I am looking at starting this diet, but don’t really want to count calories, carbs etc …

I’m not diabetic, but very overweight and really want to give this diet a go, if I just count my 800 cals a day and focus on good carbs will I still have success?

Hi SW, have you read the book? If not I’d suggest grabbing it and reading it. Like you I’m not diabetic either and just wanted to shift some timber.

I the main focus of the book is about reducing refined and starchy carbs and really getting a grip on your carbs whilst also making sure you get enough lean protein and good fats.

The book is also a bit of an eye opener about what “good” carbs actually look like!

Hi Timmy

Yes I have read the book and it doesn’t tell you not to eat carbs and yes it does teach you to focus on good carbs, but most people on here are talking about carb allowances and cutting carbs, so it gets confusing.

Thanks for advice 😊

When folk are talking about carb allowances and cutting carbs, they mean the complex carbs found in veg etc.
The simple carbs in sugar flour pasta and rice are a complete no go if you do the diet properly
A lot of people get confused at the word carbs, you’re not alone but cut out the bad carbs and you will start to lose weight even if you aren’t too strict with the calories

Hi, I am a newbie to this site. I drink an awful lot of coffee with skimmed milk. I have the book but psychologically am finding it hard to ditch all the low fat cheese, milk etc. I wonder if I would be better off starting with a VCLD diet but which one? There are a lot out there and seem still to be promoting low fat. Help.

Hi Gugu and welcome.

If you’ve read the book you will understand that Dr MM says low fat dairy products have more sugar in than full fat – and we are all trying to cut out sugar as one of the most dangerous refined carbs (the others are bread, potatoes, rice, etc)

This is why he says use full fat milk and yoghurt.

We have been told over the years that fat is bad for us but this is not necessarily true. Full fat fills you up and counter-Intuitively cutting the refined carbs and eating more fat stimulates the hormones to change to get energy from burning your fat cells.

You can do whichever diet programme you like, but following the BSD including full fat dairy, has been really successful for lots of people here as you’ve probably seen. (It was for me!)

I would just follow the guidelines as in the book. You will get used to full fat which tastes better and you probably need less of it in coffee.

If you like, you can get an app like MyFitnessPal which shows you how many more calories and carbs there are in low fat products.

And 800 calories per day is much easier on full-fat products as they fill you up as the book says.

Hope that helps 🙂

Hi Gugu, if you’re cutting out bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, wheat and sugar, you will need to eat something to make up the calories. And that’s fat and protein. I agree it goes against conventional wisdom to eat full-fat food like yogurt and cheese, but the tide of opinion about eating a low-fat diet is turning. Personally, I’m sticking with skimmed milk because I like it more than full-fat milk, but I’m very glad to be able to eat butter and real cheddar from time to time.

Plus, the problem with a lot of low-fat products like yogurt and mayonnaise is that they might have reduced fat but they have added sugar. And the purpose of this diet is to temper blood sugar spikes and reduce blood sugar levels in general.

Have a read of some of the threads. You’ll find them inspirational. The only thing I can say is that this diet works for me and it seems to be working for lots of other people. Lots of people try to keep their carbs to around 20 to 30 g (as measured by something like My Fitness Pal or Fat Secret). Me I try to aim for 50 g, as I’m not diabetic or prediabetic but need to eat lots of fibre from veg and the occasional bit of fruit. Some people don’t bother counting carbs at all but just cut out the ‘bad’ carbs and aim for 800 calories a day. All in all, it’s a very flexible diet, which makes it much easier to stick to.

One thing you could consider is doing something that Michael Mosley recommends in the book: follow the diet for two weeks and then review the situation.

Thank you for replying it is really helpful. I have decided to try a VCLD diet. Eating shakes/ soups for two meals and a low carb home cooked meal in the evening.
For someone who grew up on butter, cheese and full fat milk, who was very slim, why it is so hard to get off the low fat roundabout is hard to understand.
I’m going to cut down on the coffee, but full fat milk and plan and count.
I am obese and hate seeing myself in mirrors and shop windows. I am determined to lose the weight and manage the diabetes. I love Hummus and Guacamole. So shall include those in my life plan.
Will post my progress.

Good luck, Gugu43.