Hi all

I have now being doing the 800 diet for 11 days and lost a stone which is great. My Glucose levels have come down to normal levels as well to 5.0 from 8.2. I have upped my exercise and am now regularly hitting 10k paces a day.

The problem is that my energy levels are very low. One of the hoped for benefits was the burst of energy which lots of people seem to get but I am still waiting.

Anyone else with the same problem?

Thanks Magpie, you have done really well losing 7 pounds in 5 days, you must be so pleased! It’s really encouraging to find other veggies are having good losses too. This weekend I’ll go through the book and buy necessary ingredients, and have a go at some cooking/freezing.

I stupidly didn’t weigh myself at the beginning, I was so down about myself I couldn’t face it. I did this morning though, now on my 5th day. So I will never know what I started at, but never mind, I am on the way down.

I feel much more hopeful now, thanks to all the support here. I have used MFP before, so will start that again thanks. Lets hope we’re both posting great results in 8 weeks.

Hi Penny

I have lost my 25kg of weight mainly by alternate day fasting 400 cals one day, and 1200 cals the next. In theory on the up day you can eat anything, but in practice you don’t. Sometimes I just eat nothing for 48 hours, but it’s hard to maintain a social life with that.
Everyday I also maintain the 19:5 or 18:6- eating in a window of 5 or 6 hours and even no milk in my tea outside those times
Fasting makes me feel great – full of energy and happy.

I am using the BSD to try to lose the last 7 or 8 kilos of weight to arrive at BMI 26, after a month or so of excess.
I will combine it with 4:3 as from next week(3 meals in 2 days), weekend off (but stick to 1000 cals).
I have June 30 as my normal weight deadline, which will take some discipline.
I do miss a glass of wine every now and then, but even this is dispensible.

There are sayings on the fastdiet forum I also belong to:

NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS SLIM and

FAST FOR GOOD HEALTH, REDUCE CALORIES TO LOSE WEIGHT, EXERCISE TO TONE THE BODY!

I am not diabetic, so my goals are to do with losng weight rather than lowering blood sugar. But these go hand in hand.

Happy a happy BSD day

PS I love the recipe in BSD – a salad with pomegranate seeds.

Hi everyone,

Week 2 Day 1: 3 kgs down and 2cm off my waist. I’m quietly confident.

Hi pmshrink, I use Smiling Mind app (Australia). If you scroll down the forum heading page there’s a minfulness heading. I would love to hear what others are doing around the topic of mindfulness. There must be others out there that are curious.

Happy BSDing.

I got the same e-mail this morning Bill. I had never heard of it either.

Thanks Cherrianne,

Post prandials are under 6… never ever eat breakfast…. never have except when trying to do what Diabetic educators told me in the early days… wow what a stuff up…. anyway.. now we now better….

Endo said she thought I would be on Metformin forever due to the fact that I am 16 years diagnosed….but I don’t wanna!!!!

Yesterday I did not eat till 12.30 and preprandial was still 8.3…. but post down to 6 exactly… go figure… oh well….

Seriously tempted to get the pain over with and go cold turkey… might halve it and see if it actually makes a diff…

How are you going??… still strong with the low carbs?? even though you have finished the initial 8 weeks??

Have been following what people write on here… very helpful to hear tell of where others have gone before. 😉

Hi Desperate,
Your liver will be loving the rest from the nightly wine!
You can tweak the recipes or make your own as long as you calorie count and stay low carb/ no sugar. Most of us do this. An app will help with tracking your intake and finding calorie counts.
Great you’ve noticed those differences already, and 2.5kg down is a great achievement 🙂

Well done Beverley – 5 kg in 10 days is amazing. Hearing Michael’s radio program inspired me too. I am Day 4 and don’t think there is much difference on my scales yet, but it’s early days!

Hi Sharon,
Week four is when both Bill and I started noticing the high morning readings so you’re about bang on target!
I’m not on meds and it took about about three weeks for mine to come back down. It was a bit of a nail biting time.
From memory I think Bill was only on metformin by that time and his took a couple more weeks to settle.
If it’s only your fasting readings that are high, and the post prandials are good then maybe have a go at reducing the metformin. You could also delay your breakfast for a while until your BS comes down again.
When did your endo say to start reducing? I remember she gave you advice but don’t recall what you said.
Hope things settle down quickly for you.

I am enjoying reading all the posts and gleaning additional info…. I find you are an inspiring group.

Have just finished Day 5 and am feeling really positive 2.5 kilos down…..no alcohol is the hardest bit of me, I do so love a glass of red wine or two..Not a drop has passed my lips and my resolve gets stronger every day. Hard to watch my skinny husband imbibing every night but such is life in the genetics draw. My yoga class to-day was really rewarding, less tummy made touching my toes and other asanas so much easier. Its amazing how a few extra kilos can make such a difference. Don’t sleep so well without the wine and am peeing like a trouper all night, which is not very restful but great for losing kilos. Hmm hoping this will all pass in the next week or so.

One question and it may be that I have missed it in my too hasty reading of MM’s book but is it important to stick to the four week menu or can you make up your recipes and move things around a bit? I ate the stir fried pork recipe the other night and thought the recipe could so with some fiddling to make it more tasty.

Onward and upwards….

NewLife you really are getting a new life and a new you when even your subconscious is following the BSD. I think that’s pretty awesome 🙂

Got an email from diabetes dot co dot uk today, it contains this
“One particular treatment that has shown to be clinically and anecdotally beneficial for people with diabetes is eating a low-carb diet. Not only can the diet improve HbA1c, but it can also prevent people at risk of diabetes from developing type 2 diabetes.

To this end, we released the Low-Carb Program in 2015. The free 10-week education program can help with weight loss, improve glycemic control and reduce dependency on medication.”
If that’s the case why wasn’t it publicised widely ? I knew nothing about this until Michaels book came out.

Email from diabetes.co.uk this morning contains this
“One particular treatment that has shown to be clinically and anecdotally beneficial for people with diabetes is eating a low-carb diet. Not only can the diet improve HbA1c, but it can also prevent people at risk of diabetes from developing type 2 diabetes.

To this end, we released the Low-Carb Program in 2015. The free 10-week education program can help with weight loss, improve glycemic control and reduce dependency on medication.”
Wouldn’t you have though that this would have been widely publicised?
I didnt know about it before Michaels book

Hi barby, I’m also a veggie, almost vegan. I’m just 5 days in so far and have lost 7lb. Having lost a lot of weight on another low carb diet in the past (when I was still eating fish and diary) I learned a few ways to survive as a non meat eater on very low carb. Eventually I gave that diet up because of awful constipation but this one allows double the grams of carbs which I get mostly from green veg, beans, lentils etc. I find the nutrition analysis on myfitnesspal is a good way of checking carbs. Just entering the brand and title will show you whether or not your favourite foods will work in this diet. I use quorn mince and chicken pieces in the meat recipes included in the book – which I have found very useful. I make up a bowl of salad topped with nuts, seeds, beans and homemade dressing (olive oil, cider vinegar, mustard) every lunch and I do include a small raw carrot as I love the crunch and sweetness. I reckon that cooking from scratch is the best way of getting more food for the 800 cals/50g carbs but not beating myself up if I go a bit over as I know that what I’m eating is still healthy and the weight is coming off. I hope that helps.

Email from the diabetes.co.uk this morning contained this
“One particular treatment that has shown to be clinically and anecdotally beneficial for people with diabetes is eating a low-carb diet. Not only can the diet improve HbA1c, but it can also prevent people at risk of diabetes from developing type 2 diabetes. To this end, we released the Low-Carb Program in 2015. The free 10-week education program can help with weight loss, improve glycemic control and reduce dependency on medication.”

So, why wasn’t this publicised widely ?

Hi Marcus, I know exactly what you mean.
I am on day 5 now but have been amazed at the difference this diet has made from day 1.
Even though I have been having a few headaches I still am feeling fantastic.
I can’t see myself wanting to go backto my old way of eating.
Cheers
Red.

YAY! After the muffin failure I was very nervous to bake the brownies, but they worked! I read the blogs here, as the book instructions for these are too basic (chuck it all in and bake). I grinded the cacao nibs to powder, I chopped the dates in my small food processor to make a clumpy paste. Blended all the ingredients in the food processor and it smelt/tasted ‘normal’, I was hopeful 🙂

Recipe says 3 large eggs – I added 4 medium
I also added about a tablespoon of my left over filter coffee

My only question is – how can I make them more like dense brownies? They are like cake squares really. Would I just make them ‘wetter’ by adding more coconut oil?

Has anyone ‘pimped’ these brownies with extra superfoods? ‘Greens’ powder? Matcha tea? Ground flaxseeds? Chia Seeds?

Generally happy to eat these – just want to make them more delicious so that my husband and neighbours will too!

LJO x

Way to go Beverley! You can do it 🙂

Hi ascowie, I’m new too and just learning. I’m sure you’ll get loads of good advice soon, but just wanted to say I take a hardboiled egg or two, in the shell, to work. I just eat them when I’m starving (get a few complaints about the smell!) but they really do satisfy you, being protein. All the best. Barb

Hi Andy,

The only tip I can add to Eureka’s comments is if you’re making frittata it can be convenient to bake it in a muffin tray (eg individual ones). I take this to work often and find they stay together better than cutting a single frittata into slices. You can work out how many muffins=1 portion size. Salads will be OK but you need to ensure you have adequate protein and good fats with it

I take a container with mixed salad in it, have a small container for salad dressing (olive oil and lemon juice) and have the muffin frittata separate so it can be microwaved and then added to the salad container once warm.

It would be mindful to factor in a snack of nuts or a boiled egg (or whatever works for you) for around 04:00hrs when EVERYONE that does night duty gets that horrible sinking feeling.

At the risk of sounding like a nag try and get adequate sleep. (Very hard when the sun’s shining).

Keep us all posted on your progress.

Bubble day today, let’s be young for an hour today or Saturday,

I think I could live on eggs bacon mushrooms and toms, ham
Scrambled eggs,
Mixed grill
Omeletes

Have you got a baking tray that you make little cakes in, the one with three rows of five ‘cups’?

Put a large mushroom in the bottom.
Then curl a slice or two of bacon around the sides like a wall.
Then break an egg carefully in the middle,

Bake in to oven until cooked.
Lift out carefully, it’s nice, crispy and fun to eat

Love Lucia.
Xxxx

Thanks Darleen and Eureka, I’m so excited! If my subconscious thought processes are changing then I really AM making progress.

Plus, prompted by discussion here about the ‘window of opportunity’ for clothes I just had a bit of a sort out and I can fit into lots of things for the first time in ages. Fat clothes being culled 🙂

Hi Beverly

I felt as tired & drained as I was when I was first diagnosed type 2 diabetic. It lasted the first three weeks of the diet but I knew I would get through it & be ok.
I’m 9 weeks in & much better in health & temperament. I didn’t realise that I was a bit sad really. Hard to describe , but I’ve noticed that I’m happier & laugh like I used to now.
Maybe it’s a bit of mindfulness creeping in
Eureka

Thanks all of you for explaining so well, sorry this is a totally new way for me. I’ve just downloaded the book, even if recipes not for me.

The Tesco label does say total 30 of which 10 are sugar, but I take your point, why any sugar!

I love Marigold Bouillon as a stock base for soup or a hot drink, best check it’s OK carb wise. If you are hungry a cup of this clear soup is very tasty and satisfying (get the low salt version)

I didn’t know the importance of having stable carb intake, thanks Orchid you’ve given me a lot of food for thought. It is so alien to me that you’d eat more in evening just to keep your carbs on same level. It is very tempting to try 50g as I would love a fast weight loss, at least at first. I’ll have to work out some figures, and decide if 50g is sustainable for me (probably not). Got a salad for lunch today with chick peas and cottage cheese. Have to get ready for work now, but thanks again for all your help.

Hi NewLife
Yep we have the power to just walk away! Dreams often manifest things that are troubling us. You’ve sorted that one. Excellent
Eureka

Hi ascowie

Welcome. Do hope you have the book it’s good to reread now & again. I’ve worked long nights (years ago ) & it goes against your natural rhythm of eating & sleeping. You can feel colder & more hungry in the early hours.

If you like soups & stews , get a wide-neck flask & take some to work. It’s hot & filling.
Eggs are filling too. Boiled or make a veg frittata. No potatoes in it though. It’s a cold omelet with onions , green beans , asparagus or any veg you like in it. It’s tasty with ham too.
You can take cold chicken with a salad in a box.

Can you microwave food at work? If so pre cook & warm up meals.

Have full fat yoghurt with soft fruit & nuts for your breakfast , whatever time that is. Or a cooked breakfast.
It’s important to eat good fats as you are dropping the bad carbs ( rice, potatoes pasta & bread).

Other members will have more ideas for you. It’s only 8 weeks but it will make a big difference to your health. Drink the recommended amount of fluids it’s important. Look on the web for meals for nightshift workers

Your hunger will be under control with this diet. High carbs make a diabetic hungry. I’m a type 2 diabetic on my 9 week. I’ve lost 17lb & my blood sugars are much better. I’ll continue with this new diet as I still have more to lose & I like eating this way & feeling much better
Good luck
Eureka

NewLife..
OMG I love you dream ….

Penny….
Sorry this is late .. But a HUGE THANK YOU for answering my question on protein .. Very appreciated ..

💙D X

AHHH… poop…. FBSL has been rising all week and hit 9 this morning…. (wondering, with this reading if I need to start my glycoside again…. but it makes me so HUNGRY.) this week have been very good at what I eat… stayed under the 800 all but one day – over by about 80 – but…. hard to stay motivated when this is happening…. I am seriously tempted to drop the metformin too and just let all the fat and sugar flood till its done…. Just feel like it might go on forever slowly leaking out if I don’t! What do you think??…. I am at the end of week four now…. Has anyone done the cold turkey with their metformin?

Guys, I had the most amazing dream last night.

Previously, on my many diets, I’ve a had a recurring dream in which I binge eat chocolate and undo all my good work. Last night I dreamed I really really wanted to eat as much chocolate as possible and I was in a supermarket with my basket all ready to stock up. I looked at all the rows and rows of junk food and decided it really wasn’t worth it and that I didn’t want to regain weight and go through carb/sugar withdrawal all over again. I left the shop with my empty basket feeling SO happy.

OMG.
:-)))

Toddlers can do that to us… I have 5 grandchildren, the eldest 5.5years, the youngest 10 months. I’m glad I’m the grandma and can have time off from them – as wonderful as they are they are completely exhausting! 🙂

I’m day 10 on the diet and haven’t been following the menu plan (waiting for the book to arrive) and today is my first ‘low’ day. I had a grumpy session the other day which I put down to the effect of the diet too. I’m scared of losing motivation and giving up – that’s been my pattern with diets forever. But I’m desperate to lose this weight and I am ready for the challenge. So I’m doing whatever I can to help balance my energy levels so I don’t get too exhausted. Extra sleep, naps, just sitting and doing nothing whenever I can (meditation is a great alternative to doing nothing). And I’m finding that if I don’t drink enough water my mood and energy levels slip really quickly.

Good luck and hang in there Spendloven

It is great reading about everyone’s weight loss. Here’s mine so far: I started 10 days ago and have lost 5kg! My starting weight was 110kg and my weight this morning was 104.4kg. I’d like to lose 40kg by the end of the year. I never thought that was doable (let alone safe) until I listened to Michael Mosely on the radio a fortnight ago and clicked on his website and started reading… I’m feeling really positive and confident. It’s a lot of weight but it will make a HUGE difference in my life. 🙂

Hi shikha
hv been off as its birthday week and am in dubai
wil get bk on 11 april
can u write to me on
smitanaru@gmail.com
thanks

I was told I was Diabetic Type 2, 1 year ago and have to take pills and have a better diet to lose weight, I’m 17 Stone

My problem is I work nightshift and don’t know what I can eat for a packed lunch, I tried salads but I found I was getting to the stage I was starving by the end on my 12 hour shift.

I’m going to my Diabetic Nurse next week to see how she can help me

All I need is a few ideas what I can eat, can anyone help?

Andy

Thanks penny, it does. Is there a good uk site? 🙂

Natalie, I’m the same. Penny, I use the mindfullness idea, but even that doesn’t last long before brain chatter happens. I had a newletter from foodforthebrain.com yesterday about mindfulness and eating. I’ll have to read it properly, it’s about effect rather than technique 🙂

Thanks for your comment Cherrianne. I will keep an eye on the ‘What have you eaten today’ Topic. I have added that to my favorite now.

Eureka you’re brilliant at dialect speak!

Penny, I’m sure they will find some way of charging for fasting! I’m still wondering how much they charge for 5:2, they made a big thing out of the included 2 days of 600 calories.

Dear me, it was a wardrobe malfunction!! 😉

Hi AliceinSwitzerland and Eureka,
Unfortunately I’m not Swiss, just wanted to give a warm welcome to AliceinSwitzerland. In fact, living in Australia, the only other way I could get further from Switzerland is to accept a scientific posting in Antarctica! (Well, that’s how it feels).
How are you going AliceinSwitzerland? The great thing about the forums is that you’re able to get support from the ‘global BSD village’.
I’m entering Week 2 today. As well as following the guidelines for the BSD800, I’ve found vegetables most helpful in decreasing my usual carbfest. Cauliflower rice is delicious and this evening I’ll cook the cauliflower based pizza (a low carb alternative to my family’s ritual Friday night pizza.)
Merci vielmals (thank you) to all forum members.

Cherrianne, I’m taking in approx 20 – 30g of fat per day, and around the same for carbs as I’m not really eating a lot. Somedays I’m just not hungry and then some days I could eat everything in sight.
I’ve gone from being a couch potato to walking the dog everyday going a little further each day. I have mobility problems so I’m taking it slower to get my legs strengthed and using a rowing machine. Am also doing 500 – 700 situps per day.
Regarding the hypo I used to get them around the 8 – 9 range of blood sugar testing as my readings used to be high teens and low 20’s, I went off the Metformin when starting this diet and no hypo’s as they were pretty consistent between 8.0 and 9.9, but due to starting the Metformin again yesterday, it dropped to 5.2 and yes most people wouldn’t experience a hypo at that reading, but I did, but managed to bring it back to 6.4 after the sip of orange juice and strawberries. Tonight it was 7.4 so that’s good.
I can always tell when one is coming on, as I get a weird feeling in my stomach, sort of like a hungry pang, but it’s a burning sensation, which is the first indicator, then I get the shakes really bad, get clumsy and anxious, hence why I keep orange juice in the house for emergencies. Just means I have to be a little more careful now that I’m back on Metformin and exercising…..will see how it goes.
I’m hoping to see some results soon.

Anyone know how much fat I should be consuming per day?

hugs
Karra

Thanks, friends. I really appreciate your experiences. I especially like the advice to remember the basic bones of the diet – proteins and fats up, carbs down – and be sensible about portion sizes. I’m both counting calories in a vague way, and being common-sensical. For instance, the average for 100gr of non-starchy vegies is about 35cals; for starchy veg about 80cals. Being a vegetarian, I have always eaten lots of veg in stir-fries and curries – and guess what used to go with them? LOTS of white rice and noodles and pasta…So now I am cutting out those carbs and the weight is coming off and I still have heaps to eat. Smita, I hope you are still there. I fell off the diet for 2 weeks and am now encouraged by you all to return

I’ve never read the jenny ruhl book as its only available on kindle. The 50g threshold comes from a website called dietdoctor.com which shares a lot of principles with the bsd but doesn’t count calories. It has a section for diabetics but its not aimed just at diabetics and I don’t have either condition myself.

So true, Dad jokes are the best!

Welcome, iwannagetfit
You have definitely made some good progress towards your goal of getting fit. 4kg in four days, and more than doubling your activity level! You should be doing a little victory dance 🙂
Read the posts on the ‘what have you eaten today’ thread for ideas on how to replace the carbs in your diet. There are also some great recipes on the site. Cheesy veg mash is a great substitute for potatoes, and cauli rice is good with curries etc, or some of the gram flour flatbreads. Pasta is easily replaced by zucchini (courgette), either spiralised like noodles or cut lengthways like lasagne.
You will get lots of support, advice and encouragement from your fellow BSDers. Keep posting cos your great results will inspire other newbies.

Hi Karra,
So sorry you still haven’t had an improvement in your blood sugars or weight loss. It has to happen soon on 800 cals per day and you are doing everything right. How low is your carb intake, and are you counting carbs?
It did take about two weeks for my blood sugars to start coming down, so you might see some better results very soon. I kept my total carbs to 50g or less per day. I think 50g is the max you can have to still achieve ketosis.
I’m also wondering what symptoms you had that felt like a hypo? 5.2 isn’t a hypo it’s a normal reading. Under 4 is a hypo usually. It might be that your body is so used to higher sugars that it felt wrong for you to have the lower reading. When you first start having lower blood sugars you can feel a bit anxious and jittery until you get used to it. I used to have a 20g slice of cheese and take little pieces of it at a time so it lasted about five minutes. That helped to take my mind off the jitters, the fat stopped the hungry feeling, and the 5 mins of doing nothing calmed everything down. Followed by a glass of water and all was right in the world again lol.
A hypo will cause you to be very uncoordinated and clumsy and also have mental confusion. Metformin doesn’t cause hypos unless taken with other diabetes meds.
I’m really hoping you see some great results soon after two weeks of hard work 🙂

Hi Judith
I think you mean ‘a wardrobe malfunction!!’
Penny

Hi Judith
It was bound to happen… I wonder how they ll cash in on fasting?
Penny

pmshrink, I have the Headspace app and listen to it sometimes. Then either think about something else, or fall asleep! Every so often I get jolted back by the voice in my ear. I suck at meditation.

Have a good trip Sunnyb
Penny

Hi QuiOui
You ve shown them!
I was wondering what sort of fasting you do.
Penny

Hey Guys,

I am nearing my 40s and last year i was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. After starting on Metformin i put on 10 kilos of body weight.

I have completed first 4 days in the 8 weeks diet. I can agree with everyone’s comment here is first 2 days were bloody hard.

I am carb obsessed person. Carbs were major portion in my diet. 4 days in I have only 2 meal with 1 cup of Brown Rice. I started off with 103 kilo of weight in just 4 days i have brought down 4 kgs. I am looking forward to completing my 8 weeks. I can already feel more energy in my body. I am couch potato and my step count in day would be around 4000 only but i started making effort since yesterday to at least do 10000 steps and i did achieve it. I hope i can achieve it everyday for rest of my 8 weeks and after that as well.

I will continue updating my results here and i am looking forward to all the support as well from this Forum….