Hi Janet
The chocolate incident was just pure boredom! I should have put it in the case, it was just that Lucy came on Saturday evening with the girls and gave me the chocolate, the youngest Dana, loves to share her choc, however she was adamant that I should put it in my travel bag, I didn’t have the heart to stop her, then of course time and events take over and i forgot it was there.
I am being very good now, yogurt, strawbs and walnuts for brekkie, and I only had one slice of brown bread(my first one in ten weeks) toasted with marmalade too. I am trying to eat sensibly while at the same time keeping it in the realms of normal.
Happy holidays for me cheers for now.
Christine

Thanks Caramba – it is helpful to see how others are doing who are in a similar situation. I enter my details into a spreadsheet called “New You” and I am still classed as Obese Class 1 (which sounds awful) so I will be really pleased once I am classified as Overweight which shouldn’t be too long now! Good-luck to you and everyone else (the first thing I do when I get into work in the morning is open up the forum on the website and then I minimize it and then just click on it throughout the day for all the encouraging news and banter – Bill always makes me have a giggle!

Throw the veg on the plate and don’t worry about the calorific values of it, it’s almost all complex carbohydrate anyway which is good.
I’ve never counted calories, just cut out the carbs and I’ve lost 2 stones and I’m finally off all medication with blood sugar readings at more or less normal range now.
Just don’t let yourself get hungry for the sake of a few veggies, that’s the path to failing nad you have no intentions of doing that.
Michael does mention in the book that 50% of your plate should be filled with veg 🙂

Hi Lucia,
I hope you are feeling a bit more optimistic this morning! We have all been there in the past, one of the differences I think, is this forum which has been great and unconditional support to everyone who needs it.
I get bored easily and that is the time I am likely to get complacent and think – it is ok just to have this, or go out for afternoon tea…..etc and before you know it, the lbs are back on.
What has helped me, and it is more by chance than good planning, is that I have been making some changes to how I approach the diet about every two weeks. First it was shakes, then it was how to replace them and planning what normal foods I could eat, then concentrating on the carbs, not just the calories and then over 4 weeks it was – drop the skimmed things etc.,
Since finishing the eight weeks, I have had a lot of desk work to do so little or no exercise, and the weight loss slowed to 1kg a week not the 2+ I have had. To reenergise my interest as I could see me heading towards, this is fine at this weight – lets settle at this weight for a while, I decided to find out whether I have been fat burning and got the ketostix. Now I am monitoring that in the morning and at night to see if I can see what foods I have eaten that makes it darker rather than lighter and adjusting accordingly. The next challenge will be planning the 5:2.
Take a few hours to yourself to look at your blog, look at what has worked and what has not, and making a few changes to bring in more of the ‘positives’ plus approaches that you read others are doing can keep the interest and challenge that we have in the first few weeks.
Always remember – ‘the past does not have to equal the future’! Plus a very twee statement, ‘today is the first day of the rest of your life’!
Go find some puddles and play!

Well done Fi
Your journey is going really well. Your stats sound similar to mine in some ways. Except before Christmas my stats were about the same as yours but I unexpectedly lost about half a stone before I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at the end of January.
Have now completed 10 weeks. Weight 11 stone. Waist 35″. Fasting BS 5.7 this morning.
Unfortunately my HBA1c showed 7.2 at the end of March so I still have a way to go.
Need to lose 1 and a half stone to get to a healthy BMI.
Good luck.

Wow Red 4 kilos in week 1 is magnificent
I bet you’re looking forward to the next 7 weeks a lot more than you were.
Congratulations, onwards and upwards. 😀

A massive achievement for Bill and the meds! !
I’ve just started week 6 and feel I’ve reached a plateau. Today’s weigh in is approx 12st 13lb, about the same as last week. No changes in my diet. Still walking 2.5 to 3 miles briskly 5 days a week. Hopefully as Bill said “the only way is down”!
I’m still on my Metformin although my FBS levels are on their way down again after a little blip – today’s was 6.2 (on 2000mg Metformin daily).

Well done girls, you’re both going great guns!
Interesting to hear about the IBS, an unexpected bonus for you Denise
Keep posting and let us know how you both progress.

Well today I have had 3 tablespoons of Rachels Organic Greek Style Natural Yoghurt. I mixed it with some frozen blackberries I thawed in microwave (I picked them 18 months ago but they seem fine). I added a sprinkle of milled flax and also a tiny sprinkle of chia seeds, plus 1 tea spoon mixed ground nuts and seeds.I served it in my nice glass desert bowl, and actually enjoyed it, I scraped the bowl . I am having to re educate my taste buds, all the extras you’ve suggested really help. Tonight I’ll prepare some in a little pot to take to work, as I try not to eat until after 10.

I hope the yoghurt was ok, it wasn’t as sharp as some I’ve had, and very creamy. I will try the Lidl one and the Farge, so see which I prefer. Does anyone know if some are much better than others carb wise?

I am still feeling my way, going to make a veggie quorn mince later and add loads of allowed veg, will probably make a chilli as love a few added pulses. May stir a little yoghurt into that too. I also bought a sweet potato, now got to work do what to make with it – did I mention I’m not a great cook :}

Well done, Daria!

It’s very encouraging to read posts from people who’ve been on the diet for a while and have had such good results.

Brilliant Stingle, you took your future into your own hands and you changed it completely, no more worrying about how this horrid disease is going to ruin your life.
As to moving forward, I’m strictly in the no carb camp. They got me where I was before the BSD and no way am I going back.

In the hotter weather (hopefully we’ll get some!), you might like to try natural yoghurt – perhaps with fruit or nuts for a change. I wasn’t sure it’d be very filling, but have been surprised. Do get a kind with some fat in though.

Congtatulations on becoming a veteran Daria
An excellent set of results and more proof (if any more is needed) that this lifestyle does the job.
what are your plans now ? 5:2 Med maintainence, or staying on the fast 800 to lose a little more?

Fi, you’ve done brilliantly!

Forgot to measure my waist. Another 1/2 gone! Yay.

Bill, I do feel as though I have it cracked as I’m not weighing stuff or counting calories, but am reading ingredient labels and thinking carefully about my choices and keeping portion sizes under control as well as walking a lot more. I’ve had a glass of wine some nights and a small amount of carbs when eating out – and I’m still losing weight! There’s no reason I can’t stick to this level of the diet permanently and just eat a tiny bit more once I’m at my ideal weight.

Morning L
You’re all over this hun, there is no way you’re going to let yourself down, we’re all here for you.
If absolutely necessary, I’ll send some of the boyz to tie you up and feed you low carb stuff until you get your head straight again but you won’t need that (although you may want it 😉
Have a great day.

Thank you ever so much for that straight forward answer patsy
Everyone’s been so helpful in here
Alan

Hi Alan
diabetic comas are more a type 1 thing unless you get really low blood sugar readings.
The accepted practise if you do have a hypo (under 3.9 on the meter and may cause dizziness, perspiration and light headedness, you will know it without needing to read your sugar) is to swallow a glucose tablet or have a glass of milk with a biscuit or 2 and then test your blood when you are feeling better.

Just completed the 8 weeks and here are my results:

Start weight 13st 4lbs
Waist measurement: 42 1/2 ins
Fasting BS: 9.2

Weight no: 11st 11lbs
Waist measurement: 391/2 ins
Fasting BS: Between 5.5 – 5.7

Still have a long way to go so will continue (last month I was travelling a lot so even though I kept to the basic diet rules I wasn’t able to count calories – found restaurants were very good offering a side salad or extra veggies instead of potatoes). It has been an incredible journey and shared with incredible people! I feel so much better – the bloating has gone and my mood has lifted. Great news from Bill about his meds – hopefully that will be me giving that news in the not too distant future! My annual hospital appointment is in October and I am confident that I will be back down to ‘normal’ weight for my height by then. I just want to thank my mum as well because she found out about this diet and I said “oh, I might give it a go after Easter and she said “why wait until then, why don’t you just do it now”, so I did and I am so glad.

Rolled or porridge oats are OK according to the book. It’s the instant stuff such as Ready Brek or the kinds in sachets where you just add hot water or milk which are the problem.

Read the ingredients. If it only says ‘rolled oats’ then they’re fine. If there’s other stuff, such as oat flour or sugar then give them a miss.

Hi, was wondering if the diet works best if i follow the menu plan exactly, or can i replace some meals with other recipes from the book?

Hi Christine
Glad you had a good journey over. Just enjoy yourselves. Don’t worry about being good or naughty, if you want it, have it. If you can resist, then all the better! We don’t get enough holidays. Its only a week ,and you know what to do when you get back!

God I’m hearing that phrase on a daily basis now.
Come on all you people who have spent years doing commercial weight loss diets.
How many times have you heard anyone say that they can’t see themselves ever going back to eating the old way ?
That ladies and gentlemen is why the BSD works so well. It isn’t just a diet, it really is a new lifestyle.

Don’t worry Bill.
My Week 10 weigh day as well and have lost 4lb this week …at last!
For the previous 10 days had been fighting to lose and gain the same elusive pound in weight.
No significant difference in my eating patterns so goes to show how erratic weight loss can be over 3 weeks.
Very well done to be off your meds. Hope to come off mine in the future.
Hope my results this week are an encouragement to others if they hit a plateau or put on weight.
In the long term it works.
Stick in there. Good luck.

Thanks Bill

Being the shy, retiring person I am, I did hesitate about posting my progress. If they help people I am glad that I do post.

There are so many people on here (including you) who are keeping me going and helping me keep my focus now I’m in it for the long haul. I’m around the halfway point to where I want/need to be weight wise (unless I suddenly grow several inches taller LOL)

But perhaps my most important goal was getting the fasting bloods down, and they seem to have stabilised between 4 and 4.9. I am thrilled that you are now off the Metformin *does happy dance*

I have some questions as I read the book:
is it 300g Almonds or some other number?
is a TBL spoon my silver table spoon or the small plastic one?

I would suggest a title “Questions on the DSB book”

Thanks
ben

Yeah I’m happy about that, especially as I had a naughty Friday night when we went out for an Indian meal.
I had a chicken tikka starter followed by tandoori king prawns with salad.
Absolutely delicious and no appreciable effect on the sugar readings.
Just goes to show, as long as you make the right choices, eating out doesn’t have to be avoided.
Patsy, looking like you have this cracked 🙂 Well done.
BTW as far as I remember, once you have climbed all the way up to a plateau, all you have to do is cross it, then it’s all downhill again 🙂

I just want to throw this in to show the power of low carb eating.
My stepson and business partner has been creeping up in weight until he was at 17.5 stones. Last week he decided to cut out the bread, pasta, rice etc (I have to stress that he is NOT following the BSD) and he asked Mum and me to bring in the meals I’ve been having for lunch for him.
In 5 days, He has lost 7 pounds. How’s that for not over thinking it ? 😀

So here begins week six and 10.3kg down. This is so exciting someone pinch me🙃

Well done, Marcus.

I think just taking control of what we eat and knowing we’re doing something positive to help our health is enough to start us feeling better – and of course more benefits will kick in as we continue with the diet.

Worth having pulses to add a bit more variety to your diet as well as the reasons others have given.

It’s more likely to be carb withdrawal symptoms. These have actually been christened the carb flu on the forums.
Most have had them to a greater or lesser extent during weeks 1 – 2. Don’t worry, it means you are doing things right and the symptoms vanish pretty quickly.
Try to make sure you keep your water intake up and take painkillers for any headaches, in a few days you will feel much better.

This seems to get more and more complex,so no foods for breakfast which really fill me up ?
Thanks to everyone on here for advice I will continue trying to unravel the dark secrets of the diet.

If anybody has the name /brand of a safe porridge I’d love to know or any safe cereal,or filling breakfast allowed on this diet
Thanks all

Alan

Great news Bill. Meds free! Yipppeeee 😃

Hi April
that’s a good start to your new healthy life, keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll get there. Any problems, just shout out and the BSD will come running to assist.
Can I suggest that you now look at that photo and think “I’m NEVER going there again”
Best of luck on your journey

I know bit about sugar spikes but what about drops ?
As I’m not eating sugar foods how do I get it back up if I get those shakes ,,or do you go through it,is that the diabetic coma thing I read about
I’m type two on third day on this
Many thanks one again folks Alan

Hi April

Welcome to the BSD family, and well done for taking control now.

I had gestational diabetes many years ago but was never told I would probably develop type 2 in the future. I like to think if I had been told I would have made changes to my lifestyle, but would I?

You’ll meet lots of new friends on here who will help and support you along the road. If you have questions there is usually someone around to answer them as we are from different time zones.

Please don’t wait 7 weeks to post, but keep us informed of how you are doing along the way. We love to hear progress reports😃

Morning folks, I’ll take a look through the day and see what I can come up with.
Please bear in mind that I don’t know what platform the forum is built on soI have no idea of what can be done with it.
I’m sure most platforms do have a private messaging system but be aware that can be open to abuse as well as being useful.
Stickies shouldn’t be a problem.
I suppose the best thing would be to make a list of improvements we would like to see and run them past admin for approval and action if possible.

Well done, Stingle!

I’ve been very successful so far – 12 lbs loss in 12 days and feeling great but I just find there isn’t enough veg in the diet. I’ve made a few of the recipes and variations of them and they’re great but just need to add a lot more salad and veg or either I don’t feel satisfied or I get constipated. I drink 2-3 litres of water a day.
Does anybody else add more? My friends are doing other diets where veg and salad are considered ‘free foods’ but these diets tend to be low fat rather than low-carb.
I’m using variations on spinach, rocket, broccoli, cucumber with roasted hazelnuts, pine nuts or sunflower with peppers or capers and feel much better. How does this affect the outcome of the diet?

Hi Stingle

I’d love to be a fly on the wall at your docs appointment. Please let us know what she says. 😃 Love to see her face!

Got to agree Lynne, you are without doubt the BSD pin up girl but not just that.
You have given us all a target to aim for along with the inspiration to take matters ino our own hands and get there ourselves.
We may not all do it at the same speed. but you are living proof that the lifestyle works and so many newbies are going to read this and think “If she can do that, I can do”
I know if I get to your point, I’ll be delighted.
Anecdote time, Is dieting the only thing where a loss is classed as a gain ? 😉

Morning Lucia

Are you coming out to play today? I’ve found my skipping rope 😃

The nearest to unprocessed porridge you will get is called pinhead or steelcut oats. It is basically the oat kernel chopped a few times. The traditional scottish way of preparing it was to soak it in water overnight and boil up for a few minutes the next moring with a pinch of salt. It was served with a cup of ice cold full cream milk on the side, so you could dip your spoonful of porridge, rather than pouring your milk over the porridge,.
It is delicious and creamy, and definately doesnt need to be made with water. You would need to test your BS after at 1 hour and 2 hours to see if it was causing a spike.

On another aspect, ther is a lot being written about resistant starch, where cooked and cooled starches increase the dietary fibre (cellulose), reduces calories (because you can,t absorb the starch), and improves gut health. It applies to potatoes and rice, so I suspect it applies to porridge too, because it also becomes gelatinous when cooled. I know you can reheat porridge (slowly with a bit of extra water), so Im. going to try it. Any food scientists out there able to confirm my theory?

Hi EvaZ

You are very welcome. Hope to see more from your side of the pond on here😃

Looking forward to reading about your progress.

If you have any questions, just ask. There’s usually someone around to answer – we cover a lot of time zones now 😃

Bill
That is fantastic news about your meds. I am delighted for you.
Janice 🤗🤗🤗

Congratulations on being med free, Bill! That must feel great.

I’ve lost another pound, despite a few days away which made it hard to avoid carbs. There just doesn’t seem to be a quick, warming carb free option when out and about. Maybe we could have gone to a restaurant and had soup, but some don’t like you just having what they consider a starter.

Week 1 – 4lb
Week 2 – 1lb (it was my birthday thay week!)
Week 3 – 3lb

Great news Daria. There are two threads on the next forum down for those over 8 and 16 weeks. Come and join us on there 😃 The more the merrier!

Hi Pandora, and welcome

Hi cherrianne no I haven’t been counting carbs just calories avoiding all carbs and sugar . I am at my docs this morning …boy is she in for a shock as I haven’t seen her since before I started the bsd😀 I will see what she thinks and report back x thanks for taking the time to post appreciated

Week 10 weigh day and the long expected plateau has arrived !
I suppose I’m lucky to have gone this far without having one, so, no panic, I’ll just keep on doing what I’m doing.
On a brighter note, I stopped my last Metformin tablets on Saturday so at the moment I’m med free and over 2 days there have been no adverse effects on my blood sugar readings.
Just a little silver lining 😀

Oh no I’m having porridge oats today too !
Can anyone tell me the make brand etc of oats that are OK to eat in morning as I really need an easy filling breakfast ?
One or two eggs doesn’t seem very filling for me
Any cereals makes which are ok ??
Many many thanks Alan