interesting you were there igorasusual, as that is the same hospital I was visiting during early march where my dad was
and at the time I was doing the 5:2 diet and basically managed on fruit that I brought in during the day
although I have to say – if you had been there in the past – the new m&s café was a vast improvement to us!!
and they did have gf options
obviously I wasn’t searching out low carb at that time, although I had to avoid most things because of the calories
their gf blt sandwich was over 600cals!!!!!!!!

I did notice they did a minced beef dinner with courgette spaghetti, though I never tried it
not really what you would want early morning though!!

actually what really struck me as desperately sad was the WHS next to it that was filled with chocolates and crisps and which I am proud to say I never resorted to (even though it was a very tough time as dad actually passed away)

we were all ill with bad colds and we couldn’t find hardly anything like cough sweets or pain killers or tissues –
but If I had wanted to kill myself with chocolate – oh that was fine

anyway – I guess I digress from your original point
I am happy to join the ‘LOW CARB SNACKS’ revolution for public spaces ESPECIALLY important in hospitals, maybe

I have just baked some chickpea flour blueberry muffins
OK I know that isn’t exactly low carb – BUT – way way lower than normal muffins
if I work it out I will let you know – indeed I haven’t tried them yet so they may taste horrid of course lol!!

Hi Igorasusual,

Very kind of you to answer me, I have done some measurements, and have no goal in kg”s, but in waist measurement.
Lovely that could fit into a smaller pair of jeans.

Today is my 4th day on BSD and I was wondering about the 10000 steps, as I have been doing this for years walking my dog twice a day.
So do I have to try for 15000 steps? Wonder were to find the time. as I also do Pilate.

Doddi

Well done Lynn

Coming home from a wonderful holiday with a weight loss is something we all thought in our past would have been impossible — well done you

See you in two weeks in the 23 week club

Patrice.

Hmmm Soggy bottom or Puddleby?

Just want to reiterate to people, don’t get focused on the weight loss – as Cherry8 said, there may be oddities during the week which can throw you.

Keep an eye on the MEASUREMENTS and also judge by clothes. You may be losing inches, but not necessarily pounds.

I don’t want you to get discouraged at all if the weight doesn’t immediately drop off – it may do, but sometimes it doesn’t – go with your body and how you feel and how you look.

From a much slimmer Igorasusual, who has fit in to many more clothes and is looking MUCH SLIMMER, but is sticking at the same weight for some reason!

It surprised me, too, Frog, in the M&S cafe. We were there at 8.15am so lots of people queuing for coffee.

I had a good look for a protein pot of some kind to have with my coffee (poor OH was fasting, so he had agreed to sit and watch!), but the cafe had a display table of croissants and pastries, and the chiller cabinet had sandwiches and wraps – but no breakfast protein + low carb available at all.

And then they made it worse with the free biscuit!

Mad isn’t it – surprised at the M&S one, they do have healthy stuff among their ranges. UCH in London has a costa coffee – with free cookie with every hot drink last time I was there.

I am impressed with the number of chains starting to include low carb options. Pret, Itsu, Eat, Leon & Prezzo come to mind, and some of them have excellent websites with full nutritional info.

I’m at the end of week 3 and have lost 13lbs in total but nothing further off my waist. This week has been stressful at work but I’ve coped despite wanting cake! For the first time someone commented that I’d lost weight which was a huge boost! My BF has also now started the BSD although not the Fast 800 so we’ve been supporting each other, it’s good to have her onboard! Are you weighing everyday?

Great to have a supportive response 😊

Well week 3 was a mixed week for me, another 2lbs lost but really wanted cake!

This week has been stressful at work and I’ve been thinking about food a lot, I opted for some strawberries and cream instead of cake and that seemed to do the trick! I’m also not sleeping well and the tiredness has left me wanting a quick energy boost. I’m sure this phase will pass.

How is everyone else doing?

After seeing my success on the BSD (focused on losing weight, but not Type 2), OH – who IS Type 2 – has decided that there may be some merit in trying to come off Metformin. He had a high blood sugar reading of 9+ just ahead of an operation in April, which might have jeopardised the op actually taking place, and he’s come to the conclusion that fewer pills could be a good thing.

So, he started on the BSD on 26th May (though higher calories than the 800), just after a blood test when he’d tried a few days of restricted carbs, but on a very unplanned basis. We went along to the Doctor together, with the BSD book in hand if required, and found that the blood sugar was a little better – though still too high – at 7.3.

He explained to the Doctor what he’d started and said he wanted to work towards reducing his metformin by this low carb diet, and asked for her support in monitoring the effects and judging when/if he could stop the tablets.

No adverse response from her – she simply replied: ‘I expect you’re feeling much better already, and much livelier, aren’t you?’, which made me think she was on a low carb diet herself – how else would she know the amazing ‘lifting of the fog’ effect of weaning yourself off the refined carb load?

And she has agreed to put the blood tests in on a monthly basis and review with him afterwards, to see how it’s all going.

How great is that! No need to argue the point, no need to wave the book about, just complete acceptance and good wishes for the journey. 🙂

glad the granola recipe worked well!
Just as well you weren’t rushing out to work with the breakfast fiascoes – but that’s what weekends are for.

I just snacked on a slice of vogel toast – I put the remains of the loaf in the freezer when I started BSD. I only had one slice, with butter, and it was delicious, and should be easier to still manage less than 50g of carbs. Pre BSD it would have been at least two, and probably with marmalade or cheese. No raging desire to stuff more – and I think I actually felt hungry before I had it – bit of a first for me!
I had poached egg and asparagus for breakfast, which was less than 90 calories; low calories not by design, it was just what I fancied. Most days my breakfast is around 200-250. I’m about to go out, and it seemed too early for lunch, should be fine through til about 3pm now.

Have a good day

Hi Doddi – good luck on your journey!

Just want to add that it’s really important to do some measurements and/or photos, as I’m continually finding that measuring weight loss is unreliable, and can discourage you if you’ve got a weight target and focus on that.

I’m losing inches all over (just got into another too-small pair of jeans this morning), but weight doesn’t seem to match necessary. And someone here recently posted that she’d not lost the pounds she’d thought, but had gone down 3 dress sizes.

So really do those measurements and you WILL see the difference. If the scales agree, then great, but if the inches are going who really cares?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/06/09/low-fat-diets-and-exercise-are-pointless-for-losing-weight-warns/
Lord McColl, emeritus professor of surgery at Guys Hospital in London, warned in The House of Lords that current health advice to avoid fat was ‘false and misleading’ and was fuelling the obesity epidemic.

The list of foods to avoid, at the bottom, which includes EVERYTHING LISTED AS LOW FAT is so contrary to the advice we’ve all had for years (and how difficult have people here said it is to find full fat yoghurt on a supermarket shelf in the UK), that it’s astounding.

Are we finally on the cusp of a breakthrough? I’m certainly not the only one here looking at people in general and thinking how much fitter and happier they would be on less refined carbs. I was in the JR Hospital in Oxford yesterday, accompanying OH to an appointment, and the food on offer in the M&S Cafe -patronised by staff and patients alike – was diabolical.

Free biscuit with my coffee, and all the breakfast options were refined carbs, or low fat dairy. No protein pots in the chilled offer either in the cafe (although there were some good ones next door in the M&S food outlet). What hope do the stretched and stressed staff have to make good choices? Or, indeed, the patients and their relatives?

I think there’s a fortune to be made in low-refined carb snacks/small meals and cafes and restaurants (though simply serving good fresh food) could make a mint from advertising themselves as low-carb, and nutritional elements counted.

Shall we try and crowd fund a new chain?!

To Brett & Lynne.

Thanks for you respond.
Congratulation to you both with your big weight loss.
Doddi

Hi science Monkey I hate rowies I never liked them! I was brought up further north in Petehead and for reasons unknown they call them ‘cookies’ there! I now live south of Aberdeen 30 miles or so. I Don’t enjoy city living prefer the country!

Well done for restricting your rage to a bag of nuts, I think in some ways there is still achievement in there rather than failure! And woohoo on the scales moving! May those numbers plummet to the depths of healthyness!

Hi Beverley your post struck a chord with me, re I also don’t do so well when not coming here daily and reading the forums, which do really encourage and inspire me, so thanks everyone.

I had a week off on holiday and still kept the calories down, but did eat more carbs, also exercised a lot more. I haven’t weighed since (it would demoralize me to find weight gain) but I don’t feel that much fatter. I got back on it for 3 days at work, find it easy then. Weekends are harder and this afternoon I’m accompanying a friend for an alpaca experience which I know includes a cream tea!!!! I love alpacas, and also scones. I will have a brunch before I go, cheese and spinach omelette, and try to keep to one small scone, and a smear of jam, with lots of cream.

In reality I don’t think I can avoid these situations in my life, so must so the best I can. When not socialising I make a deal with myself that I will be really low carb. I have found my appetite as decreased a lot, no way I’d eat two scones now. Off to drink some more water, it does help but is easy to forget to do. Good luck everyone.

Hi frog! yes I had some last night and ended up with some this morning. it is yummy but need to be strict about the portion!

Breakfast was eventful… I couldn’t do a shake as I like a bit of vanilla extract and its run out. Then I thought I would try the coconut paleo porridge recipe I posted the other day but it didn’t go well. It seems one can’t make it in a small blender like mine… it jumps out and gets everywhere burning your hands on the way! (I’m fine no damage) I probably could do it with the stick blender in a bowl but by then with bits everywhere I couldn’t have said how much of what was left in it 🙁 so I decided to try fage and granola. It was nice but not as nice as I hoped 🙁

I think I will stick to having the granola on its own or like I did last night with a couple of chopped berries – it was a lovely snack like that!

Well I’ve been lazy so far today need to go get sorted and get outside to make the sandpit tent! It has all arrived now so no excuse not to get it all done!

Have a lovely day everyone 🙂

Hi Izzy,

Rowies? Next you’ll be saying “Fit like ma loon?”. I went to uni in Aberdeen (Furrybootstoon) so I know about Rowies, althought they called them butterys. I always thought of them of salty, failed croissants, but loved eating them.

So I persevered and I have now slightly dropped from my plateau (down 0.7kg in two days), but last night I got fashed over some work stuff and took it out on a big bag of mixed nuts. As binges go, it isnt too bad; not so high in carbs and I was still 1000 kcalories within the calorie burn my fitbit said. It should just delay some weight loss by a day or so based on past experience and a wee bit of metabolic theory.

I saw a lot of folk talking about breakfast. I never do breakfast anymore; just a litre of water and a strong coffee and it works for me, but not my other half, and it fits in with some metabolic studies they did on rats. If you restrict when you eat to 8 hours a day, but eat the same amount of food, in rats it lead to better fitness levels and superior metabolic markers (better glycaemic control, lower cortisol etc). But hey, horses for courses 🙂

I hope you’re all having a fandabbydosey!

Sciencemonkey (ook ook)

Captainlynne
That’s a brill set of results ,everyone should aim to carry on the life style on holiday as it is after all a life style approach not a temporary approach to good health
But those BS results are truly amazing I haven’t looked at your starting bs and would be curious how you progressed
I’m eight weeks down the line two stone lighter but still get morning readings of 7-3
And on 4 metformin a day !
I’m going to start reducing them one by one over eight weeks and monitor difference
alanhypno

Hi Steph
I make allowances with meat, fish and dairy that my cat will want to share! Cutting some for her and putting it to one side doesn’t work- she thinks its special if it’s mine.
By the winter you’ll be used to smaller portion sizes – I find that I am after three and a half weeks! If the show days aren’t too frequent it won’t matter too much – once new habits are ingrained you’ll find it’s much easier, and you may be starting to think about 5:2 by the time the next one comes around.
I was in M&S yesterday, and they had really compact thermal lunch bags for about £2

hi Izzy – no granola yet?

Yuuuuummmmm!
Try it, it’s delicious 😆

Good luck Tibeten, its great to have something to aim for – youll do great!😇

Brilliant to hear all the successes, holidays and all!😊

thank you Happy! Mutual pride and admiration back at ya x I think potatoes over creamed corn may have been the better option but I don’t really know lol, but I’m sure if I ate some I would want more. I miss a nice filled baked potato as well. Long term once I get my weight down I think I might have maybe one day a week where I allow myself something like that and watch to see if staying low carb the rest of the week is enough to keep my weight stable.

How weird it is to have the belief that I can and will get there.

Typically it is raining! But that won’t stop me sorting out my sons stuff I will just get wet.

I was woken from strange dreams again this morning by my son, disturbing ones but unbelieveable ones so I can let those go faster! I struggle with the ones that *could* happen. Give me a nightmare with vampires etc and it’s no bother I can dismiss it straight away.

I also need to change my bedding again today. I did it yesterday and then this morning I spilled my daughters cough medicine on it 🙁

Now to decide what to have for breakfast… my daughter is making a banana shake so I might replicate yesterdays one with some strawberries instead of raspberries.

Hi Beverley

Well done for voicing how you feel. I’m starting today as day 1, had a few failed attempts and then punished myself by overeating and then the cycle begins.

A friend gave me good advice which was that one bad choice of food doesn’t ruin the day, just make better choice sthe next time you eat.

I also think you’re right, this is about changing old patterns and habits that helped us be where we are now. Change is hard. you have done so well, keep it up!

xxx

Hello I’m back!

After a few half hearted attempts and inconvenient things like a cruise 🙁 I’ve taken a deep breath and made today my new Day 1.

Gulp, weight is 90.5kg. I’ve 7 clear weeks before I go on holiday so decided it’s now or never!

Very excited that today will be the day that makes the rest of my life healthier.

Thank you for all your posts, I’ve loved reading them. You are a great bunch of people and I look forward to getting to know you all as we support each other.

I started another post about a week ago, when I ‘started the diet again’, but I jumped in too quick, I wasn’t ready to start again because I’ve fallen off the wagon a couple of times again. The diet seemed really easy to start with but the trick is not cutting back on calories or carbs – the trick to staying on the diet is changing how and what we eat – it’s switching to the Mediterranean way of eating. Moseley indicates in the book that we can do it with other foods, which is what I did, making up my own menus and recipes using veggies and spices I’m used to, but I think that is why I am failing to stick to the plan… I’m not ‘getting’ the Mediterranean connection part of the diet. I’m not changing the habits of a life time – what I eat and when. And that makes it all too easy to want some of those foods that I used to eat and to sneak them in them now and then. And now and then suddenly becomes everyday again.

I’m not beating myself up over this. I’m telling myself that tomorrow I’ll start again. That I’m making progress regardless. It’s just a little slower than it was. And that’s another issue too – the motivation in this diet comes from how quickly we lose weight – seeing it drop off keeps us on target to say no to the sugar and complex carbs.

But I’m also recognising that I’m unwell and when I’m unwell it is hard for me to refuse old ‘comfort foods’ – and I need to remind myself it’s okay and it’s really important I don’t give up just because I can’t stick to the diet this week.

And I’ve noticed that I haven’t been coming online and reading the forum posts for support either – perhaps that is something I really need to do daily to keep me on task and focused on the diet?

What works for you to keep you motivated on this diet? What do you to do help when you feel you are slipping, eating too much of the foods you really don’t want to, etc?

wow what a great loss! That’s your good behaviour on holiday catching up with you now, you’ve done great on this plan and from what you’ve said its going to be easy to adapt for you long term.

Glad you’ve managed to fit in some fun times with friends and the pool, sounds awesome!

I work 4 days every week and 3 off, but in my case the 3 off are usually with my kids. I love my kids and have plenty fun with them but I do enjoy the occasional days I actually get to myself, my 3 days off aren’t as much of a break haha but at least I don’t have to get up as early and they will get easier as they get older. My daughter at 11 is much easier than she used to be.

Have fun rummaging through your clothes, it’s a pity you live so far away we could meet up and I could help you to adapt some. I have two plans for some of mine and need to get around to it soon!

Hi Gayn55,
Welcome on board. I too am vegetarian and have successfully lost 15 kg (33lbs) over 10 weeks. I had read that eating a little often was better for you, so like you had taken to snacking. The snacks got bigger and the main meals did not go down in size so I was eating a lot more than I needed. Also for me pasta was a standby – quick and easy with a sauce from a bottle – full of sugars – and portion control had gone.
It took me about 2 weeks to get out of snacking. I had a bowl of sherry tomatoes which are ‘sweety’ size and sweet that I would help myself to if I needed a snack – that or a couple of nuts. I took 50 cals off of my daily allowance to cover that. Over time I’m stopped needing it.
I also started with Shakes which was easy for calorie control, but you are much more likely to want things in between as you have not been chewing food. Also, I found that I was losing weight but nothing off of my middle. I checked the carbs and they were high in carbs and made from skimmed milk so not that filling. My carb intake was 80-120g a day on them – I think I lost 5lbs in the first couple of weeks, but that is no more than on a 1500 cal diet. I stopped them and started controlling carbs. I found out my limit was 60g per day, below that I was getting cramps at night. I aimed for 800 cals, but would go over that if I was below the 60g carbs and wanted to get to 60g, and had less calories if I was going to go above 60g. The cals would net out over the week to 800.
Getting below 60g carbs as a veggie is hard as much of my protein comes from pulses and they are high in carbs. My veg soup which included beans, is 24g carb – but lovely and fills me for lunch!
I would start at 60g and see how you go, if you are not getting the weight loss you expect especially around your middle, then cut down further. Because the veggie diet is full of good carbs, your probably won’t need to go lower. Oh – and I also changed to full fat yoghurt and cheese at the end of week 2 – that was the best thing as it helped keep me full.
There are a few threads from veggies if you put vegetarian into the search engine you will get other views and ideas that will hopefully inspire you.
Good luck with the journey.

perhaps having it now and then as part of the BSD is fine. It isn’t something I’ve made but I’ve made some other things with raisins in moderation.

Perhaps switch to having it now and then rather than regularly and it might help with your BS

worth re-reading the book for sure, it is hard when we don’t get the results that many others get but I think it’s worth trying to find some acceptance.

I don’t have BS issues but I also had gestational diabetes and I know I’m high risk. I suspect my insulin levels have been heightening over the last few years – well the last 24 years to be precise as I know looking back I had symptoms of polycystic ovaries for that long which is connected to high insulin.

I seem to lose weight relatively slowly, even on BSD. I’ve lost less than 1/2 stone over the last month but the word acceptance is important.

I have accepted that if I stick to BSD I have lost the maximum weight possible in a healthy way in any one week for MY body.

I have accepted that every day I reduce my risk of becoming type 2 (but I understand the risk will never be zero)

I have accepted that this way of eating is (in the absence of other research) probably the best way to maximise my own health.

I have accepted that if I do become type 2, that this will minimise my symptoms as much as possible for MY body.

I agree – been eating this no carb bircher for 12 weeks – it may be delicious but its loaded with sugar – as I now discover having gone back to doctor for my blood test. I have lost 1.5 stones in 12 weeks, but now my blood sugar is even higher than when I started. Raisins and apple juice turn out to be a sugar high. Why is this recipe in a book for people trying to reduce sugar intake?

I saw that programme, it was very interesting wasn’t it, let’s hope the reaserch soon becomes treatment

Lucia the good thing about the rain is no watering needed in the garden – I’ve been having to water every day until the last few days as I’d put new plants in and it was just too dry. Very unusual for Edinburgh.

Today I am going to attempt a 10 k run along part of the Fife Coastal Path… Then shower at a Leisure Centre before a charity concert I’m playing in later. Been so busy this last month the family must feel like I am abandoning them… but it means they can pig out on pizza and ice cream in my absence!

Have a good weekend all of you – far and near!

Hi this is my first time on here. I had a gastric bypass in 2007 and lost a lot of weight but I looked terrible so I started eating again and learnt I could snack. I have recently found out I am pre diabetic so decided to read dr mosleys book and it makes complete sense. I have lost 3 kg already ( about 10 days) I don’t want to diet I want to make this a way of life. I am not a salad lover so looking forward to seeing low suger recipes. I have stopped eating microwave meals and most of my meals are freshly prepared. I now have scrambled egg and mushrooms for breakfast which sees me through to tea time which can consist of stuffed mushrooms or home made shepherds pie. I am not drinking any fizzy drinks or dressings. If there is anyone else post gastric bypass I would love to here from you.

Thanks, Orchid.

I did try to stick to 800 calories to start with, but just couldn’t do it. I’m so glad now that rather than just deciding it was too hard and quitting, I carried on doing the best I could.

Once you’ve lost the weight, wine is allowed. If you can, avoid it while trying to lose weight as it’s not only quite high in calories but also makes us more likely to snack.

btw, 3 glasses of wine is almost half your daily calorie allowance on this plan, so yes if you have that as well as the food and then add an extra handful of nuts it will make a big difference.

hehe Doddi,

yep – carbs are sugar. Eat sugar (or drink) and you crave MORE. It is a vicious cycle.
We have now found our taste buds again and love this ‘clean eating’. Doing groceries is not a chore anymore.

Good luck and see you at the 8 week line……… yes 2-3 litres of water per day. If you feel cravings or hungry at any time – have more water………..it works

Lynne

I just realised I posted my reply on the forum and not to you, oh dear! Well done losing 4 inches is fab. I have lost 8lb so far, then put on 1/2lb at mid week weigh in, not sure about why, as I have been following the recipes in the book and added in some extra veg and a few nuts on hungry days. Let me know how you get on.

Congratulations Patsy! You must really be elated. When I started I just wanted to get into ‘normal’, but have been resetting my goals recently and like you – am aiming for a midpoint in the healthy range.
Great to see someone reaching a goal :-).

If you use quorn or other meat subsitutes, remember they’re low fat and for this diet you do need some fat, so add a little in.

If you can avoid snackingfor a few days, you’ll probably start to get out of the habit. That was my biggest downfall (and it doesn’t help that if you snack without thinking about it, you’re likely to forget you’ve had those calories). I’ve found that drinking a glass of water each time I go into the kitcken helps. So does sitting down at the table to eat all your food and never eating when the TV is on.

Back from holiday. Last Saturday weigh before I travelled 11 st 10 lb. day I travelled 11 st 8 lb. home yesterday. Weight today 11 st 6lb😃

After 2 days travelling and 9 days with friends in Italy, eating out at other homes & restaurants I wondered what scales would show, so delighted😃

Oh, fasting blood glucose this morning 4.3 😃

Hi Elsie,
have you tried adding in seeds like pumpkin, linseed (flax), sunflower and a few almonds? I replaced took out oats in home made muesli and now add 3g of eat of these seeds to full fat yoghurt and blueberries for breakfast and that certainly helps. I am sure I have also seen chia seeds being used to help with constipation on one forum thread. Drinking some extra fluid may help as well.
If you put ‘constipation; into the search box, you will see lots of threads where it is discussed and may get more ideas.
Good luck

Well done!

You could buy some gram flour (also known as besan or chick pea flour) and have low carb pancakes. You just mix it with water to the same consistancy as pancake batter (no egg needed) and fry in a little oil or oil and butter mix (which tastes better). They take slightly longer to cook and the texture is slightly different, but they’re pretty good.

Hi Elsie
if you type constipation in the search box (top right hand corner) there is a whole thread on it, with several suggestions offered. Personally, I’m finding the occasional senna tablet helps, but I don’t want to take them every day.

My feeling is that my body, & more particularly digestive system, has had so many years of having so much superfluous junk to get rid of, it’s got a bit lazy and has to adapt to the new normal.
Interestingly, I reverted to some old metformin (which I couldn’t tolerate because of digestive problems, so was switched to extended release ones) – I now seem fine on the ordinary ones now that I’m not eating piles of rubbish.

As of this morning my weight and bmi are (just) in the healthy range!

I’m going to continue my version of the plan (avoiding the carbs, but eating more than 800 calories) for another few weeks, as I think I’d look and feel better if my weight was slightly closer to the middle of the range, rather than grazing the top, but I’m really pleased with my (admittedly slow) progress.

congratulations Lynne – I know you’ve been good at sticking to BSD while you’ve been away, but you must have felt great seeing the scales dip lower when you got home
glad that you had a brilliant time

Another raining day, it’s teasing me
It’s that fine rain that won’t produce puddles.
Thinking of changing my towns name to something like… Soggy bottom!

Love luicaXxxx