Hi Barby,
I think it depends if you have diabetes or not which you concentrate on. I had 25kg to lose, and had noticed my waist was disappearing, so probably carrying to much internal fat around my middle, I also want to get my BMI under 25 i.e. normal.
I bought a blood sugar monitor and discovered my fasting blood sugar was getting very close to being pre-diabetic so I wanted to get that down into ‘safer’ normal figures.
Those with diabetes try to get below 50g carbs a day as a way of reversing it; that puts the body into ketosis and fat burning mode. MM does not set any levels in the book other than 800 cals over a short time which mimics Prof Taylors work at Newcastle of giving the body a shock calorie reduction.
There are other books that Janet has recommended to look at about blood sugars and understanding them (Jenny Rhul, Low Carb Problems Solved, £3 on Kindle), plus the collective experience and knowledge of the group that advises the 50g.
There is a post from Janet from February (I think) that gives come carb ranges she found and 60-100 carbs per day give a steady consistent weight loss, 50g and under much faster.
Once I realised the mistakes I had made with the shakes, I settled on 60g as being the bottom end of the steady weight loss. It also fitted in with the veggie life-style better.
I will leave it to the forum experts who understanding diabetes better that I do to explain more of the 50g rational!
When planning the day I give the priority to the carb count, and I will vary a bit the calories. For example today I had 60g carbs and that was 690 calories. Had it been 50g carbs and 800 cals I would probably have had a milky drink at bedtime to up the carbs and not worried about the calories being higher.
If todays ketostix test was correct, I am burning fat on 60g carb per day. I will be measuring and monitoring that for a few weeks to see if this is a result of lower carbs Mon and Tues this week (giving me bad cramps overnight on Tuesday) or if on my ‘normal’ 60g a day I am definitely fat-burning.
One thing the Jenny Rhul book did say is that we all have a fat burning threshold that turns it on or off and it is important to find that and stay in that zone, if you move up and down your body gets very confused.
I discovered a number of years ago that I always lose weight when I cook my own food from scratch. Slow, steady weightloss – not at this speed! That has not stopped me resorting to processed foods especially when stressed, and for long periods and putting on weight – thus this diet! MM’s book goes into the different things that are added to our food – the things added to make them ‘taste’ good, increase shelf-life and sugars are one of them. We would not need them if we made the food ourselves, and soup takes so little time to make! I am back on the ‘cook everything yourself’ wagon – if you possibly can!
I have a quick simple salad with lunch – 5 cherry tomatoes, one spring onion and a chunk of cucumber (50-70g) all chopped up. It fits in a small lunchbox. I vary it with feta cheese if I need extra protein with no carbs or hard boiled egg, plus different dressings – from olive oil, or balsamic and also chilli dressing or harissa. It is important to keep the flavours of your food varied and strong as they stay in the memory for longer and helps with remembering what you ate.
Check the Tesco label – it may be saying 30g carbs of which 10g are sugars rather than 30g carbs plus 10g sugars. If it is the latter, then it is a 40g count. If it is tinned, I would keep it in the cupboard for emergencies and get onto your own soups as quickly as possible :-).
have fun – it has been and that was an unexpected bonus!

Wow, eureka! That is so eloquent and articulate, I am bowled over! You really have said it all!

Come on fellow BSDers, get writing! Let’s bombard them! It doesnt matter what part of the world you are in – the BBC has a global service 🙂

Hi Jilly
Re fats- all fats have 9 cals per gram so there’s no way out of that! However it is possible to eat enough fat if you keep carbs low and protein medium.
I looked at my MFP for yesterday- it was 25 g carbs 59 grams fat 40 g protein Which was 800 cals. The day before was 23 g carbs 42 g fat 35 G protein. Cals 766
Hope that helps
Penny

Hi hashimoto

Finally emailed the BBC Sent epistle to James.Gallagher@bbc.co.uk. He’s Health editor BBC news website

Re: Deadly diabetes 6.4.16 ( news item)

Hello
I am a type 2 diabetic, diagnosed 2013. I have completed 8 weeks on the blood sugar diet (BSD) as per Dr Michael Mosley’s book, based on Professor Roy Taylor’s original trial to try & REVERSE type 2 diabetes (Newcastle uni)
Why the BSD & why now? Because I /we can’t wait 5 years for the results of a trial diet to save our lives
We who have chosen to participate in this diet & are aware there are no guarantees of success , are desperate.
When you are given this diagnosis & a pitiable deteriorating future is forecast , you will try anything that offers hope.
Look at our forum http://thebloodsugardiet.com
We are Reversing & controlling type 2 diabetes. We use real food – not shakes, in the real world (no medical monitoring in hospital ) & with very little involvement or support by our local surgery Drs & nurses!

Insulin metabolises Carbohydrates as an energy source. Unused carbs are stored as fat. Our production & use of insulin is impaired!
Why are medics telling type 2 diabetics to overload their bodies with a toxic, deadly amount of carbs?
You don’t throw fuel on a fire.

Both my parents died from type 2 diabetic complications.

TOXIC CARBS are BIG MONEY!
Sugar in meat! Genetic agricultural manipulation! Corn syrup in almost everything ! etc. Why?
Look no further for your answers to a rapid world wide increase in type 2 diabetes.

A LOW CARB diet takes away uncontrollable hunger. It controls GHRELIN – the hunger hormone. You can take back control of your eating habits.
The Low Carb 8-week BSD is working for me. Coupled with a Mediterranean diet & exercise I have a future to enjoy not dread.

The BSD forum cares. We welcome all & support all. We know exactly what type 2 diabetes is like.

Our voice is getting louder & stronger world wide. We will be heard.
A LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIET could save us ALL.

Please sign our petition
http://petition.parliament.uk/petitions125704
Thank you & pass it on

Eureka

Barby – it’s total carbs, not just sugar.

Janet – probably for the same reason it’s added to meat products and chicken is cooked in a sugar marinade😱

Thanks Janet

Day 47 weight 10st 4lbs (so have put lb on again)
Blood sugar 8.0 (so still going down)

Had “skinny chilli” tonight but without the cinnamon and chocolate and with added tomato puree and using chilli powder. I had it with -too much- brown rice. Won’t be surprised if weigh more tomorrow. Still drinking more liquid, and blood sugar has been coming down.

I watched “how to stay young” tonight and am curious about inulin for reducing internal fat! I have had a quick look on line and it seems to be marketed as a laxative on some sites, but wonder if it would speed up the reduction in my internal fat storage?

Thanks for this FoFi, it’s a great thread!
Both of your assumptions make sense to me, even tho they’re not very scientific 😉!
My weight can fluctuate daily and there can be up to 3lbs difference in my evening weight and my morning weight. Note to self: must stop weighing myself so much….!
It’s comforting to see that others get the ‘week 2/3 plateau’ like I did, but nowhete near as comforting as watching that pin on the scale move to the left in week 4/5!!

Hi, its new to me has been known about for over 210 years, but I heard Angela Rippon mention it on BBC then missed what it was for. I checked the Wikipedia page and I do not think I will be needing any in the foreseeable future.

Thanks Meredex for enquiring…hugs
Today is Day 14 for me on the BSD, and after following it, eating more fat, and low carbs, no falling off the wagon, and cutting out all fruits except strawberries and blueberries which I put in my full fat Frage Total Yoghurt, I can safely say my blood sugar levels have not fallen, and I have not lost any weight whatsoever. I have therefore gone back on Metformin as of yesterday to get the blood sugars down. Today I experienced another hypo, at 5.2 ,tried to get rid of it by eating two strawberries and when that failed I had a quick small swig of orange juice for such emergencies.
I purchased some Ketostix a few days ago and have checked at various times of the day, before exercising, after exercising, or waiting till a few hours after exercising and I am not in ketosis, so basically it means I am not burning fat. I do know that I am toning the muscles, as I actually felt one on my side the other day, had to get hubby to check it out for me as I got scared I developed a lump of some sort, but hey ho it’s a muscle, so the only conclusion we can come too is that my muscles are being toned and as muscle weighs more than fat, that is why I am not losing weight, cause my body is definitely not burning any fat. All measurements are still the same as when I started.

How is everyone one else doing? Anyone experiencing the same as me???

hugs
Karra

Could anyone tell me if it would be ok to add inulin to breakfast shakes – looking at the nutritional values 5gms is suggested daily serving giving 4.5gm carbohydrate and 0.4gm sugar – would this be of any benefit ?

Don’t you mean, “Yorksher” 😉

I look at the total number of carbs, not just sugar and aim for under 50g per day. You have to wonder, why do they need to put sugar in soup?

Hi SunnyB

Enjoy that long break. Eat as near to the BSD as you can but most of all have a great time. Hope there is lots of sun to enjoy & walk in. Keep hydrated on the plane
Eureka

Thank you so much Janet and Orchid, you are very kind to take the time to give me so much information, it really helps. I’m going to paste it all in word, with good recipes I find. It’s especially good to hear of your great weight loss Orchid as a fellow veggie. I would be VERY happy with that.

I will have a go at making and freezing soups, and add the pulses – great idea. I have got the Tesco Healthy Living 3 bean & veg soup, it is 180 cals per tin and 30g (10g sugar). Is it the sugar part that’s important to count wit carbs?, When in a rush, I could add some extra low carb veg to this as a quick meal.

I think I must count cals also, otherwise I would eat far too much Cheddar cheese!

I will look at the recipes, I fancy making some lentil burgers, then freezing some.

I also love the idea of freezing lemon/lime slices. Thanks again x

That actually sounds a bit yorkshire! 🙂

Thank you so much for your replies and feel truly welcomed.

It has been a good couple of days and feeling good so far. I’ve worked a few more hours, good for my bank balance and less hours at home in the evening.

Looking forward to all the amazing support here.

Hope today has been a good day for you 🙂

Thanks for that. I have all those items in and have just weighed out ready for tomorrow morning. Have also boiled some eggs so can take those in for later on if needed. I also make gram flour scones for 25 calories each which are good as a filling extra. Here’s hoping!

Bill1954

Ey up mi duck
It wer code ere safto. Ow yer gowin on then, Serri? Internets bin prattin abaht! I gora bit Mardy wi it
I need some snap ennyrode , ta-rar
Eureka

Keep us up to date with your progress, especially if you find some dishes you can recommend!

Superdrug are doing their own version of 5:2 food. They are just awful. You’d lose weight cos they put you off eating at all in the the 2 days!

They have been around a while John. Clever marketing. Jane something or other I think one is, they will deliver and you shove in the fridge or freezer. Not cheap I can tell you.

A big con I think.

Omelettes are ok re-heated in the microwave and I would have thought sausages might be ok too. I have used slim fast shakes in the past, the cafe latte and strawberry ones are very nice but not particularly low carb.

I use 60g full fat greek yoghurt, 30g blueberries – put in one small container the night before into the fridge. Separate container, 3g linseeds, 3g sunflower seeds, 3g pumpkin seeds, 3 almonds chopped plus good pinch of cinnamon. Take both to the office, mix together and eat. I make this each evening and have it for breakfast, it last me to lunchtime (165 cals and 10g carbs).
That leaves you space to have a hardboiled egg or some cheese after to get to what ever you want your breakfast to be.
hope that helps.

the pesto courgetti sounds wonderful – thanks for that .

im ditching the porridge

thanks for your help and advice. i am currently writing down some meal ideas for next week and have been through the book and compiled a shopping list for tommorrow.

Hi Barby,
I am vegetarian and have completed the 8 week programme and now part way through week 10. I have lost on average just over 3lbs per week.
In terms of the book, I would not buy it for recipes and the menu section is impossible for a veggie to follow. However – I would recommend buying it so you understand the principles. I bought it without realising how few veggie recipes there were, but I use it regularly to look up what I should and should not do. I did have one of the 5:2 Recipe Books by MM and Mimi Spencer which has more veggie recipes, and I’ve adapted them. Having said that there are now a good number of tasty vegetarian recipes in the recipes tab on the website. Check the calorie and carb counts yourself for the portions you use as it does make a difference quite a difference.
I had followed a low GI plan a few years ago and found the Rose Elliot’s Low GI cooking to be useful. Others have used her Low Fat book (try searching for Rose Elliot in the search at the top and you will get the forum discussions around recipe books and ideas). I found the Newcastle University site a useful place to start for the first few weeks – ignore the shakes, but the soups were a great starter until I had got some planning and ideas of my own going. http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/documents/StudyRecipes.pdf
I have the veg soup and have a variation pea soup – I use a lot of fresh mint (40-50 g not hard stalks) to the peas without the watercress and use 1 large bag (1000g) peas with a litre of veg stock) and blitz. I also add a tin of beans to my soups for protein. The rep pepper soup is also good, I add a tin of tomatoes and a tin of beans to it as well. Also, use your search engine and look for Rose Elliot’s chunky ratatouille. It is available on one of her websites. Make enough for 6-8 portions and I top with 15g parmesan. Again – freezes well.
I agree with your comment about it being hard to keep under 50g carbs. I don’t. Everyone is different and I find under 50g leaves me with cramps overnight. Also, the only way I can get to under 50g is to live on cheese and eggs! I have been targeting 60g and found that worked for me – I did a test today using a ketostix and I am definitely fat burning. Use the search at the top of website for ketostix if you want to know more about them.
What is important is to be consistent so you body does not move in and out of ketosis, so be consistent.
I started with Slimfast shakes and stopped after a week and a half as I was not losing the weight from my belly. Three of them a day plus soup or stir-fry – yes it was 800 cals, but 80g+ carbs and it is the carbs that are important. When I stopped them, and moved to my own food, the inches dropped away. I am down 2 dress sizes.
The hardest change to make (everyone will tell you the same) is to move to full fat dairy. I eventually did it in week 3. This is a very hard change to make, but once made – you never look back :-). Stop the ‘low carb’ stuff. I bought full fat greek yogurt and had it for breakfast with blueberries and seeds (60g yogurt, 30g blueberries, 3g linseeds, 3g sunflower seeds, 3g pumpkin seeds, 3 almonds chopped plus a good pinch cinnamon – mix). This keeps me full till lunchtime. I then have either scrambled eggs, feta cheese with a Portobello mushroom or more often one of the soups I have made. If you are working, I used to take them into the office frozen and microwave them for lunch.
A hardboiled egg or come cheese after that if you want. I normally have 350’ish cals left for the evening.
For dressings, I bought a couple of low cal ones to begin with then looked at the labels and realised the ‘normal’ ones were better for me and although the calories were higher, the carbs were not!
I drink black coffee, tea with milk (semi skimmed, not quite got myself onto FF milk yet), and fizzy bottled water from the fridge. I chop up lemons and limes into slices and freeze them. Take one out at a time and add the cold water – it have a lovely taste and refreshing. Try that instead of the Robinsons?
Chickpeas – throw into soup and freeze? Mix them up with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and paprika to make humus and freeze portions. Count the calories as this is quite high, so smaller portions. Had some a couple of days ago with a lot of sliced veg and a dollop of FF yoghurt with chives for lunch. Avocados are also good if you make guacamole and freeze portions – again watch the cals!
A number of folks don’t bother about the calories, but plan using the carbs alone – this had worked very well for them. The great thing about this diet is the flexibility it gives you – just forget the bread, rice, potatoes and for now squashes – that for me was the hardest – I love squash and sweet potato soup :-(.
Whew – long post – if I missed anything you asked, let me know!
Good luck on the journey!

Janet,

No, I’m afraid it was the recycling bin. I’ve had those suits and trousers quite some time, and have had to squeeze into them for a fair proportion of their lives. They were well and truly worn out. I drive a lot, and sitting in the car in too tight clothes takes a great toll on them.
Can’t bear to chuck my brand new (but too large) cycling trews yet – just enjoying looking at them before heading for ebay.

On the subject of ready-cooked meals for “5:2”, “Fast Diet” and “BSD” I reckon they will be big business soon – these people are never slow to pick up on a rising trend.

John

Spirit’s got a good point about the porridge.

Any ideas for easily portable breakfasts to reduce those carbs? I commute into London 3 days a week and don’t like to eat before I leave (6.50am) so I get a long stretch between previous eve meal and breakfast. I’ve been making porridge and taking it in thermos to eat on arrival and keep yogurt and berries at work but there aren’t cooking facilities apart from microwave there. I am starving on arrival 8.40 so it needs to be quick!

You could put your pesto on courgetti and other vegetables. I really like tuna mayo with sweetcorn and salad, sort of fills that potato salad hole. And for the first time ever – coleslaw is back on the menu!

Hmnn, have you checked the carbs on those instant porridge mixes? MM says rolled oats are fine, although even those are too carby for me. Check for added sugars in your porridge Kirsty, you may need to rethink there.

John, I. Nearly had a trouser incident myself a couple of weeks ago. Certainly makes you sort out your wardrobe 🙂

thanks for the advice , i have been enjoying instant porridge with fresh blueberries in for breakfast so i may change to eggs on a few mornings and fruit with yogurt on other days.

Cherrianne – thanks for the info on the Fit Bit – and there was me thinking it was a toyboy!

CallMeDeb – I suppose you’re right about the bacon sarnie – trouble is, the alternative is a tailored leather jacket which is going to cost me a lot more. Ho-hum. Has your Fit Bit arrived yet?

John

i do really enjoy potato salad and pasta with pesto on but i do feel motivated and realise that they are not good for me . Thanks for the help .

Hi julia18togo
Tell your daughter that hair grows, it will soon change and she can try another style, good luck
Christine

Hashimoto -yes they are disgusting – the packaging they come in tastes nicer!

kirstyvic

Welcome to your journey. I am at a similar stage. For breakfasts, I have been eating eggs with either grilled mushroom or grilled tomato. That is enough for me.
For scrambled egg, I put break one egg into a bowl, add some parsley, a spoonful of cottage cheese, pinch of salt, grind of black pepper, tablespoon of milk, and, sometimes, half a teaspoon of garlic powder. I use one of those stick blenders to blitz it all and then pop it into the microwave for a series of 20 second bursts. On other occasions, I vary the process and make the mixture into an omelette
Meanwhile, I take a portobello mushroom, add a splash of olive oil in the cavity where the stalk was, season it and place it under the grill. For variation, a tomato, sliced in half can be used in place off the mushroom.
Eaten slowly, I find this is a delicious and satisfying breakfast.

Keep up the progress my new friend.

Jim

John when you say ‘threw out’ I hope you mean you gave to charity?

Can’t believe what I have just seen in the advert break! A firm selling ready meal for the 5:2 diet! Disgusting 🙁

Why
Do I feel bit shaky over three hours after a meal ?

And will this plan which I’m starting next week avoid the shakes eating so little ?
Many many thanks Alan

Threw out loads of clothes yesterday.
Trouble is, when one’s wanting to lose more weight, there’s no point spending a lot on new, so I went to our nearest “Outlet Village” and stocked up.
1 new whistle, a pair of bags and a 15 1/2 collar shirt all for £130
Didn’t have much choice really – I go for a 1 mile walk round town before going to work, and my trousers were in severe danger of falling down this morning. I can’t wear a belt for fear of damaging clients’ pianos with the buckle.
Onwards and downwards
John

They made a new version of the man from u.n.c.l.e last year for the big screen with Henry Cavill (divine – totally unreal jawline) who is also in batman vs superman. Both great films. Going to the pictures is one of my non-food rewards.

Welcome kirstyvic,

If you like eggs, then pretty much anyway you like of those for breakfast. Smoked salmon and poached eggs. bacon rashers, egg, grilled tomato, mushrooms. Frittata to take for lunch. The possibilities are endless. There are loads of recipes on here. For me, I’ve not used any in the book at all. I tend to use my own recipes adapted for the BSD,

Christi,
I ride a bike, rather than being a proper “cyclist.” Definitely no lycra yet.
I’ve recently returned to cycling after a 30 year break and am really enjoying it.
I only go out at weekends, but try to do 10-20 mile rides Sat and Sun.
Saturdays I go up the Mendips (the weight loss is helping there) and Sundays I just pootle around the Somerset Levels.
My main bike is a folding Brompton, so on Saturdays I try to cycle to somewhere where there’s a bus – and after coffee and a cake (sorry, but there’s no point cycling without cake) I just fold up the bike, fish out my bus pass and hop on a bus home.
Trying to sort out my 1981 Raleigh Record Ace (proper bike) but having to sort the gears out – we were much tougher 30 years ago and wound up enormous bottom gears – just can’t handle that any more.
I don’t go abroad at the moment, but would love to see the TDF in the flesh – the French are so passionate about bikes.
You don’t say that you ride – is that a “treat” to come?
John

I’d give my eye teeth for 18C. 🙁

I can’t hep directly but I wonder if it would be worth having a look at a website called dietdoctor.com. It recommends a low carb diet for people with type 2 so there might be some advice on there for you.

My best hints:

1. You’re going to mess up. You’re human. It will be okay as long as you don’t let it defeat you in the long run. Every minute is an opportunity for a fresh start. You are worth going on this journey – never forget that.

2. Reward yourself with non-food items when you reach a milestone (see my profile for mine as examples),

3. DRINK WATER. It helps with the carb cravings and it fills you up.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The people on this forum are amazing human beings, I learn from them every day.

Welcome and Happy Journey!

Deb

Summer’s come early here. Was 33°C today – sounds hot, but it was really nice. Shame it’s going to be ONLY 18°C on Sunday 🙁