Totally agree Willf! 🙂

The amazing thing is that it still gets moaned about and he retired over 40 years ago!!! And he’s been dead an awfully long time.

It was delicious. Just had it on its own, not feeling hungry but had to eat something! Courgette and carrot in fridge waiting to be fed to Spiraliser.

Imogen – it is easy to use and clean. Took a few minutes to get used to it, then ok. Just be careful with sharp blades. Much easier to clean than the pencil sharpener type I was using.

Thank you! Made some very light soup today so that is helping. Having an unusually quiet weekend which is good for focussing & having time to prepare food.

Well done getting through without the wine!! I managed no wine or g&t last night too (day 1also)
I feel like I want to fast forward a week and be a little more into this plan but so far so good!
I made soup today, lentils, cannellini beans, onion & stock – good to have when I feel restless about good rather than hungry.

LOL. You can’t please all the people all of the time. It comes with the territory 😳

Hoping someone can help me. Apologies if I have missed the information in the forums as I only dip in and out.

I have completed the 8 weeks and am now maintaining my new weight. My HbA1c is now 38. So as far as the medics are concerned, am I a diabetic who has managed to get her blood sugar temporarily in the normal range or have I reversed my T2 diabetes? Is there a test that can be taken to see if the pancreas is now doing its job properly? I have no intention of changing the way I now eat, in fact I am struggling to up the calories, and I like being only half a stone heavier than I was when I got married in 1972! I intend to ask my doctor when I see her in a couple of weeks time, but wondered what the feelings were of others who have achieved their goal. I think insurance companies etc. would be only too happy to refuse a claim if you did not declare you were diabetic for example.

Have a lovely weekend everyone, and thanks for your help on this.

Thanks both for your replies – 7.4 this morning so it’s going in the right direction. I’ve taken heart in what you’ve both said so thank you…but you’re completely right Cherrianne, the goal is to rid myself of meds and diabetes and i’ll continue until I do – or at least reduce to 500mg of metformin a day! I’m ok at the moment and I still want to be ok in 10-15 years as well! Happily the weight loss has been good and I certainly feel great hashimoto, you right! I’ll keep you posted – onwards and upwards and thank you all for your help and encouragement! Wouldn’t it be great if we could kick this rubbish disease!!! 😉👍

Hi moloch,
Anything with honey is not a good idea as its sweet, and sugary, have you tried the Farge Total Greek yogurt, it’s lower in carbs and is better than ordinary Greek yogurt, try it with blueberries, they are sweeter than some berries, and they are good for you to boot! It took me a while to get used to plain yogurt but now I like it, my sweet tooth has been muted at last. Good luck and keep posting
Christine

Hi hashimoto
Hope you are much improved now. Perhaps because your body has had such a clear out of the ‘bad’ food stuff you were particularly susceptible to that ‘treat’. It’s a warning to us all!
How soon is the trip?

Hi Hawke,
Like the idea of posting to be accountable. My weight loss has been a little up and down, so your mention of new scales has gotten me thinking about upgrading mine. I think that constipation can also cause fluctuations in weight.
It is great that you are being so proactive regarding your health! Also, sensible to listen to your body/nind and know what works for you.
I am in nearly 2 weeks in to the eating plan (not keen on the word diet as it holds negative connotations for me) and all good so far.
Good luck.
Imogen.

Hi Lucia,
I decided that today I would wear blue, trousers top and cardigan, oh and socks! And shoes when I went out, my slippers are a purple with spots on though sorry, does that count, they are funky (moshulu brand) are bright and sunny so hope I’m allowed to wear them in the house?
Christine

Hi Lucia,
Simple I would be chocolate, if I can’t eat it I might as well be it!
Christine

Hi Judith,
Told my hairdresser about the petition, she has lost a lot of weight on slimming world, she has tried all the diets and finds the sw diet works for her, however she was interested in the bsd diet and said she would take a look, so hopefully she will sign the petition!
Christine

Hi Lynne,
I decided to try on some of my size 18 trousers yesterday, I haven’t been able to get them over my hips, (I’m Apple shaped)! I managed to get half of them over my hips, however could only fasten one! So I have a fair way to go yet, I’m getting there though so I’m happy, lots of compliments when I go to church, we go into the meeting room for coffee after, it doesn’t half make me feel good to get complements from parishioners who are younger than me and notice the change in me!
So if there is anyone who is on this diet and think they can’t continue or are not losing weight, keep going! I have faltered and plateaued, got depressed when I put on instead of lost, however I stuck with it and I am two,pounds off losing two stone, if I can do it ( I’m a sugar addict) anyone can, so keep on keeping on folks,many as we say on this forum onwards and downwards.
Hope you don’t mind me ‘preaching’ on your thread Lynne!
Christine

Hi,
I’m new to BSD but just can’t face plain yogurt – even with berries added!
I know I probably can eventually but for now I’d prefer to skip the yogurt entirely than face the plain version.
However, I do think it adds good fat so I have bought Yeo Valley Greek yog with honey which I know isn’t part of the plan but am having a tablespoon once/twice a day.
Will the honey cause a problem do you think?

Waiting for my new spiralizer to arrive on Tuesday. Been reading the posts and got caught up in the excitement of veggie spiral cookery! Looking forward to trying some new recipes as tend to have the same ol’ stir fry for main meal. No Waitrose where I live in Cumbria, so if I want to eat courgetti need to make it myself. Hope the Cuisique easy to use and clean?

Good luck both of you.

Congratulations Rachel. We have started at the same time. My weight loss however has been slower. I did have a couple of pieces of dark chocolate, day four but I thought I was on track …then discovered that my approach of guesstimation re calories was way off and had not paid attention to the carbs in my diary… I was not eating any wheat etc but I was eating lots of nuts!..anyway back to the drawing board and am pleased I have stuck to this thus far… I normally give up before this so positivity is the way to go. Oh, I did a 15,000 step walk today so amhoping that there will be a positive reward on the scales tomorrow…

One of the best things about this diet is after awhile your appetite goes away. It is hard at first but now it is effortless. You have to be doing the 800 calorie phase strictly. Hang in there. 🙂

Lynne, that sounds delicious and perfect with some courgetti !!! 🙂

Chuckles. Our vicar used to sweep in for weddings and christenings often with mud on his boots. People used to complain but it was because he was really interested in the local history and was often digging for Roman coins in the vicarage garden ( he found loads and some old Roman mile markers). He visited parishioners a lot – especially the non church goers, not to hassle them but to let them know they were important to him. He was a lovely chap and always had time for people. He was also very interesting to talk to so I never understood what people were moaning about 🙁 ????

My congratulations to your brother and wife!

I must admit I would rather have real food than shakes but I think for some people they are a safety net til they have this totally nailed.

Don’t forget to get your milled flaxseed tomorrow – a teaspoon a day and it lasts AGES!!! 🙂

hi rubyswallow
that book looks very interesting, I may get it
I will see how the next few days of gaviscon etc pan out

what I just don’t understand is how all this flared up just 5 days after I began the 5:2 diet and how it just got progressively worse over the weeks with just a few days here and there of respite

unfortunately stress/mh issues exacerbate all these sort of things and cant be avoided
and once my throat/swallowing feels odd I seem to need to swallow more and more and round and round we go!

am more than happy to buddy up – have lots of weight to lose and although I am not prediabetic, things could easily change!!
I want to lose the weight and not continue my cycle of carbs/sugar/binges

Utterly and totally agree with you on that DemiMondaine!!!!

You really should try it – like a lot of us you may find you go right off carbs and see them as monsters not treats after several weeks of this diet!! 🙂

Hi Izzy, as a Scot you really should go for a dip in the sea at Sana Bay, it’s beautiful!! I’ve also swam in the sea off the Black Cuillin on Skye. I was so hot after the climb up – even though it was cold on the higher slopes – I just had to go in!
At least there are no sea wasps or other nasties lurking in the North Atlantic! 🙂

Pleased you had a relaxed brunch with your family! 🙂

Hello everyone,

Been on the 800kcal BSD plan since Tuesday, today is day 6. Yesterday we went to a wedding, I did eat the nice meal and have a couple of glasses of wine – was relieved to only see a 1lb gain this morning. Back to it today!

I’m 5½lb down on day 6, will be weighing on Tuesday for the “end of week 1” result. Haven’t found it particularly difficult – I lost 4½st on Slimming World last year, but even that plan I had tweaked to my own liking, and the more I look back, it was very similar to the BSD, low carb and lower calorie than generally expected. So I know this type of plan works for me.

I’m based in London, looking forward to getting to know you 🙂

Rachel x

Hello to the newbies 🙂 yay for so many Scots both true born and by name lol but it’s no nice hearing about other places too. I’m jealous of 17 being typical winter day, that’s really nice weather for us! Like hashimoto I don’t like it too hot. I’ve never swam in the sea, sounds like a wonderful experience.

We’ve had a lovely chilled family morning and a nice brunch 🙂 first time I’ve done that seemed strange having a bigger portion but I hadn’t eaten breakfast. Good fast too as probably about 16 hours from last meal.

We were going to have a family day out today but weather isn’t great. Might do something tomorrow instead.

Have a great day BSDers 🙂

The thing that really occurs to me is that 800 calories a day and plenty of protein is a far far better diet than zillions of people are ever lucky enough to eat. It’s certainly a better diet than I’ve been eating for most of my life. I am keen to try it because I’m a carb addict and I find it easier to cut carbs out than just to cut down on them.

They bring an actual trolley round twice a day, piled with carbs. Anyone got any tips? (Other than blinkers).

Thanks for all the fab advice Hashimoto, I’ve just been to Aldi but was unsure about the yoghurt as I hadn’t seen your post but I’m back there tomorrow to get some of the above. My brother did follow the diet, although I think he sometimes used shakes (I’d rather have food) and him and his wife lost over 2 stone each!!!

Judith, fortunately I had others to wear – only realised when I put them on for the funeral. Walking out of my shoes would not have been a good look😱

Judith, I’ve pulled some salmon out of the freezer for later – a ‘salmon parcel’ from Asda. Salmon, butter, sun dried tomato and pesto!

Hi Hollowman, the calories are per person ( or per serving) if it says quarter of a rock melon it will mean that – rock melons aren’t very big – well not in comparison to a water melon! 🙂

Congrats Lynne! That milestone is so exciting.

I don’t know why but that made me chuckle, Lynne!! It’s such an unexpected side effect!!!
It’s a shame though as shoes are never cheap! 🙁 but guess your feet will be more comfortable now when you are on the move 🙂

Hi Ruby, I tried 5:2 for a while as well but this is much easier as you can have three meals a day rather than 2 small ones, the extra 200 calories makes such a difference! 🙂
My niece weighed herself after 5 days – fully clothed at work, after brekkie and still had a 4lb loss to show!! She said she had ‘had it’ with SW because it had never worked for her. 🙂

Another side effect 😳 Some of my shoes (court shoes) are now too big😱

More for the charity shop!

Wow, Lynne, spreading the word as well as shedding the weight!!! You will have them all converted at this rate! Barring the one who said she can’t give up carbs…..but you never know!! If others start BSDing perhaps the hotels could supply appropriate BSD meals then chef’s wouldn’t get upset at left over food. Wouldn’t that be an achievement for you Lynne!

For people like me and Janet who are hypothyroid you are very likely to develop gluten intolerance – or even coeliac disease – but with allergies you often crave the very thing which makes you ill. Bizarre!!

I’m so pleased for you with that 50lb weight loss, Lynne! 🙂

Hi Cherrianne, apparently reducing insulin resistance damps down other inflammatory markers in the body. Clare ( Michael’s wife) said that is why things like my asthma get better on this diet. I didn’t even realise that Hashimoto’s caused inflammatory markers derrrr sooo
Willf, so you can look forward to other health improvements – but you are probably noticing them already after 7 weeks of BSD!!!!!

Pure Gold Captain Lynne! Absolutely fantastic weight loss results, and well done sticking to the plan at the hotel despite all the temptations. 🙂

Glad you liked it Lynne! It goes well with salmon or a sausage too! 🙂

Hi Janet, I’m not quite right but I hope you are feeling better. My awful episode with a GF brownie was after approximately 16 weeks of this diet, with increased calories after week 8. I really did not expect to be debilitated by it – let alone so severely or so long!
I hope you are over the worst of your carb invasion, I know only too well what the after effects are now. Never again will I eat any simple carbs. So far I have lost 2 entire nights sleep due to it.

The most surprising thing to me is I am still losing a little bit of fat from my stomach – very slowly. A week goes by and then a bit drops off, but I am eating more calories (1650 rather than 1000) than I could before and not putting weight on. I know for sure I can eat the low carb way for life – like Janet, Bill, Lynne, Penny, Cherrianne and others. I think for diabetics this is the only way to go and after what Clare (Michael’s wife) said to me about inflammatory markers that goes for people with hypothyroidism as well. There was no other way I could stop the weight from piling on or feeling constantly ill. Or my stomach being bloated to the point of looking pregnant – not a good look at 63!!!

In fact, I think if I see, even a GF, carb in future I will associate it with how awful I have felt since that brownie.

I think you may be correct about being more sensitive now we have had a clean diet for over 3 months or we just lived with how awful it felt and it considered it normal. It isn’t nice being robbed of your new ‘normal’ even for a few days.
My niece, her hubby and my sister have started this diet and seeing results in their first week. My sister and her husband have tried the baked bean recipe from this site and say they prefer it to tinned beans. I shall have to try it myself!

So as you say Janet, from here to eternity!!

Just thinking. Ok, I know that’s dangerous!

As you know I was at a residential conference 4 days last week. Looking on as a BSDer, I was amazed at the amount of good served (and eaten).

Breakfast buffet had juice, cereals, fruit, yogurt, cooked option and toast
Lunch: cooked meats, salads (usually in mayonnaise) cooked option and stodgy dessert.
Dinner: 3 courses.
Breaks : shortbread to go with the hot drinks.

Then the size of the portions. The pork I was served was huge – nearly an inch thick!

In the past I would have chosen what I liked and eaten it all, even after I was full. After all, it was all paid for. And I saw people eating so much last week. Diabetics eating fruit salad (in sugar syrup) because it’s healthy. Oh, served with sorbet, too. 😳
Or the cheese board – lots of cheese with celery, grapes and crackers.

Many of my colleagues are overweight (it’s the lifestyle) and many are diabetic. One, on Metformin commented she can’t give up her carbs.

It’s been going through my little grey cells – when companies are looking closely at finance (and we are in an obesity epidemic) why are portion sizes so large? I felt guilty about sending back so much food at dinner, but better that than me be ill.

It was interesting to see how many were gluten free, had food allergies etc.

On the bright side. My boss, who hadn’t seen me since January, said I was wasting away. His wife asked how I’ve done it and for details of the book 😃 I had a long talk with one colleague who had gastric band surgery, then surgery to remove excess skin. She’s read this book too.

Ho hum. Looks like I’ve learned something!

I am so heartened to hear this Hashimoto. Hoping it works for me. I am such an emotional eater so I will have to start to meditate and exercise more to distract myself. The 5:2 was good because I could cope with the diet for two days a week but would like to see more of a startling weight loss(and less acid reflux issues). I am hoping I can lose some weight quickly on this diet…nothing else has worked. Thank you for your supportive comment:)

We’ve said it for years but it hasn’t really sunk in yet with the mass consciousness that ‘diets’ only help you to lose weight (maybe!). Its the change in lifestyle that keeps it off. Probably the most frequent thing I hear when discussing this programme is ‘what will I do afterwards?’ After what? There is no ‘after’. This is my life now – low carb, end of. Judith and I have both been on the sticky end of a carb invasion this week and I hope you are now starting to feel better Judith. Mine wasn’t as debilitating as yours but I did enough damage to realise that my body just cannot cope with having carbs forced on it anymore. Being ‘clean’ for nearly three months seems to have made me even more sensitive than before. So I am now looking forward to a very easy weight management programme of life without carbs. I know our veterans, Bill, Lynne, Penny and Cherrianne (and others!) would agree that is the way to go from here to eternity….

Judith, tried it out last night. Spiralised courgette. Fried garlic, ginger, onion and chilli. Added courgetti. Then some cream cheese with artichoke I found in M&S (they do 3 different ones). It was yummie😃

yup, too true, It seems bands do nasty things to tums, and they tend to balloon above the band location/eat into the stomach – I would recommend the sleeve before a band. And I have heard of sleeve patients stretching through constant overeating, it’s not as common though. The other point to make is with sleeves, the stomach heals and naturally the swelling goes down and it stretches out over a year or so post-surgery – so the volume increase with time as part of the healing process! Ghrelin production is taken over by the liver, (apparently?) so appetite returns to normal, especially if you have insulin resistant tendencies and get carb cravings just like anyone else.

I say do the restriction without the surgery, and avoid the rare but potentially terrible side effects. Especially the paralysed tum one, that seems so awful to live with :(.

Hi Zendo, Last day of week 11 here (2stone 11 down, 9 stone more to go). At the start my fasting blood sugar was 16.7 on medication and I could see the insulin suggestion looming in my future – 2 weeks ago all my medication was stopped by GP as long as I continued on the diet (fasting bs now sitting around the 6.5 mark). Like Lynne and many of the others I fully intend sticking with the plan

Hi Will,
It can be a bit daunting seeing those high fasting readings, but there isn’t much data regarding blood sugar levels in the material I’ve seen from Prof Taylor’s research. So we are really learning as we go here. What it comes down to is we are trying to treat the cause not the symptoms. We are so conditioned, as are the health professionals, to maintaining lower blood sugars as the goal. The BSD makes the goal getting rid of the fat and insulin resistance that causes the high blood sugars. It takes a while for us to get into that way of thinking because it means living with higher levels for a while, in order to reach the goal. Scary stuff!
I think you are wise to cut down the metformin before ceasing it. I’m sure by the time your next HbA1c is due you’ll be having better readings. Then the next test will show the true results as you’ll have had good results for over three months by then 🙂