Welcome to the group new peeps , tried the lamb stuffed Aubergines (MM) tonight, really nice, six days in and it’s ok, I am excited and focused and most of the time not hungry, the scales will tell tomorrow, but after dieting for so many years, and having thyroid problems to be honest I expect to only lose about a lb, but it would be a pound down, and I am enjoying (!) the diet, but also love the camaraderie of this 1st October starters group. – this group is the first time I have ever posted anything online and I have written a couple over the last six days, but you really know everyone is on the same journey and here to support everyone else, thank you Emily for starting us off.

Hi Billingebabe

Do you use a calorie/carb counter? There are lots but Fatsecret.co.uk and myfitnesspal seem to be the most popular here.

A couple of us on this thread have started filling our logs in early in the day, before, we start eating. That gives you a good idea of whether you’re on target or not and still gives you time to fiddle about with your menus to keep them within target.

Then ….. you just have to stick to the plan!!!!!!

Yowser – OSI sums it up perfectly!!!
Poppetini – thanks for the tip, contemplation when dog walking helps me

After a strict day yesterday I am now back where I was this time last week.

Shalimar – I don’t know about metaformin, but I did ease myself off the BP meds when my BP on them was coming too low – but monitored BP everyday. Dr was on verge of giving me a lecture about doing that myself, then I showed him my readings ….

That was a month ago and off to see the nurse for a check to prove I am sustaining a normal BP…. then signed off on that issue at least.

Still here! Being quite active with the kids on school holidays, but diet is not so good. Still hanging on.

Ooh thanks! I’ll have a look…

Hi Birdy – I have just posted on the ‘pick a carb level’ topic as I am sure too many carbs are stalling me too.

Welcome to the group … this is a brilliant support network! Wishing you good luck and health. Gill

I lost 2 stone on low carb 3 years ago but a lot of stress factors and a ‘sod it’ approach meant that it crept – actually it bloody raced – back on. Haven’t been thinking straight and have been overdoing the lentils and beans recently resulting in a stall of 5 days. Yesterday was 600 calls (to make up for the day before at 1000) but had a bean and tomato soup for lunch and dhal makani last night – result 60 plus carbs. So no movement on the scales! So a few chicken and fish based meals for the next few days.

I’ll download a food tracker but I always double check the calories anyway as I have to substitute any meat for a vegetarian option. Unfortunately rice paper wrappers can’t be substituted (I have tried lettuce leaves but it doesn’t work) – you’re absolutely right, I’ll investigate the carbs but they are the only processed food I eat as everything else is made from scratch (I am allergic to a lot of foods). That sounds like a big old whopper of an excuse but I will look at other lunch options, however I already eat more soup than you can shake a stick at! Thanks again for your help, much appreciated!
ps I like the sound of your GP, mine just tells me to bugger off…

Emily,
I started Monday and would like to join the group if I may as I feel I will need some encouragement along the way.
Good luck to all new starters!

Well said, Sumo.

I think a lot of what we do/eat is often just habit. And we don’t like change. But when we realise how much damage we’re doing and decide to change our habits it does take time and effort.

But not a long time. And the effort is worth it. As is sticking with the new way of eating 😃

Hi siren nice to meet you! I’m 63 and live in North Wales. Just to say I’m following the book and the recipe book to start with to keep me on the straight and narrow. I hope they will give me ideas to make simpler meals for work. Not sure about the soups but going to give them a try. My main prob is making meals for one … there are quite a few recipes suitable but I’m not keen on having the same food several days running .. a large veg curry again today 🙂 or not!!

You may also wish to see Panorama that as on BBC1 on Monday night. Available on iplayer.

It was an hourlong programme about the effects of type 2 diabetes. Not much (if any) dietary advice. Their treatment of choice for reversing the diabetes is bariatric surgery, but the patients have to go on a 800-1000 calorie a day diet for a month before surgery.

The amount of money being spent by the NHS on prescriptions, hospital admissions, surgery and aftercare was eye watering 😱 Between us, we are saving the NHS a fortune by either turning our diabetes around, or reducing the risk of developing it. 😃

Didn’t have time to post yesterday but today jumped on scales and it looks as if I have lost between 2-3 kilos, still a bit difficult to get a close look until certain areas retreat a bit. I then thought, because of all the constant ‘visits’, I would check my waist. Now I measured on Sunday and did not do the ‘breathe in, pull it tight’ measuring that I normally do, but the real one and could not believe it, but I appear to have lost 2″ off my waist!!! Now I am aware that will be the result of my horrid feeling of bloat having vanished, but still amazing. Just another 6″ to go. Feeling brighter and found that I am not constantly thinking of food, but decide first thing in morning what we will have and then that’s it. Odd really, as I seem to have been obsessing about food for the last few months – not eating but thinking about what to make. Got a friend coming for lunch today but salad is ready, will give the boys the last of the new potatoes and am making Nigel Slater’s chicken burgers which should fit in nicely. Soup for dinner. Onwards and downwards. Oh and other half is enjoying the new meals but still having his three digestives lol

Hi Siren

EasyDietDiary has been recommended by another Australian. Not sure if it’s an app or a PC program or both!

Good luck!

Also, I find vegetable soup really helpful. Very filling and low in calories and carbs (if you are careful – watch the quantity of onions and carrots). I add fat to keep me full by sautéeing the veg in olive oil. Adding cauliflower and blending gives a nice creamy texture.

Hi looking to get a Spiralizer but have to buy from Amazon or Ebay as we do not appear to have them locally. Could you tell me which model you reckon to be the best please? I have a hand held one my cousin sent me which is ok but the courgettes we have here are huge compared to UK and I have to split them in half and then again so my spirals are not as nice as I would like. lol

Day 2 (for me) results:
Calories 934, carbs 16
This morning weigh in, another pound and a half gone. That’s 5 pounds in 2 days and all the holiday gain gone. Back in the 12 stone something’s which is fab. I know I was a bit high on calories and low on carbs. I changed my planned meal (lamb and ratatouille) at the last minute to something s bit more child-friendly (cheese burgers) when I remembered my husband wasn’t coming in to eat.
I am out for lunch today so not logging my evening meal till I can see what I’ve got to play with.

Good luck sunshine girl with getting your insulin levels sorted. And well done everyone else .

Hi All – better late than never!
I am a 58 years old Nana from Victoria, Australia – working full time in our business but recently retired registered nurse. I am 172cm (5ft 6inch) tall & 114kg (18stone) – so I need to lose about 30kg.
I have read Michael’s book and it sits well with me.
Looking for some feedback from those in the same situation as myself…..
I have gastric stapling from about 25 years ago – lost lots of weight initially but eventually worked out how I could ‘cheat’ and so the ‘easy calories’ (totally addicted to chocolate – how does a human body remain sustained with that lifestyle ?) has meant that my weight is back on plus more (at age 58 years, now heavier than i have ever been).
My problem : eating a healthy diet is in fact very difficult as its the foods which are high in nutrition which are actually the more difficult to swallow – even after much chewing.
Soups are a great choice but Im not sure if that is well suited to BSD.
Is there anyone else who is in the same situation that I can bounce some ideas off?
Is anyone following the Diet Plan from the book?
TIA

Have you downloaded a food tracker? I use MyFitnessPal. I couldn’t do the plan without it really. The calories and carbs in the books can be out be quite a lot when you actually come to make the food with your own ingredients. The carbs in rice paper wrappers (I don’t eat them so not sure) may be quite high and also it is a refined, processed food. Could you substitute a gem lettuce leave for these? Have you tried coconut oil for more variety? I would look at the veg I was having to see if i could go for lower carb stuff.

Hi Frog

I bought the OXO to take to my apartment because I can’t buy one there and I wanted something small for packing. I only want to do courgettes with it so I hope it does work. I did manage to buy a very cheap one when I was away, it ‘screwed’ the courgette through a tube but it just kept turning on itself and ended up as mush!

I find the salter fine even if it’s a bit of a faff to clean … only sliced my finger once so far while drying it!!!!

I found some Thai salmon curry in the freezer yesterday so put it on a bed of raw cauliflower rice and heated in the microwave for 4 mins and it was lovely!

Hello Izzy, I often get strangely and inexplainably tired too. We think it’s anaemia and I hope you get to the bottom of yours soon.
I so agree with you that on this diet, even going off track was never as bad as it was before!

No change in weight today, but going well so far. I have a psychological block at going below 800 calories too often, so although I may have the occasional day below I will be usually between 800 and around 830 calories. The first day ended up just over 830 when I took into account that I used clotted cream not the normal heavy cream I had factored in. 😊 Still choosing most days to do two meals and leaving the first one to 12:00, as either a late breakfast or early lunch.

Good morning all! Headache gone yippee so I’m going to continue to up my water intake. 😊
Think it’s inspirational that some of you guys are doing this to improve your health for your children’s sakes, it’s got to be worth doing it for that alone! My son is 6, and innocently tells me every now and then my tummy is fat, I’m looking forward to that being a thing of the past in few months time.
I’m seeing my Aunty today who has done the 5:2 diet for months and looks very well on it.
Hope everyone’s feeling well this morning and good luck for the 800cal day! X
Adelski that’s an amazing loss already wow!!
Oldcyclist that must be tough with night shifts, think you’re right to plan ahead for what yourll eat. Wish you lots luck, as sleep deprevation alone can make you feel funny and hungry. You can do it!

Morning everyone … well day one over! Feeling good and its great to read your positive comments. Im a bit apprehensive today … back to work after nights – a twilight shift 🙁 I work for NHS … lots of mixed up shifts and an erractic eating pattern so my meals will have to be carefully planned. Anyone got some ideas for easy lunches/dinners that will fit in? Cheers.!

Hi SchnitzelVonKrumm (most excellent name, by the way!)
Thanks for replying – I haven’t been tracking my carbs, thanks for the idea. The only outright carbs I’m having are rice paper wrappers as I have summer rolls for lunch, all the other carbs are in pulses, quorn and starchy veg (although that’s only carrots). Could you recommend a good website to do some detective work, please? Unfortunately, most of my fat intake is via tahini (which is also carby) as I’m dairy free but I also use olive oil. Gosh it’s a mine field! Thanks again.

Hi everyone. I thought this might be of interest. It’s a programme from the BBC about eating low carb. this link will take you to the article on the diet doctor website but apparently it’s on iPlayer too
https://www.dietdoctor.com/fat-v-carbs-bbc?utm_source=Diet+Doctor+Newsletter&utm_campaign=1a4680afee-Test&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_41db911777-1a4680afee-464253797

Fajitas for me too tonight. I buy the crispiest lettuce that I can find and use that instead of tortillas. Also works for burgers, tacos, bacon sarnies etc.

Hi Verano
I got the Salter one – did you not like yours if you’ve bought a different one?
I was going to get the cusique one that Lynne recommended a while back, but I spotted the salter one on sale in Morrisons – was only £12, ans I’d used one that morning at the cookery school and found it OK.
Love the squidgy courgette core that it makes – I just chop it up and add it in with the spirals

I just use cauliflower rice raw for crunch if its with a gloopy sauce, or zap it in the microwave for a minute to warm it through

Hi Frog

No ‘reserving’ here!!!!!!

It’s 35g … its already day 3 so only 5 left in total…. you can do it!!!! We’ll cheer you along!

Looking forward to you vegetable recipes later. Enjoy your day!

Verano – well done for stopping at 2 (I can’t trust myself yet to do that) and great news that you have dropped to the next band of 10s.

Phlebas – a delicious and nutritious days menu.

I am no longer thinking of the BSD as a period of time be it 8 or 26 weeks I am looking at it as a training process, training my stuck in a rut attitude with age old eating habits, into a new way of living. A permanent life style change, my wife and I have progressively eaten less over the years, but stuck with the wrong things, high carbs. At some stage I will not try to stick to 800/50 but just settle to a much lower Calorie & Carb intake, than my old self ever thought possible to live on, and see where my weight balances out, one change my wife has noticed is having to throw bread and potatoes away as they are going off?

The Panorama program was shocking … so much so that I watched a good part of it with my eyes covered!!! Think I may watch it again.

Also a you-tube version of Fats v Carbs is on dietdoctor, guess it may just be on you-tube anyway.

The one week challenges work for me purely because you only have to commit for 7 days and so there’s a sense of achievement if you do well. But also if it’s not the best of times you can just write it off and start again the following week without throwing in the towel!! Having company just keeps everyone accountable … unless they drop out!!

hi
moving over to this thread now! going to aim for 35g of carb
and possibly reserving that as an average daily amount!!!
yesterday was an amazing 15g – then I sabotaged it with a late night protein seedy bar thing, but still only 26g and 775 cal
and that included – wait for it – half a slice of new potato!!!
am also going to aim for 10k steps a day

I was working yesterday, was very organised, made a salad in a box and logged it – then left in the kitchen
hence the half slice of new potato, I bought a salad nicoise in a branch of budgens, and ate salad no 1 when I got in.

Vegetable cooking class today – I really enjoyed that one last month

Hi Birdy. Are you tracking your carbs too or just calories? Some people here seem to aim for 50g max carbs each day. The BSD book doesn’t seem to recommend a specific limit but some of the recipes can add up to quite a few carbs. 50 g was working for me then slowed down a lot so I dropped to max 20g for a week ( while eating more fat) and got a boost of -7lbs that week. My GP says I am carb intolerant so lower carbs needed. Hope that helps.

Morning Sarah, and everyone else

Thanks for the observations, it is interesting to validate what we have read. I too noticed a a pattern with carb increase in a meal and resulting hunger pangs.

I guess the key maybe to front load your day with any carb heavy recipe (not that 50g is alot) and then make your evening meal fat and protein centric.

Today is my forth day and still feeling positive about the plan, aswell as its anticipated results, 2.8lbs loss in 4 days is welcome.

Only thing I need to work on is the variety of foods as at present I have had same lunch every day-50g hummus, 1 carrot, half red pepper and for those in the UK lidl skyr yogurt, protein rich, low sugar and taste yummy, only 83 cals per 150g pot too

Anyway, Have a good day all and remember it is just 8 weeks for hopefully a life time change

So I’m just entering week 4. In the first 10 days I lost 10lbs. Since then I’ve lost one pound. The diet is very manageable. I come in at 800 every day and I’m trying to exercise along with that. I suffer from extreme exhaustion but not ME so exercise is often very difficult – but so far the diet hasn’t made any difference to my energy levels. Any clues why this plateau is taking so long to shift? I’m not particularly losing heart as I know that if I’m only eating 800 calories a day, the weight has to come off at some point I’d just like it to start coming off in dribs and drabs! Thanks in advance…

Hi everyone, especially the new folks. Seems there’s a lot of ‘older’ women on this plan. Definitely ‘re-cycled teenagers’?

Sneakysnooper – where in Texas? I’ve visited many times, friends used to live in Austin, now near Elgin.

If you’ve got a Kindle or Kindle app, the books are available on there.

Verano mentioned the Daily Mail articles. The first of this series (advertising the new recipe book) was Saturday 24th September 2016, but there was another series earlier this year, advertising the original book.

angijag – Imthink most of us type 2s have found our blood sugars have dropped, many going back to either normal or pre-diabetic levels. I was on the point of being given medication when I started the BSD and always struggled to get my fasting reading below 7, but now all my tests come back in the normal range.

Again, welcome to all the newbies – best wishes for your journey. And please keep posting your progress. And read these forums – lots of advice and support on here.

LindaA
Well done on your weight loss and your success on maintenance. It’s so good to hear that you have moved seamlessly onto maintenance and are still losing. How different from all the other diets out there.

Tizzy – I had forgotten about the resources for professionals – I will run them off for my annual consultants appointment at end of October. Am getting a bit nervous that they may not approve of the BSD So the notes will be a good thing to take with me.

Yesterday evening after a really active day I felt a bit dizzy – as though low on sugar – but although blood sugars were low they were still ok. This morning I opened the fridge and realised that I had forgotten to have part of my planned evening meal – it was still sitting there in the fridge!

This has never ever happened to me before. So carbs for the day were too low at 18 -calories were 765. I lost another 1lb – so weight still moving relentlessly down. I really think that these weekly challenges are helping me to stay on track.

Husband was shocked by the Panorama programme and has said he now understands that I am not being obsessive about weighing my food and am just sticking to the BSD.

Verano – you were still under 50g and you only had 2. It’s so scary just how many carbs there are in such a small portion.

Hi
will move over to the new thread, but didn’t get in until late last night (went to see Carlos Acosta – amazing – and no snacking opportunities!!)
Futurelearn does look amazing, doesn’t it Verano – I was googling it while the lecture was going on. I as quite impressed by what the guy was saying about the social media backing up the courses. Was too busy to look yesterday, but will find something

Love the idea of a spontaneous chocolate hobnob Jan 🙂
must get that concept out of my subconscious!!

day 1 – yesterday – 766, 24g carbs … coffee (with milk), pecan nuts, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, eggs, cheese & lots of mint tea!

Good morning all, hope all headaches are gone and sleep is improving. Weighed in 😝 another 1lb off this morning which is 4.5lb so far – very pleased indeed. Hope you all have a happy time on the scales today xxx

Hi there,
I have just weighed myself after being on the BSD for two weeks. I have gone down from 75kg to just over 72kg and have lost 1 and a half inches off my waist. My husband is also on the BSD with me and he is not type2. His blood sugars came back as normal. A friend of mine has also joined in and she is not diabetic either. She went out and bought the book last weekend. Then we raided the local supermarket to buy some of the more unusual low carb items. I can’t stick to 800 calories a day either,but I am making a conscious effort to avoid too many carbs and sugars. I am terrified of being type 2 and am absolutely determined not to start on the tablets and insulin route. I just hope my blood sugars will return to normal at the end of the next 6 weeks. Does anyone else get scared about this?

GreenJanet I missed your post I’m sorry, I hope those appointments went well and there is good news for your son x

My appointment was both a relief and a disappointment. I’ve tested negative for Adisons disease which of course is a good thing but there is no verified reason for my symptoms. He says it is common for people to have fluctuating blood pressure and feel dizzy but usually it is teenagers he has in being tested and he has no suggestions as to why at the ripe old age of 40 – it started for me. I joked that I’m having a second adolescence lol. He said there are drugs I can take but the side effects can be worse and he recommended against them, it’s manageable so I’ve agreed. There is nothing they can do for the tiredness and no known reason for it. Maybe it’s just life lol.

It seems unreasonable that sometimes I can sleep for 10 hours and still feel tired, but then other times I’m fine. I dunno.

Anyway, yesterday I allowed myself a slice of chocolate cake – it isn’t every day your child has a birthday 😉 good excuse lol. My final count was 900 calories and 65g carbs so not outrageously high. On Tuesday I will have a proper weigh and measure and start logging it properly again.

I had left over pancakes I made yesterday so I’ve eaten some of those with raspberries for breakfast, I have soup for lunch and we’re having chicken fajita’s later (no wraps for me I just have the filling with salad)

DAY 3 of 7

Yesterday
Calories 883
Carbs 45.6!!

Believe it or not that over ‘spend’ was all due to two small ginger oat biscuits …. 13.3g carbs and 88 calories. Amazing how this stuff can just creep up on you when your least expecting it! Just needed crunch yesterday but at least I didn’t go completely off the rails and ………..
1lb loss!!!!

So have now dropped into the next band of ‘tens’ !!!

Out of bed on the ‘right side’ this morning so here’s to a better day!!

Hope you are all doing well and that your b/g is settling sunshine -girl.

Hi Linda A

Good to hear the experience of people on maintenance as most just disappear when they’ve reached goal!

You did really well and it’s good to know that even on maintenance you don’t start piling on the pounds again! Funny but Lynne was also still losing in the first few weeks if maintenance. Could be because our appetites shrink so much it’s difficult to eat more so I guess adding the odd knob of butter etc. is the best way to go.

Hi sneakysnooper

While you are waiting for the book to arrive just type ‘ daily mail eat to beat diabetes’ into your search bar and a series of articles by Michael Mosely will come up. That are based largely on the new recipe books but also each day he gives the basics of BSD.

Not sure but I think the first one is dated September 23rd 2016.

Good luck!

Hi there, I have just registered for the site, though have been looking at it for some weeks now – very inspiring. hubby and I have changed our eating habits loosely based on the BSD; we are not diabetic or pre, but both needed to lose some weight. It certainly works, after about 7 weeks he has lost about 10kgs and I have lost around 7-8 (seem to be at a bit of a plateau at the minute!). Due to old injuries am unable to exercise, and am hoping that a few more kgs off will help the foot/opposing knee problems. I have just turned 64 (where I ask myself did that number come from!!) After spending time reading through the many posts, it seems to me that we have all been hoodwinked by big business……namely the sugar game; when our youngest was 14 she was diagnosed with T1 and from that time we have become well versed in looking at the labels on food etc and I quickly discovered that in about 99% of cases, recipes could be adapted, primarily by cutting out 75% of the ‘sugar’ called for, with minimal noticeable difference to the taste etc. It was quite an eyeopener. We watched Michael Mosely on the TV doing quite a few ‘health’ type programs and what he said made sense to us; and it was backed up with science. We are in danger of becoming ‘born again’ foodies, as people start to notice our weight loss and ask us about it; we get on the bandwagon, lol. Among our best finds so far, are cauliflower rice. sprinkled with various herbs and spices and besan or chickpea flour, teff flour and buckwheat flour.
It is great to find a good supportive group of like minded people, so wishing all good luck on the journey to a healthier self.
cheers from downunder

Good morning all – and welcome ButterflyMoves.

Interesting lesson for me last night. Technically I slipped up for the first time. I had dinner at Wagamama and planned what I was going to eat meticulously before I went (yet again, thank you MyFitnessPal) so that it fitted into the BSD and my 800 kcal allowance. But I found myself so hungry that I chose to add an unplanned extra small plate of food and subsequently went over on my calories (by 300) and my carbs (by quite a way). And guess what? I went to bed starving, and I woke up starving. So on 800 kcal and under 50g carbs I feel fine, and on 1100 kcal and higher carbs I’m hungry. If this doesn’t show the ‘insulin thing’ at work then I don’t know what does. I’m not beating myself up over it but am quietly noting all this kind of stuff for future reference. Happily, I lost another 300g overnight on the scales <small victory dance>.. So one kg down, errr, only 29 to go….:)

Wishing everyone a successful day ahead!
Sarah, Dubai

Hanks98 …. i would like to add … if you are only 3 weeks in ….. i worry a bit that 3 weeks isn’t enough to solidify a new habit. That is another reason i would stay the course for a little while longer …. as long as you feel great, have energy, and feel happy and good about yourself and your plan.