DAY 30 OF MY 5 STONE CHALLENGE - COMPLETE!!

After the excitement of yesterday, today was really about staying on track and not listening to that ever-present inner voice which tells you ‘just one won’t hurt’.  The morning started with a nice mix of banana, natural yoghurt and honey for breakfast, followed by one of my favourite dished from the restaurant EAT, a chicken laksa soup with fresh spinach and spring onions and for dinner I grilled some chicken breasts in some paprika, garlic and parsley and steamed some brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower, which left me feeling very satisfied.

Today I have also been looking at some of my suits and noticing that they’re starting to need replacing due to the weight I’ve lost.  I’ve taken my belt in two notches so far, which has left my trousers and suit jacket very baggy.  Several people have said to me that significant weight loss is expensive and they’re not wrong!  Constantly buying new clothes, especially suits is going to cost a fortune, but the key to long-term weight loss is to throw any clothes that are too big away (recycle / ebay), as that then created another expensive barrier for you to have to break through if you did regain any weight.  It is also a great way of knowing whether or not you have put on weight, rather than having a wardrobe with a variety of shapes and sizes, as I do at the moment.  Meh, I do dislike shopping…something which I hope will be somewhat easier when I can buy clothes from high street stores off of the peg!

WEEK 4 OF THE 5 STONE CHALLENGE – COMPLETE!!

Today was my 4^th weigh-in and after last week, where I didn’t lose any weight, I was hoping to have lost something like 4lbs to continue the momentum towards my goal.  I was mindful of the impact drinking at last week’s wedding and thought that I had been better this weekend, but until you see the hard evidence, you just never know, so I assumed my place on the scales once again and said a little prayer before I reviewed the results.

Thankfully, I managed to lose 10lbs this week, which I was very happy with – remember, to achieve my goal, I was planning to lose 2lbs a week over 8 months and 10lbs is the equivalent to 2 household bricks that I no longer have to carry around with me.  My total weight is now 23 stone 11lbs, down from 26 stone exactly 4 weeks ago.  Better still, my BMI is now 40.3, down from 42.05 (over 40 is morbidly obese so nearly there) and my Body Fat % is now 35.5% down from 37.7%.

I must say, the encouragement and support, both mentally for me personally and financially for The Dream Factory continues to astonish me.  I am so lucky to have such an amazing group of friends and family behind me.  Donations continue to flood in for this amazing charity and we are almost at the £3,000.00 mark, which is just amazing.  Please do continue to give as the more money we raise, the more dedicated I am to completing this tough challenge!

I also wanted to tell you a funny story.  You may recall that for my birthday on day 9 of the challenge, my friend Victoria brought me the Nintendo Wii Fit, which I had told her I wanted.  Well, in a very excited state, I spent hours connecting the wires and installing the game and running through the set-up and just couldn’t wait to get started.  The final thing you have to do as part of this set-up is to stand on the board and get weighed to create your profile, which I did.  I then received an error message telling me that I was over the weight limit and that all of the profile building I had done would be deleted and the game restarted.  I was mortified, gutted and thoroughly embarrassed.  Most of all, I was frustrated, but thankfully I ended up laughing hysterically at the stupidity of the whole thing.  I later found out the weight limit for the wii board is 23 stone 7lbs.  So, this week, my incentive is to lose at least 4lbs so that I can finally start to use my wii fit board!  Here’s to the week ahead…

WEDDING NUMBER 2 & THE TEMPTATION IS BACK!!

As you all know, last weekend I attended a friend’s wedding and had a really lovely weekend, but ended up succumbing to temptation and drinking my own bodyweight in wine!  Thankfully, I didn’t eat all of the usual carbs I would do to help soak up the alcohol and I tried to exercise to counter what I had drunk, which left me maintaining my weight of the previous week.

This weekend, I had another wedding and it was another epic period of festivities.  I headed down to the venue on Friday evening and was immediately dragged to the bar by the bride (temptation galore).  I’d had a hectic day and had only managed to have some soup, so grabbed a plain ham sandwich on granary bread and drank tonic water in the bar.  I then made a visit to the groom and it was clear the drinking was well under way, as when I walked in the door I had a glass of vodka pushed in one hand and a beer push in the other.  You’ll be pleased to know I regretfully declined both.  And then I saw them…out of the corner of my eye…boxes full of fresh pizza!!  Oh the temptation went off the scale.  Thankfully my focus was lost when the Groom and Best Man both asked me to have look over their speeches and then hours of editing commenced!

The wedding day started bright and early and I had some scrambled egg on a slice of granary toast.  The “Wedding Breakfast”, (aka lunch) began with a starter of lentils and leek soup, which was delicious (I didn’t eat the bread). The main course was steamed salmon with vegetables and the dessert I couldn’t bring myself to even look at (profiteroles).  I had a glass of champagne with my meal, but had plenty of water and felt nicely full.  The evening buffet I avoided like the plague and I stayed away from the amazing smells coming from the hog roast too!  I spent so much time catching-up with old friends, alcohol wasn’t really on my mind, but later in the evening I had a few gin and slimline tonics and really danced the night away!

I actually stayed away from the buffet after seeing the image of buffet food shown over Christmas.  It’s amazing how many calories and how much fat are lurking in a couple of small party plates – terrifying really as someone who loves a good buffet!  It reminds me of a sign my mother used to have in her kitchen which said: “Little pickers wear bigger knickers”.  The advice most diets seem to give is that you should fill-up with foods you can enjoy before heading out to a party, which seems pretty sensible.

Sunday was a nice day.  I had a poached egg and some baked beans on toast for breakfast, then a very small bowl of pasta for lunch, followed by some homemade vegetable soup for dinner.  All in all, a very good weekend and I hope I’ve made some weight loss progress this week, despite the wedding!  We will find out on Wednesday.

WEEK 3 OF THE 5 STONE CHALLENGE – COMPLETE!!

So, today I weighed-in for the 3^rd time as part of my 5 Stone Challenge.  As you know from the entry below, this week had been going really well, up until Saturday, where I attended a friend’s wedding and ended up drinking a whole lot of wine….and when I say a lot, I mean A LOT!

All things considered, I expected to have put on a few pounds this week, but when I stepped on the scales, it turns out I’ve remained the same weight as last week, so I’ve still lost a total of 21lbs.  Of course, not making progress is frustrating, but it has actually taught me a valuable lesson, which is that it’s okay to go off plan sometimes.  Infrequent events, like weddings, are opportunities to let your hair down, de-stress and enjoy the party with friends or family.  It’s events like the wedding last Saturday which create amazing memories and, as long as they are infrequent, you can counter-balance your increased calorie intake by getting straight back on the diet and exercising a little more.  At some stage, after the challenge is complete, I am going to need to create a lifestyle where I maintain a stable, healthy weight long-term, so this is a lesson for me.

Anyway, today’s been a good day.  I’ve had the usual porridge for breakfast, some sweet potato and chilli soup for lunch and some homemade chicken and vegetable soup for dinner.  I’m trying to be extra good before the next wedding I have to attend this coming weekend.  Wish me luck!!

DAY 21 OF MY 5 STONE CHALLENGE – COMPLETE!!

Today I am firmly back on track!  No porridge this morning, so I had some natural yogurt with some banana and granola.  For lunch, I had the Thai Chicken Curry Soup from EAT and for dinner I’m having some grilled salmon steaks with fresh, steamed vegetables.  My weekly weigh-in is tomorrow, so today is all about turning things around after the weekend’s slip-up and exercising like crazy to work off those extra pounds.  The widespread ice and snow in Essex will not stop me!  If I get on those scales tomorrow and have put on weight I’ll be gutted.

I noticed I haven’t reminded everyone why I’m actually doing this 5 StoneChallenge for a little while.  The whole point of this challenge is to raise money for an amazing charity called The Dream Factory, which grants wishes for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

Recently, the Dream Factory was introduced to 5-year-old Lewis who was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephallis and had to endure many spells in hospital for treatment.  Lewis told the Dream Factory that he loves anything to do with the army and helicopters, so, with the help of Captain Andy White, he was sent off to Army Air Corps Middle Wallop where most army pilots begin their careers.  I think it’s safe to say, Lewis had a day to treasure forever and the look on his face in these pictures is priceless.  That’s what this charity does – makes dreams come true and shines a little light into the lives of those children who really have had a rough time.

You can help keep me motivated with my challenge and donate to this remarkable cause today simply by clicking to visit my JustGiving website.  Alternatively, you can send a cheque to: Ben Murphy, C/o The DreamFactory, South Eastern House, 62 –70 Fowler Road, Hainault, IG6 3UT or by calling 020 8501 1234.  The Dream Factory is a registered charity in England and Wales (No. 1123662).

FALLING OFF THE WAGON 3 WEEKS INTO THE CHALLENGE!

Before I explain exactly what has happened this weekend, perhaps I should give you a little background about my relationship with weddings.  Weddings are probably my most favourite event to attend.  I love everything about weddings.  Travelling to the venue for a weekend away in a nice hotel.  Catching-up with friends and family you haven’t seen for a long time.  Getting dressed up.  Watching two friends commit to each other for the rest of their lives.  Laughing at the Best Man’s speech.  Enjoying amazing food.  Drinking throughout the day and night and then dancing your socks off until the early hours.  Who wouldn’t love that?  Well, it turns out someone on a diet wouldn’t love that!

As you know, at the start of my 5 Stone Challenge, I had to attend a stag, where I somehow managed to restrain myself from drinking whilst everyone else certainly let loose and drank my share and then some, so I thought that because I had managed to overcome that hurdle, this one would be easier…how wrong I was!

So the day actually started off quite well.  The wedding breakfast had a starter of pâté with melba toast, so I just had a little pâté and no toast. The main course was bangers and mash, something I’ve been craving for ages, but I only ate one of the sausages and a little potato, but all of the peas.  The desert, as you can see from my picture, was a very rich chocolate cake, which I donated to the guest sitting to my right.  I had a glass of champagne with my meal for the toasts, but other than that, I was drinking water.  Then the evening came and that I thought I’d let myself have a glass of sauvignon blanc, which ended up being the nail in the coffin of my diet.  I think the only thing I may love more than a wedding is a glass of wine.  I love all sorts of different wine and always have – it’s my Archilles’ heel!  Then the evening guests arrived and I thought I’d share another glass with them.  Then the deejay started and another made sense…needless to say, a very long evening which ended up in the hotel’s bar at some ungodly hour of the morning many, many bottles later and the last thing on my mind was my diet!

Now, whilst this is clearly disastrous for my challenge and boy did I feel guilty when I woke up, I did go down to breakfast the next morning where all of the other guests were tucking into their well-deserved lard-laden full English breakfasts and all I had was a few cups of strong black coffee.  I didn’t want to make the situation any worse, so I got home and cooked myself some chicken in garlic and chilli and put it in a low-fat wrap with some homemade tomato salsa, some spinach and cucumber and spent the rest of the day drinking lots and lots of water.  I also danced all night, so hoping that some of the massive intake of calories through wine were worked off on the dance floor!

 

So ultimately, I made a mistake.  It’s one I feel guilty about, but I actually don’t regret it.  It was a fantastic weekend and one which I will treasure the memories of for a long time.  The important thing now is to get back on the wagon and exercise that bit harder this week to work it off.  I do have one big problem that is scaring me at the moment though…my cousin is getting married this coming weekend, so the torture begins once more.  Thankfully, I’d adapted the menu for my dieting needs this time though and the drink…well, we’ll just have to see how we go.  Wish me luck!!

WEEK 2 OF THE 5 STONE CHALLENGE – COMPLETE!!

Today marks the end of my first 2 weeks on the 5 Stone Challenge and once again, I took those nervous steps forward to stand on the scales to see what progress had been made.  It is with pleasure I can report that I have now lost 21lb’s (1.5 stone / 2.26kg) since the start of the challenge and my weight is now 24st 5lb.

It’s easy to think that a loss of 5lbs this week compared to my loss of 16lbs last week isn’t good, but of course it’s fantastic really.  5lbs of fat is about the equivalent to a standard brick or 3 grapefruits, so when I think about not having to carry around 4 bricks every day, it starts to sound a much bigger achievement.

 

Today has been another hectic day in the office.  I enjoyed my porridge this morning and had a Thai butternut squash for lunch.  When I got home this evening I dry roasted some vegetables and grilled a couple of breasts of chicken in some garlic and chilli.  I also had some Greek yogurt with banana this evening.

DAY 14 OF MY 5 STONE CHALLENGE – COMPLETE!!

Today is the 14^th day of my diet and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s 2 week weigh-in.  I wonder how much I will have lost this week after last week’s 16lb, considering I have now lost a lot of the water/‘easy weight’ and am in to more difficult territory!  What do you think?  Have a guess in the comments field at the bottom of this page.

Today has been the same as any normal working day.  Porridge for breakfast with a little fresh honey drizzled over the top – such a great way to start the day in this cold weather.  For lunch, I usually stick to soup and the best soup in the City in my opinion is made by ‘EAT’.

When you’re dieting, it’s always a worry how food is cooked and prepared, but there’s a fantastic website called My Fitness Pal, which provides a breakdown of the calorific value and fat content, etc. For example, today I am planning to have a ‘Big’ Chicken Laksa Soup from EAT which is 365 calories. Before my diet, I would have had 2 small buttered bread rolls with my soup, which would double my calorie intake for lunch to about 750 calories.  The average man needs around 2,500 calories a day.  Tonight I have some chunky homemade vegetable soup…full of flavours and very warming.  

Even though we aren’t quite 2 weeks into the diet, I have been inundated with people asking me if I’m finding the diet hard now or whether I am feeling the difference the truthful answer is ‘no’.  I’m eating things I enjoy and exercising as part of my daily routine.  That’s the only way I am going to be able to sustain weight loss over a long period of time.  I have made my friends laugh this week by telling them the only place I seem to have lost weight it around my wrists!  Before my diet started, I had a link taken out of my watch so that it fitted perfectly.  Now my watch seems to be extremely loose!  Today, I also had to make a new hole in my belt, as my trousers were falling down, so it’s obviously not just the wrists affected after all.

MY SECOND WEEKEND OF THE CHALLENGE - COMPLETE!

Just checking-in after a fantastic birthday weekend.  In the last week and a half, I’ve managed not to stray from the diet and avoid alcohol, despite the fact I’ve had a stag, my birthday, my sister’s birthday and various charity and business functions to attend.  It makes me think…if I can get through those events, I can surely get through anything.  The only other nemesis I have to face in the coming weeks is some weddings and, boy, do I love a wedding!

 

This weekend, however, has been great.  Saturday morning began with the usual English breakfast for me.  This week, I actually tried the Quorn sausages, as an optional extra.  They cook from frozen and I’m used to cooking real pork meat sausages from a farm down the road, so I was a bit thrown by them initially.  They smelt quite herby whilst they were cooking, but they actually tasted great.  By using these as part of my breakfast rather than a real sausage, I reduced the fat and calorie intake I would usually have drastically.  Definitely something I will continue to do, much like poaching eggs rather than frying them. 

Saturday night I was supposed to go out for dinner with friends for my birthday, but I’ve had a bit of a cold this weekend which seems to be getting progressively worse, so we stayed in and they very kindly cooked dinner.  Being on a diet usually makes eating out at friend’s houses difficult, but my friends have been 100% behind my challenge, so they cooked a fantastic Thai Green Curry from the Hairy Biker’s Diet Cookbook, which is only 283 calories, so very well received!

Sunday I wanted to get out and do some exercise, so a friend and I headed into the East End to Columbia Road flower market and the surrounding areas for some shopping.  We managed to grab some cajun spiced sweet potato soup along the way too, which was perfect for warming us up.  For all of the journeys which would usually have been done by car / to avoid the cold, we have ensured that we walked, especially to and from the supermarket, carrying some heavy bags.  I hope it’s these simple lifestyle changes which will make all the difference in the longer-term.  It’s weigh-in day again tomorrow, so I will let you know how I get on.

DAY 10 OF MY 5 STONE CHALLENGE – COMPLETE!!

It’s been a crazy day in the office for me today, which traditionally would mean not having the opportunity to eat at regular intervals and ultimately resulting in me returning home way after dark and craving carb heavy / stodgy comfort food…but not anymore!!  It’s just a case of needing to be disciplined.  I didn’t manage to have my breakfast (porridge) until gone 11am and grabbed some soup for lunch around 3pm, but I made sure I ate dinner around 6.30pm as usual before doing some more work.

Unfortunately, this whole theory of not eating late at night just isn’t practically possible for so many young professionals like me.  I’d love to be able to eat at 6pm, but if I’m not stuck in my office, I regularly have meetings in the evening for charities I support or local organisations I work with.  I am certainly now more conscious of what time I am eating and I am attempting to eat bigger meals at the start of the day, getting smaller as the day goes on, so that I have a chance to burn the food off, rather than sleeping on it. Unfortunately, we can't win every battle, but we can still win the war!

DAY 9 OF MY 5 STONE CHALLENGE - COMPLETE!!

Today is my 29^th Birthday and as with every special occasion in my life, that usually means getting together with friends and family for a meal and some drinks…and this year has been no exception, but I have continued to fully commit to my challenge and have eaten healthily and not a drop of alcohol has passed my lips.

When I arrived in the office this morning, I was asked if there was any cake I could eat on my diet.  I’m actually not a big fan of chocolate, cakes or sweets, so not having a birthday cake this year hasn’t bothered me at all.  I was quite happy with my bowl of porridge!  However, I wondered what could be an okay cake to eat on a diet and who better to ask than Jo Wheatley, who some of you may recall won the Great British Bake Off in 2011.  Jo lives just down the road to me and set-up the Essex Cookery School after winning the show and has also written her own cook book.

Anyway, I shot Jo a message and received a reply telling me that Swiss Roll is actually best, as it has no fat in the sponge, but she recommended having a small lice of whatever it is that I fancied – moderation being the key again. Thankfully, I actually didn’t fancy any cake, but it was interesting to know.

This evening I popped to a friend’s house (Victoria) for dinner and when I arrived, she had very thoughtfully replaced a birthday cake with a bowl of fruit and a large candle.  Better still, my birthday present from Victoria was a Nintendo Wii Fit, to help fill those cold winter nights with a little more calorie burning exercise.  All-in-all, it was a great day!

WEEK 1 OF THE 5 STONE CHALLENGE – COMPLETE!!

Today marks the completion of one week on the 5 Stone Challenge diet and exercise regime.  So when I got up this morning, knowing I would have to take that dreaded step onto the scales this afternoon, I made sure I was wearing exactly the same clothes as I did when I first stepped on the scales last week.

As per my earlier blog post, my weight at the beginning of my 5 Stone Challenge was 26 stone exactly (165.3kg / 364lb).  When I stepped on the scales again today, my weight was 24 stone 12 pounds (158kg / 348lb).  A 16 pound weight loss is incredible and a great start for week 1.  My body fat was 37.7% last week.  Today it is 36.7%.  My BMI was 42.05.  Today it is 41.6.

Kate Moss once famously said, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” (although Kate did have her own unique, chemically enhanced way of getting skinny that I don’t advocate).  The generic point that she makes is one I entirely agree with.  The boost you get from having lost weight is amazing, but I still have a long way to go...

MY INTERVIEW WITH BBC ESSEX RADIO

In my interview with David Monk on BBC Radio Essex today, which you can listen to online here (runs from 2.24.30 to 2.30.00), I actually confirmed that my weight at the start of the challenge on 2^nd January 2013 was recorded at 26 stone exactly (165.3kg / 364lb).  I think a lot of people have been quite shocked at that, because it is a huge amount, however, I am 6 foot 6 inches tall and whilst I do wish to lose weight, I want to get fit more than anything else, which is why other stats are actually of more interest to me personally.

For men, an acceptable level of body fat is between 18% and 25%.  Anything over 25% is classed as obese.  My body fat level is currently 37.7%.  That means I need to lose 3.3 stone in body fat to fall within an acceptable level, but a 5 stone weight loss should take me to a much better fitness level.

Men with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 18.5-24.9 are considered a normal weight. Those between 25-29.9 are considered overweight.  Those between 30-39.9 are considered obese.  Those over 40 are considered morbidly obese.  My BMI is currently 42.05, so I’m well within that category.  With a 5 stone weight loss, that should take me to a BMI of around 33, which would still leave me in the obese range, but the overweight range would be within reach and that would be huge progress.

DAY 2 OF MY 5 STONE CHALLENGE - COMPLETE!!

Day 2 of my challenge has actually gone remarkably well.  I don’t feel hungry or deprived.  I had some plain porridge this morning for breakfast (which reminds me of being a child at my grandmother’s house). Mid-morning I snacked on some fresh fruit segments. For lunch I had some French onion soup and for dinner I had some fresh king prawns which I threw into a pan (without oil) with some onions, mushrooms and peppers and served it with some rice noodles.

I’ve also managed to increase my exercise today by walking a little further by walking around the city for a good half an hour during lunch and this evening, instead of walking from my office to the nearest underground station at Liverpool Street, I instead walked down to Bank and through Cheapside to St. Paul’s and got on the train there.  I have to confess, my back has started to hurt a little, but I think that’s more to do with my inappropriate footwear.  I need to invest in some trainers over the weekend!

Today I have confirmed that I’ll be going public with how much I weigh live on the Dave Monk Show on BBC Essex tomorrow at 10.30am.  As much as it’s horrifically embarrassing for me personally, I’ve agreed to this challenge on behalf of an amazing cause which far outweighs the embarrassment I will face, so I’m just going to have to suck it up.  Some friends have a sweepstake circulating at the moment trying to guess my weight…all I can say is the guesses I’m hearing are WAY off.  Could be some shocked people tomorrow…watch this space.

DAY 2 - SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS IS AMAZING

I woke-up this morning to some fantastic weight-loss related gifts from my good friend, Victoria.  The latest Slimming World and Weight Watchers magazines along with the Hairy Dieters ‘How to Love Food and Lose Weight’ recipe book which so many people have sent me messages recommending.  For me, these publications are a great way of making sure what you’re eating isn’t boring and makes you feel like you’ve not totally restricted yourself to an unsustainable diet.  Victoria also brought me some very handy measuring spoons & cups which will help with my portion control.

I’ve agreed to an interview with Dave Monk on BBC Essex tomorrow to talk about my challenge in the hope we can raise the profile of the charity and obtain more sponsorship!  It was also great to see Epping Forest District Council Chairman, Cllr. Brian Rolfe saying in the Guardian today that he too intends to lose some weight as part of his New Year's resolution, but wouldn't come into completition with me.  A wise move, given how determined I'm feeling!

Of course the charity is the whole reason behind my 5 Stone Challenge and today I wanted to tell you about a beautiful young lady by the name of Esther.  Esther has bone cancer and has endured a really tough bout of treatment.  In a recent break from spells spent in hospital, Esther wanted to go on a holiday of a lifetime with her family, so The Dream Factory granted her wish and sent them on a cruise around the Mediterranean.  Upon her return, Esther said she had the best time of her life.  You can help this amazing charity grant more wishes by donating whatever you can afford, however big or small online here.

DAY 1 OF MY 5 STONE CHALLENGE - COMPLETE!!

I can’t quite believe it’s finally here!  After weeks of researching and planning, the challenge has begun and I’m feeling better than ever about it.  Not nervous or concerned, just absolutely focused on achieving the end result – a 5 stone weight loss in 8 months. As I’ve said previously, for me, this is an opportunity to get fit and live a healthier lifestyle, which I hope will mean I lose weight along the way too.  I’m not looking for a miracle cure.  I entirely appreciate the only way to do this and succeed long-term, is through increased exercise with portion and calorie control.  I have already planned a number of simple changes like eating breakfast in the morning to get my metabolism going instead of getting to 11.30am and wanting to eat a horse!  I will also stop eating dinner around 10pm.  I spoke with a doctor over the weekend who told me that the body needs to focus its energy on repairing the cells in your body whilst you sleep, not breakdown foods, which made sense to me.  I’ve coupled this with increased exercise – things I can do daily as part of my usual routine rather than pushing myself to get into a gym.  Simple things at first, like walking up and down the escalators at underground stations and doing the same in my office rather than using the lift.  Eventually I will build that up to including walking to and from my home to Epping station, which is about 4 miles and takes about one and half hours to walk.  Initially, I’ll walk one way, slowly building up to walk to and from the station.  I’m the first to admit how horrific my fitness levels are and I’m a strong believer in the idiom ‘Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey’…!!

Anyway, with day 1 almost complete, I still feel great and am getting more prepared for the weeks ahead.  Had a nice yogurt and granola and banana this morning for breakfast, some minestrone soup for lunch and a poached salmon salad for dinner.  All things I love to eat, I’ve just cut out any of the snacks and sauces and avoided the carbs.