What has disappointed me today is that I have just finished the 8 week blood sugar diet book and at the end of it there are plenty of recipes that are veggie and could use them but there is no carb count on them only calorie. Whoever wrote the recipes knew how many carbs there are in them so that they could be included in the book so I wonder why they were not included. Really annoyed me as I will now have to copy and paste them into somewhere to work it out when it would have been so easy to make a note of them for the book.

They go with everything! And if they don’t, I’ll make them go with it! 🙂 I’d be ok in my house as there’s 6 of us and my children are like locusts. I’m savoury over sweet any day of the week but I think if I only made them for a special occasion, I’d be ok. Dying to try them though! I think the more you can have as ‘back up’ the better, really? Like the crackers, the chickpea wraps, they’re all weapons in my low carb weight loss arsenal at the moment. If I had a cake too, I’d be laughing. No, sorry, if I had a cake too, I’d be grinning. If I had pastry, I’d be laughing.

Tokyo, I’m with Linda on this, you can’t say what size portion really. The food itself looks ok to me, but it’s only early days for me too, I’m still on week 2. I weigh everything too, and it is a PITA but a worthwhile one. I have a notepad and pen constantly with me in the kitchen making notes of what and how many grams I’ve used, and then I check the calorie counts as I go along online or from the packaging if possible, and work out what I have left for the day (rarely anything, usually a tad over!). It is time consuming. I suppose an app would be easier but I can’t get the hang of it, so this will do for me, for now. I do eat a lot less meat than I used to, and fill my plate with more salad and veggies to compensate. Good luck with the cupboards, my cutlery drawer is on my to do list, everyone dumps all manner in there! Especially hubby, there’s tape measures, screwdrivers, sellotape, nuts, screws, and the kids have managed to shove water bombs in too. What is wrong with them???? Eldest on way home from Uni, just gone to pick the rest of his stuff up and hand his key back in. Toddle off to vote. Sort tea. Take painkillers. Fall asleep in chair. That’s the plan anyway.
Great weightloss Linda, by the way! Well done 🙂

Well swum Wahlass. Yes, if I remember to get on this Forum that would be a good motivator for us.
I’m going to give it a go but may have to revert to 5/2 as my Doc says I should really be on about 1800 cals with exercise!
We shall see how I feel at the weekend.
Good luck and don’t forget to have a rest and meditate (if you can).
Phil

im on day 4 as well. Today im tired and wuzzy. I went swimming today and wasn’t as strong as I normally am. Im hoping it passes ive had a bit of fruit and yoghurt and just eaten smoked salmon and baby leaves.
We will encourage each other. I have 2 stone to lose

I always thought that Atkins was more about eating loads of meat. You can eat meat on this, but in reality it’s mainly about cutting out refined and starchy carbs.

Bizarrely after drinking most of a bottle of wine last night I weighed less this morning. Down to 92.4kg.

Wasn’t planning on drinking anything but heard that an old fried of mine passed away suddenly yesterday. She was only 37 🙁

hi there, and thank you so much for taking the trouble to reply

I don’t know about candida, as in I know what it is, but I don’t have the ‘obvious’ issue
and googling it, well the symptoms are so many and cover my ibs, my mh, ….

anyway, I am eating very very little sugar, apart from in berries and the occasional pear/apple

I was having some dark chocolate, but have now discovered I can binge on that, too, and it causes major reflux issues and insomnia

I eat eggs, I had 2 for lunch, with 2 rashers of bacon and 2 tomatoes (I like even numbers!!!!)

sorry if that sounds like I am chucking everything back at you, its not meant to – its just how things are
I totally agree about soups and I love them, although it is not so easy now that the weather is warmer, as it just increases my hot flushes!!

Thanks all. That is hugely reassuring. I ‘like’ Carb Flu; perhaps I can use that as an excuse for not to go shopping?
I’m using My Fitness Pal for food and exercise that I used on a previous regime and it is totally ‘honest’ when it comes to calories!
My exercise is a bit limited at the moment due to two physical conditions that await treatment. Nothing serious, just both prevent all but gentle walking, cycling, swimming and, when I don’t feel like I’m on drugs (the woosey head), upper body work at the gym.
Because I don’t like eating quite a lot in one go I am going to take Dinner as two sittings (like a high tea and supper I suppose.
Has anyone done the Brunch and Dinner idea at weekends or other days?
All the best to all of you and you keep telling me it works as I’ll be needing that.
Rams
P.S. had Corgette and Feta salad at lunch today. Quite appropriate (i.e. a bit Greek) for this particular day in our history 🙂

Keeptrying,
Are you having eggs? These at breakfast are filling and keep you going a long time.
although I have lost a stone, I have lost NOTHING around my waist! I find that strange.
I keep feeling tired. Irritable. Rubbish. Lack of energy. Sick. BUT the difference is I know why. I’m not saying this is the same for you. If you don’t know about candida, look it up and you might find you echo a lot of the symptoms. And it led to sugar cravings which has made me binge in the past.
The trouble is, when you start to kill or control it (like with low sugar diets such as these) you find that the symptoms get worse. Really bad while those candida cells are screaming out for what you are starving them with. So I insist on continuing to starve them. I can’t do much without feeling tired but it must go eventually. Try taking a small teaspoon of coconut oil morning and evening and don’t worry about the calories.
I don’t like lots of veg either. We make soup with it instead and add a chicken stock cube, its yum.
Another thing to make you feel good is a small square of dark chocolate. Keeps within calories and carbs and kills those cravings.

8kgs in 16 days. Exercise (30mins walk) every day. Not always maxing out 800 calories. Discipline to the letter. Even my birthday (day 6) was spent under 800 calories. That was very tricky, but got there.

Mike6
What a story. If you reread your story surely that will be motivation to maintain this new way of living. Living being the key word. I hope the medical personnel involved in your care are taking note and not attributing the results as anecdotal. You could be giving so many people the lift they require to carry on with this great new plan.

Thanks for an inspirational story.
N

I’m so glad I noticed this post as it has some great advice x newstart and Orchid thank you for replies x most of the meals I like are high in carbs , I was having a strawberry oatmeal smoothie every morning and then I saw how high in carbs it is . It is a pity that all carbs are lumped in together as some are good x will look out for M&S superfood salad . I only lost 1 lb this last week as after my low weight loss week before I had three bad days but back on track now x
Most of my healthy vegetarian cookbooks the recipes low in cals but high in carbs x was going to use shakes until I saw high carb values so may look up low carb versions . All the best to everyone on their journey here x

Breakfast – 2 boiled eggs
Lunch – Meal replacement shake
Dinner – 150gm steak with one and half cups of steamed veg

690 calories.

Discipline = results

Hi Saloh, I’ve got the similar goals, but very different exercise regimes. I’m just starting up with walking/jogging 6kms per day. I haven’t found any issues so far and managed to have enough energy with 800 calories to keep me going. Running 10kms is a bit different, so not certain they can be compared. I’m down 8kgs so far and about to break 100kgs. All the best.

It’s worth sticking to it. 4lbs in 4 days is good going.
– To combat the hunger, look for foods that make you feel fuller for longer, like eggs
– Measure everything. Calories are everywhere.
– Its not only what you eat, but how much you eat. Plates of vegs will still stack calories.
– 30 mins of walking can help a lot, but don’t push it

You’re putting your body through some big changes, so I agree with others, it will pass.

Good luck.

Wow Mike! You are a shining example of WHY people should change to this way of eating.. the health benefits are measurable and proven! You must be feeling a million times better than 10 weeks ago! Keep it up and look forward to the longterm benefits of changing your habits 🙂

17 days ago, I hit 108.9kgs. I had been skirting around 106kgs for months and tried the 5-2 with no impact. When I registered over 108kgs, it was time to act. BSD was the way forward.

In 16 days, I am now down to 100.6kgs. I’m targeting 85kgs and have 30 days to do it.

When I started, I flat-lined between day 3 to 6. I got strict and now keep to under 800 calories, often only getting to 750 calories. Things are back on track. I’ve really limited myself to not making meals too complicated. I often repeat meals to avoid getting frustrated with complexity and introducing hidden calories. My digital set of scales has never worked so hard. Everything is getting weighed, although I’m starting to know portion sizes.

I’ve also ramped up my exercise regime so I now briskly walk between 30 to 60 mins each day.

I haven’t felt better, more energetic and more alert for a very long time.

Good luck to everyone following this path. Stick with it. I hope it works well for you.

am actually coming to the conclusion that actually – this way of eating is not working for me

I don’t doubt its healthier
but I have not lost any inches, cm, mm, at all from my waist, in nearly 7 weeksI think that the pounds I have lost are only because I have cut back radically on sugar
I have only lost a few pounds
and I feel tired
I had far more energy even when I was more depressed and bingeing

the fat I was having in biscuits and cake is probably about the same as what I have now (only now it is healthier)

clearly I am doing something wrong
or I am wrong
and – long story – but in my head I am ‘wrong’ anyway, so it all fits

I KNOW that there is no such thing as ‘starvation mode’ – aka most professionals
but whenever I eat less, my body burns/needs less, and everything slows down
this has always happened regardless of what new thing I am doing

I cant eat a lot of salad, it makes me gag
I cant eat platefuls of veg, I like lots of veg, but I cant eat stacks of it

and to be honest right now I am just too knackered to do even the reasonable walks I was doing before

end of rant!!!! – hot, sweaty and feeling ****

My BMI is 30 btw, its not that I dont have any weight to lose! 😄

Hi
I know methotrexate it metabolised by the liver, hence my regular liver function tests. Can I just ask if anyone has experience of starting this WOE whilst on methotrexate? Does it affect the success?
I already eat LCHF but I am struggling to lose weight. I am not diabetic, but have T2 relatives.

Thanks
Beyond

Hi, I have been on BSD 10 weeks and in that time my life has changed dramatically. I had/have diabetes for 10 years. I was taking 70units of insulin a day. I had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment 2 years ago, which a neurologist said was not curable. I have been in hospital with heart problems, The cardiologists told me that I don’t get chest pain, just shortage of breath because my diabetes has damaged the nerves around my heart. To get to the point I also had other organs in my body that were not working as they should.
In week 3 of the BSD I noticed that my short term memory was improving and as the weeks went on the ability to process thought had came back, I could now do a lot of the memory tests that I couldn’t do before. Over the next weeks I noticed my other organs had started working. I have also lost 12kg.
My life has changed so dramatically for the good. I would welcome any comments to help me maintain my new life.

Rams from what I’ve read if you can’t sleep, eat later if you can? Good luck to you too..

Hi Mike

There are lots of variants of low carb/high fat diets, Atkins amongst them.

What Michael has done with BSD, I think, is to make it all as simple as possible – and as workable as possible for many people.

He’s accumulated evidence that a relatively short period of calorie restriction (800 cals pd over 8 weeks), together with complete abstention of refined carbs, can produce a) significant weight loss and b) lowering and balancing of blood sugar.

So it’s a plan to get you first of all some really encouraging weight losses, which are important if you have a lot to lose, and also a plan of eating which will leave you on reduced calories but not feeling hungry (or at least after the first few days when the carb withdrawal can have effects, especially if you ate a lot of them before).

I am 7 weeks in, not type 2 but slightly overweight and also mildly carb addicted. OH is Type 2 and would love to get off metformin.

Being the sort of people we are, we have also looked at lots of other books/articles/evidence. Our experience is that coming off refined carbs (in our case bread is the major one which has vanished from our diet) has left us feeling bright and lively and removed some ‘fog’ which we weren’t even aware of. I feel in control of my eating, and we have both really really enjoyed the taste of food, and generally speaking not felt hungry.

There are other things you can do, other books give you more guidance, but the BSD is a very good and simple start.

Following my research, I intend to continue a lifestyle change to remove refined carbs (already given up sugar in tea/coffee – used to be a 2 tsp person) except in exceptional circumstances (e.g. roast potatoes at Christmas, very occasional slice of good bread if I find any). I shall also control the balance of nutrients in terms of (good) carbs, fat and protein, and am very confident I shall continue to feel much fitter.

But read the book when you get it, and see what you think. I recommend it thoroughly! 🙂

Just to let you know, Raminski, this is what is known as ‘carb flu’ as you come off all the refined stuff.

Soldier on through it, as Especially and Janeycoughdrop have said, it will pass, and quite quickly!

Yes, Winifred, don’t let anything get in the way of doing more exercise – Lucia here is a wonderful inspiration, check out some of her posts, she did all sorts of stuff like walking up and down the stairs, and even now ensures she gets up and walks about as much as possible.

And some people have a treadmill they use in the sitting room whilst watching TV!

I try and feel grateful when seeing stairs or escalators either at home or outdoors, because I know it gives me an opportunity to walk up them!

Yes, you may feel a bit woozy at the start – it’s coming off the carbs – keep drinking lots of water (and also make sure you get enough salt) and it will pass.

I would recommend you do keep an eye on portion size to check how many calories are going in – as you found with the brazil nuts, you can underestimate what you’re eating. Though brazil nuts are good!

I plan ahead, and weigh out what I’m eating, though some things once you’re a bit more experienced you are able to judge much better.

It all gets much easier as you go on, promise! 🙂

WiniFred as long as you are doing something that’s what matters. Get the pedometer as suggested. Good link from Frog. You will find you may walk more steps during the day even round the house plus your hour. If you can walk a bit faster and drag the dog (mine used to want to stop every few minutes for a sniff) that will help too. Just do what you can but do something. Good luck…

Really wanted hot chocolate last night but instead I heated almond milk (unsweetened stuff because some of it is full of junk) and added cinamon and tiny bit of maple syrup. Made some froth with the top and it was really nice! Felt sweet but not sickening sweet and not to many calories at all – 62 for almond milk+17 for small teasp of maple syrup – didn’t count the cinamon as v low!

Hi Tokyo14
You’re doing great, keep it up.😀
Are you eating enough fat and drinking enough water or herbal teas? Are you adding olive oil to your salads and veges?
Are you recording everything you eat on a calorie counting app? I use EasyDietDiary, but I’m in Australia and I’m not sure if you can get it if you’re not. I see a lot of others use My Fitness Pal. I find that to be the most critical thing, I weigh and measure EVERYTHING and record it. That way you don’t have to worry so much about portion sizes as you’ll be keeping track throughout the day and will know how much you’ve got left to have.
I’m now in week 10 and have lost 15.6kg. My highest loss was 4.6kg (first week) and the lowest was 0.4kg (2nd week), but seem to average around 1.5kg per week.
Keep it up, we’re all different and we’ll all lose weight and inches at different rates, but it will work!😊

Keep going! Weeing and tiredness are common but will get better! Once your body starts to get over the carb withdrawal you will also stop feeling hungry, promise 🙂 I think the experts suggest eating your evening meal quite late if you have problems sleeping. Keep up the fluid intake and make sure you are eating full fat versions of cheese or yoghurt as they help you feel fuller for longer. Rest assured that by the end of week 2 you will be feeling the benefits 🙂

Lucky cat Frog :-))) Sounds yummm…
Great you got to see Pandas.

I felt like that for the first week nearly Raminski so keep at it!! Especially the feeling faint/tired and peeing. I found drinking loads more water helped a lot. Tiredness and dead feeling definitely lifted after the first week I think – and it feels great then! Not like perfect person great, but more normal anyway 🙂

Wahoooo – go CaravanSue!!

Hi Izzy,

Don’t throw the granola out, you can fix it. All you need to do is bang it in the oven at a low temp for a while and it’ll drive off the water. Chuck it into an oven at 90°C for about 20-30 minutes, just check on it every 10 mins or so to make sure it isn’t burning, but it should be ok. Trust me; I’m a scientist 😉

As for me, this week my weight went up over a kg in a day and decided to stay there for a while. Luckily, it turned round in the past couple of days and as of 7 weeks on the BSD, I’m 14kg down. And for the first time since I was at school, I’m 15 stone in old money (95.4kg). It’s a personal milestone that makes sense in old money, not in kilos. This means I’m only 2.4kg off my goal and I have a week left. If I’m honest, I don’t think I’ll make that goal, but it was an ambitious goal. And the figure on the balance isn’t everything; my BMI and body fat percentage are down and are getting normal (although I have scientific doubts over BMI) and I can fit in all the clothes I bought but could never fit into before.

Looking after a sick stroppy toddler today, so this is going to be stressful……

Have a great day y’all!

Sciencemonkey (ook ook)

Ooo would love some of the granola Izzy – pity you can’t send it across the sea :-)))

Had weird breakfast of salmon and red pepper massive plate of green leaves this morning as was feeling so hungry. Still hungry now though – maybe I need more fat from somewhere (preferably not cake ;-))) though salmon sucks up so many calories it seems to be full of fat!…

Love the planning, I really will have to start making soup. Sparkling water will have to do me until this feeling goes away!

Good morning. 4 days in and have experienced:
some very interesting meals;
feeling faint but BP is not any different from usual;
feeling bloated;
feeling hungry but not being able to eat;
not sleeping very well but feeling exhausted;
and (sincere apologies for this) peeing like a drain one day and hardly peeing the next 🙂
lost 4 lbs!
Is this the way it is?
Rams

Good morning. This is my fourth day too and yesterday I felt really really horrible. My belly was like a balloon and I didn’t want to eat and felt nauseous, but also felt hungry. I also only slept about 4 hours between 21.00 and 08.30. Sounds like this is not uncommon?
Saloh, if you can do it so can I. I need to be down to 82kg by September of possible. You run half marathons; I can just about walk due to a hip problem at the moment but I can cycle a bit (not serious Lycra I can assure you)
All the best and today I feel OK so you will too. Drink loads and loads; I even like hot water an lemon now!
Good luck
Rams

hi thanks for you kind comments as soon as soon as i stepped off the scales i thought i must post on here i knew your positiveness(is that a word !!!) would stop me been a miserable bugger!!
i know its a good loss i think after reading peoples post i expected more i thought as i sat in the bathroom glaring at the scales i have two choices !!
1) give up and return to my old chocolate eating sugar glugging ways or
2) continue for another week watch my calories and carbs and mainly portion size and not get weighed till next thurs!!!!
i choose 2!!! but on that choice i have a question for you wise ladies
how big should my portions be ? and as an example of todays meals am i eating too much
breakfast-yoghurt and four strawberries
lunch- salad with a bit of feta and one mackeral fillet
tea- heck sausages 1/2? roasted peppers and courgettes and aubergines
thanks for any advice
so today i am cleaning and sorting my kitchen cupboards oh the life i lead !!!! x

I felt really good but this morning ive been swimming and I felt wuzzy. Ive had some strawberries and blueberries and that farge yoghurt and come around a bit. Do you control portion size? Im eating off a small plate. I ate some brazil nuts and OMG they are so high and stupidly I didn’t put into fitness pal until after I had eaten them!
Thanks for the advice im on the water now so will keep drinking it

Bacon. Chickpea wrap. OMG that knocks my apricots into a cocked hat (whatever that means). Why didn’t I think of such a breakfast option???

I know what you mean about cake. Chocolate cake. But really? Can we leave it at just one? I am a slave to my sweet tooth…. 😕

Hello Mikeaschofield,
I’m not really sure as I have never tried the Atkins. I used to think it was just cabbage soup but I understand it’s quite different now.
Someone could probably help better but I suppose the main difference is calories. 800 a day for eight weeks, unless you are doing the 5:2. It helps our bodies to adjust to not needing so much food and I think my desire to binge is already seriously curbed.

Hello Saloh, keep going, I do agree the withdrawal symptoms are horrible. If you can do running then do by all means, make sure you’re drinking gallons of water and have enough protein and fat. I wouldn’t have thought you’d need to add calories, but if you do make sure it’s the right food. It’s adjusting to the lack of carbs and using the right energy source that gives the low energy to start with. Personally I just couldn’t run at the moment, still low energy from trying to beat candida but trying to up my steps is my idea at the moment.

I agree with you to an extent Baristagirls but Winifred was drinking two. Which doesn’t leave much in the way of calories for food, and she has said earlier in the thread that she was having trouble keeping to 800 calories a day, which personally, I would too, if I was ‘spending’ over 300 calories of 800 a day on coffee. Each to their own, I suppose, I just thought it would make sense, if she had to have two, to switch to skimmed milk. I know it’s not the ‘done’ thing, just looking for a workable solution for her. Or, as you do, she could drink one ‘decent’ one. But personally, I couldn’t justify two full fat coffees a day. I’d be climbing the ruddy walls trying to eat what I want to on under 500 cals a day 😉

Janey! I know, I know, but it’s never easy taking your own advice, is it? I think Tokyo has done brilliantly! From the comments, the brownies work out 100 calories each. I don’t know what size they would be but… Janey! Chocolate. Cake. Even if they’re only an inch square! Might be an idea for when I have friends around for a meal, better than cracking and stuffing myself with Daim bar cheesecake or Sticky Banoffee Pudding or… I’ll stop now. I’ll stop.

Grilled apricots, eh? Sounds… yeah. Bacon chickpea wrap, anyone?

hi there, so Im in, 4 days in but am definitely feeling the lack of carbs, sugar, a general low energy, i guess its withdrawal but determined to push through. One thing I can’t work out, is whether it is sensible to be running during this period, I am due to run a 10K 10.7.16, and should be training now. I have a lot of weight to lose I’m 120 kilos and need to get under way under 100. I ran a half marathon recently but managed to keep weight on. Now wanting to lose it to get fitter and healthier. I can’t work out if Should add carbs or calories to fuel run or try and get through it without? Any advice greatly received.

thanks.

Hi Winifred

http://joyofandroid.com/best-pedometer-apps-for-android/

this is a recent article on different free apps for android phones – I looked at it when I forgot to take my pedometer away with me last week.
I didn’t install one in the end, because I’m used to translating steps walked (recorded on my pedometer) into time to load into myfitnesspal, I just kept a mental note of the time I’d been walking.

ROFL Lucky, I can’t believe YOU are finally telling people not to obsess about the scales. Is that because yours are still broken???!!! You know my feelings on perpetual weight checking. The 2 inches off the waist is a far more important result – your liver and pancreas are slimming down and cleaning up!!

I checked out that brownie recipe. Looks nice BUT nowhere are calories mentioned! Aren’t we just going to stuff ourselves full of cakes like before if we start down this path??

Grilled apricots for breakfast. They were a challenge. Made me suck my face in a bit with their tartness. Not sure that’s a winner….

On a contrary note, Winifred, I think the full fat milk is well worth the carbs and calories for the flavour! I have one latte a day now and remember the fat is quite allowed. Just have to keep an eye on the other carbs to make sure you don’t go over.

Thank you Nettle for your encouragement. Measuring my body shape is a good idea. As for needles….I am trying to overcome my fear of them, as you are right, regular testing is the only way to find out how my blood sugar levels are doing.

Wow, impressed that you are on week 16! That’s some motivation and commitment. And well done for getting into your skinny jeans!! That must be such a wonderful feeling. It’s great to hear inspiring stories like this, will help to keep me going and motivated.

Good luck with the rest of your diet, hope you get to move to the 5:2 crowd soon!

Fiftyfifty – those brownies, though? I always read the comments on recipes like this, it looks like I have to try these too! They look and sound delicious! Thank you for sharing them 🙂

Oh Tokyo, don’t stress the 0.2, if you’d only weighed once this week, you’d be none the wiser about it would you? And a couple of inches off your waist? A couple? A COUPLE???? I only managed one! Looks to me like it’s definitely going in the right direction. Sometimes our bodies don’t always show things in kgs and lbs. Hide the scales now until next Friday. Then you won’t know about any fluctuations in the week. Well done you. Don’t be gutted. You’re 5lbs lighter than you were this time last week with a waist that’s two inches smaller. Sounds good to me, anyway?

Ah right Winifred. Might be worth asking if they can do a skinny one for you? You could have two of those for the calories of one. I know we’re meant to be eating full fat dairy but when two mere cups of coffee is over a third of your daily calorie allowance… yikes. I couldn’t survive.

Omg Baristagirls, have you been foiled again? *mumbles* I have two unopened packs in my breadbin…

Well, this morning both hubby and I are another pound down each, that’s 17lb for me and 13lb for him 🙂

I think someone is rather into the chocolate mousse dark in our Lidl!
Oh well it’s good for me not to have it on standby.