thank you Igorasusual
I really appreciate your kindness

have thought about getting them, but to be honest whatever they say wont change what is happening

I am ‘keeping trying’ and intend to continue as long as I am able (which can of course change with the wind!!)

I don’t want to go into ‘stupidly low’ carbs/cals as then I know it will not be sustainable for me

just wish a bit more stomach would move as then I could wear my new trousers that fit everywhere else

(to be honest, I don’t want to know if I am burning fat, because if they show I’m not, then I shall break down and give up, so I have to believe it)

Hello lovely ladies 🙂

Well Janey, that will teach me for being smug and ‘I’ve had no side effects at ALL, yay me’ – won’t it? I was shivering this morning when I woke up, not sure if that’s carb flu or the fact that it is bloody freezing here today. My finger hovered over the central heating button but I thought, no. It’s nearly July. The heating is NOT going on. I’ve been drinking my water today, just made a ham and mushroom omelette for lunch.

Tokyo, thank you for your kind words 🙂 It’s just a case of always looking at the bigger picture, isn’t it? 18lbs lost, all those inches. And you hit the nail on the head, if I hadn’t started this, I’d be sat here, miserable, heading towards 18 stone (again!) which was a dead cert instead of heading towards 15 stone something 🙂 Summer, barbecues, a lot of drinking, eating out, picnics, camping. That’s one thing that hasn’t bothered me yet, the lack of alcohol, but then over the last year or so I’ve become allergic to wine (you may laugh) so every time I have a glass (bottle/box…) I sneeze, I get bunged up, it’s not very nice. At all. I have to pop two Benadryl a good hour before if I want to drink wine. Plus this ‘one glass’ malarky… all I can say to that is – PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT. Once that bottle is open… and if anyone here can drink one glass of wine, I salute you, I really do. Safer for me not to, at the moment, I think!

Re the recipe book Janey, I’ve just checked Amazon to see if there’s anything free, and there’s only two under ‘low carb cookbook’, I don’t know if you have a Kindle or Kindle app but if so might be worth a look. There are plenty of books on the Kindle Unlimited and I’ve just spotted a coconut flour one! There’s about four or five free Paleo ones. I have been thinking about cheesecake. My favourite quick and easy chocolate one (no bake) was cream cheese (full fat), double cream and dark chocolate. So the cheesecake mix would be do-able if I used heroin chocolate or similar? And for the base, I see a lot of people are using ground almonds, sweetener and butter. Shove a handful of strawberries or raspberries on top instead of mini Daim bars or Reeses… does that sound like something I could eat at a barbecue or girls night in? A small slice of, granted, calorie counted 😉

Hi all, I’m finally eligible to join the over-16 weeks club. Still eating sensibly – not always sticking to 800 cals but certainly eating no rubbish. I’m now on half dose medication as I’m officially in the pre-diabetic bloods range. Hopefully in a few more months I’ll be classed as normal! Good luck to everyone with the BSD – it really does work.

hi there, sounds organised! Ive found that pushing for brunch daily, so just having 2 meals helps me not being so stressed about exceeding amounts, the forum is really useful for sure, poached eggs really fill you up especially with avocado, its important to exercise. I seem to have had a good first week, lost 4lbs but a long way to go. The hardest thing is the limbo I feel left in by cravings but at the same time those cravings seem to teach me why I was eating bread for example. Losing an easy self reward needs to be tackled, also the sense of indulgence. Saying all that on the whole, Im really pleased to be on this path, if feels right. I feel less up and down, not drinking is tough because I do enjoy the social aspect of it, but I know I can’t for now.

This is the thing, Alan, doctors and other advisors say that we should all be eating a ‘healthy balanced diet’. But most people (including all of us pre doing this) didn’t really know what this actually was.

Isn’t this what we’ve been told:
So long as you have 5 portions of veg/fruit a day you’re ok –
well, watch for the smoothies, full of sugar and no fibre
watch for the fruit, which has lots of sugar in which you don’t realise. Not a problem unless you eat too much.
watch for the ‘good’ bread
watch for ‘potatoes’ – they’re vegetables, aren’t they, eat two portions of chips thats 2 of your 5.
watch for your ‘treat’ dinner of a takeaway with added sugar to the sauce, ketchup, loads of flour in the pizza base, but never mind, there’s tomatoes in the topping, that’s another one of your 5.
have another cappuccino, never mind about the fact you’ve just had 200 calories.
keep snacking through the day, ‘because you’re worth it’
And for goodness sake eat low fat – because fat is bad for you isn’t it. Never mind the added sugar it’s got in it as a result.

Have I left out any of the ‘good advice’ round ‘healthy balanced diets’?

Onwards and upwards with the BSD!

Hi Gayn55 – I was also puzzled before i started using MyFitnessPal, on which you can note everything down and see how many calories/carbs/fat/protein you are eating.

Re your carbs sugar question on packets

If you are in the UK

it is number of carbs in the product
within which is this much sugars
fibre is shown separately

You are counting the number of carbs actually shown as carbs. You should avoid refined sugars (e.g. sugar itself, and ideally too much fructose from fruit), but there is a little sugar in things like tomatoes and milk, which is difficult to avoid

If you are in the US then you have to deduct the fibre from the overall carbs to get the net carbs. In the UK this is done for you.

I started with too many veg like you – overdid it with red cabbage, a bit, one day! – and have then decided only to have a limited number of carbs per day (I’m doing 20g, but people here have success with 50g or less), which has driven my more than 12% loss of starting weight in 7 weeks.

Good luck!

Re diet plan being pushed out within nhs
Saw my doc this week shown him my Bauer app off my BP and BS
he typed all my foods into his pc then said this isn’t a special diet or special food EVERYONE should be eating this way !
He wasn’t being sarcastic at all
Very helpful doctor who said carry on we’ll see you again for blood tests and see about reducing more pills
Thank you Michael M

Something which has helped me greatly
I’ve eaten a subway chicken tikka salad bowl( every single salad in it)almost every day
I continue with grated cheese and sweet chilli sauce
The sauce is a small sin but keeping it up cos I love them and £3-50 with black coffee is great value out n about
Thanks again you guys

Yes, Bubblesdevere, already signed 🙂 🙂 🙂

Alan that is absolutely brilliant!
Igor no surprise there is a petition to get Prof Taylor’s plan to be pushed out through NHS for pre-diabetics and type 2’s :
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/125704

Thank you Frog x

Congratulations Alan – the hard work is bringing in the benefits now! Keep it going and you will be med free soon 🙂

Well done Alan – fabulous news, you must be so thrilled and proud of yourself! 🙂

And well done to OH of Bubblesdevere – keep talking about the BSD, eventually the medical profession will fall in.

Saw doctor first time since this plan
Couple stone off BP down to perfect
He stopped on BP pill one and one BS pill
Very very happy
Thanks folks

I”m using a tablespoon a day (a generous one) – have been using it for a while I am still ‘windy’ , and still find it very sweet but reckon the health benefits will out way short-term digestive issues.

Hi, I am starting today after several failed attempts. I have piled on weight since last autumn and while I feel and look horrid my husband loves what he sees as womanly curves. Failed attempts were always when he brought home goodies as a treat and the addiction to sugar kicked in again. Anyone managed to overcome a saboteur?

Hi Aussies!

Confession Im actually Irish 🙂 I’m living in NSW 3 years now. It’s great to see this thread.

For a long time I’ve wished we could get spaghetti squash here, looks like I need to go to Adelaide!

Will keep an eye out for the noodles in the Aisian shops. I’m in week 1 so will give it a few weeks before adding them in.

C

Hi all
I managed the window for a few extra weeks, I had an expensive pair of black dress jeans I didn’t want to do away with so I tried an old trick mother taught me yonks ago, I boiled them up, we don’t have a copper any more of course so I just kept adding boiling water to a bucket as it cooled. Worked a treat for the following three weeks until I trotted them out on a girls night only to hear a mate say look at your baggy pants! Said in love as a compliment so the window was closed again, doubt the is any shrinkage left. WHAT A GREAT THING TO BE MOANING ABOUT!
N

Well hubby saw the Diabetic GP this morning. In 3 weeks he has dropped 7 kg. Now the doc puts it down to the new pills he gave him. Hubby says but Im on this Michael Mosley diet (Hubby bought me the book and relies on me to make sure he is eating right so pays no attention to names, etc!!) Doc says “never heard of it” Strange cos my GP in the same practice, who is not a Diabetes specialist like the other bloke knew exactly who I was talking about and even agreed to keep me off statins if I was doing the plan!!! No wonder the info they give you from so called diabetes experts is crap!!!

I love my full fat milk from the local farm. I just choose to have it as one of my “meals” some days. I’m new to this so others may have a different view but it’s low in carbs and high in fat so ticks the right boxes so far as I can see. It is high calorie though. A pint is close to 400 cals.

…and lost 1 stone. Sleeping better. Energy levels good with some times when I feel very very tired quite suddenly. That could be to do with the two jobs I work, the three teens and the animals I run round after though! Not diabetic but pre and with a family history of type 2 . I am still about 2 stone overweight. I just started week 4 and am hoping to lose another stone in the rest of the period. Will then see how I feel about carrying on.

I cut all processed carbs and added sugars at the beginning of 2016 but lost no weight as my portions just got bigger. These portions are teeny but I am feeling better all the time. I do have to keep myself well away from the kitchen after supper time though as I am at risk of tidying a few morsels here and there into my mouth!

I like this plan though. And it really works.

Very well done. I am just starting week 4 and adjusting well to this new way of living. Stating to sleep so much better!

Amazing! Well done!

morning all
Lucky , you can do it all those inches gone wow when i struggled last week i thought if i hadnt started this i would be putting weight on and that if nothing else i had stopped that as i had been watching creep up slowly but surely for the last few months blaming this and that never me for eating the
i think your really good doing this with a bad back too and so positive you kept me going last week so ignore the stupid scales and celebrate those inches
i keep thinking i will do it for another week and it gets me to the end of another week !! x

Poor Lucky, yes the carb flu has got you 😔 I also got it week 2/week 3 and was permanently freezing and craving bread. But it will pass in a few days. In the meantime a handful of toasted almonds can take the edge off, and as others have pointed out, hydration is a big help. I drink a lot of sparkling water nowadays.

In other news, my new low carb cookbook was deeply disappointing and will be going back to Amazon. I may console myself by attempting another recipe from Elana’s Pantry to inflict upon the poor kids..😈

Hi there

Thanks for the tips. I have just started this week so the tips have come at the right time!

I’ve looked at the treat section in the book and I thought hmmm! But best to do it when I have a couple of wins under my belt.

I agree on keeping meals simple. Ive been eating the same thing every day this week for breakfast and lunch so it takes the thinking out of it at least until I get comfortable. That would be my tip.

Doing fun/nice things is a great idea. A cheap treat I would recommend is taking a 20-30 minute detox bath with Epsom salts. Helped me through my recent detox.

Morning every one

Isn’t it interesting how we each find our way to be motivated and keep going? I think I’m a little odd by not weighing but it works so far. Funnily in the past when I have lost weight I got a bit freaked by compliments I shall have to find a shrink to explain that one!!

Did anyone else hear MM on radio 2 yesterday so many people phoning in to thank him for changing their lives and improving their health

Tomorrow is my birthday so today my lovely m in l has treated me to a pedicure bliss. Then on to a joint birthday lunch with a friend who is also celebrating this week. We are going to a pub that has a tasty low carb option on the menu so cross your figures I avoid the dessert list. 3 of the ladies going are seriously large and call themselves the 3 fat ladies but they are getting bigger and bigger and slower and slower it makes me realise I don’t want to go there. I’m not sure you can persuade anyone to diet before they are ready but I drop hints about how great I feel on this diet and not hungry. What do you do?

Agree with all posters above, with a slight variation. Every calorie counts so add them all. Milk in coffee/tea. Vegetables, salad, everything.

I run a really simple spreadsheet that tracks:
Morning weight (I do this every morning before breakfast)
Breakfast – Calorie amount
Lunch – Calorie amount
Dinner – Calorie amount
Other – Calorie amount
Total Calorie amount
Exercise – eg. 30 mins walking / 1 x 10 exercise set (10 push ups, 10 sit ups, 10 crunches, 10 bicep curls, etc).

I do list what I have for my meals, eg. Bircher/Pho/Steak&Veg/Salmon&Veg/10 almonds.

It’s simple but keeps everything in tracked. You can also plot your actual weight on a graph and compare against your daily target for motivation.

If you come to Brisbane there is a restaurant owned by chef Pete Evans and it is no carb restaurant which I am going to go to when I hit one of my milestones.

Hi snaffler.
I am starting tomorrow, and also a historic dieter, failed up till now, it’s very inspiring all these wonderful bsd peeps, we are very fortunate. Can’t wait to get started tomorrow. We can loose our lard in synchrony. I have 76 pounds to loose. Thank goodness I am here now. Such amazing blessings, I am amazed I am enthusiastic to start a very low cal diet, bonkers, but wonderfully so.

Good morning all, I’ve been reading this blog and laughing my head off and also taking notes as how to approach my BSD800. I’m on my day 2 only and have lost over 1lb. I am one of those who needs to see the progress otherwise I struggle therefore I have to weigh and measure myself. I’ve been walking fast pace yesterday and may have gone over 800cals but am still getting my head around things. I need to lose weight coz I can supply a “spare tyre”. That’s how much I’ve grown round my middle. At 5ft 6inch I was approaching 200lb. And fast. I’ve got a skirt I bought about 10 years back promising myself to lose weight. And guess what. I’ve never worn it coz looked like a sausage in it or couldn’t get it halfway up. I want to look like a sausage again in that skirt coz no longer after that I could/would get into it. My aim is to look good at my daughter’s 3rd birthday party in September so she and I won’t be looking at the photographs in years to come there was a balloon of a mother rather than someone who took care of herself and wanted to be healthy for her. I had a gestational diabetes in the 3rd trimester and going up on the scales rather than down is not what I was advised when she was born. That’s why I’m here and your help and support.
Thank you,
Skinny to be
Xxx

Morning Lynne

I didn’t quite emulate your holiday success when I was away last week – but I only put a pound on, and now more than a kilo below when I went away – 8 kilos altogether in five weeks.
Your comments about the stotties and carbs reminded me that I did see a shop advertising fried pizza (with chips) when I was away – not remotely tempted – I don’t think I would have been pre BSD.
Now the shop that had won prizes for “Scotland’s best cake” on the other hand was a challenge that I didn’t resist!
The award was thoroughly deserved (not that I tried loads of others elsewhere to test that!)

have a good day

Type 2 and been morbidly obese for most of that time. I’m allergic to dairy and nuts and some seeds, Quorn and mushrooms, any ideas on what I can swap them for?

Keeptrying, I have the greatest admiration for you.

Have you thought of getting Ketostix which you use to simply test if you are burning fat?

I had lots of plateaux but knowing from these I was burning fat was so encouraging.

Just a thought. You WILL be doing your body good, it’s just not showing you yet.

Good wishes to you – and a virtual hug [ ]
🙂

Hi Nettle and captainLynne
Sorry I’d forgotten that ballet flats can be a bit of a no no. Silly really as I’ve had a serious knee injury (the kind that would have wrecked my sporting career… if that had been possible???!!!) and struggled with heels and flats after that!

As for the adult ballet. There is nothing else that makes me feel such a heffalump. It reminds me of the hippos in Fantasia. We all look terrible.
The best bit of this experience was when a friend thought it was a joke that two of us were doing a ballet class and guffawed …loudly… but was rather embarrassed when this turned out to be true.The following week we were laughing about this ridiculous activity and the fact that we were actually going to ballet when my other friend rather wickedly said, ‘The worst thing about it, is those tutu’s we have to wear’.
‘Yes and in pink’, I said.
The previously sceptical friend believed us and which made us all chuckle more.

So don’t be afraid everyone.
Go for the pink tutus!!!!

still keeping going
still hardly losing anything
(away so cant weigh accurately)
eating low carb – between 30 – 50g/day mostly on lower side
eating healthy fats but not stacks
eating only berries and no other fruits
eating good protein every meal but not too much
eating lots of veg
eating NO grains, NO sugars, NO chocolate or cake or biscuits or crisps ……..
eating way below my TDEE

but have been reading a lot about menopause weight problems and feel a bit vindicated
as I am in the middle of menopause and trying to reverse what is extremely common weight gain at this time
also the weight now tends to gather around middle – which is also what I am finding hard to budge
and all this is being controlled by chemicals in my body – which is not my fault or failing
so
hopefully I can keep plodding on

I have no doubt there will be people on here who are at same stage of life who are shifting tonnes
but whilst I am really pleased for you, honestly I am!! – I know = assume = hope that there are others like me
– plodding, struggling, fighting against what my body doesn’t want to let me achieve

Morning all 😃

Nettle, sounds like we have a BSD ballet company on here! I tried chopsticks years ago and they certainly help me eat more slowly. Might try them again! I live in the north east of England, in a former mining village. The food of choice is carbs. I’m weird because I don’t eat them anymore. Corned beef pie, is always on the menu at any social event. And (sorry Bill) stotties (like barm cakes or bread buns but much bigger) to make sandwiches. One stottie is usually cut into 4 wedges for sandwiches, much thicker than sliced bread. A few years ago I bought Subway sandwiches for my granddaughters end noticed they were hyper soon after but thought it coincidence. But when it happened again I realised what had happened. No more Subway for them. And their sweets are strictly rationed.

greenjanet, thank – total lost now 5 stone 😃. I’ve stayed with the 800 calories a day except when away from home and the kitchen scales. Even when on holiday or at residential conferences I’ve stayed low carb and watched portion sizes.

Any other questions, just ask. 😃

Yes the jeans thing is truly tricky. Bought some new jeans about 8 weeks ago because nothing else fitted and they are now really baggy and need a tight belt to stay up. 21 weeks in and close to my target weight so I hope the crop jeggins I’ve just bought last longer. It’s not just jeans though underwear is a nightmare….. and because I’ve been overweight for so long I’ve got no smaller size clothes. Seem to have missed that small window where you can find those items of clothing that you couldn’t wear because they were too tight……now they are too baggy……grrr!🙄🙄🙄😪😎

Hi Igor 🙂 I’d heard about ‘carb flu’ but thought that I’d got away with it, d’oh, I really thought it would be in the first few days of starting. Resisting the crisps was so hard, they’ve not bothered me at all until last night. I’ll keep on keeping on anyway, it will be worth it in the end, thank you 🙂

Hello Frog 🙂 I am going to push myself today, I’ve decided. No procrastinating. Going to set my timer for 15 minutes and work in little bursts of activity (which works for me when I feel like this, you can do anything for 15 minutes, right?) I’m ok with water, I always fill a glass when I’m in the kitchen. I probably exceed my intake daily, but like you I used to be a massive Diet Coke guzzler, that stuff is addictive. Now we only buy their rival, which I really don’t like that much (unless there’s a shot of vodka in it!) so if I have two or three glasses a week it’s a miracle. I have to take something to ‘help me go’ some days as I’m on strong pain meds for my back, but that thought had crossed my mind yesterday, I’m not taking in anywhere near the volume of food that I was doing before, so it’s logical that there’s less to come out. I’ll crack on with it regardless, I’ve got nothing to lose anyway, have I? 🙂 Apart from half my body weight, that is…

One more point. Be cautious buying chicken or cooked meat in supermarkets. Many of them include sugar, especially in cheaper ranges. I would never have believed it until I started reading labels carefully.

sadly my calves are still way too fat for jeggings!

Trousers with thinner fabric thinner than denim are easiest to adjust – by adding darts at the back, or a section of elastic at the back – and with tops getting looser too, they hide any irregularities that temporary adjustments like that might create.
I need to get the sewing machine out!

Cherrianne, I’ll have to see if I can find any. Then work out how to post them. Hope they’re not too scary!

Hi Snaffler

Another pound lost today means a total of 5 stones gone since 19th December.

For me, one stone equals one size in clothes. My wardrobe had few clothes other than work uniform in size 24 (getting too tight). The main colour was navy and waistbands were elasticated.

Now I have casual clothes as well as uniform in the wardrobe. I’ve just been given some tops (sizes 14 and medium). Different styles – the medium fit now, the 14s are ‘snug’. My uniform skirt (size 24) was getting shorter as I had to lift the waist higher to be able to fasten it. 😱 And I’d moved the jacket buttons right to the edge so it would at least fasten. Buttons would sometimes pop off. Fortunately I’d kept smaller uniforms as I grew out of them, but that supply us now exhausted and I have to get new uniform. The smallest skirt I have is too big round the waist and is now so long it’s like a hobble skirt – fine as long as I don’t run, or need to climb into a minibus LOL.

If it helps, I’ve stayed with the 800 calories a day throughout, except when away from home on holiday or at residential conferences. Even when away I’ve stayed low carb. Eating full fat products and drinking lots of sparkling water. I kept a notebook since I started, writing down everything I eat (with calories) and medical test results. When I started I was testing my blood sugars every morning and night. When they reached normal levels I dropped the evening test. Eventually I dropped daily fasting blood tests, going to weekly. Now it’s a random test occasionally. But everything is recorded in my notebook.

Any questions, just ask. Someone is usually around to answer. 😃

Just wanted to add this though, even though my weightloss hasn’t been much over the last 7 days or so, I took my measurements on Saturday too, and in 14 days I’d lost – Left thigh: 1.5 inches, Right thigh: 3.5 inches, Left calf: sod all (these boots are never going to fit me!), Right calf: half an inch, Hips: 2 inches, Stomach: 3.5 inches, Chest: 2 inches, Top of left arm: 3 inches and Top of right arm: 1 inch. So it’s not always about what the scales show, is it?

Hi Lucky Maneki
I had a plateau a little bit earlier than you – mostly week two, of weight up a bit/down a bit, but essentially not shifting in about ten days.
But – I haven’t really had the tiredness (although my time is pretty much my own, so if I want to sleep in late I can most days) – and yes, the key for me was getting more active – and drinking lots more.
I know most guidance says avoid artificially sweetened stuff, but if my liquid intake is low, I do find it a lot easier to drink a litre of fruit squash (the zero calorie, no sugar stuff) rather than water – I probably drink it a lot weaker these days, and hardly ever get the urge to drink diet coke, which used to be something I drank loads of.
The other thing that I resolved at around that time, bit personal here, was my digestive system. There’s quite a lot of threads about constipation on the forum. My body, after years of having sooo much junk to deal with disposal of, took a while catching up with the idea of so little to process. The liquid intake probably helped, and i still take the occasional senna tablet if things seem sluggish.
Persevere – you will get there!

Very common to be cold, tired, all sorts of odd things – you are kicking your carb addiction out. Often known as “carb flu”.

Well done for resisting the crisps!!!!

Keep at it, it WILL pass.

Congratulations on the great job you are doing. You should be very very proud of yourself.

🙂

Hi thankyou for your kind reply, will do I have to be pedantic about this otherwise I loose confidence.

Thankyou for your kind reply, sounds good advise.

Fourth day at 16 stone 5lbs. Last night I had to go to bed early because the craving for crisps was horrendous! I couldn’t believe it, just came out of the blue, crisps! I could understand chocolate cravings, don’t think I have ever craved crisps before in my life! I begged hubby to let me have a pack but he said no. Happy that the scales aren’t going up, but a bit miffed that they aren’t going down either. I know I need to move more, I’m just so tired all the time. Is that common on this diet? Especially at this point, in Week 3? I am sleeping all night, I’m falling asleep in the day, I could even sleep again now. I have very little energy (and therefore motivation) to do anything physical. I’m eating better than I have in years so it’s a bit odd to be feeling so exhausted. Meh. Hope everyone is doing ok. Happy Tuesday (I am on the right day today haha).

Up to you – I think there are a variety of approaches here.

Personally, I’d suggest that the more precise you are at the start about weighing and recording, the more knowledge you will build up about portion sizes, fat and carb content (if you’re a lifetime dieter, you’re probably well versed in calories).
Armed with that knowledge, you can decide how much you can relax the weighing and recording as you go along. That makes it much easier to assess what you have in a restaurant, for example.

good luck with it