Hi, I started my BSD 9 days ago, I have a couple of questions if anyone can advise me, I would be grateful. I am sticking hard to the 800cals a day. I have also been exercising daily and burning from 350 to 400cals. I have around 50kg to lose, and obviously I know this is going to take time but I want to make sure I am doing the right thing. I feel fine on the 800cals, believe it or not I am a chef and used to eating once a day, but obviously bad food followed by chocolate and alcohol at midnight when I got home. So the 1 meal per day and a shake is fine by me. What I was worrying about slightly was the 800cals and then exercising half of those calories away apart from day to day normal life, although I feel fine could this do any damage long term? Too few calories?
Also based on the book I told my GP that I was stopping my Glixazade medication and he agreed, but today I was watching Dr Roy Taylor that was suggesting coming off meds completely whilst doing this diet, does anyone know about this?
Thanks in advance, just want as much info about diabetes as possible.
Have a great day.

Hi Dominic, I answered a previous question regarding metabolism, so here I am again. First of all, you cannot add extra food to make up for the exercise calories. It is just how it is. One thing people do is spend an hour in the gym, think they have burnt 400 cals then eat something to make up or as a treat for being good. Quite often apps overestimate how much we have used and underestimate what we eat. Chemically if you dont have enough food inside you to burn then you will burn fat. However, you are diabetic (or pre) so you might need to watch yourself for symptoms of hypoglyciemia and, only then, have something to eat but just enough to bring your BG up.

Secondly, I am pleased your doctor agreed to stop the glycazide and has knowledge of the dramatic effects this diet can have on BG. Glycazide is quite a big gun and really drops your BG unlike metformin which has hardly any effect. The reason we dont really discuss this aspect of the diet is because we are not qualified to give medical advice. There are sometimes slight nudges or suggestions but it is not our job. You will also hear others say they have ditched the meds, you will hear me say I am reducing my insulin, etc but no-one can tell you to stop. Dr M does discuss this in the BSD book and also ditching BP meds as this diet can make sudden drops in that too.

Hope that helps answer your questions. Keep doing what you are, you are doing well.

@sunshine-girl, thanks for the info. I wasn’t asking in order to eat more food for the lost calories, just asking to make sure that the exercising was okay on this diet.
Yes after reading that glicazade should not be taken in the book, I relayed that info to the doctor and he agreed to stop taking it. I am on Metaformin also, but if that does not have much of an effect then I will just keep taking it.
Thanks so much for your help.

Hi, Dominic,
The bottom line is that if you are in ketosis, your body can access your fat stores for fuel for your exercise, and you are not keeping your body short of fuel.

If however, your insulin levels are high, then your body can not access your fat stores and has to use surplus tissue including breaking down muscle as a fuel. – It doesn’t want to do that, so after a short period of time instead it gets more efficient, and reduces metabolic rate.

So rather than focusing on the number of calories eaten, focus on the impact those calories have on your insulin levels.

Jillie.

@jillie,
Thanks. I am doing most of my exercise in the morning during my intermittent fast, so would imagine I am in ketosis, I am very pleased that my BGL on a morning and evening are between 5.1 and 5.8. So without the Glicazade tablet this diet is definitely working.

Dominic, your questions will get lots of different responses coming from differing angles and points of view. We are all knowledgeable here on our own areas so dont feel you have to take everything as being exactly what you needed. Just be sure we all care and want what is best for you. Exercise is great. In the past diabetics were told not to exercise or go through a series of stupidly complicated calculation about cals in carbs in calories out etc. I think these considerations still apply to T1 who have to maintain a careful balance but us T2’s should be doing as much exercise as we can for the reasons already stated by JGwen (Jillie). Stay healthy.

@sunshine-girl, much appreciated. I am just gonna exercise as much as I can in that case. It has been about 7 weeks ago that I got diagnosed, so still has me in a bit of a loop, never thought it could happen to me scenario, lol. But I deal with it better when I feel I am in control, like a lot of things in my life hahaha, so at the moment reading books, watching documentaries and YouTube videos etc to gain as much info as possible. So thanks for your help, I am sure this won’t be the last of my questions along this journey. Take care

Good for you. I personally am a bit of a control freak and I dont like being told things unless I have done my own research, ask my doctor about that one. As you like researching, there is a lot of rubbish out there but can highly recommend Dr Fung, lots on reversing T2 and take a look at Ted Talks, Dr Sarah Hallberg in her blog called Reversing T2 Diabetes starts with ignoring the Guidelines. She is very funny in her presentation and approach. I think she is talking to doctors in this clip.

I would add to the list Dr Bikmans work. He specialises in issues at a cellular level, if you join the insuliniq facebook group there are a couple of podcasts each week which you may find interesting.

I would also suggest that you start at the earliest date on the Take a Look at this thread and work your way forward in time. Its the place on this forum that a bunch of us shared articles and links that we found helpful on our own journeys.

@sunshine-girl, thanks a lot, I watched some of the YouTube seminars on Tedx with Dr Sarah Hallberg, and was very interesting, I had already downloaded a copy of Dr Jason Fung’s Diabetic Code, and is on my list with Dr.Bernsteins diabetic solution, food junkies and another that I have.
@jgwen, great, thanks. I will have a look at Dr Bikman, and I will most definitely have a look at the “Take a look at this” sounds as if it will be a great source of info.
I am really grateful for all your help everyone.

Just had a telephone appointment with my diabetes doctor and he can not believe the change in the 9 days I have been doing the BSD, I have lost 5.2KG, I stopped the Glicazade medication 1 week ago and now he has given me permission to half the metformin medication from 4 tablets a day to 2 tablets. So happy with the results and the Doctor is absoutely blown away with my weight loss and BSL, every morning and night readings ar 5.5 or 5.6, has given me such a boost that I am going in the right direction, still a long way to go in regards of my weight loss but all the plans are set.

Thats greaaaaaaat, keep on keeping on…

@sunshine-girl, thanks, can’t believe how this diet has turned things around. Onwards and upwards as they say, 😆

Hi Dominic71
I’ve been off the Forum for a couple of months so have just read your posts. They are brilliant results, congratulations. It’s also great that your diabetes doctor is so actively supportive.
I just wanted to add in my experience as it’s very similar to yours and might give you a further boost. I was diagnosed with T2 in 2016. My initial hba1c was high (106) and I had 6 stone to lose to get to my goal. I started BSD (and low carb) immediately and my hba1c was within the normal range (35) at my first post-diagnosis blood tests fourth months later. I had lost some weight but my bgls were in the normal range long before I got to my goal weight. I think this is the experience of quite a few people if you’re not on insulin which makes things so much harder.
5.5 and 5.6 are great readings. Again, fantastic results. Congratulations.

Jennie xx
nb I go with JGwen and sunshine-girls recommendations. I follow all of them although I would credit Jason Fung (along with Roy Taylor) with giving me the best initial understanding of the causes of diabetes and the role of insulin etc.

@jennie10, thanks a lot. I am feeling really great as I halved the dose of metformin yesterday and my bgl this morning was 5.3!! Since finding out 7 weeks ago, and my hba1c was 128, I have lost 15kg which is 10% of my body weight, so maybe that along with the BSD has put my bgl into the normal range??? Anyway I still have to lose another 50kg to get to my ideal weight but feel sure that by the end if the BSD and then moving on to the 5:2, with a max of 1600cals, regular exercise and working 12 hour days as a chef, I can get that weight off.
You also sound like a success story also, well done. Truly I am so happy I did my research and found this BSD book.
Have a great day, and again thanks for the encouragement.
DOM