This is my first week, now on day 6. Started off fine, by day 3 I was congratulating myself, not hungry and no cheats. But on Thursday I was craving biscuits, I fought it, drank lots of water, went for a walk … but I finally gave in and had a biscuit. Yesterday I had two. Tonight I had two again. When I get the craving I do really try not to give in, but when it gets too much it’s as if nothing stops me, my mind just blanks out all the reasons why I am doing this diet. Don’t know how to keep strong. (And not having biscuits in the house will not work for me, when I need something sweet I would just go to the shop if the craving was that strong).

I’m also using MyFitnessPal and love that it syncs weight with the Apple Health App. This is where I can also record BMI, BGLs and blood pressure, to track improvements over time.

Agreed. I feel like I’m taking everything I ever believed (low-fat, high-carb) and flipping it in its head. It certainly hasn’t worked well for me.

But it’s difficult to change the mind set about fat when we’ve been indoctrinated for so long.

I’d suggest lots of cauliflower (to make rice) and zucchinis (for zoodle noodles), tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach. And eggs! I also bought small portion-controlled packets of nuts and planned those for a lunch with miso soup. Then some small fruits like apples or mandarines have helped me get through.

I too have cut out entirely the diet soft drinks (and have ongoing headaches as my reward) but I agree that they are linked with hyperinsulinaemia, and probably keep the fat on. As I have never drunk tea or coffee I’m now on the water only. And occasional red wine (but fitting that into 800 calories a day has proven impossible so far… I’d rather have food).

Good luck. I agree that it’s probably better to try and avoid the grazing. I took up sugar-free gum at the start of the BSD… a lifesaver for those many snacking moments of the day.

Hi all, another relative newbie here, a couple of days into week 2.

Week 1 went ok, I lost 0.7 kg which is better than none I suppose. My exercise and steps were inconsistent due to the wicked headaches. I hit those targets probably only 3 times in the week. Some days the headaches are debilitating, probably in part due to the diet and also because I quit the evil caffeine juice 5 days before starting the BSD. I’ve been addicted on and off (mostly on) to Diet Coke, Coke Zero or Pepsi Max for 30 years. Figured this poison was really mucking with my insulin levels. I now only drink water and have taken up fizzy water too.

I got a veggie spiraliser for my birthday (day 1 of BSD) and it’s brilliant. Have only made zoodles (zucchini noodles) so far but they were great. A medium zucchini made a bowl full of noodles for 24kcal.

I also made my first ever cauliflower rice and used it for several meals. Great stuff.

Don’t really miss the carbs too much, although, as a vegetarian it’s unrealistic to ever get extremely low carb because legumes have a lot of carbs in them. But I do miss some Vegemite toast (it’s an Aussie thing).

Good luck BSDers. And especially to my fellow veggies. 😊

Hi, another veggie here. I find that a sachet of miso soup (28kcal) in boiling water will get me through those gnawing patches of hunger. The miso is very fulfilling.

Keep it up!

Yep, Tea, coffee are OK for fluids f not ideal, caffeine may be an issue for some but if taken black there’s not too much in them if they are not too strong and most foods contain water so it is not hard to do 2 litres when you break it all down.

Best veg are those grown above ground. Root veg are full of carbs. Best fruits are berries. Avoid tropical fruit.

Depends how much you use!

Lots of us on here make the coconut flour flatbread, using 1.5 tablespoons of coconut flour. That’s 60 calories and 5g of carbohydrate.

Hi Siar, you need a proper medical opinion on this. Why would you discontinue your medication now. If you are Type 2 the first thing to do is get your vital signs in a healthy state and on your records. If it were me in your position I would most likely complete the course of medication for the EBV and then when you are basically healthy again reduce my carbs and if all goes well then begin the 8Week BSD.

Only you knows your true situation, we support you in your enthusiasm but take care not to listen to amateurs where health is at stake. You may be lucky and get a response from the person you were seeking but how would you know if their advice was good enough?

If you doubt your GP you are entitled to a second opinion but h/she may be a bit grumpy about it.

Dinner was yummy 🙂 Courgetti bean bake! gonna add it to the recipes.

Coconut Flour Nutrition Facts

A ¼ cup serving (or about 28 g.) of coconut flour has roughly :

120 calories 4 grams of fat 4 grams protein 10 grams of fiber but

16 grams carbohydrates of your daily 30 gms and 2 grams of sugar

If this works well for you in your 800 cals then use it but most of us don’t use flour except in the smallest quantities on rare occasions.

hi I started this yesterday and bought the book on my Kindle I’m wondering if the reason they use coconut flour is because it is lower carb ?I was thinking of coating my oysters with it before I fry them ,but would another flour be better?

Hi, I have started the low carb diet… lost around 4kg in 8 days..However yesterday my doctor told me that I have epstein barr virus and sees inflamation in Spleen and liver ( slightly larger ) and slightly sensitive and hence asked me not to to attend boot camp exercises.

a month back – a doctor from my home country where I was visiting for few weeks who first found through ultrasound that my Spleen and Liver enlarged slightly & hence have prescribed medicines which I was taking for a week . A week later when I am back in UK i was told I have high blood sugar levels . Hence I have discontinued my medication (Lipantil and Crestor) before I started the low carb…. Has anyone faced such scenario and if it is ok to continue the medication while on low carb diet ? Also does epstein barr has any role to play in my high sugar level which caused me to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic at first place ? Would medication be taken along with Low carb diet ?

Hi Lynne,
Such a lot to celebrate!
60 lb loss, 66 birthday coming up and on top of that a lovely holiday to look forward to, wow, I hope you have a great holiday and birthday.
I am over the sixteen weeks starting Monday, so looking forward to that, although we are away next week too, so don’t know how my diet will go.
I had a rare visit from my sister today, she lives on the south coast, we live in the Midlands, she was going home from visiting a sick friend in the north Midlands, so called in, she was going to stay to have a meal with us, then decided she had better get home, she never mentioned the weight loss, my dear husband was getting annoyed so said, isn’t christine looking well? She said oh yes I did notice you had lost weight! And that was it! So you are not alone with being ignored regarding weight loss.
Christine

Hi CarlaCarla1, to start with you need to stop buying carbs like the main white foods containing flour and sugar, this includes bread, biscuits, cake, chocolate, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta and skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. Full fat dairy is OK inc yoghurt. Veg and fruit are your friends, meat is OK in small amounts and fish is good. Sparkling water is excellent. Some people need herbs and spices but this is a whole new way of eating for most of us. Nuts and raisins and oranges are too calorific for most days if on 800. Enjoy…

Thanks all! Have had another good day, and a long walk, so fingers crossed for my next weigh in. Janet.xx

in other news, my poblano chilli seeds have arrived so I’ll be digging out the propogator and planting some tonight 🙂

I get far too excited about chilli babies!

Hello, I’m about to start the BSD and wanted to go shopping but feeling a little stuck as to where to start. Does anyone have a shopping list of staples that are good to start with?
Thanks very much in advance.

Lucia what did the pirate’s sick parrot say?

Pieces I’ve ate.

Sorry for getting mixed up about the weight loss, I’m easily confused sometimes!

Sounds like you had a wonderful anniversary that’s great it sounds like a wonderful trip, and you are quite right to just enjoy the pool regardless of size. You know they always say the thing that makes a person truly attractive is confidence and you have that in bunches!

I know I’m playing a carb game in a way, but isn’t all of this in some ways one big mind game? trick the brain into reducing cravings, trick the brain into feeling fuller etc. In some ways it is less of a game and more just a big balancing act.

In all honesty the new things I’ve tried that are equivalents to the old carby stuff hasn’t made me desire the old stuff. I might think oh that’s nice I’ll have that again about a new recipe, but the new recipes will be good for long term anyway, so if it is a game I think I am winning! If I feel less in control I will change it again, but at the moment I feel like I am controlling things reasonably well 🙂

It isn’t a travel blog so much, it’s just all the local sites I’ve visited (all within a couple of hours drive of home)

http://izzydoesfridays.tumblr.com/

There is a post saying new home with a link to a new blog, which I have started elsewhere as I was having trouble uploading photo’s to tumblr, however I haven’t put much on it yet and all the best stuff in on the tumblr blog. I hope you like having a look and if you want to know anything about any of the places let me know. Although one of the things I love about most of the places is the fact that so little is actually known!

Hi Izzy, many thanks for your advice.

I think it’s just a case of getting used to a new regime as i’ve always been a snacker and since i started the BSD it’s been celery sticks or a few nuts and or seeds. I have made a conscious effort to restrict the snacking but still had a couple of celery sticks today; my main meal will be about 8pm and then the next weigh in tomorrow. I’m not going to obsess over weighing so i’m going to do it every 3-4 days and that way should see the benefits of the diet.

I love the things you use to motivate yourself and i too have an array of clothing i want to wear again. when i hit my goal i’m going to treat myself to a pair of Levi 501’s. Nothing too exciting i know, but it keeps me focussed on the end goal; weight loss and health!

Trinity1814

Thanks JCH187; drinking the sparkling water is the only way i can make sure i drink enough and i have started adding strawberries and blueberries to it which certainly makes it more palatable.

I do like tea and coffee but i drink both black without any sweetener. Recently i’ve been drinking decaf Green Tea which i find very refreshing. Does anyone have have any views on black tea and coffee; does it count towards the overall 2-3 lines per day?

Trinity1814

Hi Skywalker, you seem know your stuff and I’m sure i’ll be tapping into your experience again.

I’m trying the 2 meal brunch today which so far hasn’t been too painful but i’m making sure i take on board plenty of water to keep me hydrated and to ease the hunger.

Trinity1814.

Well done JCH187 that’s great news! 4 inches off your waist is a great achievement and i bet a real encouragement to you.

Keep up the good work and i like the idea of the tuna stuffed pepper.

Trinity1814

Hi Lucia
Pirate joke coming up shut your eyes if offensive to pirates!
Whats Pirateophobia – fear of a sunken chest. boom boom.
I too admire the stick yo it not make it up as you go along style just wish I could too.

Hi Christie 1948.
Another , easier way to keep cats from using the garden as a bathroom….
I watched game of thrones.
How about a photo of Ramsey Bolton in the flower beds.
Ha ha.
Definately lol.

Love Lucia
Xxxxx

So far today 12,758 steps.

15 sets of stairs.

10 minutes feeble tap dancing twice.

Bit of gardening
Bit of house work.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Yes,
Berries and yoghurt

Sliced beef no caramelised onions, salad.

Mushrooms, poached eggs tonight.

Love Lucia
Xxx

Goodness me.
I don’t know want came over me.

I need to calm down.

Any one see that Australian guy in ‘master and commander’. Russell Crowe.
Swoon, swoon……..
He can swash my buckle any time. 😉😉😗😉😉

Oh, you should have seen what the predictive text wanted to put istead of that last comment.
I am having more fun here than I ought to.

Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi Switzerland.
Do you still measure everything or do you do what I do.
You know what the average bowl of broccoli costs in calories and carbs.

Do you use protein every day or , like me have a few days just veggies?

I think it is great that we have all read the book, but we execute it in a million variations.

I am thinking of doing the captain Lynn version from June. By the book. Strict.
I think she is a wonderful role model.

I love my blubber but I feel it needs its independence, it needs to go out into the world and just be.
I need to see how I can live without blubber. We love each other but we can’t live with each other any longer.
I have a few photos, to remember it by.

So on Wednesday, I shall be captain, Sorry, no to presumptuous of me. Midshipman Lucia.
Ah har me hearties. Come on ship mates, I challenge every last land lubber (or is it land lover) of you to all wear and eye patch and sellotape a plastic parrot on your shoulders and join me.
If you don’t, some of you will walk the plank.
Our rations will be maggot infested ships biscuits and a bucket of rum per meal.
Yes, we need the maggots for protein.
You there ! Stow that rope immediately!
Any backchat and you will take a turn in the crows nest.

Look lively!!!!!!!!!

Love Lucia
Xxx

Thank you JackieMac!

Just costing a fortune in new clothes…

; )

Yay! 9st 13lbs this morning….8 lbs gone of my target 20-22lbs. Depending where you start counting from (I had a relatively small amount to lose, and didn’t really focus on cutting the carbs until a week and a half in), I think this loss has taken me just 2.5 weeks.

Enjoying it all …although some intensive gardening put me in a spin yesterday and I fell off the wagon slightly, snacking on baby plum tomatoes, an apple, and I think about 6 nuts. In my view that doesn’t really count as a fail…….bit like wavering and pulling myself back on!

*waves* to another recycled teenager 😃

Who says we’re past it at 60!😃

Have you read “When I am old I will wear purple”? I love it😃

Thank you California Girl, I appreciate your encouragement very much. It’s good to hear from someone who is much further down the track than I, who has experienced the plateaus but pushed on through. I shall keep on going, as I realise it isn’t just about weight – it’s about health and beating the metabolic syndrome and helping my liver and pancreas too. So many benefits to be had. It’s just confusing when your body seems to be defying the laws of physics.

With regards to the power generation service, I’ve already been contacted by my local power supplier, and they’re sending around someone to hook me up to a pylon shortly. 😂

Thank you again & well done on your own journey. 12 weeks! Amazing!

Happy you are doing an amazing job of staying on track on your trip! Well done!!

I’m pleased you will be able to do the things you have held back on soon too.

I expect to stay off most carbs indefinitely as well. I enjoy the alternatives I’ve found with different low carb flours so I will likely just stick with those. I will have carbs on occassion I’m sure but it will be the exception rather than the rule.

Keep on having a great time 🙂

Well done FifiP you must feel fantastic! Enjoy your holiday.

Lucia and Switzerland,I am finding your messages helpful. Love how Lucia is no living the life.

Whoa knit yourself thin, you’ve done wonderfully so far — don’t worry — it is the old fat cells hanging on with their fingernails as your body starts to adjust to the new food intake (they are pesky Devils) — I hit many plateaus so far in my twelve weeks but they passed and they will pass for you too. Ignore them. Carry on. Draw a veil over them. Stay on track — you’ve got this. By the way, in the meantime, could you plug into my power grid 😜? Save me a lot of money!!😜😜

I know what you mean!! I feel better and lighter than I have in years and I have always said I always feel 17!!!
Ha!
Here’s to we 60 somethings in our teens!!
💜🌷

Wow that’s amazing re your picking up all those items. I think I would have declined. Not ready to put myself in that situation yet.
I, like you, don’t plan to add the carbs back once I lose weight. I feel that would just get me back where I was or bring back the crazy cravings that made me think about food all day long which I no longer do. What a waste of time that was eh? This makes life so easy and I now spend that time either doing things now or planning what I will be able to do in the future.
Sounds like we have the same plan – great to have someone walking the same path. 💜
Hugs and wishing you the best always!
🌷

Hello webbj54! Three pounds in a week is brilliant! If you were on a regular diet, you might lose one pound per week — you are 3X that! The first couple of weeks can be so frustrating because it is often slow, sometimes up and down, we are adjusting to a whole new way of eating and our bodies are asking us to go back to where they had become “comfortable”. It sort of seems like our brains are moving into a new space but our bodies have to play “catch up”. Just don’t give up. It WILL work for you, as it has for so many. I always say, just suspend your critical thought patterns for a couple weeks — we have a tendency to evaluate immediately — at the end of one week we don’t have enough “data points” to know if it is working or not!😜

Yeah Lynne!! We are doing well on our planning during our travels!! So glad and we can support each other from afar as well!
Hugs and happy travels!
💜

Hi There,

I know this topic has been covered a few times before, but I’m posting because I’m a bit frustrated and a bit confused as to how this can physiologically occur. I’m someone who at my current weight would need around 2,400 calories per day to maintain that weight (a lot I know). Given i am sticking by the rules and following the diet to the letter, I don’t quite understand how the scales have not budged in the last 3 days. Are the people who say you can ruin your metabolism by going on a VLCD right? How is it possible that someone consuming a third of the calories they need isn’t burning something off their body? Where am I getting my energy to even type this complaint?

Is there a medical person associated with this program looking at these posts? I’d love to hear from them if they are. I realise that this program isn’t all about weight loss, but I am really just a bit flummoxed. Am I abnormal? Can I be sucking energy out of the air just through breathing? Should I be connected up to the National Grid in order to provide free energy to the nation?

Thanks to anyone who bothers to read this and respond. I’m sure we’re all going through the same stuff. Hope it’s going brilliantly for you all.

P.S. Just so this isn’t all complaining, I’ve lots 4.6kg in the 12 days & my blood sugar is down to 4.9mmol/L.

Hi Californiagirl!
Thanks very much for your upbeat message! I’ll have a look for the book you mention.
How helpful. 🙂 x

Well done HappyLife😃

What an achievement. Losing weight while travelling!

Like you, I’ve decided not to try adding carbs back in – even when I reach my target weight.

The friends I’m visiting next week asked me to take, among other things, English Muffins, crumpets and pikelets 😱 For the first time in ages I had to go to the bakery aisle in not one, but two supermarkets😱 But mission accomplished. 😃 I only bought what they asked for, and I’ll not be eating any of them!

Thanks HappyLife 😃

I’ll be 66 in a few weeks😱 But still feel 19😃

And feel better than I’ve done in many a long year😃💜

Hi Davena, it sounds like you are off to a great start — don’t worry about the early days and ups and downs — overall in a few weeks it will all come together and you will see results. I know it is frustrating, so maybe weigh less often, use a tape measure instead and just don’t ever give up😄! I have made this recommendation many times, my favorite book on carbs is by Gary Taubes “Why We Get Fat” — it is an excellent primer on the science behind carbs and weight gain and has a very good guide for reducing carb intake to a very low number (20 grams per day). I found it hugely helpful. Best wishes as you move forward

Thanks HappyLife😃

I changed my hotel reservation near Heathrow for Tuesday night from bed and breakfast to room only. Why? Breakfast was from 6am and I’d have had to eat very quickly to get to the airport. And I’ve saved around £25, more than enough to buy breakfast after going through security.

Plans for the journey to the hotel have also changed😳 Instead of going straight from Kings Cross to Heathrow, now I’m going from Kings Cross to Elephant and Castle, then to Heathrow😱 I had thought of buying something for my evening meal at Kings Cross (hotel restaurant obviously expensive and there’s not really anything that I fancy or can eat when I checked out the menu). So I’ve bought some sliced meat, might add a boiled egg and/or salad, to take in a cool bag. I don’t eat much these days, and get a ‘nervous tummy’ when I’m travelling so didn’t see the point in eating at the airport the night before flying😳 But I will get a cooked breakfast after security, then only drinks on the flight.

We all seem to be finding solutions that fit our individual lifestyles😃 We all know that one size never fits all LOL