Breakfast food doesn’t have to be “breakfast food” (a recent invention). I like having leftovers, a bit of cold meat with vegetables. Tomorrow I’m having leftovers from tonight’s tacos – no shells, a pile of salad with spicy mince, jalapeños, salsa and a sprinkle of cheese. It was 255 calories tonight, very filling, I’ll have a bit less meat in the breakfast version.

Thank-you Jackie WilsonSaid, I will have a look at that, although I did go out and buy the book from Waterstones – I was not about to give Amazon more money!
I started a new group of exercises about 3 weeks ago – focussing on ‘waves’ of movement through the body which I struggled with and had to go back through a couple. I also extended the sessions to 15 minutes. I got through the first 10 days ok, but was struggling keeping concentration on the next few so I repeated them. I have lapsed in the last week and need to restart so will have a browse through the other suggestions to kick start things.
Will post progress since there are now a couple of us doing this.

Day four
Porridge an apple, palm full nuts snacks. App telling me half calories used up !
Looks like lettuce for lunch !
Not hungry which is weird 😀

Aldi rolled oats 75p big bag mmm

Hi Karra
do you like cheese ? it’s great for upping the fats.
My treat is a coconut flour flatbread spread with Greek yoghurt and topped with slices strawberries, you could use whipped cream for added luxury (and fat)
Other options are Mascaponi or cream cheese
Hope that helps.

Hi Meredex
I really feel for you.
I m a terribly slow loser, but still I feel this is better than slimming world in the long run because of the science. I did lose in the end, now 15 lb in 10 weeks- some people lose that in week one! . I read lots of stuff to try to work out what to do. Do you know “diet doctor.com, and “low carb problems solved” by Jenny Ruhl?
For me really low carbs are absolutely key, so 25-30g, and lots of fat, about 50g, and adequate salt, but also periods of fasting, eg no breakfast so there’s a gap of about 16-17 hours with no food.
apparently this is very good for shifting internal fat.
I hope you hang in there, this is such a supportive forum and we ll all try to help and support you.
Best of luck
Penny

It’s a lottery Zendo, I’m lucky in that my GP practise is very supportive to diabetics but I have seen some nighmare posts on here about those who quite frankly, don’t give a fig.
I would ring the surgery and ask if they have a dedicated diabetes nurse (far more important than a doctor IMHO) and, if they don’t, ring around until you find one that does. Either way, make an appointment with him or her and take the book along with you. Also print off the notes for professionals from this site and hand them over first, they give a quick, easy to understand brief on how it all works.
You will get an instant reaction, be it positive or negative you will know where you stand.

Meredex, I feel your pain! It is pain isn’t it: reading all the posts of people dropping 10 pounds in the first week or so but then for us zilch after the first 3 days. I have been following Karra’s posts and glad to see she is having a whoosh effect.

I am going to give this until the end of May and try and stick to the rules ‘religiously’ and see what happens: I have been on this yo yo diet for so long I really don’t know how else I am going to lose the weight if not by 800 cal and low carb. Today I have eaten a ham parmesan omlette and oven baked chicken with spinach and pine nuts sauteed in butter…I have done a slow 45 minute jog..Don’t want to give up as I don’t feel like I have a lot of other options. I do wonder what Michael would say.

Thanks Karra for the update – there is some hope!

Penny thanks for the cheer. I will be pleased if I lose a solid 14 pounds by the end. I read that drinking lots of water can create the whoosh effect…Lets see what my fight with tomorrow’s scales say! I feel so shocked and outraged that they are not budging!

Hi all, I’m pleased to report that I’ve lost a further 1½lbs overnight, so that’s a total of 3 lbs in 3 days, considering it took 17 days to start losing them I’m very happy and hope it continues.
I made a few adjustments, one of them being taking in less water than recommended mainly because I was getting up 4-5 times during the night and it was really affecting my sleep pattern which then affected my overall general health, so now am drinking 3 – 4 glasses per day in addition to any coffee or tea I’m drinking.
Also because I am such a fussy eater, never been big on eating meat (and definitely not the fat on it) I struggle with finding foods high in fat. I started having Yoghurt 2-3 times a day to up my fat content, I’m sick of yoghurt at the moment, sick of eggs as well, so somedays my fat intake is pork scratchings which is 8.3g of fat per bag. Don’t need to worry about the salt in them as it’s 0.5g, they may taste salty but they don’t contain a lot of salt and the carbs are <0.1g, so I eat them for their fat content only, otherwise I wouldn’t be taking in that much fat. All my food I’ve been frying up has been done in butter or olive oil.

hugs
Karra

Hiya Lucyjane….

Wanted to tell you I am in the same boat. Lost about 5 pounds in first few days, stalled for a week. I had a day ‘off’ after week one, and I don’t know how much that threw it out, but like you, even if eating 1000, it’s still so lo, especially with low-carb factor, should be losing much more. It is very frustrating (hug!)

At 5’2, I knew from experience that I wouldn’t hit the same big numbers, but was hoping for better than I have had. I started on the 31st March, and from the 6th to the 12th, I’ve not lost an ounce. Men have it so much easier – it comes off much faster. Most of the stories in the book with big numbers are male. However, I will say that this morning, after a disheartening weigh-in, I looked in the mirror and felt I looked slimmer. I know I must be losing more than the scales say, as I took measurements, and am losing around the waist. Went from 36 to 34.5, now around 34, so it’s coming off. It’s not muscle as I’m not exercising much.

I say we just stick to it, however hard it is, and hope that it starts coming off. I think it’s hard in the beginning in week 2-3, cuz we’re not in the swing of things yet, and are bodies are trying to gauge what’s going on. Hopefully when it realises it’s not getting more food, then it’ll start burning fat. Surely, at 800 calories, we can’t go on forever not losing weight, I think that sounds impossible. We def won’t have the same results as the men. But…. you’re not alone! Other females are in the same boat as you.

I will not re-weigh until next week, start of week 3, and see where that leaves me, and will try to reassess at week 4, as I want to kick the sugar habit completely before I try anything else. Good luck, stay motivated, hang in there.

Hi Lea
When you say thinking of food do you mean wanting to eat or planning meals?
I think we re all planning away all the time but if you’re wanting to eat I would suggest you have more fat in your diet.
Best of luck
Penny

Judith- thank you for that recognition!😊!!
You can get long paintbrushes that are for painting behind radiators.
Penny

Hi Lucyjane
I’m glad you want to keep going. Often there are different difficulties, which is why ‘low carb problems solved’ is so useful. I m a bit concerned about the 4 litres- it may be too much. I go for 10 drinks a day which comes to 2.8 l. You don’t want to overwhelm your kidneys!
Penny

Lucyjane and Meredex, I’m pleased to tell you both, this diet works, even though it’s taken until Day 17 before anything happened. I lost 1¾lbs on Day 17, lost another ¼lb on Day 18, and now today I have lost a further 1½lbs. So 3lbs in 3 days. I changed my diet by increasing the fat intake to as close to 50g a day as I could, keeping the carbs low and not drinking as much water. I have only been drinking 2 – 3 glasses over the day in addition to my 3-4 cups of tea, as I found the water intake for me was way too much.
As I’ve said everyone is different, you may need to adjust a few things to find the right balance for you. Funnily enough yesterday I got a new smartphone and therefore didn’t do any exercise and still managed to lose the 1½lbs, so keep at it both of you, don’t be disheartened. Maybe the 3 of us do retain water as neohdiver was saying…….it’s worth a shot to find out.

Wishing you both a loss of lbs. xx

hugs
Karra

Christine,
To quote the song, “It’s your Birthday – anything goes”.
Have a ball.
John

Hi Alan, I don’t think there are any safe cereals apart from rolled oats. I have full-fat greek yoghurt with berries and seeds and it keeps me full for longer than almost anything else.

At the weekend I had a brunch of a fried egg , 2 sausages (97% pork) and half a can of reduced sugar baked beans and it filled me up for the rest of the day!

Deb, you’re doing great!

Happy Birthday Christine 🙂

How do I find a doctor who can join with me in monitoring my blood sugar and medications without using the conservative Diabetic Association’s guidelines, which are out of date and behind in research knowledge?

Zendo

Great tips! Thank you. Second day going well – coping with the hunger by snacking on a strawberry or nut.

Thanks everyone… I started the diet 5 weeks ago. After 3 days I stopped one diabetic medication by myself because the sugar results were consistently low and I didn’t want them going lower. My doctor agreed and I have stayed off the Dimirel with the results staying low. My blood analysis today revealed all quite normal.. HBa1c, cholesterol etc. my doctor wants me to test again in three months but that is not good enough for me. I don’t agree with him because I believe I can cut medications gradually right now. I would like to find a doctor who is not so conservative. Most follow the Australian Diabetic Association guidelines and they are known to be very out of touch. Any ideas welcomed. Do I continue to monitor myself and my drugs and/or find a “good” doctor? Is it wise to stop one drug ( I am on two at the moment) and constantly monitor my blood sugar to see what is happening?

Hi Lucia
Excellent weight loss. You are doing this for you in your time frame. You know how & are working through the why like the rest of us. To each his/her own.
Keep on keeping on
Eureka

Happy Birthday Christine, make sure you get yourself something really nice, you deserve it. 🙂

Happy birthday Christine! Hope you have a lovely day!

Reheating porridge – Yup it works. I refridgerated in portions and reheated one portion this morning – didn’t even have to add water, and it was perfect. So talk about a fast filling breakfast! 92 calories and 14g of carbs. (I did use cold milk to ‘dip’ each spoonfull into, about 3 fl oz max.

!I am in the UK, and bought Mornflake medium oatmeal from Sainsburys – I followed the instructions in the packet to the letter and for 100g of oatmeal I got 1000g of porridge. so 4 servings of 250g at 92 calories and 14g of carbs. Not bad and you could easily add flaked almonds, passion fruit, raspberries etc to make even more yummy. (even a tablespoon of double cream if you were feeling decadent!).

Hi Lucyjane, I have just logged on to write a post ‘ defeated, when to give up’. We have both spoken before with Karra, I am in exactly the same boat. 4lb lost in the first 4 days then NOTHING for 10. It’s two weeks today since I started and I’m so disappointed. Following plan, drinking water, low carbs <30g and eating full fat. I joked with Karra about being the exception to the rule but it’s no joke now. We seem the same weight/bmi, I’ve got about 3 stone to loose. I feel well but the aim of this diet was to loose weight so now I have to decide about changing it. I don’t feel hungry and enjoy the food. I really don’t know what to do next. The book says we should have seen big changes, I’d quite like a chat with Michael at the moment. Do I go back to slimming world? A diet I can stick to for only a couple of weeks (but in those 2 weeks could loose 4lb). The scales have been a joke. I’ve even changed the batteries and tested them holding my daughter. 12 stone in the morning, 12.1 before bed. No fluctuation, not even by 1/2! It’s as though they are programmed! Sorry about the long post. I feel your disappointment. What should we do? Stick or change??? Meredex x

Thanks everyone! There’s nothing I love reading more than other people doing great. Thank you all for the encouragement! I have always been in favour of low carb, and know that fat is not the enemy so this really suits with where my mind is at which is why I think I feel so motivated for the first time in ages! I’ve never counted calories while doing low carb, ever. So this is a little new to me but I need to see results fast otherwise I lose attention REALLY quick.

I have even been walking up the stairs to work! Never done that in this building before. I work in one of the highest buildings in London – luckily I’m only on the 7th floor lol! It was reading that MM worked on 7th floor of his London building that made me think I should be doing it too! I feel like my heart is going to punch its way out of my chest by the time I get to the 7th floor but am glad I’m finally doing a bit of activity!

I’m going to weigh myself on a Sunday morning and will let you all know how I do. I really hope I do as well as you all seem to be doing. So happy for you all 🙂

Hi Hawkes, I am doing the 800 last year I did 5.2 with good success until I went to Italy & the UK for 6 weeks, (carb heaven) then it was Christmas so time to give it another go kicking starting with the 800 for 8 weeks have 10 days on The Sunshine Coast in August so would like to drop at least 5 kgs keeping my goals small and achievable
Currently I am just getting enough walking in, I do have a dog but he is 13 and blind small and fluffy LOL but I am going to get the bike out of the garage and learn to ride it,………I brought it 3 years ago to going riding with my husband rode it twice.
You have done very well with you BMI droppin so much, I like cooking so enjoying the challenge of no carbs and 400 cl dinners
I have a Big Green Egg BBQ which is fantastic for roasting tomatoes, peppers & even cauliflowers

Lucia is back in da house !!!
well done hun and you know, you’re so right, scales, meters etc are only there to reassure us that we are doing it right.
If you have the confidence to just go for it (and you have it in bucket loads) and do it right, they aren’t necessary are they, you already know the right foods and after this amount of time, your portion control will be spot on.
Don’t let me hear you calling yourself the fat girl ever again, you are now the motivated young woman with a definite goal in life that you are going to attain come hell or high water 😀 and that’s how I think of you.

Hi Zendo
at the moment I’m staying on the fast 800 until I lose another 1 stone 2 pounds to get me to my first target of 13.5 stones, then, probably the 5:2 to get the last 1 to 1.5 stones off and a final weight of 12 to 12.5 stones. I started at 16 .9 so I’m delighted.

Hello Bill,

Great news. What was your diet after the 8 weeks?

Hello Lisa,

Try raspberries… The sugar content is low like blueberries… Both are expensive here but worth it if it they can be afforded…

Ive been on this plan for all of 3 days……so far so good and surprisingly havnt been hungry or craving chocolate. However, I have discovered I HATE Blueberries….yuk…..what can I have instead?

That’s brilliant news Brightspark, another professional showing interest.
The more of us that show up at the doc’s with these kind of results, the faster the word will get out.
Let the revolution begin! (Looks around nervously in case the internet police pick up on that statement) 😉

Thanks Bill,

Yes the HbA1c was 10% lower than last time. My Statins have been reduced and I am very happy about it. With a more switched on doctor I could be on less medication I believe. Where do I find a more alert doctor?

Hi Jimnz
Yes no problem locatng you. An earthquake I see in Masterton. I live part of every year in another windy place ( hot air from politcians mainly) but at the moment looking at snowy peaks in a mountainous part of France. Trying to escape NZ winter, but copped European winter instead.

Good place to concentrate on BSD though as we are far from temptations here.

Soup day yesterday and weight down 300g. Now on BSD for a week and 900g down (6000 calories deficit total – spot on average 900 cals/day)

Almost time for annual blood tests for a range of things!

Another big lesson, is,
I have hung in there,
Worked through it,
And come back.

and got a big welcome back.

So if anyone reading this, is not joining because they might fall down, read my private thoughts. I am sure people can relate to how I feel.
If I was perfect, the bees knees, I would be a size ten.

I have had a little bit of faulty wiring.
I have an electricians manual, I am able to turn the bad power off, I have the tools to move the wires, I have the knowledge on how to do it, and I am able to turn the good power on.
Like all electricians, it will take some time, not a two minute job.

Oh, and the pencil behind my ear to write notes down is this wonderful blog.

Now, what can I use to compare, when they take a large breath before they give you a frightening price……. Anticipation…. Stepping on the scales. Ha, ha, ha,

Oh, and there is always an assistant to mash the tea, that’s you lot, each and everyone of you.
Xxxxx

Must get back to work, ssshhhhh

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Well done Zendo and good luck with the Hba1c results. My blood tests were taken just 4 weeks in so I wasn’t expecting miracles but I was downgraded to pre diabetic status with normal cholesterol levels and that was after stopping the Exanatide injections and cutting the metformin dose in half. I’m now off meds altogether after just 10 weeks and my sugar levels are stabilising into the normal range. Oh yeah, I lost 2 stones as well 🙂
This lifestyle works, of that there is now no doubt, just stick with it and the results will come.

Oh and yesterday I left my Fitbit pedometer at home charging. So I walked my usual route.

I was worried that I am the fat girl, happy on the outside, alone and crying in the inside.

I read people being so professional about bs800, so technically accurate.
I write these comments for me, as I am a little dim, a little slow to get the gist of things.
So what if I am on the chapter behind everyone else, at least I have the book open and I am into it.

I weighed myself this morning to see what damage I had done yesterday.

Today, all is much brighter. Even though it is raining.
I can do this without scales, pedometers, menus, carb charts. BUT having those things can fine tune your diet.

I think the most important four words I have written so far, and they are a little hidden in my text.

I can do this. I can do this.

Anyway,
Apple and yoghurt breakfast.
Chicken and salad lunch
Chicken and green veggies tonight.

Love Lucia
Xrxxx

Had us worried miss L, I’m pleased you’re ok and 3 pounds gone too!
Yeah get the ball out, my boys are no softy professional footballers, they can play!
Seriously, glad to see you have your head straight again, so you had a day off, you have the rest of your life in front of you so forget it. 🙂

Thanks for the replies, very helpful and what I’d been doing. It’s great to be able to check with other people.
Visited my GP yesterday who was amazed and pleased at my progress. I took a copy of the book and she took the details – she’s going to recommend it to patients who are prediabetic or type 2.

Hi Desperate, Depending on how rural you are, IF the town where you do your shopping has an IGA supermarket you could ask them to buy in coconut flour and gram flour. IGA has a great reputation for getting all sorts of foods in that are ‘rare’. However, if you are so isolated that you rely on planes for food delivery I’m out of ideas.

Greetings to other New Zealanders from 60 km north of the shaky capital. It was quite a jolt this morning in the high rise I work in!

I am here for weight loss and do not have diabetes. I am just ending day 6 of the 800 calorie Blood Sugar diet and feeling quite content. I work well with boundaries and not too many choices, and I love the foods “prescribed.” Cheese, olives, full fat yogurt, I cannot complain, even when portion controlled:-) 2 kilos off so feeling encouraged.

There is not a lot of spare time in my life but I do appreciate the availability of such a helpful forum as this one seems to be and look forward to hearing further about how folks are managing this new way of eating.

Lucia it’s so lovely to hear that you are fine! And 3lbs lost! Go girl xxxx

Hi Lucia, Welcome back! You’re such an inspiration. Obviously your ’24 hours time out’ is exactly what you needed – and you lost 3 lbs – the BSD is becoming a habit for you. I can’t wait to get there too.

Thanks for the support. Week 2 Day 1. Back on track. Re-reading Michael’s book and the forum posts and have renewed my motivation. I will try and use recipes from the book this week and see how I go. I think of food constantly and hope this passes. Day off today and I find it harder at home – much easier when I’m busy at work.
I hope to report a bigger loss at the end of week 2 but -1.3kg in week 1 is a step in the right direction.
Lea

So glad to hear from you Lucia! Really missed you! Great news about your weight loss too. But the best news is having you back 😊

Morning everyone,
I have popped out just to give you a quick blog.
For 24 hours, I have said sod it, I am giving myself a break, just 24 hours.
I didn’t weigh everything on the scales, I just did it by eye.
I didn’t kill myself counting carbs, trying to look them up, I just guessed.
But I ate the right things.

I am here now, back on track.

What did I get from the 24 hours relaxed ?

I calmed my mind.

Oh and I lost three pounds
🌝🌝🌝🌝🌝🌝🌝

So if you wind yourself up like I did, give yourself time to breath. Stop sweating the small stuff.
See the big picture.
I am very, very very grateful for everyone’s kind words, I needed them.
Got to go back to my office.
Love Lucia
Xxx
Oh, can the boys come around at 9pm tonight, I will be home from work tonight, thanks bill 1954. Hope to use them for puddle splashing, hoping to burn more calories doing fun activities with them. You did say boys not men.
May find the tennis ball and have a go at football with them too.
⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️

Hi Desperate! You are doing really well😊
In answer to your question about post 8 weeks, I am still low carb having started mid December and feel great and look better and cannot see myself going back to the old way of eating. Losing weight slower now as I am eating more but am 12 kilos down and continuing.
The recipe for the gram flour flat breads is on the recipe section.
Keep up the good work!

Happy birthday Christine!! 🙂