Hi Izzy,

Sorry I’ve been off post a couple of days but I’ve just been so busy! I have been reading your posts as I get them in emails.
I need to hire you to come here and do our floors!! Wow! You are so quick in getting everything done and doing it yourself! I am amazed and impressed!
Re your food – so happy to hear you can ignore the potato wedges and the bacon roll! You have really gotten the hang of this for sure!!
I have 6 hours of clients today but ran to the pool for 1/2 hour and did a bunch of excercises in the middle of my schedule thank goodness. It’s our only sunny and warm day this week so I wanted to take a little advance age of it.

Hugs to all!
💜🌷

Verano – YES on the red wine. The sentence in the book that says something about 5 glasses of wine a week is like 4 doughnuts really stuck with me.

I love wine with dinner and almost every social event I attend involves wine. I’ve only made it through this first week because my best friend is on vacation. When I told her I was planning on giving up all alcohol for 8 weeks I think she was considering ending our friendship!

But after a week with nothing – probably the longest I’ve gone since my last pregnancy (which was 10 years ago) – I find the cravings are mostly gone.

Hang in there – it gets better!

me too; week one and day four. First day was tough as I was hungry and feeling shaky. Upped the water intake and snacked on nuts and now I feel great. Not sure how much I’ve lost (need to buy some new scales) but I can definitely feel it BUT the biggest thing is that I have more energy, am more alert and my mood is much more upbeat and optimistic. This is good!!!!!

Hi Seadog and SunnyB,

Thank you for the warm welcome! So here it goes: Day 2 and down 1.2 kilos! I realise most of it is fluid but hey it sure boosts my confidence. I’d better get that tape measure out as well :). Didn’t find the first day difficult, made some steamed salmon with cauliflower rice (from the book) and veggies for dinner. My teenage son who looked very sceptical at first loved the “rice”.

Have a great day everyone!

Thank you Bubblesdevere for the warm welcome! I have got a physio who specialises in lymphedema who I see on a regular basis and she has helped a lot.

Day 2 and down 1.2 kilos! I realise most of it is fluid but hey it sure boosts my confidence in the program. I’d better get that tape measure out as well :).

Have a great day everyone!

Hi Sunshine girl,
I think it’s important to know if you are type 1 on insulin or type 2 on insulin or oral medication.
If you have taken a long acting insulin you will need some glucose (sugar )To get your blood sugar up as the insulin will continue to drop your blood sugar. I would have some juice and a complex carb as well and keep testing blood sugar to endure it is coming up.
If you have taken oral hypoglycaemic medication you could try bringing your dinner forward and eating some complex carbs and maybe a mandarin or an apple for dessert but keep testing your blood sugars to ensure its coming up. Ensure you have protein and fat in your meal.
If you haven’t taken any medication or you are not diabetic or don’t have any other medical condition affecting your blood sugarsit is unlikely you blood sugar will continue to drop but you could have a piece of cheese or some nuts and try bringing meal forward if possible.
If you take insulin or oral hypoglycaemic medication you probably need to reduce the dose to prevent this being a daily occurrence as your medication needs are likely to be dropping on the BSD.
Hope this helps

Hi, Ive realised I really need to do this diet, I’m in terrible shape, but my massive stumbling block is that I cook all day every day for my business and I am really struggling with how to eat so little while cooking all the time. I also have no encouragement at home. Any advice on getting started under these circumstances is very welcome.

Hi, are you able to list what you have eaten ?, watch the root veg, it’s high on carbs. As for wine, yep I know what you’re saying, I love nothing better than a glass (or two) in the evening, but…I really need to lose weight and get healthy, so I’m willing to curtail that for a few months. As for alternatives ?, not sure try sparkling water with some lemon/lime juice, poor substitute I know !

Will do, it’s just that I’m up to 4 litres already ?. I’m sure it will steady off, mind you I did go for a long run earlier on in semi-warm weather,and sweated a fair bit !. How are you getting on ?

Hi, I’ve been following this plan for 6 days and am already seeing changes, both physically and psychologically. I have a clearer head and am just starting now to get more energy. Regarding the rest of the family Tual1978, I made a cottage pie tonight for dinner and had cauliflower mash for me, and normal mash for my wife and two girls. Now heres the thing, they all turned their noses up at it, but then tried it and decided they preferred mine !. It’s a case of leading by example isn’t it, I’m hoping that my kids will continue to make bertter food choices. I’m pushing hard on this, like insisting they have some spinach with their dinner, or they didn’t get dessert ?, that’s the way I was brought up, right or wrong not sure. It would be good to keep in touch with a fellow dad, let me know how you’re getting on, and please feel free to ask any questions. Best of luck !

Hi Nicky, welcome too !. The main reason for the plan is to reduce carbs, unfortunately, super grains as healthy as they are, are still carbs A small amount of quinoa is ok I believe, personally I am staying away from everything like that, even root veg, as I’m being a bit monastic in my approach at the moment…..

And I should have said, Seadog, that I think you can keep drinking water.

The only thing is – don’t eat too few calories because you’re full of water !

🙂

Thanks so much for the reply !, that is great advice regarding the measuring. I’m using something called a ‘fitbook’ which I fund on Amazon to log my food/exercise/water etc, there is also a weekly check in page where you can enter your measurements, so Ill start doing that.

oh yes i am going to try the double choc chick pea cookies and shall be writing a report hopefully tomorrow !!!
i am about to investigate the roast potatoe conundrum surely theres something to replace it then like you say we will be quids in !!!
the chicken and peppers with wrap were just as good as normal faijtas and the wrap held together amazingly !!!

Hi everyone,

I am new to this site although have been a Type 2 for the last 10 years. I am trying to make a few more changes to my lifestyle and looking to reduce my carb intake further.

I am confused about the whole “Super grain” category and was wondering if anyone can shed some light on these. Should I be eating more of them and can they replace carbs like potatoes, pasta and rice? Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

i find that i have bought things such as beetroot to make the falafels and then when i get home i am not interested enough to make them. I also have a growing cupboard of things that i will look at and probably never use. e.g preserved lemons god knows what i am going to do with them. I have planned better this week as its mainly fish. I have had the french fish casserole tonight it was a bit watery but eatable. Good luck with your baking endeavours tonight people.

I have found an olive oil cake on a Nigella site full of chocolate and some sugar but i am sure it could be adapted

Glad to be of any assistance Tofa.

I think the fasting BS results are likely to be misleading. May be worthwhile searching the term here to find some relevant threads for further reassurance?

And great you have booked for the test with the doctor which will give you a much more general BS reading.

Good luck with the rest – keep us posted. 🙂

Hi

Started today after 5 days of just no bread, potatoes or rice. I have a lot to lose and so lost 3lbs in those 5 days.

Today was Day 1 and no problem really with food. Stayed within 800 cals but was up to nearly 75carbs! So ok not the end of the world BUT then the red wine reared it’s ugly head!!

Does anybody else find losing the wine hard? Any suggestions for alternatives.

Yes I think I might alternate some Fast Days and skip a breakfast and have a light lunch, I quite like the idea of a long Fast and it seems to be working for me, not only am I losing weight, my BS are lowering too, wish I’d done this 9 years ago when I was diagnosed Type 2 diabetic, still better late than never.

Hi there, I’m new to the BSD and I’m delighted to see that there’s a vibrant community here. I’ve just picked up the book and I am about to get started.

I’m a 37 year old dad of 2 and a husband, and I feel like my biggest challenge is going to be leading by example, and convincing my family that our dietary changes are a good thing.

Anyone else in a similar situation, and if you are, what’s the best way to lead, yet make the diet transition as easy as possible for the rest of the crew?

Lucia,
Will do, boss.
(Best laugh of the day is when I look in the mirror)
I shall have a big smile on my face tomorrow morning – only working half the day then off to Cricket, Lovely Cricket 🙂
(Might even have. G&T to help me lighten up)
🙂
John

No, proper turnips. I don’t think I’ve ever tried them to be honest. Keep having massive arguments with hubby because he insists on calling swede ‘turnip’. One’s orange, one’s white-ish. I’ve even Googled it to show him. Nope. Won’t have it.

I’ve never tried kale either to be honest, I keep buying bags of it and then it rots as I debate whether or not to eat it. My bad…

Turnips don’t do it for me. Unless you mean swede because that’s the geographical confusion. Kale is supposedly a superfood bit TBH I just feed it to my Guinea pigs. Ms Cotton would be appalled, she’s addicted to the stuff.

Pasta of bitterness with ground dust and steamed kale as a side dish. I don’t know what she used to steam the kale, but I’ll pass on it, thank you.

The wedges look promising, could be fooled into thinking they were potatoes if you cut them into… roast potato shapes and seasoned them. The twice roasted turnip looks ok.

Bitterly??!’ Damn predictive text. Pasta of bitterness is quite obviously a Paltrow recipe. Bring me a pot of hurrah immediately!!!

How is your turnip investigation going…🤔

I’m just investigating turnips, currently…

http://blog.paleohacks.com/hacks-turnips-instead-of-potatoes/#

I posted about this yesterday but cant seem to find it. In short, b/g 60 (3.3) an hour before dinner, which I find scary, what do I eat. Obviously not what a nutritionist told me BREAD and SWEET JUICE for a quick repair. I don’t want to black out.

Bitterly? We have Tokyo with her pot of hurrah, and you with your pasta of bitterness???

Hi everybody! I started on 30 June so this is the end of my first week. I have about 7 stone to lose so it’s going to be a long journey but judging by how well and positive I feel at the end of this first week I am sure that I will get there. I found day 3/4 quite hard as I had a big energy dip but that has passed and now I feel really energised and haven’t really been hungry at all.
It’s great to see so many of us taking this positive step and it’s lovely to hear how well everyone is doing so far-lets keep going and I know we will all reach our goals!!!!
Good luck everybody!!!

Roasted cauliflower balls? It could work? I mean if you can turn cauli into mash you can surely roast it??

I’m watching Murray at Wimbledon before the game kicks off at 8pm. I’m hoping he hurries up and gets finished. Come on Wales!!

Just had carrot spaghetti (carrotti? Spaghotti? Carretti?) and was fully prepared to hate it with my bolognaise. But.. Lovely! A bit more substance than courgetti or bitterly and held the sauce well.. So thumbs up!!

Yay for liking my shake 🙂 Try using strawberries instead… or leave out the yoghurt and add lots of ice – it turns out the consistency of a slush puppy, but still tasting like a shake. Lovely on a hot day.

No I’ve not tried the dried ones but I expect they would be ok if you soaked them, They do make the house smell pickled! I hope you enjoyed them and I hope the Queen didn’t drop by haha.

We just had a yummy dinner… everyone ate it even the daughter. I didn’t have time to faff about making fish fingers so I laid all the fillets out in a baking tray, brushed them with beaten egg, added some crushed almond flour crackers, then sprinkled mozarella all over. They were yummy and much faster than making fish fingers. We had baked veg with the fish, the rest had potato wedges but not me.

I didn’t eat a bacon roll today either, I didn’t even fancy one, and I’m not sure anyone even noticed that I didn’t eat one either not that I was bothered. I’ve spoken to a few of them about what I’m doing so it isn’t hidden.

I know there will be cravings in my future but at the moment I’m finding even when I see potato wedges etc – I just don’t want them.

Oh, and if nobody minds…

Ty’d ymlaen Cymru!

This ITV commentary is like listening to paint dry, geez… even hubby has said to put the Welsh Channel 4 on, and he can’t understand anything except colours and the word ‘beer’.

Third week 17 pounds lost but today Wednesday feel like I’ve fell off a cliff!!! Following the previous days of feeling the best I’ve felt in years. Today woke up with a light head, not feeling all there and completely got to me by the afternoon where I could have just gone to a pastry shop and eat the lot!!
I didnt, but did buy a chunky KitKat and devoured it. Head ache most of the day, drank plenty of water so couldnt understand why I felt like I did. Even called into the doctors to check blood pressure to see if that was an issue but this seems normal (140/87). Need to keep an eye on this as I’m taking medication for this.
Hope this is just a blip and all come back in the next day or so?

Can we pulse cauliflower in a FP and mix it into balls with gram flour and coconut oil or olive oil and maybe… some… some… almond flour and… and… and roast them?????? Clutching at straws, much?

Those yorkies look damn fine though!

Just….WOW.

Yorkie puds?!
Triple choc brownies????

All we have to do is find a low carb alternative to a roast potato and we are all set for Sunday dinner!!!

So string breaker……
You do the exercises in the middle of the week without pj’s. 😊😊😊😊😊😊

You are doing some pretty tough exercises….. But where are your smiles and laughter.

So your task, my little Paduan, is to read a comic strip, or watch a movie like the minions, within an hour of your next exercise.
Loosen up a little…. Enjoy life too.
But
I am proud of you.
Stick with it.
And yes, we need to give ourselves an extra minute a year.
Enjoy it. You haven’t lived until you try and do one workout, with Jane Fonda. In the 80’s, free on you tube.
Look at the outfit, makeup and heels,
I had a go with her, laughed my leg warmers right off.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi Igorasusual,
Thank you so much, sometimes feel I am managing my pre- DT2 totally on my own, but have now managed to make a GP appointment albeit in 3 weeks time and will request Hba1c. I wasn’t offered one before which strikes me I should have been after the initial 6.6 reading…(my bro was in Aus)!! Anyway it will be interesting to see how it comes out and strangely comforted that Bill54 does not put too much store by morning fasting levels (they were encouraging when they were low of course!) I did notice a previous thread about raised glucose levels, but had missed the bit about the reliability of Hba1c and not getting depressed by fasting levels. (I guess if pre-meal testing, then it would preclude snacking in between meals, even if snack is low carb/no carb ish to get a better result?!)

Thanks for the recommendations…much appreciated,….will calculate my metabolic base rate on the website you recommend and look at p.211 on Art and Science of low carb eating, on kindle…sounds v. helpful. On the brighter side have given at least 3, T2 people BSD book and one of them is an excellent cook and has invited us to supper, so turned out to be quite a good wheeze!!.
Thanks Tofa

ppffrrrr! Izzy am trying the salt & vinegar chickpeas tonight and hope the queen doesn’t call as my little flat reeks of vinegar – like a fish & chip shop. Got one eye on Andy Murray galloping about on centre court. If I had half his energy and stamina…..
Anyway back to chickpeas. Have your tried the dried ones? would be cheaper, but have to boil & soak overnight I think?

Hi hel,
Wonder how far you walked the the flower show.
Probably miles.
Great to hear what you are doing, but most importantly , you must enjoy yourself.

I usually sing.

Something appropriate, eg yoga, I sing … Tangled!

Puddle bashing….. I sing … Just go ahead and jump…. Is it the Who?

Hopscotch, I sing chas and dave’s ,,,, you’ve got more rabbit than sainsburys, why don’t you give it a rest, rabbit, rabbit, bunny, bunny…..

Love Lucia
Xxxx

The start of day 3. Day 2 was pretty easy but I’m dreading getting through today. Off to my hubby’s relatives for a big feast….I am working my mind into it to make sure I don’t mess up. Please don’t let me mess up. Hopefully nobody notices I’m not eating. This morning for breakfast I had two slices of turkey bacon and two poached eggs. It was so tasty. The rest of the family had the same with the addition of buttered toast and buttered muffins. I’m stopping myself from stepping on the scale every five minutes…a bad habit. I’m going to weigh in on Monday morn, one week after my start.

Good luck to everyone today.

Tokyo!!!! Janey!!!!

http://www.radiantrecovery.com/recipes/2010/11/08/gram-yorkshire-puddings/

Hi Seadog, and well done on your 6 days – so glad you’re feeling better! I personally have found the BSD is amazing in terms of extra energy and pizazz.

With regard to weighing, it’s fine to weigh every day or every week, whatever suits you. However, it’s also key to measure yourself, either with tape measure (waist, hips, thighs etc) or via clothing because quite often weight plateaus, or you don’t lose as much weight as other people on the forum, and you get discouraged.

It really is an 8 week journey, with each individual body responding differently, so the key thing is not how much you weigh yourself but your attitude at the result. If you stick to the BSD principles and calories you WILL lose weight, but how much is really difficult to predict.

I could see myself getting thinner (as your friends have noted with you) whilst my weight stayed level. It’s the fat going from the internal organs I think.

And brace yourself that the fat goes from the visceral fat first, and the bit under your belly button, which is the subcutaneous fat we all want to lose, is last to go. It b—-dy would be.

Hope that helps! 🙂

Hi, am just wondering if I can get some advice ?. I’m on day 6 now and starting to feel like my old self (but better !! ha ha), and I’ve had a few compliments already about my disappearing tummy…I’m going to weigh myself next week and see where I’m at. Two questions really ?, how often do you weigh yourselves ?, as I’m of the addictive personality type, I’m not keen to weigh every day as I think I may get a bit obsessive, but on the other hand, I need to weigh myself often enough to see results ?, I’m thinking twice a week, say Sunday and Weds ?.
Next question concerns water, I’m drinking 3 litres a day plus cups of tea, but could quite happily drink more ?. I’m finding I love really cold water, but how much is too much ?. My loo visits are obviously more frequent, and longer ! Thanks guys.

Hi greenjanet. I’ve got a good 4 stone to lose to even begin to edge into a healthy BMI. – like you I’m finding the limiting of veg aand counting calories a complete turnaround after years of a certain renowned eating plan saying the opposite! But then that hasn’t worked for me so this is a fresh start and it’s making me think and write down rather than presuming I know how much I’m eating. Got a wedding in September so hoping to make some good headway by then. Not going clothes shopping til the last minute!!
Keep on trucking eh?!
C:0)

Reminds me of Kryten in Red Dwarf – Smug mode: Engaged 🙂 hahahaha

Oh how lovely of him to think of you, it’s nice when they do stuff like that, it means more to me than flowers or jewellery. Just bring me a bloody pie, stat! Hubby just reminded me the pies I like from Wigan are Greenhalgh’s steak, oval shaped with a hole in the middle?

Oh God Tokyo, how good do those look??? 101 calories per cookie too! Are you making them, or are you going to continue your hunt??

Hi Indy – thanks for the reassurance that I’m not on my own with the cravings and the early night, and come to think of it, I have been sleeping better as well – not so much waking up in the night.

Fortunately, today feels a lot better as in minimum cravings for which I’m very grateful as yesterday felt like a white knuckle ride. I’m sure it won’t be the last, so I am very grateful for the reassurance.

look what i found

http://powerhungry.com/2015/12/4012/

double chocolate chickpea flour cookies !!!!

Hi Tofa

I’m so sorry you are feeling so down and dismal as you have done so well.

Firstly I must say I am not an expert, and maybe it is time for you to go and consult your doctor again with regard to th fasting blood sugar levels (which presumably you are testing yourself). However, if you look at Bill54’s posts he often talks about fasting BS being unexpectedly high, and that he does not now take any notice of them. He relies on testing blood ahead of and after meals and sees this as a much more reliable measure.

I am sure he will pop on here to advise you, or you could add something on one of his threads which he will be alerted to.

With regard to the weight loss, do you know what your Base Metabolic Rate is? Try looking at this site

http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com

into which you put your own details, and your activity levels, and then see how many calories you need to maintain your weight.

Then you can set your carbs – perhaps you will respond well to 50-75g per day, you could try – and if you then set your calories at the maintenance level it tells you, it will help you set fat and protein.

And that will give you the guidance on how to plan your menu going forward.

So long as you keep carbs (relatively) low, you will maintain your blood sugar levels you’ve got from the BSD, and then the additional fat and protein within your carbs should maintain weight.. May I also recommend a book – which you should probably leaf through quickly, as I did (very scientific, though extremely interesting) – it’s called The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Eating by Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney , and is available on Kindle – and go to pg 211 where it talks about how to achieve a balance of nutrients for maintaining weight.

Good luck and please keep us posted. No need at all to despair, please don’t.

Forgot to say I have fibromyalgia and severe osteoarthritis in my knees ( waiting for new knees) so increase in walking is difficult.

Hi all
I didn’t start until 4th July which could be a good day to start. My husband and I are doing this together along with a friend. I need to lose 3st in the first instance and hubby needs to lose 5st.
Whilst I am prepared to eat most things, hubby is finding the food strange and missing his meat and potatoes or rice, but I am determined so it will be a case of eat it or go hungry!! Lol