Hi
I am not diabetic, as far as I know, but blood sugar tests were some time ago.
I was very overweight after a very long bout of deep depression, so once I got that under control, decided to try to control the weight.

I have been on the 5:2 diet for a couple of years, and tried severely reducing carbs for 6 weeks late last year as an attempt to break a plateau, which worked, but then I had a long summer break from all that dieting stuff.
Then I heard an interview with the author about the BSD, so felt a bit more inspired and bought the book, and am trying to implement the Med style 5:2. I am keeping down the carbs fairly strictly.
Over the last couple of years I have got my BMI down from 41 to 31 but obviously have a long way to go yet.

Hi Hawks and welcome to the forums. You’ve done a great job getting your BMI down. I’m sure you’ll have great success on the BSD.
Keep in touch if you need advice or support, there’s always someone who’ll be able to help. Reading through the other threads helps you pick up all sorts of tips too. Although having done the 5:2 you would be pretty knowledgeable already 🙂

Hi Hawks a 10 point drop in your BMI is amazing, well done! The bsd should be a doddle for you with all that experience 🙂

Welcome Hawks
the diet should get you where you want to be, and as you have already done the 5:2, you should know mostly what to expect re short term carb cravings etc.
Best of luck and keep reporting your progress.

Hi,

I started today. Like you I’m not diabetic as far as I know, but want to lose weight for health reasons. Wishing us both success.

Hi patsy, welcome to the forums! Just shout if you need any help, we’ll all be rooting for you 🙂

Thanks for the welcome, and the encouragement. I have found that no one has commented on my lost weight, even when commenting on others who have lost much less. I think I somehow didn’t show it that much, or overweight still looks overweight, but it can be discouraging.
I hope it goes well for you Patsy!

Hi Hawks
I find the same thing when I’m wearing my baggy works outfit.
At home I wear a T shirt and joggers, people notice then
Get a pair of skinny jeans and a tight T shirt, the compliments will roll in 🙂

Hawks, I agree with Bill – i noticed i looked a lot thinner when I changed down to clothes which fit. Clothes which have become baggy retain the silhouette of lumps and bumps after being stretched that way for a while – treat yourself 🙂

Hi Patsy

Welcome on here. Looking forward to reading your progress.

Same has happened to me Hawks. Nobody has commented on my weight loss, but if I mention it they say “oh, I thought you’d lost weight’. 😳

My uniform has gone down one or two sizes (funny how skirts get longer when you lose weight!) and they’ve also seen me in smaller trousers and new (smaller) tee shirts.

Luckily I’d kept my old uniforms as I grew out of them so can now work my way back down through them. I am disposing of the big sizes as I’ll not need them again, will I?

NEVER Lynne
give them to the ragman, you may get a couple of balloons for the bairns 😉

Bill, or I could send them to a parachute factory LOL.

Ha ha, I’m not quite skinny jean material yet! I _am_ very close to not having to shop for clothes at larger size only shops though, so once that is the case I will be treating myself. I have been punching new holes in my belt, and look forward to each new one. The budget won’t reach to new clothes for all the sizes I have or will go through.
Others will have to wait on a sudden reveal to see the change.
One of my objectives is to get back to horseriding, which I used to do for exercise and fun, but they have an upper weight limit at the riding schools, so that isn’t doable for another 10 kg.

Bill, your comment regarding carb cravings is so true. I obsess about them and food in general, and as a person who loves to cook and bake, and only has one other person to feed, that is not good! Cutting out carbs and having starve days has really brought home to me how often food is on my mind, and how often I use it as a distraction.
I am on an antidepressant that increases appetite and is documented for causing weight gain. When I went on it, this side effect was discussed with me, but the alternative was definitely the greater evil. It has been very effective at treating my depression, and gaining weight was not nearly as bad as feeling suicidal all the time! I am grateful to my psych for finding a drug that really helped, (after trying 6 others.)

Hi Hawks, sorry to hear you have had problems. Due to a lot of chest infections I have had an awful lot of oral steroids over the past several years – they too cause hunger pangs and weight gain so I know how you feel. However, this diet has sorted that problem for me. I would only suggest that you keep tabs on your meds when you lose a lot of weight as they will have a stronger effect on less body mass so you may need your doctor to reduce them under supervision. I am currently having my massive doses of inhaled steroids reduced under medical supervision as the combination of antibiotics three times a week plus weight loss plus generally better health on this diet seem to have improved the severity of my asthma.
Keep well, best wishes 🙂

Thanks, Hashimoto.
Good advice. I’ll keep it in mind as things progress.
I hope your asthma stays controlled. Strangely, mine calmed down when I moved to a rural area surrounded by pollens and dust from trees and grasses. I wonder if the constant exposure helps. Fresh air can’t hurt.