B – spinach and pea omlette, 180 calls, could be eaten cold as packed lunch or taken to work for break time if in a hurry

L – Spanish chickpea and spinach soup with chorizo, really tasty and very filling, again good for work, 210 caps

T – we were going to have the foil baked fish but after lunch felt full and couldn’t face another main meal so went ‘off piste’ for the first time (scary) and had cottage cheese, coconut flour flatbreads (added some water as the mix was thick, came out lovely and light and fluffy) celery, baby tomatoes, and cucumber, 388 cals.

All came to 778

Not been hungry at all today, tried to download the Aussie app as suggested previously to track cals and carbs but not recognised by my iPad!

Onwards and upwards and ready for another new day tomorrow with blueberry and green tea shake in the fridge for brekkies.

Oh dear, I’m putting weight on now! Had lost 10 lbs over 4 weeks and now in week 5, I’ve put 2lbs back on. Hm. Am hoping that’s just down to some alcoholic celebrations last weekend! Good to hear about weight loss for Lolo and Sunnyb so that’s motivating me to keep going one day at a time. I wish our bodies were simple to understand! 🙂

Fantastic John. Come and join us on the Fast 800 forum, there’s a thread ‘over the 8 week line and after’

I asked the BSD team about this. They said if I was ok and had no problems it was ok to do an extra few weeks then move on to 5:2.

But I have stayed on the BSD and am now in my 12th week (except last week was on holiday do just low-carb eating, straight back on BSD when I got home). I plan on staying on this for a while longer as I have approx another 56 pounds to lose, and lots of folk on here seem to be planning to do the same.

Hi All – Bill it’s great to see your improved results. It gives us hope! Are you on medication/ have you reduced it?

Today my fasting level was still high at 9.9, and I decided to test more often. 2 hours after my yogurt breakfast, my blood sugar was still high at 9.3.
Lunch was home made vegetable soup (all non starchy) and an apple. 2 hours later my blood sugar had fallen to 5.9 the lowest I’ve seen for ages. However I went to the gym to do a body max class and measured again before dinner and it’s back up to 8.5. So it seems as though my liver is dumping sugar through the day now too. I’mm hoping it’s a good sign, and once I’m at my target weight am thinking about asking for a liver/ pancreas scan to see if it is still fatty (probably will have to go private for that)

Cherrianne – I think I’m eating minimal carbs – only natural carbs in carrots, apples etc (and not many of them) – I think well below 50g normally. I’m slightly worried about letting my levels get too high as I’ve already got some signs of retinopathy.

Lucia, I had no difficulty. I just went onto easydietdiary.com and then it said download on the AppStore and I went there and hey presto. But I bought my iPad when I lived in Hong Kong so maybe it’s a different store as I do get a lot of Chinese apps.

How wonderful! Five pounds a week! Really well done John, go for it!

BTW Lucia the no carb ploughmans makes a good packed lunch x

Lucia i wondered why you were trying to weigh a spoon of yoghurt lol. Wish I had had a light bulb moment and let you know we eat a small pot – I’m addicted to fage. You might find it keeps you fuller! X

Hi Scot gran,
How do you download it as the uk App Store doesn’t know it and I don’t know how to get the Australian one?
Simple clue please because I am thick.
Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi Scot gran i will look for the spreadsheet later this evening.

I went for a wander in the ‘what have you ate today’ blog.
I thought the normal portion of yoghurt was a tablespoon, people there are having a whole small pot. I had a lightbulb moment.

Am going to look for the ploughmans lunch , it sounds good. May have that at the end of the week.

Also, I am going to try some mince or a small steak, just to see how I get on. I prefer chicken though.

I am learning.
Love Lucia
Xxxx
X

Fantastic! You must be feeling great. Wishing you continued success.

…and Marjorie

Hi DD,
In that case I might give it a bash myself once the 8 weeks is over.
I hope to have just another 20lbs to lose after the first time round so I may be able to shift that on the 5:2 – I’ll certainly maintain the Med style food whatever.
Very good luck to you

Hi Stringbreaker, I haven’t re-read the book but I do plan to, mainly to get some motivation again. I didn’t stick to 800 calories for the last 2 weeks so it wouldn’t really be 4 months for me and if I do find it a struggle then the 5:2 is my backup plan. Must admit I don’t feel as if it’s an effort either 😀
I am going to do it again Desperate so let’s trailblaze 😀Good luck to you too!

Lost 40lb. Blood down from 7.2 to 5.2. My diabetic nurse dismissed the diet before I started. Had bloods taken today, carnt wait to get my results from her. !!!!! Going to contine and hope to loose another 20lb. Which will take me to my ideal weight. Good luck to all, I am proof that it works.

Lucia I use easy diet diary which is free to download. It’s actually an Australian app but it’s easy enough to use if you are using fresh rather than branded products. I have noticed that whilst my calorie count is usually a little below the 800 my carb count is often quite high. For example today I’ve had 691 calls but 32 carbs. I will work on my choices to try to bring that down to under 30. By contrast yesterday I had 791 calls but only 23 carbs.

Hi string breaker
The book is a bit vague on continuing, it just says some people may have more weight to lose and may want to continue. I’m going to give it a try. The recipes are really well balanced so , if we choose carefully, it should be okay; and if it’s not – we can always stop! Have a go and see how it works. Good luck.. Much joy

B blueberries yogurt almonds and flaxseeds
L chicken celery lettuce one cherry tomato olive oil
D stir fry turkey breast with 1/2 pack of Chinese stir fry veg
Snacks half a pear and a small square of cheese mid afternoon as I had an early breakfast and an early lunch today,
All comes to 691 so may have some yogurt later but not hungry at the moment and feeling tired so will go to bed early before the evening munchies come on!

Hi Sunnyb, thanks for the info about the oopsi bread, I might have time to make it tomorrow.

Bill, I think my batter for the flatbreads is just two thick (avoiding the joke at your expense!), as you said before more of a paste, so I maybe need to add some milk or water or something to get thinner ones.

For Kiwi’s – there is a NZ version of the ‘easydietdiary’ iPhone app. I find it really easy to use and the more people who use and add NZ brands the easier it will become. I find it a lot easier to use than the MFP app.

I had a plateau at week 3 for 13 days – so started to track using this app, I am now losing a kilo a week again, which for me is amazing. I specifically tracked the carb intake – to my body it doesn’t matter what type of carb – I need to keep down below 30g a day what ever the type to lose weight. Find what your threshold is and you will be able to keep losing if you stay below it.

Best of luck out there everyone. 🙂

Lucia, no need to dry fry anything – get the butter in that pan!

Hi Marjorie
I’m in the same position, just finishing week 7 and am determined to carry on. I’ve lost 20 pounds so far but have much more weight to go. If no one has has completed a second block of 8 weeks , then we can trailblaze and see how it goes. Good luck . Much joy

Bill,
Just to back up what Hashimoto said.
How many weeks are you into the plan now – must be nearing the 8?

Marjorie,
Have you re-read the book to see if MM makes any comment on extending beyond the 8 weeks? Might it not be better to go onto the 5:2 system whilst still eating the same types of food?
I’m absolutley no expert on the subect but just wonder if 4 months on 800kCals is a good idea.
The really odd thing is that I think it would be very easy to do another 8 weeks – I’m 6 weeks through the 8 and don’t feel as though I’m having to make an effort.

Hi all,
So blob of yoghurt and an apple for breakfast
Celery, Spring onion, lettuce and 75g roast pork for lunch
Bacon grilled, mushrooms and a dry fried egg

Is 615.5 calories
33.8 Grams of fat
7.2 Grams of fibre
23.9 Grams of carbs.

Didn’t realise my calories count was so low so far today.
I am not hungry ( small miracle) so I will go and have a mooch in the cupboard for something healthy.
I have feta cheese for lunch tomorrow, maybe a bit of that……

That took hours to look up and add up, I will find a website to speed me up.

How is everyone else doing?
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Decided to swap the chicken for prawns this evening and topped the day out at 780 cals and just under 20g carbs. Only a couple of herbal teas for the rest of the evening. I made some sesame crackers from a recipe I found on the diet doctors site and snacked on a couple of those, as I was a bit peckish this afternoon. They come in a 77cals each, but only 1.5g – very tasty and low carb.

Has anyone else done a second block of the diet? I lost 15 pounds in 6 weeks then kind of blew the last 2 weeks cause life got in the way and I’ve put a couple of pounds back on. I’m not beating myself up about it but have decided to do a second block as I still have another 2 stone to lose 😀

Hi Penny,
I have posted the pork casserole recipe in the recipes section under ‘Slow Cooker Morrocan Style Pork Stew.’ Actually I think that spelling should be ‘Moroccan’ , but I’m sure people will still be able to find it!

Bill 1954
£1.79 from morrisons 😈
Xx
Love Lucia

Hi BSM and NalinP – this diet is surprisingly easy to get along with and I am sure you will both be reporting weight loss very soon. Make sure to use the various forum threads to gather info and support and as Bill said, check out the recipes too for inspiration. There may be times when you find it hard to stay focused and motivated and that is definitely the time to post on the forum, as someone will be there o urge you on.

Gook luck to you both for the weeks to come.

Thank you Bill and thank you SunnyB. I shall continue with my carbs and not stress too much if the calories go over. As it is clear to see from so many “threads”, we all seem to think we’ve got it wrong when the weight loss slows down. Feeling quite reassured, I shall endeavour not to shout at the scales when they refuse to move downwards at a rate of knots!
Jan

Hi Grandma48

As Bill says, don’t stress about being a bit over. It actually says in the book that over the eight weeks it will balance out, with some days calories being higher and some lower. Try not to talk yourself into needing a snack, by worrying there are no calories left. You will probably find as you have included plenty of fat, you will not actually need anything extra.

I have been counting calories in everything and recently have included carbs in this record as well. For me, the calorie counting is as much about training myself to recognise proper portion sizes as anything, so I think keeping track is no bad thing, at least initially until you know what 100g of yogurt, 30g cheese and 120g of meat looks like.

Don’t panic about today. If you do need a snack have it, then move on and start anew tomorrow.

Good luck- I’m sure you’ll be fine.

Hi all
I have had a very good day today, l have been to the gym to help with the chocolate I ate yesterday! Like you SunnyB I didn’t really enjoy it either!! I certainly didn’t enjoy the extra long workout today, that will teach me not to give into temptation. Good luck to everyone.

We go beginning of April returning toward the end of June. Have an apartment out there, so it’s a home-from-home – hence needing some new low-carb/low-cal recipes. We’re round at Didim on the Aegean coast.

Carommartin
Are you weighing things? Also drinking the water I have bought a litre bottle of water and now fill it up from the tap,just to help me measure out the three litres. So I am also having oats for breakfast and apple, which i am weighing out. At the moment can’t get on with berries and full fat yoghurt for breakfast and I have a physical job. I am not eating any other fruit at the moment if i really need to I have another apple but thats it. Lunch is soup but for instance today it was tomato,chilli and green lentil which was 182 calories then tonight tandoori chicken with stir fried okra. I am not fanatical about calorie counting as I said use myfitnesspal, as Michael mentions in his book sometimes you go over not by much sometimes I’m under. I have struggled for years with weight probs and am also a diabetic as well as under active thyroid I have alot of weight to lose and I mean alot. I think really with this way of eating its what works for you, I know that some are more strict than others regarding carbs I am following what Michael says in the book not eating bread pasta etc but am eating pulses so there are carbs there. I have lost 5kg in a week and will weigh again next Monday. I also eat alot of thai broth type suppers lots of lovely greens and small amount of chicken. I hope some of my ramblings have helped, maybe if you feel the 800 is too severe you could do the the 5:2 approach he talks about in his book, so doing 800 for two days and just low carb med eating for the others. Keep in touch and let me know how you get on. Good Luck.

Hi Rose
thanks also for your reply, I don’t often feel hungry between meals which I thought was odd at first. Chocolate was never an issue with me but it does look nice when my wife has a few squares!!
Good luck and keep the faith, this low carb diet seems to be the best way to go.

Hi Bill
Thanks for your comments its encouraging to know that others are following this and improving their lives,
I’ll update this thread as time goes by.

Ooh Turkey, when are you going ?
We’re off to Lara beach in June 😀

Wow! Ditching sweets and chocolate for nuts is a massive step in the right direction! My learning curve now includes ‘OH’ !
Well I have managed to come downstairs and even opened the greenhouse door today so a definite improvement! 🙂

Thanks for the recipe Bill, will definitely be trying this at some point. I am gathering recipes to take with me on our trip out to Turkey, this one seems a good one to take, as it’s not complicated and it can be adjusted according to what fruit is available. There should be strawberries a plenty while we are there.

Hi Grandma48
it all looks ok to me but I’m a bit of a heretic in that I haven’t counted a single calorie yet.
I concentrate on keeping the carbs down and eating reasonable portions and I have lost 20 pounds so far.
Don’t worry too much if you slip over 800, it isn’t set in stone it’s more the figure that weight loss patients are given post op as the original research was to see if people on a low calorie diet could reverse their diabetes in the same way as weight loss surgery patients were doing.

Oh I thought I had put OH as in other half 😉
Yes Judith, it isn’t easy but I’m getting more and more in there.
Better than that she has ditched the sweets and chocolate and is concentrating on pistacchios so that’s a result. 😉
Are you still improving ? Hope so.

Hello guys

Sorry to intrude on your topic, but it applies to me as well. Week 1 4lbs loss, week 2, 1/2lb loss and am just mid week 3 so looking to see what has happened, although I don’t think it’s great! I have started very carefully logging calories and carbs – not convinced that our F.F is very accurate, so checking other sources. Today, I have logged everything I have had so far – gazpacho (home made) for breakfast, egg salad for lunch and I’ve put in my proposed dinner, salmon steak with asparagus, kale and broccoli. All in all the total is 864 calories and 35.8 carbs. I’m happy with the carb reading, but the calories are so high already and if I get peckish there’s no calories left! I’m trying to include the olive oil (in the gazpacho), full fat mayo with the salad and small butter pat to go on the veggies tonight. I’m logging all these because I believe I have to, but they slaughter the calorie allowance. No space for Greek yoghurt – boo hoo. Can you please tell me if I’m doing this right?

Thank you for all the inspiration you provide – you’re amazing, all of you.

Jan

Susansilver
I’m horribly irritable and tired too – that’s why I came here to see if it was just me – and that ‘dying soon would be fine’ feeling is very familiar! I am so thankful that I don’t have to try and be civil and cariing to anyone, I wouldn’t manage it, so hat off to you for not murdering either of your dependants yet! Feeling like this, I’m sure I would have done. Respect.
I’ve come back from a very moderate bike ride and had to put my head between my knees when I got off because I was so lightheaded.
I’m following a friend who started three weeks ago (you and I are both nine days in) and he was grumpy and so tired in the second week then it passed. I assume it’s the body adjusting and we will come through it so long as we don’t think some carbs will solve the problem as they will only set the clock back to zero. Everyone’s body adjusts differently though so I’m prepared for it taking longer. My mantra is “this too will pass” …
Somewhere I’ve read that the not succumbing to carbs is crucial, so your chips meal may well have thrown everything out of whack and caused fluid retention?
Michael’s book mentions irritability at the two week review so it’s obviously expected in the early stages. He doesn’t quantify it but I’m content that there’s nothing abnormal, we’re just sadly more severely afflicted in this aspect where others may be worse in say sleep pattern; so long as we don’t carry on feeling so grim for more than another week or so! This too will pass …

Not sure what OT stands for but guessing it’s your wife? Are you managing to sneak more of this way of eating into her diet?

Bill, i know, I’m a right cheapo! At least I didn’t unravel them and wind them round someones hands to reknit into new clothes (only people of a certain age will know what I’m talking about).
But, nah,not the body of my dreams yet but I’m not so afraid of mirrors these days!

Lucia and Catgirl did you/have you taken photos of yourselves in your undies (as suggested by michael) so you compare the now and after? I could only look at mine after a lot of weight came off. Amusingly I closed my eyes when I took the photo – that’s how much I couldn’t bear the mirrors lol 🙂

🙂
OK I made the coconut flour flatbread recipe but used just 1 tbsp of coconut flour and added a pinch of flaked almonds and a drop or two of vanilla essence to the mix. I thought the mixture was still a bit too thick so I added a drop of milk just to thin it down.
Poured out 2 splodges of mix on a well greased baking tray (use greaseproof paper if you have it as they can really stick), and baked in the oven at 350 / 180 for twenty minutes or until golden brown. I did spread the mixture fairly thin on the tray with the back of a wetted spoon.
Once out of the oven and cooled I mixed a little creamy goats cheese with ricotta to give a nice smooth spreadable consistency then topped off with sliced strawberries.
The mix makes 2 and I really enjoyed mine, the OH scoffed the other one which is a recommendation in itself.
You can of course substitute any fruit or berries that take your fancy.

Wow Judith, how did you keep that from the moths ?
So, did it fit, do you have the body of your dreams yet ?
Nah me neither………but we’re getting there.

Well done lolo! Which reminds me of my own bit of news, i tried on a jumper i last wore in 2006 – OMG – just realised that’s 10 years ago! 🙂