Just wanted to say hello! I’m on day 3 week 1 of the programme and it’s going ok so far. I don’t have an accurate starting weight because I can’t face finding out! But it’s around 17.5 stone and well into the obese range for bmi.
So have had a weight problem since pregnancy number 1 eight years ago and have yo-yo dieted constantly. I managed to lose weight into the overweight bmi range before pregnancy 2 but since then I have just ballooned 🙈🙁. I just can’t stick to anything for a significant length of time. I’ve been promising myself I’d get back on it since January yet here I am 6 months later weighing even more 😬. A stranger was chatting to me about the weather today and obviously thought I was pregnant 🙈. So I have read the book before and find it all fascinating but 8 weeks seemed a scary time, but I’m feeling motivated now to give it a go. Particularly like the idea of fast weight loss, even if only in the early stages. I’m not diabetic but given my weight and family history I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I was pre-diabetic.

Looking forward to picking up tips and encouragement through reading all your posts.

Thanks for reading!

Hello, I’m new too, half way through week three. I’m not diabetic either but last time I had a blood test for my thyroid meds I got a call from the doctor’s to say come in as my “ glucose” was a bit high so pre-diabetic I suppose. My real hope is that it helps my blood pressure as I’ve been on pills for that since having pre-eclampsia when pregnant plus need to lose weight of course.
I’ve got the book but am still in the throws of getting my head round everything, including why we have to drink SO much water. Hoping to pick up lots of tips & ideas.

Hi Yummy!

You’ve created and carried other humans inside you and are now raising them. That’s amazing! Adapting to a new may of eating isn’t more daunting than that, is it?

Can you weigh yourself and get someone else to look? Soon you’ll want to know how much you’ve lost and you won’t if you don’t know what you weigh now.

Thanks for your replies. Arianwen I think the water is because we would normally take in quite a lot of water through eating carbs, so now we’ve cut them out need to drink more.
Squidge I have taken your advice and weighed! I’m 16s 13lb so a bit better than expected! Looking forward to seeing the numbers drop!

Hi Arianwen, welcome from me too. On the water thing, it’s important because it helps to mobilise the fat. The water replaces the fat in the fat cells bit by bit until the cell doesn’t have any fat left when it empties. That’s why we experience plateaux. It’s also very weird because the fat changes from being smooth to squidgy.
So keep drinking. Taking a pinch of Himalayan salt several times a day really helps make you thirsty, as well as maintaining your electrolyte balance.
Maggie

Thank you. Fat cells filling with water instead, that’s a great thing to think about to spur me on. Explains the plateau too which I’m finding hard to keep motivated through.

Hello all! Into week three and cant believe how well I feel. HUGE BS reading in March sent doctors scrambling for pills. I asked or further investigation but no – pills. Violent reactions to three – resulted in “well it has to be insulin injections.” I dug my heels in and said I need more investigations please because my feet, eyes etc etc have no signs of problems but at least check my medical history – (a rare set of circumstances which 6 years ago resulted in a stay in ICU, in an induced coma for 8 weeks and 24/7 intraveneous antibiotics all that time and three weeks further after being brought to consciousness again. Long story but to here. A friend mentioned their issues with BS – and their Endo had suggested no carbs. Well here I am . . . and have HALVED my BS readings in less than 3 weeks. Biggest spike for me came from good old ROLLED OATS!!!! Rarely ate potato – and then only sweet potato! and always hi-protein bread. That is pretty much all I have knocked out. Confirmation I was on the right track came from finding the book in a charity store! Yeah!! Looking forward to lower levels in weeks to come and the appointment I insisted on having with an Endo in three weeks time. Thank you!

Hi Woodduckie, your story is very much like mine. When I was diagnosed my doctor said it had to be pills as my readings were so high (11.2 HbA1c) that I must have been undiagnosed for years and needed urgent treatment. Like you the pills made me very ill and spent most of my days in the smallest room trying to set a world record on how many times a person can ‘go’ in 24 hours. I think I got to 36 on one day. Finally, doctor told me I could by-pass my digestive system by injecting insulin. 12 years ago, not knowing any better, I went for the insulin option. Good for you for being strong although you are lucky there is so much more information out their now. Thank you Dr Mosley but I have never managed to get off the insulin but I have halved the dose and I am grateful for that. You are also seeing the sort of results I had 2 years ago. Within 3 weeks my HbA1c had gone from 8.2 to 6.9 and my finger prick readings were dropping rapidly – which frightened me a bit but I am now used to it. You will get lower readings by sticking with this. Just one word of advice – sweet potato is just as bad as real potato except it is slightly more slow burning but it has as many calories (86 compared to 77) and higher in carbs (20 compared to 17).

Thank you for sharing sunshine-girl . . . this communication has made me feel SO MUCH BETTER!!! Someone with the exact same story but with different readings!!! (The bathroom visits after starting one of the pills was so horrendous they will never be forgotten. Nor will the depression, constant crying, lack of appetite and wanting to hide/die with two others!!! only leaving insulin as the last resort.) – Since starting the 8 week “diet” which Im calling my new eating regime!!! Ive “discarded” good old fashioned rolled oats – couldnt believe the tests following that small change. No bread of course, ate little potato of any kind or pumpkin anyways – but no more . . . my home made pea and ham, chicken and vege soups – GONE! Why? The split peas and dry soup mix! AMAZINGLY HIGH READINGS AFTER THOSE!!!! And I always had that in the winter – make a batch, and then just heat and eat when desired. My Ryvita and Vitaweet biscuits . . .? (afternoon snack with vegemite or lunch some days with cheese and tomato/cold meat (whatever) – GONE. Unbelievable readings after them. They have no sugar and no fat! BUT NO GOOD TO ME!!! Finger prick readings still higher than “they” would like . . . but then consistently single digits after (2-3 weeks) is an unbelievable difference – and shows GREAT promise for me. It is just like magic. Sincere and grateful thank you’s to a few people who are responsible for opening doors and revealing possibility ideas.

Thank you for those explanations and hints re drinking water . . . I find that SO HARD to do . . . and keep a glass of water on the sink as a reminder to at least have a few mouthfuls . .. everytime I go to or by the kitchen for something/anything 🙂 Ive even add lemon or lime juice to it to make it more palatable 🙁 but its tough for me . . . always has been.

WoodDuckie – drinking water isn’t hard, you just need to get into the habit. I had to make an effort myself to start with, as I was so used to only drinking other things – which very often contained sugar in some form and usually made me want ‘a little something’ to go with them. Is it any wonder I was overweight when everytime I felt thirsty I’d drink juice or a shake and have a snack?

Don’t allow yourself to eat anything, ever, anywhere until you’ve gulped down a whole glass of water (or sipped nicely if you’re out). You’ll soon get used to it. You don’t need to disguise the taste either, as it doesn’t really have one. You might find keeping a jug of plain water in the fridge helps, although personally I prefer cool straight from the tap to chilled.

Thanks for the reply Squidge! My dad and I have never found drinking straight water easy. I havent had any other go-to drinks – other than a the glass of water with the lime or lemon juice. (Maybe its just been home water supplies . . . I dont know 🙂 . . .) Seems its always been just a tea or coffee with no sugar . . . or a glass of milk! and I long ago discarded any other sugars from my eating habits. No juices, soft drinks, or additive drinks either – cos Im a tea-totaller! Cakes, biscuits and lollies were always available . . . (I live semi rural – so a unopened packet in the cupboard in case someone dropped in for a visit could be out of date before they were opened!!!) – but if I had the munchies . . . I usually headed for some nuts or the (now dreaded) Ryvitas or Vitaweets with vegemite and a cuppa!!! Over the years, money Ive spent – then wasted on – fruit which was never finished being eaten Im sure could buy a car!!! So this high-sugar levels development has taken me completely by surprise! I feel like this is SO enlightening!!!! and results are just mindblowing!

Hi Woodduckie,
I have found soda water is a good compromise. I don’t like the taste of water unless I am really thirsty, but I can drink soda water and it doesn’t have any artificial sweetners in it like the flavoured waters which I used to drink before going on the BSD.

Thank you so much for this hint! A nice alternative – and will be especially helpful when our cold winter has passed!!!

Stick a slice of lemon or lime in it as well and it will make it more palatable still. It has almost literally been my saviour over the last 2 years plus.

Thank you for sharing Mixnmatch 🙂 Im still anxious about the possibility of prescribed meds after my endocrinologist and Immunologist appointments. I know everyone is different, but would any contributors be happy to share (some of their) (self monitoring) readings so I can better gauge where I (might be) at? Mine are currently around 7 or 8 in the morning and 8 or 9 before bed. Thats a HUGE drop of (almost) halving in just three weeks. And Id like perspectives and/or facts on whether or not some folks have a naturally higher level than what is deemed “normal” desired ranges. Advance thanks. 🙂

Hey there yummy! If I can do it so can you my dear! Just take it in stages . . . and believe in yourself being worth the effort. I guarantee youre a loving lady who does for everyone else . . . but yourself. With a family to organise I can appreciate it will be a juggling act to not feed yourself what they like . . . but allow yourself to say thats OK!!! I was fortunate enough to have been following a good eating habit – low/no sugar foods, low-fat everything . . . no junk food – only to discover higher carbs in most of those things!!! So for me . . . it was as simple as no rolled oats breakfasts, no bread (for now, but I have found an 85% less carb bread which I might try after the next tests! ‘cos I REALLY miss my toast!!!) – no crispbreads, or crackers for lunch or snacks with cheese/tomato etc., . . . no dry soup-mixes in my homemade soups . . . and pasta to bulk out my winter hotpot meals, and no potatoes which I rarely ate anyways. I have found these few small adjustments worked and my 3 x daily readings have halved in just under three weeks. Im a lazy basic cook, but now “gifting” myself with gourmet meals!!! Breakfast was a small fillet of pork, mushroom, tomato, leek cooked in a pan like a hash! (If you have children to get off to school . . . cook it the night before and reheat in the morning maybe?) Dinner last night was a portion of salmon steak – (I dont like fish but this was a frozen portion in a plastic pouch which I cooked in microwave!!!) . . . accompanied by mixed lettuce leaves, sundried tomatoes in olive oil, baby beets cut into four pieces, leek rings, and greek yogurt dressing with cracked black pepper! We all need rewards . . . to attain our goals . . . my reward was a 7 reading this morning! And another reward in such a short time is Im not hungry anymore – looking for a cracker and vegemite an hour before dinner . . . Things Ive not been able to enjoy previously are now palatable. The greek natural yogurt for instance is now tasting sweeter . . . I can only imagine thats because the sugar-desire in my system isnt being fed anymore – (by the hidden mischief maker “carbs”.) Good luck with your endeavours and if you fall off the wagon one day . . . get right back on the next . . . because you are worth it!!! Go for it! There are plenty of readers and conteibutors here to support you!