hi i am after some advice last year i had early stage ovarian cancer i had a hysterectomy and six months chemo i have recovered well and back to normal back to work all be it with over two stone extra weight !!!!
so have been looking at this diet and fancy giving it a go any advice would be greatly recieved many thanks x

Hi Tokyo, first of all great news that you have recovered so well. I think it’s fantastic that you are now in a more healthful place and ready to look after yourself.

General advice is to cut the crap out, no bread, cakes, cereal, biscuits, bars, as well as pasta, potatoes and rice. Try to make healthy choices and use full fat everything. NO low fat.

My advice is to plan your meals and make sure you are organised, browse recipes here and elsewhere to find new things to try. I’d never heard of courgetti until I came here for example or cauliflower rice but both are very useable. I’ve enjoyed experimenting with alternative flours too if you like baking. Elena’s pantry has lots of recipes and I like the pancakes and crackers 🙂

Best advice really is to just go get the right food in, chuck out the wrong stuff and get started. Most of us find that within a couple of days the hunger is gone and although the carb cravings might not disappear completely they certainly become more manageable.

Good Luck 🙂

Hello Tokyo14,
You’ve been through it, haven’t you! Congrats on getting through it all.
For what it’s worth, in 2007 I was diagnosed with an ovarian tumour & the medics were convinced it was cancer. Like you, I had a hysterectomy. Where we differ is that my tumour turned out to be benign & I didn’t have to undergo chemo. However, again like you, I piled on the weight – going from being fairly active to virtually no exercise because of the operation did not help. I really found it difficult to lose weight, and when I did lose it, it piled back on again. When I finally got my act together to do something about it, I was taken by the BSD.

I’ve lost a stone & a half (since mid-January) – this is a bit slow compared to others but that doesn’t bother me. I chose not to do the 800cals/day, and I’ve bypassed the 5:2 stage, I just went in at the basic Mediterranean diet level. I’m going to stick with it for as long as it takes to lose my excess. This diet is adaptable to something that suits you.

My advice: read the book & website – prepare (your menu, your mind) & go for it.
Full fat is good, avoid low fat products. Restrict your carbs. Make sure you have plenty of variety in what you eat.
Drink water – keep hydrated (this has been my downfall & I get headaches when I don’t drink enough).

Inevitably, there will be times when you feel rubbish, and that things aren’t happening. You may have to tough out the bad moments – if you do suffer an attack of bingitis, just put it down to experience and carry on. Your body will try to derail you because it will crave the stuff you are giving up – this will just be your body adjusting to the new regime. You will not be failing. You are in charge!

You will feel better, clothes will fit better – so don’t always go by the scales, they only tell part of the story.
Go for it!
Best of luck!

Welcome Tokyo,

You will feel like a new woman and have so much energy! You may not even have to do the full eight weeks before introducing carbs back in.

I’ve lost 17.2kg (2.7 stone) in under 7 weeks, without exercise I must add.

Well said rozydozy. My husband sighs when the numbers on the scales don’t change even though his pants are falling down. I said “can tell you’ve never dieted in your life”!

Lynne