Don’t worry to much about chocs. Back in mid 70s I was on an RAF survival course and went 4 days with almost no food. When we were “rescued” and given a Mars bar I couldn’t eat it, my stomach had shrunk and my attitude to food and food waste was changed forever. Good luck to all who my not yet have experienced the lack of cravings after some weeks on this great system.

Hi Lynne,
You are right, up until the 80’s that was the way diabetics were taught to manage the condition. It worked well for those who stuck within the guidelines. I was a student nurse back then and remember it well.
We had nowhere near as many amputations or eye problems as nowadays. Most type two diabetics were usually in hospital for other reasons.
Since the mid to late 90’s I have seen so many diabetic leg ulcers and foot wounds that don’t heal. Starts with a toe amputation, then a partial foot and then a below knee amputation by which time it’s usually a relief for the patient who has spent months, sometimes years coming to the clinic for wound care.
We even had to make special appointments for some folk to fit it around their dialysis at the same hospital.
Wonder how much of this could have been avoided by correct dietary advice? There will always be people who resist altering their diet. I suspect many though, like us, would leap at the chance to control the disease.

Thanks for the welcome and advice about chocolate, which is my biggest downfall. I’m not snobby about it either, I’ll eat the cheap rubbish just as soon as the decent stuff and can binge on either too. There won’t be any in the house over Easter and I think I’ll be okay as we are planning a weekend of spring cleaning….deep joy! I’ve stayed off the alcohol too but I don’t find that a chore as a lot of folk do.

It’s my birthday in a couple of weeks and I’m out for a celebratory meal with family. I haven’t quite decided how I’ll approach that one yet!

Hello, in Dunelm yesterday I saw some measures that were so much bigger than spoons that I stopped to have a look. They were like doll’s tea party sized pans but graduated in sizes of fractions of a cup! I noticed they had gms/ml marked on them as well but I did not buy them. Check on line for them they will be widely available, I expect… No doubt somebody else will have a better idea. I weigh and have a spreadsheet to list my popular foods based on cals and sugar per 100 gms.

Buxtonmick, I’m ancient enough to remember (though I wasn’t diabetic at that time, or for many year afterwards) that back in the early 1960s the standard dietary advice was to restrict carbs, and diabetics were taught carb exchanges.

But then came the low-fat revolution and everyone jumped on board. Food manufacturers had to replace the fat with somethin, which was usually sugar. There appears to be a definite correlation between the rise in low-fat eating and the rise in obesity.

Now the pendulum is swinging the other way.

Look forward to seeing how you get on.

NewLife, I do understand you. Hotel Chocolat have some very small objects which might be okay. They sell Nano bars which are £1, for 20g (so £50 per kilo!), but I’m not sure which of their flavours are available. They also have tidly pots, the dark one of which is only 70%, but these are little larger at 56g – could you share it?

I bought the nano bars for someone who wanted a small treat, but she wasn’t bothered about the carb %.

Maybe you could have a couple of dark chocolate coated brazil nuts?

Hi Nalin and BSM,
Great decision to start the diet. It will only take a short time for you to start feeling and seeing the benefits. You won’t miss the sugary carb heavy foods after a few days if you eat from a good range of fresh food and try out various recipes from the book.
BSM, if as you say, you have a tendency to get ahead of yourself then just follow the 8 week eating plan for a start. As Bill says there’s no need to overthink this, quite simply it works!!
As you get more confidence and your motivation increases you can start to experiment with other recipes. Your tastes will soon change and you’ll be keen to try fresh healthy alternatives to takeaways and processed food.
I get the sense you are hovering at the edge, dipping your toe in the water and wondering if it’s too cold, or you’ll be out of your depth? Don’t listen to the negative self talk. Just jump right in and join the rest of us who are living the life. We’ll help you to stay afloat. 🙂

You are very welcome NewLife. We try our best 😃

Just realised today I’d better buy some new trousers – these are getting somewhat loose. No belt loops, so that’s not an option.

Guess what I’ll be looking for on payday (Thursday)?

Large uniform blouses stripped of buttons and logo cut off ready to go in the bin so no confusion over which blouse to put on

Slowly getting wardrobe organised so only clothes that fit (or soon will fit) are left. All the clothes that are now yo big are being sent to charity shops or put in the bin. Sorry Bill but no rag and bone man here with balloons 😳 And the scrap man doesn’t take clothes!

After years of living in navy my wardrobe is now becoming more colourful

From taking no care of myself, I’ve come to realise that I am worth taking care of. Also that the many people who depend on me do need me to be as healthy as I can be for as long as possible.

Anybody have any idea how much is a cup. Ive been looking on the internet for different recipes. The ones I can find state 1/2 a cup or a cup. I cannot find how much that equates to in weight i.e. ounces or grams. PLEASE anybody help!!!

That’s the beauty of the internet, even those miserable little inward people who wouldn’t ever have said anything to anyone in their day to day lives can throw comments from behind their sofa. It’s never bothered me. I, like everyone else on this forum, am strong enough and intelligent enough to live by my own credo. Now I don’t know if the BSD will work for me, but it beats taking pills and what appears to be poor advice re diet. The one thing that has confused me since being diagnosed is being advised to eat carbohydrates. It just always seemed plain wrong. Well now we’ll see.

Hi captainlynne, thank you for the welcome 🙂

I’m learning a lot from you guys.

Hi Mumofsome – and thank you! I’m sure you can do it too.

Hmm, smelling the chocolate, interesting…

Ostrich and alligator made an appearance in a restarant in Cancun a few years ago.
Raw beef ? lots of times in caspaccio or tartare
Never catfish though
I suppose, as it is a member of the antelope family, Wildebeest would taste on and off like venison ?

Welcome to all the newbies and ex-lurkers.

Everyone on here is friendly and supportive. There’s usually someone around to answer questions or help with problems. And lots of advice and support.

Looking forward to reading your posts about you’d progress.

Hi FoFi, thanks for the suggestion but from past experience I’m perfectly capable of bingeing on 85% 🙁

I love that this forum is so friendly and supportive.

Never mind watching Cherrianne
Get the word out in Australia, especially now when all the TV stuff is still fresh in folks minds.

Hi Newlife, your weight loss is amazing. I’m so inspired by the folks here. I started yesterday and I’m also a bit concerned about this weekend, I’ve got birthday cake to negotiate and Easter treats so I really feel for you! To get past my longing for chocolate I will smell it; a few deep breathes to enjoy the smell usually does it. Then have a drink of water. You still get your chocolate fix (sort of!) but without the calories!! Whatever gets you through, good luck 🙂 Xx

Hi Patsy, that’s a very good point about the regret lasting far longer than the enjoyment!

I’m working on non-food treats, having always rewarded myself with food in the past it’s a tough habit to break. I have a long drive to work and a much longer one to the family at the w/e so I’ve treated myself to all of Harry Potter on Audible, read by Stephen Fry – sheer bliss 🙂

Good thinking Janet. I’ll have to look again when I’m back in that particular shop. Given that they roast chicken in a sugar marinade it’s a distinct possibility.

Clothes a lot slacker, I’m going to need a full new wardrobe if I hit target before my June holiday
Sleeping much better.
No more metformin induced diahorrea
The puppy is loving her long walks with daddy 🙂
Getting great compliments from friends and family
Sitting watching the OH NOT eating chocolate and sweets while we watch TV
I’m sure there are more but one of the most important is,
Talking to all the new friends that I have met on this forum and helping new starters and anyone having problems.
I get a real buzz from that.

Thanks Bill for the welcome. I’ve been allowing myself small amounts of alcohol (red wine, G+T) but I know myself and even one bite of chocolate would be The End. I was going to wait until after Easter to start but I could make excuse after excuse and there are always going to be obstacles – just gotta learn to surmount them 🙂

Judith, I must have been dreaming about it.

Picture just popped into my head of the barricades in Les Mis 😱

Sounds like lots of us are at that point with this. Time to get the banners out?

Way to go guys. You need to be heard or there will be a whole new generation of prediabetics who turn into diabetics simply because of appalling misinformation.
I’ll be watching with interest.

Hi Sharon. Glad you find these forums. Keep posting your progress, the more the merrier. It’s a great resource for those following us on this adventure.

LOL 😃

I’ve eaten ostrich, alligator and catfish, even raw beef, but not Gnu – yet!

Judith if you do decide to start a petition I’ll back you. Let me know, so I can open a new email account

Bill, that’s brilliant.

Well
lions eat them all the time and I’ve never seen a diabetic Simba so I guess I would be in the BBQ brigade 😀
How do you like your Gnu sir ?
Just wipe it down, knock it’s horns off, and get it in the pan.

On twitter and FB now too
Tweeting or posting the link to this site to your facebook friends can be a big help
It’s surprising how fast word of mouth can get around.
Judith if you do start the petition we can drop the link to it everywhere we go on T’internet.

Picture in head Bill 😃 Which would you be doing? LOL

Thank you both , that’s brilliant advice, and I will have a look at the other thread 😀

Not eating chocolate is probably best, but if you want to join in you could have some 85% coco chocolate – available in most supermarkets. You can’t each much and stay under 800 kcal, but otherwise it is high in both fat and fibre and most are not too high in sugar.

Hashimoto, you are probably right, if nothing else a petition should help raise the profile of the BSD. It would be great if Dr M started one, but as that is very unlikely perhaps we should be doing it instead – and in some ways that carries more weight, as we are testament that this diet works.

You have my backing if you want to start the petition.

Loads of clothes emerging from my ‘second’ wardrobe. I refused to get rid of them just because I had grown out of them. Now I have ‘new’ clothes to wear and no guilt as they cost me nothing!

Hi again Nalin P
One of the hardest tasks you have is convincing your doctor that this will work – at the moment
Go back after your 8 weeks with your results, he will listen then.
There is then a chance that he will recommend this lifestyle to other patients so You may end up helping a lot of peole without ever knowing it.
Keep us posted with your results.

Nice one Bill

I wonder if your sliced meat used some kind of pure sugar, maybe molasses or honey or maybe just sugar! – during the curing process? I don’t eat that kind of meat so I’m guessing, but its generally a more processed meat isn’t it, so some extra sugar based ingredients must have been added to an otherwise carb-free food.

OK I’ve fired the first shot by posting this on another forum I use

“Heard on the news today that the government are going to start diabetic bootcamps where they want to give nutritional advice to up to 100000 pre diabetics (blood sugar in the 6 – 7 range)
The trouble is, they are going to spout the same old drivel about eating low fat and taking the meds.
This has never worked and it never will.
on Feb 1st I started the 8 week blood sugar diet by Dr Mosely which is based on the research done by Professor Taylor at Newcastle University
In 7 weeks I’ve lost 23 pounds and my sugar levels are now within normal parameters, my eye surgeon said last week that my eyes are as good as they have been since I first saw her and the numbness in my feet is starting to go away, and it’s not just me, there are hundreds of people on the support forums having the same, and better success as me.
The diet is simple and it works without you feeling hungry would you believe
The book is available from Amazon and costs under £4 but, instead of sending a copy to every type 2 diabetic in the country, the government will waste millions doing it the old way and it won’t work, it never has yet.
So our great leaders who seem to be obsessed on saving money from health and benefits, are about to squander a fortune on it.

Any T2D’s who are interested, just Google the 8 week blood sugar diet.”

Let’s see if I get any response.

What sunnyb said! Your body is still healing so don’t be too strict with your calories. If you keep your carbs under 50g you should still lose fat.

Who knows what we could achieve unless we try, nothing ventured nothing gained? I’d support a petition. The person who might be able to have some impact is Dr M and if he had a petition of even a few thousand behind him, it might help make the case.

Go for it Judith
you know I’ll give it as much support as I can.
I’ll do my bit and push the diet on a couple of forums I use and try to spread the word on FB and Twitter.
Dunno whats up with me today, been doing paperwork and databases since 7 this morning and keep making schoolboy errors.
Great example, I have just typed this twice as first time I had the caps lock om

DOH

Hi All, I went to see my Dr yesterday and his initial (and as I expected) reaction re me to go on BSD was skeptical. He admitted he was not too much an expert on diabetes and best way to manage such a diet. He just suggested worth talking to the diabetes dietitian. However he was happy for me to go on the Diet and see how it goes and check back in a month or so!!! . So that’s a positive start. I have nearly prepared my weekly menu and now want to get the bank holiday weekend over as I will no doubt indulge a little. Over the past week or 2 I tried several days on trialing BSD menu items to get a feel of it and reaction during the day. It was fine! Now setting target date of Next Friday to Start and getting very motivated!!!

BSM keep the motivation and focus and try to eat healthy food and cut the sugar and carbs. It will help you prepare, Regards

Hi Bill and Sunnyb that was my first thought too. If I started a petition I would also facebook it. It gets peoples attention. We may not get it heard by the government – but then few petitions get that far. This may get more people trying the diet and as a consequence more people to make a noise in their surgerys.
I know we won’t get the 100,000 but we may get others on this path?

What do you think?

Thanks sunnyb I will take you up on that if I go ahead 🙂

I fear Bill might be right about the 100,000 signatures. On the other hand, you have 6mths to gain those signatures and there are probably many out there who are thinking as we do, that throwing money at the problem in the way proposed is not the way to go, so success might well be in the wording of the petition.

Hashimoto, if you want to start a petition on this I will support it and will happily supply an email address if you need it to get it off the ground.

Hi Mrsjaffa13
Okay, well firstly you’ve done well so far, 12lb in 2 weeks is a great result. However, if your surgery was recent and you are still technically recovering, you should probably be kind to yourself and not try to do the 800cals per day immediately. If this is the case, maybe in the short term, rather than trying to follow the 800 cals a day, how about just keeping an eye on your carb in take, keeping it around 50g per day and eat plenty of protein rich foods, good fats and fresh veggies. The protein and fat will help you to feel fuller longer. By keeping carbs low, you will probably lose some weight anyway.

As for lunch ideas, take a peek at the ‘what have you eaten today?’ thread, where people post what they have been indulging in. Meanwhile a few ideas are, omelette (can have with various fillings), gem lettuce leafs with various toppings – cheese, smoked salmon, cold meats etc, coconut flour pancakes with toppings – could be savour with cheese or meat, or sweet with fruit and yogurt, but there are lots more ideas on the thread. Always use full fat yogurt by the way and be sure to weigh/measure everything

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on.

Judith I don’t think we could get anywhere near 100000 signees at the moment, and I don’t think you’ll get much support from the diabetes association forums.
Possibly best to keep haggling away at your GP’s and nurses, they are the ones at the sharp end so they should be making all the noise.

Hi yes I think we should go for it.

Bill, lynne, sharon,sunnyb and sos shall i get a petition going? 🙂

Hi everyone, I completed two weeks and then had an op and went off the rails, am now back on track but struggling and feeling hungry! Have just eaten some sugar free mint gum to stop me reaching for the chocolate! I have lost 12 lbs so far and need to lose another 21 lbs so want to keep going. Any tips for meals that keep you full for long, am fine with breakfast but lunch is hard as run out of ideas!

Also strange but weight hasn’t gone from my middle yet , but everywhere else! 🍴

Sorry, it’s off the list because of the carb content, being free of additives won’t change that.
We have been using alternatives such as coconut flour and gram flour flatbreads which are far healthier but no substitute for the sliced daily I’m afraid.