Saw my (new) diabetic nurse, eventually, today. She’s thrilled with today’s weight/waist. 9st 13lbs/30″ (male 63, 5′-8″). Down from 11st /34″ at week 1, but probably about 12st when diagnosed 3 years ago .
HbA1c was done about 4 weeks ago, with a 4 week wait for the nurse, so the results are based on about week 4 of the diet, and the 3 months before. Tried to explain what diet I was on. When she kept on about “if people would stick to the diet”, I’m not sure if we were talking about her NHS one, or my BSD one. I should have taken the book to wave.
HbA1c was 6. Down from 7+ (and a threat of meds) in October. It would be interesting to see what it would be like after 3 months of BSD, but probably got to wait a year find that out. It would be nice to have more testing done but as T2s are swamping the NHS anyway it won’t happen. Told me I didn’t need to test my BG as the HbA1c was all I need. Said I still will – keeps me on the straight and narrow. My money!
The only blot was my cholesterol is “up a bit”, but as I was only on week 4, when tested, who knows what’s actually happening now. As I am a bit of a cholesterol disbeliever, anyway, I won’t worry too much.
Mixed feelings from my, post diet, brush with the medics, but I feel good so……..
Thanks Michael Mosley. I see we share a birthday, 22 march.

I posted on FB that my week 2 was a fail, weight-wise at least. Had several family outings plus Easter – all resulted in loss from week 1 being eroded!

However, blood sugars have come down (and apart from the Easter weekend blip) and stayed down!! Average morning reading is just over 8, and the later afternoon one is just over 5. This is in comparison to 15+ and 8+ !!

So, I started week 3 with renewed determination to get back on track, and that is indeed what is happening – the weight has started to come off again already. Now just need to get up and get walking regularly to help it along 🙂

I also had my 6 month eye screen yesterday (30th) and was pleased to hear that there is no worsening of deterioration of the blood vessels and they were pleased things are stable. I have the start of cataracts (which I knew from last time), and these are still at the early/mild stages – so again I’m pleased (and relieved) at this!!

Thanks to everyone here and FB for ongoing support!
Cheers
Daz

All too complicated! I don’t want to be diabetic, but its a bit late in life to become a scientist. I need it simple. I used to create flowcharts for newbies at work. If this happens do this – if that happens do that – etc etc. Give me one of those.

Hi Susuan
I did read somewhere that artificial sweeteners can cause high sugar readings because they actually change the way that the good bacteria in your gut work.
I stopped them after reading that.

Hi Deb
into ketosis on day 3 ? no wonder you’re proud of yourself 😀
I test my sugar levels as soon as I wake and then again just before dinner (1800 – 1900 depending)
If I’m on track of something, ie a spurious reading somewhere, I may test as often as 4 times a day to try and pinpoint where the trouble is.
Headaches will go soon then you’ll be feeling great.

Good ideas there, Penny 🙂

Very true Bill, I bet a lot of them have rellies in ‘the old country’ 🙂

Thanks Pam. I have posted the petition to my facebook page as well, quite a few have.

Hopefully hubby’s diabetes will be reversed!! Just look at Bill 1954’s results!! 🙂

Hi Sunnyb
I ve been thinking about this as I had such a bad experience with airline food- then got a stomach upset from it!
Will you have a cool box in the car- I think you can even get plug in ones. If you do, then cooked low cal sausages, hard boiled eggs and frittata are possible. As well as tomatoes, celery etc.
For more ‘nibbly’ things- ‘Biscuits’ made with almond flour, gram flour, egg, butter, sesame seeds.
– Apple and courgette muffins that are in the recipes section.
If I think of any more I ll let you know!
Penny

Ooh err! Maybe that’s my downfall. I take sweeteners in tea/coffee – didn’t realise they were not ok as mine are zero cals. I always count a tea or coffee as 7cals to account for milk. I’ll try to stomach no sweetener!!!

Hi all those dedicated people who had the gumption to start the petition. I have just signed it, so thought I should go the whole hog and post this on the forum. After reading Dr Mosley’s book, I checked my blood sugar and found I was officially diabetic. I am already on treatment for high blood pressure, so it seemed it was now or never. My weight loss was ok for the first 2 weeks but has since stalled (2 bad weekends, I’m afraid), so I need to get back on track. Hopefully, posting this will spur me on. I hope more people sign the petition (I think I was number 111).

I have 2.5 to 3 stone to lose. My husband doesn’t need to lose weight but his diabetes needs better control and all the GP does, of course, is increase his medication.

Will let you know how we improve – I am determined we will improve.

So yesterday, day 3…

I was fine for the first half of the day, but then the headache hit around 1pm and nothing except falling asleep could stop it. I looked at my food log for the day and found the problem (aside from it being Day 3). I had only eaten 15g of carbs! I will do better today! Head is fine this morning, so fingers crossed!

Had a major victory yesterday. I had to go to the bank, so I walked on the underground path (I work in Toronto, the PATH connects most of the buildings in the downtown core, in a kind of underground mall. So we don’t have to walk outside in the winter). Anyway. All throughout are food courts, chocolate stores, bakeries (there may be other stores but, yesterday, I didn’t notice). The voices in my head started trying to justify having, a chocolate truffle, McDonald’s, a cream Napoleon… I told them to shut it, and kept walking until I was safely above ground again. I am really proud of myself.

Tested my Ketones this morning and I was in the medium range, so I am excited about that.

QUESTION: when does everyone test their blood sugar? I do fasting and right before bed, but was wondering if I should test mid-day as well…

My readings have been close to normal since starting btw 😄👍🏻

GOALS TODAY:
1. Eat more good carbs!
2. Go for a walk at lunch.
3. Plan meals for next week and do shopping list.

Cheers,

Deb

Penny mail me at angrydriver54@hotmail.com

Result Judith
Well done your perseverance has paid off, now let’s really get the word out.
I’ve been nagging my FB and twitter accounts with it, if everyone does the same it should be a big help.
It would be great if our Australian and American friends could do it too, you never know how many UK based followers or friends they may have.

OH was weighed at the doctor’s. I have no idea how much I weigh, probably more than I think……. but I am also going by my clothes fitting better. Doctor gave OH 3 months to lose weight and have blood pressure taken again, and maybe being put on meds – which we are trying to avoid.

I haven’t counted anything in food before going on this 800 calorie diet so it was a bit stressful at first while I got used to it. I think we may have gone over the 800 at times when I didn’t weigh out foods like butternut squash or raspberries, I feel I got a bit “slapdash” as time went on over the weeks. But no bread, rice, pasta etc has been consumed (apart from one highly stressful day when there really was no choice).

I have the rest of the week’s meals planned so will look at going to just carb counting next week. Thank you for your replies, I look forward to not feeling guilty about eating a small chunk of cheese between meals!

Hi Penny, Bill posted his ‘spare’ email address. Could you email Bill and then get my email address of Bill? I only have the one email address. 🙂

Hi Bill
Did I see a while ago you sent a private message to another member? How did you do it?
I have some ‘private ‘ allotment info for Hashimoto !
Penny

Hi folks, some really good news, this is the reply from the tech team about our petition!!

Hi Judith, apologies for the tardy reply, still playing catch up after the Easter break.

This is a great idea and I would like to publicise this as much as possible. I do just need to take opinion from the rest of the team first.

I’ll come back to you as soon as possible.
Thanks

Paul

If you are a UK resident and haven’t heard of this petition yet, please sign. You will find the link at the top of page 1 and in a few other spots!! 🙂

Hi Allychat
Congrats on doing so well. I too am about half way. It’s a great feeling- we ve all achieved something we thought just about impossible, and it’s not even a struggle!
I agree with you about the sweet things- I had a taste – about 5 MM square!- of OH s chocolate bunny- , overwhelmingly sweet and not nice.
Keep up the good work!
Penny

Hi Bill, the person who is now chief phlebo at the surgery has ‘trained’ all the others. She was the one who left me in such a mess that when I got to school the ICT manager thought I had been mugged and photographed the mess which was my arms!! It was summer and very hot in the classroom so I was wearing a short sleeved dress – very traumatic for the kids. All the phlebos in there are absolutely useless. My sons arm is still swollen after his blood test almost 2 weeks ago.
It’s amazing isn’t it that some people can take your blood and you don’t feel anything at all and the one today had me shouting out. I’ve never done that before.
Oh well, my other tests will be done in a fortnight. If they put me with the phlebo again I will raise Cain in the waiting room. 🙂

I know Davina has been doing low carb herself for the last year or so. She looks great so I’m sure she’d have something to add. See if you can get it cheap on Amazon and let us know any good bits!

My local (Fortino’s) didn’t have any real full fat, so I had to make due with a 4% Cottage Cheese and a Balkin Style Yogurt that only had 4g of carbs per serving.

I think I am going to have to visit the other grocery stores in my city, or I will have to breakdown and visit Whole Foods in the town over from me.

Hi Ed
It seems it’s normal to have a plateau now and then. Have a look at Jenny Ruhls book ‘low carb problems solved’ (£3 on kindle) which might help.
Penny

Was in Asda about an hour ago and two young men walked past me. They were on their lunch break. One said to the other, ‘Are we having something healthy or something nice?’ ….?

Bill I used to love cheese but didn’t dare eat it except as a little sliver for an occasional treat. All those warnings about my high cholesterol!! I’ve eaten more cheese on this diet than I have in the last 5 years!!! 🙂

Glad cherrianne likes the orange!!

Hi Lesley
Isn’t that a great moment!
Penny

BTW Cherrianne, I am just supping my first liquorice tea. It tastes just like the liquorice root sticks I bought as a nipper. And rather too sweet!!! 🙂

Hi Judith
sorry to hear about that. We used to have a nurse at the practice who seemed to just stick the needle in somewhere near the vein, and then move it about as she tried to find it, sometimes she would pull it out and repeat the process.
I refused to see her in the end and I did hear that many others had too.
Other nurses and docs never seemed to have a problem.
At least you should have your blood sugar results soon, it’s a PITA about the cholesterol and thyroid tests though.

Cherrianne I am so glad you posted that, I’ve been seen as a bit of a freak because I can smell so many things even from a distance!! Oddly I can smell bacteria too. There have been two occasions when I have told a GP I knew I had a pseudomonas lung infection because I could smell it when I coughed. I had some very old fashioned looks. But I was correct both times!!

I have always been able to tell the difference between sugared and unsugared drinks but the sensation of the overpoweringly awful smell of it in shops is something I had obviously blocked out – until now.

I can’t stand the smell of meat cooking either. As a child, when my mother went into a butchers I could never go in because it smelt of blood and death. I was told to wait outside and not move ( I was young) but I would still gag and often throw up.

The strokes – well there must be chemical changes going on in the body during such a dramatic incident.

I can smell my medications on myself and I hate it. I can also smell other people on a lot of medication.

I thought I was alone in my ‘oddity’. I am so pleased I am not.

Inka, I can smell a small bonfire from miles away. I thought it was my body warning me in advance because fire smoke is likely to trigger an asthma attack and certainly has a bad effect on my bronchiectasis.

I wonder whether others on this diet will develop a heightened sense of smell? I have always had it – but with peoples tastes changing so much you have got to wonder about other things 🙂

Hi Neohdiver
I notice you’re using net carbs. I haven’t noticed anyone else doing that. Maybe I missed it! It seems like a good idea as the fibre isn’t absorbed. In fact yesterday I was considering doing it when I noticed That cauliflower carbs are almost halved if you do it net! So I might follow your example.
Penny

Hi I haven’t used the bare naked ‘rice’ it. I thought about it but I no longer miss the rice!!! I do like the gram flour flatbreads with a curry though! 🙂

Hi Mollytopmarx,
that must be so frustrating for you. I thank heaven that my GP’s are very supportive and, as it turned out yesterday, willing to listen to their patients, which of course should always be the case.

**Woman rescued after climbing Ben Nevis with ‘just a selfie stick’**
Judith – get back down here – now !!!

Hi, thinking of getting this to help with making family friendly meals. I know her view won’t be as disciplined as here but I hopefully should be able to adapt the recipes. Anyone seen the book/have an opinion?

OK orange mankini shocking pink socks, nightglo green trainers and a powder blue headband.
I’ll get thrown out of Turkey on arrival!
Shame we can’t post images on here 😉
Cherrianne, she was really interested, I’m hoping great things will come from it but we are talking NHS here so sloooooooooooooooow, but hope springs eternal.

Yep, Janet1973, I absolutely loved the stuff…. Now, I have no idea why!!! :-0

Well said, Cherieanne, I can smell things too, and like you know if someone put sugar into my coffee or tea, without having to taste it…. Even if its only a small amount…. AAartificial sweeteners are also on my radar. The smell of red meat makes me feel ill sometimes, and there was a very long time, when I couldnt eat it. I can also smell protein in chicken and fish and my nose, well usually, is very sensitive to malty aromas and smoke. I can smell a bushfire well before it becomes noticed by anyone else and before the signs are visible. The same, if it rains somewhere, miles away. It is wonderous and great that many of us retained this very important and keen sense, or, like now, can rediscover it again and use what it tells us, wisely and to our advantage….

Hmm think the orange would work Bill!!
Great results and even better response from the GP. I bet the BSD will be a hot topic at their next practice meeting, she is bound to share your story as it seemed to have an impact on her.
The goal for most Doctors and nurses is “evidence based best practice”. The research is there to back up the BSD, and your results prove that it works. So now it’s up to them to change their advice and management.
Good for you 🙂

Hi Bill1954, just try it, it may not taste so bad to you…. and maybe it was the combination of Ryvita and the cheese… I dont know, but it certainly tasted horrible to me…. 🙂 If you dont like it, you can always give the rest of the packet to the chooks or feed them to the ducks 🙂 ….. tried to give one to my dog just now…. She usually likes crispy crunchy things …. She wouldn’t take it, looked at me strangely and went back into her bed… So you have it, Ryvita is not dog-proof and I guess, thats that, the end of Ryvita for me …. 🙂 and I loved this so before the BSD!!!! 🙂

Great victory karra!

Ryvita. You succumbed to Ryvita? I would rather have eaten the box it came in!

Yes Bill, being able to eat cheese makes any other sacrifice worth it! In the past I only ever used to say ‘eat fat’ as an insult!

Hi Judith, I can smell sugar too. I’ve always been able to. It’s how I tell which cups of tea or coffee have sugar in, when I’ve made multiples for guests and forgotten which is which lol.
I can smell diabetics with high sugar levels as well as hypo’s, rheumatoid arthritis has a smell and strangely enough so does a stroke ( can’t figure that one). When I worked in a wound clinic I could make a fairly accurate guess which bacteria was growing in an infected wound based on the smell.
I hate the smell of meat cooking because I can smell blood, the rotisserie area of supermarkets make me gag with their roasting chickens, same with steak and kidney pies cooking cos I can smell urine.
I think we live in a world of sensory overload now, and so don’t always notice what our senses are telling us. So houses, cars and people are drenched in fragrance, foods have added ‘natural flavour’, salt and sugar, music and noise everywhere and we are so desensitised that it takes something radical like the BSD to make us realise that natural unprocessed food has a great flavour.

Hi Inka
your tastes do change when you drop the carbs don’t they ? I don’t like sweet things now.
I did buy some Ryvita rye crispbread at the weekend as it said 0.8 gram per slice carbs so I though ideal snack material.
I’m not so sure now.

I am still not feeling to crash hot, my sinusitis is only shifting very slowly. My nose is still pretty much blocked most of the time… making it hard to sleep at night. … but we have a chemist not far away, and I also need to buy more supplies. I will buy the sticks and will add the result to my spreadsheet.

Because, I havent really been out the last few days, I ran out of all the good foods…
and so, here it is, I succumbed to eating carbohydrates … it was only one slice of Ryvita with butter and cheese, I also still had some eggs, which I hard boiled and I ate that with some cucumber and a whole fresh tomato. When I boiled the eggs and cut up the vegies, I looked on my small plate and thought … This wont be enough, and put two table spoons of plain creek yoghurt and a handful of blueberries in a bowl, as desert.

I starred at the Ryvita and cheese leaving it to last, while eating everything else on the plate…. and then it was time to eat the crispbread, I kind of had thought about it since lunchtime, … and took my first bite, expecting this familiar taste sensation which had made me eat them by the boxful before. and, yes, you guessed it, it tasted really really salty, so much so, that I had trouble to finish it. Not sure why I just didnt leave it on rhe plate. Old habits do die hart, I think, because from an early age, I had been conditioned to never leave anything on my plate, because it was considered to be an insult to the cook. So, I ate it. This was about 1/2 hour ago and I could not get rid of rhe salty taste…. I had to rinse my mouth….. and I have totally lost the appetite for the joghurt desert…. Well, it will go into the fridge and it will be my breakfast in the morning.

With this long winded story, I hope I didnt bore you too much, I just wanted to highlight that it seems that not only the taste buds which detect sweetness, but also those which detect salty and savoury foods seem to be effected and return to normal? Too much salt is not good for us either ( but we still need small amounts) and I am amazed that my body once again, is warning me, to curtail my desire for excessively salty or indeed sugary things. I have not consciously eaten anything which obviously has sugar in it since starting the BSD, but if it tastes as terrible as the savoury salty food, I will have no problem, to stay away from it …. and I tasted that so intensely despite my head being all congested with the flu…. Thanks for “listening”!

Janet are you a cheese fiend like me ? I love mature cheese.
Don’t forget when you’re bigging it up that it also contains beneficial fat (doesn’t that still sound weird)

Hi Kes
I sit at a desk all day and used to live in a bungalow so I feel your pain.
I try to keep my legs moving whilst sitting at the desk in a sort of sitting / walking movement if you know what I mean.
I also follow Michaels advice to stand up every half hour although working at a standing desk is perhaps taking things a step too far.
There is usually some small thing you can to to help.
Interesting about the bare naked rice, let me know how it is if you use it please.

Thanks Hashimoto, that made me smile. Unfortunately I’ve no stairs though, and because I work from home there is not much distance between my desk in the office and the bedroom/kitchen/TV room so any form of exercise involves getting away from my desk and outside somewhere. Therein lies our problem, if we didn’t work from home and live in a bungalow we wouldn’t be fat in the first place!! It all piled on when we stopped moving around, having both been very active in our jobs before going self employed.

Karra
Well done on taking the plunge! You’ll soon be able to add strength to your legs and build up your distance. The main thing is you’ve made a start! I’ve been in the park with my daxy this morning, it was really lovely. I’ve also clipped down my neighbour’s old English sheepdog (my job). They have him so short he looks like a pit pony!

Works for me too. It makes it very easy to get organised as I don’t have to work out every measurement and calorie count. There are no carbs in meat, eggs, fish or butter so I can have as much of these as I like. My appetite has shrunk beyond belief but if I do feel more hungry I know I can have an extra egg in my omelette or a larger piece of fish, etc. Oh and cheese is only half a gram per 25g. Life is worth living again!