I am still not feeling to crash hot, my sinusitis is only shifting very slowly. My nose is still pretty much blocked most of the time… making it hard to sleep at night. … but we have a chemist not far away, and I also need to buy more supplies. I will buy the sticks and will add the result to my spreadsheet.

Because, I havent really been out the last few days, I ran out of all the good foods…
and so, here it is, I succumbed to eating carbohydrates … it was only one slice of Ryvita with butter and cheese, I also still had some eggs, which I hard boiled and I ate that with some cucumber and a whole fresh tomato. When I boiled the eggs and cut up the vegies, I looked on my small plate and thought … This wont be enough, and put two table spoons of plain creek yoghurt and a handful of blueberries in a bowl, as desert.

I starred at the Ryvita and cheese leaving it to last, while eating everything else on the plate…. and then it was time to eat the crispbread, I kind of had thought about it since lunchtime, … and took my first bite, expecting this familiar taste sensation which had made me eat them by the boxful before. and, yes, you guessed it, it tasted really really salty, so much so, that I had trouble to finish it. Not sure why I just didnt leave it on rhe plate. Old habits do die hart, I think, because from an early age, I had been conditioned to never leave anything on my plate, because it was considered to be an insult to the cook. So, I ate it. This was about 1/2 hour ago and I could not get rid of rhe salty taste…. I had to rinse my mouth….. and I have totally lost the appetite for the joghurt desert…. Well, it will go into the fridge and it will be my breakfast in the morning.

With this long winded story, I hope I didnt bore you too much, I just wanted to highlight that it seems that not only the taste buds which detect sweetness, but also those which detect salty and savoury foods seem to be effected and return to normal? Too much salt is not good for us either ( but we still need small amounts) and I am amazed that my body once again, is warning me, to curtail my desire for excessively salty or indeed sugary things. I have not consciously eaten anything which obviously has sugar in it since starting the BSD, but if it tastes as terrible as the savoury salty food, I will have no problem, to stay away from it …. and I tasted that so intensely despite my head being all congested with the flu…. Thanks for “listening”!

Janet are you a cheese fiend like me ? I love mature cheese.
Don’t forget when you’re bigging it up that it also contains beneficial fat (doesn’t that still sound weird)

Hi Kes
I sit at a desk all day and used to live in a bungalow so I feel your pain.
I try to keep my legs moving whilst sitting at the desk in a sort of sitting / walking movement if you know what I mean.
I also follow Michaels advice to stand up every half hour although working at a standing desk is perhaps taking things a step too far.
There is usually some small thing you can to to help.
Interesting about the bare naked rice, let me know how it is if you use it please.

Thanks Hashimoto, that made me smile. Unfortunately I’ve no stairs though, and because I work from home there is not much distance between my desk in the office and the bedroom/kitchen/TV room so any form of exercise involves getting away from my desk and outside somewhere. Therein lies our problem, if we didn’t work from home and live in a bungalow we wouldn’t be fat in the first place!! It all piled on when we stopped moving around, having both been very active in our jobs before going self employed.

Karra
Well done on taking the plunge! You’ll soon be able to add strength to your legs and build up your distance. The main thing is you’ve made a start! I’ve been in the park with my daxy this morning, it was really lovely. I’ve also clipped down my neighbour’s old English sheepdog (my job). They have him so short he looks like a pit pony!

Works for me too. It makes it very easy to get organised as I don’t have to work out every measurement and calorie count. There are no carbs in meat, eggs, fish or butter so I can have as much of these as I like. My appetite has shrunk beyond belief but if I do feel more hungry I know I can have an extra egg in my omelette or a larger piece of fish, etc. Oh and cheese is only half a gram per 25g. Life is worth living again!

Hi Fran. Glad to hear you’ve had a better day. I absolutely agree with everyone and want to add ny voice on the importance of full fat dairy and plant oils in helping you to feel more full. I also have found including food that is high fibre (70g baked kumara – 50g chick peas, 60g avocado – which is brilliant for good high fat too) and 45g dried prunes can go a long way to helping you to feel more full. If you are breastfeeding of course its important to keep up your protein and water intake too. Good luck. You wont be sorry if you persevere. It will be so worth it. You can do it!

Spam alert above!! – snap, Bill!

Hi Annie, welcome. I’m newish (I’m in my 3rd week) and feeling more positive than I’ve done in many years. I lost 8lb in week 1 but then only 2lb in week 2 – many people here have experienced similar. Stick with it!

Thanks Hashimoto, its good to know that my multi visits to the bathroom will slow down as my body changes. I like the idea of seeing weight loss in terms of physical things and 28 packs of lard is a lot of lard (even though it now seems that its ok to use lard rather than vegetable oils). What I’ve learnt so far is that I need to make every calorie count. To make sure it full of flavour and texture and variety and so need to expand my cook book to keep the motivation going. The one thing I am really missing is rice and have found product called Barenaked Rice. Its made from Konjac flour and claims that 100g has just 0.1 g of carb and just 8 cals. Have you or anyone used this?

My blood sugar levels don’t seem to spike but are just generally higher, I do think that its all more complex than I understood.
I also don’t understand why it was found that using artificial sweetener increased blood sugar levels as these are lo carb. I have given up on those when I started the 8 weeks, I do have a very sweet tooth but am now finding that is readjusting.

Hi Allychat – that’s a good idea about highlighting the book. I’ll follow your lead.

A huge congratulations on your weight loss. Yes Bill is right, I can actually smell sugar and it truly revolts me. Ive always been known in the family as being a blood hound due to my keen sense of smell. There is a chippy a mile away and I can frequently smell it when it’s frying! I can smell if someone is brewing a pot of tea before they open the door! It’s freaky. But being able to smell sugar is totally new to me. I never knew it was so disgusting!! And I used to love the sweet poison not so very long ago!!

Reported for spam, we don’t need the quack remedies

Hi inka
I love my ketostix. Yes, the apps and other stuff are useful but they don’t tell me what is actually going on inside my body (I’m not type 2 so I don’t test my blood). For instance, I had an off-plan day on Sunday and then no ketosis by Wednesday. Even by yesterday afternoon, nothing. Then I did half an hour on my treadmill – you know the one that makes a great place to hang my clothes – and boom, straight into ketosis at a strong level. They just help to reassure me that what I am doing with the diet is helping me in the right direction. I don’t lose weight every day but knowing I am still in fat burning mode is a big encouragement for me. Its a personal thing I guess, it works for me, they are cheap and easy to use.

Hi Allychat, you’re doing really well, congratulations.
On the subject of sweet things, I tried a couple of sweet things over the Easter, and not only did I not enjoy them, the strangest thing happened in that although I could identify they had a taste of some kind, it wasn’t one I could identify as sugar!
I really hope things stay like that as it seems (hope upon hope) that I no longer have a sweet tooth.
I think it’s Judith who can actually smell sugar and it revolts her.

Thanks, susan, I’ve just read the article. I had no idea it was such a complex area!! I’m not diabetic either but I’m now hoping the fasting blood test I had done this morning won’t show a spike! 🙂

Thanks everyone. End of day three now and while I am definitely still hungry and have a slight headache, it is much better than yesterday. I had yogurt and some nuts and more cheese today. Closer to 900 calories than 800 but less than 50g carbs. I am already 3kg down- this is due to fluid loss I am sure but motivating none the less.

Thanks for the support.

Hi lostgirl, you could always get a small bottle of diet coke and just add a little to sparkling water when you really feel the need. That way you won’t get into the habit of only drinking a lot of coke!

Yeh, like the herbal teabags. Liquorice comes from a root ( we used to buy a liquorice stick for half an old penny on the way to school, it could last for days) so you gat a lot of sweet flavour with no calories!

I’m on my way to town to get some myself!! Glad you liked the peach flavour, I haven’t had that one so I might just treat myself!! Thanks, Lostgirl! 🙂

Hi all. Congrats to everyone whether your results so far are modest or spectacular. I hit one of my milestones today. I started out 7 weeks ago at 98kg. Today I weighed in at 89.6kg. That’s 8.4kg and the first time my weight has not started with a ’90 something’ since I became ill a few years ago with pituitary tumor and thyroid growths. I’ve also lost 16cm from my waist! For the first time in a long time I am beginning to trust my body a little and feel I have reasons to be hopeful about something to do with my health.

My next milestone will be 88kgs as that will be the half way point and I plan to celebrate with something yummy that I miss (but not too much of it) and a massage!

I remember in the book there were several people who said that it was more than a diet, it was rather a way to eat and manage weight ongoing. For many of those in the book they seemed to have broken the ‘rules’ at least every once in a while and they still got amazing results because they got back into it and kept going. That has been my strategy too. That way I dont feel deprived. To my surprise I only went up by 100g following the Easter break. I didn’t eat any chocolate but did have a hot cross bun on one day and dessert on two other days that would not have normally fitted in to the BSD. Interestingly I found I didnt enjoy the hot cross bun as I found it too sweet! Likewise another dessert I just couldn’t finish as it was just too sweet. I’m really excited about this unexpected development as if I no longer even enjoy some of the things I used to, then it is less tempting for me to eat them! I’ve also found that on the odd occasion when I’ve eaten a small amount of the fast starchy carbs, such as a bread roll (that I now regard as a ‘special occasion only food’), I seem to have been better at processing it and didnt experience the unpleasantness of a blood sugar spike (which I’m sure was happening before) as my body is not being overloaded by starchy foods three times a day every day anymore. Has anyone else had a similar experience? (I’m not diabetic).

BTW: I read the book twice (highlighting key points for myself the second time) as so much of the information was so different to what I’d been told by medical professionals that I felt I really needed to go over it all again in order to be sure I really understood it well. I’m really wishing every blessing on Michael Mosely. His book has been life changing for me.

Today I decided to take our dog out for a walk, first time I’ve ventured out without my walking stick or someone with me to make sure I was ok, just went around the crescent we live on, and boy my legs are feeling it now, but on the bright side the sun was shining and it wasn’t too cold at all.

I have just bought my first lot of ketostix and it seems I’m burning fat. Am planning to take them on holiday with me and use them as my prime indicator that I’m not going too far off piste – as per suggestion from hashimoto. However, having tried it today, I think I’d better get some more, as I’m sure I’m going to end up using them pretty much daily I think.

Take it the herbal tea isn’t a herbal fruit tea… As love iced peach tea.

Arrggh didn’t Michael say in the book of all else Diet Coke as a last resort . ??

I am on week 7, I am not diabetic but test my sugar levels as they had started to rise over the last 6 months. I have found my fasting level rising from week 5 and looked at this report which may be an idea as to why. I am staying within the 800 cal and having very little carbs. I have lost 10% of my weight.
http://ketopia.com/high-blood-sugar-in-ketogenic-dieters-plus-a-special-surprise-hint-genotypes-and-metabolism/

Thats right Liz, I’ve never counted them, they are far too small and roll off the table 😉
Seriously I found that if I just watched the carbs, my appetite was determining my portion control and I have found often that I can’t finish even half of what is on my plate, so I would say go for it.
Works well for me.

Hi Inka, if mine start to show I am not burning fat I will check on my carb intake and increase my water intake. I think Bill was unlucky with his batch as mine are working fine. You do have to be careful to take the sticks out quickly and screw the lid on tightly as any moisture getting in the tub can damage them. I don’t think that is what happened to Bill, I think he just got a dodgy batch. 🙂

Hi lostgirl, brilliant result there.
When we were on holiday, we took some of those little Robinson concentrated squash bottles with us. Just 2 drops of it was enough for a half litre bottle of water and it’s available in a few flavours.
It says no added sugar but will have some natural fruit sugars in it.
But hey, 2 drops per half litre of water can’t be bad.

Sorry, Lostgirl, cordials are not OK, they are packed with sugar! Stick with the sparkling water, you will get used to it in time. Go for more herbal teas in the meantime.

I think we have all been sugar and carb addicts – that is why we have all ended up on here, so you are in good company! Thinking of it in terms of addiction is a good way to go.

I like the no carb ploughmans too. I ate out yesterday with an old friend and had the cooked breakfast minus the toast for lunch. I really enjoyed it!!

Inka, I had a dodgy batch of them, no colour change on any of them bar for the first couple.
I just reasoned that my body is burning something and it isn’t carbs coz I’m not giving it enough so I must be burning fat as I’m still losing weight.

Hi whalleyrange, fantastic amount of weight loss!

We have all experienced the extra peeing in the early weeks – it does seem to settle down. I no longer have to get up in the early hours to go to the loo.

Well, fingers and toes are cold – that’s about 28 half pound packs of lard you have lost. We are bound to feel a little cold until our bodies acclimatise themselves. When you think you have accomplished that change in just 2 weeks it’s no wonder your poor body is struggling with the cold!

Have you looked at the recipes on this site?

I ordered a book from amazon yesterday, when it arrives I will let you know what I think and whether I would recommend it to you 🙂

Lostgirl, you’re doing great!

Hashimoto has some good food advice in her post. Eggs in particular are my new best friend 🙂
The ‘what did you eat today’ thread has lots of inspiration too.

I really couldn’t do this diet if I thought of it was a diet. I don’t see myself as that big. You watch these super size programs and I eat nothing like them so I don’t associate my body being lik there’s . It is

The only way I can get through this is to class myself as an addict.

I hope that I can help, inspire other people as people have helped me.

One day at a time!

Still not had any breakfast but think plough mans for lunch!

I still miss my fizz. Tried the carbonated water with lemons, mint, berries etc I simply can’t cope!

Any cordials ok??

Looking forward to sharing and going on everyone’s journey

Hi Grumptoglam, I look at it this way – before this diet I had 2stones 9lbs of lard protecting my body from the external temperatures! My body hasn’t yet had time to catch up with that massive change and acclimatise itself. I am sure we will feel the cold less as time goes by!!

When you next go to a supermarket have a very good luck at the butter or lard, try and count out 42 half pound packs of fat. That is how much you have lost! I bet you couldn’t even pick it up! So no wonder we feel the cold with out all that blubber!!

Put as many thermals on as you need and rejoice that you have lost so much fat! 🙂

Hi Lostgirl well done!

My scales differ by several pounds throughout the day, sometimes your body fluids make a difference too, especially for women.

Strawberries have saved me a couple of times from lapsing, they taste sweet enough to satisfy my craving. Don’t be afraid to have a few if you are struggling, they are very low in calories.

We have a lot in common, I still go into denial sometimes but I’m getting a lot better at being in control. Looking forward to sharing the journey with you!

So relieved to find this thread, I’ve been on 800 a day for 5 weeks, lost well over 1 1/2 stone. I had regular hot baths as felt cold to the bones every night…. I’ve just had an awful 2 weeks off plan for a number of reasons (stress mainly) and now hauled my backside back into action so I’m third day back on track ….have woken up 3.30am/4ish every night this week and lay awake till morning with restless legs. I’m arguing with my husband over the central heating levels and I’m wearing thermal undies and back to hot baths.
I’m off work with the kids today and I’m about to take them on the loooongest walk/jog to see if that helps tonight.
I think I’m possibly so very used to feeling lethargic, depressed, low on energy that my brain still remembers this but my body has moved on and I have to get with the program and use up that energy? Maybe it’s a metabolism thing. I’ve no real clue tbh but Fingers crossed !

Thanks everyone, this forum is priceless for motivation and is such a positive influence 😊

Hi, well end of week 2 and I have dropped from 120.1 kg to 114.1 kg that’s 6 kg (almost a stone in old money). Also 6 cm from the belly which I am even more pleased about. Have felt really good so far, more energy, better sleep and no foggy brain. The only things I have experienced is having to go and pee much more (even though I am drinking the same volume of liquid) and fingers and toes sometimes feel really cold. My worries are that I am tending to eat the same meals because I know the cal/carb content to meet the 800. I need to find more alternative side dishes in addition to salads and so need to scour the cook books and online. Just hope the progress continues and I can reach my first goal of a 10% reduction in weight.

Hi bizzylizzy, I think cherrianne and a few others just count the carbs. I know Bill hasn’t counted calories at all, just stuck to low carb. That is what I am about to do to.
How wonderful of you to follow the diet to support your OH!
Did you weigh yourselves before the diet? I know Bill just goes to the local pharmacy once a week to weigh himself because he won’t have scales in the house,

OH must have lost a fair bit already if he is on smallest notch of his belt!! 🙂

How many of you are using Ketostix, and what do you do when they indicate you are not burning fat, … and you have stuck to the diet? I have not bought them yet, but was just wondering! …. are they really necessary when we have all those other measuring tools and apps?

They certainly are Leeanne!! 🙂

Hi Ed you can order them of amazon, I did, then later found out my son sells them in the pharmacy!!
They come in tubs of 50 strips, the tub has a colour chart on the side. You dip the coated end of the stick in your urine in the morning and check it against the colour chart. If it turns a shade of pink or purple you are fat burning.
MIne cost just under £5 from amazon with free p and p. 🙂

Thanks hashimoto, these bodies of ours are very complex things aren’t they!😕

Monkeyescapade, congratulations on reaching a BMI of 24! That’s a huge psychological boost – as well as a health one! No I wouldn’t want to be at the lowest end of my healthy range either – been there (and under) when I was younger. I have aimed for the exact middle of the healthy range – then if my weight creeps up a little it won’t be too discouraging to return to the 800 as I know it won’t take long!!

When I started this diet my dream was to just GET to 25. I keep adjusting my goals with each little success. You will probably do the same.

Bill is now talking about a 12 stone goal by September – his goal was much less than that quite recently!!! 🙂

Hi What are ketosticks? How do they work and how do I get hold of them?
Ed

I hope this is the right place…….. I am near the end of the 8 weeks, doing the diet in a supportive role for my OH who is Type 2 and has recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure. He has been told to lose 1 and a half stone. He is controlling the diabetes successfully with diet so far, and is wanting to stay off meds for the blood pressure too, hence the diet. We have no reliable scales so are going by clothes – he is on his smallest belt notch now! But I’m sure he still has weight to lose.

Anyway, I am seriously thinking about changing from counting calories and keeping everything as low carb as possible, to just counting carbs. I have asked somewhere else on here about this but thought it would be easier to have a dedicated thread. I know the amount of carbs recommended is 50g a day. I thought it might be much easier to just count carbs, things are fairly chaotic at times here and get very stressful so the simpler the better!

Does anyone else do this? Is it easy and does it help with weight loss? I have the Carbs and Cals book and app so was thinking of continuing to use that.

Well it’s official a stone lost!

Ok gained a few pounds over Easter but I am
Back on target.

I can honestly say reading you comments have made me cry, laugh and just be puzzled.

What I can say from the bottom of my heart is they all helped xx

I have a long way to go. I have my licorice tea just bit nervous to try it!

I may b a carb and sugar junkie but with support we all can get through this.

When I next see my consultant I can hold my head up high. Weight loss doesn’t happen over night but he can’t be nasty with the weight I have lost

Just memo to self check meds and what I can’t eat first!

Thank you xx

Hi Ed, have you bought any ketostix, that way you can tell if you are still fat burning. My loss is slow now but I have reached a weight I am pretty happy with (BMI down from 28.3 to 21.7) but the ketostix show I am still fat burning and my waist has shrunk another inch while not losing too much more weight. I’m happy with that.

You may, of course, just be experiencing a plateau which will quickly resolve. So stay with it!! 🙂
Glad to see you will soon be one of the veterans, we are a growing group now!!

Hello to Oz from uk

We sound very similar minus the animals!!! — mine was toast and mimite and all things savory. I’m on week 10 and have lost 2 to 3lbs a week so I am very happy. One thing I have had very day for breakfast is a Xl boiled egg no toast but with a sprinkle so salt and this keeps you going until late lunch — I do have a coffee at about 10.30. But before BSD I would have laughed at the thought that an egg with no toast would satisfy me.
The other thing that got me though those first weeks was batch cooking and filling my freezer with little silver food containers so in the morning I just got out what I was having for lunch ie soup and something for tea. I also batch cooked for the family just to keep me out of the kitchen as much as possible and not have to think about food 24/7. When I’m out of the house I try a carry an apple with me and a few almonds which can keep you going and not have to go and buy a sandwich or something.
Well good luck and a few weeks down the line no bread and vegemite will taste as good as your new energy levels and new waist line. X

Fantastic lostgirl. It will make a huge difference to your BMI!! 🙂

Hi,
I’m in my 8th week of the diet and have lost 13 kilo. But over the last 10 days I have plateaued and not lost any more weight. Any advice?
Ed

Bill, shocking pink is very fetching but the dayglow orange might make you stand out more!!
Perhaps the orange mankini with shocking pink socks! That should get people noticing you as you dash through the chocolate aisles! 😉

Hi Kes – like hashimoto says, try using the stairs at home to get some extra exercise. As for water, like you drinking enough has been a stumbling block for me, so I now have a policy that I have to drink a glass of water every time I’m in the kitchen. I have a white board in there and I mark up each glass I drink – it adds up surprisingly quickly. Good hydration is definitely key to losing weight, so make sure to up you intake.

You’re doing great on the weight loss and the pounds will continue to drop, so keep focused and soldier on. I know what you mean about the tape measure. I have dropped 12lb now, but my tape measure only shows a 1.5inch decrease on the waist. However, I am very aware that the roll of fat between boobs and waist has decrease dramatically and its thinning out over the hips as well. It’s hard not to be disheartened by the lack of progress at the waist, but it will happen I’m sure.

Lostgirl, fabulous weight loss!! Scales sometimes do that, so just ignore it and believe your first early morning reading. That’s what I, and I suspect a lot of others, do.

Cherrianne recommended liquorice tea to people with a longing for something sweet. Perhaps you should buy some of those teabags.

Wow! You’ve ordered an exercise bike! Way to go, Lostgirl!!!

With regards to guests: what I do is make the food I eat on this diet, sometimes EXACTLY what I eat but they get larger portions. Occasionally I will bow to their carb needs and give them say, a small helping of brown rice to go with spicy foods or foil baked salmon or a couple of baby potatoes. No one has complained yet!!

For dessert they get Fage yoghurt with berries or if they are very lucky one of the coconut flatbreads to go with the yoghurt!

You will have weight loss next week! Do what Inka and Lesley91 are doing, go on the NHS BMI calculator, put in your pre diet weight and note the BMI then put in your current weight and see how much you have achieved already. It’s very motivating!!!

If you need to provide breakfast for your guests you can still stick to the BSD diet – yoghurt and fruit or fried, boiled, poached, scrambled eggs or omelettes. You can serve it with baked beans, grilled or tinned tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon or anything you have in. A big pan of scrambled eggs is probably the easiest and you can add a knob of butter to the pan – goes well with baked beans and your guests will not feel deprived!! 🙂