Judith et al – I think I once read it has the highest concentration of vitamin C of all veg/herbs?
But of course we don’t consume it in such large quantities as other veg.

Thanks for responding, I really appreciate it. I think you’re right Bill, it’s the idea of 800 calories that’s the most daunting – it sounds so little! I like the sound of some of the recipes on here though, and I’ll be trying them. Hopefully I’ll start losing weight quite quickly and that will help me keep going.

SkyWalker you’re right too, eating is an emotional crutch for me and has been for as long as I remember. Losing that crutch is scary.

Fatty, it really is making me wonder how much bad health problems have been down to starchy carbs!!! It’s amazing how they make people feel ill again after trying some.

I’m a coward – I’m not even going to try.

I said to my friends last night that my idea of having a roast potato and a roast parsnip at Christmas as a treat is rapidly disappearing. Why make my self feel yuk? I don’t long for any of it so I just won’t have it. 🙂

Bill, I was a bit surprised actually, I go every 6 weeks so didn’t think she would see such a big change!!!
I like the idea of being like Ronnie Corbett on the plane – I would have so much more room!!

My red, pink and purple tulips were standing proudly above a fairly deep carpet of snow this morning! How is the weather by you?

I was going to go into town for some new swimming cosies but the hail storms have put me off. Doesn’t feel at all like cossie buying time! 🙁

Hi Pete, you don’t need to be a bore! Just a revolutionary!!

I had friends round for dinner last night – a variety of health problems and therefore some individualised foods BUT half of them were so ‘stuffed’ that couldn’t manage a dessert of berries and FF yoghurt!! Not a starchy carb in sight!!!
This is what we had:
1. broccoli and cauliflower soup with a dollop of cream cheese
2. Peanut butter dip and hummus with a lot of crudité ( one friend can’t eat spices)
3. onion bhajis ( the friend who thinks she can’t eat spice proceeded to eat 2 bhajis)
4. Salmon parcels ( veg/spices according to needs of each individual)
5. Mix of berries with FF yoghurt

All friends later said they had not even noticed that there were no starchy carbs with the meal!!!
Just goes to show! I bet your friends would be the same!

I hope your holiday in France goes really well 🙂

You know what Hashimoto… they really do make me sick…. part of what happened is that, after the bread, I got – what I had aways identified as a sinus headache, or a low sugar headache… and then eating the rest of that rubbish made me feel WORSE…and I did not sleep well last night…

You and Bill are often saying how much your learning – we all are… Like some one else said the other day… I also don’t drink alcohol much because it makes me feel BLUGH.. and I am adding carbs to that list too…. (sorry I cannot remember who said the same thing) But whoever it was – thanks for making me make the connection too….

Onwards.. x

I’m in exactly the same boat. The weight fell off last week (would this be a lot of water?), and now has pretty much stopped. But I am no longer as hungry, my abdomen is noticeably less bloated and my skin has improved enormously. I’m thinking of not getting on the scales for a couple of days.

Christine, parsley is a fantastic food, we should all eat LOTS more of it!!
Judith

Fatty, you’re right, yesterday WAS just one day. Now you are back on the wagon with a valuable lesson learned:
starchy carbs are lethal for you!!!
Hashimoto

Thanks both for your responses, you are right and your response has motivated me to keep going and not to worry too much about the weight. On the plus side, today I am wearing a dress that I haven’t been able to get into for a year!! Thank you

Hello PeggyCarterRogers, your issue is sounding emotional in that you recognize your situation but have so far failed to deal with it. Lose the majority of carbs and you will soon be inspired to do more generally. We cannot all be wrong. It took me over 10 weeks to get from Obese to Normal range. Yes you have a long way to go but you have at last found the answer – only you can implement it. We are all here in support so just keep in touch, read other posts and search for whichever topic interests you most. You will succeed and this is a great support group. Your Mum will be so proud when she sees you changing in a very short time. All the best, it really works!

Good advice, Eureka!
Like you I have LOTS of cookery books! Chongolo, you could enjoy looking through vids and books and choosing recipes which appeal to you. In books you can mark pages with sticky notes. If you don’t like mess the cuisique spiralise catches food in an integral jug and you can have a courgetti meal in 2 or 3 minutes of cooking in one pan. Any spiralised veg can be kept in freezer bags or airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days saving you a lot of time (and mess) for a few days! You will love the taste of freshly prepared meals. I do keep different veg in their own bags.
As well as TK Max, Dunelm mills and Wilko’s have bargain priced kitchen stuff. I would suggest a non-stick pan if you don’t like mess – they’re quicker to clean!!

I’m with Eureka –
Ditch the junk and eat the real, healthy foods!
Judith 🙂

Sounds like the week 2 blues to me.
A lot of people have it. It’s just your body reacting to lack of carbohydrates, soon you will start burning fat and the weight loss will start again but hey, half a stone down in a week isn’t anything to get upset about, it’s just a small victory in the battle and there will be more to come if you keep faith and just do what you’re doing. Make sure you are getting enough good fats and plenty of water.

Losing half a stone is success in any language. Be realistic, it takes time to burn fat once your body switches over to using it and not storing it. Mental attitude is important. This is not a race. Carbs make the body convert food to produce fat. Reducing carbs input i.e. white stuff like flour, sugar and potatoes results in the body converting fat to energy and so using up excess stored calories. You need to replace carbs with protein and good fats and plenty of fluid. There is no quick fix. You need to be patient and do as recommended in the books. All will be well. The first 7 pounds was probably mostly water. Spend some time going through the old topics and posts in the forums and you will see what is required is nothing that special so long as you eat sensibly and do a bit more activity. Good luck, keep going most of us wavered for a while before losing 17 kg in my case.

Hello Peggy
you’re not alone in feeling nervous, many people do at the beginning. Remember that the initial diet is only 8 weeks out of your life, and if you wish, you can take it a week at a time.
With your starting weight you should initially lose a lot in a short time. Don’t be scared of the figures either. 800 calories sounds almost starvation level, but I and many others can testify that, when you eat the right foods, it’s enough not just to get by but to keep you feeling full with no cravings for carbs and sugar – honestly, it may take week 1 – 2 to happen but happen it will.
We are all here to offer support, call in any time, even if it’s just for a chat. Many people have been through what you are going through now and there are answers to most questions within this site.
Best of luck on your journey, we’re all here to help you get where you want to be.

Hi Chongololo
Welcome. I think you’ve diagnosed your own problem. You can be clean & tidy in the kitchen. Clean up as you go along. Look on line for how to vids re basics like chopping food. I think maybe you would like the idea of preparing food in a professional chef way.

I have a tv in my kitchen so I can follow programmes & watch cooking progs too. Try a radio or music so you don’t feel alone while cooking. It matters that you take care of yourself & enjoy what you eat. Set the table nicely & sit at it for your meals. It’s better posture for digestion than a tray on your lap all the time.

Write down what food appeals to your eyes, nose & taste buds. Think about what new food you might be willing to try. I use cook books for ideas, I have a lot! I enjoy preparing for parties!
I will be cooking for four this weekend. My best friend’s wedding anniversary, she has to have low calcium food ( or it can put her into heart arrhythmia ) so it’s a challenge to feed us all well.

Enjoy learning about food, it can be fun. Delia Smith is a very good cook who teaches how to using her books; Delia’s How To Cook books one , two & three. Look at her web site. Also Jamie Oliver videos & books cooking in just 15 & 30 minute meals!
Try some finger food with no cooking. Also stir fry is very quick & only uses one wok or large frying pan. You only need a good chopping board for veg ( + one for meat prep alone is best) & a couple of good sharp knives. One large, one small. I prefer large prep knives. T K Max is a good shop for pans & knives at lower prices

You could have some fun & learn a new skill to impress by. Try it. Ditch the junk food & eat the real, healthy stuff
Eureka

Hi SaraB, I am in very similar situation to you (mini pill, but now having heavy bleeding). Did your bleeding settle down?

Hello All
I have been on the diet for 8 days and was delighted each morning when I got on the scales to see I was losing just over a 1lb per day. For the last two days my weight has remained the same at 15 stone 1 lb – how annoying as I was picturing myself at under 15 stone by today.

Does the rate of weight loss slow down I wonder after one week?

Also, I am wondering if I was as active at the weekend than I was during the week as I normally work for two 20 minute bursts of activity and on Saturday and Sunday I was tasked with getting the shopping done, housework etc – so has this lower activity also slowed me down.

Does anyone have any similar experiences. Or perhaps in a couple of days time I will see a few more pounds go.

So today…

Good…. Nothing yet.. plan

Lunch cottage cheese and sardine and salad++

Dinner Ham and sweet potato wedges and other blanched veg….

Yesterday.. NOT GOOD…
Lunch – Mushroom soup with low carb high protein bread…
BUT… am wondering at the correct labelling (or not) of the bread as it says 6g of carbs per 100g… I had 80g… so not much carb , However, the drive to eat more carbs was PHENOMENAL… gave into it and ate Speculars and a snickers bar that I walked to the shop to get and bout… 2.5km… haha… so am wondering at the carb content of said bread!!

Dinner – lamb cutlets and salad..

Have decided that one day is not a HUGE fail in a 8 week journey… its just a day… and nothing compared to what I may have put away on a bad day previous to this diet…

My BSL are all over the place and it is not helping with motivation… think it may be the letting go that everyone predicts and some have experienced at this stage… However… I have realised that I am not moving as often… still walking more than 10Km a day… but… MM talks of BSL being up to 30% lower even in non diabetics who move every thirty minutes… I did this in the first four weeks… have set my alarm today to remind me again…. we shall see…

I’m 35 and I’ve binged since I was a child. My mother is a type 2 diabetic and although I’m not, at 286lb I’m very high risk. I’ve tried every diet going over the last 15 years and still the weight piles on because I can’t stop bingeing (not exclusively on sweet/carby foods – any food will do). I’ve tried the GI diet (which seems very similar) a number of times and always failed – I’m terrified that I will fail this time too.

I have 2 children and I want to see them grow up, I want to model a healthy lifestyle for them instead of secretly stuffing myself with everything I can. But I’m scared because after failing so many times it feels like this is my last chance .

Hi wishbone, you’re right in that it plays havoc with the scales!!

Hi Leeanne, I’m not sure! I do know that last week (TTOTM) I didn’t lose any weight, and actually put on almost 1 kg. I’m not diabetic so not testing my BS however I felt normal energy levels. Definitely felt the bloating though and I’m similar age group to you. Will wait until weigh in Friday to see if it’s dropped off again. Not much help sorry 😕

Hi Lucia
Just saying, you are so funny!
Christine

Hi Lucia
Oregano, or marjoram, which I believe is the same thing? My mum used it a lot in her cooking, she was way ahead of her time, she would have been 101 if she was still alive, I think it had something to do with the fact her mum was in service.
I always put parsley with garlic, it stops your body uuusssing the garlic smell from your pores, sage is great in lots of dishes.
Which foods to you put your herbs in?
Christine

I roughly check the carbs in what I eat, but I am in danger of becoming a diabetes bore. I can see it in my wife’s eyes! Luckily I am only prediabetes indicated, so just trying to get the reading down a bit rather than trying to undo actual diabetes. I don’t want to be an unsociable bore so being flexible when with friends etc. Going to France for two weeks in a fortnight and there is no way I shall be able to turn down all patisserie and baguettes, so will try and keep to a minimum but not too stalinist!

Hello all,
Just as stress/illness can affect BS readings, can the monthly menstrual cycle have any effect?
I’m 51 and a half and my monthly cycle has gone erratic and turned into a constant cycle! Mother nature gave me a few days off whilst on holiday but now back to every day. It’s the lead up to the menopause as I’m of that age group.
Today 2hrs after my normal breakfast I’ve had the highest reading in ages – 9.3.
It’s all very complex!!

Hi Sparkly, sometimes just jumping in is the right thing to do! You obviously know how to do it and. You will quickly reap the benefits!
I’m impressed that you are counting your carbs from day one!

Hi Pete, it is a really useful thread isn’t it? Are you counting carbs as well? It’s a help to others if they want to follow your menu.

I hold my hands up here because for a few weeks I hadn’t realised it was a good idea 🙁
I love split pea soup, especially with a glug of olive oil and chopped mild onion on top a la Rose Elliott style! 🙂

Love this thread – just what I need!

B – black coffee
L – Split pea soup
D – veg curry and cauli rice.

Hope you get the limes tomorrow Paula!

Btw, have you signed our petition? We are asking for the NHS to encourage T2 diabetics to follow this diet 🙂

Fantastic Izzy!

Juliet, the plateau is over and you can look forward to more weight coming off! 🙂

thanks for your reply and kind words hashimoto,

i’m glad it looks ok because i literally decided today was the day at 6am, que me jumping out of bed to boil some eggs and then fly to morrisons on my way to work to grab lunch ha ha! 🙂

i have just used my fitness pal to log everything, found it easier to do the whole day at once, so i know where i stand,

ooh i need to nip to aldi to get a cauliflower for tonights cauli rice to go with chilli so will get some, thanks for the tip

🙂

Kags, congratulations on becoming a veteran! 🙂

Hi Sparkly, welcome to the forums 🙂

Sounds like you have a very good plan for the day! I haven’t calculated your calories because it seems like you have it sorted.

It’s amazing how much good food you can have on 800 calories!

Have you seen the bags of milled flaxseed? Aldi is the cheapest, a teaspoon of it sprinkled on yoghurt is quick and easy and the resealable bag lasts for AGES!!!

Good luck for your first week! 🙂

PS fantastic news on the blood sugar Cherianne!! Well done you! 🙂

Thanks Cherrianne

I think I’ll try weekly to start with and see how I go.

Unfortunately today my AI eye condition has flared up, which means a lot of pain and most likely weight gain no matter what I eat or don’t eat, so it will be interesting to se how I go through it.

I was cross with myself yesterday as my 8 year old son cooked cheese scones in his cooking club and he really wanted me to try one, so I did. Then had another one. they were very small, and the calories and carbs weren’t horrendous, but I realised how difficult it was to stop once I’d started! But stop I did and today’s food is:

Tuna in water and mayonnaise, Low Carb Moussaka and Courgetti Prawns with 130 mls whole milk for tea.
15g carbs (11%) 33g Fat (54%) and 47g protein (35%) 939 calories

I feel less hungry today which is great! I hope you don’t mind if I post my food here. Doesn’t matter if no-one replies, it just helps to keep me on track!!

Have a good day!!

Ali

Well done, Izzy.

I’d only lost 1lb over the last two weeks, but I’m down another one this morning after giving myself a talking to about portion sizes, so feel happier and more motivated again.

It’s just your body adjusting to not having a full stomach at bedtime.

morning everyone, newbie here, so i’ve taken the plunge and thought best to get on this as soon as possible.
please could you have a look at todays food and tell me if i’m on the right tracks?

b – 100g full fat greek yogurt with 5 small strawberries and 10g crushed almonds (this was beautiful! – can see it becoming a regular breakfast if its ok and 100ml semi skimmed for tea (239 calories)

l – little gem lettuce, filled with 70g chicken, 35g houmous and half a cucumber with a boiled egg (267 cals)

d – 100g minced beef (122 calories) with the leftover 172 cals going on veg to go with it when i decide what i’m making with it.

totals 800 cals and 30g carbs not inc the veg for dinner.

and two litres of water.

is all this food allowed?
tia for any help. x

Hi Meredex
Sounds like me! I am almost at the end of my fourth week and have lost 3 kg so far. I am however feeling good, sleeping better and am enjoying some interesting and delicious foods. About 10 years ago I lost quite a bit of weight – about 20kgs and was not quite sure how I was so successful. I was determined to lose weight and started the Atkins but after 2 weeks I couldn’t face any more meat and fat. I lost 5kgs in these 2 weeks. I then went to eating mainly salads and some protein. Calories would have been 500-800 every day. On reflection, there was no sugar and as I never had breakfast and sometimes missed lunch, I realise I was fasting every day for 20-24hours! Hah – way ahead of current thinking lol! About 15 kg has crept on over the last couple of years, with horrible fat around the stomach. It needs to go! So I shall persevere as although there has not been much weight lost, my clothes are slightly looser and I feel better overall. The weight has to change eventually so if you need a buddy who is struggling like you, happy to be it.
Jussi

Brilliant, will check them out! Thanks.

Hi pete you should make the chickpea flour flatbreads! The recipe is on this site – look for the recipe tab on the toolbar. It is more like a cross between an indian flatbread and a wrap.

I sometimes spread one with cream cheese and lettuce, roll it up a d have it for lunch 🙂

I usually have it with curry though! 🙂

My waist measurement is exactly the same x

Chongolo, I guess you will have to start looking at this as helping to keep yourself healthy rather than it’s ‘wasting time’ in the kitchen.

Could you have a ‘preparation day’ making soups and foods you would like and freezing them in portions? 🙂

Hi Clare, have you noticed other health improvements for patients on this diet? Has Michael noticed it on these forums?
I know it is all ‘anecdotal’ at the moment, but speaking for myself, my peakflow charts since starting this diet tell a very different story from my charts last year! So much so that I am able to reduce the high level of inhaled steroids I was on. It can’t be ascribed to weight loss as a) I wasn’t massively overweight at the beginning, b) I was on a high level of steroids when I was lighter than my starting point of this diet and c) the improvement in my asthma came early in the diet.
Judith

Hi everyone, what a supportive blog. Excellent. I am still skipping brekky as I have made my own bread for years and breakfast to me is a slice of toast with sliced tomatoes and olive oil! All alternatives just don’t appeal, so black coffee is all I have! An egg without toast, no thanks. An egg on avocado?? Slime upon slime? I love avocado, but smashed on toast! There is cauli rice that is a great rice substitute, but what is a bread substitute?

Hi Meredex
please don’t give up yet. The fact that you are in ketosis proves that you are doing things right and some people, for some reason, do tend to lose slower than others. Have you seen any other benefits such as feeling and sleeping better, or do any of those former too tight clothes now feel slacker?
The evidence that carbohydrates are bad for you is all over not just this forum, but the internet now, so I you do feel like you have to give up, please control your carb intake, it really is a healthier lifestyle.
I know it sounds like I’m preaching from a good position but I truly believe that, unless there is some obscure medical reason, that this way of life is the answer to type 2 diabetes and weight problems.

Hi there,

Toast, steamfresh vege bags with ikea meatballs, too much cheese with crackers, naked coleslaw with protein – i have been in a yoghurt for breakfast phase at least. All just grab and go – minimal cooking.

my downfall is lollies and too many snacks, too many nuts – sky-high appetite! When I do cook it is curries and chilli – which I get thoroughly sick of eating afterwards, even if I only use a small pack of meat. I don’t ever pan fry myself a protein, I would buy a smoked chicken breast or a pack of felafels. Guess that has to change. I hate hate making a mess in the kitchen, I hate wasting time in the kitchen getting food and then having to waste more time cleaning it up again.

interesting revelation, really! I am being silly – fighting a healthy diet tooth and nail psychologically still. I have no-one to please but myself, this is part of the problem I think. Self-indulgent excuses ahoy! I think I need to have a ceremonial ‘putting the toaster away in the cupboard’ moment and spend this fortnight giving myself a good shake. 🙂

Thank u!

Well done Frank.
Not only is your story going to inspire others on the forum but you seem to have convinced a medical professional that low carb really is the way to go for T2D sufferers
That one little thing could make a massive difference to countless others if she starts recommending it to her other patients.
I too have a very supportive medical team at the GP surgery and I’m so glad after reading some of the horror stories posted by others.

That’s 6lbs in 4 weeks, which is within the recommended rate of 1-2 lbs/week for most weightloss programs.