Hi Switzerland

I’ve been de-cluttering this morning. Dvd’s I’ll not watch again. And cookery books I’ve acquired, never used and now will not use in the future. All packed in the garage ready for the Christmas Fair😱

I’ve kept my Bero baking book and Mary Berry Baking Bible – ready to bake when needed. I’ve got a couple of boxed cake mixes, ready for when the twins come!

Oh, and moving things around in the kitchen to find homes for baking tins etc.

Hi Stephie

Slim-fast and similar products often contain large amounts of sugar. Please be careful.

Good to hear from you Bill. Enjoy the rest of your holiday 😃

When I started the BSD 26 weeks ago I’d been type 2 diabetic for 10 years. I’ve learned that I have to keep my carbohydrate intake low even while on the BSD. But the result is that all my blood tests now are within the normal range.

There are folk on here who are diabetic or pre-diabetic, as well as those who wish to avoid those conditions or to lose weight, so each of us will have different needs. Some can eat more carbs than others – as I said, my carb intake is low.

Christie, you don’t say if you’re diabetic. If you are, I would suggest monitoring your blood sugars to see how they respond and change your carb levels accordingly.

Wishing you well.

I think making a soup with the left over veg is the trick, but its then difficult to keep an eye on the calories involved. but i suppose if you dont put anything else in it, and then be strict with your portions, it cant be too bad.

Sounds like you are sorted…😊

Hi MsBM, Lucky and I already chat a lot, and I can reiterate that you’re doing all the right things! This isn’t a quick fix, its a change in the way you eat longterm and you’ll always have days where it doesn’t all go to plan. Just the fact that you’re eating better is a big step forward and as those carbs leave your system you will feel healthier AND less hungry. Take it from a lifelong purveyor of cake that snacking CAN become a thing of the past! I’m in week 7 and can’t believe how much my eating habits have changed for the better, although I have also NOT been a saint (in case you think I’m smug!). There has been a couple of glasses of (red) wine along the way, and a small glitch involving a day of McDonalds and a cupcake.. BUT.. you just get back on the wagon!

I’m
Still here.. Still battling.
The weight I lost and regained I have lost again!!!

Apparently some of the medication I’m taking may not be helping.

Still in agony so been referred to the pain clinic

Still drinking Pepsi max but lot less

the silly thing is, its not the ‘mega bucks’ ingredients that are costing, its buying so much veg, in so much quantity.

i think there are a few recipes that i can make that last a few days, the veg curry, veg frittata etc.
i reckon if i combine simple breakfasts, like the bircher or almond butter, with a batch of soup over a week, then vary my evening meals, i should be ok, and it should keep the cost right down.

Once i graduate form the 8 week club, then i can look to have the more expansive meals once finished to keep me in the lifestyle.

Hi JK,

I am also on a very restricted budget!

It can be hard to juggle particularly if you are cooking different meals for other family members. Do you have a freezer? Soups are reasonably cheap to make and if you can make a batch of two or three recipes it helps to keep some variety from day to day. As you mentioned it is ok to stick to simple meals meat/fish and ‘above ground’ veg…you do not have to follow the book recipes/menus.

I have been simply adjusting my regular food shop/menu in line with BSD principles, NO white carbs, low other carbs, 800 calories a day…works for me! I also take a daily vitamin just to ensure I am getting all minerals and vitamins (just in case). I am close to 10 weeks and all good!

Good luck🌻

Hi JK I made the mistake on first week of buying so much veg/salad that it had gone past its best before or use by date. Rather than throw it I made a delicious soup out of the leftovers added herbs etc. which was nice & filling when feeling a bit peckish 😊 Don’t know whether u have shopped at Aldi but they have a wide variety of food but a lot cheaper. Hope this helps x

I’ve lost 2 kilos, but I’ve gained a new lease on life! Feeling the happiest and most motivated that I’ve felt in a long time. Would have loved to have been 2.5kg lighter, but I’ll take that number thank you very much! I have had a shake for breakfast and lunch the last couple of days (quite easy to manage at work) and a hot smoked salmon salad for dinner last night.Tonight whilst everyone else is having lasagna I shall be enjoying another salad – with either some egg or a chicken fillet. I found some miso soup sachets in Coles today that are only 20 calories per serve, so I will have one of them too. A good little find to take to work to carry me through those long afternoons. Still hovering at 7000 steps, but I have a walk planned at lunchtime tomorrow and will continue to build the exercise into my days. Go me!

Hi Babs, the question is, do you FEEL better?? I’m guessing you will say yes because I certainly do! Your fatty liver will definitely be recovering as my previous boyfriend’s liver had a total fatty turnaround when I put him on a similar diet prior to his gastric band surgery; 3+ stone in 12 weeks and the healthier liver was the main benefit. I’m in this for the long haul; no 8 week ‘fix’ then a backslide into the cakeshop 🙂

Good luck with the treadmill – I think that heat would kill me if I exercised in it! I am increasing the walking and went to the roller disco with the kids last weekend. Add a bit of (reluctant) gardening and the calories are getting burned. I’m also chuffed to report that my M&S jeans FIT again! That was the benchmark I was aiming for initially so will have to find another one now!

By the way, how’s the grandson doing?

Hi JK, I know what you mean by the initial expense, but 7 weeks in, I am still eating the original ‘mega bucks’ ingredients.. so they do last! If you are happy eating the same thing then the weight will come off regardless. I started off with creative breakfasts but to be honest I don’t have the time on weekdays so its greek yoghurt with nuts and berries every day usually now. For bigger meals, a safety stock of chicken, eggs, cheese and chickpeas covers a multitude of recipes that you can adapt and add various veg etc to. Good luck!

Hi there,
Quite the opposite, iv found it totally doable and have list 2 inches in a week and a half, and I don’t want to lose much more than that, so was thinking of only doing half the time.
I expect the weight loss will reach a plateau though so I understand the 8 weeks is probably good to get rid of core weight rather than the initial water and bloating so I’m going to play it by ear.
I do want a plan in my mind for when I come off it though, do I don’t go mad and decide to live in a loaf of bread.

Having completed my first week, and started week two I have noticed how expensive the weekly shop has become.
I know that the majority of this is down to the fact that you can buy the ingredients in the smaller quantities required by the diet.
this has led me to the conclusion that i wont be able to follow the diet as set out in the book.

my question is, i suppose, if i stuck to eating a similar breakfast through the week (maybe the bircher and green tea shake, and perhaps scrambled eggs on occasion) made a batch of one of the soups for lunch for a week, and then pick a couple of the meals to do through the week, providing i stick to the 800 calories, would this still suffice?
is it just a question of variety, and i would still get the benefits of the diet by picking just a few recipes?

Its just that my wallet cant handle more 120 quid shops every week.

thanks

JK

Hello Lucky, I put on a pound in week 2 and couldn’t even blame it on the cycle! Keep going, give it everything, I didn’t give up and into my 5th week and awfully glad

Hope the change to your diet is helping! 🌻

Hi folks, I’m still alive and kicking and enjoying the holiday.
I have problems seeing the screen in the light so havent been doing much internet wise.
I’ll be home on Friday so I’ll do a full report then but I will say it’s so easy to do low carb in Turkey, masses of seafood and gorgeous fresh veg cooked in so many lovely ways 🙂

Lucky Maneki,

Please report to the diary room!!!….. never, ever eat chocolate when you are frustrated, angry, upset, or in the grips of uncontrollable maniacal laughter….😕😤😛😂
Ditch the scales for a while, you know this is just normal fluctuation.

Or you could try bashing together a couple of telephone directories until you
1)are exhausted,
2)feel idiotic,
3)start rolling around laughing ….course only works if you use old school paper ones.

My wonderful, very chilled, very Zen, Yoga/ Tai Chi instructor had ME do this at the start of every session to release all that stress I carried into the class – it works, honest – had the rest of the class in stitches to!!

X

Thanks rubbu, never thought of using a lettuce like bread for a sandwich, I’ll try it. I too used to love tuna baked potato, usually with cheese! I do miss that but will try the pepper idea as I do like them. I hope I can roast a chicken in my slow cooker. I did a gammon joint last week so I don’t see why not. Thanks for the tips. 🙂

Thanks barby, sounds like you have it sussed! I think that is a great weight loss too, nearly 2 stone is fantastic. I love your easy and quick ideas, thanks for sharing. 🙂

I see I’m going to need to give you a ‘motivational chat’ today Lucky, not least for battering a defenceless set of scales! A pound on? Pound, schmound. You have PMT so it is almost certainly water or other feminine hormonal nonsense. This is why I don’t weigh! Who cares what the numbers say if you look and feel better and your clothes are beginning to fit. And it is commonly known that week 2 plateaus for a lot of people. As hard as it is to hear, consoling yourself with ‘just one bit of chocolate’ is a slippery slope that should really be avoided in your frame of mind.. no-one said it would be easy to kick the carb habit! But you’ve done really well so far so don’t give in to those nasty empty calories…. xxxx

Izzy here’s a variation on a pie crust I came across today. http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2012/03/brazilian-chicken-pies-2.html

The lavender and lovage website is brilliant – I have just spent over an hour reading it instead of doing my DVD 🙂 Thanks for the recommendation.

Why do the scales do that? I weighed myself on Sunday and the scales said I had lost about 2.5lbs this week. My official weigh in was yesterday and the scales said I had stayed the same as last week and today the scales say that I have lost just under a pound. Anyway I have now completed 6 weeks on BSD and have lost at least 12.5lbs and possibly some more.

The treadmill I have been waiting for arrived last Thursday and I have been using it regularly. it is so ridiculously hot outside (hovering between 36 and 40 degrees) that the treadmill seems to be the solution to my exercise problem.

I had to go for a pneumonia jab yesterday and the nurse insisted on weighing me and was very pleased and impressed with my weight loss. I also had an ultrasound of my liver as my endocrinologist says that my last blood test (which was done before I started BSD) said that there was fat around the liver. I waited until I had done six weeks of the diet in the hope that the fat has melted away. I’m not seeing him again until September and I don’t know whether I will get the result before then.

Hi
So it’s the longest day of the year here.
Tomorrow the nights will be drawing in for winter.😐😐😐😐😐

Winter is coming, Jon snow.

Yesterday, with keeping busy, I didn’t feel hungry. I was just happy with small meals.
I think if I was just sitting and watching the telly being the old me, I would have ate and ate and ate and not noticed it.

I did turkey steaks and mixed veggies for our evening meal.

It’s funny how I have now got used to my new eating habits. I feel well,.. 😇😇😇😇 when I decline sweets etc.
Normally I would have watched the person with the sweets, willing them to open the packet, and willing them to offer them to me first. Would I seem too greedy taking a hand full or should I just have one and hope they are offered again. Yup, I was that hooked onto the sweet stuff.

So we have a little over 6 months to Christmas. Anyone going to join me on the count down to Christmas? The counting down of the weight I mean. But if you want, I can give you a quick burst of ….
🎶🎶🎶jingle bells 🎶🎶🎶🎶jingle bells 🎶🎶🎶jingle all the way 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh hey 🎶🎶🎶🎶

I know we still have the summer ahead of us and the Autumn too. So let’s all get a grip of this diet thingy with both hands and give it a good go.

Lov luica
Xxxx

Day Eleven in the BSD house. 7.48 am. Lucky Maneki is in the kitchen, battering and deep frying Fage and Berries while laughing manically. In the bathroom, the glass scales lie broken in huge shards after being repeatedly hit with a hammer.

Guess who put a pound on? *Jazz hands*

Think I’d best get myself some of that chocolate today, Clematis. Be on the safe side and all that… what d’you think??

The more I study my on line results, the more confused I get. Technically i’m below the level of diabetes, going on the HBA1C of 45. The lab report states 48 to 59 as type 2 diagnosis. It also stated individual targets need to be set weighing up the risk of hypoglycaemia against cardiovascular risk. Im struggling to see a doctor though due to lack of appointments. So confusing!!

Well done CaravanSue. Looking forward to your continued success.

Glad you got to see a panda! Might plan a day trip for the kids to see them if we can soon.

Safe journey home!

Morning all. Tired again today but I guess yesterday was stressful.

I’ve made a strawberry variant of my almond milk/fage shake – very nice it is too, that’s breakfast. Lunch will be soup and dinner – hopefully – chicken pie!

So Today is Tuesday -weigh and measure day. 1.5lb’s off this week bringing my total to 20, no inches lost but it is time of the month so maybe next week. I’m still happy with my progress.

Got to go finish sorting out the lunches, hope everyone has a nice day.

wow Happy you really are melting!

Hope the different food helps you to feel better 🙂

Amazing results for everyone! So I thought I’d let you know that this is beginning of week 3 for me and I have lost 3.3kg in 2 weeks woo hoo – hope it keeps coming off, so I’m currently .5kg away from my 10% weight loss but I still have a long way to go.

Thanks for the tips everyone.

Have made a pot of vegie soup, have upped my herbal tea intake, having half of my lunch and save the rest for mid arvo snack, and am changing my attitude towards hunger (hello friend!). Had one day of about 1200 cals and find hunger isn’t an issue on that amount. But. It defeats the purpose of this for me.

Marilyn, which side of this huge island do you live on?

You are all doing so well. I am 1 kg down this week so 4 kg in two weeks. Thought I may have lost a little more as I have been really sticking to the calories count. Oh well, perhaps a bigger loss next week. I am so happy with the results anyway. Having some trouble getting the 2 litres of water down now that the weather is cooler but will try for more this coming week.

Thank you Imogen. Tonight much warmer, but windy– solstice coming on — changing from a growing day to winter– how weird it happens so early in the summer — you must really feel it in Cumbria — I think you are much further north than I

I have just started 2 week and found the first few days really hard as love everything sweet, now not so much and don’t crave it just miss the lollies but that will change too and have lost 5lbs so that is really pleasing so just keep trying, had the book for 2 months before I really got serious. You can do it as great support on this site. You will not know yourself by week 2.Dianne

Hi captainlynne,
What a great outcome for your church summer fair – the effort certainly is worth it. How nice of those people to be concerned.
Great idea to start thinking about the Christmas fair now – saves stress and panic at the last minute.
That got me thinking……BSD Christmas food……thank goodness Christmas is 6 months away!

Ugh – I have to switch up my food totally as it seems tummy issues are happening because of some food choices.
So am switching from berries to 1/2 banana once a day (so many carbs!) with peanut butter.
And lentil soup (1/2 can w 1 cup water) and a little shredded Parmesan.
And then probably fish and vegies for dinner.
Hopefully this switch will help my tummy which has had it with berries it seems.
🌷💜

Hi. So I’m starting my first official fast day on Tuesday. After a trial run on Yesterday. My question is. What are the best very quick easy meals to make on a fast day?? I don’t fancy having to spend time cooking for my other half and kids whilst hungry, then having to spend extra time prepping my own food??
Also any tips on not picking whilst cooking for others??

Thanks.

Hope that you had a good day Izzy.
Panda was brilliant

Home tomorrow I have a feeling I’ve not done as well as Lynne on my time away! but hopefully not too horrendous

I saw pandas (well one panda, the other was in hiding)
Koala bears – very cute
A Scottish Wildcat – I worked for a charity that was involved in a conservation project with them a few years ago, but hadn’t seen one before.

& home tomorrow, see my own cat again!

Hey Izzy and Giz!

Giz, so happy you started! I did that also and just figured out what I had that would work and then you can buy what you need. Congrats!!

Izzy, thanks, the pool was great since its heated but the weather ended up being cloudy and not as warm as we hoped. Still we all had fun playing around in the water. Right before we met up I realized my smaller suit is still too big so quickly sewed up 4 inches on each shoulder strap and another four inches on the bra part. Seemed to work. Guess I have to get my sewing machine out soon!!

Hugs to you both! 💜

Yep, I jumped in two weeks ago. What Imogen said food wise. Also, I have found my mood has swung quite a bit and the hunger is variable but mostly I have been ok. Think this will improve even more as I get the food intake well balanced. So far the weight loss has been impressive. The portion size takes some getting used to! I just take it one day at a time. All the best to you x

OOOh holiday plans – jealous!

well todays positives…

1. daughter had a great time on her 1st day visit to her secondary school. I’m grateful we have such a great facility here and she is automatically entitled to go. None of the bidding for places that seems to happen in other places.

2. I had a difficult day with things going wrong and plans changing (including dinner) and I DID not fall off the wagon.

3. I’m currently tucked up in bed watching a movie with my fan on. luxury. I love my fan!

Glad to hear Muffin is doing better 🙂 and hope you had lots of fun with the grandchildren too! I’m jealous of the pool I’d love to have a float right now.

Good Luck Giz well done for biting the bullet and getting started!

Hi Nettle, Glad you’re not bored with my prolific posting lol! Great that you have nails too! I was thinking maybe it’s the healthy oils but that doesn’t explain why Happylife’s nails are chipping – sorry to hear that. We should all get a day in the lab to see how everything affects us individually lol. Minimal prodding please!

Weescotty I just attach my hard drive when I’m writing my stories mostly, nothing else is too upsetting to lose! Or when I have a new batch of photo’s I want to back up.

Well today was the sort of day that historically would have thrown me off track (but not today!)

So I was held up at my first job and had to fit some parts which set the scene for the rest of the day trying to catch up. I didn’t have time to stop properly for lunch but I did eat my food quickly in between. Then, suddenly in the afternoon I had a text ‘reminding’ me about a school meeting this evening that I didn’t know about!

So managed to get through my work and headed home, as I was running a little late I parked my van at my childminders house to save time and walked home with my son. I didn’t bother with my keys as my husband should have been home by then (my own stupidity) so I got home to find the house locked and no one in. Husband late from work and daughter out. Called my daughter to come and let me in and waited in my neighbours house lol.

By the time she showed up to let me in it was too late to cook chicken pie, and husband still wasn’t home when it was time to go to school meeting. So son got some nibbles for his dinner and then stayed with our neighbours for a short while (I knew by this time that hubby was on way so it wasn’t for long) and walked with my daughter to the school.

Had the meeting (quite impressed with the school gladly) then cup of tea afterwards (avoided the biscuits- didn’t even want one) then walked home. On the way home my head started to hurt, and by the time I was home I couldn’t be bothered with cooking.

Hubby announced he had a steak that needed eating so he cooked that – I refuse to cook steak lol. I only provide properly cooked food and he likes it pink ;-P I refuse to serve anything half cooked! I tracked down my missing portion of chilli chickpeas from the other day. My husband hadn’t stolen them I’d just put them in the freezer so I popped that in the micro and had that for dinner.

Pleased that even with the days upheaval I not only stayed on track I actually didn’t even feel like I wanted anything. I’d have eaten nothing tonight rather than rubbish which I know also isn’t necessarily a good idea but better than carb catastophes.

In other positive news, one of my daughters friends mothers noticed I’ve lost weight and mentioned it 🙂

Josie – First 2 weeks are tough and you won’t feel great – but if you stick with it after 8 weeks you will feel FAB. I suggest you try the recipes as they have worked out the right combination of foods I think to make the difference now and for the long term. It’s about changing what you eat and taste buds forever, not just a calorie count. I reversed mine by doing it this way, with the short exercise and 10k steps a day. My HBA1c went from 69 to 38, so it is possible. I wasn’t on Meds so not sure what influence Metformin has – try asking Bill1954.

Try sticking to the book rules, you should see a difference in your BS in the first 2 weeks and then you will know if you are on the right path. Good Luck

Hi Lucia,
What a productive day you’ve had. It’s brilliant how you’re being so productive on your staycation. I’m imagining your brass cutlery so shiny that you were seeing your own reflection in it.
It’s Winter Solstice today in the southern hemisphere. I’m always happy to see it – I’m much happier when the days start to lengthen (albeit slowly).
Had a great BSD experience yesterday. I was with a family member in hospital for their surgery so I was there for lunch and dinner. I’d packed BSD snacks in case I couldn’t buy anything suitable. Imagine my joy at buying a garden salad with Italian dressing for lunch and a vegetable frittata for tea. I was so pleased. (Oh, and family member is doing well).
Best wishes.