After a really successful 7 Day Reboot a few people would like another week plus challenge.
I find moving on one week at a time suits me best so for the next 7 days please choose a carb level to suit yourself and let’s see where it takes us !!
I am moving up to 35g of carbs this week because I really need to add more vegetables without having to juggle too much with other food.
I know Jan and Krysia are on board. Anybody else ?????
Hey Verano,
Well done on your reboot challenge! I think I might try aiming for around 40g carbs this week instead of 50g – just to see if it’s doable and how I feel etc. Will see how it goes today!
Verano – I really love the 7 day challenges – it really helps me to focus on just one week at a time.
I am aiming at 30g carbs because at the moment it is right for me. Have just bought a little backpack and have started walking in my break times. I used to drive to Costa Coffee at tesco have a coffee and do a bit of shopping at the same time. Now I leave the car at work and there are two places to have lovely coffee in walking distance and I have my tablet, magazine and newspaper in my backpack so I can sit and relax. There is a Co-op, a natural health chemist and post office in walking distance so I am hoping with all that walking I will be able to eat more vegetables which I am beginning to really love.
Yesterday I walked to the hairdresser – nearly a mile and a half and all uphill. Never noticed the hill in the car. Still it was lovely walking back downhill to work.
Welcome Flash21!
Don’t ‘aim’ just say ‘this week it’s going to be 40g’ ! After all it’s only 7 days!!
Have done today’s menu, find that’s really the best way for me to keep on track and have just 22 carbs and 690 calories!!!!! Will have to add to that but maybe it’s not going to be as easy as I thought to up my carbs!!!
DAY 1 of 7
Ok let’s get going!
I’m doing 35g of carbs this week and 800 calories.
What’s your goal for this week?
What do you mean, anyone else Verano, of course I’m with you. See my post on 7 day reboot. I have decided on 800 calories and 40 carbs because 30 was doable but such a juggling act. Heres to the next 7 days.
My menu today comes in at 730 calories and 26 carbs so I am still well under but got a bit of wriggle room.
Ok Verano – you’re on!! 40g of carbs this week!
Verano, I did the same, planned my menu and came in at 26 carbs. I did have it at 34 but I changed hummus for cream cheese tuna (should be sardine but hate them) so that cut the carbs. I am going to a French class this afternoon and didn’t want to breathe raw garlic over everyone.
Hi, Yay Ive found you and would love to join you. I will try and stick to 30g carb and 800 cals as I really need a reboot (for that read kick up the backside!) . Sorry Verano, not try, I WILL do 30g carb !
Off to plan…..
Welcome looplou. Holiday gains are best dealt with straight away and that’s just what you’re doing so best of luck!!!
Sunshine-girl I think we both learnt about planning on the 7day reboot. I was all at sixes and sevens before, but now that I plan my day in the morning it is so much easier to stick to my carb number. Hope you manage to get up to your 40g I think you might struggle after last week!!!!
Moment of truth!!!!!
Just had my diabetic review appointment for October 31st. I think I’d lost 2 or 3 kg at my last check in May and the nurse was pleased with that, but have probably lost a further 7kg here. Sooooo … my new target is to lose another 3kg this month to make it a nice round 10!!!!
Looking forward to the review with trepidation especially my Hba1c!!!
Having lost so much weight last week I know that it will slow down dramatically but hopefully 7lbs in 27 days is doable!
Sunshine-girl, surely that would have added to the authenticity…..
Hi, I would like to join you for the challenge! How do you measure the carbs?
Jules, Maybe if my class mates were French but there is a mix of English, French, Reunionaise, Russian and North African. I think actually you might be right. Sorry, edited, I missed out the Japanese girl.
Hi Mytime
The easiest way to measure carbs is with either an app or PC program. I use Fatsecret as do several people here. There is a uk version, fatsecret.co.uk and a US version fatsecret.com. Not sure which of these would suit you. I did see another one on one of the threads that another Australian was using but can’t remember the name! Sorry! Think it may have been eat….. something!!!
There is also Myfitnesspal , but I found that a bit messy.
Just weigh your food pop it into the program and it will throw out the carbs, calories, protein etc.
Hope that helps.
Day 1: Total calories :794
Total carbs: 29
Feeling virtuous.
I fancy another challenge. Definitely helps to focus on a week at a time.
Keeping my carbs at 50 as still working for me although quite often have fewer
Weight loss target 3.5lbs, half a pound a day seems possible if I stick to plan. Hormones might have their say this next week or 2 though!
good luck (planning) everyone.
Yesterday – carbs 19 calories 811. Maybe a bit low on carbs but the food was exactly what I fancied and really delicious.
can I join up? I’m only on my first time around – lost 20lbs in the first 4 weeks but only a pound this week. I’m at the start of week 6 & would like to stay on less than 30g … hoping for some motivation, last week was difficult & disappointing!
Welcome back Tizzie. If 50g of carbs works for you that’s great. You can always go lower if you stop losing.
Welcome phlebas. 29lbs in four weeks is great and there is a chance you may hit a plateau but it may just be that your body is settling down to your new regime. A pound is a pound and it’s in the right direction! How many carbs gave you averaged over the last five weeks? I may be wrong but seems to me that aiming for less than 30g a day may be putting too much pressure on yourself and may not be wise. Why don’t you aim for 30g and if you go less on a few days fine?
Glad to see you’ve joined us over here Tizzie! Good luck with this weeks challenge.
Phlebas, welcome ! Well done on your weight loss so far … great. Maybe trying to stick to less than 30g of carbs is a bit ambitious and I’m not sure about the wisdom of that. Maybe you should aim for 30g and if you go under then no problem. 30 may just be more sustainable unless of course that’s what you’ve been doing for the last five weeks.
Anyway good to have you here and good luck!
Hi Verano and Mytime,
I’m in Australia and I love the app EasyDietDiary.
Works well and is easy to use.
Good luck everyone!
Cheers
Linda
Thanks Linda. Hope Mytime is still reading it may help her.
Are you joining us here? Don’t know your history so maybe your on maintenance??
DAY 2 of 7
Yesterday:
Calories 780
Carbs 22g
No weight loss today! I’m a little relieved that my weight hasn’t dropped again but hope it does tomorrow!
Well all seems to be well after day 1 let’s hope day 2 is just as good.
I need to have a really good look at my menus as they’re starting to get very repetitive! Last nights cauliflower was roasted with yogurt and indian spices …. mmm … well not quite as bad as the ‘actifried’ charred leather effort but not really much better. Going back to steamed and mashed …. if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!!
Going to try Frog’s courgetti with anchovies and pine nuts tonight and maybe some cabbage!! Would really love some ideas for interesting vegetables. Not sure I’m quite ready for aubergine yet but am working up to it!
Have a good day!
I had cabbage fried in butter with bacon last night along with a chicken breast. Do you like broccoli? I am planning a cauliflower and broccoli cheese. I have to admit I love aubergines. If you bake them in the oven with a little oil smeared oven them they turn into delicious mushiness. No sponginess at all. Ooh now I want aubergine…..
This morning I have lost 3.5 pounds in one day! Another 2 to go and that pesky holiday weight will be gone! It seems pasta (and wine) piles on the pounds quickly but hopefully it will go as quickly.
My new fave veg is fennel. I’ve had it sliced in salad with halloumi, roasted it with garlic and had it with salmon in five spice (look up the Jamie recipe – easy and tasty) and even dropped a slice or two in miso for variety. This assumes that you like aniseed. And I have noticed that I have developed a taste for stronger flavours since going on BSD. It’s also selling off in Morrisons at the moment.
Next challenge – celeriac. I mixed some with cauliflower to top a shepherd’s pie – a bit dull to be honest.
Well done loopylou 3.5lbs is great!!! I think if you tackle holiday gains immediately with a short sharp shock they just disappear!! Mine did last week!
Have seen your vegetable suggestions and JulesMaigret’s, thanks, but think I’m probably just not a veggie person. Love cauliflower and broccoli, hate cheese sauce!!! But like cabbage. Not a great meat eater so will just fry it with butter and pepper I think.
Don’t like aniseed!! But a suggestion for your cauliflower mash. Someone, can’t remember who, posted cauliflower steamed with 5 cloves of garlic …. sounds a lot but isn’t …. and mashed. Really good and would make a good topping for shepherd’s pie.
Maybe I’ll get some mangetout or greenbeans getting a bit fed up with asparagus!
Celeriac is great! You can mash/puree it or make coleslaw by finely slicing it along with a little bit of apple and mixing some mayo, mustard and a squeeze of lemon.
My other favourites are cauliflower rice – great fried with a little onion, bacon, garlic and chilli then stirred through with a splash of cream and some grated parmesan. Have just discovered broccoli rice too so thinking up some flavours to try with that. Cabbage is great as per loopylou’s suggestion or also just with some chilli flakes. I don’t like aubergine or fennel so will not be going down that route! Stuffed courgette/marrow is good. And peppers roasted in oil and salt. The good thing about most of these veg is that they take on other flavours really well so you can use them in lots of different ways. Good luck experimenting!
thanks Verano 🙂 I’ve been averaging 25-35g so far but last week had a couple of 50/60g days … think that must’ve had an effect. Will see how I get on!
Hi Phlebas
Good to have you along but just for 1 week, actually six days now please pick a number of carbs as your target. A specific number is much easier to stick to as an average is a bit woolly and we all tend to end up at the top end!!!
You don’t have to of course but it may just help to concentrate the mind!!
Good luck!
Thanks for the ideas Flash21. I love cauliflower rice but haven’t made it for ages …. we get into a rut at times.
Love celery so maybe celeriac is one to try. Need to look through a few cookery books I think!
Hi there, I announced my carbs and calories yesterday and came in at 730 cal 26 carbs – then I decided I really deserved a vodka and tonic which turned into a couple. Lay in bed this morning thinking, silly moo you deserve to have put on weight then I got up and got weighed and did my bg.
Lost 0.1 kg b/g 3.6 or 66. I had reduced my insulin for the last 2 nights but might have to drop it again tonight. Just by one unit at a time, nothing too drastic.
Logged all my food for today and coming in at 720 cals and spot on 40 carbs. It would have been higher on the carbs but when I saw where they were hiding I cut them out or brought them down, i.e. 1 apple with my ploughman is now half an apple and the chutney has gone from 20 grams to 5. Scary how they can creep in. Tonight I am having the Chicken and Mushroom ‘pie’ but my calculations are different from the recipe book. She says 250 cal 9 carbs, mine say 350 cals and 10 carbs. I do have a bit more chicken than it says so that could account for the extra calories.
If you think that’s bad, you should see what I drank last night!
Talking of vodka, and not that I want to encourage vodka drinking, but…. if you are going to have one, I have read in another book about clean eating that grey goose has the fewest impurities than any other vodka. So whilst it’s not good for you, it’s less bad!
It’s also expensive too, which might help to limit consumption!!
Hi Timmy, I drink vodka because it has less carbs than wine, also I might have one or two whereas the wine just slips down. Now, talking of price. I live in France and I can buy a 5 litre box of white, red or rose for €11.90 around £9 and it is the same quality wine as they also do in the bottles, buy it straight from the vineyard. This week there is an offer on vodka for €13 for 2 one litre bottles of Smirnoff. How can I refuse. It will last me age. We are travelling next week and will be on the ferry and the vodka is £25 for 2 bottles, makes me laugh when I see people coming here and buying on the ferry.
Hi sunshine-girl pleased to hear you’re human!!! We all have treats now and again but the important thing is to enjoy!!! Don’t feel guilty just get back on track which you are so no problem.
Amazing how you b/g is falling! Isn’t that part of your plan!!! I dont know much about T1 so maybe I have it wrong.
The beauty of doing a log before we eat!!!!! I had to do a bit of fiddling this morning too. Found a Thai salmon curry in the freezer but have just had to guess at its contents … the coconut milk is really high in calories but I can only guess at how much is in the one portion! Plumped for 150ml but who knows!!!
I think quite a few of the recipes work out differently when we work them out but at least you know beforehand!!!
Timmy my tipple is red wine, lots of it! But since I came back from holiday last week I’ve not touched a drop!!! Not easy especially as there’s a bottle of Yellowfoot Shiraz staring at me from the kitchen worktop !!! Each night I’ve thought I’ll just have one glass tonight, but then thought I’ve got to report in tomorrow … and as Shakesspeare wrote ‘to thine own self be true ….’ !!!! Oh dear think I’m losing the plot!!!
Anyway, I don’t see any harm in having the odd indulgence. The important thing is that when we indulge we should at least enjoy it and then move on!
Verano, I am T2 not 1. Yes, I want what this diet promises, remission or reversal but, just like Krysia, it has happened all of a sudden and it is frightening. I don’t know if I am going hypo or if I am becoming non-diabetic. How do we know the difference. I do know that when I have been 3.5 in the past I have been sweating, shakey, blurred vision, numb fingers etc etc, classic hypo symptoms. Now I still feel great although I would not risk exercising at that level. I had to change my meal time to suit my zumba class as the first time I went my bloods were 3.9 and I had to have an emergency cereal bar, so this week I had an omelette beforehand, it worked.
It is all very well doing cals before eating but I have just saved about 8 carbs, the apple was bad inside so I swapped it for some red pepper strips. So I am down to about 35 today. What do you mean glad I am human, of course I am but I am becoming orthorexic (fear of eating certain foods) and quite obsessed by this diet, not a bad thing to be.
Hi Verano, Thanks for your reply. I bought a carb counter book at the shops today so hoping it will help. Can anyone give me some meal ideas please? 😊
Mytime ….. There is a search box at the top right …. type in Meal Ideas … or Meal plans ….. and check out any posts that look interesting.
If you have an idea for an ingrediant you would like to use …. type it into the Search box …. or the Recipe search box.
Hi Sunshine-girl – your tipple is much more BSD friendly than mine which is Baileys. As it is nearly 8 carbs for a tiny tiny glass I won’t be drinking it again anytime soon.
It looks to me that you are well on the way to becoming non-diabetic which puts you at risk of a hypo as you are injecting insulin. The problem is that there are no guidelines for us diabetics on insulin on how to come off it safely when we are becoming non-diabetic. When I spoke to the specialist diabetic nurse she said that it was extremely rare for a diabetic to come off insulin once they were on it. I got the impression that she had never met one who had. So basically we are winging it as this is so rare and we are ‘trail blazers’.
Once my body started working properly I had to cut down the insulin much faster than I had intended – it was a little scary as it happened so fast.
I hear you about the insulin.
I’m all over the map with Metformin …. i didn’t cut it out completely because i had to take insulin for about 3 weeks when i first got diagnosed with type 2 for the metformin to kick in. I’ve been taking 1 every few days instead of 5 a day …. since i got the cold and Blood Sugar was over 10 for a few days … i’ve been taking 1 with every meal. I’ll continue to test … but i will take 1 to 3 a day depending on my blood sugar for a little while. When i’m easily between 4 and 8 i will drop that down.
Was a little nauseous this a.m. but didn’t want to prep a meal so i used some carbs and had 1/2 cup oatmeal made wit boiling water, a tad honey and a tbsp. of cream ….. at least it settled my stomach for a while.
Just another thought Sunshine-girl. Because your blood sugars have been so good and running much lower than before you are losing the body’s hypo warning system. This happened to a friend who was type 1 because she was running her b/s in the 5s and she had to run them in the 10s for a bit to reset it. She had a really serious hypo needing medical treatment.
A person without diabetes would normally go down to 3.5 and not experience a hypo. But their insulin production would switch off but for us – once we have injected insulin it just keeps working and we can go much much too low and if we have switched off our hypo warning we have got to be so careful.
Of course it is such good news that everything is going so well and it just means you need to test a lot and have glucose at hand in case you need it.
Krysia, I am T2, I don’t know where this has come from as Verano seemed to think I was T1 as well. Maybe it is because I inject insulin. That being the case do the same comments apply regarding hypos. The one time I had a hypo I tested at 6.7 ate my breakfast, went unconscious and vomitted up my breakfast. No reason and I was running at 6.7, I just felt myself fading and had chance to call my husband but no time to have glucose, mine comes in liquid form as they don’t sell the tablets anymore, too slow acting. The package has a short tube on so it can be put in the side of the mouth and dribbled in, but hubby didnt have a clue. I will keep an eye on myself and keep testing.
Hi Sunshine-girl
Yes – I do know you are T2 like me but exactly the same thing can happen to us as happens to a T1 so we do have to be very careful. The other problem is that we are probably injecting more insulin than a type 1 would be so if our own insulin kicks in (and it happened to me rather quickly) we would then be getting a double dose of insulin. Which would be even more problematic as we are also getting more insulin sensitive at the same time.
The unknown is – how fast is your pancreas beginning to work and how quickly are you becoming more insulin sensitive.
Now that is what frightens me, the unknown. I can only keep lowering the insulin and checking and snacking. I don’t feel ready to just stop the insulin but I could drop another glycazide (take 2 x 30mg reduced from 3 x 30mg). I will check my blood at 7pm and if it is really low I will drop another 1 unit.
Actually – that is really sensible. I think you mentioned before that the glycazide does cause hypos. You are doing this absolutely the right way. I have a feeling that every person will have a different experience coming off insulin and the only way we can do it safely is to keep checking b/s and depending on the results, lowering the insulin/or not if b/s hasn’t dropped and having snacks at hand if we are dropping too low. The only downside is fingers resembling pin cushions.
The last thing you want is soaring b/s so checking blood at 7pm and if it is really low dropping it another unit is a good strategy.
I am now off to have half an advocado and some Loselys farm cottage cheese before I go to work.
Hi sunshine-girl
First of all sorry if my post sounded all wrong. Just meant that we’re all human and all give into treats now and again. Sometimes things don’t come across on paper as you would hope. Anyway , sorry!
Yes you’re both right I just assumed you’re T1 because you inject insulin. I’m not that knowledgeable about diabetes, as shows! …. think I’ve put it to the back of my mind …. so just made an assumption!
Anyway, if you are both able to come off insulin because your diabetes is under control/ in remission/ reversed that can only be great news.
Think I might just go back to bed and get out the other side!!!!
Verano, I took it as a joke, no worries, I do get accused of taking things too seriously. I don’t mean life, I am sunny most of the time but I do get obsessed with things I do and like to give it my all so I can seen as though I never make mistakes, trouble is, when I do they are usually big ones.
Don’t go back to bed, put some music on and dance around the kitchen, drives my husband mad, especially when I sing along.
Hi Verano – I think you are far more knowledgeable than all the diabetes educators who think we should all be basing our diets on starchy carbs. I think they are the ones who should be going back to bed and getting out the other side via Newcastle University!
Hi sunshine-girl,
Is it not safer to try a reduced dose of the meds and have your blood sugar going a little higher temporarily, than risk a hypo? You can always increase the dose again if necessary.
Lower Blood glucose, as Krysia says, is a sign you are becoming less insulin resistant.
Also whilst having less insulin will increase bg, it will also reduce fat storage (allow more lipolysis) which may improve visceral weight loss and actually speed up/improve the chance of t2 reversal?
Tizzie, that is what I intend to do. I have dropped another unit tonight and if I am still low i.e. under 4 tomorrow morning I will only take 1 Glycazide. My pre-dinner number tonight was 4.8 which I am okay with. It has only been 2 days under 4 so early days yet. As I am not on a massive dose and I have taken up to 40 units in the past, I don’t think I will be overdosing at 24.
I have told my husband to watch for any signs and I am checking myself 3 times a day. Does anyone know what the time scale is for checking after a meal to see if b/g has gone back to pre-meal numbers. I have 2 hours in my mind but not sure.