Hi out there,

I’ve only just joined and really have little idea of what I’m doing :-/
But I’m trying to take on board the key ideas though I haven’t the patience at this stage to count kj – or calories, as you say here. I’m Australian and all info on packets is in kj so it’s a bit frustrating cause 800 cal is so much easier to remember than 3347kj… I’ve rounded it to 3500 kj. My confusion means I still have to work out if I’m doing low-carb or the low cal diet… I’ve cut out virtually all carbs and just upped the protein and iron-rich foods (I’m iron-deficient), nuts, vegies and low sugar fruits. I’ve started reading some forum posts and it’s great to see so much support on here.

I got so excited about the prospect of doing something good for myself I’ve just jumped in. So much so, that I even posted a strawberry shortcake recipe on day 1 which I think is ok… But I’m not sure if it really IS either low-cal or low-carb. What made it hard to calculate is that I didn’t have all the packaging with the nutritional info. I researched similar products but the values vary a lot depending on brands. At least it tasted nice. I’m kind of horrified though because it’s already showing on the public side and I’m sure it needs checking by someone who understands this diet! What are the threshold values per serve to qualify for this?

Maybe I’m just vague today cause it’s Day 3 and I can’t stop thinking about carbs and the Easter eggs that were scattered around the house! I think I’ve lost 2kg already so I’ll just stick a “2kg” sign on the chocolate pile I made to help me focus and remember that I’m consciously making these off-the-cuff decisions to get me healthier NOW! 🙂
Oh yay. I feel better already 🙂

Cheers, Ros

Hi Ros,
If you have any Apple devices you can download an app to your phone/ iPad whatever. The app is the Australian easy diet diary. It will help you with calorie and carb counts. You can pick foods from the list on there or scan barcodes and it will save that info for you. You can monitor your daily intake in carbs or calories. Whichever is easier for you.
Have you read the book or the Daily Mail articles? They will explain the principles of the diet.
The advice usually given to newbies is to drink plenty of non sugary fluids, 2-3 litres a day. Make sure you get full fat milk, yoghurt etc. as it will help your body convert from carb burning to fat burning and will also help to curb hunger. Most people aim for 50g carbs per day for weight loss and blood sugar control.
Keep reading the posts for inspiration, and ask for help if you need it. There are lots of people ready to support you or celebrate your successes.

Thanks Cherrianne. I didn’t know about those apps. I’ll get my daughter to help me get and learn to use it. I don’t use apps much with the i-phone. But this is worth it. Thanks for advice regarding the full fat yoghurt as I was confused if that was after the 800 diet. I love my skim milk’s taste and really don’t like the full cream version. But I can switch cheeses etc. I’ve watched Dr Mosely’s TV programmes, read articles and this website. I need to get the book. My head’s still fighting with the contradictory ideas of my old (unsuccessful) dieting lessons and this one.
I’m happy I’ve started this because I’ve paired it with finally going back to the gym. Together, they’re making me feel better.

Hi Ros,
The app is a great tool. You can also enter the ingredients of a recipe and how many serves it makes. The app will tell you how many carbs, cals etc is in each serve. The icon looks like a blue spiral bound notebook with a pear on it.
Somebody told me that Big W had copies of the book but I had already ordered mine online by then. This was a couple of months ago so not sure if they’d still be there.

I can’t wait until the book arrives as like Rosie I feel like I’m starting a little bit blind, not knowing enough about the diet, just what I heard on the interview with Michael Mosely and read on the website. I’ve not counted carbs before or given them much consideration. My husband and I began the diet 3 days ago but our first week is going to be our ‘prep’ week. I’m recording everything we eat on a blog and calculating both carbs and calories. So far the carbs are way above 50 and we’ve managed to eat under 1200 calories each day. We’ve been working towards changing our diet for years and I think that has helped enormously. We both realised late last year that we really need to kick our sugar habit. I was beginning to wonder if we needed to stop eating cheese too, but am feeling more optimistic about that now.

I’m glad I’ve joined this support forum – I’ve already picked up lots of helpful tips and love the encouragement from everyone.

Beverley cut out bread pasta rice potatoes and sugar. Use plenty of above the ground veggies but be more careful with the below the ground ones, and check the carb (and sugar, they get cute about that) contents on any pre packed food
Stick to that until the book arrives and you won’t go far wrong.
Remember to up your fat intake and drink the required amount of water (2 to 3 litres per day) and you will be fine.

Hi beverley google daily mail 8 week blood sugar diet and you will find 5 articles by M.M. 2 – 5 have a weeks menus. Print the menus off while you wait for your book. Bills advice is right. Sometimes it helps to see a menu and recipes when you are starting 🙂

Hi,
I’m on day 4 and everyday I learn something new..
These forums and the amazing people that share their knowledge are Earth Angels 😇 Thank you ..

Rosie, I got my book from Target $19

I also had trouble finding that App in the Apple Store so I googled it, and it gave me the link to the Apple Store 😃

Good luck .. 💙D x

Thanks Everyone for sharing your wisdom. You’ve given me more ways to approach food choices: above/below ground veg; scanning barcodes is too simple 🙂 Hi Beverley & Darleen, I don’t feel so alone now. I bought the last copy of the book from Big W for $17 just now. Looking forward to reading from a book 🙂
I was relieved that Fairfield RSL had a really tasty grilled veggie stack with quinoa. It’s amazing to actually notice most cafe options usually have a high carb component – bread, pasta, puff pastry etc.

Hi Darleen and Rosie, glad you’ve got books and are now sounding a bit more confident. You’re off to a great start! Lots to learn and re- learn eating this way but in a few weeks you’ll be helping the new ones too.
Any time you find a good low carb food, post it on the ‘low carb foods in Australia’ thread. If we can keep it near the top, then it will be easier for other Aussies to find 🙂