Hi Jimbob. I finished today too, click on me to save me repeating my stuff but. Well done. I wil keep going too as I have 3.5 kg still to go. Funny how it gets to be easy and enjoyable if somewhat time consuming. All the best…

Boots don’t sell them or Lloyds chemists 🙁

Hi Lucia, like you I would like more info please! I went onto the Boots Online site thinking I could get them and info there – put in ‘ketostix’ and that came up were pregnancy testing kits! I doubt that is what we are needing 🙂

Hi Christine I got mine from amazon but you can get them from pharmacies.

They show whether you are in ketosis ( fatburning). The various shades show the degree of fat burning – or not 🙂

They are definitely worth using. They tell you if you are burning fat or not. Yesterday I had a small piece of chocolate, a slice of white bread and a few glasses of cider (it was a works reunion, not my normal eating pattern these days). I thought all of that was bound to ruin my diet but the ketostix showed I carried on burning fat the whole time.
You can,get them from the chemist in Morrisons or from amazon for around a fiver. I only have two addictions in life now – coffee and ketostix!

Welcome to the veterans jimbob. Great weight loss 🙂
Thanks for sharing your 8 weeks 🙂

Hi Christie 1948

All I know that they are like a litmus paper, when you tinkle on it, it changes colour. They colour reveals if your body is in the mood to lose weight.

I am sure someone will over a more scientific description.

I do not know if they are worth using.

Can anyone help with these answers please.
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Sunnyb, I can’t believe how quickly your holiday crept up on us! It seemed like it would be ages away when you first mentioned it. Will we be able to keep in touch with you?

First ever post on final day of eight weeks so hopefully as encouragement for those not so far down the line or just thinking about it here is how it panned out. Had been on 5:2 for 2 years and initially lost almost 2 stone from 244 pounds but found the fast day hard with nothing at lunch time and seemed to plateau which developed a small incline. Purely by chance heard the very end of Dr Michael interview which just said that type 2 need to lose weight quickly so found the book and had started before even getting the stories read by going straight to diets. Found it really easy, though giving up on occasional treat not quite so and have to admit to occasional whisky and square of dark chocolate however have managed to drop from 15st 11lbs to 13st 12 lb as of tonight and fitting clothes not worn in 10 – 15 years(I have a big wardrobe and don’t buy many clothes) but regretfully had a kilt made in my tartan last May for daughters wedding which is now too big. Never really set a target until probably last weekend when I thought 2 st + was easily achievable but wouldn’t you know it fell short. What to do now?Actually sad have reached this point as have enjoyed the disciplines I set myself and reading the blogs on here so think I will take it on for maybe another few weeks as delayed a 2 day holiday we were given at Christmas so that I could complete the diet so that might be next milestone and still have a few pounds of belly fat which could go and it will give me more time to plan future diet. A further point to note is that excercise though desirable isn’t absolutely necessary for the diet to work as just 2 days in I developed extreme pain in my knee from wear and tear of 64 years almost to the point of imobility and though it has improved not much walking has taken place but still lost weight. That’s it folks time for another dram to celebrate!!!

Hi hashimoto
Where do you get these ketostix from and what do you do with them and why?

Hi cherrieanne I posted and thought I should have spelled it out but hoped you would with your superior knowledge. It’s always better to have some idea of possibilities so you can determine what you are dealing with. Even if it is hard at the time to hear at the time.x

Hi Kate_is
I shake up crushed garlic or Dijon mustard with lemon juice and olive oil in a jar. Then sprinkle onto salad as needed. Just shake the jar each time before you use it.
Balsamic or herb infused vinegars are nice on their own on a salad too. You can make your own herb vinegars by putting a sprig of rosemary in a bottle and covering with vinegar. Leave to infuse on a warm windowsill for a few days then taste.
Tsatziki or hummus, thinned down with a little water make a nice salad dressing too.

Hi Needtoloseweight
Cherrianne is right, best to jump in now and get a couple of week under your belt before the holiday. That way you will be a little lighter and have a handle on the new eating regime by the time you go, making it more possible for you keep some control whilst you are away.
Good to know you are going to give it a go. Be sure to let us know how you progress before you go away.

So glad you noticed that Lynne. I’ll have to stop recommending it. It says nothing about it on either packet of tea that I have, and I’d never heard that about liquorice. So pleased you’re on the ball, thanks 🙂

Thanks a lot , going to give it a go !! X

Hi Needtoloseweight,
Welcome 🙂 my advice would be to jump right in and start the fast 800. With two weeks before your hols, you will be over the tough first couple of days and well into losing weight. You’ll enjoy your holiday much more if you’re lighter and have more energy.
It can seem daunting at first but there are plenty of people here who are willing to support and advise you.
Lucky you are self catering, you’ll have much better control over what and how much you eat. If you want a slightly more indulgent meal you can eat less before and after to compensate. By two weeks in you will be much more savvy about what foods are best, and once you taste success you probably won’t want to spoil your diet. You may be the first person to come back from holiday lighter than when they started 🙂

Hi Kate_ls
Well done on getting back on track after you slip. Whilst it’s disappointing for you that it happened, you have refocused and moved on, which is good. I’d have thought an average size salad to be approx. 30 to 40cals, with carbs about 2-3g (this is a guestimate you understand). Lemon juice and sea salt really zings up a salad for pretty much zero cals, but remember that you need fats on this diet, so some olive oil included in a dressing would be a good idea. Or you could use some yogurt thinned down with a flavoured vinegar and some added herbs perhaps.

Hi Magpie and Judith,
I did wonder after I posted whether I should have mentioned dementia. It was after the 5 minute edit period and too late. Sorry, it was the ex district nurse in me rearing it’s head 🙁
I have seen too many older people frantically covering up any shortfalls in their ability to manage, and pushing away the very people who could help them to remain fairly independent. Most are very good socially and only very close family ever get suspicious about what is really going on. So your Mum is lucky that you have her well being in mind.
I think that you are right about leading by example. It should help to open up some discussions about healthy eating once they notice your weight loss and improved energy. 🙂
The other thought that occurred was about how much time she spends out doors. Does she have a comfy, sheltered spot to sit outside now that Spring has sprung? Vitamin D has an important role to play in mood/mental health as well as blood sugar control. Levels are easily checked by blood test at her next GP appt. like I said, just a thought…

Hi Jackie WilsonSaid,
I meant to mention that there is a really good Creamy Cauliflower and Bean soup on the recipes section – very tasty and filling. It made 4 portions and I will make more later this week!

We are off to Turkey at the end of this week and it is quite common for people to eat soup at breakfast there – usually lentil, lentil, mint and tomato, tripe, or – my favourite – sheep head and tripe. They usually serve their soups with a side salad, so makes a healthy and substantial meal.

Get some ketostix lucia, you haven’t got enough to do in the bathroom, inject a bit of science fun xxx

orchid,
Thanks for the input and glad it has worked for you. I guess you’ll get used to weighing less!
Soup I think is a great idea for lunch – every time I make a tasty soup I think I should make more, so the next 8 will provide an incentive.
I’m still pondering the FBS/weight measurement etc issue – in a way I’m fascinated as it’s all about me/me/me, but maybe I’ll just look at myself in the mirror a bit more! ha

Hi joan, the only things i can’t get in aldi are coconut flour, tahini and lentils. The ground flax seeds are £1.99. Sainsburys are £6. Aldi coconut oil is ££1.99.
You probably have all those things in stock now
Another benefit if you are busy is that thevshop is smaller and you can get round more quickly.

Sunnyb is right about thinking outside the box on this diet.

Make it easy on yourself. Some of the meals you would normally eat are fine. Curry without the rice, burgers without chips, bolognese without the spaghetti etc

Plain omlettes, beans and grilled tomatoes, fish and veg baked foil wrapped in the oven etc 🙂

Hi Franash and Sharoni58, I started a thread for Aussies, with low carb food and a useful app. Please feel free to contribute and spread the news. Loads of Aussies on here now. Good luck with your journey 🙂

Can I add a note of caution about licorice tea. It can have an effect on anyone suffering from high blood pressure, so caution is recommended. One brand advises only one cup a day.

Hi Jackie WilsonSaid,
I finished my 8 weeks last Monday and now into week 9. I am carrying on for a few weeks more. I was not diabetic, but having measured my FBS I found I was getting too close to prediabetic for comfort.
I weight myself daily as weight can vary day by day due to fluid retention, gut-fill etc. If you only step in the scales once a week you may hit a bad day. Psychologically it helps me to realise that yesterday was lighter and think – why the difference – often it is obvious so you don’t fret about it? It usually rectifies itself the following day anyhow!
The first couple of weeks I recorded my weight and FBS every day until I was sure the FBS was down and staying there, and that the weight was coming off steadily. I then moved to twice a week recording my weight and FBS and once a week for measurements and fat%. I am now on once a week recording everything, but I still step on the scales daily for reassurance :-). I have lost just over 2 stone in 8.5 weeks and paranoid it will reappear overnight!
I started with Shakes as it meant I could start fast and get organised in the first week. I moved onto ‘real’ foods week two and fully cooking all my own stuff week 3 onwards. Each to their own, but at some time you need to be preparing your own food and you need to learn what works for you. I used very few of the menus as I am vegetarian and they did not work for me. I made lots of vegetable soups for lunch (120-180 cals each), they are filling and that set me up for the afternoon. Carbs can be high compared with meat, but these are good carbs – slow release etc. Some of the others who are diabetic can advise better on that.
I did try the egg on ‘Portobello mushroom’ toast – either scrambled or poached. for breakfast. After a week or so of that every day I was sick of the sight of eggs and wanted to get back to my ‘normal’ muesli breakfast. It was also about the time I decided to take the plunge and drop the fat free foods by getting some full fat greek yogurt. I have 30g blueberries, 60g full fat yogurt and then 3g each of linseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and 3 almonds chopped. Mix together and add a good pinch of cinnamon. Been on that ever since and happy with breakfast again. The seeds give good nutrients and also some bite. It is 166 cals and 10g carbs.
Good luck with it – believe it or not it has been fun – it always helps when you are succeeding at something, but the support from the forum really helps a lot.
Look forward to your future posts.

Sorry lucia it will be a case of love is in the air for those blackbirds.

Your brushing teeth routine sounds so relaxing, are you sure you couldn’t fit in a bit of soldierly marching while correctly calculating the amount of slobber to toothpaste? Xxxx

Hi spendloven – I’m guessing the £60, included some ingredient items you perhaps don’t normally buy, but will now be in the store cupboard – at least I’d hope so. I’d suggest before shopping again, you have a plan for how to use what you are going to purchase and indeed all you have already bought for the BSD.

As hashimoto says, there are plenty of cheap options – I buy Turkish Style yogurt from Lidl at £1.38 for a litre and as it’s 10% fat this lasts approx ten days and adding a few berries makes for a tasty and satisfying breakfast. Gem lettuces as cheap and make a great base for an open sandwich – you could top them with a little of your homemade hummus and a little cold meat perhaps. Adding a bit of tahini to sauces gives a nice creamy result, or you could add a little to mashed veggies, cauli or carrot maybe.

Think what is nice about this way of eating, is you start to think outside the box with regard to food and making eating interesting again. I’m getting creative in the kitchen again and amazingly, I’m not thinking about the next meal even before I have finished the one I’m eating.

Joan be sure to use up veggies to make soup, rather than let them go to waste – and if you don’t want to use it right away, freeze it off for later. And remember, there is no need to be a slave to the menu plans in the book, it’s quite permissible to devise dishes for yourself, to use up anything you need to.

So, don’t panic about the cost, think about what you actually need to buy and how it will be used then buy wisely. But most of all, enjoy this wonderful new regime and let us know your results please.

Hi gang,
You know that cartoon that I enjoy, pickles?
Well after the marching when cleaning your teeth, today’s pickles comic strip as so apt today. Look what Earl does with the TVs.

I hate this computer, I type a sentence then as I start in the second sentence, it goes back and changes words in the first.
Why can’t it alter it as we go, so I know what I have said, after I have said it, rather than read the blog later and say Eh?

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Yes I agree, it cost me a lot today in Sainsburys! I am hoping I will use everything and not left with veg going bad at the end of the week otherwise the recommended diet isn’t well planned!
I really like the sound of the meals in week one, but not as much for week two so I will probably repeat some of the week 1 meals during week 2.
I hope the shopping doesn’t cost as much next week, I know Aldi may be cheaper but they probably won’t have everything and working full time means I don’t have time to shop around. I will try my best to go one evening to see what they do have.

Welcome Joan and spendloven!

Like you hashimoto I do find I’m spending more on some things, but saving overall because I’m not buying all the junk. It’s actually a bit scary how much I spent on junk before. I don’t follow the book recipes either, I didn’t really find them appealing – it’s easy to follow this diet by having smaller portions of what I’d normally have (without the carbs though!)

I’m buying fresh raspberries, some low carb items that cost a lot (like coconut flour and ground flax) but last aaaaages – coconut flour goes on and on and on! Also expensive veggies like baby corn.

I’m only indulging in expensive stuff for the first couple of weeks while I’m off work, then when I’m back to work I’ll get some frozen berries and go to cheaper veggies as well – I just thought while I’m at home I will stick to it better if I get really good quality stuff.

Blackbirds are having a fit on the lawns outside, just now as it goes dusk at 7:45pm.
They fly so low across the path of oncoming cars too.
Why?
Are they playing chicken?
And shouting their heads off.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Love the sound of that cauliflower SaraB – will definitely be trying that.

Hinhashimoto,
It is the ratio of slobber to toothpaste you are not calculating correctly.
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi,

I never thought about marching in the spot whilst brushing my teeth. Usually I follow my hubby after his visit to the bathroom.
As I brush my teeth with one hand, I am picking up his wet towels off the floor, scrunched towels I straight out.
Move the germolene onto a higher shelf as I have cleaned my teeth with it, more than once, and it is difficult to get off the bristles of the brush. I clean the mirror, pick up the clothes and put them into the laundry hamper. Then I rinse my teeth, clean the sink down, put the empty toilet roll tube in the bin and then hang up my brush.
So if I do all the above and March, lifting my knees higher, I can burn more calories.

Thanks for all the tips.

Love
Lucia
Xxx

Hi gang,
After all the praise I am now going to be professional.
On our website someone uses ketostix.
So I was a smarty pants and looked it up.
Instructions, you have to widdle on the end of them, eeeeeeeeyuk.
They mark the card in different shades of pinky purple.
Purple means as you need a gallon or three of water?
Pink means you are still alive.

So I haven’t a clue and have confused myself even more.

One website said it wasn’t testing what you ate today but what you ate yesterday.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Maybe I should leave this one for another time.

Hi, yes berries are fine, especially nice for breakfast with full fat yoghurt. The idea is to up your fats intake and you won’t be craving carbs. MM says rolled oats are fine, but they are too many carbs for my liking

Thanks everyone, there are some great ideas here. This will be a thread I can keep coming back to for good ideas!

Thanks Spirit – I hope that your 8 weeks was a success.
I’ve bookmarked the WhatHYET thread for comparisons and ideas.
I can see already I can’t ignore calories – one of my favourite breakfasts is [proper] whole oat porridge with additions.
The banana will have to go but I think I saw MM eating porridge with berries in the doc. Off to check how it might fit with carbs and cals.

Jps so do I – it was my sons favourite breakfast when he was small!

A good meal for us too.

I put a slack handful of brown lentils in my chicken and veg soup. 🙂

Wow £60? In 3 days?

I don’t stick slavishly to the recipes in the book, though some are lovely. I tend to go with the general idea.

Ff greek style yoghurt is around 70p a large pot in Aldi
Half a dozen free range eggs 79p

I could go on. Coconut oil is cheap in there as is veg and blueberries.

I’m sure lidl would have similar prices.

Yesterday i made a big pan of chicken and veg soup, enough for 5 or 6 bowls. I chicken breast, handful of lentils, aldi cheap veg. Dirt cheap. Nuts and seeds are cheap too.

I actually spend less because I am eating less and not buying crisps,cakes, alcohol etc.

Look at the what i ate today thread and the recipes tab, there are lots of ideas.

BTW welcometo the forums and good luck on this journey 🙂

Make a batch of hummus to useyour tahini and freeze it insmall containers for easy future lunches 🙂

Hello Jackie wilsonsaid and welcome.

this is my last day of the 8 weeks ‘diet’. It’s entirely up to you whether you measure weight ‘all the time’, some here do daily, others do once a week, it’s whatever you feel happier with. Since I have never been diabetic, I can’t help you with the bloods question. Others who are will be along soon.

I have done my own thing menu wise. some use an app like myfitnesspal, to track carbs and calories. I think if you focus on those 2 things and don’t worry too much about % of other nutrients. Ideally you will get better results if you keep under 50gm of carbs per day. Do stay away from root veg, bananas, bread, pasta and rice. There’s loads of menu ideas here in the recipe section on here. You might well like the thread ‘what have you eaten today?’ to give you more ideas

Keep posting and let us know how you are doing and ask questions whenever you like.

Hi all 😀
Can any one recommend an easy to make and low cal homemade salad dressing? Im on the second week of the diet, and I am thinking that salad every lunch is a good way to go. Also how many calories/carbs would you say is in an average salad? A good size, containing mixed leaves, cucumber, red onion and red pepper. I have tried to estimate it and think about 30cal, does anyone think that is about right or not? Trying to get back on the saddle after completely falling off the wagon on Saturday night. Feeling determined but disappointed that i mucked it up. One word, Guiness and lots of it 🙁

🙂 hashimoto I know someone who used to eat lentil and bacon soup for breakfast… actually not a bad brekkie for us BSD’ers!

Today for me:

B Greek yoghurt and raspberries
L Greek salad with feta
D Lamb grill (freezer stocks) and vegetables
snack: redskin peanuts and small piece of cheese

137 signatures and climbing! keep it up folks! 🙂

Hello all; this is me from my profile:
Nearly 60. “Nearly” diabetic [2 x 48 HbA1c, very recent readings] after recurring virus/bacterial infection. I’ve decided its temporary and to use BSD to reverse it. Always believed in exercise and eating well but not too ‘excessively’. Having re-watched the documentary and read the book I realise I was carb ignorant and that my protruding belly, on an otherwise fit body, told its own story.

I’ve practised over the last 4 days and I think the BSD calorie reduction approach is achievable. I am looking forward to healthier eating and healthier health to compliment the lots of exercise I already do. This will be the first time I have paid close attention to my food and drink, and as a male not keen on even referring to it as a “diet” – to me it’ll be a way of life.
Starting tomorrow.
Questions:
I’ve done the measurements including weight, fat content, photos for the before, waist etc.
1. Do people feel the need to measure blood sugars, weight etc all the time during the 8 weeks, or can I assume that I’ll be happy if I see obvious weight loss etc as visible signifiers, with blood tests at the end? I can weigh and get fat% at the gym if needed but would prefer not to get hung up on the day to day changes.
2. Better to follow the menu suggestions or do your own thing??
I *know* what I should avoid etc and what is healthy, but not sure if I want to count calories, weigh food etc.

Any practical guidance from graduates welcome!

Hi, today was my first day of the diet…. Shake was interesting, lunch amazing! But dinner well followed the recipe and came out rather burnt and crispy……still ate it. Not feeling hungry at all today after that lunch phew filled me up!
I am worried about the cost though, the first 3 days have cost me £60, has anyone else struggling with the cost? Any tips of where to buy cheap, also seeing wastage (my pet hate, as I only buy what I use) will tehnini be used again?

Hi Laska, I would need to reread the book (I intend to when I am on holiday), but I think that just means eating you food within a 10 hour window so there is a 14 hour fast period and that could be done with your current fast days without making it too complex. So breakfast after 8am and nothing to eat after 6pm. You could do that each fast day. There was a short piece on one of MM’s progammes in January about the times of day you eat helping keep you slim that explains it(http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/zBx3JZJCKfNBrWgT0Qyj93/the-big-experiment-could-i-lose-fat-just-by-changing-my-meal-times).
If you are eating 800 cals a day, 5 days a week, and for an average woman (whoever she is) you need 2000 calories a day to maintain your weight, then you are banking 1200 a day from 5 fast days – ie 6000 calories to spend extra on the weekend. I can’t remember if this is maintenance for you or still losing some weight, but it gives you your standard 2000 plus 3000 banked ie 5000 calories a day for each of Saturday and Sunday. That is a pretty good days eating and drinking, 🙂 but you may spike your carbs!
If I have got my maths right, then a bottle of red wine is 25 fl oz – 630 cals and 27 carbs. That would be 8 bottles of wine over two nights without you needing to do an even harder fast day that would probably not give you more than an extra 400 calories to play with.
Personally, I would keep it as simple as possible, as it is much easier to plan and keep to. I tried the 5:2 a few years ago and I could not keep to two days a week for more than 3-4 weeks due to work/travel. Instead of doing 1 of the two days during the bad weeks, I just stopped that week and guess what, I did not restart. For me, fitting in that ‘fast day’ would be the one that is most likely to slip and before I knew it I’d have had a ‘normal week’ ie no fast days, then bit by bit the weight would go back on again :-(.
Hope that helps.

I’ve lost 3stones from 13.25 to 10.25 since diagnosis November 2015, just on med style 1500cal diet. Started off tight on carbs and got tighter, keeping to 80-100grm per day. Most numbers very good, fasting, 2 hr normal and my first 3 month test was down to 48 from 62. Blood pressure massivly down as well. However, if I’m daft enough to do (say) 50gsms of carbs in one meal my 2 hour sugar is still more often than not a bit higher than the ‘normal’ range at around 9. Has anyone any idea if this will also correct, and if so how long it may take. Not planning to lose more weight, but actually finding it easier to keep on the diet than to try to eat more.

Must say it all works really well..but don’t think my doctor is keen on all this independent, drug refusing low carb nonsense!

I spiralised some courgettes, then gently stir-fried them with garlic and chilli flakes, they were a very good side for a pan-fried salmon fillet.

Also, I roasted cauliflower florets in olive oil, garlic and parmesan, and they were divine (although quite high cal due to the parmesan, I probably wouldn’t use as much next time, and you could get away with less oil too).
http://southernfood.about.com/od/cauliflower/r/Roasted-Cauliflower-With-Parmesan-Cheese.htm
(Mine got a bit burnt too, so I’d probably drop the oven temp too.)