Well done, Trelawney!! Stay positive and choose wisely tonight – I’m sure you’ll do great!!!

Hi Lynne

I know you only have two meals a day so may be you could just add some fruit midway between your two meals. It’s easy to take with you and eat on the run if needs be. May just help a little.

Whoop, whoop 12st 7 1/2lbs. First mini plateau sorted!
Going out for the day, packed a salad for lunch then chinese buffet this evening, but feeling I can handle it today.
How’s everyone doing? Have a good day xx

Ha! Lynne, you are a maintenance loser 😄
Hope when I get to maintenance I can say the same after a week (though without the stress reason, sorry it was a tough week) – it must feel comfy knowing you’ve built in an extra 2lb buffer. I have this weird fear that the scale will shoot straight up when I ‘start maintenance’, thanks for the reassurance that that doesn’t have to be the case.
Good luck eating more this week! x

Hi Arthurconandoyle, it was delicious. Not the kind of thing I could do every day (compared to our normal meals, it worked out quite expensive, for a start!), but a great treat and all within the diet because everything was a small portion in comparison with usual ideas of what a serving is (only 90 g of salmon, for example, but cooked in a small amount of butter to absolute perfection, which was, admittedly, a fluke). I’m weighing and measuring every single ingredient religiously (even garlic and lemon juice), which is helping to keep me on track.

Hi Tired
I am so pleased to hear of your progress and to note the new positivity in your writing. Sounds like you have a hectic life up there. Well done on facing the buffet and coming out a winner! I am off to a chinese buffet later but am feeling positive that I can handle it!
And you are including your family, that is great, sharing the experiene and setting them on a healthy life. Keep up the great work. xx

I remember suffering horrible carb flu, must have been really addicted. You know the wonderful bit though? Once you hang in there and get through it, then every day after that, you get to not feel tired and desperate for a carb hit or caffeine hit to ‘fix’ how bad you feel constantly: because you won’t be addicted any more! And you won’t feel bad constantly! You will love this feeling, just hang in there a little bit longer and you’ll get there. Good luck x

Thanks Jan for all those claps! I’ve still got 2 1/2 stone to go but I will get there. 😀 It’s interesting I found my old weight watchers log book. It took me 8 months to lose 1 1/2 stone there.

Sounds just right to me. Using Igor’s Keto macro site, I ended up targetting ballpark 50g each of carbs, protein and fat for the 800cals, which is about 50%ish fat – yummy! 😊

Morning loopylou
Well done on reaching milestone 1 1/2 st 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏it’s great isn’t it how much more do you have to go to target 🙂 Happy Saturday
Your fellow June 29 er

Oh, spot on with the fat thing – I was programmed to not eat fat, trim food, no butter (seriously I’ve eaten dry sandwiches since I was a young teen!), low fat yogurts (SW actually helped me develop an aversion to Muller Light) etc. Now I’ve added oil to my salad dressing, a little olive oil to my mushrooms etc. and it’s the most difficult bit to get my head around. I’m using fatsecret and my daily totals show I’m between 45-50% fuelling by fat – hope that’s right!

Hi twin mama

Welcome to the club. I started Monday and feel like you do too. Weak, shaky, generally flat…..but not hungry!! I am assured it will pass. On day 6 now, as you are I guess, and feel ok. Bit better each day. Hang in there. Focus on how good you will feel when you break that 11 st barrier ❤️

Hi all,

So I’ve successfully completed 3 days and have weighed myself this morning and have reduced by 9lb! Feeling very motivated at the moment, especially as for the first diet ever I haven’t felt ‘deprived’! I found with other diets I had to exercise my will power and would quite often fall off the wagon before day 4, in fact – I used to say if I didn’t make it to day 4 then I wasn’t going to (seemed easier after).

In summary how I’ve been feeling, day 1, I developed a meanie of a headache towards bedtime. I have been very careful to drink loads and have added some salt to my food for the first time in years.

Day 2 – I was headachey all day – but found sparkling water to be my friend and it eased off before bed. I went to a training event with work and didn’t nosh the buffet and went for salad and a small selection from the fruit salad. (Quarter of an apple, couple of orange wedges and a slice of pineapple).

Day 3 – just felt really tired yesterday. But I have had two 4.45 a.m. starts to add in the mix!

Last night I adapted one of the families favourite meals, to a low carb version, and it worked well. The hubby and eldest boy are eating the same evening meals as me now in support, and both of my boys have switched to a healthier morning smoothie (rather than Crunchy Nut Cornflakes) because they like the taste. Of course, no cal counting with the kids and they are still having normal cooked school lunches. But am hopeful some of the holistic adaptations will benefit everyone.

I love the courgette idea, and have been thinking about a sprialiser. Sounds a plan as the family all love Spag Bol!

Tiredx

Yum, that dinner sounds delicious, Snoop. You’re making me hungry! 😃

Morning everyone.

First weigh-in on maintenance shows ….. errrrr ….. a loss of another 2 pounds. That means I’ve lost 94 pounds and am now 3 pounds below my target weight. I have tried to increase what I eat, but it’s been a strange and stressful week (not BSD related). Looks like I need to pay more attention to what, and how much, I eat. Must add that I have not been hungry at any point, otherwise I would have eaten more!

This week, first of maintenance, I’ve lost another 2 pounds – total loss now 94 pounds – taking me 3 pounds below target. *thinks* – need to work harder at maintaining 😱

Well done at the baby shower, Tabletalk. I’d never heard of trail mix. Looks lethal. And all too easy to eat without thinking. Good idea about no eating in the car.

Today’s figures:
84.5 kg
-0.4 kg
Overall change -4.0 kg
Yesterday’s food and exercise
599cals
24 carbs
Moderate walk for 15 mins, 1 hour digging (could also add a couple of hours’ shopping – doesn’t count really, but it’s a big change to sitting at my desk for two hours!)

Under calories because no time for coffee in the morning, extremely late lunch and so not very hungry in the evening. OH focusing on what he can’t have (bread and wine), me focusing on what I can have (salmon, lamb’s lettuce salad with avocado pear, raspberries, ricotta cheese…, what is not to like about that?!).

Morning all 🙂

First week on the 5:2 Blood Sugar Diet after finishing the 8 week BSD.

So this week was all about measurements of body. 1 lbs lost. But waist down by 1 inch and neck by 1/2 inch. Blood sugar and pressure both fine.

OH who isn’t very overweight has at last joined me and has ditched the sugar (he was addicted to Whethers Original sweets) and cut the carbs a bit. He was quite shocked because he said the ‘carb flu’ was similar to what he felt when he gave up cigarettes.

sunshinegirl – you will get there. I have still not reached my next mini-goal of 10% off.

Mixnmatch – do not beat yourself up – 30% off is WONDERFUL!

I definitely need to reboot ! Starting today.

Thanks ruthdownunder, I will look into the psyllium and I think I’ve gotten into a slump of few veggies or lots of lettuce but not enough other veggies to make a difference. It is a challenge to eat that many veggies for sure! But I love them, so it’s not a bother, just work to buy and prep it all. Also encouraging thoughts on the “lady pounds” and slow weight loss.

Calories 854
Carbs 83

Did great today at a baby shower!! One bite of a tiny cupcake was my only splurge there. Mercifully there were tons of raw veggies so ate those quite happily.
Brought home some trail mix and got too carried away with it, but realized I set myself up by eating it in the car. My new strict rule is no food in the car…just another mindless way to eat.

Seems like I’ve been 50 cals over 800 all week. Going to get under tomorrow.

Great news from you all…keep up the good work! Glad you’re feeling confident and enjoying the changes Snoop.

Oh i don’t intend to use the local honey, not right now … and only in moderation later, it’s only that local honey is scarce so when i got a line on some i went for it. I may even give some away cause i got 3 jars.
It seems that headaches are a familiar symptom since we are changing so much of our diet that it’s even difficult to determine the exact cause.

I had a veggie drink at the mall … asked for the nutrition information and they had it handy esp. since they are called Freshly Squeezed. I had a kale, spinich, raspberry, ginger and cucumber mix. It wasn’t sweet so i hope it was just the 190 calories stated.

Didn’t weigh in because i didn’t go to the gym. Was tired by the time i got home. Did get a cloth tape measure so i took my measurements … 44,42,44. Not an hour glass figure and far from Scarlett O’Hara’s 19 inch waist 🙂 🙂 🙂
and i turned to my sister at aquabics and said “Don’t i look pretty!” It’s all relative … I look at 229 pounds and feel joy … others would not.

Day 28 (4 week review) . BS 8.6 mmol/L. Must have lost some days along the way, definitely started the BSD on the 20/8 so today is Day 28. Feeling okay and no mets for a few weeks now, have loss 3.5 kg and have not stuck strictly to the 800 cal but mostly under 1000 and definitely no bad carbs. Fitbit has been good motivator and are looking forward to the three month blood test results in a couple of weeks. Will try to decrease to 800.
Hope everyone is well.

@shalimar – be careful not to over-do the honey – it’s refined sugar after all – it’s just refined by the very finest of refiners: the lovely, wonderful bees!

Dropped my son off at nursery, headed to work on the train but had to turn back due to the major disruptions on all the lines. Worked from home instead. I’ve had a headache this afternoon and I’m not sure what caused it – lack of coffee, looking at my small laptop screen, drinking too much water or the diet. A half hour swim in the evening sorted that out though.

Melon, blueberry, pomegranate and spinach smoothie – tasted awful, like ‘health food’!
Halloumi salad
Spicy chicken with lentils

Mrs C and I don’t feel hungry going to bed tonight, which is a good sign.

Hi Stewart,
Congratulations! Isn’t it great to see (and feel) your effort rewarded? Thank you for starting this thread and sharing your favorite recipes.
I love discovering new recipes.
Best wishes.

Hi topcac and Wannabe! I’m also at the end of day 5 and 5 pounds down! Obviously that’s normal 😃 Dreading the weekend though ‘cos it’s a family birthday and I have to eat in a restaurant 😳. Will gave to gave grilled chicken and salad! Lovely to find this forum! X

And, Snoop, hopefully you’ll never have to worry ever again. I’m not only on this to regain my health and lose weight. I’m determined to stay healthy afterwards. I want to remain mobile and active into old age so that I can travel and enjoy life with lots of energy and I suspect that everyone on the forum does too.

Well done on the suit front Timmy, that must have been a proud moment!

Thanks for the welcome, Yowzer 49! Love the joke but actually, what I like most about the BSD is exactly that – it IS elementary. Once you understand the principles, it’s quite simple to follow. I’m grateful to Dr Mosley and his team for researching all the complicated data and presenting it in a way that’s accessible to those of us who don’t have the time to do the research ourselves.

AFTER DAY 2
Weight : 74.2 kg
Walking : 13,000 steps.

Chris, that’s a brilliant outcome. The initial struggle clearly paid off. Congratulations.

Have you seen this thread?
https://thebloodsugardiet.com/forums/topic/would-you-like-to-share-your-success-story/

I’m sure people would be glad to read of your success there too.

Made it! Had another good day.
Quorn sausages, crudites and salad cream for lunch, pork parcel with broccoli for dinner and greek yogurt and blueberries. Feeling much brighter tonight. Visited daugher and she commented that weight loss was showing so pleased with that. Took blood pressure tonight, it is usually average or very close, but my pulse has not been below 80 in years. Today 74, ecstatic!!
Keep up the good eork everyone, night, night xx

Hi Orchid

There are quite a few veg recipes in the new book

Section on cooked veg sides
Section on salad veg sides
High protein salads where you could put eggs or cheese in the place of fish/meat

Then in the meal sections there are quite a few with sauces etc which look reasonably interesting and you could use those with more veg or eggs
Plenty of lentil things (which I’m going to try as I’ve not had lots of pulses generally)

I didn’t much like the recipes in the original book but like the look of several of these and OH (who is an expert cook) also thought there were some to experiment with

So don’t know if that helps. I will use it for inspirations if you know what I mean rather than slavishly following a specific recipe.

🙂

Hi Orchid – hope you don’t mind me answering.

Avocados with pre-baked tomatoes; roast peppers with hummus & nuts; speedy spicy beans (inspired by Hashimoto’s recipe on here); miso soup; roasted red pepper & squash soup; gazpacho; perfect hummus; guacamole; thin seeded crackers; seedy flapjacks; spicy spinach & lentils; chickpeas with Indian-spiced stir-fried greens; chickpea chilli; Moroccan spiced chickpea salad; lentil, carrot & avocado salad; spicy stuffed red pepper; tabbouleh with pine nuts; spiced purple veg; pickled cabbage; rainbow salad; roasted garlicky aubergine mash; spicy toasted cauliflower;roasted Mediterranean veg; Swiss chard stir-fried with garlic; cabbage stir-fried Chinese style; Spring greens with garlic & cannellini beans; green beans with soy sauce & sesame seeds; red salsa; home-made pesto; seeded spelt & rye bread; chickpea flatbread; lychee & pink grapefruit salad; roasted peaches (or apricots); roasted rhubarb with ginger; baked spiced apple with nuts; cauliflower mash; green lentils; cabbage ‘noodles’.

As far as I can tell those are vegetarian, and I think there are quite a few other recipes that could be adapted. Hope this helps.

Lainie, congratulations, and healthychange also. I never lost a stone before except after childbirth so it is pretty exciting.

greenjan yeah!

Tabletalk I feel your pain. Cannot bear problems in that department myself and introduced Psyllium husk since I have been doing this. If you look at it it looks a bit carby but you do not digest it. Introduce it gradually if you do and keep up the water

Other points.

You are not very heavy, so won’t lose as fast as those of us who have more pounds to lose, and I remember ‘lady pounds’ could be as many as 5- more than 2 kg – when I was young and SLIM. Your BMI is normal or almost, so I think you have to be a bit patient.

My other suggestion is more low starch vegies, cauli stalks and broccoli stalks as well as the flowers. If you look at Prof Taylor’s original experiment he used shakes for the protein and fat but they had to eat 200 calories of low starch veg, which is quite a lot

Good luck
Ruth

Isn’t it interesting this carb flu – because that’s what it is – some people have headaches, others feel faint or dizzy, or weak or more obviously fluey.

So sorry you feel spaced out and flat but the great news is that this will pass, and it’s a sign that you’re kicking the carbs out of the park and resetting your hormones and will soon start to see the benefit!

Hang on in there! It will work! Drink loads, keep focused if you can on just getting through it and very very soon you will feel better!

Good luck 🙂

Hi Christine,
can I ask you if there is much in the way of vegetarian recipes in the book? I have been reluctant to order it given the poor showing of vegetarian recipes in the 800 book?

After being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in March this year with a reading of 51mmol/mol and high cholesterol l decided that l must manage this.
Having read about the BSD and its possible success in controlling and at maybe reversing. l thought why not.
I started in April and finished at the end of May. The first two to three weeks were not easy,as well as blurred vision l even had gout but things soon improved.
I have just had my first diabetic review since my diagnosis with brilliant results.
My HbA1c is now 36mmol/mol and cholesterol of 4.1.
I have also shed almost three stone in weight and maintained that since completing this diet.
The fact that l was diagnosed early may have helped.
I would say to anyone who is in a similar situation to give it a try. The fact l lost weight rapidly gave me great encouragement.
I kept to the diet, walked every day 10000 steps,and used weights.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
Thank you BSD
Chris

I am looking at how to increase my fibre myself, I’m on a bit of a mini-plateau with my weight that may be ‘digestive transit’ related and fibre seems to be quite low when I look at my averages. I’ve consciously started to try to add higher fibre foods to my diet and fingers crossed that will help.

Typical isn’t it, I mention being on a roll and close to my next mini goal a week ago, and here I am a week later at the same weight. I think I have a few things I need to tweak in my diet to make the weight loss a bit smoother, although generally I have just decided to go with it, it’ll happen in it’s own good time as long as I keep plugging away and doing the right things.

I’ve done some thinking about this, and have been monitoring my basal metabolic rate (calculated) as my weight drops. It is currently 1469 calories, without any exercise. I am currently doing 800 during the week and 1600 at weekends, which I am currently regarding as a maintenance level. If you are eating the right foods and it seems you are (although I prefer full fat yoghurt and cottage cheese as I often seem to be a bit low on fat at the moment) then I wouldn’t have thought that it could hurt the metabolism to have a temporary limit like 800 calories on this diet. You are more likely in my opinion to hurt it on a traditional low fat diet of similar or even more calories.

I’m no expert but it could be the ‘famine response’ where the body shuts down some functions to keep what nutrition there is for the most important functions. The whole metabolism slows down and I can’t imagine it being a productive way of losing weight if this is the case. I’m not sure what effect it would have on blood sugar levels. I think 600 per day as part of a 5:2 diet is okay, but not continuously.

I tend to prefer going over rather than under the 800, depending on what nutrition I need, to try to avoid this response.

I am on maintenance I started in January this year and lost 21lbs in my 8 weeks since then on have been restriciting myself to similar food so low fat yogurt and 20g blueberries in the morning, celery peanut butter cream cheese, and an apple for lunch then at night things like chicken, fish etc with no carbs on the plate, cauliflower rice or mash instead of potatoes. Some mixed nuts, small portion and one piece of dark chocolate.
On occasions like birthdays which is around one a month I would have typical pub grub including chips and on a Saturday I will have some spirit to drink like brandy or whiskey so one “naughty” night usually. Since the 8 Weeks I have lost half a stone but since May I have been up and down with that half a stone. I have been doing the 30 day shred exercise in the last month plus half hour quick walks at lunchtime.
I drink green tea 98% of the time when I have a hot drink very occasional cup of coffee. 2 litres of water a day on average.

I’m on day 5 I’m struggling, feel weak at bit lightheaded and a bit flat emotionally. Please tell me this will pass?!
I used to 5:2 but needed a change after an extended stop/start attempt. Trying to reset my system as I have pcos so insulin resistant. Once I’ve nailed it (I hope!) I’ll revert to 5:2 but during 3 of the non fd will be low carb as that is definitely my weakness.
I’m 12.5st today I think I was 12.8 on Monday (forgot to write it down and I’m so spaced out I can’t remember!) so starting with that figure. I’d like to get to 11st or 10.13 just for kicks!
Any advice would be great.

Hi Lynne, I’m going more slowly than some people on a thread populated by people who started around the same time as me:
https://thebloodsugardiet.com/forums/topic/starting-monday-29th-august-anyone-want-to-join-me/page/7/#post-38212

But I’m very pleased with my progress. I’m not prediabetic or diabetic but I have two stomach conditions that mean I need a high-fibre diet, which makes keeping carbs down a bit difficult, but which would be improved if I lost weight. Despite my relatively slow progress, I’m losing weight faster than on any other diet I’ve tried (down 3.6 kg in two and a half weeks) and I feel so well. Healthier, more alert and I’m sleeping well. So all good. And keeping to 800 calories is not proving to be difficult. Plus, the people here couldn’t possibly be friendlier or more helpful, another factor that really keeps me motivated.

Hi everyone,
This is my second week of the BSD diet, but I like to call it my new eating regiumn, really enjoying the food, tasty and filling.
I only measured two points of my body at the start, waist and bust, one week later was amased when measured that I had lost 3 3/4 inches off the waist and an inch off the bust. Unfortunately no scales, unable to keep track of weight. Whilst at the doctors yesterday, stood on the scales …. ouch scary ….. 12 stones 1 pound obviously fully dressed.
My husband has even come on board with me, but not as religiously as me. He also lost 1/2 inch off his waist in the first week. He only ate 3 meals with me and the rest of the time ate as he normally did.
Cleared the food cupboards out yesterday after buying almost all of the ingredients required to cook most of the meals. Some of the old food was thrown away and the rest, not much I must say, will be eaten for the last time.
I’ve given up chocolate, cakes, biscuits, and crisps, you know what, I don’t miss any of them, who would have thought that !!!

Hi Christine- fortunately I don’t have to wear my hat often. Today it was my second best one because the weather was so bad. My best one is a little tighter – no way would it come off in the wind😱

Thanks Snoop, you are welcome 😃 How are you doing on the BSD?

Captainlynne, have really enjoyed reading this thread and other posts of yours that I’ve come across since I started the BSD just over two weeks ago. You’re a veritable inspiration. Just have to say thanks.

Hi Lynne,
My cookbook arrived today, I have spent the afternoon reading it, it looks interesting, I will look forward to trying the recipes in my week two of my new beginnings, I have already done my menu for next week!
Watch this space!
It’s very strange weather at the moment, yesterday it was warmer outside than in! Today warm and windy, you will have to be careful of not losing your hat now if it’s windy!
Christine.

Hi Verano,

I have have just ordered my termeric tablets, I found the web site you were meaning! Thank you, I live near there in the West Midlands too.
I will keep you posted.Christine

Hi topcac, glad you’re better and have stuck to the plan. I have done it for 5 days now and also have lost 5lbs which I am really pleased with. I am worried about the weekend as I don’t want it to stop me doing stuff with the rest if the family, we’ll have to see how it goes. Have a good weekend 🙂