Latest forum posts

  • posted by  Indy on My 800 Calorie Summer — Day 1
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Hello FuzzyJammies!

    Good for you and for us both that we are still on track! I was happy to see your message and your results – it’s always nice to have good surprises on the scale!

    My Fitbit is definitely motivating me – it reminds me every hour to get moving and I love the buzzing it does when I hit 10,000 steps…which I have (at least) every day since I got it except two when I couldn’t get out because of work commitments. And it has been soooo humid here – a few days I really wanted to skip it.

    Still sticking very closely to the diet and tracking what I eat and water, but hit a plateau this week: the same weight for about four days! Very frustrating! But just this morning I got down a bit and hope it’s the start of good things – I’m doing everything I’m supposed to so it has to work, right? 😊

    Tomorrow is the beginning of week 5, FuzzyJammies!!! That is halfway there!

    I have lost 18.5 pounds total on the diet (and 30.9 since 5 Jan) and haven’t the first clue about inches because I get radically different answers every time I measure. My clothes fit much better (some will have to go soon because they are too big!) and I’m starting to wear things I haven’t been able to get into for years, so that will be enough for me.

    But my Fitbit reminds me I want to lose another 60 pounds, so there is much more work to do! At least I believe it can be done now!

    Let’s stick to it, FuzzyJammies! Have things calmed down a bit for you? Are you finding it easier going? I hope so!

  • posted by  LACali21 on Getting Serious in Canada
    on in Fast 800
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    Napangardi we all have habits that we need to work on with our eating. πŸ™‚ My issue is stress seating. We wouldn’t be the size we are without some issues, but hopefully with the time it takes for us to get to maintenance we can work on these habits and make them better.

  • posted by  LACali21 on Apple Cider Vinegar
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Sunshine-girl my co-worker is not super skinny, but she’s definitely smaller than me. Like me, she’s into naturopath stuff, and I have read info previously that it was a good weight loss supplement.

  • posted by  rebelle on Any other cooks on the forum?
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Yes plateaus are common – I’ve heard heaps of people worrying about them. But they end and you will start to lose again. I definitely had reduced my fat intake and increased my carbs so I totally agree about the carbs got to be under 50g.

  • posted by  Helsbels on Doctor's advice for 82 year old mum
    on in Starting the BSD
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    Hi,

    Long time reader of the forums, but your topic struck a chord with me.

    My mum is 81, has Parkinson’s disease, recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and is pre-diabetic. On her last visit to the GP the Dr told her to try this diet as she didn’t want diabetes added to her list of problems. She’s not very active due to her ailments so 800 cals is probably all she needs. She probably has a few more than 800 cals as she has a milky coffee and greek yogurt with strawberries as extras when she wants a little more. We were very lucky that the GP recommended the diet, and was also on it herself as she wouldnt recommend anything to her patients that she hadn’t tried herself.

    I mainly follow the menu plans/meals in the book, which does contain good carbs of pulses etc and in the 8 wks shes been on the diet has lost 14lb, which considering her activity level is great. No blood tests yet, due some next month but she feels fine considering all she has been going through with the RA. Also, on the day we go the hospital for her RA treatment we go out for dinner, so she has a treat meal once a week, where she can eat what she wants within reason!

    We have both found the diet very easy, i also had/have lots of weight to lose so have been on the diet too although a bit longer and have lost 52lb in 13 weeks, and am carrying on till i lose another 75lbs i think.

    Hope that is helpful, as others have said monitor your mum and how she feels, plenty of water to keep hydrated, but rest assured my mum with all her health problems is doing well on the diet and hopefully can avoid diabetes!

  • posted by  Katherine on Thyroid
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    I know the BSD is all about battling diabetes, however I also have the added complication of an under active thyroid. My doctor recently took me off my medication after discovering nodules, that , thank goodness, tested to be benign. So am am 3 weeks into the BSD and have lost 2kg and 3cm off my waist. My BMI has come down one point and my resting pulse down by 6 beats a min. I started doing the BSD to move long term belly fat and get some control over my weight and get a more stable eating plan for life. I feel that if I have stable blood sugar levels that it has to help with my metabolism functions.
    Does anyone else find it a slow process due to thyroid issues? Any other thoughts?

  • posted by  ruthdownunder on Doctor's advice for 82 year old mum
    on in Starting the BSD
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    Hi Vixter, I am not so old as you mum, ‘only’ 70, and you do not say how overweight she is, but you do need to monitor her blood pressure regularly if she is on medication.

    This time last year I lost 4-.5 kilos in a month on HPLC lo cal and my BP plummeted. I stopped the diet then – shakes – and one high protein meal – for other reasons but this time I am on BSD and knew to check my BP often as I am on medication also. A good friend your mum’s age – not overweight – took a double dose the other day by accident and ended in hospital for 3 days. I thought BP went down a point a pound, but it seems much more for me, so keep a watch on her.

    Good luck to you both, I am i n week 5 and very happy as I am a lousy dieter – no BS problem – just fat! I also make non wheat pancakes but I have for years, and still put some honey on mine, and try to have a smaller one

    Ruth

  • posted by  pennyrua on Penny's motivation & diary thread
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hello!

    I found it quite tricky to get back on track, but managed it today thankfully. I was disappointed that I only lost 2lb when I weighed myself on Monday. Any other time I’d think that was great, but it was a big change from week 1, especially since I didn’t feel like I had overdone it too much.

    Yesterday’s totals : 852 kcal, 46.2g carbs
    Today: 742 kcal, 38.6g carbs

    Both days I’ve managed my 10k steps as well.

    My mood has been all over the place as well, which hasn’t helped! I feel like I had a good day today, so I am determined to keep momentum for the rest of the week. Thank you for your support!x

  • posted by  Kando on Inulin
    on in Fast 800
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    This is very interesting. I found the posts about inulin helpful but have not located any sources of inulin powder in Australia. A CNC where I worked on my health team had read that ridiculously high levels of dietary fibre (40+ gms) can help with BSLs. I found levels over 30 gms hard to handle even though I am a slow eater. I see BSDers who have a problem start with a teaspoon and work up to the higher doses.
    Also thanks for the info re best time to weigh for accurate body composition readings. It does seem to respond to weight loss – but only after a time. My visceral fat reads 10 on my Tanita Scales at the start of BSD. However I am in all sorts of bother obviously related to that modest level of visceral fat and have to focus on shifting it. Possibly genetic as all my family are underweight and are wowsers (except me) yet develop NAFLD and DM type II.
    Question: But does anyone know what the visceral fat readings on body composition scales really equate to – is it a percentage or a density.

  • posted by  Lucky Maneki on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Eps, sorry, I didn’t answer that. It would be a good idea but… and I feel like a right plonker for saying this… I can’t deal with animal poo. Especially dog poo. Some people can, some can’t, I can’t. I also can’t open tins of cat or dog food? I start retching at the smell, so I am no use if you’re off on holiday, my friends know not to ask me to go and feed their animals lol. My husband is exactly the same too. We had two rabbits but that was because their poo was non offensive, small and solid. I haven’t even got anyone I could borrow a dog from to walk, all my friends have cats. And even if they did, if they did their business while out, I’d be in a heap by the side of the road, heaving and receiving an on the spot fine for not picking up lol. It has crossed my mind before but I just know I couldn’t do it and it wouldn’t be fair to the poor dog.

    Fixing Dad was interesting. And definitely reinforced that I am doing the right thing. My husband is only 8 years younger than ‘Dad’ in the documentary, and I want many more years with him.

  • posted by  reversing_prediabetes on Penny's motivation & diary thread
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Did OK today, but plenty of room for improvement!
    Since I eat mainly the same things each day, I’ll just provide a summary:-

    Total: 748 calories, 45g carbs
    Water: 1L
    Steps: 10,502
    Active Minutes: 39

    Hope you’re well Penny.

  • posted by  Yowzer49 on Karen's eight week diary – starting today!
    on in Starting the BSD
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    Hi karen,you are off to a great start..preparing thoroughly for the week ahead is the key to success!
    I’ m not very far ahead of you ..just finished week 2… And i just want to say,you might feel a bit weak for the first few days but it will pass,and the carb cravings will vanish in a matter of days. It should be plain sailing then..(you know all this anyway,youve done it before!)
    this is so much easier than people expect!. I dreaded starting but i couldnt be happier now with my progress so far! X

  • Hi Karen.
    I haven’t found that I have wanted to compfort eat on this plan, I don’t know why, as that was always my trigger, but I think it’s just that things are easier to resist as my monster appetite is now normal. Hopefully you will experience the same effect.
    Great start, plan, enjoy, and love feeling better.
    Love jan😊😊😊

  • posted by  Switzerland on Apple Cider Vinegar
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi LACali21 and sunshine-girl,
    I’ve been doing some reading lately. It’s all related to low carb eating style. Dr Jason Fung writes about vinegar and fibre being ‘protective factors’.
    With that in mind I’ve been using Apple Cider Vinegar and olive oil as a salad dressing.
    Others do take apple cider vinegar with water.

  • posted by  Vixter on Doctor's advice for 82 year old mum
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Thanks very much for all your comments and support. The list of complex carbohydrates was a really good guide as my mind had gone blank.

    The doctor was really helpful and encouraging. But it was the allowance of carbs I was struggling with. And no monitoring of mum’s blood sugar levels. I guess that’ll get picked up in one of the 6m check ups.

  • posted by  josie53 on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    cake looks fine, haven’t tasted it yet. Would be nice with the ice cream if i can find some. I think i used every bowl and utensil in the kitchen for some reason

  • posted by  josie53 on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    just grate the courgette place in a clean tea towel and then squeeze the water out of it. Mix with some beaten egg place on a baking sheet and press into shape, cook for a while until it has dried out a bit then add toppings as you like.

  • posted by  josie53 on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Janey i did make the Nigella cake, bugger i used something called Stevia which was on offer at Sainsburys. does that mean i can t eat it now

  • posted by  sunshine-girl on Apple Cider Vinegar
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    I have heard of this, supposed to get the juices flowing. Don’t know if it does anything but it can’t hurt. The French swear by it. There is a place near us that makes wine vinegars in different flavours and I use blackberry vinegar to make a red sauce for duck, but my favourite for spraying on a salad in pineapple vinegar. How does your colleague look, is it doing them any good.

  • posted by  josie53 on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    can’t find the ice cream where i live, have checked Holland and Barratt not very close to a Waitrose. will persevere tho

  • posted by  Epspecially on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    So lucky..the pitter patter of paws anytime soon???? πŸ˜œπŸ™‰πŸΆ

    Might be sleep time I think βœ…

  • posted by  Epspecially on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Oo great thanks run for fun, glad to hear it might make it to me soon πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ˜‚ beat marketing ever in here anyway, though we re sitting ducks for a bit of sweetness πŸ˜³πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ‘πŸ»

  • posted by  orchid on Tired, dizzy, and lightheaded…
    on in Fast 800
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    You are welcome Yowzer49. I don’t think I saw the 10-20% in the book, but I did find it on this website. The book gave examples of people losing a lot of weight and when I did not lose that much initially, I was depressed. I found the 10-20% and that helped reset my expectations and things went great thereafter!
    The other figures also not in the book, but are the standard amount of protein we need daily women – 40-45g and men 45-50g. The 450g fruit and veg was the one that surprised me……. I have tried to have the 5 fruit and veg a day and you would think that as a veggie that will be easy! Well yes and no. It was only very recently that I discovered the portion sizes for each component was 90g! I had been looking at my diet and 5 rasps with muesli – 1 portion, apple 1 portion, tomato (3 cherries with lunch) 1 portion, veg in soup – one, maybe 2 portions as it must have onions as well as eg squash etc. The weight I did not consider just the number! Given the rest of my diet was carbs – pasta, bread etc it is not surprising I was heading towards pre-diabetes fast and 27kg overweight!
    Once you start keeping a food dairy and weight everything you start seeing just how badly you have been eating πŸ™ . Keeping to the 5 a day proportions mean that I do find I need that extra bit of carb – thus the 60g a day and I am still losing on average 2kg a week πŸ™‚ .
    Good luck with the plateau if it arrives…… not everyone has one!

  • posted by  Lucky Maneki on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    I liked the texture Janey, I commented on it to hubby that you get that in quite a lot of ice creams. I won’t eat it every day as I couldn’t afford to (especially not with my portion sizes πŸ™‚ ) but it’s nice to know that I could, if I wanted to. It’s less calories than my bowl of greek lol.

  • posted by  Napangardi on Getting Serious in Canada
    on in Fast 800
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    Yes, I know we have nothing to complain about re cold weather but it is all relative! Yes we are just under two hours from Adelaide which is an easy distance to travel when visiting friends, shopping and visiting family. I have my sons studying in Adelaide so I try to catch up with them when I can.
    The mindless eating upon my return from work is a habit I need to change , not sure what to do as I just keep repeating the behaviour but now it is with allowed food .mmmm I will work on it as I know my calorie count is not right .

  • posted by  Lucky Maneki on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Oh God. I made a sliiiiiiiiiiiiiiight booboo. I weighed the Oppo… 100g. Only after realising that it definitely wasn’t 2/5s of the tub gone and more like 3/5s, I realised that it was meant to be 100 ml. Not 100g.

    Oh well… πŸ™‚

    Verdict – oh my God. For the first time in 6 and a half weeks, I have eaten something that feels naughty, and hubby agreed. It was like a luxury ice cream. Well, it is price wise, but you know what I mean. On a par with the so-called ‘premium’ brands. I would never have known that it was a ‘good for you’ ice cream. Absolutely fantastic. Hubby is already talking about going back for some mint for himself tomorrow. Wonderful. All the more SC for me! So now, I know that every time I feel like something sweet, something naughty, I can indulge and feel like I’m indulging. Everyone, go buy some! Now!

  • posted by  Izzy on Positive Thoughts Thread Anyone?
    on in Fast 800
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    yay for fancy panties lol. Most of mine are big now I should get new ones as well.

    Had a nice catch up with my manager today, sounds like I’ll be having some more trainees to look after soon.
    Got to come home early to call and get my work laptop fixed. Was nice not to be in a rush for once.

  • posted by  Janeycoughdrop on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    I bought the U2 in purple and gold because I am addicted to all things purple. I suspect that it will rapidly show that I am no way getting enough steps in. I’m ashamed to see it’s often only in the 100s if I’m at the office. Appalling 😱 Anyway the intention is to get out and WALK.

    OPPO. OMG. I made my OH do a taste comparison and apart from the slightly grainy texture he couldn’t tell the difference between that and the 8000 cal version he has. I won’t eat it everyday but it’s amazing to have a pudding for once!!!

  • posted by  Izzy on Izzy's 8 week diary :)
    on in Starting the BSD
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    Ah Mr Stud, I’m one of those people who really doesn’t like the rollercoasters! I’d rather have the quiet life!

    Happy 10 sizes is just amazing, 8 sizes for bra! I’m down 3-4 sizes and I look a fair bit different it’s hard to imagine how different 10 sizes would be!

    I’ve made 2 big shelves out of my sons old cot sides πŸ™‚ and I was in the process of constructing an angular workbench for my easel but my drill ran out of juice πŸ™ so I have it charging and I’m having a cup of tea and a little chill πŸ™‚

    I’ve ordered some foam board and a glue gun to make myself little drawers, so many ideas, so little time! I’ve put on hold my little trips out to stone circles etc as I can’t spend on trips as well as the craft stuff I have bought recently and continue to buy. The actual space and construction is mostly recycled stuff but I’ve easily spent Β£150 on bits and bobs for making and sewing! I hope to make some money back but the problem is I still have so many things I want to make for myself/family it could be a while before I can make anything to sell.

    Although I have a lot of holidays to use up and I’ve asked for a week off next month so perhaps if I get that week I can do something then as well as in a month I will have a few hours on Friday mornings.

    Well I’ve finished my cup of tea so I best go see if my drill has charged up enough to finish what I want to do tonight.

  • posted by  Yowzer49 on Tired, dizzy, and lightheaded…
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Thanks for the above Orchid..that was v useful info for me! I didnt know about the fruit/ veg/ protein amounts ..i suspected there may be a dreaded plateau lurking in the wings,and yr tip re that and dropping the carbs is worth remembering!
    ( i have the book but havent read it all yet as i ve the attention span of a gnat!πŸ˜€ ) x

  • posted by  josie53 on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    i bought an apple watch, if i am sitting for longer than an hour it gives you a buzz to remind you to get up and move around, some times i feel like i will have a heart attack when it goes off.

  • posted by  Yowzer49 on Ten days in :)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Thanks for that info Sunny ..i think stevia is the only acceptable sweetener allowed according to the bsd book?
    Its all good! Cant wait to try some! πŸ˜‹πŸ˜‹πŸ˜‹πŸ˜‹ x

  • posted by  SunnyB on The BSD friendly ice cream
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Just a small thing, but I have just noticed there is a discrepancy between the nutritional values on the website and the side of the pot for the Salted Caramel flavour – differences aren’t huge, just a little confusing. I have gone with what was on the pot, as this shows a higher carbs content and that is the one that concerns me most.

    It’s still yummy though!!

  • posted by  SunnyB on Ten days in :)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Slight revision to the nutritional values, as I’ve just discovered what is on the pot, is different to what is on the website – cals 75.9 and carbs 7.4g. Still not a disaster for a 50g portion though, so no harm no foul – just thought I’d let you know. Oh, and you can’t taste the stevia in it either – actually for me, it could be a little less sweet, but it’s still yummy!

  • posted by  tokyo14 on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    and for anyone thats interested that jaime oliver book isnt bad some good stuff for now and after i get to goal

  • posted by  orchid on Tired, dizzy, and lightheaded…
    on in Fast 800
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    Hi Autumn, great news that it worked! Personally, I would suggest you don’t make any more adjustments for 2 weeks and see how things go. There is no need to drop to 50g carbs if you are losing a sensible amount at 60g and you feel fine. If you feel fine you will be active and be able to exercise and that alone will be a benefit and help much more with weight loss than cutting your carbs further. Don’t forget, you need between 40-45 g protein a day plus 450g fruit and veg for your 5 a day. On a veggie diet, you probably need the 60g to ensure you get enough protein etc. Also – most of us have had a plateau weeks 4-5 (mine was 7-8) and being able to drop a little in carbs can be the trigger to getting the weight loss moving again.
    looking forward to you posting more successes.

  • posted by  SunnyB on Air Fryers
    on in BSD Way of Life
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    Just want to remind you, that on the BSD, fat is not our enemy. It is carbs you need to avoid not fat, so as long as you count the calories you are consuming, it’s not a problem.

    I’ll leave it to others to comment on the airfryers, as I don’t have one and shallow fry with olive oil if I want fried food.

  • posted by  runforfun on Hello :-)
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Lucky and Janey love your reactions and so pleased you like it! Not every Waitrose and Co-op stock it but there is a store locator on our website which shows local stores to you that so stock Oppo. I’ve enjoyed some Salted Caramel as well this evening!

  • posted by  SunnyB on Stomach pain and bloating
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hey Forkers – we all have events like this and take the decision to eat like ‘normal’ people, but we are all on the BSD because we understand the there is a better way to treat our bodies. Princetonian in right, no point beating yourself up, it changes nothing and just makes you feel worse, which can only be counterproductive. Give the ginger a try if you can, as it will definitely help to settle the digestive system and all for no calories too. My guess is the giant chocolate bar may have been the problem – the cheeses are fine on the BSD, high in proteins, relatively low in carbs.

    Don’t panic, it is unlikely you have undone all your good work to date, with just that one transgression, I’m sure you will find that things are not much changed. As for avoiding carbs and alcohol for the rest of your life, it’s a big ask and most of us will indulge from time to time, guess it just depends how much we want to maintain our newly found health and wellbeing, as to by how much and how often we choose to indulge. We’ll all be going into maintenance at some point and it’s how we make that transition, which will dictate if we manage to remain trim and healthy.

    Hope you are able to find your focus and determination to continue with the BSD. There must have been a reason you started – has that changed? Good luck with it and hope to hear you are back on track and seeing good results soon.

  • posted by  Bissell on Any other cooks on the forum?
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    As SunnyB says really. Don’t be too disheartened, it WILL work in the end. Water, some fats, making sure you measure everything, writing down everything that you consume, these are all suggestions that have helped me and others when the weight sticks. Measure yourself too, to give you extra encouragement. And don’t beat yourself up about the bread and honey. You won’t have undone all your hard work, so long as you get back on track and don’t feel ‘sod it, I’ve blown it, I may as well give up.’
    Keep posting and stick with it, you CAN do it!