Heinz own WeightWatchers……… explains a lot…..

Its no wonder we are fighting such an uphill battle when weight loss companies are peddling products that are a quarter sugar!

Cherrianne – no suggestion of fatty liver from tests. 3-5 years ago, my liver enzymes were elevated at my annual physical. That happened to have been fewer than 24 hours after my birthday meal – at which I’d had 1-2 margaritas. Follow-up tests – and every annual test since then – were absolutely normal. I just appear to be abnormally sensitive to alcohol.

If I have to get to the bottom of my BMI normal range people will freak out. I’m not in the normal range yet, and at least one person has already expressed concern about my weight being borderline too low. Because of my build, people routinely put my weight at 20-30 lbs lower than it is.

My carb limit is 20 net in a 3 hour period, so I can already have 60 net/day – as long as I space them out well.

My liver is definitely is still doing the glycogen to glucose conversion to wake me up in the morning (and until it recognizes I’ve broken my overnight fast). As I understand it, that’s part of the purpose of a fasting period – the glycogen stores run out after 16-18 hours, so a fast at least that long depletes them. But there’s some signaling mechanism (beyond the first phase response telling it that food is on the way) that has to be malfunctioning since it just keeps dumping long after it gave me the energy I needed to get out of bed. But that’s beyond where I was able to get in terms of understanding, given my currently limited time for research.

I just noticed I posted this in the welcome section, rather than where I intended to post it (the 800 calorie section). Guess I’ll post a new one (as a progress thread) in the right place at the end of my first week.

Only told my husband & a friend when I started…since then I have slowly told more friends & a cousin. My parents are currently abroad & are due back mid April. I will suprise them with a slimmer me & try and get them onboard the ‘bsd train’ ( they r both type 2)

My Dr had done 5:2 but was not to receptive of the BSD & said my body would go into starvation mode so I would be better off doing the 5:2.
Can’t wait to see her reaction when I next go to see her. Hopefully she’ll start recommending BSD to other patients!!!

Fair enough! Keep up the good work!

Good afternoon Lynne, I am not surprised that Asda is loading it’s chicken with sugar as well, predictable. Haven’t got out today but plan is to check Sainsbury’s and Co-Op as these are the only 2 other stores we have in addition to M&S. I’m in town at the weekend & during my usual ram-raid of Waitrose, I’m going to take a look at their chicken & prawns. No Morrisons or Tesco anywhere near where Iive or visit.

Labelling, now that’s another nice little nut to crack….. Traffic lights, % ……. As most people have no clue as to what 5 by volume actually means it’s a real can of worms.

Showed a young friend of mine exactly how much sugar was in her Weight Watchers ‘safe’ cake…….DISGUSTING. She had no idea but 1 portion had just under 22g of sugar in it……. 24% of the nasty little thing was SUGAR!!!!

Hi Captainlynne
I think it’s rife. But we have to fight back!
Penny

Hi Janet – The Grocery downstairs from work didn’t have any higher fat Cottage Cheese, so I’m going to have to make due until I can shop at the bigger store near home on the weekend. I’m looking forward to finding full fat Greek Yogurt too!

The plan is to phase out the shakes completely, I think that will be happening sooner, rather than later, lol.

Cheers!

Deb

Hi Justabloke
Sorry about late reply- dodgy Goan wifi. Back home now.
You sound like you’re doing so well.
Re the High intensity excercise. – I thought I’d cycle round the park and fast up the hill ( not ‘fast ‘ of course but with effort) I think that’s a way I could add it in. Sounds like a good boost.
Hope all still going well and BMI still falling.
Penny

Hi Lachlan,
What a relief to find out you haven’t been counting all the carbs! At least you have the answer now. We really do have to be diabetes detectives don’t we? We just have to keep on testing theories and trying new ones until we come up with the culprit responsible for the crime against blood sugars. 🙂 So glad you’re on the right track now. We are going to be hearing your great results soon I think.
Bill, I’m not going to know until tomorrow now! It’s 20 to midnight here and I’m going to sleep. All the best for your appointment 🙂

Off the top of my head, as they are a processed product (I don’t know what’s in them you understand), I would say best avoided if possible. If you think you might be needing something fast, have a go at making some savoury sesame crackers (they are easy and simple to make) to nibble on or try a cube of cheese to fill the gap.

Another ageism story. Years ago my father was in a lot of pain and needed a hip replacement. The GP would not refer him. I told my father to ask again, but then the GP said he wanted to see me. He kept me waiting, then sat writing without acknowledging my presence. When he finally spoke to me, he said it was my dad’s age! At that point I pointed out that my dad had two hips and only one was giving trouble! He got his hip replaced 😃

A different story – my mum was in hospital and I was meeting with her consultant surgeon. One of his areas of expertise was bariatric surgery (not what me mum was having) and every time he saw me, I could see him eyeing me up as a potential patient. I automatically pulled my coat round me in an attempt to reduce my size😳

I can fit into all my nice old clothes which I had gotten a size too big for! So my wardrobe options have expanded greatly. I’ve been wearing my nice black leather jacket loads, because the weather has been just right for it.
I’m buying a new bikini – except it’s proving slightly problematic because I think my bra size has changed and I’m trying to work out what I am now! Ordered a bunch online to try on.
I can cross my legs more comfortably now when sitting down.
My nightly reflux has disappeared since reducing carbs.

Hi Hashimoto
I flagged this while on goa and just found it again.
Probably you ve cleared a lot it by now- I’d love to get my secateurs and loppers on that hedge!
Sounds like it’s going to be lovely eventually. But how was it allowed to get in such a mess! Maybe there’s not a big call for allotments there! Here in London you can’t even get on the list! I m on the committee for hackney allotments and we have to be strict ( tho it’s not easy) because the demand is so high. It’s really use it or lose it!
Anyway, by now the two of you will have bulging muscles at least!
Good luck with it.
Penny
PS thinking- I should give up growing spuds!

Hi there,
Liking your goals, especially number 2.

I assume the 2% cottage cheese is 2% fat is it? If so, you can go for full fat cheeses on this programme, they will help add to your feeling of fullness.

Well done for working out plan b, I think you will prefer it in the long run.

I told my husband from the start, and he was very supportive because he knows I’m not into fad diets (I’ve never been on one) and very into science and skepticism, so he trusts that I know what I’m talking about and that I get my info from trustworthy sources. He also watches Trust Me I’m a Doctor with me and all the other BBC health shows I love, so knows who Michael Mosley is.
Other reactions have been a little mixed. (Keep in mind I’m just eating med style, not doing 800 cal a day.) Some people are interested, others brush it off as a low carb fad.
I really want to get my parents in on it, because I think they’d really benefit from the 8 week diet. My mum was vaguely interested to begin with, but then said she just needed to exercise more. I’m hoping that when she sees photos of me (we live on opposite sides of the globe!) she’ll get interested again, or when we go visit next year I can make her some food and she can see how I eat and hopefully see how well it works and how easy it is.

Dr M doesn’t specify how many carbs in the book but if you want you can check out a website called diet doctor which is also a low carb high fat plan very similar to this one.

Absolutely common. Caffeine tends to worsen it (in my experience). I find that taking a sinus pill (I use Advil Sinus) works for me.

Well, it at least takes the edge off of it.

Stick with it. This too shall pass.

Cheers,

Deb

Shame you don’t like yoghurt Chezza, not even Greek Yoghurt, it’s strained so has a different taste & consistency to other types.

I’d have a look at a variety of different mayos, I use a full fat Maille one from France (it is available in the UK). I hope you find one that floats your boat, enjoy the salad!

It’ll be that headache!

Anything up to 50g should get you into ketosis (fat burning) but some people prefer to keep it lower, around 20g or 30g.

Beginning of Day three and I’ve had it with the shakes. The drinkable ones…

They just don’t fill me up! So what I’ve done today is replaced my AM shake with 2 eggs and 125ml of 2% Cottage Cheese. I flavoured the eggs with Herbs de Provence and a little Tabasco. I am lucky that a few months ago I purchased a Egg-Tastic Egg cooker for work. I used it for the first time today and it cooked 2 eggs in the microwave perfectly in under a minute (45 sec actually).

It was delicious and I’m hoping it will keep me full longer.

I also splurged and bought a new loose leaf herbal tea called “Mother’s Little Helper” – from the package…

“Need to relax? One sip of this blend is like a day at the spa. Herbal Infusion – Organic – Caffeine-free
Ingredients: Peppermint, Lemongrass, hibiscus, rosehips, chamomile, valerian root, and cornflowers.”

It smells divine. Time to go brew a pot.

Make today a great day!

Three Goals:
1. Clean out “emergency” carbs from desk and give to another department.
2. Don’t ask for them back later.
3. Log all food, even if it’s zeros across the board.

Cheers,

Deb

Agreed Penny. Unfortunately, I think many doctors do reach for the first stereotype to hand and have empathy fatigue these days.

I was lucky with my Dr, she gave me her blessing to try the diet. I have my 3 month check up with the diabetic nurse tomorrow. I don’t think I have reduced my blood sugars yet as I had a couple of months of out-of-control eating and weight gain before I started this diet. Hopefully she will agree that the next three months will show us what I can do.

Yes, it most certainly is common on a diet like this one. Not only are you detoxing from caffeine and other chemicals but also sugar itself. Lots of us have gone through this and you should start to feel better in a day, maybe two. Take some painkillers and keep drinking the water. You will come out the other side feeling a lot better for it.

Hi Janet
What an irresponsible twerp. He is ignorant and should shut up about things he doesn’t know about. Millions will have seen that
Penny ( exasperated 😠)

Hi folks its me again.

I really will have to get my kindle back I need the book for the info.

How many carbs am I supposed to be eating a day. I cannot for the life of me remember!!

Thanks

Hi Sianyb
I don’t know about bloods but definitely drink 10 glasses/ cups a day, take painkillers, and in a day or two you ll be fine.
Good luck
Penny

Re ageism – which is a word. Here’s an example- I went to the doc a couple of years ago after my knee gave way on the stairs and then was very painful.
Of course I had searched the Internet for info.
The doc was very young, a trainee GP. She looked at my knee a bit and asked about it then said.’ Take these painkillers and carry on as normal, it ll be arthritis. ‘ I said ‘ but if it’s a torn miniscus I mustn’t walk on it’ ( which seemed more likely to me because of the giving way) Then she repeated what she d said and I repeated what I’d said, a few times.
eventually, with bad grace, she sent me for a scan- guess what, torn
Miniscus! If I’d ve ‘carried on as normal’ I could have ended up with a permanent injury. I think this was about her seeing me as an old woman therefore bound to have arthritis and not to be taken seriously. If it hadn’t been for the Internet…
Penny

Just caught a bit of ‘This Morning’ this morning, Joe what’s his face saying we shouldn’t be scared of eating carbs (he was cooking turkey burgers in bread buns). He then went on to say if you are fit and doing plenty of exercise, they are fine. I guess that’s where millions of people are going wrong then?

I also followed 5:2 last year, very successfully because I was strict and recorded all calories consumed and kept to my TDEE on non fast days. However, I think the BSD has a more balanced approach as I want to keep off all sweet items and I am hoping that my body will soon adjust to the routine of a regular intake of good foods and low carbs rather than just the two days a week as on the FD. Fortunately I don’t have much weight to lose, just doing this for the health benefits.

Hi
If you have a tea or coffee with full fat milk then wait… You’ll be ready for this later…

I have a teaspoon of each:
soya bran,
chai seeds,
flaxseed,
desiccated coconut
mixed into 100g Eat Water Slim Rice
with 100ml unsweetened Almond milk.
Warm in micro then drop 2 teaspoons of creamy Greek yoghurt on top.

It’s really filling so I have this closer to noon with a black coffee

Hi sianeyb
I test fasting sugars every morning and pre dinner levels at about 6pm
Drink as much water as possible to help with the headaches and take a couple of painkillers if needed. The headaches usually only last a couple of days.

Thanks for your posts.

Fifip I unfortunately I dont lie yoghurt – it would be so much easier if I did. I didnt know that using a lite version of Mayo had sugars and Im supposed to be an educated woman! I noticed on TV over Easter that a top brand of Mayo are advertising an Olive Oil Mayo. Might have a look at that.

SOS & Leeanne thanks for that as I said I’ll have a look and new olive oil one and see what thats like – checking ingredients before though.

When I look at what everybody is eating I’m not sure how I managed to lose 8 stone although to be fair I never felt deprived. Thank goodness for Michael Mosley!!

Hi Bill
I love that story!
I thought after- a better reply would have been- not the old lady in curlers, but a doctor of any age or gender!!
To which the right reply is -‘are you mad?’!!!!
Penny

Hi,
I am new to the diet and very headachey. How often do you test your blood and do you do a fasting test each morning. I don’t want to blood let unnecessarily!

Hi Bill
I so agree with you. I used to think’ how can people just have soup for lunch?’ – now I know! They weren’t carb addicted and therefore really hungry. Now I can just have soup for lunch!
Isn’t it great to not be in the grip of carbs!!
Penny

Blimey, not sure if I am detoxing or what but my head feels like it is about to explode! Is this commonplace ? I am drinking lots of water and have replaced a couple of cups of coffee with peppermint tea so I may be a bit lacking in caffeine

Hi Bill

Thanks for your reply.

I have diabetic bloods tomorrow and then a review with the nurse in 2 weeks. I am waiting to see the results of the bloods but will mention it as the surgeon who ordered the gastroscopy is not the surgeon who did the operation – he has unfortunately left. The new surgeon is not very nice at all and told me I may have to live with the vomiting and excess acid. However if its causing problems with my sugars then he needs to look at things again in my view. I’ll wait and see the results of the camera.

The blood readings Ive been doing are around a couple of hours after food where they have been good well good for me! The 8.2 was first thing in the morning before food.

I hope things sort out cos I am fed up. Mostly with the stomach problem. A piece of advice to anybody – DONT have your gallbladder removed unless ABSOLUTELY necessary!!

Cheers

I also successfully lost weight following 5:2 last year and kept it off until just after Christmas and for the past three months have been eating far too many sugary and carb laden items, especially chocolate. Only on the 3rd day, but it does help having had the discipline of doing two fast days per week (500 cals) previously and being aware of some of the side effects of intermittent fasting. However, I really must concentrate on eradicating sugar from my life, even though my current BMI is 24.2 so hoping the BSD plan will help me boot out the sweet things in my life.

Tell
You what I found .. Atkins biscuits..: low sugar and low carb.. Not bad for calories. They any good ???

Ideally don’t want to use them but there are times so hungry and rushed off need to eat something fast

Hi Bill,
What’s your thyroid function like then? I’m going to ask for mine to be retested. My hair is thinning, first thyroid test came back normal, but it was that blood test that picked up the diabetes. I’ve since found out on one of the threads here that you should ask for all the thyroid hormone levels to be checked. Only one gets checked usually cos it’s the cheapest test.

*breathe*. Ah,that’s better. 😊

That’s a great idea – looking forward to seeing your update later 😃

Bill, we’re meeting on a railway station so the twins can be handed over for me to bring them back with me, so it’s a bit public. 😳

He goes to a diabetes clinic at a major hospital in Manchester and thinks they know what’s best for him. He’s like my late mother in that – she never questioned any doctor. But I’ve worked with lots of them in the past, so I have a different attitude😃

Well Bill, I’m a bit disappointed! I’ve been waiting for Judith to bite back but she obviously hasn’t read it yet. Thought that would be good for a laugh or two. Think you were hoping the same too 😉
Hi neohdiver, your story is very similar to my family history. You might find, as I have, that your personal fat threshold is very low. I have to stay at the lowest end of my healthy weight range. Then I can have around 50g carbs a day, occasionally pushing it out to 60g but I haven’t experimented with anything higher than that.
Your normal HbA1c and high fasting readings suggest to me that although your low carbs control your blood sugar really well overall, your liver must still be getting rid of it’s stored sugar. Have you had any indications of a very fatty liver from tests?
Once you get down to your personal fat threshold you should be able to increase your carbs and maintain your blood sugar in the non diabetic range.

Thank you all…………I am feeling very positive.

Hi Inka

I’m another daily weigher – for the same reasons as everyone else.

I record my weight, fasting blood reading and everything I eat in a little notebook (rapidly coming to the end of 2nd notebook since starting this!) so I can take it with me when I’m away from home. And take it to my medical appointments. It’s what works for me and helps keep me on track.

Breathe Lynne, appointments not until 3, and I don’t know if you suit blue.
I’m considering putting the phone on voice record and keeping it in my pocket though

ROFLMAO
When I was a kid, sexism and ageism (is that even a word? ) weren’t even a glimmer in the PC brigades eye.
Anyway, my Gran had this neighbour who was always hanging over the garden fence and minding other folks busuness, she always had curlers in too.
If she ever saw us kids doing anything she disagreed with she would describe what you were doing followed with are you mad ie “you’re climbing that tree, are you mad?” )
It became a mantra with us kids to the point that it didn’t matter what any of us did, someone would say are you mad
It just sort of stuck over the years.
FREEDOM FOR PINK HAIRED YOUNG MEN ? ARE YOU MAD ?

Hi Bill

Holding my breath to hear how it went at docs. In danger of turning blue😳

I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that appointment.