It can be helpful to have a look at an app which shows the nutritional breakdown of the food we’re eating. I use MyFitnessPal, and was surprised to see the (good) carbohydrate values of many of the vegetables. I have relatively little weight to lose, and in order to increase the effect of the BSD, made the decision to restrict the carbs – many people here do this, giving themselves a target of 50g per day.

If you do this, and make sure you have balancing fat and protein, you may see a further weight loss effect. However, as many people have said, don’t get too focused on the weight. Either measure yourself, or use a piece of clothing which shows where you are losing weight (trousers? jeans?) and notice how much reduction you have around the waist, thighs etc.

I also test if I am burning fat by using Ketostix (which have a tiny tab you hold in your urine flow, and change colour after 15 seconds if you are burning fat). I wasn’t losing much weight, but could see I was burning fat, so that must mean that some of the internal fat round my liver and pancreas was going. The subcutaneous fat – the bit you can see – is the last fat to go, and the bit under the navel is the VERY LAST (sadly, I’m still working on my ‘belly wodge’).

But I know it’s working, although the fat seems to cling on with its fingernails.

IT WILL WORK. And the change of diet to really good food helps change your taste buds forever, and I’m finding it all absolutely delicious!

Good luck!

Thank you, it helps to know that I am not alone.

As well as doing my 10k steps a day I have today purchased a skipping rope and hula hoop. My daughter was with me and was rolling her eyes in the shop letting everyone know that I am 62 years young – definitely no longer feel that age after 9 weeks on BSD.

Crying with laughter in the garden using them does bring back memories.

I don’t know if it is normal but it is quite common and there are many reasons for it. Low sugar in the blood can do this, dehydration or real hunger etc – so it is about balancing; food/carb intake (30gm/day) with , protein healthy fats and a fair amount of fluids. If one of you is definitely pre-diabetic are you suffering more? as you might be more sensitive. If you use the search box for “dizzy” or “light headed” you will see that it is a regular question. Other members will no doubt share their experiences with you but it was not something I experienced myself. Good luck, happy eating, hope it works for you, it did for us here.

hi everyone,
my husband and I have both started the 800 and are on day 4.
I am pre diabetic – my husband is fine just a little over weight.
Weight loss has been very encouraging for both of us hunger pangs are fine – however we are both quite lightheaded pretty much all the time which is becoming a little unpleasant – is this normal?any one got any useful tips!
Thanks in advance Sal

So I had half of one of the breakfast bars I made for breakfast. largely because me and the kids were chilling out upstairs in my bed watching despicable me and I’d come down to make a cup of tea. I was hungry and just wanted something fast.

For lunch I had almond flour pancakes, and dinner will be something chickenny.

Just been chatting about BSD with my neighbour. She is struggling with her weight as well and had noticed I’ve lost some (woohoo people can seeeeee)

She admitted that last time she managed to get down to a healthy weight she was living on a slice of toast for breakfast, a slice of toast for lunch and a weightwatchers ready meal at night. That has to be less than 800 calories. I’ve done worse in all honesty. Just not eating at all for a couple of days to lose some. Not that it ever really worked everything was temporary. Anyways it’s all behind me now I believe I am a low carb convert. I’ll send my neighbour some helpful links later and then it is up to her if she wants to give it a try.

My friend who started this week has said he’s had a few slips and is still eating a lot more carbs than most of us here, however he is having significantly less calories AND carbs than he usually would and has lost some weight (he didn’t say how much and I don’t push for info) So I think that is great step forwards for him.

Well I suppose I best go do some housewifey stuff. I cleaned out the fridge yesterday and somehow there is what looks like squashed tomato on the floor grrr. I think it may have been stuck to the drawer when I took it out to clean it.

The weather here is great again today (too hot for us native Scots) so no doubt it will be off to the park again later as well.

Have a great day everyone 🙂

Hi Lynne,
Just got back from church, had a difficult job getting out! So many people wanted to talk to me about my weight loss, one lady who is remission from cancer said I looked stunning, very nice of her, however I wouldn’t have said stunning, anyway, got a few really nice complements. Well before church, as it is a lovely sunny day I decided to wear one of my ‘new’ dresses, so, I needed a waist slip, put it on, went to go downstairs and the slip started to fall down! So I had to take it off and go without, it felt good in a daft way!
I am still losing even if it’s ounces I’m happy,
Again I will say thank you for your inspiration and do have a great holiday.
Christine

That’s amazing well done, when I first looked at this website to see if it was something I could do it was people like you that made me believe I could x

I decided to have brunch today and cook some coconut flour pancakes. Now I’m not much of a cook, my brother is a chef but the cooking genes seem to have skipped me completely!

I followed the recipe (I found online) but the mixture looked like wallpaper paste rather than batter 😂 It was a disaster, I added water but it just didn’t look right and they fell apart when I tried to turn them!!

Burnt my fingers and pancakes in the bin!

Anyone got any advice on a simple to make pancake recipe?

sorry to discover you’ve not been well Bill, Hope you feel better now and that you can enjoy your holiday despite the eye problem 🙁

Sounds like a complete change of eating and drinking for you, well done! I’m just starting week 2 and have lost the constant cravings and hunger, which I thought I’d never be without!

Hello everyone
I started fast 800 07 Feb at 11 stone, lost a stone in 6 weeks but lost my way and fell off fast 800 stagnating for 12 weeks…..

From reading bsd book and doing fast 800 for 6 weeks I did adopt some of the key principles which I enjoyed and found easy to follow. These are
– fasting 16hrs daily (following 16:8 rule)
– keep carbs and calories low on most days (weekends tended to spike)
– following a Mediterranean diet.

The good news, especially for those who might be worried about putting weight back on after fast 800, is that I have not gained weight! In fact I lost 3lbs

In time for holiday I want to loose 11 pounds in 7 weeks so back on fast 800!!!

This diet is a wise lifestyle choice!

As Bill says…. Onwards and upwards!
Xx

Eggs, full fat Greek or natural yogurt, mushrooms, peppers, berries, cinnamon (does wonders to a yogurt!), spring onions, cauliflower, cheese, nuts/seeds, Flaxseed (I add to my yogurt as its high in fibre), olive oil, chicken, beef, prawns. This is what I stocked up on.

I found a couple of recipes on here and made a batch of chilli and cottage pie so I knew I’d be ok until I got to grips with it!

Best of luck x

Hi all
I have to admit i am loving the natural high of being healthy. I have maintained my 10km a day walking and have niw added push ups, sit ups and squats. I don’t remember the last time I have felt so good! !! Hope everyone is feeling this good!!!

Hi folk,
Unfortunately it got worse, all the coughing from the infection triggered a retinal bleed in my right eye yesterday so yet again, I’ll be going on holiday with one working eye.
Devastated doesn’t come close to the way I’m feeling.
Thanks for all the wishes, I need to go and get my act together now rather than hanging around like a limp balloon

Hi Bill1954,

I hope you’re feeling better. That virus was a nasty one…..and it left you with a chest infection.
Look after yourself and give yourself time to get well.
I’m sure OH is helping you and saying the same things.
I hope it wasn’t the shock of the minion onesie that affected your immune system.
Looks like you will reach your weight loss target by June 9th. With all of this it will be a well deserved holiday.
Best wishes.

I have lost more weight in the last three days than I did in the preceeding two weeks. I have not changed a great deal, mainly keeping the carbs down. I think my body just goes through phases of not letting go of the lard. I have been dieting since January and completed 4 weeks of the BSD. I have always had ups and downs but my average loss has doubled on the BSD so I am very happy. It sounds like you are pleased with your loss so far and enjoying the diet, trust in yourself, the fat will go. One other thing I find helpful is you. When I am feeling demotivated I come on the forum and either ask for help, or offer it to others. Keep at it!

That’s great Izzy. Best wishes.

I only eat up to 35g. I eat vegies but mainly greens(celery, spinach, zucchini, lettuce) I never eat corn, peas, potatoes, or sweet potatoes. I will include carrots, pumpkin/squash and a few others but not on a regular basis. Salads are great with certain herbs that bulk it out and are tasty. If I eat any fruit, it will have low carbs eg. berries. Always watch my portions.

Ooooh yes, mashed cauli! I have to have mine with a bit of soft cheese, it definitly fills a gap. It fills the psychological gap of foods that you can serve with a scoop, which generally are barred to diabetics i.e. mashed potato and ice cream. 🙂
I find brushing my teeth helps take my mind off food, my impulse is then to go out and do something.
Be strong! You can beat the biscuit!

i did think she had posted it in the wrong place, but she is welcome anytime! I do love her wit 🙂

This is an all inclusive thread 🙂

If you use one of the online apps that count calories and carbs it is quite easy to see what the numbers are, like skywalker says it is worth having a look.

I usually have a few berries with yoghurt but if I feel like a satsuma or an apple I have one. They add more carbs but I can then adjust another meal.

Most people stay low, often lower than 30g. I don’t go as low personally and can be anywhere between 30-60 but usually in the middle. I find it useful to play with my fitbit app before I decide what to make for lunch etc by putting in and taking out different ingredients until it has the numbers I want for that meal.

melon and pineapples, bananas are all high. I fancied a banana the other day but when I looked at my app it was 27g carbs so I thought better of it.

Hi Izzy,

Wouldn’t we all be trying the upside down on the scales thing if we were agile enough!

(Imagine the following 2 sentences read out in my most formal voice). My (our) friend Lucia posted on her ‘My eight weeks’ blog that I could apologise on her behalf for her crashing your blog with her post to me above. I/she/we apologise sincerely.

Lucia’s posts are so great/funny/motivating/friendly that I can see you have taken it in the spirit it was intended.

Have a great day Izzy.

Hello, I am on Week 16, and until you eat more than you use your weight will not rise much. 800 is not a lot but when it is 800 quality calories as opposed to junk it seems to be fine. I added nuts and fruit and the weight slowed almost immediately but then they are so highly calorific. I have not had any bread, pasta (don’t like it anyway) or bread in 16 weeks but after my BBQ yesterday and a few sweets with the kids I am .5 kg up today! No surprise, it takes time to get to a stable weight but there will be variation whatever unless every day is identical? So don’t worry, eat well, be happy …

Could I suggest that you invest some time in researching the nutritional data to boost your knowledge as when we commit it helps to immerse ourselves in the project and we are all learning all of the time. Use the search box above to check if the question was asked before because most things come round quite often and there are probably too many threads started that go nowhere and die after a few posts. Once you learn how much sugar is in the various foods that you eat you will not need to feel lonely or short of information but there is a significant investment to be made if we are to change our whole eating and living styles. It worked for most of us – just finishing Week 16 today 40 pounds down.

Hi Lucia,

I found your post over in Izzy’s 8 week diary……Lucia, you must stop crashing other people’s posts…..what is the reading audience to think? (chuckle)

So yes, as the famous song from Men at Work says ‘I come from a land down under’. I love your theory that if I’m upside down and weigh myself here I might weigh nothing. Alas (do you like the medieval reference) – it is not so. Disregarding gravity, if it were true, I wouldn’t be doing the BSD in the first place and then I wouldn’t have met you and all of the other BSDers on the forums!

If I was upside down with blood rushing to my brain I would be sooooo intelligent that I could discuss gravity waves and Einstein – but no, just the word gravity in the previous paragraph.

So Lucia, what have you been eating over the bank holiday week-end? I’ve had a busy day. A 400km round trip to visit my father. So dinner tonight is Atlantic salmon and salad. I’m exhausted from today. I’m pleased to be in the swing of the BSD and had planned this dinner so as not to break out.

I read your post about chocolate cravings. I try to have Guilt free chocolate brownies in the freezer so I can have one or I have a piece of 85% cocoa dark chocolate or hot milk and cocoa. I still have to be really careful around chocolate, so I actually treat all other chocolate like the addiction that it is for me and I don’t have it in the house (if a family member has it I tell them to hide it).
Best wishes and enjoy the rest of your week-end. (fading out….’I come from a land down under’…….)

You must realise that you are addicted to sugar by now? Slow withdrawal may work and cold turkey is tough but also works. You are reprogramming your brain to eat more healthily and knowledge is a key part of this. Read Dr M’s stuff again as it can be very motivating, search these forums for topics you need to brush up on and do not feel guilty – it is a wasted emotion but at least it burns calories! It can be hard but when you get the protein v fluid v fasting balance right for you the cravings will stop and become rare events. I still have occasional ones and am finishing week 16 today. It works.

Why? if you want to kick start weight loss you need the discipline to change your food habits by reducing the number and amount of the white foods that you eat regularly. Reducing carbs encourages the body to stop converting sugars to fats and then storing them. There is a lot of knowledge in the books and a learning curve to climb before the changes become a permanent feature of your new life. The scientific study used them but that while important is not like real life. You know yourself best and it may work for you but real food is what we all need, of the right type, and in healthy quantities. Anyway, there have been other posts on this topic if you use the search box above. Good luck…

We all had a plateau experience and many of us had several. It is so difficult to burn lots of fat that early looses are mostly fluids, but when fat burning begins in earnest there is no need to worry. Drinking enough fluid is vital. Checking you carbs input is too and as you exercise yo may build some muscle to offset the loss in fat but all of this takes time. The principles are sound so stick with them, don’t snack and read the books again until you have changed the way you live and eat. It works and most of us lost lots of weight and gained a lot in health terms. Time passes slowly when you are waiting for something as big as the results you will eventually see. Do not despair, it takes effort and trust, but will be OK.

well good morning
and another weigh day
I am certainly not seeing the incredible weight losses of others

but I have dropped another 2lb this week so I guess that is ok

my hips have got a bit smaller – but my waist has got an inch bigger so I am not at all impressed with that
I only record measurements once every 4 weeks and I have a very long way to go before I am anything like a healthy weight

also the percentage of fat in my body seems to have risen

could it be that while everyone else loses fat when they eat fat/low carb – that I actually don’t?
omg I hope not

may I just add that whilst I am eating full fat yoghurt and don’t worry about a bit of oil/butter in cooking
I am NOT eating tonnes of fatty foods

If I was agile enough I’d attempt the upside down on the scales thing lol

alas, I’ve never been great at handstands!

Morning fellow life changers 🙂 Have a great day.

I’ll be back later as I haven’t planned my food yet.

Thanks LindaA.

Hi Judith. Thanks😃 Hope you’re having a great holiday.

Hello there.

I am coming to the end of week 2 of 8 and enjoying it very much.

So far i have lost 1stone 1.5lbs which I’m over the moon about. However most of that was lost in week one. For the last 4 days weight loss has stopped.

My start weight was 22 stone. However I am pretty fit and active. I see a personal trainer twice a week for a pretty intense bootcamp style workout and my job is active too.

I have been following the recipes in the book and counting my calories on an app.

Is this a normal progression in weight loss. For the last few days I have found it frustrating.

Any advice or am I worrying about nothing.

Thank you OzVeggy. Getting naked in front of the mirror would do it!!!!!! I do think that I am not eating enough (of the low calorie filling foods). Mashed cauli sounds good. And of course, yes, I have to make myself think about the horrible things that await me if I DON’T do this. Thank you.

Thanks all for the replies! xx

Hi Sal,
I am able to use my husband’s equipment as he is a diabetic and has a glucometer and finger prick device.Im in australia so diabetic equipment is government funded.I weigh myself every morning and do a BGL before I have coffee. Yesterday I was shocked with a 7.1 reading so I skipped breakfast and waited till 1230 to eat lunch. Enjoyed an egg and avacado with smoked salmon at a local cafe ordered it with no toast.Then I usually do another reading in the late afternoon around 5pm depending what it is I will decide whats for dinner.If I feel very hungry or weak and tired I will check it, but Ive discovered that these feelings are usually just my body adjusting and extra water will help till its really time to eat.I lost another 1/2 kilo yesterday. feeling ok.Also I keep the book in site at all times to remind me to stay strong,cheers To all

Where are we getting the 50g carbs from? My carbs are always higher, simply because of eating loads of veg. Surely that is not harmful?

Kitchen scales and a calorie counter app are a must in my view, as Bissell has said so easy to guesstimate. Were you thinking not liking yogurt limits your breakfast options? If so the recipe sections has some egg recipes, plus in the Fast 800 section there’s a thread called what have you eaten today, I looked there for some ideas. I’m having brunch today and will make up some coconut floor pancakes.

Black swan naturally sweet Greek yoghurt tastes great but is much higher in carbs than those mentioned above.(Australia) I buy bags of mixed frozen berries from Aldi. Either defrost or heated in microwave for cold mornings is nice.

Thanks Susieb and Bissell for the suggestions and encouragement. Started weighing and measuring my food intake today. I guess I should go and see the suggestions for Week One. One problem I have is the suggestions to eat yoghurt. I’m lactose intolerant, and although I have found lactose free yoghurt, I hate yoghurt!

Feeling better about my intake today.

Hi. I am almost finishing my 12th week and have lost 7.9kg. Don’t give up. I have only had 2 days over 800 cal and my carb intake is never over 35g. I am feeling so much better. I only want to lose another 3-4 kgs so will do another 4 weeks and see where I am then. I exercise most days so maybe that is helping. DON”T GIVE UP! IT DOES EVENTUALLY WORK. Good luck!

Dear glevesque. Oh dear that is confusing! Most eggs are about 70 calories, boiled, soft , poached, raw, however you have them, so long as you don’t add fat. Sometimes they are quoted per 100g, when the raw egg is about 155 calories. I think you are spot one, guestimations always tend to be on the generous side when I do them and those extras soon add up. Would it help to follow the weekly diet plan from the book? I know some of the counts are a bit out, but I followed it for the first 10 days or so and it took the guesswork out. Hope you have a good day. You can do this!

So glad to read your post that its common to stop loosing. I am 3 days into week 3 no weight loss for a week. Lost 7lb the first nine day’s, then nothing. It’s demoralising and very confusing. I’m eating between 800 and 950 cals a day and less than 40g of carbs.I shall keep battling on.

Hi, the 80 calories is correct. For the other one, could you be reading the KJoules count instead of Kcalories?

Hi Drum,

Just finished three weeks. Down 9 1/2 lbs and lost 3 inches in my waist. I am type 2 and my blood sugars are almost normal in just 3 weeks. I feel so much better and my acid reflux is all gone. You can do this!

It helps a lot if you leave fruit in cup of yogurt overnight. The flavors mingle.
Or you could make more of a syrupy kind of topping that really mixes well.
I do this by heating fruit in saucepan. When it’s warm you can smash it. Mix in a very little bit of juice, or water.
Very tasty.

Hi drum,
Welcome to the group and getting started on this awesome journey!
I have just rolled into week 3. I have been surprised by what’s happening to me, whether it’s been sugar levels, weight loss, or food. All pleasant surprises.
I like reading the forums for inspiration or advice.

You have made the first step! You can do it!

If you’re following the low carb aspect of the diet, watermelon might be a bit high. It’s listed as 8 grams per 100 grams of melon, but if you’re anything like me, 100 grams of watermelon isn’t big enough to be satisfying. I count carbs as well as calories, so I do have berries, sometimes a small apple, orange or mandarin, but I add their carb count into my daily allowance of between 30gm and 50 gm. Rhubarb has only about half the carbs but isn’t always available.

Hi, I have just finished reading the BSD book. I live in Australia. Looking forward to reading all the journies and for inspiration/confidence. Have a great day.

You’re a legend Lynne : )

Hi Christine : )