Drink something – not alcohol – cup of tea, herbal or ordinary, fizzy water, plain water.

As Imogen says, treat yourself another way – warm bath with candles, little walk round the block to blow cobwebs away. Early night with a book and the radio.

It’s your carb addiction trying to control you – you can kick it into touch.

That’s an idea – beat a cushion to death!

Good luck!!!

Hi Barristagirls – mum,

You know you aren’t hungry, that this is the carb addiction kicking in…
Can you get outside for a walk? Take a long bath/shower? Give yourself a manicure or face pack? Telephone a friend for a good chat? Crazy dance to some of your favourite music? …. this will pass!

Imogen🌻

Well done Gruely 🙂

A little blip won’t matter too much I don’t think but many people find it leads to them feeling hungrier and re-igniting carb cravings so just take care.

Hi! I am no medical professional, but there are interesting papers on-line about inulin + it’s benefits. As with most ‘alternative’ supplements there are arguments for + against.

My chemist (highly qualified), recommends it, however it might be an idea to field this product to MM + the Trust Me I’m a Doctor team?

You have a choice… Diabetes or no diabetes. You’ve made the first step, done amazingly well, don’t go back to your bad habits x

Baristagirls – mum

HELP help, I’m not hungry, I just want to eat. VERY DANGEROUS TIME I have lost 13lbs since last Monday and would like to keep it up. but I feel as if I am about to blow it all. My 9yr son, just opened at packet of Deli cheddar crisps that he had been given………..I had 2 small ones and managed to stop as he said ‘mum don’t eat that, you’re on a diet. I sent him upstairs to enjoy the rest!! But I WANT to EAT! Please help me as I don’t want to fall off the band wagon. This seems to happen with me when I go on diets, I do really well to start with and then just can’t seem to keep it up. Really want to stick with this one to kick my awful carb addiction. Although I have this addiction and am very very over weight, I had fasting bloods done by the doctor and am not even near prediabetic, much to her astonishment. At least writing this is stopping me going to the cupboards for food. Ideas please

Thank you Bissell, Izzy & Switzerland!

I woke up this morning another 2lbs lighter .

I met my sister inlaw today with our little girls so didn’t have breakfast. At lunch we had a selection of things from M&S. I did have a 1/4 of a chicken and avocado sandwich and some oatmeal type cookie. But logging it into my Fitbit shows me that it was no more than 400 calories. I’m hoping this blip won’t lead me too much astray, I’m feeling under the weather too.

Hi all, I have read this with interest. Last week I went into my wholefood shop to buy inulin, but noticed on the labelling that there was a high glucose content. One of the other makes labels did not mention glucose, but the ingredients were exactly the same…..it would seem that essentially chicory root is full of sugars. I discussed this with the very clued up assistant who thought it unsuitable for pre-diabetics and T2’s. . . she had apparently researched it as she herself was pre-diabetic (and overweight). I had noticed one source of organic inulin on line and I suppose I could have contacted them to request info about the contents but concluded I would manage without! So probably a good idea to research thoroughly, although Tivytowner I have no explanation for your lowered bs level….very good news though. I have taken up running (NHS couch to 5 K), first time I have run in 50 years and am now as skinny as I was as a teenager (when I hitch hiked and spent my bus and lunch monies on a diet of cheap fags). So I am hoping visceral fat has gone! Would be interested if anyone discovers any further news about inulin sugars? Cheers Tofa

Hello all and congratulations to all of us! I finished my 8 weeks some 3 weeks ago. I’m a fat insider so my weight loss was good for me but my waist measurement reduced by 3 1/2″! Amazing!! I had some glitches along the way of spikes in my BS and it’s still a little higher than I’d like but that’s probably because I had a week in Sicily (beautiful!) and yes, I treated myself ! I deserved it!! – food and wine!
Since finishing my 8 weeks, I’ve weaned myself off carbs – but will still treat myself every now and again- I’ve kept off the weight, my BMI is fantastic, I feel wonderful and a number of people have remarked on it. I do Hiit training 4 times a week (half hour each time) and walk the dog for an hour most days. I’ve reduced my meds to 1 metformin twice a day instead of 4! And I took my hba1c blood test today – praying for a great result so I can poke that negative doctor in the eye! Like all of you I intend to stick to the Mediterranean diet but not be so rigid on the calories.
And….. what’s been all over the press this week? Yes, this way is the best way – no low fat/high carbs but 800 calories, no carbs, proteins and fats! Go Dr M and all of us. Keep you posted on my blood results.
Sorry this is soooo long – wanted to tell you all !
Good luck to all of you, and if you’re flagging, think of the end goal – it can be done…

Thanks for that reference! I did find it but couldn’t find the part that specifically addressed at what point it stabilized. Even in the original New Castle studies, it took a week or so for the FBS to stabilize mostly. I am familiar with DawnPhenomenon. That’s not it as that is a ritual occurance. For the longest time, certainly as far back as 2013 I routinely had FBS of 85, every six months, 85, take it to the bank. I’ve never been one to live on a glucose meter, in fact, I don’t own one, my wife does and now I borrow it occasionally. The current hypothesis that came out of the New Castle studies is just as weight has a set point, so too does one’s hormonal system, as it relates to being diabetic. Using BMI, below a certain BMI normal blood sugars (taken to mean non diabetic) and above that BMI, diabetic as the fat level exceeds what the body can deal with so insulin resistance skyrockets and high blood sugars result. As this relates to me, I noodled that a FBS of 85 is what I should expect and as of a week ago seeing a pretty consistent 91,92 with a singular 95, a singular 110, and a singular 106 I am now concerned as to where have the 91’s gone? What I believe I will start doing is measure my FBS at 5pm as the only thing I will have ingested, other than water since the prior evening is a smidge of half and half in my coffee, not even 10 cals.

Should someone run across Bill might you ask him to make an entry? TY.

Definitely up your fluids, I found it really helped. I found the first quite rough but I’m on day 10 now and 10lbs lighter so keep at it!

I am feeling I need a bit of a challenge……

Just thinking out loud.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi sandie.
Just glad hoola hoops come in a large size?

Have you had a go with them?
I found it a little boring after a while.
But hey, it’s all exercise, just be careful of doing your back in.
🤕🤕🤕🤕🤕🤕
Love luica
Xxxx

Last week we flew to Portugal. Knowing that on an afternoon flight that BA would serve afternoon tea ( sandwiches, cake, scones) I investigated the ‘alternative ‘special meals’. No low carb on offer so I had to make a decision between gluten free or low calorie. Thinking that GF might mean the same with GF bread I opted for the low calorie. Bad choice; the lady in front of me who had opted for GF had a lovely looking salad, I had sandwiches, no butter and filled with tomato and cucumber, accompanied by tropical fruit salad – I’d have been better off with the normal meal where I could have eaten the filling of the sandwiches quite happily. Ah well I know now. Sadly my intention to be good on my holiday was scuppered by the stress of my mother being taken ill and ending up in hospital and the temptation of rose and Portuguese custard tarts. I put on five pounds! Fortunately I’ve lost four of them in two days of returning to the BSD. I’ve also learned that going back to my sugar eating ways simply makes me feel hungry and sluggish. Normally a slip up like this would totally derail me but I’m actually happy to be back on the LCHF straight and narrow.

So how are we all doing?

I have a question for you all….

What new item of food have you tried since being on the BSD?

I tried quinoa. Didn’t think I would like it.
Didn’t think it would have any taste.
Thought I would try it and if it was rubbish I could use it to grout the tiles in the kitchen.

I feel pretty posh now.

I try and drop the fact every occasion I can.

So what’s yours?

Love Lucia
Xxx

Bother! Or words to that effect… I had started with a pretty fair 9 days of the fast 800 calories plan and was feeling pretty good. Then I lapsed and put on all the weight I had lost. Just gave in to cake at work, then a few bits of toast later it seemed I had gone right back to my habitual poor carb-heavy food choices. I have had a couple of weeks hating myself over this lapse but am back reading the book again and am trying to prepare for round two by involving the rest of the family in editing cupboards to reduce carbs and treats so I can start again. The worst thing is that I felt really well when I was on plan. Time to commit again I think!

Hi AlexX –

the calculator is of course personal to you, depends on all your stats, current exercise etc.

My mix was rather more protein at 20g carbs (I’m challenging myself I know) or 10%, 84g protein or 42%, and 43g fat or 48%, all the percentages being of course for my 800 target calories. I took the middle (recommended by the site) view for the protein.

It may well be that you try a little of this and see if it suits you, or doesn’t. To be honest, I am trying to keep the carbs low, but don’t get too upset if I am a little over, and then I do focus on ensuring I’ve got the fat right to keep me full.

I do hope this helps and very good luck to you – I’m feeling really chuffed with my progress, and hope you will be with yours

Well done!! Early night a great idea also!
🙂

Thank you for your help Igorasusual
I am new to this way of eating. I tried the Keto website and if I put in 37g carbs, the percentage values are calculated at 12% carbs, 23% protein and 65% fat.

Thank you Igorasusual

Of course you’re right, it going to take me some time to see what affects me personally.

Managed to hold off eating anything I shouldn’t 🙂
So an early dinner and an early night and see what tomorrow brings.

Hi Siliem

Congratulations on your weight loss! great start.

With regard to the carbs, you are still in your first week and many people have said that strange things happened until their body got used to the lack of the carbs it was used to.

So maybe the higher carbs triggered your munchies – or maybe not!

We all go up and down depending on what meals we have, and I would suggest that you experiment a bit and see what happens. 44 gms of carbs is still not a lot, after all.

Perhaps best not to draw too many conclusions until you are a few more days in, when you can assess with more evidence?

Good luck, and onwards and upwards! 🙂

wcorey –

do a search on this site for Bill1954, who is a great contributor to this forum, and look for his THIS HAS TO WORK (I think it’s called that, or something like) which reflects his journey and has some interesting stuff on it about morning fasting readings, with helpful contributions from other people.

Hope this helps.

Hi
to reset the proportions on MFP, go to MY HOME, then GOALS, and then you can click on EDIT and change the proportions if you have new ones from the keto-calculator site I posted. This assumes you are on a laptop rather than iPhone.

In terms of BSD setting a carb goal of 30gm, I am not sure this is specifically stated – please point me to the page if you think I’m wrong, though – 30gm is quite low and you will see that the leto-calculator site says that most people are in ketosis if they eat less than 50gm of carb.

If you get the Ketostix I mentioned, you can test this out for yourself, very simply.

Hope this helps!

Thank you both for your replies. I thought that the BSD resticted carbs to 30g a day. I can’t work out how to apply that to MFP settings. I wish there was a BSD app/tracker.

‘Start feeling thinner,’ I like the sound of that! 😊

You’ll definitely get there, it is tough (maybe not for everyone) but it gets easier when you start feeling thinner much easier than other feasible diets!

Finally got off my plateau this week. Down 12 lbs in three weeks but the best part is my blood sugar is almost normal. Amazing what can happen in three weeks. We are all in this together.

Hi Everyone

I’m really loving this diet. Ironically I’m not a big fan of ‘white’ carbs but with a very busy lifestyle it’s just easy to reach for a slice of toast as you rush out the door or throw together pasta and sauce in the evening.

So, after reading everyone’s really supportive posts and organising some convenient meals, the first 4 days were great – not hungry at all, lost 2kg (fantastic!) and even gave up tea and coffee (don’t like it without sugar).

Planned to keep to 50g carb but meal plans naturally coming to 20-30g carb – great. Until yesterday when I had pulses for the first time on this diet. Obviously, carbs count for the day went up but only to 44g.

But today didn’t lose any weight (not concerned, very pleased with what I’ve lost so far) but today I just want to eat anything and everything. It’s not even that I’m hungry or craving anything particularly, just want to EAT!

Do you think this just a ‘few days in, body adjusting’ thing or could it be the pulses/higher carbs yesterday and I should avoid them?

Thanks for the reply Baristagirls, gosh it’s tough isn’t it? But it helps to know that it will pass. 9lb is a great loss, well done. Hoping to get there soon

Hi Bianca,

Wow! Well done for being so honest… it is brilliant that you have made such a fantastic start. Those of us with more to lose will be here to share and offer support if you want.
I joined the BSD800’s 7 weeks ago and plan to stay with this new way of being /eating for as long as it takes – or forever (whichever comes first😉)

Congratulations!

Imogen🌻

This post will really only be germane to those on here who are diabetic or prediabetic. Has anyone noticed that their morning fasting blood glucose has actually risen on this regiment? This is a little on the weird side but when I first started, for the first week perhaps, my morning fasting blood glucose was 91-92 pretty much routinely with one bump to 95 and another to 101. The higher values seem to pair with a bad night’s sleep. Now it seems they are routinely in the low 100’s. And this morning I’d say I had a good night’s sleep, although the cat did get me up at 3:30am to play. The ‘bad night’s sleep generally was because the cat got me up at 3:30 to play and I couldn’t get back to sleep. This morning I did pretty easily but got dinged for sleeping for close to 9hrs but it was a multiple disturbance 9hrs.

That aside. I have, for some time, been on an intermittent fast, every day eating only supper around 5pm and morning coffee around 8am. There clearly was over 8 hours elapsed between end of eating and the blood draw but for the last several weeks I have not consumed more than 800 calories in any given day. So I am perplexed why it would go up in the last few days.

Hello Thischarmingwoman, yes don’t give up. Keep yourself afloat with water. I had a bad headache every day last week (started Monday 23rd May) and felt so nauseous. Fortunately the headaches have now subsided but I still feel sick sometimes, not so much. It’s carb withdrawal symptoms (or ketosis flu) and your body is adjusting as well as getting healthier!
I still feel a bit empty now and then but definitely find this diet good and plan to stick to it. Lost 9lb – a 1lb a day keeps the doctor away 🙂

Lucia, you really are a cute hurdler. Soon you will be jumping through hoops as well.

It certainly is – even my 3 year old likes it which is saying something!!

Hi just wanted to edit my previous post ; I ended up having a woosh the next morning and lost weight again so the plateau had been broken ! Do not despair as it is extremely common to go a while without loosing weight and then bam , the weight disappears again xx

Hi Aussie chick 88

Thank you for your blog.

I think It is hilarious that people are reading about the arguments I have in my head.
Love luica

Hi frog.
Love your blog.
Isn’t this website great.
There is so much info, help, friendship and chicken rustling.
( you need to read Larsons cartoons)

Keep going
Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi Lucia ,

Thank you for you real honest blog/ diary about your journey so far ! You are such an inspiration to me and a hilarious one at that keeping it real and letting us inside that funny brain of yours !!
Really look forward to keeping up with your journey !!

Xx
Bianca

So I have been thinking….
I am in a growly mood now…..

It’s just not fair I have to count carbs and count calories and stop putting too much food in my mouth. And have to refuse when I am offered the biggest slice of chocolate cake, the size of a microwave.
And having to endure everything wobbling as I run.
And have to make sure I do my steps ,all of them, at least 10,000
And have to make time to exercise and focus on what I eat, so I notice that I do eat it and not shovel it in and don’t know I have shovelled it in.
And go out in the pouring rain to exercise
And go to the veg shop for the freshest produce
And I have to force myself to do it day after day…

WOW!!!!!!

I do all that, every day, cricky!
I have got good will power to do this for so long.
Look at all the hurdles I have leapt over.
All the decisions
All the temptations.

And I am cute too!😇😇😇😇😇
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Whoah! Congratulations!

🙂

Hi all ,
So here I am about to lay every thing on the table and be accountable to myself and to blog about my journey. I want to look back on where I have been and where I am now . I never am going to let myself get this big again because life is just not fun being a unhealthy mum to three beautiful active girls under 5 and as I discover new health and a new way of life I would love some support and encouragement to keep me going please !

So in March 2016 I had my last follow up at my doctors as I was put on medication for postnatal psychosis in November 2015 after having my baby . I no longer needed to be on medication and after stopping the medication I had gained a lot of weight. The heaviest I have been in my entire life and I was embarrassed and ashamed to say the least ! 1m 80cm tall. 140 kg ( 22 stone 0.65 lbs ) bmi 41 + stared me in the face and the hard reality hit me I was heading for life changing health problems if I did not start to do something about it and probably wouldn’t live a very long life which is a very true realisation and not very nice to think about having 3 dependant children to love and care for. So I started little changes like increasing water intake to 2ltrs a day , ate smaller portions , cut as much sugar as I could and was more aware if what I was eating instead of shoving the closest thing I could grab into my mouth !
I lost 6.4 kg from these changes which was a great start to keep me going !
Then I discovered this new way of life and don’t ever want to look back ! I am so happy with how far I have come in such a short time even though I have a lot to loose , bit by bit , day by day , I will get to a healthy weight; BMI and be a more fun active mum with my girls !

Week 1 start weigh on BSD -16 may 16
133.6 kg ( 21 stone 0.54 lbs ) bmi 40

Week 2 start weight
127.9 kg ( 20 stone 1.97 lbs) bmi 38.6
Total loss 5.7 kg

Week 3 start weight
125.3 kg ( 19 stone 10.24 lbs bmi 37.9
Total loss 2.6 kg

Weight loss total for 3 weeks so far !!
8.3 kg !!!!

I know it’s only a blimp in the scheme of things and I do have a long way to go but I am so excited that I have started this journey and credit so much of my inspiration by each and every one on all the forums , you all have helped me to be accountable to myself and to get out there and become BSD loser !!

Thank you all for your real honest and awesome posts blogs , look forward to reading more along the way !

Will check in week 4 on Monday 6 June.

Keep on loosing ;

Xx

Bianca

Don’t feel as if we have had a long bank holiday weekend.
Suprised my boss hasn’t bought me roller skates to make me go even faster
Love Lucia
Xxx

Keeping with the carbs have made a difference for sure. Down 12 lbs this morning!

Hi Nicky72
I’m day 3 and had a blip yesterday. Lost 1kg so far… but need encouragement!! Its tough out there

Hi, I’m on day 3 😀 and whilst I don’t feel hungry at all I do have a brutal headache and feel pretty sick. I’ve no plan to give up or anything like that. I purposely started this week whilst I’m off work because I thought this may happen (I’m one of those hypersensitive A topical people) any advice would be gratefully received!!
Thanks for all the positive updates…really helps to keep me focussed

http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com

Hi AlexX, and welcome!

You could try the website above which takes your measurements and suggests to you a mix of carbs, protein and fat, which you can then type in to MyFitnessPal.

It’s the way I worked out how to adjust the balance. This website says that you are ketogenic (i.e. fat-burning) on 50g of carbs a day or under – depending on your personal stats – but you can also get Ketostix on the web which will let you test very easily if you are fat-burning or not.

Hope this works for you! The BSD doesn’t really restrict your carbs, so long as they are good ones, but trying to balance yourself out with fewer carbs, but making up the calories with fats (counter-intuitive to most of us) as well as protein, does seem to work well!

Thank you Igorosusual, appreciated. regards Sandie

Good luck, Sandie – keep at it and you will win. I have had great confidence from knowing what to do and getting control back, and hope you find this too.

If in doubt at any time, post and someone here will be sure to advise you!

🙂

This is what I have been practicing for, the making of the new ME. I am recording from today for eight weeks. This report might not be inspirational nor enlightening for others but no matter as this is for ME. I will make notes of food, drink and exercise. I am aiming for 800 calories and low carbohydrates. Over the last few days I have been making steady progress and am impressed with the weight loss. This morning I weighed 12st 4lb (a pound up on yesterday but no exercise). I would like to be about 10st 7lb and learn how to stay there. I will make my report after my evening’s meal.

KJ77, you are quite right. However, haven’t you left off the most important benefit?

It’s DELICIOUS!!!! 🙂