Having read the blood sugar diet I am feeling more than a little frustrated and wonder if there is anyone out there who has similar problems to me but still benefited from the diet. I am 68. I was diagnosed in May 2014 and put one one metformin per day. By March 2015 I had increased to 4 tablets per day plus 4 gliclozide, and then January this year I was admitted to hospital and put on insulin on 12 units per day now on 40. My two big problems are firstly that I am a wheelchair user as a result of childhood polio and so can do very little exercise – post polio syndrome means I suffer from severe fatigue and I also have very poor balance so I can do almost none of the exercises Michael Mosley suggests. Amongst my myriad long term health conditions I also have uveities (eye condition) as a result of which I am permanently on steroids and according to my diabetes specialist is the main reason I have developed diabetes and why I have had to go on insulin so quickly. The initial page of this website suggests I should not go on the blood sugar diet for medical reasons but does anyone know know if I can go on a low carb diet but not so severe as the 8 week diet without it causing me harm.

gillytee, as Dr Mosley suggests, this diet is not suitable for everyone. I think the main problem could be caused by the very low calories BUT you don’t have to go the whole BSD800, you can start easing yourself in with the Med version which just means you cut out ALL process, simple, white carbs – bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals (breakfast type) pastry, cakes and sugar. Then you follow the Med way of eating, lots of fresh veg, olive oil, avocados, eggs, milk, cheese. If you have the book, he explains all the things you can have or you can find versions of it just by typing into Google.

Cutting out carbs can only be a good thing and you shouldn’t be hungry because you will be eating good fats and whole foods that fill you up. Carbs just make you think you are full then make you hungry again very quickly.

As for the exercise, it is not necessary to be so active, are there any you can do. You know your own limitations. Just try it for a couple of weeks to see how you get on, then maybe you could progress to the 5:2 where you eat Med style 5 days and do the 800 calories for 2. Just take it easy and do what feels best for you.

Gillytee – I absolutely agree with Sunshine-girl’s post. She has set out so clearly exactly what you need to do. If you follow her advice to the letter you cannot go wrong and your health will improve.

I was admitted to hospital four and a half years ago and put on insulin also and was actually quite scared when I started the BSD but I did exactly what Sunshine-girl suggests and I was absolutely fine and in fact felt a lot better. I then felt braver and added 800 calorie days.

As long as you keep monitoring your blood sugars just to check if you need less insulin you will be fine.

Gilly I was on 38 units per day and 3 Glicazides. I am now on 26 units and 2 Glicazides. I did sometimes have very low readings and I do quite a bit of exercise so, after reading up, I cut out one of the Glicazides because the are the ones that can cause hypos, not the insulin. I did take my insulin down slowly, say drop 2 units, then leave to see how it goes. The less insulin you take the better for your weight and, also, insulin makes you hold onto fat so don’t be upset if you don’t see the massive losses some people have. I am at 11 lbs down after 11 weeks and in need of a boost to get losing more.