4 WEEK FIX ... 27th December ... Welcoming 2017 with BSD gusto!

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posted by KrysiaD
on 4 Jan 2017 at 07:07

Jo
Well done on the weight loss – really good news that the blurred vision has gone now your b.s. are so good.

BfitB470 a good weight loss for this time of year. I agree that it isn’t so nice walking this time of year. I am waiting at the moment for a lull in the rain before I do my after breakfast walk.

Raintoday
You have done so well with your weight loss and A1c. Here in the UK the norm is to have an Hba1c once or twice a year. I haven’t asked for one more often so I don’t know if they would do it.

Your pancreas must be working much better now to get your good A1c results. Have you been able to decrease your metformin?

Tigs – I still weigh my food and its great when you can be open about it.

I am back at work today but am looking forward to it as I have had a lovely time over the holidays.
posted by Daisiesmum
on 4 Jan 2017 at 07:23

LinD, thank you for your input. I quite enjoy intermittent fasting, but have bought into the “breakfast is the most important meal” advice. It makes sense though, since starting BSD some mornings (not today!) I just don’t feel hungry. I’ll try it and see how it affects me. Thanks again.

Good to see so many of us getting back into the swing. I’m quite near my ultimate weight goal, about 4lbs away, so for me this way of life is now about health and medical issues, keeping T2 db at bay, lowering blood pressure, doing all I can lifestyle-wise to remain cancer free (six years so far) and generally looking after myself. It’s very empowering!

BfitB, I love walking too, but have a mini-rebounder for those inclement days, a few minutes here and there soon adds up, waiting for the kettle to boil, tv ad breaks etc.

All the best to everyone on the BSD road. Happy Wednesday… and let’s hear it for The Kalettes.. yay!
posted by Verano
on 4 Jan 2017 at 07:52

DAY 2 … WEEK 2

Good morning

At least I slept last night ! I think if I eat meat, which I don’t do often, I find it difficult to sleep. Not sure it’s very digestible. Have no trouble dropping off its just the waking in the night then tossing and turning!

Good to see so many people getting back on track. I think it must be the ‘silly season’ again. I watched, part of, the Diet program on C4 last night. Why I don’t know. Must just be habit to see if there is a new ‘miracle’ out there when I know we’ve already found it! Who really wants to take ice baths or drink ‘bone broth’ two days a week when we can eat the great food we do.

There was also an article in the Mail yesterday about sugar. I’m not a great fan of the paper but I do think their ‘health’ articles are often quite good. Anyway, it set out the ‘science’ of eating carbs/sugar and their effect on insulin production etc. The message is coming through but it’s still such a slow trickle. One day ……

Well will try the ‘kalettes’ today if I can get them. I have to be honest kale has never appealed to me but then I’m not a huge fan of vegetables. Looks like aubergine is the new ‘wonder’ vegetable for this year but maybe ‘kalettes’ will be there at the top as well.

Have a good day.
posted by captainlynne
on 4 Jan 2017 at 08:25

raintoday – great results.

I don’t know if you test your own blood sugars.

I move around the country a lot because of work so have experienced a variety of doctors. Some have been fantastic while others were avoided unless absolutely necessary. These days most want diabetics to rely on the HbA1c test to monitor their diabetes. But they also want patients to be proactive in their care. Then won’t prescribe test strips for patients to see how different foods affect their blood sugars. So – how can patients be proactive if they aren’t given the tools? Oh – the reasons given for not advising diabetics to self test? It hurts and can make patients depressed! But what about the effects of poorly controlled diabetes? Btw – a small pinprick is all it is, and personally I’d sooner do that test than risk serious problems. And keeping tight control (for me) is better, less stressful or depressing, than waiting for the results of the occasional HbA1c with ever increasing numbers.

If you don’t already self test, and your doctor just wishes the occasional HbA1c, you may want to get a test meter and keep an eye on things yourself. I learned that I had to do it myself, often in spite of the medical professionals rather than with their support.

Hope this helps. Best wishes for whatever you decide to do.
posted by topcac
on 4 Jan 2017 at 08:43

Morning all

I hope everyone is feeling fabulous today. I was back at work yesterday (although I did work in the ‘break’ but you can’t count that is it is SO quiet) and back on plan – and had the carb headache to prove it! It staggers me how withdrawing from carbs can affect you so much – I had a really long think about how poisonous it must be and vowed to plan the maintenance stage of this journey thoroughly!

I haven’t weighed since Monday so I don’t know if being back on plan is working – but I did have a delicious meal last night of slow roasted lamb, braised red cabbage and brocolli (all leftovers) and it tasted absolutely delicious – maybe it was the headache, or the fact that I was starving but I really do prefer something like that to carb laden rubbish, which had been my diet for a few days before that!

Anyway, I wish you all a successful day, thanks for posting!
posted by Ann60
on 4 Jan 2017 at 08:44

Interesting post, thank you, I want to discuss self testing today with my diabetic nurse as I am also away from home for long periods. Don’t know what she will think of the BSD either, last time I saw her she advised me to eat anything I liked but just not so much. I’ve lost a kilo already since the 2nd so hopefully she will be impressed today.
I don’t know anything about what results I should be looking for so hopefully she will advise, as others have said my GP and diabetic nurse rely on the 3 monthly blood test.
posted by OiMadam
on 4 Jan 2017 at 09:00

Tigs and Daisiesmum – thank you for the words of encouragement. Today is a new day and I have planned, plotted and promised that I WILL DO THIS.
It’s great reading about everyone’s successes – whether tiny steps or great big leaps – well done!
I too am a Kalettes fan – very, very moreish! If you are interested in growing them, you can now buy Kalette seeds online – I have plans for those too.
Have a great day everyone.
posted by Lara
on 4 Jan 2017 at 09:19

Hello everyone! My official weekly weigh was Saturday and I was very excited with a small 0.6kg loss as it took me to 16kgs down in total. Unfortunately that was also NYE and I really overindulged on food and alcohol, but it was a lovely evening with friends. Then I had a BBQ on the 2nd and more food and wine – and my weight rebounded very quickly in the wrong direction 🙁 I was disappointed with myself as I could have made better choices at the BBQ. It was also quite scary how easily I could go back to eating sugar.

However on a brighter note I spent yesterday reading up on fasting. I downloaded the book “The complete guide to fasting: Heal your body through intermittent, alternate day and extended fasting” by Dr Jason Fung and Jimmy Moore. Absolutely fascinating and definitely worth a read, especially if you want to understand the impact of insulin on the body and the health benefits we can achieve through fasting. They also acknowledge the benefits of LCHF diets, including MMs 5:2 program. I would not have looked twice at this book 12 weeks ago, but after my success with BSD I think I was in the right headspace to read it. I loved the simplicity of the writing and the message and decided on the spot to give it a go! So my last meal was breakfast yesterday morning! I’m now at the end of my first full day of fasting (4 “mealtimes” down 🙂 )and it’s been an eye opener. I thought I’d be starving and chewing my arm off, but not at all. Apart from a slight headache which came and went during the day and the odd tummy grumble, it’s been surprisingly easy so far. My blood sugar readings have been beautifully stable all day. I’ve been clear headed and had normal energy levels and I’ve done my 10000+ steps for the day. I have no plan or target for how long I’ll keep going, but that’s the beauty of it. As long as I feel good and don’t need to eat, I just won’t. I know that will sound completely bonkers to many people but I also know there are other fasters on the forums who will understand 🙂
posted by Frog
on 4 Jan 2017 at 09:41

Hi everyone

the futurelearn diabetes course had a bit in the first week about LCHF, and it featured in that amazing “fixing Dad” film. I found the second week was less interesting.

The ginger is just a cube of frozen ginger – I used to find it went off, so I bought a large piece, put it all through my mini food processor (several batches) and froze it in an ice cube tray. Good for cooking, or just infusing to drink in boiling water.

I bought some of those kalette things before Christmas, but didn’t get around to using them. I hate food waste, but they went a bit slimy. I will try them again if I see them.
Lost another kilo when I weighed this morning! Almost back to November weight.

I made a lovely dish of braised celery with lentils yesterday – bit carby (17g) because of the lentils and tomatoes, but very nice.
The recipe used bacon, but I substituted some meat from a gammon joint that I am working my way through.
https://tandcake.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/braised-celery-with-lentils/
posted by Natalie
on 4 Jan 2017 at 11:48

Hi everyone, I’m still around (unfortunately the same amount of me as there was before), I haven’t been reading or posting for a couple of days but it seems like longer to me because before I was on here about four times a day! I’m feeling a little discouraged because I can’t seem to get back into my BSD stride. I start each day well but by mid-afternoon I’m having crackers with my cheese, or some chocolate (not the healthy stuff) or ice cream, and continue snacking into the evening. Enough to keep me maintaining instead of losing. I don’t know why I always think that a new year or some other milestone date will magically turn me into a different person who finds dieting easy and exercise appealing! I’m still exactly the same person with the same reaction to stresses and temptations as I was the day before. Well, I’ll keep plodding on.
posted by LinD49
on 4 Jan 2017 at 12:59

Kalettes nice stir fried with prawns and some smoked haddock mousse stuff reduced in Waitrose.
posted by Verano
on 4 Jan 2017 at 13:12

Hi Natalie

I know exactly what you mean! I have had similar feelings these last few days. My answer is soup for lunch, a few nuts, almonds or walnuts, and everyone else says water but for me it’s 2squares of Lindt 90% chocolate.

I don’t usually have all of them but I do find when I’m feeling ‘picky’ the chocolate works. I know it’s hot where you are so you could try a cold gazpacho or I have a lovely Jun Tanaka recipe for cold red pepper soup. Both last for several days in the fridge but aren’t at their best if frozen.

Guess it depends what motivation you have…. lots to lose, diabetes or other health issues. If you are lucky enough just to want to lose weight for purely cosmetic reasons, although that’s as a good a reason as any, it is definitely more difficult.

Looks like you may just have to dig deep and hand on in there for the next few days or so.
posted by Verano
on 4 Jan 2017 at 13:19

Hi Frog

Yes I did catch those parts of the diabetes course but I was just slightly disappointed overall.

Good idea with the ginger I do freeze it but usually whole and then it’s difficult to use!.
Following on from your celery and lentil recipe there’s a lovely Mary Berry recipe for haddock with puy lentils. It also makes a nice side dish if you make it without the fish.

I’ve just bought the kalettes and am interested to try them. Think I may be boring and just steam them this time.

Good weight loss. You can’t have put much on since you stopped weighing so maintaining ad you have us very impressive. I think maintaining is really hard.
posted by sunshine-girl
on 4 Jan 2017 at 14:37

Hi everyone I am finally back home. My confession is that, although I was careful throughout the holidays and only gained 2 lbs I put on another 2.5 over the last 2 days as I seem to have gone mad. First one the ferry I had a dessert which I never eat (all inclusive so I had paid for it mentality) then I ordered a cocktail. Yesterday I ate one of the macroons from the box of treats we received for booking a deluxe cabin and then tried to drink my drinks cabinet of any future temptations. Daft I know but it is over now and I am ready to get back into the plan. Also my BG was the highest it has been in 6 months, i.e. 6.2, but still within normal levels and I know that will be right down again by tomorrow.

Not so quick to disappear is the now 4.5 lbs I gained but I did allow myself 5 lbs so stayed within goal (bad goal though it is).

My day started with yoghurt and raspberries with a sprinkle of flaked almonds, not getting to the shop for veg I opened a can of WW chicken soup and tonight I am having harissa chicken from MMs book. Going for my big veg shop tomorrow as I dont like the supermarket veg that goes bad in 2 days when I can go to a wholesalers that do really fresh stuff because they have a big turnover.

Although I have started on a Wednesday this time I will be having my weekly weigh in on Tuesdays as in the past to look forward to reporting back then. Keep on keeping on….
posted by Daisiesmum
on 4 Jan 2017 at 15:01

It looks like The Kalettes have quite a following, maybe we could start an official Kalettes Fan Club 😉

I’m celebrating the small stuff today (two victories). I have been so focused on my Christmas gain (grrr) that I lost sight of the fact that I am considerably lighter than I was 2months ago! This morning I decided to try on a once favourite tailored dress lurking at the back of my wardrobe hoping I might be able to fit in it again. Not only did it fit even with a polo neck sweater and opaque tights underneath it was TOO BIG! Determined to wear it anyway I selected a fetching belt to gather up the excess… enter small victory number two, I had to punch two new holes in the belt!

I too watched the C4 programme How To Lose Weight Well, that’s an hour of my life I won’t get back again 🙁

I’ve finally signed up to a calorie/weight monitoring app. Quite an eye opener to see the breakdown of macros. My carbs are well within target, but protein a bit low which really surprises me. Do we have a recommendation for fat percentage?

Good to see so many of us finding our equilibrium after the holidays!
posted by Verano
on 4 Jan 2017 at 18:06

Hi Daisiesmum

A few weeks ago I was a bit low, weight static of up/down a couple of pounds. I got my tape measure out to see where I was at and held the measure at my original waist size and I was stunned. I just hadn’t realised how far I’d come. Sometimes we just have to look at the positive!

Tomorrow is my 6 month anniversary on BSD and I will look back with pride at how far I’ve come.

Guess you’ll be watching ‘Sugar Farm’ next week as well then!!!
posted by Mixnmatch
on 4 Jan 2017 at 21:36

Hi sunshine-girl, that sounds very much like me this Sunday and Monday, anything goes, alcohol and chocolate, even bread. Started with a liquid fast on Tuesday for my first day back at work and dropped 3.4 pounds to my weigh in this morning, clearly mostly of it water. Back planning everything now, although this evening didn’t go quite to plan and I went over by about 100 calories.
posted by Jo Gardner
on 4 Jan 2017 at 23:51

Hi Natalie and sunshine girl. I had a bad day yesterday. I started with a snack pack of chips thinking that would be it. But no I went on to gorge myself on a snäck pack of bacon balls …… and barbque rings ….and another chips …. and a bread roll with thick slabs of butter ….. all pushed down with a diet jelly and half a tub of double cream. Needless to say I was so full my stomach hurt. It was like I was crazed and couldn’t stop eating. This morning I was up 300grams/almost a pound. Today I am fasting until lunch time when I’ll have a salad and cheese. Never mind, onwards it is. It happens to us all.
posted by tigs
on 5 Jan 2017 at 01:21

Headache, Day 3. I thought I would miss the carb flu but after about 10 days off I guess I should not be surprised. Pushing through even though could easily launch into slabs of bread and butter right now 🙂 Reading your posts helps and happy I am not the only one. We are doing this!
posted by tigs
on 5 Jan 2017 at 01:29

On a positive note, I have bought up books recommended in recent posts – Jason Fung The Complete Guide to Fasting (which I will do to maintain eventually and already do a day now and then on BSD) and Gary Taubes latest – The Case Against Sugar. I already have Fung’s The Obesity Code, Lustig’s Fat Chance and Michael Mosley’s books. All encouraging to read in weak moments and just anyway, as confirms we are in the right space with BSD and IF if doing that too.
posted by Jo Gardner
on 5 Jan 2017 at 01:29

Yes we are!
posted by Verano
on 5 Jan 2017 at 07:20

DAY 3 …. WEEK 2

Good morning/evening

Today is my 6 month anniversary of BSD. Looking back it’s been far better than I had imagined it would be. Better in that this is a new way of eating for life for me, I have diabetes, and not a ‘diet’, which always seems like a short term ‘fix’ before you go back to ‘normal’ eating. This is my new ‘normality’ and whilst I’ve had low moments and difficult times, that’s real life and I’d have had them anyway but probably used food to get through them.

I have managed to fit BSD into my life rather than the other way around. I have had holidays, weekends away in hotels and meals out, including Indian, Thai and Chinese. I’ve managed, for most of the time, to find ‘friendly’ food. I’ve discovered that nobody is really interested in what I eat so I’m quite happy to have food without simple carbs wherever I am.

To be honest I have really lost the ‘taste’ for bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. I can take or leave cakes and biscuits so tend to leave them now! My only weaknesses are Lindt chocolate and red wine. So in the past 6 months I have lost 2 stone and dropped 5.5 ” from my waist. Not huge numbers I hear you cry but also no deprivation to get to this point and I’ve slotted BSD into my life.

I still have a lot to lose and hope to lose a similar amount in the next six months. The tortoise and the hare spring to mind and so for me it’s slow and steady but still enjoying my life as I go.

Hope you are all have a good day.
posted by Daisiesmum
on 5 Jan 2017 at 07:35

Verano, WOW, what an inspiration, thanks for that.
Thank you too for your previous psost I measured my waist and it’s the smallest it’s ever been, only once before in my life have I ever been that slender around the middle! Now I’m properly back in the groove my weight is going in the right direction, though still slightly above my Christmas Eve weigh-in – I must have taken celebrating my weight loss to a level never before seen :O

Tigs and Jo, you are doing well. At the risk of sounding trite, you only fail if you give up completely. We are in a learning process and it can take time. I speak as a recovering carbo-holic. On those binge sprees I could eat a small mountain of bread, biscuits, cake, more cake, more bread, chocolate, you get the picture.Once, many years ago, I attended a youth group Pot Luck dinner where almost everyone brought only a fancy dessert and being all young people we ate and ate til we were fit to explode, the next day however we literally had hangovers as if we had been boozing (we hadn’t). That was where I learned my first sugar lesson 🙂 Did it make any difference? Not really, it is only now that I feel so much better without it that I have finally cottoned on!

Have a great day everyone!
posted by Trelawny
on 5 Jan 2017 at 07:55

Gained 9 3/4lbs during Christmas madness!! Back on it 2 days, lost 5lbs very happy. 1,000 mile challenge is now 990 mile challenge. Back on it. Have a good low carb day everyone.
posted by KrysiaD
on 5 Jan 2017 at 08:19

Well done Verano – you are definitely an inspiration. Daisiesmum – doesn’t it feel good typing the word ‘slender’.

We are all doing so well – and you are right Verano that it is a way of life not a short term fix. So we are bound to have ups and downs along the way.

Went back to work yesterday and everyone was so shocked by the huge weight loss I have had over Christmas. I explained that I was the same weight as before but was wearing smaller clothes. I must admit my size 10 trousers and tops do look very different from what I was wearing before Christmas but I didn’t want to buy any more new clothes until I got to target. I actually must have looked really ridiculous in my old stuff before Christmas.
posted by Avila
on 5 Jan 2017 at 09:20

I have had that – people commenting about my continued loss even when I was actually creeping up, but had changed to slimmer style of clothes rather than the baggy hide all look. It shows how much what we wear affects the perceived weight…
posted by topcac
on 5 Jan 2017 at 09:28

Morning all

Trelawny, that’s a stonking weight loss for 2 days – well done you! Tigs, although having a three day headache is never nice (!) take comfort from the fact that you’ve only got it because it’s all the yucky carbs leaving your system. That thought (and usually two nurofen) helps me a little 🙂

Hey jo – I imagine you felt a bit yucky but the great thing is that you’ve drawn a line under it and today is a new day – Yay!!

2lbs off for me this morning (inching nearer to target) – managed to avoid the headache yesterday but it’s back again – day 3 of my 2017 restart
posted by KrysiaD
on 5 Jan 2017 at 09:46

Avila – I bought the clothes in the first place to hide the rolls of fat and they must have hidden the weight loss also. Other people on this forum have commented before that they have lost a stone but no one has noticed – I wonder if the baggy hide all clothes are the culprit.
posted by Rosebery
on 5 Jan 2017 at 09:54

Good morning, last check in while waiting to board a flight to our holiday and extensive buffets! Weight this morning exactly 11 stone, 13lb to go to get into the normal range for my height. Had to find a belt for my trousers this morning! Wish me luck for the next 11 days of trying to keep it together .
posted by Natalie
on 5 Jan 2017 at 10:20

Good luck Rosebery! Focus on the non-food-related pleasures.

Verano I am pre-diabetic (100% controllable by diet – normal numbers if I eat well, high numbers if I eat too many carbs) and have 25kg to lose…. no wait only 20kg to lose now! I don’t know if that is a lot or not; more than some, less than others. I can buy clothes in “normal” stores but they don’t necessarily look good on me. Self-esteem is a big reason for me to lose weight, but I think the biggest is my sleep apnoea which I hate. It is very dangerous, and it sucks to never feel properly rested.

Lunches are tricky at the moment as I have my two children home all day for another four weeks! Summer holidays. And they don’t eat the same things I’d been having. So far we’ve generally been eating different things! Dinner is ok, that is sorted, but I don’t really want to go to that much trouble for lunch.

I exercised today, dancing along to Xbox Kinect. Only managed 15 minutes, I remember when an hour was easy. Those were the days. My daughter danced with me and didn’t break a sweat, I had to go and have a cool shower!

Here is a question for all you English types, I wanted to try loose leaf tea instead of tea bags so my daughter gave me a cute little strainer for Christmas, a tiny rubber ducky with the tea strainer thing like a thimble hanging underneath. There was an awful lot of small tea particles in my cup, which I didn’t like at all, is that normal when you don’t use a tea bag or is it because my strainer is more cute than functional and I should try a real one?
posted by Daisiesmum
on 5 Jan 2017 at 11:13

Ooo Natalie, nothing like a tea conundrum to get The English talking (except the weather, of course). In my experience if you make tea in pot using loose leaf the tea leaves settle to the bottom of the teapot and don’t cause a problem, the over-the-cup strainer is used only to catch any strays. However, if using the dunking type of strainer and making it in a cup or mug dust can be a problem, one way to minimise this is to use highest quality (read: expensive) tea leaves which tend to be bigger.

I’m sure you will have started a very lively thread here 😀

On the other subject, temperatures seem to have plummeted here, sub-zero! Oh well, mustn’t grumble – giggle!
posted by Verano
on 5 Jan 2017 at 12:03

Talking about clothes I guess it just makes sense that if you walk around in baggy stuff people can’t tell if you’ve lost weight …. note to self ‘must buy a smaller size’!!

Anyway, Krysia it must feel really great to have emerged as ‘butterfly’ from a chrysalis especially in the middle of winter!

Natalie, sounds like you have all good reasons for losing weight but the only thing I can say is that this isn’t a race. I have now come to terms with my ‘new life’ and just plod along at my own pace. Try to not be too hard on yourself and you will get there in the end.

Now for the tea!!!!! I think Daisiesmum has given you the best answer. Personally I use tea bags for ease! The REAL question is when do you put the milk in the cup!!! Do you add milk to tea or visa versa????
posted by Angela06
on 5 Jan 2017 at 12:05

Tea! The best drink of the day! Sorry I just had to jump in there….milk first definitely!
posted by topcac
on 5 Jan 2017 at 12:21

Apparently if you make your tea in a cup or mug then you are permitted to put the milk in afterwards – otherwise it goes in first LOL
posted by BfitB470
on 5 Jan 2017 at 12:48

Daisiesmum —- I do have a rebounder, but currently can’t use it. A couple of my lasting side effects from chemo were a slight neuropathy in my feet, as well as the onset of Raynaud’s Syndrome in my feet (have had it for over a decade in my hands, but never in my feet until chemo). I have the strong tingling in my feet, but I can’t “feel” them, and have to watch them to make sure they are firmly planted on the ground and are pointed in the right direction. It is getting better, but will be glad when it is gone ’cause I’m getting tired of crashing into things with my head while I am watching my feet !!! Instead, I use a “stepper” which offers a solid surface for my feet, and resistance for each step —- but is not nearly as much fun as the rebounder !!!!

Did get my U.S. version of the BSD cookbook today, and am glad that, as hoped, it uses our form of measurement, and oven temperature. Have learned how to convert, but that requires thinking —- which generally flies out the window if I’m hungry !!! Wish I had more access to some of the ingredients used, but I live in a SMALL town on the Southern Oregon Coast, with extremely basic groceries. Will be going to a big city in March, and will look around there.

My take on tea (and it’s my major source of fluid on BSD) —- use a teabag in the mug for everyday, and a teapot with loose tea and a strainer for special occasions. Don’t use milk anymore, but do put in a bit of Stevia.
posted by sunshine-girl
on 5 Jan 2017 at 13:12

In the words of Victor Meldrew ‘I don’t believe it’, but actually I do, I have lost 1lb since yesterday and my BG is back under 100 – 98 to be precise. Loving the feeling, I can feel the difference around my midriff and see my skin is brighter and eyes clearer with no bags.

On to the tea question. The tea leaves you are using are too small and you can buy large leafed tea. On the other hand you could do what my husband does, he buys loose tea from The Rare Tea Company and he buys paper bags which look like and elongated envelope, you put the tea in the folded part at the end, put it in the cup and the longer part sticks out to allow you to take it out without having to fish around for it. Perfect but means you cant use your little gift.
posted by JulesMaigret
on 5 Jan 2017 at 14:17

On the tea question, you could always get a fine sieve and shake out the dust/fannings (ooh get me with my fancy technical terms) and then use the strainer. This should give you a less dusty residue.

Obviously full leaf, Pekoe teas will contain larger leaves, but they come at a price….
posted by Frog
on 5 Jan 2017 at 14:55

I always prefer to use a teapot – either with looseleaf or teabags.
Agree the comments above that most major brand looseleaf teas are cut too small for individual cup infusers.

My favourite is a zero japan teapot, which has a metal infuser that means that when you’ve poured the first cup, the leaves are then mostly out of the water so that the tea doesn’t continue brewing/stewing.

Just before Christmas I found an excellent tea shop in London (yumchaa) with lots of infused black tea; I had one with blueberries, vanilla and rhubarb, amazing.
posted by JulesMaigret
on 5 Jan 2017 at 15:33

Frog,

I have taken a shine to Amanzi tea also in London – lovely teas to drink in and their packs of tea are seriously good quality.

I bought a glass teapot in the sales and am surprisingly impressed – gives a very clean taste.
posted by Maharani kitten
on 5 Jan 2017 at 16:33

Thank goodness my cold has gone, it’s been a pretty miserable week, and though weight loss has been rewarding, it doesn’t make up for losing a week of my Christmas hols. Birthday on Monday and I’ve reached my birthday target of 5lbs since Christmas, though not in a nice way.

Do any T2Ds have an explanation for inconsistent readings during illness? Lack of any meaningful exercise, maybe, but I’ve had some of my highest readings for weeks while eating hardly anything but soup! Upped my meds a bit but felt really nauseous as a result. Hoping to settle down this week, but would be interesting to know if there’s a medical reason for this.

Natalie, I so feel for you with your ‘starting fresh’ every day, then running out of motivation as the day wears on. I know it sounds bizarre, but self-hypnotism worked for me. Info on the net about how to do it. Mind over matter and all that. I gave myself alternate treats – to read a chapter of my book in the middle of the day, for instance, or a walk along the beach, or a little bunch of flowers. This too will pass! MK x
posted by Bissell
on 5 Jan 2017 at 16:38

Maharani kitten, glad you are feeling better. If it helps, as a staff nurse on a community ward, with therefore loads of T2 D patients, if they had a urinary infection or cold, for example, their blood sugars went haywire. The levels settled down again when they recovered. So hopefully your’s will too.
posted by Frog
on 5 Jan 2017 at 16:51

I’ve made a note of Amanzi tea, and will try it out next time I’m in that area.

Yumchaa have a tea tasting evening coming up that looks interesting.
My cold is running its course slowly – every now and then the paracetamol runs out, then it takes an hour or so before taking more has any effect, so I have to put up with rally runny eyes and nose.
I seem to have got back to the place where they kick in again!
Glad yours is on the way out Maharani kitten.
posted by Busybee
on 5 Jan 2017 at 17:13

I am a very happy bunny!
The whoosh fairy visited yesterday and three of the 5 pounds gained has gone, which means only another three to make two stones off. (I posted one stone off not one and half the other day – how could I forget half a stone!)

However the really good news is I went for my annual review today and the results are great!
HbA1c is down from 45 to 37, liver, kidneys, and other blood results normal and lung function shows full expansion.
Obviously I weighed over a stone less but I had also put on another stone last year prior to BSD. The only downer is that I have lost one and a half height inches which doesn’t help the BMI calculation!

The nurse was so excited and asked what I had been doing and when I told her, she said three of her worst diabetic patients had lost lots of weight and reduced medication and Insulin with the BSD. Also she told me that her daughter is studying Diet and Nutrition and says this WOE is the best way, so gradually the news is spreading.
Sorry for the ramble, but I just had to share my news.
X.
posted by Daisiesmum
on 5 Jan 2017 at 17:16

BfitB – sorry to hear about your feet. Chemo can be barbaric. I was able to complete my cancer treatment without it and consider myself very fortunate indeed. I have very few and relatively minor side effects from the treatments I was given (surgery, radiotherapy and 5years of pills). I hope your condition improves with time.
posted by Frog
on 5 Jan 2017 at 18:40

tea tasting evening booked!
posted by Mixnmatch
on 5 Jan 2017 at 18:57

If anyone is interested, Lidl have a Sanitas blood sugar monitor this week in their specials at £29.99. I was slightly interested purely academically in tracking mine, but could do without spending the money at the moment, and am not noticing any issues even when the brakes were off over Christmas.
posted by Mixnmatch
on 5 Jan 2017 at 19:01

Interesting discussion on tea, I use a glass pot at work, and a Painted Lady insert type at home and haven’t noticed any difference in taste, although the teas I use vary from place to place. I mostly use herb and green teas at work, almost always in bags, but at home it is generally leaf. I drink quite a lot of Redbush, I really love the taste after a previous diet where caffeine was banned and I got used to it.
posted by Mixnmatch
on 5 Jan 2017 at 19:04

Fantastic news Busybee, it must feel great to have made such a comprehensive improvement to your health and taking control of your life like this. Onwards and downwards.😀😀😀😀😀
posted by Verano
on 5 Jan 2017 at 19:26

Just a quick note …. Tee2 offer a free monitor you just pay for the strips and lancets which I think are aroun£11 for 50 strips and 100 lancets. Have a look on Amazon.
posted by Verano
on 5 Jan 2017 at 19:58

Tea advice please Frog, Jules and Mixnmatch

I would love to move up from a ‘ Lambrusco’ equivalent of tea to something better than PG Tipps! I only have a few cups a day so they might as well be as good as they can be. I like Earl Grey but would love to try a good tea that I can add milk to. I appreciate that this is very much a matter of taste so what would you recommend for a novice?