I guess like a lot of people who have a BP problem, I’m “lucky” enough to have a BP monitor and have been taking regular readings – so there’s no need for me to see a practice nurse as I can see exactly what is happening. The lightheaded episodes prompted me to wonder what was going on during them so I tested blood sugar (which came up 5 or 6) and then blood pressure. Those readings came up 120/76, 128/69 and 127/79. The diastolic (second) element of these readings is I think the problem – they are below the Normal range.

I am approaching the end of Week 3 and have lost 18lbs. I feel that this weight reduction has definitely reduced my BP as my readings have reduced steadily since I started. I will be asking my GP later whether my lisinopril dose might be dropped from 20mg/day to 10mg/day. I hope he’ll be helpful.

By the way Rod, I love it that somebody who is trying to take charge of their own health is marked “non-compliant’ in their health records! That seems to me such a grotesque thing to do.

There’s no current research that favours a low fat diet over long term. Low fat has the biggest failure rate. Eg the Predimed research. Dr Jason Fung says that you can lose weight for a while on any system but keeping it off requires lowered carbs, higher fat and in his view some fasting. He describes several fasting patterns, including a 24 hr one (as an alternative to the 36 hour one in The Fast Diet). Basically this is just going from one meal one day to the same one the next with only liquids such as tea, water or broth. This gives the insulin production a rest.

Janet is so right – none so blind -horse/water – my best friend’s partner has T2 retinopathy, kidney problems, nerve pain in feet and ‘wants’ to be well. Cooked some bsd meals for him, bought the book for him but he is still tucking into greasy greggs pastries, chocolate and cake. Its too much effort to change his habits. In a way that’s worse reasoning than ‘don’t believe in it’ 🙁

Respect to you JillyB
I lived for almost 2 years in constant fear of losing the sight in one or both eyes and had spells when I did lose it in one or the other but never both together.
My team at the eye hospital were superb so I’m happy to hear you have a good doctor.
Best of luck.

He he Robmac the pain without the pleasure!

I hope everything turns out ok for your hubby georgiarose, hopefully he won’t want to have 5 coffees plus cake and sweet stuff in one go instead of lunch again!

Congratulations FoFi for saying goodbye to the obese level and entering the much nicer overweight level! 🙂

Jillyb you and Bill are so brave! I’m sorry to hear about the loss of sight in one eye and am keeping everything crossed for you re your good eye. 🙂

Starting today, intake wheat toast, 1 egg, tomatoes. Apple. Water

That’s why I suggest putting the yoghurt in last, so that when you invert the cup the yoghurt is on the bottom. It is liquid enough to spin around.

captainlynne

I, too, have to have injections in my eye – have for a couple of years. Initially I was of the same feeling as you. But I can assure you, if it ever happens to you, the thought of it is far worse than having it – I was quite surprised until I had the first one. All I feel is a rather dull pressure for a couple of seconds. When I was first told, I had to wait for a week during which I stressed out waiting for a whole week. I have lost the sight in one eye due to an incompetent eye doctor and when the other eye started I was with another doctor who is fantastic and we are trying to keep it with the help of injections – so necessary. The only draw back is on the day I have it I can’t see properly, can’t read, compute or watch telly, or anything but sit and listen to the radio. But, heh! It is worth it to save the good eye !
jillyB

I’m finally overweight (BMI 29.8). What a relief, it did take a little longer than I hoped, 14.2kg down since 1st Feb, but with a 10 day sabbatical over Easter and another few days off up until last weekend. Back on full time now for a few more weeks.

FoFi

Thanks for that, I love both of these 2 foods. But that doesn’t sound much even in the smaller cup….won’t it stick around the bottom of the cup ?

Regards jillyB

My target loss is 16kg. Well, here goes

Thanks Cherrieanne, Will organize a trip to a GP. Unfortunately not near our family doctor at home. Now he tells me he had 5 coffees and the bakery sweets at lunch time, instead of lunch. Will let you know how we go.

Hi Georgiarose,
Hubby needs to see his GP ASAP, something is going on with him to get a BS reading of 8.3 isn’t normal in a non diabetic so his body is under stress of some kind.
There’s not enough info there for any of us to help you, but he needs some medical attention if blacking out. May just be a medication review due to his weight loss but better to get a check up now than an ambulance trip later.
Best of luck with this

I know Leanne,

I dreamt of Steak Pie and Mash last night, and woke up feeling really bloated!

Thanks Red Devil,

Yes I am doing weights, plus 100 situps per day. I need to ‘up’ my walking though.

I will go back to the book re exercises and build on this.

Thanks again.

Rob

Help please. Hubby (non-diabetic) doing diet with me, week 8, 10 Kg loss each, just briefly blacked out. We have no sphygmomanometer, but blood sugar at 8.3, fairly normal he did have 4 coffees this morning and some cake (first time during diet).
Has this happened to anyone else?
He is lying done. Seems a bit better. Drinking water

I heard an academic on the radio yesterday, a dietary expert, say that staying on low calorie diets and losing weight rapidly has a high chance of developing gallbladder stones and gout. Anyone heard anything about this? And if so, anything we can do to protect ourselves while on the diet?

Thanks Hawkes didn’t think of the hydration side of things I have increase my water intake significantly,
Muscle mass doesn’t make a difference to weight 100gm fat is the same weight as 100gms muscle, but muscle mass does have a effect on size had to use the ties on my pj pants so will do a waist measurement this week will do that at the weekend

Hi Christi

Yes. The words horse, water and drink come to mind. Or a picture of head hitting wall😱 She cited ‘current research’ but discounted ours. Her choice.

Hope your friend listens at some point. I think most of us have been to SW and/or WW at least once, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve joined them!

Time for exercise everyone. All together now. Dancing shoes on?

“Let’s do the time warp again”

Hi all.

I’m 65 so reversing it doesn’t help, but adding the two together – 11!!!!! I always said I stuck at 19 (no particular reason), so anywhere between 11and 19 suits me fine😃

Bill, you are the Oracle!

Thank you everyone.

It’s so wonderful that you’re all helpful on these forums x

I (well my OH really) found some of that NZ frozen berry fruit so I have a well stocked freezer now. Thanks for all the tips everyone!

Any chance you are either increasing muscle or more hydrated?

Have you been doing waist measurements? Others say those are sometimes a mental boost when the weight doesn’t go down, but things are still changing in your body. I don’t measure mine, but I have a belt that keeps needing new holes every so often – at the smaller end ha ha. Used to be the other way.

You never know,Christine, you might have the chance again! 🙂

Hi Type2Partner. It sounds strange, but I needed to buy food on a railway station after I flew home from holiday recently. Needless to say, the option was sweets or sandwiches. I bought a BLT, ate the filling and binned the rest. In the past the only available option was McDonalds – I bought a burger (no fries), ate the meat and salad but left the bun. Neither option was ideal, but I felt them to be the best choices in the circumstances.

I live near a small city, but most eating places there are still of the sandwich or something with chips style. Since starting the BSD 17 weeks ago I find I eat breakfast, then nothing until evening. If I am with someone who is eating again lunchtime I just have a coffee. If they ask, I just say either that I’m not hungry, that I’ve already eaten, or that I’m going out for a meal later.

One thing I can find is a breakfast. BHS do a 4-item breakfast which sets me up for the day. Perhaps you could find something similar. I find many cafes serve an all-day breakfast.

Hi captainlynne
As Janet said , there’s none so blind as those who cannot see!
I have another friend who had her kidney out last year( it was cancer, however they ‘got’ it all) she has put a lot of weight on and went to slimming world, she has lost a stone and a half and swears by low fat everything, and won’t hear the words you will put it back on plus when you finish the diet! I feel like I am in a time warp! or something!
Christine

mmmmmmm not having a good week this week, have put on a 1kg since last Tuesday not sure why , I did have a couple of wines at the weekend but not that much !!! LOL,
Have been really strict on the calorie counting this week, but still weight has crept up, have 3 sessions in mind over the long weekend hopefully they will kick start the weight loss again, I feel thinner and better in myself and my clothes definitely fit better so those are pluses, but I do like having the physiological boost of seeing numbers on the scales decrease

Hi Lucia
Haha so I’m really 86 then! I think I might just add the two together and be 14!!!
I wish I was in size 16, I seem to be losing weight but not inches at the moment, go figure!
Christine

Had this conversation last night with a physiotherapist (socially). She has to lose weight and get her cholesterol down so she’s eating veggies, grains, nuts, pulses, low-fat and taking statins.

Told her that folk on here are getting hood cholesterol results but just not interested. She’s seen my progress but discounts what I’m doing, and the whole BSD ethos.

Oh well, won’t have to see her again after August.

I read your post with great interest, Steve. I have a similar situation with my GP (the worst thing is to end up with ‘Non-compliant’ recorded on my e-health records, lol) but ironically he’ also says as an intelligent human being I’m in charge of my own health. When it comes to my GP, I’ll let my annual blood tests do the talking. After Week 8 (and only 12lbs lighter), I feel my BP has dropped but I need to take regular daily BP readings. I haven’t done so yet, having focused on blood glucose levels instead. I need some hard evidence like regular daily BP readings to justify to myself my coming off meds (even if it’s only 40mg pill a day). And the results have to show consistency. Keeping in mind BP is an indicator of external stress (unrelated to diet) which can obviously fluctuate, I’ll rely on two or three months of BP readings. So long as the records are consistently in the Normal range for BP, I’ll be happy. If BP starts to drop to below Normal, then I believe I can be reasonably sure the meds are pushing BP below normal. Keen to see how you go!

Can you make an appointment with a practice nurse instead of your GP just to get a blood pressure check?
If it is quite low, you can then see the GP if needed to review meds, and avoid seeing them at all if it is not.

I must admit Janet that is the first time I have heard of protein being implicated in cholesterol !

Hi janet1973
Thanks for info, shows how much I know!
Hope she does give it some thought she would be so much healthier, as we all now know!
Christine

Oh and bad , sad, news, really doom and gloom,
Oh woe is me.
Etc etc.

Next door has their first pink blossom out. He has beaten me again.
I obviously, have been out and given a good piece of my mind to the tree.

Tree huggers? No way, it deserved a telling off.

Only 364 more days to wait

Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi Judith
Thanks for info on cholesterol, wish I could re-trace my steps and tell the person I was talking to that it doesn’t matter about the quantity of protein you eat! Thanks
Christine

Hi captain Lynn,
How many people have signed the petition?

Has everyone got, their mums, dads, bros, sisters, sons daughters, cousins, aunts uncles etc to sign the petition

I got my neighbour to do it. I think he was glad I wasn’t stopping long.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi orchid
Good idea! Will try that tack next month, she seems interested however She is hidebound by her husband and his views, it’s such a shame, she is such a lovely woman, thanks for the idea though
Christine

Hey Bill,
You are a man in the know.
Any idea how many members we have?
Love Lucia xxx

Hi Christie 1948.
One of my blogs, I was in the mood for reversing ages or halving them.

So you still only a tiddler.

Glad you have good jeans, me too, mine are a size 16 and shrinking.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi sianeb.

I have various health conditions which cause pain. Before starting the BSD I had become accustomed to using a walking stick more often – sometimes to get up from the chair or up the stairs, or walking round airports. Get the picture?

Now after 17 weeks on the BSD I don’t need the stick. The lady time Imused it was to close the garage door that had rolled too far up! 😃

Many of us are finding benefits we never dreamed of when we began this 😃

Hi Bill 1954,
First, I hope you are now on the road to recovery.
I Truly have missed your banter and wisdom.
Glad you are back, but the googled thing about it is, you have missed several light hearted digs at you and I have got away with it.

Secondly, I have read your blogs, sometimes, I miss you on this this thread only to find you giving encouragement , guidance and friendship to a new member. You have helped me immensely.

Thirdly and bad news for you Bill, you now have a good friend in me, wether you want it or not 👫

Look after yourself.
Love Lucia
Xxxx

There’s none so blind as those who will not see. Its part of the human condition. Everyone of us has to have our own light bulb moment, our own epiphany. Until that happens you might as well talk Dutch to them. Be patient, they might get there by watching your example.

I’m not sure it was protein that was the worry with cholesterol but the fat attached to it. Anyway its been proved now that animal fat is not bad for us. And also, this isn’t a high protein diet. We are recommended 45g for women and 55g for men in the book which I is moderate protein. High protein is nearer 90g a day.

Ooohhh Bill, you are brave. And all you others who’ve had eye ops or injections. I could cope with contact lenses, but the thoughts of any medical procedure on my eyes makes me cringe. *shudders*

Oh dear Sue. You gotta love well meaning neighbours!

I have read on a website I wouldn’t necessarily trust that a slightly higher than normal intake of sodium and potassium can help with the first few days of a low carb diet. However this wasn’t aimed at diabetics and as I said you can’t trust everything on the net.

I have done some 90 minutes pieces of strenuous exercise without any problems on this diet. There are lots of sites that will let you estimate how many calories your hike will burn. You might decide to increase you intake by this amount less that of 15,000 steps.

Cheese should keep okay for a few days and many vegetables will keep, such as peppers or carrots. Apples should be okay. Do you have cooking facilities? If so you could take dried beans.

Or you could just decide to eat more vegetables on the first day or two (falafel, onion bhaji salad, carrots cut them up as you go) and on the 3rd and 4th day you don’t eat as many vegetables as normal. You could take some higher fibre snacks such as prunes, and guilt free brownies, or something else made from coconut flour and have these on the final days.