Hi Judith,
Yes, 23, me and David, five kids, three in laws, and 21 grandchildren and two step grandchildren, oldest 18, youngest four! So we have to find entertainment for all ages!
Or should I say oldest 69 and youngest four!
Christine

Hiya keeptrying – I did read all of your post and there’s no need to thank me for doing so – it was a pleasure. I’m glad I posted last night now -was thinking I might leave till this morning as it getting late- but you read it and I think you got something from it , so that’s good.
There’s a couple of things that spring to mind. Your reflux sounds troublesome and it’s not good if it’s standing in the way of your health goals. I’m thinking there’s got to be reason for it. Have you been checked for helicobacter pylori? That’s a bacteria present in the stomach of 50% of the population, mostly without problem. In some it can cause the effects you are describing. All it needs is a simple blood test at your GP and, if positive, can be easily remedied with a two week course of medication. The other thing is, I find having no food in the stomach for overly long periods (5:2) can cause acid buildup leadingto your symptoms too. So, eating small amounts more frequently might help.
It was nice to get your lovely long post and see you opening up a little more – that can be quite therapeutic, so keep going with that. Hashimoto has put up some fab eats, going to try some myself.

One thing I have found reading these forums – most people have been emlightened by this way of eating and lost loads of weight and that’s good to read about and so many congratulations to them – but there will be people who still struggle. I’m thinking there must be a lot more people in this category , but they just don’t post. Maybe they don’t want to be seen as ‘failures.’ One way or another there are many more success stories than unsuccessful ones. I think it is so brave of you to come on and be so honest – that’s a massive first step to take. It’s hard when you are in the minority and can think -‘What’s wrong with me?
So take your time and make small changes that you can cope with. I’ve been keeping a journal for ten years where I write down my escapades in my weight loss efforts. Kudos to me that I have kept it going, but I am no lighter at the moment – but I won’t give up writing and I won’t give up trying. Looking back over the last 10 years , I have defo uphauled my food for the better, only my binges now to try to overcome and I think I’m getting there. I’m telling you all this in an effort to let you see that health goals will not happen overnight – small changes gradually is perfectly ok if that is what works for you!
I’ve read Gary Taubes book. Essentially Atkins. I lost nearly six stones 3 years ago in 15 months, then piled it back on because its unsustainable for me in the long term. This BSD is not so harsh with carb cutting and actually encourages pulses, etc., so here’s hoping I can do it long term, but I definitely am not counting my chickens at this very early stage. (Had a piece of my son’s birthday cake – haven’t had a slip in over 6 weeks , then I go and do that 2 days before my final weigh in – and after I was trying to support you – what the hell is WRONG with me! Anyway back on the straight and narrow again today)

The polly – we defo punish ourselves with food – not doing it anymore – what does it achieve except for a food coma! I think we do it so we don’t have to face up to problems while we are comatose but the problems are still there when you come round!

Eureka – yes – an army of BSDers – united we stand – divided we fall – on the wagon just now, but for how long- eh? – lol!

Hashimoto – great post and very supportive. Will be following that myself – thanks.

Keeptrying – thinking of you! Please keep posting

Hi

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2009, diet controlled. Last December my HbA1c came back as 9.6 and I was being threatened with Metformin.

I’d just bought this book and asked for a reprieve, starting the BSD on 19th December. My fasting blood that day was 10.9.

A sneaky HbA1c in January (the nurse was confused) was 8.7.

Tomorrow I’ve completed 20 weeks on the BSD (including 5 days in Prague and 4 days at a residential conference). My fasting bloods are now in the normal range and the HbA1c in April came back as 5.5 – again in the normal range.

Ruby if you have an Aldi and they do the same foods as over here in the UK I go for their tub of authentic greek yoghurt. They also do bags of milled flaxseed at a very reasonable price. Just a level teaspoon on my yoghurt helps to avoid constipation, is full of goodness and the pack lasts ages!!!

Soup – you can make it from just about anything!!!
My rule of thumb is: enough water to just about cover the veg. Cook til soft and blitz with a stick.

Courgette and garlic is a good filling, low carb option and freezes well.
So is cauliflower and blue cheese
Brocolli and cheese
asparagus
the list is endless!! When I have too much parsley or lettuce I make lettuce soup or parsley soup

Oh, celery soup is a low carb low calorie option you can add some cream cheese or cream too.

Only your imagination will limit you 🙂

Stick with the yoghurt for brekky. I’ve had it almost every day since mid January and I’m still not sick of it!!! 🙂

Eh Rachel, you don’t know the half of it 😈😈. I’ll let you know how I get on when I’m back on track! 😎

Hi Bumblebee, in cafe’s/restaurants you tend to only get a spoonful of baked beans. They are carby but if you are careful about what you eat the rest of the day there is no reason why not. Or you could always have two eggs with bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms. 🙂

Sadly I’m not in London but if I were you I would ask around and do some internet searching. There is bound to be someone in your area who does the remedial sports massage therapy and if you are lucky can also do the manipulation or
you could go to a sports massage therapist and then to an osteopath for the manipulation of the sacroiliac joint. 🙂

As of this morning, I am no longer overweight! I am glad to reach that goal before I have to switch to maintenance in advance of surgery next Tuesday.

I’m also planning to switch surgeons. I love the one I’m seeing, but her administrative support is sending my blood sugar and blood pressure through the roof (or at least my particular version of the roof). My mother’s surgeon left the facility where I knew my insurance provided coverage, and I had been reluctant to keep wandering about from facility to facility. But the stress their inability to communicate in a timely and accurate manner (which matches the uniform and consistent experience of everyone I have ever encountered who has dealt with this particular facility) is not healthy for me. So I confirmed that my insurance will actually cover the doctor’s new home – and have an appointment set up for next Thursday. (She can meet the same surgical schedule I had in mind – as long as she agrees with the treatment plan.)

Now I just need to get the grading done, and the office moved, and I’ll be in great shape!

Hi Janet, so glad your mind is at ease over the cholesterol reading. Also good to know that walnuts are good, we could always make a kind of waldorf salad with apples, celery, walnuts, lemon juice and some FF yoghurt instead of mayo.
I have a vegetarian loaf recipe somewhere which has walnuts in it. I will have to search for it. I think walnuts are also lower carb than some other nuts 🙂

I didn’t get a phone message that I know of – but TBH I’m not very clued up about how to use it yet. 🙁

I’ll get there eventually!! 🙂

Hi Bill, it’s wonderful how more agile we are without the stomach fat 🙂

Only about a month for your hol Bill, It sounds as if you have been really busy!!!

I have been on the diet for seven weeks and have managed to loose two stone so I am happy with that. My problem is that exercise is very difficult. I use a wheelchair full time and have arthritis in both shoulders. Any thoughts on what exercise I can do to make sure I do not stall in my weight loss.
Thanks

Hi Judith

No, certainly not boring!

It’s three trips – Italy in early June, Ludlow in October and now Madeira in late January.

Still got holiday to use so need to work out what to do with some of it😳

Have Spiraliser will travel LOL

Hi Izzy, two days of gardening and my back is creaking!!! Plenty of exercise though 🙂

Thanks BSD! 🙂

Thanks Eureka and thepolly but I am only doing what you are doing. Still appreciate it though! 🙂

Well, Lynne, your life is certainly not boring!!!

At least you have two nice trips to look forward too 🙂

Christine, 23 people!!! Good idea to take your spiraliser 🙂

I said I wanted to have ago myself before I resorted to pills (I’ve heard nasty things about them). They wouldn’t give me a Glucose meter unless I went on the pills. So I bought my own from Home Health online – Code free (£21 – meter/100 lancets/50 strips) well worth it. £6.99 for 50 strips. I tested myself once a week in the morning & then 2 hrs after food – to see if I was on track. My count started at 9.3 and then went to 5.5 in the first 2 weeks. So I am sure you have already made a difference, you will need to wait 3mths before having the HBA1c again to see the big difference.

I’m not sure how doing the diet and being on the pills would work.

Good luck

Well, that was an interesting day!

Went to the station to buy train tickets to London. Travelling down at end of May, overnight at hotel near Heathrow then flying to Italy. Flight back lands early afternoon so will go straight to Kings Cross for train home. No problem there. Tickets bought, with seat reservations. Bought open return in case of delays. No problems.

Looked round shops. Bought nothing. No problems.

You’re wondering what happened, aren’t you?

In the travel agents trying to find a holiday for early next year. Gave her a very wide brief. Between mid January and late March. Sun but not too hot. Not crowded resort. Relaxing with places to explore. Not silly money. At least she didn’t run out screaming!

I love Italy, but difficult in winter except city breaks (or skiing). We’d looked at cruises, Malta, Cyprus, Madeira ….. you name it, we probably looked at it.

Then ….. we heard an explosion😱 Everyone on the street froze. No sirens! So everyone (including us) went back to doing what we had been doing. We found out later it was a controlled explosion near the main police station. We have scares, but not often a controlled explosion😳

So, back to looking for holiday. Cruises ruled out. Portugal – wrong time of year. Malta ruled out. Cyprus – good deal in Limassol, but I didn’t want to stay there. Paphos more expensive but I’ve stayed there before and prefer it. Hmmmm ….. Nearly. Back to Madeira. Reasonable deal. Good Tripadvisor reviews. Weather supposed to be ok. Flight times ok, from Newcastle.

So I did it. Booked to stay in Madeira, near Funchal. End of January. 7 nights. Half board. Upgraded to sea view room and seats pre-booked. Deposit paid. 😱

Hi dumptynomore
You’ve got all the King’s horses & all the King’s men behind you! Very glad you’re on the wagon 😀👌

Hi keeptrying
You are trying to move forward. Sometimes we have to try & forgive our trespasses & those that trespass against us. I can’t think of more appropriate words to say!
It’s not easy, life isn’t. And sometimes it takes all of our life to try & do that. I know.
This diet – the effort & concentration of the mind involved in ‘ just do it’ is remarkable! For the first time many of us are realising the power to change & of change is within us. We are able to change things. We have taken control & we are happier for it.

Mindfulness :
I think perhaps the Mindfulness forum would help you.

BSD followers please post to ‘ keeptrying ‘ if you are following this path. I think you could help her. Thanks

Hi rachel62,
Good to hear you are keeping on keeping on, well done, onwards and downwards!
Christine

Hi Christine.

Glad you found my answer to your sewing question 😃

Ooohhh 23 people on holiday together 😱 Seriously, hope you have a great time.

Bit like taking coals to Newcastle, taking Spiraliser to Italy – my friends might like it for their relation who is gluten free.

Glad you find my ramblings helpful 😃

Himalan
Oh dear, we all have times when we fall off the diet, good to hear you are back on the straight and narrow now.
Christine

Hi Lynne,
We are going to Oswestry in June, the whole family, 23 of us in a farmhouse with a bunkhouse, we did it last year so we need to find something different to do this year, of course there will be the obligatory bbq, you have given me the idea though, I will take my spirilizer so I can do something for my Saturday evening meal.
I’m looking forward to losing the weight like you have, I don’t mind if it’s ounces as long as it’s going downwards, I only have to lose one and a half lbs to have lost two stone, then it’s a case of fixing my next target.
Thank you for all the support you give, not just to me but loads of people on this forum.
Christine

Thanks Polly, I was looking on amazon I can pick up a pack online easily so I will do that soon. The pancakes help me along but I would love to make crackers. I do have a recipe I’ve found for coconut ones so I will try soon. Yay to passing plateau’s! Hope mine goes too!

I’m ever hopeful happy life that my scales will move tomorrow but if not I’m sure they will one day soon 🙂

I’ve had a nice afternoon with my son, we walked along to the park at the other side of the village, played there, then there is a nice walk between fields that takes us to the opposite side of the village where there is another park and we played there too, then walked home again. I’m up to 8500 steps so getting 10000 today will now be easy enough.

Hi Lovely Lucia,
Well done you! 8 weeks done! Your words have been such joy to read throughout my time on the forums.
Have you ever considered a career as a stand up comic?!! I love your humour. You really do have talent!

Isn’t this blood sugar diet a revelation for we “former” sugar addicts??!! After 5 weeks I am really starting to believe I can live this low sugar lifestyle forever. I haven’t been on here at the forums for a while, but you, Bill, Hashimoto a a few others have been so inspiring to me. I just wish I could meet you all to give you a big hug 😍

My husband and I are planning a few days away to Melbourne at end of May (and end of my 8 weeks) for our 35th wedding anniversary celebration. I am looking forward to wearing jeans I haven’t been able to fit into for years. 😊

Hi hashimoto
Practical magic. You’re a star 🌟 😀

thepolly – Hang in there – – you are moving on the right path again!! 🙂

My Update:
Week 2 – Day 1
Lost 9 lbs. in first week
BS down 33 pts!!
Inches Lost: 4.25 Total (Waist 1.5 Hips 2.75)
Still having tummy issues at times – figuring that out soon hopefully….

Week 2 – Day 1
Lost 9 lbs. in first week
BS down 33 pts!!
Inches Lost: 4.25 Total (Waist 1.5 Hips 2.75)
Still having tummy issues at times – figuring that out soon hopefully….

Keep on going – seems easy enough except for tummy issues and the inches are melting off literally… YEAH!!!

Hey Izzy,

Well good thing you are figuring out what caused the slowdown…. 🙂 I am still having the other problem off and on…..
Gotta a ton of work to get done today so wishing you a great day!!

Stay on it!! We can do it!!

Hi thepolly, I ordered Jason fung’s book as well last night! His wallet will be chuffed! I’m great with the fasting part, I just want to understand the eating part a bit better now! Let me know what you think to the book when it arrives.

Oh …meant to say I’ve started a blog . If you fancy having a look it’s here…
http://bsdjourney.blogspot.co.uk

I find that writing about things helps keep me on track … well that’s the theory !

There horrible. I went with a Paleo Chocolate Brown instead they are very very Lovely

What’s everyone up to?
Love Lucia
Xxx

That’s fantastic news, I’m due at my first diabetic clinic on Monday (HBA1c was 88) so not sure what they are going to say as they mentioned pills over the phone when making the appt for me. I hate tablets and have been doing BSD for almost 4 weeks now.

I don’t understand why there is such a push to medicate either, but the nurse who did the confirming blood test for diabetes said she’d heard about this diet at least.

Not sure how much the diet will have affected my BS but hoping it has already. Not got a glucose meter yet cos I’m not sure if I can get one free through my practice. A friend says they do from the practice she works in.

I have just signed – totally agree the NHS are not helping, by putting people on pills

Thank you for your kind words. Yesterday I had the best food day EVER! I mean I ate food I would eat if I wasn’t on a strict diet.

Breakfast: Mixed berries, greek yogurt, flaked almonds
Lunch: No carb Ploughmans. I bulked it out with 1 sliced tomato and a few cucumber slices, sprinkled with cress. It was absolutely divine. When I was shopping around for the chutney, the lowest in carbs and sugars was small chunk branston. and I even dipped the apple in it. It was sooooo nice. If anyone has found a chutney that is even lower. Although having a tblsp of it isn’t gonna hurt me, I would still like to know.
Dinner: Smoked Salmon and mushroom omelette with 10 ton of veg. I adapted the muffin recipe I found on here. It was lovely.
I hit 800 cals on the nose yesterday.

My exercise was gardening it was an all day thing. I also weighed myself and have lost 1lb. going docs today so will see what she has to say.

hashimoto, you are just so lovely and supportive 🙂

dumptynomore, I’ve also been known to go to greggs and but 5 sausage rolls and eat them all in the past. Thing was I was sort of ‘punishing’ myself by making myself feel worse with food, then feeling guilty for eating all that food when other people in the world are starving (got that drummed into me as a kid in order to make me eat all my food). Lots of us on here seem to have years of being demonised over food whether by others or ourselves but it’s good that it’s a common experience in that others here understand.

keeptrying, hope you get to the bottom of the reflux problems. It’s horrible, happily I’ve only suffered it occasionally. I’m waiting for Jason Fung’s ‘The Obesity Code’ to arrive, it might help me get some more insight into all this stuff and I love learning new stuff anyway.

Polly x

I was diagnosed in December as diabetic after my second HBA1c test (result69) and the doctor wanted me to go on tablets straight away and I didn’t. I asked to be put on a health style course via the NHS (it was useless and took a month to come through). Then this book came out and I decided to take control myself and also get a fitbit.

So my results have comeback (38) – NOT A DIABETIC and I have lost a stone and a half and feel FAB.

Without this book I sadly feel it would have been a different story. Considering this is such a UK problem the NHS appears to do little about getting it under control yourself and giving people hope I was told:
– Its in your family, so you have it
– It cant be reversed
– You need to go on pills.

My doctor can’t believe my results and has never seen such a drastic change following a lifestyle change (all I really did was do 10,000 steps a day and follow the diet and have portion control). You would think the Doctor would have wanted to know how I did it to pass on advise (but NO). More people need to know about this and I can’t thank Michael enough.

Good luck to all of you that are taking control it can be done.

Happy to support anyone that’s starting the journey

Chickpea flour has lots of different names, hashimoto has put all the different ones on another thread which was really helpful. Still had to make sure by reading the ingredients though lol, it can be called gram, Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean and sometimes known as Egyptian pea, ceci, cece or chana, or Kabuli chana (nicked definitions from wiki)

Mine was 2kg for £3.85 so have to make lots of things with it now. I still have lots of coconut flour from when I was trying to eat healthily. Gonna give my dried dates away to a friend today too as they were in these ‘healthy’ recipes that I was using before finding this diet.

So far today breakfast was a Granny Smiths with some Fage yogurt and pumpkin seeds. Not sure about lunch but dinner is chicken in (probably bad chipotle and cola sauce but it was only 20p in Sainsbury’s yesterday and have only added a little bit) and stir fry veg with homegrown beansprouts!

Plateau has been left behind as long as it doesn’t go back to 13 st again 😀

Are you able to post links/names of researchers/papers who have looked at the effect of blood sugar in non-diabetic children? I’m very keen to get info about how to regulate my kids’ blood sugar via their diet. Also keen to hear more about the effects too much sugar in-utero can have (not at the gestational diabetes level). I have a GP husband so I’m going to need research to get this to the table!

The half a bread roll could be causing the bloating. I hadn’t realised wheat products made me feel a bit bloated as I ate them every day so the feeling was normal. Since being on the diet, I have noticed it the few times I’ve eaten bread or pastry. Nothing drastic, but noticeable.

Too little fat does seem to be something to avoid with this diet. Most veggie meat alternatives are low fat, so you might need a little extra cheese or nuts to make up for that.

Over a stone gone now after about a week of no losses :D, it’s going slowly

Hi Judith
I ould just about manage it but it’s much easier now 🙂
Into May ! Nearly holiday time for you 😀
I still have to wait until June 9th and I so need a break ATM 🙁

Hashimoto my dear
I am tuff when it comes To name calling 😜😘
I am an old psychiatric nurse and midwife who grew up on a sheep station with four older brothers. So……..,You can call me whatever you like. Hahaha. But I like your thinking. – Positive names are always good though.
🌞✨
And Switzerland best of neutral luck to you too X. 🍀
Fatty with less boombah!!

Hi Thankyou for reading this. I am 2 weeks into the 800 diet and weight is dropping off. I am even exercising again. I was wondering however if the low carb could promote the growth of kidney stones in any way. I live remotely and my doctor does not know so I was wondering if anyone else may have any information. Thanks so much.

Sausages can be tricky – go for the bacon instead with any fat cut off. There’s the weirdest ‘recipe’ in the BSD book described as cheesy beans – yuk. If you can eat that you can probably have baked beans although I’d have thought they would be high in carbs ( just looked them up – but annoyingly it only gives their calorie value on toast ) .

I bought a ‘Carbs and Cals’ book on Amazon ( endorsed by Diabetes Uk ) which gives pictures of portion sizes of every conceivable food – and pics of what you can eat out too . I’m finding it invaluable. It’s here if anyone’s interested.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1908261153/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I’m going away for the weekend to a friend’s and I”m dreading falling off the wagon – I need an iron resolve and nerves of steel ! But she keeps chickens so eggs will be in plentiful supply – it’s just the curry she suggested tomorrow evening but I’m going to stick to chicken tandoori – no rice .

Hi barby, I had a week of not really losing anything but it seems to be over now… not really sure.

Hi janet 1973, I just ordered Jason Fung’s ‘The Obesity Code’ which should get here by Tuesday. Really looking forward to reading it as I think it help me understand nutrition more.

Healthyana, try not to beat yourself up if you do have a bad day and eat more than you intended or which wasn’t exactly healthy. I think we all do to some extent. (I *may* have had wine last night …) Just try not to let a temporary blip become more than that.

Thanks Janet, will do – looks like a really good site.

I can confirm that the recipe for creamy cauli and canelini bean soup is yummy. So can my son who enjoyed his bowlful, I was jealous of his slice of bread he had with it tho lol