Hi cat girl, never heard of Winnie the poof.
New character on me.
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi guys,

I’m about to see my doctor to see if I can start this diet and coming off my medication prior to starting on Monday, I’m just a little confused with some things, firstly, is it recommended to come off the medication prior to starting (400 mg of slow release meteor in per day) and just blood test every morning ?
Secondly, calorie count. I have absolutely no idea how to calorie count with certain things, how do I manage this with salad and nuts and other ingredients in the recipe.

I apologise in advance if this is already on a post here or if I’ve missed something in the book !

Eureka
Wow size 14 I’m well jealous! I have a way to go, my next goal is to get into all the size18 that I have, I am pear shaped and can’t get them over my hips yet, I blame my five baby belly!
I hope you are going to treat yourself now you are size 14, how much more do you want to lose?

Hi gang,
Just got a Fitbit award, one of those daft emails trying to compliment me.
It wa for the underground?
Eh?
Apparently I have walked 250 miles. In a month.
😇😇😇😇😇😇
Have forgotten my cold, as I feel smug now.
Love Lucia
Xxx

Dear christi1954,

Many happy returns for next week and hope you have a fab time in Tenerife and also with your family before then.

I am sitting here with a us my like Winnie the poof after a rather large pot of honey!

Been to Blackfriars restaurant in Newcastle which dates back to1239 and was an old monastery. The food was sublime and we were goodish, I had ham hock and piccalilli terrine with mustard cream followed by salmon, beetroot and veg, asked for no potatoes and had Spring greens instead, followed by the cheeseboard, had a couple of crackers and the crust off one tiny slice of olive bread. We did share a bottle of red wine – paid homage to the Mediterranean diet theme!

Feeling so full at the moment and no way is this truffle pig going anywhere near the cupboards so something us working!

Day 46 weight 10st 3lbs (13 pounds lost) 😀
Blood sugar 8.2 so still going down. 👍

Eureka,
Never knew what “Kith” meant – thanks

Hi captainlynne

Ohh if only….
Might have to try Bill’s late night yoghurt. Been trying to keep the long fast though.
Great stuff
Eureka

Hi Christi1948

Thanks, not size 16 but 14! So dug out more trousers & YES it’s true all 14 & no rolling on the floor to zip up.
I still have a Good way to go & a belly to work on. The belly has shrunk , the keg is crumpled! Are you listening Bill?

You will get there too. This is a lifetimes mess we are clearing up together Got to do it for the kith (friends & aquaintances) & kin (relations). If my sons & grandchildren see this huge change in me & my husband, then we could stop them getting type 2 diabetes. Because both my parents were type 2 , I was 60% more likely to get it & did. Got to cut down the odds. Can’t let the CARBS win

Dreams come true Christi. Don’t wait go shop x
Eureka

Could we have the above comments in idiot language just for me thanks

B – full fat yogurt & frozen berries

L – lentil & pancetta soup

D – chicken, green beans, broccoli & savoy cabbage stir fried in butter, oil, garlic, chilli flakes & a splash of soy sauce

In my local hospital there is a leaflet aimed at cardiology patients. The title of it is “Facts on Fats”. I share some of the statements made in it to illustrate the conflicts that “we” may be aware of, but that are still being pushed as the right way to eat. Of course we must not let our new found knowledge challenge anyone’s professional standing but it is interesting to note the approach compared to what we are all trying to do now, with BSD and Fast 800. It was “Produced by the Dietitians of Bedford Hospital and Beds & Shires Health and Care NHS Trusts” (NB Ed note: Dieticians is an alternate correct spelling, perhaps a more common spelling that also denotes “an expert on diet and nutrition” ref Oxford Dictionary.

Para 1 “Fats have over twice as many calories as sugar, so if you are trying to lose weight reduce the amount you eat.”
Para 2 ” Most of us eat too much fat. This can lead to heart disease (even if you’re not overweight), so TRY TO EAT LESS FAT.”

Advisory statements follow:
“….baked beans…. on toast try omitting butter…. completely”
“Use less butter on jacket potatoes, mashed potatoes….”
“Try semi-skimmed or skimmed milk instead of whole….”
“If you cut down on fat you will need more potatoes, bread, pasta or rice to stay the same weight. Don’t be tempted to add extra butter or margarine.”
“Use less oil in salad dressings.”
“Eat less fat,…”

This advice was published in the Bedford’s Cardiology Department in 2015

If I were a cardiology patient it would be part of my treatment to be offered this advice, that I may question aspects of.

Perhaps we could collect some other examples and feed them into The Prof or the Doc for informed opinions?

Welcome to the veterans club Pam1954!

John the very same thing has happened to me with a few lovely unworn clothes – missed the window of opportunity!!! 🙂

Bill, why don’t you wish to be interviewed by a reporter? You would make an excellent spokesman!!! You’re articulate and you have had so much success.

I just used that ‘haveyoursay’ email address. Did the link you used ask if you would be prepared to be interviewed?

I fell out with my scales this last 10 days. They seemed to be stuck.
SO – as I was actually feeling thinner, I decided to take a leaf out of the ladies’ book and try a few clothes to see if I could cheeer myself up that way.
RESULT!
3 pairs of trousers now in the bin.
The only grief was that I bought some very expensive (but reduced) “Rapha” cycling trousers at the end of last year – they were hopelessy too tight, but they were a real “bargain” and I thought it would be a good spur to the habitual New Year diet. (I hadn’t heard of the BSD at that stage)
So – I dug them out last night to see how far I had to go before they would fit. Horror – they’re already a bit too big – I’ll never really get to wear them.
Ah well…….
But then to help me get over that, the scales did the decent thing this morning and dropped 2lbs – 1 stone to go
Funny old World

Hi AliceInSwitzerland

Glad you feeling more confidant Ask your girls for meal ideas too. Bet they look on line & can think of ways to feed you all with what you like. Catch em Young is what I say.
I watch lots of food programmes on TV in my kitchen when I’m preparing my food! I get good ideas that I can adapt to low carbs. I also become immune to the foods I don’t CHOOSE to have. There is nothing I can’t eat, but the choice is always mine. Now I make good, healthy type 2 diabetic reversing food choices.

I like soups & stews. Salads , chicken, lamb, pork ,beef & fish. I only had pork , lamb & beef a very few times during the 8 weeks BSD. I love vegetables. PLENTY MORE is a great cook book (all about veg) by Yotam Ottolenghi. He is Israeli & has a London based restaurant. He travels & makes tv food series. Eg Aubergine cheesecake. No pastry. Eat hot or cold, add salad or meat, very tasty

Re: more Swiss. I was going to say auf wiedersehen to you, then I noticed Switzerland had posted before me. She may indeed be Swiss. I’m not, just English! I speak Very Little German. Just try to acquire a smattering of the languages when I travel
A hui hou (until we meet again in Hawaiian)
Eureka

Well done Hashimoto, you are certainly flying the flag and hopefully someone will sit up and take note.

Hi Caz
The other important thing is to eat full fat dairy and fat in general, or you will be hungry. So butter, cream, FF Greek yogurt, olive oil are all good. I think this is the most difficult part of the diet to grasp because of decades of low fat propaganda- and we can all see that low fat hasn’t worked but it’s hard to let go of. In the end we see what works, which is Eat Fat!
I go for 35-50 grams a day. – I use MyFitnessPal to monitor carbs and fat- any hunger, I eat some fat! eg some avocado with full fat mayonnaise. Or home made soup with plenty of olive oil and/ or peanut butter and tahini in it- which is what I had today. It had olive oil, peanut butter, and tahini in it! And some low carb veg of course. 3 hours later I’m still not hungry despite walking 5000 steps and doing some gardening. It’s about 50-60 cals per bowl, minimum carbs.
Starting the diet is a very steep learning curve for most of us- it took me weeks to really grasp how closely I need to monitor my carbs, I wasn’t losing much and didn’t twig why for ages. I m still a slow loser at carbs 20 – 30g a day, I think that’s just how my body is.
So keep on asking for help, eventually you ll find how it works for you.
Good luck
Penny

Hi Pam,

welcome to the club! Any loss is good so don’t worry about that.

Are you going to be staying on the 800 a bit longer or doing 5.2?

How about slices of cold frittata? You can add whatever veg and cheese you like (great with either feta or goats cheese if you like these) and it’s nice and filling. It’s essentially quiche without the pastry, so I’m sure other will go for it too 🙂

I think I’d struggle to resist your ‘Aunty Edna’ tea – sounds like an amazing selection!

Stringbreaker I am so glad I am not the only one who has to ask questions about things everyone else seems to know!!!

Well, Abbey does not sound as if she would do it for me but I do like the sound of NCIS. If I ever see it on I shall try and watch!!!

I think my life was spent marking books and preparing lessons!! I don’t seem to have seen many films or TV programmes….but Gardeners World does it for me and any of David Attenborough’s programmes!
Is NCIS anything like Silent Witness – or Witless Silence as my son mockingly calls it?

Sorry, Christine and Lucia and Rosy, I will catch up with the world one day!!!

Julia, you clever thing – they haven’t even asked for potatoes or pasta!!

Get well soon jpscloud. You need to look after yourself for a while I think.

Hope to see you back posting in due course x

Hi juliatogo
Plus we haven’t made any bread (I have a bread maker) for weeks, my husband and daughter who’s living with us for a little while, have not been having as much carbs as usual, like your family, husband has lost some weight, daughter not as much, but hey it’s a start for us all. Christine

Hi saraB
Well done Sara, we all have times when the weight doesn’t shift, keep on keeping on.mchristine

Hi jpscloud,
Janet’s idea is a great one especially as, infections aside, you say you were much better.
Take the stress off your body by staying low carb but don’t worry about the calories. Rest and take care of yourself and hopefully those antibiotics will work very quickly.
Stay in touch, wishing you a speedy recovery.

Hi folks, I have sent my email to the BBC using the email address you supplied, Bill. This is what I sent, not as eloquent as yours Bill and Lynne

In January this year I came across the book by Dr Michael Mosley ‘The 8 week blood sugar diet’ and the associated website thebloodsugardiet.com. At the time I was piling on weight while on a ‘healthy’ diet. I have Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism, a condition which makes it difficult to lose weight. It is a metabolic disease and as such is often linked to diabetes. I used the NHS self test for diabetes and discovered that if I didn’t already have diabetes I was very likely to develop it.

I didn’t want to wait for an appointment to have the recommended tests done, I just began the diet thinking this has got to work for me.

Well it has!!! In 10 weeks 2 stones and 9 lbs of fat has just melted away, I have tried other well known slimming diets to no effect. This diet has made me feel energetic and healthy again, as if ten years has been knocked of my age. After the first 4 or 5 days there were no hunger pangs. The diet involves cutting out starchy carbohydrates and for the initial weeks restricting your calories to 800. As you are encouraged to eat full fat on this diet you feel full, you also eat fish, meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds beans, pulses and some fruits.

In my opinion all diabetics and pre diabetics should be encouraged to follow the low carb/low calorie diet. professor Taylor of Newcastle University has done years of clinical trials which demonstrate that this diet works.

The NHS is about to spend £7 million rolling out a program of 13 sessions of advice to 100,000 pre diabetics. Why? Will they still be told to eat carbs which clearly do not help diabetics? Surely it is better for the government to advise patients to follow this diet. Not only will it be infinitely cheaper it will also save millions from taking increasing numbers of drugs in order to ‘control’ their diabetes yet still end up facing the prospect of amputations and blindness.

As a side issue this diet could be used to tackle obesity, once the first few days are over it is extremely easy to follow.
I think an unexpected bonus of this diet, based on my personal experience and posts on the bloodsugardiet.com forums is that the diet is beneficial to hypothyroid patients with weight problems.

On a personal note my FBS test result came back on 4.4.16 with a reading of 3.8. I am currently reducing my inhaled steroids (under medical supervision) as my asthma seems much better on this diet.

I, with the support of several members of the forums (names can be supplied) began a petition asking for the NHS to encourage diabetics to follow this low carb, low calorie diet.

The Petition :

Petition NHS to encourage the treatment of type 2 diabetes with a low carbohydrate diet.

Professor Taylor has shown that Type 2 diabetes can be reversed using a low carbohydrate, low calorie diet. The NHS has announced it is rolling out a programme to give pre-diabetics lifestyle help. There is no mention of the blood sugar diet which pre-diabetics and diabetics should be following.
▼More details

The programme will cost £7 million pounds to run. The dietary advice will be the same as that currently being followed. We have a diabetes epidemic so the old advice is not working.
Dr Maureen Baker, of the Royal College of GPs, welcomed the scheme but she warned “The long-term behaviour changes we need to see is hard to inspire”. However, there are forums for the Blood Sugar Diet which offer the support and inspiration needed which will also ease the burden on GP surgeries.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/125704

Hi juliatogo
What a good idea, I will put it on my shopping list for the morning, plus I could get ham and similar fillings, my butcher has some really good ham. Thank you.
Christine

PS – What’s a “Fit Bit”? (Or shouldn’t I ask?) 😉

Hi Leeanne,
You are right illness, infections, pain and stress all have an effect on your blood sugars regardless of what you eat.

Deb,
I love the rewards on your profile. Why don’t we all do that?
I’m going to spend the rest of the evening dreaming up some treats. (I’ve already done my 8 weeks but I have another stone to lose, so rewards will be a great incentive.)
The only one I already know is the final one – a white bread bacon sarnie. (It will be a “once a month” treat – no good trying to ban anything for ever)
John

There are no calories specified for the five days but you are supposed to still follow the med principles, so low carb, Hugh fat and moderate protein, as far as I understand it.

I’m with Lucia, re NCIS. Never really got into the Los Angeles and the New Orleans spin-offs, the original is the best!
Mind you I have to say, re Abby’s lab – in the real world you wouldn’t be allowed any food or drink in a lab, everyone would have to wear a lab coat, and I’ve lost track of the other transgressions… cross-contamination!
Hashimoto, just checkout the Freeview channels.. you can watch episodes from various series.

On another note – have managed to get the whole family happily eating low carb now. They haven’t even asked me for potatoes or pasta. Small victories…

Christi1948 how about smoked salmon and cream cheese rolls for you instead of sausage rolls? (Roll strips of smoked salmon around a blob of cream cheese). My solution to these type of meals is to have loads of cherry tomatoes and cubes of cucumber and avocado on sticks mini kebab style. Then nobody even notices there’s ‘diet’ food on the table.

Lucia – hope you are now relaxing and feeling a little bit better.

Hi hashimoto
Oh dear and I thought we had lots in common, you mean to say you haven’t seen NCIS? Gibbs is yummy,m not a youngster.,but oh so good to look at!
Lucia is right on all counts you must watch an episode of NCIS. Let us know what you think once you’ve seen him.

Cherrianne – I live in fear… LOL Eventually the weather will have to improve enough for me to wear a dress without freezing right?

Hi Debs14,
If you’re juicing apples and carrots together are you weighing them and counting the carbs?
The problem with juicing is you are getting the carbs without the fibre, so you are essentially turning it into a very easily digestible sugary drink. Which is why carrot and apple juice tastes so sweet.
Could it be the reason for your slower weight loss? Just a thought ….

Hi Nalin,
It’s the lower carbs that do the trick. So what you are eating now is the key to your success.
You may find your blood sugars get a bit erratic a few weeks into the diet. It’s happened to quite a few of us and lasts around three weeks. It’s a bit disconcerting but seems to be due to your liver getting rid of it’s fat stores. There’s more info on the ‘rising fasting blood sugars’ thread.
Once you’ve finished the eight weeks you’ll have acquired so much knowledge of what and how much food you can eat to keep your blood sugar in the desired range. After reaching your goals you should be able to eat a slightly higher level of carbs, but none of us can ever go back to our old ways.
I think your GP will be quite impressed with your progress so far 🙂

I have got another busy few days coming up, third daughter coming for a couple of days with her two children, so we are having a belated birthday party door Darcy who was13 at the end of March and an early one for me as its mine next Tuesday when I am in Tenerife, so it’s more cake! and the three girls who live near us have requested trifle, so that’s on its way. I will not be having any of either. They have also requested an ‘Aunty Edna’ tea, it’s been a tradition in our wider family for yonks, my husbands Aunty was a farmers wife and whenever we went she would put on this amazing spread all home made, salmon pate, sausage rolls, you get the idea? All home made cakes and puddings and we would all have a real feast.
So what do I have, I can’t eat any of the pastry covered stuff, or the puds and cakes, and I can’t very well cook a steak just for myself, I am in a quandary? I will have some salad but what else?
On an altogether different topic I wore my first pair of size 18 trousers today, and I got my daughters approval after being told yesterday to dump the clothes I was wearing!

On the 5:2 diet how many calories and meals should you have on the 5 days not fasted? I’ve not started yet looking into a bit of research first, all help is appreciated 🙂

Hi Hashimoto, where oh where have you been?
Your life is not complete without watching one episode of NCIS on satellite tv.
He is a mature, quiet, cool, could handle any crisis type of guy.
The type that would take diabetes, smack in around the head and get it working for a living, instead of picking on the innocent.

You must google him. You just MUST.

Abbey, is a fantastic character, she is a young, brainy well, genius, who has issues, she likes to sleep in a coffin, has tattoos everywhere.
To scare people on Halloween she dressed up as…. Marilyn Monroe🙎

You must watch NCIS.
Love Lucia xxx

Hey Deb, great blood sugar results, and NO INSULIN, Yippee!!
Love that it’s ‘warming up’ to 4C lol 🙂
I’m freezing my bum off at 11C!!!!
I love snow, within reason, I can drive 8-9 hours to where my brother lives and see it in the winter. I was born in England, and lived there again in my teens and part of my twenties so have experienced cold snowy winters.
It doesn’t snow in my state, except for a dozen flakes once in a blue moon. That’s the way I like it these days. I wouldn’t consider 20cm overnight reasonable though. Brrrr.
Glad you’re having a better day. Looser pants are what you’re aiming for, so you’re definitely winning the battle. Just don’t do a Captain Lynne and have your pants nearly fall down while you’re out and about!

Good for you Cap2000

Catgirl I hope you really enjoy your meal and Happy anniversary!!!

Lucia, get hubby to have that hot water bottle and duvet ready for you when you get in, along with a steaming cup of herbal tea?

Who on earth are Abbey and Gibbs??? I’ve never heard of either of them so I am not in any queue!! 🙂

Hi Alice, you really have to just jump in and see for yourself don’t you? There’s so much to learn, or unlearn, that it can seem daunting at first.
Bill likes to say it’s not rocket science lol. It isn’t, it’s just food as unprocessed and natural as possible. Low carb, no added sugar.
You learn as you go, and there is always someone on the forums to help.
Glad you’re feeling more confident and off to a good start 🙂

Hi crispy bacon,
Mayonnaise is fine, count as part of your allowance, and check the label for hidden sugars. The whole egg ones, full fat are best or make your own.
I also put Dijon mustard, olive oil and lemon juice in a jar and shake it up to add to salad, or crushed garlic, lemon and olive oil.
Thin down hummus or tsatziki with some water and use as a dressing. Balsamic, apple cider or herb infused vinegars are nice too.
You can whizz up some mayo and tomato paste or sundried tomato together for a different dressing.
Can you tell I love salads? With or without dressing they are yummy. Greek salad is my day to day fave.
A few ideas to get you started anyway 🙂

Hi Alanhypno,
Testing after a meal, usually two hours, gives a good idea of how your body is coping with the food you eat. Ideally blood sugars should be under 8.5 for type 2 diabetics, and under 7.8 for non diabetics.
The fasting one is useful but sometimes the dawn phenomenon can cause it to be elevated and so it doesn’t give a good picture of what is happening the rest of the day. FBS should be 4-7 for type 2’s and 4-5.9 for non diabetics.
A few random tests ie: before and after meals, before bed, will give you an idea of your overall blood sugar control, and how different types or portions of food affect your results.
Your weight and appearance can be very deceptive. It’s what is happening on the inside that counts. You can be quite thin yet still have stored fat in your liver and pancreas.
Keeping your carb foods low, 50g per day or under, will help you to lose that internal fat and bring your blood sugar down.
Write down the ideal ranges in your log book so you know what to aim for, do random tests on different days and you’ll soon learn what works for you.
Read through some of the other posts to see how other people manage, and for inspiration. Let us know if you need support or advice, plenty of people on here who are able to help. Apart from the book, these forums are a great source of information, and some of the most caring and friendly people you’ll ever come across.
All the best 🙂

Thanks for your nice comments everyone. I know that things will probably slow down in the second week, but I am determined to make this work for me and I will stick to the eight weeks and see what happens. So watch this space 🙂 I just wish I had come across this diet before and also that the book would be available in Germany. I live in Germany (after having spent quite a few years in the UK) and I just know that Germans would go crazy for this diet. Michael needs to get this translated into different languages!