I’m sure it will all be fine, it’s good though to be mindful, then we don’t get caught out. Well done for donating, more should do it. It saves lives and allows so many operations to go ahead. Unfortunately I cannot donate as I have lupus anticoagulant. Hope it goes well
Regards
Jan

I was not thinking about eating unhealthy food just increasing my calorie count from 800 to more like 1200-1400 but still keeping to the diet. I have had problems with light headedness before which is probably mostly due to an inner ear problem

Home! Left on the stroke of one, home now – soaked. Nearly £30 the lighter between hubby and I after they had burgers, chips, drinks, tombolas, raffles, the photoframe was… interesting to say the least, cakes, computer game league (son left in second place and if nobody beats his score he wins £5). I bought some seeds that our local Waitrose had donated, some extremely fancy tomatoes, some basil, spring onions and even tomatillos! Hubby won – you couldn’t make this up – a box of Thorntons chocolates (but on further inspection best before date was on the 31st May) and a make your own cider kit. He’s teetotal. And I swapped two girlie tombola prizes with my little nieces for a Status Quo CD they had won. Hubby now happy. Bought a bottle of water, and I am now munching on an apple. It doesn’t get much worse than this, folks…

Hi.
It’s the fluid balance that causes dizziness post donation, if you are feeling well, drinking well pre donation, then it should all be exactly the same as normal. Eating healthy food is not contraindicated for blood donation. In fact the opposite. But if you have been feeling unwell in any way pre donation then you need to discuss this with the medical officer on site on the day. Hope that helps.
Regards
Jan

Hi
What cheese did you use, I use feta, it’s really lush, very strong cheesy taste, just what we need huh. I’ve found I am tasting things so much better, wonder if that is due to this plan, or just that I am relishing every mouthful. Keep up the good work
Regards
Jan

Hi Bissell
Ooh just looked them up, cal wise they are okay but at 15.4 carbs per 100 g I would be giving them away, nothing wil sabotage my health and weight loss no matter how free they are. So good luck, with that dilemma.
Regards
Jan

Although not a medic I would think that unless you are prone to fainting or anaemic it shouldn’t make any difference how many calories you have had. Let your body tell you, if you feel shaky after have a few nuts – do not see it as an excuse to have the biscuits they offer. I cannot see a need to feed yourself up before donating, just check your bloods after and see how you feel. Good for you giving blood, wish I could but not allowed on meds.

I started the BSD last week and it is going really well, I have lost 8 pounds already.

However, next week I am due to donate blood on Friday and I am just wondering if anyone has any advice on this?

I am planning to eat more calories on the day but should I also eat more on the days running up to it?

Does anyone have any experience donating blood on this diet? Thanks

Oh what a kind friend, never mind it won’t hinder the excellent work I’m sure. Labradoodles they are so cute, we used to have three dogs at one time, two dogs is just right. Lucy couldn’t cope with another dog, it’s a shame I would like to have a gang.
That’s a lovely thought of just putting one foot in front of the other then getting there, but I must admit I feel amazingly well so the thought of sabotaging it just doesn’t enter my head, and today I want to trot everywhere hehe with the wobbly bits, anyway tomorrow there will be less to wobble. It was only a couple of months ago I was being investigated for having SLE, because my symptoms were so bad, but today, all gone.
This weekend, today I am working in my lovely shop, this evening, nice supper, steak might have mashed butter beans, then a nice walk in the fragrant evening air. Tomorrow not sure nothing planned yet, you could pop round for a nice fruit tea if you like hehe. Do you have anyone near you who is doing this, I haven’t found anyone yet, although I think I have probably given a lot of people the idea to have a look at the website. Mind you my sister started yesterday, but she is a 3 hour drive from me, so she can’t pop round either. What do you have planned other than walking of the couscous.

You must be very chuffed, what a great start!

I’ve just picked 750g black currants off my allotment. Normally I would have lots of ideas of how to use them, but I’m struggling!

Any ideas gratefully received!

Thank you! I will. Getting food list and prep sorted out 🙂

Hi ruthdownunder.
Snap im on day 11 and yes I plateaued for a few days between days 5-8 but I have lost 14 lbs now so great. Yes you can have baked beans half a 400g tin is 200 cals and 28.3 carbs. I must admit I’m not following the recipes, I am using them but calculating my own cals and carbs, as I find some of them are grossly underestimated, and I need precision for reassurance, other wise the fat pixies may sneak up on me. Hehe. I am also to keep myself focused putting on here in the form of a diary my daily eating, wellbeing etc it’s in another thread, isn’t this forum wonderful, so ful of tips and advice, I like I am dieting on my own, we are all just one happy international bsd person.
What a wonderful place to live, I live in a medieval market town called Cranbrook Kent England, and I live in Christmas cottage horse entry. And yes it is as twee as it sounds. All white weather boarded buildings, with the biggest smock windmill in England at the top of the hill. Very privelidged to live here. Wheat her is sublime here today how is it with you.
Regards
Jan

Hi Jan
I’m in Australia, but even I’ve heard of Crufts, that’s really big time in the dog world in the UK, isn’t it? I have an aunt that lives there and she used to be a judge at Crufts.
We’ve got 2 Labradoodles, Riley is 11 and still acts like a puppy and will follow me everywhere and Nikki is 10 and lazy and complains if she has to go to the backyard to pee!
Just got home from the dinner at our friends place. She served me couscous as she knew I couldn’t eat rice, but couscous is very high in carbs and I didn’t have the heart to refuse. I’ve gone way over in cals and carbs, but I did my best and that’s the best I can do. I’ll just go for another long walk again tomorrow.
This new way of eating is your best chance of getting your weight down and keeping it down.
You can be so proud of yourself for doing this and making the decision to get healthy. You’ve only just got to keep putting one step in front of the other and one day you’ll wake up and won’t believe where the weight has gone.
What plans have you got for the weekend?
Cheers
Linda

pizza pasties are good 🙂 not best for 800 days though as higher in calories, and I think I should have added more filling but a great first effort at something different. I’ve also made a batch of squash and cashew nut soup based on Brett and Lynn’s recipe.

Still to make my crackers though. BSD really brought back the enjoyment of cooking and baking for me.

Well, one likes to be precise about these kinds of things, Epspecially… 😉

Hi Janet I left out a comma ‘should be pre-diabetic but am not, just fat.’

I do live in Australia on the lovely Gold Coast., and I am on day 13 now and still going down slowly I was stuck on the same weight for 3 days and if I had not read so much on the forum I am sure I would have packed it in. 3kg down, which is fantastic for me. Hope you are still going well. We have our week 2 weigh ins on Monday.

I think I ate too much dinner! The right stuff though so I will be good tomorrow.

Am I allowed baked beans? My book is coming in the mail, and the wait at the library would have meant by Christmas I think

Onwards and downwards

Ruth

Well, I’d have to buy a ticket first… 😉 I really am dreading it. It’s not so bad when you’re outside. And I know I shouldn’t grumble because I’ve had to do it myself thrice, the amount of prams make it twenty times worse. There’s literally about a metre and a half walking room once you have all the stalls around the hall, and the big cake thing in the middle. I want to get there for noon and be home at 1. I will see you all later… wish me luck… stay dry…

😹😹😹 just noticed your chocolate comment lucky

Heee heee hee I don’t know, I’ve got a good feeling about that raffle this year😜 really like those guess how much something weighs things – and we should be good at it now!!- or the how many sweets in a jar thing. Win big Lucky👏👏😹😹

Hope cake turns out well Janey👏👏

Cape of smugness AND a pimp cane, I think.

Good call on the cake. Hope it’s nice.

Epspecially, your poor boyfriend! It sounds like you need some 86% chocolate 😉

Don the cape of smugness and have a matching outfit Lucky! I shall BBQ tonight even if I have to cook it under an umbrella and then bring it indoors for people to eat. I’m going to cook that strawberry choc cake I think. For the topping.. Just fruit, no need for icing. Friends can have cream on it if they want. Will post a pic if it works out!

OH could easily do this BSD as I would manage all his meals. He’s just in ‘I’ll die without carbs’ denial mode!

Ohhhhhh Epspecially, I know what I’ll find. Tombola. Bottle stall. Hugely over-priced ‘decorate your own cake’ stall. Name a teddy or doll. Burger/hotdog and chips cooked in the canteen. No coconut shy, due to health and safety as it’s now indoors. Possibly popcorn. No bouncy castle as it’s indoors. A raffle that you’ve no hope of winning. And the children’s ‘offering’. Something they make every year that you are obliged to buy because your little one has made it. Apparently this year it’s a frame with a picture in and it’s – quote unquote ‘a bit crap compared to the stones I painted last year’. So if stones can be a benchmark for a photoframe… how bad is it???? One small hall, hundreds of people confined, unable to move, or browse. My idea of hell. I’d better win a bottle of red on that bottle stall…

That’s so true about the kg, it definitely worked to stop me getting discouraged at the beginning! Kg s mean nothing to me but stones sound so judgemental 😹😹😹

Yayyyy! And I shall drink my hurrah in a champagne glass, thank you Janey! Loving the ‘robes of smugness’ and I might see if I can get a matching ‘cape of smugness’ too. Ooooh a size 14 top. The last time I managed that was 1998. I remember dieting and getting down to a size 14 top which is no mean feat considering the size of my ‘girls’. That was after one child though, not holding my breath after four. Huge well done 🙂

Shame about the weather, but – everything can be done on a cooker, that’s the way I look at it. And less chance of burned food/food poisoning. Did you make a dessert or are you winging it?

My hubby is going as militant as me about this diet, he’s raving about it to family and friends. He’s really grateful to me though, he keeps saying without me there’s no way he could do it, cooking, calorie counting. He wouldn’t know where to start. You can only lead by example, Janey, and you’ve set a good example, haven’t you?

Hee hee thanks lucky, Smug is good😂 Guess I should feel smug I made fage yoghurt and raspberries and chia seeds smoothie thing this morning and though v annoyed with my boyfriend I have resisted the urge to throw it at him 😎 Would be such a waste of all that working out messurements 😂😂😂(don’t worry I don’t throw things at him, it’s just internal battle!!)
Wouldn’t mind hiding out with a coffee with Janey, except coffee makes me more irritated usually!!

Good luck at fair, who knows what you might find! 😝

Haha Tokyo, you’re full of surprises! No, he isn’t a fan, he just likes taking the mickey out of me. My eldest was a fan though, he had all the wrestling figures and rings and all sorts. Dvd upon Dvd. Woooop well done! That’s nearly another pound off! I’m thinking, I might mix it up a bit on the scales too and switch to kg after I get my next weight loss. I do that on occasion because it throws me (plus you get to see your weight going down in smaller increments – win win win most days there!) and I don’t know what I weigh properly, just if it’s going down or not 😉

Smug mode engaged x 2 then!

Thank you Epspecially! Have you got anything to be smug about today? Diet or non diet related, feel free to join us!

Peeing down here, and it’s the school summer fair. So it’s being held inside a rather small school hall. What this means is, I’ll get there, attempt to spend the allocated money in the shortest amount of time possible, and get soaked on the 10 minute walk home.

Bring these women a pot of hurrah and the robes of smugness!!! Proof time and again that this isn’t a fad or con! I have celebrated our success by buying a new top. Size 14! Currently hiding out in Costa with a skinny cappuccino to get away from the bloody kids.

Lucky I know your pain with calves and boots. Even when I was ‘slim’ my legs were big 😢 I own one pair of suede kitten heel boots that are wider calf fitting. I even struggle with ankle boots. Next time around I don’t care if I look like the back end of a bus.. As long as I have shapely legs!!

BBQ is looking dodgy tonight. Keeps raining. I refuse to give in to the weather though!

OH complained his shorts felt a bit tight round the waist this morning. I suggested that 3 weeks on the BSD would put that right. His face fell at the thought of not eating rolls for lunch and mountains of rice or pasta even tho I assured him he wouldn’t feel hungry! We shall see… He’s not exactly fat (32′ shorts were snug) but it wouldn’t hurt to lose the muffin top he’s accrued in the last year!

Not sure where I went wrong given that it’s such a basic recipe but the brownies came out of the oven a while ago and I’ve just tasted one. They have no sweetness at all and I can taste the cacao which is slightly bitter. Gonna have to count this batch as a fail 🙁

Hi libertina
Sorry only just seen your post, you can do it, I was like you lost 3 st with Slc and put it all back on, always stuffing my face.so if I can do it we all can . I feel amazing now want to fast walk everywhere, so keep it up let me know how you are doing.
Regards jan

Wahooooo Tokyo and Lucky, brill results !👏👏👏👏💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 great news for a Saturday!

Hi Collie,
Just ignore my reference to Timbuktu – I mistook Malawi (where you’re going) for Mali (where Timbuktu is).
What a great charity to be a part of. In developed countries we take safe birthing for granted.
Have a safe ride.
Have a great week-end everyone.

I know exactly what you mean. I made the bolognese this week and served it with courgetti. It was soooooo good. I’m also a convert to cauliflower rice. Tonight, I’m giving the Aubergine lamb a go. It’s like discovering a whole new dimension to food combos.

Hi ruthdownunder.
Hehe do you mean you live in Australia, sounds like you are doing well, keep up the good work
Regards
Jan

Week 19 for me. Still 12lbs to go to get to my max recommended weight. Current BMI 27. I’ve got 6 months until I have a repeat HBA1C and am hoping my GP will take me off medication altogether. Recent HBA1C was 6.3. In my dreams I’d love to be 10st (currently 11st 12lb).

yes yes yes ( aka daniel bryan !!)
with the mom cena reference i am guessing someone likes the wrestling ??
dont get me started on it if thats the case its my guilty pleasure !!!( from haveing a son who loved it as a kid and still does !!!)
how marvellous are your tesults when you write it down and look it its really amazing !! well done you !!
i had a cheeky weigh in today 0.3kg down so going in right direction 1.3 kg off first goal !!!
i think we all deserve to be a tad smug !!!!!

That’s one of my favourites too 😊

Fat pixies 😂

Hi LindaA
Thankyou for the advice, it’s so good to hear from those who are in it for the long haul. I had 104 lbs to loose, so I am like captainlynne plodding on.
We have a rescue show type cocker, Lady Lucy, very beautiful, 6 yrs old with severe PTSD she comes from best in category at crufts, sire and dam won many cocker shows, so has a very aristocratic disposition so we have to treat her like a lethal weapon as she doesn’t run away she bites, if threatened. But we’ve had her a few years now, and she is a darling, with us, loves cuddles, gets my slippers etc. Great to walk as she doesn’t pull. We got her from britains only cocker rescue centre, and were privileged lol, to be allowed to have her as we are experienced with this breed they need very different type of training as they are flushing dogs. Hence why so many end up biting, and being put down, because they have been trained incorrectly. How about you what sort of darling pooch do you have.
Hope your weekend is a happy one jan

I wish I had read this thread before giving the brownies recipe a go 🙁

I had my doubts about what to do with the cacao nibs but as I’ve not used them before I decided to bow to the authors greater authority and bung them in the mixing bowl without doing anything to them first. I ended up with a biscuit coloured mixture dotted with intact chips. I tasted it and it was not especially good. As an experiment I’ve put them in the oven anyway but my expectations are very low. Next time I’ll go with my instincts. There are some great ideas here, I may borrow them in future 🙂

Hi

I’ve just passed the 7 week point and was iron deficient to begin with, I’m waiting for a referral as I can’t tolerate iron tablets. I’m eating more red meat and leafy greens on this diet but have suffered with aching and restless legs all the way through and I just can’t shake it off no matter what I eat. I’ve also been taking a magnesium supplement but it doesn’t seem to be helping. Be interesting to hear if anyone has any ideas!

greenjanet, that is so apt. I get weighed every morning and my weight has gone down by 3.5 lbs in one week – nothing this week yet. I lie in bed a feel where my stomach used to be but still afraid I am going to get weighed and it has all been a dream.

Hi there.
Wowser, a new you emerging, I expect your life has changed beyond recognition, I am on week 2 day 4 and 14lbs down, haven’t had one side effect other than concerns the fat pixies are having a joke and waiting to ambush me with it all. I’m also in it for the long haul, I had 104 lbs to loose , but you are an amazing role model for this fantastic miraculous way of eating. Thankyou for taking the time to blog here. Hope you have a happy day, regards jan

Hi Izzy

(Un)fortunately the uniform is tailored and the jacket is difficult to alter – way too many seams! There’ll be a little ‘wriggle room’ but not too much 😃

I’m 5ft 2in tall, so top of my healthy BMI is 9.11. Realistically (uniform issue aside) – if I continue to lose at a similar rate, another 5 or 6 weeks should bring me very close to target 😃 Then just need to maintain!

Everyone welcome in this club, officially or otherwise😃

Hi Em,
I’m only 10 days in but I haven’t been too strict on calories at the moment. I measure it all on MyFitnessPal but it’s usually over 800, although never more than about 1100 and sometimes around 900 or so. I think the key is that everything I’ve been eating is natural, healthy, low/good carbs and plenty of (good) fats and water.
I am prepared to need to be stricter with the 800 and lower carbs though if I start to hit plateau in coming days / weeks!
(7lb down so far of about 30lb to lose)

I dream of being sround 9st so hopefully one day I will follow you there! Well done for getting there you have done so well!

Day 6 for me and I’m really pleased with how it’s going. I felt really anxious on day 3 (which may have been nothing to do with the diet) but great since then. Yesterday was the first day I felt hungry but other than that the food has been lovely and I’ve mainly been eating similar meals but without the carbs. Yesterday was Greek salad for lunch and fish and veg for dinner. It works well because I just add a portion of carbs for the family and it feels like we’re eating the same dinner. My go-to packed lunch for work has been cooked chicken with salad, olives and olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. I’ve noticed too that food has been a lot more tasty and enjoyable as I have actually been peckish when it’s time to eat!

How often is everyone weighing themselves? I’ve been weighing every day this week on digital scales which has been fantastic when the number goes down but it jumped up by half pound this morning. I didn’t monitor steps yesterday and did a lot less conscious moving around so that may be why. I’ll try and limit weigh-ins to two or three times a week from now on I think! Still really happy as the scales showed 4.5lbs down since Monday and clothes are feeling a little looser.

Congrats to all who have finished or are approaching the end of the first week. Good luck with your weekend away Loopylou! Hope you have a great time.

I love the food too 🙂 it is surprising both how much you can eat for 800 calories, and how much yumminess can be found in less carbs.

well done on 5lbs down!

Dont let your uniform dictate your weight CaptainLynne! It could be altered. I’d also like to see my weight start with a 9, soon at least it will start with a 10 for the first time in years so I am edging closer. I’d like to get to 9 st, with a view to staying under 9 st 7 🙂 I’m only 5ft tall so 9st 2 is bmi 25, but from history if I go lower I feel too skinny.

Could be a good while yet before I get to officially join this club.

Thank you Switzerland, well done for getting to bmi 29! it really is an achievement and you are right BSD makes it possible 🙂

I had a little of my nut brittle yesterday, it is good but actually the macademia’s are not the best to mix in they seem to burn quicker than the optimum time to cook the rest, but it is still nice. I do like the mix of nuts and seeds though so I will certainly continue to make it this way just skip the macademias. I didn’t actually go over 800 though as I wasn’t hungry and didn’t feel I wanted to. Gone are the days of eating for the sake of it.

Remember the chicken curry pasties I made a week or two ago? Well I’ve had an idea… make the pastry as before, but adding some grated cheese, a little tomato puree and some pepperoni… pizza pasties. So today I plan to make those, and a batch of crackers as I ate the last of my stash yesterday. The almond flour crackers are great as they last all week in an airtight tub.

I tried on a summer dress I’ve had for a few years yesterday, I didn’t want to wear it just wanted to see if I wanted to keep it lol. It used to be bigger and fitted my larger body but then when we were staying with relatives it shrunk in the wash and didn’t fit but I kept it anyway. It fits really nicely now so I will keep it for now. Also because 4 days/week I wear a work uniform, sometimes a couple of weeks will go by in between me wearing certain other garments. The jeans I have grown (down) into still fit well but I can certainly feel them looser around the leg than they were a couple weeks ago when I last wore them. My shoulders are looking less rounded, I can definitely see myself changing.

Food today is going to be raspberry almond milk shake (I’ve already had it) pizza pasties for lunch (hopefully) and I’m doing a roast chicken for dinner. I will do roast veg including potatoes for the others, and I think I will make some fresh tomato salsa to have with salad with mine and a few carrot chips maybe.

When my friend the other day asked my secret and I explained mostly that I’ve stopped trashy carbs, she said but what do you eat? I flippantly just said – everything else and now that I’ve been doing this I know that ‘everything else’ is a lot of amazing food and not boring or difficult at all. I have to confess though that 3 months ago I was a little like her, thinking that cutting carbs would be difficult.

I know from my losses being on the slow side that as time goes on I might need to cut my carbs further, I know I eat more than many, but I’m prepared to do that in the future to get where I want to be. For the moment though I’m happy to continue slowly because what I eat feels easy to stick to which gives me long term ability to continue and make this a lifelong lifestyle change.

Well I’m off to get busy with my baking 🙂 Have a great day everyone!