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  • Good morning Hashimoto,

    Thank you for your valuable advise.

    On a separate issue it’s great to hear about your friend, please pass on my congratulations.
    My Transplant was in November 1999.

    Yes my Consultant is a great person and very forward thinking, so I am very lucky.
    I really can only see good in this BSD and will take medical advise first.

    Best regards,

    Nigel.

  • posted by  duckstrained on risk of gallstones and gout
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    I have read that gallstones can be associated with a very low fat diet. Your gall bladder releases bile to digest fat. If you eat little fat then it doesn’t empty itself regularly and stones form. Or something along those lines πŸ™‚

  • posted by  hashimoto on Newbie
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Fatblaster, lots of us have had that strange experience of putting a pound on one morning – then 1 or 2 days later losing more than 2 lbs so don’t let it discourage you.
    Keep on keeping on and it will all come good. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water.
    πŸ™‚

  • posted by  Fatblaster on Newbie
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Thanks, Barby. Your tips are REALLY helpful. It is too easy to assume portions are all right, when you’re a wee bit out. On 800 calories that is a big difference. I also didn’t drink so much, so that might be another thing. Going to cut down weighing myself to twice a week and keep going. Feel SO much better, and that is good in itself.

  • posted by  carsong on End Of Week 1.
    on in Fast 800
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    End Of Week 7 – Some Reflections…

    Hi all, am now 98.8kg and always between 3.8 and 4.6 in the morning – primarily affected by how much exercise I’ve done.
    My target is 95kg but I am happy that I am fast approaching 20kg’s lost. I can’t begin to describe the changes in my life…
    I had some incredibly slow weight loss including a few days of weight gain in week 5 but, thankfully, no rising BSL as others have reported. I fell off the wagon the week AFTER Easter, having done so well on holidays with everyone drinking and eating… I’m going to add one week to the 8 as a result. I find that my body latches on to certain weight milestones for a few days and then goes down again. For me they were 110, 105, 100kg. The initial fast weight loss had to slow down and I think between 1 and 2kg a week is about right for me. I fell into the trap of not using MyFitnessPal to log food and realised I had started creeping up in kcal per day… I buy myself milestone presents, size 42″ waist now a loose 36″ means some nice new clothes. I marked 100kg’s with a new watch to remind me never to slip back into my poor lifestyle/eating habits. I had bad non-acidy indigestion for couple of weeks, like a pressure on the throat kind of thing which I put down to shrinking stomach putting upward pressure on the system? It is really hard to get the 10000 steps in if you aren’t careful and brutally honest with yourself. I now do 80 minute sessions on an elliptical trainer (1300 steps per ten minutes) to make sure. I have noticed a huge increase in cardiovascular fitness. I sweat heaps less too. I have been amazed at how little food I need to operate. I have been so productive building stairs, renovating kitchen etc but I have had to learn how to do these things differently now that I am more relaxed in my nature – everyone has been commenting on how laid back but productive I have been. Is this cause i don’t have so much cortisol flooding my system. I once took an ant-depressant called ‘Pristique’ and the change in my head since blood sugar and weight have come down is very similar. My whole experience of life is changing. I am a singer songwriter and it has affected my singing, guitar playing, and song composition. I have been thinking a lot about my post-8 week regime. I am thinking that I will do the med diet at 1500kcal per day, four days a week, and 800kcal 3 days a week to start. I will monitor my weight and make sure that I don’t continue to lose. Anyhow thanks for all the support on this and other topics and good luck to everyone – you will have ups and downs but if you learn not to punish yourself and be honest with yourself you can do it!

  • posted by  Fatblaster on Newbie
    on in Starting the BSD
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    Thanks, Izzy! One of the best things is this forum. Stops me boring my partner! And keeps me going. Restored and renewed!

  • Good morning Keje,

    Thank you also for your helpful advise too.

    Sorry my fault but as I previously pointed out I am a Type 2 Diabetic and not Type 1 insulin dependent.
    The other reason I am concerned about my levels is because I have now been referred to Hospital for retina eye tests and am keen to try and sort this out.

    Having said that your info gives me lots of research to catch up on.

    Best wishes,

    Nigel.

  • posted by  hashimoto on List your health improvements here!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Keje I totally recognise what you are saying. I didn’t realise how much guilt I held about my weight until the day I bought 2 new frocks and wasn’t cowering in the corner of the changing rooms and making a very fast dash for the exit πŸ™‚

  • Personally I would skip breakfast and have the lunch (sensible portions, filling the plate with veg rather than the carbs) and a little bit of trifle (just say you are full and ask for a small portion) and a small tea as you have said. If you are serving yourself from serving dishes you can put whatever you want on your plate and no one will probably be watching what you are eating unless you are drawing attention to it. However, if she is dishing up then have a quiet word with her. If she is a good friend she will support you and won’t announce it to the world. Perhaps ask if she can set aside a little bit of the fruit and cream from the trifle for you. Maybe think of it as having one day following the med diet option rather than the 800 kcal option?

  • posted by  Kes on 'Weigh in' thread
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Thanks guys and yes I think the alcohol is the main culprit and my hope is that the first stone will be a huge spur to push harder for the next stone.

    I’m looking at it that I needed to lose 4 stone to be in the lower half of the ‘overweight’ section of the BMI chart, so I’m a quarter of the way there today. The next stone will take me to the cusb between ‘overweight’ and ‘obese’ and that will be a double goal.

  • Good morning Bill1954,

    Thank you for replying to my initial post.

    Fortunately I booked early this morning to see my GP so my appointment fits in well to ask about the BSD.
    As you kindly point out I too can’t see why this wont fit in well my my current problem of trying to lower my BS levels.

    Thanks again for your advice.

    Best regards,

    Nigel.

  • posted by  keje on List your health improvements here!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    I have to say for me the obvious health benefit to me is weight loss and a 10cm smaller waist. However, I think the improvement to my mental health/ way I perceive myself has been a massive benefit. I now feel free of the previous feelings of guilt and incompetence at being bigger than I liked despite exercising loads and seeming to eat less than skinnier friends, this setting up cycles of extreme dieting followed by extreme binges. After years of trying to loose weight, losing and regaining the same stone on too many occasions to count and believing that I’m just greedy and will never get my binging under control, this really is a revelation. Realising I’m insulin resistant, not incapable of self control is a revelation. I’m almost having to rethink my whole perceptions of the way I (and others)have labelled myself over the years. To be free of binges and snacking now and find I can go hours without eating and being hungry is amazing. It’s not that I’ve learned to control binging/snacking it’s the fact that I just have no desire to do so. This has been so freeing and I feel so much calmer and happier, even ecstatic at times. The low fat propaganda has really been quite damaging to me over the years.
    Also, have to say being able to eat cheese and the occasional red wine completely guilt free (while still losing weight) is a benefit I will forever be grateful for!!!

  • Hi Nigel, unfortunately I haven’t heard of anyone on the forums having the identical problem so can’t point you to a suitable posting.
    I have a friend who had a kidney transplant over 30 years ago but she hasn’t followed this diet as she does not have T2.

    I hope you have an understanding GP/consultant who is prepared to think out of the box. Dieticians seem to mostly churn out the low fat/high carb stuff but you may be lucky enough to find one who will take this diet seriously.

    I know, from my friend, that once you have had the transplant and not having the dietary restrictions of dialysis that all food, other than salty food and alcohol, was on the menu.

    I can’t see a problem with cutting out starchy carbs but would seek proper medical advice first. As Bill says, there are people on these forums who have seen dramatic reductions in their blood sugars and you don’t want T2 on top of the meds you take to maintain your transplanted kidney.

    Hoping for good news for you πŸ™‚

  • mmmm will have a think. For some reason I’m reluctant to “come out” but maybe I need to as this is going to be a long term new way of life. I may say that I’m just trying to cut sugar out. I could always bring a small cheeseboard/celery with me, as a contribution, and also have a quiet word with her. Good idea on the cheese, thanks both.

  • posted by  Bill1954 on On a high!!
    on in BSD Way of Life
    permalink

    Well done lostgirl, good to see things happening for you now πŸ™‚
    Could you actually post that yorkie recipe please, your link goes to a dead page for me.

  • posted by  AJH66 on Thermomix recipies
    on in Fast 800
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    Hi my wife and are new to the BSD world however we have been thermomix owners for a while.

    Lynette you mentioned you had a few recipes, or any one else, I have a TM 31 and would be very grateful for any thermomix recipes.

    We have converted a couple of BSD recipes however if someone else has done some that would be great, I like easy.

    regards ash

  • Hi Barby, personally I would explain to my friend that I was doing this diet and say I hope you won’t be offended if I don’t eat carb rich foods but I will still really enjoy the dinner you cook and your company even if I don’t eat the carbs.

    There is less chance of causing offence that way. πŸ™‚

  • Not sure if this is helpful or not, but have seen a few references to physiological insulin resistance on other low carb forums which may explain some people’s higher blood sugars. It appears that this is actually a good thing, if the explanation I have copied below (lots of other references come up if you google it)is correct. It looks like you need to get your HbA1c tested to more reliably tell you if this low carb way of eating is benefiting you.

    Physiological Insulin Resistance is better called “Adaptive Glucose Sparing”. Why would your peripheral tissues be primed and adpated to remove glucose from blood if… there isn’t any glucose in there to speak of?

    No, those tissues adapt. Glucose transporters fold back inside the cell from the surface, instead the cell becomes more adept at taking in fat which is circulating. You literally become adapted to sparing glucose for use by those cells which absolutely require it. Some brain cells, red blood cells and testes require glucose because they do not have mitochondria!

    Yes, FBG can easily rise above 100 mg/dl. But: FBG is a metric which is useful for day to day and hour to control and monitoring of blood glucose in diabetics. If you have physiological insulin resistance, you are literally at the opposite end of the risk spectrum to a diabetic:
    β€’You will have an extremely low HbA1c value
    β€’Your liver and kidneys will be very sensitive to the effect of insulin, even though muscle tissue isn’t
    β€’You will almost never suffer hypoglycemic events

    It takes a few days of eating carbs to return to the normal state for healthy people. This is why the term is “physiological” and not “pathological”. It is not a disease state, it is a healthy response to carbohydrate restriction.

  • posted by  hashimoto on List your health improvements here!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi so many of us are noticing improvements in pre existing health conditions I thought it would be useful to have a thread where we put our name and which conditions have improved for us on this diet. It could be useful to Prof Taylor and Dr Mosley for their research.

  • posted by  hashimoto on On a high!!
    on in BSD Way of Life
    permalink

    Lostgirl, So pleased to hear about another three pounds off!

    Those containers are a really good idea! πŸ™‚

  • posted by  Just do it on risk of gallstones and gout
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    When on the 5:2 earlier this year I heard a few mentions of gallstones particularly in women being a side effect of very low cal diet & high protein – not what we are doing. This was from Prof Longo who MM was researching intermittent fasting with. Good to hear you’re seeing improvements in yours Cherrianne. My improvements have been to
    Asthma
    Osteoarthritis
    Sinuses

  • posted by  Bill1954 on 'Weigh in' thread
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Kes don’t beat yourself up about it, you are human after all!
    We all have little slip ups, just try to take it 1 day at a time, eg I won’t have alcohol just for today.
    You have lost a stone so that is no cause for despondancy, celebrate the fact that you know how to do it and aim to shift the next stone a bit faster.

  • posted by  hashimoto on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    Hi Christine, I’m sure your friends will notice your weight loss! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they decide to try this diet too!!!

    Cherrianne, looking forward to tasting those lovely organic eggs your girls lay!!
    Lucia, I would never bully anyone about being vego either.

    I was vegetarian myself for about 14 years but decided to allow meat into my diet when living in the Middle East as it was causing people too much anxiety about meals for me – not many people were vegetarian at the time and I didn’t want to be the cause of stress or people making 2 different meals when I was invited to their homes. I still eat meat now but not every day – a bit too pricey apart from anything else
    xxx

  • posted by  hashimoto on 'Weigh in' thread
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi Kes, just ‘manning up’ will spur you on to achieve more. I think the alcohol might be your biggest stumbling block to more weight loss. Any chance of ditching it until your holiday? You could then look forward to it as a holiday treat you deserve. πŸ™‚

  • posted by  Christi1948 on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
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    Hi Lucia,
    What a good idea, I’m going to get myself a lovely bracelet, a sparkly silver one, ( I don’t suit gold), I’m cheap you See! Then when I reach my target weight I will have it engraved with 800, brilliant idea!!! Thank you for the inspiration.
    We are off out for a meal this evening with our diebetic couple, I’m hoping they notice how much weight I have lost, they have been supportive, as well as the forum, we only see them half a dozen times a year, so I think they will see a difference.
    Christine

  • posted by  Lostgirl on On a high!!
    on in BSD Way of Life
    permalink

    Well sorry been busy.. Life manic!!!

    Dropped 3 pounds!!!

    What I am doing.. Is bought off eBay take away containers I can freeze and microwave.. Doing bumper cook off and portion and freeze…

    So far so good!

  • We’ve been invited to a birthday lunch with friends on Sunday, which is lovely, just the four of us. I know she’s doing a big roast dinner, so I, being veggie, have offered to bring a cauliflour cheese dish. Hopefully I can make one, that is low carb, and others won’t even realise. She’ll do loads of lovely veg to go with it, I just will have to avoid the roasties.

    For desert she’s making homemade trifle, and possibly apple pie. I don’t feel I can offer to bring an alternative, as she’s a very good cook and.maybe would offend her.

    What would you all do, just have a little trifle, homemade custard/fruit/cream? I would just have this meal plus low carb soup in evening, no booze. This is the first real challenge I’ve had like this. None of them know I’m doing this regime. I want to wait until I have some noticeable weight loss before telling anyone.

  • I can’t comment on the transplant situation, you should really consult your GP or a dietician but the blood sugar readings should take a tumble on this plan if you get the go ahead.
    We have had folk with readings similar to yours getting remarkable results.
    Try just cutting the bad carbs out for a week or so to see how you react and then worry about the calories would be my advice, but ONLY when you have medical advice to go ahead.
    Best of luck!

  • posted by  DocPWK on Blood Pressure
    on in Fast 800
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    I think that this really reinforces the guidance in the book that you need to check with your GP if you are on meds for high blood pressure before starting the diet. If you are, check your blood pressure at least daily when you start the diet. I was completely stunned by the fall in my readings after just 1 or 2 days.

    I am due to see the GP again early next week (follow up call which means blood sugar was causing concern) so decided to do a pre-emptive strike and go on the diet for a week before going back, based on reports that some people reported almost immediate benefits. Didn’t expect this though! It’s just a shame that Lloyds pharmacy let me down completely and never sent the blood glucose monitor I ordered a week ago, so I have no idea what my blood sugar is doing. On the upside, Boots gave me the customer services number for Roche and when I phoned them to ask where I could get a meter (Accu-chek Aviva) they said they would send me one free of charge. Result!

    As a doctor myself (of IT not medicine though) I’m fairly happy to self-administer for a few days, but I’m only doing it as an emergency measure before my BP drops through the floor.

    Bottom line – every home should have a blood pressure monitor (and use it)!

  • Morning Guy’s, as the initial post points out I am new to your excellent site and getting more desperate as time goes by.
    So diving straight in……

    Bit of my History, Type 2 diabetic after gratefully receiving a Kidney Transplant but I was put on to prednisolone and hey presto I developed Type 2 Diabetes.

    I was told by the Doc the sugar increase was because of this steroid I was placed on?

    This is my first question has any of you Guys tried the BSD after having a transplant and if so may I ask what success or failure did you experience?

    Currently for no apparent reason my BS levels have risen dramatically from 9.5 to 17 and I am extremely worried.
    Would you say I am now beyond help with the BSD approach?

    Hoping for some feed back,

    Very best regards,

    Nigel.

  • posted by  Izzy on Newbie
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    it might help to weigh in less, once a week maybe or even at least leave it a couple of days in between.

    I’m a newbie too so lets keep going πŸ™‚

    I’ve also had to pee a lot…. and I also don’t much feel drawn to the book example recipes, but there are plenty low carb recipe ideas you can find here and online elsewhere and I have been making up my own.

  • posted by  barby on Newbie
    on in Starting the BSD
    permalink

    Hi FatBlaster – I know EXACTLY how you feel about being demotivated, especially when you read about all the amazing losses. Not everyone is so lucky – I am quite new here and one of the slow losers, but it IS going. I know myself, and if I see the scales go up, it does demotivate me, could make me binge.

    So I have not weighed for last 5 days, just keep doing it properly. It will come off, and meanwhile hopefully you’ll start feeling other benefits, such as clothes slightly looser, happy being in control. I may weigh once a week from now on.

    The things I’m trying to do now, which I didn’t at first, is take the time to weigh my portions ie when I add teaspoon chopped nuts to yoghurt/ or 3 dsrt spoons yoghurt for breakfast. Once I know exactly how much a portion is in a certain spoon, I enter it on My Fitness Pal, and use same spoon from then on. I may have been eating too much without realising. Also if you go on MFP or similar, you can make sure you are eating enough fat, which is also important.

    Make sure you drink loads, apparently it really helps with weight loss. I’ve found these forums make all the difference to keep me on track. Good luck and bet you will be shrinking soon.