thank you all for the positive words and encouragement xxx it has really helped me to get through this week. and it does feel as though it’s getting gradually easier…

Major Mummy – it’s tough going on this thing with a sore throat etc…I had a head cold for most of this week and slept poorly, it was a slog and I really had to resist the carbs too…but i got there 🙂

Btw, I had the thai red curry for dinner tonight with cauliflower “rice”. It was only amazing!

I got my bike fixed today and went cycling (for the first time in 2 years). What is happening to me!! Though, I am partly rejoicing that it’s well into October now and the weather here in Dublin is still well and truly in the double digits…

Hi rosieha
there are several threads on max carbs – but the book doesn’t actually set a max limit (put “Max carbs” in the search box at the top right hand corner of the page to find them) most people here seem to aim for 30 or 50, or find that if you have 800 calories and no refined carbs, they sort of end up being that anyway.

The point of cutting out refined carbs for the 8 weeks is more that that period of time helps you break any addiction to carbs and or sugar that you may have.
If you only have 14lb to lose, that may not be an issue for you, but many people here will attest that you can have a perfectly healthy diet for a prolonged period of time that doesn’t include bread, pasta, rice potaoes et al.

If you are counting carbs, then you will be restricting sugar as well – if you look at food labels, they will state:
Carbohydrate xx.x
of which sugars yy.y

Have you looked at using an online calorie counter, such as FatSecret UK or MyFitnessPal? as well as calories they will track all the major nutrients.

If you had the 8 week Blood Sugar diet book …. buy it or borrow from the library, even interlibrary load …. your questions are addressed …. it’s really difficult to type out everything here, after looking it up.

It really is NOT the Atkins diet …. yes you can eat meat, fish, eggs etc. but you are also supposed to eat non starchy vegetables, greens, lentils, beans, berries …. full fat yogurt … and small quantities (weigh, or measure and look it up) of other fruits, vegetables, etc.

A handful … how big are your hands? …. your can buy a cheap scale … or some small measuring spoons … and look up the carbs and calories of the item … on the internet … on MyFat Secret … or numerous other sites.

The diet is planned mainly to try and reverse diabetes or avert diabetes.

If you don’t have much to loose … and that blood sugar reading isn’t that bad … you may reach your goals before the 8 weeks are up …… you can also do a 5:2 plan ….. read the information on the site …. see top line of this site … Blood Sugar Diet, Get Started, Get Active …. FAQ, etc.

As for things like a “handful”… which are not precise … use what seems reasonable to you … and weigh and measure … and look up that amount.

If you are confused … you most likely to need to read the book.

And ….. when you reach your goal ….. it probably is not advisable to add calories from simple carbs of potatoes, breads and such. Sure … you can add some … but wouldn’t it be better to add carbs and calories from mostly healthy sources????

Carbs counts include sugar.

HI Jan, hope that everything goes well tomorrow.
I’m well and still losing – bit of a wonky day yesterday eating wise – temporary blip. And as I posted (I think on another thread), even though it felt I’d eaten loads, it was only around 1,000 calories.

I found this source on the Mindfulness forum and thought I’d post it on our thread for newbies like me who may not have seen it. Just FYI. http://palousemindfulness.com/

Welcome Busybee.

Thank you all for you replies. I am not pre or diabetc, but my latest health check was a fasting BG of 5. So ,as in my late 60s, I want to address this and loose a stone I need to. However, in practise, I am finding the diet a little hard to understand. I get the 800cals or 5600 over a week, I understand 50 g of carbs daily, but can’t do it and often have 70 to 80g, but should I count sugar?, does it matter if I go to 1000 c at times.Where some of the recipes say ‘ a handful of nuts’ what’s that? . I come from an age where fat was banned so am finding it hard to add. Also, what is different about this diet apart from the 800 c to the Atkins diet where people started to have heart problems I believe. I understand abt processed carbs and white foods, but when I loose that 14 Pounds and BG down a bit, do I need to introduce a bit of bead or pasta etc into my diet or do you eat more of what I eat now.Surely we need some carbs , not going mad of course, in our diet? Sorry about this but I am very Confused.

Yeh JAN on three types bp med,not high doses, but maybe too much now, if my bp has gone down with my weight loss
Yesterday may be just one of those things that happen once and never happen again
Thinking of your no 2 son and lighting a candle now for his appt tomoz and for a happy resolution to his health probs..will light another candle for a good resolution to the other concern too xxx
I hope this bad time passes very soon and your worries are lifted x

BillingeBabe…This Texan just learned that a lost stone equals 14 pounds. So how many pounds are in a lost post? Lol 🙂

Hi Frog and Loopylou – the BSD really does change things, it seems that we can’t eat as much as we did pre-BSD even if we fall off the wagon. Well done on declining the profiteroles Loopylou. In another life I adored profiteroles.

Frog – I have felt really well on coming off insulin apart from the first 3 weeks where my body went into hypo alert every time I dropped below 5.5. Which was quite a lot of the time. That has all calmed down now and all hypo alerts have switched off. My own insulin stops me spiking higher than 6.6/7.0 in that first hour after a meal whereas I often went up to 8 or 9 in that first hour when I was injecting insulin at meal times. So the BSD is really doing a great job getting rid of the visceral fat and helping my liver and pancreas to work. It is not working perfectly yet but I have high hopes it will keep improving as I lose weight.

Hopefully the Hba1c will be fairly close to the normal range.

Hi Yowser
Are you on b.p. Meds

LainieUK…so if a stone equals 14 pounds, you own a three pound weekly loss! That’s incredible and so encouraging to me. “Bunkum” indeed…well said.

Hi Frog.

How are things, kind of you to ask, well no 2 son has an appt at guys tomorrow, so hopefully we will get confirmation of what’s happening, the other problem is still v concerning, but hey everything feels better with a lovely BSD day doesn’t it. So I have committed again on veranos thread. How are you doing. Are you on her thread doing the carb challenge.
🙃🙃🙃

Thanks Frog. I think it will be tough to begin with as I have to learn what’s what but reading through others posts it seems planning and prepping are the key. Off to have a herb tea 😊

You Dazzle, Sazzle50!

Mixnmatch way to go, that’s an awesome accomplishment. I can only hope to get as far myself. I weigh in tomorrow for the week mark and will attempt to work in some additional exercise this week. Concentrated more on the food aspects l last week and still seemed to work out.

Hi Loopulou – Had a few things I shouldn’t yesterday, but the amazing thing was that when I logged them, it was still all around 1000 calories, which is pretty low and half the general RDA! (and a fraction of what I’d have eaten pre BSD, even without cake treats, chocolate….)

Don’t worry about the forthcoming HbA1c Krysia, I’m sure it will be fine.
Have you been feeling well since you stopped taking insulin?

Hi Bluemoon – good luck, hope it goes well

If you think about how long it’s taken to accumulate your extra weight, 8 weeks is tiny in proportion – and once you get used to no carb eating, and feeling better because of the weight that you’ve lost, BSD really isn’t a hardship.
Lots of us have done it for longer – and it is a life changing way of eating, and an end to the never ending cycle of diet-lose weight-go back to eating crap- put weight on again-diet-lose weight-go back to eating crap- put weight on again-diet-lose weight-go back to eating crap- put weight on again-diet………

Greenjanet – good luck on your re-boot tomorrow. I am sure you will do really well now you are back ‘on the wagon’.

Sorry Sunshine-girl – I miss-read your post on another thread that your husband was 4.0 two hours after breakfast. It will be really interesting to see what he is two hours after his tea and toast.

Your readings are actually not that far off from truly normal as per Dr Christiansen and are well within the NICE guidelines.

My Hba1c is due on the 25th October and it will be 7 weeks without insulin so I am veering between absolutely terrified at getting the results and being quite optimistic that they will be better than the 50 I was in March. Still – it will keep me on the straight and narrow until then.

I posted this morning but that seems to have gone into the ether too.
Yesterday’s meal with friends was lovely but I was unable to stop at the 2 glasses of wine I had allowed myself. I Stopped counting how many glasses I had. Feeling a little hung over this morning and put on one and a quarter pounds. (Hoping it was eating late and the vino). Erring on the side of overestimation I think I had about 1500 cals but only 37g carb. On the plus side I declined the profiteroles.
Have been ultra good today carbs 26, calories 650. Hope the scales will reward me in the morning.

Iknow FROG! Plus it has to be with any gp,not necessarily the one you want to see. I have an appt early Nov with the GP who knows me best.she is really good so its always at least 3 week wait to guarantee seeing her.
In my younger days,you just came in the morning or afternoon you needed to see a doc,and sat in the waiting room for yr turn.might as well go back to that really coz with the appt system you go in on time for yr slot,but never get in on time anyways! My last appt i saw the doc an hour after the appt time …not cpomplaining tho,just grateful we stil have an NHS..not sure how much longer we will have
Good idea re seeing a pharmacist! BOots is just over the road so can ask in there if they can give me a reading if the doc cant see me x

Hiiiii JAN x how are things with you ?x
yesterday i had what i think may have been vertigo..worst day I ve had in a long time..every time i stood up everything whizzed round and went black as if i was going to faint,but i didnt..imagine the damage to the floor if i hit the deck?!
My balance was totally off kilter.And no i hadnt even had a drink!
I’ m used to always being a little bit dizzy and disorientated but this was a total nightmare.
Not sure if i have an ear infection or if my BP has gone low,or if its something BSD related

i have deffo got a pain in my pinny and my frock’s not well tho! 😄 And dont leave me in charge of driving the bus whatever you do! 😄

Right I am recommitting here so going public, hehe nothing else to eat this eve and rekicking myself tomorrow, with a 800/40 day. I’m indulging in a bit of la strictly now, so will organize a weeks menu later.

Da da ddddd da da strictly tune. Yep she’s gone a bit bonkers. 😾😻🤖

So interested to see several of you mentioning cheese. I’m a cheese addict and, despite keeping within my calorie and carb targets, I have not shifted at all on days when I eat cheese… actually that could be dairy generally. Anyone else find this?

Hi all, I started BSD today and thought I would keep a log of how it goes.
I’m 48, 5ft 5in and currently weigh 16st 2lb 😳
I only heard about this diet earlier this week when I bumped into a friend I hadn’t seen for a while and he’d lost a whopping 3st in 8 weeks! How? BSD! So here I am 😊
I thought 8 weeks sounded a long time so I’m going to look at it in days and just take it one at a time.
So my stats for day one are cals 750 carbs 12g
I’ve prepped lunch for the week, breakfast for tomorrow and dinner for 2 nights.
Looking forward to the week ahead x

Happy Monday! starting weight for the week is 128 Yeeha, 1.8 down from last week. So stoked with that. Looks like I’m one of those people who take off a kilo, then stall for a week or two then take off another kilo. Oh well at least its coming off. A couple people at work have noticed a change, so thats all good. Being home for the next two weeks will be interesting, fingers crossed.
Willmac, thanks so much for your support! Really appreciate it, and yep, know what you mean about some carbs not feeling right. Its all trial and error.
Onwards and downwards!!
KJ

Thank you for your kind words Carb Addict.
I am trying to stay motivated and I haven’t given in yet.
We will fight the fight for the next 7 weeks anyway.
The weight has to come off at some stage. I hope😃
At least I haven’t put it on.

Ah ha
This is where you all are, wondered where you had all gone . Ooh dear, I fell of the back of the bus, and my carb monster dragged me of to a party with yowsers carb monster she was sulking because Yowser wouldn’t partake, of any carby food so the 3 of us eat it all. 😱😱😱😱😱😱 ooh I really miss that virtuous feeling you have when not partaking of the rubbish refined carbs. So I’m glued to this thread now. 😬😬😬

Hi Jan
How are you?
I haven’t seen post from you in a while, but that could be me logging in at odd times.
Hope life is getting more settled – although the things you mentioned a couple of weeks ago both sounded as if they were going to be long term things to deal with.

Hi Yowser luvvy

Only just seen your post, you were about to faint weren’t you, have you found out what caused it, and how are you now.
Love jan

My GP practice is the same with the 8 o’clock thing – it seems like the most bonkers method ever. If you don’t do the 8am thing, its about a three week wait. Face to face appointment would be better, as they can check your BP there.
If not successful getting an appointment tomorrow, do you have a local pharmacy with a BP machine? A conversation with the pharmacist could be helpful as a substitute.

Wow angiebabe, that is an amazing result. Have you been on 800 calories for the 19 weeks or mixed and matched`?

Krysia, they were my results, not my husbands. We haven’t done his yet. So mine at 6.6 are not quite there yet. I will let you know hubbies, will probably have to measure pre lunch as he is sure to tuck into his toast and marmalade before I get up, so forget to do it. I will let you know our results.

Thanks FROG,thats a really good point. You have to ring at eight a.m. to try to get an appt. for Tomoz…so it depends if when i get thru, there’s still appts left!…you ahve to keep pressing redial coz its always so busy!..if not ,I might be able to at least get a phone consultation after surgery. X

Miss Ziggy I feel exactly the same! Somehow the weekend doesn’t feel right not having any wine at all. I also have an open bottle of Rioja that is left over from last weekend when we had family to lunch. I’m hoping it will “keep” for eight weeks so I can have a glass when our eight weeks is completed. My husband & I will also have our joint birthday celebrations coming up in November so not having a glass of something then would not feel at all OK!🙁

Hi Yowzer
Do ask about your blood pressure & meds if you see your GP tomorrow – your GP should make the connection and check it, but do ask about it if they don’t – there’s no point waiting for the 24 hour test if it can be checked now.
When my blood pressure went haywire a few years ago, I did get lots of dizzy spells and migraines, but i was having problems with all sorts of side effects from meds. A bit like the “old lady that swallowed a fly” nursery rhyme
Hope it goes well

I had to buy new pants yesterday, and worn them today. Nothing exciting, just a multi pack from M&S, but not the Bridget Jones “big pants” style. All the old ones kept falling down, including the “little” ones that I found a few weeks ago – it somehow feels more of an achievement than smaller proper clothes 🙂

I wouldn’t worry about the MFP cholesterol Krysia – it will be high with the egg yolks, but that won’t translate directly into your personal cholesterol results. Someone posted here recently with vastly improved cholesterol readings, and their nurse/GP had said it was because they’d cut out all of the trans fats from cakes/biscuits etc, even though their diet was relatively high fat.

Thank you Frog for the info. I was getting worried that I had somehow blocked myself from the forum. I typed the post to Sunshine-girl girl 4 times.

LUCKY youre missed here by loads of us, and more than you’d ever know! But we do understand you need TIme Out x take care and see you in Dec for Christmassy laughter and fun! 😄😄. Ps i feel like you about size 18.. I was edging towards size 24 too so 18 feels lovely and i will be perfectly happy to settle at size 16. Pps..i think you SHOULD send yr work off to a publisher! Oh and yes, you have come too far now to ever go back,but you know yr body better than anyone and youve got into new habits so you wont slide back into those bad old ways i too was guilty of! I know you have got a valid point,coz now i’m finding my bodys reacting in a strange way it never has before,and i have to get to the bottom of it and if its coz i am too low cal,too low carb,for too long,i will need to reassess too x

I feel a lot better today thanks MIX ..yesterday i think i had vertigo,it was really dreadful.i cdnt stand for more than a minute coz everything went dark and started whizzing round?..today its just dizziness and nausea 🙄🙄🙄 was able to go out to the craft fair i wanted to go to yesterday,tho must admit felt pretty ropey.
Will try to get doc appt tomoz. And Well done MIX on yr good results! 👍🏻

My 24 hr bp test is a week tomorrow FROG ..i wish it was tomorrow! Coz am wondering if my bp is now too low for the amount of meds i’ m on and thats why i am so dizzy and nauseous..i hope thats the only reason coz its easily fixed!

Happy Week everyone! XXX

Hi Sunshine-girl will try again to send this post. Your blood sugars are really good and well within NICE recommendations for non diabetics. They say no more than 7.8 ninety minutes after a meal. (8.5 for type 2 diabetics).

A Dr Christiansen has done continuous monitoring on what he says are truly normal people and he says truly normal is 4.7 after 2 hours. So your husband is truly truly normal and you are not far off.

I did a while back, then it sorted itself – I have vague recollections of Tokyo and Luky having a spate of problems with it about two months ago,
try logging out & back in 🙂

Something I did recently was click on “report post” rather than reply – I realised, and emailed tech support, it happens lots apparently.

Sunshine girl posted this recently “I think I have discovered the problem. If you make a comment and submit that is fine. To leave the thread, if you hit the back button (the arrow on the top of the page next to the https:/) you will lose your post as you have asked it to go back to where you were before. To leave the thread click on the ‘Forums’ button at the top of the page, it takes you back into the Forums obviously but you will not lose your post. Just my observation but I could be mistaken.”

I bought some Isopure Low Carb Protein Powder Dutch Chocolate shake a couple of weeks ago.
It tastes OK, and does keep me full; well did after the second attempt, when I found the scoop inside the bag and realised it was the size of about 5 teaspoons, which was what I’d used the first time and felt generally unimpressed and hungry.
But my general feeling is that a meal is something I eat, and a drink doesn’t really count (I am a bit the same with soup).

I also think that using real food, cooking and experimenting, even just getting a feel for weights and portion sizes, helps educate and better prepare you for eating out, post 800 cal.very low carb (for lots of us that is way more than 8 weeks) – and ultimately be an incredibly important part of the journey to having a better relationship with food.
There’s also all of the research that you’re better off eating the whole fruit than having juice, so would be wary of relying on home made shakes too much.
A colleague did really well earlier in the year with a non BSD meal replacement diet – she has kept the weight off, but does have to keep reverting to the shakes from time to time, because the plan didn’t seem to have a post diet plan (clever marketing, keep you hooked!), and when she is an “eating food” phase, does make some odd choices.

So, the shake is something that I may occasionally grab for breakfast if I oversleep, or carry a scoop with me if I think I may need a meal on the go and don’t have time to prepare a salad and am a bit dubious about access to BSD friendly shop or restaurant options, but I honestly think real food is the best way to go.

Having problems posting – am losing posts. Is anyone else?

I lost ten pounds! Still can’t believe it!

Hey busy bee

I too have pmr and suffered all sorts of problems with the steroids including Cushings and high eye pressure which ended up with lots of eye surgery. But after 3 years of that nonsense I started to feel better last May and over the last 19 weeks have lost 58lbs so you go girl!

Once you get your head round it you’ll find it liberating. And you can cut out so many aisles in the supermarket that are full of processed food. It’s truely enlightening when you realise that food is now coming from the fresh aisles. Although frozen food is also useful.

I don’t follow recipes and I aim for 50g of carbs a day, so not very low but it’s sustainable. I’ve lost 2 stone in 9 weeks.

Here are my staples

Salad – all – cucumber, lettuce, leaves, spring onions, tomatoes, peppers, avocado, herbs such as chives, coriander, parsley, mint

Fruit – plums, nectarines, apples, berries. I tend to buy 2 types each week.

Protein – feta cheese, salmon, tuna, sea bass, trout, prawns, chicken, gammon joint, pork and lamb

Veg – brocoli, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, and for soup – spinach, watercress and courgettes or parsnip (1), swede (small), leeks, carrots, shallots – chosen because they are my favourites rather than any particular carb or nutritional count.

Drinks – tea or coffee with skimmed milk, lemon and mint in hot water, sparkling water, tap water, low cal fizzy drinks such as diet coke or sugar free tango.

My treats – for when I get a real urge – small packet of pork scratchings – they really hit my spot and at 111 calories a packet I can fit them in a few times a week. Sometimes I’ll have half a packet if calories are tight. Eat natural bars – I am studying at the moment at college and take 1 bar and 1 apple and feel very satisfied. Every now and then I buy Bury black pudding to have with my breakfast eggs.

Quick meals – I love fish with a knob of herb butter, stuffed mushrooms and pre-cooked chicken that I have for lunch or for a snack – thighs and spicy chicken breast are my favourites.

Today I’m doing a roast which I don’t make very often. I may have 1 small roast potato if they turn out really well. And I’ll have a small amount of gravy.

Hope that might help a bit.

Elaine

Hi Sunshine-girl
Your blood sugar looks really good. Your doctor will be really pleased and your hba1c will be very good.

Diabetes.co.uk report that NICE says that before meal figures for non-diabetics are 4.0 to 5.9 and 90 minutes after meals under 7.8. So you are well within th numbers for non-diabetics. (Type 2 guidelines are 90 minutes after food 8.5.)

Jenny Ruhl cites research by Dr Christiansen’s research on truly normal people shows 4.7 blood glucose 2 hours after a meal – so you are not far off. Your husband has truly normal figures and when your visceral fat completely goes so will you.

Hi everyone. I’m starting on Tuesday this week (11th) but I’ll jump on your train if that’s OK. I’m super nervous – terrified of being starving hungry and falling off the wagon. I’m desperate for this to work but so worried that I won’t be able to do it. Lots of support and handholding required here please. xxxx

Deb

I was in exactly the same position as you with the hot flushes and alcohol. They have now completely gone and it’s such a relief. They seem to be starting earlier in the day and lasting longer and longer. That was until I hit alcohol on the head and now I don’t have them in the slightest. I’m back to putting on long sleeved tops, cardigans, fleeces and my coat. It’s fabulous to feel more like my old self.

Today is week 9 for me and I’m exactly 2 stone down – 17st 12.6 – 15st 12.6. Still a long way to go but I am loving this approach to food. I can now get into clothes that I like again and enjoy dressing up again.

It was this forum but in particular the older ladies who have inspired me. There is so much in the media about older women, post the menopause struggling to lose weight and you know what, it’s a load of bunkum!

So thank you ladies for inspiring me and continuing to inspire me. I don’t post very often but I visit every day.

Elaine x

I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss lettuce and cucumber as they’re easy and quick to prepare. Cucumber is handy to add crunch to some meals and I use lettuce as an alternative to wraps or bread in burgers, fajitas etc. As for them being just water, remember lettuce and cucumber have around 96% water and courgettes (a favourite on this site) actually have around 95%.

Anyway water’s good for you.

Sunshine-girl – really good blood glucose figures. Your doctors will be really pleased and your Hba1c will be good.

Diabetes.co.uk say that NICE say that a non-diabetic is between 4.0 and 5.9 before meals and at least 90 minutes after meals is under 7.8 (a diabetic type 2 is under 8.5 ninety minutes after meals) so your figures are good.

Jenny Ruhl in her book says that there is research from a Dr Christiansen where he monitored truly normal people with continuous monitoring and they were 4.7 two hours after a meal. So your husbands reading of 4.0 is exceptionally normal and yours is actually fairly close to that number.

I have managed to get fairly close by doing a 15/20 minute fast walk after eating.

Please may I join you women of a certain age?
I have been dieting since I was 15 and will be 70 (50 in my head) in December. My weight story is too long and involved to put pen to paper but I am starting the BSD tomorrow! I must do it this time!!
X B