Oksana, most of us were terrified when first eating out. Don’t be shy, tell the waiter you are on a specialist diet and can’t have carbs so please could you have your dinner minus the chips, potatoes, pasta, rice, bread. I always do that and have only ever had a really helpful response. 🙂

Yeah Cherrianne, in actual fact that is what Natalie Giles said… they don’t think it actually works in some people and they suspect it is those that have no side effects that also have no efficacy… so … that would be me… we shall see…. I have had a few spikes overnight late last week but it seems to have settled… so far… and I have halved my metformin because I want the glucagon dumping done with!!! Will see what happens over the next few days…. but so far I have not noticed any change…. except for more energy generally in myself… and staying below 50g carbs after reading your posts with Lachlan… working for me too… Cheers for that…

Hi Sharon,
Yes it’s because of the gut issues. So many people have indigestion, diarrhoea or urgency and even just uncomfortable gut symptoms. I was really adamant I wasn’t going to go down that path! Personally I’m not entirely convinced by it’s effectiveness, even the manufacturers only claim it MAY help to lower blood sugars lol. If they don’t believe in it fully, why should I?
At the moment you’re right in the middle of where Bill and I and a few others started to have some blood sugar spikes. It took about 3 weeks for me, and a bit longer for Bill, to come out the other side. Give yourself a few more weeks and you might find yourself med free like Bill. The big blood sugar changes seem to happen towards the end of the 8 weeks.

Hi Lucia, I bought a cheap ‘Low carb high fat diet’ book, it arrived yesterday, it has list of carbs in a 100 g of a range of fruits, veg, nuts and seeds.

I just tried scanning, copying and pasting onto this post but it wouldn’t work.

It’s in the ‘quick start guides’ if you want to get one. I ordered from Amazon. Book has 100 recipes but no pics and cheap paper. But the carbs lists are useful 🙂

John green leaf Whittier. Don’t give up.

I remember something a long, long time ago.
I will have to google it.
Sorry if I have misspelt it more than usual.

Love Lucia
Xxx

Ooh nice ideas…thanks Janet. Only sausages in the Freezer (might have to order these Heck ones people talk about!) X

Kate, have you seen the weigh in thread?

I’ve lost 8lb in 3 weeks – but I’m having more than 800 calories.

Lucia,

You forgot down, down, deeper and down (all our weight losses of course) !

It’s better if you can avoid them as they encourage you to crave sweet foods.

Hi Lea,
Don’t be discouraged. You are still 2 lb lighter after only a week.
It is tough going when you are surrounded by temptation, especially in the early days of the diet.
If you really stick with it during the first two weeks the carb cravings will disappear and it won’t bother you to have teenagers munching away 🙂
Prepare some snacks and keep them handy for when you feel hungry. I used to keep individual portions weighed out in zip lock bags in the fridge. That way you can grab one in a hurry or take it with you if you’re going out. Get a variety of snacks ready for when the urge strikes. Eg: hard boiled eggs, weigh out 20g cheese, 50g strawberries, 30g raw almonds or pecans, serve of hummus and some celery/ cucumber/ peppers to dip into it. If you have a variety of ‘safe’ snacks ready to go you’ll be less likely to stray.
Another good idea is to delay your snack by telling yourself you can eat after drinking a full glass of water, or a cup of tea, or ten minutes of reading forum posts etc. sometimes you’ll find you were just thirsty or bored and not really hungry.
Stick with it and stay in touch, you’ll get plenty of support and encouragement here.

Honestly Lucia this is the first time that I have exercised since I started the BSD! Maybe my body is in a state of shock, maybe jumping in the puddles helped but I was quite chuffed that my knee didn’t give out, it maybe knows it’s going the journey in August and was being kind to me!
I had stewed rhubarb with yogurt for breakfast, did my walk/ jumpy thing, prepped the soup and tea then did the test, woohooo was my reaction – who cares about pee on your hand when you are in fat burn?

I made a lovely celeriac and fennel soup for lunch but didn’t have it till about 3.30 so really the exercise is the only thing different, bring it on, same tomorrow come rain or shine if that’s what it does, can’t believe it’s taken me all these years to wake up and dell the coffee.

Other than potatoes, are there any vegetables I should be avoiding?

I had betroot today and as I was eating them I wondered if maybe I shouldn’t be as they’re so sweet and a bit potato like. Also how about sweetcorn, sweet potato and butternut squash?

Bet you know one can tell that my mood is lighter.🙂
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi Bill 1954

Was that a touch of quo?

Let me raise you a three cord wonders that they are.

I feel as if I am in the army now
But
Turn me on to your love sweet love
If you send me
Pictures of match stick men and you
But
Do you want to ride my paper plane
As
It s so nice what you are proposing
As
It is marguerita time
Now
We are living on an island.

WHAT EVER YOU WANT WHAT EVER YOU LIKE 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
(But keep off the carbs)

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi all
Re baking I have found that the best tasting cake and closest to BSD (to achieve both of those a bit of a compromise is needed) is to use the 4 quarters French classic cake recipe but replacing flour for ground almonds. i.e. weigh your eggs and use same weight of butter, sugar and ground almonds (adding a bit of baking powder). If you want it chocolate flavour add cocoa powder to almonds. Obviously the sugar isn’t good but the almonds are way better than the flour. I generally use 4 eggs and so that normally means 225 g sugar and 225 g butter creamed and then 225 g almonds (or almonds and cocoa) added with the eggs. Bake at 180 C for 25 to 30 min. Other cakes I have tried taste like diet stuff. That said I tend to do the cake thing on a very infrequent basis for my gluten intolerant mum for family birthdays only and not as a regular treat and have 1 slice only.

Julia

I have always struggled with exercise, even when i was a skinny teenager.

So this is all new to me.

Since starting the 800, i have alternated a Kettlebell routine (20min), a jog with a short sprint for the HIT element (10min), Swimming (30min), Pads with the husband (10min). One of these things 6 days a week. Thats currently my limit but i can see that I’m not struggling as much and my recovery rates are reduced the more i try.

My question is what do all other exercise newbies do?

Hi Janet 1967

Loved the ebb and flow reference.

Before the diet, I had a moon face, big and round like a dinner plate.
So I do not mind the reference to the moon as waxing and waining.

So I had a quick one day wain now I am waxing lyrical. Ha ha ha.
I have a weird sense of humour and words
Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi Cherrianne, Thanks for the encouragement… I don’t have a problem with metformin…never had any negative side effects… and have to resign myself to the fact that I may have to take some of it forever… In you opinion, why is it considered so nasty ?.. because so many people have gut issues with it??

Hi cat girl,
You are serious on the pee stix?
What do you change that you were doing before the pee stix?

(Other than waddling on your fingers )

Do you change the time of your exercise?
Or when you eat?
Do you change the volume of eats?

Thanks

Love Lucia
Xxx

Carolg you’ve also had impressive weight loss, and you’re getting there with the blood sugars too. 🙂 don’t forget to let us know the results of your blood test. I love hearing about the HbA1c results so I’m sure it inspires others too.

La al la la 🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼la la la al

Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
La la lalalal la 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤🎼🎼🎼🎧🎧🎧🎧
Still singing.
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi Deb,
Great results with the weight loss and the meds! To be able to reduce your meds so early is a pretty awesome achievement. That’s a fantastic start to your first few weeks on the BSD. Enjoy getting all your soups safely to work 🙂

Hi Sharon,
You too have had great results! Even your lovely endo couldn’t forsee you having such success. Would love to see her reaction when you next get back to Adelaide!! Well done. Can’t wait to hear about your next few weeks and finally ditching the nasty metformin. 🙂

Im intrigued to find out other peoples weight loss during and at the end of the 8 week plan.

Currently on the plan i am 2 weeks and one day in, and have lost 4kg. What is everyones else experiences?

B: F/F Fage Yog, Raspberries, level tablespoon mixed crushed nuts
L: Tuna Martinique Salad (from Lidl) with mixed leaves
D: 2 Quorn burgers, roasted veg, 1 level tablespoon light mayo

and…… 2 vodkas and diet 7up oops

4kg lose after 2 weeks, blood sugars stabilising for the past week 🙂

So chicken tonight.

Chicken breast sliced almost I two so you have a pocket.
Put Philadelphia cheese in.
Close, hold the pocket closed by wrapping a slice of bacon around it.
Cook in oven.
The chicken is moist, not like a dried prune.
It is yummy.
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi orchid,
Basically everything.
When I first started and realised that I had walls of 800 but to be better within the walls, I had to keep low in the carb section.
I wish there was a chart I could download and have.

I need reassuring that bacon is low in carbs but sweet potato is high, because my brain is wired to say bacon bad, veg good.
Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi Carmella, I suspect the reason there are not many baking recipes in the book is that we need to train ourselves away from baked goods, containing as they do flour & sugar (if you want a decent cake)! Unfortunately, I find that any diet alternatives, while meeting a need for a pudding & suchlike, just are not in the same league as the things we have got used to eating, pre-BSD. As you say, not wowed!
Coconut flour is all very well but it’s not a straight substitute for ordinary flour – you’ve got to increase liquids, and the texture is different. I have an ordinary recipe for a coconut cake – I adapted it to use coconut flour – while the end result was acceptable it wasn’t a patch on the original. I may have another go and try it with a mixture of coconut flour & ground almonds. No idea what that might do to the calorie count (I don’t count calories).
I think I might just bake “normal” recipes but only very occasionally, and slice things up and freeze some rather than hogging it all over the course of a few days.
Regards, Rose

Kia Ora from Palmerston Northj

I have been on the programme for 4 weeks now and have lost around 7kg
I did a big stir fry yesterday with cauliflower, zucchini, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and a red capsicum. I also sliced up some previously cooked corned beef from the weekend. This made up 5 meals in those Chinese takeaway dishes. One was for last night’s dinner; the others are in the freezer. I don’t need to say that the fry up was done in olive oil with black pepper and a touch of salt. During cooking, another glug of olive oil over the top.

I can think of two reasonably safe takeaway meals – Egg Foo Yong, and Pita Pit. The latter can be purchased in a waxed cardboard box rather than the unleavened bread wrap.

Kia Kaha
Jim

Hello Just Do It, in spite of your slow weight loss you have quite an impressive list of positives! So stick with it. Our bodies don’t respond consistently, at a set rate. I’ve been on the BSD for 3 months now – I didn’t go for the whole 800 cals/day, rather I just adjusted my eating habits (leaving out the “extras” helped considerably), tried to eat my evening meal by 6pm/7pm to extend the overnight fast. My weight loss has been slow compared to others, it’s averaging just over 1lb/week. I’ve had the occasional blip, most recent one was last night – I’d not been feeling great, stress at work, was dehydrated – I downed 1/2 a carton of orange juice, kept snacking on anything I could lay my hands on, and had a great big dollop of honey (and I enjoyed it). So don’t be disheartened by giving in to temptation with chocolate & biscuits – it happens. My weight loss tends to be 2 or 3 days of losing, then it goes up, then plateaus before falling again (imagine a ball bouncing down stairs). But I calculate in this past 3 months that I have lost 10% of my original starting weight. I’ve still got a way to go before I’m in the “healthy” part of the BMI and I expect it will take a while. Just got to keep plugging away. Good Luck, Rose

Absolute promise of Michael Mosley; BSD would reprogramme my eating habits is spot on and discovering new foods, enjoying cooking from scratch is great. Healthier, more energy, looking better – he certainly is a star.

I do like a chip. Before BSD, I would’ve happily have scoffed a plateful.

I am on day 8 today of this journey.
I am, too, keeping a diary of sorts to track what and how much I eat, as well as my blood sugars.
Yesterday skipped breakfast, went out for lunch with a friend, and had vegetarian lasagna (with zucchini in place of noodles) for dinner.
I, too, get slightly terrified when knowing that I will be eating a meal out at a restaurant, so, I had been looking up a menu at the restaurant I plan to visit ahead of time. That way I can make my best choices, see what I need to skip or ask for “on a side” to make it less stressful for myself and to not feel rushed while placing my food order.
Love this topic.

Hi Lucyjane & Meredex
You are both trying hard. It is disappointing when real effort is so poorly rewarded.
Many of us ( more each day) have decided to ditch the carbs & follow a much healthier life style. Some, like me Really have to continue, no matter how fast or slow our results are. I’m type 2 diabetic.

The Mediterranean diet is healthy & tasty & good for you. 800 calories is tough to get your head around but worth it. You can & do lose weight on that kind of calorie count.

Too much salt can make you retain water. Too much exercise likewise. Too many hidden carbs can mess up your carb counting. All this & much more is explained by Jenny Ruhl in her book : Diet 101 The Truth About Low Carb Diets. It’s very informative & worth a read. Her first book is Blood Sugar 101, second edition. See : http://www.phlaunt.com

Do hope you both persevere & get results soon.
Eureka

Hello Carmella, I am in week 10 now and have also lost >15 kg. I only counted daily calories and sugar. I am averaging 850, and <30 gm/day sugar. So when in a couple of weeks I switch to maintenance mode on 5:2 or similar I will not be frightened to have the odd slice of bread and the odd chip. I used to eat 200 gm of mashed potato but tonight I manged with 35 gms of boiled in skin with lots of broccoli, carrots, cabbage, green beans and gravy with some reformed ham. You won’t find that in the recipes. I have not used any of them being a plain eater. I have extended my variety and reduced or eliminated certain things but not finding it hard. I think the changes we made will be long lasting but we will need to up the calories to stop the shrinking! I am close to my top end of normal so not worried about diet anymore. I am healthier, fitter and better suited my old clothes than elasticated trousers. All in all a great success and Dr Mosley is a star. Good luck with your approach just don’t worry because a few days on 800 would sort out any upward trend I think.

Apologies if I’m being thick but… Can I have artificial sweetener whilst following BSD?

So day four gone discovered shouldn’t be eating oats !
And I bought box rolled oats too.
Not one tiny bit hungry which leads me to believe I’ve eaten too many nuts !
My afternoon readings which are 4/5 hours after lunch have come down each day and now are 6.4 ,not sure if that’s fasting or what though
Morning reading staying over 9
Tomorrow I WILL reduce calories
Cheers folks any pointer really really welcome Alan

1 egg omelette and 10g cheese?
20g cheese and half an apple?
Have you any sausages?

Hi Orchid, I’ve just worked out the average over the last 3 week is 40g carbs (use myfitnesspal). Fat is always the biggest percentage, I drink 3l of water and fast from dinner to lunch most days, got into the habit on 5:2.

Hi Just do it, do you know the number of grams carbs per day? It may be your carbs are too high and a small adjustment there (downwards) will sort out the weight loss.

I was up in Lancashire at my mums, who is diabetic. She gets GI bread from her bakers. She has one slice per day (it’s unsliced, baked on site) and I have to say, it’s lovely. I have no idea if it’s sold as low GI …it might be no good on this. As there’s no ‘packet’ I couldn’t find out.

Today:
B: Yoghurt, flax seed & oil, berries
D: Bolognese and courgette

Looking for a yummy snack- I’m peckish and have 100 calories & 12g carbs left. I often have nuts and cheese but too calorific today…any ideas/inspiration??

Hi Lucia, what are you looking for re carbs?

Hi catfish
A fellow puddle splasher. ,!!
🌂🌂🌂👢🌂👢🌂👢🌂👢🌂👢🌂👢🌂👢🌂👢🌂👢🌂🌧🌧🌧🌧🌧☔️☔️☂🌤☂☂🌤☂🌤☂🌤☔️☂☂☂☔️🌧☔️🌧☔️🌧☔️🌧☔️🌧☔️💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💧💧💧💧💧💧

Keep splashing for me.
If anyone asks you what you are doing, just say I sent you….😀😀😀😀😀😀
I like the sound, the youthfulness of it.
The silliness of it,
the what’s the point of it, nothing?. Oh of it
I love just getting wet too.

And
It keeps us all young
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi call me Deb.
Didn’t John legend sing about I love all your perfect imperfections?

Oh I feel another song coming on🌝🎼⚽️🎼🎼🎼🎼🎤🎹🎹🎹🎼🎹🎹⚽️🎸🎸🎸🎸🎼🎼🎼
How did Bill 1954 s foot ball get into my singing.

La. La lalalalalala. La lalalal

Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi all, I sympathise completely. I’ve started to think I’m an exception to the rule of this diet too. I’ve been on it almost four weeks now and today gave in for the very first time and had chocolate and biscuits as I’m just so disheartened with the slow weight loss, I thought I may as well deserve it as it’s happening anyway. So far:
week 1 – lost 4lbs
Week 2 – gained and lost the same 1 lb
Week 3 – revised meals, ate from book and under 650 cals for 3 days in a row and lost 3lbs then back to 800 cals and gained 1.5lbs
Week 4 – gained and lost same 2lbs
So over all ended up losing about 1lb in the last 3 weeks – torture! I know that until today I’ve done it right. I did MM’s original 5:2 diet Dec – Feb and lost a stone using occasional 500cal days. I think maybe I should have less than 800 cals some days, maybe nearer 600 as doing that brought me the 3lb loss? Crazy though that I need to go that low.
However, in spite of today’s rebellion I’m not giving up. Positives:
Lost 5lbs
Lost a few inches all over
Asthma seems to have disappeared
Osteoarthritic knee better than ever
Sinus probs disappeared
Feel slimmer and energetic (when not sulking over scales)
Damage limitation now, no dinner, loads of water instead and going to yoga class. Fridge stuffed with med food. Bought keto sticks. From tomorrow will alternate 800/600 cals for a week. What does everyone think?

Hi cherriNne,
Yup, a 12 is mine.
Don’t tell anyone,, sshhhhhhhh I have tried a 12 on, can’t quite get trousers past my thighs. Dress I can’t zip up yet, but technically I am nearly in it, except for the bits hanging out of it.
😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅🙂
Lucia xxxx

Hi Hashimoto,
I wish we had a but of a chart for carbs on the website, it would have saved me a whole heap of time.
Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi,
I went to tesco’s last Sunday and bumped into a few work mates,
Normally I could hide the whole trolley behind my junk in the trunk.
But Sunday, I wasn’t ashamed of its contents.
Instead of loaves, pizzas, pasta from the deli, fizzy pop, ice cream, tons of chocolates, crisps, cooked chicken smothered in coatings.
My trolley looked as if it was straight from the garden.
A little sliced, cooked meat, my yoghurts, can I say, I was PROUD?

I left the trolley in front of me on show.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Zendo
My Dr. had heard of Michael Mosley and remembered the documentary, but doesn’t believe in testing fasting blood sugar so I will have to special request an extra Hb1Ac after the 8 weeks. I don’t want to do home made testing. Interestingly my Dr. appears, ahem, very overweight in appearance. I am seeing the diabetes nurse soon to see if anything’s on offer, but judging by the telephone appointment chat she doesn’t approve of anything remotely Fast in a diet… we’ll see.
I think the knowledge on here might be more helpful and supportive.
My big concern is getting the diabetes diagnosis reversed to accompany what I *know* will be a lower and thus normal reading. Probably. I don’t want to be a diabetic when it comes to travel insurance etc on the strength of a reading which followed a long illness.

Spirit,
Thanks for adding – I’ll bite – tell me about #9 if you would.
I got as far as working out that you refer to Fage Greek yoghurt.
I see EasiYo have simple and cheap yog makers like a thermos, but haven’t Googled enough to work out how to get to the Greek and not Greek style.
Tell me it’s an extra easy step please or I’ll be worrying – I am shocked to see that I have been enjoying mere Greek style yog from Tesco. and not the real deal!

Janet 1973

From the supermarket. Quite a large chain of them here Tegut. I know that his particular bread probably is not available outside of Germany. BUT someone will be making something very similar…just wanted people to know so they look out for it… I was bored and reading the spread packaging and wondering if i would ever eat it again… and I found this…. so its worth a gander….

That’s really interesting Fatty, where did you get it from?