Jpscloud, totally agree with you. I responded to a question about loose skin with this is about living a healthy life, even with loose skin rather than being a slightly prettier corpse. This diet should add years to our lives – a very good exchange!! 🙂

Hi molly, are you keeping carbs below 50g a day? If you are following the guidelines it may be retained fluid and you will get a drop in your weight quite quickly. I think measuring round your waist is a good indicator. Also, you could buy some ketostix to check you are burning fat 🙂

I hope you get the correct test, cherrieanne 🙂

Hi, I’m all set to start tomorrow. Have been reading the posts for the last week which have all helped, very inspiring. Got 4 stone to lose! Plan for tomorrow is

plain yoghurt with some seeds, kiwi
Some prawns for lunch with salad
Dinner a piece of smoked mackerel and broccoli.

I’ve calculated it at around the 800 cals but nowhere near the 50 carbs. Will also have skimmed milk in my tea which im going to try and cut back on. Heres to a first week x

Hi all, I’ve been lurking for the last week, reading all your posts (well not all, but a good portion of them), watching and reading with great interest in all your progress, and feeling like this could really work for me (self discipline required for sure). I envy those that try all these new foods cause for myself I’m a very fussy eater so it’s been a real struggle this week to find or try some foods I said I never would eat in my lifetime (yoghurt) so thank you to the lady (sorry can’t remember what your name is) who suggested Frage Brand as it’s the only one of the three I tried that I’ve managed to eat with 2 – 3 strawberries and 10 blackberries and finally after days I tried adding a couple sprinkles last night of canderel onto it and some cinnamon……lo and behold it took away the bitter taste for me, so I’m now a convert of Frage Total Yoghurt.

Anyways I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (runs in my biological family) nearly 5 years ago. Was tested for it annually for 23 years as they suspected I would eventually get it. Tried to control it with diet and exercise as I’m not fond of taking pills, well that failed, so eventually was prescribed metformin, then glicazide as I continued on with my poor eating habits (those donuts kept calling to me…..what was I to do???)

I’ve always been a fan of Dr. Mosley’s and have watched all medical documentaries he’s done, read all his books and finally decided to go on the 8 week BSD in hopes of reversing my Type 2, lowering my cholesterol and losing some belly fat as a bonus and to prove my latest diabetes nurse WRONG!
They gave me quite the scare two weeks ago when they tested my blood and it came back saying I had high levels of potassium in my kidneys, so they redid the test, it also came back high but not as high as the previous one. I told her it was probably due to the large amounts of oranges and orange juice I had been consuming, they did a third blood test and it came back normal, as I knew it would when I stopped eating oranges, and when I say I was eating oranges it was normally 2 – 3 regular size about twice a day. I confess I’m a lover of fruit. Anyhow the nurse said if it was still high on that 3rd test, they would put me in the hospital and start me on a Vitamin K infusion. Naturally I looked that up on the net when I got home and got the fright of my life as it could be deadly, and she was sure I would have a heart attack or stroke over Easter. Guess it was the wakeup call I finally needed as it got me started on Good Friday.

First thing I did was empty all the cupboards, fridge and freezer of all high carbs foods unless it was something my husband ate, but I didn’t. Then I read what foods I should be eating and went shopping.

So here I am just finishing Day 6, my starting blood glucose was 9.7, starting weight was 9 stone 12½ lbs. My blood glucose is slowly going down to around 7.4 lowest this week to around the 8.4 mark, so I’m happy with the progress, btw I stopped taking my Metformin when I started, so I’m pleased that it’s the food that’s lowering it instead of meds. Regarding the weight I went down to 9 stone 11½ but am now up to 9 stone 13???

I’m keeping it around the 800calories, someday it’s a wee bit over but not by much, am drinking 2 litres of water per day, and because I have spinal stenosis I am concentrating on strength training until I feel my legs are strong enough to go walking, so I bought a rowing machine and an ab toner and have been using them daily, increasing the amount each day twice a day. Hope to get back on the Wii U as well at some point and have my Fitbit ready for those walking days.

Unfortunately I’m one of those unlucky people that only go to the toilet once a week, and have to resort to max strength Senokot and Cod liver oil, but they aren’t even working for me now, so whilst reading on here I saw someone mention Psyllium Husks, so looked that up and ordered some from Holland and Barrett and they arrived today……..so fingers crossed they work and the weight finally comes off.

Sorry for the long post……..eek

Thanks Sunny, looks like waitrose do it, I might need to find an excuse to pop over there soon!

Hi jpscloud – can’t for the life of me remember where I bought mine. Had a look on amazon and they stock it, but the postage is ridiculously expensive. However, check out http://www.theyummylife.com/raspberry_vinegar which tells you how to make your own – I shall be doing this for sure. Apparently you can add a little sugar if you want (that’s what Nigel Slater does it seems) but I don’t personally see why you would need to. I guess you could make other fruit vinegars in the same way too.

Hi neohdiver,
That’s good news about your liver. I must have misunderstood your earlier post because I thought you were only able to eat 20g carb per day, not per meal. Oops! 🙂
60g per day seems reasonable to me, we are not going to be able to eat a high carb diet or we will end up back where we started.
You are right about the signalling mechanism. There is a specific hormone lacking that signals the liver to stop releasing glycogen after that very early am rush. Can’t recall the name of it right now but it is explained in references to the dawn phenomenon.

Yesterday:
Yogurt & frozen berries
Curried chickpea salad
Sausage & lentils

Today:
2 hard boiled eggs
Chicken barley risotto
Yogurt & frozen berries

Tomorrow:
2 hard boiled eggs
Lamb tagine & broccoli
Yogurt & frozen berries

I know you said you’re not keen on yoghurt but neither was I until I started eating the full fat stuff. The fat free stuff was just awful so I left it alone. Do you like cream? If you do, you will like full fat yoghurt. Pretty filling with some strawberries and coconut oil.

If you have a stick blender, it is really easy to make mayo for yourself – an egg, a little vinegar or lemon juice, a little seasoning and plenty of oil. At least that way, you will know for sure what is in your mayo.

Thanks Judith and Janet, I will definitely ask for further testing. As soon as my lovely GP saw the blood sugar readings she thought that explained everything and the whole diabetes thing began. Dietician, glucose tolerance test etc. etc.
My energy levels have improved tremendously since going low carb but not to my previously normal levels. I’m usually a ‘can’t sit still for long’ person and assumed my tiredness was down to middle age lol! Then my friend nagged me about getting my thyroid function checked when I was complaining about my hair. So I will definitely follow this up after googling Janet’s reference.
Thank you 🙂

When you think about it, dementia/Alzheimers wasn’t really that common in our history was it? I’ve always gone with the logic that people didn’t live long enough to get it in the past. But maybe the rise of such conditions does fit in scarily with the availability of sugar to the masses.

and they’re all very good for us!

I’m drooling now! Where do you get raspberry vinegar from? Sounds like something I need in my cupboard!

Catgirl, unfortunately for me I’m of a size where the bingo wings will be with me forever, regardless of how much weight I lose. Skin surgery would be out of the question price-wise and I think it’s very hard to persuade the nhs to do it now. I don’t think that’s a bad thing to be honest, I don’t see why other people should pay to put my mistakes right. I would rather live with saggy skin and bingo wings than kidney disease and amputations, any day!

I adore truffle oil too – and basil oil is delicious as well. Oh and a dressing made with walnut oil and raspberry vinegar, over lettuce with a bit of blue cheese and chopped pear ….. yum, yum!!

Oh Leonard Cohen and Legolas, you guys are talking my language… although I do think Orly’s pirate is as good as his elf!

There’s lots you can do with eggs – lots of herbs and spices you can use ring the changes. You could also add cheese or maybe a little smoked salmon to omelette or scrambled egg. And actually you can do the same sort of thing with oats, adding in cinnamon, nutmeg, or a few sultanas/raisins, or fresh berries, or seeds/nuts. If you don’t like yogurt, how about adding a spoonful of full fat crème fraiche to some dishes? It’s much creamier than yogurt.

Yes!! Truffle oil is my absolute not-so-secret weapon! I love it.

Thank you Hashimoto – I’ve entered it onto Fat Secret to get the carb and cal figures. Really incredibly grateful for all the advice provided on this forum, primarily by you, captainlynne and Bill. Am off to visit my son in France in early May and I am desperate to hear the words “gosh Mum you look great, you’ve lost so much weight!” as he greets me at the airport! I know it’s all in my hands – and my grasp – and I seem, finally, to have understood what I have to do to make it work! Onwards and upwards – or should that be “downwards”?

Thank you, hashimoto, five days in and feeling very well. Weight loss seems to have ground to a halt, not cheating at all, so hope that it is just a glitch. I will keep on, will get no help from my G.P. so I feel I have no choice but to carry on whatever happens. I am very appreciative of your support, believe me.

Molly

Welcome Fch, I’m just into my second week now. I didn’t manage to stick to it properly last week, but still lost 6lbs. Hoping to complete a whole week this time.

I have a good 7+ stone to lose too, I hope in a few months’ time we’ll be congratulating each other on doing it!

Oats are quite high in carbohydrates so some diabetics can’t tolerate them, but I think they’re included in the fast 800 provided you’re keeping within the calorie limit (so only small portions of them). They have loads of other good attributes as well such as helping to reduce cholesterol.

I use Staffordshire oatcakes in my meal plans, they are a little high in carbs but I find them really satisfying and they help me stay off bread. I buy mine from supermarkets but there are recipes online – actually I might give a recipe a go because then I could include more bran/fibre.

Very best of luck to you – wishing you the most successful journey!

Dear captainlynne,

Ex husbands have a lot to answer for! For me the psychological abuse was the worst, 2 episodes of physical violence and I saw a solicitor and became officially separated but he wouldn’t leave the house. He ended up in hospital with alcoholism and I had the locks changed. I divorced him and ended up having to pay him off but managed to keep the house, car and my pension (if anyone needs a fab solicitor in the north east just let me know). He ended up drinking himself to death, what a waste for an addiction!

Partly why all these years later I need to sort my food addiction out, it’s down to me and nobody else, I can sit and mope feeling woe is me or shake myself and get myself in shape. I want to see my son and his wife have children and me be the bad influence in their lives – in a fun way!

Like you I got my degree at 39 and my masters 4 years ago, we can take on the world and kick butt, we can also take on this weight loss and wonder where our butts, flab, muffin tops, flabby bellies and bingo wings have gone.

Great news Bill. You must be well pleased with her response.

The more medics we get on board the more folk can be helped.

LOL perfect sense!

I decided early on that every morsel that passed my lips was going to be utterly delicious! It’s amazing what a splash of truffle oil does to scrambled eggs 😉

Hi penny, he has a double allotment – 2 full sizes with a concrete path running down the centre. I also forgot to say that a lot of topsoil has disappeared from the allotment – the bloke next door said the council had removed it but he has a suspiciously large number of deep beds, I mean really deep beds, covering his double allotment. Interestingly the soil has disappeared closest to the dividing fence, which for some reason(?) this guy had knocked down!!

Spud bed? Celeriac? Courgettes, if you don’t mind them turning into marrows in your absence lol. Borlotti beans – doesn’t matter if you get a lot of dried beans cos you can still use them. Tuscan black kale, sprouts – but you probably have al those things.

If you have youngsters in the family I would suggest pumpkins. I usually grow some for friends children. While the pumpkins are still small use a felt tip to mark the child’s name , then use a sewing needle to prick all round the letters. Wipe off the marker!! As the pumpkin grows the name will appear as a brown scar which grows with the pumpkin. Children see it as magic when a pumpkin grows with their name on it!! You can always help them carve it and keep the flesh for soup! 🙂

Hi all
This is my second day of my first week. Felt off for first two days, but better today than yesterday. Don’t eat chocolate and not to keen on yogurt, but have always found lots of high sugar treats to mean that I still struggle, so not much of an advantage. I have read the book a few times already and am exploring all the new substitutes for the carbs I used to eat. Have a lot to lose(7+ stone) so eight weeks will not get me there, but I will see how far it gets me. The book seems to say porridge is OK and I have always made that from script, nothing processed but has anyone got any recipes for oats that work on this plan. As I don’t eat yoghurt , eggs and oats seem the best alternatives for breakfast, but different recipes would keep it interesting.

Yes I must switch to those… I’ve been getting fresh to get me over any feelings of deprivation at not having the usual junk – makes me feel like I’m having a real treat (plus spending money on them means I’m less inclined to spend it on junk… if that makes sense!)

Orchid,

I have only just had an opportunity to digest all the information you so very kindly gave me re carbs. Thank you so much.

For an online tool, I think i’ll re-awaken My Fitness Pal on my laptop which you mentioned. I used to use it some while ago but gave up for the usual reasons. Now you mention it though, I remember that it does have a very detailed nutritional breakdown of a wide variety ot foods.
I also picked up a very handy little pocket book today “Carbs and Cals” by Chris Cheyette & Yello Balolia (What wonderful names!) “in association with Diabetes UK” which gives carb readings for a good selection of everyday foods set out in a very useable pictorial form in serving sizes. It’s published by “Chello” which looks remarkably like a concatenation of the authors’ names. I’m not usually a fan of books that give stats in other than standard measurements, 100g etc but somehow this book seems easy to use. I’ve just noticed it’s also available as an app.

As well as carbs and cals, it gives protein, fat, fibre and saturated fat so I think it’s going to be well thumbed.
Interesting fact – sweet white wine has 7 times that carbs of dry!

We’ve just had our posh “afternoon tea”. It was great, but we felt full long before we could finish it. It was odd eating the scones jam and cream bit and regarding the cream as the least of the evils. Just waiting now to see how I feel when the sugar spike wears off. Will I be wanting to raid the fridge tonight? Watch this space.

Hi Judith
Re two allotments- the allotments in hackney are quarter size. So not very big! Probably you know what a full size looks like.
The other one is down on the Sussex coast. It’s half size- so together they don’t make one standard allotment – I m not there often so I grow fruit trees and bushes and a bed of spuds- ie things than can look after themselves a lot of the time. But now what am I going to do in the potato bed! Any suggestions welcome !
Penny

Have you tried frozen berries?

They’re quite a bit cheaper and just as nice IMHO 🙂

Hi
Just started this diet on Monday although failed a bit on choices that day, by not realising that risotto was in.the stuffing of some stuffed peppers I ate. Oh well. Tuesday was very hard. Bad headache all afternoon. Don’t eat dairy much so am having to come up with my own adapted recipes. Have over, hate to say it, seven stones to lose. Did weightwatches in 2009_2010 lossing 6stones and getting to my b.m.I. Kept to ideal weight for two years but then became ill had one operation after another and am still suffering from endometriosis. Weight piled back on, but am now determined to do something.

My grandfather had type 2 diabetes, so I need to get my weight under control before I follow him. I have high blood pressure and have tried the fast 5:2diet before, but I soon fell into fasting tomorrow where tomorrow never came. I am hoping eight weeks on this will start me down the right path. This is day two and starting to feel better.

Unlike the others I work away from home and am still finding myself a little light headed at work, plus my rumbling Tum was noisy today at a meeting, but I can do this. Have a family so dinner is the hardest meal to sort. So far I have substituted veg or quinoa for pasta or rice, but have ordered a veg spaghetti maker to give me some more alternatives. Definitely not an easy diet when you are the only one on it. Plus have to be carefully as my daughter has luckily inherited her father’s metabolism and we have been told to get her to eat more so she gains weight. Good luck everyone and sorry for the long post.

4 kilos down after only 4 weeks AND including a lapse… that’s brilliant! Don’t see it as a failure, see it as a break – plus you’re restarting from a much lighter weight with even more determination and the knowledge that you can do it. And you can!!

I’ve had a rocky start but I’m doing better now – I’m on two week’s holiday and have straightened myself out. I’m spending a fair bit more on food than I normally would (fresh raspberries every day, ouch) but in my usual overeating mode I’d spend a small fortune on chocolate and crisps etc. so I think it’ll probably work out not much different in the end.

Good luck to you and to us all!

Great news Marjorie! Keep us posted on progress.

Thanks All! 🙂 I love working from home – I’ve always been happy in my own company. It had just never occurred to me that my relationship with the “treat” food might be anything other than food, albeit comfort eating! Or perhaps more accurately, boredom eating 😉 I guess there’s lots to learn about ourselves along this journey!

Bill,
Re the “ignorant comments” I always find they come from people who in their heart of hearts must know that they themselves really need to lose weight etc. but don’t want to face facts and get on with it.
They’d rather tell you you’re looking too thin and scrawny and will, ” Do yourself no good if you carry on”.
I remember what someone earlier said about the “prettier corpse”.

B: plain yoghurt, strawberries, flaked almonds
L: half tin tuna , salad
D: sirloin steak, tomato, lettuce

Apple, cups of tea

Have decided I’m having a SunnyB frittata sometime tomorrow!

I will see what I can find tonight and report back!

Today’s menu:

B – yogurt, za’atar and pine nuts
L – mini omelette with za’atar, hummus, pine nuts and ham
D – Belly pork, lentils with bacon and mushrooms and a little mustard

You can do it! Prove him wrong!

Hi Sara!

I know what you mean about the isolation. I may work in a busy company, but my office is isolated and too often I’ve found myself going through bags of chips and chocolate mindlessly.

I’m still in desperate days, but can see the light 😄

Good to know you!

Cheers,

Deb

Wow, Penny, tow allotments! How do you manage?

It sounds as if the committee will be better for him, they have said the council have relied on the local gravedigger to remove rubbish but he only has a small van and doesn’t remove anything when there are a lot of graves to dig! Sounds positively Dickensian doesn’t it?

I would welcome a copy of your constitution as it may be helpful for my son and the other allotment holders.

Thanks 🙂

We will all have off days, ups & downs, it is natural, with support from this wonderful network we can all do it! I also work from home, alone, gone are the days of a noisy, busy office. I started to get into bad coffee habits on my (almost) daily walk – a large latte 5 times a week is not good, so I have canned that & when I go out now, I walk a different route, avoiding the coffee shops. I now allow myself 1 small cappuccino a week – not perfect, but a fair compromise, even if it takes me longer to lose the next 1.8st.

I do miss the buzz of an office and have tended to go rather OTT when I socialise with old chums, it’s not the food, I can eat Mediterranean easily, it’s the blasted booze…… So now I suggest cinema or a gallery or something (anything!) as opposed to immediately plonking my large bum on a bar stool & shooting the breeze over a bottle BEFORE the meal & more wine. Again, not perfect, but it’s getting me there.

I have jettisoned my size 20’s – took the lot to a charity shop & like you Bully & SaraB – I shall be going shopping over the summer, now that my weight is getting where it needs to be!

No longer will we displace water when we swim, we shall glide elegantly through the waves/pool in our pretty cozzies without our bellies making us look like whales!

Onwards we go, hand in hand over the Ethernet battling the fat & defeating the sugar!!!

Hi Janice, that’s basically what I did – just went with the weight of the fish for calories, no carbs. 🙂

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

Tom Kerridge the chef has lost 10 stone over 2 years, how? By cutting carbs. Well done Tom!

The Port Talbot Tata steel plant is in serious trouble. I understand all about this, having family in Teesside and living now in Rotherham. However, woman on radio used an unfortunate choice of words, claims Port Talbot could be ‘a fat ugly child nobody wants’.

Some artist wants to come to Hull (Hull?) to take photos of hundreds of people naked. He’s got an online registration form going on. Who’s up for it then?

Bill
I am so delighted with the response you received from the doctor today, but probably not one fraction as delighted as you, not only for your incredible results, but also how your results were received by said doctor. Be proud of yourself, because you have succeeded where the health service failed miserably. If you do decide to be a patient advisor, you will be of such benefit to all. The majority of us in these forums are inspired by your positivity and helpfulness.
I actually logged on to ask a question, and am hoping you might have the answer. I know that you recommended someone to “go for the fish ‘n chips – minus both the batter and the chips”. Well I have done just that today. In fact I asked for fish and salad – no chips. My friend was very impressed with my willpower as I didn’t even try to sneak one of hers. (I have learned that if we cheat, it is only ourselves that we are cheating!). My question is, how did you work out the carbs for the fish? I really didn’t eat the batter, so can I just guess the weight of the fish and enter that accordingly?
Thank you for all the help you give.
Janice

Thanks for the support folks – firmly back on the losing track – lost 3 pounds this week 😀

Bless you!, sounds like you’re doing really well. It is really hard when you’re at home and have got into bad habits…grabbing biscuits to make yourself feel better. I have 3 young children and am also at home a lot….so I have to try to distract myself!!! I started the diet 8 weeks ago…got 4 weeks in….had a night out…few too many glasses of prosecco and went back to my old ways. Hugely annoyed with myself as had lost 1 stone and felt great….I too need to lose about 2 and a half stone…so started again today…..I had out half stone back on but I guess still half stone down from 8 weeks ago overall, so that’s a positive. Just seen a mate of mine who has stuck to it religiously and she has dropped 2 and a half stone and looks great….so…..despite the fact I have enough Easter eggs in the house to feed a small nation…..let’s stick at it and have a big summer wardrobe update in 8 weeks…..when hopefully the sight of me in swimwear will become more palatable!

Stick with it!