hi Jules
I would have thought meat a simple switch for the protein – & maybe look at taking fish oil supplements to compensate.
If you type “vegetarian” in the search box (top right hand corner) it brings up several threads on vegetarian and vegan options that may be worth reading through.

I haven’t started the BSD yet as I’m just trying to get organised and deal with my biggest problem – not liking seafood (I don’t mind some prawns or calamari) especially fish.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could substitute for this integral part of the BSD (& healthy eating for life)?

I would sincerely appreciate your thoughts.

Thank you in advance

Hi Beth
How are you going now? 1 week in today? How much did you lose?
Cheers
Linda

Hi Lucia,
So good to read your upbeat posts again…..the floppy days may be part of being human (we all are, and it comes with ups and downs).

In answer to your latest suggestion……drum roll……lettuce cup tacos! Yes, I said it out loud. The other evening the males of my family had a hankering for tacos. Truly, I was there thinking ‘what am I going to do?’…..then it came to me. Use lettuce leaf ‘cups’ instead of carb laden taco shells. They were great and enjoyed by all. I got the inspiration from the Chinese dish San Choy Bow.

This week-end is going to be interesting (?). The rural fire service are backburning (deliberately setting fire to specific areas of bushland to reduce the post- summer fuel load). There are going to be 70 (yes, seventy) of these around the greater metropolitan area that I live in. So, it will be an indoor week-end. I’ll have to break out the Wii fit and blow off the dust (bushwalking is so much more fun, but not when there are fires).

Have a great week-end Lucia and fellow BSDers.

Hi Lynne
I gave up trying to remember what the benefit of soaking oats was & googled it.
This article is about eating the soaked oats raw, but does talk about overnight soaking changing the resistant starch level (?), and therefore having a different impact on insulin. I don’t understand it – but may mean that overnight porridge will cause less of an insulin spike for you?
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/reasons-raw-soaked-oats-are-a-must-try/

As with all research, you have to look at where it’s come from. and make your mind up about the sources.
I think it’s interesting that there are several ‘movements’ challenging the stuff that’s been around for years about all fat /saturated fat is bad – I do tend to go with the theory that natural is better – have always avoided margarine gunk!
I’m eating a lot less fat than I used to, even choosing full fat options, apart from milk because I really dislike the taste of whole milk, simply because without fat, I’m not using any butter. (and no chocolate, no cakes, etc!)

Grains the enemy? – well they are on this diet, but it’s far from mainstream
Peanut butter is lovely with cheese, and apple – and following my success with hummus the other day, I might try spreading some on cabbage next time I have a peanut butter craving – just choose the ones that are pure peanut without any added sugar or dodgy vegetable – I always try to get salt free too

Hi Captain Lynne
I play fiddle music – foot stomping reels and jigs and also marches, Strathspeys and hornpipes. I find the type of folk who play to be amost as lovely as the folk on these forums. All great fun… we usually throw in a few slow airs and some waltzes to get the oldies singing and/or crying😊
All good healthy fun and a great stress buster.
Have a good weekend. Seem to recall you are off to Italy soon… while Lucia and I sweat working in our gardens in cooler climes. Not that we are envious or anything 😆

I had to google stotties californiagirl, you’re not alone! I have seen and eaten an eccles cake – I used to work for an organisation that had an office in Chorley, and she used to bring us some when she visited the London office.
I remember being in Wakefield once. and being asked if I wanted a teacake with my meal – a bit surprised, here it’s a lighlty fruited sweet bun – it turned out to be a soft white roll,

Congratulations on the coat Lynne – I always seem to need a size higher with Mountain Warehouse compared to most other stores.

Hi California girl,

I live in the lake district – the post walk beer is exceptional -as is the rain!

I used to live in Sacramento, then at Lake Tahoe, before that Naples Florida and for a short while in New York. Your post started me reminiscing – such good times 😊

Thanks,

Imogen🌻

This is interesting to know thanks, just wish we could see what’s going on inside. Although if we could, most of us would have done something about it years ago.

I have noticed that most of my weight has gone from my bottom for some reason (it was rater large and is noticeably smaller). I have lost some from tummy, but more to go. This has never happened in previous diets. I am looking forward to be able to bend down easily and put socks on/paint toenails etc. I’m on the way. 🙂

Strange that as the latest research shows that it’s not saturated fats but transient fats that cause high cholesterol.

Thanks Skywalker.

I spoke to a biomechanist today who said that the fat I was burning would indeed be from round my internal organs and that it was to be expected that this would be affected first

He said that the more visible weight would be lost next, and that the weight below my navel (hello, belly wodge) would be last!

He seemed to feel that the body got rid of the most dangerous accumulation of fat first.

Best regards from me, proud possessor of a very slim pancreas and liver. I hope 🙂

Not having a fixed end date is a good thing. I certainly don’t want to wake up on the first day of week 9 and think I’ll stock up on pasta, bread and chocolate cake. I’m hoping this WOE is a permanent change for the better. Fat is not your biggest enemy on this eating plan. You just need to watch the type of fat you eat. If you can bear it, grab a pot of Longleys full fat cottage cheese (in Morrisons and also Sainsburys I think) because not only is delicious but it fills you up. Third of a pot is enough to do the trick! Anyway, I donated blood this evening.. And I feel a bit ‘whizzy’ seeing as I declined the chocolate biscuit afterwards. I had a tiny piece of dark chocolate when I got home to try and stop feeling faint..

this is the current advice on the American Heart Association web site –

“There’s a lot of conflicting information about saturated fats. Should I eat them or not? The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fats – which are found in butter, cheese, red meat and other animal-based foods. Decades of sound science has proven it can raise your “bad” cholesterol and put you at higher risk for heart disease.

The more important thing to remember is the overall dietary picture. Saturated fats are just one piece of the puzzle. In general, you can’t go wrong eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fewer calories.

When you hear about the latest “diet of the day” or a new or odd-sounding theory about food, consider the source. The American Heart Association makes dietary recommendations only after carefully considering the latest scientific evidence. ”

Hope the concert goes well. What do you play?

Well done on your forward planning😃

You must have felt great when the dentist commented😃

Thank you for your comments guys.

This is certainly the easiest diet I have ever been on, if I get any sort of hunger, then I know some carb has slipped in to the diet.

So excited to be shedding weight, and I feel so full of energy…

I do miss red wine, but not enough to be tempted to have a glass.

I am now on 29lbs so should do 30lbs in the first 4 weeks.

I know it will slow, but I could not be happier….

thanks for the support
and well done janey, glad your week 2 has gone well

I am really struggling with a desire to have food stuffing my face

I have had several of my small coconut flatbreads today – 3 with melted brie on top, with baby spinach, for lunch
but right now, I want more and more and more food
have to go to bed because I need food

I don’t think I am having the amount of veg that I should, but I just cant eat bowls and bowls of saled

am just having another couple of squares of dark chocolate – that will be a few today

last week I only needed 1 square and it did the trick – I am slipping already

also reading about fats (did separate thread on this) it still seems as though I should not eat so much brie or anything

two more days to go for end of week
thing is I am not doing this as an 8 week plan, I am just doing it – if I set an end date then I have a date to go back to all the rubbish, and that is not the intention

Hi Rachel,

Sorry to hear that you have been going through such a hard time this week. There is no failure here… though depression can whisper negative untrue comments into our ears!!
Be gentle with yourself…you have done so well up to now.

I am part way through week 5, my weight loss stalled two weeks ago…despite taking great care over my food choices, watching carbs and calories…I even put on couple pounds this week!
The way I am choosing to approach this setback is to decide that I have plenty of time to lose this weight – I certainly took years putting on the extra pounds – so it’s not a problem if it takes a little time to for me to lose that weight. We are all different and some people take longer, or a different route, to reach their goals.

I understand how difficult it can be living with depression…remember the Samaritans are there whenever you need someone to talk to….you don’t need to wait till you are feeling desperate. Please also go back to see your GP – they may be able to speed up the referral for talking therapy.

In the meantime, we BSDers are here for support and encouragement. Stay strong.

Hugs

Imogen.x

Hi keeptrying,
Glad to see you are getting through Week 2. Janeycoughdrop is right – don’t be so quick to do yourself down, it’s still early days on the BSD and there will be blips ahead (some bigger than others) and you are still at the stage where your body will try fighting back until it adjusts to the regime! You’ve decided to do something to help yourself so persevere – have faith and eventually you will be able to deal with those gremlins trying to derail you.
For what it’s worth, my last super-binge was over the recent Bank Holiday weekend. But since then, things have been under control – I’ve not been a saint by any means. Today I was feeling tired & headachey and was thirsty all day (no matter that I was glugging water all day) & someone offered me a bit of chocolate. I had one square, enjoyed it & it gave me a boost – but it didn’t trigger a mad eating binge. It’s taken a long time to achieve that state and I certainly haven’t lost my sweet tooth but now I believe that I’ve got things under control, rather than things controlling me. So as Janey says, be kind to yourself – you can do it!
Have a great weekend,
Rose

Soon to be 12 weeks for me! Will carry on as long as possible until I get to an ideal BMI. (Roughly a stone to go before I get to my maximum ideal weight).

having just watched ‘FOOD DETECTIVES’ on BBC2, I am left completely confused
they were saying how peanut butter is ok to eat
but the ‘expert’ looking at it still commented on the fact that it was good because the fat it contained WAS NOT saturated

and elsewhere in the programme they are talking about the disadvantages of premium sausages having more fat – saturated fat – and more calories – because they contain more meat

oh and regarding the peanut butter they said that it is ideal eaten with toast as they contain complimentary proteins and how healthy it is to have with a grain

?????????????????????????? I thought grains were now the enemy
this is a programme that has just aired, today, not years old
and this is not the only foody programme I have seen in the last few days giving similar messages

CONFUSED

I’m playing in a charity concert this weekend in the middle of nowhere – which means the tea and cake provided afterwards will all be homemade and excellent 😣
However, my dear fellow BSDers, I am taking my own tea for before the concert since I know we are being given sausage rolls and sandwiches at 6 ish. All is not lost. I don’t even fancy sausage rolls and sandwiches. My cherry tomatoes and cheese together with a carrot and dijon mustard salad will keep me happy. But I might well enjoy a slice of the gluten and dairy free apricot, almond, cardamom and rosewater cake after the concert. I am taking it for a friend and any others there who might also have allergies. It only contains dried apricots, ground almonds, eggs and (ssshhhhhh…) sugar so a better choice than some. And as MM says, cake is for enjoying, on occasion.

This morning the girls and I went to the dentist 😕 but something really nice happened. Bear in mind that we go every 6 months and we’re in and out pretty fast as luckily we never need anything doing. So the dentist doesn’t see me much. As I walked in and got in the chair the dentist said to me. You’re looking really different, really good and so well… have you lost a tonne of weight? Well not a tonne, I said, very pleased ( I felt compelled to be honest, much as it pained me😅). It didn’t half feel good that she noticed and was so positive about it, since many others (as Captain Lynne also found) haven’t commented on my new reduced size appearance to my face.

Thanks everyone, I think I will keep on trying to stick to 800 but adding back in up to half my exercise calories. Day 17 and 15 lbs lost so still working. Inches coming off waist but muscle remaining I think.

Hi all, I’m fairly new to this diet so joined this page for some ideas. I’m pre diabetic but my GP surgery are not being very helpful with their suggestions – just got given the traditional ‘healthy’ plate diagram and told to lose weight! I know already how sluggish I get eating any carbs which I explained but it made no difference. My difficulties will be fitting it in with my lifestyle as a single working mum – not the only one I know so after tips on breakfasts and lunches I can have at work when all I have access to is a microwave I share with lots of other people lol. I’ll be reading the recipe pages with interest. Thanks for reading 🙂

well I cracked, kinda. I managed to forget about the flapjacks for ages, but then suddenly I wanted one and went and got it.

I took a bite and I stood there chewing it thinking…. this isn’t nice enough to come off BSD for. So that one bite was all I had. The rest went in the food waste bin before I could change my mind back again.

It was a minor slip, but I know the old me would have eaten the whole thing, even if I wasn’t really enjoying it. In all honesty the look and the thought of the flapjack was much much nicer than it actually was, in reality. I must try to remember that…

I’ve had my cottage pie. Mince with carrots and onion in a little gravy with a splodge of tomato puree, topped with cauli rice and cheese and it was ok, I ate it and enjoyed it but not sure anything comes close to cheesy mashed potato on top! I’m not sure I will bother until down the line when I may be allowing myself potato once in a while. I don’t miss pasta, or rice, or even bread, but I do miss some potato.

Now I have an odd observation. I know that our tastes could change whilst doing this diet, and I know that our taste and our sense of smell are connected, but has anyone noticed their sense of smell being more acute? I don’t know if it is my nose searching out edible things but my daughter made hot chocolate the other day and I could smell it from the other side of the room. Today I could really smell the starch in the potatoes when I was peeling them for the kids. My nose seems a lot more sensitive than before. I guess It could just be a heightened awareness and if it was only food related I would think that but other smells seem stronger too.

Hi Frog. When I lived in London my oasis of calm was either walking along Rebents Canal or round St James’ Park.

Now I live in a village and I’m still trying to find interesting places to walk too.

Just realised I have chocolate and chocolate biscuits in the fridge that my granddaughters left behind. Not to mention some food in the freezer that was bought for them. And NO I’m not tempted by it. Must check the dates on it all. Last year they left Easter eggs here and collected them last October – untouched!

Lol
Sorry but as many on here know, I’ve never counted calories from the outset.
I simply cut out all of the simple carbs and eat sensible sized portions, I’ve also learned to stop eating when I’m full. The OH has now learned to give me smaller meals as she hates waste 😉
On week 14 I’m down 35 pounds, blood sugars at pre diabetic levels after 4 weeks and off all meds.
I’ve lost 8 inches off my waist.
The moral of the story ?
Don’t worry about going over 800 the odd time, in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter a jot.

Hi Frog

Ah … the size of the coat. I tried on a fleece in M&S – a 16 fitted. But finally bought a showerproof jacket in Mountain Warehouse – an 18! Still, smaller than the ones I have been wearing😃. Congratulations on the tea without cake👍

In Cafe Nero (and in Italy) they think it strange I drink espresso without sugar!

Sorry Bill – being originally from foreign parts (Manchester) the stottie was unknown to me😱 Now, an Eccles Cake – that’s a different story😃

Glad you’re enjoying the posts Californiagirl😃 I’ve visited the USA many times but never made it to California.

Since starting the BSD I’ve had a holiday, a residential conference, two whole day conferences, a training day and, today, a funeral tea.

It has got easier to cope when eating out as I’ve realised that in most situations people don’t even notice what I’m eating or not eating.

At the recent residential conference there were so many people asking for items to be omitted from various dishes that I soon stopped feeling strange about the changes I was making. The only comment was when someone noticed there was no dessert in front of me – they said it was paid for! Perhaps I should have ordered one and passed it to him😃

People are now noticing my weight loss and asking how I’ve done it. After almost 22 weeks it really had become a habit just to say ‘no thank you’ when I’m offered something I can’t eat – like Tuesday when everyone tucked into their packed lunches and I enjoyed my black coffee (I don’t eat at lunchtime any more), and someone offered me a home made cake.

I’ll soon be on holiday in Italy, staying with friends so I’ll be making the best choices I can. I’ve already told them I sang eat pasta and pizza any more (so they think I’m coeliac!). I’ll ask if we can go food shopping so I can buy more of the foods I can eat, that they may not normally buy and to help out with their food bills.

My daughter did that photo just after Soozie died.
She was a brilliant dog and the whole family loved her.
In fact she used to go on sleepovers to all their homes, at the kids request of course.
Sadly she passed while we were on holiday and she was staying at Catherines, cost me £87 in mobile calls to the vets from Turkey.

Hi, over 10 weeks I averaged 846 cal/day and have lost 20% of body mass. My average sugars over the same period was 28.4 gm/day. I had quite a few “bad” days but overall they get absorbed, just carry on regardless – it is not a religion, there is no sin, we are just reducing calories and learning to eat more healthily. (no offence intended to anyone who may accept a religion).

The system will show the total amount of members but that’s only those who register.
On average 90% of forum readers never register or post.
There will surely be a huge amount of people following the plan who have never even heard of the forum and some of them will have been doing it a lot longer than us.

I also have realised my water intake has slumped so back on that big style

Hi I am full fat everything bar coconut milk. If I have too much full fat milk it wipes my carb count. I have done ketostix test and only on 2nd pink block. If I lower my carb intake to under 50g it would be as hideous as this week so unsure what to do next. I did like your working out body percentages for loss though.

I know the scales can be counterproductive but it does help sometimes. A small win! Maybe. But will knock it on head for a once a week thing.

I will go back to carb counting and portion control and see what happens next

Hi, it is very early days and it is impossible for any of us to say what will happen to you and your numbers but rest assured that you will not be alone, keep reading the posts, add to the knowledge base eith your experiences where you can and I wish you the best, it is likely that you will settle into a steady pattern but not not certain there have been a few exceptions to the norms but hope for the best and reduce those sugars. Good luck…

I’m also trying to figure out my macros on my fitness pal. Thanks for the discussion. I am in the same boat with Penny, trying to reverse years of high carbs and low fat. ugh.

I’m pleased I found it and delighted with the results, but that’s tempered with a bit of anger.
The knowledge that low carb eating causes weight loss has been around for a long time.
If those diabetes dieticians had recommended it instead of the low fat nonsense they’ve been pushing for eternity, the blood sugar results would have been overwhelming.

Hello Igor, I saw your post this morning and expected you to get some replies before now. Do not underestimate how much energy is required to burn a pound of fat. If your waistline is shrinking then visceral fat is being eaten and may well be liberating your liver and pancreas. I was told in hospital some years ago that I had a fatty liver but it was never explained how, why or what to do about it, if anything. I have lost nearly 20% of body mass now and still have some belly fat that is determined to hang on to its last breath (so to speak). I think you just have to keep drinking fluids, eating a lower caorie diet and keep the sugars down. I averaged 28.4 gm/day over 10 weeks at 846 cal average. Others have plateaued many times I did several times but don’t need to count anymore here in week 13. All the best for now…

Agreed Alan

I wish I’d found this 40 years ago instead of spending considerable amounts of money and wasting many hours of my time on various slimming clubs, both physical and online.

I’m just so glad that I found it when I did, that I started it, and am keeping going on it. And that I’m meeting so many kind, supportive folk on here😃

HI Pinklady51,
just a thought – I don’t want to add another thing to look at – but your fats should be the highest intake per day. It took me weeks to get that right, partly because I was still on ‘low-fat’ everything. A spoonful of really creamy full fat yogurt might help with the cravings…….

Please don’t go simply by the numbers on a scale, they are notoriously inaccurate, and they don’t reflect what is actually going on in your body. Your fat is melting away, you already know this by the inches you have lost. Your body weight isn’t just a measure of the fat you have, it’s also water, muscle, skin, bone, brain, hair,…etc etc. Your weight will fluctuate throughout a single day purely from the amount of water you happen to be carrying at the exact moment you get on the scale. Plus the volume of your muscle mass affects how big or small the numbers are on the scales. It’s just an arbitrary number that really means nothing, and yet so many of us allow it to affect our mood, and our resolve. Do yourself a huge favour and throw the scales away! When your clothes hang on you, and you need a whole new wardrobe you will know this is working.

Hi Tallyhoo. Sorry, no idea how many use the forum. My guess would be that it would be difficult to work that out as some lurk without posting. The same probably applies to numbers of those completing weeks 8 and 16. Seems that some drop out of posting when they reach their goals.

Again I don’t know if I’ll be the first to reach 23 weeks. It feels like I’ve been around on here for ages! And guess what! I’ll be around on here for a long time yet😃 You don’t get rid of me that easily😃

Be interesting to know the stats, but probably too difficult to collate accurate figures. No, didn’t hear Dr M on Chris Evans. Don’t usually listen to the radio – I’m a TV girl!

That’s what I was thinking too. I just did the most ridiculous thing just now. Had made the kids pizza for supper and desp wanted some. As I was cutting it up for my youngest I chucked the crusts on the floor so I couldn’t eat it as was too far away from bin! Crazy but it worked!

I also think part of this is because I have had less water this week so will up that again.

Hi Frog
It’s dark chocolate, I can happily ignore it. Now if it was cadburys, that’s a whole other story lol.
I walked for around 2 miles in woodland, avoided the shops until later, and when I got back the craving for chocolate had gone, I’m just hungry now. Chicken and asparagus for dinner. 😃

That sounds like a plan! Good luck and we will hopefully hear good news next week 🙂

Michael was on the One Show last night
Trying our ecigarettes would you believe 😮

Wow! I can see lots of pics coming soon! A rogues gallery!
Bill, that’s a lovely photo.
I’m not very PC literate so might enlist my daughter to help me do it.

I’m in Cali too! L.A. Just finishing my 8 weeks – so happy to find this diet that actually works! Who knew!?! 🙂

That’s awesome! I’m coming to the end of the 8 weeks and was wondering how successful you can be just to keep on doing it for longer. I’m going to take a week off, still counting calories but allowing myself a few things I’ve been missing (bread!), and then get back to the 8 weeks again. So far I’ve lost 17 1/2 pounds and have 32 1/2 to go 🙂

As a born and bred Californian, one of the things I love about these threads is the “Britishness” of it all. I just googled a “stottie” because I had never seen one — ooh, looks amazing and next time I visit your lovely isles, I will search one out and eat it with gusto. I have had the pleasure of visiting many parts of the UK, including Wales (amazing Bara brith) and Cornwall (incredible pasties) and Lake District (just remember the post-walking beer😜) — you have a wealth of old traditions that we do not share here in Silicon Valley. Thank you all for the mental travel moments. I’m not yet in your 16 week club, only on week 11 but enjoying the veterans’ thread!