Oh Mary. You have to celebrate your birthday. If that’s s 2 lb gain, then so be it. You’ll lose that in the blink of an eye! You are so determined and motivated you’ll soon be whooshing the extra lbs away! Good luck for weigh in this week. Tilly

Oh well done Kazzee! You’ll be in the 15s this week. I’m trying for the 9s so much I put a pound on overnight! Hope I’m almost there by Tuesday but it may be next week ☹️I could kick those old scales! I was so pleased with myself and these new ones have knocked the stuffing out of me a bit. Daft I know. I’ll keep on keeping on. Glad you enjoyed your panto.

Were going to France in our motorhome in February for five days. Daughter and hubby coming to stay here to look after my mum. She’s 95 and getting more dependent on others shall we say. Otherwise we wouldn’t get a break. I definitely want to be 9st and something by then! Hey ho. Onwards and downwards x Tilly

Oh well done Kazzee! You’ll be in the 15s this week. I’m trying for the 9s so much I put a pound on overnight! Hope I’m almost there by Tuesday but it may be next week ☹️I could kick those old scales! I was so pleased with myself and these new ones have knocked the stuffing out of me a bit. Daft I know. I’ll keep on keeping on. Glad you enjoyed your panto.

Were going to France in our motorhome in February for five days. Daughter and hubby coming to stay here to look after my mum. She’s 95 and getting more dependent on others shall we say. Otherwise we wouldn’t get a break. I definitely want to be 9st and something by then! Hey ho. Onwards and downwards x Tilly

That’s a very useful link Theodora. Thank you.

Yay Kazzee….so pleased to hear from you. Still going in the right direction. You are so great.

I am looking forward to taking my grandson to the panto next year. Birmingham always does brilliant ones. Well done to your mum for walking all that way too!

It is my birthday on Tuesday and we had a special meal yesterday….still in keeping, but a few more calories and carbs than normal. I am paying the price today of a 2 pound gain. Hoping it is all water and will be gone tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Take care and much love.

Mary xxx

Well done everyone on their losses this week. I’m 2 lbs down so really pleased about that as I’ve not weighed a thing all last week. Just grabbed bsd friendly stuff from the freezer and just had simple lunches of spinach leaves and either boiled egg, chicken or salmon. Was frantic at work and had about 15 mins for lunch each day. I felt out of control. Hadn’t weighed all week either as I find it annoys me seeing daily fluctuations. So once a week weigh in works for me. Takes the pressure off! This week will be back to being organised!

kOKO!
Kazzeee xx

I really like chocolate, but have gone off the really sweet stuff eg Cadbury’s and prefer the higher cocoa sort. That’s nothing to do with the diet, as I’ve managed to resist so far. I can imagine getting used to and enjoying the cacoa nibs.

I’ll try grinding some chai and see if I prefer it that way.

Hello my friends

I’ve not been around much the last week. I think I only managed a couple of posts last week. Hope everyone is well?

Nonna Mary, what a wonderful surprise your docs scales showing lower than yours! Well done on your continued loss. You’re on a roll. I too have noticed that it makes a difference giving up the booze completely as I have for January.

2 lbs off for me this week, and am 16 stone on new scales. 15.12 on old scales but I need to forget the old scales now. Next week I WILL be in the 15s!

Went to the Birmingham panto yesterday. It was awesome! Got off and walked the half mile from the station to the theatre and the walk was a breeze with no back or hip ache! My mum walked no problem too. It’s nearly 2 years since her stroke and she’s still improving.

Keep going Tilly, you’re nearly in the 9s! I know just how you feel with your scales being so out.

Lee, I’ve been to Dublin and Athlone. My bestie is of Irish stock and we were only saying the other week that we’re well overdue a visit. Reading your post is giving me the urge to get something booked. Yes, everyone goes out of their way to welcome a visitor. It’s just lovely.

Kazzeee xx

PPS: sunshine girl – burger and fishfingers combined – surf’n’turf? 😂😂

Ps: I think he needs about 1800 calories a day – so definitely no portion control of healthy food for him x

Hi I have two kids ,13 (girl), 11 (boy). I told them I needed to change the way I ate because I had to fix my pancreas (true). In particular I asked that my daughter not bake as much as she would like to for a few weeks whilst I got used to the new way of eating. Now I can easily not eat the cakes and biscuits she makes and leaves lying around in tins and Tupperware.

Then it very much depends on what you already cook. We were mostly meat and veg etc not stuff mushed together or processed food so easy enough to put a jacket potato on the side, or me have just the protein and veg portion (counted). The only bought meal I cook is lasagne, so they have that if I’m too busy to cook (read can’t be arsed) and if there’s nothing else around I would scrape the meat bit off and eat it. On fahita night I have the meat and veg, they have the meat and a wrap with raw veg on side.

5 or so months in, the kids see me eating spinach, avocado, courgette, butter, cheese, broccoli, fish, meat. They see me not eat bread, cake, pastry, and frankly I’m not that fussed if they decide not to eat that either, though both do. We get through maybe 3/4 of a loaf a week.

Since they were small I’ve known they shouldn’t have sugary yoghurt, sugary breakfast cereal, fruit juice etc and it’s always been a fight as they have felt deprived. Interestingly now I am walking the walk they are way more understanding that all that stuff isn’t around and I don’t feel inclined to buy it for them. There’s plenty of Greek yoghurt, cream, peanut butter (whole earth has no sugar) and 90% chocolate, plus daughters baking. Also they get loads of sugar and carbs at school.

I think people are over sensitive about kids getting eating disorders if we question what they eat. The national debate about obesity means they are aware it has health implications. Mine are older, I know, but we’ve been having talks about moderation, being healthy, when enough is enough and me saying ‘no’ to the third helping of cake for a long time (clearly I was only saying no to them, not to me!)

Are there any specific foods you are worried about not giving him? What kind of food do you cook for both of you that you think you can’t eat?

Hi mjames, and welcome.

Nuts are a wonderful source of fats and protein, but some have more carbs in them than others. As BSD is all about low carbs, obviously some nuts are better than others – though all need to be eaten in moderation.

Here is a link to the carb values of various nuts which you may find useful………………

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/nuts

I love nuts and was happy to see that nuts are ok on the BSD. Does this include all nuts? or are some better than others for diabetics? Thanks

Hi Kelsbells, A child should definitely not be on a calorie restricted diet nor should he have carbs restricted or reduced except for bad things like processed foods. Depending on what your 6 year old eats it is common here to give the kids their normal meals and have the same without the carbs and / or add extra veg for you. However, a six year old might still be on the burgers and fish fingers (not together I hope) so it might be really difficult for you. I hope someone comes on to answer what they do based on their own real experience. Good luck.

I finished the book today and am starting tomorrow. I’m a single parent and my main reservation is how I’m going to manage cooking something that will give my 6 year-old’s growing body everything it needs without me having to cook 2 separate meals. I don’t want him to think I have a “strange” dinner and cook “normal” dinner for him as I’ve heard this attitude can give kids an unhealthy relationship with food later on. But I’m not sure he should be eating the restricted calories of the BSD. Any advice is welcome. Thanks

Regarding chia pudding, the seeds kept whole produce a pudding with a tapioca-like texture that many people dislike. I don’t mind it, but OH wasn’t a big fan so now I grind chia seeds in my spice grinder before adding them to the liquid. They still produce their gel, still thicken the liquid to pudding consistency and still give generously of their fiber, but they don’t form those balls. The end result is a much smoother, even texture akin to regular puddings.

Cacao nibs have become one of my favorite things now. They are so crunchy and chocolatey. I could (and do!) eat them by the handful. I used to find them inedible because they’re the unsweetened tip of the bean and I couldn’t cope with what chocolate actually tastes like. Now I’m a 100% unsweetened gal all the way. I currently have 5 different types of unsweetened cacao in my cupboard — Ghirardelli bakers chocolate bars, two brands of cacao nibs, cacao powder, cacao butter and Tableya, a traditional Filippino preparation of pure cacao ground into a creamy paste and formed into tablets that you whisk into boiling water to make the most amazingly frothy hot chocolate.

I think a lot of people have to get the point in their low carb experience where they no longer have the taste for sweetness before they can truly enjoy the nibs. Most people on this forum, from what I’ve seen, enjoy very dark chocolate for its health benefits, but still have to have some sugared element. A single square of 70%-90% cacao dark chocolate as a treat is something several members enjoy. That last leap up to the 100% is a big one. Heck, I was shocked when I discovered that the complex, intense chocolatiness of bakers chocolate was a taste sensation. It didn’t even read as bitter on my tongue; just strong. I bought it as a “wonder how this would taste to me now” fluke, never expecting that I would absolutely adore it. I was a white and milk chocolate girl all the way when I ate carbs. Even 60% dark chocolate was way too scary for me. Sugar is worse than smoking when it comes to ruining a palate, I swear.

Hello to you positive thinker’s.
I don’t usually post here though do read your comments – I love hearing that us oldies are going strong and still are “in love” with our long term husbands. I met my later to be husband at a girl guide/Boy Scout Party when I was twelve! We are now 71 and will have been married for 46 years on 22 January.
X B

I like the way you think, Jackie! I so enjoy reading this thread and
celebrating all of these discoveries with you all. The story of butt
padding becoming an issue is a real one, however 🙂 I now have to
do a quick google search of any restaurant that is unknown to me
before making reservations, to make sure that the chairs include
some sort of padding, since I no longer have any of my own! I
can’t foresee the day ever coming when I’d be willing to carry a
“hemmarhoidal cushion” into a public eatery 🙂 🙂 🙂

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Allie

Flick, I couldn’t eat Chai pudding. The texture of that seems very unpleasant, but a few seeds mixed in with other things are fine.

Jackie, I’ve not tried many shops yet. I expect I’ll be able to find everything if I look round.

The link works thanks, Alliecat. Definitely sounds worth trying the raw ones if I can get those.

This isn’t my usual forum, but can’t resist saying CONGRATULATIONS to Flick on a lovely milestone. I so hope to reach my BMI in the next few weeks, and you are a great example to follow.

Busybee and Flick, what great results, clapping, clapping (can’t get to my applause emoji on my computer)

Natalie, your Sixers won at last, I see. And Marie123, after today’s match I guess your OH is talking cricket again.

Hope everyone gets through the weekend ok, nearly another week up.

MFODAAT

It depends on your exercise levels (and often, overestimates of exertion mean too much is eaten, or treats taken). I run and strength train, mainly using my own body weight, and often run up to HM distances first thing fasted, except for a mug or two of tea first, then have a breakfast of porridge (20g) with chia, and either a spoon of peanut butter or small banana and cocoa powder with full fat milk, or maybe eggs and spinach or just chocolate milk on my return. I’m not diabetic and am at my goal weight but I do this whether reducing or maintaining. Exercising while keeping lower carb does force your body to use fat for fuel which is a bonus as unless anyone is underweight, there is plenty to keep you going.

‘afternoon, everyone! I’m posting a link for my source for raw cacao
nibs, it won’t be of much help to anyone outside of the U.S., but it
is a very thorough explanation of this wonderful product and it’s health
benefits. It definitely qualifies as a “superfood”. 🙂 If any of you have
problems with the link, just let me know and I’ll do my best to summarize
it for you.

https://nuts.com/nuts/cacao/organic-nibs.html

Hey Squidge, 8lbs in 2 weeks sounds pretty good to me, by anyone’s standards. If you could keep that up, it’s a stone a month, so well done.

But do be prepared for it to slow down a bit now that you’ll be burning fat as opposed to shedding water, and may even have the occasional stall. I did when I started this time last year (longest plateau in first month was 10 days I think) but I still lost a stone in the first 4 weeks, so if it does happen to you, please don’t get disheartened, just keep plodding on and it will all come right. Forewarned is forearmed as they say.

1) sunshine and great dog walk

2) size 8 jeans comfortable on – tight but can fit keys in pocket

3) can see muscles in my legs, but butt still has enough fat on it to be comfortable to sit on hard surface

Hey there Squidge. I do a lot of online shopping (Ocado) in the UK and all the stuff is there (well, don’t know about oat fibre). I assume, therefore, it probably is in most supermarkets. Cacao nibs are little chunks, I assume what they then grind for powder. I like cacao powder, struggle with nibs. In the US all cocoa is untreated, apparently, but ours has something done to it that takes out a lot of nutrients. So apparently any US brand cocoa is better for us (Is that right US ladies?)

Sorry I cant help you on a brand of monitor as I live in France and mine is on prescription. However, there is another thread running on this subject and you will find it if you type blood sugar (or glucose) monitor in the search at the top of the page.

Hi kelbel60s, the short answer is yes. I was always high on cholesterol levels (around 5.3) but after following this plan I am now in the 3’s – so normal. It is hard to get your head around the higher fats but it is not a high fat diet, it is a good fat diet. So you should be cooking with either coconut (near research proves it increases HDL without causing problems to LDL) or rapeseed oil, use olive oil for salad dressings and eat plenty of avocados, nuts (especially walnuts), olives etc. You will not be eating loads of these things as they are high in calories but enough to make a difference. One big difference is you will be eating natural foods rather than the chemically changed ‘low fat’ substitutes. Oh, and eggs are okay too, not true they increase cholesterol.

Thanks Wannabeslim, hopefully we’ll all get to our targets together.

I’ve just made a spreadsheet to put my weights and measurements in and realised the end of the 8 weeks is when we’ve booked flights to France to see our new Grandson due on 5th March, hopefully I’ll be a skinny Nana by then & Grandpa will be diabetes free.
Now that’s motivation!

Ooh Legend2cv. You are a legend that is brilliant, no wonder you are excited . That’s nearly down a size another week and one size gone yippee! I will hold on to your coat tails …hope you don’t mind🤩

Hi ScubaDo, we’ll done!
I think I might be at the excitable stage all the way through! I’ve lost 6lbs this week (but only started BSD on Weds) and all the measurements below waist are a little less. Although I know it’s water loss it’s still encouraging.
Really enjoying the food side of things, just need to find the motivation to exercise now!

Well done Scubado. Enthusiasm is always good for us all. I am similarly down today after a few trips in the night if it pushes us through to day 3 then happy days!

Day 2. Good morning, I’m still at the excitable stage so checking my weight each day and…. look at that water weight go – down 1kg to 75.9kg. Definitely worth the extra couple of trips to the loo overnight!

Oh rats! I’ve been having the occasional teaspoon of oat bran on yoghurt, assuming it was entirely non soluable fibre. I’ve never seen oat fibre for sale here in Australia and a quick search for an Australian supplier only turned up one that seemed to be saying it was made from oat bran, just more finely milled. Different to the American descriptions above. Off to the organic health food store tomorrow to investigate further. I struggle to get enough fibre in my meals and no where near the recommended 30g daily. Not a fan of chia seeds, the texture is unpleasant to me.

I am a 54 year old female and was diagnosed with Type 2 last Spring after a Health MOT at the surgery. It was a massive shock but Iimmediately decided to do the 8 week blood sugar diet. I’d read the book already but had put off doing anything about it. I decided this was the wake-up call I needed. Within 3 months I’d shed about 20 pounds and felt much better. When I was re-tested after 3 months of the original diagnosis, my levels had come down to normal so I was very pleased. I have managed to maintain the weight loss and find the diet a good one to follow. I have completely lost my craving for crisps but still have cravings for chocolate so I try and eat dark chocolate with 85% cocoa content. I’ve never been a drinker so alcohol is not a problem and have never smoked. However, between Christmas and New Year I did fall off the wagon with chocolate and put on 5 pounds. I knew I would it was just too much of a temptation! I suppose I thought i could get away with it. However, within a week old symptoms of being very thirsty and going to the loo a lot returned. Have managed to lose the 5 pounds I gained within a week . I am due to have my blood tests again this month for my 6 month check. I have noticed I’m very thirsty so am worried about what my results are going to be. I really want to control this by diet alone. The surgery never gave me a glucose monitor so am thinking I need to measure levels myself. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks, Luvtcook and Esnecca.

I’m in the UK. That’s why I wondered if we had different names for the same thing – it happens!

Oat fibre (as we spell it!!!) isn’t something I’ve seen for sale here, but I’ve not looked yet. Would that work for thickening sauces in place of cornflour? (I think it’s called cornstarch in the US.) That’s almost entirely carbohydrate, so I’m avoiding that – forever!

I did look for hemp hearts yesterday. Be impressed, I walked to the shop where I get my chai and flax and it’s 4 miles each way. No hemp, but I got some ground pumpkin, sunflower and flax seed mix, which I’ll try in porridge and as a crispy coating (with parmasen cheese) to chicken. In muesli, I’d have the pumpkin and sunflower seeds whole.

I can get unsweetened dried fruits quite easily, but I can see they’re still high in natural sugar. I think it would be better to stick with adding fresh fruit when I want sweetness. Four fresh strawberries would seem plenty, four raisins would not!

Would cacao nibs be like dark, unsweetened chocolate? There are so many new things for me to try.

UK? Sun? 😂
That’s why we moved to Spain.
Btw, some people claim that when they reduced their carbs significantly, i.e. enough to be in ketosis some of the time, they found their skin much less susceptible to burning – I really have no idea if that’s true but certainly the high-carb, high PUFA diet appears to increase the risk of cancer so perhaps sunburn and high-carb are a very bad combination.
SSB

I’m surprised you didn’t hear me roar across the Pacific as I checked the websites to see how close i was getting to the healthy range. i am really chuffed.

When I was a teenager many girls would rub themselves with coconut oil before sitting in the sun to help get a tan – the opposite of sunscreen! That’s what I associate that smell with. You could almost hear them frying in the Aussie sun. Not recommended, we have such a high rate of skin cancer here. I’m allergic to coconut anyway, inside and out, glad I was never tempted to destroy my skin like that. But I guess in England you don’t have our kind of sun.

Another pound lost! That’s 8 lbs since the start of the year. That’s not fast in BSD terms, but it seems pretty good to me. It’s certainly fast enough to make me want to continue. If I keep going at this rate, I’ll reach my target weight by the end of February.

I feel healthier too. Whether that’s the diet, exercise or lack of alcohol, I’m not sure. Maybe a combination?

I’m afraid I’m not sure of the exact date of my first meeting my husband, it was in February but not sure which day. But it’s coming up for 19 years, we’ve still got a long way to go for 50!

Just as well – people might think I had piña colada for breakfast 😂

Hi SSB – yes a little goes a very long way. I do find however that the mild coconut smell disappears as soon as the oil is absorbed.

Hi Atlas

I’m not diabetic but find eating low carb helps me feel better both physically and emotionally. I don’t do the 800 plan but eat as per the principles of the med plan set out in the book. I’d echo what SSB said, grab a copy of the book and read all the way through. It’ll help you make an informed decision about what might work for you. I’m in awe of the people on here who eat the 800 way but as I’m not diabetic I choose to take the slower route that seems to work for me. I wish you well.

Hi Theodora,
I used coconut oil as a moisturiser this morning – goodness, doesn’t a little go a long way?, my skin feels very soft now but I do smell very coconutty!
SSB

Hi Atlas, the evidence suggests that lower-carb is better for most people, the argument being that with starchy carbs, even whole grain, raise your blood glucose (not just in diabetics) and so trigger an insulin response; insulin is then used to store the glucose as fat. Insulin can also cause a ‘sugar-crash’ which means you end up hungry again and so the cycle goes on.
The problem with WW is that they are still using the high-carb, low-fat mantra which has been seriously discredited. Likewise with calories vs exercise
Can I suggest you take a look at Dr Mosley’s books:
The BSD (which goes with this site)
Eat, Fast, Live Longer (5:2 intermittent fasting), and
Fast exercise

I have lost over 10lbs doing this way of eating and I am not diabetic. I have also tried (and failed miserably) with low fat.
Hope this helps – there’s loads of excellent support and advice on these forums to help you get started.
SSB

That’s a fabulous recovery Busybee, well done, you must be feeling very in control.

Well done Flick, you must be absolutely delighted!