Hee hee yes no finishing off the blender, they’re very useful!
Oo good, yum-Those beetroot falafel are on my list so great to hear you found them tasty👏😝

I had to attend a diabetic education programme today. Well I learnt only one new thing which was quite depressing; according to the diabetic nurse, apparently you can go into remission and reduce or completely stop meds but eventually you will need them! That was a shocker.

What they are teaching dieticians advising Type 2’s .. well when they tell you that it doesn’t matter whether you eat brown or white bread/pasta/rice and that if you are eating a sweet potato with a white potato then the sweet potato is treated as a vegetable, not a starchy carb – the 13 other people on the course were so confused.

The podiatrist nearly put me to sleep and all she talked about were the revolting cases she had to deal with – passed round a TOE NAIL! ( in a perspex box) which I refused to look at up close as from across the room it looked disgusting and massive!

I was younger than most of those who attended and only one had been Type 2 for more than a year, but I was surprised at the lack of knowledge – of things I would have thought they would have bothered to check – no one had been diagnosed less than 2 months ago I would have thought they would have taken an interest into the illness.

I did mention the BSD and several people asked me for the details but I tried not to undermine or question the dietician even though I found the whole experience rather condescending, uninspiring and learnt nothing new. Has anyone else been on one of these?

Hi. Does anybody know if I can eat any quorn products? I’m vegetarian and enjoy quorn sausages. TIA

Good luck Steve, yes you don’t need to be diabetic and its all about a healthier lifestyle and you have chosen a brilliant programme to achieve it.

Hi FN don’t beat yourself up – 1000 calories is excellent, you are still going to lose more weight than you would at a fat club and lower your blood sugar. The first week is a killer and your body needs time to adjust to less food and carbs. You are doing really well and 1000 calories is an amazing success.

My mood today is damp. Oh so damp. Thank you Lucia for asking.

Hi Lynne,
That’s great when someone starts taking an interest in what is happening to you,
I had a couple at church this week, David said that jacket is too big for you christine, the woman asked me why David was insulting me! So we explained about the diet I’m on, it turns out her husband is diebetic, has been for six years, now we know these people, we never knew he was diebetic, but then why would you, you don’t go round announcing it do you?
They asked a lot of questions including where they could get the information so here’s hoping they take up the challenge.
I still have 27lb at least to lose, I’m doing it in increments though, I’m telling myself at the moment just lose six pounds, then I will give myself another target.
Is there nothing that you crave from before you were on this diet, and what will you eat first when you get to the point where you will introduce carbs, I ask because I could leave rice, pasta and most types of potato, I love roast and some chips, however if I needed I could leave them alone. My weakness is chocolate and cakes and puddings, yet at the moment I can say no to them because I want to get to my desired weight! I just know if I have one cake pudding dessert or chocolate I won’t be blue to stop!
It’s so good to have you back, I hope I’m feeling a lot better soon, I might have to see someone bout these knees, ironically my right one is causing more trouble than the one I twisted!
Cheers christine

Thank you all for your kind words. Today I weighed myself again and have now lost two pounds, so a little more encouraging.

One problem I experienced; at my Zumba class this morning, I twice had to stop because of light headedness. I normally have breakfast after class, now I think I need to have it before.

Good luck to all!

Thanks for that, I should know that but had forgotten. I have reduced bread to 3 times a week and I used to have bread every day, also I only have potatoes about twice a week, the shepherds pie I make I only have a small portion and it’s mainly mince so that will be ok. Good tip about causes, I haven’t had one since I started this. I had a blood test on Thursday so my dr can see what is going on it would be nice if it has lowered

so many great stories, well done everyone 🙂

anything starchy (potatoes, pasta, rice and bread) are converted by the body to sugars quickly, causing blood sugar spikes and insulin to be released. Those are the things that cause the body to crave more carbs, feel energised followed by a slump, feel hungry faster, and store more fat. All of the things we are trying to avoid or at least minimise.

If you don’t feel able to give them up then try to minimise how often you have them and keep your portions smaller. I hope you are getting on ok 🙂

I had forgotten to take the pork mince out of the freezer so I’ve switched up my menu. Everyone else had pasta bake for their dinner and I had chilli left over from last night with courgetti. I’m only on 690 calories so I’m going to have an almond milk hot choc and a little chill out before bed.

I’ve been low on my steps over the weekend but I’ve made my 10000 today (and most days in fact over the last 8 weeks)

I can’t quite believe I have made it through 8 whole weeks! This has passed so quickly. I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning (so long as I don’t put any weight on haha) to weigh and measure and report in with my 8 week results. I still have a longish way to go but I’m more confident than I have ever been that I can do it.

night all 🙂

Please excuse my ignorance but why are potatoes such a problem

B- experimental smoothie of half an avocado, spinach, berries, courgette, almond milk, flax seeds (pretty gross it turns out but I forced it down)
L-egg and salmon protein pot from pret a manger, nectarine, 3 cherry tomatoes and some mange tout
Snacks – terrible chocolate craving mid-afternoon so ate about 75g of mixed nuts 😮
Better than chocolate but I am now at 850 cals and 40g carbs for the day so leaving off dinner in favour of herbal tea and sparkling water.

BEETROOT FELAFELS

Made these on Sunday for lunch – recipe is in the book- I added some garlic and extra cumin and also some red pepper flakes to give a little background heat. Divided the mixture in to 12 not 8 as it says in the recipe as I felt the felafel were too big to cook through. They looked a bit odd as they came out of the oven but we’re really tasty. Served it with the yoghurt but with added chopped cucumber, garlic and a pinch of salt and some mixed leaves and tomatoe. Highly recommended, will definitely make these again and will try a carrot and courgette combination.

Hi Christine

Sorry to hear you’ve not been well. 😢 Years ago one of my knees kept locking in a bent position. Finished up having operation😱. I’m not too well at the minute – very tired, thickly cough. Voice went Thursday afternoon, back Saturday afternoon. But still hoarse😱

Judith’s due back on 16th June 😃.

After two holidays, a hotel lunch and a 4-day residential course, I’ve learned a lot about how to cope with BSD when I have little control over what I eat. But I don’t want to ease up too much, too soon.

I’ve about another 28 pounds to lose to get into ‘normal’ BMI. When (yes, ‘when’ not ‘if’) I get there I think I’ll just try slowly increasing calories but sticking with low-carb. After this length of time its second nature to low-carb – I don’t even have to think about it. I was curious what the results would be after the holiday. I had dinner & breakfast in London before I flew (Pret salad, then Wetherspoons breakfast – minus hash brown or toast – at airport), then a meal at Kings Cross (Prezzo – steak & rocket salad) when I got back. At home I normally eat breakfast then in the evening, but away I was eating three times a day so I tried to watch portion sizes. Friend asked if I was ok with salad dressed with oil – yes. Was I ok with butter – yes 😃 It helped that I could do some food shopping for things I could eat. Visiting small towns in northern Italy (not tourist places) my food choices could be limited – but I always found something I could eat 😃. And I enjoyed the visit just as much as previous visits.

Some we ate with queried what I was doing – hopefully seeds sown.

Talking of which – my sons partner ( she who gave me all the Lakeland goodies😱 And said she couldn’t do without carbs) who has complex medical issues told me on Saturday she’s given up bread – because ‘it bloats her’. Perhaps now she’ll make more changes.

Breakfast – dessert spoon Greek Yogurt, frozen berries, some walnuts
lunch – Quinoa 40g cooked with sweetcorn, tinned tomatoes, half avocado and Mexican spices
Dinner – chicken breast meat 50g, quinoa salad as above 30g, Queen olives x 5, red pepper and lettuce
Total 815 cals.

Thanks all. I’m weighing all food and logging with My Fitness Pal app. Def need to drink more but that’s tricky as out in car all day with work and never know when I’ll be able to wee!! Am def ketotic as doing a dip stick so should be coming off somewhere! Measurements have plateaued too but will keep on keeping on and fingered crossed for another drop soon

Hi Especially,

Thanks for the link, it is intriguing how it turns to a creamy paste. I think if I run my ancient processor for that long it will explode. Will try again when I get a new one.

No breakfast just camomile tea and coffe with milk 40ml at work
Lunch , Pret a manger Italian chicken no dressing
Dinner, half red pepper with feta, olives, pistachio onion. No pomegranate (recipe from book)
20 g cheese with walnuts.. Trying to resist my sons mango! Drinking water instead!

Lucia
Meatballs with courgetti for us – though I say it myself they were better than anything M&S can do… added a good dollop of horseradish to the beef mixture and they tasted yummy. Currently resisting the temptation to drink the Henry West on vintage cider in the fridge – not because of the diet, simply because I still have to pick up a daughter so need to drive the car. Might weed the patio instead…

Hi Lynne,
Welcome back and we’ll done, to lose weight while on holiday, whew that’s great your will power is amazing you need to bottle it and sell it!
I’m still losing slowly, still having problems with (both) knees now, one keeps clicking in and out of pain, not sure what to do about it though, I have been fighting this ‘virus’ and it’s not going anywhere, everything is hard work, I am shattered, that’s why I haven’t been posting recently, have been doing a lot of nothing! Just soo frustrating not having energy to do anything.
I have a great problem when my lot have toast it just smells so good, I don’t know how I resist it!
Do you have any idea when Judith is back? I can’t remember!
When will you have reached your desired weight and what will you do then about your food choices?

Hi Janeycoughdrop, I only lost half a pound this week. This brings my total to 12.5lbs so not too bad for five weeks. My grandson is gaining weight slower than I am losing it so I am well ahead of him. I know all babies have blue eyes and they change but he has light blue eyes like his I older brother so I am guessing they will stay blue. His brother can get away with anything when he looks at me with those eyes so I guess he will too😄

I am very frustrated with the treadmill people. When we bought it they told us it would be delivered within ten days (tomorrow is two weeks). We got a phone call last week from the delivery people to say they had only just seen the order and can’t deliver it until this Thursday. We kicked up a fuss as its not our fault that they are inefficient and the manager of the shop said we, as customers, deserve the best customer service, he is very sorry but he can’t get them to deliver any quicker. So much for customer service. Anyway we hope it will come this Thursday…..or the next…..or the next.

People are beginning to notice my weight loss. Today I am wearing a new t-shirt that was a bit snug when I got it a few weeks ago and I didn’t want to wear it with my spare tyre showing. My spare tyre must have deflated as it fits me now.

Onwards and downwards to week six.

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!