Hi all. Had a very successful first week, lost 8 pounds, but have now plateau-ed (sp). I am not doing anything different, but even the ounces showing on my scales are staying the same! Any suggestions for a kick start? I am not diabetic, but have all the qualifications! Do periods make a periodic difference to weight loss? Don’t want to look for excuses, just answers. Thanks.

That’s great. I’m going to have a couple of weeks off the 800 after 18 March as I’m on holiday but still sticking to the med style diet and then I’m going to go back on it as I still have over 2 st to loose.
Enjoy your holiday.

Hi Wide_Widow
welcome to a whole new lifestyle.
Before long you’ll be as amazed as the rest of us were at the rate that the weight comes off and the sugar levels decrease.
Do the 8 weeks, you’re going to surprise yourself.

Hi
it could be that you are not putting enough fat in your diet.
I f we want the body to switch to burning fat instead of carbs, we need to give it some fuel to burn.
Others will be along soon with their opinions, I’m sure we can sort it out.

Hi Bre123. Since finishing the 8 weeks on 13th February I’ve stayed on 800 calories. Up to today I’ve lost another 7 pounds, a total of 34 pounds. Means I’ve lost 15% of my starting weight. Fasting bloods down – 4.8 this morning.

The more people try this, the more stories we share, the more proof we have that this works. 😃

I’m seeing my diabetes nurse on Friday, hoping to come off blood pressure meds (I’ve already halved the doses). Due HbA1c in March – that should keep me on track while I’m away next week LOL.

Wow, that’s great work Captainlynne, well done. I’m almost at the end of week 6 (on Friday) and so far I have lost 19 lb and 12 oz. I’m pleased to hear from someone who has passed the 8 week stage as I think I will find it more challenging to maintain the weight loss (as I’ve never succeeded in doing it in the past), so it’s good to hear the different things you are trying. I’m also diet controlled type 2 and I can’t wait to see my full results on 18 March as well as my blood sugar readings and HbA1c. I fell so much healthier and energised so I’m determined to keep that going.
Continue the good work.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Thanks for the cheer Cherriane and Dora66, looking forward to talking more. I am a weight watchers and slimming world repeat offender too. I never seem to stick to anything past losing a stone or so. Usually because I feel too deprived.

Peteinthebayou, great loss and rowing sounds impressive!

I have cardiomyopathy so walking, swimming and yoga is my exercise limit. Its another reason to sort out this weight though. Poor old ticker would feel much better if I could put the baggage down!

Good luck this week every one.

Hi,
I’m now in week 3 of the fast 800 diet with good results so far. The first 4 days were tricky with headaches but that’s all passed and I’ve been feeling great, however over the last 2 weeks from feeling full of energy at the start of the week when it gets to Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning I feel like I’ve hit a wall with no energy at all. My calorie and water intake is the same pretty much everyday. Last week I carried on as usual and picked up towards Saturday/Sunday but the same has happened again this week. Has anyone else experienced this or does anyone have a theory as to why it happens?

Cheers

Welcome Susan. You’ll find lots of support and advice on here. Look forward to hearing how you get on. Lynne

Thanks for the tip about linseed seeds. They also make a great coating for chicken breasts and dish fillets.

I’ve found that if you have a full fat natural yoghurt with 10 g of linseed seeds and 10 g of pumpkin & sunflower seeds it works a treat. If you don’t like yoghurt, I think it is the linseed seeds that do the trick so you could use them in other dishes.

Interesting thank you. It looks like I’m eating too many still – averaging around 100. It’s something I’ve not really been checking or knew what I should have been aiming for. Most seem to be coming from fruit and veg so a little bit of tweaking looks to be in order.

Lighter Life do meal replacement soups at 150 calories per packet. You can buy them in Superdrug. They are expensive (around £7 for 4 packets) but they are protein rich and balanced so ideal if you need something fast and surprisingly they do fill you up.

Thanks for the replies, interesting that it could be too little acid, I’ll try your lemon water. It’s not something I’ve been bothered with before but it could be a coincidence, my diet didn’t change too drastically. I’m not convinced myself but the Dr has said she’ll refer me to ENT if it doesn’t clear up.

Any suggestions for a simple salad dressing to make without too much oil in it? (I have gall stones so am being moderate with my fat intake) Or perhaps a commercial one that isn’t a wolf in sheep’s clothing – branded low fat but laden with sugar. Ta!

Hi bill i will email you a bit later 🙂

Advice please. I’m trying to work out a weekly plan but it’s hard not to go over the 45g standard limit for women Does that still apply on this regime? Many thanks

Judith PM stands for private message but this forum doesn’t seem to have the function.
My email addy is angrydriver54@hotmail.com don’t worry about me posting it, I only use it for forum sign ups etc

Kim, if you’re going to go alll teenager on us then so am I
YOU SMASHED IT GIRL
Fabulous that you can reduce the insulin already, next step is to get off it altogether and you CAN do it.
Ignore you ? I’d rather stick pins in my eyes. 😉

Hi Pollyanna (and everyone else)
I have written an email asking Myfitnesspal if they would consider making the 800 calories BSD an option for 8 weeks so people who are following this don’t get a message every day telling them they are not eating enough! maybe if everyone who is using it sent a similar message they might make it possible……….
M.

Aly I think some of your ‘withdrawal’ has been down to your chest infection – I always have achy legs etc when I have a chest infection, once the infection is over I think you will find this so much easier. I’m glad you have the antibiotics even if they are not ‘clean’. I know to my cost how bad it can get if you ignore it and let it drag on. Good news about your BP as well. 🙂

Bill, what is a PM, how do I find it?

Of course Bill, no problem, will be glad to help in return 🙂

I buy roasted red peppers in jars (Lidl do them if you are in the UK) and £1 shops often havethe Aleyna brand too – much cheaper than the big 4 supermarket options. They are in a slightly vinegary brine, but I wash one off under the tap and either whack it in the frying pan briefly or nuke it in microwave to warm it up. A convenient alternative and the jar lasts ages in fridge, so good for those who are cooking for one.

Sainsburys also does a frozen bag of Mediterranean char-grilled veg – also ideal for those cooking for one.

No one on here told me this healthy eating malarkey was a miracle!! Its successfully made me 40 years younger … I have two zits and teenage-back-itis, where I couldn’t get my back off the bed this morning!!!
Well, apart from the above, I have good news and bad news … good news = I am so impressed with myself!!! We live in the middle of nowhere (5 miles from nearest shop), and as our office is based at home I don’t get out as often as some … but when I do, I’ve always managed to purchase so-called treats laden with sugar!! Last evening I had to go out, and some of the afternoon I kept hearing these fruit pastilles calling my name, shouting me to rescue them!! I had my good low carb tea, and even had a coffee with cream after, but even as I got in the car I could physically see myself returning with at least four large packs of sugar covered pastilles!! I wasn’t hungry at all. And I haven’t been! But that sugar addiction is bad!! The thoughts of “well, I can always start again tomorrow …” just kept hitting me!! However … I refrained!!! I went to my friends … just had hot water, even though she tried to persuade me we needed to break that bottle of wine … and that little swine sitting on my shoulder kept saying “we can always go to the shop on the way home”. I didn’t!! I came home and stood in the middle of the lounge and told my slim-fitting hubby how clever I was … and bless him, he understood, and was so proud!!
Bad news? Well I struggled to sleep last night … not cos of hunger, but just fidgety-it is!! Nothing would stay still! Feet … legs … arms … me! I tossed and turned all night! Then at 3 pm I found my BS was down to 3.2! However, I got downstairs and had some yogurt and seeds and raisins and a cup of milk.
This morning I have reduced my insulin by half, and will keep an eye on it.
Blood sugar level at 8 am was 6.6 … still much better than normal, even though it wasn’t a fasting one!!

Keep at it everyone!! Ignore me … I’m just making sure you all realise what I am going through to learn to look after myself!! 🙂

Thanks for the reply. Yes it is expensive, but also like you say a lot of the stuff like herbs and spices you only buy now and again and will last for ages. I’m just writing up a week menu so I know what I’m going to eat, but my shopping list keeps getting bigger and bigger haha.

Good luck with the diet Sweetpea

Hello,

My internet connection is intermittent which makes it difficult to go on sites such as MFP and Calorieking etc and check calories and carbs in the foods I’m eating.

Would anyone happen to have any book or magazine recommendations that give a breakdown of a wide range of foods and their nutritional content? I’m really keen to be as accurate as I can, and there are so many books and mags on sale – just wondering if they are all reliable sources.

Any help would be great!

Thanks 🙂

Hi Pollyanna

Welcome!
I have the same problem too – one suggestion is to click on quick add calories for 200 cals each day before you click on ‘completed’. That should solve the problem! That said, I shouldn’t get too hung up on the projected weight loss thing as it is so individual and not an accurate guide really – we all lose weight at different rates. I normally don’t bother.

I am emi1997 on MFP if you want to friend me there – there is also a BSD group, but the founder of it seems to have gone off the radar recently.

All the best in the journey – I have lost almost 10kg so far. And shape is changing. And most importantly, after fhe first few days, I have not been thinking interminably about food, which is my normal state of mind on a diet!

Julia

Great attitude Sweetpea
you’ll find it a doddle as you have all the dieting experience, just need to fine tune the concept of not eating carbs and eating fat, you’ll find that a bit weird.
I’m looking forward to seeing your progress reports.

Thank you Hashimoto! I’m loving your excitement and totally feeling you!

I’m trying not to become a ‘diet bore’ but I cannot stop myself going on about it! It’s not just about the weight loss, it’s about the ridiculous energy I have. I literally cannot stop moving and the house has never been as clean, tidy and organised – and believe me, I am not the most organised person – I just have to keep moving and active.

I can feel how much lighter I am on my feet, there just isn’t as much of ‘me’ to lug around any more.

I left a post yesterday about a 1lb weight gain. When I stepped on my scales this morning I was 2lbs down! so you are right in what you and others said about weight going up and down. What I notice is that when I don’t drink enough water not only do I feel bad, but I think my body retains water, so as from today I’m going to make a big effort to drink between 2 and 3 litres, as advised.

Well done Hashimoto and well done everyone here. Loving the support and encouragement here so much. It feels very safe, and that’s so important to me. xxxxx

Hello everyone. I’ve just joined the site today & am finding this forum an excellent source of advice so far. However, I haven’t been able to find an answer to my question about My Fitness Pal. I have been using it to record my 800 calorie intake since Monday but when I click on ‘Completed’ at the end of each day, I get a warning that my calorie intake is too low and it will not give me the usual projected weight loss. I can see why they’re alarmed (eating disorders etc) but is there any way round this?

Ok so I’ve had my first meal, the spinach and pea omelette, and it was surprisingly tasty and filling! I woke up this morning having started my period, and had to go back to bed with some ibuprofen and a hot water bottle for severe cramps. I was really feeling sorry for myself, but I am so determined to start today that nothing was going to stop me!

I plan to have the medi platter for lunch and courgetti with prawns for dinner, yum!

I’m so determined I can do this 🙂

Bill, there are many people on here that are really supportive and encouraging to “newbies” (like myself), and “oldhats” (like yourself) … and it doesn’t matter how long you have been doing this “life changing” healthy eating, we all of us need each other, whether its to put us on the right road, share hints & tips, teach from experience, pat each other on the back, or boost us when we’re down.
Many of us have been to slimming clubs, and they all try to insist you stay not just for the weigh in, but for the motivational talk by the leader … and sharing stories with each other. They all know that to be successful most people need that “group therapy”. Very few of us really are that insular!
You, Bill, come over as one of those “leaders” … not one of those that tell you what to do … but one of those that has been there and helps by true encouragement. What you have achieved is excellent, and as hashimoto and Yael have said, you are inspirational, and we need people like you on this site to share your ups and downs the same way we are doing! x

I just started today, and I’m mixing and matching my own. The meal plan is for guidance if you want it. I’ve ordered 4 days worth from Tesco to start with and spent £40, so it’s definitely a lot more expensive than what I’d usually spend, but some of the ingredients I’ve bought will last a long time, so my next shop should be cheaper.

How about a roasted pepper or aubergine instead?

Thanks so much Judith
I really wanted to get some advice from you re hashimodo’s, I think the wife may have it.
She has been on thyroxine for years but, over the last 6 months or so her hair has started falling out, dry skin and scabs on the head and a big poison lump on her neck. Doc gave her antibiotics that didn’t help
I can’t see a PM facility on the forum, do you mind putting some info in an email if I post my email addy?

I would have given up with the onset of withdrawal if it hadn’t been for you lot! I am amazed I lasted a week but it is down to you I am still here.
On the health front, just been to doc and I have a chest infection. The medicine is not ‘clean’ but I will have to go with it! I was checked out for Zika virus as there have been two cases in Paris. Good news on that is my blood pressure was a little low where before it was a little high!

Bill, Yael is right, you are our hero. You have achieved so much and spurred us all on. You are truly inspirational. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Cherrianne, I am definitely going to try the liquorice tea … I know I have some in the cupboard! Not for the hunger pangs, cos there aren’t any, but just cos I quite fancy that!! Right now you are probably in bed in Aussie land, while I am sitting in my office with a busy day ahead!! I’m really pleased about your blood sugar levels, cos insulin is no fun! I look back over the past 12 years, and to be honest, whether its because people are under the misapprehension that I know what it’s all about, or whether its because they don’t know either, or whether its because I have just ignored the fact I am diabetic and not stayed on top of it … which I think is probably more of the case … I have never been as keen to lower my bg as now. I have to take responsibility!!

Hope you have a good day later … and thanks for the tip on the liquorice tea (have now had two cups!!) x

Does any one have a suggestion for replacement of Portobello mushrooms for the Portobello toast and the Cheesy baked beans, that would be a similar calorie content and nutrients?? I would be glad to know..not a fan of mushrooms!! Will appreciate any input

Hello I too have PCOS plus polycystic kidneys. I’m on my 4th week of this diet and it’s working well lost over a stone. Have you thought about how much water you’re drinking? A 2 litre bottle of water weighs quite a bit and if you’re retaining fluid that can give a false picture. I have found that if I have a more vegetarian diet the weight seems to fall off and being very careful about using salt in recipes going for more pepper and other herbs/spices instead.

Good luck.

Hi Hummingbird, I was scared of the full fat too but not any more. Try the 800 for a fortnight and then see. I found the 800 much easier because you are allowed more food, it’s more filling and once you get over the first few days you don’t get the hunger pangs. I know everyone is different but I tend to eat at about 10am, 2pm and 6pm. It gives a long fast but if you are diabetic it may be better to have a full fat greek yoghurt like Bill an hour before you go to bed 🙂
Just a thought – you could make a vegetarian cottage pie ( with lentils – do you have Rose Elliott’s books?) because the cauliflower mash on top is totally scrumptious. I will admit I felt strange adding all that cheese and olive oil to the cauli but the weight is still dropping off – go for it gal because you won’t regret it 🙂 🙂

You know what guys, I try on a daily basis, to do whatever I can to offer help and encouragement to others in my own little way.
Today I’m on the other side of the fence so to speak and I’m so chuffed about these resposes from strangers who are rapidly becoming friends.
If what I do makes others feel even slightly the way I feel at the moment, then I must be doing something right.
Thanks to all of you for the kind responses and support

Sod the readings – Onward and Upward 🙂

Bill

Hi Aly, I have never tried to make greek yoghurt, I know it involves filtering, so don’t think I will bother with it. My time is filled making all these lovely recipes. A double batch of Bill’s coconut flour flatbreads this morning. I have experimented with no salt. Some I will use as a dessert with cream and fruit and the other batch I sprinkled parmesan cheese on before they went in the oven. They turned out fine. 🙂

Thanks for that info Hawkeye

Hi LH and hashimito,

Thanks for your replies, and well done on how you’ve done so far!, inspiring stuff! I’m going to do a few 800 cal days to see how it feels, I’ve done loads of 500 cal days with the 5:2 so maybe won’t be so difficult. I’m trying to get my head around the fat content on this plan. The marketing machine did a good job on me, as I’m ‘scared’ of fat, have avoided fats for years, and only use olive oil sparingly, this is going to be interesting, ‘allowing’ myself creme fraiche and such like, sure it’s why I am a sugar junkie, as I don’t get enough of the right fats, although I do eat nuts as am vegetarian..

HB.x

Phew Yael, that is good news about the quince!!! Thanks 🙂

Welcome to the forums Hawkeye, you could really make a difference to others especially when they see the weight falling off you and want to know how to get the same results. Well done 🙂

Thanks, Hashimoto. I think I’ve said that my 85 year-old doctor father has been debunking the low-fat products for many years. I guess there are plenty of doctors and dieticians who just don’t bother keeping up with research and new thoughts. I felt quite protective about ‘our’ Michael.

Bill, despite your little blip that is VERY good news. Your nurse is reacting the same way as mine. They have to when they see the results. Let’s hope it benefits other patients in your practice!!