Feel like not weighing again! I’ve stayed the same weight for a whole week now. Halfway through week 4. Demoralising, as I want to eat more anyway but determination keeps me going. It would help if there was weight loss to keep me going too. No point in throwing in the towel and cheating my health but I feel rather down about it.

I’m using a calorie counting app and want to know what grams of carbs and fat I should enter for my daily amounts. Protein is 45 g.
How low is low for carbs.

Enjoying it so far but had a bit of a low yesterday realizing too late that fluid intake was vital…

Thanks Lynne – I am feeling better about eating there now after yours and frogs replies – I had only ever really pasta dishes there before, with lots of wine and scrummy deserts! I know I’ll have to go without the wine and pud but just needed to know I’d be able to find something for a main course😊

Quite right to keep the politics off here – I was just thinking THEY could do with some of your advice to get things a little more humorous and grounded, which you seem to be so good at!

Still chucking it down here, so I doubt I will manage my 42 minutes today as I chickened out of my morning run. But there’s always lunch break and after work between ferrying girls to their activities. Pity that fiddle practice doesn’t count as exercise – but moving one arm is a bit feeble for my age and fitness!
Have a good day all!

Julia

I am now weighing 12st. I would love to be able to write 11st something. I have been following this the BSD for 15 days now. I have just been looking at my food diary and think that I am perhaps having too much protein. I am good on my drinks as for example it is only quarter to eight and I have already had 2 large glasses of water with a third one on the go. 1 coffee and two cups of tea. My breakfast was 2 eggs fried in olive oil and a medium tomato. I won’t eat ato dog club.gain until about 12:30. I don’t eat between meals. Today we are getting a new back fence and have a trip to the dentist. At 1:30 meeting friends for an hour’s dog walk; the down side to that one is that the others walk slowly. I don’t have lunch food planned at the moment but this evening I am cooking a piece of turkey with roast vegetables (not potatoes). Then off to dog club.

Go ashri, your blog sounds so positive. The right attitude is so the key. Good luck. Oh and looks like you and I are from the same part of the world. Noticed the.co.nz. in your blog. We are in the perfect time of year for soups and crock pot meals with cauliflower rice. Yum and easy.

Thanks Izzy. Good plan, no vino in the house. I’ve stocked up on sparkling water and limes, and will enjoy it more as it’s guilt free😀

Hi frog
Oh yes, through the arch window. What fun.

Wasn’t it a magical time when we were kids, we had loads of imagination and energy. Now I have neither.

The Tinga. And tucker club were koalas . Aunty Jean had an Australian accent that’s the only reason I mentioned it.

I thought the magic roundabout a little too technical for me.
I looked the wooden tops spotty dog,
Andy pandys luby loo.
Bill and bens little weed friend.

There is a pattern here. I liked the side kicks and not the main characters.
Love luica
Xxxx

Hi Julia 18 to go

I am not getting into politics here as it feels like a happy place to be.

But as you asked me

I would love to see a true spreadsheet on how much money we pay and get paid from the eu.
And more importantly his much penalties for breaking the membership.
It’s like any membership, the gym, Sky, buying a car. If you leave there is always costs.
They just say an amount.

And what if we don’t have the gym or sky or car any more, what is the impact.

What worries me is, how much the referendum is actually costing. It could give us more nurses instead of hospital admin staff , more police on the beat, instead of police admin staff.

That the end of the politics, each person must vote, with their own opinion.

Now what else,,,,,,, oh I think I am pretty boring. It’s my dreams that are creative and fun.

Love Lucia
Xxxx
Ps I apologise for my political comment on a non political website. 😕

Hi Mermaid2
Two days and already noticing the differences, it happens day after day after…it’s a neat journey to be on. Because the results are rapid and the plan relatively easy to do, it is the motivation to see what next. If someone told you a week ago you’d be conquering cravings what would you have thought?

There is a blog section on here that lets us note the changes, one of the biggies is NO MORE REFLUX. Add in sleeping better, no hunger, no cravings, more energy, food tasting great and so on, the wonder of it all. I am not evangelical but starting to sound like it. My mates are noticing the big change in me, shape wise and well being so I reckon I should be on commission for MM’s local book sales.
N

Best suggestion…. don’t buy wine! Do whatever you can to make getting wine difficult.

Every time you want wine (how much do you spend on a bottle?) put the cash in a jar instead and watch it mount up. Think of what you will treat yourself to with the money instead! Either in small amounts like a dvd or a funky hairclip – whatever makes you smile. Or let the cash build up for something more expensive. Spending time thinking about what you might save up for (a luxury yacht if you spend a lot lol) might help distract you.

Try something creative, Happylife was telling me the other day that painting, colouring etc uses both sides of the brain and helps with this sort of thing. You don’t have to be good at it, no one needs to see it.

Make a doodle board representing your hopes, dreams and aspirations?

Hi Josie
I have a Samsung phone and use the S Health app and have done for a few months as I bumbled along without direction until I found BSD. It didn’t help me stay on the wagon during my first few restarts, but that was me, not it. I think all theae things are tools and if used wisely can be helpful. I now keep the phone on me all day so it can record my steps, I can record everything that passes over my lips, i can measure my heartrate thru the camera lens, manually record my blood glucose levels. And more. I like it.

Good luck with it all……

Hi, I have a few ‘go to’ breakfasts now.

I echo the yoghurt and fruit option, I have that often (this morning!) I’ve switched to fage total but yeo valley is also nice.

I’ve also been making a morning shake – 1/2 cup raspberries, 125g fage total yog, 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened it’s really low cal) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and sweetner to taste, add ice if you like, whizz up in the blender and enjoy.

eggs, I like mine simple. Just two boiled eggs chopped up in a cup with salt and pepper. Fry em, scramble em, bake em, eggs are a great option.

Pancakes! I use this recipe, and you can make a batch and freeze, they thaw out nicely and I warm them slightly in the micro and mash a few berries to top them with.

https://elanaspantry.com/silver-dollar-pancakes/

Also, breakfast doesn’t have to be ‘breakfasty’ you can eat anything you like within BSD guidance. Got a portion of last nights dinner left?

Oops John, yes it was a typo – this is the sort of thing I was thinking about https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7BpPA-nzAE

well TFI thursday! well I don’t work Fridays so I like Thursdays lol. I still didn’t sleep well lots of weird dreams and it was a struggle to kick myself out of bed this morning.

I have a training brief this morning but after yesterdays fiasco with the biscuit I am definitely skipping the bacon rolls, I’ve had strawberries and fage yoghurt.

Lunch I have crackers, tomatoes and a pickled egg. We’ve ran out of cheese and cucumber lol. Dinner will be pork mince probably stuffing a courgette.

Have a great day life changers 🙂

Hi! I got mine from a local health food store, but you can buy it on the web.

Hi, in the beginning I felt as you do now so I bought some optifast shakes and bars for the times when I wouldn’t be able to prepare something healthy to eat. I am in Australia also.
I found that until the end of week two I had them for breakfast or as a meal replacement when out but as my appetite dropped I found I no longer needed them and now I find them too sweet! I have more than half a box of shakes left.
When I am out I have had salads from soul origin in Sydney and I have even had a McDonald’s chicken salad without dressing. I also have individual pots of Greek yogurt, cheese sticks and nuts. I am also increasingly finding that if I can’t find any suitable food I am ok fasting.
I have just finished 8 weeks today and was a total carb addict but I have lost 10 kg and no longer crave carbs.
I have a busy life with kids etc and would not have believed that this would work but I feel like a different person.
Be careful not to buy too many bars and shakes as they are expensive and you may find that in a few weeks you won’t need them.
Good luck

I

Lost 8lb my first week in. The results were pretty rapid initially for me. Now in the middle of my second week and can feel change happening. My midriff is trimmer all the time.

Well second day and don’t seem to have the sugar and carbohydrates cravings as bad as yesterday so really pleased. Also noted that stomach is more settled with no heartburn. So looking forward to changing my really bad eating habits for good.

Hi Josie, I j u st use my iphone with the Nike running app – not that I’m a runner mind you lol. It maps your walks and keeps progressive totals – all for free. Hope this helps

Hello SusanR my choice of breakfast now is this quick and easy dish which I do in a microwave omlette pan just using one side:
a handful of baby spinach, 4 cherry tomatoes halved and 2 eggs cracked over the top, salt and pepper and microwave for 1min 20 for soft eggs or a bit longer for harder eggs.
Good luck on your journey ☺

OK I registered on 14 June and created a new post – didnt show – trying again.

68 years male chronic asthmatic – Type II diagnosed about 6 years ago – steroid induced.

Have been on Prednisone ( or equivalent since 10 years of age for chronic asthma.

Dosage varies due to health. Currently trying to reduce dose once again. 4 days ago reduced my 1mg from 15mg to 14 mg per day.

Just that made a big difference to my GCL’s.

Levels vary depending on what I eat. Dark choc and sugar (in coffee) appear to make little diff. Bread ( even hi fibre Low GI) sends them skyrocketing.

Gave up rice ages ago – consume little potato. No junk foods. Gave up biscuits ( except for the occassional extra-dark Tim-Tam).

Have watched “TrustMe I’m a Doctor” and read The 8 week Low Sugar diet book.

Have worked out much re my problem by myself – I’ve been self-medicating ( varying dosages) for years. Dr’s know little and have probably had no experience with such long term steroid usage.

For instance, 2 1/2 years ago I was having serious trouble exerting myself ( Summer in Sydney – often causes ashma problems). 3 GP Visits and one to my respiratory specialist – just asthma – increase the prednisone – All was OK according to previous Cardiologist visit ( had angina for 20+ years – med controlled).

Went on Cruise, figuring getting fresh sea air would help – 4 days later was in ships hospital – diagnosed with heart failure-no other symptoms – turned out 1 coronary artery was blocked and the other 2 were nearly so. Placed on IV meds on ship – lost 2 litres of fluid in 2 hrs. Within 2 weeks had lost 13 litres (13KG) – as soon as home Cardiologis immediately place me in hospital – next am first stents received – 6 weeks later – 1 more.

Havent had asthma, cold, flu or such since.

Still have lots of belly visceral fat and a fatty liver, for which, according to Specialist, nothing can be done.

Anyhow, enough of my problems. Will try the diet, to a lesser degree. once steroids are down to 10 mg per day, which from past experience will get me off insulin (Nova-Rapid) and halve my diabetes pill dosage ( Diamicrom and Diabex)

Anybody here had experience with long-term cortico-steroid usage?

Thanks.

check the sugars – a dietician put me on a protein powder drink – my levels went up – it was full of sugar!

Dont trust professional advice – check for yourself.

MEASURE MEASURE MEASURE!
end of month 1 – I’ve lost pretty much 2 inches everywhere on my torso – bust/waist/thighs
– and 1/2 inch from each calf. I will be able to buy boots one day!!!

and my BMI is down by 2.5

Cook a veg frittata the night before, store in the fridge, and then warm it up in the morning? Easy and yummy 🙂

And I’ve said this before here – don’t focus on the weight, MEASURE MEASURE MEASURE!

What is your waistband like? Are belts looser, sleeves less tight? Have you got some clothes to judge by?

Weight can plateau, but the inches still come off – yes I know it’s odd, but sometimes it’s the internal visceral fat going, and suddenly your waist shrinks!

Don’t get disheartened, don’t get focused on just the pounds – look at the measurements.

It’s worked for me!

Good luck!

All shopped and planned! Trying to source inulin at moment! 😁

then i wish you good luck too!! this time tomorrow we will be one down !!! have you sorted your menu ?

Day one for me too tomorrow!!!😁😁😁

Where do I buy inulin from? X

Had a late breakfast when I got to work – Greek yoghurt with cherries
Lunch was the last of the Waitrose Fritatta (three portions! pre BSD I’d have had half, then cut off odd slices from the remaining half)
Odd supper – I was finishing up stuff in the fridge before I go away – essentially asparagus, spinach falafel and chicken.

i am afraid i ate the chocolate and enjoyed every last mouthfull as thats what it was the last mouthfull !!
my aim is to get one week under my belt and hopefully some weight loss to spur me on to week 2
hoping you get to your goal josie 53 sending you good vibes to get both you and me there !!

no idea Josie
I think it was Izzy that wrote she had a fitbit and loved it.
I’m making do with my pedometer – it’s quite a good one that I’ve had a while – doesn’t upload anything or do heart rate, but it gives a fair indication of how much exercise I’ve clocked up during the day – and distinguishes between pacey walking and ambling.

typo from Barby I think – resistance band maybe?

John – I wasn’t really saying don’t loose any more weight!
My personal perspective is that from past experience, I looked and felt a healthy size, albeit briefly, when according to BMI charts I was still overweight.
BMI charts are only based on averages, and when I start to get near one of my key targets, either dress size or weight, I may reassess them depending on how I look and feel.
But not the target of wanting to go into a shop and try on lots of boots and have them all fit.
(Leg wise I mean – I appreciate my calves may shrink, but I’m not suddenly going to get dainty size 4 feet however much weight I lose!)

Thanks barby 😃

As long as people want to read my posts, and as long as the posts are helping folk, I’ll keep on posting. Sometimes I can post more than others – pressure of work etc, or away from home – but I’ll post when I can.

John, some of the folk commenting are quite thin! But I know what you mean. Think it’s taking them a while to get used to my new shape (and face).

Perhaps it’s just as well that I need to renew my passport – get an up to date photo! Need to do that soon.

Hi Sooz 83

Going from size 20 to size 16 is fantastic and I congratulate you. Well done.

After BSD’ 8 week you could do 5 – 2 diet also of Michael Mosley. That is what I plan to do, even if I lose my 10 kg on this diet, just started 2 week yesterday.

good luck.

Doddi

Hi tokyo14,

Welcome to the BSD gang. Good luck on your first day, sounds like you’re all ready to go!
If you follow the plan you will definitely succeed 😊
Now put the chocolate down 😅

First of all, well done for throwing the rest away and not going on an all out carb spree of eating even more.

2 stone is 6 weeks is awesome I think if you just pick yourself up and start again you might find that you can just carry on where you left off with not much damage.

As for what helps? well… today I succumbed to a chocolate hobnob snack bar. I felt awful and I won’t bore you with the details but it didn’t end well! So next time I fancy something like that I’m going to try and remember just how crap I felt afterwards and hope that it might be enough to help me see sense at the time.

Ordinarily I make do with a few nuts or sugarfree gum!

Hi all, I fell off the wagon about two weeks ago, in the form of swigging copious amounts of wine. Funny that I stuck rigidly to the food component but the liquid diet stalled all weight loss for the last couple of weeks. Been under huge stress at work (hence the Chardonnay crutch) and I can’t see that changing in the near future, but I’m determined to get back on track. 5kg lost in eight weeks, with another 10 to go before I’m back in my healthy weight range. I’m going to start again from today, with the plan to be out of the house during happy hour, either walking the dog or reacquainting myself with the treadmill (once I dust it off). I’m worried that any particularly nasty day at work will have me practically inhaling a glass or three of wine, it seems to be my only method of unwinding. I have tried meditation and so on, but the brain just won’t switch off, so I sedate it. Very frustrating! Needless to say, I will be hanging around the forum and soaking up the inspiration.

they took blood and I have to wait for a date for the tilt table thing.

That’s the second time I’ve eaten something carby and had a poor outcome! there was the Macdonalds breakfast wrap too. Maybe bad carbs are poison to me now! I best stick to BSD.

Well that’s one tv fitted with a wall bracket and one wall mounted shelving unit all fixed up. Looks good but definitely not time or energy to do the other one!

Goodnight Frog and all!

Hi Lucia
A key factor in choosing my flat is that it has a huge feature arch window!

Good luck, i am day 4 and finding it ok. Am struggling with the exercise. Had a headache for the first 3 days its better today. Hoping to lose at least 3 stone, i shall think it is a small miracle if i get anywhere near it.

well i am prepared i have read the book , read the forum found as many recipes as i can weighed myself measured myself seen my gp !!!!!
so i sit here now listening to the rain with my last cup of tea with two sugars and a bar of chocolate my last one !!!!
i am nervous i must say my worry is i will do it and see no results but i have a vouce that says have faith !!!! so my meals are planned for tomorrow i am having weetabix( i know i shouldnt but my online shopping been delayed so no yoghurt and blueberries till mid afternoon salad with ham for lunch no sandwich and liver and veg for tea 3 lites of water and NO treats !!
so wish me luck !!

Hi Lucia,
I don’t think the tinga and tucka club was ever broadcast out here in the colonies. There was a cute program called ‘Romper Room’ that I liked to watch – it was on mid morning. I have very happy memories of it as the set was a pre-school setting and I’d just join in as if I was on set – very cute. Another program came along ‘Play School’, but I’d already started school then. So I got hooked on play school when my children were young. Oh, there was another show in the ’60’s, ‘The Magic Roundabout’, that was great.

Hi Imogen,
Are you encouraging Lucia with Lucialand? Just quietly, it sounds like a great place to hang out.

Hi Christine,
I’m probably preaching to the converted but if you have sunshine where you are try and ‘take some sun’ (wow that really does sound posh, doesn’t it?). Obviously don’t get sunburnt but it can lift the spirit.

Breakfast for me today is Plain Greek yoghurt, blueberries, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and cinnamon.

Lucia I am gutted – thought you were going to tell us you’d progressed to the triple somersault!
And I love your world plan… can you please talk some of your good sense to the politicians and get us all a break from this referendum stuff?

Happy somersaulting in your dreams tonight – would love to see a video camera of what your imagination gets up to in dreams, it’s impressive enough just when you are awake!

Julia

Hi I am in week 7 and have been good as gold to date and stuck to the plan – then along comes TOM and bam straight off the carb / sugar wagon yesterday 2 biscuits and today I raided a bar of orange Lindt my boss gave me over a month ago which I foolishly left in my drawer – I thought as it is dark a square would stop my craving and instead I went on a full binge and ate 3/4 of it – I had to go throw it in the bin otherwise I would have eaten it all. Oh my gosh – I felt so ill, all shaky and fuzzy. Even though I knew I was sabotaging myself and as prediabetic I need to avoid sugar I just lost total control. I stI’ll feel queasy so no dinner for me tonight. How do you cope with the cravings – are there any supplements that may help. I have a long journey to go with at least 4,stone to lose (I have lost 2 stone in just over 6 weeks) so I would be greatful for some tips!

Barby,
What’s a “resistance bad”?
John

Just do things really slowly, gently, even if you feel like a rag doll, it it for 30 seconds.
Pick one, pick them all.

The one I like doing is, the diving position.

You stand on the edge of a low stair, or step or strong sturdy book.
Put your feet in the step and have your heels dangling over the edge.
Lower your heels an inch, then back up, it’s wonderful for the calf muscles.

I do it on the bottom stair and hold both rails for support.

I pretend I am in the olympics, in the diving competition on the top diving board.
I am giving Tom Daley a run for his money.

Just don’t jump of the step, do a pike, triple somersault and stuck and land on the floor. ( that’s for next week)

Love Lucia
Xxx

Thanks Imogen and Frog – I have just gone through my tops and removed all those that now look too big and unflattering. It’s so lovely to wear something that hasn’t fitted for at least 5 years – I know, even if no one else does (yet!).

This is the first “diet” I’ve ever stuck to for so long, and I feel confident I can do it forever. That’s not to say I won’t have some extra carbs such as new potatoes etc, but thank goodness I’ve lost my desire for junk food. That is such a mental relief. Onwards and downwards 🙂

Hi Christie 1948.

So you can’t exercise for 68 seconds.

Right, I live a challenge.
So you have an emotional knee that’s okay.

So while you aware sitting there, (everyone else can join in) can you wiggle your toes?
Can you point your toes away, then point your heel away, bringing your toes near your shins.

Can you stretch your fingers, can you rotate your wrists both clockwise and anti-clockwise.
Can you lift each arm above shoulder or head height, reaching for the sky.
In a sitting position , can you lean forward, and lean backward.
Can you lean to each side.
Can you shrug your shoulders
Can you roll your shoulders forwards and backwards.
Can you slowly twist your waist trying to look behind your from each side.
Can you blink, can you open your mouth wide, can you touch your nose with your tongue.

In a sitting position, can you lift your leg up off the chair, just lifting your thigh an inch, then back down on each leg.

Yup, I see you can’t do any exercises with a dodgy knee.

If each of us did these exercises whilst watching telly, nice and slowly, listening to your body, you will know how far or how less to move.

It’s a start.

Keep moving, keep singing, keep losing love
Luica
Xxx