Hi all, I posted a couple of weeks back saying how despondent I was over putting back on most of the weight I’d previously lost, due largely to being switched from Metformin to Gliclazide (my nurse had warned me it would most likely make me put on weight….she was right!). I had some encouraging replies, thank you. I was so down about it that I decided to drop the Glic and go back on Met, despite the annoying side effects, as I just couldn’t cope with putting on more weight. Well, the good news is that I’ve stopped putting on weight and have actually lost 3lbs in the past week, which is a good little boost. The trouble is, though, I’ve never been able to diet successfully (having dieted for most of my life) unless I put my heart and soul into it and concentrate on it 100%….and life (and lots of it) just keeps getting in the way. I do try to do a weekly menu plan – all well and good, but on some days stuff happens and the plan goes out of the window (am having some family and personal problems which are ongoing and keep taking my mind off the plan, resulting in the odd sandwich or slice of toast here and there).

Been having a think about it all today….I don’t think there’s any point in beating myself up about it or being unrealistic – if I cannot stick to the plan 100% because of other things going on, well making myself miserable because I didn’t stick to it will only set me up for even more failure (in the form of a bag of crisps and huge chunk of cheese, probably!). So I reckon I will try and follow the plan as much as possible (I don’t bother counting calories, can’t be doing with that, I find the best thing for me is to cut out all the bad carbs and cut down quite drastically on portion sizes), but on the days when it doesn’t go according to plan, just forget about that and get back to it as soon as I can.

I notice some of you have your own personal diary threads on here…..good idea, hopefully that might help me. So here’s mine. Had scrambled egg and low sugar baked beans (which were blooming horrible, shan’t be having those again, will stick to tinned toms in future!) for brunch, will be having roast lamb with a couple of small new potatoes and some green veggies for dinner. Will sit and do a menu plan after dinner.

Hi Sooze-
I had ghastly side effects with metformin – then my GP switched me to the extended release version, which has been fine – have you tried that one?
Just forgetting it when it goes wrong and starting the next day anew sounds like a good plan – the only thing I’ve tried to do other than that is think about why it went wrong, and think about how I can avoid the situation in future (my biggest one was thinking I’m not hungry, skipping a meal, then consuming far more calories than the the meal would have been, and sometime around midnight).
Keeping non carb snacks handy might help?

Congratulations on the 3lb, and lots of luck with resuming BSD

Oh, forgot to add, I tried branston low sugar baked beans last week, and liked them a lot better. I mix them with a can of cannellini beans to further reduce the carbs in a portion – although I have noticed that when I have them without added beans, there’s lots more sauce left behind on the plate, so assuming that;s where the additional carbs and sugar are, maybe you’g get the same effect by draining off the surplus sauce.
Not something I eat when not dieting, but they’re my ‘toast substitute’ with poached egg for breakfast.

Hi Frog, thanks for the reply. Yes, I’ve been on the slow release version the whole time of taking them (4 years or so), ever since the first fortnight on the normal ones kept me practically glued to the toilet seat and doubled up in pain – the SR ones don’t give me quite so much gut ache, but I still get the squits, albeit not as bad.

Not tried the Branston low sugar beans, the ones we have at the mo are supermarket own brand, perhaps they’ll taste a bit better with some tomato puree, a knob of butter or some herbs in (we bought a 4-pack, sadly!). Will get the Branston ones next time.

I’m an emotional eater, so when something upsetting happens, as it has been quite a lot lately, I tend to reach for comfort food. I guess the answer is not to have any naughty comfort food in the house. Non carb snacks (it would have to be something I really enjoy eating) would be a good idea, thanks.

Feeling really good about everything right now, have done a menu plan so know what we’re eating for the next few days (so long as nothing goes wrong!). Going to spend some time tomorrow in the kitchen making mini salmon & cheese quiches, courgette & carrot bhajis and chickpea flatbreads for snacks or quick meals, so there’s always something handy in the fridge and the rest can be frozen and quickly defrosted.

This lovely hot weather (we’re in the west country….west of England, that is) is good in more ways than one – I’m drinking a lot more water, and the heat makes me so hot, sweaty and uncomfortable. This is actually a good thing because it makes me realise I’d cope with the heat so much better if I lose 3 or 4 stones!

Frog, you gave me an idea about the horrid beans when you mentioned draining off the surplus sauce (which I’m sure you’re right, that’s where the disgusting taste and extra carbs are). I had 3 tins left, having bought a 4-pack…..I emptied them all into a sieve and rinsed off all the nasty sauce, then mashed them in a bowl. Shredded and boiled half a small Savoy cabbage. Fried a thinly sliced onion in a small amount of butter and oil. Mixed the whole lot together, with plenty of chopped sage, salt & pepper….a sort of Colcannon, without the potatoes. I’ve divided it up into several portions and frozen most of them….will have one tonight. So thank you for that idea.

A family member has just been diagnosed with kidney cancer. Normally, that sort of thing would have me falling (jumping) off the wagon and stuffing my face….the emotional eating thing. Not this time though – it’s made me more determined to stay on plan and lose weight, seeing as obesity is one of the causes of cancer (so I read on the Cancer Research website).