Whaere are you all is anyone there???(
What do people want from a forum like this? I was hoping for advice, mutual support and encouragement, sharing information. None of this can happen if there aren’t any people coming on this forum and sticking around

Agree seems a bit quiet, maybe people are just lurking as I was so I thought I’d say Hi! Maybe others will too?
A few things I’ve done an I’m interested in:
Read the Clever Guts Diet Book (and all Michael’s other books) very interesting and has inspired me to take better care of my guts!
Lost 2.5 stone in approx 6 months (and counting) doing HIT and changing my diet, as a result I feel fitter and happier than I ever remember doing so even though I had no known issues previously (except been overweight)
Been successfully making Milk Kefir for a few months now, drink it every day.
Fermenting a few bits and bobs (Just made the Purple Sauerkraut)
Started taking the Prebiotic supplement as featured in the ‘Truth about Sleep’ I’d like to know how other people get on with that. It’s a bit pricey so interested in alternatives.

I’m a BSDer and just visiting at the moment looking for tips on making my weight maintenance easier to manage, but with no experience of the diet and never having read the book can’t currently offer much but general support. Good luck to everyone trying to improve their health. I expect the forum life will develop as people get more used to the diet and its effects.

Good to get some responses, yes you’re right mixnmatch it will probably take time to pick and build up a momentum. Well done to you both on your weight loss, I’m envious- I really really want to shift this weight – 2 stone or more but I seem to start a diet and either lose my motivation and drift off it after a few weeks. I tried 5:2 several times and liked it, but I got headaches and a hungover feeling, I’ve been loosely sticking to a Mediterranean diet BSD while I waited for the clever guts book to come out and I’m hoping it will be the answer for me as I realise that my IBS and my guts have always caused me to struggle with diets, so hopefully I can start to put them right while trying to lose weight. I’ve had the nausea and hungover feeling for 3/4 days since I began trying to sort my guts out this week which makes me think it’s some sort of withdrawal symptom.
So far I’ve bought a kefir drink (until I get organised to order the kefir grains – I bought some 2 months ago but they’ve gone mouldy – I don’t know if I should use them or not? I’ve got VSL#3 probiotic that Micheal recommends, and I’m cutting out wheat and sugar and trying to eat more healthily and will look at doing some fermented stuff. I’m working towards doing the 5:2 but think I should improve my guts first.

My reply got lost: trying again -Good to get some responses, yes you’re right mixnmatch it will probably take time to pick and build up a momentum. Well done to you both on your weight loss, I’m envious- I really really want to shift this weight – 2 stone or more but I seem to start a diet and either lose my motivation and drift off it after a few weeks. I tried 5:2 several times and liked it, but I got headaches and a hungover feeling, I’ve been loosely sticking to a Mediterranean diet BSD while I waited for the clever guts book to come out and I’m hoping it will be the answer for me as I realise that my IBS and my guts have always caused me to struggle with diets, so hopefully I can start to put them right while trying to lose weight. I’ve had the nausea and hungover feeling for 3/4 days since I began trying to sort my guts out this week which makes me think it’s some sort of withdrawal symptom.
So far I’ve bought a kefir drink (until I get organised to order the kefir grains – I bought some 2 months ago but they’ve gone mouldy – I don’t know if I should use them or not? I’ve got VSL#3 probiotic that Micheal recommends, and I’m cutting out wheat and sugar and trying to eat more healthily and will look at doing some fermented stuff. I’m working towards doing the 5:2 but think I should improve my guts first.

Hi IKeeptrying
I don’t like the sound of those mouldy Kefir grains, I’d ditch and start again. I make my Kefir every day, it is a bit of a chore but its worth it, its odd how I’ve gone from ‘Hmmm I don’t like that but its doing me good so I’ll force it down’ to ‘is it Kefir time yet, Yum!’ It really is an acquired taste but we find we now crave it.
You mention diet a lot and and its obviously very important. What about exercise? You will get a synergistic effect if you can do that too. Bear in mind this is coming from someone who’s was overweight all their lives, hates sport and never did exercise (I was no couch potato as I enjoyed country walks and got plenty of steps in at work but was nowhere near fit, never doing any cardio). I got the fast diet book and invested in a cross trainer to do HIT. I won’t lie its hard work but its over quickly! I have to say the results for me have been a revelation. The appetite suppression you get with HIT is very helpful and its very time efficient. 15 mins three times a week I’m sure would really help you. I’t does mean some financial outlay. I spent approx £300 on a (new) cross trainer (although I think a exercise bike may be more suitable fro most and is what Michael recommends) for me that outlay was affordable but enough to make me commit to using it and I have. I can be done cheaper, Ebay and Gum tree are full of these that people give up on. However beware of whats for sale. In my opinion you need a decent machine that is electronically programmable so you can dial in a programme and just concentrate on getting through it without worrying about turning dials to change resistance. Honestly its the best money I’ve ever spent. You also need somewhere to put one, the cold dark garage isn’t going to be very appealing in the winter…….I’m lucky and have room for mine in the dining room over looking out over the garden, it’s not the most attractive piece of furniture but it’s there for the greater good and it’s staying! I still don’t enjoy doing the exercise (I guess I’m just wired that way) but I do get a feeling of virtue once I’ve done it and as my fitness has improved it’s much easier to tolerate even tough I keep pushing my boundaries. The effort has been worth it. I’ve been overweight my whole life but now I’m now a perfect BMI, my waist is less than half my height. Honestly I think if I can do it anyone can assuming they are mobile to start with. I feel better now than I did when I was 20. I didn’t realize how bad I felt before and I’m not going back! BUT it has been an effort and I have been committed. I exercise every day alternating cardio with strength exercise I have missed an odd day or two but honestly only an odd day or two in 6 months, I hope this is self perpetuating as I don’t want to go back to my old ways – I’ve put too much in to achieving my goal. Time will tell hence the username….. recoveringfatty