I decided to weigh daily. Started yesterday and it seems I am a lb down today. 12st4 to 12st 3. I am really struggling today. I had the pea and spinach omelette for breakfast, then a quinoa/avocado salad for lunch (230 calories) and chicken for dinner later, but I just had 8 strawberries as I was so hungry I couldn’t even concentrate on work. Please reassure me that it gets easier!

Napangardi, I’ve been drinking rosehip tea and hot water with lemon. Nicer than plain cold water.

Hi Lucia,
Sorry I haven’t done any kind of excercise for over a week, unless you count dashing about getting ready for our church spring market, on a positive note, I have found a Pilates class, the bad news it’s on a morning I can’t do, yet!
Christine.

Thanks Nysilver. I do usually microwave the Cauli rice as I found baking it in a conventional oven labour-intensive and messy. I will try your suggestions.

Hi Lynne,
I’ve also found I need smaller shoes, we were going out for a meal and had to dig out an old pair of ‘wedding’ shoes, needless to say they went straight in the charity bag when I got home, the leather had flaked off, I’m now in need of at least one good pair of going out shoes, I normally wear flats too!
Christine

I weigh daily 🙂

Shaz don’t look for a stress free 8 weeks or you will not do it

Read the book, sort out some recipes, shop for what you need and just start .
It can only do you good 🙂
.

I notice that you mention eating the broccoli rice raw – are you doing the same with the cauliflower rice? I like to season it with garlic salt and pepper, throw it in the microwave for about 3 minutes and then add it to stir frys. I also add some coconut aminos in place of soy sauce and find it quite addictive. I also add it to “crack slaw” a dish I discovered when I started following a low carb high fat way of eating. If you don’t have a microwave, you can always season it and then steam it. Hope that this helps.

Hi,
I have just started the second week of the BSD and I still feel really tired all of the time. Has anyone else had this experience?

I think my main problem is internalizing stress, so I become very calm on the outside but obviously a roiling mess of stressed out hormones on the inside! I think this is a direct reaction to growing up in a house with very volatile temperaments…hey ho, cat is back and and helping to reduce my blood pressure by sitting on my lap and allowing me to stroke her!

I have just ordered the books and need to find a stress-free 8 weeks that I can plan for. I am not obviously overweight but 16 kg over on the scales (must be inner fats). I am a diagnosed Type II (was gestational with kids, and father is also Type II). Struggle with blood sugars – fasting sugars are always above 10 so have no idea what is going on. But I know carbs have never been good for me, and the only time I ever lost weight was on low carb diets. I also used to be quite fit but stopped exercising so much when I became a full-time student. Looking forward to getting fit again, and I have a Fitbit which I must use! This diary is inspirational, and I will take notes as I find most of the hard work initially is in organising the pantry so it is easier to stick to things. Thanks for all these notes. 🙂

I would probably have too many during the day but I will try and have warm water.

Hi Rachel, I have started using the fitness pal and it has helped me with the carbs. I am still going slowly but this is just me. I do however struggle with water… It is cold and I just don’t want to drink. Tomorrow am plan to drink 500 mls whils I drive to work and then another on way home.. I will keep thinking of ways to up it.

Hi Neohdiver – thanks for the advice, and also everyone else, it is appreciated.

I have now written up my preferred menus, just got to calorie count them now, but I won’t do the carbs also then, as I could end up making it a full time job, which I haven’t got time for.

Wow, three stone! Congratulations!! May I ask what you eat on an average day?

I have stuck to the BSD for three weeks now. I am unable to walk / stand so must lose weight purely by restricting my food intake. I have no high carbohydrates in my house at all. I have bought a George Foreman Grill and use it for most of my cooking, especially of asparagus and mushrooms.
I believe I am not eating enough fats as my skin has erupted in dry patches especially on my back but my major concern is ‘cauliflower rice’ – I am beginning to loathe it!
I have just seen a recipe on line that mentioned ‘broccoli rice’ which is no doubt just the florets blitzed in the food processor and then eaten raw.
I wonder do any of you have any further suggestions for similar ‘rices’ and herbs / spices to liven them up.
I do love the aubergine & minced lamb dish, the vegetable curry and portobello mushrooms which have recently entered my diet.

Tippytwo,

Many people choose to count carbs, but it isn’t part of the BSD. If you want to count carbs, you can use an online nutrition database to help you count. I use myfitnesspal, but there are a number of different options.

Hi
Just found this on ebay
I can’t quite make out the carbs from the packaging but any carbs in there will be the complex type
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Really-Healthy-Pasta-Organic-Chickpea-Fusilli-250g-Pack-of-3-/262361990899?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

Does anyone else weight daily? I am to impatient to weight weekly!

Day 1 – 77.6kgs
Day 2 – 76.8kgs

I completed 2 weeks on the BSD and lost 5.2kgs. but…. I had a relative coming from overseas to visit, I live in a region of wine, chocolate, cheese and all things wonderful so I decided to give myself 2 weeks off with them and start again once the visit was over. So on first weigh in day I was really surprised to find I had only put on 2.7kgs. Thanks to knowing how easy the BSD was to keep to and how quickly I saw results the 2.7kgs didn’t phase me at all. I feel so ready to start again. I am at the end of day 2 and that sugar monster is knocking at my door but I know if I get through the first few days I will feel great. Also on the plus side I weighed in again this morning and lost 1kg. If this was any other diet I would be so disheartened and down but I’m not at all. Bring on the next 7 weeks and 5 days 🙂

So don’t beat yourself up over one weekend!

Hi Cherrianne

Many thanks for the reply. It is interesting to hear others’ views. I am gradually introducing the diet into my day…… before I was diagnosed I was an avid 5:2 follower. I have not taken any insulin during the day for a number of weeks now and take the metformin when I eat my main meal. The only insulin I take regularly is the long acting at bedtime.
I figure if I don’t eat and don’t give myself any insulin and my levels are under 10 then I should be doing ok!
Watch this space, maybe the wrong diagnosis for me is what I need to get myself back on track!
TBH I am finding it difficult to sustain as I don’t seem to be losing any weight/inches at the moment – I just need to remember my fasting BS at 35 when I was diagnosed!
Will keep posting as it helps me continue to get healthier!

Hi Natalie, Ziggsmum and Bongo! Nice to meet some people also starting, or getting back on the wagon. Natalie, I have come to the conclusion after many years of falling OFF the wagon, that it is the getting back up and starting again immediately that counts. Everyone has blips. It’s when you just keep going after the blip that you are successful. Unfortunately, even though I know this, I have spent the past 5 years NOT keeping going after the blip!

Ziggysmum, I am a nightmare for the carbs/sugar. I just got into terrible habits. I have realized that it has to stop forever. Not all carbs but the binging on sugar and fat and carbs. If I continued as I was I would just get bigger and bigger and start facing health problems, and it’s not like it’s even more enjoyable when you eat more. I think it must be a bit like a drug. The more you have, the more you need to get the same feeling from it. So I just suddenly though enough now. Time to change. But it is daunting!

I couldn’t even face a run yesterday at first, Bongo … I would normally go before eating and eat after but I just couldn’t. So I ate a salad and then I went for a run and it was fine. I am guessing it will be harder though until I settle into this diet. Going to stick to 5k for a week or two before upping my mileage a bit, just want to be running 10ks regularly again (I was last year but an injury slowed me down since February). Running really really helps with my head, I feel less anxious/stressed/low when I run regularly.

Zoodles are really, really good! Buy yourself a spiraliser. I was dubious but I love them! I’ll definitely be giving myself days off my diet now and again – no blood sugar issues just doing it for weight and I want it to be sustainable. That said, at day 9 I haven’t yet wanted a day off.

I just saw an ad for a special on Sunday night (Sydney Australia) with Michael Mosley as one of three experts talking about the diabetes epidemic and whether it can be reversed! I almost feel like a celebrity myself – he’s my diet guru!

If you go to the bottom of the diary page on MyFitnessPal and push “Nutrition” you can look at how many carbs/prot/fat you have had for the day or a weekly average. I try to stay under 50g of carbs and then let the fat/prot do what it likes as long as my daily cals total is under 800. Not sure if that answers your question though.

HI Izzy. Love the diary. I am a huge tea drinker too so the first thing I do in the morning is measure out 100mls of full fat milk (67cals) and use that for my teas all day. I find I use the tea between meals to ease my hunger so i am happy to give up those cals and I actually record them under “snacks” in my calorie counter. I usually can get 4 – 5 cups of tea from that 100mls and if i don’t use it all then thats a few cals Iess that day 🙂

Hi

I started yesterday as well and also want to lose about 2 stone (or a little more if possible). I drank loads so didn’t really get a headache but I found that when I went for a run before tea last night I really struggled. No energy, or willpower to keep running and I felt very sort of “buzzy” all day (almost as if I’d drank too much coffee – but all I drank was green tea, water and one cup of proper tea in the afternoon).

So far today it’s not been too bad, I am hungry and totally coveting my colleagues baguette and cheese sarnie but I’m slowly eating an egg salad and have fruit and yogurt to look forward to as well. I’m skipping breakfast so I can have fruit after my lunch.

Best of luck I’ll be pleased to hear how you’re getting on.

Hi Everyone
Have managed the 10,000 steps each day in May so far…..even if it has meant going out in the rain and walking round a bit.
Been playing a bit of tennis but have been trying to walk around the house a bit more in order to reach the 10,000 steps on the Fitbit.
Have now put my computer up higher so I have to stand up to use it, as suggested in the ‘ Quitting the sitting ‘ site.
Amazing how much that stops me wasting time on the computer!!!
My personal challenge for challenge for May…..plus the Marathon of course….ha ha.

Have done about 14 miles towards the May Marathon for BHF.
No jogging yet……oh hang on…. I do break into a bit of a trot occasionally on the tennis court.
Brilliant everyone who is getting more active.

Anyone else doing a May challenge?????

Hi IonaJ, definitely the right decision. I would say just go with the fast 800, low carb it is easier than 5:2 as you have 800 calories a day instead of 500. You will be stunned at how quickly you will lose weight.

I would also say brave those scales and take a photo of yourself in your undies ( I know) but after 2 or 3 weeks you won’t believe the difference! Also write down your measurements as they often tell a bigger story than the scales in terms of loss!!

And GO GIRL, GO!!!! 🙂

Just pick your own meals and use an app to track things. I use easy diet diary and that tells me how many calories I’ve eaten per day as well as carbs etc.

You will need to have a basic idea of nutrition but you will pick that up quite quickly as you go along. No point making yourself cry over this way of eating – it wont be sustainable long term! I eat the lovely things I like (avo, feta, sardines, cheese, veggies) and ignore the ones I don’t (celery!).

Wow, Imogen!!! well done!!! I think courgetti is a must on this diet – you can have a plateful for so few calories!!! 🙂

Hello Brazilnut, I also started the BSD diet yesterday. I too have been eating way too may carbs and can’t resist anything with sugar, until now.
I’m excited to be on the journey.
May the 4th be with you (so sorry but it does seem apt).

Hi Ruby, I still have 2 mugs of nescafe with a splash of milk every morning. I just prefer nescafe to proper coffee these days. I have still lost 3 stones so I would say do not go without your morning cuppa!!! 🙂

Hi all, am in week four, all going well with the occasional slip up. Probably more than occasional, TBH, but working on the mental health, not just the physical. Tonight I watched a documentary ‘Food, Inc’. Well, I spent most of the show between dry retching and crying. I cannot believe the propaganda behind the food industry, and how we have been so sucked into this system. There’s some discussion about diabetes and ecoli, and the crap (literally) that we are eating. If you get time, have a look at this film. I just think that while we are all working towards a new lifestyle we should probably look at the ethics of exactly what we are eating. Not preaching, just food for thought.

Hiya thanks all for your help, I am going to spend some time writing my new menus up, I was interested Bill1954 how can I track my carbs, is there a limit on how many low carbs I can have a day or how many I should include. Any help and advise would be gratefully received.

I always feel sick and miserable on day three. I say “always” because I’ve experienced day three several times! I fall off the wagon and have to go through withdrawal all over again.

Hello Natalie, thanks for your reply and great I’m pleased to hear it can be done with family in tow.
Thankfully I’m not a great potato lover, but pasta is another matter 😰, ah from now on I must think about my future health and my waistline instead. Perhaps when I’ve lost two stone I’ll award myself a small bowl of lobster linguine.

hello 🙂

I have just brought a fruit infuser water bottle thing and am wondering if anybody else uses these? I know calories will be very low but wondering about carb content.. any info or feedback greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I find that tracking everything I eat really helps so I’ve decided to use MFP. From what I’ve gleaned carbs need to be 50g a day, protein I think 60g, but I could be wrong but I don’t know the figure for fat, is it 40g? It all has to add up to 100% before it lets me save the changes. Anyone out there able to help?

Hi Judith,
We went to visit our son in Sheffield on Monday, he’s having an extension and his builder was there, type two diebetic, has lost 6 stone, still looked really obese, and he was sat there tucking into big white bread roll sandwiches and crisps, well of course we got talking and I told him about the bsd diet and he wasn’t interested! That old phrase came to mind, you can take a horse to water etc! However went to have a drink with his mother in law and she was interested in the diet, she isn’t diebetic just likes to keep a check on her weight and likes to eat healthily, so I told her about the website etc, so hopefully she will have taken a look and signed the petition, that’s all I can do, but it’s a start for her to look into it.
Right must dash, cleaned the hall this morning, a quick drink and then a trip into town to get Dana her birthday present, she wants a boy doll with a dummy, funny cause it’s an all girl family and none of them had dummies!
Christine

Hi thepolly, Have already had the delightful chore of taking loads of clothes to the charity shop………….I personally would rather have the equally delightful chore of buying new clothes – not many admittedly – but this gives me so much pleasure it is part of the reward of having achieved the weight loss

Thanks for the update on the latest info from OZ… numbers are really helpful to me. Have not weighed again since early april… so rely on BSL to see progress. Have started back on full dose of Metformin… will give myself a few more days and start weening again next week… maybe just 500 at a time rather than 1000 was getting too disheartened waiting it out… and we always travel on weekends and makes it harder to be under 800 but surprisingly easy to be no/low carb… under 20 most days now…. except for the veg load…

Still looking forward to coming home.. arrival date is now about June 29… and then I think I will go to the 5;2 again to try and maintain. Very sad to hear the latest about how our bodies really do lower their metabolic rate in order to maintain weight!!!!… POO… thanks Cherrianne… Hope you continue to be well and remain as inspirational as always…xx

I cook normal meals for my family and leave the carbs off my plate. I wrap my fajita ingredients in a lettuce leaf instead of a tortilla, I have zucchini “zoodles” with my bolognaise while they have spaghetti, I don’t eat the roast potatoes at Sunday dinner (that one is the hardest!). That way I don’t really have to cook anything different for myself, or different to what I usually cook.

Hi tallyhoo and aye caramba, why not make charity shops your new best friends until your weight has settled down, you can often get some lovely things for cheap and give to charity in the process 😀

Thanks Cherrianne. I will try the water and lemon! I have quite a bad headache and am feeling really low today. I am unsure if it’s related to the diet, because I have been doing 5:2 with no side effects like this. Maybe coincidence.

Can you not have white coffee? I still have milk in my tea, though I’ve had to give up the sugar.

Hi Brazil nut,
A small serve of cheese eaten very slowly, almost left to melt on the tongue used to help me through the carb cravings. Also a slice of lemon in hot water, not sure how that worked but it did!
Congrats on starting the BSD, you’ll soon start feeling the benefit of this great way of life. 🙂

Hi hashimoto, I’m not good at sticking at things so the ‘everyday’ of a diet will be hard. The thing I’ll miss the most will be a few white coffees, I think. x

Hi Notsofatty,
I was wondering how you were doing. Hi from not so sunny SA! You are missing cold, rainy weather with winds nearly 60kmh past few days. Not really anything to be homesick about.
If your post prandials are still in the 7’s I wouldn’t be too concerned.
Blood sugar levels as per the NICE guidelines (& Diabetes UK) are as follows:
Non diabetic
Fasting 4 – 5.9
Post prandial under 7.8

Type 2 diabetes
Fasting 4 – 7
Post prandial under 8.5
The Aus Diabetes Assoc. has levels higher than this so I don’t go by them.
Hope this will reassure you somewhat. It doesn’t sound like you’re doing too badly with your readings so you might want to persevere a bit longer. It took me around 3 weeks or so to get good readings after they spiked.
All the best to you, and David6855, hope for better news next time you post 🙂

Congratulations IonaJ,
You’ve just taken the first step and you can be proud of yourself 😄 Take it one step at a time, but as you’ve already discovered, this whole lifestyle is a lot easier in reality, so GO GIRL. Keep going, one day at a time until you’ve reached your weight goal, then keep going so that you stay healthy for you and your family!