My husband and I have been on the BSD for 3 weeks and we are going strong. We really like the diet. I’ve had a lifetime’s yo yo dieting and this really feels like something I can stick with. While I understand that this diet should mark a fundamental shift in our eating habits, I was wondering when the 8 week fast period concludes, if we can occasionally have bread and pasta without risking spiking blood sugar. My husband loves both items and I’m concerned this is the only thing that might make him “fall off the wagon”. Grateful for any thoughts from site users.

Hi FatGirlSlim …. welcome to the forum and glad you and your husband are going strong with 3wks under your belts.

In response to your enquiry, think the simple answer is yes you could occasionally have bread or pasta after week eight, but NOT without spiking your blood sugar.

You didn’t say if your reason for taking on the BSD, is in connection with diabetes or not. If this isn’t an issue for you, there’s no reason why you couldn’t mindfully go off-piste from time to time. Just be cautious and don’t allow it to become habitual again. However, if diabetes is an issue, much more caution would probably be advisable.

It’s important to understand that after week eight, one can’t simply return to old eating patterns, because they were what brought us all here in the first place. Yes, it’s fine to increase the calorie intake and indeed the carbs slightly, but ideally those carbs should not routinely be from foods avoided on the BSD.

Sorry if this wasn’t the news you hoped for, but hopefully your husband will be happy to compromise and accept that bread and pasta will need to be a rare indulgence, rather than a frequent menu item. It could be worth trying the alternative pastas, made from pulses rather than cereal, which have a low carb value.

Thank you for your really helpful reply, SunnyB – I suspected as much. My husband was recently informed after blood tests that he was prediabetic. This news was sufficient incentive to start the BSD and I joined him in solidarity (although I also need to lose weight so it was a win/win situation for me). I definitely understand that this has to be a shift in old eating patterns and personally I’m not finding it too much of a hardship. We have been discussing following the 5:2 programme when the 8 weeks are up (although I may extend my fasting to 12 weeks). I have made it clear that bread and pasta are occasional treats only (although a planned trip to Italy could be hazardous!) but it’s nice to have that confirmed by another site user. I am pleased to report that I’ve been talking to my GP and after 3 weeks she is already discussing reducing my medications (a real result) and she was very interested in the diet.

Thanks for the tip about pasta made from pulses. I’ve actually made some tofu from legumes which works brilliantly so I’m definitely going to try these.

Glad to help … was a bit worried my post might have come across as a bit preachy. As you are already finding, eating the BSD way really changes our tastes and in a surprisingly short period of time. It might be that after 8 weeks, your husband won’t find bread and pasta as enjoyable.

Really, even in Italy it is quite easy to avoid pasta pizza etc. You’ll find meat dishes served with veggies or salad on most menus, so no need to resort to pasta every evening.

Good news your Doctor is showing an interest in what you’re doing, so many are closed minded and just want to resort to meds and the outmoded diet advice we all know simply sets you up to fail.

Hope things continue to go well. Feel free to jump in on any of the threads on the forum, you’ll be made very welcome and it’s the easiest way to seek advice encouragement and support.

Hi,
Just to put my viewpoint here for you to consider.

I went on the BSD last summer from a diagnosis that, after several years as pre-diabetic, I was now diabetic. I had dieted when I was diagnosed as Pre- some years ago, and despite losing weight, did not reduce the numbers. So the weight had crept up again over 2 years plus even more in the first 6 months of 2024.

By following the BSD I lost 5 stone over 6 months and put diabetes into remission…not even pre-diabetic any more. (I followed the carb and calorie counting after the initial 8 weeks…!) I have avoided bread, pasts, rice and potatoes since last June….except for 4 different occasions, when the bread/toast temptation became too great! I have replaced with spiralized courgette, roasted butternut squash and mashed cauliflower among other things. The complete change has been exciting.
Good luck, I hope you enjoy the challenge as much as I have! And you have great success.

Hello Pootle – thanks for your inspiring words. I’m following the recipes included in the Blood Sugar Diet guide and the companion recipe book and I must say I am loving the variety and taste. We had roasted apricots with yoghurt and raspberries for breakfast this am; a plain omlette for lunch and I’m just making the smoked fish and orange salad (looks and smells great). Everything we’ve eaten so far has been super tasty. I too and thrilled about the challenge and the change to the way I feel (and look) even after 3 weeks and – best of all – I don’t feel hungry so, hopefully, no chance of recidivism. As SunnyB and you both say, bread and pasta will – from now on – be a very occasional treat! Thank you!!!

Hi FatGirlSlim26, lots of good advice already. We are all now addicted to this way of life and the heavy carbs don’t even cross my mind except in restaurants and that is only every 2 months or so. That is what we call a treat, not because it is the weekend or Monday or Friday – we have all used the diet cheats.

For your husband carbs will become a thing of the past except for the RARE treat but he might even find he doesn’t want them. My hubby has never been on my diet but slowly he has said ‘don’t bother with rice for me’, then ‘don’t worry about pasta for me’, we dont even have the substitutes like courgetti or cauliflower rice. He says he finds particularly pasta and rice tasteless and boring.

SunnyB, you don’t come over as preachy. Someone asks for advice you give it as it is. I am fed up of tiptoeing around saying maybe this maybe that. No, if you are serious about either losing weight or dealing with a health problem you should just do it. Not doing it properly is why people say certain diets didn’t work for them – yes they did, they just didn’t stick to them. Now that’s me being preachy 🙂

Hi, I have been doing this successfully and list 2 and half stone. Due to family issues I’m bot being as successful at the moment. I too was pre diabetic and rhen diabetic and overweight
I am neither pre or diabetic anymore but still have weight to lose.
But I have eaten bread whilst on this diet. But uts specifically low carb and high protein. You pay a bit more for it and I only have an odd slice but uts only 5 carbs per slice.
It’s called hi-lo and in a green wrapper only available from Sainsbury’s.
Just a thought, I would have an odd piece of toast within my carb allowance and it really helped me.

Thats good to know Lucy 1771 and thank you for the tip. I’ll look out for it.