HI Lynne – no doubt I will get some hassle, everyone is entitled to different views. Like you, I feel that this is a change for life. I am having no issues doing 5 k runs on this diet a few times a week, and make sure to load myself with a wide variety of veg as well as protein/fibre and a small amount of sensible carbs. People like you have inspired me to continue when I have been at low points, so I will stick around like you and the evidence of our success will be there for those that want to take note!

Hey Silver
you have it all wrong, you don’t want sugar, it want’s you but it is now just a memory that sometimes will come back like a recurring nightmare
Treat it as such 😉

Hi Chris59
very similar to me, it just works
Great to hear about the vast improvement in your blood sugar.
Like I keep saying, the diet works, no need to overthink it.

Hi
I don’t use any apps but there are plenty of folk who do.
Stand by for information overload 😀 In fact, if you click on resources at the top of the page and then Helpful products, you should find what you need.

I’ve been following the basic principle of the 8 week diet but have not been limiting myself to 800 calories a day, or even calculating them. I’ve been Type 2 for 5 years and in the past 2 years have struggled with blood glucose levels regularly above 10. in December last year my HbA1c was 91 way too high although an improvement on the 116 the previous year.
I started the low carb diet at the end of January 16 and by the end of February my HbA1c was 62 after less than 4 week on this diet.
The nurse has stated that I should revisit in another month to check on blood sugar progress and hopefully review my Gliclazide from 1 tablet twice a day to zero.
My basic principle is no bread, no potatoes, no pasta and no rice. Meals consist of meat or fish and vegetables or salads, snacks are fruit or raw carrots and celery, with nuts in the evening as required. I have also lost weight and my blood pressure has improved.
Tins of tuna, salmon and other fish either in a salad or a wholemeal wrap (the only exception to my no bread principle)
I am so happy that this is working as I was becoming frustrated and disillusioned with my health prospects.

Thanks for the welcome Bill! I am now planning for success. If you can suggest any tools or aids for pre-planning the the 8 weeks I’d appreciate it. Otherwise I am building a diary, full menu programme from your book and other source, and stats recording. Just wondering if there is a single “tool/aid” that can contain all this?

Im keeping an eye on it. On the 5/2 I only do h.i.t on the 5, not the 2 fasting days even then just 10 mins. Otherwise just walking and 20 mins gentle exercise biking while listening to music or watching t.v.

I think there may be a difference in the way calories are counted in different countries. Sometimes it’s done as net carbs, which means that the cals from the non digestible fibre that goes through the system are subtracted from the total. I think in the UK net carbs are used and in the US not. Someone correct me if I’m wrong?

Well done Bill on your great results and in advocating the diet. Fines and toes crossed for Friday xx

Hey welcome to the forums you 2
There is loads of help advice and recipes available on here but if there is anything you need to know or can’t find, just give a shout.
There is usually someone who has the answers and if not, we’ll do our damndest to find them.
You will both be amazed at how fast this works without you feeling any hunger after the first few settling in days.
Looking forward to seeing your progress.

Hello Jay?
I’ve just completed the 8 week BSD book and determined to reverse my Type 2! I’m now getting prepared and planning for my start. I’m trying to book meet with Dr but 3 week wait time! So I’m ringing daily to get cancel slot! What planning and prep are you doing to start the Diet? When do you plan to start? Regards, Nalin

I think it’s only 8 weeks partly because of the psychology, where it’s easier to stick with it if you’ve an endpoint, and partly because 800 is a bit low and you could lack nutrients after a while. But there are plenty of very active people who live permanently on low carb diets, for example, Dr Michael Eades and his wife (whose blogs are worth reading under proteinpower.com) and a retired vet whose blog goes under the name Hyperlipid, also worth reading. Dr E is American, Hyperlipid lives in East Anglia. I’ve found their commentaries on the science really interesting. Hyperlipid says he is constantly on the border between ketosis and out of it, which doesn’t worry him but is not the usual style. He eats what he likes but no wheats, fewer other grains and loads of veg, fatty meat and fish, plus dairy and eggs. Pretty much what we’re on here but more of it.

I have to admit we have done this without really thinking about it too much, on the grounds that if it was too scientific, and thought intensive, we’d give up. Haven’t used any of the recipes from the book, but took in the principles. Just went to a later breakfast (retired – so we can) and an earlier evening meal, and left out lunch. Spinach (or mushroom, pepper, onion) and cheese omelette, a splash of olive oil, and some pine nuts, followed by fruit, a breakfast fave now.
Meals are mainly the “old” ones but missing out the potato, rice, bread, etc. Bol no spag etc. Chuck in some chickpeas or butter beans. Meat or fish with a load of veg or salad. Chop an apple, some yummy Lidl Greek yoghurt, with their milled linseeds as a topping, for a “pudding”. Tried cauliflower rice – one liked it, one didn’t.

Can anyone recommend an app for iPhone and/or iPad that is for UK foods.

Tried a few, but they seem more for US foods.

Hello Matrika,

I’m late to the party as normal! read your opening post and don’t know if you’ve found the info you need or not. Here’s the link to Michael’s other diet – the original 5.2 where you can find your BMI etc https://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/

Thanks for saying that Julia18togo.

I said that on the Facebook group and was attacked. Told anyone doing that would become anorexic and die. The writer apparently knew someone who had gastric band surgery, maintained loss for a while then started on the calorific foods and gained again.

Guys forget to mention
Use a thin spatula and get them off the tray as soon as they come out of the oven.
Forget, and they don’t just stick, they become part of the tray.

Good bloods, Robert! I’ve been advised somewhere to avoid too much exercise while lowering blood sugar (on the 800 for 8 weeks). We don’t want a hypo.:-)
My walks and swims are pretty gentle.

I used to drink lots of Diet Coke/Pepsi and Pepsi Max. Then less of that more of other sugar-free soft drinks.

While I was away last week the only sugar-free drink available was Diet Coke. I had one and that was ok. I had the second, that was ok. But the third made me feel ill. So the only alternative was water. I do prefer fizzy drinks to still ones, do now I’m drinking lots of sparkling water straight from the fridge.

Great news Bill.

Well said Hashimoto.

Thanks Bill

Now have coconut flour so will try this when I get some time. 😃

Love the strawberry flatbread idea, will try that at the weekend.

Ami – i should add I have similar situation to you too. As I think many have pointed out, those who have gastric band surgery have to stick to VLCD so I don’t see it can be dangerous to stick with it, albeit with a slight increase in calories, so long as we are getting a good balanced diet and including plenty of veg. Not to mention all that liquid!

Well done for getting as far as this – great achievement!

Great advice Bill. In the past I’ve tied myself up in knots (I know, picture in head LOL) trying to combine ‘expert’ advice with major slimming clubs or the latest diet book.
It did not work.

This time I’ve gone with the KISS principle and made it as easy as possible.

I write everything in a small notebook I can keep with me. I do use pre-packed deli products (checking ingredients) which are a life-saver when I’m too busy or tired to cook. Boiled eggs are always in the fridge. And cheeses (25g at a time). I’ve discovered a great hummus in M&S – again, 25g at a time.

Ami – I am doing as Hashimoto is for another few weeks, and then continue as she suggests.

Judith – sounds like a very rough few days for you. Had noticed your silence, and glad to see you back. Do take good care of yourself (and son!) and don’t be tempted to do too much – it does take a lot of time to get back to normal after these nasty bouts.

Bill I think you already have her onside! What amazing results! I am so pleased for you – it’s above and beyond what I thought was possible. 🙂
Bill you won’t derail the thread by telling us your personal problems – we all want to support you.

Bill – great news for you re the eye appt. My dad went through all the eye ops, bleeds galore, etc, etc, so I have more than usual understanding of what this must be like. We went through a whole summer when he couldn’t read at all, even with magnifying glasses. I am so pleased for you that things are looking up on that front at least.
Be kind to yourselves this week… a tough time but we are all rooting for you.
Prayers and hugs
Julia xxx

Hope you enjoy it Judith, it was a treat for me and the OH enjoyed hers too
If it gets her approval, then it has to be good.

Good to hear others experiences with the diet, so it’s good to hear that others have sticky patches, and overcome them. After 10 days I have a downturn in the morning figures again, so fingers crossed.
This HAS to work, or it’s drugs, and the, NHS predicted, downhill run to ill health.

Hi ami, captainlynne asked the team about this and was told it was ok to continue for a few weeks longer. I’m going to continue and then slowly increase my calories while sticking to the principles i.e very low carb 🙂

Hi missjane

Well done on progress so far and welcome to the forums – there’s plenty info on the various threads and I’m sure your contributions will be appreciated by the rest of us BSDers. It sounds like you have a really good handle on the diet and have some interesting recipes to share, hope to see them soon.

Good luck for continued success.

Wow Bill, that sounds scrumptious. As soon as I am on my feet again I’m going to make some mmmmmm x

Thanks Bill,. It was quite scary when my son started vomiting blood on Saturday evening, it’s been a hell of a virus! But we are on the mend, I. Was nowhere near as ill but taking longer to get over the weak and wobbly phase – but age will tell lol x

Such wonderful news Bill, so much deserved too after all your hard work :). So happy for you that the risk to your eyesight has resolved. That’s one load off your shoulders.

We have decided to try not to worry too much until she gets her results on Friday, fingers well and truly crossed.
Anyhow I don’t want to derail the thread too much with our personal problems, I’m truly grateful for all the help and support from all my friends on here.
Right, I had to go to the eye hospital yesterday for a check up. I was a bit worried re the bleed I had in the right eye in Feb (BTW that has cleared completely and in about half the time it used to take pre diet)
I gave the notes from the site to my consultant and she was so interested! She had noticed my weight loss as soon as I walked in and said she had heard of this diet but not a lot – You can guarantee she knows a lot more now 😉
The examiniation showed that my eyes are in much better condition than before. Swelling in the retina veins has subsided to a point where she can, ATM see no risk of further bleeds in my eyes (she agreed that the Feb bleed was probably caused by the rapid weight loss and blood sugar reduction) and my pressures in both eyes are bang in the normal range.
The consultant also told me that she would be doing further investigation into the diet as her speciality is diabetic eye disease.
God I hope we can get her onside, she would be a big hitter.

Hi everyone.
I’m fast approaching week 8 and was wondering whether to stay on the BSD. This thread has helped alot but I wonder if anyone knows why the book only recommends 8 weeks. I chose the BSD because there is a family history of diabetise and my body shape placed me in the high risk category though my blood sugar levels did not place me in the pre-diabetic range. I’ve lost 18lbs so far and would like to lose another 25lbs. My BM is 4.7mmols. If I stay on the BSD say for another 8 weeks I feel I’d almost be at my goal. I suppose like many on this thread I’m concerned about changing from something that has worked so well.

Ami

Loom forward to seeing your results at the end of the week. Good luck …

Bill, that’s useful advice not to overthink it. I’ve been on the 5:2 and after a few weeks you get fed up of all the thinking and then you start to have the same things all the time. Next step is carb creep! Better to keep it alongside MM’s suggestions with a bit of variety here and there. Matrika, Avocados are so nice, lovely to have diet that includes them, isn’t it? Delish chopped up with prawns and a little olive oil and black pepper.
A food I have difficulty with is apples as I really like them, especially with yogurt or cheese. But they have a lot of carb. I have to keep them down to a sensible number in the week, maybe only half a one at a time.

I am finding this site very useful as a supplement to BSD. It has lots of good info about Keto diets.

http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/ketogenic-diet-plan.html

Thankyou for all of your replys it helps so much
X

susieb no problem.
I know the state my eyes are in and I’ve learned to live with it. I take comfort from the fact that it could have been much worse. I’ll be forever indebted to the team at Newcastle eye hospital for the brilliant work the have done to save my sight.

Sounds like you are getting a plan together.
One piece of advice, don’t overthink it. I see lots of people worrying about calorie counts, protein percentage etc.
Myself and quite a few others started this just by cutting out the simple carbs and enjoying delicious food found both on this site and the rest of the net. It doesn’t take long to learn what you can and can’t eat.
Keep it simple and the results will come.

LOL, Bill! Talk about putting my foot in it! Glad you saw the humour in it…*blush*

Oh Bill I agree, it’s a nightmare!! I have avoided sugar free stuff since I had a packet of sugar free Tunes in Scarborough once when on holiday. Let’s just say I know exactly where every public toilet is in Scarborough now!! Chocolate and crisps have the same effect – but no more now!

Hi gillmap

I don’t think being over the calorie count because of additional protein – in this case steak and cheese – is too much of an issue. If it was because of carbs, it would be more worrying I think. Michael does say not to stress too much about being over occasionally, as over the eight week period it will balance out, as there will be days when you are under the 800 cals, so try not to beat yourself up about not being within the 800 this time. Just get back to the 800 from today and don’t worry about the blip.

Good policy to use water to help stave off food cravings, as it serves to keep you well hydrated and damp down the hunger – double whammy! Drinking enough has been a problem for me, as traditionally I don’t drink as much as I should. Think I am managing to consume enough fluid in water and herbal teas now though.

Will look forward to hearing your results for the end of week one – good luck.

Well, very early days Bill, thanks for asking. I am have some macadamia nuts right now because I have no idea about my calories and I know they contain protein and fat so figure I am safe.

I really do have to get the calorie thing sorted because I need to bounce between an IBS FODMAP diet which precludes some things and also stay on the low end of the natural chemical food charts…so today…challenging. I was shopping from the recipes in the book today but when I checked back with the FODMAP app (it’s brilliant) then I had to keep putting things back on the shelves and into the freezer.

I’ll make it, am just a bit confused today and may eat a bit of yoghurt for dinner after the nuts and hope I can get calorie counting for my substitutions tomorrow. I can’t eat much avocado but I can eat avocado oil (for example) and have quite a lot of these sorts of parameters to work within…so I am trying to figure out what’s good to replace with what still.

I guess I am still in the planning stage although I am trying to get started I think I need to plan more carefully for shopping…not something I am very good at!

Thanks again! I’ve kind of stopped talking about food generally because I have become one of those boring people who have so many “no go” foods but it makes such a difference to my well being that I keep on the straight and narrow all the time now.

Hi Jan

I’m sure increasing the fat and lowering the carbs will help. A portion of beetroot occasionally hopefully shouldn’t be an issue, as long as you are eating plenty of the green stuff for the majority of the time. Like you, I have found the plateauing frustrating, but stick with it and the weight will start to fall again. Lots of people have the same issue around weeks 3 & 4 it seems, so you are not the only one struggling to get things moving again – small comfort I know, but it does give a light at the end of the tunnel. I’m sure the tweaks will help to get things moving again and you will soon be telling us all of your success.

Scales read 2lb down when I weighed myself this morning, but I’m not celebrating yet – let’s see if the reading is still in the minus zone when I get to the end of the week. Don’t want to count my chickens and be disappointed when it comes to the weigh-in at he beginning of week 5.

I need to make the next couple of weeks count, as we have a road trip across Europe to Turkey planned, leaving here on 8th April and it’s not going to be too easy sticking to the plan en-route – 5 days to get out there. Am definitely planning to do the Med Diet while we are in Turkey though, as the fresh food is so plentiful at the markets it will be easy. Just hope I don’t blow things on the trip out there.

Bez

Hi Lucia
Oooo I didn’t realise that about those two words.
Ok try this, I made it last night and it was delicious.
I made up the recipe for the coconut flour flatbreads but used just 1 tbsp of coconut flour and added a drop of vanilla essence and a pinch of flaked almonds. I still had to add just a drop of milk to the mixture to get the consistency I wanted.
I spread the batter really thin on a well greased tray and baked until golden brown, about 20 mins. The batter spread out on the tray to make 2 good sized but thin breads.
Next I mixed a little creamy goats cheese with some ricotta to give a spreadable consistency spread half of the mixture on each bread, and topped off with sliced strawberries.
Result, 2 nice desserts. It isn’t exactly cheescake but you know if you close your eyes and use a little imagination, it ain’t a long way off.
Give it a try 😀

Great feedback everyone. Week 4 and my fasting is around 8 to 9 and last thing at night as low as 5.5. Only on the 5/2. Much better. Feeling good too. Long walks and lots of exercise biking.