We should send our chimps on play dates… Far. Far. Away.

So i’ve been thinking about what I learned the first time around on the BSD and thought I might share what I think are my best hints. YMMV.

1. You’re going to mess up. You’re human. It will be okay as long as you don’t let it defeat you in the long run. Every minute is an opportunity for a fresh start. You are worth going on this journey – never forget that.

2. Reward yourself with non-food items when you reach a milestone (see my profile for mine as examples).

3. DRINK WATER. It helps with the carb cravings and it fills you up.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The people on this forum are amazing human beings, I learn from them every day.

Happy Journey!
Deb

Corkie – good to know about the cauliflower cheese recipe, i do love a good kick to my food.

Just had the carbonara – pg 110, was very quick and easy to do, and really did taste like carbonara, i feel like i’ve been out for an italian, i upped the courgette in the recipe, as half a courgette each just doesn’t seem like enough, and used bacon as tesco werent stocking the turkey bacon from the recipe, maybe next time, but was delicious.

My mum, who is prediabetic, has just watched a tv programme about diabetes and the cost to the nhs, think it shocked her all the lower limb amputations etc. We’ll have to send our GP a thank you card for telling us to try this diet, my mum who is v inactive through various ailments and being 81, lost 14lb in the 8 weeks and has continued eating that way and hopefully her blood sugar levels are under control although we haven’t tested it yet.

thanks avila, will take a look after the news

I know, and I paid for it – believe me.
( But I just didn’t want to have to hear my hubby going on about how “I never eat with him, anymore”. )

Hi all. I have started the BSD and would love to join your group. I have read the book and would love the support. I am from the Gold Coast Australia. I am 56 years old and was diagnosed with diabetes two, three years ago. I have 24 kg to loose and hope this will kick start be and even turn my diabetes around. Good luck everyone 😬

not caught up with that yet, but not the only relevant BBC piece tonight (see my new thread)

I don’t get why 800 cals is so frowned on and then commanded for others – and after surgery be as limited for life….

Poor thing <3
Sinus trouble is a misery!

Sashimi is great – but beware sushi! It’ not just the rice, the rice is soaked in something sugary

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-16677/why-most-sushi-is-actually-bad-for-you.html

KrysiaD, I have reduced my insulin by one more unit tonight and will see what happens tomorrow morning. Obviously I will report in on this thread as usual. Today my carbs have been 23 and had 620 calories. I have just done a 50 minute zumba class and don’t feel hungry but have forced myself to eat about 3 oz of chicken to stop the dawn effect.

If you read my post above, I have been bouncing around like Tigger after my visit to the cardio. Will probably have calmed down by tomorrow.

Nite nite

Over on BBC Wales http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07xwstx

will be available soon. Not BSD but low carb high fat eating, way over the calories. Mix of views, though the anti carb examples do look healthier that the example from the Dr of an obesity clinic who said it was a rubbish idea and dangerous and unsustainable….. a throw something at the telly moment.

Then Panorama looking at Type 2 diabetes – not caught up on that yet.

Any thoughts from other watchers?

Just found this article from 2014.. Wish i ‘ d read it back then!
Re health benefits of full fat yog combined with a Mediterranean diet..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/10865240/Eating-high-fat-yogurt-lowers-risk-of-obesity.html

Did anyone just see the Panorama programme about diabetes? The blasé attitude of some folk featured was amazing and so sad, to think they could turn things around with this or similar eating regimes. It implied the only solution for many was bariatric surgery, although they had to,follow a diet of 800-1000 cals per day for 4 weeks to shrink their livers. If they had just carried on, they might have been able to avoid such surgery.
Thoughts anyone?

Hi fellow Oct 3rd Starters,
I’ve also started BSD today. I’m 46 and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in May this year. I’ve struggled to come to terms with this and make the necessary diet/lifestyle changes. I’m taking Metformin and Ramipril for my border line high blood pressure.

I’m doing the 800 calorie and following the recipes in the BSD book. Today I’ve eaten yogurt with rhubarb compote for breakfast, courgette and feta salad for lunch and foil baked fish for supper. All where surprisingly good and I didn’t feel too hungry. I couldn’t give up my long black coffee and I’ve not quite managed to drink 2 litres of water. However, I have felt very irritable, hopefully this won’t last too long.

Hiya folks
Restarting tomorrow. After a nasty teacher induced stressbinge!
Normally try to lower carbs to 50, but thinking might try lower as I think the carbs just cling to me!
I use my phone and my wee digital scales.
I like bovril and tea. Eggs. All veg and meat. But not keen on avocados..however..willing to retry. I didn’t like olives years ago..but lust after them now!
Have got my head around it all. I needed the binge..but needed to feel the pain of the post binge apocolypse to let me feel the love for the 800. 💕

Only one chimp each?

had a small portion of a pasta dish – first pasta in 2 months – and it was tasteless… the kind of thing I would eat as a regular quick cook before.

Tonight came in feeling peckish, there were crisps in the house and I craved….. some yoghurt !!!

Hi there, I would say don’t give up. I had a 2 week stop proably around the same time and was ready to go on a binge when someone here said not to and I listened, a couple of days later I lost a couple of pounds and a steady loss since. I remember thinking how can I not be losing on 800 calories, didn’t seem possible. Your body seems to want to hang on to the fat, also, you may be losing internal fat or you may also be losing inches. Did you measure yourself at the start.

Keep on keeping on.

Hi Verano
Dorset was great – lovely and sunny, and my friend had found some really great recipes.
Did you have a good weekend?
I did my own check on the teriyaki sauce ingredients before I made it- the only thing that was a bit dodgy was a quarter of teaspoon of honey (between two), so I just left it out. Tasted fine, and I didn’t tell the guy (it’s a mixed group, about 50/50) that I was cooking with he is lovely, but in his 80s – I think he is more used to plain food, but eats everything without question, so he wouldn’t have known if it had tasted weird!

HAPPYGIRL I ve had the Chimp Paradox on my bookshelves for two years at least!
I’ ll give it a go now you’ve mentioned it x i DID start it! My chimp is a close friend of the Carb Monster who went off in a huff when i stopped craving carbs!😛😛😛 x

PRIMA,Make sure you get the full fat not the0%!
Supermarket shelves are full of nonfat/ low fat yog…and comparatively little full fat
The full fat Total has a blue streak on the top of the tub,the non fat has pink! X

AFTER DAY 19

Weight : 72.8
Steps:10,025

Been on a plateau weight-wise for a few days. Social life has made it hard to accurately keep track of calories. Took fresh apple slices in a plastic bag and a bottle of water to the movies. I have been trying to choose wisely when out but have not resisted a couple of bread rolls. Eating out again tonight -will try harder.

Welcome, pgates. Verana’s courgetti is going to be on tomorrow’s dinner plate, I think. Sounds delicious! 😃

Yowzer, I’ll look for that brand. I really REALLY want to like it! Randam, good luck to you as we start this journey!

Hi CallMeDeb … you have some extra challenges there!! Good luck 🙂

ah HappyGirl … we should get our inner chimps together …. and send them off to play by themselves!! 🙂

*****Reposting this from another thread (that’s not as active as this one) so I can join in here too!*****

Hello all!
I am re-starting the diet today. I made it four weeks before I was sidelined with unrelated health issues.

I did my prep yesterday and laid out all my food for the work week. Mon-Fri will basically look like this:

Breakfast – Two Eggs, Cottage Cheese

Lunch – Home made Chili, Laughing Cow Cheese (2)

Dinner – Cauliflower, Hummus, hard-boiled egg

I have major food allergies (nuts, most raw fruit/veg), so you won’t see much of that in my menu.

I’ve listed my goals and rewards in my profile if you’d like to check them out.

Have a great day!
Cheers.
Deb

Sometimes i can’t sleep when i am too hungry …… i used to eat just a little bit of something.

Now i try and dip into my veggie mix (just a handful or so) … sugar snap peas, sliced cucumber (did some nice thin ones cut on a diagonal to look pretty), small tomatoes, pecans (because i like them but they are not my favorite), …. anything low calorie or low carb. Sometimes you need just a little something …. so keep an assortment of before-bed snacks in a couple of plastic containers.

I even bought some cheddar cheese on sale …. going to cut it up and wrap small portions.

Anyone ever eaten a celery stalk dipped in ordinary yellow mustard??

I love a little cottage cheese with a ton of chives or green onions!!

for anyone that’s just started and is thinking about buying a spiralizer, I was in a branch of Morrisons today, and spotted that they had the Salter one on special offer for £12.
It’s larger than the one I bought a while ago, but I used one at a cookery class this morning and it worked really well.

Thanks for that Gardengreen.
I am trying to wean myself off carbs slowly as I know that if if I were to cut them out completely, this diet wouldn’t last a day.
Have you read the book The Chimp Paradox? It says we all have an inner chimp that always tries to sabotages our good intentions , especially when it comes to food.So I have befriended my inner chimp and throw him a piece of toast made from homemade bread, in order to placate it. It’s one of my survival tactics.

I am aware that I sound like a complete nutcase as I write this!!!

Nevertheless, thank you for your sound advice and if you ever see a tall mad looking Irish woman beating herself with a banana – run away as far and as fast as you can😉

Cheers

Hi JulesMaigret
I do appreciate the NHS – particularly given recent conversation on this forum with someone in the US – however I had a run of bad health 5-6 years ago, that with appropriate treatment at the outset, could have been dealt with far more efficiently and cheaply by the NHS- and with way less stress and time unable to work for me. Ever since then, I have been very sceptical, and always do my own research rather than accept what I am being told without question.

I have worked for medical research organisations, so I also understand of the Newcastle trial being complete before BSD moves into the territory of becoming mainstream advice. Since starting BSD and bringing my HbA1c results back within normal range (as well cholesterol, fatty liver, protein where it shouldn’t be all resolved, and blood pressure that was already in the normal range lower still), my GP has been delighted, however of the two ‘diabetes specialists’ that I encounter on a regular basis:
One was pleased with my results, but intimated that another patient who still had blood sugars in the diabetic range (but lower than her previous results) was doing better because she followed “a proper diet” and hadn’t stopped taking her medication, Wow – if I was still chucking back metformin, maybe I’d still be diabetic too.
The other stated that no one could exist on a diet of 130g of carb a day “because it would affect their brain”
Whilst BSD is not mainstream advice, as a professional I stay abreast of developments in my sector, I am surprised that other professions do not appear to have much interest in doing this.

I think my sinus problems are turning into a cold!! the good part : nose running but not painfull
I put some local honey into my pineapple/pear tea … for the immune benefits
I ate that last strip of bacon … it was great
I’ve decided only to have bacon in restaurants …. as it is calling my name when it is in my house! That’s probably a good decision!

Yup i know what you mean ….. my sinus problem seems to be turning into a cold! …. i want bacon …. there is bacon in the house!!

Whew! Week one is done. 7.5 pounds down, 4 1/4 inches lost on my waist. I’m not really having any cravings but I am still just absolutely starving!
@ feelinghopeful only two suggestions. hot decaf tea or just give up and go to bed. I ended up in bed reading at 7:45 Thursday night just to get away from the kitchen.

Happygirl, try having eggs for breakfast or Greek yoghurt you will find that it’s very satisfying and you won’t get the cravings that toast will inevitably result in. I have found the less carbs I eat the less hungry I am.

Hi everyone.
Today is Monday so it’s a hard day to get through by its very definition.
I had a small piece of toast with coffee for breakfast.
At lunch I had a small roast salmon salad, yesterday’s leftovers,with lots of green things!!!
How come we never overeat lettuce!! As well as a small greek yoghurt.
For dinner I had homemade courgette soup with a meatball, as well as grilled wild mushrooms.
It all sounds very impressive but I am feeling hungry this evening. I was fine all day until I got home and took my shoes off.
So, I have been telling myself – get a grip girl, tomorrow is another day and you will eat again.
Meanwhile, just get through this a day at a time.
Hunger is my friend!!!

Hope everyone is having a great day or at least soldiering on. To achieve this will be so good for our health.
Cheers

Starting today too. We can do it.

Ok get the kettle on Jan! ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️ Xx

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for your post. Very inspiring.

You’re right of course – and no I haven’t measured intentionally as I find those numbers too depressing. I decided to gauge progress against my clothes instead and so far it’s the same too. However I have noticed an improvement in energy (most days) so something must be happening. I intend to keep going across the full eight weeks and judge the the bigger picture is at the end of it. I do believe my body HAS to release some of the extra 35kgs it is carrying at some point. I’m 95% vegan with occasional fish, so my 800 kcals is predominantly coming from vegetable sources too. I definitely need to drink more water so some of the issue might be water retention. I’m eating so cleanly (especially compared to usually) that I have faith that the scales will start edging down eventually. Just have to keep facing forward…. This forum is terrific support. Thank you for your input!

dinner= boiled eggs and salad.

Hi Folks,

Welcome to all the new BSD joiners 🙂

Good day so far.
Breakfast – Yogurt with banana & black coffee
Lunch – cheddar and broccoli soup (delicious and very filling)
Dinner – Steamed Cauliflower and grilled chicken thigh (cauliflower was a good rice substitute, used garlic salt, black pepper and chilli flakes on chicken, no oil – also delicious).

The soup recipe I used was from the ‘Quick start Guide – The Essential Blood Sugar Diet’ recipe book as it was a 3 book deal on Amazon with ‘8 week BSD’ & ‘Fast Exercise’.

Well there’s always a cup of tea lol

Hi All,

I have been silently doing the BSD for 5 weeks now and I must say the results for me in the first three weeks were dramatic loosing over 1.5 stone. For the last two weeks I have not lost any weight at all and some days even though I have maintained under 800 calories I have put a very small amount of weight on and had a bad stomach.

I have decided to take the decisions out of calculating food calories and carbs by going on a seven day shake meal replacement. I have been doing the shakes two meals a day plus a 300 calorie evening meal for the last week whilst swimming 30 mins three times a week but it has not worked.

Has anyone else found that weight loss slows down this significantly for two weeks and are their any tips for getting the weight loss going again? I am worried whether I have inadvertently consumed less than 800 calories and my body has gone into storage mode.

Hi Timetochange

Sometimes I have to bake – for church fairs etc. It was difficult not to lock the spoon, and not to “taste test” the finished product. But I didn’t. And the world didn’t come to an end. And the finished product was perfectly edible.

If you do want to continue baking (even if less than you currently do) why not research the low-carb baking recipes and find something you like to make that is more BSD friendly?

Thank you for the lovely welcome, I have also joined the October 3rd starters thread.

Day 1 not too bad, just trying to work out something interesting to do with green beans:/ I am not much of a cook but hey my recipe book arrives tomorrow and I can read:)

(((Big supportive hugs all round)))

Hi
Can I join in? I started same date. Lost 7lb so far. Starving tonight though and 200 over already. Trying to ignore it now. Any tips?

JAN i think we might have to grab a snack coz youve eaten all our supper! We better find a motorway services as soon as we can..will they have anything low carb i wonder! 😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋 x

Hello all!

I am re-starting the diet today. I made it four weeks before I was sidelined with unrelated health issues.

I did my prep yesterday and laid out all my food for the work week. Mon-Fri will basically look like this:

Breakfast – Two Eggs, Cottage Cheese

Lunch – Home made Chili, Laughing Cow Cheese (2)

Dinner – Cauliflower, Hummus, hard-boiled egg

I have major food allergies (nuts, most raw fruit/veg), so you won’t see much of that in my menu.

I’ve listed my goals and rewards in my profile if you’d like to check them out.

Have a great day!

Cheers.

Deb

Ot oh I’ve eaten it, it was lush. safe journey are you going or coming back to Liverpool don’t snack on the way 😇🏃😇

Thank you ShellBrum, I’ll change over tomorrow. It’s lovely to be on board:)

Hi captainlynne, my word I can’t imagine my life without cake! I would be soooo amazed if that happened. I’ve always been a baker and consumer of the various combinations of butter, sugar, flour and eggs! I think it’s in my DNA! However, I want it to feature very much less in my life. I know that is better for me. One thing I have noticed getting off the sugar, is that my skin looks brighter. I could be imagining it of course, but somehow it seems better and it’s definitely no where near as dry.

Day 3, Breakfast yoghurt and peach, Lunch was a large chicken breast (shared with other half) chopped and mixed with shallots, drizzle of olive oil, 1 mushroom and tsp of cajun spice and stir fried. Dinner a bowl of homemade pumpkin and chilli soup. Lots of water and so far since about 3.00am this morning, 14 trips to loo which other half finds highly entertaining. Weighed this morning but could not tell if I had actually lost 1 kg or not. Hoping for better clue on Wednesday when I jump on again.

Enjoying the challenge of the food and discovered my Carbs and Calorie book tucked in a cupboard which is now to hand.

Loving reading everyone’s posts.