Hi Stingle

I have been on this diet now for 10 days today and I have lost 6.2 lbs and 2″ off my waist. I lost 5.2 lbs in the first week but so far this week have only lost 1 lb. I have been doing more walking than I would normally do and I feel a lot better for it. I hope that by next Monday, as that is 2 weeks, I will have lost a couple more pounds. I haven’t been checking my blood sugar but I can feel the difference in myself, so as you say let’s show the non believers that it can be done and then some …

Good luck

I don’t really have a problem with weekends, In fact I quite look forward to them
A treat of a brunch on Saturday, usually a sausage, bacon, poached egg, mushroom and tomato followed by a tasty tea.
Sunday I have a normal Sunday lunch but without the potatoes or yorkies and usually a salad with eggs or mackerel for tea.

Please provide meal plan options ( easy) that have worked for you. What does a typical day of eating look like?

Kimgall and everyone Hello again – I am a 54 year old ex (hopefully) chocaholic lady – I do seem to have shrunk and I am without doubt fitter with the exercise which I love – I was just annoyed that my weight hadn’t dropped more – I have 2 stone to loose and have lost 4lbs in 10 days and as I looked on this forum noticed massive weight losses and wondered why I have had such a small one. Thanks everyone for the encouragement much appreciated and I intend to carry on in the hope that I am totally insulin free and can show the non believers ( and there are many of my friends and colleagues !) that they are too narrow minded for their own good!!!

Day three and I am still feeling surprisingly good. Its almost unbelievable I am only eating 800 calories a day, I feel so full all the time. My body seems to be having a good clear out as I am unusually thirsty and peeing for England. Energy levels are up and I am easily exceeding my daily step target.

I have meditated before so I quite enjoyed getting back into a mindfulness session too yesterday. Really helped me unwind.

Weigh in day is Saturday for me. Fingers crossed. The weekend is nearly here. How does everyone cope with that?

Oh, Sue … with all that you have got going on, the last thing you need to worry about is the extra 1lb, when you have still lost 6 in 12 days. Life does tend to hit us in fits and starts … hopefully your mum will feel better soon and won’t need you there all the time! x

Hello there, Im a newcomer here. Hoping to start the 800 kcal diet asap. At the stage where I’m clearing the crap from the cupboards! Had the 8 week blood sugar book delivered today and have already finished it!!. Hope to pick up some tips from fellow members to help me along the next 8 weeks.

Shrinky, you are quite r … r … rig … sorry can’t say that … Shrinky, I understand where you are coming from and I apologise profusely for the misinterpretation of muscle being more dense than fat … therefore although Stingle feels he/she hasn’t lost as much as they would have liked, it could well be that they are not the same physical size as what they were when they started. Do I now have the correct understanding? In future I will try to think before I put my fingers to the keyboard!! 🙂 I knew what I was trying to say!! 🙂

Thanks for trying Bill, I seem to be causing a lot of headaches for people on this forum with my lack of tech skills! I have just posted a courgette bhaji recipe ( and pic of todays lunch lol!!). If your Mrs likes spicy food she might go for this veggie meal! 🙂
I wish there was a place to give the average cost of a meal when you upload recipes. 2 aldi courgettes worked out at 60p, I get kg bags of gram flour from the corner shop 69p a kg so only 6p worth of flour in the recipe. I listed powdered spices as that is easier for people who are not spice heads like me but I generally use fresh ginger root and individual spices and a few seeds.

There is at least 1 regular poster who has went over the 8 weeks – captainlynne. I have every intention of carrying on until I hit my target weight.
Great results by the way

Hello there
My husband and I are both on the diet. After 3 weeks I’ve lost 16 pounds and he has lost 12 pounds after two weeks. We both have significant amounts to lose ( 5-6 stone), I was wondering if it’s okay to just just carry on . Has anyone done that? Any ideas please..much joy

Kimgall.
Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat.

Stingle. Don’t give up. If you follow the book right you will lose those pounds. Half way through week four myself and have dropped from 17st 4 to 15st 10. And I haven’t done anything extra in the way of exercise!
Just keep trying the different recipe’s in the book or make up your own. It’s important to feel good about what you are eating as well as feeling well and losing pounds.
Best wishes Shrinky.

Wow captain Lynn.
That’s incredible and you are giving encouragement to all the guys who have just started the BSD.
Well done
We salute you.
Nidge

Great advice from Bill.
I just drink loads of carbonated water until the hunger passes or a few nuts does the trick.
I crave a cold beer but look at the intentions of the guys on these forums and get inspiration from that.
Hope you all keep going and well done to the guys who have made it and sorted out their blood sugar.
Nidge

You’re doing great Bill. Keep it up 😃

Manufacturers normally give out test meters free of charge if you ting them. As Bill says, it’s the cost of strips that matters. I checked online to see which strips were cheapest and went from there.

LMAO
I knew you would have an answer to that.
Ditto on the trousers though, I had to tighten my belt another notch today, that’s 5 notches so 5 inches gone 😀

Bill 😱 LOL. That would seriously frighten the neighbours LOL.

Mind you, if I keep wearing these trousers outside the house, they will be on view. Note to self: these trousers are for the charity shop.

Hi Stingle.
Keep going and you will see weight coming off soon as 800 calories is 800 calories so sometime soon you will see the benefits of BSD.
As others have said don’t give up.
Nidge

Hi Kevin

Welcome. It seems like there’s a good trade in this book going from England across the pond. I sent a copy to my friend in Texas.

Hope it really takes off in US. Please let us know your progress, and how the plan is received in US.

Thank you so much for all your replies and Kimgall – I felt quite miserable too on days 4 & 5 but it passes – My body has taken a beating with extremely high readings for the past 18 months and for the first time I have got below 14 so I must be doing something right!!! Its about time 🙂

Make a flatbread by mixing 1/2 a cup of chickpea (Gram) flour with enough cold water to make a thin batter, you can add herbs and spices if you like. Chickpea flour is packed with dietary fibre and complex carbs
Pour the batter into a frying pan and cook on a medium heat for 3 -4 minutes or until golden brown, flip over and repeat
Great for those cheesey beans!

They all do the same sort of thing really.
The thing to look out for is not the cost of the meter, it’s the cost of the replacement test strips.
Just go for the best value.

Although I’m not diabetic my readings are in the high end of normal so I’d like to keep an eye on them and reduce them. I’ve been looking at some of the kits online but don’t know which ones are best – any suggestions?

Peanutbutty
I admire your tenacity immensely. That little voice never may never go away but you can make a new habit of ignoring it with time. Like you said, maybe you have been lazy, we all have, but you are big enough to acknowledge it and that’s the point where new habits can begin.

Bill’s suggestion is a great one and I will happily be one of the people who will respond to your next call for support whenever you need it.

Just keep fighting one craving at a time, one meal at a time, one day at a time. You already know it works!

Thanks chaps! I really am feeling much happier these days. So much better than the depression that comes with the underactive thyroid. That was how mine was discovered because I realised I was slowly becoming suicidal. But that’s in the past now.

I am persevering with the fizzy water so thanks for standing to that round auntylil! But clothes shopping will have to wait until I get another job!

And yes, even my shoe size changes when I lose weight to a stupid 3 and a half! Nightmare!

That’s great to hear merseychic,
5 weeks to go ???
That goal is looking more than very attainable. Well done.

Ok Ok
I wasn’t going to say it but I can’t help myself.
Kevin, when you take exercise, do you go WALKING IN MEMPHIS 😉

Hi Kevin
Welcome to our forums. We have everything you need here so when the bsd does hit your shores you will be able to say you already know all about it!

Use whatever measurements you feel comfortable with, we will get the gist!

Looking forward to reading about your progress. Btw, memphis/nashville/new orleans are the first places I plan to visit when I eventually get to go on foreign holidays again – its all about the music for me!

HI well end of week three I had lost a total of 7.6 pounds an average of 2.5 a week I am only 7 lb off my goal weight and my total weight loss since Christmas is 16.6lbs. Still no carbs still only 800 per day and still got 5 weeks to go.

Hi Yael,
Milk contains its own sugar – lactose – which has so far been considered an acceptable sugar for human bodies to metabolise.

Ww was sold to Heinz in 1978, hence the large range of food products with the ww name on them. But Heinz of course is not that interested in weight loss just selling their brand and they have been incredibly successful. I bet they have a whole pile of scientists locked away doing tests now though!

It didn’t, that’s supposed to be the emojie for thumbs up 🙁

If this works, it’s for you Judith, if it doesn’t, I’m a fool (Y)

Hi Yael, he he. My son came round for dinner last night and brought me a large, rather scrumptious easter egg. I don’t. Know which one of us was most mortified. He had forgotten i was on this diet and no way could this past chocoholic even fancy it!!!! 🙂

Go for it Kevin
we are all in this together and we are all available for help and advice.
It would be interesting to find out how the book is received in the States if you wouldn’t mind.
See you next week when there is less of you to go round 🙂

Try this peanutbutty
next time you have a sugar craving, post it on here, use a big bold thread title such as SUGAR ALERT URGENT HELP NEEDED.
Write down exactly how you feel and promise yourself that you won’t indulge until you have had at least 8 positive replies to your post.
Then, read your post again and think to yourself what advice you would be giving me if I had made that post.
Hope it helps.

Hello,

I just found out about this and after reading a quick summary it immediately ‘clicked’ with me.

About 10 years ago I went from 32 stone to 18 stone following a very low calorie program using lower carb meal replacement shakes. I wanted to get down to 13 stone but never made it. I am 188cm male.

(I’m native to the USA but am going to try to use UK measurements since this program seems to be more popular in the UK!)

Alas now I have gained back and am 20 stone. So have been trying to find the perfect program and tried a whole lot of diets. I can’t go back to the original one because the company that ran it has lost their way a little bit, so I want to do something similar on my own. But other diets failed me, nothing quite controlled hunger like before.

When I heard about this on Reddit it sounded perfect!

The book isn’t available in the USA yet, so I had a friend in the UK get a copy for me. Hopefully it will be a huge hit here when it comes (March 22) out and I will have a big head start on everyone!

I’m going to read the book today and start the program tomorrow!

Cherrianne is right, Loukc … keep reading the posts and see how others are doing. The initial decision (which is yours alone … and a big step) is probably the one that is going to take you to the healthy and happy person you want to be. You can do it! Your medication may well make a difference to your weight initially … I know insulin does mine. But if I want to get off insulin, then I have to do something to change my current situation!!
It’s a vicious circle … we have a health condition, so we have medication … that may make some of the symptoms better, but it may cause weight gain … we overeat and get bigger … that causes other health conditions, so we have more medication … then we feel down cos we are on all these medications … so we overeat and get bigger …
Overeating can make us all very lethargic, and then we don’t have faith in ourselves. By sticking with this you can change your life. I believe this purely from the motivation I have received from reading Michael’s book, and the guys on this forum. I don’t have a success story yet … but I will … and you, and the others here, will all be part of my success!! Good luck creating your own success story, no matter what meds may get in your way x

Stingle, please, please, please keep at it!! Are you feeling hungry? Are you feeling unwell? You do understand that exercise will be building up muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat, don’t you?
I have been doing this for three days now, and although I can’t tell you if I have lost anything, I can tell you that I have felt tired and achey … BUT I have had really low readings … first for a long time … I have not had any sugary bad carbs since Sunday evening … and although I have a little miserable, sniffling, whining little devil sitting on my shoulder, I have not succumbed!!! And nor will you!!!!!

You have got this far … DO NOT GIVE UP NOW!!! All of these people on this forum aren’t here for the sake of their health … oh, sorry … they are all here for the sake of their health … 🙂 … and they are also here to get motivation for themselves … and to motivate others.

Do you think they haven’t had times when they’ve not been happy with their results in some way or another??? Trust me, they have!! But they have not given up … and nor will you!!

As Bill says, we are all individuals … we all will achieve our goals some way or another, as long as we keep at it!

One of the things I have learnt over the last three days is that I am doing this for my benefit … not anyone else’s. Be kind to yourself Stingle and look at what you have achieved … not what you haven’t!! x

Hello all.

I have a very stressful few weeks where I not so much fell off the wagon as burnt the wagon to cinders and got a train to the other side of the country. But at the back of my mind I thought of you lot, plodding along despite what I am sure are equally stressful lives, and realised that blaming it on stress was a lazy response on my part. The truth is, I wanted to eat the equivalent weight in chocolate as a fully grown German Shepherd, and I used the fact I was stressed to justify doing so. It is a habit I have got into and would very much like to crack. I am tired of that mosquito drone at the back of my always whining on about food and when I am next getting food sweet food lovely food!

Even though I had answered yes to every single one of the “addicted to carbs” questions, I was still trying to kid myself that I didn’t really have a problem and could eat what I wanted. Clearly not so!

So I am back here again, at least I am still 2 kilos down from when I originally started. Time to work on changing that script!

Sounds like you’re doing amazingly well to me. Be patient with yourself and trust the process. 🙂

Hi everyone, haven’t been on for about a week – so thought I’d send a quick update. I had a REALLY indulgent weekend last weekend as I had a weekend away with the girls! Although I have to say I didn’t eat any processed carbs like crisps & bread at all, which is a minor miracle as they were all there! I stuck to the low carb plan – although did increase my calorie intake to around 12-1400 of food as I was also drinking alcohol. I put on 2lb over the weekend, which I recognise was down to pure indulgence. So Straight away on Monday I was back on the plan & the 2lb has come off really quickly, and I am now back to losing weight again. I think this is a real boost as it definitely shows that you can still go and have a great time – but get back on it. 2.5 weeks in and I’m 10b down now. Couldn’t be happier.
I have recognised that the more veggie you can go, coupled with medium/high good fats – the more effective I think it is. I found that last week I was eating a lot more protein than usual and my body really didn’t like it. So this week I have switched some of the meat protein for eggs & dairy, and I feel better.
Like everyone else I have added in flax and chia seeds to my morning smoothie to help keep things ‘moving’ 😉 seems to be working ok now! I’m also having some green and blacks dark chocolate – which is helping to stave off my craving for the odd sweet thing here and there.
It really sounds like everyone is doing an amazing job, don’t get disheartened when the weight loss slows down – re-evaluate and see if there are changes you can realistically make. If not, then be patient. I think everyone is achieving so much in such a short space of time it’s easy to let your expectations rise, when what you’re doing already is absolutely great. Have a fab day x

I won’t have scales in the house.
They cause disappointments to too many people and discourage them (I know what Michael says about getting weighed but that is a generalisation, some people just shouldn’t get weighed daily)
I go to the chemist at the same time every Saturday morning and use their scales – works for me

Hello Silver, The calorie counts given for each recipe are for a single serving – that’s on the page preceding the recipes themselves. However, for some of them, the total count hasn’t been subdivided so is way off. In addition, as you can see from this thread, many people have found the counts given on a number of the recipes to be inaccurate. It’s up to you whether to just use the counts as given and assume that because you are eating less than usual, and notably, less carbs, you will lose weight, or whether to calculate the calories yourself so you know what you are eating. The count for the hummus recipe is for a single portion, although the recipe makes 3 portions. The hummus recipes are some of the few that seem to be reasonably accurate! I drink fruit tea, but sometimes have a cup of Bovril – 10 calories, warm and savoury and good when a meal is a way off.

Keep going stingle
everyone loses weight at different rates, we are all individuals.
Given that the main aim of this lifestyle is to help or even reverse diabetes, albeit through weight loss, your sugar readings are excellent for just 10 days in and that is mainly caused by fat draining from your liver.
The weight loss will follow.

Hi bernie,
Glad you had a good time away, life needs to be enjoyed. When you jump on your new scales be aware that scales can differ by the odd pound or two. Saw a programme on wighing scales and they tested a wide range from £9.99 upwards and the best were the cheaped supermarket purchase. They were tested by Weights & Measures and they all differed, and the ones that did body fat etc were very inaccurate. We went away last night for our 32nd Wedding Anniversary to a lovely Spa Hotel and had a very relaxing tim. I had a glass of champagn and a coupl of things I wouldn’t at on th diet, I only had a couple of tea spoons of hubbys icecream. One night out of seven shouldn’t do too much damage, and it was a great time away. Fun is over now so back to being strict for a while. 24 days in now and 13 3/4 pound down, vey happy with this.

Havent done the 5:2 yet but I started at 16 stone 9 and others have started at much higher weights.
My advise would be to try the 800 calories for a few days to see how you go, you will be surprised at how little hunger you feel.
You will also have to get rid totally the WW low fat approach to things, this way of eating depends on putting fat back into your diet, both to encourage your body into fat burning mode and to give that full, satisfied feeling.

Hi Pete, trip to Aus shouldn’t be a problem for you. Many people here going low carb/ paleo for their health. Most restaurants and cafés will have suitable food and will be happy to accommodate your request for no potatoes, bread, rice or pasta with your meal. We are quite civilised here lol ;).
Stick with protein and salad or steamed veg and you can’t go wrong. Family and friends who visit from the UK love the quality and price of the meat and seafood here. Can’t comment myself as I’m vegetarian. I’m sure you’ll find food to suit.

One good thing about living in France is that low fat foods are almost non existent. I used to think this was a problem!

Ok so I’ve been on the BSD for 10 days – my fasting sugar has come down from 21.4 to 13.1 which is absolutely amazing ! I am exercising 3-4 times a week , have lost 2 inches of my waist am feeling so much better but have only lost a total of 4lbs. I assume this is because of the vast drop in blood sugar but could do with a bit of encouragement if anyone can add 🙂