The other people in the house still use the toaster otherwise I’d consider binning ours, but my husband who is in to all things fitness came across a facebook thing showing someone ‘toasting’ slices of sweet potato in the toaster, so no doubt he will be trying that at some point.

I finished work a bit early so I popped in to pick up my glasses, feels a bit strange but I’m sure I will get used to them. Not sure I’ve chosen the best pair but we are all self critical. My daughter thinks they look good as does hubby, but seriously I walk in looking like an absolute scarecrow at times and he doesn’t notice lol. I’m off to pick up my son in a few mins so I’ll get the opinion of my friend and childminder whom I have known for over 10 years. We trust each other to tell the truth!

I’ve never paid any attention to my eyebrows and now I feel like these glasses are drawing attention to them and for the first time in 40 years I might have to have them shaped up a bit haha, such vanity.

Bissell that is fab news that your MOT went well, and also that the nurse was genuinely interested. Hopefully change will happen in the NHS soon.

I’m no longer allowed to stand on my box 🙁 much sadness. Having said that I do kind of like the tool roll now that I have it, so it might work out better than I expected. I’ll use it the rest of the week before I form a proper opinion, give it a chance lol.

Right, I gotta go get the boy and then cook dinner. Byeeee

Week 8 weigh in for me. I’ve always been a slow loser so although I have a lot to lose I have lost 21 lbs. not bad given that I went off piste on holiday and gained 6 lbs a couple of weeks ago.
A bit of history; I was a slim size 12 when I got married 28 years ago but gradually put on weight exacerbated by PCOS, IVF treatment (failed) and the emotional fallout from that. Add to that the stress of a teaching career and the lack of regular eating patterns which would lead to binge eating. My downfalls bread, puddings and wine. I am the graduate of every diet going WW, SW, Atkins, Cambridge, Lighter Life – you name it I’ve tried it. All given up through boredom or unsustainabilty. Each time saw me putting on more weight than I had lost. At the start of this year I was 17 stone and size 20 in denial, preferring to squeeze into bulging Size 18 than buy clothes that fitted.I was about to start Jo Wickes’ programme but having bought his book and trying a couple of recipes I couldn’t cope with the huge size of the portions and I wasn’t fit enough to do the required exercises. Then I read about the BSD. I’m not diabetic but there is a family history of diabetes and my cousin had just died prematurely with diabetes related dementia.
Week One I lost 3lbs but 3 inches off my waist! Since then with the exception of week 3 when I had a bit of a plateau I have lost steadily. I’m now size 16 and at the start of this week I was delighted to see a 14 at the start of my weight. Even more importantly I have loads of energy and having last week wallpapered and painted my dining room this week I am tackling the jungle of a garden outside.
The blip on holiday would normally have derailed me but I’m no longer on a diet I am just eating differently. Returning to the BSD , not only did I lose the 6lbs in days but my weight loss seems to have speeded up. So now I’m knocking on the door of the eight week lounge, can I come in? I still have a long way to go but for once I’m not daunted by it, I’m looking forward to the journey.

hi jimmy
I got very shaky in my first week or so, and especially in the morning before breakfast
and also when I went out for long walks
I bought some glucose tablets – and found if I just had one or two, after a few minutes things improved
I bet others will say that counters the low carbs, but I had to do something

now – I am finding less shaky but incredibly tired and have actually not gone on any of my walks for a week
all that healthy food, yet I have no energy

hope things settle for you soon

Hi Jimmy
I was fortunate and didn’t get shaky or headachy when I started, but I think quite a lot of people do, you’re not alone.
Persevere, most people say it passes in a few days – hope that it goes well for you

Hi
thanks everyone – Yes, I am really happy that I’ve lost the weight I have – I was just gobsmacked by Stewart’s amazing 47lbs!
And as lots of people have commented on other threads, although not that much weight has shifted, I am wearing clothes a size smaller – some ones I grew out of years ago, others that were a bit tight when I bought them and I thought “oh, I’ll lose some weight & it’ll be fine”

Hi
glad that things are working better for you now, that’s great, and congratulations on the weight loss.
I had a fasting blood test this morning, so ended up having a tomato and mozzarella salad for breakfast and porridge for lunch (with cherries in, delicious!)

Hello JimmyWelsh, take heart and keep going, it’s just a reaction to sugar/carbs reduction I should think. Sounds very like me a few weeks ago when I started my first week. I couldn’t even exercise, I felt so ill! Do make sure you drink enough water.

Well worth a try! If you don’t really like coconut like me, then NO! 😉

Ooh, good idea Frog, I am never going to use the toaster, well, at least less frequently than I use any of the other things that clutter up my work tops. I can also put away the sugar canister. And the sugar bowl! Haven’t used any of these in 7 weeks, urg the sugar is all clumpy!
Izzy, I went for my MOT with the Practice Nurse today. BP= 100/60 (practically dead! ) which she was pleased with. Then she said ” oh, we haven’t weighed you. Jump on the scales”. She noted the reading on her ‘puter and said ” bloody hell, you’ve lost 10kg! How did you do that?” So I told her and she was genuinely interested, I think. She’s also the diabetes nurse, so hopefully she will give it some thought.
Your menu plan sounds good, I like a stuffed vegetable! Keep standing on the box! ( that’s not a sentence I’ve ever written before!)

Brilliant Stewart!

Ha ha I hear you about the slimmer you in Zara Igorasusual – nothing like that feeling really.

Frog you are doing a fabulous job by the sounds of things – that’s a lot of bags of sugar! I always think men lose weight quicker than women (I think you’re a female frog?;-)) so it’s probably not comparing like with like. (Not knocking Stewart’s great progress saying this!)

Hiya,

I’m 77kg and whilst I have a dog and get exercise everyday the belly has been growing. Time to start the blood sugar diet. Really inspired by this.

I’m on day two though and I’m getting some serious shakes and feeling quite weak. I have also been doing my regular exercise and wonder if maybe I should stop exercising or reduce the amount i do?

Or is this just a reaction to so little sugar / simple carbohydrates?

I’m not diagnosed as Diabetic but would describe myself as addicted to sweet things and with a very bad diet.

Many thanks

👍😊 I was wondering what it might be like with coconut milk! 😕 Might give it a try.

I’m on day 92 of my BSD journey, I’ve lost 48 pounds to date, I religiously weight myself at the same time of day and in the same clothes (In my pjs first thing in the morning has been best for me). Firstly I’ve had comparable spikes of weight gains, these have come with no apparent reason and the only thing it can possibly be is water, so ride it out and let your body return to normal and don’t lose faith! Also take note of the previous day, ask yourself is this a realistic measurement? Also scales are really inconsistent, if I get a a wild reading a will weight myself again 2-3 times until I get a consistent reading. I have also found placing your scales in exactly the same spot every time improves consistency I have a specific tile on the kitchen floor I always use.

In a contrast to Isabel (above) I find knowing a logging my weight loss a MASSIVE boost to my motivation. I log my weight on a google spreadsheet (that I share with family and friends) and it calculates every stat about my loss. The flip is that on days you don’t lose, it can be upsetting, but loss days far outnumber gain days so overall it works for me.

On another note, when I have reached my target weight (another 52 pounds to go) I will NOT be weighing myself everyday.

Overall you need to stick at it, I’ve found that the 8 week time span thing troubled me, I numbered the days on my spreadsheet up to 60 and counted them off, but now the BSD has become more of a way of life and whilst I am still in loss mode I’m less troubled by plateaus and gains and days off (Birthdays etc.) because I know the time I have to lose is the rest of my life. I now exercise daily, I eat really, really well, all my blood results done in week 11 are little short of fantastic. I feel great, I drink (booze) very little, I’m starting to look really good my wife and daughter and son all have all now followed my lead eating nuts, veg, and small portions etc. The main thing in all of this (more important that the weight loss) is that I’m healthy and feeling fab.

Good luck on your journey!

Week three finished with another 5lbs off, so feeling pleased as only lost 1lb last week. I find I’m getting a bit more relaxed about food now. I’ve stopped measuring things because I know my potion sizes have definitely reduced and have eaten more veggies in the last three weeks than the rest of my life!

What’s everyone’s mood like today?

Growly,
Squishy,
Lumpy
Skinny

Just watching someone opening a m and s salmon salad.
Oooohhhhhhhh!

Wish I was rich.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Depression is not easy to deal with, have been an emotional eater for years myself and now am pre-diabetic with high blood pressure and am menopausal!!! When I get the Mega Munchies I try to have a glass of water, usually hot water and tell myself I cannot eat anything until I have drunk the water, washed and dried the cup and put away, usually by then those Munchies have left to go and bother someone else…hopefully not you! My hubby told me when I started this diet I would never stick to it so my stubborn side is saying ‘I will show you’. Good luck to you I know we can do this. Keep us posted.

Hi Snowwhite
I had an oxo cube last night – a low salt one, and it was about half the amount of salt as I’d had across the rest of the day.
Scary – I dread to thing what’s in the original unreduced salt variety!

Mind you, I did read an article on http://www.dietdoctor.com/
“Drink plenty of fluid and get enough salt. The most common cause of constipation on low carb is dehydration. This makes the body absorb more water from the colon and thus the contents get dryer, harder and constipation can result. The solution is to drink plenty of water and perhaps add some extra salt.”

Although salt levels of what you’re eating look high, if your pre BSD diet included lots of convenience or processed foods, you’re probably getting a lot less salt now than you were before.

Glad that its working well for you, congtats on the 4lb

Hey !
Don’t knock our Vegemite !!! Every red blooded Aussie has Vegemite in their pantry. We start as toddlers and go through life with a jar. When I lived in America for a couple of years my Mum had to send me a jar everynow and again.
Bliss ! Although my American friends weren’t exactly keen….one said it looked like axle grease.

jillyB

Hi Frog, thanks for asking…yes am finding things a bit easier now, I eat my breakfast at work as it takes at least an hour for me to get to work and I suffer from a jippy tummy!! Have had fruit (bramley apples/strawberries & raspberries all stewed together) for breakfast with natural yogurt then a small salad at lunch time. Blood sugar still not coming down too drastically was 7.1 this morning and I said no to roast potatoes yesterday! this week I am going to test my blood before and after main meal, will let you know how things pan out.
Good news though have lost another 4 pounds this week – 23 pounds lost on 4 weeks only another *** to go!! Good luck to you and have a great week.

I’m actually quite enjoying being more involved in preparing the food that I’m having – preparing my food at home instead of reaching for convenience food is giving me more understanding of what I’m eating, and informs choices when I’m eating out.

Good Luck Dianne
The book says something about starting at a time that’s convenient – no upcoming holidays/celebrations etc.
I started on that track and ended up so far ahead that I decided to get going anyway – even if it’s only a couple of weeks before the event/holiday, chances are you’ll have lost some weight and be feeling better by the time you get there, and thus less likely to overindulge.
Towards the end of week two I had my first birthday without cake – just a small glass of wine with lunch and a celebratory roast potato!

Carpe diem!

Hi Babs, has the treadmill arrived yet?! Onto week 6, and things are still going well here. Feeling good, energy levels up and on a vanity note I can get back into my NYDJ jeans after I don’t know how long! How is your grandson? Is he gaining the week as you lose it?! 🙂

Hi Plumptious, how are you getting on. Now at the start of week 6 and still going strong here. Feeling so much more energetic, and on a vanity note, I am back in my NYDJ jeans that haven’t been able to get on for goodness only knows how long! I’m still trying to stick the tight controls on food intake during the week but allow myself a little more leniency at weekends. Am getting used to BBQ’s without bread! Need to make an effort to get exercise levels up though but doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day!

I guess it’s moderation and control. 5 weeks in and I can quite happily ignore the cakes and chocolate that I used to consume daily but I DO miss fresh bread and rice. I’m more in RozyDozy’s camp where I am not diabetic so the carb avoidance is not so critical however I don’t want to go back to feeling sluggish (or the next size trousers!) so longterm moderation will be the key..(oh and I had a couple of roasties with my lunch the other week..it’s not the end of the world!)

Welcome on board! I am 5 weeks in and loving this Way of Eating! I was a total chocoholic and cake fiend but the foods in the BSD take away all my cravings for them because they take away the highs and lows caused by sugar. Th e first couple of days may feel weird while you adjust but I bet you will not even be hungry by the end of week one. Take it steady, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t stick the regimen 100%, and look forward to feeling healthier and happier in a relatively short time span 🙂

Thanks for your support. This is day one again. Weighed myself at 10st 12lbs, so watch this space.

Hi
I started last Tuesday. Loved the first few days, but then had a wedding to go to. I had ordered quite well considering I didn’t know about this diet before I had to preorder. I had porridge yesterday for breakfast – I know that is not ideal, but I was on my way to work on a polo yard mucking out 8, which only takes a few hours, but on the occasion when we have a drama it has been tea time before I get home and see food again, so a bit of a “hedge your bets” breakfast. It does see me through to lunch time and I don’t have too much (the dogs think it is their right to share!) Yesterday we had a roast dinner, and I omitted the roast potatoes, which was hard, but I didn’t suffer too much! Today I am totally back on track and enjoying my jewelled pepper salad. We are having a vegan supper tonight with the son’s girlfriend. Courgette spaghetti with tomato sauce as per the book. I am not finding eating the food and portions hard at all, I just need extra time to plan and make things from scratch. I am not a ready meal person, but could share the cooking with the family. That is fine as long as I plan and buy everything. Otherwise pasta and potatoes will be on the menu! No more you decide what we want for supper!

Hi, starting diet tomorrow always seem to convince myself to put it off for another day and have put on 10kg since last year. Time to start. Dianne

Hi Syb,
This is one of those things that we each have to make our own decision about. Obviously, having lost weight & feeling so much better as a result of this diet, none of us want to ruin all the work and pile the pounds back on. Like you, I like a nice sandwich (Tesco’s remaindered counter is one of my favourite haunts! Sad!!) – but rather than being my “what shall I stuff myself with tonight” option, it really is just an occasional treat. While I was only ever just an occasional potato/rice/pasta eater, I am not going to deny myself the occasional risotto (with proper rice), or roast potatoes (if I’m eating out), even a decent loaf of bread. Darn it, I still like highly processed sausages – Quorn ones are OK but they just don’t set my taste buds alight!

I’m not diabetic so I guess my health issues are slightly different to yours. I have recently tried reintroducing a few things I’ve cut out. I also was a bit lax about late night eating. And I didn’t do quite as much exercise. Guess, what: my weight loss stalled, even went up slightly. So very quickly I restricted things again and have now got rid of the excess. If I want to reach my target then I can’t relax things too much. So the moral of this tale is keep an eye on the scales, snugness of clothes, any medical readings you might be taking (but no need to get obsessive about it) and if you find you are gaining weight again you know exactly what you need to do to nip things in the bud.

Everything in moderation. A little restriction to keep things in check is much better than having to start from scratch again.

Can’t say enough – MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE – much more reliable than weight.

I had some plateaux but I could see by my Ketostix I was still fat-burning, so I knew it was going from somewhere, likely my visceral fat, all around my organs.

The subcutaneous fat is the last to go, as the body burns the most dangerous visceral fat first. And apparently last subcutaneous fat to go is below the navel 🙁

It would be 😉

don’t give up – get an app like MyFitnessPal and log your calories and carbs, and if you keep an eye on the carbs and make sure they’re low (lots of people here try to get under 50g per day) that may also kick start the weight again. And, as previous people have said, drink.

Have you got some clothes you’re measuring yourself by? I’ve just got into some smaller jeans and that felt great!

Good luck

Alan, keep on keeping on, you are doing fine. Exercise will make you feel better generally, so is worthwhile doing even if it doesn’t have a direct effect on BS.

Have you experimented with non-fasting BS and read the threads (particularly from Bill1954) about the unreliability of fasting BS first thing in the morning, as this is apparently notoriously up and down, and not necessarily indicative of your overall daily BS?

Thank you Natalie. Yes, luckily for us it was indeed TIA and not a full-blown stroke. He is home now, only one night in hospital, but with a couple more tests as an outpatient. He didn’t sleep well last night, blaming the interruptions and noise on any tertiary hospital ward, but I’m sure the experience was on his mind. As it was on mine – every time I closed my eyes I saw the very close shaves we had. Must have given other motorists severe cause to pause!

Thanks again, Natalie. I’ve probably given you way more information than you needed.

To the point of these forums, I’m hanging by fingernails today – over the 800 before evening meal, but not a real binge as it was last night. Again, tomorrow will be a better day……

What a brilliant result, Stewart! You must be absolutely thrilled!

How great is this that – after perhaps the initial carb addiction struggle – we can get our lives back, and see the way to ending all the agonising about weight and lack of energy and increasing dependence on pills.

Congratulations again, and Frog, I think you’re doing well on 12 lbs after three and a bit weeks – whatever other diet/eating plan is likely to have got you there??? I am on 14 lbs lost after 5, but it’s the measurements that count – shopping yesterday and catching sight of a new slimmer me in Zara was worth its weight in gold. 🙂

Congratulations to everyone, fabulous results! Onwards and upwards

I am just finishing week 5 today, down 1 stone or 9.5% of my total starting weight, with another pound gone since last week.

Into my size 27 non-stretch jeans, which had never fitted since I bought them (under the impression that the stretch fabric of my other pairs didn’t make a difference….ooooh no)

My Target is another 8 lbs to go, which would be 9 stone and 15% of starting body weight – don’t know if I’ll really get there, or if I’ll just look at the measurements and stop when it feels right. There is still a flob (technical term) of belly fat to go, waiting with interest to see what will happen…..

In other news, OH got himself into size 34 jeans and a size M shirt yesterday (he generally wears size 36 slung low – if you know what I mean – and an XL shirt). Also needs another belt, as he’s got to the last hole on this one. Not losing much weight at present, which is fine by him, but the measurements are certainly shifting! Hopefully in the end this may get him off his two metformin.

Onwards and upwards/downwards everyone, and have a great day/week/ongoing journey with the BSD!

Yayy, great stuff Loren – go us! :-)))

Thanks,

I think I will certainly follow the recipes for the first week, then, i will have a lot of left over stuff, as you cant buy most of the ingredients in the small portion sizes you need, so i think I will then try to use up the things i have using the recipes on here and in the book.
that way i save myself some money aswell, as the ingredients don t come cheap.

I have one question. I did my blood test yesterday after 8 hours between eating, it read 5.6- this sits in the normal section, is it possible the result was incorrect or maybe that 8 hours without eating lowers it? I had done some work in the garden a couple of hours previously?

what do you think?

thanks

JK

Marsie that sounds terrifying! Both for your husband’s TIA (mini stroke) and then you having to stop the car from the passenger seat. I hope he is ok now.

Hi. Just read all your blogs and you have inspired me as have been struggling for 3 yrs. I am 62 and didn’t have a problem till I had cervical spine surgery and something change and now have 20 legs to lose to be health again and get blood pressure under control. Will start tomorrow and keep you all updated, I struggle with even starting as have read book 3 times and had for 2 months, so will bit the bullet and get on with it. Mermaid2

Hi I have PCOS and was totally addicted to carbs and sugar. I would spend the whole day needing sugary foods and was hungry the whole day. I have the same family history as you also. Well I am 6 weeks into the 8 week diet and I can say I am so happy to be doing it. I don’t have the cravings any more like I had and I feel like a new person. I have more energy and don’t find it hard getting up in the mornings (I used to find it hard to get my head off the pillow). I was on medication and am no longer taking it. I have lost 20lbs, my symptoms have started to reduce also. I could of lost more but need to exercise more. My hardest time on this diet was the first 4 days as I felt fuzzy in my head ( I think it was my body not having the sugar and carbs). It was hard at times and it was made easier by throwing out all the foods that tempted me. I have broke the diet twice as I was out with friends and it was so not worth it, I felt sick afterwards. If you do have foods that you should not don’t punish yourself, start a fresh day and continue with the diet.
I highly recommend this diet, it has really helped me and I am going to continue after the 8 weeks as I have more weight to loose. I have tried diets in the past and they have never worked. I was literally shocked when I weighed myself with this diet. I see this diet not for 8 weeks but as a lifestyle change. I never want to go back to feeling the way I did.
Good luck and don’t give up. Look forward to feeling better 🙂

Is 1kg too much? I got mine in Tesco in Asian foods = ‘Koh-I-Noor’ cream paper bag with red & green design.

Hi ashri, you have described the former me! I have PCOS, type 2 diabetes, had completely out of control eating habits and NO energy.
I have been on the bsd for 4 weeks. So far I have lost 10kg, which is unheard of for me. My blood sugars are almost in the normal range and am almost completely off meds.
I am way older than you at 41 and have 3 kids who sap my energy, but my energy levels are now so high. My housework is all done (I hate housework so would always put it off). My dog is exhausted from all of the walks I take her on. My boys are often embarrassed as they turn up at home with their mates to find me dancing around the kitchen, just cos I can. I have not had this much energy for years.
My mum bought me the bsd book and it has honestly saved my life.
I feel really excited for you in your new beginning. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Thanks Frog. so pleased, and so pleased to be in new “thinner” clothes and free from carb hunger torment

Not quite Julia18togo. It’s been a mixed weekend. The readings are fast, my morning routine is : get up, go to the loo, get weighed and check blood sugar.

Friday day 111 weight 9st 11lbs
Blood sugar 7.9

I started sorting my kitchen and ate some sugar free chocolate chip cookies – this put my blood sugar up on Saturday due to the wheat they are made from!

Saturday day 112 weight 9st 11lbs
Blood sugar 9.9 😈

Saturday night I had two pieces of southern fried chicken (breadcrumbs)

Sunday day 113 weight 9st 12 lbs
Blood sugar 9.2

Sunday I was good and ate what I was supposed to

Monday day 114 weight 9st 11lbs (back down to 19lbs lost)
Blood sugar 7.3 😇

I need to stop thinking that as my blood sugar is coming down I can start to eat a bit of what I shouldn’t and it won’t make a difference, because it does!

My Mum has been getting worse in the last few days, to tell the truth she has been up and down since she came out of hospital. I know if I am stressed that my blood sugar goes through the roof, so I am trying to remain calm but it is difficult. In some ways she has given up, which is really frustrating when we all want her to get stronger so she will be able to have the operations on her knees which will give her a much better quality of life.
My motivation for this diet was to get rid of my diabetes, but a knock on effect will be me reducing my risk of heart attack or stroke, and my Mum is a daily reminder of the consequences of a stroke.

Hi everyone. I’m 26 years old, overweight, and while I currently have ‘normal’ blood sugars I have a family history of Type 2 Diabetes and have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) which wreaks havoc on my hormones, weight and insulin. I struggle a LOT with a physical and psychological addiction to sugar and carbs and sometimes genuinely feel like I can’t control myself reaching for high sugar, highly processed food. I’ve bought the 8 Week Diet book and am waiting for it to arrive. Are there any other ladies out there with PCOS – or people who have done this diet who had similar issues with the cravings that I’ve listed above? Would love to hear from you and how you got through it. Would also like to hear from anyone who found waking up in the morning really hard but has seen improvements in that area.

Feeling nervous/excited about my upcoming lifestyle change!

Good luck James! You will eventually be fine without the crisps and nuts, they are my biggest weakness, but you can go for the unsalted nuts and they get surprisingly nice after a while. The recipes in the book are good although there seemed to be an awful lot of salads so we go for cooking joints of meat, and making different kinds of soup which are low calorie and awfully filling.
Check out the recipes on this site too, there are lots of good ones.

Hello JCH187, keep going – I hope the stage will pass too. When I weighed Friday I had lost a total of 12lb 8oz in just under 3 weeks but had a rather bad weekend so feel scared to weigh myself before midweek at the earliest!

Hello Flower55, as you can probably tell by the username, I am a bit of a coffee fiend and I fit my latte in every morning and still lose weight! Standard semi skimmed milk is 9g carbs for 170ml, not a small drink. The other carbs I eat are so minimal in other foods that I still seem to stay below 30g quite often. I know it’s different for everyone. But just in case you wanted to give it a go! (PS the latte is hand made as we have a barista coffee machine.)

I am back to semi fasting – not just weightloss but also general well being ! I am a bread addict and love homemade wholemeal bread … I have read Moseleys recent book and very helpful but I found the recipes a little limiting to me being a vegetarian and trying to live on a tight budget as I have a family with 3 teens in to feed. I have found that many of these recipes even get eaten by visiting teens – I will just add some carb variant for them – bread or rice, or some extras depending on the meal

A couple of years ago I happened upon this brilliant website which I wanted to share – just look for the 5:2 recipes

http://www.lavenderandlovage.com/ enter 5:2 in the Recipe and Ingredient search

My 2 other key websites (because neither has all my ingredients in !) are as follows (you don’t need to sign up for either)

https://www.caloriecount.com/
http://www.calorieking.com/

I think my biggest encouragement is invest in that week 1 and setting up and “costing” recipes you like and set up your recipe folder (mine is paper because I write all over it as I modify it and try cutting calories out). For me week 1 was hardest and time consuming. After that I stuck to those recipes I knew, and added a couple of new ones each week

Other learnings/Tips:

1 You have got to change your cupboard lots of pulses, tinned tomatoes, spices, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, right nuts – but you don’t have to do it all in week 1
2 I shop in Aldi with a large family for all my veg, meat and a big Asda – asian isle for cheaper pulses
3 I have a pressure cooker and a freezer – I bulk cook pulses, then weigh them out into approx tin size quantities and freeze in the cheapest plastic bags (I have limited freezer space)
4 Always cook double, measure out your meal and freeze your portions as required. I bought a lot of smaller sized Asda 450 and 220 clip top containers – they make my meals easy if I am doing non diet for the rest of the family
5 If your freezer is full – keep a ruogh list of meals in the freezer
6 Use a meal planner – even if just up to the next day but it is easier if you plan the week if you, like me do 1 main shop each week and run on a tighter budget – there are some nice looking plans out there on the internet to hack !!
7 In my recipe folder I have a copy of my Excel s/sheet where I have a record of my fav ingredients – quick Q (eg 1 cup 1 tbsp) the weight (‘cos even I can kid myself that I’m sticking to the measures !) and the cals – this is because I havelots of veggy pulses etc and find it easier to cook from scratch to avoid my food allergy of cow dairy)

Good luck everyone – all change is an effort but well worth it – let’s take back control of our health, bodies and wallets from the corporations and live better !!

Thanks for all help
Week 10 and am carrying on with more exercise as this was lacking in first 9 weeks
Maybe this will help my BS?

This is Day 1 for me after a few false starts. I’m not diabetic, but having read the book and watched related TV programmes I’m convinced that this is a good way to shift the 20lb I need to get rid of, and the summer is a good time to do it. I’m 64 yrs old with an expanding stomach which is probably hiding a multitude of problems, current or potential. My danger points are carb cravings, particularly in the afternoons, and the lure of alcohol in the evenings. Nice to meet other newbies here, and good luck everyone 🙂