Merrymary, excellent result, go you
Thanks for asking, retinopathy at my last eye exam showed an improvement in the retinal blood vessels with no inflamation.
Blood sugars FBS under 7 rest of the day withing normal tolerances, Weight, Just hit the 2 stone loss mark.
Not doing anything special, just sticking to the plan. I hope everyone does as well or better.

Hi from Brisbane, Australia. I am just getting organised to begin. My Mum’s lost 4 kg in 2 1/2. Weeks!

Hi lucienne, welcome to the forums and so glad you are feeling the benefits already!

There is quite a large contingent of aussies now and you are lucky to have the lovely cherrieanne spearheading the way. A BSD veteran with medical knowledge!

At just 23 you will see off that prediabetes – look at Bill1954 s posts, this has to work for me! 🙂

Hi taniavic, welcome to the forums. I am sure so many of us will identify with your honestly written account of your dieting history.

7kg in 4 weeks is fabulous! 🙂

Hi there Senior Pom, you will be amazed when you get into it, just read the labels on any food you have or that you eat and be horrified at the “carbs of which sugars figure”. I have got my sugars level down to 30 gm/day and have had to cut out dairy and bread but I no longer crave them. Don’t beat yourself up – it’s not a religion, just science backed advice to improve health and reduce body mass – you cannot fail because it really works if you invest some time & effort. Good luck, everybody here is very supportive, I am on day 57 today 2 stones lighter…

Hi djdaussie. How exciting, a long sailing trip to exotic places! Stick to this diet and things will get better!
Have you read bill1954s posts? – this has to work for me?. His results are AMAZING! 🙂

Poppytree, well done you are proving it is never too late to change your life around!

Congratulations on becoming a fully fledged Aussie next week.

You will find this diet easier than the 5 : 2!

Never followed a macro diet so can’t help you with that but people do aim to eat. 50g or less of carbs 🙂

Welcome to the forums! ::

Hi lottiepen and leanne, believe me it DOES get better quite quickly.

Remember to drink between 2-3 litres of water a day! Are you eating enough fat? It keeps your digestive system busy and helps you to feel fuller.

Hot drinks can soothe hunger pangs, try herbal teas or hot water with a slice of lime or lemon.

Leeanne, 5kg!!!! 5kg!!!! What a brilliant start!

And welcome to the forums 🙂

Hello LeanneE

for the not sleeping, try saving some of your calories for later evening and perhaps have a square of cheese or some yoghurt. the fats will keep you satiated longer and hopefully improve your sleep.

Cherrieanne I meant to say we really need your district nurse ‘head’ – you know so much more than the majority of us and you are such a clear and compassionate thinker 🙂

Hello all. I’m in South Australia. All going ok so far 🙂

Hi Lottiepen
I just keep thinking of the end result!

Started the diet on 1st April – no joke. Diagnosed type 2 18 months ago and keep it under control with diet and exercise, no meds though.

Tried 5:2 for a while and initially lost 3 kg then plateaued. Put weight on over Christmas and have only just managed to lose it again. I eat during an 8 hour window and fast for the other 16 hours. Feel great but struggling to lose weight.

Does anyone count macros for food groups as well as %?
On this diet I seem to eat about 40g good carbs.

Weigh in tomorrow so fingers crossed

I’m a Senior POM (69) living in ADELAIDE and become a citizen next week but not planning to celebrate with a party

A very good idea skywalker. I put a short sentence on mine and left it like that. Your way is better 🙂

Hi eureka, welcome to the veterans club!!! 🙂

Hi georgiarose, wonderful results! Pity your doctor is a plonker. She may take more notice next time when she sees it wasn’t a blip and you hit her with your info x

Hi lea welcome to the forums and the bsd way of life. It works! 🙂

Desperate, if you google daily mail 8 week blood sugar diet you will find 5 articles written by dr mosley. 2-5 have 1 weeks meal plans -so 4 weeks in all. Print the menus off and stick themin a book. The meals are photographed, unlike the book, and are a good guide to the kind of meals youcan eat.

I do have hashimotos, it can cause depression and weight gain BUT this diet has solved the weight gain problem,. The only diet which has. It increases energy and sense of well being.
Your friends son won’t be told this by a doctor but since developing gluten intolerance I have read that this is common in people with hashimotos. I went on to develop diverticulitis as a result, I haven’t had a flare up on this diet!!!! A 20 year old may find the thought of giving up gluten foods depressing, if so he can be.pointed in the direction of gluten free foods. This diet is probably the best thing for him though. A lot of people on these forums have hypothyroidism and are finding the diet helps them. I don’t think that was anticipated as the diet was aimed at diabetics. However, diabetes and hypothyroidism are both metabolic diseases!
Hypothyroidism is not curable but this diet gives you your life back.:)

Merrymary!! Fabulous weight loss! You’ll be skippingin the footsteps of the ancients! 🙂

Switzerland, great results from you too! 🙂

Hi, my home is in Sth Aus, but currently we’re in Brisbane area sailing our boat northwards towards the Whitsundays. We’re moored here in Redcliffe until June waiting on the weather. … I’m week 1 day 6…first weigh in tomorrow, so, looking forward to it. I’m a T2, diagnosed many years ago and slowly the meds have been added and about a year ago I was told that I would have to go on insulin. That would have meant postponing this trip that’s been in the planning 30 years so I put myself on a low carb diet with great results. .. sugars down to 6 at blood test last Sept…unfortunately I took my foot off the pedal and over the intervening months started eating badly and my levels went up again. ..my next blood test is in May. This diet came along just at the right time for me. Looking forward to being on this journey with you all. D☺

Hi taniavic, I could have written this!! I am halfway, have been to WW many times and I have lost 6 kilos on the BSD. Why, didn’t we know about this before! Keep up the good work!

Hey Cherrianne, I have just had a look and am not sure where to find the thread you speak of starting??… can you give me a heads up…

I am an Aussie living OS at present.

One thing I am having issues with is getting my protein count up. Feeling really motivated still and having great BSL results… still waiting for the predicted bounce but at the start of week four and nothing significant so far…. But yes my protein requirement, as per my endo, should be about 70 or 80 grams a day… and I don’t make half of that most days within the 7 to 800 calories I allow myself….

ANYONE KNOW A SUPER PROTEIN THAT MIGHT BE TO GO??

Hi Lea,

I’m starting today too! Your post rings massive bells with me – it is a terrible vicious circle until you can put the brakes on. That’s where I’ve been but now I’m so excited I’ve barely slept and I’m up early to just get on with it!

You are correct about the support people give on this site. I have been made to feel very welcome and I hope you will feel the same. Enjoy your first day – and good luck 🙂

Hi LeannE wow that’s a brilliant start – inspiration for me as I start my journey today and am a bit nervous! (But determined!). Great to know you’re loving the food too.

Hi Everyone,

I heard Michael speak on ABC radio last week. He made sense to me. I have bought and read the book and am ready to start. I have read lots of your posts and am impressed by the support show to others in these comments.

I have read so much conflicting information about loosing weight and had got myself in some very negative headspace not knowing which way to go – so did nothing and the kilos creep on, I feel worse, less energy, low mood….

I want to break this destructive cycle and I hope the 8 week BSD can give me the kick start required! I will take my measurements tomorrow morning and begin!

Well! Week 1 down and lost 5kgs. I must say, not sleeping very well as I have a burning hole in my stomach. I’m hoping that this will sort itself out the longer I am on the programme. I love the food, and seeing quick results really is a motivator.

Cheers for now 🙂

Thanks so much hasimoto and MerryMary for your responses and support. I will definitely follow up on the tests you suggest hashimoto as I already have asthma. May I ask did you or do you have hashimoto’s disease. I have a friend whose 20 year old son has been diagnosed with it and is terribly depressed. If the BSD helped you I will pass this on to mother and son. And thanks for the fish recipe, I must have been tired when I read the recipes in the BSB book as I did not realise there were so many. I downloaded a copy on my kindle but am going to buy a hard copy to day to make it easier to organise my shopping lists and food decisions each day.

MerryMary, good to hear that you are travelling to, its a good incentive. I have lost 1.5 kg already and 2cm from my waist. I think the real test will be once we are away. Its not too hard to do the BSD when you are at home and like you I am feeling committed and encouraged by hearing about everyone else’s success stories.

Fantastic Switzerland on your results, you must be feeling encouraged.

Welcome to all the other new started. Look forward to hearing about your progress over the next weeks.

Hello everyone.

Long-time listener, first time caller. I just wanted to say hello and celebrate that yesterday (Sunday) was my ½ point in the 8 week bsd. Yey me! I also wanted to express some of my concerns I had when I stated 4 weeks ago.
I am reading over some notes I made on day one. “serious doubts as to if I can do this…but I have to do something now, I’m foggy headed, overweight and emotional, and so angry, I have recently put on 15kg in 6 months after I reached the healthy weight range on weight watchers, for the 4th time!, and I am so embarrassed to see friends, instead of the constant “ you look great” you get when you are losing weight I am getting the silent looks… where I am filling in the silence with my thoughts “… you no longer look great”

I also wanted to add level of anxiety I felt on day 1 when reaching for the full fat milk and leaving the ‘skinny milk on the shelf. It made me realize how brain washed I (we) are into the thinking low fat, low fat…low fat, and slow and steady weight loss will ensure one can maintain. Well I am one (of so many) proving this is not the case …It was the lines on page 19, the ‘need to embrace some radical ideas’, ‘rapid weight loss means you end up putting it all back on, well no.’ and I so love the quote by Mike Lean p98 “doing it slowly is torture”. Just before I came across the bsd I was psyching myself up to commit to ww again (weeks of self-talk committing to starting Monday and bingeing on the days leading up to Monday…and lasting till Wednesday and putting on weight week after week. So thank you so much MM for introducing me so some seriously radical ideas.

Anyway going on too much, just wanted to say, after a few dizzy days and headaches early one , I feel great, am 7 kg lighter (for a start weight of 73kg I think that’s pretty good) and going strong.
T

Hi Everyone, I’m in Sydney and on Day 5 lost 3kg already. First few days are hard but starting to feel better already.. The quick and easy options are really great. I wasn’t that overweight maybe a kilo or so but my blood sugar was in the prediabetic zone and at 23 that was bad. Happy to see some other Aussies on here ! Really cool side effect of the diet I’ve noticed already is normally I have lots of floaty dots in my vision ( hard to explain) but don’t have any the past couple of days

Thanks, Penny. More water, fat and salt sound good to me! And BP measuring normal, so not too serious.

I’m going to document my attempt to put my diabetes into remission in this thread, using the fast 800-8 week diet, combined with fasting for 16-18 hours most days. I’ll add a post to this thread (at least) once a week, with a weekly statistical update.

[Feel free to add your experiences, if you feel like it. I just wanted a place in this community to document the journey so making a thread I could keep adding to seemed to make the most sense. But I don’t mind at all if others chime in with their own journeys!

Week 1

Fasting blood glucose: M: 5.05 mmol/l, T: 5.28 mmol/l W: 5.06 Th: 5.39 mmol/l (highest in months) F: 4.44 mmol/l S: 4.39 mmol/l Sun: 4.44 mmol/l
Starting weight (this week): 150.2 lbs – Ending weight: 147.0 lbs. Loss 3.2 lbs
BG High for the week: 7.72 mmol/l, Low for the Week: 4.06 mmol/l, Average for the week: 5.5 mmol/l

I have been eating 1200 calories a day, and fewer than 20 net carbs in a meal for 6 months, so I didn’t expect a dramatic weight loss, or any of the symptoms that accompany starting this diet cold. My weight loss is actually a tad higher than I expected, since I have been losing at a rate of around a pound a week and I only added a new deficit of 2800 calories (less than 1 lb). I would have been kicked out of Roy Taylor’s studies, since he required a 3.9 lb weight loss in the first week! As I predicted, I experienced none of the symptoms some experience (headaches, hunger, fatigue, chills, muscle cramps). I didn’t have many 6 months ago when I made the big dietary change, so no big surprises that a comparatively small change didn’t create any.

I got a fitness tracker, and plan to increase my steps gradually – as suggested in the book. I’m undecided about the other exercise recommendations. Not for now (no time) – but perhaps later.

Food is yummy – but the many of the measurements in the recipes are too fuzzy to make the calorie counts useful – and the carb content in many items is at the top of what I can eat without kicking my BG out of the normal range.

(No, the fuzziness of measuring by the handful etc. is not an American thing, as I’ve seen suggested – except among people who learned to cook at the knees of their Baba from the “old country.” We may use funny tools (tablespoons for butter, for example), but aside from some spices (“to taste”) our recipes typically give precise measurements.

But – never fear – I’ve been tracking every bite I eat for 6 months, so I have good mental estimates and the tools to adjust the recipes as I’m making them.

I am making an effort to include proportionately more healthy carbs than I’ve been eating rather than take the easy way out and subsist on carb-safe cheese and nuts. I only had two days where I had to resort to emergency rations. (I considered delaying the start a week, due to a weekend conference that just ended, so only 2 days was better than I expected). On the whole, this diet means more carbs than I have been eating. I’ve been pushing my personal limit most meals. Ironically, by comparison to what I have been eating, this is a low fat diet 🙂 (I went from eating around 80% fat to around 40% fat – since the 400 calorie cut came primarily from fat.)

In a small hopeful sign – I had 2 days this week where my BG never went above 5.6. On the other end of the spectrum, one of the carb days really pushed my limits. I have not seen 7.72 in a LONG time, and I saw it this week. I adjusted the carbs in the recipe down a bit – but have decided to be a bit braver with carbs from pulses, at least. Overall – even with the high carb days – my average for the week was 5.5 (with more, and more evenly distributed, testing than is typical). Off to a good start! (And I already have meals packed for two days next week.)

Background:
Diabetes diagnosis October 2, 2015.
A1C: 7.3.
Cholesterol 231 mg/dl
HDL: 46 mg/dl
LDL: 151 mg/dl
Trig: 171 mg/dl
Weight: 197.3

Check-up on March 8, 2016 (after 5 months low carb-moderate protein, capped at 1200 calories)
A1C: 5.7% (normal)
Cholesterol: 173 mg/dl (normal)
HDL: 55 mg/dl (normal)
LDL : 99 mg/dl (normal)
Trig: 94 mg/dl (normal)
Weight: 154.4

Since the day of diagnosis I have been following a low carb-moderate protein diet (which also means my fat consumption is high, since limiting carbs and proteins means the calories have to come from the only remaining source: fat). This diet (obviously) works for me to keep my blood glucose in the normal range, but it is intensive dietary management, not remission. I am not looking forward to maintaining such tight control over every bite I eat for the rest of my life.

Roy Taylor’s studies on remission intrigue me. I am troubled, though, by the fact that he has extended his observations about the possibility of remission to losing weight by any means, without a single (reported) controlled test that it is weight loss – not the timing and manner of weight loss – that makes the difference.. I have now lost 50 lbs (25% of my original weight), and have no less insulin resistance than the day I started. I am well beyond the thresholds he has suggested, so if weight loss, alone, was going to trigger remission, I should have seen an impact. After my own literature review and other research, I have decided that I will lose the last 19 lbs, at least, on an 800-calorie a day diet consistent with Mike Mosley’s fast 800 diet (mimicking the post-bariatric surgery diet that Roy Taylor modeled his study on). I believe that the magic, if any, is in the dramatic, sudden, decrease in calories – or perhaps fasting (or near fasting) for sufficient periods of time to deplete the liver’s glycogen stores – hence the 16-18 hour/day fast. I’m perfectly fine not eating until mid-day – so stretching it a couple of hours following a late-night supper is no big deal.

Subsequent posts in this thread will be shorter. Promise!

Yea! Just got HbA1c results. One year ago 7.6. Now beginning of week 6: 5.8!
She said, “What you are doing is good,” but not really interested in MM. “So many diets.” Will have a follow up test August. THEN I will give her printed info. ALL her diabetic patients should know about this one!

Hi Cherrianne, Franash and Sharoni58, I’m in Perth and at 53 I’ve been putting on weight ever so slowly since I was 31 ( pregnancy) but now my baby is nearly 22 ! My doctor recommended the 5:2 for me but even though it’s easy I didn’t lose any weight really, maybe a kilo, but now into the first week of the 800 I down 2 kg. I’ve ordered the book but atm just using MFPal to track calories. Next I’m going to use it to track carbs . I’m ovo- vegetarian, and I love this way. 7 weeks to go!

Breakfast: two poached eggs, cucumber, orange, tea with milk (this was actually too many calories for a breakfast for me, I think in future if I’ll either have two eggs with no fruit, or one egg with fruit)
Lunch: rotisserie chicken thigh, homemade roasted tomato soup
Dinner: tacos without the shells (pile of salad with spicy mince, a little cheese, jalapenos, salsa, yum)

Hi CallMeDeb
Belated welcome. Been off piste for a while. Congrats on your first week , excellent considering your dietary restrictions!
Optifast by Nestle was the original shake used in Prof Roy Taylor’s type 2 diabetic reversal trial. Know you’ve moved on now though

I posted Answers & Info topic in Fast 800 forum on 22.1.16. You might find some help there. The new revised edition of Blood Sugar 101 by Jenny Ruhl is out now. Go to http://www.phlaunt.com for excellent advice about why & when to test blood sugars before & after meals. Also the healthy range we should try & aim for to avoid damage to our organs etc. It’s lower than the UK tell us ( if they tell us at all)

My 8 weeks up today! I’ll total the figures later.

Turn the fire up, I’ll be walking the PATH by the Sheraton Centre, Queens St, in June. Can’t wait
Eureka

Great results MerryMary. I hopped on the scales this morning to a pleasing 2kg total loss (today is Day 4 for me). It’s such a relief to find an eating plan that works.

Bill how are you doing? How is the retinopathy?

Hi again, I thought I would mention to “Desperate” that we are also going overseas this year. To the UK and Italy late August/ September. I will be well mediterraneanized by then ready to eat yummy Italian food!!! Hopefully I will be a more comfortable weight too so that I can enjoy walking all the ancient steps in Italy!! Also want to feel as comfortable as possible in my “economy seat” on the plane!! 😊

OMG I just weighed myself and I have lost 2.3 kgs in 3days. I worked those days which I thought would be a real challenge as there are always chocolates around at work kindly given by grateful patients (little do they know they are slowly killing us!) It s a beautiful day today and I am on 2 days off. I’m taking my niece and little great niece to the Science museum in the city for the day so there will be lots of walking. I am so excited. This really works! And I am feeling fine. I have had a couple of periods of real hunger pains but have pushed through with water and a little block of cheese a couple of times. It was actually kind of nice to feel hunger pains instead of just “topping up” all the time with food. I’m having a pear at night which is satisfying for enough sweetness and is great fibre for the bowels!!! On that note I need to get ready! Have a great day my new friends 😊

Hey all,
Breakfast – large pear with 2 tbsps cottage cheese ( full fat ) with handful of crushed walnuts.
Lunch 2 plums with a snack sized bar of Cathederal city cheese
Dinner- roast chicken 100g with 1-2 tbsp carrots, broccoli, and instead of roast potatoes, I had celeriac and leek mash. Celeriac is a very low carb root veg. I boiled about 200g with a leek and a tiny knob of butter and mashed it- it was loads, and really was 2 portion sizes worth but it worked out at 18g carb only got the lot and 84kcals so you can’t argue with that!! I can post the recipe if anyone likes? Splash of gravy on the whole meal and I didn’t miss the roast potato at all!

Hi Anthmart, just noticed your post. I like to cycle but nowhere near your level or a racer. You must know about how to keep yourself going and that high intensity interval training is a scientific way to achieve fitness and increased endurance. I suppose if you are racing at or above your anaerobic threshold you will soon be spent. What sort of distances do you race, which heart rate monitor do you use and have you some weight to lose? I have always used Polar gear but not the current pro stuff. Using CS300 and M400 just now – care to discuss?

Hi sue, you can buy tinned blackeyed beans from sainsburys. I used to substitute a tin for the weight in rose elliotts recipes. I’m in bed so can’t help re dried beans 🙁

Pharmacists usually have a good idea what other pharmacies sell. Chances are adisgruntled patient has said ‘ I’ll go to morrisons they always stock it’ 🙂

I’m another who shops at Aldi and I’m going into week 5 today and I’ve not bought anything different to what I’d normally buy…..to be honest if I had to buy new ingredients I’d get put off.

I’d agree with the above and say just adapt what you already like to eat, I’m assuming you didn’t eat only ready meals and junk food, so you should be able to reduce your spending.

The only thing I buy more of is veg, This weekend saw me buying a cauli, cabbage, broccoli, green beans and asparagus. There’s only me! In the past I would maybe buy some broccoli and I’d eat it within two days and then I’d have no further veg for 5 days!

Day 43 weight 10st 5lbs
Blood sugar 8.9 (lowest reading for a long time)

Cooked leeks with broccoli and melted cheese on top, had this with cooked chicken. I have been wanting to eat chocolate for the last few days but have resisted and chewed on sugar free gum instead – definitely not as good but it lasts longer. I’m going to make chilli on Thursday, the recipe in the book has a tin of black eyed beans – I could only buy dried ones – any idea how much dried weight makes the tin weight of beans?

It been a long time since I cooked and I’ve quite enjoyed it. Although I enjoy raw vegetables now, more than the cooked ones and I’d rather have the vegetables than the meat which is really weird for me.😱

Thanks Hashimoto nice to be here. You appear to be one of the lynch pins on the forums, I don’t do other social media but, to thank Doc Mosley et al I will contribute where I can. I noticed after I wrote it that many do not use the profile page much but I edit mine regularly to show progress. cheerio for now,..

Thank you

Hi, there are 2 references to liquorice in Fast diet on pages 145 & 211 but just about using unfamiliar flavours and something to chew (root) but maybe the next edition might include a ref if this thread is seen? I used to eat lots of it before I realised just how much C12H22O11 I don’t like to mention the “S” word too much and this reminds me that c12 +h22 looks like a lot of carbo-hydrate!

The pharmacist at boots told me to go to the chemist in morrisons. I don’t know how she knew but she was right!

Welcome to the veterans club skywalker! 🙂

144 signatures, fantastic, lets keep the momentum going 🙂

Its my pleasure and thankyou all for your posts has been very interesting reading now waiting for next 6 month check to see how blood sugar has reacted