The 8 weeks of BSD

[bridgetreilly]

I know there's the ongoing excellent threads for people doing BSD/Fast800 etc, but I wondered if we could also have a thread for those who are on the actual 8 weeks of BSD, rather than maintaining or doing other versions.

I did it a couple of years ago, lost a couple of stone, felt great, but then lots of life happened and I put it all back on and more. Recently I have had a huge wake-up call with some serious health issues, including a type-2 diabetes diagnosis. So I am very grateful that I already read the book and know what to do. But I need to be serious and strict about it.

I am monitoring my blood pressure at home and I am monitoring my blood sugars via the GP. My goal is to reverse the diabetes, and to come off all my medication. My GP and nurse practitioner are absolutely on board with this goal, though I think they are more cautious about how long it might take than I am.

My current eating pattern is:
Breakfast: full fat natural yoghurt, half a dozen blueberries, pinch of toasted flaked almonds, cup of tea with milk.

Lunch: lettuce cup with tuna mayo, 5 cherry tomatoes, 2 walnuts.

Dinner: something from the BSD book or recipe book.

I can't and won't measure everything and calorie count. That's why I like to use the recipe books so I can follow their portion sizes and know that I'll be in the right ball park.

My starting weight was 18'2, I'm currently on Day 5 of week 1 and I have lost 7 pounds. I've been to the gym once and plan to go again today. This is the beginning of the rest of my life.

Thanks!

I live on my own, so that makes things easier, although I do travel quite a lot for work, which makes them harder. I did try to be pretty strict about carbs, but less concerned about calories, especially when I was away from home. But there were just some times when that wasn't possible either, and that's okay. I definitely felt the difference on days after I'd just eaten carb-heavy meals, and in some ways that was even more motivating to keep going - carbs make me sleepy and grumpy, so although I enjoy eating them, I never enjoy having eaten them. I feel like I got in to a sustainable pattern of eating which was working, even allowing for the lapses. One of the things Michael Mosley says is that 'a lapse is not a relapse'. You have a bad meal or a bad day, fine. Move on. It doesn't need to derail you.

Total weight loss over three months: 2 stone, 8 pounds. Today I'm wearing a skirt 2 dress sizes smaller than I could fit into in the summer. Still plenty more to go, though!

I’m going to start the fast800 in the new year. Have a permanently pregnant looking tummy after second baby and have been weaning him off bf so that I can do something about it. Not weighed myself yet but hoping to do 8 weeks on 800 then 5:2 after. Have a holiday at the end of March so would be nice to have less tum by then. I’m feeling motivated by your results! But very easy to say that when you’re not yet fasting!!

@bridgetreilly you said you found some low carb meals in cook? Can you let me know which ones you found to be good please?handy to have a freezer stash!

@bridgetreilly those results are absolutely amazing. What a huge drop in your HbA1C. My little grandson is diabetic, although type 1, so I’ve learned to speak the lingo and am a genius at counting carbs.

I plan to start on the 1st. I’m going to do 5 days low carb and then start 800 calories from Monday. I will re read the book and will weigh in before then.

I'm starting again on Monday. I knew it wouldn't be possible to do strict BSD in December, so my goal for the month was simply not to put weight back on and have some good low carb days when possible. And mostly, I've managed that pretty well, but now I'm ready for another stricter period, and hoping to start losing weight again.

Here's what I ordered from COOK:
Meatballs in a Rustic Tomato Sauce (Serves 1)
Roasted Confit of Duck with Juniper (Serves 2)
Basil & Mascarpone Chicken (Serves 1)
Pulled Beef Chilli (Serves 1)
Wild Boar Ragu (Serves 1)
Chana Masala (Serves 2)

I think they were all under 10g of carbs per serving, if I remember rightly.
Slow-Roasted Lamb with a Green Harissa Sauce (Serves 2)

Thanks Bridget- I’m starting again today, this has worked for me before -I just need to get into the zone!

Great!

I'm back and I'm fat. Fark.

Starting again tomorrow. What is COOK? Is it like Hello Fresh? Off to Google I go

Great! Good to have a little group starting week 1 together.

COOK are frozen meals, not ones to prepare. I find that I'm fine when I can do my own cooking but it's when I'm too tired or too busy that it's hard to get BSD-friendly food, so I like to have a few things in the freezer that take no effort. Actually, I should do an order, because I think I've only got a couple left.

Plonking myself down here as I'm doing this.

Started Jan 1st and so far managed to stick to it.

SW: 14st 13 (01/01/20)

That’s me started today! I’m going to do 16:8 and 800 calories. I would like to do this for 12 weeks as that would take me to the school Easter holidays.

I’m planning to have lunch around 12md and dinner at 6pm which is more like 18:6 but gives me a bit of leeway if I’m running late (which is the only running I’m likely to be doing). I will need to have a cup of tea on waking and a coffee before I drive Ds3 to school. I take soya milk in both which is very low carb so hopefully it won’t upset the fasting. I don’t think I could survive without them. Other than that I’m ok with drinking water.

Onwards and downwards!

Excellent!

Today I have eaten:
B: full fat natural yoghurt with 5 chopped hazelnuts, 12 blueberries.
L: 3 mini babybels, 5 almonds, 7 cherry tomatoes.
D: small piece of duck breast (leftovers, no fat), approx 1/4 can white beans, mashed with garlic and olive oil, roast asparagus and broccoli.

Plus a couple of cups of tea and a couple of extra nuts when I was hungry mid-afternoon. That's it for today. If I'm hungry later, I'll have a cup of hot water with lemon in it.

Hope everyone's had a good day, especially if this is day 1 for you too!

Today I've eaten

2 dates
Mushroom and chicken omelette
Banana
6 prawn Siu mai with soy sauce
Tenderstem broccoli
A few cups of tea with skimmed milk

Planning an apple later leaving 40ish calories left if I'm really hungry for some blueberries or some cherry tomatoes and cucumber. Taking it up to the wire today I think as had a shit night's sleep.

So today I’ve had

B. Cup of tea/Cup of coffee with soya milk
L. Omelette with grated cheese and spinach and a side salad and coffee
D. Tuna steak fried in butter, cauliflower

796 cal/15g carbs

Great job, @vividimagination!

@SunshineAvenue, are you doing BSD proper or just a fasting diet?

I don't know! bridgetreilly I'm aiming for 800 calories a day and trying to make it as healthy as possible but if I eat a bag of hula hoops I'm not going to worry about it if it's within the calorie allowance. I don't usually eat breakfast and currently trying to not eat anything past 10pm which gives me a 14-16 hour break.

Fair enough!

That's not really BSD which is focussed on being very low carb as well as very low calorie. I think it's easier, personally, because once you get past the first couple of days, you stop craving carbs and you don't feel hungry. 800 calories including carbs is really hard to stick to.

I would definitely recommend reading the BSD book at some point.

I have read it Bridget and lost a couple of stone a few years back doing what I'm doing now which is 800 calories, low carb for the most part with the odd blip day where I either go over calories or have a more carby day (like today).

But you're right, it's not BSD to the letter

Sure. Blips totally fine. I just wasn't sure whether you were trying to be super-strict or not. If it works for you, that's great!

It's probably not helpful on this thread to post what I've eaten on blip days as it can be confusing to others. Dates, bananas and apples are obviously not LC!

😀

No, I think it's good to be honest when you're checking in what you ate, if that helps you! But maybe we could all just make a note when we're going off plan as part of the accountability of being on the thread. I like to try to be pretty strict for the 8 weeks, but I know there will be days where that doesn't work, and I'll still post.

Thanks @bridgetreilly.

It’s a dreadful day here today, blowing a gale and pouring rain. I have my heated chair on and a blanket. I need to fill my water bottle (drinking not hot) but it’s too cold to go through to the kitchen. I’m having a lazy day until I collect ds3.

I’ve just had a lovely lunch of chicken breast with spinach and cauliflower fried in butter. I’m planning to finish the chicken with a salad tonight.

Day 2:
B: yoghurt, blueberries, hazelnuts
L: babybels, carrot, almonds
D: pork meatballs in tomato sauce, grated cheese, roast mediterranean veg.

That's me done for today. I lost 2.5 lbs in the first day. Today I haven't felt like I needed any snacks between the meals. I am making an effort to drink more water than normal, which helps with that.

Great idea Bridget. I am frequently too tired to cook!

Vivid- hadn't clocked it was 12 weeks until Easter. That's a great aim- I'll join you in that. Like an extended Lent.

Today I ate:

Milk in coffee
Avo and poached eggs with olive oil and pink salt
Grapefruit and Manchester salad
Will have a square of 90% choc with a cuppa after kids are in bed.

I'm feeling extremely grumpy about doing this again! No idea why as I liked it last time. I want to eat bread and I'm having a tantrum.

What's Manchester salad, @Peachypips78?

Sorry you're feeling grumpy! Hopefully the carb cravings will disappear soon and you'll start feeling better.