Hi lucia, I’ve just done 3000 mowing the lawn with my dad’s old 1940s mower. No grass box so I think I may do another 3000 just sweeping up the clippings. My arms certainly had a good work out as that mower is so hard to push, especially through longish wettish grass! Thank goodness the lawn is only small and the rest of the garden is given over to fruit and veg !

The beach, now there is a thought….. my sister owns an old foghorn station right on the cliffs….. might be time to pay another visit! 🙂

I love blue cheese anyway, but it is good with cauliflower in a soup. Not tried broccoli soup yet.

I have been known to just mash cauliflower with blue cheese. Or Brie😃

Hi FoFi

Don’t worry, 7.5 weeks is close! Welcome.

I tried Diet Coke for the first time in ages while I was away. The first two were OK, but the third made me feel so ill! And yesterday I had to choose between still water and 7-up free. Unfortunately I chose the latter. Two mouthfuls and I had to throw it away – far too sweet😱

I prefer fizzy dinks, so always try to buy fizzy water. Sometime I add a slice of lemon or lime.

Looking forward to seeing your progress.

Hi nic if you live in the UK Aldi’s have packs of asparagus for 59p. Buy 3. Just fry 1 large chopped onion in 2tbspn olive oil, chop the woodier part of the asparagus stem and add it to the softening onion. When both are soft add pint and half of stock then the chopped tips of the asparagus. Cook til soft. Whizz with a stick blender the add 6 tbspn of double cream. If the soup is too thick you can add more stock. If you want to freeze some portions do so before you add the cream. Season the soup according to taste and there you have it – cream of asparagus soup.

TBH you can do this with any veg. I made a huge pan of broccoli soup, just fry the onion, add the woodier stems, then some chopped garlic, then the stock, then the florets. Whizz when fully cooked, add cheese or cream to each bowl. Courgette and garlic the same way.
When you get going you won’t be able to stop! Blue cheese can be nice added to broccoli or cauli soup as well.

Happy cooking 🙂

Oh and
5357 steps to the coffee shop before going anywhere else for a ramble or stroll.
Love Lucia xxxx

Captain Lynn,
Will be there in ten mins, put your coat and lipstick on, we are on our way, just have to pick up cherri Ann first…….
Now is it turn left at the English Channel for Australia or right………
Love Lucia
Xxxx

I must have grown up in the wrong part of the north – never did any egg decorating😳 But will have to do it in a few weeks for a group I’m part of 😱

Like you Cherrianne and Judith, I can’t face that unmentionable brown stuff any more. And I used to eat loads of it – profits of the manufacturers must be taking a nosedive!

Great results Bill. Glad to hear you enjoyed the meal. Great choices. Isn’t it good that we can go out and celebrate, make wise choices and not upset our results.

Cherrianne glad everyone is ok now. 😊

I’m with you Lucia.

A BSD day out at the beach😃 Yes please.

I am in a country village and the sea is a two-bus ride, a couple of hours away😱

Hi David and Judith.

Sometimes I wish Ihad a bigger fridge (and freezer) but having the ones I have gives me the excuse to go shopping more often. Well, a girl needs her exercise, doesn’t she? All that walking, and carrying weights😳

Hi susieb

Enjoy your cruise. Enjoy the low-carb food on offer and keep the starchy carbs at bay . How about lots of walking round the deck, and sightseeing trips. All that exercise😱

I’m sure you’ll look great in your posh frock. 😃

Hi Lostgirl.

Wise words there from Hashimoto.

For my breakfast I sometimes eat while out shopping – a 4 item breakfast so 2 rashers of bacon, a thin slice of black pudding and either a spoonful of baked beans or an egg. While I’m eating I often see folk sitting with their 12 item breakfasts and hear them ordering. One man had 6 sausages among other things (and they are not good sausages!). But it looks like that store may not be open much longer 😱

At home I might cook bacon and egg. Otherwise it’s what’s in the fridge – cooked meat, cheese, boiled eggs, hummus, etc. Often with a baby beetroot.

Then I don’t need anything until my evening meal.

If you do like sausages, I like Debbie & Andrew’s Harrogate 97% pork sausages. Each sausage has 128 calories, 8.7g fat, 12g protein and <0.5g carbohydrate.

I couldn’t find them the other day so bought Asda gluten-free. Not tried them yet. In a different Asda I bought the Harrogate sausages so they are now in the freezer

Hi cat girl, the beach?
You lucky devil.
Can I collect everyone on this website and join you for a walk and a paddle please?
I am in a built up area.
Just having a coffee and enjoying the blue sky above.
Isn’t life great?
Come on team, give me a whhaaaaaa. Whhhooooooooo please.
Love Lucia
Xxxxx

Hi all. I’m a bit of an interloper on this thread as I started off intending to do the Fast800 for 7.5 weeks which I have just completed. I am not diabetic, but very obese. I have lost 12.5kg in those weeks which I am very pleased with.

I had four bad days two because we had people staying and two because I went to an unsuitable restaurant and ate things I shouldn’t have. I haven’t drunk any alcohol and am looking forward to a glass tonight. The last few weeks my average has been more like 900 rather than 800, but I am rigorous in recording everything even when I eat too much.

I started off allowing myself 1 diet cola per day, which became occasionally two and then ended up as three or four after six weeks. I have stopped that altogether and feel better, but I am a bit bored of water because I don’t really drink tea or coffee.

It is low carb Mediterranean lifestyle for ten days and then back to the Fast800 for three or four weeks. This will be followed by some 5:2 variant for several months if not years.

Good for you Nic, sorry that I wrote that late at night your time lol. I’ll blame the time difference between Aus and the UK 🙂
Another good soup is cheesy cauliflower. Just cook up some cauli, onions, bay leaf and veg stock. Remove bay leaf when cauli is cooked. Whizz with stick blender while still hot. Add a tub of cream cheese ,depending on the amount of cauli you might need less, and whizz again to mix through. Bit of salt and pepper and you have a yummy soup in no time.

Hi Susieb,
At least you’re still posting so we can give you a hand. Are you overeating because you’re worried about being deprived on this diet? Remember that you are the one who decides what to eat on the BSD! You can choose to follow your own recipes or the meal plan, as long as you stay within the cal/carb allowance.
You can do this, resist the snacking urge and within days it will disappear. All the best, and looking forward to hearing better news on your next post 🙂

Hi David, it’s a lovely sight isn’t it? I could do with a bigger fridge too 🙂

Same here Cherrianne with regards to the brown stuff. I used to love the very dark chocolate with chilli in it. Fortunately I can still eat as much chilli as I want lol 🙂

Orchid, great fun wasn’t it. We even tried tie dying eggs lol 🙂

Like Bill I remember doing the same. Mum would hard boil eggs – she would add the outer onion skin (brown) to the water and it would colour the eggs. She also tried tying lace around the egg to get the pattern onto the egg, but I don’t think we ever got that to work! Easter day there would be an array of coloured hardboiled eggs to take out to roll down a hill.
The chocolate eggs (usually from the aunties) were rationed – a little on Easter day, the rest smashed into a tin and handed out over the coming month.
No eggs for me this weekend, but I have just take delivery of 4 hot cross buns – I love the spices! All four have gone straight into the freezer and I will have one at the start of the 5:2 and ration them one at a time for the coming month.

Gee Bill, sad that your wife believes she has it under control. Sometimes we trust medical experts too much – it is harder for them to move with the times when they have so many guidelines to follow 🙁

I’m with cherrieanne with regards to your celebratory meal last night. Great choices. Just shows we can have normal social events and still be OK on this diet with sensible choices 🙂

Hi Hawks, I put my chillies on a tray in the freezer then bag them once they are frozen – keeps me in chillies for the whole year. They are so easy to cut straight from the freezer too.
I used to dry them in my dehydrator but found freezing is a much better solution – and faster.

BTW I’m glad your asthma has calmed down in a more rural setting – perhaps like me urban pollution causes you more problems than pollen.

I’m like Orchid, I eat cucumbers like a banana! I used to hate even the smell of them until I was pregnant and them couldn’t get enough of them. Strange.
🙂

EEk, susieb, That carb bloating is awful isn’t it. Well, it should be a good reminder not to eat it again. I bet you will have some lovely food on the cruise, you could enjoy lots of delicious things but be mindful of the starchy carbs at the same time -then back to it for real after your cruise. Just think how much better you will look in your posh frock without the carb bloating and wretched carb ‘flu’.
Hope you have a lovely time and that the inch disappears this week – but on the bright side it is probably due to the temporary bloating 🙂

Hi Hawks, I eat cucumbers like an apple! A 2-3 inch chunk and munch on it, that uses up the excess in the summer. Having said that, I have a recipe for Chilled Cucumber Soup with Dill and Chives that will freeze well and I intend to try it this summer if the weather is good enough to provide a glut of cucumbers. There are similar recipes on the internet that you can try, the one I have does not use potatoes so and adds plain yoghurt at the end. If you freeze it daily amounts before you add yoghurt it will last a while!
I have also made a cucumber pickle a few years ago which was great, but I can’t find the recipe. It comes out as a clear liquid full of sliced cucumber, sliced onion, mustard seeds and cloves. There is a lot of sugar in the making of it, but the amount you take – 1-2 tsps. at a time may make is usable. The contents were, cider vinegar, cucumber, sugar, onion, salt, mustard seeds, turmeric and cloves. There are a number of other pickled cucumber recipes on the internet if you search.
good luck with the growing

You really are getting good results now Bill. I don’t think the flatbread would do any harm in that small amount, sounds like you had good food choices at that restaurant. 🙂

Bill did you see the email I sent you last night? Your thoughts? 🙂

Hi Judith and Bill,
We only ever used to get one chocolate egg each too. My grandmother always used to buy us a sugar egg too (maybe an Italian tradition?). It was pure white, decorated with piped coloured flowers and scrolls. Tooth breakingly hard as a rock but it looked beautiful. Every year I would vow to keep it and not eat it, but always gave in lol. No taste to it except sugar though.
No desire for chocolate at all now, not even the really dark one I used to enjoy 🙂

Cherrieanne sorry to hear about the bug – nothing worse than having young children being so sick. Glad it is all over for you 🙂

Hi Judith and Bill,
Yes I’ve had a few sleep disturbed nights this week. My six year old brought a tummy bug home from school! Very virulent, kids and teachers going home sick. Five changes of sheets the first night from her being sick, needing cool baths etc to bring her temp down. Quickly spread to me and hubby, and three of our other kids. Luckily the oldest was away at camp and didn’t come home till it was over. So she scored 6 out of seven for spreading germs around lol. All good now though 🙂

Hi Inka, if you have a supplier near you, no need to do without bread. Google Herman Brot bread. 2.3g carbs, 111 cals per slice and a big 11.7g protein. I’m assuming from your post you live in Aus. apologies if you don’t for getting your hopes up! 🙂

I started the Fast800 diet on 14th March after umming and ahhing because I have a looming cruise at the end of this month. But, encouraged by you lovely people on this forum, I decided to go for it to lose a few lbs before the holiday, planning to do the entire 8 weeks properly on my return.

The first week went well, I lost 5lbs and 1″ off my belly. Last weekend I had a few glasses of wine (my downfall) but still continued to lose. Then, it started on Sunday night with a slice of pizza….
The last few days I’ve been off the low-carb wagon, seemingly eating for the sake of it, even though it made me feel crap.

This morning I have woken with new determination (and bloating) with exactly 1 week to go before my holiday. Overall, I am still 3lbs down from where I started so I am thankful for that – but the inch went back on.

So, let me be a lesson to you in how NOT do do this diet! Ha ha!

Right, let’s see how many lbs I can lose this week – and hope to get that wretched inch back off my belly so my posh frock looks a little nicer.

Watch this space….!

Hi, I’m 4 days into the BSD and have lost 5 lbs already so feeling pretty good about that as I have set a target of 10% of body weight which will be a loss of 20lbs.
So I have just finished my Easter shopping (by walking 3 miles to Tesco), my fridge drawers and shelves are now completely full of vegetables and salads, in fact the fridge looks like something green has exploded. It has never been so full which seems contrary since I’m on a diet!

Hi Lucia, I use Miso as stock for home made soups, Most supermarkets keep it now. I get it on two forms, both in sachets. One is powder and you add water for a quick drink. The other is a paste – about 15g per sachet and I add that to soup instead of stock – so in a similar way to using an Oxo cube. When I use it in soup I do not add salt whilst cooking as the miso has slat already in it and I find 1 sachet to 1-1.5 L of water works for taste. I adjust seasoning at the end if needed.
Both types have a full analysis of the contents in carbs/protein/fats and cal, so easy to see what you are consuming. I will have a look at H&B when I am in town tomorrow as I like the idea of a jar (recyclable) as opposed to the plastic sachets!

Hi Lucia,
Yes you use the miso paste just as you thought. Try a teaspoon in a cup of boiling water and add more if you want it stronger. Some have bonito ( dried fish) added, others don’t. It usually comes in three strengths and various colours depending on the regional recipe.
You can drink it straight or do as Hashimoto suggests. I add finely sliced carrot, mushroom, snow peas, bean sprouts and fried tofu to mine. Very low cal, low carb meal.

To all Australians; Dr Michael Mosely will be interviewed on ABC radio, Monday night in Tony Delroy show.. He is currently in OZ promoting his latest book – the BSD we are all following…. Just thought you might like to listen in. If you are not in OZ right now, I Think you can still find the ABC in digital radio world too.

It’s funny Bill I was just remembering the same thing – I used to love the egg rolling, I think it is a particularly Northern thing. We only got one chocolate egg each – if we were lucky!
All that fun we used to have boiling eggs with onion skins to turn the shells yellow – or raiding the baking cupboard for the cochineal! The painting and glueing etc
Apart from being much healthier it was so much more fun than just being given a chocolate egg.

Perhaps our younger BSDers might enjoy that as an easter activity this weekend. The kids would love it. 🙂

Good morning Lostgirl, don’t worry about that ‘weight’ it will be retained water, you might find you have a bigger weight loss tomorrow as it disappears.
Indian food – what about a chicken korma, it’s milder than most and it has dairy fat in it. Just avoid the rice and the breads, eat it slowly and savour it. There may be a spinach side you can have to compensate for no rice and bread.

At home throw the bread in the bin is the best advice I can give …if it is there in these early days it will tempt you. If you are having breakfast out go for the cooked English breakfast but move any toast away from you. Ask the others to keep it away from you. Stress on them how important this diet is to you, it’s about your life and health. I’m sure they will support you. At home try an omelette instead, you can even have some salad on the plate with the omelette or what about a bowl of thick creamy full fat yoghurt with some seeds and berries on it.

You can eat out and enjoy some food while staying with the principles of the diet – just keep of those starchy carbs!!!!

Have a lovely weekend Lostgirl x

When we were kids we spent the time before Easter decorating gard boiled egs which were used fof the hunts and for rolling down hills.
Chocolate eggs (we only had a couple each) were given to us after lunch but taken away and doled out gradually in small portions.
Not a bad way to work it looking back.

Half doses for me again yesterday Leeanne.
Went to our favourite Turkish restaurant last night for the annual 3 birthday meal, ( me and 2 daughters within 10 days)
Had humus for starter and I broke the rules with 2 small fingers of flatbread to scoop the humus, the a seafood gouvache for main.
FSB this morning was 6.8. I’m beginning to wonder just how much good these drugs actually do.

Hi Reindeen, have a lovely weekend and take a paracetamol as well as plenty of water so you can enjoy todays good weather 🙂

Hi folks
As hashimoto says, stick with it.
Loads of people have had plateaus, and yes as early as week 3 and they al came out the other side. One in particular lost nothing for over a week then had an overnight 6 pound loss.
Bad idea to weigh yourself on a different set of scales than your usual ones.
Couple of years ago I had been weighed on the chemists scales that I used all the time.
Next day I was having a diabetes review at the docs and when I got on the scales they showed me a whole stone heavier than the day before.
I objected loudly and the doc fetched the scales from the surgery next door. The stone vanished.
Moral ? All scales are not equal.
It’s very easy to lose weight without losing inches too as the fat drains from your internal organs and body parts that you wouldn’t usually measure.
Keep the faith, you will get there.

Hi Lucia, sorry that I can’t help with the miso in a jar but I bought 2 boxes of miso soup sachets in tesco, one yellow one red, not sure there is too much difference in the taste. We have tried both with baby sweet corn and pakchoi, I didn’t find it too salty but hubby found it a bit strange, at only 70 calories including the veg it was fine to stave off any hunger or as a quick fix if time is limited. Like you used to love oxo in a cup and calories but have you tried bovril in a jar?

Love your diversion tactic of a dust hunt instead of Easter egg hunt, will be following your lead as the sun streaming through the window is putting me to shame! Might then have a walk along the beach and blow my inner cobwebs away.🌪

Well, it might rain tomorrow so I am making full use of the doors and windows being flung wide open, a bit of housework followed by a bit of work in the garden. Loving it!! 🙂

Hi Lucia, I’m pleased to report that the sun is shining through my windows too. So far the third lot of washing has gone into the machine, the rest is happily, slowly flapping on the line.
Re miso, you can buy a box of little sachets in supermarkets, possibly cheaper then good old H and B!! It also has the advantage of knowing exactly how many calories you are having! All you do is tip the sachet in a mug and pour on boiling water. Simples! I can’t stand oxo cubes so all I can say is to me it tastes a million times better!!! I really don’t like salty food so I think you will be fine with the miso. The ones in sachets have tiny bits of Japanese style veg in it. The brand I get is called Clear Spring if that helps. I sometimes add bean sprouts to mine or little cubes of soya. Lucia, the dust!! How does it happen? I’m off to clean windows in a minute.

Oh and waking up at work times during holiday? I’ve been retired for over a year and I still do it!!! But I love not missing mornings like this – or as John Wayne once said ‘you’re burning daylight’ _ I wouldn’t want to do that lol

So Lucia, have a lovely weekend x

Hi, Mishmonkey,

I still use MFP even though it gives me a telling off for not consuming enough calories. I find it useful for tracking the carbs, fat and protein – and also for looking back on previous days to see what days menu works best for me.

Hi spirit,
Hey, did you have to tell me rain tomorrow?
Yes I will be out there soon.
Will have a wander in the fresh air. I have been doing it a lot recently.

Yes, I do feel different. I am trying not to weigh every day and live by my weight number, I am trying to enjoy the right foods, enjoy moving about and enjoy just ‘being’.

Okay, sod the dusting, I am just getting my shoes on, speak later.
Love Lucia
Xxxxx

Hi Inka, as the others have said, stick with it you WILL see the changes, you have to on this diet. Have a lovely weekend 🙂

Oh as well….

I was fascinated going into Holland and Barrett.
I nipped in when no one was on the door, keeping me out. The shop assistant yelled from the till, right across the empty shop to me, “are you all right there?” Now this expression confuses me every time I hear it.
I don’t like someone yelling at me, and yes do I look ‘not okay’? I would prefer, “may I help you?”
Now you have all started me off….
I hate going into restaurants or cafes with my hubby. “can I help you guys?”
I always say ” no, I am a girl, I am wearing a skirt”.

Anyway, getting back to hand b…..
The different types of vitamins and other tablets
The different types of nuts and seeds
The cereals, oats etc
Fruits like prunes etc
The huge tubs of diet whey ( you will have to explain that one to me)
Crackers oat biscuits.
Then there was bread without gluton, without flour, without yeast, without salt, without water, so surely it’s not bread then? This was far to technical for me yet.

It’s a great shop, but I will have to read up and ask you all for explanations before I buy from there.

So my first one is miso soup … See previous blog.

Love Lucia
Xxx

Newlife and Sharon, please don’t get stressed about the chocolatey weekend. If you do stumble and eat some then you will pick yourselves up, dust yourselves down and start all over again!

Newlife, whatever happens don’t stop posting!!! We are all here to support you. This is so much easier for those of us who have been on this diet for several weeks because you genuinely lose the desire to eat any of the brown crap!!! And I used to love the stuff!!

Can you both ask people to support you by not offering you any? If they do could you just sniff the chocolate and then ignore it? I know that sounds strange but smell and taste are strongly linked.

Hoping you both have a lovely weekend 🙂

Morning Lucia and happy Easter!

Never made miso soup so can’t help with that. Well done though on this ‘diet’ you are doing really well.

And sod the dust/housework, today it’s sunny and made to enjoy the good outdoors. Tomorrow it will rain!

Hi everyone,
As it is a bank holiday, I am off work. Instead of waking up at 5:30am I woke up at…. 5:30am. So I read the blogs on the website.
The sun is streaming through the windows, it truly is a spring Easter morning…… Boy can I see the dust on the telly , hang on…….. That’s better…… Oh the mirror over the fire…… Oh, the clock,,…….. Oh the coffee table………
Sorry, got carried away by the dust.
Yes, this diet, Ha!! That’s no diet, it’s great. It is wonderful. I am now addicted to Fage yoghurt, full fat. It’s so thick you could grout the bathroom tiles with it 😄😄😄😄😄
I bought it in morrisons.

I have a question for you all.
I went into Holland and Barrett and saw miso soup paste in a glass jar.
Do I use it like an oxo cube?
Eg a teaspoon full in boiling water, with say a little ham And pak choi? (hark me, I sound so with it, don’t I?)
I want something simple for clear, tasty soup.
Is it really salty like oxo cubes?
I used to enjoy an oxo in a mug of hot water a long time ago, but it’s lost it’s beefiness and is very salty now.

See, I need you all to help me.
Love Lucia
Xxxxx