Hi
i have been on the 800 diet for 4 weeks now..I’ve lost 9 Kgs weight..my sugar reading has come down..but
I’m having a bit of a concern,normally I check my blood level before I go to sleep,the sugar reading is between 6-7 (oldscale).
When I wake up the reading goes up to 10.0,my doctor has said that this could be “false reading” because of
the liver releasing sugar..can someone advise me what I can do..thank you

Hi Igorasusual,
Happy to have helped. I agree that on 800 cals per day you will lose weight. However, it will not necessarily come off of your internal organs unless you are burning fat. Initially (first 2 weeks) I was using shakes for 2 or 3 meal replacements. I noticed I was losing weight from my hips, but not my waist and I was not losing as much as some others were. I mentioned the fact I was not losing from my waist and someone advised me to look at my carb intake.
I did 2 things – one was the spreadsheet to see just how much I was losing in % terms – that helped reset my mind as I was losing 10-11%. Second thing was to look at what the composition of the my foods (shakes) was and I found out I was eating 80g plus carbs a day! Just low enough to be losing weight, but not enough to make the changes to burning fat and moving fat from the internal organs.
I then changed to the approach I described above and cooked my own food, aiming at 60g carbs a day. I did for a few days try lower than that, but it did not work for me so I stuck to the 60g and had a steady weight loss.
I found it important to measure everything I could – small changes in the tape measure when the scales don’t move are motivating. A dress size down was real buzz – I forgot any ideas of 20% weight loss when I found I was getting into one and two dress sizes smaller in 12% 🙂 .
This is a flexible approach and about getting it to work for you. Good luck.

I was out yesterday with a group of ladies. Hot drinks and water were provided (at a price) but packed lunches were the order of the day.

My group managed to get a table together, so there we were sitting round this large round table. I’d had my normal cooked breakfast and had something quick to prepare for my evening meal because I had to go out again, and I’d taken sparkling water with me. So I wasn’t hungry and just sat with my bottled water.

The laduse got there packed lunches out. Carbs everywhere. The lady on my right asked what I was having, then asked about the ‘diet’. The lady on my left offered me a small home-made cake – with the words “you wouldn’t believe I’m diabetic”. The lady opposite was glaring – she likes folk to think she’s on a diet, but they’re all telling her she eats the wrong stuff.

I told one of my colleagues she was looking good (she’s going to Slimming World) and the reply came back “So are you. Just be careful”. I smiled sweetly and told her I have another 28 pounds or thereabouts to lose😃

But it was a good day, despite a power cut!

Very very helpful, Orchid, thank you for posting.

I have followed your example re working out 10% weight loss, 12% weight loss and 20% weight loss…..5% weight loss already after 3 weeks.

My target is 15% loss, but would be very happy with 12%

One of my biggest incentives is the day I walk into my GP’s surgery on an unrelated issue and she doesn’t recognise me because of the amount of weight I’ve lost. She has been really nasty in the past, sneering and sarcastic about my weight. She genuinely thinks it’s a simple lack of willpower that has made me overeat.

Well, I’m on week 3 and hoping to have news for her.

Blood sugar readings
I came off januvia/sitagliptin 100 mg one a day when I started this plan five weeks ago.
I reduced then stopped metformin over week ago 4xpills day

My reading today at 7 pm five hours after lunch was 6.2 which I’m very very happy with ,will check again in couple hours.

Not doing mornings yet as everyone knows they’re crazy !

What kinds readings should I be aiming for and expecting now ??

Alan fifth week stone n half off pants falling down 👍

Hi SunnyLife

Great results😃 Like you I had lots of weight to lose so have stayed with the 800 calories and very low carbs.

I’ve lost 57 pounds and am in my 22nd week on the plan – another 28 or so pounds still to go. My fasting bloods have gone from 10.9 to normal levels. And the HbA1c in April (completely within the BSD) dropped from 9.6 in December (just before
I started BSD) to 5.5 – again ‘normal’

Stick with it – it’s worth it😃

I do find when I’m losing weight that the amount I lose off my waistline in any given week bears no relation to how much weight I’ve lost. So I might lose 5lb in a week, and nothing off my waistline, then 2lb the next week, and 4 cm off my waistline. It’s odd.

Hi pinklady51,
I lost 12% of my starting weight (29lbs) over the 8 weeks on 60g carbs, 800 (+/-50 )cals.
I would forget your scales. I had scales a few years ago that did exactly as yours do – if I did not like the weight they said, I stepped off them and then back on and hey presto – a new weight – often lower! Your blood sugars are fine, so I assume you are really looking for a different dress size? That is best measured using a tape measure. The biggest high I had over the 8 weeks was when I realised I was a dress size down and could get into the ‘old wardrobe’ and needed to buy new clothes. It meant a lot more than the weight I lost.

If you have lost 12-13lbs in 4 weeks, that is good. You should be able to lose the same again in the next 6 weeks which will be July and if I have understood your target correctly, that would meet it?
MyFitnessPal does not like this food plan approach as it is too low in calorie. Ignore it, other than for info on calories in the foods.

Tips – keep a consistent approach. Don’t flip around too much, yes, some weeks are bad, but that is life. I found that once I decided on 60g carb a day and focussed on keeping to that, my weight loss was pretty consistent – plateau came at 10 weeks. I weighed everything and kept a tally of the carbs and calories in an app, but the focus was the carbs. There were days when I was already at 50g carbs by 5pm, so I made sure dinner was not taking me much over the 60g even if that meant my calorie intake was below 800. Other days, my calories were 850, but I was just getting to 60g carbs. So – for me, the carbs were the driver of each day.
I had a standard breakfast of yoghurt, fruit and seeds, 9g carbs. Lunch was soup and a salad with feta cheese (25-30g carb) or scrambled egg, mushroom and salad. Evening meal stir fries, veg stews etc. For the 8 weeks, I kept to a simple menu with not too many choices.

I have never looked at what I am eating as a replacement for meat, but as finding the right proteins for a balance, so I have never bothered with quorn etc. I use pulses, cheese, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds. Yes – it is hard with lentils etc being higher in carbs.
I know others who are meat eaters have gone for a lower daily carb count (50g and lower)- however, I found that almost impossible as a vegetarian and I was getting sever leg cramps. For me, 50g is would mean I do not get a balanced diet as I would not be having any pulses. I think what I have done (accidentally not planned) is in sticking to the 60g, but eating ‘good’ carbs (beans in soups, and veg etc) I am still getting the benefits as the carbs are the slow release type. Does that make sense????

It is worth doing a review of what you are doing every 2-3 weeks and making small adjustments. I read Jenny Ruhl’s book, Low Carb Problems Solved (Kindle £3.06) about 3 weeks in. it talks about try to keep a consistent approach – not going in and out of fat burning. It may be worth having a look at that book to see if that will help you spot anything else you can do to be more consistent.

The last 3 weeks I bought Ketostix which you may have seen being discussed elsewhere. They indicate if you are burning fat or not. I was, and that was on 60g carbs per week.

Last thought if you don’t ditch the scales – when I started I remembered reading about people losing 40-50 lbs in 8 weeks. I was going through this website and spotted that the expected weight loss was between 10 and 20% of your starting weight. To keep my expectations in check, I set up a spreadsheet which had both the total 10% and 20% (divided over the 8 weeks) calculated and then I plotted my actual weekly. I could see quickly that I was on target or not. I lost 12% of my starting weight. MM stated he lost 11%. The heavier you are to start with, the more likely you are to go to the 20% end of the scale – so I was very happy with that outcome.

Happy to try to answer any more questions if you want to chat about things further.

well done Happy! I hope you have a fab time on your trip and come home with your clothes too big!

Thank you everyone for these really great posts. It’s so good to read about your experiences and so heartening when navigating these strange (metformin-free) days.

I’ve just started week 4 and am not seeing much weight loss. However, I am noticing feeling lighter and losing inches, and since it’s impossible to eat 800 calories per day and not lose weight, I am imagining that the fat around my internal organs is being lost, and also that I am growing my muscle base.

Whilst keeping carbs to 20gm per day, and drinking the recommended amounts, it must eventually result in loss. Someone here talked about fat hanging on with its fingertips, and that’s what it’s doing.

Since it can’t fail, it must work if we keep persisting. So Keep the Faith, enjoy the food (which is, after all, really enjoyable), appreciate the control……..

Onwards and downwards!

I know that feeling Syb – after all, the whole point is to try to reduce or do without medication. So good for you! I was more cautious than you (but only a bit!) and cut my metformin in half at the end of week 4.

Leeanne: keep on truckin!! (Showing my advanced years lol).

It was an interesting little nugget & a great shame it was cropped, evidently done by some young gun at the Beeb who has no weight issues & isn’t in need of diet-remotivation!

Thank you all for your replies very up lifting and helpful, have just bought some freezer pots and will batch cook great idea. Just need to get it in freezer fast!!! I laughed at the comment of losing a baby in weight, great visual , made me chuckle . I just need to loose a nursery full of them now but as I always joke I like children just can’t eat a whole one !!!!
Cheers for making me laugh .

Hi all. So here I am half way through week four. The scales are going crazy, so close to that first stone and have lost inches overall. BUT scales driving me nuts. Do I need to drink more water? It’s hard when working as not in an office but standing on feet all day and school runs requiring the dash to the toilet. I just want to get that first stone.

Testing the scales to find best place, why do Victorian houses have such slopey floors! Each ways cause monumental weight loss or gain. I was sticking to 800/1000 cals a day but weight flip flopping so have been for last couple of days trying to aim at 800cals, 50g carbs etc. hmmmmm MyFitnessPal doesn’t like that! I keep looking at it and obsessing over the damn numbers. It’s amazing how many carbs you can consume even with no pasta, no bread etc. anyway weight not shifting, have a friend who has had barely any weight loss in 3 weeks.

I would like lose before beginning of July at least 21lbs if not towards 28lb. I am hovering around 12/13lbs…..this is a decent amount of weight especially as I have had two chest infections and two social functions.

Blood sugars super fine. What is going on? It’s hard as a veggie as every meat substitute has carbs, so is 50g about right for weight loss? So please peeps who have been through it all before please send over your thoughts/advice. From a very frustrated veggie.

Hi Collie, yes, I have had the same thoughts too — the amount of food I am eating is so tiny compared to the “wodges” (BSD term) I was eating before. It is actually sort of wild — I am having four pecan nuts for a snack and being reasonably satisfied! I am amazed by the difference, but also amazed that I wasn’t even FATTER before!! Makes me appreciate how hard my body has been working to keep me at a balanced weight and how much I was pushing it every day. Also, at age 60, I have also experienced the mental clarity of this diet — not a single foggy day or mentally “tired” day — which I also ascribe to the scant amounts of alcohol I have been able to justify (LOL!!😄)

Thank you, Californiagirl! Apart from the slightly catastrophic fail – i.e. once I’d had the wrap, going for 2 slices of bread and butter too – I have moved on from it all, and back in control.

Hi Igorausual — your experience should be chalked up as a victory — first of all, you made good choices at the restaurant and you identified what set you off — a bit too much wine — then you ate something reasonable on the way home — you might have eaten three candy bars and a carton of ice cream 😜 but at least you picked a functional protein/fat/carb sandwich. AND, to top it off, your daily calories were within an average person’s DIET day — I would say this was a great learning experience! Now you can use it to identify what works/doesn’t work. Plus you are mentally back on track today. I think 9/10ths of this whole thing is understanding our personal eating patterns and finding coping strategies. It is trial and error and there’s no trial without error!!

Thats amazing! Best of luck to you Happy Life! Stick to what you know and you should be fine. I was dreading going on vacation later this summer, not wanting to self-sabotage, now I know I can handle it. Amazing how 3 1/2 weeks can change your perspective.

Okay so yesterday was not 5/25 and I started out last week with BSD at 196.8 lbs…so that gives me a lose of 6.8 pounds in 6 days despite failing over the weekend.

Thanks!!

I had a 2 week break after 18 days on BSD 800 and I only put back on half of the kilos I had lost. What surprised me was it only took 4 days to lose it again. The worst part was the first 3 days getting the sugar out of my system again. I’m back on track and lost another 5 kilos in the last 2 weeks. It really works.

Reflections of Day 2
5/25/2016

Starting Weight 194.8 lbs
Today’s Weight 190 lbs
Loss -4.8/-4.8

Wow…I totally did not expect to see almost 5 pounds lost this morning. What a nice treat. I have been struggling with these 5 pounds (up & down) now for the last 2 months so to see them gone once again was exciting…the true test will be in the morning to see if I continue down the same losing road and actually get into new weight loss territory for my latest round of trying to get the weight off.

As far as eating I did fairly well, considering we had an awards banquet for one of the organizations my oldest son belongs too in high school. I knew the menu was going to include a standard lettuce salad (nothing but ice berg and a few carrot/cabbage shreddings) and beef brisket…I would just ignore the other sides and desserts. I planned my eating around this.

I was able to make it to the 12 hour fasting window…hoping to do more of an 16-18 hour fast but I was starving mid-morning, so I went for a snack. For a mid-morning snack I had some hummus and a few baby bell peppers. I finally took a look at the hummus nutritional label and discovered that I can actually have hummus! I always thought that it was too high in carbs coming from beans. But much to my surprise and delight I can now safely indulge in this little treat! Of course I am making sure I measure and not eat directly out of the carton.

Lunch was some shredded chicken breasts that I had marinated in buffalo wing sauce and had cooked for dinner the night before, along with some blue cheese crumbles on the top. Lots of flavor and satisfying!

And dinner was just as I had planned, I am sure my meat portion was a little bigger than 4 ounces…more like 6 so my final calorie count I set at 920 calories for the day. I did stick to plan and avoided the other sides and dessert…confession I did take a bite of a lovely lemon cake my son was eating.

I needed to get out and do a training run/walk yesterday for an upcoming race that I am in, but the rain was not letting go of the day! I opted for treadmill and just walking and my 22K steps, which is a normal step day for me. I really need to get to my run/walk training and challenge myself to get back to 25K a day! Tomorrow is another day, although my schedule might say different. I hate the end of a school year…reports, paperwork, preparing for summer school.

Overall a good day…the key was planning it all out and having it ready to go! No excuses.

Thank you MrD…I am trying to be more positive with myself but at the same time stop making excuses for slipping up.

I hate having temptation all around me at home, I just cant throw out everything because I have a family too. But I have cut way back and gotten rid of a lot of things that they don’t need either by simply not buying it anymore and providing healthier things if they so choose….

I hated the 500 calorie thing, probably not so much the calories but the VERY LIMITED food choices. I think the BSD is going to work out so much better because I have choice in what I am allowed to eat…as long as it is not sugar and white stuff as I like to call it.

Congratulations on your fantastic weight loss, by the way, really well done! Very inspirational!

How right you are, Athorn 223!

The important thing to remember is to get back up again. I’ve been on my weight loss journey for a year now and I’m 1 lb away from losing 40 lbs. Recognizing and being accouable for binging is a great step, it’s also vital to remember that today is a new day. You can’t bring yesterday’s mistakes into today’s possibilities. Always get back up, because in the big scheme of things a cheat every now and then isn’t a bad thing, it’s living!

Well, I knew that I was going out to dinner, and I’d saved my calories for it, looked at the menu at the restaurant ahead of time, and picked a possible sensible choice. And even counted in a glass of red wine.

But then, of course, when I got there, it was white wine (did anyone know more calories than red?) of which I drank perhaps a little more than intended, and the way the meal was ordered meant I had two starters – although, being smoked salmon, and then scallops, the choices weren’t too bad.

The most terrible thing was, though, that after that wine I felt hungry again very soon after – and actually went to Pret a Manger and had an avocado salad wrap (461 calories 46 carbs!!!) and when I got home I had two slices of seeded bread and butter.

Didn’t really expect that sort of effect, and can only assume it was the wine as the food wasn’t carb heavy. And nor is wine!

The difference to what I would usually do is, that I’ve put it all down on My Fitness Pal instead of pretending it wasn’t happening, and calculate that the whole meal+binge was 1300cals and 98 carbs, taking my daily total to 1650 cals and 98 carbs.

Not actually too bad – apart from the bread and the wrap part of the salad wrap – and I’m right back on the wagon today, with a total of about 600 cals and 20 carbs planned for today.

My dinner will be a very yummy hot green chilli pepper stir-fried quickly with some courgettes and mangetout peas, with a poached salmon fillet added at the end to warm through, served with a cup of Itsu miso soup. Had it before and it’s fabulous.

Unfortunately it’s going to be a tissue and broccoli diet for a while hun
I really am snowed under, have to find and add barcode numbers to 20000+ products on the website, by order of the great God Google 😉

Well done Leeanne – keep going.

Yes – there were a couple of little nuggets cut from the clip (not sure why), that one on falling off the wagon and catastrophic thinking, the other was about eating a whole Easter egg (his daughters), just because it was there – it is also a story he mentions in the book. It is a great boost listening to him for a couple of minutes – almost a mindfulness session 🙂

Hi Dee Power, there are some good recipes on the recipe section – cauliflower and creamy bean soup is one I can recommend.
I use different soups most days for lunch as I make at least 4 portions and freeze 3. I generally have a weeks supply of soup in the freezer! Green Pea and Mint, Tomato, Red Pepper and Chili, Veg soup (leek, carrot, onion, garlic, tin beans) with a veg stock all make up well. I add a tin of beans to all except the Green Pea recipe. Blitz well.
For the soups, I weigh everything and work out the calories and carbs then adjust the portion size to give 20-25g carb per portion. Another very freezer friendly recipe is Rose Elliot’s Chunky Ratatouille –
http://www.roseelliot.com/catalogue_item.php?catID=2033&prodID=10994
which I normally manage to make 8-10 portions of. I add a tin of white beans to it (cannellini) about 10 minutes before the end of cooking – it ups the protein. I also freeze chunks of parmesan in 15g amounts and use one per portion.
If you use tinned tomatoes it is a more runny version. Also, if you add 2tsp ground coriander seeds and 2tsp cumin seeds to it at the beginning, it spices it up a bit.
I aimed for 60g carbs a day as I found that worked for me. Breakfast was around 10g carbs and the other two meals about 25g. I lost weight consistently that way, but everyone finds the carbs level where they can lose weight, without getting hungry.
Good luck with the journey.

I liked the fact that he said we shouldn’t punish ourselves too much if we fall off the wagon as it can lead us to eating the whole cake if we’ve just had one piece!!

I halved my dose of Metformin in about week 7 (I’m on week 11 now). I now take 1000mg a day (2 tabs). I’ve accepted that in my case my readings will continue to be in the 7s. Today’s FBG was 8.8!!. One more stone to go to reach my ideal weight – maybe that might make a difference (lost 2 stones already).

Week 3 day 4 (-16). (Day 18)
Down another pound so down 16 now. Still think it’s crazybhownwwll this works and I am never hungry.
Following it precisely with no snacks s the fasting in between meals really helps like the book said
Tummy better but not perfect – had 1/2 vega yesterday and wondering if they have too much fiber maybe. Hmmmm
I will figure this out at some point.
Off on my trip today, taking a scale for weighing myself and a tape measure to keep on target.
Also realized my trip with be 18 days and I am currently on day 18 in the program. So…. When I return I will have exactly doubled my time on the program. Hope I lose a lot more weight. It’s hard to know what restaurants really put on their fish (butter to make it shine, salt for added flavor… Etc).
Good luck to me but Inwill stay on it. No way am I going off. I am melting and I love it.

Hi gang,
Just a quick question, after 9 weeks or so, my energy is zapped today.
Has this happened to anyone else?
I feel like a rag doll.

Thanks
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Have a great day Izzy, I am off on my trip but will try and check in each day. Why don’t you buy another tape measure? I bought a couple on sale a while back so uncoils have one in my bathroom travel bag and one downstairs. Otherwise I could never find the one I had 😄
Happy measuring when you get to it !!
I might try and make tofu with your recipe when I come back. It looks yummy!!

Hi,
On the daily mail today is an article, can a carboholic manage a week without carbs.
Have a read, it’s on line, you may get some ideas to jazz up your meals.
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi Bill
So that’s where you have been.
Isn’t it great slimming down?
Isn’t it great find clothes on the normal racks?
And not right at the back, or on the bargain rails with the damaged clothes.
I know you said you were busy, sure you back with me now safe and sound,
Or is this just a fleeting visit, leaving me devastated, shredding tissues and grabbing the broccoli?

I was going to have a casual easy day today, but been busy emptying the puddles.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

debs it’s in the fast 800 forum

Hi Lucia
I looked for a shirt in my wardrobe, all too big and now missing (donated to a big guy up the street)
Done my first shop yesterday, size 38 jeans and size L T shirts
Woo Hoo

Steve, only week three and most of my sugars fasting and post meals in the 7s, which for me is amazing. I thought about it a lot and decided to halve my tablets. And so far my sugars are about the same. I know it’s only early but I needed the mental feeling I was getting somewhere. I’ll keep going on the diet and the half meds and when the sugars drop I’ll think about dropping more.

Yeah I have managed to have a quick scan through the posts at home but the OH tends to use the PC a lot and I find my tablet very hard to type on, but I am keeping in touch, especially you Lynne, your results continue to be amazing, still my BSD poster girl 🙂

Hi Bill

Good to hear from you. Was hoping it was work keeping you from posting and that you hadn’t abandoned us😳

Brilliant news about the difference in sizes. So you’re stocking up on holiday clothes😃

I go away 31st May, back 10th June.

Really glad to have you back with us!

Hi Switzerland,

Where is the weigh in thread?

Hi everyone,
Peggy CarterRogers – if you look back in the ‘weigh in’ thread of 22/4/16 my weight stood still in Week 3. It’s frustrating, I still remember
the feeling, but I stuck with the BSD and trusted the process and have been losing regularly since.
It’s worth reflecting on how your week went eg has your water intake been adequate (2-3 litres/day), have you been including enough healthy fats, do you need to tweak your carbs?
Yes, definitely stay with it – you already reached that conclusion.
Best wishes for your BSD journeys everyone.

Great Job Collie! Like Marcus said, the veggies can definitely help if volume is what your missing. Great recipe Marcus!

As for the water intake, it’s been vital for me to help curb cravings, hunger, and weight loss. Try making the water interesting. There are plenty of water enhancers available in stores, just watch out for hidden sugar. You could add lemon or cucumber to your water and even try sparkling. I wasn’t drinking much before but now I use it to help fill me up.

Lastly, I used to be a mindless eater try celery stalks, or crunchy lettuce, or even carrots. There was a period early on where I was just missing some crunch that those things helped. I’m 3 weeks in. Last week was a struggle but this week is going much better. Keep it up!

Yes, debs14 I’m happy with my progress. I post details on the ‘weigh in’ thread on Fridays.

Brilliant news Bill!! Absolutely delighted for you and that the hard work is paying off!!

: )