Hi Lucia. I’m new to this way of eating and so far I’m loving it. Your wonderful blog has really motivated me to keep going. I lost 3lbs in my first week but have got a few heavy social days ahead of me. Any tips on how to stay strong? How much have you lost now? You’re doing so well. 😀

Hi JCH187,
Just wondered how you were getting on. We’ve both got the same amount of weight to loose, can we compare notes?
I’m on week 7 today, I put on a 1lb🙄It’s been a bit of a nightmare week sorting out problems for the block of flats where we live and unfortunately doing a lot of hard physical work, I have been ravenous and I know I’ve been bad and had a few glasses of wine and a piece of chocolate cake we were given as thank you so. I’m back on the wagon today. Hoping this week will be better.

Morning team
How are we all this morning?

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Morning Jill
Sorry to hear you were hungry yesterday. I admit I did have my lunch a bit earlier and cooked dinner as soon as I got home from work (LOVED the aubergine and lamb thingy!) so needed a bit of will power later in the evening, but drank lots of camomile tea, put on a good movie and stuck out till 10:15. Funny thing is, I was already feeling better, more lively…even did the dishes after dinner! Not sure if that’s just a mental thing because I’m glad to be finally taking some action, or its really down to what I ate and drank (or more precisely what I DIDNT eat and drink!) but whichever it is I’ll take it! 🙂

I’ve just finished breakfast (Bircher as I’ve swapped day two and three as the curry will suit my son better…he usually drops by on Wednesdays) which was yummy and am looking forward to the day ahead.

Gave a great day

Namaste

LesleyB x

are there any other slow weight losers out there?

I am losing weight on this diet but WAY slower than other people it seems

I know I am not as active as many, although I do get out for walks some days and average a loss of half to one pound a week

this past 10 days I have been away, I have walked every single day and between 3 and 4 miles on 6 of those days
I have been gardening, and cleaning
I have been in a house so up and down stairs, much more moving around
I have had NO sweet foods at all apart from my breakfast berries
and have stuck to low (30 – 50g) carbs every single day
and I still only managed to lose 3 1/2 pound
I am pleased with it but I just get so down and deflated when I read all the wow wow stories on here

the menopause, I know, has made an impact on things and slowed things down for me

but please
if there are any other people who are losing so little, let me know

oh – and I have a lot of weight to shift – several stone still – so its nothing to do with that

how on earth do I get my metabolism to speed up – its like a sloth!!

thank you x

i have just put chickpea flour in google and yes you can make allsorts a revelation !!!!!
anything that uses flour quiches batter white sauce pastry my god its a super ingredient quick get marketing it before paltrow does !!!!!!!!

you do have it under control though, that’s the thing. It’s 2 lb’s and before you know it those will be gone again. This could just be a natural fluctuation as your body re-adjusts.

Out of control would be to gain 2lbs, do nothing. Gain another 2lbs, do nothing, give up, eat pasta, gain 3lbs, do nothing, give up again, (eat 16 hot-dogs, 27 servings of fries, 14 baked potatoes – and… just a small slice of cake please I’m on a diet… oh and a diet coke) THAT would be out of control!

You have cracked it, and you can do this, it will just take a while for you to build your confidence and find the balance of how much to eat to maintain.

Tokyo, you’d never believe what you can do with chickpea flour, not sure about white sauce but you can make this…

https://thekrookedspoon.com/2013/03/03/besan-flour-and-why-i-love-it-plus-a-chocolate-mud-cake/comment-page-1/#comment-2131

… with a sugar substitute, of course.

I am really excited about the pastry, even if it’s just a crust on top, I’m missing something solid (Janey! No…!) in my diet, does that make sense? The feeling of eating something substantial.

Gout? Ouch! I bet that is painful, bless him. I’m still sat here procrastinating, we leave in an hour and a half, no chickpea wraps made, I’m not showered or nothing. I want to stay home and make pastry 🙁

Good morning fellow BSD-ers 🙂

today is Tuesday – weigh and measure day!

I have lost 1 lb, and 1/2 inch off my bust and hips.

I’ve lost a total of 4lb in the last 3 weeks, but I have had 1-3 days per week where I’m not counting so in actual fact I’m thinking that is ok. The weight is still coming off and I can accept slower losses because I am still enjoying the lifestyle. I’ve been overweight a long time I can accept it will take a while to get rid of it all.

Today is the beginning of week 12, and I really do feel like this has been a lifestyle change with the odd blip!

Last night whilst distracted by a few things I’d forgotten to make anything to accompany my katsu curry and whilst I was plating up everyones dinner I automatically put rice on my plate. I realised and swept it all back into the pot – I didn’t even want to eat it. I don’t miss rice at all. I had a side salad instead 🙂

I do feel very tired this morning though and I think my extra activity in the loft and garden recently has taken its toll. I do need to take care I have realised as tiredness certainly brings out my anxiety. I’m still feeling fine but I recognise I probably need a few early and gentler nights!

I do have an idea of something I can use to make a workbench up in the loft – there is an old cabinet sat in the shed not being used for anything… So I’m going to take a look at that tonight and see if I can do that, but I plan to be showered and in bed by 9pm with a movie. If I can get the workbench set up then I’m good to go. I can set up the sewing machine and take up all my paints etc.

well, my son is arguing with his toy aeroplane so I gotta go and get him ready to get out!

Have a great day 🙂

no worries like you i am up and getting ready to go early this morning although not making any wraps!!!!
intrigued about the chickpea pastry i was wondering when making my white sauce for moussaka if i could use chickpea flour for that !
it is becoming the ingredient of the week!!!!
my hubby is doing it with me but like you say i am pretty rigid hes a bit more flexible but hes just overweight and already loss a good half a stone so hes happy to carry on because he was just diagnosed with gout !!!!! very painful so hes really watching what he eats !!!!
anyway let see what today brings !!

Thanks Izzy. Good advice from you as usual. I WILL tell it to shut up. Or words to that effect!
I guess I’m just disappointed that I don’t have it all under control like I thought I did. This is where the mindfulness comes into its own I suppose. As I’ve always said, it’s (relatively!) easy to lose weight, I’ve done it hundreds of times. It’s keeping it off that’s the problem. And I thought I had cracked it. Oh well.
Come on Janet, pull yourself together ( shouts into mirror) you can do this!

make sure your shake is a low carb one. aside from that don’t worry, many of us had this experience but the weight does start to move again. Just keep eating the right stuff 🙂

tell your sneering head to shut up!

I think if it was me – I would try a week of 800 and see what that does then try a variation until things level out. maybe 4 days on 800 and 3 of not counting cals, work yourself back up?

The fact that you are not ignoring the 2lb gain and are looking for a healthy way forwards proves your sneering head wrong. You are seeking to control this and not let it get out of hand.

Remember that weight will fluctuate and even when we are only trying to maintain it will go up and down a little. Don’t worry too much you are healthy now, and by taking a bit of care you will remain so!

Tokyo, I’m sorry, I was so tired last night, I realise you had told me you were eating out already, I had thought that was yesterday not today. You said about going with your Mum. I am paying attention, honestly 😉

Omg I missed my willie last night! That’ll teach me for getting fresh air… I’ll be the same tonight, you watch, we’re off to Llandudno, to the seaside! Fish and bloody chips, bakeries, lovely eateries, ice creams. I know there’s a H&B there though, and it’s the last two days of b1g1hp there so I’m going to get some coconut flour, had some lovely lemon poppy seed muffins in an email last night that I want to try when I’ve used up my frozen blueberry almond flour muffins (still 8 left – good girl!) and I can’t afford to keep using almond flour, unfortunately! It’s going to be a nightmare today if sis in law has officially packed her SW in for this week. I need to go and make some chickpea wraps, pronto!

I know Tokyo, this ‘just this once’ mentality spirals out of control, doesn’t it? ‘Well, I had this for lunch so I might as well write today off and have this for tea as well and start again tomorrow’ and then it’s in danger of the world famous ‘I’ll start again Monday’. My husband is obese too and he’s on board with this, but I have to keep asking him if he wants to continue with it, or if he wants to be as rigid as me. He says the results are there to be seen, he’s down 15 lbs in the same amount of time, and due to long standing illness he’s quite inactive, so that’s mainly diet alone. He said he has to decide now what’s more important, eating junk or being healthy. So I’m really lucky to have an ally in real life as well as you guys online. He’s a fair bit older than me, and I know he worries, he’s only 9 years younger than when his Mum passed away and 15 for his Dad, so I know that plays on his mind. He was in his 40’s when he became a father and married, even though he has a very young outlook on everything from his personality, how he looks, how he dresses and the music he likes, our bodies don’t work like our minds, unfortunately!

Janey, glad that there is peace in your home. It’s always a toughie where stepchildren are concerned. And well, well, well. You have excited me. Thrilled me, even. No, not the talk of willies. But pastry. Chickpea. Pastry. And a brief Google search confirms that not only does it exist, but it is, by all accounts, tasty. Do you realise what this means to me?????? Oh my days… I know my hubby has a steroid injection tomorrow, but if he thinks he’s dragging me out with the inlaws again, he’s got another thing coming, I’m afraid. I’m going to be in the kitchen making steak, onion and mushroom in red wine mini-pies. I could make sausage rolls with heck sausage… curried pasties. This could put a much better slant on summer picnics/eating out. Eeeep 🙂

knicky, the cheesecake sounds awesome. could you possibly share the recipe?

thanks

I’m having a bit of a crisis and would value your input!
I lost 2 stone in the 8 weeks, reached a healthy weight for the first time in donkeys years and felt brilliant. I decided to move on to 5:2, ie 5 days of low carb but not calorie counting and 2 days of 800 cals. I’ve not eaten any ‘proper’ carbs, no rice, bread etc, and just increased the portions a bit and the fat content, more olive oil on salads etc. And I’ve gained 2 lbs in a week!
Now my sensible head says, it’s only 2lbs, don’t panic. But my sneering head say ‘ there you go, I KNEW it wouldn’t last, you are going to put it all back on again, after all that hard work, all for nothing”.
Any thoughts? Have others had a small weight gain after ‘relaxing’ a bit? I REALLY don’t want to slide back again. Should I go back to the 800 cals?

Those are great results MARG38, over 2lbs a week on average and still going down! I have found my arthritis has benefited from my weight loss, at least it is easier to go up the stairs anyway! Enjoy the extra energy!

Thanks for the encouragement

Hi Igorasusual,

Your family walking holiday sounds wonderful. Although some of the uphill walks may be hard going I’m sure being surrounded by beautiful scenery and accompanied by family will make it an enjoyable, as well as healthy, experience.
Thank you for sharing your plans for your next stage of eating healthy, it sounds like you have it all worked out. I think excepting that you may still enjoy an occasional good quality and tasty high carb product, like bread, is so sensible and realistic.

I agree entirely re the quantity of food we actually need, I haven’t felt hungry or had any negative reactions to a low calorie intake. My main obstacle is still ( and I think this will always be the case) my emotional reaction to food and the connections I make between certain foods and love, security, family, friends etc. I’m at 11 st today, a loss of 4lbs over 8 days, so very pleased with the first week. The rest of the week will be tough as have 4 different social events at peoples homes, so will have to except that my weight may be up a bit by the weekend. I’ll eat clean and at a minimum in between times and hope that it balances out. I might even try not weighing again until next Monday and then won’t get the low feeling through putting on again!

Thanks for your positive and supportive post.
🙂

Hi sydneygirl,
Netflix wise I make it that I only watch my shows ( the ones my OH doesn’t watch with me) only with exercise, I’m lucky that I have a tv and treadmill in a room so I either go in there or literally walk around the lounge room!
Your combined 7lb loss is great and after detoxing strictly I would have thought 1.5 is also a good loss. You would well and truly be feeling the difference in your clothes.
I on the other hand had spent the previous few weeks eating paleo Brecky, lunch n dinner and feeling very self righteous but ignoring the fact totally that I was refusing a sandwich for lunch but eating the crusty bit with butter standing in the kitchen, eating a couple of icecreams when out and about and drinking a glass of wine most nights! As a result my weight loss is a bit higher as I would have retained lots of fluid from the alcohol, I weighed this morn and I’ve lost 4lb, which I’m thrilled with. Like you I have a few social things coming up so a bit nervous about that.

Well done with your weight loss and for eating healthy for four weeks, I’ll use you to inspire me over my first four weeks!

🙂

I started on 27th, have about 3 and a half stone to lose (which would take me from bmi 34 to 24 approx) Am a hopeless dieter, always manage to lose 3 or 4 kilos and then come to a grinding halt. I counted up once how many calories extra it takes to put that on over 3 decades and it is only about 16 a day BUT the catch is I need at least 300 extra calories a day to maintain that weight now. That is a lot in a year. That 300 or so is going to come off for ever…..

I also have a problem and an advantage. The advantage is that I do not eat cakes or biscuits or pastries regularly although I love bread, pasta, rice, potatoes.
Disadvantage is that I cannot log or count calories, have tried over the decades and am very admiring of those who do, as all studies show that those who do lose more weight. So I am eyeballing it, using menu plans etc.

So far so good, down 4 1/2 pounds which is fantastic for me

Good luck to all

Ruth

You look fantastic Bill. Congratulations on your achievement.

Hi everyone Just starting week five and am down 13 lbs – not as high amount as others on the forum but I am so happy with the result. The loss has slowed down a bit but as long as I keep losing something I am happy. Exercise has been hard as I have arthritis in the knees (and almost everywhere else I think) but I am doing my best. Not all that easy when you are 77 I find. Lots more energy just the same and feeling great.

I am currently on day 9 of the BSD and weight lost has STOPPED. for the first 4-5 days was loosing good weight but now nothing. Have increased my exercise and have being watching everything I eat very closely but nothing.
On day 1 started at 116 and by 4 had lost a great 4 Kg’s but since then NOTHING!!!

I am sure I am doing everything correct. My food is normally;

Brunch;

Either – VLCD shake or Large grilled mushroom with grilled egg

Dinner
Either Grilled chicken, steamed fish, or steak with vegetables and some cauliflower rice
lots of water and 1-2 black coffees and some tea with a bash of milk

Please help this eating plan is hard to follow and the promised weight loose has spotted!

Thanks
Jeff

Thanks Josie53 – I really appreciate the support / kind sentiments 🙂

I started on the 27th! I’m experiencing a slow start but I was kind of expecting that.

Using my fitnesspal and will have to set the carbs up right in the macros. I’m eating well and healthy but I don’t think it’s low carb enough. I know there’s a few threads on that here so will have to have a proper read.
Good luck everyone!

glad to hear from you and well done on sticking to bsd !! i shall leave lucky to comment on the willie!!!!!

That’s impressive Bill; how long did it actually take you to get to that point?

Never fear, Janey IS here! We have a ceasefire at home mainly because neither of us are mentioning yesterday so the bulletproof vests are back in the wardrobe for now. In spite of trying circumstances I have stuck to the BSD all day. Tried a pasty type product I bought from a local food fair at the weekend. Pastry was made from gram flour with a 3 cheese and mushroom filling. Was actually quite nice for a gluten free offering. One Willie as a treat tonight 😆

no i think eating out but not sure where it will be like dodge the carbs !!!!
my other half says it wont matter for one meal but i know i had a bit more than i should tonight then one meal tomorrow and before you know it stuff just creeps up and climbs on your plate !!!!!!
i am thinking have yog etc for breakfast maybe small lunch then bacon and egg with tom and mushroom for tea so its just whilst out i need to be on my guard like a blinking ninja !!!!!

good luck Hush hope you have a good week

I have my little crafting space all floored woohoo 🙂

I can’t find my sewing machine pedal 🙁 so I might have to get a replacement, but then I hope the machine works as it’s about 20 years old and not been used for years. I don’t have a table yet anyways so it can all wait but I’m pleased with my progress so far.

I am however, exhausted so it’s bedtime for izzy. Night all 🙂

Hit my stone today, 5 weeks to the day since I started following the plan. Can’t tell you how happy I am, any previous diet I have followed has been such a slog to any significant weight loss, in fact I think only twice before have I ever managed to reach a stone in one go (most ever lost was 2 1/2 stone after my son was born, on weight watchers which of course was only temporary).

Hope you all have a productive week.

Thanks SunnyB. End of day one and followed day one menu to the letter. Came to bed at 9pm as am pretty hungry so taken half a nytol…hope it gets easier!

Well done Tokyo 😉 haha
Glad your moussaka was a success. I think it’s going to have to be a salad again, meh. I like a nice big side salad with a meal, but I’ve nothing really to say to a salad as a meal, if that makes sense (not without bread and new potatoes, anyway!). That’s the only thing in the cafe that we could have eaten, and it was pricey too! Hence my starving. I’ve got some sliced roast beef and I’m just thinking now, that it might be nice on chickpea wraps, with onions and maybe a bit of mustard. Assemble and roll up. But I need to make chickpea wraps and… we’ll see how early I wake up tomorrow and if I can be bothered. Might take a flask of hot water and some cups of Bovril too, I find that takes the edge off hunger, almost kid yourself that you’re having a nice beefy soup 😉 Shove an emergency apple in my bag (and remember it tomorrow!) and I know we’re having steak and mushrooms and spiralised veg for tea tomorrow so that should do me.
Are you eating out or taking food with you?
Yes, Janey, hope everything is ok?

i have the hang of this gardening thing now no electrical appliance were damaged at all !!!!!
its really hard this eating out business like i said i am out tomorrow and after tonight’s mousaka which was bloody lovely i was hoping to cut back a bit tomorrow to make up for me over estimating cals and carbs on the said
moussaka
have you got any food plans for tomorrow ?
hope janeys ok shes very quiet tonight ? i miss her amusing anecdotes !!

Hi everyone
Just thought I’d drop by and add my thoughts on my first day. I had blueberries, yogurt and a few nuts for breakfast, amazing the difference in the taste of the full fat yogurt and it kept me going all morning. Lunch was a chicken salad and then tonight we have had trout fillet and veg with potatoes for one. I do love the Jersey Royals but felt fine not having them, it is more important to start to shift the weight.
I have drunk about 2 litres of water and had less coffee than normal so hoping I don’t get headaches from lack of caffeine. I just need to start to get some exercise, been a busy day so that will have to wait!

I know every day won’t be so easy so I will keep trying and will do it, feeling positive today.

Hi everyone: Just checking in to say that after 3 days I have lost 5.8 pounds for far. Can’t wait until Friday when I will have my first week done.

LindaOz: I have a fitbit zip that I love.

Emma: It looks like you and your husband had a great first week.

Seadog: I was lucky I have not felt bad at all since starting this plan. But I did do 5:2 before, plus I have been watching my carb intake off and on for awhile now. So it was not that big of a change for me.

Eggbot: Sounds like your first day went pretty good for you. What did your husband make that you couldn’t eat? I keep my meals pretty simple. Basically meat, chicken,( some form of protein) veggie and a salad for dinner. And my husband can always have a potato or rice to go with it if he wants. And yes we can all do this with the help of each other and this forum.

It was ok… lol. As my husband would put it ‘It were crackin’t flags’ when we left home. As we drove further and further into Snowdonia the skies greyed and just as we arrived at our destination, it started raining. That fine rain that soaks you through… 😛 In laws weren’t too impressed as even the most beautiful places look grim in the rain. Walked them around, got them soaked, went in a cafe and despite SIL being on SW… she had a massive baguette (and I mean massive) with steak and fried onions on. BIL had a bacon barmcake. I had… a look of hunger and a black coffee. I forgot my apple. We walked past the lovely ice cream shop there too. By the time we arrived home at 3, I had parents evening at 3.30 and so only had a quick coffee. I don’t think I chewed my tea tonight, Tokyo, I just cut it up and swallowed it, I was famished! Then I fell asleep in my chair for an hour and a half. Going out with them again tomorrow, God help me.
How did gardening go? Did the weather hold for you? Did you destroy anything electrical? 😉

how did the day out go lucky ?

Hi all,
It was a mixed first day for me today with a few challenges along the way. It was a colleague’s birthday but I didn’t feel like I missed out when I (hopefully politely) declined the celebration cake. My husband forgot I was starting the diet today – he’s been working all weekend – and had prepared a big dinner for when I got home. Again I (slightly less politely) declined and had my planned meal of thai chicken and veg soup which was BSD-friendly and delicious. (New Covent Garden, I can recommend it, 177 cal for half carton.)

LindaOz – Glad you’re a fan of the fitbit. Fitting your walk into the commute sounds like a great habit to start. I didn’t charge my fitbit for today but I did get out for a 20 minute walk at lunchtime which I also hope will become a daily habit.

Thanks for the day 3 update Seadog. I’m so hoping we can all do this and it’s good to hear you’re more positive about the new lifestyle than sad about the loss of the old! There are some habits that I will have to say goodbye to over this 8 weeks (possibly forever) that I don’t think I’ve fully accepted yet. Hope you have a really great day 4!

Great results everyone! The health stats are seriously impressive. Why doesn’t every one know about this way of eating!!

I’m focussing on the superficial weight stuff tho hopefully healthier on the inside too. Week 7 just over and another 1.4kg gone yaaaayyyy!👍👍 another stone to go until goal weight though sneaking into the healthy weight bracket in half a stone, v exciting!!! Feeling happier in my self and less preoccupied with food – picking good options is still sometimes a battle but a more automatic battle now😝

It’s definitely gotten bit easier in the last week or so, and I credit cauliflower rice and curry for lots of it! It’s just so much nicer than normal rice.

Hi,
I’ve just done a little research into Dr Aseem Malhotra, who as stated above posted an article in the Daily Mail a few days ago. Anyway, I’ve just found a REALLY interesting article in Mens Health magazine, which puts forward, very succinctly, the benefits of a high fat/low carb approach. I am astonished quite honestly, that we have allowed ourselves to be mistakenly advised to follow a low fat/high carb diet which REALLY annoys me. Why is it that Govt advice is so slow to change ? People are ruining their health through incorrect GP advice. I think there is a gradual change happening, but the advice is still wrong. the so called ‘slimming clubs’ are still making millions out of poor people who are told to follow their misguided and ineffective plans. Sorry, rant over, but if you are like me and just started to realise that we have been sold a crock of s*** by the Govt, it makes you mad !!
Anyway….below is a link to Dr Malhotra research and findings.

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/food-nutrition/the-truth-about-fat-and-sugar-is-finally-explained

I started on the 29th!

Would like to lose about 5 stone to be at ideal weight but would be very happy with 4.

Going really well so far – down 6-7 lbs and feel good. Day three was tough. Biggest challenge now I think is staying active – really having to push to make sure I’m moving. Anyone try the strength training suggestions?

Thanks JaneyCD.
Glad you enjoyed your beer treat.
I am not sure about the coconut oil exactly lol….I just felt that not quite enough oil might be a contributing factor seeing as I had carefully weighed and measured all ingredients, drunk an oceanful of water and did a fair amount of walking. I love coconut and bounty bars so I thought ,what the heck, it has worked for others so why not give it a go. The taste and texture of the one I have is surprisingly light and melted easily (groovy/organic) so would definitely try it again.
Good luck now you are in the over 8 week club.
P

Breakfast – Greek yogurt (60g) frozen berries, warmed (80g) seeds and nuts
Lunch – 100g chicken, some olives and a bit of their oil, salad leaves, cucumber, tomato, pepper
Tea – 2 rashers bacon, slice Rye bread, salad leaves, cucumber, avocado, houmous 1 dessert spoon.
Total 815 cals.

The Daily Grail is running articles with recipes all day this week.

I just started today, though I found the low sugar diet through the ladies gym I joined. Finding it hard to get my head round full fat everything.

Oh Lordy, Janey. It’s no fun being a step parent some times. No pearls of wisdom here either after my track record with my stepson. Chin up girlie x