Hi Seadog, and well done on your 6 days – so glad you’re feeling better! I personally have found the BSD is amazing in terms of extra energy and pizazz.

With regard to weighing, it’s fine to weigh every day or every week, whatever suits you. However, it’s also key to measure yourself, either with tape measure (waist, hips, thighs etc) or via clothing because quite often weight plateaus, or you don’t lose as much weight as other people on the forum, and you get discouraged.

It really is an 8 week journey, with each individual body responding differently, so the key thing is not how much you weigh yourself but your attitude at the result. If you stick to the BSD principles and calories you WILL lose weight, but how much is really difficult to predict.

I could see myself getting thinner (as your friends have noted with you) whilst my weight stayed level. It’s the fat going from the internal organs I think.

And brace yourself that the fat goes from the visceral fat first, and the bit under your belly button, which is the subcutaneous fat we all want to lose, is last to go. It b—-dy would be.

Hope that helps! 🙂

Hi, am just wondering if I can get some advice ?. I’m on day 6 now and starting to feel like my old self (but better !! ha ha), and I’ve had a few compliments already about my disappearing tummy…I’m going to weigh myself next week and see where I’m at. Two questions really ?, how often do you weigh yourselves ?, as I’m of the addictive personality type, I’m not keen to weigh every day as I think I may get a bit obsessive, but on the other hand, I need to weigh myself often enough to see results ?, I’m thinking twice a week, say Sunday and Weds ?.
Next question concerns water, I’m drinking 3 litres a day plus cups of tea, but could quite happily drink more ?. I’m finding I love really cold water, but how much is too much ?. My loo visits are obviously more frequent, and longer ! Thanks guys.

Hi greenjanet. I’ve got a good 4 stone to lose to even begin to edge into a healthy BMI. – like you I’m finding the limiting of veg aand counting calories a complete turnaround after years of a certain renowned eating plan saying the opposite! But then that hasn’t worked for me so this is a fresh start and it’s making me think and write down rather than presuming I know how much I’m eating. Got a wedding in September so hoping to make some good headway by then. Not going clothes shopping til the last minute!!
Keep on trucking eh?!
C:0)

Reminds me of Kryten in Red Dwarf – Smug mode: Engaged 🙂 hahahaha

Oh how lovely of him to think of you, it’s nice when they do stuff like that, it means more to me than flowers or jewellery. Just bring me a bloody pie, stat! Hubby just reminded me the pies I like from Wigan are Greenhalgh’s steak, oval shaped with a hole in the middle?

Oh God Tokyo, how good do those look??? 101 calories per cookie too! Are you making them, or are you going to continue your hunt??

Hi Indy – thanks for the reassurance that I’m not on my own with the cravings and the early night, and come to think of it, I have been sleeping better as well – not so much waking up in the night.

Fortunately, today feels a lot better as in minimum cravings for which I’m very grateful as yesterday felt like a white knuckle ride. I’m sure it won’t be the last, so I am very grateful for the reassurance.

look what i found

http://powerhungry.com/2015/12/4012/

double chocolate chickpea flour cookies !!!!

Hi Tofa

I’m so sorry you are feeling so down and dismal as you have done so well.

Firstly I must say I am not an expert, and maybe it is time for you to go and consult your doctor again with regard to th fasting blood sugar levels (which presumably you are testing yourself). However, if you look at Bill54’s posts he often talks about fasting BS being unexpectedly high, and that he does not now take any notice of them. He relies on testing blood ahead of and after meals and sees this as a much more reliable measure.

I am sure he will pop on here to advise you, or you could add something on one of his threads which he will be alerted to.

With regard to the weight loss, do you know what your Base Metabolic Rate is? Try looking at this site

http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com

into which you put your own details, and your activity levels, and then see how many calories you need to maintain your weight.

Then you can set your carbs – perhaps you will respond well to 50-75g per day, you could try – and if you then set your calories at the maintenance level it tells you, it will help you set fat and protein.

And that will give you the guidance on how to plan your menu going forward.

So long as you keep carbs (relatively) low, you will maintain your blood sugar levels you’ve got from the BSD, and then the additional fat and protein within your carbs should maintain weight.. May I also recommend a book – which you should probably leaf through quickly, as I did (very scientific, though extremely interesting) – it’s called The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Eating by Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney , and is available on Kindle – and go to pg 211 where it talks about how to achieve a balance of nutrients for maintaining weight.

Good luck and please keep us posted. No need at all to despair, please don’t.

Forgot to say I have fibromyalgia and severe osteoarthritis in my knees ( waiting for new knees) so increase in walking is difficult.

Hi all
I didn’t start until 4th July which could be a good day to start. My husband and I are doing this together along with a friend. I need to lose 3st in the first instance and hubby needs to lose 5st.
Whilst I am prepared to eat most things, hubby is finding the food strange and missing his meat and potatoes or rice, but I am determined so it will be a case of eat it or go hungry!! Lol

ha ha i longed for greenhalghs pasties i had told my other half about them many times then last year he had a meeting in wigan came home and said i have a present for you !!!
yes yes yes it was a greenhalghs pastie !!! and it tasted just the same as when i was at school!!!!
my cupboard of useless items has frown so i blame you too ( paltrow and cotton ) oh how i laugh every time i write it !!!!
am i really on a diet i am having way too much fun !!
so i have made the wraps i have made the guacamole and also a yoghurt dip so smug no 4
ladies and gentlemen i think i am done !!!!!

Tokyo – why do you think I’m so desperate to find a pie crust? I’m married to a pie eater lol

Hi, I am a TOFI with 40 years history of eating whole foods, healthy lifestyle and have always been on the BMI healthy weight scale. After a fasting blood glucose of 6.6 at the GP’s started the diet in late March and have kept to the principles of food types and kept carbs to 50 g per day . GP was the one who advised look at Prof Taylor’s research etc.

Through May all blood readings were great ; in the non diabetic range. I was so happy- I was then 9 stone. I have found it difficult to stop losing weight and have carried on losing despite best intentions. Since beginning of June all fasting readings have been in the pre-diabetic range 6.4-7.00 included again!. Most of the post-prandial readings have been in the non-diabetic range two hours after a meal, below 7.8. I have not changed anything I eat. I seem to have returned to having fasting blood glucose levels of the pre-diabetic. The only thing that has changed is that I am now 8 and a half stone. What is going on? This does not make sense to me. I am more exercised than ever and slim as a whippet. I have not been extra stressed and indeed have been on a relaxing holiday by the sea, not eating out but continuing to cook my own food. Any ideas?
Secondly I would rather not have lost quite so much weight and 9stone seemed to be optimum. Have tried extra oils, fats, nuts seeds etc. which has stopped the loss but not created any gain….thinking about increasing carbs a bit with in between meal snacks until I get back to that weight…any ideas??
( I should add I was previously vegetarian with occasional fish and now I have had to increase fish and reduce the grains, pulses and beans. Also discovered in March, I had high cholesterol of both sorts but still too high….preferred low fat yogurts etc but had to switch to high to try stop weight loss…..people have recommended red rice supplement for the cholesterol but was hoping to sort out the glucose levels first! ) Feeling pretty dismal as I have tried so hard. Tofa

He said Greenhalgh’s pasties were good on a buttered barmcake 😉

i went to school in leigh not that far from wigan ask him if he used to eat greenhalghs pasties !!!!( sounds wrong when its written down ) !!

Fairy cake???? What the what??????????

Good grief, I’m with you there. I’m keeping my curves. The absolute lowest I would go (wishful thinking – maybe not!) is 10/10 and a half stone. I don’t care who says I should be 7 stone 13, that is NOT happening, I tell thee!

Fat monochrome ladybird??? Bwahahahahahahahahahah, what a vision I have in my mind now. I don’t have too much in the way of bizarre yet, I’m building up slowly, gram flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, and almond flour. That said, I have blueberry muffins in the freezer, and I’ll freeze these scones too later, so I think I need to concentrate on savoury stuff now 🙂

By the way I’m not being Paltrow. She has a steam cleaned fairy cake 😳

Paltrow and Cotton in sumo suits maybe. I don’t ever want to look like one of those scrawny chicks! Your comment about clothes ‘fitting like a bugger’ also made me snigger behind my computer screen at work. The spotty trousers I am sporting today did actually make me look like a fat monochrome ladybird the last time I squeezed into them 😆

The gauntlet has been thrown down with the scones now…. Must be time to break out the apple cider vinegar and other bizarre ingredients as a parry.

Ahhhh I lived in Manchester when I was an impoverished student, and then a few more years, that’s where ex husband is 🙂 Latest (lol) husband is from Wigan, so I must have something for men in the Greater Manchester area or something 😉

Ohhhhhh I love guacamole, and yes, you have control of what’s in it and how much you have. Lovely to go with your fajitas 🙂

I think it has to be chickpea related. You do the scones, I’ll do the pastry and we’ll meet back at HQ at eighteen hundred hours and compare notes 😉

As long as Janey is Paltrow…? Tell me it’s not me, please *shudders*. Sooner be that woman who pokes through poo. Gillian whatsername.

It is easier to be organised, look what happened the other night when I made pink curry? Kebab delivery. Thankfully I had the willpower to eat just the chicken and salad and leave the bread, but on a PMT week… risky. I need to be better organised myself. I was really good at the start, planning what I was having for the whole week, making homemade soups and freezing them, but I’ve slackened off the last week or so.

There is no way that I could function all day through an afternoon without food so I fast overnight by eating an early dinner (somewhere between 5-7 pm) and then going through the night, skip breakfast and eat lunch whenever I really need it (usually around 12- 1 pm). That gets me 18-19 hours of fasting which works great. I try to do it as much as I can. My body makes it very clear when I really need to eat again! I really really love my lunch on those days! Now and then on weekends, I make my post-fast lunch big (800-1000) calories and then fast again on through the following morning. i have actually started to enjoy fasting — me, piggy 😜! Imagine!

i am northern although my roots are growing up in manchester ( think thats where my heart is ) i now live the other side in yorkshire !!
congrats on the baking success i think like you the more food we have which appeal to us the longer we will stay focused!!! i am making some guaccamole as a bit of a side for tonights tea just a spoon but its a taste and i know what i have put into it !!!!
i have a free afternoon friday so may find something to bake for the weekend from my ever growing cupboard of unusal ingredients !!
i have to say when picture you and janey baking in my head its like paltrow and cotton in a bake off !!!( oh i just made myself laugh!!!)
i find if i am organised its easier so i fear i am turning into an organised stepford wife !!!! get me back to work !!!!!

Ok, one broke as I was getting it off the tray (honest!) so hubby and I tried a tiny bit each (about a cm) and – success! Flat, but very tasty indeed. Who needs flour??? And I was surprised when I worked out the calories – they’re a very respectable 280 calories each, which is good when you consider the recipe I use for ‘normal’ scones is 268 calories each. The more success I have with each ‘category’ of food, I know the more likely I am to stay eating this way for the long term. It’s not that I’m constantly bingeing on cakes and scones, honest! They’re getting frozen!

Afternoon Tokyo, oh Smug One! Glad your day was a success, and well done on the dress… looked a right bugger in lmao. You’re not Northern are you, Tokyo? Sounds like the sort of thing my husband would come out with.

Oh isn’t that funny? It seems to be happening to a lot of people when they reintroduce food. I suppose it’s good in a way, we’ll be less likely to fall back on bad habits! Make sure you’ve got enough yogurt in in future.

I’m seeing Janey’s £8K brownies and I’m raising her Grain free lemon and blueberry scones. Jesus Christ on a bike, they’d better taste nice is all I’m saying and thank God I used my initiative. Bloody US recipes (no offence to anyone from the USA) with their cups, I’d have had nothing but liquid if I hadn’t added it little by little. The scone dough was moist to say the least, I nearly had to pipe it on the tray. They’re cooking now, look and smell nice but they’re flattening out like the worlds most calorific cookies. I won’t be able to cut one in half, so does that mean I get to have 2?????

I don’t think I’ll have time to do the pastry today, and probably best too considering how many calories in these scones 😛

Hi guys I’m still here!! I’m it’s been. Crazy time but I’m back on the wagon!!

Last night savoury mince with celeriac mash. Today ok quiche but I didn’t eat the pastry with beetroot and lettuce and cucumber so not bad. Supper it’s celery and cottage cheese…

I’m back!

The chocolate craving didn’t last thankfully 😀
Since Thursday I’ve shifted 5lb, I’m sleeping better and I don’t feel as tired when I wake up.
Everything I’ve eaten I’ve enjoyed and so has my hubby. Even the kids are enjoying it but with carbs.
I would like to shift another 11 lb by the 6 August when I go on my holibobs

Full fat Heinz mayonnaise

1 tablespoon
93 calories
10g fat
0 carb
0 protein

apparently.

But balsamic vinegar, I only have a teaspoon (5ml)
4 calories
1 carb

It’s a matter of choice and taste, good luck! 🙂

good afternoon ladies !!
well have returned from my brunch date and my cup of smugness runeth over !! i decided from the menu on scrambled egg and bacon but when she came to take my order i enquired was the scrambled egg made with cream or milk ? she replied milk eggs salt and pepper so i ordered it !! smug point 1!!!!
when it came however it was presented on two lovely pieces of hot buttered toast so i just scrapped it off and left the toast smug point no 2!!!!!!!
i also left some bacon final smug point 3 !!!!!!
i have over estimated in my fitness thing too so having chicken fajitas with luckys wrap for tea so thats my quota for the day !!
weigh in tomorrow end of week three so fingers crossed but i wore a dress today that i previously ” looked a right bugger” in !! so thats a positive there !!
on the christmas front i never expected to get past week one so i thought by christmas i would be back to eating hiw i normally do everything i shouldnt !!!!! BUT yesterday i had 1 weetabix for breakfast as yoghurt was out of date and i can say that i think i paid for it first one in three weeks and my stomach knew last night odd i know so maybe it wont be a case of just going back to eating how we used to as our bodies wont accept the old sugary stuff !!!!
on the baking front i am investigating as many chickpea flour recipes as i can find and have to say it does look immensely versatile , why have i never known about this before !!!
anyway hope everyones afternoon going ok sun gone in here so off to make wraps for tea !! x

Don’t give up hope! I am now in week seven and had a loooong plateau for a week and a half and now seeing some really positive results. Have lost 25lbs but more importantly feel great and it is so nice to find clothes at the back of the wardrobe which now fit.

Feeling incredibly positive today (which started with Izzy’s raspberry shake recipe – which is lush) and really looking forward to going on hols next week. Will try and stick with it but even if I fall off wagon occasionally am now convinced that this is a long term change in my approach to food.

Thanks to all on the forums, you are all inspirational – love reading the posts. Hope Wales win this evening.

Hi, just read your posts and feel very inspired. I am struggling and it is ten pm so should hop into bed! I am tired of sabotaging my attempts so it is good to read accounts of those who are focussed. I will keep reading !

Hi all 🙂 Is it ok to have full fat mayonnaise – I find lunch time salads a little dry if nothing ‘wet’ added. I don’t want to use balsamic vinegar as I normally would as sugar content is so high!!

‘Fraid so

Lindt is often recommended here.

For 100g (know you won’t have that much, but for reference) is
Energy 567kcal
Fat 49g
Of which
– Saturates 30g
Carbohydrate 8g
Of which
– Sugars 2g
Protein 13,2
Salt 0,06

So do measure our your square. May be small enough to be nil carbs……

Thanks. Does it seriously contain carbs ?!? Who would have thought …

Hi, I started the BSD two months ago and lost a few kilos and then for some reason I stopped! Have put back all that I lost but last night after another binge on carbs , I said no more! Today has been surprisingly easy although am feeling a tad tired…sugar withdrawals I suspect. Just wondering if there is anyone on this forum who has flunked first time only to pick up and follow through!
Napangardi

Fantastic and congratulations. 🙂

Fantastic and congratulations 🙂

Yes. Not a lot. Very filling, so probably best to allow yourself 1 square – and add it in to your calorie/carb count! 🙂

Well done Janey, I think I am going to have to go through mine, I’ve only tried on the occasional thing here and there, I think it’s time for a mass try on. For tonight, thankfully in laws are coming after tea, so I am doing this – but without the potato in it… and probably reduce the amounts as it’s only for me and him.

http://www.rosalilium.com/2011/02/onion-bhajispanish-tortilla/

I would go for anything with walnut, but I love walnut… I’m not missing bread that much though. I have just been informed that my inlaws are sleeping over, so that’s me on the sofa tonight and now I’ve got to rush and tidy upstairs and put clean bedding on before I can even think of getting in the kitchen. Meh.

Hi Sunny – I’m sorry, I didn’t phrase it right, I know it wouldn’t be BSD friendly, but I want to make one that’s better for me than one that’s full of suet and sugar and white flour. I don’t intend to go overboard at Christmas but I will still want a few treats, and knowing those treats are made with better ingredients can’t do any harm. Failing that, it will be a hazelnut sized Christmas pudding for everyone!!

… Can we have it? If so, how much?

Thanks million SunnyB and Igorasusual – you’ll keep me motivated!
Good to hear you bounced back into it easily SunnyB. And yes true enough, definitely some good to be got from noticing why stuff happens so I can chose better the next time!

Polly, hospitals are the worst. I went in for a bowel / stomach inspection and had to fast for 24 hours. Because I am diabetic they logged me to go to theatre early. The nurse did my b/g and the machine said ‘low’. She got into a flap and said she was going to give me an infusion of glucose. What I couldn’t get the silly girl to see was the machine said ‘low’ battery. Anyway I had an infusion and she came back with a new machine which read 340 (18) which, for some reason, she was happy with. Hope your dad gets well soon.

Well done Steve! Such great results!

Be prepared for your new clothes to start feeling loose in less time that you can imagine! There’s a thread here about the ‘Jeans Window’ which is the time where a new (or stored away) pair of jeans starts to fit, and then after a short period is too large again…..

You’ll be having a ‘work shirt and trousers’ window – be careful to keep that belt tight!

Onwards and downwards! 🙂

Loopylou, that’s fantastic! Especially when you were off your feet for much of it – nicely done! I can’t believe the changes, inch-wise! You are an inspiration! And I hope you are able to take the trip and enjoy!

I am going to go measure now to get some numbers because I only measured my waist and your results are so exciting that I want to be sure to track all the changes!

My results week 1: down 8.3 lb, 1 inch off the stomach (but a lot to go!). Yesterday was the first day I really felt fantastic and sort of energized – hoping that sticks.

I’ve ordered a Fitbit and should be here Friday – have been walking sooo much and would like to know that it translates to 10,000 steps!

Hope you are all doing well!

Thanks Sunny, I’m thinking the same thing, might just be one change too many at this point!
I need to learn to take my wins (not my forte’), which the weight loss and bloods are – thanks for the reminder.

Well done, Alan – there are all sorts of apps for recording meals and counting nutrition, and now there is another one: Alan’sFitnessFriend! Created via Excel by you! You could market it!

Sounds as though you’ve got yourself on to a really sensible footing. I think the BSD doesn’t really recommend precise nutritional targets in its efforts to be as simple and easy as possible. But researching the principles does help and many people here can recommend keeping an eye on the carbs particularly.

Very best wishes with you journey – lots of helpful advice and experience here if you need it – and keep us posted with your results.

🙂

Hi
No food stuff is mandatory on the BSD, try to tailor your menu to suit you tastes and just concern yourself with the calories and carbs. As long as you do that, you will see positive results.
Keep us posted.

I think generally, it is best to tackle one addition/problem at a time. Personally, I’d give myself a bit longer before trying to quit the ciggies, having got a real handle on weight loss.
Don’t talk down you weight loss achievement, you have lost more than a quarter of the weigh you planned to, so that’s nothing to be sniffed at. It might be taking you longer than some others, but you are getting there and your bloods are showing a really great improvement. I have lost slowly, but every pound lost, is a pound in the right direction, so I’m just plugging away and trying to see every loss as a good achievement.

Sounds like a plan FrauPohl. You are right, don’t be too hard on yourself, it will take your body a little while to adjust. Just keep an eye on carbs, best keep around the 50g mark for good results, but initially, you will probably find you can allow yourself a little more. Take care

Epspecially, don’t beat yourself up, we have all slipped up and whilst it’s good to feel a bit guilty and recognise the error, there is no point making yourself feel awful, as it is counterproductive and it more likely you’ll transgress again. Just be sure to recognise the triggers, chalk it up to experience and move on. Have a bit of a detox today and get back on track and I’m sure you will find there is little damage done when it comes to weigh-in time.
I recently spent ten weeks away, during which there were a few blips in sticking to the BSD, but overall the damage done was limited and getting back to the regime properly was simple and I’m sure your will find the same after this little upset.

Thank you SunnyB! I suppose it’s a massive shock to the body going from practically gorging on carbs to little/none so I should be kind to myself and ease in gently! I’m going to enjoy a hard boiled egg and carry on!

Thanks again,

Kate

Hi all,

Do you think it’s possible? Been doing the BSD800 for about 6 weeks now, no major losses (about 40lbs to lose, 11 gone so far) but do feel better (my fasting bloods are down from 15 to 5-6).

My other great sin (aside from the copious amounts of bad food) is smoking. Can you quit whilst doing this diet? Can you quit period?

I know it’s the worst thing I can be doing (recently diagnosed T2, not happy about it), but having given up everything else I’m stubbornly holding on to it.