Hi,

My work means that I do manage to achieve the 10000 steps most days with a short evening walk. However over the summer I’m using fitness blender.com. I started with their free 5 day plan and am now doing a low impact program. They are good as you don’t feel pressure to do more than you can and if you follow a program, a fitness test at the start and end lets you see real differences.

Hi all

Just tipped over the midway point and lost another 1lb last week. I am disappointed as I felt I was completely on it but for one night when I had a few people over and I ate a normal portion.

It was baked Fish with Greek salad though. So pretty good. Oh, and um a slither of lemon tart. Which I was craving and tried not to serve to myself but just have some fruit and it fell in my dish. Oops. It was too sweet. Bit shocked about that as I love puddings. Or should I say loved.

These changes are surprising. Just signed up for a ballroom and Latin dance class with the fella which will help as well as be a lot of fun I hope. I dog walk and garden and swim occasionally too. Trying to build up a short exercise routine but I’m a bit rubbish about being consistent with that.

Onwards!

End of week 4 for me and I only lost 1lb last week. Bit of a disappointment after the initial big loss in the first week (8lb) followed by two 3lb loss weeks. Still it is in the right direction. I was careful other than one evening when I had a few people over to supper and I ate a normal sized portion. Still it was not a huge meal. There we are. I have to be careful not to get despondent and think well it doesn’t matter how hard I try, so I may as well have a Twirl or three…

Hi does anyone have a recipe for an easy tomato sauce I can use please

Thanks guys for the advice !, sorry don’t mean to steal Bills limelight, this thread is to applaud him !
I have to work early shifts in my job, two out of every eight days, which mean getting up at 4am, from a common sense perspective I’m asking too much of myself to go without breakfast those days, but the other days I think I will just have lunch and dinner, with a small snack around 9pm, as Bill suggests. I know the science behind fasting is sound, so am keen to bring both the 800 cal plan and fasting into play to combine the results. I think there is some truth in tricking your metabolism as MM suggests, so I’ll do that I think and let you know how I get on !.

Thanks captainlynn, I’m only on day 5 but have lost 4lbs which is a miracle for me so I’m keeping going

Thanks Izzy, thats helpful

Great to see so any brilliant results being posted here. Mine are not so spectacular, but I have dropped 1.4lb since this time last week. I have to admit, I was over cals most days and only registering a low reading on the ketosticks, so I am grateful for ending up with a loss of any sort. Today, I am more focused and back properly tracking cals and carbs.
Good luck to everyone for great results this week.

Nearly – I started on Sunday 26th June, (I have a weird work pattern), so have just come to the end of my first full week on the BSD.

I reckon I have about 12+ stone to lose but I don’t know for definite as I can’t ever recall a time when I was the ‘proper’ weight so I have no real frame of reference – I’ve been overweight, (and more), since I was about 6, no exaggeration!

I made a good start in the first five days by losing a stone, but unfortunately after that I had a pre-booked long weekend away with my boyfriend and when I got on the scales this morning despite being careful on the carb/sugar front, I found that I had put 5lbs on (grrrr!) so this has reduced my first week’s loss to 9lbs, which to be fair I can’t really complain about! 🙂

Fortunately, even though I’d found getting grips with a completely new way of thinking and eating really hard and also time consuming last week, (doing this has made me realize how little attention I was paying to what I was putting in my mouth), as I hadn’t found myself hungry, nor lightheaded during the first week, I’ve hopped right back on the wagon this morning and am quite, unusually for me, relieved to be back ‘on it’.

Having basically dieted the low fat/high carb way for 39 years of my life with occasional temporary success, (put it all back on and more), I’m extremely wary of thinking/believing that this time it will click long term for me, but the lack of hunger/no lightheadedness has been a revelation and also a joy, and I never, EVER thought I would say that about a diet so who knows! 🙂

Hey Janey – Hope you are managing to have a reasonable day today after yesterday being torpedoed like it was. I know it’s easy said, but try not to let this upset derail you. Hope you will be able to open a line of communication with your OH soon and clear the air. Be gentle with yourself and try to stay focused.

Had an overall weight loss for the week, despite an overindulgent weekend – it’s a new week and higher vigilance from today.
Spent time with grandchildren yesterday.
Clearing out some stuff for a charity sale later this month.

Oh dear, I’m still not sure of my final target until I get to where I feel comfortable.
I know it won’t be around the recommended 10 stone something, probably more like 12 but, as I said, I won’t really know until I get there.
I think that personally, I’ll stick to weekly weigh ins though, it’s become a bit of a Saturday ritual and I feel that, if I start gaining again, 4 weeks is too long to go without knowing about it.

If you don’t need a particular meal, then there is no harm done by skipping it. I am sometimes like you, in that I don’t want breakfast first thing, so will have a brunch around noon, a small snack in the afternoon and then eat a main meal with OH in the evening. Just watch the calories and carbs and drink enough.

Hi Seadog
breakfast has never really figured in my diet apart from when on holiday.
Of course skipping it does increase your fasting period, but, I do find that my blood sugar readings stay as high as my fasting levels until I’ve eaten so just something to keep an eye on.
I tend to have a light lunch, decent sized dinner (but still low cal) and a small snack at about 9pm. That’s the way I’ve done it since I was recommended to have the snack to lower the fasting BS readings.
TBH I rarely bother doing a fasting reading any more, just pre and post meals.
Give skipping breakfast a try, if you start feeling hungry pre lunch you can always start it again.

Well done Sydneygirl.

Keep chipping off the pounds and you will get there!

🙂

Hi Seadog

Basically the BSD says you should eat when you are hungry. So if you don’t need to eat at breakfast and your work schedule permits you can certainly eat two meals per day

The BSD suggests this at weekends and it does help by putting your meals in a shorter time span, with more fasting between them. You can certainly do it all week if it suits you – I often do.

Do it to suit yourself and your body is the main thing. Not for everybody perhaps.

Good luck 🙂

That’s fantastic P! TWO dress sizes and all those inches lost is such an achievement! I thought I was happy with just one dress size down!!

This is technically the start of the rest of my life today as I’m in week 9!!! Had a treat yesterday as we took the kids to London and ate in Chinatown, but I can honestly say I was glad to get back to sensible eating today.. All that rice and stodge.. Ugh! I did enjoy my first beer in 8 weeks tho 😋

I’ve heard of people eating coconut oil before. What does it do? Suppress the appetite? I’ve started cooking with it but not felt the urge to eat it by itself!!

How about this. Those who want to weigh in monthly do so, those who want to weigh in weekly do so?

Personally, I think I’d prefer to weigh in weekly for a short time after reaching target, just so I can keep a check on what is happening – until I find out how to keep my weight stable. I know it will be low carb. But unsure how many calories I will be able to eat, hence weekly weighing.

Hi all,
Just thought I’d check in and let you know how I’m doing ?. I’m on day 3 now, and still feeling a bit sluggish, but it is improving. The weird thing is my sense of hunger ?. Earlier before lunch, I felt starving, but then suddenly that feeling had vanished ?. I’m really getting the feeling that my body is in some way trying to reboot ?. The other feeling I’m trying to come to terms with is what I can only describe as a sense of loss ?. It’s the weirdest feeling, I feel like I’ve lost some part of me that I had needed and come to rely on (Carbs/sugar) and have now made a new proper friend, water and proper healthy and nutritious food !. The only way I can describe it is giving up smoking I guess (I’ve never smoked, but people tell me that you get the withdrawal symptoms ?).
I still feel a little jittery, but I know that this is just withdrawal, I can do this, I know it will pass. Sorry if I sound a bit serious, but although I’m loving this new lifestyle, I still feel like I’m breaking free from the chains !. Normal service will resume shortly !!

Hi, question for Bill ?. I seem to remember that I read somewhere on one of your posts that you don’t eat breakfast ?. I haven’t got much of an appetite in the morning, so was wondering if I should just have two meals a day, but still have 800 calories of course ?. Would this have even more effect as I would get the added bonus of in effect fasting from dinner one day till lunch the next ?. I’m thinking this is probably not a good idea, as I’m sure my waking appetite will increase as I go on through the plan ?. what are your thoughts ?

Can hardly believe we’re on the first day of week 7. One of the reasons I like this diet is that if I’ve eaten badly, I look forward to eating properly again because I don’t feel great! 🙂

Well…it is the first day of my week 8.
Had a bit of a plateau and a strange week last week and my weight wiggled up and down with no clear reason, but, as many on here have recommended I stayed on course…had an extra spoon of coconut oil and didn’t despair. That paid off and at the last moment the scales shifted.
So now at 12st, 5lb and a 1/4 (from 15 stone),five inches gone from my waist and two full dress sizes down.
I am looking forward to the rest of the week and the positive difference I can make.
I still don’t have a specific weight target as I feel I am still way too far off to think about that yet. Just want to be in the healthy BMI range.

Is it a coincidence that I started the diet Thursday morning and have been bleeding since Thursday night?
I have a mirena coil so don’t have regular periods and it’s usually just spotting. This is full blown pre mirena bleed 😟
I really don’t want to stop after 4 days as I’m doing it with my hubby.

Em x

I started Thursday and have enjoyed everything so far. I’ve got about 35lbs to get rid of and my hubby is doing it too.
Today I’m feeling tired so don’t know if it’s from lack of carbs and I could just eat a bar of chocolate 😞
Mustn’t give into the urge 😆

Em x

Hi Hush
yes that is the most remarkable thing about this way of eating, you just don’t feel hungry because, once you cut out the carbs and the body starts burning fat, it has plenty of reserves to work on so it doesn’t crave fat in the same way it craved the carbs.
I wish you more success than I wish myself, as far as I’m concerned, anyone who has the courage to do a diet that goes against everything they have learned previously, deserves all the plaudits they can get.

That’s really helpful Bill and thank you for the prompt replies.

I’ve been doing it one week so I’m still feeling a bit like Bambi learning to walk with the whole cutting carbs business, but it’s the first time in 30 years of dieting that I’ve ever tried a ‘diet’ that hasn’t left me hungry and feeling weak and watery, which has blown me away as I normally suffer really badly with headaches when I cut my calorie intake and give up.

Thank you also for the inspiration.

Thanks Eggbot, I hope you found your FitBit.
I bought one yesterday and am having a ball with it. I’m not so much shaming myself, as I thought I would be, but challenging myself. I got off the train past my stop tonight, and walked the 2 kilometers up and down the hills to get home, to see what the FitBit recorded. It recorded over 8500 steps today and over 22 staircases (the hills I suppose).
Now I think I’ll get up extra early tomorrow and walk the same way to get the train tomorrow morning. It’s past my bedtime here in Australia now – good night.

Thanks for the link Igorasusal 🙂

Hi Hush
yes like others I decided to stay with the fast 800 over the 8 week mark
I’m a bit of a heretic in that I never really counted the calories. I simply cut out the carbs and found that my appetite had decreased so much that I was eating much smaller portions so that took care of the calorie thing.
I did increase the length of the dogs walks but never counted the steps or anything like that.
I’ve lost 3.5 stones at the last weigh in although the last 2 weeks on holiday I’ve been nowhere near as strict with myself (one or two tipples 😉 )
It’s just the way I did (and am still doing) it and it worked for me.

Hi Hush

Isn’t Bill an inspiration? He will pop back himself, but just to say if you put his name in the SEARCH box top right, it will throw up all his threads. If you read the THIS HAS TO WORK FOR ME thread he started, I think you will be even more inspired.

🙂

Hello!
So happy to find this thread – I too just started (on day 6) and am at the beginning of a long journey to get to my goal. I am a 45 y.o. woman, just 1/4 inch shy of 6 ft, and really need to weigh about 5 st less than I do. Not diabetic but blood sugar checks over the last few years def put me in the pre-diabetic range. About 6 years ago, I followed a pretty a strict low carb routine and up-ed my exercise and lost almost 3 st. Kept it off for a few years but then switched jobs and pretty much everything – physical and mental health – fell apart.

I’m out of that job and several months ago went back to low carb + more exercise and dropped 1 st really quickly but stalled out. Saw the book, read it, had hubby (who is type I diabetic) read it, and we committed to start last week (following a two week holiday during which I wish I’d eaten more carbs and appreciated them – I miss them so!).

Finding the plan really great – day 3 was tough but feeling pretty good now. My husband has always been the cook in our home and he is loving the recipes. Just checked the scale and down almost 6 lbs in 6 days and really excited! I feel great, sleeping really well, and after some initial irritability, feel very calm.

Working very hard at being more active but would love any tips you have and would love to stay in touch to have some accountability. The food piece is not a big deal for me – I’m a habit eater so any change, with enough repetition will be feasible. But I must admit I am lazy and can find a million excuses not to exercise. I have been making conscious effort to take stairs everywhere, walk a few miles a day, and get up every half hour. But it is a struggle – would much rather be curled up on a comfy chair reading!

And Loopylou, I think you are very virtuous – I would have caved at the vino (not to mention the’ bread!)! I’m actually staying away from all my friends because wine is a huge part of our social life. I was out walking Sat and passed my best friend’s house and her hubby saw me and offered me a glass – at 11 am!!! Def going to need a plan to avoid the booze if this is going to work!

Keep up the great work all!

Stayed under 800 calories today
Enjoyed a good day in the great job I’m lucky to have
Cycled to work on a lovely crisp sunny morning

So I weighed in today and was actually only 1.5lbs down this week. kinda hoping for more but I think the 2nd week will be better potentially although I have to go out Friday and Saturday next weekend :😳 So hopefully temptation can be avoided!
Still a 7lb loss all the same since I started eating better with the detox 3 weeks ago so it’s definitely heading in the right direction.

The camping trip sounds great Igorasusual.

Hi Bill,

That is so inspiring – thank you for sharing the photos and a huge congratulations.

I hope you don’t mind if I ask a few questions……….

I assume you were on the diet the whole time rather than just the eight weeks?
Did you stick religiously to it every day or did you either accidentally, or deliberately have the odd day of more than 800 calories?
Did you do any extra exercise such as those recommended in the book or an increase in walking?
How much weight have you managed to lose in the 4 months?

Ok
1) avoided doughnuts on 12 1/2 HR night shift , sat by the work station all night.
2) dogs so wage to see me come home.
3) birds signing in sunshine
🙋🏻🐾🐾🌞

Hi
Hang in there , your adjusting , drink plenty believe in yourself eat good quality food .well done

1. Ate well all day – positivity that makes me feel good.
2. Entertained again by native birds in the backyard.
3. 3/4 of my family is on holidays – much less running around – more time for bush walks.

I started this diet last Sunday, just over a week ago, and am planning on having the Pepper Jewelled Feta for lunch tomorrow so I calculated the calorie content on Myfitness Pal.

Assuming the use of 1/2tspn oil to brush the peppers, to stay within the 220 calorie level given in the book, the quantity of pomegranate seeds comes up as needing to be 20grams.

Hope this helps anyone who might be wondering.

Hi Christi1948
Yes, all good Christine.
I admit I’m very focused and driven and have followed this new way of life to the letter.
I’ll have completed 12 weeks by end of tomorrow and as of this morning, I’m 17.2kg down. I’ve got about 8kg to go, then I’ll do what Hashimito has done and keep the sugars and simple carbs out of my diet and just increase my calories until I can work out what I need to do to maintain my weight.
Are you happy with your weight loss progress?
Cheers
Linda

Hi LesleyB
It’s hard to put aside what you’ve always been taught but the evidence is now all over these forums that this diet works – in spades.
My advice would be to cut out all of the simple carbs in week one and don’t worry about the calories until you get over any carb withdrawal symptoms you may experience.
Best of luck !

Just saw Wonderfull World of Blood. Regarding the spectrometer analysis of your blood after different breakfasts and the surprising high inflammation finding after an “egg and processed meat” breakfast. This was probably due to sodium nitrate or other nitrosamine in the meat. It irritates the liver which causes the liver to release fatty acids into the blood stream. More disturbingly, recent research has demonstrated how these same fatty acids can break down the blood brain barrier ultimately leading to Alzheimer’s.
I can provide more info on specific research and mechanisms if interested.

Please keep up the excellent work.

Hi KJ77
don’t worry too much about your fasting levels as everyone is affected by the dawn effect which is caused by your liver releasing stored sugar while you are asleep to give you that get up and go that you need when you wake.
My advice would be to concentrate on the readings just before and 2 hours after a meal to give a more dependable result.
Best of luck 🙂

Thank you Igorausual I will look at the threads you suggest and try and keep focussed. I am seeing my GP next week so will see what she says.

Hello jbartnz
You are suffering from carb withdrawal symptoms, christened on here as the carb “flu”
This normally lasts about a week and you will wake up one day soon feeling full of energy.
Stick to what you’re doing, you’re almost there.

Hi Seadog, thanks for the kind comments.
Yes I’d love to see other folk use this thread to post their before and after images. If anyone wants to know how it’s done just leave a post in this thread.
Hi Knicky13
I started the diet on Feb 2nd this year and was at that weight by June 9th so about 4 months was all it took. Can I just add, if you haven’t read any of my other posts that I am now off all the diabetes medication, was pronounced pre diabetic 4 weeks into the diet and I’m confident of being diagnosed as non diabetic when my next HbA1C tests are due in September. 😀

janey what a shitty end to what sounds like a lovely day !! unfortunately i have no pearls of wisdom as never been a step mum but surely her mum will know what kids are like ( heres hoping ) and just take it with a pinch of salt .
i feel you on the silence between you and the other half i had my share of that this weekend but when faced with those cakes i just thought no but i am early in in this bsd and you have done so well so if you fancy a biscuit am sure one won’t hurt just not the packet !!!!
heres hoping today passes quick and well for you and work passes quick too . i am on my last week of sick leave so return to work for me next week just as the weather gets better typical!! but ready for it off into the garden again now ( at least at work i wont have to bloody garden !!!)

That’s awesome, you must feel very proud of yourself. A new you. Way to go!

It has been 12 weeks since I started and I lost 17kg in 9 weeks. 17cm from my waist and I have 13kg to go. I am starting on the supported program in Australia so I can learn more. I have to redo my bloods and get my dexsa scan done to finish off my weight loss and reassess my blood sugar. Off to doctors this week for repeat bloods. Fingers crossed my hba1c is down. I am reading labels differently but don’t miss the carbs, just had some occasionally.

Thanks Igorasusual. Will checkout the keto calculator.

Hi Verano

Yes, 20g of carbs is low, many people try and stick to 50g or less to see real benefits from the BSD – not compulsory though I did find to start off with that some veg had very high carb counts (I remember a red cabbage experience!). You can track this on your app – I think Fatsecret will do this for you, as I do on MyFitnessPal. I did the low target for carbs because I had comparatively little to lose. I was able to set my goals on the app – think you will be able to do that too, so you can put your carbs in where you like, and it will adjust the fat and protein. Don’t forget that full fat is good for you – and fills you up.

If you check the nutritional breakdown of you are eating on the app, it is very illuminating how much the various foods vary. Fruit is ok, but Michael Mosley does say – don’t snack on fruit, it has too much fructose (sugar) in it for a main portion of your meal. Just use it as part of a meal, so not too much.

If you want to explore the nutritional breakdown more, you could use something like
http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com
which you can enter your details on, set your target carbs, and it will suggest the protein/fat breakdown as well as give you a forecast of weight loss. You can then use these figures on your fitness app. It also tells you your Base Metabolic Rate, which is how many calories you actually need to keep your weight level. I was quite surprised how few that was! Education for the future.

Thanks for your congratulations – I’m going to carry on keeping carbs low, probably 50-75g per day, allow my calories to increase slightly, and continue not eating refined carbs at all (except perhaps the odd slice of very good bread – if I find any! – and roast potatoes at Christmas). I will do the 5:2, so 5 days on the programme of increased calories/low carbs, and 2 days of perhaps 600 calories per day.

I have found not eating refined carbs makes me feel wonderful! So alive. 🙂

Hope all that helps, and Good Luck!