Leeanne you won’t find this one hard – I promise. Some people are a bit shaky for a couple of days but I haven’t heard anyone complain about hunger ! Good to have you join the crew on here!! 🙂

He he, Pat, I had to smile at the core of the cauliflower!!! My son does similar things – a mound of plain iceberg lettuce or a gherkin or two! 🙂

Yeah what you read on here is straight from the horses mouth so to speak rather than second hand.
The diet was brought together by medically qualified doctors, if they see no harm in it, then neither do I.

Hey,
I’m in week 3 too and starting to struggle so enjoying the comments here. I’m feeling less hungry than last week (time of the month) but a little disheartened that the scales aren’t moving faster. I’ve lost 8lb but 7 of those were in week 1. Ive been very strict, weigh everything and input it all to myfitnesspal, so it’s quite disheartening not to lose more this week. However I did measure my waist and hips this morning and have lost 3 inches round the middle. My Mum said that when she used to do Atkins the scales might not move but the tape measure did. I’ve got another 1.5 stones to lose and a family wedding at the end of the month so trying to think of that to keep me motivated. Hopefully we will both start losing again asap. Good luck!

Not a silly question by the way, ask anything you like to get you on the right track!

I don’t have diabetes, just two stone to lose. I’m just starting week 4 and very happy with things. When you reduce your carb intake you also reduce your appetite so 800 calories isn’t as bad as you think. It is a time-bound diet, 8 weeks, depending on how much you have to lose so there is no expectation to stay on 800 calories long term. All the best to you.

That’s interesting Bill, what you say about the diabetic organisation. It’s just further proof that we have to take control of our own health and listen to the evidence and there is a heck of a lother of it on here.

Thanks all xx

Love the frozen lemon idea!

Great idea Spirit. Must try that. Thanks. 😃

Hey maxmac, welcome to the forums.
Loads of advice and support for you on here, also a growing recipe section, a lot of which have been uploaded by folk already on this eating plan.
Looking forward to hearing your progress.

Thanks Olive,

Must have missed that. Am reading on my Kindle and now wished I bought a hardcopy.

Anyway, started today and so far so good. 55 days to go.

i have some fresh lemons sliced and frozen. I take one out and pour boiling water on it. sometimes I add a slice of fresh ginger.

Coffee with milk, Asda own brand flavoured water, and the odd diet coke does it for me.

Thanks Bill

Pretty much, yes! Milk is no problem other than it taking up calorie space. Sugar wouldn’t be clever of course!! 😉 Artificial sweeteners aren’t great, but in moderation if a Diet Coke gets here and there gets you through the night then no-one here is going to judge!

I have to agree with Bill. I CANNOT believe that I complete 3 weeks today, and am not finding it a struggle at all. The first 5 days or so I was a bit ‘hungover’ from Crap Withdrawal, but apart from some quite reasonable hunger pangs here and there I’ve been fine. Not been tempted to cheat and not really missed starchy carbs. My one ‘indulgence’ was last night, when I polished off the core of a cauliflower after dinner!!

Lots of non diabetics are doing this Nuttella, and I haven’t seen anyone having problems.
Don’t worry about the 800 calories, it sounds low but if you eat the right foods including full fat products and drink 2 to 3 litres of non sugary fluids a day, you won’t even feel hungry.
Loads of support and advice on here, welcome to a whole new lifestyle.

What Janet1973 said!

I’m not counting my grams of macronutrients (i.e. fat, protein and carbs) but I am steering clear of all starches and grains, so all my carbs are coming from vegetables (as green as possible) and a few berries. Fruit and veg have a lots of the micronutrients we need (vitamins and minerals) so you don’t want to miss out on all that good stuff. Depending on if you’re eating mostly protein or fat, shade a little off one or both to make room for some more. You can easily double, if not treble, the amount of carbs you’re eating and get a great plateful of food for very few of your calories.

I do seem to have a problem with sugar, (& carbs), so this would seem a good diet for me, although slightly concerned at the 800 calories per day?

Thanks

Hi,

I have been using myFitnessPal since I started the BSD (about 5 weeks) and today as I was adding my new weight firefox warned me that it was stopping the site from installing software. I think it might be a rogue advert. Has anyone else had any similar problems?

Probably your body just readjusting, It does tend to hang on to stored energy reserves when under assault by a new eating plan.
Make sure you keep up the water intake and that you have a decent amout of fat in your food.
If you stick to 800 calories the weight has to start coming off again.

Hi justabloke, i finish the 8 weeks in 4 days. I have the same concerns as you, i think i might start pushing to 900 calories in week 9 just to see what happens. Nuts are a very easy way to gain calories and just increasing portions of the current eating plan. Perhaps getting 4 portions out of the cottage pie with cauli mash rather than 6 portions. 3 courgette bhajis rather than 2 with a bigger portion of raita ( full fat of couse). It’s going to be a real learning curve for all of us once we reach that 8 week line. It’s actually a wee bit scary this thought of coming of 800 calories when I feel better than I have in a decade. BTW I. Loved your post – so informative and well written 🙂

Hi there maxmac, it says on the front page of the recipe section that “All calorie counts are for one portion”, so that 290 calories is for each of the two portions – those felafels are amazing though and huge – 4 of them make a great and filling lunch.

To be honest I would ignore the UK diabetic society, they were the ones that recommended this diet to me via email, but, when I visited their forums I found a war going on between Type 1’s and type 2’s and a lot of clannish behaviour.
People with absolutely no knowledge of the BSD were either dismissing it as just another low carb diet or warning others that it could be dangerous.
Concentrate on what is happening on this forum, we are the pioneers of this new lifestyle and we are adding relevent data on a daily basis.
Those that don’t know should either find out or not talk rubbish.

Hi Justabloke. I’ve answered you on BSD Way of Life. Hope it goes some way to answering at least part of your post.

I just had a look back through my carbs. I’m on day 22 and lost 8lb. I’ve generally had between 20-40g carbs but some days as much as 80g, whoops. I’ve not eaten any grains, starchy veg or processed food so not quite sure what happened on those days! Have only lost 1lb this past week but overall 3 inches off my waist and an inch off my hips so I know it’s working!

Morning Justabloke. Congratulations, sound like you’ve done really well.

After reading The Fast Diet (5:2) my understanding was that as long as I ate low-carb Mediterranean style for 5 days and restricted calories as well as low-carb for 2 days it wasn’t necessary to worry about calories on the 5 days (hope that makes sense).

Regarding calcium, perhaps you could eat more cheese – full-fat of course. I’ve developed a passion for Gorgonzola and Brie (Not at the same time LOL).

Admittedly, I’m not following the meal plans in the book, just sticking within the 800 calories and severely restricted carbs.

I’m seeing my diabetes nurse monthly so she can monitor my progress (seeing her today, in fact) so, unusually for me, I’m doing this under medical supervision. Hoping to come off blood pressure meds today.

I asked the BSD team about carrying on. Their response was it was okay to continue on this for an extra few weeks as long as I felt OK and had no problems, but then to move on to 5:2.

On here and FB some people are talking about staying on this for longer, some going to 5:2 or a variation of that (2:5, 6:1, 4:3 etc).

Personally, I’ll complete 10 weeks on BSD tomorrow. I feel great, weight, blood sugar and blood pressure all greatly improved. I’m away for 5 days next week so intend to eat as low-carb Mediterranean style as I can without worrying too much about calories. After I get home and see what effect that has had I will make a more informed decision on how to proceed. I may stay on this for another few weeks (until a residential conference) or may move to 2:5 (5 days limited calories, 2 days more relaxed). At this point I’m really unsure.

One thing I am certain about – after seeing the effect that the carbs were having they will not find a place in my life again. Like so many of us, the carbs were slowly killing me.

Hopefully this has gone some way towards answering some of your questions.

Hi Pat

I don’t measure my blood sugars but have lost inches as well as pound and fit into a size smaller jeans.. I also feel better but am disappointed with no further loss as I want to keep motivated. Good point about the additional days worth of food. Thanks

Been tracking my carb intake and it’s in the 10 to 15 grams range since starting BSD. Life before BSD the figure was more like 150 grams! Just wonder how many carbs folks are having. I’ve lost 5lbs since Sunday and blood sugar reading has gone from 5.5 to 4.1. All good but I have looked at the UK diabetic society and it worried me that they put such a scary spin on going too low carb. Feeling much better today as well after yesterday’s flu like symptoms.

A tip I found on another low carb site suggested a salt water drink (yukky) to get things moving, if ya know what I mean. Not to be done habitually though. Over and out xx

Do you measure your blood glucose or take any body measurements? That might give you confidence that changes are happening. Selfies can also be helpful in revealing differences in body shape.

If you go over by up to 100 every day, that could amount to almost an extra day’s food every week, so beware of exceeding the recommended 800 regularly. I’d suggest tracking your calories quiet carefully for a while and seeing where those extra 50-100 calories are coming from. If any of it is starchy carbs or if you eat a lot of fruit, that would be a good place to trim back.

Finally, how are your bowel movements? Depending when you last had one in relation to when you get weighed, that can make quiet a difference in the short term.

Other than that, be patient with yourself and be particularly vigilant tracking your calories for a while.

Psyllium husks are good for keeping things moving – or at least stopping the stool becoming hard and impacted. Available from Holland and Barratt. I have also always believed what FoFi says – the less volume you eat, the less waste you produce, so the less often you need to pass it.

Hi Buffy, Aly is a vegetarian so she might give you some pointers. I know i will be teaching my granny to suck eggs, so to speak, but the gluten free flatbreads are a good source of protein as they are made from chickpea flour same is true of the coconut breads – both are in the recipes on this site. Soups with beans, cheese, eggs, lentils etc I’m. Sure you will find plenty. Can i suggest breakfast: greek yoghurt with berries, lunch: vegetable frittata, supper: veg curry with flatbread. Simple plan like that will give you all you need. Cherrieanne has posted a lovely cream of mushroom soup which is a suitable meal for you. I think the we have all had some difficulties around eating when our staples of rice, pasta, bead and potatoes are off the menu. Keep at it. I will try and post some suitable vegetarian meals in next few weeks. Do you like spicy foods?
Don’t let the issues of rethinking your diet put you off because it is great when you (quickly) get to the place where the planning stops being difficult. I think it would have been more helpful to vegetarians if there had been a section in the book dealing with their dietary issues but there are veggie recipies in there. Keep going and good luck!!! 🙂

Hello

Hunger pangs do improve over time. I am four weeks in and have really adapted. When I feel hungry i have a mug of coffee (decaf or standard) with a splash of (soya) Milk and it helps to make you feel full. Also miso soup in a mug does the same but is salty. I have a hot drink before I cook family meals!

I think that they can only call it Greek Yoghurt if it is made in Greece (or uses Greek milk or something like that).

None of those listed below have anything in them other than yoghurt:-
Per 100g
Tesco Greek Style Yoghurt Fat 9.5 Sugar 5.4
Tesco Finest Greek Yoghurt Fat 9.9 Sugars 3.8 << Actually made in Greece with Greek milk (but almost twice the price)
Yeo Valley Greek Style Fat 9.5 Sugars 6.4
Non Greek Style
Yeo Valley Natural Yoghurt Fat 4.2 Sugars 6.5

(Numbers from Tesco Website – other shops available blah blah!)

I have been eating Tesco Greek Style, but having seen the numbers above I will give the Tesco Finest a go – I have saved a fortune over the last few weeks not drinking alcohol so I can afford the extra 75p per week.

Hello

I am on week four and lost 6lb in week one and 2 lb week 2 but have been at a standstill since. I rarely go over 800 calls if I do so then just by 50. -100. I track everything on my fitness pal and walk each day. Anyone else experiencing this plateau?

Hi Nigel, personally i have stopped having porridge for breakfast during this 8 weeks because of the carbs. I now have greek yoghurt and berries for breakfast. The first week i stuck to poached eggs and grilled mushroom or tomatoes but I am finally over the full fat fear 😉 good luck, you will get plenty of support from people on these forums 🙂

I’ve had the same thing this week with readings of 9, 8.1, and 7.7
Today back down to 6.9
I’m not sure why but, coincidentally, I haven’t been having my yoghurt and berry late night snack this week as I just wasn’t hungry.
Had it last night and saw an instant improvement this morning.
Are you putting enough fat in your diet ?

Hi franash,
just approching the end of week 5
Last weigh day I was seventeen and a half pounds down and fasting blood sugar down from 9.2 to 5.6 although I have had a blip in that this week, 6.9 today
Just a few days to your first weigh day, are you feeling any slimmer?, it sounds daft but many folk do.

Thanks Bill, will do…

Full fat Greek or natural yoghurt, just go for the one with the lowest sugar content.
I’m pretty sure that mine has none

Yep, Im on day 4, and down 3kg roughly already….Not diabetic, but heading that way fast..just severley insulin resistant. .Feeling pretty good and surprisingly not hungry at all….Good luck to all the newbies!!!

I was wondering the same…Im in Australia….or is there a measure of sugar content that you should look for??

This is a common thing known as the dawn effect.
It happens to everyone, not just diabetics, simply put, your liver releases stored sugar into the bloodstream round about 4 am to get you ready to face the new day.
As diabetics, we don’t produce enough insulin to handle the sugar so we get the dawn effect.
I found that having a fatty snack about an hour before bed helps a lot, I use full fat greek yoghurt and berries.
Try it, can’t hurt.

I’m a newbie to this diet, am starting it on Mon. From what I’ve read, I’m aiming for full fat plain yoghurt or full fat Greek. Berries etc would be nice with those. (Feel free to correct me if this is wrong information!!).

Day Three down. Mostly ok. found I couldn’t face the Spanish Soup for the second day, so just ate small portions of it. Meatball for tea, although mine didn’t stick to gether so it was more like mince. Nice. Missing not having a snack of something though.

Just do it Cintac, to coin a phrase.
You will be honestly amazed at the results, and if you falter, you have a whole new family on here to get you back on the straight and narrow 🙂
Over the last 5 weeks I’ve seen plenty of newbies join up. Some have that “get stuck into it” attitude, some are very nervous and worried that it may not work for them, then, a week later, they all start posting week1 results !!!
You’ll be one of them next week.

No Bramley trees here, loads of apple trees as the farmers make calvados and cider. Will just have to manage with what I have. I have access to the remains of the original orchard.

Hi Aly, Penny could be right there, I have lots of fruit trees but did get a pear tree from a reputable nursery a few years ago that totally failed to thrive, I nursed and coddled it but it was never right and I dug it up 6 years later. The nursery wouldn’t refund my money as they said they only supply healthy plants even though you could see it didn’t look right as soon as it arrived and I pointed out that I had bought and planted every other fruit tree in the garden and they were all healthy. Bad un’s do occur sometimes especially through mail order. Is there a grower in France? Perhaps Holland might be a good bet if you don’t want to try an English nursery again. 🙂

Hi, is it ok to have porridge for breakfast.
Thanks