As I have started this new path of life style change, I find myself mostly solo. I’m not complaining but at times it would be nice to have support from people around me. All my family/friends have never had to struggle with their weight. Does anyone else feel like this at times?
I’m now into my third week, I have lost 6 kilos (13.2) pounds. I am extremely happy with this!!! I hope everyone has a lovely day!!

nah, there’s not much sugar in there, it definitely hasn’t woken the carb monster at all – and oh Hashimoto – we get Aldi on the 9th of June! WOOHOO I am excited, we have been waiting donkeys ages for it, I will go through it with a fine toothed comb!! I hear they have good greek yoghurt too.

Saturday near lunch and all I have had is coffee do far, i guess I should go break some eggs or something, ho hum. Stayed on plan yesterday, in fact was under so bad I had a babybel and a boiled egg before bed. must remeber to keep the water up, I have been a bit slacker in this regard the last couple of days, nad its water which is used up in the fat processing – so not enough water, not enough fat burning!
seeyas.

Hi Georgianna,
I am so sorry you have had such a scare and I hope things resolve themselves quickly for you with happy results!!
On the other hand amazing news on the weight loss from your first week – AMAZING!!! I lost 9 pounds and thought I was doing well – I have a lot to lose!!
Re negative feelings and physical ailments I had several this week with the first two days also being the absolute worse…. I am still having tummy problems again too much.
Hang in there and I am wishing you the best always!!

Hi everyone, I have had one heck of a week Both good and bad. I will start off with the good. I have been on the diet exactly on week today and have lost 13 pounds. It hasn’t been easy. Two days into the diet I started having chest pains and have gone through a series of tests. Still don’t know the answers. It has been a very stressful week. Can’t tell you how many times I wanted to give up on the diet, but so happy I stuck with it. The only thing that got me through was by reading everyone’s posts.

hello – Eureka has got you covered, but I just want to add – do you take an iron and B vitamin supplement? being vegetarian makes that a bit more crucial. If you don’t, then I recommend liquid iron (tastes disgusting, though) called Fabfol. My iron dives quickly so I have to watch my intake of these too :).

you would be amazed how a deficiency can make you feel, when the deficiency is gone! A good multi a few times a week when on the diet is my rule too – 800 cals doesn’t give you a lot of wriggle room.

That’s a great weight loss Tallyhoo, what an achievement! 🙂

Hi captainlynne, (….hoping I’ve worked out the time difference correctly)
All together now. SURPRISE! Happy 20 week BSD to you.
Thank you for your posts, they’ve given me an insight into the BSD way of life and its possibilities. Congratulations on all of your achievements on the BSD.

Hi norman I have got to say i like the tai chi idea. You can do all those head and arm movements from your chair 🙂

Well done BSD. Isn’t it empowering?……. Choosing to take control of your health and conquering your high blood sugar levels. But its more than that – the feeling of wellbeing, the extra energy, calmer mind, the satisfaction of beating carb addiction…..Life is good.

Please sign our petition! 🙂

Thanks for the encouragement, three stone loss here I come…

Hi Norman, I echo what janet has said! Personally speaking I have lost 3 stones while doing very little in the way of exercise, I did 8 weeks of thefast 800 and for thelast 8 weeks i have increased calories but eat no starchy carbs, well, except for a GF brownie last week which caused me problems!

Keep doing what you are doing, it must be right if you have lost 2 stones 🙂

Thanks for the tai Chi suggestion

Hi NormanDunn
Congratulations on your weight loss.
Re exercise: Prof Taylor said to concentrate on losing weight then as you feel more able bring in exercise. The important thing on his trial diet to reverse diabetes was to lose the weight

I used to do Tai Chi & found it very calming & beneficial. It was also good for balance. I must find a class again.
Type in to Google Tai Chi sitting down & go into You Tube. Lots of it there & it helps with so many other things as well as diabetes. Give it a go

Hi neohdiver,
What a lot you are coping with and organizing. I’m pleased your insurance company have approved your choice of facility and hope all is plain sailing from here on. Like Eureka I was upset for you over all that administrative mayhem which you really don’t need at such a time.

Congratulations on achieving your goal of being in the healthy weight range, you are a marvel to manage to reach that goal in your situation. Wishing you all the best for Tuesday and a speedy recovery x

Hi Alanhypno,
How are you going today? The great thing about your post is that you got back on track. It’s a great example to any BSDers that are in that situation.One and a half stone loss in three weeks is impressive – let’s focus on that. Best wishes.

Oh that sounds good!! All of you recommended protein shakes for my upcoming trip so I tried a chocolate one by VEGA (vegan and gluten free with low carbs) this morning and it was delicious!! The developer is an avid main stream athlete and it has tons of nutrition in it as well!
I will use them every day for breakfast on my trip and you just mix them with water?’

Hi ay caramba & Marcia
Only managed 15,000 ✅ steps dedicated to the marathon as been very busy over last few days. Will try to add more & keep the flow going. My knee’s been cracking ( sounds like a whip) so I’m picking level ground for less stress. I’m climbing the stairs better I noticed. Mum had two knee replacements so I don’t want to go there thank you! How are you doin?

I can see that, I do intend to go onto the 5:2 diet when my eight weeks are up. By then our choices of meals will reflect the new style of eating learned throughout the last seven weeks.

I intend to do that for about a month then hopefully return to the full blown blood sugar diet until I complete the long road to my target weight. I do realise how long it has taken me to gain the weight so I am not expecting miracles in the task of loosing weight but this is the most encouraging diet I have tried for a sustained period of weight loss.

added a cup of milk and a teaspoon of cocoa powder to my day for a hot choc. I just felt like something soothing 🙂

night all

I heard an interview recently on radio 2 with Dr Mosley and he said that diet and exercise can be likened to batman and robin. They make a good partnership but we all know that batman does all the real work! I liked that idea.

Interesting what you say about weight loss diminishing, this is another area in the news this week. It is now being suggested that caloric restriction causes the metabolism to slow down. This isn’t a new concept actually but its not something the big diet companies really wanted to broadcast. Introducing exercise onto a metabolism that is already impeded is not the answer. The new thinking around weight loss will be how to keep the metabolism high while still losing weight. One of the answers now being put forward for this is intermittent fasting, for instance Dr M’s 5:2 or the 16:8.

Hi Eureka

Will do😃 I’m flying into Bologna. Friends will meet me and take me back to their flat in Cremona. Apart from when they were living in Naples I visit less touristy places when I visit them – and few people speak English. I have been to Venuce though and want to see Florence, Rome etc. Need to get passport renewed after this trip.

Christine, that sounds good. Hope the fair goes well tomorrow and makes lots of money for your church. After today’s adventures (😳) the friends I’m visiting have asked me to take some items with me (no cookery books yet!) so shopping again tomorrow and preparing for Sunday. Tesco has been out of stock of chickpea flour for ages but have tracked it down in Morrisons so will be adventurous and go there.

Hi barby
If you are doing the BSD then eat 800 calories. Ditch the Coke. It cleans toilets! It dehydrates you & rots your teeth! BAD CARBS. Have I said enough yet? 😉 Drink ducks delight – water 👌
Do what fasting you want to do , if any. Don’t be swayed by me or others, OK.
Up your fats & carbs a bit you are eating a Ketogenic diet on that level of carbs. If the body can’t take energy from carbs, you must give it more fat to convert or it will use protein from your muscles! Not good.
See http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com. to understand what I mean. It’s a wholly different diet.
You learn what is ok & not by reading as much as possible. Knowledge will keep you on the right path & you will understand what you are doing, not just blindly following others.
Reread & mark the BSD book. Mine is well thumbed & pink all over with my notes in the margins. Don’t be afraid to write in books like this.
Split your calories to support your working day.
I was really tired all the time for three weeks before I settled into the diet, & I wasn’t working!
It’s great when someone notices you’ve lost weight, a real fillip to your self esteem. You are doing well. Keep on keeping on. Get the knowledge.
Eureka

Thanks, it is beneficial to hear this as the assumption is that without exercise the weight loss will diminish. I will continue as before doing what little I can manage and hope the weight loss keeps going, which will allow me to do a bit more.

Hi, along with many other myths in the dieting world, the role of exercise in weight loss is under discussion. There are many experts now coming out and saying that exercise is not that important to weight loss – Dr Mosley is one of them. You’ve already lost two stone without exercising – very well done! But as it is not essential for weight loss, my two penneth would be to say do anything that you find enjoyable and nothing that you don’t. Exercise is great for well being so whatever you can do to enhance your well being will be beneficial.

Hi Lynne,
I’m having a piece of chicken tomorrow, I have done a lamb curry for the others with left over lamb from last Sunday, so that is easy after the market, don’t know what I will do yet either, it will be my surprise to myself!
Christine

Hi jackiemac,
Oh Jackie, have you been naughty? We all have those times don’t we, you can do it must get back on the horse, and keep on keeping on! I look forward to hearing about your progress and especially your weight loss!
How much more do you want to lose? Onwards and downwards
Christine

Hi merrymary,
Oh going to Melbourne eh? I loved Melbourne when we went to oz, I would love to go again, maybe one day!
Where abouts will you be going, are you going for the weekend, it would be great hearing all about it.
Have you reached your final weight yet or are you carrying on after your weekend away? Sorry I know so many questions! Just very interested!
Christine

I have made veg soup tonight, with sweet potatoe, broccoli, few carrots, cabbage, celery, onions,, knorr stock pot. I weighed it all and entered on MFP, it works out about 400 cals per saucepan 90 carbs) full, which was higher than I thought. I had 2 bowls as main meal, looked like sludge but tasted nice.

Hi Lucia,
Silly I know but it’s strange when I don’t ‘hear’ from you every day, I had a problem, I didn’t get some of the posts, so I thought I had been abandoned, it’s all up and running again now though, so what have I been doing? Our church spring market is tomorrow and I’ve spent a good bit of time this last couple of weeks getting ready for it, our craft club stall is up and ready to sell, just have to take the plants in the morning for the plant stall, didn’t get a cake made! I have lost another pound! Only 1 lb 6 oz then I will have lost two stone.
How are you doing? Are you doing anything special this weekend? Apart from losing weight!
Christine

Hi jackie62,
I am on track to my second stone lost ( only 1lb 6oz to go)! then I have to decide on my next target, I’m hoping it will happen over the next couple of days, I have my ups and downs however I try and keep positive! Keep us posted with your losses and trials too.
Christine

Hi general lynne
Great you’ve booked the hols. It’s important that you keep your batteries charged. Your job isn’t easy & you need the down time
Say Ciao bella Italia when you go. Was there last September – Sorrento, amore mio!

Hi eureka,
Thank you, the stall is all set up, we just have to take some plants in the morning, thank goodness that by three o’clock on Saturday afternoon it will all be done and dusted until the Autumn! I will let you know how we get on, don’t know yet what I will do for my lunch!
Christine

I’m sure you will Judith, I’ve resent my reply to your text so you’ll probably have two now. What kind of phone did you go for in the end?

Waldorf salad sounds yummy! I might also bring back porridge oats on a part-time basis now that I’m close to my weight target. The nurse reminded me that they are good for cholesterol too.

Hi neohdiver
Very good news on your weight goal after all your hard work.
I’m also pleased you are switching surgeons & to a support & admin system that hopefully will be all you desire. It was upsetting me to think you were having all this extra stress at this crucial time for you, goodness only knows what it was doing to you?
With every good wish for you in the coming weeks 🌺

Hi Lucia and well done on 8 weeks,

It came around a lot quicker than you thought! Probably all the splashing about in puddles, dollop pondering and scaling the stairs. Are you going to aim for the 16 week forum or go straight to the 5:2? Will you keep posting here if you do?

Hi MerryMary, congrats on your wedding anniversary and the refitting into old jeans.

Have been loving following all your ups and downs, Lucia (mostly ups, I must say)

Polly x

Hi BSD
WRIT LARGE in Gold Letters : BSD worked for me! 😀😃😆.
You saved yourself, excellent. So pleased for

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

Euereka, thanks for trying to help, very kind. I have at least 4 pints of water a day (just measured glass, approx half pint). Which is approx 2 2 litres. I will try and up it a bit.

I was fasting from about 8pm to 12 noon, not every day though, when at work it’s easier. Plus a couple of black coffees, but last few days I’ve eaten earlier.

I honestly have eaten no bad carbs all month apart from 2 regrettable incident, once half burger roll, other half scone. I do still have a diet coke a few times a week – I suppose I’d better cut that out!

My mouth and lips are very dry, and my skin also looks dry (not as good as usual) This makes me think I’m not having enough fats, but if I add more, I up my calories? Today I’ve had 611 cals – 21 carbs and 31 fat and 40 protein. I’m about to have veg soup for tea. Could stir some yoghurt into it.

Normally for breakfast (even if at noon) I have the Lidl FF Greek Yog with berries, 1 teaspoon 4 g mixed chopped nuts /seeds + teasp chia and teasp ground. linseed.

I have ordered some vitamin supplements that might help.The joke is, I am eating so much better food than before – I think my body liked living on crisps and junk, it’s taking a while to adapt.

I am feeling happier tonight though. I walked to farm for eggs, then saw my neighbour for first time in few weeks, and she commented that I’d lost weight, she could see it. I could have hugged her, first time anyone’s said anything. My trousers are also longer, without the bigger bum! It’s amazing how just one comment can improve my mood, of course it sometimes works the other way too.

It wasn’t just slow loss, but also not feeling very lively like most others, that was bothering me.

I’ll have a look at the Jenny Ruhl site, thanks.

Hi Chrisri1948
Good luck with the fundraising hope it all goes well

Well done, I think its about keeping it in check and not going back to old ways, but still having treats and working out what works for you. I moved my breakfast time to 10am, because I wasn’t hungry in the morning and then pushed my lunch to 2pm, because I struggle in the afternoon.

The NHS needs to do more, as its such a Big problem in the UK.

Aw bless you keeptrying- that happened to me last night! I was raging when it happened. So hard to rewrite it agin – my second post was nowhere as good as the one that got lost!
I’ve discovered the secret is to keep putting something down (like nnnnnnnnnnn for example), then just scrub it when you want continue with writing. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Oh Jackie, you sound like such a woman after my own heart :)))) Good luck and keep me posted, even if its just to tell me how naughty you’ve been!!! Good luck!

R xx

Hi barby
You’re doing well. Perhaps you could fine tune by adding a long fast time to yout daily eating. Dr Mosley wrote The Fast Diet book too & fasts himself during the day. See page 153 in the BSD book. I eat in an 8 hour window ( mostly). Therefore I fast for 14 – 16 hours a day. I just have 2 meals a day. I’m T 2 Diabetic & 64yrs. I lose slowly (1 &1/2 stones in 12 weeks) but that’s just me.
Up your fluids to 2 – 3 litres. It does make a difference. Mine is mostly water or hot fruit teas & 1Tonic water or Soda water & ice a day. Sometimes a glass of wine with a meal now. But that eats into calories! I don’t like tea or coffee.
Look at your carbs & count them. Cut out All bread, rice, potatoes & pasta. You could have a wheat / gluten intolerance. However, if you do have you can’t be tested for it by your GP if you have already withdrawn it from your diet! The test won’t show it up! Have you spoken to your GP about bloating etc?
You do need good fats on this diet. Count the calories though.
Also Soy is not tolerated well by some diabetics. See Jenny Ruhl Blood Sugar 101 & Diet 101, the Truth about Low Carb Diets , books. Her web site is http://www.phlaunt.com. Excellent source of info on Diabetes & Low Carb Diet.
Hope this helps

I have just lost my long post and I am so very sorry because I simply don’t have the energy to re-write it just now
please for now just accept my thanks to you all, dumptynomore, eureka, polly, hashimoto and any others I have forgotten to mention
I will try to get my head around proper replies again later
xx

Hi Christine

Glad it worked and you enjoyed it. I have the other piece of salmon for tomorrow. 😃 Not sure what I’ll do with it yet. Decide tomorrow.

Hi Lynne,
Forgot to say I made the dish tonight, I put some spinach in and a bit of cinnamon too, with the salmon and it was well received, Angela said she would have that again so that’s progress! Thanks for the idea.
Christine

Hi Judith,
Yes, 23, me and David, five kids, three in laws, and 21 grandchildren and two step grandchildren, oldest 18, youngest four! So we have to find entertainment for all ages!
Or should I say oldest 69 and youngest four!
Christine

Hiya keeptrying – I did read all of your post and there’s no need to thank me for doing so – it was a pleasure. I’m glad I posted last night now -was thinking I might leave till this morning as it getting late- but you read it and I think you got something from it , so that’s good.
There’s a couple of things that spring to mind. Your reflux sounds troublesome and it’s not good if it’s standing in the way of your health goals. I’m thinking there’s got to be reason for it. Have you been checked for helicobacter pylori? That’s a bacteria present in the stomach of 50% of the population, mostly without problem. In some it can cause the effects you are describing. All it needs is a simple blood test at your GP and, if positive, can be easily remedied with a two week course of medication. The other thing is, I find having no food in the stomach for overly long periods (5:2) can cause acid buildup leadingto your symptoms too. So, eating small amounts more frequently might help.
It was nice to get your lovely long post and see you opening up a little more – that can be quite therapeutic, so keep going with that. Hashimoto has put up some fab eats, going to try some myself.

One thing I have found reading these forums – most people have been emlightened by this way of eating and lost loads of weight and that’s good to read about and so many congratulations to them – but there will be people who still struggle. I’m thinking there must be a lot more people in this category , but they just don’t post. Maybe they don’t want to be seen as ‘failures.’ One way or another there are many more success stories than unsuccessful ones. I think it is so brave of you to come on and be so honest – that’s a massive first step to take. It’s hard when you are in the minority and can think -‘What’s wrong with me?
So take your time and make small changes that you can cope with. I’ve been keeping a journal for ten years where I write down my escapades in my weight loss efforts. Kudos to me that I have kept it going, but I am no lighter at the moment – but I won’t give up writing and I won’t give up trying. Looking back over the last 10 years , I have defo uphauled my food for the better, only my binges now to try to overcome and I think I’m getting there. I’m telling you all this in an effort to let you see that health goals will not happen overnight – small changes gradually is perfectly ok if that is what works for you!
I’ve read Gary Taubes book. Essentially Atkins. I lost nearly six stones 3 years ago in 15 months, then piled it back on because its unsustainable for me in the long term. This BSD is not so harsh with carb cutting and actually encourages pulses, etc., so here’s hoping I can do it long term, but I definitely am not counting my chickens at this very early stage. (Had a piece of my son’s birthday cake – haven’t had a slip in over 6 weeks , then I go and do that 2 days before my final weigh in – and after I was trying to support you – what the hell is WRONG with me! Anyway back on the straight and narrow again today)

The polly – we defo punish ourselves with food – not doing it anymore – what does it achieve except for a food coma! I think we do it so we don’t have to face up to problems while we are comatose but the problems are still there when you come round!

Eureka – yes – an army of BSDers – united we stand – divided we fall – on the wagon just now, but for how long- eh? – lol!

Hashimoto – great post and very supportive. Will be following that myself – thanks.

Keeptrying – thinking of you! Please keep posting

Hi

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2009, diet controlled. Last December my HbA1c came back as 9.6 and I was being threatened with Metformin.

I’d just bought this book and asked for a reprieve, starting the BSD on 19th December. My fasting blood that day was 10.9.

A sneaky HbA1c in January (the nurse was confused) was 8.7.

Tomorrow I’ve completed 20 weeks on the BSD (including 5 days in Prague and 4 days at a residential conference). My fasting bloods are now in the normal range and the HbA1c in April came back as 5.5 – again in the normal range.

Ruby if you have an Aldi and they do the same foods as over here in the UK I go for their tub of authentic greek yoghurt. They also do bags of milled flaxseed at a very reasonable price. Just a level teaspoon on my yoghurt helps to avoid constipation, is full of goodness and the pack lasts ages!!!

Soup – you can make it from just about anything!!!
My rule of thumb is: enough water to just about cover the veg. Cook til soft and blitz with a stick.

Courgette and garlic is a good filling, low carb option and freezes well.
So is cauliflower and blue cheese
Brocolli and cheese
asparagus
the list is endless!! When I have too much parsley or lettuce I make lettuce soup or parsley soup

Oh, celery soup is a low carb low calorie option you can add some cream cheese or cream too.

Only your imagination will limit you 🙂

Stick with the yoghurt for brekky. I’ve had it almost every day since mid January and I’m still not sick of it!!! 🙂