Hi FatCat,

Thanks for your response.

I have measuring spoons and level off portions with a knife by dragging it over the top of the spoon.

I think they should state that in the book, that regular cutlery tablespoons are totally different to a tablespoon size a measuring spoon gives.

I am losing weight pretty fast since I started 2 weeks ago and have had the Bircher several times, so I **think** the calories are correct. I hope so anyway!!!!

That should have read ‘ the bad effect’!!

Hi Malkay
Did you have a look at this book?
‘Low carbs problems solved’ by Jenny Ruhl.
(£3 on kindle)
If you haven’t it might help you.
Penny

Hi, I said my no carb Bircher came out at nearer 300 cals (not 180), but it’s a recipe that’s given in tablespoonfuls – so the size of the spoon (tablespoons vary, I don’t have a measure), whether they’re heaped or level, makes a big difference. So in my case, I think it’s my measurement error – I need one of the ‘official’ spoon measures I think.

Hi Aliba
Interesting stuff here about the bad ever take of low fat dairy.
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/why-skim-milk-will-make-you-fat-and/
Penny

Hey there,

I just saw in a thread that some people on the 8 Week BSD have complained that the calories in some of the recipes in the book have been incorrectly stated.

Does anyone know if this is definitely true?

I’m really worried as I am being absolutely precise with my weighing and measuring and would hate to think the calories are not accurate.

Would anyone happen to know and be kind enough to specify which recipes have the incorrect calories so that they can be avoided?

I know there will be many who would be absolutely gutted going to all this effort and expense for it to be wrong

Hey Cherrianne,

Thanks for asking, my weight is going down. I need to lose 35lbs and have lost 11bs in the first two weeks

I am not diabetic – I tested my blood sugar when I started the diet and my levels were in the normal range. However, with the diet I had been consuming for the past couple of years, I was on a fast track to getting T2D.

What worried me the most was my stomach; with no exaggeration I looked at least 7 months pregnant. I also felt constantly tired with very low energy (often sleeping until 4pm and not wanting to get up), very irritable and depressed and my sugar and carbs cravings were off the scale uncontrollable. knew these were serious danger signs, and that is what motivated me to change.

I had watched all micheal mosley’s TV programmes and am a huge fan. I also really trust his research.I thought the 8-Wk BSD sounded absolutely amazing, so here I am!

I am not as organised as your sister, and cook my meals 3 times a day. I will, however, always make sure I have my next day’s ingredients the day before so I am not caught out. This also helps plant the seed in my mind that next day is bsd day, and so on.

I also like to follow the daily meal plans and recipes to the letter. I’m pretty obsessive about it and won’t substitute meals or ingredients or do my own thing and use guesswork. I don’t trust my judgment lol. I need to know this is going to work by following everything exactly what it says in the book. So far so good with the results.

I’m so jealous you get to grow your own veg AND you’ve had gorgeously hot days! Your homegrown zucchini and tomato recipes sound delicious.

Yes, I loved the Aussie lifestyle and you are a friendly lot! I’m hoping io visit Melbourne again in the not too distant future.

How are you getting along?

I meant to post my reply too – along similar lines:

I would recommend taking it easy initially while your body adapts to the lower carb intake.

Your body can use fat as an energy source during exercise, instead of carbs, but it takes time for your body to adjust. Indeed, if you are type 2 diabetic, it can take even longer for your body to adjust to the different energy source.

The catch 22 is that you need to do exercise with low carb intake to help your body adjust to a different energy source.

You will know your body better than anyone and you should listen to it and how you feel. If you feel able to undertake the exercise then you should be fine but don’t overdo it if you’re not sure you’re ready.

Good for you Malkay 👍

Thanks Penny 🙂

Thanks for the encouragement, Aliba! These last 2 days I have been working, and although I have taken lunch, I have snacked a bit in the afternoon. However, I am at home tomorrow, so I shall be gentle on myself. I’ll get up in the morning with a renewed sense of positivity, and make sure I keep to 800 cals. I’ll report back at the weekend!!

Forgot to add – apples and frozen berries!

Thanks Cherrianne, that makes sense and is reassuring. I’ve given blood and had it taken a lot without a problem. Will definitely drink more water to avoid my embarrassed apologies to the surgery nurse next time. It’s the first time I’ve felt woozy since giving up wine for this diet 😀🍷.

Hi GinDibs,
That all sounds delicious, I’ve yet to try them. Can’t wait!
I have my calculator at the ready to work out for the bigger dishes what I would need when making 1 portion.
It would probably make life much easier and be far more time-efficient to cook as in the book and divide the dish into portions and freeze them as you are doing.

Malkay it might just be that your body has to adjust – I didn’t notice the weight loss from my waist until the end of week three (I’d also lost 18lbs in the last year before starting this using other diets and no reduction in waist size) please don’t be despondent….7lbs is a magnificent achievement in just three weeks. Give yourself a few days sticking more closely to 800…perhaps until the weekend and see what happens. Sometimes we plateau for a few days and then lose more.
Who hasn’t done slimming world, lost four pounds and then put it all back on and even more a couple of weeks later….this is about complete re-education. Be kind to yourself and your body…you can do this….you know you can! X

Pmshrink – re calories….. no way 😮😮😮😮😮

This is not good news.

According to today’s meal plan of green tea and blueberry shake for breakfast, chicken, butterbean and walnut salad for lunch, and crab cakes for dinner, the total calories for these 3 meals is 810 calories.

Have they miscalculated the meals?

Hi Nic,
Feeling lightheaded and like fainting happens to a lot of people when having blood taken or injections. It’s called a vaso- vagal response and quite surprisingly it’s usually the big burly rugby player types ( in my experience) that it happens to. Of course they are the ones I didn’t have a hope of catching if they fell lol!!
Don’t be embarrassed because you have no control over it. Just make sure next time you have blood taken that you are well hydrated before so it’s easier to find a vein. You can drink a litre of water before a fasting blood test. Lean well back in the chair while you are having blood taken and flex your calf muscles/ rotate your ankles to keep good blood flow in your legs. It will all help!

GREAT NEWS!!!

The recipe is OK and it worked out this time.

I made the crab cakes again tonight and this time I made the crab mixture in the morning so it had all day and evening to chill through in the fridge.

I only added a quarter of a lemon – half is way too much and makes the crab mixture wet and useless.

I was more generous with the flour and I used a smaller non-stick pan with a little more oil than yesterday.

I flattened the entire crab patty so it filled the circumference of the frying pan. This also thinned it out so it became more like a fritter.

And voila!

DELICIOUS and money hasn’t been wasted!

I guess some of the recipes are trial and error

If you try making crab cakes again, let us know how you get on 😊🦀🦀🦀🦀😊

Hi Natasha
Good idea.
Jahooly- a lot of the recipes have the wrong calories. I’ve read people complaining about it.
Penny

I have done 3 weeks, and lost absolutely nothing from my waist. I lost 7lbs in the first 2 weeks, but not sure where from. The last couple of days I have become a bit demotivated due to seeing no change. Although sticking to low carb, I know I have gone over the 800 cals. Its much harder to stick to when you’re not seeing the results that everyone else seems to be getting. I find it very difficult measuring the exact amount of carbs etc., but I work on the principle that if I’m eating no starchy carbs, and eating considerably less than I used to, I should be losing weight and inches. I need a bit of a kick up the backside, and a bit of reassurance. Especially as my friend has just lost 4 lbs this week at Slimming World!!!!!!!

Pmshrink that’s a simple but clever idea. Think I’m going to adapt and give myself gold stars 😀

Well done Jahooly, that is fantastic! It makes all the hard work worthwhile 🙂

Hi Natasha,
Just wondering how you are doing with your weight/blood sugars. You sound like you have got all the planning and organising under control. My sister also does a weekly plan and has her week’s meals and snacks sorted on Sunday afternoon. She cuts up her cheese allowance and boils eggs, weighs out nuts etc. and puts stuff into zip lock bags in the fridge or freezer ready to grab on her way to work.
Glad you love Aus, it’s a great place to live and a great lifestyle for families. There are lots of things to miss about England but lots happening I’m glad I’m not there to see!!
It’s definitely moving into autumn here although we’ve just had two days of 35+ degrees as a last burst of summer. Back to cool and rainy today. I have a million zucchinis and tomatoes to eat up from my garden so am madly making ratatouille, zucchini soup etc and freezing it to use them up. Good job it’s a Mediterranean diet.

Hi Volly and welcome…glad you’ve got a start date in mind. It is a bit daunting as its a complete change for lots of people so I understand how you feel in terms of wondering how to shop.
I do a sort of variation on the recipes using what I enjoy, keeping it simple and making sure I can prepare something easily when I get home from work or need to take lunch. It might be a bit unadventurous but I find that it works for me. I can tell you what My shopping list is – obviously I don’t buy all this every week but have a vague idea for meals and keep chicken/Turkey/salmon in the freezer:
Whole Milk – for coffee/ tea
Greek Yoghurt – full fat – good for breakfast with a very few seeds/almonds/ raisins/ground flax (they sell packs in Aldi/Lidl)
Coconut oil – for cooking
Olive oil – to make salad dressing with mustard and vinegar (only use a v small amount but keep in fridge)
Coconut milk (use for stir fries but only a tbls or so and keep the rest in jam jar in fridge)
Chilli flakes, fish/soy sauce, bottled lime juice – use for stir fries
Full fat cottage cheese – make the simple egg muffins in the recipe section so sometimes add a bit of feta, ham or bacon – good for breakfast/lunch
Eggs -boiled, scrambled, omelettes
Chicken/turkey breast – for stir fries or to have with veg
Salmon or other fish to serve with veg and/ or salad
Smoked mackerel/ tinned sardines/tinned tuna – good for lunch with salad and a few chickpeas
Mushrooms -button and flat – good for breakfast
Chickpeas- to make hummus, chuck in a salad etc
Brown rice – I buy packets of ready cooked and just use a couple of tablespoons and keep the rest
Green veg – broccoli, cabbage, pak choi, green beans, courgettes etc- whatever you like for stir fries, steaming etc
Salad veg – cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, peppers, red cabbage, spring onions, watercress, rocket , lettuce etc
Sirloin steak – about once a fortnight
Sorry this is such a long post but hope it helps – I’ve done three weeks and am 12lbs down- all the food looks expensive but it’s not really because not buying all the usual extras I find I actually use everything with no waste.
Good luck and hope it goes well for you!

I had these for tea today and they are yummy! They are easy to do but we’re really tasty and filling. I could easily have stopped eating half way through but was low on calories today so needed to eat it all. I NEVER thought I would see the day when I felt this way about ‘diet’ food. My very sweet tooth it getting a good beating and has retreated for the time being. 3 days in and I haven’t been hungry once, unlike anything else I have ever tried. Looking forward to Day 4!

I agree I love the full fat Greek yogurt, I add blueberries which I have putility in the microwave for 30 seconds to make them saucy.

Just so excited, just did blood sugar and was 5:4 , I know it s likely to change but feels sooooo good …… Just wanted to share, 😊😊

Mine were a disaster too, no substance as nothing to bind them together …. Expensive mishap and couldn’t understand why they were so high in calories either as mine didn’t add up to what he said …… Glad it wasn’t just about my cooking 😊😊

Full fat Greek yoghurt…..a couple of heaped tablespoons keeps you full

Are you eating enough fat? Such as full fat yoghurt, coconut oil/milk, full fat cottage cheese etc? This is the only diet that has ever shifted fat off my stomach and has given me back my waist and I’m convinced it’s due to giving up all the low fat stuff including skimmed milk which I have had for years and eating more fat. I can’t remember the science but there is something about eating fat with protein that works….worth a try

I’m day 2 of the BSD. I read Michael Mosley’s book twice last week whilst on holiday. I’m not diabetic (that I’m aware of) but suspect I could be in the pre-diabetic zone. Has anyone found a perfect yoghurt that’s conducive with the BSD please?

I might write to Micheal M and his team to flag it up because I really want to make them – and crab meat costs a bomb!

If you look on google. Basically it’s just cauli, oregano and couple of eggs beaten. It makes a batter consistency. its lovely on its own or you can add veg and a little cheese and tomato to make pizza. I fooled the kids with it lol

I got a very helpful reply after following the guidance offered by captainlynne. Here it is:

Hi Reydoncyclist,

Your body is accustomed to using carbs as an energy source. Actually it is able to use fat as an energy source but it will need time to adjust.

If you can reduce the intensity initially while you adjust then after a few weeks you should be able to increase it again.

In the meantime, for safety’s sake, do continue with dates and fluids, you just don’t want too higher carb intake as you won’t ever adjust.

It’s a bit of a catch 22 as you want to exercise at the same level but, as your body is expecting carbs, it’ll suffer without them at the minute.

Kind regards

I am not worried about milk, I am mixing water with the semi milk to make my own “skimmed”, as the shake mixed with skimmed milk is 200 calories.

I laughed at your tree therapy Bill. I used to go on long drives listening to loud music and singing along to it. The best time to do this was when there was a big football match on as the roads were really quiet, apart from my singing !

Had an even more stressful day today – my oldie has to leave his Care Home – he is really happy and content where he is and the home is fantastic – but another resident winds him up and he won’t walk away. Spent the afternoon trying to find another Care Home with a vacancy, knowing that it won’t be as good as where he is now. And that is before I have to work out how to physically move him.

Hi Nidge
Sounds like you’re well organised!
I wonder if you’re still very hungry if you’re having a bit too much carbs and not enough fat. Eat more fat!! Hard to believe but you don’t get hungry.
Penny

Hi Mooater
Time for a low carb snack??
Penny

Just started the book and I’m already seeing potential mistakes in the way I’m eating, particularly with what she refers to as the “ketogenic level”. I am guilty of having some very low carb days and some higher carb days. Although my carb averages look ok it’s interesting to read that this alone could be causing some issues. Fab referral.
Thanks Penny!

Hi Sue
Found info on full versus low fat milk
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/why-skim-milk-will-make-you-fat-and/
Penny

Hi Landrews
Even plain natural Alpro has sugar in it! The fruit ones have a lot. Plain natural Provamel doesn’t have sugar so I’ve switched to that. I also make my own using a spoonful of goats yogurt and sugar free soya milk and s yogurt maker! Which I really like the taste of. If you decide to do that, boil the soya milk first and cool it down then add the goats yogurt and whisk it. In the morning it will be set and lovely.
Penny

That word was ‘sound’ !

Hi Che
Hmm. Doesn’t doind too much. But maybe reduce it a bit??
Have a look at Jenny Ruhls book ‘low carb problems solved’ ( £3 on kindle)
She has lots of info, it might help.
Penny

Natasha I love the beetroot falafels too! Takes ages to do though. Had the Fish pie this evening which was really nice and a big portion! I made the lamb and aubergine bakes on Sunday but wasn’t very keen on them. The skinny chilli is good though as it’s such a huge portion as it serves 8 which means I have put the other portions in plastic tubs and froze them ready for a quick evening meal when I need it.

Hi Penny
I track my food on my fitness pal and looking back, I seem to be averaging between 35-40g per day. As far as I can see, it’s mostly carbs from veg and beans/legumes and nuts. I wonder if I need to go lower? Hmmmm………I love that the diet isn’t very rigid, but sometimes it would be easier to be told exactly how many grams of carbs, fat etc!!

Hi Sue
Welcome to the forum.
By the way- Michael is really strongly in favour of full fat dairy products, as it’s not the fat we eat that’s the problem but the sugar. If you take the fat out of milk then it has a higher proportion of sugars. Hard to grasp he s really saying this after years of being told fat is bad but he is.
Good luck
Penny

Hi Sue
Don’t feel too sorry for me. I work from home and only had 4 hours work today. It just happens that I have to finish at 8.30.
My experience and many others is once off the carbs and through the first few days hunger isn’t much of a problem. After all if you’re fat burning instead of carb burning we ve got plenty of built in fuel!
Hope it’s going well for you.
Penny

Hi Che
The theory is that belly fat and visceral fat reduce if your carbs are low enough. Could it be yours are not quite low enough?
Penny

Hi Natasha
I haven’t been making the recipes but noticed a lot of problems like this so probably the recipe is wrong.
Penny

Hi Alliebee
There’s been a lot of discussion of this on the forums. People generally seem to think roughly 30-35% each. Which I have, put, though usually my fat intake is higher which is fine as it keeps hunger at bay.
Penny

Hi Volly
Welcome to the forum.
I don’t use the recipes particularly so I can’t help you with the shopping list. Depends what you like eating that’s not carbs! Lots of greens to add to your meals. Michael says don’t count them but some people do. Definitely plan your meals for the week if possible then shop from that.
Re continuing after 8 weeks. One of our number- captain Lynn – asked the team and they said continue a few more weeks 2-3?- then go on the 5:2 or the Mediterranean diet as outlined in the book.
After the first 2-3 days people say it’s the easiest diet they’ve ever done. Which it is. Because most people don’t feel particularly hungry after the beginning. I think because our blood sugar is more stable due to lack of carbs.
Good luck with your start. The forums are so helpful and supportive.
Penny