forward to throwing the knickers away – I keep hanging on to them, must love them.

Hello 1960smp,

Good luck with your restart! You can definitely do this. If you’ve done one day now, you can do today and then tomorrow and the next day and so on. I find things like going away or having guests or going out for dinner etc are all the things that derail me too but then I realised that these things will always be going on so I just have to find a better way of managing them.

I’ve also got an infuser bottle – strawberry, cucumber and mint is a lovely combination!

Hi Verano, sunnygirl has lost half a kilo since yesterday. Yeahhhh, must have been carrying fluid. Arrrrggggggh just remembered we are out for lunch with friends today, French restaurant. I swear to be simple carb free and alcohol free. Will count up my carbs when I know what I have eaten and that will determine what I will have tonight. Plan for a fritatte. Will report back.

Weight 74.9
Fasting bloods 4.9 (89)

By the way, as you can see, that takes me under the 75 kilo mark again. 74.9.

Go for it Karen! You sound like you’re determined and know where your weak spots are. I find recognising them is half the battle! I’m also a restarter and started again yesterday after my previous attempt got derailed by visitors and then a weekend away. Consistency and discipline are definitely important. And good to hear there’s someone else trying to resist chocolate after dinner!

Thanks Trelawny!

I think today is going to be tough (day 2). I pretty much sailed through yesterday. Not too much hunger until 5pm when I got very hangry and irritable! Kept to the plan though and apart from a 10g piece of 85% chocolate, didn’t have anything I hadn’t planned to eat. Felt very achievable.

Today is different. I’ve woken up starving! Same breakfast, which I really enjoyed, but have had hunger pangs since. Feeling tired and coldy (blasted kids) so that’s not helpful. It’s going to seem like a long day.

Having said that, yesterday I nearly caved at 5pm (the old demon on my shoulder) and thought of all the amazing support there is here and didn’t! I always thought I could/should go it alone, but it’s so much nicer to know there are other people out there doing amazingly!

Have a good day all

NewForestDieter – well done! I find shopping quite hard sometimes, especially when I see/smell all the fresh bread. It must feel great knowing you stuck to your list and now have a fridge and cupboard full of lovely food!

Joanne6446 – congratulations! 2lb in two days is fab 🙂 I like the sound of those muffins too!

Just a little update..
There was a lot of excitement in my bathroom this morning because I got on the scales and I’ve lost 2lb in 2 days. Not believing the reading, I must have got on and off them 20 times and still to be doubly sure I got my set of weightwatchers scales out and yes, 2lb. 2lb normally takes about a month on slimming world to loose. I have about a stone and a half to loose.. I was very hungry on day 1 but yesterday didn’t find it a problem. I have just made breakfast muffins with spinach, tomato, cottage cheese and egg whites with a tiny sprinkle of cheese on the top. Haven’t worked the calories out yet but they were delicious xx

Started on Monday but just plucked up the courage to register. I am 53 and have been a yo-yo dieter for most of my life and have recently gained 20lbs after a very stressful time when my mental and physical health has been bad. I am 5ft 4ins and starting weight 12st 4lbs, not as heavy a starting weight as some of young but there is a strong family history of type II diabetes and I am trying to avoid this. The past 2 days have been easier than I thought although I am addicted to carbs. (I come from an Italian family !!!). I hope that his will be the kick start I need in improving my health and wellbeing. I live with 3 men (husband and 2 sons) who are all skinny and do not get why I am have put on weight so this forum is ideal for me to get the support I need, and I plan to log in daily.

Just popped to Tesco and as soon as I stepped through the doors I feel hungry even though I wasn’t before. I kept my willpower and stuck fastidiously to my shopping list and it felt so good!

Luckily I live in the New Forest and we’ve had great weather all Spring/Summer so I go for long walks with the dogs to keep me occupied, fit and out of the house.

After just 2 days I no longer feel bloated. I suffer from IBS but have had no symptoms since starting this diet.

I need to lose 4 st and have never felt so determined so it’s nice to know that I can share my journey with others in the same situation.

Well I’ve had more restarts than a very dodgy second hand motor, but I want to start again and document it properly this time. Before this I’ve had a few start-stop-start-stops and I haven’t put my heart into it for the full eight weeks.

So, new diary, fresh start 🙂 I’d like to lose (ideally) 1 and a half stone in the eight weeks, (I’m counting up to the end of November, so slightly over eight weeks) but we’ll see where this journey takes me.

Consistency and discipline will be the key to this, I think. In the past I’ve tended to weaken after a week or two and then go off message. So keeping consistent is what I need to do… Evenings are my weakness, and bread, and chocolate. Must Resist!

Onwards and downwards 🙂

Welcome on board smp1960, today’s the DAY! If all us serial or Yo-Yo dieters can do this, then so can you! I’ve been embracing the BSD way of life since early May and now it’s second nature. Can honestly say I’ve never felt so good, and certainly not looked like this for 20 odd years!

Started the 800 Cals again, today in the hope and belief I am and will do this….without hopping about all over the place. Several weeks back I did start and was successfully losing until I went away for a week and fell off and found getting back on track terribly hard to do.

I have Diabetes Type 2, and a couple of other auto immune diseases which means am presently taking prednisolone and they added Insulin as my bgs were orbiting. Weight increasing slowly which is a main reason besides wanting to get off metformin and the preds is why am so happy to have found the 8 week BSD

Decided to use FatSecret instead of MFP as seems much easier to negotiate

Day 1 – weight 90.5kg
B/ fast – 1 large free range egg scrambled with 30g cheddar cheese
Lunch – home made mushroom soup with 1tbsp crème fraiche
Dinner – Easy Bol p124 in Recipe book

Have bought a water bottle with infuser and enjoying drinking 2 litres a day with added lemon / limes

But at least if I’m singing I can’t push anything in my mouth, think I will stay crackers lol 😂😂😂

Snap 1960 some toast attacked me yesterday evening lol, but on it and at it today, we are on the battle bus altogether. I’m having a sing in the back seat 🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤 Feeling a bit crackers today, 😅😅😅

Hey Determinedthistime!

I’m in the same boat as you! Feeling very inspired by all the threads and posts on here and in part they are what have motivated me to take this plan very seriously and make a proper effort to follow it. I also have a lot of weight to lose – at least 6 or 7 stone to put me into the range I want to be in. I am horrified with myself for having let myself get to this state and now have a lot of work to do to reverse it. I am not diabetic but have insulin resistance (related to PCOS) so this is a sensible plan for me to follow. Shalimar’s advice is great – especially about logging your food and measurements etc. I would add to this by saying:

* Planning/preparing is key. Make sure you have lots of BSD-friendly foods on hand so that you don’t fall into the snack trap!
* Drink lots of water and then more after that! It will help with flushing nasty toxins from your body, keep you hydrated and help manage your hunger.
* Don’t be afraid of fats – go for full fat yoghurt or cream, eat avocados and nuts (in moderation!), don’t be afraid of bacon! These will all help with satiety. Some people find it hard to break from the low fat way of thinking as that’s what has been drummed into us but really low fat usually means sugar, chemicals and lots of other artificial nasties that are best avoided!
* If you get cramps or feel a bit under the weather, adding a little bit of salt to your meals/drinks can be very beneficial. Try a miso soup or bouillon/stock drink, mash up some hard boiled eggs and season with salt and pepper, sprinkle a little sea salt on your veg etc (along with some butter!) – this will make you feel better.
* Experiment! Try new recipes or ingredients. I am just starting to do this and have plans to spend the weekend trying out a few new recipes. This will help keep food boredom at bay and also (for me at least) reignite interest in cooking and what you are putting into your body.
* Take your body measurements. Igorasusual and Californiagirl on these forums have given this advice and it is definitely something I will be following. Sometimes the scales can disappoint but if you are also tracking your measurements you can see changes that are not reflected by the scales.

I could probably go on for ages but I’ll stop now! I hope today goes well for you. If you can do today, you can do tomorrow, and the next day and so on. The challenge is on! 🙂

Hope all goes well Yowzer with DR! As am sure it will. Its an inspiration and motivation for me reading your posts and others , similar, success stories.
Even tho am yet to complete a full, successful week on this plan, I know I will because theres always someone who is achieving great results to read about…so I know I can do it!!

Think my problem mainly is I convince myself that I can start tomorrow, ( each time ) which is NO GOOD!! so am learning to say NO and Yes I will do this as its such a good feeling when you complete a full day ( week ) ( month) s…

You are absolutely right, Sumo.

Whilst I didn’t have a great deal of weight to lose, I was very discouraged at not knowing how to start to do it – other than starve myself which I knew would not be sustainable, and might take a long time of considerable agony, bad temper, and fails.

So I think the best benefit of the BSD is understanding a bit better how my body works, and seeing it in action (particularly with the reduction of waist size) as the hormones change how we get our energy and the visceral fat melts away.

I can now ‘choose’ how I want to eat. I notice that at times I ‘want’ the mouth feel of carbs (why is this? Do I crave a sugar rush?) but I do understand that this would be a temporary win, and that eating something which is less carbs but more protein/fat will in the end be more satisfying.

I see no reason why, having learned how the body works, people who have more pounds to lose can’t continue on their journey and achieve their desired weight after a period of time. It might take a sustained period of BSD at low calories and then a brief ‘rest’ with higher calories (but still no refined carbs) to ‘reboot’ the losses, but why would it not work longterm?

Morning! Am on same bus with you guys even if am quiet…huge gentle hugs to all needing one xx

I ended my day yesterday badly….so am back on track AGAIN today.

Hi everyone
Like you angelwithin I’m fat and fifty and need to get it sorted day four for me thought I would start it this week as I’m off work for a week and if I’m going to get grumpy I will be able to do it in private 😀 But so far so good have my berries few nuts and Greek yogurt for breakfast and that sets me up for the morning (used to skip breakfast) and find I’m not reaching for the biscuits mid morning I drink decaf coffee so not buzzing from too much caffeine made a soup from the recipes page and twicked it a bit and turned out very well and find cauliflower rice bloody lovely love stir frys as there so quick and easy going to do the curry tonight with my new found favourite cauliflower rice and try it out on family without them knowing will add rice with theirs so see if they notice
so good luck everyone my weigh in Friday so will see how I have done
Coady

Hi Shalimar,

I don’t remember that from the book so thank you for bringing it to my attention! I think the idea of finding positives to focus on is very sensible as it is so easy to find things that are going “wrong” when you start a new way of eating/living – e.g. scales not moving, “cheating” on the diet and so on. I am going to join you, so here are my three good things from yesterday:

1. I spoke to my little nephew on the phone. He’s only 3 and says such cute things!
2. I went shopping to stock up on healthy stuff for my packed lunches
3. I enjoyed a lovely calm evening watching TV and going through some photos.

After having the weekend off and gaining 2 lbs (won’t be doing that again in a hurry), I woke up this morning to find I have lost 2 lbs since yesterday (must have been carrying some fluid). Anyway, for my weight in I am back down to 74.9 kilos.

Boli – so pleased to hear your cravings are nearly all gone! I reallllllly wanted chocolate after dinner (cauliflower cheese) last night but decided to not move from the sofa so that I couldn’t prowl around the kitchen looking for the sweet stuff!

Baristagirls, I also love crisps! Any kind, any flavour! I am trying to hold off and am waiting for the day when instead of tasting delicious, they taste greasy and artificial. I’m sure I read that happened to someone one the forums and it would be very useful if it happened to me too!

Thanks for the link Deb. I’m one week in. 6.5 lbs down, 2 inches off my waist, no swollen ankles or night sweats although some weird dreaming! Also I have masses of energy. Too much my OH would say. Lovely day here in West Sussex. Off to the beach with the dog & then more planting. Have a great day everyone.

Thanks Igor, that is very encouraging!! I will definitely keep my diary thread updated and will post here too. I am just beginning to realise that preparation is the absolute key to this. I can’t rely on my usual habits of popping to the shop or work canteen as I know I’ll fold when faced with things that are currently off limits. I was never a planner/preparer before but am now getting quite into finding new ideas for packed lunches etc. Just need to set the willpower dial to firm now!

Dlmoulton – your lunch sounds delicious! Like shalimar, I don’t have a set plan for meals as I just try to eat when I am hungry and not if I am not, if that makes sense. Sometimes I will intentionally fast but not regularly yet. My meals are typically yoghurt and blueberries for breakfast, cold meats or prawns with salad for lunch and something like chicken and veg for dinner. Keeping to sensible portion sizes is one of my main problems!

Sending you hugs JAN..yes we are lucky on here..a lovely close knit band of mutually supportive pals. The internet has many downsides but also so much good too x
AVILA thats interesting about FB and the month gap,i wonder where that idea came from and why they see it as gospel? I can see why it could be a good idea but i want to just push on,finish cycle 2 and get another cycle in before the year ends,then think about how i go forward from there x

Welcome Peekabooboop,

The book explains in detail the logic and science behind it all, oatmeal – well limited osts is ok but not the ones that have been ground down, if that is what you mean by oatmeal, as less work for the gut and so like a refined carb.

Yes full fat versions all the way – fat is not the enemy, sugar is and the low fat versions have higher sugars and sweeteners that get in the way of controlling sugar intake. Full fat versions and proteins make you feel full, and as limiting calories for the 8 weeks you won’t be having masses, but it works. Egg and bacon for breakfast instead of sugary carb cereal – and it is better for you, amazing but true.

It is doable – I am down just under 2 st (28 lb) at the end of my 8 weeks and that was with a wobble couple of weeks in the middle. I was almost 16st to start and now 14st, I have a dog that gives me exercise each day and I am 5ft 10 . Everyone’s journey and numbers will be different but it is worth doing,