…was AWESOME!!!
As I did the usual daft thing of eating late last night (chicken but in a sweet bbq sauce) before starting my 8week BSD today, I left it until 2.15pm before eating. I had several cups of green tea, and a couple of pints of water this morning.
I decided on a mug of miso paste soup, with a plate of red pepper chunks, cherry tomatoes and some hummus. I was quite surprised that the hummus is higher in calories than I realised – I used to lash it on and use a whole tub! To be fair, a quarter of a tub (50g) was plenty with the veggies. Fat Secret app says that’s 267kcals. Delicious! I even sat at the table! So plenty to play with tonight.
I’m now trying to work up to a walk. I had a brain injury a few years ago and I still find walking outside difficult, as I have poor balance. I’m not going to beat myself up about exercising – I’ll just do what I can!

Well done Langerhans!
This way of life gets easier as you go and the food is delicious. You’ll find as you get into it that you won’t be searching for the quantities you’ve previously consumed.
Eating at the table is a great habit – it contributes to mindful eating.
Best wishes.

Hi Switzerland! Thank you for the encouragement. You know, the silly think is that I love these foods – I just got into the addictive habit of stodge. How is it going for you?

Well, I had a topside steak with garlic butter and a flat mushroom and lots of spinach, and some frozen summer berries with Greek yoghurt. (Total for the day =700). I’ve essentially had the same today but in a different order. I also had a pear today – not sure if it was worth the extra cals and carbs – but it got me through the morning at work.
A bit light-headed today (the hot weather may be adding to it), feeling determined!

Hi Langerhans,

Be sure to drink enough fluids in the hot weather. Doing BSD you need 2-3 litres/day. A pinch of salt in the water doesn’t go astray (unless salt is contraindicated for you).

I’m doing well. I commenced BSD800 01/04/16 and completed that phase 27/05/16. I’ve continued on BSD5:2 since then. I have a way to go with total weight loss but I find this way of eating suits my lifestyle. There’s always 2 days a week when I can seemlessly stick to 800 calories.My waist measurements have shrunk by 13 cms and my last HbA1c was 5,6 so I know that my metabolism is improving.

I steer clear of sugary, starchy carbs, try to stick to 45g protein/day and enjoy healthy fats. It becomes second nature and the food is delicious!

Best wishes.

Wow. Well done, Switzerland! Sounds like you’ve nailed it. I think I’m going to alternate 4:3 when I get to the end of BSD800 (09/10/16 marked in my calendar!). A colleague at work does 5:2 and has his fast days on work days. He was interested to hear about BSD too.

I suspect I’m prediabetic from my BMs (I do my finger pricking at work!) and brain fog, but not officially diagnosed. My mother and grandmother had Type 2, and my GP constantly threatens me with it if I don’t lose weight. I was told I’d end up on a mobility scooter in five years because I’ve knackered my knees – and that was 4 years ago…

Day 3 I had scrambled eggs with coconut oil and tomatoes with a glass of milk for lunch – really filling! My usual hummus/peppers for tea (portable for work) and greek yoghurt/berries when I got home. This is totally doable.

Day four and not hungry! Resisted deliberate and inadvertent (‘doing my head in’ variety) efforts of ex-husband to sabotage diet during a lengthy visit!
Today I had a miso soup with mushroom, tomatoes and spinach; dinner was a fish curry with onions, garlic, carrot, spinach and yoghurt, and frozen berries and yoghurt. Gorgeous! 793kcals.

Hi Langerhans!
Its so encouraging reading your posts! I have been gearing myself up with starting BSD as I am type 2. I have been putting it off as I still have conflicting advice from diabetic nurse about losing weight and carbs, etc. It sounds as if you have found the right combination of foods for you and I am hoping it will be the same for me! Good luck, keep going and I will bore you with details when I get started! Lol

Hi Impecho,
I’m glad my journalling is helping. You need to start when you are ready, but I’m sure you won’t regret it and will see changes very quickly.
As a nurse, I know that we’re bound by the slow-turning cogs of guidance and policy. I work with long-stay patients, several of whom are developing Type 2. I KNOW how to stop it, but am stuck with the dietician’s sheets and handing out Metformin like Smarties. I’m hoping if I lose enough weight through BSD I can convince the bosses to let me do a presentation on it.
Looking forward to your posts. x

Hi Langerhans

I have mobility difficulties and so walking is very difficult for me too. You’re right not to beat yourself up about something that is out of your control.

I am into week 7 but have not been as vigilant as many. I average 1000 cals and 75 to 100 carbs a day but have still lost 12lbs. Ok, so not a huge loss but a loss none the less. I’m sure that exercise would have helped me to lose more but that’s not really to be! But I do feel very much better than I did at the start of this plan and am really not hungry at all anymore. I think it takes a week or so to adjust to low carbs.

Glad to hear somebody else is using Fatsecret. Most people use my fitness pal but I just couldn’t get used to it. I think Fatsecret is more flexible when it comes to altering the weight of a food.

I find it really odd that the ‘medical profession’ hasn’t taken low carbs on board for diabetics. The ‘science’ seems to make so much sense. I have a very progressive practice, so am really interested to see what they say when I go for my next check up in October. I’m hoping to have lost 10% of my body weight by then …. and I have a lot to lose!!!!!

Keep journaling !

Well, Verano will one day bet THE BIGGEST LOSER! Yeh, I watch the show! Keep it up on losing! I only lose about half a pound a day. That dissappointed me when I lost almost 7 pounds the first week.

I say you are right: Week to adjust! But different for others.

Progressive medicine? I like modern medicine when it comes to my epilepsy. But, other things I like Accupuncture to make my aches go away. Here is a video on weight loss from Accupuncture:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlSYYdvWySI

Please do not try accupuncture yourself from what you read online. They are professional doctors…..yes! I said doctor!

Hi Verano, thanks for your reply. Well done for your weight loss and sticking with it. Sorry to hear you also have mobility problems – we can but try, eh? The FatSecret (not the best name!) app is great; I like the pie chart for macros!
Princetonian – I agree that there is good and bad in both pharma and complementary therapies.

Day 5 has been good – head not so achey and as I (inadvertently) got up early, I made soup and a lunchbox to take to work. So lunch was a leek and mushroom soup, and dinner was chicken breast, avocado, tomatoes and red pepper salad with soy sauce and white wine vinegar dressing. I had a small salad with capers for supper. 779kcals.

And some good news at work – a place on a course in October that will involve practising mindfulness!

Day 6. Breakfast was miso soup with spinach. Lunch was tomato and avocado with salad leaves and capers. I added some “Tesco Red Slaw” (pickled red cabbage and beetroot) – somewhat higher in calories than expected. Snack was some Greek yoghurt. This evening I had cauliflower with tinned chopped tomatoes and feta cheese. 840kcals, so slightly over, but the average has been slightly under 800kcals.
Fuzzy-headed and headachey today (but my migraine treatment is overdue) and peeing an awful lot!

Hi Langerhans,
….remember the fluids….hope you’ve sorted out your headache/fog.
You’re doing well – anyone that can get through the efforts of a sabotaging ex and not ‘fold under the pressure’ has the BSD principles at heart – it’s only a matter of them becoming absolute habit and you’ve nailed it!
It’s great news about your course on mindfulness – getting your head sorted (yes, we all need to) really helps – mindful eating helps us to stay focused on the BSD.
Remember if walking is difficult, doing some ‘weights’ (you can use anything if you don’t have the proper ones, just be safe) while sitting will also help.
Best wishes.