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.)

Thank you to you all.
Yes I think I would prefer to record on paper daily much quicker that way- I have a nice diary I haven’t really used yet that will be perfect. Then at weekends I could log into a spreadsheet so I can print graphs for motivation, hopefully.
Thanks Lauren for sharing your first week experience in relation to exercise, I will do the same, suck it and see! Better have something in my gym bag just in case glucose drops too much. Are you sticking to the suggested diet plan as in the book?

Oh Lucia, you make me laugh out loud! My dog thinks I’ve gone bonkers sat here chuckling to myself! Thank you so much for your witty, clever, affectionate take on the BSD and life in general. Please, please do write more, I just can’t get enough of your posts.

That picture of marching on the spot while brushing teeth is going to be burned into my brain. I love it. I’d do it but I fear I would drool toothpaste everywhere! 🙂

Hi christi 1948

Your starting weight is so similar to mine.
Me too, I am 2.5 stone heavier than my husband. Would love to be in the same weight bracket as him, or , dare I say it? Lighter than him.

You at 2 tiny pounds away from being in the 12 stone zone. Wow I am so jealous of you.

I am working through a lot of stuff at the moment, so as long as I keep losing and getting healthier, that is all I am about.
I am in a better frame of mind, which is huge to me.

Keep in touch.

Love Lucia

Xxxxx

Lucia, I have just seen the post about me streaking….made me laugh too. Forgot to say the dresses were from M and S. I’m not over fond of shopping so it was a case of going to one shop only, walking through to look for a white cardi – spotted 2 frocks in the right colours for me. Serendipity!! It would never have happened had I actually been looking for a dress!

Well, phone numbers and warm hands eh? ……….

🙂

Hi Hashimoto and Bill 1954.

What are you two up to?

You like my blogging?? just shows you that you are both as daft as me.
😀😀😀😀😀

Need you both.
If we are shopping ages around, are you in your teens bill?

Isn’t it fun?

Keep blogging,
Keep losing
Keep going

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi cherri Anne,
Thank goodness you have found my last hour.
No, you can’t keep it until the winter, please mail it back to me as soon as possible
😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi on a Healthy high,

Thanks for your encouragement, you will force me to write more you know 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃
May I return the compliment.
Go girl!!!!!!

Keep in touch.

Keep going.

Love Lucia
Xxxxx

Hi merry Mary,

A million thanks for the compliments about my writing. Have a look at my previous blog and you will see I started to write these as a diary just for me, didn’t know I would attract anyone crazy enough to read my ramblings.
Don’t forget whatever you do, you can easily lead Bill 1954 astray. ( read later blog)

In Australia? You must know cherri Anne.
Keep the tips for Australian shopping etc going as sometimes the translation of things may not work for people further than Manchester 🌏🌏🌏🌍🌍🌎🌎🌎🌎🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌍🌍🌍🌏🌏🌏🌏🌏🌏🌏
Day three, may I give you a GO GIRL!!!!!!. I have been to day three, I ate the same thing each day, just getting used to a pattern. Now I am switching things around. I think I have been on this plan for a few years now, no? Okay a few weeks.

What’s in season over there, what’s your favourite things to eat in the programme?

Will wait here for a reply………….
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Lucia I wish I could photograph them and post it!
One dress is a rich blue thick cotton with a dark ,navy flower print, some flowers ringed with a little pink or green. It has a dark, navy sash around the waist – because, yes I have a waist again. It is mid calf length and sleeveless.

The other frock is a kind of crinkly material, easy for packing. It is mostly purple and deep blue, with some teal thrown in and some light pink accents. It is also sleeveless and mid calf length.

My description makes them sound very much alike, but they’re not.

One cardi is a navy blue kind of shrug with short sleeves – do they have a name?

The other is a long white cardi with a lacy kind of pattern. Neither have buttons. I just wanted something to hide the tops of my arms and keep me warm on chilly nights!!

The long length helps to hide the enormous long scar on my leg ( courtesy of a bad skiing accident).

You go with 27 and a half, Lucia!! I’m quite happy with 36 as well!! 🙂

Hi Lucia
Hahahaha, oh that was funny , I can just imagine hashimoto streaking, I never thought of not needing as much sun cream! Looking forward to swimming in the pool and not feeling self conscious about all the flab!

Hi Julia 18 to go,

The ask, I agree with you about the frozen veg, I am just neuking them with a little water as they have lots of water already.
Mmmmmmmmm, they taste so good.
🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆

Grateful for any simple cooking tips for vegetables.

Love luciaxxxx

Hi Christie 1948,

Last day of the 8 weeks, you jammy dodger. I am so jealous, I wish I had started earlier, maybe 30 years earlier 👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇😇👿😇👿👿😇👿👿😇😇👿😇

Regarding the long list of phone numbers, they were for Hashimoto’s streaking in the clothes shop. They all have warm hands and are able to assist with zips.
They probably disappeared when Hashimoto downloaded and printed them off.

Tenerife next Sunday, just think of all the money you will be saving…..
Less body, less suntan cream. ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Please let us know how you felt being slimmer on a well deserved holiday.

Love Lucia
Xxxxx

Hi Christine, no I am still losing tiny amounts, a few ounces at a time some days. The ketostix say I am still fat burning. I just eat the same food but a bit more of it! I might have 2 bowls of soup and a piece of cheese. Or a meal followed by some nuts. It was the thing that worried me too – will I pile the weight on when I increase my calories. It seems if you stick to the low carbs it is fine. So a bigger piece of beef, a large chicken breast, perhaps with nuts on the salad. It seems to work!!

Sounds as if you are VERY busy, I hope you get a proper chill out on holiday 🙂

Hi Hashimoto,
You need to give me more than two cardies and two frocks. I need, where from , the colour, the shape etc etc.
Don’t leave a girl hanging.

Jealous that you have been out of the changing room, half naked, looking for a dishy man to zip you up.

63. Years old eh. How about we all revere our ages? I dub you 36 in our little magical kingdom here. This will be great for everyone except me. 55 can’t be switched around. I know I will half it. 27 1/2 yup, that will do me nicely.

Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi Spirit, it is easy to highlight and sticker pages you want to read, or just thumb through. I know you can on a kindle but it is much easier in the paperback – especially if people want to borrow ( or you can photo copy a couple of relevant pages for them). I want to re read certain sections.

🙂

Hi hashimoto,
Just read your post, I am also wearing clothes I haven’t had on in two years, I have given a load of skirts and trousers to charity that I had been keeping, some I’ve had for over ten years, thinking I would get into them one day! I still have lots of clothes I can now wear, and a few trousers I’m still waiting to get into, it’s such a lovely feeling isn’t it?
We’ve had a busy weekend with family down from Scotland, 12 for dinner Saturday evening and 12 again today for lunch before they headed back home, Emily my daughter told me I could have coffee with a little cream as cream has no carbs, so I had my first coffee in eight weeks, with tiny bit of Truvia in, it was lovely, I didn’t even succumb to the desserts today, like I did Saturday evening!
How did you start to increase your carbs, did you put weight on, I think I am still worried that I will put it all back on as soon as I increase the carbs, it’s getting a bir paranoid! Also what are these ketostix?
I am amazed how many people you respond to, it takes me all my time just keeping up with the few I do keep up with, where do you find the time?
In the morning I have to get ready for another daughters visit on Thursday, with two of her children, she lives in Bristol, and is calling in on her way back from her sister who has just gone back home from here to Scotland, then she goes home on Saturday and we fly off to Tenerife on the Sunday morning, I often feel like I am chasing my tail,
In the morning is my final weigh in on the eight weeks, then I will join you all on the eight week and after.
Cheers for now
Christine

well said Lucia – you are correct, this is a complete life-style change and not only a diet! Many people eat whilst stressed or unhappy – loving yourself a little more each day can help break that destructive habit.
Can I add that I now march on the spot whilst cleaning my teeth 200 extra steps twice a day :-).

Well done your daughter re the cream in your coffee! 🙂 And welcome to the veterans tomorrow! 🙂

Wow, Lynne, that’s fast! 🙂

Hi Miss Lucia, I am taking exercise. Honestly. I’m digging and weeding my veggie patches and coming in to post when my back hurts too much. Honest!!

Don’t walk too much in your new shoes until you wear them in. We don’t want a Freda to marry Fred, now do we?
Love, Judith xxx

MyLife – I use myfitness pal and build the recipes there, which automatically generate the carb count. (Not to mention that not all of the calorie counts are precisely accurate – so MFP gives me that, as well.)

Patsy – if what you are concerned about is carbs (as I am), and have a low tolerance for carbs (as I do), you do have to be careful about the recipes in the book. I reduced the quantity of lentils in the spicy chicken with lentils, for example, and it still had 24 (net) carbs. That is a higher quantity of carbs than I can eat in one meal without elevating my BG out of the normal range.

Your book ordered for delivery tomorrow, Judith. 😃

Orchid , Hi , Re having a ‘fasting’ day: I re-read the book this weekend and saw that MM said that he has one day a week fasting (14hrs no food) and that it was one of his secrets to maintaining weight after the diet ..Also I thought it would be a good antidote to the 2 days of eating what i liked and having wine !

Sorry to hear that Lucia. I can hear my dad saying ‘Get sturdy brown lace-ups’.. he always said that to my mother when she had to take us for new shoes. The one and only time he had to take us we came back with white patent leather shoes. My mother was not pleased. ‘Well they really wanted them’ he said. You can imagine the rest….

Hope your new shoes are kind to you 🙂

Thanks for those ideas Judith. Will have to try them.

Judith it as just something niggling at the back of my head so thought I’d better check. It applies to anything licorice related of course 😱

Glad I checked, because my blood pressure has been high so don’t want anything that will raise it again 😳