Just a call out to see if anyone else is from this corner of the world.

If so we might be able to share suggestions for in season veg recipes, or products to avoid with hidden carbs.

Just the other day I bought some pork at the supermarket, and got it home only to notice an ingredient list – on what otherwise looked like a couple of plain steaks. Made me do a double take. It turned out to have maple syrup in the steaks. Rather annoying, as by then I was home, which is 40 minutes from the supermarket, and that was my dinner.

Kia Ora 🙂 I am just looking at present but very interested as have a person close to me diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Food looks delicious. Havent purchased the book either but it all makes perfect sense. Are you following it to the letter?
Sheryl

Hi Sheryl!
No, at this stage I am trying the Med style 5:2. I wasn’t sure about being very calorie conscious, butmay do that later.

I have done the 5:2 for 2 years, and it got me down from 41 BMI to 31, but then I plateaued and lost enthusiasm. Cutting carbs has really helped both with the weight and the enthusiasm.

Have you found that you are satisfied while have a lot less carbohydrates? Yes guarding your enthusiasm is important isnt it. Do you have diabetes type 2 or are you following this way of eating simply for weight management?

Hi lostrist51
you will certainly feel satisfied with less carbs after the initial settling down phase.
You must make sure to up your fat intake though as this is what keeps your digestive system working, keeps you feeling full, and eventually puts your body into ketosis or fat burning mode.
Welcome to the forums and keep us informed of your progress.

Hi lostrist51

Welcome.

I agree with Bill – you will definitely feel satisfied with less carbs.

Maple syrup in pork steaks😱 We’ve identified a similar problem in the UK. At least one major retailer is adding sugar to poultry and some meat products ‘to improve flavour and texture’! Having to be really careful with reading those labels😳

Keep us informed of your progress please b

Hi lostrist51,
I am not diabetic as far as I know,, just doing this for weight and also for health generally. My blood sugar tests were not done when I was heaviest though.
I find I am satisfied, ( and a few almonds are quite filling if I need a snack) but still get the munchies for reasons other than hunger: Bored, avoiding something else, also a side effect of meds I am on, and generally obsessed with food. I used to bake a lot, and found it a bit of an emotional boost to create something. I just need to adjust my cooking to healthier stuff!

Kia Ora, I’m in Christchurch I don’t have diabetes am doing this for health and weight, been doing it for 2 weeks have lost 2 kgs, finding no carbs no hassle at all, and my skin as improved,
Am trying hard to hit 10000 steps a day I walk at lunch time, at in the evening but it gets getting darker, we live on the edge of the Earthquake Red Zone so I don’t want to walk alone in the dark.
Have made a stack of soups for lunch all tomato, capsicum based
cutting back the vino had been the hardest thing 🙂

Hi boomboom
I’m in Chch too, but not in the urban area. Congratulations on the weight loss so far, and the exercise achievements.
Tomato soups are a great idea: easy to prepare, eat, and to get plenty of those tomatoes as recommended in the Med diet.
Are you doing the 800 diet?
It’s definitely that time of year: early mornings and evenings are getting a lot less welcoming. I have to admit my walk was cut short because of the rain, today.
I have a dog, which is great when walking on your own in the dark. If you don’t have one, do you know anyone nearby with a dog? Very few dogs complain about extra walks, and their enthusiasm is encouraging. Because I can safely walk mine off the lead here, she is always running ahead, then back, looking at me from around each corner with a cock to her head as if to say, “Are you coming? Hurry up! Off we go!”

Greetings to other New Zealanders from 60 km north of the shaky capital. It was quite a jolt this morning in the high rise I work in!

I am here for weight loss and do not have diabetes. I am just ending day 6 of the 800 calorie Blood Sugar diet and feeling quite content. I work well with boundaries and not too many choices, and I love the foods “prescribed.” Cheese, olives, full fat yogurt, I cannot complain, even when portion controlled:-) 2 kilos off so feeling encouraged.

There is not a lot of spare time in my life but I do appreciate the availability of such a helpful forum as this one seems to be and look forward to hearing further about how folks are managing this new way of eating.

Hi Hawkes, I am doing the 800 last year I did 5.2 with good success until I went to Italy & the UK for 6 weeks, (carb heaven) then it was Christmas so time to give it another go kicking starting with the 800 for 8 weeks have 10 days on The Sunshine Coast in August so would like to drop at least 5 kgs keeping my goals small and achievable
Currently I am just getting enough walking in, I do have a dog but he is 13 and blind small and fluffy LOL but I am going to get the bike out of the garage and learn to ride it,………I brought it 3 years ago to going riding with my husband rode it twice.
You have done very well with you BMI droppin so much, I like cooking so enjoying the challenge of no carbs and 400 cl dinners
I have a Big Green Egg BBQ which is fantastic for roasting tomatoes, peppers & even cauliflowers

Kia ora from Auckland. It will be great to have some seasonal alternatives to the menus (can’t find pomegranates for love nor money at the moment). I think this diet is amazing, spreading the word madly!

Kia Ora from Palmerston Northj

I have been on the programme for 4 weeks now and have lost around 7kg
I did a big stir fry yesterday with cauliflower, zucchini, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and a red capsicum. I also sliced up some previously cooked corned beef from the weekend. This made up 5 meals in those Chinese takeaway dishes. One was for last night’s dinner; the others are in the freezer. I don’t need to say that the fry up was done in olive oil with black pepper and a touch of salt. During cooking, another glug of olive oil over the top.

I can think of two reasonably safe takeaway meals – Egg Foo Yong, and Pita Pit. The latter can be purchased in a waxed cardboard box rather than the unleavened bread wrap.

Kia Kaha
Jim

Kia Ora From Auckland…

I have been on BSD since 4-4-2016. It has been great so far. I feel lot more energy than i have ever felt before.

Hi Sooziesuzy, Iwannagetfit, jimnz and Mama03! Does that make at least half a dozen Kiwi on here?

Sooziesuzy: well done to you. Not bad for the first week! I am finding the cheese sometimes too tempting…

Mama03: yes re: the pomegranates. I have been eating a lot of pak choi in the last month chopped fairly finely and made into a salad. Livening it up with different things for variation, like apple, capsicum, chilli, spring onion, blue cheese, almonds, pinenuts, pistachio, feta… and sometimes turning it into a coleslaw with some Greek yoghurt or sugarless mayonnaise and chopped parsley or mint.

booboombum: Haha yes, that dog might not be much of a help, more a hindrance. (My elderly cat is much the same: I have to run away at the start of the walk or he tries to follow slowly and then I end up having a short and slow walk.)

Jimnz: Congrats on the weight loss. Yes, I discovered the pita pit salad without the pita , and was glad to find something I could eat when I was in a mall (aaargh) and hungry. It was very satisfying too. Great idea to make up stir fries in meal sized containers. They would be handy to take for a meal on the move and sound tasty too.
I have made a few of the zucchini muffins, with some modifications, (I had fresh chilli and spring onion to add) and frozen them for quick lunches too.
My zucchini are pretty much finished in the garden now though so they will have to last.

Anyone else planning or planting their winter veggies yet? The prices for cauli have made me feel a bit more enthused about growing some. I have got as far as buying the seeds, but have yet to rip out the seeding summer veg and of course, the weeds…

Kia Ora NZers, another JAfa here! Day 2 feeling hopeful! Have tried many diets, am feeling strong that I can do this! Doing the 800 cals.

Dinner tonight, thick sliced aubergine & courgettes griddled them in a skillet, chopped them into bite size pieces tossed with a couple of spoons of chickpeas and feta, drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of dukkha
Meanwhile overnight I had marinated strips of chicken in a marinade of buttermilk & chipoltle peppers in adobo sauce, I rolled these in panko crumbs and baked in the oven until crispy, serve chicken strips over warm salad …yum, haven’t worked out the calories yet
Had to work through lunch break so only had time for a small time of tuna……..not a bad thing 🙂
Been drinking heaps of water , can’t believe how many times I have been to the toilet…still helps with the 10000 daily step target

Your meals sound lovely boomboom 🙂

Just thought ‘d mention the muesli I found a while ago. Not cheap, but I don’t use a lot, so it lasts a while, and it is a NZ made one too: “something to crow about” is the brand, and the product is their Almond Spiced Coconut & Orange muesli. The bulk of it is nuts and seeds. Sometimes it is in the Gluten free section of the supermarket.It is marketed as a gluten free muesli, and is grain free too. I have it on whole fat yoghurt with a chopped up apple or pear. 13.5g of carb per 100g.

What I am looking for is a source of frozen berries that are all grown in NZ. Is there such a thing, and if so, where can I get it?

Hawks,
I found some NZ frozen organic blue berries at Count Down here in Palmerston North. The brand is Trader Tom’s and they are in a plain blue plastic bag. We have had two bags so far and they are very nice. I also found some mixed berries but they were not so good.

Jim.

Hi Jim,
Thanks for that. I just looked them up and they have fruit grown in NZ, Chile and Canada. Thank you for the description so I can keep an eye out and see if my local supermarket stocks them.

Hi Hawkes
I had been concerned that my local blueberry supply, frozen when they were plentiful, was finished, however, I found 1 kilo bags produced by Gilmours, says “product of New Zealand.” These are smaller than my usual variety of blueberry but eminently edible. There is also Sujon, a Nelson brand, but you have to read the packaging each time as the country of origin can vary. Currently I have frozen N.Z. boysenberries from Sujon. And for my most favourite I get Windermere Farms frozen raspberries, which are from Wanganui. I find all these berries at New World.

Thanks Sooziesuzy
I guess I have made the mistake of reading the label once and assuming that they would be the same thereafter. I will be more persistent in my research from now on!
We have a lot of blackberries on our land but they are finishing, (and I am about to try to reduce their number too) and they are particularly large seeded, being wild. They are not nearly as tasty or juicy as cultivars.

Hi Hawkes,
I get Mac Berry Harvest Blueberries I usually get them from Frozen Direct on Marshlands Rd , they are NZ berries grown in Ohaupo

Thanks booboombum. I will check out Frozen Direct.

Anyone planting their winter veggies yet? What stage are things at in other parts of the country?

We got started this weekend by clearing out the plants that were finished from summer, but leaving the ones that are still going.
So in addition to the cherry toms, capsicum, cucumber, chilli and zucchini that are still feeding us, we have broccoli, cauliflower, spring onion, mustard greens, cress, celery and leeks starting either in seed trays or in the garden. And a whole lot of self seeded lettuces, which is a perk for not weeding or removing bolted lettuces!
It is amazing what we can fit into just a few sq m of garden.

Yup another Kiwi on this great diet. I am from Matata (Whakatane) and have lost 11 kilos in 6 weeks so am really stoked. Need to make more recipes tho now that winter is on its way. Out with my favourites Carrot and potato, Kumera and pumpkin and the thick veg soup with all the no no things in it. Have a biggie birthday coming up in June so want to look OK for that. Still have 19 kilos to go and want to reach goal by summer.

Hi 🙂 Just registered to the website today. Doctor recommended this eating plan yesterday. I’m in Christchurch and I’m 27/f. Keen to chat to NZ’ers to find seasonal recipes. Feeling like this sort of diet would be easier to start in summer with salads and smoothies, but I guess winter is best for soup!

Hi TubbyKiwi!
Well done! 11 kilos in 6 weeks is really impressive. You are certainly on track for those June and summer goals.
Yes, many thick winter soups are off the menu. I am learning to like tomato soup more often. Do you have any suggestions for variations?

Ceerose,
Welcome to the forum and make sure you hang onto that Dr! That’s fantastic that you have a GP recommending the BSD. 🙂
You will have a lot more support from a GP who understands the programme.
Keep in touch on here, you’ll get lots of advice, tips and encouragement. The recipe section is expanding and you’re sure to find good ideas there, and the ‘what did you eat today’ thread.
Wishing you all the best for success.

Well done Tubbykiwi on your weight lost hope to follow in your lighter footstep
Bit of a disappointment on the scales this morning for weigh in had gone up !!!! nearly a kg…WTF, did have a couple of wines at the weekend so that probably explains it, back to the calorie counting. On the plus side my pants are definitely looser. Have been increasing my walks hitting the 10000 steps more often than not.
Dinner tonight is Thai style fish balls (baked in the oven) with broccoli, capsicum, carrot and green bean stirfry, using a small plate to serve.
There is a good fishmonger close to where I work they often have bags of sea perch for $10.00 , so I use the white fish, raw prawn meat, in the food processor, with Vietnamese mint, basil, coriander, garlic, fresh red chilli kaffair lime leaf, spring onion, squeeze of lime juice, big splash of fish sauce, pinch of brown sugar 1 teaspoon of rice flour and process, roll into walnut size balls, put on a backing tray, cover in cling film and freeze, when they are frozen they just go into a freezer bag, easy for a quick mid week low cal dinner
@ Hawke, I only have my herbs, lettuce, beetroot and silver beet left in the garden as well as my herb, we were Red Zoned so a new build had a fab veg garden in out Red Zone home, my husband has finished the raised veg planter so will hopefully be able to get a few more autumn crops in, currently the veg are just in makeshift beds, did have fantastic success with celeriac have never grown it before must check out the calorie and carb count

mmmmmmm not having a good week this week, have put on a 1kg since last Tuesday not sure why , I did have a couple of wines at the weekend but not that much !!! LOL,
Have been really strict on the calorie counting this week, but still weight has crept up, have 3 sessions in mind over the long weekend hopefully they will kick start the weight loss again, I feel thinner and better in myself and my clothes definitely fit better so those are pluses, but I do like having the physiological boost of seeing numbers on the scales decrease

Any chance you are either increasing muscle or more hydrated?

Have you been doing waist measurements? Others say those are sometimes a mental boost when the weight doesn’t go down, but things are still changing in your body. I don’t measure mine, but I have a belt that keeps needing new holes every so often – at the smaller end ha ha. Used to be the other way.

I (well my OH really) found some of that NZ frozen berry fruit so I have a well stocked freezer now. Thanks for all the tips everyone!

Thanks Hawkes didn’t think of the hydration side of things I have increase my water intake significantly,
Muscle mass doesn’t make a difference to weight 100gm fat is the same weight as 100gms muscle, but muscle mass does have a effect on size had to use the ties on my pj pants so will do a waist measurement this week will do that at the weekend

Kia Ora Kia Ora and others!
I’m also kiwi, from Wellington. I’m in week 6 of the fast 800, lost 7.7kg so far.
I find this diet much easier than others, the strictness helps I think, and because I lost my hunger and felt FANTASTIC in the first couple of days, and also started losing weight quickly, it was very encouraging.

Tips for days when I feel peckish, or when I plateau for a few days (which happens a lot!) – LOTS of water and a bit more salt. I can’t seem to add nuts for snacks as they are too calorie dense and I like to eat plenty of food throughout the day.

I need to add that I gave myself a break for about a week, and ate in the Mediterranean Low carb diet, as I was away from home and on holiday. So a lot higher calorie count, but still low GI. I didn’t gain any weight! but I stopped losing weight too, so back on the wagon for another 2 weeks.

Hardest part – not drinking any alcohol, after it made me feel really sick at the end of the first week.

Hi Fluffly Slippers,
well done on your weight lose so far,
I find the alcohol thing hard as well, I am still having a few drinks but have switched from wine to scotch & diet ginger ale,
I was surprised at how quickly I lost my hunger, my weight is fluctuating but it is heading in the right direction.
We have a 9 days holiday on the Sunshine Coast in August so the goal is to lose 10 kg and if I have to do the 800 till then so be it 🙂
Have a lovely long weekend, I have a couple of long walks and gym sessions planned

Hi Hawks,
I’m a Jafa. But I am really nice one. Just came in from fishing so I have got my protein sorted for a few days.
I am in my 4th week and have lost around 10 kilos. I followed the recipe book religiously for the first three weeks but lately have stayed with small helpings, no pasta, rice, spuds, bread etc. Hope it all still works for me. If not, back to the recipies in the book. I must say there are a lot of bonuses in losing weight. My tennis has improved. Better sleeping and less getting up in the night, no acid reflux. Not to mention the drawer(s) full of clothes that I should be able to wear again soon.
My 2 year old granddaughter asked me if I was having a baby because her mum is and she looks a bit like me. Shame. And last year when I was in Vietnam I was flattered when a very attractive young Vietnamese woman asked to have her photo taken with me. That was until my wife told me not to get too excited, she thought I looked like Buddha.
Getting back to the drawers full of clothes thing. Some of them date from the 70’s. God knows what the kids will say. But who cares I can always grow the hair long, along with one of those droopy mustaches. Cool!

Hi Pierre,
10 kilos down! Woo hoo! That’s impressive in only 4 weeks. What kind of fish did you catch? Let us know your recipe ideas.
I love the idea of you getting to wear your 70s clothes. If you aren’t careful, they may be borrowed by the kids as retro cool.

Hi FluffySlippers
Love the name. It is good to hear your results, which are great, and that you are finding the diet easier. I think the Med Style is definitely liveable long term.
I have to admit I am still drinking wine with meals, but I do strictly limit the amount as it does hit me hard. and we have plenty of cases that need drinking…

Hi Hawkes and other Kiwis,
In reply, today we fished the Manukau harbour catching gurnard and kahawai.
We eat so much fish it gets really hard to make it interesting however there is a great recipe in the “8 week” book. It is much better than it sounds. “Braised fish with lettuce and peas.” I make it a bit different to the book. Rather than cook the lettuce, who ever heard of that, I do a tasty salad with balsamic vinegar, I then lightly cook the fish in chunks toss in the peas along with the creme fraiche, lemon juice, capers and whatever, then toss over the salad. It is a great recipe for fish like kahawai which a few years ago we would have thrown in the rubbish. I have tried kahawai in chick pea rissoles. I tell you this new way of eating throws up all sorts of interesting culinary stuff.

Hi Pierre, I do like the sound of the NZ lifestyle! All that tasty fresh fish! You should try the cooked lettuce next time – you will find it surprisingly tasty!
I make lettuce soup when I have a glut of lettuce – you should try that too:)

Pierre you are yet another person who no longer has acid reflux. There are now too many of us for this to be a coincidence. Rock on Prof Taylor and Dr. M M! 🙂

Kia Ora fellow kiwis – I’m from the Bay of Plenty. First day on BSD – so far, so good. Had a beautiful walk along Papamoa beach this afternoon. Lots of people out enjoying the amazing day and the long liners were getting lots of fish.

Hi feistychick, It was a lovely autumn day, wasn’t it?

Just a note regarding cold smoked salmon. I used to buy the packs of cold smoked salmon pieces, Southern Ocean brand, from Nelson, which are almost always a lot cheaper per kg than the slices, but have just noticed they list sugar as an ingredient! Why oh why would they put sugar in salmon???
I might email them.

Fell off the 800 wagon over the long weekend, wasn’t too big a fall I think it was the spiced apple cake that did most of the damage along with a bottle of Last Shepard Pinot Noir………..climbed back on the wagon today, also order so Keostix’s which will show if I am in Ketosis (i.e. burning fat) will leave lost till later in the week.
But loved the weather over the weekend, did a couple of big walks, painted the fence, and fired up the Big Green Egg BBQ to roast/smoke a stack of peppers and tomato’s for lunchtime soups

No, that doesn’t sound like too big a fall. 🙂 and you landed on your feet.
Sounds like a good weekend. mmmm to the smoked peppers!