Felicitations, chere Aly! I am about to eat dinner (Australia) on Day 6. Weighed myself: I appear to have lost 2 kgs (4.4) so far even though I weekend & had a glass of wine on two evenings. Noticed my jeans were not so tight. Amazing! Take care of yourself. Chest infections are no fun.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the support. I had a bad night last night as I was starving and couldn’t sleep, but I woke up fine this morning. I don’t feel as hungry today and I bought some meal replacement shakes to fill me up a bit at night time. I lost 1.2kg in the first day which I know is just fluid but it has spurred me on. Will post weight loss at the end of week 1. 🙂

Under the heading Instant Soups there is 3 different examples. They all say make up a soup from a sachet. or a packet and one says make up a conomme base. Is the base from any recipe or a specific recipe??
What sachets or packets are these?? I gather this would be a bought packet soup?? Is there certain type or brand recommended??
Thanks in advance. I will look forward to replies.

Well, I would never have believed it…faced the scales this morning as it is my one week mark….and……6lbs off! Explains why my clothes were feeling more roomy.
I think as a result of my being so unwell I have ended up with a chest infection. I will give it today and if no better go to the doc. It is always fun here as he speaks no English. I have most of the words I need but will need to look up a few.. One of the problems living in France!
I managed a small dinner last night and my small bowl of porridge this morning and think it is helping to clear my head. My legs still ache but bearable. I still have no desire for any sugar stuff. Long may it last.
I don’t want to speak too soon as my track record is not good but I think I can do this.

Sorry spirit, I was not very clear … I used belly fat and stomach roll to mean the subcutaneous fat (love handles?). The stuff you can grab a handful of. I used visceral fat to mean the stuff behind my stomach muscles. My subcutaneous fat has made no real change around my stomach,but I appear to have lost some visceral fat as evidenced by the tape measure.

Hi malkay,

I don’t have a lot to start with, but if it helps, my belly fat hasn’t changed yet – according to my tape measure. My stomach roll has gone so maybe it starts at the top and drains down!

since I’m not diabetic I wouldn’t know about my blood sugar etc.

Keep going, we are with you.

Hi Penny,

slow weight loss is so frustrating isn’t it. When you read of some people on here losing masses of weight per week. However, in the Low Carb problems book she says that people who are Obese or morbidly obese consume enough calories per day to sustain their current size, so for arguments sake, say they are 4 stone overweight and consume about 3,500 cals a day just to sustain that. When they then switch to 800 per day, there is a massive deficit in calorie intake so they are going to lose weight quicker.

In the last book I read, it said that when you east low cal, you metabolism slows, and that exercise alone doesn’t increase it. I’m not sure about that one since on the Davina fit, if you do the HIIT 7 minute fatbuster, it does raise your metabolism and you burn fat during it and for a while after too. Maybe even you are not eating enough to boost your metabolism and yours has slowed right down? Possibly try for a day or so, eating more calories but still Mediterranean style?

I know it’s depressing when reading everyone else’s success stories and you are stuck. It kept me from reading for a few days I must say. However, stick with it and keep us posted.

Christina

I think that belly fat will be among the last to go. I carried an enormous amount of visceral fat and a medium-sized belly roll but a waist measurement of 120cm at start and a bmi of 34.25 ( can’t fill my hand if I try and grab a handful). Everyone has different fat deposition and a different metabolism. I’ve found my blood glucose took 7 weeks to return to normal whereas others find their BG returns within the first couple of weeks. Weeks 3,4 and 5, my weight went up and down and weight loss was slow, however it kicked off in week 6 again. My belly roll hasn’t shrunk but my waist has reduced by 6 cm and I’ve lost weight off my face, neck, chest, arms and legs. I’m still very “centrally fat” viscerally so I know I have to keep going.

I assume that if I keep this up, I will continue to lose fat from everywhere and eventually the tummy roll will follow!

I think we all need to remember it’s a blood sugar diet, not a belly roll diet 🙂 . Returning your insulin response to normal will affect your metabolism long term and if you go Mediterranean diet 5 and 2 or perform some other equivalent of putting less calories in than you burn through exercise, you will continue to lose fat from everywhere. Also remember that subcutaneous fat around the belly is apparently heart protective, so it’s not all bad news. Celebrate your metabolic numbers like BG and Blood Pressure and know that if you continue the plan and the follow up advice, you will eventually get rid of your obstinate companion!

Not sure that reply was aimed at you Kiwileigh.

wow bill1954 what a reply. Yes I know the ingredients are in the recipes. Im not stupid. However it takes a lot of time to go through it all to work out quantities for the shopping list. As you can see I only asked in case someone had already done this and it would have saved time and been a good thing to share with others. I certainly didn’t expect such a rude reply.

Great idea!

I was 12 stone 3 (172lbs) when I started.
I’m on day 22 and I’ve lost 14lbs.

For Australian users with an apple or android device, the “EasyDietDiary” app is pretty good with Australian products ( especially Coles and Woolworths home brands). It’s free, has a bar code scanner, multiple ways of doing serving sizes and the ability to save your own recipes and choose from previous meals etc. also integrates with the Health app. It’s from the makers of the Foodworks nutritional information system which a majority of dietitians use here.

My opinion, (and only my opinion 🙂 ), is that if you are eating the same meals over and over, you probably want to make sure that the calorie information is reasonably accurate. If you are trying different meals every week, then a couple of hundred excess calories on one day per week is not going to be catastrophic. 200 calories can be burnt during 25 minutes of moderate walking if you weigh 200 lbs ( see https://transportation.stanford.edu/pdf/caloriecalc_walk.pdf. ) but it is virtually impossible to burn 1700 cals per day in a normal life with exercise – that’s why the calorie restriction is so important for the 8 weeks. My wife and I have been dipping in and out of the recipes, but really have just been sensible with what we eat at the three meals. We’ve both experienced significant weight loss and more importantly my blood sugar response is now normal after many years of hovering around the 7 mmol level and my blood pressure is normal without the need to go on medication. However, that said, we are going to continue on the diet until I am back to my normal healthy weight. My BMI is still over 30.

How have we implemented the BSD? So we identified a couple of simple breakfasts and lunches that we both liked and have just eaten them each day ( we are in week 8), and dinner is BBQ salmon/chicken/tuna 6 nights/week and steak 1 night per week with a super tasty garden salad with one or two of roasted eggplant/ capsicum/ mushrooms/ steamed pumpkin for some variety through week plus some fat (feta or dry roasted seeds or avocado) and steamed veg twice or three times a week. We’ve made up higher carbohydrate meals for our two adult/teenage kids on weekends and frozen them (although cooking their and my fav risotto for them is a special kind of hell) or we just give them extra starchy carbs with what we are eating – I.e add some tortellini or pasta or baked potatoes with butter or garlic bread. If you can’t barbecue every night, you can do the same thing under a griller or pan fry.

I’m guessing that I have been getting more than 800 calories per day as I’m on target to lose 12 kg’s over the eight weeks. But it’s the metabolic changes that I’m super excited about, not the weight, and I will keep going because it’s relatively easy ( and much cheaper than the eventual medical bills that I was facing).

I guess what I’m trying to say is that possible publishing errors in a couple of recipes shouldn’t make you anxious or give up. Your weight will plateau at times for many days through the eight weeks. It will go up some days, but this is perfectly normal as , it will fall again. Just keep going. The science is compelling and clear.

The sheer number of participants in these forums showing significant weight and metabolic changes in good directions means that the recipes and advice is having the desired effect. Hats off to you Dr Mosley et al!

Hi spirit
Thanks for the info.
I ll have a look.
My weight loss is So slow. Only 6 lbs. I’m on day 30. Am I doing so
something wrong? If so I don’t know what! But my waist has gone down 4″ which is good, though that happened a while ago. But I actually have a waist! I feel much better and my sleep has gone from crap to excellent which is huge.
I haven’t seen the celebs in the jungle though I’ve heard of them!
I can understand why yr doing the lower cals and I can see it wouldn’t be that difficult. And it’s working which is great.
So good luck with your dress!
Penny

Hello all,

I’m having trouble with my internet and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations of books or magazines that I can buy that have a comprehensive list of foods with accurate calorie and nutritional breakdowns and content?

I have just checked Amazon and there are so many! I just want to make sure I get the most accurate information.

Thanks 🙂

I meant to say Hashimoto, almost 2 stone in 6 and a half weeks is absolutely phenomenal! You must be feeling amazing in so many ways.

WELL DONE!!!

Thank you Squidgy for the warm welcome! It’s difficult for me to go against everything I have learned since I first started dieting at the age of 13. I have low fat, sugar free, diet, light, skimmed, low calorie, all drummed into my head, especially as I was a Weight Watchers leader last year! The plan did change my life, and really helped me to see the error of my ways with portion sizes and denial about my emotional eating, but it’s now time for me to take it up a level and focus on the nutrition and health benefits of the foods I am eating, rather than just the calories.

I am obsessed with my tummy, and was even considering liposculpture surgery a few weeks ago, until I came to my senses and realised that putting myself under unnecessary risk is incredibly irresponsible and lazy. If I want a bikini body, I’m going to have to do the work like everyone else! But I also want to feel fit and healthy and energised at the same time. I also suffer with borderline personality disorder which I am currently having psychotherapy for, and having a stable blood sugar will help with my moods too I’m sure.

I know I have willpower when the motivation is there, as I followed the painfully slow Weight Watchers plan for 1 year and 7 months to reach my initial goal. And part of my success was that every time I had a bad patch and fell off track, I got straight back on again as soon as possible. I know this forum will give me the accountability I need to keep me in check!

I’ll be back on here tomorrow to update how it’s going. I’ve had a carb overload today, like a last supper, so I’ve probably made it more difficult for myself! Here goes! 😀

Hashimoto – that’s a good idea about writing the calorie contents of food into a book.

Hi Noreen,
Check the nutrition panel on the packet. For such thin little morsels wraps are surprisingly high in carbs. Most are 16-20g of carb.
Bill has also put up a coconut flour flatbread recipe which works well. I added rosemary to the ones I made. Think I’ll add some crushed garlic to the next lot as well as the rosemary, and make it a low carb replacement for focaccia.

Hi,
I am on day 2 of FAST 800
I was told last Thursday that I have type 2 diabetes .
There were no symptoms.
They wanted to put me on medications.I refused this.
I have eaten about 120 bars of chocolate since Christmas.
Hoping to bring my sugar levels back to within normal limits on this fast 800
I have been addicted to carbs all my life…Weight Watchers is a regular method of weight loss for me…
Perhaps we can support each other in this.

Welcome Wide_Widow,
Great start to the fast 800! Since reducing carbs I don’t get the feeling I need to eat again soon after a meal either. I used to spend my evenings having a few crackers and cheese, dips, nuts or crisps or fruit. Way too many carbs. Carbs make you crave more whereas fat keeps you satisfied as you have found.
You are going to have so much more energy soon, as well as the bonus weight loss. Keep it up and let us know your progress. Every story inspires the next person.

Hi Graeme, awesome results. You must be so pleased with that. I love hearing the huge difference this lifestyle is making. The medical profession has to sit up and take notice now. There is going to be a revolution in diabetes management I hope.

Hi Loukc,
As you said, one of the side effects of mirtazepine is weight gain. Usually because it increases your appetite.
I think that it is still worth giving the diet a try because after the first couple of days most of us haven’t felt hungry and are satisfied with much less food. Try to stick closely to the diet and make sure you eat the full fat version of cheese, yoghurt, milk etc. as that will prevent hunger.
A few people have reported feeling low in mood for a few days, so watch out for that in your case. If it persists you might have to swap to a modified version of the diet. Mental health is too important to ignore so make sure you keep taking the med. Is your GP on board with the diet, if so he/ she will be the best one to advise you if you get into strife.
Sometimes Clare, Michael’s wife and a GP, comments on the posts so maybe she will have something to add. I’m not a doctor, I’m a nurse, so if you are really concerned speak to your GP before you start. I think you should be ok though.
Once the first few days are out the way, you will feel more energetic and clear headed than ever. Keep us informed of how you’re going, lots of knowledgeable people on here willing to help and support you. Read the other posts for inspiration and a good laugh. It helps to know we’re not alone in our battle for better health! 🙂

Sweetpea – you’ve done fantastically already by losing 3 stone, and if you’re like most people who start this plan it will really help you lose that last stone and your belly! You’re still young and going to be slim and fit too. How lucky are you!

Good luck (& once you stop the chocolate I’m sure you’ll be amazed how much you don’t miss it!)

Hi All – great feedback and good to know that I’m not the only one with this problem.

My pre dinner level is usually in the 5-7 range, even since I reduced my medication, so I’m sure this is the way forward.

Keep us posted if you see any changes – it’ll give the rest of us hope!

Well you have all been very busy while I’ve been asleep down here in Aussie land. Now I’m the one roflmao hearing all about you trying to get to grips with technology. I’m so not tech minded, but I do have kids who can help. Even my six year old can teach me things lol.
Aly you have made my day !! So glad you’ve turned the corner and are feeling better. When your veg are ready to harvest remember that I’m the world’s expert on dealing with a glut of zucchinis 😉 !! My sister is the only person who will still accept my ‘gifts’ of them. I have a freezer full of zucchini soup, and lasagne made with sliced zucchini instead of pasta. I’m going to miss them when the season ends. Not sure anyone else in my vicinity will though. My kids have become accustomed to a mug of zucchini soup when they get home from school, even though it has been summer here. My oldest boy drinks it cold on a hot day.
Hashimoto, I love your allotment story!! That’s serendipity. Nothing like home grown veg, maybe he’ll have enough to keep you supplied too. With any luck some of the Grandad’s old veg varieties will still be self seeding there. I am passionate about keeping heritage, open pollinated varieties going and belong to a seed savers group. So much nicer than supermarket stuff. Though I do have to supplement what I grow because the millipedes, earwigs and parrots sometimes decimate my crops.

Hi, I also use Excel. If you use a couple of the templates you can get it all in one book. In Excel, go into File, then New and you can search for online templates. If you put ‘Fitness’ into the search it will come up with many options. I selected on that was ‘fitness progress chart for women. It covers weight and BMI and helps estimate fat%. I wanted to monitor blood sugar and BP so I took and other template by searching on ‘medical’. There are a couple of options that have very good displays including colours when the reading are too high etc. I copies the medical book into the fitness spreadsheet – adding on 2 extra tabs and I now have it all together.
Hope that helps
Ruth

Hi Janet1973 & MBee

Look at forum Fast 800 , Topic : Percentages. It might be helpful
Eureka

Hi there not sure where to put this but I needed info on the meds I’m on and the BSD. I am currently on venlafaxine, mirtazapine and propranolol. I have put on a significant amount of weight due to the mirtazapine as it is a side affect. I have just read the book and want to start this diet and do more excersise as I am prediabetic. As the mirtazapine has increased my weight will I therefore lose any weight on these meds or will it just be harder to do?

Cheers Rose – I can do that, but was hoping for a more integrated tracker for weight as well as blood sugar.

Hi Kimgall,
The tiredness late afternoon seems to be quite common, as with most of the symptoms it soon passes. You might have to resort to a power nap for a while!
You have to be kind to yourself during this period while your body is adjusting to some pretty major changes. You will soon feel more energetic and clear headed.
Like you I love biscuits, don’t have much of a sweet tooth otherwise. A few strawberries and cream, counted in your cals/carbs of course, feel quite decadent and help. Strangely enough a slice of lemon in hot water helps too, not sure why, but it nips any cravings in the bud for me. Liquorice tea helps with hunger pangs too.
I manage to track my fat and protein with a food diary app. I have been vego since a child and eat a varied diet so not so much of a problem as you might think. I do supplement with a low carb protein powder in my breakfast.
My achievement has been to consistently have my blood sugar levels in the non diabetic range for the past couple of weeks. So pleased about that because as you may have read, a year ago the hospital wanted to start me on insulin. No threat of that now yay!!!
I am TOFI so don’t have to lose weight but can fully sympathise with those who do, having seen the truly awful physical and emotional battle fought by a close family member trying to lose weight.
Thank you for your kind comments. I think I am fairly positive, each day we get a fresh chance to get things right and change things for the better.

I had a similar problem a week ago when I had to attend a week long -unplanned as short notice- residential course. I was a bit stuck as all meals were provided and I had to choose very carefully what I could eat , which wasn’t very much! Even though I drank at least 3L of water a day after 4 days I resorted to a well known laxative ….. I think that eating the right amount and types of food as well as the water must be the answer ? Or perhaps it has something to do with our bodies adapting?

Thanks alot for the advice!

I’ve just weighed in after 3 weeks. 21lbs lost so far. Fasting blood sugars at 6-7 every morning. Blood sugars below 7 before bed.
Feeling amazing. I look healthier I feel even better.
I can’t believe how easy I have found it. I don’t feel hungry I can’t find 1 single negative point.

Visited doctor last – not required insulin for 3 weeks and have been taken off one of my meds. Doctor well please, cholesterol back in the normal level, blood pressure spot on.

Thinking about it – I have a negative point ….. I’m now having to braces to keep my trousers up !!!

I might be a diet bore but I don’t care. It’s simply amazing !!!

Hi Spirit
Thanks for the encouragement. I have read your story, and see you are now doing a very stict calorie reduction. It sounds too strict for me, but interesting that you are starting to lose weight. Its the belly fat, not the weight that is worrying me. I feel it will never go. However, it must go eventually, so carrying on regardless.

Hi Nidge64

Wow 27lbs in 4 weeks I amazing well done!!!!!!!
Like peeps and channelk I’ve lost some weight…. 10 lbs in 3 weeks.
Could you share a typical week of what you eat, how much exercise and if possible average grams of fat protien and carbs. I have summarised my weeks in my profile
Thank you,!

Hi peeps, have been doing the diet for 2 weeks and have lost half a stone although nothing for the last 4-5 days. It’s been great reading everyone’s posts to help me along at various times although now starting to worry I’m doing something wrong, maybe my protein/fat/carb ratios are out. Question to those of you who’ve been on it longer, how many grams of fat and protein should work?! I’m keeping below 50g of carbs. And also if I’m eating mountains of green veg taking me over 50g, will that have an impact on speed of weight loss? I’d like to be one of those people that is consistently losing weight on 800cals rather than not! Advice welcome.

MBee, I found one of the posts on carb intake and have started a new thread with it. Yes, 20 does seem very low. I read about it in Rose Elliot’s book the vegetarian low carb diet but she only recommends it for a two-week ‘carb cleanse’ before moving up to 60-80 a day.

I think I also remember another very informative post on carbs but I can’t remember which thread it is in. If anyone else can remember it or if the author can remember where they wrote it, perhaps you could add it on here?

A lot of people join our forums with this question in mind, so I have pulled this quote from an earlier thread called ‘what to aim for carbs wise’ which was posted on 20th February.

It seems like generally good advice, although I’m not sure how sound it is for followers with diabetes, you may have differing requirements perhaps.

How Many Carbs Should You Eat?
It is important to experiment and figure out a way to match your carb intake to your own goals and preferences.
That being said, these guidelines are reasonable:

100-150 grams per day: This is a decent maintenance range, and is good for people who exercise a lot.
50-100 grams per day: This should lead to automatic weight loss, and is a good maintenance range for people who don’t exercise that much.
20-50 grams per day: With a carb intake this low, you should lose weight quickly without experiencing much hunger. This carb range should put you into ketosis.

Hi everyone I bought the book last night & used Calorie King & Cronometer to check several recipes – many of them were way higher (sometimes double) what the book said. I have emailed the team about it. However, even with those discrepencies, the diet is likely to still be effective for most people – as evidenced by the stories both here & elsewhere.

Nope, still doesn’t work!

Oh, tea was a disappointment I have to say. I really like quorn sausages, though I would happily have them reduce the salty flavour a little. But tonight I had cauldren lincolnshire sausages and was really looking forward to them. Unfortunately they were a bit too chewy for me, which is why I stopped eating meat in the first place. So, I’m going back to my beloved quorn!

Thankyou! Not pre-diabetic or diabetic and hoping to keep it that way. 60 is a good benchmark then? Can’t imagine only consuming 20 – that must be nothing but meat and leaves? Will go and search for the thread you mention. Appreciate your reply!

Hi Kimgall
Welcome to our thread! Yes, we seem to have drifted off the point a little bit but its the most fun I’ve had in ages!

From what I have read your carb count is spot on, you can go right down to 20carbs if you really want to but around 60 is good for rapid weight loss. If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic you’d be better looking for a post someone did a couple of weeks ago that gives a really good breakdown.

Butternut squash is included in other recipes on the 800 and is not as carby as say sweet potatoes or potatoes. Personally I think its disgusting but if you like it, go ahead, knock yourself out!

Hi I got the book last night & tested several of the recipes in my calorie counter – almost all of them came back with much higher calorie counts than the book says.

Day 1 and the most surprising thing has been my lack of hunger and feeling of satisfaction. I usually end meals, however large, craving something else before I even put my fork down. Today I have genuinely felt full at the end of each meal despite looking at the plate at the beginning and thinking “how tiny is that!”.

I have eaten a much higher ratio of fat than I am used to, despite the reduction in calories – my body seems to like it.

My blood sugars are within the normal range throughout the day but move close to the pre-diabetic range by the end of the day. I was drawn to this diet after feeling periods of utter exhaustion after eating, fearing it was an insulin problem. Having checked the levels as suggested in the book I am surprised they have been so good.

None the less I am going to give this diet the full 8 weeks. If for no other reason than everything else I have tried has failed to stick and if I am not type 2 yet, my weight will put me there eventually.

Hi everyone so glad to confirm I’m not going mad! I bought the book last night & entered several recipes into my calorie counter – so many of them were wildly different than stated – some of them double calories!! I think I will use the recipe ideas but plug the calories in to check – otherwise we’ll be eating way more than the 800 cals required for these results. So incredibly frustrating!!

Hi NickF I have a similar concern about the recipes! I got the book last night & spent half an hour plugging recipes into a calorie counting app & found almost every single one of them was about double what it was supposed to be!!

Has anyone else had this problem?

Hello – I’m on my second day of doing this properly.

Putting everything though my fitness pal. Was going to have braised broccolli and baked butternut squash with a tahini dressing for supper – but MFP says my cup of baked squash is 22 carbs, bringing my day’s total to 59. Is that too high?

The rest are from veg and hummus.

Any advice before I eat it?

TIA