Margaret, please don’t get too disheartened and for now just do what you can. For many it’s a really difficult time of year on the food front, but if you can just try to make the best choice you can at each meal, it’s good enough. Think there will be many of us looking to refocus and start afresh in the new year, so you’ll certainly not be alone.

Yes SG, I can certainly set up the thread for January and if anyone has a suggestion for it’s title, please let me know. Hope you have a wonderful time with your family.

Thank you SunnyB & I will make a Keto soup of prawns leeks & courgettes for lunch today then my husband & I will play bowls.😀
A new thread in January would be very helpful!! Thank you 👍⭐️
Margaret xx

Today is beginning of my third week. The second week was tougher than the first. I felt irritable at times. I attended a big holiday party for my husband’s work where they had incredible charcuterie platters as well as brisket and barbecued turkey. Although I only ate meat and cheese the increased calories threw the scale off for a few days, but it was fine. I’m still figuring out the right balance and amount to eat. I weigh everything and log it in the fatsecret app. My sleep is a bit odd—I’m waking up very early. I have a flexible schedule and often have trouble sleeping, so I generally get my deepest sleep in the mornings. Today I woke up at five for no reason whatsoever. A couple of good things—have not had a migraine since I started and have had more sustained consistent energy. I got a lot done this week. Lots of visitors coming for Christmas so it will be interesting seeing how this goes amidst a holiday crowd. Hope everyone here has some good times and safe travels during the festive season.

Very well done Sleekly you are doing brilliantly 👏👏
Margaret xx

Hi everyone, had a bit of a strange day. Went to the opthamologist appt with all my results and she didn’t know why I was there. It was a different girl from the one I saw before. She looked at my notes and said it was because I suffer from arterial blockage and cardiac insufficiency. Anyway after putting her straight it has been decided I dont have glaucoma and can stop using the drops. However, if I stop using the drops she wants to see me in 3 months and I have to have another field of vision test first. I think it is because it is a hospital opthamologist and she thought I had been referred because of the blockage in my carotid artery. Very difficult to explain it is not athersclerosis (or furred up arteries) and that the carotid problem was a freak of nature and a one off. Anyway, I will go back in 3 months to check if the glaucoma I dont have has returned ???????? I guess that is good news.

I have definitely decided to stop using my cleaner after she has caused us some problems today. We have a brand new oven and hob and also a new kitchen tap which she seems to have taken a scouring pad to and scratched the hell out of the hob and tap. Anyone know how to get rid of scratches on brushed stainless steel. Then I went into the bathroom where I put stuff in a washing up bowl to get it out of her way like my face creams, toothbrush holder etc. Just been to have a show and noticed the charger for the electric toothbrush is in the bowl in half an inch of water. I think I have also said she crashes about with the vaccuum cleaner and it is new and has a plastic front with lights to show up the dust and I am afraid of her breaking it.

Well thats that. Just got to get my hair done tomorrow and we are ready to go. Now just hoping our sitter doesn’t let us down.

Feeling wobbly today! Need some positivity. Back in early November I had a routine blood test and came back with an Hb1Ac of 89, quite shocked as no symptoms. Discussed with Dr as felt it. Would be an anomaly. Ordered the BSD books the same day, started the BSD 800 the next day. 5 weeks in and I have lost 5.7 kgs, weighing, tracking calories etc. repeat blood test last week, hoping I’d done enough to avoid meds. Saw Dr this morning and Hb1Ac now 70, so down but not enough. He’s prescribed Metformin a low dose to start as I am on BSD. He was happy I had taken steps on my own to reduce weight and he was positive, but I feel deflated with the diagnosis. Need to plough on, I won’t let this get the better of me and will try to reverse it. The only piece of the puzzle missing is exercise due to a recent back injury, so can’t wait to get more mobile again. Its weird because it’s the best I’ve felt in a long time!! Love reading the inspiring stories here. Happy Christmas all.

Hi Aqualady
I’m sure someone very knowledgeable on all things HbA1c will be along soon, but for what it’s worth I just wanted to say I think your progress is phenomenal. To make that shift in diet alone in 5 weeks is fabulous.
I also spotted old posts on this forum a user called Frog who back in 2016 went from highs of 116, and after 13 weeks on BSD got their levels to 38. They were also prescribed metformin for a while but managed to come off it. You may be able to search for their posts on here.
My point is though that I am sure it is possible, and I hope it offers you hope. It really does sound to me that if anyone can do it then you can – especially with such a fabulous start.

Hi everyone, well I am having another bad day but before that I would like to speak to Aqualady.

First you are lucky your doctor recognises that your BG WILL go down and has not insisted you go high on the meds. As it starts to work I think he will take you off the Metformin. When I was first diagnosed my HbA1c was 14.2% or 129 at the rate you are measuring. I was put on Metformin, Glycazide and another and it did nothing. I knew nothing about diabetic diets except the rubbish the doctors used to spout (and some still do). Told to eat carbs at every meal so my BG wouldn’t drop too low. Yet, they wanted it lowered. This went on for years until I found this diet. The day I started I was having readings of around 190 – doesn’t matter that it is in decilitres – just know it is twice what it should be at around 80 to 120. By this time I was injecting insulin because the oral meds went straight through me and was injecting 40 units a day. After a week on the diet I was down to about 135 but I cant remember what my official HbA1c was, just know it went down and down. You might want to read excerpts from my blog – type in the search engine at the top of the page 5 Years of BSD – A Blog of Memories. I outlines what my fear were. I didnt lose as much weight as you as insulin makes you store glucose as fat. But I was 79kgs then and 71kgs now.

The measurements I used were my daily at home blood tests so are quite different from the 3 monthly blood test done and tested in the laboratory. I think my first one after starting the diet was around 80 – so like you still too high. I now run at around 5.8 to 6.2. I am still on insulin but a much lower amount at 14 or 15 units.

Just be reassured that real results only show in your HbA1c and that shows the state of your BG over a 3 month period (blood cells replace themselves about ever 12 weeks). You have made a great start and I am sure it will be even lower in 3 months. As you are newly diagnosed i.e. under 2 years, you have every chance to get rid of the diagnosis completely. Stick with it.

Hope that helps.

Aqualady, please don’t be downhearted, you have made an excellent start and whilst your Dr might have stepped in more hastily than you’d have liked, he also spoke positively, so try to hold on to that.

I have no doubt that if you continue as you have been, your blood results will improve and you will be able to come off metformine. Don’t panic about the exercise, give yourself time to recover first and then take things gently.

Just read my blog and found my results. Started BSD on 8.1 and at the end of about 8 weeks down to 6.6. And I think I lost about 13lbs.

Well here is my bad day news. Woke up at 5am and couldn’t get back to sleep so I got out of bed at 6 and put the TV on. Noticed I had a message on the Housesitter site. Sitter cannot get a flight due to so many cancellations (from the USA). I think I had a premonition or maybe I just always worry about something going wrong. Final outcome is that a neighbour is going to come and feed the babies so at least we can go. Toby cat is dying and we wanted someone who would be with him a lot of the time but neighbour is a nice man and used to old animals. I could really do with a drink!!!!! Still, been to the hairdresser and my hair looks nice 🙂

Oh dear! S-g life throws all sorts of curved balls but at least you can still go. I think we may be ‘brothers from a different mother’! We also had a Toby who was unfortunately knocked over by a car but he had made the cat in the corner house pregnant so we got his daughter Sammy. Sammy got pregnant and we ended up with her son Blackie who was completely black apart from one white smidge on one of his eyes. They both lived to the ripe old ages of 17 & 19! Always sad when you lose a pet but we still have the memories. Also, I had my hair done today! Just go away and enjoy!

Aqualady just pat yourself on the back! You are doing really well. I lost around 6.5 kg in my first 8 weeks so don’t be disappointed.

I had been diagnosed for five years and had been on the highest dose of metformin for quite a while when I discovered the BSD. My HbA1c was never really high probably around 7 and with metformin it came down to 6.2ish. Metformin only lowers your BS by around 10%.

Anyway after I started here in mid 2016 my BS came down into the 5’s after 3 months. Because this was all relatively new then, my metformin dose was lowered over a period of about 6 months and then I became drug free and have stayed like that ever since.

This way of eating does work. Although weight loss is important, weight loss per se doesn’t keep T2 in remission. Low carb is the real secret. I don’t count anymore but I’d think a guideline would be 50-100g of carbs per day once you are in remission. But then each body differs and you have to work out your own threshold. That’s not to say you can never have a roast potato or a chocolate mousse or a piece of toast ever again, of course you can but just not altogether in the same meal or three times a day!

Five weeks of low carb isn’t long enough to bring your HbA1c down to its new ‘low carb’ level. As sunshine-girl says the red blood cells only renew every 8-12 weeks so your next test should show much better results. Quoting sunshine-girl again, just keep on keeping on …..

Thank you so much, Margaret!

Aqualady, it sounds like you’re doing GREAT. I’m sorry you had to start on the Metformin but your results are still really good! If you keep going you’ll get there!

S-G I’m glad you can still go on your trip!

I hope you have a wonderful time away S-G !!
Margaret xx

Hello all,

Aqualady, i think you have achieved much in your first 5 weeks! The weight loss and a reduction of 19 on your HbA1c in that time is a fantastic result…

S-G…so sorry about your house/pet sitter…I hope Toby gets a great deal of love & care from your neighbour and that you enjoy your break away! (and the dress looks fabulous!)

Hope you all have a brilliant Christmas and New Year!

XXX

Update on our sitter. He has managed to get a flight to Rome then onward to Bordeaux. We will have to pick him up as it will be late and he is a day early so have to look after him. After all the effort he has made we can only do our best for him. However, it is not all for us, he is meeting his daughter on 24th and didn’t want to miss the chance to have Christmas with her.

I am stressed as hell but can stop just yet, clean out the fridge, prepare the beds and make meals for tonight and tomorrow. Phew. Glad I got my packing done.

Thank you all so much for your kind and wise words and for your encouragement. Yesterday was a tough one, but I’m tougher. I’m still getting my head round the numbers and have done a lot of reading around the blood tests etc today. I haven’t started the meds yet and feel that I need to research these to understand side effects etc first. I’m also a little frustrated that I won’t see out the 8-12 weeks on the diet alone, as the meds will lower it for sure, but not to take them would be going against my Dr’s advice. The good news this morning is another 1lb down, making 13 in total. Thanks everyone, I will for sure keep keeping on!

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas & and a Happy New Year which will hopefully also be much more peaceful world wide 🤞🤞
I have decided not to depress myself by standing on my weighing scales today but will do so in a weeks time on 28th December when I will be back home after our family Christmas gathering. I hope you all have a brilliant time if you are gathering with family or friends & safe journeys if you are travelling.🛩️🚘🚊
🥂🍷🍾🎅🏻🎁🎄
Margaret xx

I’m sure the majority of us are now more focused on festive celebrations than the BSD. Allow yourself a little latitude, but try to make mindful food decisions when ever possible. Having said that, relax and don’t beat yourself up is things slide, we’ll soon be into a new year with a fresh start and new focus.

Enjoy your festive season and spending time with the special people in your life and we’ll ‘meet’ again in 2025.

Hi everyone, we are now safely in our daughters home after a gut churning crossing on the ferry. We were lucky to get here as lots of ferries started to be cancelled as we arrived. Daughter booked me a full body massage which I had this morning.

So much food lying around, crisps, mince pies, chocolates etc. I have resisted all but a small chunk of daughters homemade sourdough bread. Now munching on sliced ham to keep me out of the doritos.

Great news, the dresses I ordered (both same but in sizes 18 and 16) are beautiful but they are both TOO BIG. Yeah. Still means I have to find another. I could reorder with delivery tomorrow but not sure it will really suit me as it is very off the shoulder and just might annoy me. However, I could always send it back before we leave here. Thinking about it.

Thats me now signing off until after the big day. Have a wonderful Christmas and don’t stress too much about the diet. New Year will bring a new chance to get back on track with newed motivation.

Thank you Sunny-B for offering to set up the January thread, I am sure we will all need it.

Hello my last post for a short while.

S-g that’s a wonderful result. This must surely spur you on in the New Year to get down to a 14!

Well we had our first ‘celebration’ last night for 10 and had a wonderful evening. Wednesday we are just 5 and Thursday 6 but I’m actually quite organised! I have list upon list upon list!

I’m looking forward to a ‘new year’ with new goals and aspirations. I’m starting to make mine now and feeling really positive. Yowser did so well this year which just shows how determination can pay off. Depends how much you ‘want it’!

Happy holidays to everyone? Enjoy the holiday season, maybe not with ‘gay abandon’ but with ‘considered eating’ and a few indulgences!

Hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas.
My first as a diabetic in remission because of the BSD.
I have not counted calories or carbs and have indulged in a little Christmas pudding (bought) with brandy butter (home-made) and brandy cream (bought)!
I wore a red dress that hubby bought for me in 2018… size 14…but the red high heels didn’t stay the course, and slippers ruled! 👠🥿

🎄

Thank you Pootle & I am sure you looked wonderful in your red dress & brilliant that you are in your diabetic remission 👏👏 . My husband & are staying with our eldest son & his wife & two granddaughters plus our youngest son also invited to stay so it’s lovely having a family get together. Our youngest granddaughter doesn’t have an off switch & they were given hover boards & have been whizzing around around the kitchen & living room so rather hazardous but they are very much enjoying being on them. After the usual quiet of home with just my husband & I it is all a bit overwhelming & I am feeling my age. We ate roast lamb with all the usual trimmings cooked by our son who enjoys cooking with a little help from me. We have also had all the festive nibbles of prawn toasts, duck spring rolls & halloumi fingers etc but I have avoided the crisps & only had one chocolate but several glasses of wine! 🥂🍷However I will get back on track from tomorrow when we go home with low carb eating. The weather is grey & overcast here with a sort of misty occasional light rain so rather dreary. I am hoping we might be able to play some family board or card games today & I know the girls will want to go out to play in the local park but I won’t be able to walk that far but expect my husband will go. Our youngest son is still recovering from a broken toe so I don’t know how far he will want to walk. It a all a bit mad & out or routine of course as such gatherings are & I am sure my digestive system will be very pleased to go back to our usual BSD eating & my husband is carefully choosing what he is eating & drinking because he is a Type two diabetic although I am not.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful time.
Margaret xx

Hello!
Happy Holidays!

Pootle well done! It must have felt wonderful to fit into your red dress. So glad you have achieved your goal in 2024 and enjoyed a few Christmas goodies. 2025 your year to maintain and continue your new ‘life in remission’!

Margaret yes sometimes it can all be ‘too much’ but let’s revel in the joy of family’! Hopefully your surgery will be soon and in a few months it will all be behind you and your mobility will improve day on day.

Well I’ve just finished my ‘marathon’ ‘cook in’…. 8 on Sunday, 5 yesterday and 6 today! Hard work but such great pleasure.

So, not having seen our son and family for over three months we booked a last minute trip to go and see them. We are flying out on New Year’s Eve for 11 nights. So for me, cooking is over now but it’s now washing and ironing! Think I might prefer cooking!!!

Hope Christmas has lived up to your expectations. Let’s just move forward now towards 2025 … our year to ‘come alive’!

Well I have bravely weighed & am very embarrassed to write that I have gained 6.25 lbs in weight in the last three weeks of festive activities 😿🙀🙀. No wonder my trousers are feeling tight. Well I know that I must do something about this & clear my house of leftover festive treats & food but it will have to wait until after lunch at a friends house on New Years Eve! It is so easy to go back to high carb sugary temptations & drinking more wine than usual but I am back home now when hopefully I can find the resolve to get back to my BSD routine. To rub salt into my wounds my husband fortunately has only gained one pound in weight over this festive period but I know that my not having yet managed a good period of weight maintenance my weight balloons if I go off piste. It’s all very disheartening & frustrating but all my own doing of course. Mia culpa🤔 2024 has been an awful one for me with hopefully next year a better one.
I am going to have to get back on track from 1st January 2025.
An in advance Happy New Year to you all.

I had my first whoosh! It’s odd because the last three days I’ve had more calories than usual. I had a bite of pumpkin pie filling and apple pie filling (I’m gluten intolerant) and a couple bites of mashed potatoes. Other than that it’s been mostly the foods I eat but in higher quantities. Bodies are weird! I started drinking more decaf coffee with HWC and something called Ripple Milk as the creamer. Ripple Milk is made from peas and they have a chocolate one so I use that to give a slight flavor enhancement to the coffee. I’ve found I really need to sip electrolytes through the day or I start to feel week and sometime headachey. I’ve had more fruit than usual. More olives. More veggies. Anyway, I’ll take the whoosh however it came.

Just wanted to pop-in for the last time this year.

Sleekly I’m sure our bodies appreciate a bit of a ‘surprise’ now and again. I think they get used to the same old routine and when we ‘wake’ them up they thank us!

So, I’ve had a ‘quiet’ day today with time to reflect on the year in general and my weight progress in particular. Yes I weight half a stone or so less than this time last year. Yes I’ve had several holidays, including cruises, and ‘managed’ my weight. Yes my blood sugars have remained in the ‘normal’ range so my T2 is still in remission.

BUT, I’m reminded of how brilliantly well Yowzer has done this year and in the last six months especially, I think. I had written down similar ‘food for thought’ ideas that motivated Yowzer …..
If your motivation is running low try bringing some emotion back by asking ….
1. How will I feel if I continue versus if I stop?
2. What will my life look like in one year from now if I continue versus if I stop?

So that’s the million dollar question! I guess it all comes down to how much you ‘want’ to lose weight and your ‘Why’. It worked for Yowzer and it can work for everyone who is prepared to put in the work!

Yowzer wishing you continued success with maintenance in 2025.

We all know the ‘how’ so I guess we must all make our own goals and manage our expectations accordingly. What is your why? Fitting into clothes? Putting T2 into remission? General health and well-being? Do we go for a modest goal that we know is more than achievable but which could lead to complacency or a greater goal?

I don’t know what my goal will be. I’m still trying to figure out my ‘plan’ for 25 but one thing I know for certain is ‘I need a plan’! As the saying goes … fail to plan and you plan to fail!

Time for thought as the new year approaches.

Happy and Healthy 2025 hoping it brings all you wish for!🥂🎉🎊🎈

Hello …. just popping in to let you all know the January thread has now been set up, ready for us all to make a fresh start in 2025. The title is Jumping into January – New year New You in 2025. Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Happy New Year everyone. 🥳🎊🤸‍♀️🥂

Thank you very much SunnyB & I hope you had an enjoyable festive period & A Happy New Year to you & everyone else. We will now be spending today at home having had to cancel our lunch at a friends house because my husband has unfortunately picked up a virus from our daughter in law after spending Christmas there as has our other son. So far I am ok but it might be RSV & not a cold so not wanting to infect others. C’est la vie!!🤔
My good news today is that I finally have an MSK appointment next week!
See you next year👍😀
With best wishes to everyone & to a healthy & hopeful 2025
Margaret xx

Thank you for setting up the new thread Sunny. Just popping in to say I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and family time. Now to wish you all a very Happy New Year and will see you tomorrow on the new thread. New Year new goals and looking back on old ones.

Great that you have finally got an appointment Margaret, a very happy new year for you.