Hi,

I have tried so many diets and not made it past a couple of days, I have tried this one many times and have so many brands of shakes in the cupboard left over.

My weight has being piling on during lockdown so at 5ft 6inch I weight 14st 7lbs before lock down I was 13st 7lbs.

I really need to do do something about it, even my GP has told me I need to lose weight so today I am starting this again! The shakes I have in the cupboard are Optifast, Shake The Weight and Black Huel.

Can anyone recommend the best one to use, I really get cravings for sugar and carbs.

Thanks

FB

I would suggest you start by reading the Fast 800 or Blood Sugar Diet book.

Then check the ingredients in any shakes in your cupboards. I know that there has been an NHS program supporting people on an 8 week program using shakes but that is not the basis of the Fast 800 or BSD The principle is keeping carbs low, and reducing calories so that you body can burn body fat.

If you have been eating a high carb diet your mixture of gut bacteria will have adapted to include a lot of bacteria which depend on you eating sugar and carbs to fee them. They have the ability to signal to your brain that they want feeding. There is only one solution, don’t feed them and eventually the levels of this bacteria will drop down so that you don’t suffer from cravings, but it isn’t going to happen overnight.

Thanks I have read the book twice, I have also watched MM latest lock down series on using the BSD.

The intention would be to use real food at some point but for now I have a cupboard full of shakes that I will use.

Welcome to the forum….I’m just gonna call you Bloke, fatbloke is harsh on yourself. You are just a bloke, currently wobblier than you want to be but not for long!
Re the shakes – read the labels carefully – only use those low in carbs and low in artificial sweetener. Then only use them occasional or to help you get started. I do use the Fast800 shakes occasionally but real food is better and at least i know the Fast800 are designed to do the right things for my guts and blood sugar. Keep in mind, the shakes are no more wasted if you use them and they offer no nutritional value or set you back than they would be if they go in the bin. They are left over in the cupboard because they didnt work the last time and were not a sustainable answer, dont waste your time on them if they are not inline with this way of eating.

When you get a carb / sugar craving start by having a glass of water and try to ride it out. Tell yourself you will wait 30 minutes and then see if you still want something, often the craving will have passed by then. If that doesnt help have tea or coffee, if that doesnt help have something salty like a small cube of cheese, or a bit of salt on your finger….. if the body is calling for something it is usually water or salt; carb / sugar cravings come from disrupted gut bacteria and mental hunger, it will take a bit of effort to show your body that isnt what you needs but if you can stick this out for 10 days you WILL see a reduction in cravings – promise!

Thanks, FatBloke is a character from the old Harry Enfield show, ‘thanks fat bloke’.

I did try the fast 800 shakes and hated them, not for me but I am sure they work fine for many other people.
The Huel Black is quite high in nutrition and is aimed for people following low carb eating based on the macro’s but it tastes so bland.

Counting down 10 days then! :O)

I smash up some frozen berries and add them to my shakes – makes them much better in terms of taste and texture. Try that, or add some ginger or cinnamon see if it helps. Stick to the best low carb nutritional shakes and see how you go. Maybe alternate days shake one day, omelette or soup the next?
I find shakes useful as its clear portion control and i actually feel full after and dont want a ‘something sweet to finish’ which I tend to after a meal, usually a yogurt. But i think it has also slowed down my ability to have a modest portion of real food and just stop. I am still training that muscle!
Keep posting, let us know how your feeling and i bet you feel good in 10 days!!

Sorry about the Fat Bloke….. hahaha…. it will be an ironic name once you are lean bloke! (she says with a most awful name which suggest i have uncontrolled wind!)

Ha Ha, Windy is that because of the shakes.

No problem, it is my twisted sense of humour and being old so do not expect most people to know that there is a fatbloke character. :O)

Good idea with the berries and it is exactly portion control as to why I want to use the shakes for now.

I will keep everyone posted of my progress if I make it past day one!

I live on a really windy hill….. honest….and then there’s the shakes windy effect…its a thing!! Not helped for my love of broccoli and cabbage which has developed through Fast800 / BSD times!
I do remember Harry Endfield but i think i was maybe 5 years too young to appreciate it fully.

You will make it past day 1 – i shall expect a positive report tomorrow please! Have dinner and go for a walk – its a good distraction but also you dot really notice how full you are unless you get up and start moving. You can have that top tip for free. 🙂

Will do! 🙂

Hi Fatbloke,
I love a twisted sense of humor and I’m old too so I am posting to give you support and more importantly, hope. I haven’t been back here posting for a long time but you sound like you need support.

Please listen carefully, and take this to heart right now — this diet IS GOING TO WORK FOR YOU. Most importantly, you are going to have days that “go south” and “you blow it”. It happens to everyone. You will eat too much and all the wrong things and you will be tempted to just stuff it all and go back to the way you have always done it. It’s comfortable, it’s warm, it’s relaxing and it’s mentally like a down comforter.

Put that aside, one day (or more) is not the problem — put it (or them) aside and the very next day or meal (as you can manage), JUST START AGAIN.

Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t even THINK about it. That day is GONE. It does not matter. Just start again.

If you have to “start again” 100 times, that is fine. I cannot begin to remember how many times I started again.

Over five years now (no kidding) I lost and kept off about 35 pounds — and I have learned these important things along the way:

1.) this diet is more important for your brain than for your body. All of us will sadly lose the best of our body as we grow older (and believe me, I am fighting to the last breath to keep my body strong and fit) but in the end, your body is of no value if you lose your brain and develop dementia or Alzheimer’s.

This diet will protect your brain to the last, so you will remain YOU and you will enjoy this amazing world until your dying day. Research continues to roll in, study after study, meta-study after meta-study that this kind of low-carb eating and exercise will defend your brain and keep you mentally fit. (Listen to Dr Benjamin Bikman podcasts and read Dr Perlmutter “Grain Brain” for further information.

2.) don’t expect immediate (or ha, ha, ever) perfection. You don’t have to hit 800 calories starting tomorrow, you can work your way into this diet — eat less carbs today, drop cereal tomorrow, read more and learn about how sugar “hides” and cut those out too, choose heavy cream instead of milk, have olives for a snack instead of crackers, pick your yogurt more carefully, eat in a time-restricted way, fast for 24 hours — all of these are learning experiences and they take time.

There is a lot of good information out there – my favorites are mentioned above and one more, Gary Taubes two books, “Good Calories Bad Calories” and “Why we get fat and what to do about it”

A final thought — research says that fat people are black and white thinkers — “I blew it today, therefore I have totally blown it forever” kind of thinking.

Replace it with shades of grey — yup, I blew today but tomorrow I will do “X” to avoid that same scenario….

I used to drive to a dinner party at a restaurant with friends practicing out loud what I would order!! LOL!!

Find and develop your personal hacks Fatbloke.
You’ve got this!
Julia

Excellent words of wisdom there Julia, good to see you about on the forum again and glad you’re maintaining.

Fatbloke, nothing to add at this point, as Julia, Julz and JGwen have covered things really well. Would say though, if you’re looking for support and encouragement as you tackle this new regime, perhaps consider joining us on the weekly thread … the new one has 16th March in the title. We’re a friendly crew and you’re guaranteed a warm welcome.

Wow what a response a lot of advice there to absorb, thank you Julia!

It is encouraging to hear that you have have lost 35 pounds and managed to keep it off, well done!

I have some of Gary Taubes books (well audio books) I am currently listening to his latest book ‘The Case For Keto’ which is interesting, I love the way he puts forward his arguments.

Thanks very much everyone for the advice and support, I will check out the weekly thread.

Chris aka FB

I wish there was a “like” button – Julia – you are spot on!!!!

Hope the rest of yesterday went well Fatbloke!?

WindyJulz! I’m so happy to see you! I obviously had so much fun last time that I decided to put all the weight on again and start over. I’m really glad you’re still here!

Clinging on Britta – need a bit of a boost to get back in the game following a tough few months – your timing couldnt be better. 🙂 Pleased to see you.

We’re in the same type of boat again then. I think loosing weight in a pandemic was one thing but pandemic AND winter all together was a bit more than I could handle. But spring is here, I’m hopeful tide is turning on the pandemic, and we both know what to do. I obviously never should have left the forum, and didn’t want to re-join because it felt like too much of a failure to admit I’d put all the weight back on again, but now that I have I feel like that was just the thing I needed to get me focused again. Onwards and upwards!

Hi bloke (fat bloke). Ive been using Huel on and off for 2 years now. Ive incorporated it with my fast 800 diet and have lost 7pounds in two weeks. I only make a shake with one scoop and add some blueberries with the banana flavoured huel shake. I tried the fast800 shakes a year ago and they tasted like sea water so didnt even manage one of them.

Good to know Huel works, I have had it the past couple of days but on it is own.

lol I totally agree about the fast800 shakes, great description!

Hi All,

An update on my first week.

I lasted one day and then convinced myself I could do other diets which I did not.

This morning my blood sugar is 6.6 which is the highest I have seen.

How do you guys stick to 800 calories a day each day is beyond me.

I will try again today.

– FB

Hi FB,
come on lad, chin up, this will work.
Ok so forget the 800 calories for a week or 2….. start by ditching the refined carbs – bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, snacks, crisps, sweets, donuts etc. Plan 3 meals a day but dont worry about the calories. Find something you like well enough, but isnt so delicious you want 3 helpings. Stick to the 3 meals, grit your teeth through the “snak times” where you think you want something….that is evil carb monsters and you CAN fight them off. remind yourself its only a few hours til your next meal. If you are going to cave then have a bit of cheese or a few nuts.
What sort of things do you like? Except bread and crisps 😛
Thinking breakfast – eggs make a good base. Add some bacon, spinach, one tomato?
Lunch – chicken or tuna salad? Make an egg wrap from one egg if you want a sandwich feel, or use a lettuce leaf. Eat plenty, get your protein in.
Dinner – meat and veg! Go wild with the broccoli and cauliflower, add some cheese, have a steak or a home made burger, or a homemade curry. Homemade meatballs on a bed of shredded cabbage done in a wok with some Worcestershire sauce?

Drink LOADs of water adn black tea or coffee. Have tea or coffee with double cream in it as a pudding, or have a full fat greek yogurt as a pudding – add cinnamon, ginger or a handful of berries to make it different.

Once you get the hang of eating the right things, you will probably see a difference in bloodsugar just doing this, but if you want to then rein in the calories you can make adjustments. But get onto the right foods first. Enjoy the challenge – go beat the carb monsters!!

Good luck!!

Thanks Windy,

I hate veg and I have done a ketogenic load carb diet before which is what I thought I would do on the Tuesday last week instead of 800 calories. :O)

Used to eggs and bacon for breakfast, Fat Head Keto pizza etc.
– FB

I echo what WindyJulz says, focus on the content of what you’re eating and then look at cutting the calories.
My hubby has lost more than 50lb since October 2020, and is not a dieter – it can be done! Freester on this forum is also an inspiration for this way of eating for health and weight loss.
If you let us know what you like to eat, we can help with suggestions of recipes or meal plans.
As a basic, what has worked for us:
– breakfast of 2 eggs for hubby (poached or scrambled) with a side portion of sauteed mushrooms (about 50g sliced), or spinach or fried tomatoes. It won’t look like much on the plate but will fill you (and keeps us fuller for longer than the equivalent calorie value of yoghurt).
– lunch of a low cal homemade soup with some chicken breast, or a boiled egg or a salad with a tin of tuna or other tinned fish (if you’re focusing on calories pick the tuna if you’re not counting calories pick mackerel or sardines)
– supper of a piece of white fish, chicken breast fillet, or venison (all low cal options) with a side salad / stir-fried mushrooms and broccoli, tray-bake of aubergine, courgette, peppers, etc.

– we have some form of protein at every meal
– cauliflower is your friend – cauli rice with a homemade curry, cauli mash with a homemade stew, cauli curry is a go-to meal when we feel we’ve had a heavy few days and need to rein in a bit
– flavour – chillies, spices, ginger, garlic, herbs all add to the flavour of your meals without adding appreciable carbs or cals
– homemade soup – make enough to last 2-3 days, I find a soup more filling and satisfying than a salad lunch with the same calories
– black tea or coffee and water (still or fizzy) between meals

Last piece of advice – take it one meal at a time if you need to – every meal you do well is one better than before! You’re still on the forum, so you haven’t given up yet………….

You have no idea how much your words have helped me today. I had lost 40lbs on the diet and my pre diabetes has gone into normal range. However the last 6 months, like many has been tough with lockdown gaining 7lbs back. I have not been able to allow myself to have days of real lowness of feelings and to put them behind me and start again. Today feels different after your great words of wisdom. Today I am going to be kinder to myself, not strive for a perfect day but a kinder one. Thank you.

Just seen your last post – “I hate veg” – do you hate veg more than uncontrolled blood sugar?

It’s going to take longer than a day to overcome your cravings and get through to a place where you can work on the 800cals – for the first week of the BSD my hubby had to take a couple of paracetamol for headaches and he went to bed really early a couple of nights (we’re talking 7pm in bed) – his comment was while he was sleeping he wasn’t hungry. He also knew the alternative to his pre-diabetes diagnosis was a full-on diabetes diagnosis, and this was the motivation he needed to see him through the first couple of weeks. Once he saw the weight start to shift, his BP reduce, his meds reduced, and he started to feel better, this spurred him on further.

You can do this!

Thanks, I was just going to use Huel Black a low carb high protein moderate fat meal replacement supplement.

Regards veg I will eat peas, olives, sweetcorn, rocket, peppers, tomatoes, onions, spinach (not cooked then I cannot taste it)

I’ve just had a look at the Huel Black nutritional info:
Per 90g serving, 400cals and 17g carbs (4.5g sugars) – that would be half of what we would consume per day. How many shakes per day? Or are you doing 1 shake and 1 meal?
Re. the veg you do eat – rocket is a good salad, with some blue cheese or parmesan or other strong flavour, as a side to a portion of protein. Olives could be eaten in a salad, or you could make a sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, anchovies, black olives and capers, and if you don’t eat courgettini you could have it as a sauce for some sliced chicken or as a side to a piece of fish, a lamb chop, etc. A basic tomato soup made with tinned tomatoes (and other add-ins) is a good low cal and satisfying lunch.

Do the shakes fill you, do they satisfy the feeling of having eaten a meal?

I’ve just had a look at a sample when I was tracking EVERYTHING on MyFitnessPal, which happened to be a Sunday:
Breakfast – Full English – bacon, egg, lamb kidney, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms – 325cals, 3g carbs
Lunch – tomato and veg soup with 10g sliced Nduja for flavour – 117cals, 9g carbs (mostly from the onion and tinned tomatoes)
Supper – stew of pheasant breast with spinach and butternut squash – 239cals, 18g carbs (majority from the butternut)
Dessert – Yeo Valley Kerned 5% yoghurt with a fresh fig – 71cals, 6g carbs
Total for the day – 752cals, 36g carbs

Or 2 shakes?

Thanks for your detailed break down.

The shakes fill the gap but there is no real taste to them, it is not really hunger that is the issue but I guess eating out of boredom and other reasons.

I see your point about the shakes, they are not really designed as a weight loss tool but as a meal replacement with decent nutrition for busy people.

Last Monday I had one Huel shake one scoop so 200 calories twice in the day and a grenade carb killar bar in the evening.

Thanks for the response “Last Monday I had one Huel shake one scoop so 200 calories twice in the day and a grenade carb killar bar in the evening” – there is no way I could follow that diet for even 1 day either!

Keep a few boiled eggs on hand, some cooked chicken breast pieces – these will both be as convenient and far more nutritious and less calorific than either the shake or the bar.

Why don’t you give real food a go, even for a day, no sugars, no refined carbs, meat, fish, eggs, the veg you do eat – keep the carbs low and count the cals just so you have an idea of what you’re eating.

You CAN do this!

Thanks Ruby, you do make a good point about real food.

I will try it today, 800 calories using real food, eggs with factor heavily as I love them.

Go for it!
One Day at a Time (ODAAT)

Breakfast:

two boiled eggs
handful of rocket
2 walnuts

194 calories.

Sounds tasty!
Keep going 🙂

Oh great you like eggs FB – so so many options.
I make an omelette often, but cook it on both sides kinda like a pancake then top it with meat and veg combos and a bit of cheese, a bit like a pizza. Cuts into slices and is very good.
Egg muffins are really handy – quick google will give you some recipes and there will be some on this site i think too.

Re veggies….. there are ways to make them more nice….and your tastes will change. For example, oven roasted cauliflower with curry powder on them. Courgette chopped up and in a stir fry with chicken heavily seasoned with garlic or cajun spices……
I have massively increased the veggies i like, other than mushrooms, alas they are still on my no-go list!

Your breakfast is spot on! Good work!!

I am with you on mushrooms, :O)

Are you still with us FatBloke?

Yesterday I managed to stick to it, but fell off the wagon at 2am with a bowl of weetabix mini’s.
The past 7 years I have had a sleep issue, I wake up at 2am and unless I eat something I cannot get back to sleep.

This morning I have had 2 sausages and a low carb high protein bar, I plan on sticking to the 800 calories and low carb.

Glad you’re still here, and maybe you need some low-carb items for those 2am snacks, like some bits of cheese, some Greek yoghurt, etc.
I’m still skeptical about the value of bars of any kind, I find the nutritional content could be better met with food, but maybe that’s just me. Convenience food is designed to suck you in to the marketing hype.
Keep going, every meal is an opportunity to stick with this!

I do agree with you on the bars, it is just I have a box of the when they are gone I shall not buy anymore.

Good idea thanks, with the low carb snacks. When I was following Keto I used to have natural peanut butter spread on a mozzarella cheese slice.

> Keep going, every meal is an opportunity to stick with this!

I like that statement, I will keep it in my mind!

Natural peanut butter spread on a teaspoon works for me 🙂
Glad you’re sticking around, it’s worth it!

> Natural peanut butter spread on a teaspoon works for me 🙂

I do that when I run out of cheeser! 🙂

You still with us FatBloke, have you got past day 1?

I am currently ill, so have put things on pause than other not eating sugar.

Your body may be rebelling!
Take care, and try to eat and drink well, and be kind to your body.

It might be, but I suspect I have long covid so the nurse tells me.

Thanks, I will do!