Latest forum posts

  • posted by  Patsy on Why 800?
    on in Fast 800
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    I suspect the figure doesn’t really matter that much as long as it’s a fair bit less than we’re using, but in a book it’s not very helpful to say ‘keep the calorie count low’ and most people prefer a definite figure to aim for.

  • posted by  Patsy on Just began…
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    I bought low fat. It’s probably not much different and the best option until I can shop elsewhere.

    I don’t think I’ve ever tried Greek yoghurt. Can’t think why not, other than habit. Perhaps I should give it a try, even if just out of interest.

  • posted by  Patsy on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    My husband jokingly said he was helping me by eating all the biscuits we had in the house. Actually that is a big help – especially as he’s said we’re not buying anything else I shouldn’t be eating until my 8 weeks is up (7 to go!) We do have rice and pasta which he has along with whatever I’m eating, but I can easily resist that.

  • posted by  Janet1973 on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
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    Hi Christi

    You are being very hard on yourself there! I found a great website which really clarified things for me called diet doctor. I don’t think you are being too ambitious at all. With the right tools this is doable and I believe that between diet doctor and the bsd, we have the right tools. At last!

  • posted by  Patsy on How's it going eh? Hello from Canada!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    Hi, Deb.

    I can see your allergies are going to make your meal planning a bit more tricky!

    Are you OK with eggs? I was surprised how low calorie scrambled eggs and omelettes are and they make a satisfying meal – much more so than a bowl of cereal. Scrambled eggs done in the microwave are probably as easy as mixing up a shake.

    Don’t forget to drink plenty, even though with the shakes you might not feel like you’d need to.

  • posted by  jpscloud on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    We had hail! What a day.

    My exercise during term time is to go up and down the staff staircase (three storeys) a few times at break and lunchtime – I noticed myself getting fitter really quickly – my (very unfit) starting point was basically total collapse at the top but after a week I noticed I could get to the top without having to stop, then the following week I could do two sets without having to stop, then three… now I can get to the top without being much out of breath too. Stairs are great!

    I have a treadmill at home and got on it today for the first time in a while. In nice weather I’ll do some walking outside again too.

  • posted by  skinnykins on Just began…
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    I noticed that too and I hate Greek yogurt as it’s too tart. I suppose you could put some stevia and berries to it to make it interesting.

  • posted by  Christi1948 on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
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    Hi Janet 1973

    I’m on my eighth week starting tomorrow and I’m only just getting the low carb thing durr! I am such an idiot, or just not savvy enough for this forum and iPad lark, so next week I will try and do very low carb to shift the last few pounds before I go to the doctors on Wednesday! Then I have a week in Tenerife for my birthday, I will come back and continue on the diet until I hit my target, I don’t know if I am being a bit ambitious but I would like to lose another two stone! Well thanks for making things a little clearer for rob, I have at least learned something again, it’s certainly been a learning curve for me in or ways than one! Cheers everyone, hope you all had a lovely Easter hols.

  • posted by  Patsy on Just began…
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    I tried to buy ordinary, plain full fat youghurt in our local – and big – supermarket. I could get all kinds of flavours, but they all had sugar in. I could get low fat and fat free and Greek full fat (and Greek low fat and fat free) and there were various versions of set yoghurts, but no plain, simple ordinary un messed about with, full fat yoghurt.

  • posted by  orchid on How's it going eh? Hello from Canada!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    Hi Deb,
    Welcome on board. I started with Shakes for 10 days. I was not doing it through a doctor and bought the ones I could get in Boots the Chemist in the UK. The first week although I lost weight, but not as much as others were and nothing off of my waist. I used it for 2 meal replacements a day and had a veggie meal (stir-fry or soup) in the evening. It made it easy to adjust to the 800 cals and I was sure I was not eating too much.
    What I had not noticed was that the replacement meal shakes were quite high in carbs – which was why the no change in waist measurements. The following week I found one with higher protein content and lower carbs, oat based and carried on for a few days. I then dropped to one replacement meal (breakfast), soup for lunch and a cooked meal in the evening. By the third week I was cooking everything and ditched the replacement meals.
    It was a good way to start – simple and avoids temptations of adding to the plate. Do have a good look at the nutrition breakdown of the Shakes and ensure they are no high carb as that will not hep you.
    Good luck.

  • posted by  jpscloud on Just began…
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    I struggled with the full fat idea, mostly because my old dieting philosophy was “get the most food for the least calories” so cutting out fat was the way to go – and that’s what “they” said, over and over again. Fat’s nasty, dirty and bad for you anyway, “they” said.

    I still catch myself thinking low fat – I am so used to thinking “I can dry fry this” or “if I get the low fat version I can have twice as much”

    No longer, though – the portion sizes come down but satiety goes up. 0% yoghurt is the work of the devil!

  • posted by  hashimoto on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
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    Hi rob, don’t worry, I. Often have a 2 egg omlette or 2 poached eggs, 2 medium eggs is only 132 calories, very liw carb and. Helps you feel fuller for longer.. You will get used to it.

    If you like plainer food. An evening meal of a fried chicken breast with a pile of low carb veg is a good evening meal.

    Which regiment did you serve with? My grandad and brother served with the green howards and my dad with the royal artillery ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  Leeanne on No weight loss happening?
    on in Fast 800
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    Hi, tomorrow for me is the start of week 4. I hadn’t realised you weren’t meant to weigh veg. I’ve always referred to my calorie counter book as they all add up! I’m my book spring greens are 20cals and 2g carbs per 3 heaped tablespoons. I’ve always added veg cals in.

  • posted by  Janet1973 on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
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    I don’t mean to scare you but it does take a while to get your head around things. The book is based on 800 calories a day so if it says one egg, it means one egg. But if you are used to eating a lot of food, you might find it easier to try the 50g of carbs a day approach instead. For example, if a steak is 200 calories, you would only have 600 left if you follow the 800 programme. But if you follow the 50 grams a day of carbs program, you can have as much steak as you want because there are no carbs in steak. You still eat the same med style foods but count carbs not calories.

    So its really a question of whether you can live with just 800 calories – many people can. But others might simply need more food than that. I can live with 800 if I have to but I prefer to count carbs because I can then have unlimited eggs, fish, butter, etc. I don’t have to weigh or measure everything.

  • posted by  CallMeDeb on How's it going eh? Hello from Canada!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    Hello all!

    I have been reading (most of) your forum posts and must say that I am inspired by your stories, struggles, and triumphs! I am also looking forward to joining your ranks starting tomorrow (Monday).

    I am a Type 2 Diabetic, and I have my GP on board.

    What we’ve decided to do is do the shake/meal replacement plus veggies option for at least the first week so we can see how my sugars react. This will also give me a good opportunity to set a meal plan for the following week. I also have major food allergies (nuts, most raw fruit & veg) that I will have to take into consideration so easing into it is the best option.

    Has anyone else started off using the shakes/meal replacements? Any other tips would be greatly appreciated!

    Cheers,

    Deb

  • posted by  Kags on No weight loss happening?
    on in Fast 800
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    Hi all,

    Can anyone point me to where Dr Mosely says not to weigh greens? I love spring cabbage and I could eat it all day, but it doesn’t make sense to me that this would not count calorie-wise. Would love to think I could fill up on greens when the nibbles strike.

    Thanks in advance.

  • posted by  Rob on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
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    Wow, this shows how little ( well nothing I know ) about food

    So when the book says I can have a poached egg with avacardo I can have 2 eggs??

    So the golden rule is 800 cal or 50gm is all I can eat?

    Just looked at the 4 week menu and that makes me feel like I am going to be struggling

  • posted by  Debi on For anyone suffering from constipation
    on in Fast 800
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    Hi

    Anyone tried the Eat Water carb substitutes: Slim Rice, pasta & noodles. I split a packet 2 or 3 ways a day depending on what I’m eating. So, breakfast stirred in yoghurt with raspberries, tossed through salad, with eavening meat/fish & veg.

    I run it through whisked eggs for omelette or scrambled. Nice with cream cheese & chopped bacon/tuna with wilted spinach. Cauliflower sauce over the penne with Parmesan is another. Endless… Regular movements guaranteed LOL

  • posted by  hashimoto on Recipe measurements
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi aquatex, re the petition, is there something similar you could start back in the U S of A?
    I think the US and Oz have similar problems re state and nation but you could start to rock texas!!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  hashimoto on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi rob,
    Re breakfast:
    *omlette
    *fried egg and beans
    *fritatta
    *1 sausage with grilled tomato and mushroom
    * fage yoghurt with a sprinkling of ground flax seeds and some raspberries
    * you could even have soup
    * aldi do little packets of nuts and seeds. That and small bowl blue berries
    *2 rashers of bacon and 1 fried egg
    * baked beans and small bowl of berries

    There are all sorts of combinations, you don’t have to stick to the recipes in the book, just keep to 800 calories or the principles of the diet – i.e. Low carb

    Hope that helps ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  Janet1973 on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
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    Hi Rob, one of the best things you can do for yourself at this stage is get to know food a bit better. You don’t need to be a walking encyclopaedia but you do need to develop an understanding of what is good to put in your mouth. Generally the stuff you cook yourself is going to be better for you. So any meat including the skin, eggs as often as you like, as much fish as you can face. Plenty of full fat yoghurt, butter oils, nuts in moderation. Vegetables grown above the ground are better than those grown underground but onions, leeks and carrots aren’t really the enemies in the grand scheme.

    Avoid all bread, pasta, rice, potatoes of any kind.

    Find an on-line calculator that you like and consult it frequently about foods you don’t know the composition of. I use calorie king because it tells me about carb content. The nhs do a calorie counter which is quite good too, just google them. Porridge is ok but when carbs are important, its quite high.

    It might all seem a bit geeky but you really do need to know the basics for yourself, it will make more sense of your weight loss (or any plateaus you experience) as you go on. Do this for yourself. Count your calories up to 800 or your carbs up to 50 grams or both. You can do this, but you do need to put your mind to it. (Write down everything you find out, then you only have to look for the info once!)

  • posted by  aquatex on Recipe measurements
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    Ooof! I feel like a party crasher. Sorry for the confusion about not having mentioned that my measurement questions originated from the other side of the pond. Your responses are, however, most cordial and helpful, and I thank you for them. Christi, an additional thanks for the mention of the petition and the thread where I can find it. We could certainly use that here as well.

    And, as for my Yankdom, as we say here at home: “I’m American by birth, but Texan by the grace of God.”

    Cheers!

  • posted by  westirelandgirl on Just started and a bit confused
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    I only started on Tuesday but the best way I have found is as mentioned in the book, (if you haven’t read it you should) but I wait for as long as possible to eat – so have my brunch at 11-1230 ish – then have my dinner at about 6-630 – there seems to be room for a little snack as well ..

    WIG

  • posted by  Rob on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
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    Thanks for the reply

    I don’t understand what you mean by what I can eat

    This is all new to me…I have never read a back of the packet before , I just used to eat the content..go for a run/gym and never give it a thought…

    Is porrage good ( the oats one with the Scottish guy on the cover ) as the breakfast menus ( except for the poached eggs/beans with cheese are horrid(((

    Week 2 tomorrow.. Help!!!!!!! Lol

  • posted by  Rob on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
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    Hi thanks for the reply

    I until I started the diet had 7 lattes a week ( sometimes more ) every latte came with a muffin !
    Then I would bake a cake twice a week
    Loved potatoes, pasta and cereals ( oh and the Indians/Chinese meals )

    It’s a hell of a journey we are going through, and I have promised my self that I will never over indulge again, but I am a guy who has to eat the packet of biscuits, all the Pringles, burger…etc and then have a banana and think I am ok cos I ate some fruit….only to find out bananas are a no no!!

    I do want to wear my jeans and shirt and feel good again so that is a motivation

    Dieting for chocolate…. Want to eat the biggest Easter egg!!

    However with all that said, I will be mortified if I done that, so with your comments it helps

    I am looking forward to the 5:2 diet once I get the weight I need…78-80kg

    )) happy Easter

  • posted by  Venusflytrap on Just started and a bit confused
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    I am just starting to think about starting and wondering how to do this too! Do people work on a 200kcal breakfast and lunch plus a 400kcal dinner or what. Would like to see some typical days from experienced 800-ers. Any recommended posts or blogs for this?

  • posted by  Christi1948 on Recipe measurements
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    You can get a set of ‘cup” measures from most kitchen shops, if you are in uk try Lakeland kitchen shop, have a look on line, www. Lakeland.co.uk cheers everyone

  • posted by  hashimoto on Recipe measurements
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    Clever thinking venusflytrap!

    Have you seen our petition to promote this diet for diabetics? It has it’s own thread which has information and a link to the petition. ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  SOS on Cards or Net Cards?
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    This might be a daft question but i wanted to check that when counting carbs we count Net carbs and NOT Total carbs?.?

  • posted by  Christi1948 on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
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    Hi rob,
    I felt awful at first, the first day I went to bed thinking I can’t do this, got up the next day, again, thinking I’ve bought all this stuff I can’t give up now, so carried on, felt weak and light headed, ( I chose a time when things were a bit quieter at home) got through that day then the next and so on until I was at the end of the first week and I had lost weight, so I was prepared to carry on, it’s not been easy, I have a really bad sugar addiction, ( unfortunately still have) I have been freezing and starving, I don’t know how I carried on to be honest, I just knew something had to give!
    Sorry to sound so negative, what I am saying is it’s not all rosy however stick with it, if i can anyone can! The great thing is that every time you get on the scales you will have lost weight, you may experience a plateau, keep with it though, I will start moving again, I had two weeks where I lost two ounces!
    Another tip, sorry, constipation, try having 1tbs flaxseeds (linseeds) with a pint of water one morning, things will star moving soon after.
    Finally keep those posts coming and don’t forget to tick the box for notifying you of follow up replies, good luck

  • posted by  Venusflytrap on Recipe measurements
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    In the olden days when I was looking at translating American recipes to UK measurements, I found that cottage cheese tubs were very useful. I used the 8oz size as a cup and the 4oz size as a half cup. Now we’re in “new money”, I suppose that would be a 250g carton as a cup and the 125g tub as a half. My reasoning goes something like this. The US pint is 16 fl oz or half a litre or 500ml. The US measurements are all by volume rather than by weight. So it might be worth checking that the 250g carton is 250ml in size, just to be accurate. Our pints are 20 fl oz so don’t swop in so easily.

  • posted by  Janet1973 on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi Rob,

    Clearly all your forces training has given you great mind over matter techniques. But you need to eat!

    Yes, it can be a bit of a shock at first to come down to 800 calories but you will find that the lack of carbs reduces your appetite and you won’t feel so hungry. But you need to spend your calories in meat and fats to help achieve that satisfied feeling.

    However, there is another way. Many of us on the forums don’t count calories, only carbs. So for instance, we aim for a maximum of 50grams of carbs a day. There are no carbs in eggs, meat, fish or butter and oil. So we eat these freely until we are full, no calorie counting. We still lose weight because of the reduced carbs.

    So if you are really struggling with the hunger, try just counting the carbs. But you must only eat when you are hungry and stop eating when you are full. Eat mainly carb free food and veg, stil no pasta, potatoes, bread, etc.

    Here’s wishing you a more comfortable week this week!

  • posted by  hashimoto on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    Great minds lucia I walk up and down stairs a lot in bad weather. Ive been known to drive to a supermarket to get lots of walking done indoors. Then just buy 1 item!
    Boog 23 posted in the american thread.

    I love sledging – i think i’ll be still doing it at 90 lol. So yes I’ll come with you. No icy snowballs down the neck though! X

  • posted by  jpscloud on I survived the Easter party
    on in Fast 800
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    Blinking well done Sharon! I am doing a bit of treadmill today in an effort to make up for cherrysconegate earlier in the week – I’d probably have to do about fifty miles to make up for it, though!

  • posted by  Lucia on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    Hi Hashimoto
    It has been sunny, then as black as night and very heavy rain with wind lashing it against the Windows. No hail yet, but me and Bill 1954 are having a snow ball fight later, do you want to bring your toboggan over?

    Mother Nature doesn’t know what to do today.
    It may calm down tomorrow.

    I am going to walk up and down my stairs a few times, just to get the blubber moving again.

    Love Lucia
    Xxxx

  • posted by  hashimoto on 8 weeks and counting
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    Hi jandz, chilli cheese, now you’re talking my language. Love it. I didn’t mention the fact that I add chilli to my frittata as I thought it might sound odd! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  Janet1973 on Why 800?
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Ha ha! In that case, let the 6’5 male worry for himself! I checked with the book and the reason 800 was chosen was to give people with diabetes and prediabetes a big push with rapid weight loss. I don’t have either but I am only 5’2 and in the overweight category on the bmi chart. I have always found being vertically challenged makes any weight gain more apparent. But my BMI is gradually coming down and I am nearly back within the healthy range.

    Best wishes on your journey, whatever your current make-up, you can improve it with this programme.

  • posted by  Lucia on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    Hi boog 23

    Are you still there? My Wellington boots are full of water, walking to you. How are you getting on?
    You and I blogg d at the beginning of my journey.
    I hope you are still on the path and all is well.
    Love Lucia
    Xxxx

  • posted by  hashimoto on Lightweight/heavyweight!
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi Rob, welcome to the forums. It doesn’t matter which thread you use. You will always be welcome. This is the first time on forums for quite a few of us.
    Don’t beat yourself up, we are all on here because of health or weight problems. You are among friends and part of this BSD family.

    YES it does get easier. The book says the first two weeks are the hardest, so things will get better soon.

    Re food – you could eat meals you are familiar with but ditch the carbs!

    Looking forward to your future posts ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  hashimoto on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    I noticed that recipe for fried rice too. What a good idea!

    I had friends round for dinner last night and made a few different curry dishes. My fridge and freezer are groaning with all the soups and stews I made during the last few days. Now I have LOTS of dahl as well. As soon as I have cleared some space I am making that fried rice.

    Did you get a phenomenal hail storm? My lawn was white for ages xxx