Hi Baristagirls

The 800 calories isn’t a lot, but if you ensure that you’ve got enough fat within it, that will fill you up easily. There are a few apps (I use MyFitnessPal, but there are others if you google) which tell you not only calories but the other nutritional contents of your food. This can be really helpful in focusing on eating fewer carbs (even the good ones) and more fat and protein.

Just a thought! I found it helped me. 🙂

Such fantastic news! Very very very well done. 🙂

Thank you. So far it’s been ok today and drinking water does help. Hoping I get through the evening ok as I usually get bad food cravings in the late evening.

Congratulations to all the fantastic losers! 🙂
To Whalleyrange, what a valuable lesson learned – and congrats on your Manchester Uni place!
Hi Mia77 and welcome – if you only have a stone to lose, you may find that you are disappointed by the weight losses of some people who have more to lose.

I only have just over a stone to lose – I am aiming for a stone and a half, but may find that less than that suits me better. I’ve been doing the diet properly – i.e. not only BSD, but focusing on keeping the carbs low (trying for 20g per day) – for 3 weeks today, and have lost half a stone. I am still obstinately at 10 stone, and am keen to reach that magic 9 stone something marker! Looking at it like that, it does seem good, just over 2 lbs per week. And if I extend to 8 weeks, at 2lb per week (on average), I should have lost 16 lbs. But what I have noticed is feeling thinner whilst the scales stayed level, so please do either measure yourself, or check your waist/thighs etc on clothes, to see how many inches are going. I have used Ketostix to check I’m burning fat, and as these are showing I am, I must be losing fat from my internal organs, which I’m really happy about.

Good luck!

Hi all. I’m a newbie here. Would appreciate your input, as I have read many of the posts and you are all so knowledgeable. Had been meaning to start the BS diet for ages, but last weekend it just came to me that I couldn’t continue being fat, taking more and more meds and eating carbs. So on Monday I started the BS Diet – fasting BS was 15. By Wednesday my fasting BS was 7.5 and I had lost nearly a kilo. Today fasting BS was 6.4, lost 2 kg. SO … decided I could stick to this, so was ready to call the doctor to discuss how to reduce my medications. I hadn’t finished my first sentence before she cut me off, saying that I would have to talk to the diabetes nurse as she did not have all the information to enable her to discuss this. Then I was told that I should not commence any diet without discussing it with the diabetic nurse first as it could be dangerous. When I asked her whether I should reduce other meds, she said that dieting would not have any effect on the other medications, despite the fact that I am on hypertensives. I had prepared some information based on Michael’s book and my stats, but she wasn’t interested. She said, sharply, that she had never heard of the Blood Sugar Diet. So, I am waiting for the nurse to call me – the doc would not give me her number – but meantime I would appreciate your thoughts on my current drug regime. I am so sick of sticking needles everywhere, and if I could eventually get off insulin (and the tablets ???) it would be wonderful. Thank you.

Lyxumia 20 mcg
Metformin 2000 mg
Propranolol 80 mg
Amlodipine 5mg
Olmesartan 20 mg
Rosuvstatin 5 mg
Levemir 90 units
Apidra (only when necessary)
Ganfort eye drops for glaucoma

Thanks Stephie, that makes sense. I’d not considered the salt factor.

Looking forward to further weight loss.

FeltWicked.

Brilliant results and always great for newcomers to a lower carb diet to read 🙂

Bet the practice nurse was really impressed too

Tallyhoo
Did you buy new underwear? The baggy knickers under the jeans/leggings are getting really annoying aren’t they!!!!!

Well done Collie, I’d say you could hardly call it a slip up as you neither binged nor ate the wrong food… I’m wanting more calories and only on day 4 🙂 🙂

Fantastic results.
Strikes many chords with me. Diagnosed T2. Started Feb 1st so in my 16th week. Lost 2 and a half stone.
Upped the exercise regime. Want to lose another half stone to be in my healthy weight range.
Higher HbA1c than you but next test in another month.
So want to be in that normal range but even if I don’t manage that…. will be much healthier and fitter.
Excellent example to others. Be happy 🙂

In all likelihood it’s water retention from the highly processed food. The meatballs in particular will have quite high levels of salt, along with other undersirable ingredients, as will the gravy. It’s ok to have this kind of meal very occasionally, but be aware this is the kind of ‘side effects’ to expect when you do. A few days of jerf ( just eating real food) should correct everything.

Hi Baristagirls
I’m near the end of my 4th week . I’m going freestyle not always sticking to 800 exactly. But close. However no processed carbs only carbs from veg and fruit. . X

Glad to hear the surgery went well, and although it’s the pathology that will confirm everything, surgeons generally know what they are looking at. I work as a surgical assistant, and although they won’t commit 100% to anything without a path report, I haven’t known any of them get it wrong yet. So if it looks likes clear margins and healthy lymph nodes, you can rest assured that’s highly likely what it is.
You might want to up your protein and vitamin C intake during the recovery phase, it certainly won’t do you any harm and in all likelihood will help with healing.

And congrats on getting your diabetes under control 🙂

How long have you been on the diet for Collie?

Thanks Patsy, I know there’s lots of things. Fortunately I like them, and enjoy them. At the moment, though, my 800cal seems to be running out awfully fast…….
On a random note, I can’t really eat apple. Actually I can! If it’s peeled. I have trouble with raw veg and seeded fruits – I have a bit of history of colitis.

Hi all,

My partner, Saga, and I had our usual Thursday weigh in tonight and have both gained weight rather than lost it!

This is the end of week 4 for us. I’ve dropped from 98.4kg to 94kg until today when the scales showed 95.1kg. Saga’s weight rose 0.3 kg (I’m not allowed to disclose her beginning and current weight on pain of pain) but mine is a whopping 1.1kg increase.

Now, full disclosure of some pertinent facts. We had both eaten an IKEA meal of 15 chicken meatballs, substituting peas for the chips/mash offered, with the creamy gravy. We realised that we haven’t yet “eliminated” this meal from our innards yet but it is worrying.

Anyone else experienced this?

We’re weighing ourselves again in the morning after normal ablutions and plenty of water over-night.

We also think we have been neglecting to imbibe sufficient water.

Give us a yell,

FeltWicked (& Saga, reading the thread)

Brilliant, well done. If anyone needed proof that this works, there it is! Makes me all the more determined to stick to this way of eating for the rest of my life 🙂

Hi All
I have just experienced a really weird 36 hours. Yesterday I was just sooooo hungry could not overcome despite mindfulness etc. But I did not want to eat the refined carbs I would normally fall back on. Ended up eating 2 large bsd meals. I increased my fats and protein but it was a horrible way to feel .I had also drunk loads . Then went on to night shift and ate nothing 12 1/2 hrs then home to bed and have just broken my fast (yoghurt and berries) at 1500 hrs (22hrs in total fast) I now feel back to normal and feel I can cope with bsd today . So lesson I have learnt is to listen to my body for what ever reason I needed some calories. The main really interesting point was the awareness I seem to have developed re quality of food. Not long ago I would have just binged.
Has any one else had similar.
Thanks for reading back on day shifts from tomorrow not sure which way is up hopefully sleep tonight.

Wow! That’s fantastic. Well done.

At first I found I was thinking along the lines of, ‘what can I eat that’s not bread, cake, rice, pasta etc’ and feeling slightly hard done by. But once you start looking at all the things you can have, you’ll see there are plenty of nice things. Brie, yoghurt, cheddar, walnuts, all kinds of beans, almonds, eggs, salad, smoked salmon, coconut, sun dried tomatoes, avocados, strawberries and cream, onion bhajis, mozzarella, crudite with salsa dip, asparagus with melted butter. You can even have that tempting apple!

Hello Skywalker, sorry didn’t mean to come across like that. I was just thinking how I have plugged myself in the past with far too much carbs and sugar and given myself a false high, that now I am feeling awful as the withdrawal symptoms kick in. I don’t want to treat myself till I feel I’ve conquered the issue.

I was diagnosed as diabetic in mid February. I was told the news over the phone and instructed to see my practice nurse the next day. Overnight I downloaded Dr Mosley’s book BSD and read it all. I wanted all the facts prior to my appointment. I had a HbA1c of 63 and I told the nurse I wanted the chance to lower it without use of drugs. She was very supportive and gave me 12 weeks until the repeat bloods.

In that time, I stuck to the diet religiously for 8 weeks, followed by eating a few more calories one hungrier days, but still not eating bread, potatoes, rice, pasta etc.

I also increased my exercise levels markedly. I now swim a mile when ever I can (I am a weak swimmer, I just keep plugging away!) and aim for 10,000 steps daily. Two things I didn’t manage were the resistance training, (which I hope to do after half term) and the mindfulness.

Today my levels were not diabetic, not pre diabetic, but NORMAL. They came in at 36. I have also lost 2st10lb. I am so pleased. I will continue to avoid the carbs, whilst sticking to a Mediterranean diet and exercising. I intend on losing another 2st minimum.

Thanks to Michael Mosley for helping me get healthier. 😊 I am proof anyone can do it! Good luck to everyone else.

Hi Suzyplumstead. Yes, count the calories. But also, and very importantly, watch the amount of carbohydrates. Please remember this is a low-carb plan.

Hey, relax a bit. It’s only food. We can as you say do as we like so long as we are prepared for the consequences but no need to suffer. The results will be motivating over time as the lifestyle changes. You know the system works so no need to worry about the odd slip.

Hi Suzyplumstead, Of course! nothing is denied but you will have to count the calories which will be plenty. We all have hi cal days occasionally, Enjoy…

Hi Neohdiver, I am so glad to hear the surgery has gone well and you are feeling ‘reasonably’ okay. Hope the recover phase goes as well as the op did – looks like you found yourself the right surgeon at the end.
BTW – your earlier post on the your BSD results are definitely interesting!
Take care

Hello everyone, I’m at the end of my 2nd week on the BSD, and I’ve lost 10lbs, which I’m thrilled about 🙂 I’ve come into work today and found I don’t have a thing to eat except for some oatcakes and peanut butter … are oatcakes allowed? I’d appreciate any advice …. thank you!

Thou art great Lucia. Remember how low carb our diets were back then? Hark! ‘Tis the Lord of the Manor, I must away…………..

I’m thinking how when it is you can’t or shouldn’t have something that you want it so much more. I’m into day 4 of this diet and purely motivation is keeping me going. Think of Eve eating the apple at temptation…. well it’s like that with us and carbs or sugar…. we know we shouldn’t eat it and when we do, we feel awful. It’s best for us not to. Keep ourselves healthy and don’t abuse our digestive systems! Don’t give them more than they can take. Would you give a loved one or a pet something that makes them ill? Treat yourself with the same seriousness.

Breakfast: prosciutto ham, ricotta and a tomato, drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground salt n pepper. Green tea.
Small bites, masticating and leaving cutlery on the table while chewing. Didn’t think dieting would make eating more civilised 😎👍

Great to read in the papers this week that the National Obesity Forum and the Public Health Collaboration consider that promoting low-far foods is perhaps the biggest mistake in modern medical history., and great to read on here that there are some open minded GPs and diabetic nurses out there. Sadly mine are not among them and say that I will be diabetic for ever more. However at the end of the day my blood results were great and I feel good even though people keep asking me if I am OK as I have lost a lot of weight! I just wish my friend who is struggling with her hip and walks very badly would listen, but there is no point in talking unless people are ready to hear.

I did think for the first time that there was a glimmer of hope with the diabetic nurse who commented on my weight loss and asked what I had been eating. She appeared to listen and even admitted that she had had a couple of other patients who had achieved good results on the BSD. Alas the penny has not dropped. When I said I had stopped taking my statins she replied that the only way I would be able to keep my cholesterol low would be to eat low-fat foods, to which my reply was ‘That is not going to happen’. I think I am now probably flagged up as a troubled maker! As I said to my husband – people used to think that the Earth was flat. One day hopefully they will realise their mistake.

Good luck to everyone on their journeys. You are all achieving great results and we are all so much healthier for it.

Into day 4 and 800g down, hunger pangs the first couple days but settling down now, more water than ever!
Now it’s time to get the steps back up to 14k…..

I’m starting today and just want to lose a stone. I tend to go through phases of either eating really healthily or eating terribly, so I hope this diet can help me be more consistently good.

We have a product in Australia called Benefiber – I have it every day, its tasteless. Im having trouble drinking so much water, only up to about a litre at the moment.

pS Frog I made the rhubarb last night but only tasted – YUUUUUM!

(congratulations on successful night out too! :-)))

Yesterday it turned out I ate 75g carbs but it surprised me as only carbs I ate were vegetables and none very starchy! Had one of the smoothies in the book for breakfast, modified a bit to fit in loads of greens from our balcony – kale and bokchoy and mint – and raspberries and small slice of mango.

Then raddishes, few cherry tomatoes, half yellow pepper, sauerkraut and tin of tuna for lunch.

Then the Jeweled feta Peppers from the book (which involves a lot of chopping up ingredients!! but is verrry tasty). But just shows if you want to keep under 50g carbs – which I think I do – well then you have to be careful which recipes from the book you mix together! Might have been the pomegranate and the raspberries – guess you can have some berries but not in two meals….
Interesting! Must be better than the bad carbs though? Or does it not make that much difference..a carb is a carb?

Day full of coloured veg anyway, and that can’t be too bad!

I am finding that I am only going every 3 -4 days from being regular as clockwork. Not sure if it is coz I just don’t have anything left to get rid of. I am drinking between 3 – 4 litres of water a day, walking at least 12000 steps a day (well except weekends where I need to step it up as only averaging around 7000). I am averaging about 845 calories a day, with lots of salad and vegies. I don’t feel uncomfortable but just find it strange! Is anyone else having the same thing?

Way to go girl! You are doing so well! I’m also happy with my progress.. My friend’s wedding is this weekend and my dress will definitely fit better!

Good luck Diane. I am in week 4 and have lost 21 lbs and had my fasting blood sugar drop from 7.7 to 6.6 (still another 4 weeks to go). I have found just reading the forums really encouraging and has kept me on track when I feel the urge for a snack or reaching for something I shouldn’t. However what I will say I have not been hungry and have realized that when I do feel the urge to reach for something I shouldn’t it is largely due to being bored or tired rather than hungry so going for a walk or having a shower is an easy distraction. Keep smiling, and keep drinking water as that makes a real difference I think.

Hey Plumptious
Very well done! You’ve got this😀
Go girl!
Cheers
Linda

Hi plumpitous,
Wasnt that in medieval times?
yes I can remember having to fetch the straw. The bedroom smelt of damp meadow.
Boy am I wearing well.
Have a great day
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi deetia 52,

Welcome.

Regarding your doctor, others more experienced will discuss this with you.
Your question of recipes or go free style , I can help a little with.

For me, I kept it simple, I converted from junk food, then counted the calories , then when I had that under control , I counted the carbs too.
Some find that keeping to the recipes a great help, but I found that salads with a little protein were filling. Or veggies and a little proteinase easy to do.

I avoid recipes with a million ingredients in. I find that by the time I get all the equipment and the ingredients out, I have forgotten what I was going to make, or lost the will to put it together.
Have a wonder through the book and also here on the website. The websites recipes are measured for you so at the beginning you know what you are eating.

The only pearl of wisdom I can give you is…. Avoid the bananas, because, see that chappie over ther wearing the minions onesie? Well he might tell you off. 😀😀😀😀😀😀🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌

As you can see, I keep it light hearted and fun. You must do this as well. Don’t beat yourself up, enjoy doing this, take a little exercise and most important of all, laugh. Laughter uses your belly muscles so do it often.

All of us here are now your friends and we all look forward to hearing about your journey.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi
I have been reading up and gearing up since Monday and am starting properly today. Really want and need to do this. I am thinking of seeing my doctor next week to discuss meds and to see if they will keep a check on me. Do you think that is soon enough?
Is it best to follow recipes given in the book or can we supplement them with own calorie counted healthy food?
Dee

Woo hoo ! extra post this week ….I am now exactly one and a half stone lighter than my starting weight. All still going well…

Hi Lucia….I believe the expression “sleep tight & hope the bed bugs don’t bite” came from centuries ago when mattresses were made from straw inside a fabric cover which had a sort of drawstring holding the straw together inside it. You regularly had to pull your string tight to keep the straw compact and mattress shaped so you could be comfortable….bed bugs….probably fleas, mites and other crawlies from inside the straw? eeergh!!!
All good wishes P

Today I am beginning the Blood Sugar Diet and I’m feeling nervous and hopeful. I have been following a low carb high fat diet for over five years and this helped me to lose 10kg and keep it off until last year when a series of family bereavements led to me falling off the wagon and putting most of it back on.

Managed to slowly lose weight again this year but now stuck at a plateau so hoping the BSD will get things moving again. I also found that my blood glucose was in the pre-diabetic range and with most of the excess weight being around my middle I figure that the BSD is just what I need.

Alzheimer’s disease also runs in my family and my mum was diagnosed at the age of 65. There is a strong correlation between blood sugar levels and brain health/risk of dementia and so that is another very important reason for me to succeed with this diet.

Hi everyone. So great to keep reading the positive and inspiring posts. Well its the end of week 10 and another steady 1.6 kg loss this week. That’s 18.2 kg ( 2st 12 lb) from 120.3 (almost 19 stone). Was told I was insulin resistant with pre-diabetes BS levels. Well, apart from some strange morning fast BS levels (which everyone seems to have) my pre and post diner BS has never been higher than 6. After 12 weeks I’ll be going back to GP to ask for blood work to see if levels are now in the normal range.
The lesson learnt this week is not to be cocky. In the past I over ate for a variety of reasons. One of them was as a reward when I had achieved something. So feeling pleased with myself and having just heard that I had been offered a place at University of Manchester to do a post grad course I felt in need of a reward.
On Saturday I treated myself after diner to half a large fruit pie with cream and later watched a movie and devoured a bag of Doritos. An hour later I felt sick, bloated and knackered. The next morning BS reading was 7.6, the highest on this plan. I had dropped out of Ketosis (fat burning for energy) and even pre diner BS levels were still over 7. Most strange was an almost 1kg in weight gain. It took 2 days to get back to normal.
So lesson learnt, if a want to treat myself check all the wonderful recipes here and elsewhere for a low carb alternative.

Hi Christine

Sounds like a nice meal you had😃 Well done on the weight loss😃

I agree it can be infuriating when people we know could benefit from this way of life just don’t listen. But like Lucia says, at one time neither would we.

We’re the lucky ones. We found the BSD in its earliest days. Not only did we find it, but when we read it something in us just ‘clicked’ and we embraced the BSD with open arms. It was the right thing at the right time for so many of us.

Some of us have been following this now for nearly 6 months 😱 I don’t think I’ve ever stuck to a ‘diet’ for that long in the past! But as many are saying – this is my new way of life. This is how I’ll be eating forever.

Like you, I’ve had the BSD conversation with lots of people. They listen, nod, then tuck into their favourite poison – sorry, carbs😱 They’ve not reached the point that so many of us reached where we just knew we had to do something- whatever our reason. One day, when they do reach that point, hopefully they’ll remember these conversations. And who knows, the ‘experts’ may well have come round to our way of thinking which would be another encouragement for our doubting friends.

Hi frog,
That’s the way to go.
So you can go out to a restaurant , enjoy yourself and keep to the diet.

Last night, going to the pub, want about drinking, it was about laughing and gossiping, and banter and fun!

Always remember a huge portion of laughter has ZERO calorie and ZERO carbs, so have a bowl of it three times a day!!!!!

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hello ClairyB, barby is quite right, our weights naturally fluctuate anyway, especially us ladies! so at the moment I have decided I will weigh every 2 days. You’re right, you can do this! Don’t give in – it’s good to have someone in the same boat as me. I am doing it with my mum (hence the plural in baristagirl!) and couldn’t do it on my own, but she’s doing so well and not feeling hungry or ill like me. Well today I am not actually feeling hungry but ill! (I had the ploughmans lunch yesterday and didn’t really think about the effects of an apple – I have colitis and can’t digest skins and things!)
Just look at all the food/drink you have – you KNOW this isn’t unhealthy food and has to work! You’ll probably lose even more tomorrow/next day, it will likely even out. Another thing, do you always weigh in the same circumstance? Same time/no drink or same amount of drink/etc, can make quite a difference!