thank you Imogen

just wrote a long post about being so very tired
but just don’t have the energy to rewrite it again since it decided to vanish

I am also have big issues with fibre
which I am having way more of
but it is causing issues!!
might start a thread about it

Hi Sooz, I think the Med style low carb diet is one you can stay on indefinitely if you want. If long-term, you find you’re losing more weight than you want to or is healthy, you can adjust the amount that you eat rather than the things that you eat, if you see what I mean.

Monday was my last day of the course.
So over the last few weeks I have changed in appearance from Buddha-like thanks to BSD, and gained buddha-like awareness thanks to MBSR. Just call me Bodhisattva! I am about to send off my personal responses recorded on worksheets, so that hopefully I can ‘graduate’.

Here’s a reminder of the link.
http://palousemindfulness.com/index.html

As mentioned elsewhere, one or two of the experts can be a bit dull, so you might find alternatives; you can follow other leads via youtube until you reach a speaker that offers a more sympathetic explanation or approach.
E.g., in the ‘loving kindness’ meditation I didn’t like the one offered – too rushed, male and perfunctory, and found a gentler female version from Emma Seppala, Ph.D.

There is a great structure to the course, and the basic practices are covered very well, with plenty of resources listed in the 8 chapters – videos, articles and links for further study. It covers the practicalities of guided and sitting meditation, yoga, dealing with stress, difficult emotions and communication, through the importance of compassion and developing your own practice.

I tried the fast 800 and abandoned it in the third week. I went back into denial and have been completely off the rails since then.

My blood sugars have gone up, don’t know about cholesterol and blood pressure but fairly sure they have gone up too, as I haven’t been exercising and have gained 2 stones.

So time to try again – I’m going to ease in with the med style diet, not too strictly low carb (allowing myself brown rice, spelt and rye bread in low amounts) and restricting calories to around 1500 per day.

My main aim is to control my portion sizes (usually large enough for three people) and reduce snacking as much as possible. Three main meals, perhaps a small supper if it’s a long day.

I will have days when I’m not in control, and most days I will make a mistake or two. I will try to make these small mistakes, and not let them turn into a day. When they do turn into a day I will try to keep it as a day, not let it run on.

Can you have fresh pesto sauce? Basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic seasoning, partisan?

Thanks Athorn223,

Will keep an eye out for you down the road 😉

Imogen🌻

That’s amazing Imogen! Congratulations! I’m one week behind you, but I too plan on continuing this lifestyle.

Thank you!! I had some water and an apple and felt much better. Hopefully these feelings will pass soon.

Hi Jimmalone, I’ve experimented with home made spelt breads and find it doesn’t spike my blood sugar. My mum is also diabetic, and it doesn’t spike her either. I researched “low” carb bread when I was diagnosed and decided to experiment with spelt and rye.

Strictly speaking I think most people on the BSD will try to avoid even these flours or grains due to their carb content, however I did include it during the three month period that I tried to do the BSD and reduced my blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure significantly. I was doing moderate exercise (stair climbing at work, several sets a day) at the time as well. I didn’t lose weight during that three month period but I became a lot healthier.

I am going to return to the BSD from today and will do the Med style diet rather than the fast 800 or 5:2 this time. I will be including spelt and rye and brown rice but in moderation, not scoffed in large quantities! I’m going to try to make some spelt chapattis this weekend.

Well done you 😊👍 It doesn’t matter how much we weigh or what category of obesity we fall into it’s the fact that we are all doing this diet for a reason! I’m on my 2nd week & have so far lost 9.5lbs. Keep up the good work 😊

Congratulations izzy!!!! Have been reading/lurking on here a bit before jumping in so have been following your progress from afar.

I’m stuck in a train station for the next hour after a manic day doing science demos at a primary school (any primary school teachers out there-respect! I am knackered beyond belief after just one day!!).

As my colleague drove my from the school to the station all I could think about was paninis, m and s iced and spicey buns, sandwiches etc. I sat myself down in a costa to read your thread as I knew it would keep me on the straight and narrow, and here I am, sipping a coffee with nary a bun in sight.

Thank you and congratulations again!!

LIzJaeger,
Sympathies for the shock of diagnosis – same here, since I did lots of exercise and thought that was enough. Once I accepted it I found some relief, in that I’d not felt that great for some months without explanation. So, after the second result of 48 Hb1Ac, I set about fixing it.

I started drawing up a shopping list from the book, but found it simpler at first to follow[ish] the menu plan. The recipes appear complicated since they involve different ingredients to ‘normal’ but are very quick to prepare and tastier than you might think. I began to relish the differences after a while. I found for the first 4 weeks, that I needed some structure before I ‘got it’. The motivation of seeing the weight drop off helped. The recipes made me try new food/drink combinations and adapt to single, filling meals.

Now week 10 and adopting a changed but less strict approach – satisfied with no weight gain for a while as I adjust, and following 25lbs loss. It was only by trying to stick to the plan that I realised my habits, with frequent snacking and good food, but with lots of unacknowledged carbs [from porridge/toast to sandwiches to pasta and alcoholic treats]. If I had just stuck to my favourites I don’t think I would have been challenged or changed so much. As well, much of the benefit is a refreshed attitude and outlook. This involved embracing the process: understanding the science, doing a more concentrated exercise regime, and meditating for increased awareness e.g., mindful eating.

Hi guys,

Just wanted to share some news… Past the eight week mark today – yeah!

🎵🎶🌻🙌🙋😊😏🎵🎶

So some info regards changes in my life:

Blood glucose levels now hovering around 5- 6’s down from 9 – 10’s,
Weight loss: 31lb – wow 😊
I have taken back control of my eating (now recognise the hold my carb addiction had over me) Happy, finally, to be eating well, regaining health and energy!
Clothes starting to be too loose – though weight dropping from ‘top down’ so not buying new wardrobe just yet – will wait till my jeans fall down😄

Hard to believe that the time has gone so quickly. BSD life suits me so well I am sticking with it…and…I still have a lot of weight to ‘let go of’ until I reach my goal.

So here’s to the next 8 weeks…

Thank you to all my fellow BSDers for your amazing support and advice. Thank you Michael!

Imogen🌻

I have just watched Michael’s blog. This was very interesting. He does talk about artificial sweeteners and I understand that they may have a detrimental effect on gut flora. If you would like to view his talk go to the top of the pages and click on “Resources ” (top right). The film is under the heading Michael’s Blog. It is most interesting and entertaining.

I have dropped 9kgs in about 9 days! How is that possible? I am morbidly obese so know that initially I will shed a lot but I cannot believe I could lose that much weight in such a short space of time! Some must be water but still….. I am eating about 1100 calories a day. Have completely dropped pasta, white bread, rice and potatoes. Stick to the odd slice of pumpernickel and use cauli rice, brown rice and quinoa. Eating a lot of veggies, pulses, beans, lean meat, fish and poultry, love my greek yogurt and a few pieces of fruit a day.

Incredible! Very happy and motivated!

A warm welcome Liz Jaeger!

I too am newly diagnosed type 2 and determined to shift over half my body weight! Don’t lose heart – you just need to be armed with the right information which the book and this website will give you. You will be in control, not your diabetes. After the initial shock you will live with it and work with it. The people on the forums are warm, supportive and willing to share their tips, recipes, successes and temporary setbacks.

Things will get better and life will be better too when your sugar is under control.

XXX

Hi Lynne,
You are such an inspiration!! Thanks for sharing and I find many people also who think they are cheating their diabetes and have soda and dessert as if they are cheating on the disease but they are really cheating on themselves.
I don’t have it but don’t want to get it so am so happy I found this program.
Reading your posts really helps me as I really stay on the low carb end and it’s stopped all cravings that I used to have all day long and made me crazy.
And we both went on trips close together and did well on them!! And we both lost weight!
Even re the sweetness of cake – I don’t want to try one as it might set me off so I avoid them fully. Tastebuds can change back quickly and I don’t want that.
It’s funny as I love cheese that’s strong as well. Had one that starts with the letter f and is a sheep milk cheese the other day and it’s so strong and the restaurant grills it but it’s yummy!!
Have a great day!!
💜

Hey Izzy,
Wow I am so happy for you and so proud of you!! Huge congratulations on losing so much and for learning what works best for your body!!!! 💖💖💖
Glad you are loving your foods and sorry there is no walk for you today. It sounds like you get exercise in your work as well which is good if you do.
Read my diary page for my update. Crazy day yesterday and lessons learned.
It’s cold and rainy here in Seattle as well this morning. We had 80 degrees last week and low is 46 today. Supposed to be almost summer!!
Hugs!
💜

Hi everyone!
I couldn’t post yesterday as I was exhausted. I mean unserious other no energy and I had to go to lunch with a friend. I had lots of fun with my friend but due to the fact I don’t eat much f what they serve there I ate 1/2 cup white rice (counted carbs) and 1/4 cup eggplant as it was way too spicy for me.
I was only trying to stay in my carbs and I never eat carbs like that so guess what?
The rice made me feel terrible and gave me a serious foggy brain. It was really bad. I got home at 2 from lunch and had to go to bed and sleep from 4-7:30 and then went to bed at 10 and slept 10 hours!!!!! I usually sleep 5-7 hours and am full of energy!! Ugh. Never eating rice again. Apparently I have a terrible reaction to something I hoped would be okay for my tummy as long as I stayed in my carbs.
Also the eggplant was so spicy my tummy had major issues when I got home also. It doesn’t love spice at all.
Lesson learned for sure!!
On a happy note it’s week 7 Day 4 and I have lost 2.5 lbs this week so far.
I have 3.5 lbs to go as I will have lost 30 lbs!!! I can’t believe it!!!
Last night I dreamt I was thin and picking out skinny shorts and a shirt and I bought them and felt amazing in them and I looked super healthy and happy!!
What’s crazy about this is in my work and for myself I teach, and do, visualizations to achieve goals. Seems I am doing them in my dreams now also – I love it!!!
I got zero work done yesterday so hope to start in an hour or two and work today getting a lot done.
Feel free to comment and let me know how you are doing!
Wishing you all the best always!
💜🌷

Hi Ann

You should try and restrict your sugar as much as you can – because it is a refined carbohydrate and the BSD suggests you cut it out, together with the potatoes, rice, bread.

So ideally, if you can’t give it up in normal tea, try drinking herbal teas which have no carbohydrates in. There are lots of lovely ones around to try – I really like the Ginger tea you can get.

And if you must have a sweetener try Stevia, which is quite good – although if you can try and wean yourself off sweet things that really helps. Try other things to drink, like fizzy water with a bit of lemon or cucumber in it.

I looked at how many calories I was using with sugar – I estimated before I started BSD I was having 8 teaspoons per day, which is 120 calories a day or 840 in a week – enough for a meal!! And it wasn’t doing me any good either. I’m really glad I’ve given it up.

But don’t do that, if you don’t want to – switch to other drinks, ideally with no sugar like the herbal/fruit teas, or fizzy water, or use Stevia if you must.

Good luck – have you had another look at the book yet? It really helps to read it through several times.

Brilliant news Izzy!!! 🙋

Fantastic results…Congratulations!!!😄

Hope you don’t mind me jumping on your bandwagon…I graduated today also…so joining you in the past eight weeks gang welcome party🎶🎵🎶

Looking forward to the next 8 weeks

Imogen🌻

Can I also advise that it’s really helpful getting an app such as MyFitnessPal (free) because not only can you keep a record of what you’re eating but you can also see the breakdown of the food into (good) carbs, fat and protein.

You can then make sure you’re getting enough fat (which fills you up) and if you also restrict your carbs – many people here stick on 50g per day or less – you will see both weight loss, reduction in measurements, and also (hopefully) reduction in blood sugar measurements.

I bought some Ketostix (available on line) which with a simple test show whether you are burning fat.

As Californiagirl says, lots of help here, ask questions if you need to.

Good luck!

Hi Sooz
Mediterranean grill could be OK – it might be simple grilled fish with a salad option – or grilled halloumi
no starter or desert – or if you do have a starter, opt for something like smoked salmon. You could call ahead as Izzy has suggested – or see if its on tripadvisor – or google other reviews that will indicate what the menu is like – or does the person that made the booking know?.

4pm is early to be eating – I often eat lunch pretty close to that! If you don’t want to skip lunch, have something light – boiled egg? I just had olives and 10g of cashews for my lunch. The other option could be to have a late breakfast, and skip lunch – call it brunch, then it’s by design rather than skipping a meal.

They are pretty much the same from a carb point of view, so I would think you will be fine to substitute one for the other. I really enjoy the no carb ploughman’s.

I started by following the recipes and meal plans in the book pretty much to the letter. This was easy enough for me because I have only myself to cook for and I like to have the responsibility taken out of my hands! If it said 2 tablespoons of something I used two tablespoons. After a fortnight I began adapting recipes and counting calories and I found that worked too. If I had started off by making my own meal plans I might not have been so structures; I know my guestimations are often wildly out! But it’s whatever works for you. I’m on week 7 now and have averaged 3lbs a week after the initial 7lbs in the first week, so it’s definitely working for me! I feel great and in control and, more importantly, as if this is a new lifestyle for me.
So don’t despair, it IS possible and doable and enjoyable. Best of luck!

Welcome LizJaeger — well, you’ve landed in the right place. I’m sorry for the possible diagnosis but from all the experiences here, you have a very good shot at reversing this, especially because it is a new diagnosis. I did not use any recipe from the book — I just made simple meals of salad, veg, meats like fish, chicken and beef, eggs, cheese — all full-fat and I didn’t even try to do the pancakes or breads — I just gave them up. It was easier that way and simpler for my busy schedule. You will find your own perfect system as you move on — keep us posted! Lots of support here.

Hi Nella — welcome to the BSD! I’m sorry you feel nauseous — I think maybe drink a lot of water (bubbly would be good) and when you can eat a bit, try some solid protein like chicken. It will give your stomach something to work on. You’ll be sailing along very soon!

Welcome Jayne999! Wonderful to see your post as a newbie! Easy grab-and-go foods that I regularly depended on are cheese slices (pre-sliced so easy to measure), almonds and walnuts and pecans in small packets that I made up so I got the mix I wanted, salads of all sorts without the dressing (I used a lot of lemon juice which you can buy in a tiny squeeze bottle), hard boiled eggs (do a bunch ahead), cut up vegies like peppers and anise and salami slices (we can get uncured so you avoid the nitrates). When you make dinner, do a couple of portions and freeze extra do you have ready-to-go meals for last minute. Let us know how it goes!

Fantastic good news Izzy!! Huge congratulations from California! Isn’t it the weirdest good feeling to arrive at 8 weeks and look back at how much your mindset and your physical self have changed? I will meet you in the 16 week club in short order ( I still have a few weeks to get there myself). 🎉🎉🎉

Lucia,
I was reading another couple of posts talking about how good quorn is so decided to google it to find out if we had it in Australia. The good news was “yes”. However, the bad, bad news was another BIG write up which warned people about all the dangers { and there were lots and lots } that the main ingredient, have forgotten the name, which the quorn is derived from, is quite dangerous and listed many things it does to your body, including slowing metabolism…..which we all need like a hole in the head !! I read a bit more because I was thinking perhaps I might risk it, but the more I read, the worse it got. Guess nothing is worth that risk. I don’t want to frighten anyone off, but I would feel very guilty if I didn’t mention my findings.
Goodnight to all, I’m off to the land of Nod,
jillyB

Enjoy yourself,
Wiggle often,
Sing even if you don’t know the words.
Go for a walk.

Count the calories
Don’t stress out.

Then count the carbs, these are sneaky little buggers.

Have fun

Ask questions

Eat cooked breakfasts
Eat the ploughmans meal on this website
Have yoghurt and berries fro breakfast
Salads for lunch
Chicken or fish and veggies for tea.

Plan your new wardrobe, it will soon be here.

Notice all of us new friends standing shoulder to shoulder with you here, ready to help.

Have a great time.

Love Lucia
Xxx

Out of interest how much suger are you allowed per day I thought it was 6 1/2 teaspoons a day, is that wrong?

It’s day 2 of the diet for me and I feel so nauseous. I can’t bring myself to eat anything. Is this normal? How long will I feel queasy? Is there anything I can do to stop this feeling? All I want to do is crawl back into my bed and sleep it away, not practical when you’re at work! Any advice is welcome!

Hello there

i’m a newbie just starting out – i’ ve just moved house so not the ideal time but it’s now or never for me i guess. I wondered if anyone had any easy to grab plans for food as i travel a lot with my work so i’m not always able to prep the night before and prep does seem essential to this plan. any easy to grab recipes appreciated.

Thankyou 🙂 I’m halfway there lol, hope the second 8 weeks pass as quickly as the first 8 did!

Oooooo!
Quorn.
Something else beginning with Q to try.
First it was quinoa now it’s me heading for quorn.will try that soon.

Any more foods starting with Q that I can have a go of?

Love luicaXxxx

Thankyou all 🙂

I’ve just been eating my almond flour crackers with cheese, cucumber and tomatoes and thought to myself… this is NO hardship at all!

It’s chucking it down with rain here and I’ve forgotten my jacket so no lunch time walk for me lol. It’s hardly stopped raining all day.

Hi gang,
Thanks for the suggestions on how to start.

I know what I did was read the blogs for many weeks, got the book, read it cover to cover. Fine so far
But….
To actually start to do it is a HUGE step.

It’s like going into the sea for the first time, you stay on the shore for oh so long.
You may paddle.and call it quits.
But
When you get into the water, it’s fun, and there are loads of people there swimming with you, or just hanging around catching the Rays. Loads of activities to do, loads to see.
If you to take that huge step and just go for it, the water is fine, com on in.
Now look back at the shore, do you see someone else in the waters edge just wetting their toes. Give the, a shout, give them encouragement it’s great.

Now where are my water wings……..

Love luica
Xxx

CONGRATULATIONS 😃💐

Another graduation ceremony!

Great results Izzy 😃 Look forward to seeing you graduate into the 16-week club!

Hi there I’m another pcos sufferer. It’s true I’ve lost weight a little slower than some but I’m very happy with how it’s going. (18.5lbs in 8 weeks ) my blood sugars weren’t high but after suffering gestational diabetes and my father and sister already type 2 I know I’m a ticking time bomb.

This is working for me I hope you find the same.

You could call the restaurant and ask. Fish is often breaded or battered so I know it could be tricky. I’d phone rather than guess or assume.

Adding my congratulations to BSD. Your journey and results are inspirational. Congratulations also to Igorasusual and your OH.

I believe you are right Igor in that looking happy and healthy outdoes any perceived thinness in the face. My observations suggest that body shape during weight loss seems to follow the line of gravity i.e. first lose around the face, chin, shoulders, and so on downwards….I’ve had some experience with that WW company and I observed often that once weight loss settled at a reasonable goal weight, after a period of time the body seemed to “regularise/stabilise” (for want of a better word) and facial thinness was not so noticable.

I hasten to add these are my own very amateur reflections, and I don’t think my short stays at goal level ever allowed my poor body to stabilise. Maybe this time I will be able to join so many of you at your 5 weeks, 8 weeks and so on….

Thanks for all the kind words and bubbly water lol.

My plans are to continue 800 but allow a few more calories once or twice a week.

My new blender is yet to arrive! (Excited lol)

As for inspiring by posting I’m glad. I keep my diary and post a lot as a way to keep myself accountable and in check, but if I can help a few other people believe that they can do this too, then that’s great. It’s a passing along thing as I’ve taken a lot of support and inspiration from other posters too.

Hi chaps

So I had a call from my GP a few hours ago telling me my blood sugar was ridiclously high and that I should make work of getting things moving along. I’m having another blood test done in 2 weeks time so he can establish if the Type 2 diabetes is an actual diagnosis he can label me with.

When I saw him last week he recced Dr. Mosley’s book to me and it only arrived in paperback yesterday. I had however bought it via kindle too and so I spent time reading it over the past few days. The paperback means I can stick notes in everywhere, especially the recipes at the back.

I’m really quite shaken by the whole thing, I won’t lie. I didn’t think I’d get the tap on the shoulder. I did think that the fact that I have been on a low carb diet these past two months would have made a difference but apparently I am doing something wrong somewhere along the line. Maybe I am not being as strict as I should be? Bearing that in mind, I am sitting here making a shopping list and being realistic about what foods I like and enjoy and will actually eat. Has anyone done anything similar? Drawn up a shopping list using the menus in the books?

Thank you for that! I’m now using that search bar for all of my questions!

I’ve been on the diet about 7 weeks now and weeks 4 and 5 I didn’t lose a pound in fact I gained weight. Yes, I was following the plan exactly and still nothing. I became so stressed about it that I took a week hiatus to reboot and question if this plan was even worth the disappointment. I JUST POSTED HOW I GOT OVER MY PLATEAU IN ANOTHER THREAD BUT I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO OTHERS. HERE IT IS:

I recently got over a similar 2+ week plateau/ weight gain through intermittent fasting then eating the 800 calories. Here’s an example: I try to have dinner between 4 and 6 pm. I then fast only drinking water until 11 or 12 pm the next day. I’ll then pick up eating with a 400 cal lunch and a 400 cal dinner and rarely snack. That has completely jump-started my weight loss again. I truly hope this helps you. My plateau caused me so much stress I took a week hiatus from the plan to just reboot. I’ve been dropping about 3 lbs per week ever since.

Intermittent fasting has been a life saver. It’s also something I never considered doing until I hit that plateau.

P.S. I’m only 4 lbs away from losing 50 lbs since I started my weight loss journey in January!!!!!! My starting weight was 257 and now I’m 211. I know what it’s like to fail at losing weight, to gain weight, and to quit. Don’t give up! Reevaluate the plan and consider changing it up a bit. No matter what don’t give up! I promise you it’s worth it.

Hi,
Does anyone know what the advice is after the 8 week plan has finished if you still have a large amount of weight to lose? My starting weight was 4 1/2 stone overweight. I haven’t weighed myself yet as I haven’t finished the 8 weeks and can feel I am losing weight, but don’t want to get into the habit of weighing myself all the time as I find it puts me off if I have a week where I go up a bit.
I still know I have a lot to lose btw even without the scales! (When I was a healthy weight [BMI 25] I was a size 10, I’m a 16 at the moment, but have come down from a size 20 🙂 TIA X

Hi all,

Just completed my first month on Sunday, my starting weight was 14 stone 11, as of this morning my weight is 13 stone 7 pounds! My target weight is 12 stone 7 pounds, so I’m halfway there.

My BS is now in the range of 5.5 – 6.8 day and night, my blood pressure has gone down from mid 170’s to 120s, so I’ve stopped all the BP meds.

I’ve cut down the insulin by 2 thirds, my specialist said that I might not be able to completely cut it out as I’ve had T2 for too long, and my pancreas might have stopped working, but I feel that it must be working now, otherwise I would not have been able to cut down on the insulin by so much

The only other meds I was told to continue regardless are metformin and sitagliptin.

My only problem is exercise, apart from not having any energy, is that I’m unable to use the cross trainer I bought several months ago for very long as I have a problem with the pain from lactic acid in my thighs.

I recently got over a similar 2+ week plateau/ weight gain through intermittent fasting then eating the 800 calories. Here’s an example: I try to have dinner between 4 and 6 pm. I then fast only drinking water until 11 or 12 pm the next day. I’ll then pick up eating with a 400 call lunch and a 400 cal dinner and rarely snack. That has completely jump-started my weight loss again. I truly hopes this helps you. My plateau caused me so much stress I took a week hiatus from the plan to just reboot. I’ve been dropping about 3 lbs per week ever since.

Hi,
I’ve just realised that I am going to be at the end of week 5 of this diet when I will have to go out for my Grandad’s 90th birthday. Obviously this is a big one and something that I can’t miss. The restaurant he has chosen does a mix of English food (roasts I think) and what they call ‘Mediterranean grill’. Their website is down and I don’t live anywhere near it so can’t check the menu out any further. Has anyone got any suggestions of what I can eat that won’t cause too much damage? I’m a vegetarian who eats fish. The meal is booked for 4pm, so should I maybe skip lunch? (I don’t want to do this if possible because I normally don’t believe in skipping meals!)
TIA for the advice X