Latest forum posts

  • posted by  hashimoto on Headaches
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi April, take some paracetamol while you have headaches in these first few days. Once you are rid of the carb flu you will be absolutely fine!

    Are you having hot drinks other than coffee? Try hot water with a slice of lemon or some herbal teas – they are more soothing than just cold water. And I hate to say this, but too much coffee can lead to headaches!!

    Hope you are feeling better quickly ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  Bill1954 on Rising Fasting Blood Glucose Levels
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    I had ryvita last week and I’ve used the same cream cheese before without problems and everything else I had yesterday is in my usual food list.
    Probably just a glitch and if it doesn’t continue not a problem.
    Nobody ever said there wouldn’t be potholes along the road, and this isn’t enough to worry me, I was just really annoyed more than anything else
    Oh well tomorrows a new day ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  hashimoto on Four weeks to go, not many results yet:(
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi Debs14 – remember FAT is GOOD. If you are not eating dairy and mostly chicken, fish and veg where is your fat coming from?
    If you are dairy intolerant you could add olive oil to your veg and salads, to your soups etc.
    Like Cherrianne has said people often find their weight stalls and then begins to fall more rapidly.

    Good luck! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  hashimoto on Meds, are they really good for you ?
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    hi Bill, I’ve printed that article to read at leisure and share around. Thanks. How many pharmacists do you know who take a lot of drugs? Not many, I bet! They understand the interactions between drugs and the body in more detail than the average GP so avoid taking anything unless strictly necessary. I know my son is concerned about the number of meds I am on and pleased I am managing to reduce the massive doses of inhaled steroids I was put on by the consultant. ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  Bill1954 on Low carb bread?
    on in BSD Med Style Low Carb
    permalink

    Hi Liz
    Per 28 grams (I only use 1 tbsp which is less)
    17 grams carbohydrate 11 grams of which is dietary fibre so good carbs
    5 grams protein
    4 grams saturated fat
    0 trans fats
    Calories 124

    Taken from
    nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/591392/2?quantity=8.0
    Thats for the coconut flour

  • posted by  hashimoto on How's it going eh? Hello from Canada!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    hi Deb, what a lovely idea to count your blessings like that. We should all take a leaf out of your book!
    Sorry to hear about your foot pain, could Cherrianne be right? Your poor feet would have got quite cold shovelling all that snow!!
    Hope it is much better today ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  hashimoto on Rising Fasting Blood Glucose Levels
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Sharon sounds like Wednesday has turned out rather downbeat for a few people. Hope everyone’s day gets brighter.

    You’re right about the immune responses – if I am about to go down with something I know in advance because my right kidney starts grumbling, usually 3 days before I notice I have an infection. Weird!!

    Bill, read that article that Lynne mentioned about gluten. Who knows? Daily Mail yesterday.

    ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  Debi on For anyone suffering from constipation
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Great advice here – thanks everyone. I am using all of these tips to jazz up my usual methods as I struggled way back when I embarked. On the 5:2 Fast Diet to lose my obesity and embark on a healthy eating plan.

    This is always in my diet with is chai seeds, flax seeds, leafy veg, chick peas, lentils, coconut oil in strong black coffee:)
    https://www.eatwater.co.uk/

    Happy eating and well-being all xx

  • posted by  hashimoto on Very low
    on in BSD Way of Life
    permalink

    You’re right lostgirl, keep on eating the right foods. Tomorrow the scales could tell a different story. You know the cake and choccy set you back – not the real food!! Keep you pecker up! Put some good music on!!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  Fatty on Rising Fasting Blood Glucose Levels
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Yeah… Bill that sucks…. but it is like I was saying before… the body responds to unseen and sometimes unknown (by us) stimuli – you may be in fact mounting an immune response to something… you don’t feel any different, but your body knows it needs more circulating BS for something… it can jump even if you get a little surprise – like being tooted at…. or you may have had a distressing dream that you don’t remember. Whatever it is I hope it is a one of for you… coz I am hanging my hopes on your success too…hahaha…. good luck and keep up the good fight…

    I learned a lesson myself last night… for the first time broke my regime and snuck a piece of liquorice – bored and not sleeping well – others here speak of sleeping very well but I am having difficulty obtaining sleep…. anyway… thought in my befuddled state that my old habit of eating something “naughty” before bed might help…. wow… had racing heart, hot and cold, worst thing I could have done… felt like I had had half a dozen expresso coffees… wow… taught me a lesson though. BTW… fasting BSL is jumping around this week, but because of the posts on here I was expecting same, and rather relieved that it is happening… in week 4 now…
    Cheers
    Sharon

  • posted by  Lostgirl on Very low
    on in BSD Way of Life
    permalink

    I’m sure this is counter productive but because I don’t see a loss.. It makes me not want to eat.

    That’s bad ..: I know but I can’t stop myself

  • posted by  hashimoto on Very low
    on in BSD Way of Life
    permalink

    Lostgirl, you don’t need that nasty sugar filled cake!!! I drank a glass of wine last night, it fitted in with calories, but I put on a pound!! I know if I am good for a couple of days that pound will disappear and take a bit more fat with it.

    On a positive note – if you do cut the pepsi max after a week or two other things will begin to taste much sweeter. Blueberries taste like blue balls of sugar to me now, almonds taste as if they have been sweetened. You may begin to like herbal teas once you cut sweetened things out of your diet. I know it’s hard.
    See if you can do a pepsi max less day today and see if the scales tell you a better story in the morning.

    Put some nice, beaty kind of music on and strut your stuff while doing the house work!

    Hope your day goes on better than it started ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  alexginda on What have you eaten today?
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Yesterday’s menu:
    B ham, walnuts, hummus
    L ham, mixed salad, russian salad, beetroot, honey & mustard dressing
    D meatballs, ratatouille, vegetable curry

    39g Carb / 763 Cal

    Lots of useful information – very helpful, thank you everyone

  • posted by  hashimoto on Rising Fasting Blood Glucose Levels
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Bill, do you think it could be those nasty, limp ryvitas? Everything else you ate sounded good.

    I foolishly imbibed a glass of red wine last night. Result? The scales tell me I put a pound on overnight! Now that hasn’t happened in weeks! I’m keeping off the wine now. ๐Ÿ™

  • posted by  hashimoto on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi Lucia, you can do it girl!!! I know you can!!! You know you can!!! Just kick those nasty little cravings into the great blue yonder.
    If you feel so hungry you will give in find something nice to nibble – a few almonds? An apple? ๐Ÿ™‚
    Starting work so early is miserable, it probably makes you crave something nasty .

    Bill sorry about your dodgy reading – but you know it WILL come good! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Hi Julia, you are starting work early too? Ignore the brown crap girls. You know it doesn’t like you!

    All three of you have a good day ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  alexginda on Dry Skin
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    I have a few small patches of psoriasis and notice they are clearing up without having to use any creams and for the past 15 years have found that cutting out all the major starches will help the psoriasis clear. I am eating 10g walnuts every day now. I cannot tolerate fish and I do drink a lot of water, but still remain dehydrated but that’s been a long term condition. Have also recently changed skin moisturising cream and notice it is having a far better overall effect.

  • posted by  Cherrianne on How's it going eh? Hello from Canada!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi Deb, sounds like your blessings are many!
    Well done on eating only half the bun and avoiding the sugar temptations when visiting with your friends.
    You Canadians are a tough breed, we complain once the temperature drops to the low teens here in Australia.
    Do you think the cold weather and being outside shovelling snow caused the increased foot pain? I hope it eases soon. One of the other ladies on the forum, Georgia Rose, has found an improvement in her neuropathy since lowering her blood sugars. ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  Bill1954 on Meds, are they really good for you ?
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    I was given this link on the business forums to a great article written by NHS Cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra, thanks Scott for that
    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/01/drugs-pharma-doctors-patients
    A lot of food for thought in there and well worth a read
    Taster
    “Corporate greed and systematic political failure have brought healthcare to its knees. There are too many misinformed doctors and misinformed patients. Itโ€™s time for greater transparency and stronger accountability, so that doctors and nurses can provide the best quality care for the most important person in the consultation room โ€“ the patient”

  • posted by  Bill1954 on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi Lucia, I’m here, and in a foul mood due to a very dodgy sugar reading that came out of the blue this morning, but I’ll sort it out.
    Have a great day and say goodnight to Fred from me in your prayers ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Hi Debs14, I had the same problem, lost 4lbs wk1, put on and lost same 2lbs in wk2/3. Then I decided to try doing the book recipes and lost 3lbs in 3 days! I suspect the beans and pulses might have helped and I found I’m not hungry any more too this way. Stick with it, you can’t fail to lose on 800 cals eventually.

  • posted by  Bill1954 on Rising Fasting Blood Glucose Levels
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Talk about spurious results !
    After almost 2 weeks of readings in the normal range I woke up this morning to 8.9 !!!
    Food yesterday was 4 Ryvitas with cream cheese and 2 slices roast beef for lunch, a piece of baked haddock with asparagus for dinner and 2 tbsp of Greek youghurt with 4 strawberries for my late snack.
    Honestly, the more I learn about this, the less I understand.

  • Hi debs14,
    Sorry you are disappointed with your results. Have you noticed any changes other than weight, like looser clothing or inches lost?
    Are you eating enough fat to encourage your body into fat burning?
    It sounds from your post that your loss stopped in weeks 2&3, which is very common. I call it the week 2 blues. If you look at some of the other threads you’ll see how many others have had the same problem. Now you’ve started losing again it should continue. Everyone loses at different rates, often depending on how much you have to lose and your activity level.
    Hope to hear better news from you soon ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  SOS on Dry Skin
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    On doing a bit of research it seems that too low carbs can cause dry itchy skin also known as keto rash although I don’t have a rash. I have upped my carbs as I was having 30g max and my skin is feeling better. This diet is a journey of discovery and we do need to figure out what our individual needs are. I will also heed advice given here as it all helps so thanks for your replies.

  • posted by  SOS on Headaches
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi April , you’re experiencing what is known as keto flu or carbon flu. Flu like symptoms due to carb reduction. They can vary from person to person but it is proof that things are moving in the right direction. I’m in week 6 and am only now coming out of the symptom phase. So stick with it, fluids are hugely important and take it easy if you can during these first few days. It will be worth it.

  • posted by  Lostgirl on Very low
    on in BSD Way of Life
    permalink

    Ok I got on the scales and 3/4 of. Pound loss… I guess cake fat likes to stick around!

    I think I have no option I have to loose the Pepsi even diluted!!

    As since drinking it again no weight loss or nothing to be proud of.

    This is going to kill me… Maybe allow myself a glass at a weekend but there is no point in restricting diet if the Pepsi counters it. Yesterday I ended up less than 700 calories!

    I had done lots of exercise so I should be loosing weight!! All day soup day today but having yoghurt and flaked almonds for breakfast

    Weather is vile and already slipped walking the dogs so cleaning house to do exercise.

    I’m still positive just slightly disheartened

  • posted by  Julia18togo on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Lucia I am just heading 5 minutes down the road to work too. Hang in there girl, one meal at a time. You have been so supportive to all and we are with you every step of the way. Horrible day ahead as I have had a few days off so backlog to catch up with as well as meetings. I have my breakfast and lunch with me and will do my best to avoid that sweet brown Ch… stuff at the shop. Just walk right past now!

    Have a good day!

  • posted by  Lucia on My eight weeks….
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Early morning call for Bill 1954.
    You up yet?
    I am in work and just checking in.

    Thinking I am going to wobble this week, I have cravings for the wrong stuff.

    See how we go, one meal at a time though.

    Love Lucia
    Xxxx

  • posted by  April on Headaches
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hello everyone,

    I’m in the very early stages of the diet (day 3) but I am finding that I can’t shake the headache that started yesterday, despite plenty of water as recommended. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it a sugar detox perhaps?
    The good news is the extreme hunger is gone today, I’m not getting my 4 o’clock slump and I don’t seem to need as many cups of coffee to get me through the day.
    I feel quite positive about it all and thought by posting on here it gives me some accountability for my actions.

  • posted by  Fran84 on End of Day Two and I am starving
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Thanks for the tip Lauren- I do like the quorn chicken strips so will be having those in place of the sausages. Caroline, I hope you feel better soon- there is lots of good advice on this forum. When the hunger just gets too much I have a piece of cheese or some nuts. I figure if we end up having 900 calories it won’t hurt (I am breastfeeding so have found I need those extra 100 calories to sleep at night and stop the nausea from hunger). Hang in there!

  • posted by  debs14 on Four weeks to go, not many results yet:(
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi, I have been very meticulous with keeping to the 800 or less calories and have only just lost almost 3 kg. The first week I lost 2kg and nothing until the last day of week 4. I have only had fish and chicken breasts with mainly greens. No bread, pasta, rice or dairy.
    Has anyone else had this issue? I would have thought by now things would be working a bit better. I am also exercising almost every day and am always hungry, but have stuck with it. Feeling frustrated, but determined to continue to get better results!

  • posted by  CallMeDeb on How's it going eh? Hello from Canada!
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Had a bad day today. Not really food bad (although I did have 1/2 a white bun with my soup at dinner) but just overall feeling bad. My head feels muddy, my eyes are irritated, the nerve pain in my feet is hovering around a 9…

    But you know what? I survived it. It’s just one day. I think I’m going to take Bing Crosby’s advice before I turn in. Go to sleep counting my blessings.

    So, good things that happened today:

    1. I only ate 1/2 the bun (I threw out the other half before I could eat it)
    2. My sweet parking spot wasn’t occupied at the train station this morning
    3. My boss trusts me enough to vent to
    4. My eyes are not irritated by allergies as there is two feet of snow
    5. New shoes I ordered online came in and they are adorable
    6. I sat in a coffee/donut shop visiting with friends for two hours and didn’t cave in to the temptation of sugar
    7. Said friends asked me to sing at their wedding, even after I told them my track record with wedding singing (5 weddings, 5 divorces) – I said yes
    8. I still have my feet
    9. Reading this forum today kept me sane, even if I wasn’t up to posting, thanks all

    Cheers,

    Deb

  • posted by  Cherrianne on This has to work for me
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Glad you all liked the site. We are the ones who have to be happy with our weight aren’t we? As long as we are comfortable and our blood sugars/BP/cholesterol are in the ideal range, that’s a realistic aim. We can succeed at this.
    I was looking back through the memory on my monitor. Previous FBS were in the mid to high 6’s usually with the occasional 7+. Post meals around 9 with an occasional 11+ and one 12.4!
    No wonder medication was suggested several times, which is what caused the search that resulted in the BSD.
    Now FBS consistently under 5 and post meal around 5-6, never higher. So happy with results. Going to wait a few more weeks for HbA1c to make sure I get the full benefit of BSD results, but for the first time I’m looking forward to it ๐Ÿ™‚

  • posted by  Eureka on Over the 8-week line and after
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi pmshrink

    Thanks Penny. You are going to have to change that name soon to pmshrunk! Slow & steady wins the race

    We all seem to be similar height & age. I’m 5′ 3″ & 65 July. I’ve bagged lots of clothes for the charity shops. New life as Bill says
    Went to M&S today, grumbled a lot as no 16 short jeans! Grabbed a pair of per una skinnys hoping for a miracle, well he was listening size14. Get in ๐Ÿ˜„
    Got a ways to go yet but at this rate will be in nappies
    Eureka

  • Hi AliceinSwitzerland

    Welcome, no barm cakes here though! (Lived in Preston 2yrs a lifetime ago).

    So, get Inspiralized! It’s a book & web site by Ali Maffucci Inspiralized.com.

    You & the girls can have fun making & quickly cooking vegetable rice & pasta. It says here in my book, you can make; breakfasts, snacks & sides, soups, stews, salads, wraps, bakes,gratins, rice pasta & noodles & desserts!!

    You can spiralize carrots, cucumber ,beetroot ,butternut squash,courgette, apples, parsnip, pear , swede the list goes on. These all make pasta or ribbon strands to cook or even eat raw. Low calories & carbs but very healthy

    To create rice you need a food processor to pulse the pasta. It’s quick easy & fun. I love carrot & beetroot rice raw or cooked. You can steam , stir for or microwave

    I got my spiralizer from Lakeland. You could go local or web for one if you like the idea. I paid about ยฃ29. It’s not electric. Your girls would have fun , just watch the blades, you put them in, they turn the handle. I will let my 3 yr old granddaughter help me make pasta. Look at the videos on line & have some fun

    And don’t forget to look at cauliflower rice. It’s more like couscous but carries a curry or whatever you want to flavour it with. I much prefere veg pasta & rice now
    Bis spoter En Guete (hope that’s right)
    Eureka

  • Hi AliceinSwitzerland,
    I am also cooking for family, usually 7 but often 8 when kids friends or my father in law stays over.
    Today I have a full house with my lovely, nearly 80 year old F-I-L staying. I’m cooking curry with rice, popadoms and samosas for them. I will have curry, popadom and a samosa. The rest of the day will be low carb to allow for the samosa.
    After a few weeks you won’t be tempted by carbs at all and will be able to cook for your family without worrying. You will very quickly be able to adapt your usual meals to your needs. Mums are usually very good at being creative with food ๐Ÿ™‚
    In the meantime, make sure you always have some low carb meals in your freezer, even if you have to cook extra just to freeze it. This will help you out if you can’t think of a substitute for what you are making for the rest of your family. Wishing you success on the BSD.

  • posted by  Chinagas on Half way through the 800
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Iโ€™m now into my 5th week of the BSD 800. So far have lost just under 6 kgs. My wife and I started together and so far she has recorded a similar weight loss. I have been type 2 diabetic for around 18 months and at the time of diagnosis weighed in at 82 kgs with a bmi of 29 then aged 55. I โ€˜ve been a vegetarian for around 25 years, ate dairy products and fish. One of those people that exercised on and off (a run here, a bike ride there etc) loved all the wrong kind of foodโ€ฆ potatoes, bread, cereals. We joined a gym back in November and have been going regularly 5 days a week since then. Do a whole range of stuff in the gym from spinning, yoga, HIIT, weights and aerobics just to keep things varied. The weight is coming down, the paunch is slowly disappearing and Iโ€™ve never felt fitter. The diet is going good too. I used MyFitnessPal to record everything and most of the time keep to the 800 calories. Breakfast is full fat yoghurt with 4 strawberries. Lunch can be a salad with either tuna, sardines or mackerel. Not much of a dinner as we do the gym in the evening after work so invariably just a low cal snack. Target weight is 70kgs. At the end of the 8 weeks, weโ€™re going onto the 5:2 Med Diet and the gym membership is there for a year. Wished I had done all this sooner, actually enjoying every minute of it. Going to try out some of these recipes over the coming weeks.

  • posted by  pmshrink on What have you eaten today?
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi Onelmunn
    Soup is definitely encouraged!
    One thing I would say tho looking at your menu- are you having enough fat? I could only see fat in the eggs which isn’t enough for a day. Maybe make your own soup with plenty of olive oil? I put in a spoonful of peanut butter!
    Best of luck
    Penny

  • posted by  pmshrink on Over the 8-week line and after
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi jimbob
    Glad to hear you’re on the mend. I’m sure that great weight loss must help.
    If it happens again I’m going to demand an MRI scan on day one. – suggest you do the same!
    I’m a slow loser but gradually the scales are going down. Eventually I’ll get there! Another stone to go!
    Keep up the good work
    Penny

  • posted by  Eureka on For anyone suffering from constipation
    on in Fast 800
    permalink

    Hi SunnyB

    First, don’t ignore or delay going to the toilet when you get the signals. That feeling might go away & take a good while to return. Be sure to really drink 2 – 3 litres a day. The longer food waste is in the intestines, the more fluid is reabsorbed & the harder (literally) it is to defecate.

    The change of diet prompts a change of habit. Worrying won’t speed things up. A bit more fat in your diet will help
    Very often eating prompts the defecating response. Eat breakfast try & go to the loo. All a bit obvious but it gets worrying if you have never had this happen before. Also try hot drinks. I have a fruit tea & glass of water as soon as I rise

    Also move. Try running up & down the stairs a few times. Get everything to wake up with you in the morning. We create habits

    I eat full fat Greek yoghurt , nuts & a mixture of strawberries , blueberries , raspberries & cherries for breakfast. Also have a full cooked breakfast somethimes or smoked salmon with poached egg, or scrambled eggs & bacon etc. I only eat ONE of these things, but mostly yoghurt etc

    I sprinkle one level tablespoon of flaked almond & Goji berries & one level tablespoon of mixed seeds on my yoghurt I get Waitrose love life mixed seeds. They contain sunflower , pumpkin, sesame & linseed. Linseed is most important for my bowel health. I also have 2 walnuts with the yoghurt. I’m sure you can buy or make up the list of nuts & seeds you want as I sometimes do.

    I was constipated too at first & did all of the above. I’m fine now. If you are still worried have a word with your pharmacist ( probably quicker than your dr). Give yourself extra time in the morning if that’s the routine time you are going for
    Hope this helps
    Eureka

  • posted by  Cherrianne on Low Carb Foods in Australia
    on in Welcome to the BSD
    permalink

    Hi Switzerland,
    If you miss lasagne it’s definitely worth trying zucchini instead. It’s a very similar texture.
    Yesterday I found the rice/angel hair/lasagne Slendier noodle replacements in Coles. Forgot to note which section they were in but probably the health foods.
    I will check out the mindfulness thread. Thanks, enjoy your Wednesday ๐Ÿ™‚