Ha ha janet. I was thinking of breaking a bar up into sqares and freezing allbut one square. They last longer in the mouth when frozen too 🙂

X3 to have Lucia made an author 🙂 She posts some of the most entertaining stuff about, a bit like a favourite newspaper column, the one you turn to first.
Merrymary, the thread you need is the “Over the 8 week line and beyond” in the fast 800 forum.
I just hit the 2 stone loss mark on week 9 and their are folks in there who make that look like a drop in the ocean.
Wishing you all the success you would wish ypurself.

Hi spirit there seem to be more people who have suffered that way on these forums than I would have expected. Makes you wonder. Especially as the.long term stresss of living in fear damages the immune system and can cause the kind of illnesses that can lead to excess weight.

Like you I can spot troubling traits quite quickly now. I’m 63 and not likely to dip my toe in that particular water again either…

We should pat ourselves on the back for being survivors who have taken control of our own lives again 🙂
We are strong women, you, me, catgirl and lynne 🙂

Don’t let me entice you over to the dark side! But then again, you might not like it anymore. Only get a small bar eh?

Hi vyvyen.
One comment in your post screamed out at me and really summed up the reasons for the worldwide epidemic of obesity and T2D.”I wish I had known they were not healthy”
We have had, for decades, food manufacturers filling us up with dangerous carbohydrates. On the back of that came riding in the weight loss companies with their useless low fat regimes, even the medical profession is singing from the same song sheet.
Welcome to the revolution!!!
Together we can and will make a difference, every week that goes by, more people start this healthy eating plan and every week there are more success stories. You can’t hide that or make it go away and soon it will become common knowledge.
Welcome to the BSD, wishing you all the success you are hoping for.

Hi lostgirl – a stone so far is good, very good! I would recommend you drop the pepsi max though! My old head was very fond of saying ‘if you always do what you always did you will always get what you always got’. It’s very true.
Next time you can’t resist a veggie burger could you make a big salad with some feta cheese added then bring just your veggie burger home? You can still enjoy your burger minus the chips which have caused you weight problems. You would have the bonus of feeling so virtuous as well. Swallow it down with a diet coke if you can’t do without.

Could you make it a once a week treat? It would give you something to look forward to with the knowledge you are still doing right by your body.

I would recommend making a batch of coconut flatbreads and freezing all but one. When the cake urge gets too strong replace a meal with one topped with yoghurt or cream and strawberries

Hope you have a better day today, you deserve it 🙂

I agree Hasimoto, it is hard even when you have broken free of your shackles. I too have been free of an emotional abuser for 15 years now (had to count that up!). There are lots of ways that I’ve since learned to protect myself, i.e. starting to see new people and then running a mile when I see traits from the other person I don’t much care for. I now have built a ‘fort’ around me and yes, maybe some of that was the weight.

I have a nice enough life, I’m living near my son and daughter, I see them often, my daughter gets married next month in Florida – which we are all looking forwards to. Having a bloke around just doesn’t figure in my wants or needs, despite family and some friends telling me i ought to dip my toe in the water again. I can’t see that ever happening though!

A big BSD hello to all you new starters.
You have all taken the first steps on this exciting journey to a whole new healthy lifestyle.
You will all have doubts and lots of questions, there will be slip ups and accidents along the way but remember, you are not alone.
The path is becoming well trodden now and those who have went before have left a rich legacy of tips, information, recipes, and lots of fun.
There is always someone available to help out on these forums, they really are global now and growing every day.
Stick to the simple concepts, 50 g carbs or less per day, eat more fat and get plenty of fluids into your bodies and this time next week we will all be celebrating your successes along pith you.

It’s going well jandz!:)

Hi spirit
Thanks for the mention 😊
You ve done well.
Penny

Hi vyvyen, welcome to the forums and the bsd way of life. If you like spicy food try the courgette bhajis. Make a big batch and freeze some. I add onions and carrots sometimes. Protein comes from the gram flour and you can make some raita from full fat yoghurt :). Plenty of veggies on here to give advice 🙂

Hi GR
I m glad to hear you’re still alive! Re light headedness-
I would suggest upping your water and fat.
Have you looked at Jenny Ruhls book ‘low carb problems solved’? (£3 on kindle)- she may help.
Penny

Hi shortapple, welcome to the forums. I began with a BMI of 28.9 and now have a BMI of 21.7. I was aiming for 25, I am amazed at how effective this diet is – and it does improve your concentration. I’m still 5’4″ though! Lol 🙂

Hi Vyvyen,
welcome, there are quite a few vegetarians on the forum and are always happy to help if you have questions. There is a fantastic Creamy Cauliflower and Bean soup in the recipe section that I made – I can recommend that. I try to have soup once a day – it is very filling and gets a lot of veg into one meal. It is also good for planning as one pot does 1 for today and 3 for the freezer!
good luck

End of week 4 and 1lb off…..Its only a 1lb but I’m grateful as a loss is still a loss and considering the amount of carb crap I ate & drank over Easter weekend I expected a gain 😳

So it’s the midway point of the 8 weeks and this is how things have panned out so far:

Week 1 – 4 lb loss
Week 2 – 3 lb loss
Week 3 – 2 lb loss
Week 4 – 1 lb loss

I’m determined week 5 will not follow this trend!

If I can lose another 2 lb I’ll have reached my first goal…it means I’m back to the weight I was at Xmas 2014.

Welcome Shortapple

I too had a hysterectomy 4 years ago and had breast cancer 7 years ago, so for me, a change in lifestyle was a must. I exercise regularly as I have always enjoyed exercise, but my eating involved too many Carbohydrates as I believe these were good for me. Since having the hysterectomy, I have found that I put on weight much quicker and its very hard to shift, and over the past 4 years have gained 2 stone!

The good news – a stone of that has come off in 4 weeks!!! My 4 week weigh in was yesterday and I am so pleased. Colleagues have noticed and I have much more energy already. I do shift work and have used this as an excuse for the past 2 years as part of my weight gain, but have proven that even with 12 hours sat in front of two computer screens, this diet works! I now go out during my two 45 minute breaks and walk and am hitting 10,000 steps almost every day (even on my night shifts).

Someone once told me the mind is stronger that the body, and this has got me through the last 7 years! If the mind says I can do this, the body has to follow!

I CHOOSE LIFE!!

Hi desperate, no other diet has worked for me, at all. This one is different.

Have you been tested for hypothyroidism? It is a common cause of weight gain and cause you to be breathless.
I would also ask to have your peak flow measured in case you are asthmatic. I have post menopausal onset asthma. It’s not as rare as you may think.
Have you also had a Fsb test done.

Those tests could put your mind at rest.

Fish:. I. Always foil. Wrap mine and add what I fancy – any herb/spice, lemon, soy sauce, fresh ginger root, chilli, onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, courgettes. Etc

🙂

Hi Darleen
Keeping under 50 g of carbs is the main thing. If you make sure you’re having plenty of fat the protein shouldn’t be a problem- it tends to be a problem when people still restrict their fat too much but this is a low carb, high fat, medium protein diet.
Just looking through my MYfitnessPal records, I d say I tend to have 30-40g of carbs, 25- 35 g of fat, 30-40g of protein.
But I m only really concentrating on the carbs and vaguely remembering to add fat. The protein seems to take care of itself!
Hope this helps
Penny

Nikkioaks you are right about the volume thing about fat and muscle.:)

Newlife totally agree it is a revelation about not thinking about sweet stuff 24/7 🙂

Georgiarose, interesting re toothpaste, i have used arm and hammer bicarb toothpaste so will have to go back and check their packaging. Wasn’t very happy when I read titanium dioxide was an ingredient!

Is it the penfolds having an effect or do you think it could be lower BP? A few of us have had that but mine sorted itself by week 7.

🙂

Hi lesley, you’re back on track, blip well and truly behind you, go girl, go:)

Thanks newlife and spirit, I’m looking forward to wearing the frock now! They have only seen me in a dress once in the last decade so. It will be a double shock he he!

Spirit i had the same weird experience re bras myself yesterday. 2″ less under the bust but cup size is still the same, how? Why? I. Thought the cup size was bound to go down. When I measured myself my band was 3 inches less ?

Welcome to the veterans, Spirit!

Newlife, you are part of our BSD family so you reply or post on any thread you want me dear!

Spirit, I. Think you are right about not pandering to sensitivities. It’s very hard not too when you have been through the kind of marital abuse Lynne went through. I know because I did too. I am reading a book at the moment which explains that it leaves the victim ‘primed’ to please others. We may have brushed ourselves off, stood up courageously and forged new lives for ourselves but we still have heightened sensitivities we are not fully cognizant off. In short I think you’re right, in practice it is so very hard to do. I have been ‘free’ for 18 years and am just beginning to realise I still bear some scars.

I really hope Lynnes family acknowledge what she has acheived, she deserves it so much. You are right, the beauty of her soul shines through.

Captainlynne your BSD family loves you x

I think as I lost a stone fast it’s now not moving.

Last night I was low .. I had been low all day and was desperate for cake… I resisted!! Instead I had a vegi burger and chips from the chippy… As I was eating it .. I knew I didn’t want it
But kept eating.
It re kicked me into trying harder!! Today has the yogurt but flaked almonds and few chopped strawberry.

I’m
Hoping those chips kicked my body into dropping a few pounds… Also sinc back drinking Pepsi max also seems to tie in with no weight loss….

Hello Just Do It,

I agree with the others, I’m another one whose loss was slower than many on here and lots of occasions when it stalled completely.

It’s a really good sign that the inches are coming off for you. Remember too that MM says the the visceral fat goes first – hence the inch loss, so maybe stay off the scales for a few days or so.

Handofgods, shame you’re lactose intolerant, you will have to use lots of olive oil instead!

The weight loss on this diet is pretty miraculous isn’t it? Bargain price on the scales too! I have fond memories of woolies in Oz, it’s nice it will still be there when I come over again this year!

Well, witb 4 or 5 kg gone you have a lot of motivation to continue! I’m looking forward to your posts over the next weeks!

Stay pumped! You feel even better after 2 weeks 🙂

Morning all,

Agreed, hashimoto, wear the frock, have your hair done and slap on some slap. It will boost your morale no end.

Captainlynne, I’ve read your posts but not been able to get on the lappie much the past few days. I say don’t hide your light under a bushel. Just because your family don’t want to acknowledge your success for their own reasons, doesn’t mean you have to pander to their sensitivities. This isn’t meant to sound harsh, but I hope you know what i’m getting at? You are clearly a beautiful soul – go shine girl! xx

I’m officially at the end of the 8 weeks today. I was 20lb down as of the other day, I’ve not weighed myself today, might do it tomorrow morning (since I’ve had a cup of tea and some strawberries with home made yoghurt this morning)

I did nip to Debenhams on Thursday after work to be remeasured. My cup size has remained the same (since my reduction surgery) but I have gone from a 36 to a 34″. I find it odd how if I measure my band, I’m a 32 so how come the 34 fits?

I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone on this thread who’ve helped and encouraged since day 1 of this diet, especially pmshrink. Your support when I was flagging has really made a difference so thank you.

Moving forwards, I’ll continue on the 800. I was saying to my daughter last night that I can’t see myself going back to 3 meals a day and wonder how you have all fitted back in to ‘normal’ eating? I usually have breakfast of either yoghurt and berries or smoked salmon or bacon and eggs , then nothing other than water or cups of tea until the evening.

I can’t see myself wanting a sandwich at lunchtime again!

Thanks Janet1973. I have found Calorie King and it is easy to use. I think I overestimated the cals for the chickpeas when adding up for the Spanish Soup. It is not nearly so ‘out’ as I first thought. Very generous helpings though – good one for when one is v v hungry.

Lynne, what they all said. You are inspirational!

I feel for you, we all want to have our achievements acknowledged, but it sounds to me like denial is a big problem in your relatives.

I’m not a veteran, only 3 weeks in, but I love reading this thread for all the success stories and I hope y’all don’t mind.

hashimoto, wear the frock, wear the frock! Knock ’em dead, girl.

Gained 5 lbs during my blip Last week.
Back on it now…feeling motivated again.

12 weeks until my hen do!! Xx

End of week five and still alive 🙂 but tired and feeling faint when get up quickly. Any advice?
Also, regarding sweetened toothpaste (which also has triclosan, an anti-bacterial which is certainly unnecessary, even detrimental), good old salt and bicarb soda has been a family stand-by for years.
Survived big hubby-birthday dinner yesterday and back on the wagon. (Boy, that Penfold’s Bin 28 was yummy, tho.)
Keep on keeping on all!!
Cheers. GR

Hi, I agree with Bill – berries are great. I also have some prunes in the cupboard for emergencies but have only needed them once. The cravings DO go, so hang in there.

Hi Just Do It, I’m another whose weight loss has slowed – I’m not stopping this anytime soon though! I’m eating more healthily than I have in years and that’s got to be good for my body, regardless of any other considerations. And I rarely feel hungry – I used to be hungry 24/7 and losing that addiction is awesome too.

Keep on keeping on 🙂

Yay, sthomas, totally awesome 🙂

Thanks hashimoto and SunnyB, it’s so helpful to have your reinforcement.

I do have less to lose than some, around 3st. And I know I can do it. I have to say, not thinking about chocolate 24/7 is a revelation 🙂

Haha hashimoto im lactose intollerant!

I just bought a bathroom scale from woolies. Price was 25.00. Scanned it promotion 15.00. Scanned my rewards card 5.00! Lmao its like fated!

Reached home weighed in 89kg! First time in years im under 90! Pretty sure i shed 4 to 5 kilos! How is this possible!

Very pumped!

Hi Cherrianne, there are several ways of cooking spaghetti squash: bake, microwave, boil. I’ve only ever baked it using the following method. Heat oven to 180C. Pierce the spaghetti squash all over, smear with olive oil (like you would eggplant and capsicum), place on baking sheet whole and bake for 40 mins – 60 mins depending on the size of the squash. Then cut in half, remove seeds and strands of flesh resembling spaghetti. I’ve only ever used it as a spaghetti substitute. There may be others out there that have different uses.

Hi,
I’ve been lurking in the shadows for a while, now on day 6.. Just wanted to say a big Thank you … All the information you share has been a god send, first day was really stressful, but reading through all the posts understand it so much better now and Calorie counting has never been my thing 😝 I’m totalling my Calories, Carbs and Protein .. BUT .. Can’t remember where the protein part came in, remember reading it on one of the posts said to try and stay under 45g per day ? I think it had to do if you were counting Carbs side of things .. Any help and I site would be appreciated ..
Thank you 💙D X

Hi Switzerland and Cherrieanne,

I look forward to doing this journey with you. Great to meet another vegetarian TOFI too :). I’ll be scrolling through the vegetarian recipes on this site. I don’t know if I can keep off the bread and I love cereals. Wish I’d know that they were not very healthy.

Cheers,
Vyvyen

just checking in to say after a few days of stable weight, it has now gone down – so moving in the right direction again, so hanging in there really does work.

and the other thing I say to myself is that muscle (in a certain volume) is heavier than fat (in the same volume) thing. I have been working hard in the gym, and a smaller fitter body of the same weight is ok, especially when only part way through.

Hi Vyvyen, welcome to the BSD way of life. I’m vegetarian too and a TOFI, my blood sugars are stable in the non diabetic range since doing the fast 800.
There are some really nice vegetarian recipes on the site. I can recommend the courgette bhajis and stuffed peppers.
You’ll soon have your carb addiction under control 🙂

Thanks for that Switzerland, it’s pretty cool here in the Adelaide Hills and I’ve seen a sign at a roadside stall for spaghetti squash. I’ve heard of them but no idea how to prepare or cook. Any tips? I’d love to try it as we are vegetarian and always open to trying new veg 🙂

Hi Vyvyen, Welcome to the BSD. The posts on the forums are such a support. I’m looking forward to sharing your journey. The book and the forums are such an inspiration. I’m Week 1 Day 3 and sat down to a bowl of cauliflower soup at lunch. I ate 3/4 of the bowl and stopped because I felt full. I cannot tell you the last time I actually felt satisfied by 3/4 of any meal! Let everyone know how you’re going.

I’ve been looking into the Uric acid/gout thing over the past few days. Turns out that low carb/high protein diets are not recommended as these naturally increase the amount of purines in the body which leads to higher Uric acid levels. Now I know why the levels are high I can safely explain this to the quack on my next visit. I’ll be introducing blueberries and cherries into my diet and cutting down on red meats. Looks like it’s white fish and veggies for me!

Hi Cherianne and Chicatwist, Another handy low carb alternative to traditional pasta is Spaghetti Squash. In the cooler parts of Australia they’re being harvested/almost ready to harvest depending on your exact location. 1/2 cup cooked spaghetti squash has 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fibre and 21 calories.

Hello,

Bought this book a couple of weeks ago as I tested my fbg for the first time ever and it was 5.8. Thought I’d better get my act together with a family history of diabetes and heart attacks. I’ve had a good run for 57 years eating anything and everything and never worrying about weight gain. I’ve now discovered I must be a TOFI. My only weight is in the middle. I’m also a vegetarian that’s addicted to carbs and sugar! Really looking forward to going through this journey and lifestyle change with everyone on here.

Vyvyen

Hi MerryMary

great to hear your story. I wasn’t around when they handed out height either, and am also enjoying autumn days of 32º.

Sounds like you’ve done some great preparation, and I think that’ll really help when you’re tired and coming off night shifts. A quick trick I’ve used is an “antipasto” type plate with a couple of slices of salami, a few cubes of feta, some olives and chunks of capsicum, tomato, cucumber – whatever I can find in the fridge, and found it surprisingly effective.

Remember when you fall off, and I’d guess most of us do, get back on. It gets easier with practice. And do use the forums – there’s lots of support, at all times of day or night. I was sure this morning I wanted cake with my coffee, but checked on the forums before I went out and had just the coffee. Also walked past the chocolate and yummy cup cake shop!!

so good luck, and keep posting. lots of us will be glad to hear of your ups, and downs, and ups again.

Hi MerryMary,

I too am in Australia and have started the BSD today, 3rd April. We are going on an overseas trip in eight weeks and I want to hop on the plane much lighter, smaller and fitter than I am today. Like you I am height challenged and before menopause was reasonably OK at 60 kilos but since then my weight has just slowly crept up and up and I am now at 66 years of age 13kilos heavier with a fat tummy and high cholesterol. I thought when I retired I would be able to take it off but have failed dismally.
Despite walking every day, doing yoga and gardening lots I still puff whenever I walk up hills and overheat really easily. Am scared that I will just have a heart attack and die in five years time as did my aunt.
I have tried every diet known to woman and have always found low carb worked but its just not doing the trick anymore. Fine for maintenance but not losing weight. On the 5:2 I lose on the fast day and within a day or two have crept up again.I like alcohol more than I should and find if I drink wine before I know it I am reaching for the chocolate….so no alcohol for 8 weeks. Have joined the gym and am feeling very committed. I want my healthy fit body back again.
Would love to know if any one has any delicious fish recipes.

Thanks for the great support as we are starting the 800Cal plan tomorrow. We are using one of the online apps to manage the daily diet. Are we correct in aiming for the following? (Calories=800, Carbs=50, Fat=??, Protein=60, Sodium=??, Sugar=10). Is this the same for him & her?

Hi MerryMary, I also commenced BSD 800 on April 1. So far, so good. I got REALLY hungry yesterday and everytime I wanted to eat outside of BSD guidelines I reached for water. The water (and the many trips to the loo) distracted me enough to stick to the 800! I weighed myself today: 1kg down and 1cm down on waist circumference. Still a long way to go but very motivating results. It’s great to be on this journey with you.