Latest forum posts

  • posted by  Lucia on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    I had a floppy day through the week but my energy is back.
    Today I am going to eat clean.
    I am going to try and eat all or most of my food raw. (Obviously I will be careful)
    It would be wonderful to do this regularly but with my lifestyle it isn’t always easy.
    So I had fruit at breakfast.
    Berries and yoghurt lunch
    Salad for tea.
    But I am trying to avoid E numbers and additives.

    I have been thinking about it , so this is step two, …. Doing it.

    Love Lucia
    Xxxx

  • posted by  Stephie63 on 800 Diet
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Hi General D, the recipes really are only for guidance, you don’t have to stick to them to the letter. Just adopt the principles of eating less carbs, especially refined carbs, and fewer calories, but make sure you increase your intake of healthy fats, and drink loads of water. I’m sure it will work for you, but keep posting on here, there are lots of friendly people and we all share our experiences and support each other. Hopefully your husband will be so amazed at your progress he’ll be joining in!

  • posted by  Steve.R on I'm Really Suffering
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi all day 4 and i too have the runs not good when your a truck driver but im sure it will pass i figure its just the body adjusting to been fed correctly and getting out the toxins from years of abuse.

  • posted by  Lucia on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi team, looks as though our family is growing and meeting each other, isn’t that wonderful! No other group would do theses things.
    I hope you make life long friends and stay in touch.
    Love Lucia
    Xxxx

  • posted by  Stephie63 on Today is the first day of my healthy life
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Hi Frog,
    I think the science is really starting to debunk some of the long held myths about eating, and about time too! There have been far too many ‘rules’ about what is good for you and what isn’t. I’m sure the ‘must eat breakfast’ one was put out by cereal manufacturers to sell more products!
    It’s no coincidence that since the low fat, healthy whole grains diet advice came out the population has just got bigger and bigger with heart disease and diabetes going thru the roof. For 10,000 years humans ate a diet of real food, nothing processed, and it was fine. Then food manufacturers came along 50 years ago and changed almost everything we eat, and now we wonder why we have so many diet related problems. My new mantra is Just Eat Real Food! And I’m also trying to eat when I’m actually hungry, not just because the clock says it’s lunchtime, or even breakfast time – although most mornings I tend to wake up hungry anyway. Since starting bsd tho I’m finding I’m not hungry until much later in the morning so I’m just going with that. It might be more difficult to maintain that when I go back to work at the end of the month, but hopefully by then I’ll be well into this way of eating.

    The good news is this mornings fasting bs is 9.6, down from 11’s and 12’s at the start, so something is definitely working!

  • posted by  SkyWalker on 800 Diet
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    General, some of what you write is obviously true and important to you. Migraine is a problem that you have no doubt lived with and learned to control. It is not that foods are banned, just that some foods are so high in sugars and calories that they prevent the body from flipping into maintenance mode via fasting. I can say that you will succeed even if you just cut down on white foods high in carbs. Many on here have reduced symptoms for many issues after following BSD/Fast 800 me included. I have had only mild migraine symptoms so cannot really comment. On the diet I kept off nuts because of their high calorie content. Cutting down on bread, pasta, rice, milk, cereals will definitely have a beneficial effect. The meal plans are carefully prepared examples of ideal nutrition on lower calories but are not essential. I lost over 3 stone (nearly 20% of body mass now). Go for it you can always consult others here if you find an anomaly or two in your experience. it will be worth the effort even if you have to modify parts of it, keep posting.

  • posted by  Steve.R on Blood sugars dropping fast
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Hi All I started my BSD 4 days ago all is going well when I started my Sugars were around the 12 mark today they were sitting around 4.3 I am some what worried about the sudden drop I did take a jelly bean just one they came up to 5. Anyone else have this problem will they settle down eventually?

    Cheers
    Steve

  • posted by  Nettle on Over the 8-week line and after
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi Lucia

    I am on Week 10 as of today, I am still feeling good MOST days. I did have a bit of a dip in energy last week and started to think CALORIE DEFICIT…but it passed and I am like Tigger again. I took hubby out on a walk today, he’s the fit thin one, however I felt his pace was a tad slow and we didn’t go far enough! That is so different to 10 weeks ago it is mind bending. πŸ™‚

    Hang in there. The feeling will pass. I often reflect back on Day Three when I felt rotten, really rotten and warned my diet buddy who was going to give it a go NOT TO…now I feel bad because she has yet to start while I am out buying littler clothes. I have lost 9kg so far and “kilometres” from the waist.

    Cheers Nettle

  • posted by  Stephie63 on celeste – the eight week journey.
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi celeste, welcome to bsd. Well done for sticking to your resolve, that’s half the battle won right there! I’m on day 4, (for the second time, I started in January but then fell off the wagon big time) and yes have been irritable and touchy, like a bad case of pms!! I was very weepy yesterday too, for no particular reason. But I put it down to carb withdrawal, it can definitely make you emotional. Hang in there, I’m sure it will pass once we get used to not having so many carbs.

  • posted by  Julia18togo on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Christine – will catch you another time ! Will be praying that Saturday’s visit is a blessing to the parents and also to you in spite of the difficult circumstances.
    Take care
    Julia xx

  • posted by  MerryMary on 'Weigh in' thread
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi Switzerland,
    Well done πŸ‘πŸΌ
    I am also at the end of week 7 and have lost 7.1 kgs in total πŸ˜ƒ
    I am feeling so much healthier and so many of my clothes are too big!!
    I have heaps of energy which is just as well because I have just had a really rough couple of weeks with the death of my adored sister in law at the age of 64yrs. She had Lupus and was in renal failure for the past few years needing twice weekly dialysis. My home has been the gathering place for family members who flew in from interstate. Still with all that I only weakened my resolve a few times especially after the funeral when a couple of gin and tonics were consumed.
    The moral of this story everyone? Live every minute that we have! Look after the body we have been given so that we can enjoy our lives and not be trapped in negative thoughts and past bad habits. I think of sugar as poison now and I am in control. It does not control me! Happy Friday to you all. After another night shift tonight my husband and I are heading to a Bluesfest at the Gold Coast to find some joy in music and try and lift ourselves out of the sadness of the past couple of weeks. What are all of you up to?

  • posted by  celestee on hello, i'm new!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    hello frog, climmer & californiagirl! thank you for such a warm welcome! i haven’t participated in an online forum for ages but i thought this one seemed so supportive & this journey promises to be interesting!

  • posted by  celestee on celeste – the eight week journey.
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    day two:

    weight: 203.1 (diff: -6.7)
    calories: 786
    carbs: 35
    breakfast: black coffee
    lunch: sautΓ©ed purple cabbage, onion, garlic & chicken sausage
    dinner: tossed green salad, sashimi tuna, purple cabbage
    snacks: small glass red wine

    whoa! difference in weight was quite significant for one day – 6.7lbs, which is 3kg. didn’t feel particularly ‘light’ but that number was certainly a very nice surprise! on the other hand, my mood was AWFUL today – i was so irritable & i couldn’t pinpoint a reason. had to hold my lips shut at work just to make sure i didn’t say something i’d regret later on!

    heading to bed slightly early tonight – mostly because i’m grumpy & want popcorn. not tonight, cΓ©leste, not tonight.

    i didn’t feel hungry or deprived – anyone else have major mood changes?

    cΓ©leste x

  • posted by  Natalie on Glucose Tolerance Test
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi Jennsem, I wonder if it’s just one chain of pathology clinics that does the carb loading? Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but I think this is the right diet to reverse it.

    I got my results today. Last year I was 10.8 mmol/L (11.0 is diabetes), this year I am down to 8.9 mmol/L. Still in the diabetic zone but much better. Looks like the BSD is working! I look forward to even better results next year.

  • posted by  Californiagirl on hello, i'm new!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Welcome Celeste and Frog!! It’s wonderful to have you on board! You will find lots of support here so don’t hesitate to ask — we’ve probably gone through the same things that you might find coming up as you move forward. There’s only one rule (and I am unanimous in this) — don’t quit!! Every one who sticks with it (and many of us struggled) has success. Looking forward to your future posts!

  • posted by  climmer on hello, i'm new!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi everyone
    I’ve been following the BSB diet for 4 wks now. I don’t have a lot to lose but have been diagnosed type 2 doctor wanted me to go on tablets. I found the first week I was hungry but now I’m feeling great and my sugar levels have dropped to 5.5. I only check the levels first thing in the morning.
    I have followed a lot of the recipes in the book and found everyone easy to make and tasty my husband has also been enjoying the food and has also lost weight.

  • posted by  Frog on I'm Really Suffering
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Not just me then – thanks for the link Zandranna, that was reassuring.
    I suppose it’s logical that any drastic change in what you’re eating is probably going to impact on your digestion. I’m not going to worry about it too much unless it persists – a couple of Imodium seem to have done the trick for now, and I’ll avoid caffeine for a day or so.

    I’m not deliberately cutting out fat, but having a lot less than usual – no bread means pretty much no butter either!

  • posted by  celestee on hello, i'm new!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    hi everyone!

    just wanted to say hello! have been reading the forums for a bit & find you all quite inspiring! starting your journey is so brave!

    my name is cΓ©leste & despite being quite athletic i have put on substantial weight this past year. with my wedding coming up at the end of august, i really wanted to find something that would help me feel & look my best! though neither diabetic nor pre-diabetic, my father has T2D & his whole family has struggled with weight & heart issues. i don’t want to follow on that path, & so decided a diet that focused on this aspect of health would be the best one for me.

    looking forward to interacting & sharing with you all.

    celeste x

  • posted by  Switzerland on Hi, newbie here!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi Julia and welcome to the forums.

    Read the book all of the way through so that you really understand the 3 principles of the BSD, then launch into it.

    When you follow the BSD you’ll find that your grazing behavior will go away because you’ll not be hungry between meals. N.B. this doesn’t happen immediately but if you can persevere through the first week you’ll feel so empowered. It really is a great feeling not being hungry all of the time.

    Look at the BSD as a time to get ‘kitchen savvy’ – there are BSDers around the globe with helpful words of wisdom. Just reach out, there’s always someone reading the forums.

    Enjoy your BSD journey Julia.

  • posted by  Stewart on Is it safe to extend the 800
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi Tallyhoo

    Thank you for your reply.

    I agree, even 4 weeks in, I feel so much better, I felt exhausted and run down and feel great now.

    I just want to keep going, I am still a long way off my goal, but every day it gets closer.

  • posted by  Switzerland on 'Weigh in' thread
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi everyone,
    End of Week 7 weigh in: down 1.1 kgs this week, total loss 7.9 kgs. Waist down a total of 8 cms.
    Still learning heaps about low carb meditteranean style eating and tweaking my lifestyle to incorporate regular exercise and mindfulness meditation.

  • posted by  Tallyhoo on Is it safe to extend the 800
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi Stewart – I’ve just graduated to the 16 week vets group! Several people have asked about this and the consensus would appear to be yes………I’m 3 lbs away from my goal which I set back in January which I didn’t really think I had any chance of achieving but I’m so close now. Once there, I’ll set another goal, once there I’ll ease up and do the 5:2 to maintain my weight – at least that’s the plan but the important thing for me is to lose the weight at the moment.

    I feel fitter and healthier than I have for many many years so why would I stop at the moment??

  • posted by  Tallyhoo on 'Weigh in' thread
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi Smith………How exciting for you just starting! I’ve just graduated to week 16 and still think it’s brilliant! Have lost 44 lbs I think it is now. My advice – follow the recipes as much as you can and discover ones you love. I spent hours writing down the ingredients I would need for a whole week and buying all that food so I knew I had everything at my finger tips and no reason to stray from the straight and narrow. Now I still use a lot of the recipes and truly see this as a new way of life not a diet any more. Had a major blip over Easter but went straight back on and dealt with it! Have had a few plateaus which is hugely frustrating when it happens but you just have to persevere.

    Good luck with it!

  • posted by  Stewart on Is it safe to extend the 800
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    I have been amazed at how easy this diet is, having broken the back of the carb cravings I am finding I can eat a good and varied diet sticking to 800 calories.

    I have been on the programme since the 26th April and have lost 27lbs.

    Is it safe to continue on the 800 diet for longer than the 8 weeks to keep the weight loss going?

  • posted by  captainlynne on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi Christine

    Don’t know if your travels ever bring you near Durham. If they do, we could meet up. Just let me know πŸ˜ƒ

    Will be thinking of you on Saturday. Hope your visit goes as well as it can under the circumstances.

  • posted by  nonnie on Sucralose…good or evil?
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Sucralose is an artificial sweetener sold in the U.S. under the brand name “Splenda.” I use liquid sucralose in my coffee – trying to wean myself off. Since artificial sweeteners can raise glucose levels in some people, you’ll need to test yourself if that’s a concern for you. Dr. Mosley recommends that we use no sweeteners if possible.

  • posted by  kilwinny on Weight static for 5 days
    on in BSD Med Style Low Carb
    permalink

    Hi Igorasusal,
    My waist measurement has gone down a little and some of my clothes do feel looser. I have felt a little grotty the las few days. Not sure why.
    Hopefully I will manage to lose a couple of lbs this week. I do log my food on My Fitness Pal. It is a great help. I can manage lower carbs, it’s the calories I’m having difficulty reducing to 800.
    I will report in as soon as those bloomin’ scales show a favourable weight!

    Hi Bumblebee, welcome to my moan post!
    πŸ˜‰

  • posted by  Christi1948 on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi Julia,
    Ah what a shame we are off first thing in the morning from kenmore, we have to get to Dumfries for lunchtime, it would have been great to meet a fellow bsd ‘er’!
    It has been wet all day today so we decided to stay relatively local, Pitlochry and aberfeldy, then a meal at the local hostelry in kenmore, steak and salad. We ‘did’ Edinburgh a couple of years ago, I love Scotland as long as I come before the midges I am ok, I react to any insect bite so have to be careful later in the year!
    We will be up again in August to look after the two youngest grandchildren in Dumfries, not sure if Edinburgh is too far for us with the boys?
    Thank you for the invite though, I will email you. We also have to go to see our relatives on Saturday on our way home to the Midlands, (the parents of Helen who died) it’s not too far from our daughter in Dumfries, they are such a lovely family it’s going to be heartbreaking seeing them, however it’s about us supporting them so we will do what we have to do.
    Christine

  • posted by  Alanhypno on Amazing drop in blood sugar
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    7.9 two hours after my carrot n swede mash with slices beef !
    Maybe it was those pea nuts I had after?
    Seems I get a little over confident at times
    Alan

  • posted by  Julia18togo on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Christine if you are anywhere near Edinburgh it would be lovely to meet up. Feel free to email me if you would like to and are able to! juliabsd18@gmail.com
    If not no problem. I’m in Perthshire Saturday afternoon and evening but Edinburgh otherwise if that helps!

  • posted by  keeptrying on one week done
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    funny – 5:2 is how I lost most of this weight, too
    but it is also when the bad reflux began
    and although I have done no fasting for about a month, it is still not right
    I agree I prefer this way of eating, although I liked the other way too
    trouble is I am currently trying to do this AND avoid grains/gluten AND avoid reflux causing foods
    which clearly isn’t working

    well done you on loosing weight
    also weird as I also have that ‘reverse’ psyche – as in I forget how fat I am until I see myself in a photo or a shop window
    and all I see is an old fat woman – horrible

    haven’t reached the dizzy heights of 85% choc yet
    this was 50% coop with orange
    the rest I have is ‘divine’ 70%

  • posted by  nonnie on Net carbs = minus 0 ??
    on in BSD Way of Life
    permalink

    I understand there are new labeling rules in the UK that require net carbs , rather than gross carbs, be shown. So your fiber has already been deducted from total carbs on that label. Gross carbs=23.7; net carbs=5.6.

  • posted by  Janeycoughdrop on one week done
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Well, dark chocolate IS better the. The Wispa multipack. I hope it was Green & Black’s 85% because not only is it gorgeous, it’s also pretty difficult to eat any great amount because it’s so rich. But anyway, enough of those daydreams.. You’ve lost a phenomenal lot of weight this year..bravo! I think I’m also deemed to be ‘obese’ although I must have reverse body dysmorphia because I think I look ok! But size 16 jeans don’t lie I suppose..and they were getting tight again. I lost a couple of dress sizes on the 5.2 diet, which I persevered with for 18 months even tho it was hell on earth compared to the BSD. But new boyfriend on the scene meant it was too difficult to persevere and a few too many nice dinners have taken their toll. I hope your reflux had settled down a bit tonight and the salmon was ok. Tomorrow is a new day..chin up!

  • posted by  Epspecially on Cat's diary
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Sounds like great progress Catonamission!
    I have that cookbook Hemsley and Hemsley sisters and loads of good ideas in itπŸ‘πŸ‘ they have a blog too with more too, really good.

    Though had chicken and pesto from Michael’s book this evening and it was soooo delicious!😝
    reading about a few pieces of green and black chocolate ummmm,πŸ™Š

  • posted by  orchid on Bad day
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Don’t worry about it – it is one day in 366 days this year πŸ™‚ Start tomorrow as if it did not happen.
    What I did if I found I was going to go over was to adjust the meal to the lowest carbs I could – but still made sure I had a meal that would fill me, if now the next day started with me starving and out of control.
    The salad sounds a good idea, I don’t eat meat so I would have had a salad with eg feta cheese which has negligible carbs. Depending on how the chicken was cooked, it should have been the same zero carbs (ie it was not marinated in a sugary marinade) – s good choices!
    The main thing to take away is that you will still have these episodes and you need to start on strategies to help you through them. Have you tried Mindfullness at all? There is a forum about it. When a stress situation erupts, a 5 minute ‘intervention’ concentrating on your breath can really help bring the stress down and then you can make less emotional food decisions.
    Another trick – keep some snacks – eg nuts or cherry tomatoes with you. The tomatoes worked for me as they are quite sweet without being too sugary – keep them out of the fridge as they have no taste when eaten from the fridge, if I needed to chew on something – a few nuts helped.
    Don’t beat yourself up – you have been doing well and will do so in the future.

  • posted by  Catonamission on Cat's diary
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Been totally back on it since Monday. Total off now is 9 pounds. So feel pleased I’ve managed to get back on the wagon and lose the weight I put on last weekend and then some.
    Feeling good again but today very tired. Can’t believe I’ve nearly done week 2….1/4 of the way! X

  • posted by  Izzy on Izzy's 8 week diary :)
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Thankyou πŸ™‚

    I’ve had my dinner, I was thinking of making some carrot crisps and salsa for tonight as I’m home alone once the kids are in bed, but actually after my dinner I’m feeling pretty full. I’ve been tired today so I think an early bed and a movie perhaps is in order.

    In other news… my bra’s are feeling too big lol.

  • posted by  celestee on celeste – the eight week journey.
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    hi everyone –

    i have been reading the forums without posting but have decided to jump in! you’re all very inspirational!

    quick little back story: five years ago i gained 50lbs; four years ago i lost 50lbs and kept it off for 3 years – in this past year, all 50 have come back & a bit more. my doctor & i have struggled to identify a cause as there have been no significant changes in diet or activity level. i am not diabetic or pre-diabetic; all my numbers are good save for weight, BMI & waist circumference. i have struggled with losing it again – despite trying the same things that worked 4 years ago. i am getting married at the end of august & really want to feel (& look!) my best. i had done heaps of reading & had decided a VLCD was my best option, and then found the BSD. read the book in one sitting & now here we are…..

    day one:

    weight: 209.8lbs
    calories: 857
    carbs: 57
    breakfast: black coffee
    lunch: sauteed purple cabbage, onion & garlic with chicken sausage.
    dinner: ground beef with broccoli & bean sprouts
    snacks: popcorn

    yesterday was my day one & it went pretty okay! i felt great, but i struggle on day one of anything because i frequently think ‘i could just start tomorrow’. my living situation isn’t ideal right now and i don’t have much control over what food in the house – so temptation was everywhere!! my fiance was having a couple of beers & i would have loved one. when i finished dinner i was still really low on calories & so had some plain popcorn with coconut oil. it actually REALLY helped with the beer craving – carby but not a lot & very satisfying with the coconut oil.

    the biggest thing was that i did it – i didn’t throw in the towel & say – i’ll just start tomorrow.

    will check in later with today (day two)!

  • posted by  DemiMondaine on Bad day
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    OK, I had a bad day today. In other words, 975 calories instead of 800. This is partly because I had a coconut bite and a croissant this morning, because I was stressed about something, then relieved. So I know what did it. However a question: is it better to eat some protein in the evening and go over 800 calories, or not to eat in the evening at all if you will go over? I chose to eat chicken and salad because I know from past experience that if I’m hungry for a couple of hours, I will break out and eat the fridge empty. So it’s the lesser of two evils.

    Anyone got any thoughts?

  • posted by  RachelBSD on My 8 week journey
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Thanks JuJu68 I managed to resist and just ended up eating the strawberries instead, one battle won!

    I might buy some of that when I next go shopping, the problem comes when I’m bored at work but I’m sure I’ll get there with time.

    My starting weight and goals are pretty similar to yours, well done for your amazing results, really hope I can report something great in due course lol

  • posted by  Christi1948 on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi julia18togo,
    I find it a useful excercise in mindfulness to think of others and being positive, it has just taken me some time to get there!
    I have been in Scotland this week, while I have been wandering around various towns and cities I have wondered if I have sat next to or passed a ‘friend’ from the forum! It is another example of me taking myself out of the quandary of grief that I found myself in!
    Fergus our grandson, had his last exam yesterday, history too, Callum who is 18 had his last exam on Wednesday, I’m not sure what that one was I think English? We are hoping to get back to their house at lunchtime tomorrow and take them out for an end of exam lunch.
    You never know Julia we might have passed you and never knew it, or even sat next to you in a cafe or restaurant?
    I hope your garden in looking lovely, you sound like you have been working hard on it, while trying not to stress about exams.
    Christine