Hi,

I started the BSD 3 weeks ago, in a bid to lose 4 stone and to become much healthier. I’m not diabetic/ pre diabetic, but am v v overweight.

I didn’t dare to weigh myself at the outset, but lost 6lb in weeks 2 and 3. I seem to be full of water at the moment, but I’m hoping for some sort of whoosh at some point, when my body settles down.

I’ve read nearly all the posts on these boards, you are such an inspiring lot!

I’m enjoying the diet on the whole, the recipes are delicious and I’m not often hungry. I’ve just started proper exercising though (just walking, but trying to do 15,000 steps most days) and am feeling a bit flat.

Anyway, I’m darn well going to complete my 8 weeks and then will assess things from there. I expect I’ll need a further 8-16 weeks after that, before I’m anywhere near where I want to be!

You kind of need the reward of seeing changes in order to motivate you on what at first seems a difficult journey, but which then turns into a way of life. For the first time in 5 weeks my weight loss seemed to have stalled at the weekend, so I can empathise. So far ~ 18lbs lost. When you weigh yourself, levels of dehydration, how long after meals etc makes a difference.

With respect to food I’ve shifted from excess carbs to avoiding them where possible in order to try and burn fat for 8 weeks.
I now really enjoy the crunchier and tastier way of eating and have felt 100% better since day 1.
I would endorse drinking LOTS of water, I try for 2 – 3 litres per day extra to other drinks. It seems to help your body adjust.
My favourite breakfast was porridge but have skipped for BSD, as its pretty calorific and carborific, although still on the good side of the fence. Instead I have proper Greek yogurt which is filling with berries etc. The rhubarb recipe in the book is also surprisingly nice. Add a small amount of linseed/nut/gogi mix [Aldi] and a couple of spoonfuls of chia seeds. It’s worth reading about the latter to see how good it is for you [Omega 3s etc] and the seeds also swell and make a small bowl of food into a filling brek – good for digestion too. I also exercise and burn 800-900 cals three times per week. If desperate for a sweet-ish snack on those days I have celery with peanut and almond butter [in the past that would have been toast and peanut butter/banana] and occasionally some fruit. A spiraliser helps – substituting courgette etc for pasta.

Good luck – commit to the 8 weeks and trust in the process.

Hi Peggy Carter Rogers! I remember your thread and I wonder how you are doing? Are things going well with you?

Ideally – as long as you have enough strips – you do both. Testing around meals (I do before, 1 hour after, 2 hours after and (if hour 2 is higher than hour ) 3 hours after. You are correct – that is a better measure of how you are responding to food. I use those tests to tell me if I need to cut out foods that create an undesirable response.

The test first thing in the morning is a better test of whether you are making progress overall. Fasting blood glucose, drawn first thing in the morning (and for many of us continuing until mid-day), is the last thing to decline when you start getting your BG under control. So when you see it going down you know you are making progress. On the other end, it’s one of the early warning signs for diabetes (and a repeated high fasting blood glucose is one of the criteria for a diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis).

Thanks Tallyhoo, this is really helpful.

Hi This is my first post. I’m female and 11 stones. I started the diet last week and sfter 4 days had lost 2pounds. My question is: as Im not considered obese by BMI measure can I still expect to lose 10% of my body weight? Ive followed the 5:2 diet for three years but started over eating on the 5 days! I have what my diabetic nurse calls “resolved diabetes”. It disappeared after 3 months on the 5:2 so no more metformin.

Well Guys the results are in. I ate very healthy on Saturday but I had a sliver of cake sans most of the buttercream icing and took in about 1000 calories on Saturday. On Sunday, Mother’s Day Brunch was the only meal I had. We ate at 12:00 pm. I had prime rib, a little fruit in chantilly cream, a tiny potato, a little bread pudding and ice cream, and a sliver of cheesecake. I was full for the rest of the day. That meal was less than 1,200 calories. I don’t have the exact number because I ate at a restaurant. I still managed to lose 2 lbs this weekend even though I never got a chance to exercise. I’m so proud of myself for the restraint I had. Now my Monday is off to an amazing start and I’m right back on 800 calories without feeling deprived.

Thank you so much! I know it will pass but it’s good to hear from someone who’s come out the other side.
I will definitely try the berries with yoghurt.
Congratulations on your results: weight loss fantastic, reducing meds even better!
What are you planning to do after the 8 weeks?

Don’t despair. I hit the same and when you are being so conscious of what you eat it can be demoralising.
Drink more water, eat fruit, berries this time of year are great or the frozen ones in yogurt ( full fat remember) or porridge oats, jumbo rolled organic sort. Maybe you are a little blocked? I bought a nutribullet and zapped up some berries, seeds and spinach . Looked yucky but tasted great and helped the movement of weight and other nasty’s!
Keep at it, I am 8 weeks in and 2stone 4 lighter, it does work and my diabetes medication reduced, my doctor couldn’t believe it !
Dig in , it really gets easier

BigP

You are my new hero… substantial weight loss takes so much dedication, strength and endurance……. go you!!!!

Fatty

Hi all. Am on day 7 with an initial 4lb weight loss which I was very happy about. Have stuck on same weight for 4 days now. I have about 2 stone to lose in total. I have read about hitting the plateau but wasn’t expecting it so soon!

I’m eating zero fruit, no root veg and doing 10000 steps a day. Have started the HIIT cycling.

I should say that I am incredibly impatient and chose this diet to give me quick initial results to motivate me in the longer term.

I’m sure those of you who’ve been on the diet for longer and suffered plateaus are rolling your eyes at my paltry woes!! Sorry!!

Any words of wisdom/inspiration?

Male, UK – 180cm tall – 35yrs old

June 2014 – 140.6kg – 310lbs – 22st 2lbs – BMI 43.4 – I have been obese since I was a teenager, but this was my biggest by far
October 2014 – 118kg – 260lbs – 18st 8lbs – BMI 36.4 – lost during Fit for Life course, eating better and walking A LOT
1st March 2016 – 123.8kg – 273lbs – 19st 7lbs – BMI 38.2 – stopped the healthy living for a long while, but luckily didn’t go back to my previous high, was planning to try the BSD800, but decided to start the Exante VLC diet instead as it seemed easier to follow
29th March 2016 – 111kg – 245 lbs – 17st 7lbs – BMI 34.3 – Exante diet worked, but was a killer mentally, as it just made me crave food in the worst way possible. 4 weeks was more than enough for me
4th April 2016 – 110.5kg – 244lbs – 17st 6lbs – BMI 34.1 – decided to take a week off before starting the BSD800 diet, stuck to around 1200-1500 calories for the week
11th April 2016 – 107.5kg – 237lbs – 16st 13lbs – BMI 33.2- 1st week of BSD800 done
18th April 2016 – 104.9kg – 231lbs – 16st 7lbs – BMI 32.4 – 2nd week of BSD800 done
25th April 2016 – 102.7kg – 226lbs – 16st 2lbs – BMI 31.7 – 3rd week of BSD800 done
2nd May 2016 – 100.2g – 221lbs – 15st 11lbs – BMI 30.9 – 4th week of BSD800 done
9th May 2016 – 98.4kg – 217lbs – 15st 7lbs – BMI 30.4 – 5th week of BSD800 done

Loss so far:
Since June 2014 – 42.2kg – 93lbs – 6st 9lbs
Since 1st March 2016 – 25.4kg – 56lbs – 4st
Since 4th April 2016 (beginning of BSD800) – 12.2kg – 27lbs – 1st 13lbs

Current target – 97kg – 214lbs – 15st 4lbs – BMI 29.9 – when I reach this it will I will finally be in the overweight BMI range instead of obese

Hi Lucia
How are those scatter cushions? Not sure if this was addressed to me or not but for me I have stuck to 800 calories or maybe slightly more. Exercise wise I am moving more as there is less of me!! I haven’t slipped ,in as much as no carbs (bread, pasta, etc) and also made the decision not to have anything like the chapatis etc. I don’t follow the recipes from the book but create or use some others I find and make lots of soups.I do have 30g of jumbo oats every morning I just found that my energy levels were non existent without it accept for weekends when i brunch instead. I have decided to up my exercise so we shall see how that goes. 3.5lbs this last week and consistently down each week. Also haven’t worried about the carb count as much as some have.
Can we have a water feature outside?

Hi NewLife – I’ve just had my weigh in for my 15th week and still enjoying it – I’m similar to you – started at 14 st 12 now 11 st 12 – lost 3 lbs this last week and have lost exactly 3 stone !!! Amazin’……….re lapses – had a disaster over Easter – put on 6.6 lbs and that was just in 3 days ! Chocolate, break, potatoes, chocolate………..came to the Tuesday after Easter and my husband said don’t weigh yourself as you’ll just be depressed – but, for the first time I did – knowing it would be truly dreadful – and it was. I was so furious with myself and immediately got straight back onto it and lost it all and some over the next two weeks. Something odd happened – psychologically it was fantastic for me – in the past I’ve always said – stuff it – and just carried on with the rubbish food feeling miserable and sorry for myself – this time I just didn’t – I think because I knew this was a different ‘diet’ for me, really is a new way of life and I so enjoy the food. Also, the incredible high it gave me of having power over my inner self and my body for me to control it not it control me – if you see what I mean. I am now in size 12 jeans and still have loads more around my tum to lose – but I will do it, of that I have no doubt. And if I have another relapse – so what – I can stop it before it gets too bad.

Incidentally, still lost weight when I was on holiday in Crete with girlfriends for 4 days – stuck to it, didn’t feel deprived and knew I’d lost weight. Couldn’t wait to be reunited with my best mate – the scales – never EVER thought I’d feel like that. 5 lbs to go to reach the goal I set when I started back at the end of January………..then I will set a new goal!

Don’t worry about what might happen, just know you can deal with it if it does…………

Hi Not so Fatty and every other….. Not so fatty Out there!!!!!

My best bit about losing weight is finding that I have stomach muscles…. large cheer…..hooray 🙂
The Tummy Bulge that made me look permanently pregnant…..seems to have….gone!!!!!

That is why atm the world and his wife keep coming up to me and asking/telling me I’ve lost weight.

Hi
just to carry on from the weigh in thread,
Judith, we are going to a different place this year so no one knows us there 😉
And Lynne Nice ? Oh yes 🙂 5* all inclusive, in Lara beach Turkey. Hotel just opened last week amd the first reviews are amazing 😀
Judith, what you been and done?
Really sorrry to hear about your shoulder, I know how painful that can be as I had a trapped nerve in mine about 5 years ago. I ended up going to a chiropreacter.
Hope it’s all ok for your hols

Hi everyone, I reached 8 weeks today 🙂
Congratulations to the other new vets!

I started at 14st 6lb, BMI 31.6

Now I’m 12st 11lb, BMI 28 and 23lbs down 🙂

I haven’t been taking measurements but my dress size was 20 and now I’m 14 🙂

I’m so grateful for all the support here. I’m going to continue for another 4 weeks and then see where I am. I haven’t been super-strict with the 800 cals and some wine has crept in, but I’ve had no bad lapses. I’ll confess to being worried about how I’ll cope should a lapse occur (and chances are at some point it will…) because I’m very ‘all-or-nothing’ and in the past a lapse has been the start of the downward spiral all too often.

Hi there – back from holiday – drove down from Orkney Saturday and Sunday – so lower days activity for the legs although not for the concentration!
I have completed the marathon between 1 May and 8 May :-).
Steps – 1/5 – 6582, 2/5 – 6917, 3/5 – 7298, 4/5 – 13203, 5/5 – 9402, 6/5 – 9586, 7/5 – 4525, 8/5 – 5028. Total 62541. According to my Gamin Vivofit, says that 5028 steps are 3.5km, so that converts to 27 miles – yeh.
However – I have never calibrated my walking – it is relative activity and that will include small steps down hilly slopes and strides along streets as equal steps.
What I will now do is look at how long it should take me to walk a marathon at the local park and use a GPS monitor and measure the marathon as a special walk each day starting Wednesday – tomorrow it is poring with rain, so not a good day to start! Hopefully I can manage at least 4 miles a day on top of the normal days walking and get to my marathon in a week.
I will post progress.

Hi,
Can I ask, did you do anything different in week 9 than to did in 1 to 8?

Did you eye up in the diet or did you keep to the programme?

I am thinking of keeping it going week by week, see how I feel and how my body copes.

Thanks

Lucia
Xxxx

Hi Alan.
Personally I weigh everything …even yogurt and eggs. I like to know exactly how many calories and carbs are in everything I eat, and write it all down in a daily diary. That’s the only way it works for me. If I make up new recipes I write those in the back of my book to refer back to.
I am 3 days into my second week. I found the first week great. I wasn’t hungry at all and really enjoyed all the food I was able to eat. This week however I am having big cravings for wine and bread, and I am feeling hungry for some reason, yet I’m doing exactly what I was doing last week. Sticking to 800 calories/day, and 50g carbs or less.

Three weeks

25 pounds!!
3 inches lost from waist
fastings from mid 150’s to about 110

All,
You can tell me if this is a stupid question.

Why test BS levels first thing in the morning, surely it makes more sense to test before and after meals to see how your body deals with processing what you’ve just eaten?.

could you give me a link to the recipe please
thanks

Hi Alan
I weigh everything now, even dollops of yoghurt! I’m on week 3 and the first week lost 4.6kg, then only 0.9kg week 2, so it was a bit of a wake up call.
I’ll continue to do this until I’m steadily losing each week and I have my eye in!
Linda

Hi,
I just used coconut flour to make cheese scones, yummy if a bit dry. Might be good to mop up olive oil, or with butter on. ☺️

HELLO GonnaBeDazzling,

Thanks for the welcome… I actually don’t know what my body measurements are externally… but I did weigh once at the halfway mark and had gone from 97 to 88kg…. and I have not weighed since… Weight focus plays with my head!!

So maybe I will buy some scales today.

For me the motivation has been the BSL and decreasing medication. I have got rid of BP meds… Cholesterol Meds, Diabex was gone in the first week and now I have started decreasing my Metformin…

Went to a half dose a few weeks ago – but was too dishearten with the Fasting BSL… so after being reminded that long term diabetics may take longer to respond and may in fact have impeded Pancreatic function ( and my poor ol Eyelets of Langerhans must be worn out after 55 years of eating whatever and whenever I pleased) I went back to the original dose and only this morning decreased it by a quarter – as my Fasting bsl was back to acceptable…

Like you and many others my clothing that can be worn in public is – barely there… but I want to wait until I stabilise to a size before I purchase anything new… If I can I will wait to go shopping once I return to Oz…

You are so right… everything is more comfortable without carrying those extra Kg’s… Hubby said on this weekend – well – just think you are not carrying a backpack full of bricks around any more!!!!

Really think I will stick with the 800 BSD for a few more weeks and revert to the 5:2 but in reverse – like have the week end off… a little later – maybe mid June… and see where I end up….

Will see my Doc in July and surprise her…. in march she sent me to a Specialist endocrinologist as she thought my ability to manage BSL on oral meds was diminishing…. cant wait to surprise her…. (hopefully)…

It is so good to see so many peeps on here that have changed their lives for the healthier and happier…. well done to everyone…

Not so Fatty…

Hi Lostgirl – I hope the sun comes out soon in your house x

Welcome to the veterans club, not so Fatty!!! Told you that name wouldn’t fit for long he he 🙂

Congratulations to all those who’re doing well.

Just 1 lb off for me this week.

I can tell I’m getting closer to where I want to be though as the shorts which I could barely do up at the end of last summer now fit comfortably and so do the summer dresses which were far too tight.

Wondering what calories in foods actually look like
For instance full fat yoghurt three big dollop spoons worth ? Big desert spoon
Normal rasher bacon ?
Large egg
Or should I stick my yoghurt on scales
Alan going weirder

Stick with it. My weight loss stalled in Week 3 and I continued on BSD 800 and went on to lose in Weeks 4 and 5. Stay with it, make sure you drink 2-3 litres water/day and that you’re consuming enough healthy fats and staying low carb (wow, lots to think about). Best wishes.

Love how passionate you are sounding from your bandwagon.

The trouble is there is so much of the icky stuff tied up into foodstuffs (money) and the sugar lobby are very powerful especially in the States. As the UK seems to follow the worst of the things that come from there and not the best – then that may be some of the problem.

Big pharma also wants to push the expensive tablets onto the ‘sick’ and keep us thinking we need it. I really don’t like taking any tablets as I’ve always been a believer in the power of self-healing, probably cos I’ve never been ill for any long periods of time. Glandular fever only got me for 3 weeks when I know others have had it for months.

Hope that your book comes soon and helps sort the reflux out

Polly x

I hardly feel eligible to post in this section, as I have yet to do even a week on bsd

however, in hours of googling all sorts, I came across this chart which I thought might interest you, although it is probably on here somewhere already

https://ggiswheatfree.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/so-many-flours-so-little-cupboard-space-how-gluten-free-flours-compare-for-carbs-and-protein-content/

I guess what I found particularly alarming, as a consumer of gf bread/pasta – was the complete lack of fibre and protein in the flours they use for these products
I mean it is even worse than wheat on that front, and as bad or worse for carbs!!

I have made the coconut flour flatbreads and they are tasty, and I think I will now (since I have loads of it left) attempt some other coconut flour recipes

any favourite suggestions gratefully received – so long as they don’t have lots of other ‘tricksy’ ingredients that are expensive or hard to find!!

Yay, GillyD, me too. I’m about a stone down but still have about 3 to lose and possibly more. The lack of hunger helps. The whole rewarding with food or drink is a weird thing, isn’t it? Hope you are doing a different self reward thing instead.

well done to everyone else too
Polly x

Hello Not So Fatty, welcome!

It’s so good that dozens of us are loving this way of eating. How are you doing? Would you like to tell us what changes your first 8 weeks have made for you?

I’m still throwing out clothes – my wardrobe & drawers have never been so empty!
And gardening is so much more comfortable now I’m bendier!

well I am not one to weigh every day – well actually I was, until those overseeing my ‘binge eating disorder’ restricted me to once a week
this is much better as you don’t get obsessed by it daily, and reactive to whatever you see which of course varies all the time
HOWEVER
I did just have a sneak look, simply because I have been spending far more than ‘pennies’ on the loo!!!!
so it has even gone down half a pound since yesterday
insane!!
now
do I check each day, or wait until next Sunday, like a good girl? hmmmm

just had berries and yog for breakfast,

annoyingly my stupid throat issues have flared up a bit again, so I am not happy about that
also my tummy has been giving twinges which may be because I have stopped taking my PPi

why is nothing ever straightforward

still waiting for the ‘anti reflux’ book to arrive
goodness I am spending so much money on food books at the moment

hi, californiagirl – yes I totally agree, that Gary Taubes book is really brilliant – I am actually reading it ALL through

I get a bit tangled up at times, but in essence it is simple – carbs/sugars are bad for us and the people that knew this have either ignored it or lied to us or both

the NHS is in a financial crisis – as is medicine the world over it seems
WELL – imagine how much could be saved if THIS way of life is adopted, even by some

goodness I need to get off this bandwagon, as I am not even sticking to it myself yet

I just feel so angry that we have been so totally indoctrinated by people in power!!

Sorry GillyD
I called you Halfway to Paradise! Silly me!!! Sorry.
Cheers
Linda

Hi…. I am knocking politely at the door…..

Just looked at the calendar… started March 13… so thats me at the end of eight weeks… wow… never supposed when I started what seemed like an insurmountable climb to the eight week mark that I would actually loose track of what week I was in… Love my life eating like this has set me freeeeeeeee..

MAY I PLEASE COME IN????

NOT QUITE SO FATTY….

Hi Everyone
Looked at this thread….. Carolg/ Purplepenguin/ Lauren the three latest posts……congratulations to them and of course everyone else.
Weigh in day Week 14 and nearly 2 stone lost…….just that pesky pound to remove. Then another stone to go before I reach my healthy weight.
Feel healthier already.
Weight down, Blood sugar level down and Blood pressure down…….what’s not to like???

Keep on track. Best of luck to all BSD followers everywhere.

Hi GillyD, (fellow lurker) Great to hear your story so far. I am not there yet, but looking forward to it. I have a holiday ahead too, it is great motivation. Good to hear that you are feeling so good after four weeks.

Well done Halfway to Paradise. It’s a great feeling isn’t it, when you realise the reality isn’t as scary as the thought of it. Please keep posting and let us know how you go!
Linda

Hi All, Keep at it! Do more, drink more water, record everything that passes your lips. Don’t give up, push throught it. You have had a fantastic weight loss so far, don’t stop now.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I will try some seeds and nuts on the yoghurt and see if it helps. And I’ll take a look at the flatbread and the other carb recipes.

I had a fasting blood sugar of 7 this morning. So motivating!

End of week 12.
Lost 2 lb this week for a grand total of 2 stone 12 lbs.
Yesterday I thought I was going to make the 3 stone mark as only 0.25lb to go – but no ended up a 1.25lb heavier.
I should know better as am used to these ups and downs by now. Well there is always next week 🙂

Snap Lauren I also lost 3.5 lbs this week a bit farther on than you as this is the beginning of week two second time around but so echo what you said. I get nervous on those scales but its been down every week and I am so so thrilled by the fact that I will have gone down three jeans sizes by next week as my present ones are falling off so a belt has been invested in. Steady as we go this is soooo exciting!! 🙂

Hello everyone! I have also been “lurking” on the forums and reading with great interest and admiration about people’s experiences on the BSD… I have now decided to take the plunge and say hi properly 🤗 I have just finished week 4 and have lost 13 lbs so far.. I was a bit disappointed this week to only lose 1lb but still it was a loss ! I am not diabetic but was possibly edging towards it, not so much because I am addicted to carbs but because I had fallen into the trap of ” rewarding” myself with wine after stressful days at work… That and moving to a more sedentary job with more travel (sitting down and longer hours) meant the weight I had lost a few years before piled on…. So I thought I’d try this as the 5:2 didn’t really work for me ( it’s all or nothing with me !) and what a difference!!! Even just cutting what carb I did eat means my digestion is better, I don’t feel so bone achingly tired and I have lost weight! So I am looking forwar to the next 4 weeks as I need to lose at least another stone for the holiday of a lifetime we have coming in July 👍🤗 Good luck to everyone else who is/ has embarked on this way of eating as I really think it works. Have a lovely day all x

Well done Revenanto….you deserve to be smug…great results. Best wishes to you.

Oh hip was before dog attack!!!

It’s all going on at this house. I’m ill dogs are ill.

It never rains but it pours

Excellent job 🙂 I hope your friends have admitted they were wrong!!

You deserve to be smug, and very proud of yourself – good luck with the next 8 weeks!

Well, I’ve made it, despite all the warnings from well meaning friends that I would die/ go into starvation mode/damage my liver/kidneys/heart etc. and lose all sense of humour and become a social pariah! I haven’t felt so good in thirty years. My ankles and feet have stopped being swollen, I haven’t had an alcoholic drink in 57 days and I’ve started walking every morning.
My weight has dropped from 23 stone 12lbs to 21 stone 1lb (39lbs) .

I’m starting my second eight week stint today in the certain knowledge that
1. it isn’t impossible, and in fact it is much easier than I could ever have imagined, and
2. this regime really seems to work for me!

Thank you to the many people who wrote and answered my questions. Every single piece of support is important and really helps.
I’m off to the over eight week section now, and hope to see you all there too soon. I know this is just the start for me, but at last I know that the journey is at least possible, after decades of despair and camera avoidance.

Sorry if I sound a bit smug….but I am!
Good luck and best wishes to you all

R