was recommended this BSD by my GP today, have looked online and ordered books from Amazon, which should be here on monday….is there anything i can do until then to start myself off or is it best to wait until i have read the books, its a bit of a do or die situation so i dare not screw up…also which is the best way to start…..fasting or med style? thanks in advance……

Hi woofmum,
Welcome and great that you’re ready to take the first steps to better health.
Have you looked at the quiz on the home page of this site? That might help you decide which diet is right for you.
It would depend on how much weight you need to lose and whether you are diabetic. If you have a lot to lose and have blood sugars that are very high I would suggest the fast 800. It also depends on how much self control you have. If you need more structure, then again I’d recommend the fast 800. There have been members who’ve commented that they fasted ok on the two days and then couldn’t control their eating on the other 5, with the 5:2 diet.
You could try downloading the 8 week blood sugar diet series of articles from the Daily Mail UK website. I read those and started the diet before my book arrived.
All the best…

WOW – recommended by your GP – that is VERY good news, it means others in your practice will get the same great help.
Personally I found the 5:2 difficult, not because I didn’t control what I ate the other 5 days but because it was like starting the diet all over again on the other 2 days. On the fast 800 the first 3 or 4 days I felt a bit ‘woolly’ but after that the hanger pangs go, the amount of food in 800 calories feels normal and the weight drops off. If you’re diabetic you should see improved blood sugar readings. However, we are all different and you must choose the option which suits you best.
Last but not least, welcome to the forums Woofmum – they are full of lovely, kind people who will offer help and support.
Good luck on your new journey and download the daily mail articles (8 week blood sugar diet) recommended by Cherrieanne. 🙂 I still use mine even though I have the book!

Hey woofmum, welcome to the forums.
It’s so good to see that you have a supportive GP.
A lot of folk have experienced the opposite reaction from their GP’s so it’s nice that you have one with a more modern outlook on things.
I would give the fast 800 a try first. You may have a couple of early side effects but they go within a few days and after that you shouldn’t feel hungry as your body gets used to a new way of eating.

Thanks Cherianne…would you have a link to the download as I cant seem to find one please?

Sounds like you are keen to get started woofmum and there is lots of support and tips on the forums so make the most of them. It wouldn’t hurt to make a start cutting out sugar and starchy carbs before the book arrives, to start getting you body ready for your new eating regime, but be sure to read the book when it arrives, as it will help you to understand the changes you need to make, to achieve your goal.

Good luck with it and do let us know how you get on.

Hi woofmum you just need to google ‘daily mail 8week blood sugar diet’. The articles were in january editions 🙂

Hi woofmum, sorry I missed your post. I’m in Aus so was probably asleep 🙂
Hashimoto has answered though. Neither she nor I are very tech savvy so you might just have to google it. I tried putting up a link on advice from Bill but it didn’t seem to work.
I know Jeff from the US was able to find it ok though, and a couple of others.

Hi Woofmum,
I’ve just finished my first 24 hours on the BSD…and I survived 🙂 Blood sugar dropped from 7 to 5.9 which is very motivating. I spent a few days planning before starting and made yesterday a day where I didn’t have to do anything too strenuous as I wasn’t sure how my body would react to the reduced calories. I’m very excited to see what the rest of the week has in store for me & look forward to hearing how you go – we can do this!!

Hi Woofmum. I have just completed the first week and have lost 5lbs. I have read the book from cover to cover twice and am no following the weekly plans in the book. I’m lucky, no headaches, no cravings, and I haven’t been hungry either.
Hope your books arrive early tomorrow, then you can get reading! Good luck 👍😀

Hi woof mum, my hubby and I started the BSD on 13th March, it was weigh in day today and I have lost 10lbs and hubby 5lb, we have both lost inches from waist and hips, we are not diabetic but both high risk pre diabetes due to excess weight and lifestyle, we started on the 800 cal Mediterranean diet, it is working really well so far so good luck and keep us posted.