Hi Icarus, I am known for flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to low blood glucose, mainly when it gets to 4 or 5 pm and I previously used to have a snack. It can be quite frightening seeing your results go down and down but this is what the diet is meant to do. Do not even think of brown bread, it is bread by another colour. Most things that say wholemeal, wholewheat, natural etc are not, they are manufactured. I know a little brown rice is allowed on this but only a very small amount. He is right, he does need slow release carbs (not a lot) and these are found in chickpeas, lentils, nuts, fruit (not too sweet), lots of foods if you can find a GI diet list on line.

Is your husband on insulin. As my readings came down I slowly slowly reduced my insulin. Like Bill says, Gliclazide can cause lows and I have cut mine from 3 a day to 2 but you might want to ask your doctor first. If mine get really low I have something like prunes or sultanas and a tablespoon of yogurt – advised to me on here as I didn’t want to go the bread, jam, juice root. Try to get him to have a mid afternoon snack left over from his lunch or make up a hummus dip with some celery or carrot sticks or eat an apple, all this before his bloods get too low. Is he checking regularly, I mean a couple of times a day. If he starts to feel shaky or any of the symptoms he should do a blood test, if it is low, have something good to eat. I know some of the foods don’t sound great but who knew I would come to love minted pea hummus served with carrot, cucumber and celery sticks.

Good luck

Hi Everyone
Well, 2 weeks ago today I went to the docs with a suspected urinary infection and after a urine dip and many trips back to the docs that day and over the next few I was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic.
I was shocked and upset. All I could think was that I had brought this on myself by over the last 20 years since leaving university being on a permanent diet and cycling between loosing weight and putting on weight. I also knew of the health issues so was very, very worried.

Although my diabetic nurse said I could make a big difference by ‘life style’ changes, when I questioned her, she couldn’t give me specifics on diet, just cutting out sugar and loosing weight. She gave me the standard food pyramid, which I don’t believe in anyway. I am a believer and have been for a while of Paleo/lower carb eating, so I wondered whether this could be a good approach.
I bought Dr David Cavans book and then on weightlossresurses forum someone mentioned Michael Mosleys book, which I bought and read in a day. I really like the scientific side of his book with proven research; this appeals to my nature.

Last week I started low carbing on around 1500cals a day and have lost 6lbs and my blood sugars are coming down. When I first started testing just over a week ago they were 13-11; today I saw a 6!!!

Yesterday I started the 800cal low carb eating and I’m furiously trying to convince myself I can keep to 800cals for 8 weeks!!!

Michaels section about exercise also woke something up in my brain; especially when he talked about exercise making blood sugar go down due to depletion of glycogen stores and our muscles needing to replenish them. This has given me the reason to hit the gym!!

I have a long way to go….I am 4 1/2 stone over weight at the top of the BMI scale but I have really got a reason to do this now…do I want a limb amputated and loose my eyesight…NO!

Great positive form by the way….
TTFN
Claire x

PS – do other people get emotional and teary at the reasons why we have to do this e.g. the side effects? I do…

oh no lucky not having a good time today !!
i will find you some goid winter recipes we cracked baking we ca crack winter !! do you have to take loads of stuff for camping ?
sending hug just because your not looking forward to tea!!
i may have a mid weigh in tomorrow before thurs !! fingers crossed
although bought a dress last year lovely but tight very 50s style swirly twirly and on sat fit perfect looked like a proper fifties starlet in my dreams !!!!

Diabetes is in my family so worth a check

Yes, if you can work them out for yourself. Also there are other sites that do the low GI foods, the one I use is sparkpeople.com. I decided to stick to the menu plans in the book and have worked my way through all 4 weeks so now I am picking and chosing, leaving out the ones I didn’t live (Beetroot Falafels) and modifying the one’s I like except for some ingredients i.e. my mackerel dip is now a tuna dip. I tend to look at the calorie count rather than number of carbs but stay completely away from the forbidden carbs. Good luck and let us know if you come up with any good recipes.

It might work. Think I did find a couple of recipes.

I’ve got no chicken and I’ve defrosted this stuffed turkey thing now. Meh. Trying to clear out freezers at the mo because I keep buying every week, and if we are going camping it makes no financial sense buying for here and buying while away. Although husband just admitted now he’s not confident in taking the trailer so I’m a bit annoyed, when the basis of the argument of downsizing from an 8 seater to a 5 was that we could still camp as he’d bought a trailer. I don’t drive so it’s out of my hands.

I am shedding a tear for your success. What a sec? I am a guy! Guys don’t get so Gone With The Wind emotional! 😉 I am more of an Anna Karenina or Dr. Zhivago tear jerker than Brett Butler, though! 🙂

I hope doctor oz opened a good view on why you and everyone else is doing this stuff. Not just the outside, also the inside of your body.

His TV show got a lot of flack from the medical industry that wants you hooked on fructose corn syrup and sugar. I have to say in my opinion that he does good for the medical community by informing us simpletons on important info and easy tricks to better health.

This week I should be getting my scale and glucose meter. Cheaper on Ebay or Jet, but takes longer to get.I sinned last night grabbing 3 Velveeta slices last night as a snack an hour before bed. But, alls well that ends well. Atleast I disowned my two best friends: Ben and Jerry! We are not friends anymore! 😉

Daniel

what about chickpea flour !!! we shall have to find some winter warmers ooh er mrs !!!
what about that loyd grossman curry sauce for tea ?

It’s not the suet it’s the flour Tokyo 😞 And I don’t find many soups filling unless I chuck potato in to thicken them.
I don’t fancy my tea now and I am starving today, I’m not usually this hungry.

There are some recipes on this diet that I’m struggling with…can I pick any recipe as long as it works out to 800 cals a day? Does it say this in the book?..I have missed that bit then if it does! I’m sticking to the planned meals but cannot stomach some of them…especially savoury food for breakfast other than salmon and eggs.

cant we have have dumplings ?? i am sure i looked on a box of atora suet and carbs were ok !! maybe i made that up ??
janey please tell me you will return from the paltrow style darkness!!
just having lunch cottage cheese salad then thats it till burger tonight
i was thinking stews for winter and thick soups !!!!

well I am having a rethink

last week – after finding out my cholesterol had gone up – my commitment went down
I binged
I knew I would
not badly, but nevertheless I failed
and as a consequence lost nothing

and the inches – even on ‘loss’ weeks are hardly moving
so I have decided I am going to ATTEMPT to count calories and keep to under 800
not sure I can, as my head is still screaming at me for more more more
but I will try and see if that helps
I am getting so impatient with it all

I have considered fd’s but don’t really want to face more months of throat issues

I tend to eat only between 8am and 6pm, but that clearly has no affect at all

Not sure current OH has ever bought me flowers. He’s rubbish like that 🙄

Hi Igorasusual
A figure beginning with 8……truly amazing.
Well done.

Oooooh, shall I dump hubby? Don’t think he’s bought me flowers since March…

Hi Lucia
Still on my little plateau gazing forlornly into the distance…..hoping to scamper downhill soon!!!!

Angiebabe
Like you I want everyone to try this diet but I seem to be a truly terrible salesperson.
Everyone seems to run away really quickly and horrified when I mention a distinct lack of bread and potatoes.
Ho hum…..perhaps I can sow some small seeds of interest somewhere.
Great Ta Dah moment btw:-)

Hi all,
I have come to the conclusion after 6 months of BSDing that it’s better to make a conscious decision to relax things a little every so often (on the basis that a little of what you fancy does you good) and then continue on the BSD path. If you try to be 100% “good” all the time those little craving gremlins will build up and turn into the Godzilla of binges – and then you will feel disappointed with yourself for the lack of control. I would advise sticking with the plan to start, to be disciplined in order to retrain your tastes/appetites – then when you know what works for you (and what doesn’t) then you can be more flexible in your approach. For me, a successful weight loss regime has to include variety (boredom is my particular danger for killing weight loss) – and that variety may include off-limit foodstuffs (if only to prove to myself that I don’t really need it after all if I feel worse as a result). But a planned cheat day won’t derail your efforts, nor will going on holiday, etc. It’s when it becomes a daily occurrence the problems start – but we know that already, don’t we!! 🙂

Autumn – you mention a cheat day speeding up loss – it’s strange but sometimes I’ve seen a loss (or no gain) when I’ve pigged out. Other times, there’s no loss when I haven’t pigged out! I think it’s just the body responding at its own rate, not when you expect it to. I have often hit a new low weight only to bounce upwards and then lose it again – it’s just the way my body copes with losing weight (fighting to claw back its precious fat reserves) so I’ve come to expect it, not worry about it.

BigP – you seem to have got things sussed!
Hush – agree with so much of what you say.

Gym girl gets the cape of smugness today. Nice one! Haha about the bouquet. Always funny when a bloke makes a desperate last attempt to win someone back with your daughters bouquet 😆

Hi
don’t worry about it as long as he isn’t having them now.
Best to check the sugar readings every day for the first couple of weeks (especially if he’s taking Gliclazide) and start reducing meds (with the GP’s permission) if the readings start going too low.
TBH there will probably be enough stored sugar in his organs to stop any hypos from happening.

Hi BigP
Truly amazing figures and great to get to that healthy BMI.
Huge respect…..well obviously, ‘huge’ is not an appropriate word these days!!!
Fantastic inspiration to everyone else out there.

Just had to take delivery of a beautiful bouquet for my daughter from a bloke she dumped yesterday ….. How does that work ??????

well done Igorasusual! You made it! Your 8 is my 9 right now 🙂 Thats great you got there now and not long after being on hols.

I havent stepped back on the scale since last Friday, had a bit too much dark choc at the week so Im nervous to see numbers go up again. I promise I will weigh tomorrow morning so I know where Im going, up or down.

Julie13 keep going, change will come, you will see!

Orchid fab work on 3 sizes down. That is fantastic.

Yayyyyyyyyyyyy! Well done Gymgirl, isn’t in amazing when you see a different stone bracket?? 🙂 Great stuff. You may indeed enter the smug zone 🙂

Hi all please can I join the smug zone ? Another pound off yippee !!!!! Now my weight starts with another number 😃😃😃😃

Hi Penny
nothing complicated about it. I just cut out the carbs and sugars and after a couple of days I found that my appetite had got smaller so I reduced portion sizes and kept reducing them every time I left something on my plate until I got to the point where I was eating a third to a half less food. No pressure, just did it at my own pace.
That’s it in a nutshell, not strictly by the rules I know but it worked for me 🙂

Hi BigP

You are are a real inspiration, and its really helpful for me to see your losses. I need to get down to a similar weight to get into the healthy BMI and was nearly 30 kg heavier than when I started last week. Thanks for sharing.

Hi everybody – My husband is T2 and we have both started this diet today. However, he does seem to be of the impression that he needs a lot of slow release carbs to counteract having a hypo. As we have only just started we can’t, as yet, monitor how he gets on but does anyone add a bit of carb to the recipes, like brown rice or brown bread. How does anyone else manage not having hypos? Thanks.

A lovely weekend away for a break and having a glass of wine, an ice lolly and a small vegan cupcake as extras to my diet meant no weight loss but none added either. Made BSD principle choices at every meal time and was especially pleased to find a nice vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Shrewsbury, staff really helpful and pleasant and decent prices.
Not sure if mentioning the name on here is allowed but googling them will find them if you are visiting that area. They were helped by Nick Knowles the celebrity builder/fix it guy.
Had a lovely salad called “Green Salad”. It contained lots of green items…spinach, rocket, chard , spring onion, cucumber, green apple ,edamame beans, peas, salted crushed almonds and croutons (which I had omitted from mine) with a handmade lemon, lime and olive oil dressing.( Only a few of each items so it looked roughly well within calories and carbs.) Had still spring water and a pretty decent fair trade coffee. Did lots of walking around and sightseeing so kept up the 10,000 steps in a pleasurable way.
Back to the real world this morning.
Menus planned out for the week and most items in the fridge n cupboards. Only the fresh salad to get today and then mid week. I am determined to get under ,and stay under the “11 something” this week!!

Just wanted to share my experience with cheat-days. Knowing my personality, and past experience with falling off the wagon with diets and exercise, I resolved to stay on the diet for the full 8 weeks without deviation. Prior to that I had done 4 weeks of Exante VLC, and a week of 1200 calorie days, so essentially I was on a calorie controlled diet for 3 months, before any kind of treat. What I was hoping doing that would give me was the right kind of habits to have cheat-days and be able to shift straight back to low carb, calorie controlled eating the next day. Seeing the results over the course of that time really gave me focus and drive to achieve my goals, so when I went on holiday for a week, and I ended up having a cheat-week, I came back and was easily able to transition back to the BSD800 diet, and lost all that I had gained on that holiday in less than a week. Since that holiday I’ve had a few cheat days, roughly one every 2 to 3 weeks, which always result in some weight gained, but that never derails me, it just pushes me to get straight back onto it.

Really well done bigP!!!
That’s really fantastic.
How about bigPositive, bigPatient, or bigPowerful…..all describe in some way what you have achieved.
Kind regards P.

Morning Janey 🙂 Get used to the seagulls because they plague Devon now. I can’t sleep in any later than about 4.30 am there, they’re relentless all day and all night.

Oooooooh get you sticking to the plan while away 😉 It’s easier when you have the choices though, isn’t it? Tea tonight is turkey breast and that zesty bean quinoa thing I bought from Iceland. Not inspiring me though, at all. Things may change, watch this space.

Have a lovely day Janey, get that step count up!

I saw the programme and my Husband watched as well. It was a good way to get his attention as the programme wasn’t preaching at him. I am giving Husband same food as I am eating and his trousers are now a little looser at the waist band. We are making progress. We must fix ourselves. No one else will fix us.

Good morning to you all! It’s a bright and sunny day in Brighton and I’m enjoying a cuppa whilst road men dig up the street below. Grrrr 😡 Actually it’s the seagulls that are annoying. Usually they are a gentle reminder that you’re by the sea but these bas****** are as big as dogs and as scary, and screech all night long. I even heard someone tell one to SHUT UP at 4am!!! I shall Chillax a bit more then I think it’s time for a wander down the Lanes. There are a million and one eating places around here, including a lot of Paltrowesque vegan gaffs so I’m bound to find one that caters for us BSDers 😆

Hi Ziggy

That’s a great result and the increased exercise is probably building muscle which is heavier than fat, so you have probably lost more fat this week.

Thanks Bissell, I do wonder what the people that gave me that nickname would say now. My size was so synonymous with who I was my whole life, now the nickname is somewhat of an oxymoron.

Thanks SunnyB, I know what you mean about it feeling do-able now where previously it felt unreasonable. When I read the book, the stories of people going from really heavy to a healthy BMI seemed to be the extreme positive cases, and that while the diet may work to an extent for me, it would take a long, long time to come close to that, but here I am. In less than 5 months I lost a third of my body weight and went from pre-diabetic and taking 2 types of blood pressure meds, to having normal blood sugar levels and no BP meds at all. The journey is by no means over, my body fat percentage is still higher than it should be and I have to maintain the weight and healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life, but none of it feels out of reach. The diet has given me so much more than a lighter body, It’s given me a whole new life.

Hee heee ah Groundhog Day is in February!! 😹😝😝 a bit early so. Ah yes sun is good, just would prefer to be out in it doing this…😎👙🍉🍸🍸👏👏👏

Thanks Daniel

First week done total loss of 4.3 kg (<9 lbs) very pleased. I only tested BG once since last post and that was after a meal, was meant to wait for 2 hours but did it after 1 1/2 hours and was amazed that it was 5.9. My eating went a bit off track over the weekend which I ate more calories but no carbs.
Back on it properly today with a walk/exercise thrown in.

And with that, I’ll let you get back to work. I’m going to check the weather (gloomy again now) and maybe chance the washing out. Check my tomatoes (not a euphemism). Water them if needed. The joys of being a suburban housewife. Zzzzzzzzzz…

Hey Ziggy – good to see you are still losing, if not quite as much as you had hoped. Keep plugging away, it will happen. I tipped over the brink of that illusive stone this week – at last! In fact I have had one of my best weeks’ loss this week – down 3.6lb. Don’t know what was different this week to cause that, but very happy for it nonetheless.
Now my new goal is to get to the point where my weight begins with an 8, which means I need to drop 9lb more. Had thought getting to that point was a dream too far, but it seems attainable now. If I can get there, I’ll be re-evaluating and deciding if I want to go any further or not, but right now, the aim is to get rid of the 9lb to my next target.
Keep on losing Ziggy, look forward to the next report.

Although how much I’ll like Autumn and Winter BSD style is another matter. Once you’ve taken mash, pies, dumplings and stodgy puddings out of the equation… I think it’s going to be a lot easier sticking to it in the heat, because you can always have a salad. Salad in December never seems right for some reason?

Hi Hush,

Thank you! Lots of info to digest here 😊. Do you mind if I ask how the weight loss has been for you? I’ve read different accounts on how a cheat day actually speeds up weight loss, and so I’m curious if that’s been your experience. Since I’m trying to avoid diabetes, I’m also worried about BS spikes, so even when I’m “cheating”, I’m still keeping the calories low, and the rest of the day protein and fat heavy. However, I understand the sanity argument. We need to find a way to incorporate this long term into our lives, and feeling “normal” is a part of that. Although, really, in the end, anything we’re doing to increase our health is better than doing nothing, so kudos! 👏👏👏

Poor Mr Tokyo, maybe he’ll think twice before diving in next time lol.

Thanks Eps but it’s not my Wedding anniversary today, my wedding anniversary is on Groundhog Day, I just meant my life is like that film, wake up and repeat the same day over and over and over… lol 🙂 same housework that I did yesterday. It’s not until February 2nd.

I love Autumn and Winter, my favourite seasons tbh. That said, I don’t like autumnal and wintry weather in the summer!

happy anniversary lucky !! x

Hee heee ooo can just imagine that couple, yes there’s a lot of that around 😂😂😂

Ooo happy wedding anniversary!! 👰👫🎈💑 sounds like a day to ditch the housework to me!! 😹👏😂 if your daughter’s boy is coming over she won’t want thing to be messy so might do some herself 😝😝

Monday morning settling down to work here, ha e to be productive today – start of the week! It’s warm again though and am kind of starting to dream about autumn 😳😂😂😂 cool evenings, leaves falling, dark sleepy mornings!! Never happy eh! 😂

Happy dancing inside today, as I have consolidated the stone down at last – a point I had been struggling to reach for a couple of weeks now. In fact the scales told me that I’ve lost 3.6lb this week, so I’m really happy!!
Have realised that my skin is so much better on the BSD. Where my tan would normally peel almost as soon as I returned from holiday, it has stayed fixed and my bottom lip, which had previously nearly always been flaky, with a tendency to crack in the middle, has been smooth and soft for weeks now.
Got into a favourite dress this morning, for the first time in at least five years – just need an occasion to wear it!

may pasties remain forever unassociated with bad guts!!!! think my OH is regretting his choice from saturday he said it tasted so good but made him feel so bad!!!!!!!!

Only thing is… I can’t wear in-ear headphones. I have to have over ear ones. My nephew rips me to shreds calling me Dr Dre. It’s not a good (outdoor) look for a 40 year old woman. Not a good look at all. According to some forum I’m looking at 20 – 30 mb an hour playing the game. So maybe I can spare them a couple of hours here and there. I saw two people walking up the side of the A55 on Saturday, literally at the side of the traffic. She was carrying shopping and looked peed off and he was glued to his phone. I’m talking a couple in their 50’s. I was wondering… lol. Nobody’s awake yet anyway, except my daughter, whose boyfriend is coming down today, hairdryer is going, the works. Doesn’t seem like yesterday that was me… 🙁 Off out for the day with a boyfriend, done up to the nines. Now, I’m stuck in, doing THE SAME HOUSEWORK that I did yesterday. It’s Groundhog Day! Which, incidentally, and this is no joke – is also my Wedding Anniversary. I got married on Groundhog Day. So I should have expected nothing less really, should I?

Congratulation about hitting the healthy BMI range!!! I am one pound of hitting mine, but I am please to be making progress towards it and to have it in reach now. Had one of my biggest losses this week – down 3.6lb, bringing me under that illusive stone mark I have been striving for. No idea what was different about this week, to result in this drop, but happy to be here.

New target is to get to a weight beginning with 8, which means I need to get rid of another 9lb, but it really feel do-able now, whereas previously it felt like it was completely unreasonable to expect to get there. Tried on a dress I have been able to get into for maybe five years and it fits!!! So chuffed, just need an occasion to wear it for now.

LACali21, we totally got this! This forum has been amazing at offering support and great ideas. It’s nice to know we’re not alone in this 👍

Ruthdownunder, I’m definitely planning on cutting down the carbs as the weeks progress, but just these past few days, by raising my carbs, my symptoms have completely dissipated. In fact, I’m thinking about going for a quick jog in a bit! So, yes, I hope to raise my protein and fat levels in the coming weeks, but just now, I’m just reveling in my new found energy on 800 kcal/day! (and I’m in total agreement about the full fat 😊) And aren’t naps the best? I feel soooo much better from just a quick 20 min nap. Maybe because it feels so self-indulgent, lol.

Nursebean, I just tried out the full fat plain bio yoghurt yesterday and wow! SO GOOD! I added figs yesterday, and blackberries today, along with some crushed walnuts. Unbelievable how long I felt satiated. I think a part of me panics a bit when I think about not getting enough to eat (and then the ensuing dizziness and weakness), but I was really surprised at how great this worked 🙂 Eggs, steamed veggies, and yoghurt, my best friends right now!

That’s fantastic news bigP.
Not so big now, huh?!