Hi, my husband was diagnosed as pre-diabetic and we are keen to use the 8 week programme to reverse this. I am really keen to support him by following the programme too. I am not diabetic or pre-diabetic. I have no known health issues however I am about 6 kg overweight and it is all round my middle. I am 62 years old. Has anyone else in a similar situation followed this diet ? Is there any risk to doing this if I don’t have diabetic problems ? The foods on the diet are all foods I really like I probably just eat too much !!

My husband is not terribly overweight either he needs to lose about 9kg to reach his ideal weight.

Are we safe to follow this programme ?

Hi there! Im no medico . . . and would only say . . . why not give it a try? The food is GOOD, HEALTHY and not out of the ordinary . . . just maybe managed or sorted better 🙂 Maybe consider if you get started and dont feel well or unsettled then make a decision . . . Maybe if hubby is the one with the sugar issue then he could be more stringent with his choices than yourself. Maybe . . . see if your GP is onboard and advise. Either way this forum and those contributing are amazing people 🙂 I had HIGH sugar readings – (I mean HIGH . . .ANYTHING FROM 12-16-18!!!) – pills made me sick and I was facing injections . . . in Week 6 now of this eating programme – (I dont call it my diet!!!) – . . BSL’s are 4-5-6-7 and two stones have been given the flick. I feel amazing and WILL NOT go back to what was considered a good menu before all this started! Good luck with whatever decision you make.

Hi Ems – I agree with WoodDuckie’s very good post. This way of eating works really well if you have diabetes, pre-diabetes or are losing weight because you want to prevent health problems in the future. It is such a healthy way to eat and – as WoodDuckie says – you probably don’t need to be quite as stringent as your husband does.

How lovely that you are supporting your husband.

Hi, thanks WoodDuckie and KrysiaD for your responses. It’s really encouraging to hear from you.

We are starting today with an 800 calorie day and will see how we go. If we are really struggling we will do the 5 and 2.

Good luck with your journey everyone

The Ems

Hi The Ems
Just wanted to wish you every success. The first few days may be a bit of a struggle (headache etc) now and again, but it is well worth sticking with. Do make sure that you drink enough water, and have some healthy snacks to hand (almonds, boiled eggs, radishes, celery) if you get the munchies or are on your travels. Best wishes.

Thanks Caronl and thanks for the reminder about the boiled eggs. I have just prepared some and put them in the fridge just in case!! So far so good 🙂

Hi!
Just to encourage you, I am also 62 and, although not very overweight I wanted to loose about a stone. Always struggled to achieve this, quite by accident came across this way of eating, have always been interested in nutrition so thought I would give it a go. I have used the principles of the blood sugar plan as opposed to the strict 8 week one. In less than 3 months I have lost a stone and a half! I’m thrilled, feel better, no achy joints, sugar cravings etc. I was somewhere recently where it would have been rude and upsetting to my hosts to refuse some cake. I felt so ill afterwards with horrendous indigestion that I will not do that again, after all a vegetarian will not eat meat just to please!
Good luck, stick with it, it works. Your new found slimmer self will be far more enjoyable than a piece of chocolate cake!

Amen to all you have shared 🙂 No thank you is so easy to say when we are feeling SO MUCH better!!! And if we are going somewhere for a morning or afternoon tea then we can always take something to share 🙂 I have reason to stay over at my sons home each week . . . two dinners, one breakfast and one lunch involved. With things already running very smoothly and organised for four people . . . and a menu suiting two adults and two – (under 10) -children! . . . I create my own main meals the morning Im leaving home. Family are thankful not to have to check what I need to suit my new programme – and we all just enjoy our around the table chatting. Children are learning at the same time with many questions being asked about my choices. Miss 8 even prepares clean hands to do my finger pricking BSL before we sit down!! Eggs are always on hand so a scrambled and cheese breakfast is easy 🙂 One doesnt have to be rude when asking leave from the offerings 🙂

WoodDuckie, how lovely and considerate that you bring what you need when you are a guest! I always travel
with hard boiled eggs in my handbag, too! In earlier years, when we used to entertain at home a great deal,
I always appreciated it when I had a single vegetarian guest and they brought a main course veggie dish
for all to share. When I’m entertaining 25-30 people, someone requiring prep space and use of the stove
is very distracting at the final organizational moments prior to serving. I just love the idea that your
grandchildren are so curious, too! What a learning opportunity…The family table is the perfect place for
it 🙂

Allie

I’m not diabetic but I have high cholesterol plus overweight!
I’ve now lost a stone from just following the principals. I lost the stone in about 6wks. I’ve another 2 to be my absolute perfect weight!
Although I’ve just very recently started to change my cupboards and fridge contents so that I can select better food choices and know that I am eating helthier and also getting a much better shape.
I feel a lot better in myself though! As the nutrients are far better than I’ve been previously eating I have noticed a really good change. It’s not discussed much but it is ‘real’.

I plan to follow closer to the diet over the next few weeks but I find that I have to alter the order of foodstuffs so as not to waste too much food. I have limited fridge and freezer space too which isn’t helping!
Long term I also will have more prepared meals from cooking the suppers that have 2 – 4 servings. Like tonight I did the spicy chicken with lentils … I didn’t quite have all the ingredients but I ended up cooking 2 chicken pieces and then halving it so ptu one in the freezer for another day. 🙂
It’s tastier food than my previous ‘normal’ but some like courgettes and aubergines are subtle flavours… but good to bulk up meals without the calories, in my opinion.

Hi again Aurora! I didnt read about your cholesterol being the reason for you being here . . . mine is for high BSL’s so my dietary requirements may vary to yours 🙂 Apologies if I have mislead you 🙂 Although with your weight loss being so successful . . . all sounds good for your future results 🙂

Hi Allie! Thank you for your compliments! I just try not to be “another person to organise” . . . or give “something else to do” for a very busy family – and the reason Im there is to “help” alleviate a busy Monday 🙂 Its nice to be “included” as able to help as well. Win Win I always say 🙂 Miss 8’s quizzical looks when the BS monitor gives its reading are priceless. Explaining in simple language has been a challenge . . . but who knows what her understanding of the whole thing is? Or where it may lead her in the future. On the other hand Miss (Almost) 10 seem disinterested . . . other than she wants a turn at the lancet!!! Love them no less for their individuality 🙂

Thanks Alliecat & WoodDuckie. 🙂
Yeah I too visited a friend and took stuff with me. That way I knew I could ‘stick to’ my diet than watch him destroy my good work. So somewaht selfish but I hope helpful as he ate some of it too, which was great and he’s been inspired to eat a bit better! 🙂
I’m really happy to try and espand my foods and try to keep my meals simple. I always feel that I have ‘little time to cook’ which can be very true, sometimes I’m just ‘not bothererd’. But some of the recipes are simple and some well not so! 🙂
I’ve also an early repairing ankle op and a long way to go, with another op in 2wks. So I’m in a ‘fun time’ at the moment!
Maybe picking and chosing the recipes isn’t such a bad idea! 😀 I’m sure I’ll find a happy balance. 😀

Hi! Maybe just for a mental break buy the bags of prepared stirfry veges – add shallots, snowpeas . . . whatever you like – divide into boxes – (I use recycled chinese food containers!) – and set in the fridge ready to go! When mealtime rocks around, prepare protein in the frying pan with flavours etc, (or grill and add to the frying pan) – and dump a box of vege on top right at the end 🙂 Im finding just the odd detour from routine is helping me through my doldrums. And recipes to me are too restricting 🙂 Guess Im just a renegade or rebel at heart and like to do it MY WAY!!!

Thanks for all the messages of encouragement and the great ideas you all have. We have just had our first week weigh in. My husband has lost 2 kg and I have lost 1kg so we are pleased with that. I have to say this doesn’t feel like a diet as such. I am getting to eat all the foods I really love and not really missing all the sinful snacks I have been having lately. I did have to eat a cake mid week as a friend bought one for us to share when we were out and it would have been extremely rude not to. It was a very yummy moist chocolate brownie but I didn’t actually feel too excited about it. Lets hope that mindset stays with me.

My husband is finding he really needs the healthy snacks between his meals and I am making his portions a bit bigger than my own. It’s good to know the results from the first week. It confirms we are on the right track in terms of quantities that we are eating.

We are both loving the recipes. All the dishes are very flavoursome

Have a good week everyone

thank you The Ems

Hi WoodDuckie,
Yeah I’ve been putting fresh cut up veggies like cauli / red cabbage etc into freezer bags, as I can squish them into my 1 drawer! (I have 2 lodgers and a tiny kitchen)! I’ve added a small undercounter freezer but it’s not very big (either). But I’m making every inch count!
I’ve fresh frozen meats and fish and veggies. Then a few slices of ham and other things like fruit.
I’ve no idea what snow peas are ? 🙂
I’ve learned to store things in bags in portion sizes too for things like sliced salmon or separate meat grillsteaks / burgers etc. That way like tonight I got out 2 small (burgers) of chicken & chorizo ‘sliders’ (burgers) and added 1 red onion, small handfuls of ; red cabbage, a few courgette pre cut, a few mushrooms (cut / frozen) cauliflower, then added Olive oil, 2 tbsp creme fraiche and a little milk. Added cumin, tarragon, a very few chilli flakes, and ginger. It was really nice and tasty. Could have let the onion cook for longer before adding everything else!
Now idea what it was for the cals/carbs but can’t have been ‘too much’. (I think). It was a tad hot for me, so I think the ‘burger’s were slightly spiced too. 1st time I’ve tried the creme fraiche.
I wondered about adding the chia seeds to ‘thicken it’, & help cholesterol but decided to see how it was like this. 🙂
All still a lot experimental but it’s some fun. 🙂 I’ve 4 more of the burgers so I’ll look forward to them again next week or so!
The MM diet book has chorizo in so I know ‘it’s included’ but it’s not something that I’m that fond of so these were reduced and an experimental try out. Prefer lamb or venison etc ! 🙂

Hi Ems, yeah that sounds good.
I’ve used the diet book and the recipe book to give me a good idea of the food stuffs and their menus. I’ve put them into excel so that I can find things pretty quickly …
I’m still very new to it all but since I ‘started’ (v slowly in June) I’ve lost around 1st 4lb. (1 stone = 14lbs) and losing around 1lb a wk but it’s varied. I’ve had wks where my shape gets better and I seem to have not lost anything!
Like yourself I wenjoy the foods, not least as I like most of them (bar garlic & parmesan!) and buying some veg that I haven’t had in yrs.
Not a massive fan of courgettes aubergines, and their v expensive. but trying to use them wisely and carfully and learning the menus where i think they taste the best. A lot to learn and long way to go.
There are ‘snack’ foods so that better foods are eaten than grabbing old snacks and mess up!
Today I’d missed brekky but by 6pm was hungry so I tried 2 tbsp greek yoghurt with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & goji berries. It was surprisingly OK! I’m not a big fan of greek ypghurt but I bought the ‘Muller’ one as I find their yoghurts very creamy and tasting – and they had an offer on them! 😀 But think that I might freeze portions of yoghurt to help it last – esp when bought in bulk.
Certainly a learning curve of what to have in the fridge & freezer from ideal diets foods that you like! 🙂

Hi, I am not diabetic or pre-diabetic either. I started the diet 8 weeks ago and I lost 20lb in the first 4 weeks. The diet was very easy for me to follow and would find myself fasting for 14hrs (including sleep) on some days without even trying to do so due to the shift pattern I work. I tend to stick to the foods that I like – no carb bircher is a winner for me because I also add some chia seeds, goji berries that will keep me fuller for longer. I don’t always stick to the calorie intake that religiously either.

I’m a large bloke that weighed in at 20st before the diet and dropped down to 18st 8lb before my vacation. Sticking to the diet proved difficult in Greece for two weeks but I was quite happy to let slip a few of the guidelines because I knew that I could lose the weight quickly upon my return. I put back on 5lb whilst I was away – but it’s soon disappearing from my waistline once again.

So. Can you lose a stone on this diet? Absolutely you can. Stick to it, and still enjoy a glass of wine or two over the weekend. 👌

Hi Aurora,
I bought Muller Greek and it had added sugar! Quite a lot too. Please check yours
P xx

Well Done! Super results! And isnt it nice to know what will and wont work!!! No nasty surprises!!! And the fact that we can have a little spoil and be sensible makes life’s excursions still enjoyable 🙂 In 6-7 weeks, Ive discarded around 2 stone – (over 11kgs now) – with very little if any discomfort nor compromising! It has been a really interesting, pleasant and rewarding change in mindset and habits 🙂 Continued success to us both 🙂

Hi Pancita
Ach I got the Benecol Greek yoghurt – no added suger but I have liked the Muller one’s so I’ll make sure next time.
They had these on offer and I wasn’t sure as I know many greek yoghurts are very ‘sour’. But these are OK! 🙂 Esp with cinnamon and goji that I’ve also tried ! 😀 PLus nutmeg and sesame seeds ! And with apple on rare occassions. 🙂