Hi Frog,

Great idea, I love rhubarb, must get some stevia and rhubarb today! My mouth is watering.

if you now eat full fat Greek yogurt, you know how different it is to the artificial tasting low fat yogurts? Very creamy, and no comparison..

Well, you’d see the same with the Longley Farm cottage cheese compared to normal stuff, it is rich and seems as if its naughty to eat!

Hi HappyLife
Pleased to hear about your trip & the plus side of travel. Love hummingbirds! Enjoy it all 👍 ✈️
I’m off to Canada in 3 weeks & will take your cue of no food in flight. I’ll just keep well hydrated. My husband eats the BSD Med way too. Intend to pick healthy foods & really enjoy this trip of a lifetime. Can’t wait to wear all my new clothes too. 😀 ✈️

I’ll look out for those, thanks Barby
I can’t remember the last time I ate cottage cheese!

I cooked a huge bowl of rhubarb yesterday – it was a bit tart, so I added a flat teaspoon of stevia.
Rhubarb is in season so in most supermarkets at the moment.
100 grams is just 11 calories and 0.8g of carbs.
It was delicious with a couple of teaspoons of yoghurt on top, and I’m going to have some with porridge too.

Hi jimnz
GOAL! That’s the way to do it! Great bloods & result for you. Well done 😀🎯

Hi Switzerland
So glad you now have a supportive GP. It makes all the difference. I too had to change my GP after twice facing point blank refusal to help me at all with the BSD! I’m happy, supported & feel positive with my new GP. 😀

Well its the end of week 9 and this week I lost another 1.5 kg and now weigh 103.8 kg. That’s down from 120.3 kg and a total loss of 16.5 kg ( 2 stone 8 pounds). Over the last 4 weeks the weight loss has stabilised at around 1 to 1.5 kg a week and so should hit my initial target of 20 kg loss by week 12. Reading all the positive posts on the Over 8 and 16 threads really encourages me to continue with the BSD 800 just to see how far I can go.
The only problem I experienced for the first time this week was severe constipation. And it was very bad. Needed suppository laxative and caused a lot of discomfort. Realised that I had not been following the water guidelines and advise from the forums. I drink lots of tea during the day but not water and feel that this contributed to the problem. I now have a bottle of chilled water ready in the fridge to dip into and this has, hopefully, resolved the problem. So lesson learnt, listen to the wise members and avoid a weekend of pain and discomfort.

Hi debs14.
What’s not to like …..weight loss and feeling much better?.
Will stick with 800 cals until I reach my healthy weight range and review options after that.
Happy days.

Well done Barby….. looking forward to the email with 10% achieved 🙂

Hi Tallyhoo
Woo hoo. 🙂 Congratulations.
Fantastic post.
Can’t officially join this 16 week place till next Monday but there are many people who will soon be taking these steps to change.
Power to the ‘ vets ‘. Hope more people can find this ‘happy’ place.

May I please join you??

I’ve now been on the BSD for 16 weeks this week………..

I’ve lost 3 stone 2 lbs aka 44 lbs……….I’ve gone from buying size 20 plus clothes to my latest purchase of size 12 jeans from Next after a good friend took a horrible pic of my bending down in my old jeans ‘they’re way too baggy get some new ones’ she cried. I’ve halved my metformin (thanks Bill) and it hasn’t made any difference to my blood sugars which have gone down from 10.6 to a regular 5.7 ish on fasting.

I’ve been staying in hotels every other week since I began this diet and have been extra vigilant and have never put on weight as a result. I now walk and walk and walk and have totally changed my way of thinking about food. I automatically scan menus to see what I can have as opposed to ‘I’ll have what I want and then go back to the diet’ – can’t do that anymore because I’m not on a diet – it’s just the way I eat. Totally amazed by the quantities of food people eat around me and the type of food – amazed because that was me until 16 weeks ago and I could no more do that now – I’d throw up at the thought – fantastic change of attitude!!! I now never order a main meal but always order a starter as a main and have a coffee as a dessert – used to have 3 courses – always. But – I do drink wine when I feel like it and have tea and coffee with milk…..

I’m away on holiday in 17th June and when I started this back on 25th January I stated my goal was to be 11 st 7 lbs – I’m now 11 st 10 lbs so only 3 lbs to go……………..at that point I will revise my goal weight as I really could lose another stone after that.

Have had my blood tests done at the doctor’s and get the results next week – we’ll see how positive or not they are.

Heard Dr M on the Chris Evans show yesterday morning – hope the message will get across to more people now – he is my saviour and I don’t say that lightly – have been trying to lose weight for the best part of 30 years and never EVER have been able to achieve results and positive attitude like this – feel truly blessed to have found this way of eating and so happy!!!

I have discovered these items in the supermarket, that really help my low carb eating, and are also very delicious. Any one else got suggestions?

Longley Farm Natural Cottage Cheese 250g £1.22 Asda
nothing like the normal wet stuff, much thicker and creamier and dryer – you also don’t need much of it.Really different.
100g is 104 cals/2.2 carbs available Asda & Sainsburys

Waitrose spinach falafels 2 packs for £4 atm
Really tasty and one crumbled in a salad really lifts it. I got 8 in a pack, + can be frozen.
Two falafels is 158 cals/ 7.9 carbs, but one is enough to boost a salad.

What a cracker Jimnz
if you have your doc and his family eating this way, it’s a certainty that he is recommending this way of eating to others
Well done you, you may have inadvertantly saved some lives 🙂

Alan
you gave your body sugar and carbs in the wine.
Because your body had to process that overnight, the probability is that there was no need for it to release stored sugar as usual, hence the lower reading.
It’s all a very complex puzzle that we are only scratching the suface of at the moment.

Hi
a few of us have experienced this in weeks 4 to 5
It was explained as stored sugar being flushed from the organs overnight, a sort of exaggerated dawn phenomonen.
It does seem to settle down again after 2 to 3 weeks.
TBH if your other readings through the day are ok, I wouldn’t worry too much about the FBS reading

I have lost another 3 pounds this week, I am 1 pound off losing 10% of my body weight.

This is truly amazing for me, because last weekend I “fell off the wagon”. Last Saturday I was eating chocolate bars mindlessly, and next day I had omelette and chips, and toast.

So Monday I just got calmly back to normal BSD without beating myself up mentally, I have been very strict for 3 days (under 30 carbs).

I’m going out to a pub meal tonight, so have found they do goats cheese salad, I’ll have that without the potatoes, and black coffee for desert.

Normally when I eat badly, that just triggers an almighty binge for months, I still can’t quite believe the sense of empowerment I have.

Natalie
Thank you so much for that info re my FULL bottle of white vino last night,I was very very naughty .
I have just taken fasting blood this morning and it was 7.1.
It’s been much higher in mornings
Don’t know what to make of this since I stopped all my meds
Alan opinion welcome 🤔

I’m glad I chose today to measure (does happy dance) Ok so I’m two days late for a complete mid-point check in but it will do.

I’m down another pound, bringing me to my first target. 12 st 0. so 12 lb’s gone 🙂 next target 11 st 12, which will be a stone gone, then 11 st 8, which seems an odd target but I like to have lots of little ones as they are more reachable. 11st 8 signifies 10% body weight gone.

I’ve lost another inch off my hips, and 0.5 inches off my bust

and FBS 4.3

everything is awesome. (now singing the lego movie song in my head….)

about to have boiled eggs for breakfast, with soup for lunch later, chickpeas, and pork stir fry for dinner.

Time for my eggs, have a great day 🙂

its been 2 weeks back on BSD 800 and I am 5kgs lighter . I have a total weightloss of 7.5kgs since starting at the beginning of April, that 10% of my body mass. For the first time in a few years I am Obese 1 instead of Obese 2. Only 3kgs more and I will be overweight. Had a catch up with girlfriends today and got my first comments on how good I am looking. Pulled some clothes out from before I had my baby. I can’t get any of my skinny jeans done up but I could get them on. Before I couldn’t get them past my thighs. My husband works away and will be home in another week, I can’t wait for him to see the results.

The more water you put in the more fat you can wee out – thats what makes me drink!! haha

I also struggle to drink water so I soda stream mine, for some reason I can gulp down 500mls of fizzy water in one sitting but flat tap water..yuk. My soda steam was well worth the investment

Wow Janet that is shocking… I had no idea that sweeteners did that! I am throwing all mine out… If they raise our blood sugar then they are no good whatsoever…. Thanks for that!

Hi DemiMondaine,
I’ve had a similar experience to you with a non-supportive GP. This week (for my situation) I came to the realization that I was no longer in a professional relationship but an abusive one.
I changed my GP and have had my first appointment with my new GP. I felt comfortable and emotionally supported during the appointment and walked away feeling good about myself and the decision I’d made to change.

Hi jimnz,
I’ve been following your posts. What refreshing news about your GP and now a dietician on board too! Great news about your pre-diabetic status – that must feel good.

Hi SteveR,

Genius – vacuum machine – it makes so much sense especially with your long work hours. I’ve heard about them but not ever come across one.
There are two other aspects of the BSD that I’ve found helpful (1) Exercise – I try and walk 10 000 steps/day. It took me a while to work up to it. Some days life gets in the way and I don’t achieve it, but it’s a goal. The days that I achieve the 10 000 steps are the ones where I go for a walk. I’ve found the walks are just as important for de-stressing. (2) Mindfulness meditation – I use the Smiling Mind app, it’s free and Australian and it works for me. BUT there are many ways to achieve mindfulness meditation, you just need to research it. When mindfulness meditation is practiced cortisol levels are reduced (when raised, cortisol causes overeating). Stress eating doesn’t effect everyone, but if it does, mindfulness meditation is useful.
Within a few days of starting the BSD on 01/04/16 I noticed an improvement in my sleep patterns. Sleep got more sound when I added mindfulness meditation to the mix.
Enjoy your BSD journey.

Thanks Athorn223 and Izzy!
Day 1 of the trip and I did fine! I only ate 2 oz of salmon and 2T rice all day until dinner at 5pm. We went out and shared two fish dishes and a crab sushi and miso soup.
I had 811 calories and 61 carbs but we also sent the bowl of rice back!!! My hubby is on board to so he can help me while we travel.
So yeah for us!
I don’t eat on travel days (flying) due to tummy issues. Thank goodness as I had a major catastrophe at the airport before getting on the plane. My angels were taking care of me for sure!!
Bought pepto bismal to live on during the trip if I need to.
Tomorrow will be more planned out with 2-3 meals.
Great news:
1- seatbelt was easily set 5 inches smaller on the plane.
2- my purse is hanging super low because my stomach isn’t in the way (it’s still large but a lot less in the way)
3- I wore my new shirt (hummingbird) and new crop pants!
Life is great!

As I reported in another thread, I went to see our GP this morning. My HBA1C reading is now 40 or 5.8 – depending on which scale you use. He told me that, with that reading, I had moved from being diabetic to being pre- diabetic. I had already sent our doctor Michael Mosley’s great interview on SBS Australia. After seeing it, he discussed it with his dietician wife. Initially scathing about the low carb – high fat diet, she now has her entire family – including our Doctor on the diet. He too enjoys portobello mushrooms grilled with scrambled egg on top for breakfast. Next target for me is to get the HBA1C score to under 39 and that, according to our GP, will be normal.
My wife and I were so encouraged to hear the news.

Jim

Last Friday, I had my blood tested. This morning, I went to see our GP. He told me that, with an HBA1C reading of 40 – instead of 45 or 46 – you have now moved from diabetic to prediabetic. He was very pleased with the weight loss of 11.2 kg in 9 weeks.
I sent him a link to Michael Mosley’s SBS interview in Australia. He watched it, shared the ideas with his dietician wife. Initially skeptical of the diet, she now has the whole family – including our GP on the Blood Sugar Diet!

Jim

In a normal container you food stuff is still contained with all the air in the container and this is what aids in the production of the bacteria which starts the breakdown of your food. With the vacuum machine it removes all of the air in the bag and holds the seal while it heat seals the bag so your food will keep it original state for up to 5x longer for example you can freeze fish for 2yrs using this method. So the food im going to eat thru the week that are non meat will keep in the fridge and my fish dishes and other meat dishes ill freeze.The cost of the appliance was $Au100 not to expensive.

hi Steve
Sounds interesting; I haven’t seen one of these – how is it different from putting things in a normal container or bag, other than saving on washing up? does the food keep better because of the vacuum?

Hi all. Do make sure you have enough fat or oil as that will replace the lost glucose but won’t spike your edrenaline. I was weak on and off for a long while, two or three weeks, but now much more energy. I read a couple of papers that said insufficient fat was usually an issue. I’ve been cooking chicken breast in a bit of butter and garlic, eating oily fish and putting butter on my veg. Tastes much nicer!

thanks Switzerland,
I am now precooking my more time consuming meals and have invested in a vacuum machine so i can vacuum pack them and put them in the fridge or freezer depending on the meal so now I can just pop the meal in the microwave when I get home so it just got a whole lot easier for me .

So I just got a food saver machine made by sunbeam means I can precook the more time consuming meals and vacuum pack them and either freeze the meal or put in the fridge ready for eating you can microwave or boil the bags to heat the meal up. Perfect for if like me your short on time to get everything done. Its now day 3 and feeling fine no massive hunger pains so far but looking forward to week 8 hahaha.

Oh my goodness DemiMondaine, can’t you get a different doctor? I wouldn’t put up with that. Sounds very unprofessional. And ignorant.

Hi CallMeDeb
How are you? Not heard from you for a while. Hope you & your dad ok. Are those temperatures rising now? Still counting your blessings I hope?

Alanhypno my understanding of how alcohol affects BS is that in the short term it actually makes it drop rather than rise, but then you have a rise later (like in the middle of the night, or the next morning). It is metabolised differently to food.

Beware the artificial sweeteners in food and drink. They can still spike your insulin levels and stall weight loss. Even sweeteners like stevia, previously thought to be pretty benign, has now been shown to cause insulin levels to rise. This isn’t just a problem for people with t2d or pre-diabetes, it’s a problem for anyone as it can cause plateaux. It’s boring but water is best.

Re above post 6.2 before my salmon salad
I’ve been really naughty and gone to the pub first time five weeks
Drank full bottle white wine and soda
Came home did my bs it was 6.4 🤔🤔🤔
What do you guys make from that,off pills as I said in previous post above.
This has to be a fluke or maybe it’s working ,dare I hope please ?
Cheers and goodnight Alan (used to call me Big Al !)

I easily drink about 2 litres of tea a day, so not over worried about not drinking enough.
To drink more water though, I use no sugar added squash, or those mini super concentrated fruit things. I squinted enough to read the nutrition details today, and the tiny bottle makes 24 drinks and either had 4 calories or 2 calories in the entire bottle. The superconcentrates are also really easy to carry about with you too – I haven’t had one leak.

+At home, I find I will drink more water if I keep a jug or bottle of it (or pre-mixed squash) in the fridge.

I’ve also bought a stack of diet tonic, for when I fancy a drink – G&T is about the one thing that tastes OK without the alcohol (OK – “G”!)

I’m reading all your posts with great interest. Week 1, I was amazed to have lost 8lb and then week 2 was a total let down. I lost practically nothing, if anything, maybe half a pound. What I did notice was 2 inches off my waist (I started the gym in week 2). That’s really what kept me going. I’m almost through my 3rd week, and thankfully it looks like I’m losing again as the scales are showing a loss of another 3.75lb – that’s 11.75lb in total! So, I’m just going to keep at it and accept that not every week will be the same. Having tried a few different diets in the past, this one is DEFINATELY working for me. I’ve NEVER lost so much so soon or without struggle. I’m enjoying what I eat, don’t feel hungry and have lost all desire to nibble throughout the day. And reading this thread has made me realise fluctuations in weightloss week to week is normal, so I don’t have to worry. I’m one very happy bunny!

Hi Frog

The more I say “no thank you” the easier it gets😳

I don’t even remember what the cake was! But I saw lots of barm cakes (or whatever you call them in your part of the country) with usually ham filling. Lots of corned beef pie. Lots of crisps, cakes, biscuits etc. . And at least one flask of milky coffee!

Oh, and the sweets that were passed along the row during the meeting😱

But I can honestly say I didn’t want any of those nasty carbs😃

This is my new lifestyle😃

Well done on your first day😃 Can I suggest you’re careful with fruit? Berries are ok but other fruits are not good on the BSD. Some fruits really spike blood sugars too. It took me a while to get my head round that when I was first diagnosed – because I was at a slimming club and we were told to eat lots of fruit. I can’t eat porridge 😳 – spikes my sugar, but some diabetics (including my son) can eat it! Enjoy the ratatouille 😃. I need to work through my freezer too – lots of fish, some eat and veg in it.

Need to make sure I’ve good in the fridge and/or freezer ready for when I come back off holiday. Will be tired after flying Italy to London, cross London and train home so will want something quick and easy.

well done on resisting the temptation Lynne – or have you got to the stage where the cake wasn’t tempting?

Day 2 – not hungry so far, and 1.5kg gone overnight – probably most to do with going out for a ‘final’ afternoon tea the day before I started than not eating yesterday!
Day 1 was about 600 calories and 35g of carb, and today 800 cal & 48g of carb – and a stonking 8 portions of fruit & veg.
Yesterday I made a huge pot of ratatouille – about 4 portions, so I’m beginning to get a bit bored with it. I must start working my way through the freezer so that I have space to cook in batches and freeze some. Big bowl of rhubarb compote in the oven, which will be good with yoghurt and porridge.

Hi DemiMondaine
Please look at page 1 of this thread. 13.2.16 @ 22.10pm, my reply to Magiek. Read ‘good medical practice’!

I really wouldn’t be polite to that ‘lady’. The days of Dr’s being tin gods are long gone. I worked with enough who thought they were & kept my mouth shut. I’m much older & on this BSD subject, wiser than them now. I’m SHOUTING about Type 2 Diabetic treatment & they have no option but to listen!
Go do your thing ‘skinny lady’ 👍 💐

Just checking back for fasting levels.

I’ve finished 21 weeks on the BSD and will stay on it until I reach my goal weight. Lost 57 pounds so far, approximately another 28 to go.

Fasting bloods first went below 6 after 2 weeks. Then stayed between 5 and 6 until I’d finished week 13, when it dropped to between 4 and 5, and now normally stays between 4 and 5.

HbA1c in December, just before I started on BSD was 9.6

Due to confusion by the diabetes nurse, it was repeated in January – a few weeks into the BSD and was then 8.7.

Just had it done again in April so was completely within the BSD. That result was 5.5.

So my fasting readings and HbA1c are within the normal range😃

Thank you. . Did it take a while?

I have several tape measures and can’t find any haha.

Have a great trip Happy!

Well today has gone pretty well, I’ve eaten what I should and am within comfortable limits.

I made this for dinner… http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/928/barbecued-tandoori-chicken.aspx?o_is=LV

except I cut chicken breasts into goujon sized strips and baked them in the oven as opposed to BBQ. and with it I had this….

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/38850/cauliflower-fried–rice-.aspx?o_is=SR

except I didn’t add carrot or pork. Just fried the spring onion in sesame oil, then added the cauli rice, peas, garlic, fried a while, added soy sauce, then the egg.

The chicken was a little on the spicy side for me (husband loved it) but I chopped mine up and mixed it through the cauli rice and the flavours together were nice. A Low carb success 🙂 I made normal rice for hubby and didn’t miss it at all.

Whilst at the shop earlier picking up a few things, I bought some snack type things for my sons daytime snacks at childminder. Cheese straws, flapjacks, and cheesy crackers. I have to admit I had to resist the cheesy crackers. The kids had eaten their tea and wanted some and when I gave them some each I totally could have demolished the packet! However I was about to cook dinner so I distracted myself by getting into that. Now I don’t feel like attacking the kids nibble box at all. It isn’t often I feel those cravings thankfully. I think I was just hungry after not eating since lunchtime. Super pleased I didn’t give in 🙂

well done for getting right back on it 🙂

I believe ‘getting back on the wagon’ is the true secret to success, no matter which food plan a person follows.

Thanks for the info. I spent ages on the website you recommended – it really helped!

Hi Orchid

Thanks again. I’ve lowered my carb intake to 20gm and testing with Ketostix I’m in kerosis.

Just completed a week with this low carb focus, having spotted – like you – that the calorie reduction wasn’t balanced.

Think the scales will start to reflect what I’m already seeing in person. But size in clothing more important, I agree!

Just a little message to let those who are struggling know.. I have had type 2 for 16 years… getting off medication seemed like a dream and the first time i reduced my metformin at week 6 or so – it was just too early… and I took the dose back up till I stabilised again… now this week I have halved the dose again… and bsl have been behaving nicely….. will give it a few more weeks to reduce further and hopefully cease one day… or not…. at least I am not at max oral meds with no where to go except injections….

Cheers and huge encouragement

Fatty

Hi

Sounds like the ‘Dawn Phenomenon. Used to happen to me too. But after being on the BSD even my fasting bloods have come down (from 10.9) into the normal range (usually under 5).

Keep at it, keep low carbs and low calories, and you should find your sugar levels coming down.

Hi all,

Just started week 5 and loving BSD’ing. Although I have lost 18lbs at last count, I still have a lot of weight to shed so will be sticking to this way of eating/living. I am T2 diabetic and currently take 1 x 500mg metformin – hopefully will be able to come off altogether.

Just started on the nhs chance2change weight management programme. I asked to be referred for exercise on prescription way back last summer and had completely forgotten I had been put on a waiting list for this. Anyhow, went along dutifully to first session which consisted of 1 hour of tailored exercise, which was followed by 1 hour of ‘education’ – delivered by a physiotherapist, nutritionist, and physio support workers at the hospital. All good so far and then…

We were given a food and an exercise diary along with written information on recommended diet. Sad to say it is the same old nhs advice to eat loads of carbohydrate, low fat, etc,etc…we were exhorted to keep an ‘open mind’ while being encouraged to eat what to me is poison, and no longer an option.
I have made a note on my food diary about my diet choice…and wait with bated breath for feedback from the nutritionist!!!

Hopefully I will not be banished from the building😵subversive that I am!

Wish me luck,

Imogen.

Hi DemiMondaine,
An idea – my not work for you, but if you have the data, look at your daily carb readings. You may find that your calories are constant but carbs are not. When the cms are coming off of the waist, you are on (or have been the period before that) your optimum daily carb intake. When the scales are dropping and not the waist – the carbs are too high even if the calories seem ok. That worked for me when I was not losing from my waist.

Hi
i have been on the 800 diet for 4 weeks now..I’ve lost 9 Kgs weight..my sugar reading has come down..but
I’m having a bit of a concern,normally I check my blood level before I go to sleep,the sugar reading is between 6-7 (oldscale).
When I wake up the reading goes up to 10.0,my doctor has said that this could be “false reading” because of
the liver releasing sugar..can someone advise me what I can do..thank you