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My success story;
In June of 2024 I was diagnosed as diabetic. For a number of reasons, my weight had ballooned to 15st 7lb and I had a very unhealthy chocolate and doughnut eating habit!
I decided to try the BSD…bought the book and recipe book and plunged in. (With a lot of support from the forums on this site and my husband.)
I gave up all bread, potatoes, rice and pasta, (even though I had been eating the wholegrain/wholemeal versions since 2016 and a pre diabetic diagnosis) and changed what I was eating to conform to the calorie and carbohydrate count. (I weighed and counted everything!)
In the period 2016-2018 I had steadily lost weight using the ‘conventional’ diabetic diet, going from 14st down to 10st BUT my pre diabetic numbers rose! So I knew that diet wouldn’t help get diabetes into remission and hoped that I would be successful with the BSD.
I HAVE BEEN!
My weight loss from June to December; 15st 7lb down to 10st 6lb.
My HbA1c numbers; down from 49/50 to 40.
So I am in remission from diabetes and my weight is comfortable.
I am coming off the diet per se, but not returning to bread, potato, rice or pasta or all the sweet things I used to eat! I know I will have to watch my carbs and weight for the rest of my life, but don’t think of it as a hardship! I enjoy the recipes and ‘substitutions’ and think my taste has changed sufficiently not to miss the ‘bad’ things!
I know I have been very fortunate to have a very supportive husband, who has accepted that I am cooking differently and eaten the same foods as myself. (but he has sneaked the odd biscuit! 🤣)
To anyone considering whether to go try the BSD, I say “go for it”. It has been very hard at times to resist the temptations but the result has been worth every angst!

Thank you all so much for your kind and wise words and for your encouragement. Yesterday was a tough one, but I’m tougher. I’m still getting my head round the numbers and have done a lot of reading around the blood tests etc today. I haven’t started the meds yet and feel that I need to research these to understand side effects etc first. I’m also a little frustrated that I won’t see out the 8-12 weeks on the diet alone, as the meds will lower it for sure, but not to take them would be going against my Dr’s advice. The good news this morning is another 1lb down, making 13 in total. Thanks everyone, I will for sure keep keeping on!

Big pat on the back Lucy, enjoy Christmas and don’t worry, we will still be here to nag you (encourage really) in January.

Yesterday’s positives;
On my way to S-I-L, I put holly on my parents’ grave and hand delivered 15 Christmas cards to friends who live 150 miles from us! A great saving in postage…and I had to use the fuel anyway!

Hello all,

Aqualady, i think you have achieved much in your first 5 weeks! The weight loss and a reduction of 19 on your HbA1c in that time is a fantastic result…

S-G…so sorry about your house/pet sitter…I hope Toby gets a great deal of love & care from your neighbour and that you enjoy your break away! (and the dress looks fabulous!)

Hope you all have a brilliant Christmas and New Year!

XXX

Thank you so much, Margaret!

Aqualady, it sounds like you’re doing GREAT. I’m sorry you had to start on the Metformin but your results are still really good! If you keep going you’ll get there!

S-G I’m glad you can still go on your trip!

Oh dear! S-g life throws all sorts of curved balls but at least you can still go. I think we may be ‘brothers from a different mother’! We also had a Toby who was unfortunately knocked over by a car but he had made the cat in the corner house pregnant so we got his daughter Sammy. Sammy got pregnant and we ended up with her son Blackie who was completely black apart from one white smidge on one of his eyes. They both lived to the ripe old ages of 17 & 19! Always sad when you lose a pet but we still have the memories. Also, I had my hair done today! Just go away and enjoy!

Just read my blog and found my results. Started BSD on 8.1 and at the end of about 8 weeks down to 6.6. And I think I lost about 13lbs.

Hi everyone, well I am having another bad day but before that I would like to speak to Aqualady.

First you are lucky your doctor recognises that your BG WILL go down and has not insisted you go high on the meds. As it starts to work I think he will take you off the Metformin. When I was first diagnosed my HbA1c was 14.2% or 129 at the rate you are measuring. I was put on Metformin, Glycazide and another and it did nothing. I knew nothing about diabetic diets except the rubbish the doctors used to spout (and some still do). Told to eat carbs at every meal so my BG wouldn’t drop too low. Yet, they wanted it lowered. This went on for years until I found this diet. The day I started I was having readings of around 190 – doesn’t matter that it is in decilitres – just know it is twice what it should be at around 80 to 120. By this time I was injecting insulin because the oral meds went straight through me and was injecting 40 units a day. After a week on the diet I was down to about 135 but I cant remember what my official HbA1c was, just know it went down and down. You might want to read excerpts from my blog – type in the search engine at the top of the page 5 Years of BSD – A Blog of Memories. I outlines what my fear were. I didnt lose as much weight as you as insulin makes you store glucose as fat. But I was 79kgs then and 71kgs now.

The measurements I used were my daily at home blood tests so are quite different from the 3 monthly blood test done and tested in the laboratory. I think my first one after starting the diet was around 80 – so like you still too high. I now run at around 5.8 to 6.2. I am still on insulin but a much lower amount at 14 or 15 units.

Just be reassured that real results only show in your HbA1c and that shows the state of your BG over a 3 month period (blood cells replace themselves about ever 12 weeks). You have made a great start and I am sure it will be even lower in 3 months. As you are newly diagnosed i.e. under 2 years, you have every chance to get rid of the diagnosis completely. Stick with it.

Hope that helps.

Feeling wobbly today! Need some positivity. Back in early November I had a routine blood test and came back with an Hb1Ac of 89, quite shocked as no symptoms. Discussed with Dr as felt it. Would be an anomaly. Ordered the BSD books the same day, started the BSD 800 the next day. 5 weeks in and I have lost 5.7 kgs, weighing, tracking calories etc. repeat blood test last week, hoping I’d done enough to avoid meds. Saw Dr this morning and Hb1Ac now 70, so down but not enough. He’s prescribed Metformin a low dose to start as I am on BSD. He was happy I had taken steps on my own to reduce weight and he was positive, but I feel deflated with the diagnosis. Need to plough on, I won’t let this get the better of me and will try to reverse it. The only piece of the puzzle missing is exercise due to a recent back injury, so can’t wait to get more mobile again. Its weird because it’s the best I’ve felt in a long time!! Love reading the inspiring stories here. Happy Christmas all.

Pootle, how lovely to catch up with someone you haven’t spoken to in so long.
V, sounds like you are getting well organised further main event. Have to say I’m not focused enough fit that this year… winging it on the menu front this time!

Positives for today …..
💷💳 last of the main gifts purchased today🤸‍♀️
🎁🎁 first batch of gifts wrapped
🛏🧺 bedding laundered and bedroom for visiting parents prepped

Best of all, I feel like I’ve ticked a lot of my To Do list!

Very well done Sleekly you are doing brilliantly 👏👏
Margaret xx

Best wishes to all for a happy ‘holiday season’.
Hoping 2025 will bring you all you wish for, even if it does mean hard work!

Positive for today.
I had a phone call from a very long standing friend who I haven’t seen or spoken to for over 12 months! Told her about the BSD and she was very interested….doing my best to spread the word that this way of eating really works! 😇

I am all packed for my 2 weeks away…except the food stuff in the fridge and freezer…I am taking no chances that my sister in law will only provide plenty of carbs! 😂

We are going out to my favourite restaurant tonight, so a fish supper followed by a very sinful creme brûlée if it is on the menu! I will forego the chips…😉

Happy Christmas!!

Thank you SunnyB & I will make a Keto soup of prawns leeks & courgettes for lunch today then my husband & I will play bowls.😀
A new thread in January would be very helpful!! Thank you 👍⭐️
Margaret xx

SG, how wonderful to have a cleaner to help keep things straight, especially just before going away.

My positive for today is …. having friends visit for mulled wine and nibbles this afternoon. Was lovely to catch up on people’s news in person.

Hi everyone,
Sorry to read of people struggling right now. For me it does seem to be the time of year that I struggle the most too. Top that off with all the psychological work I’ve been doing this year, and I’m feeling a bit run down.
However, I have finished up the elimination diet. Just to see what would happen, I challenged myself with wheat. It was awful. At first I didn’t equate what I was feeling with the wheat as I didn’t have much in the way of digestive symptoms initially. I felt like I was coming down with a cold. Stuffy head, sore throat, no energy. Then I started having some transit issues. Stopped having the wheat (it was some homemade bread – just flour, water, yeast and salt) and the symptoms went away. So the total list of things I cannot have is:
Wheat (and I suspect other things containing gluten)
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Eggs
Emulsifiers
I am so glad that dairy is not an issue, and that I can still have the soy free tofu and lentils. I may have to up my fish intake as well to make up for the eggs as they were a pretty regular protein source throughout the week previously. I don’t mind eating some nice fish, but I rarely feel like cooking it, so I’ll have to come up with some easy ways to fit it in my diet.
I feel like this elimination hasn’t been that great for my insulin resistance. I was surviving on rice and rice cakes to fill in the gaps a lot of the time. I have developed some new skin tags.
So anyway, here’s hoping for a better new year for us all. I know the 100 days isn’t up yet, so I’ll try and make as much progress as I can before the end of the year, and then really lean into it in January.
One thing is that I finally have my consult with the orthopedic surgeon booked for January 20th for the lump in my leg. It will still be quite a wait for the actual surgery if we decide to go ahead, but they always seem to want you to lose weight to make things go easier, don’t they? So if I can at least get started and see a noticeable difference before the consult, I think that may help. I don’t weigh, but perhaps my goal should be to at least drop a size before then.

You have my sympathy Margaret. My dad is awaiting surgery too and it is a really difficult time of limbo.

As someone who has struggled for most of my life with a restricted (not in a good way!) diet (and who still finds it hard to ‘join in’ where food is concerned), there is a joy in sharing food socially, so don’t be hard on yourself. It’s important too!

You know you can do it and when time and headspace allows, it will come right I’m sure 🙂

Well I did lose most of the weight gain in just one day. Welcome back Sunny, can I ask a favour of you. How are you for setting up the January thread. I will be away and not back until the 31st when we have to be unpacking, washing, get out and do a shop etc. If you cant, just let me know and I will do what I can.

On that subject – looking for a very motivational New Year New You – that might do. Any suggestions.

Did my packing except for the few things I cant put away yet but nearly there, feeling so much better about it.

I have my appt with the opthamologist tomorrow and will get the results of my MRI although my GP did say they didn’t find anything wrong. So looks like it is glaucoma. Will report back after the appt.

Welcome back SunnyB & very well done to those of you managing to keep on track & lose weight. Unfortunately I am not one of you & gained 1.75 lbs last week because of social eating & drinking. I am finding it difficult to balance eating out with losing any weight at the moment & looking back over this year it has not been good for me with a rollercoaster of weight losses then gains with me now ending up being 7.5 lbs heavier than in January. My feeling in limbo waiting to hear about my knee surgery & the relentless grey skies have not helped my energy & motivation. I know I am making excuses & I do feel rather can’t be bothered now but am trying to get back on track this week however have another Christmas meal on Tuesday after playing fun short mat bowls, so some exercise😀 Roll on January then I will feel able to give myself a mental kick up my derrière to refresh & refocus 🤞🤞
Keep on going everyone 👍👏👏
Margaret xx

Hello everyone, thought it time to check in here again to help get my head in the game. Haven’t read all the posts in detail, but overall it seems that despite the season, many are logging good results … congrats to those of you seeing positive changes. To those struggling, stick with it, things will come right eventually.

Having been away for three months, arriving home a week ago, I decided it was time to get on the scales and report in, so that I start to make myself accountable again.

Sooo, the gain whilst away was 8lb. However, as I wasn’t at target weight before going away, I currently have 14lb to ditch to get back to target weight.

Realistically I’m not expecting to make great inroads this side of the new year, but definitely want to get back to better eating habits, which hopefully will show some positive results.

I find if it goes wrong and you have say a few roast potatoes and Christmas pudding then the next day use a meal replacement for lunch. I swear by Optifast protein plus. It means you can really be sure you have reduced your calorie intake and you are not going to suffer nutritionally by eating much less.
I am away today and I need to navigate eating out today which is not easy, as we all know they add unhealthy fats and sugar and salt to most meals cooked in restaurants. You need to check the menus in advance and use a calorie counter app to help you reduce what you eat. Been on this two months now and it’s the healthiest way to eat. Everyone knows the Mediterranean diet has evidence based research to back all the claims and it is no fad diet. It is a whole lifestyle change. Think of this as your first day of your life. It’s not easy at all but nothing worth doing is easy. Have a great Christmas 🎄🎁

Hi All
I’ve restarted the BSD (4th attempt) to knock off the prediabetes once and for all.
Into week 2 – have been very consistent with the diet and finding this time of year helpful as in the southern hemisphere and hot so salads are a good go to.
I only have 10kg to loose and in previous attempts have lost about 4kgs and haven’t maintained the diet long enough to get all the way (and likely get the fat out of liver and pancreas) – combination of an unpredictable work environment and lack of organisation.
My fastings were creeping closer and closer to 7.0
This time I hope I have prepped more and despite the holiday season have decided that doing this diet is better than adding on a kg or two and then trying in Jan.
So far – week one have knocked off 3kg and fasting BSLs have been mostly less that 5.5
Week 2 started with a 4 day plateau which has been my weakness in the past – I persistent and today saw a shift down another 0.7kg and fasting BSL in the 4’s!
I want to go all the way this time and am trying to stay focussed and front of mind to keep the momentum going.
Good luck everyone else!