This is my first post here, but I have been lurking for a couple of months now. It’s lovely to see what a supportive and knowledgeable community this is. My husband and I have done really well following the BSD, and as the OH finally got his meter to produce a graph showing his progress, I thought I’d post to show how obvious it was when we started the diet, compared with previously. 🙂

The following is my latest weekly Facebook update, and I shared a link to the page to the BSD FB page. If you look there, you can see the graph and the details of the running averages from his meter. https://www.facebook.com/thebloodsugardiet/posts/796153957187803

End of week seven on The Blood Sugar Diet.

Week 1 – Saturday April 9th
Week 2 – Saturday April 16th
Week 3 – Saturday April 23rd
Week 4 – Saturday April 30th
Week 5 – Sunday May 8th
Week 6 – Saturday May 14th
Week 7 – Saturday May 21st
Week 8 – Saturday May 28th

Me: Weight 138.4 lbs – Body Fat 30% – Visceral Fat 12% – BMI 26.2 Waist 36”/31” – Thigh 23” – BP 117/76 – FBG 5.7

Me: Weight 133.4 lbs – Body Fat 28.7% – Visceral Fat 12% – BMI 25.2 Waist 36”/29” – Thigh 22” – BP 113/80

Me: Weight 131.8 lbs – Body Fat 28% – Visceral Fat 11% – BMI 24.9 Waist 35”/29” – Thigh 22” – BP 101/76 – FBG 4.2

Me: Weight 132 lbs – Body Fat 28.1% – Visceral Fat 11% – BMI 25 Waist 34.5”/29” – Thigh 21” – BP 98/75

Me: Weight 129.6 lbs – Body Fat 27.1% – Visceral Fat 11% – BMI 24.5 Waist 34”/28.5” – Thigh 21” – BP 104/74

Me: Weight 128 lbs – Body Fat 26.3% – Visceral Fat 10% – BMI 24.2 Waist 34”/28.5” – Thigh 21” – BP 112/80

Me: Weight 126 lbs – Body Fat 25.6% – Visceral Fat 10% – BMI 23.8 Waist 33.5”/28.5” – Thigh 20.5” – BP 103/75

Me: Weight 123.8 lbs – Body Fat 24.5% – Visceral Fat 9% – BMI 23.4 Waist 33”/28” – Thigh 20” – BP 104/71

14.6 lbs down from the start. So that is the 1 stone out of the way. Just another 10 lbs to go. 3″ loss seems to be the order of the day for gut, waist, thigh and hip measurements since April 9th. The Visceral Fat % is now in the OK zone (1-9), and by the time I’m done it should hopefully be in the ideal zone (1-5).

Just one big drawback. At this rate, I’m going to have to buy some new clothes. I hate clothes shopping, and would rather spend what little money I have on other things. But there you go, the price you pay. 😉 I’ll have a trawl through the wardrobe. it needs a good sorting so perhaps I’ll find some stuff that will now fit again.

OH: Weight 169.2 lbs – Body Fat 30.2% – Visceral Fat 8% – BMI 25.7 Waist 37” – Neck 17” – BP 142/89 – FBG 10

OH: Weight 162.2 lbs – Body Fat 30.5% – Visceral Fat 7% – BMI 24.7 – Waist 36.5” – Neck 16” – BP 145/88 – FBG 5.9

OH: Weight 159.4 lbs – Body Fat 29.5% – Visceral Fat 7% – BMI 24.2 – Waist 36” – Neck 16” – BP 137/86 – FBG 6.2

OH: Weight 156.6 lbs – Body Fat 25.1% – Visceral Fat 6% – BMI 23.8 – Waist 35.5” – Neck 15.5” – BP 160/93 – FBG 5.7

OH: Weight 152 lbs – Body Fat 29% – Visceral Fat 6% – BMI 23.1 – Waist 35” – Neck 15.5” – BP 139/88 – FBG 5.3

OH: Weight 151 lbs – Body Fat 27.5% – Visceral Fat 6% – BMI 23.0 – Waist 35” – Neck 15.5” – BP 139/80 – FBG 4.7

OH: Weight 149.6 lbs – Body Fat 26% – Visceral Fat 6% – BMI 22.8 – Waist 34.5” – Neck 15” – BP 142/85 – FBG 5.6

OH: Weight 146.4 lbs – Body Fat 25.8% – Visceral Fat 6% – BMI 22.3 – Waist 33.5” – Neck 15.5” – BP 113/73 – FBG 4.8

OH is now down a total of 22.8 lbs, and is a real happy bunny. He needs a belt on all his trousers now (probably others in the wardrobe which will now fit) and is happy with his blood pressure reading as he has taken no BP medication this week at all. “It’s closer to your BP”, he told me, with a big grin. 🙂 He’s dropped another inch off his waist – he has always been a 34″ trouser, but it looks like that might be changing. 😉

His BGs are still looking good. He was able to get his details from his BG meter in graph format, and it’s obvious when we started this WOE. He’s also been keeping a note of his 90, 60, 28, 21, 12 and 7 day averages, downloaded from his meter.

***You can see how well they are going. Look at the difference in insulin requirements over each week!!! He still needs some when he gets the occasional higher BG readings. But originally 460 units long-acting, and 210 units fast-acting weekly down to 140 and 20 – yo!***

His HbA1c (gives an idea of the average blood sugars over the last 2-3 months) taken just as we started was 7.6 %. Definitely diabetic. Get that below 6% and it would be classed as non-diabetic. We look forward to seeing his next set of blood test results.

Hi Christine and smith *waves*

Christine, I hope the skirt wasn’t see through😱 It’s my skirt I have to worry about, it’s lined so no need for a slip!

Thanks smith. How are you getting on?

Hi a Frog and JCH187. *waves*

Thanks both of you.

How are you getting on JCH187?

Sorry to hear that Bill. Hope you still enjoy your holiday.

*group hug for Bill* 🌻

Hi keep trying,

Keeping it simple works for me!

Helps to not get too bogged down in the detail…eating meat/fish with a variety of ‘above ground’ vegetables makes meal planning easier!

Keep going…you are getting there 😊

Imogen,x

Hi Butterlover, That is interesting. I am Australian and diabetic (type 2) and have never had a BGL meter paid for by the government. I do get subsidised testing strips but that is all. How did your hubby manage a meter? 🙂 I may be eligable and my chemist didn’t now about it.

I usually just substitute some granulated sweetner.

Feeling virtuous. I have an unopened box of chocolates in the kitchen. This was given to me on the 21st May. I do not need to eat then but have left them out as a reminder to be strong willed

Hi Jakkianne – sadly the grapefruit and apple do have a lot of carbs. If you want to speed up your weight loss, you could consider having less of these, at least for the period of the BSD.

It’s a question of choices – I find that I have small quantities of vegetables in things like delicious stir-frys with a chilli pepper, and that this suits me very well.

Hi Bill,

Nasty virus!

Sorry to hear that you have a recurrence of the retinal bleed…still I am sure that won’t stop you from having a wonderful, relaxing time on your holiday. Some time away will give you chance to recover. We’ll miss you!

Have fun,

Imogen🌻

Yippee – I just finished week 4 and have lost a whopping 22 lbs hurrah😀😀

What would you do about the honey? Just miss it out or replace it with something?

I quite like these…

http://www.nourishingdays.com/2010/07/fluffy-coconut-flour-pancakes/

and if you have almond flour these are great…

https://elanaspantry.com/silver-dollar-pancakes/

don’t give up just keep trying new things 🙂

Hi Bill, so sorry about your eye problems. That’s just not fair. 😥 I really hope you have a quick recovery. Sending you lots of love and hugs. xxx

I agree. The only carbs I am having are from vegetables, a grapefruit and small apple, all of which fill me up and keep up my energy levels. Yet MyFitnessPal reports carb intake of 70g to 100g. Anyway, I am doing it for weight loss, not blood sugar, and am still losing, albeit slower now on my third and fourth weeks. It does seem to stick, and stick, and even go up, then down it goes again.

Hello JCH187

You might like to try Malkay’s Pancake, posted in March. It isn’t in the recipe section, but I found the original post in the “What have you eaten today” thread.

It makes quite a thick pancake, but you could probably add a little milk if you want it runnier. Malkay says ‘flaxseed’ but I use milled flaxseed – available from Tesco & Sainsbury’s now, not just in health food shops. You can try other fruits – Hashimoto had hers with strawberries, I have tried Kiwi fruit and I am going for Raspberries next time.

Malkay wrote:
“There is a bit of a knack to making the pancake – perfected after lots of trial and error! It works best in a non-stick pan lightly greased. Whisk two eggs with a dessertspoon of yogurt and about the same of flaxseed. Put into a hot pan, swirl it round, and when it starts to rise a bit (a couple of minutes), slide it out onto a plate, then flip it over back into the pan for a few seconds. Then spread with whatever topping you fancy – yogurt and blueberries is great. Delicious, and very satisfying.”

Hope this works for you!

oh well done captain lynne that is incredible very inspiring for those of us that have just started!!

perhaps the problem is I don’t eat enough veg

plates full of salad just do nothing for me except make me gag

I think it has all become too complicated in my head

I need to just have fish and veg or meat and veg maybe

It can be helpful to have a look at an app which shows the nutritional breakdown of the food we’re eating. I use MyFitnessPal, and was surprised to see the (good) carbohydrate values of many of the vegetables. I have relatively little weight to lose, and in order to increase the effect of the BSD, made the decision to restrict the carbs – many people here do this, giving themselves a target of 50g per day.

If you do this, and make sure you have balancing fat and protein, you may see a further weight loss effect. However, as many people have said, don’t get too focused on the weight. Either measure yourself, or use a piece of clothing which shows where you are losing weight (trousers? jeans?) and notice how much reduction you have around the waist, thighs etc.

I also test if I am burning fat by using Ketostix (which have a tiny tab you hold in your urine flow, and change colour after 15 seconds if you are burning fat). I wasn’t losing much weight, but could see I was burning fat, so that must mean that some of the internal fat round my liver and pancreas was going. The subcutaneous fat – the bit you can see – is the last fat to go, and the bit under the navel is the VERY LAST (sadly, I’m still working on my ‘belly wodge’).

But I know it’s working, although the fat seems to cling on with its fingernails.

IT WILL WORK. And the change of diet to really good food helps change your taste buds forever, and I’m finding it all absolutely delicious!

Good luck!

Thank you, it helps to know that I am not alone.

As well as doing my 10k steps a day I have today purchased a skipping rope and hula hoop. My daughter was with me and was rolling her eyes in the shop letting everyone know that I am 62 years young – definitely no longer feel that age after 9 weeks on BSD.

Crying with laughter in the garden using them does bring back memories.

I don’t know if it is normal but it is quite common and there are many reasons for it. Low sugar in the blood can do this, dehydration or real hunger etc – so it is about balancing; food/carb intake (30gm/day) with , protein healthy fats and a fair amount of fluids. If one of you is definitely pre-diabetic are you suffering more? as you might be more sensitive. If you use the search box for “dizzy” or “light headed” you will see that it is a regular question. Other members will no doubt share their experiences with you but it was not something I experienced myself. Good luck, happy eating, hope it works for you, it did for us here.

hi everyone,
my husband and I have both started the 800 and are on day 4.
I am pre diabetic – my husband is fine just a little over weight.
Weight loss has been very encouraging for both of us hunger pangs are fine – however we are both quite lightheaded pretty much all the time which is becoming a little unpleasant – is this normal?any one got any useful tips!
Thanks in advance Sal

So I had half of one of the breakfast bars I made for breakfast. largely because me and the kids were chilling out upstairs in my bed watching despicable me and I’d come down to make a cup of tea. I was hungry and just wanted something fast.

For lunch I had almond flour pancakes, and dinner will be something chickenny.

Just been chatting about BSD with my neighbour. She is struggling with her weight as well and had noticed I’ve lost some (woohoo people can seeeeee)

She admitted that last time she managed to get down to a healthy weight she was living on a slice of toast for breakfast, a slice of toast for lunch and a weightwatchers ready meal at night. That has to be less than 800 calories. I’ve done worse in all honesty. Just not eating at all for a couple of days to lose some. Not that it ever really worked everything was temporary. Anyways it’s all behind me now I believe I am a low carb convert. I’ll send my neighbour some helpful links later and then it is up to her if she wants to give it a try.

My friend who started this week has said he’s had a few slips and is still eating a lot more carbs than most of us here, however he is having significantly less calories AND carbs than he usually would and has lost some weight (he didn’t say how much and I don’t push for info) So I think that is great step forwards for him.

Well I suppose I best go do some housewifey stuff. I cleaned out the fridge yesterday and somehow there is what looks like squashed tomato on the floor grrr. I think it may have been stuck to the drawer when I took it out to clean it.

The weather here is great again today (too hot for us native Scots) so no doubt it will be off to the park again later as well.

Have a great day everyone 🙂

Hi Lynne,
Just got back from church, had a difficult job getting out! So many people wanted to talk to me about my weight loss, one lady who is remission from cancer said I looked stunning, very nice of her, however I wouldn’t have said stunning, anyway, got a few really nice complements. Well before church, as it is a lovely sunny day I decided to wear one of my ‘new’ dresses, so, I needed a waist slip, put it on, went to go downstairs and the slip started to fall down! So I had to take it off and go without, it felt good in a daft way!
I am still losing even if it’s ounces I’m happy,
Again I will say thank you for your inspiration and do have a great holiday.
Christine

That’s amazing well done, when I first looked at this website to see if it was something I could do it was people like you that made me believe I could x

I decided to have brunch today and cook some coconut flour pancakes. Now I’m not much of a cook, my brother is a chef but the cooking genes seem to have skipped me completely!

I followed the recipe (I found online) but the mixture looked like wallpaper paste rather than batter 😂 It was a disaster, I added water but it just didn’t look right and they fell apart when I tried to turn them!!

Burnt my fingers and pancakes in the bin!

Anyone got any advice on a simple to make pancake recipe?

sorry to discover you’ve not been well Bill, Hope you feel better now and that you can enjoy your holiday despite the eye problem 🙁

Sounds like a complete change of eating and drinking for you, well done! I’m just starting week 2 and have lost the constant cravings and hunger, which I thought I’d never be without!

Hello everyone
I started fast 800 07 Feb at 11 stone, lost a stone in 6 weeks but lost my way and fell off fast 800 stagnating for 12 weeks…..

From reading bsd book and doing fast 800 for 6 weeks I did adopt some of the key principles which I enjoyed and found easy to follow. These are
– fasting 16hrs daily (following 16:8 rule)
– keep carbs and calories low on most days (weekends tended to spike)
– following a Mediterranean diet.

The good news, especially for those who might be worried about putting weight back on after fast 800, is that I have not gained weight! In fact I lost 3lbs

In time for holiday I want to loose 11 pounds in 7 weeks so back on fast 800!!!

This diet is a wise lifestyle choice!

As Bill says…. Onwards and upwards!
Xx

Eggs, full fat Greek or natural yogurt, mushrooms, peppers, berries, cinnamon (does wonders to a yogurt!), spring onions, cauliflower, cheese, nuts/seeds, Flaxseed (I add to my yogurt as its high in fibre), olive oil, chicken, beef, prawns. This is what I stocked up on.

I found a couple of recipes on here and made a batch of chilli and cottage pie so I knew I’d be ok until I got to grips with it!

Best of luck x

Hi all
I have to admit i am loving the natural high of being healthy. I have maintained my 10km a day walking and have niw added push ups, sit ups and squats. I don’t remember the last time I have felt so good! !! Hope everyone is feeling this good!!!

Hi folk,
Unfortunately it got worse, all the coughing from the infection triggered a retinal bleed in my right eye yesterday so yet again, I’ll be going on holiday with one working eye.
Devastated doesn’t come close to the way I’m feeling.
Thanks for all the wishes, I need to go and get my act together now rather than hanging around like a limp balloon

Hi Bill1954,

I hope you’re feeling better. That virus was a nasty one…..and it left you with a chest infection.
Look after yourself and give yourself time to get well.
I’m sure OH is helping you and saying the same things.
I hope it wasn’t the shock of the minion onesie that affected your immune system.
Looks like you will reach your weight loss target by June 9th. With all of this it will be a well deserved holiday.
Best wishes.

I have lost more weight in the last three days than I did in the preceeding two weeks. I have not changed a great deal, mainly keeping the carbs down. I think my body just goes through phases of not letting go of the lard. I have been dieting since January and completed 4 weeks of the BSD. I have always had ups and downs but my average loss has doubled on the BSD so I am very happy. It sounds like you are pleased with your loss so far and enjoying the diet, trust in yourself, the fat will go. One other thing I find helpful is you. When I am feeling demotivated I come on the forum and either ask for help, or offer it to others. Keep at it!

That’s great Izzy. Best wishes.

I only eat up to 35g. I eat vegies but mainly greens(celery, spinach, zucchini, lettuce) I never eat corn, peas, potatoes, or sweet potatoes. I will include carrots, pumpkin/squash and a few others but not on a regular basis. Salads are great with certain herbs that bulk it out and are tasty. If I eat any fruit, it will have low carbs eg. berries. Always watch my portions.

Ooooh yes, mashed cauli! I have to have mine with a bit of soft cheese, it definitly fills a gap. It fills the psychological gap of foods that you can serve with a scoop, which generally are barred to diabetics i.e. mashed potato and ice cream. 🙂
I find brushing my teeth helps take my mind off food, my impulse is then to go out and do something.
Be strong! You can beat the biscuit!

i did think she had posted it in the wrong place, but she is welcome anytime! I do love her wit 🙂

This is an all inclusive thread 🙂

If you use one of the online apps that count calories and carbs it is quite easy to see what the numbers are, like skywalker says it is worth having a look.

I usually have a few berries with yoghurt but if I feel like a satsuma or an apple I have one. They add more carbs but I can then adjust another meal.

Most people stay low, often lower than 30g. I don’t go as low personally and can be anywhere between 30-60 but usually in the middle. I find it useful to play with my fitbit app before I decide what to make for lunch etc by putting in and taking out different ingredients until it has the numbers I want for that meal.

melon and pineapples, bananas are all high. I fancied a banana the other day but when I looked at my app it was 27g carbs so I thought better of it.

Hi Izzy,

Wouldn’t we all be trying the upside down on the scales thing if we were agile enough!

(Imagine the following 2 sentences read out in my most formal voice). My (our) friend Lucia posted on her ‘My eight weeks’ blog that I could apologise on her behalf for her crashing your blog with her post to me above. I/she/we apologise sincerely.

Lucia’s posts are so great/funny/motivating/friendly that I can see you have taken it in the spirit it was intended.

Have a great day Izzy.

Hello, I am on Week 16, and until you eat more than you use your weight will not rise much. 800 is not a lot but when it is 800 quality calories as opposed to junk it seems to be fine. I added nuts and fruit and the weight slowed almost immediately but then they are so highly calorific. I have not had any bread, pasta (don’t like it anyway) or bread in 16 weeks but after my BBQ yesterday and a few sweets with the kids I am .5 kg up today! No surprise, it takes time to get to a stable weight but there will be variation whatever unless every day is identical? So don’t worry, eat well, be happy …

Could I suggest that you invest some time in researching the nutritional data to boost your knowledge as when we commit it helps to immerse ourselves in the project and we are all learning all of the time. Use the search box above to check if the question was asked before because most things come round quite often and there are probably too many threads started that go nowhere and die after a few posts. Once you learn how much sugar is in the various foods that you eat you will not need to feel lonely or short of information but there is a significant investment to be made if we are to change our whole eating and living styles. It worked for most of us – just finishing Week 16 today 40 pounds down.

Hi Lucia,

I found your post over in Izzy’s 8 week diary……Lucia, you must stop crashing other people’s posts…..what is the reading audience to think? (chuckle)

So yes, as the famous song from Men at Work says ‘I come from a land down under’. I love your theory that if I’m upside down and weigh myself here I might weigh nothing. Alas (do you like the medieval reference) – it is not so. Disregarding gravity, if it were true, I wouldn’t be doing the BSD in the first place and then I wouldn’t have met you and all of the other BSDers on the forums!

If I was upside down with blood rushing to my brain I would be sooooo intelligent that I could discuss gravity waves and Einstein – but no, just the word gravity in the previous paragraph.

So Lucia, what have you been eating over the bank holiday week-end? I’ve had a busy day. A 400km round trip to visit my father. So dinner tonight is Atlantic salmon and salad. I’m exhausted from today. I’m pleased to be in the swing of the BSD and had planned this dinner so as not to break out.

I read your post about chocolate cravings. I try to have Guilt free chocolate brownies in the freezer so I can have one or I have a piece of 85% cocoa dark chocolate or hot milk and cocoa. I still have to be really careful around chocolate, so I actually treat all other chocolate like the addiction that it is for me and I don’t have it in the house (if a family member has it I tell them to hide it).
Best wishes and enjoy the rest of your week-end. (fading out….’I come from a land down under’…….)

You must realise that you are addicted to sugar by now? Slow withdrawal may work and cold turkey is tough but also works. You are reprogramming your brain to eat more healthily and knowledge is a key part of this. Read Dr M’s stuff again as it can be very motivating, search these forums for topics you need to brush up on and do not feel guilty – it is a wasted emotion but at least it burns calories! It can be hard but when you get the protein v fluid v fasting balance right for you the cravings will stop and become rare events. I still have occasional ones and am finishing week 16 today. It works.

Why? if you want to kick start weight loss you need the discipline to change your food habits by reducing the number and amount of the white foods that you eat regularly. Reducing carbs encourages the body to stop converting sugars to fats and then storing them. There is a lot of knowledge in the books and a learning curve to climb before the changes become a permanent feature of your new life. The scientific study used them but that while important is not like real life. You know yourself best and it may work for you but real food is what we all need, of the right type, and in healthy quantities. Anyway, there have been other posts on this topic if you use the search box above. Good luck…

We all had a plateau experience and many of us had several. It is so difficult to burn lots of fat that early looses are mostly fluids, but when fat burning begins in earnest there is no need to worry. Drinking enough fluid is vital. Checking you carbs input is too and as you exercise yo may build some muscle to offset the loss in fat but all of this takes time. The principles are sound so stick with them, don’t snack and read the books again until you have changed the way you live and eat. It works and most of us lost lots of weight and gained a lot in health terms. Time passes slowly when you are waiting for something as big as the results you will eventually see. Do not despair, it takes effort and trust, but will be OK.

well good morning
and another weigh day
I am certainly not seeing the incredible weight losses of others

but I have dropped another 2lb this week so I guess that is ok

my hips have got a bit smaller – but my waist has got an inch bigger so I am not at all impressed with that
I only record measurements once every 4 weeks and I have a very long way to go before I am anything like a healthy weight

also the percentage of fat in my body seems to have risen

could it be that while everyone else loses fat when they eat fat/low carb – that I actually don’t?
omg I hope not

may I just add that whilst I am eating full fat yoghurt and don’t worry about a bit of oil/butter in cooking
I am NOT eating tonnes of fatty foods

If I was agile enough I’d attempt the upside down on the scales thing lol

alas, I’ve never been great at handstands!

Morning fellow life changers 🙂 Have a great day.

I’ll be back later as I haven’t planned my food yet.

Thanks LindaA.

Hi Judith. Thanks😃 Hope you’re having a great holiday.