The recipes in the book, although delicious in the main can be modified to suit your tastes.
Just be sure that the substitute is just as low or free from simple carbs as the original and that the calories don’t differ too much.
Welcome to the BSD and good luck !

Hello! I have started the 8wk BSD today – Does anybody know if you have to stick to the food in the book religiously (as I hate cheese – even Feta) or can a substitute be made, with the same amount of calories and still sticking with the Mediterranean type food?
🙂

Congrats to AllieBee and Ally, sounds like it’s going really well. I have had a good week, losing 5lb and a half inch off my waist, not as impressive as your results AllieBee, but getting there! I’m hoping my results will not drop off too drastically this week, but I’m not expecting to lose another 5lb this week – would be nice to drop three though.

Have found the diet is making me think about what I am cooking and sparked some inventiveness. I am making a moussaka for this evening, using lots of veggies to pad it out and only using aubergine, no potatoes. Found that 30g full fat yogurt with 25g of sultanas soaked in rose or ginger tea makes is surprisingly filling and satisfying as a sweet treat, if needed for a fix of something sweet – comes in around 107calories, depending on the yogurt used.

Overall though, not really missing carbs and my body seems to be coping fine without them. Have found I am sleeping better, my only problem is constipation, as I struggle to drink enough – it’s always been a downfall of mine. Added to that a naturally sluggish bowel and this drastic diet change was always going to have an impact in this area. It’s not causing a huge problem and I’m working to resolve it. This has been the only bugbear for me though and seeing actual results on the scales, more than makes up for a blip in this area.

Best wishes to all those that started the BSD last Monday as well – hope you are see good results too and that it will continue.

Very good! They free range and I get 10 eggs each day so they need a few extras! They are getting the pasta too now!

Sorry, with stir-fried cabbage, should have said that I add 1-2 tablesp chickpea flour towards the end of cooking. Gives it a slightly nutty flavour.

I admire your desire to eat a ketogenic diet but some of the advice being given in this thread is far stricter than that proposed by Michael- legumes are quite acceptable on the 8 Week Blood Sugar Diet so don’t be afraid of them- they are a good combination of complex carbs and protein and don’t substantially affect glucose levels in regards to spiking= they’re also an excellent choice if you’re a vegetarian or vegan.

Low carb is subject to a number of interpretations as to what exactly counts as “low carb”- the Diet Doctor has also discussed this and classifies anything up to 100 grams of carbs as “easy low-carb”. I’m trying to stick to 40 grams of carbs since it allows for some fruit, but everyone has to find their own level at which they are happy- if I go lower than this I’ll binge eventually due to rebelling from the choices available and if I go higher than this I’ll end up on a downward slope of carb-creep eventually leading to bingeing, a scenario that led me to have the problems with visceral fat that I now have.

For me personally I find the looser interpretation by Michael more appealing since it is sustainable in the long-term. I also wanted to say that the Optifast shakes that were initially used in the Newcastle experiment are not low carb but it is the level of calories taken in that makes ours and the Newcastle diet ketogenic.

Good luck with whatever levels you choose.

Thanks, Bill. This time, it has to work. I love a wine or two, but then I eat, eat, eat. Inspired by you & the others!

Stick with it Yael
your rewards will come on your weigh day 🙂
Congratulations on your fortitude BTW

LMAO
sorry Aly but I just had this mental image of your overweight and diabetic chickens queuing up for their morning Metformin 😀

Hello everyone, just finished Day 4. Cannot believe that I have not been hungry. But old habits die hard. Eating for me is an ingrained habit (especially when the sun goes down), a reward, a comfort, and a pleasurable hobby, as well as a necessity for physical survival. Felt especially proud this evening: served my husband a lamb, tofu, potato & eggplant curry on a generous bed of spicy basmati rice with peas. I ate steamed Chinese broccoli, coriander stems, and zucchini with a small piece of steamed ocean salmon (leftover from yesterday). When I refused a potato chip (crisp), my husband’s eyes almost fell out. So not hungry, but more than a little bored. I submitted my spicy lentil and beetroot (leaves and stalks) soup to the recipe section with the name ‘Adashim shell’ which means ‘My lentils’. Check it out.
And now for the grand indulgence of the day: a cup of tea with a splash of milk and a small level teaspoon of honey (I normally have a big overflowing teaspoon). My first and last for the day. Normally, I have 4-6.
PS Bill, thanks for the chickpea recipe. I also add 1-2 tablespoons to stir-fried cabbage to give it more taste and ‘body’. I stir-fry shredded cabbage with 1 diced onion, 1 teasp turmeric, 1 teasp crushed garlic, 1 teasp crushed ginger, 1 teasp black mustard seeds, chilli to taste, and a scant spoon of grated cocoanut. Use 1 tablesp cocoanut oil for cooking.

On the whole have done ok. After three days I went down with carb flu and am still suffering. I gave in to two small roast potatoes yesterday but when I tried a piece of cake I couldn’t eat it! I gave my stock of digestive biscuits to the chickens but do not want any. It is very weird that I do not miss all the carbs so far. Still struggling a bit sorting out meals but am getting there. My tummy is definetly smaller and my clothes are a little big so something is happening. At some point I will brave the scales.
It is still early days for me but having come through the worst of withdrawal I am keen to keep going.

Brilliant results Alliebee.
This is the kind of thing that is sure to encourage and motivate others and this is just the start.
Keep it up ! you have a very interesting story to tell.

Hi Everyone. End of Week 4 and have lost 11 lbs so far. Really pleased as have been away in hotels for a few days last week and the greatest achievement….. went to a cheese and wine tasting evening! Tasted all eight wines with no spitting-out involved! In truth just two or three sips of each wine, about the equivalent of a small glass and a half altogether. With two matchbook size pieces of cheese I felt completely part of the social situation without too much jeopardy to the diet. Only downside… it spoiled my alcohol-free February!
Hoping for an alcohol-free March. Good luck to you all.

Hi just started week 5 today. Now lost 42 lbs my BMI is 26 now (was 32) interestingly this weekend I went over 800 cals twice (About 10%) but lost 9lbs over the week & 3lbs over the weekend – Maybe it was shouting at the tv whilst watching the rugby?

Hi there

Just finished my first week.
I don’t have diabetes that I am aware of but am doing the plan to lose weight (30kg to get into a “healthy” BMI) and reap the health benefits of that.

I am delighted that I have lost 4.1 kgs (9lb) and 1 1/2 inches from my waist.

It’s great to see how everybody is getting on I have found it encouraging reading about everybody s journeys so far

glad it made you lol me too. I am with you on this – looks like far too much a hard work and I am not that desperate! Will get over myself and like you wait until end of 8 weeks and then try one of the “least unhealthy options” as you put it. Only 52 days to go! who said I was that desperate!?! I do think that my withdrawl from alcohol is as tough as the calorie restriction – rarely a day used to go by without at least one glass of wine……. hope it is all going well for you. M.

Hi there – how has everybody else who has just finished week one getting on?
I am astounded!! Lol.
I have lost 4.1kg which is 9lb – also 1 1/2 inches round my waist!
I suspect it will slow down this week though.
I had one mishap where I forgot to take my lunch to work and had to buy a roll – I was starving later on. It certainly didn’t fill me the same as my new way of eating. I also had some red wine last night as I am off work for the week and although I will be just sorting house stuff I felt in the holiday mood LoL.

I have suffered with what gp says is IBS since my late teens I am 41 now. This week I have had no flare ups at all. I can’t tell you how good that feels not having to run back and forward to the loo as that has really effected the quality of my life.

I have had a few tired days but some days I have been full of energy which is not the norm.

I have really been enjoying the food and my hubby bought me a spiraliser this week as a wee pressie. Am loving courgetti!!!

I would like to purchase a blender to make shakes and the cauliflower rice etc. Can anyone recommend a good one that does not cost a fortune?

Only niggle is that I have woke up every night once or twice to wee even if I stop drinking early evening. Ha ha Maybe it will settle down soon?

Hope everyone else is doing good – would be lovely to hear about your first week.

:).

Hi, weigh-in day for me is Monday morning. Just starting Week 3 today and a bit disappointed as I only lost 1lb (was expecting more of a loss as I have really stuck to the no carb rule). But I will stick at it and perhaps next week will give a better result – from reading the other comments it can be a bit up and down. My BS reading though was 5.5 this morning so very happy about that!

Thank you for the post about The Dawn Phenomenon. I could’t understand why my blood sugar level was higher this morning but this now makes more sense. Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic four weeks ago and started the BSD straight away. I have only been taking a fasting blood test once a week just to get a snapshot of what was going on and to monitor changes/ improvements in general terms. My Diabetic Nurse was keen that I didn’t get too hung up on the figures but did give me a test kit with only 10 testing strips so I decided to use one a week for a fasting blood test. This is the very first week it hasn’t gone down. I do understand that readings may vary from time to time but the article was both comforting and informative. Thank you.

He He
yeah I may wait until the 8 weeks is up and go drop a few bombs. I won’t be popular but it may just be fun 😉

KatieB Confess ??? really ???
Sod that ! go in with all guns blazing and tell him straight you did this without his support and you have proved that it works.
I have my yearly checkup on Wednesday, I would have preferred it to be in another few weeks when I’ve completed the BSD but the results should be interesting.

EEK! I’ve just been looking at diet doctor .com which says legumes are a no no! We’ve been munching away on red lentils and kidney beans (made to a delicious recipe from the 5:2 book) thinking they were ok!!
Penny

Hi Everyone,
I haven’t posted for a while, but I love reading everyone’s comments.
I have reached the 5 week mark and I can’t quite believe where the time has gone or indeed how good I feel!!
I have lost 17lbs and haven’t got any more to lose really so have upped my calorie intake a little to try and maintain now. My blood sugar is a funny one, as generally it hovers between 5.2-5.8 but I’ve had it spike to 6.8 a few times for no obvious reason.
I had a hba1c blood test last week after 4 weeks on the diet and it has gone down from 53 to 45 which I’m hoping is good! I have an appointment with the doctor on Wednesday to discuss it, which I’m dreading as I didn’t tell him I was doing the diet or coming off my medication. Last time I broached the subject I didn’t get much support so I just went ahead anyway. now I have to go and confess!
Good luck everyone!! It is so lovely to have this support from others trying to improve their lives.
Katie

Good plan Bill. Though occasional sniping back on those dark diabetic forums about successful weight loss and reduced meds, in time, might turn a few more heads for the better.

Very well done the 2 of you.
I love coming on here reading all these success stories from happy people.
So different from another diabetic forum that I looked at over the weekend. Very clannish, folk arguing black and white, and nothing very good to say about the BSD, in fact some dire warnings about it being dangerous !!!
I think I’ll stay here with all the happy and enlightened people. 🙂

That’s awful! I know how it feels to go to the gym all the time and be so careful with what you eat yet not look like you do – it’s so frustrating. I’ve tried lots of things that work for other people but just not me but I have to say this is working for me. Maybe it’s finding that thing that works for you. Have you considered metformin? I know it’s better to fix the problem through lifestyle but it it helps?
I also did TheBody Coach 90 day plan last year and that was great. It Ramps up your metabolism and makes the exercise I did much more effective so rather than go 7 days a week I went just 4 and had a much better effect. The principles are v similar to on here -high fat/ protien and low carb except post workout but with loads more calories.. It has a lot of success with losing weight around the middle. Have. Look on his website. I think one of the reasons this is working for me is that doing that first -training my body to eat a lot more and then doing this is creating a massive calorie difference. The face book page is called The 8 week blood sugar diet and people on there are lovely and others I think have had the same experience.
You can also email people on here and ask them if they have any advice as they have probably come across this before. What’s motivating about this diet is most people see quick results but maybe for you it will come with time if you can just keep going. I know sometimes my weight takes a bizarre amount of time to catch up. I though I had got away with my Christmas lessening up but a month later my weight shot up- defo a case of delayed onset of Christmas wickedness! therefore I bet it works the other way too that you may get the loss all at once-finger crossed. X

Update, I am now one week in, I have had a mixture of days of fasting all day and eating in the evenings, made a big crock pot full of steak mince, carrots, onions, leeks, barley and lentils and had that for a few evenings. Actually had a takeaway on friday night but ate less than half and chucked the rest away. Also had some low cal cottage pies in the freezer with swede mash – no butter and had them a couple of nights. Have got some frozen weigh watchers desserts in the freezer and did have a couple last week but have since checked out the sugar content and they are 24% sugar, since then I cannot bring myself to eat another.

Yesterday my shopping delivery included egg pasta which apparently is okay if looking at low GI, it was delicious, I also had unsalted cashews (probably more than I should have had) and I still registered a loss this morning but smaller only about .3 of a lb. However my weight loss for the week is 6.3lb so am very happy. Just another 40 or so to go!

Hey everyone. It’s weigh day in this Leicester house. And me and the Mrs are grinning.
I’ve lost 5lbs and her self 5 lbs too.

Much high fiveing has gone on as it means she’s now ‘officially’ not over weight according to her Bmi.
Well done Mrs!

And this despite me having a sneaky weigh in in the week and being up!

Keep it up folks and pile into the veggies. I’m convinced this is why I’m not hungry as I’m giving my body what it needs rather than fueling it with empty carbs that leave you hungry because your not feeding it (just adding calories.)

Hi, I’ve been following this forum with great interest as like Che_Knight I’ve been struggling to lose belly fat, despite doing REALLY well, (as far as I’m concerned, any way)having lost a stone in 2 weeks, which resulted in a little dance around the bathroom this morning! I also am SO used to low fat diets that that it’s programmed into me to maximise what I eat by using low fat alternatives, so I’m tending to have low fat +low carb. Reading the posts has inspired me to send away for a recipe book for further inspiration and I’ll get husband to download the Jenny Ruhl book (I don’t have a kindle, I stubbornly refuse!!). Obviously I need to clear out the fridge and start again, with full fat products. Meanwhile to keep an eye on the carbs, could anyone please advise how many carbs I should be aiming for in a day? I think I need to be keeping more of a close eye on how much I’m consuming.
Penny

Thanks for posting this squidgy. My blood sugar this morning is 11.7. An MRI confirmed I have a very fatty liver, so I can continue to expect high readings until my liver cleans itself out. I don’t want to hinder it’s progress so I will continue my 12 hour night time fast.

Hi teej not to worry. I only had s few seeds with me. Otherwise it would’ve been chocolate or crisps out of the onsite shop. My husband came to this show also on Sunday, so I drove home behind him. Not too bad and took it slow. I only live about 30 miles away. But from now on I will definitely have decent snacks available in my van for these types of situations. Still shakey and achey today. But like people have said, what things must I have been eating to cause such withdrawal symptoms . Also I don’t appear to have lost any weight. Perhaps 1lb. Mind you I don’t trust my scales. I am going to stick with it and go by my clothes.

Hi hashimoto 😉
Yeah the menu possibilities once you have made the flatbreads are huge and their are oodles of other recipes on the net for this flour.
Good to see someone else using it.
As to my eyes, my right eys as you know had a bleed 4 weeks ago, recovery time for this is normally in the region of 8 weeks so I’m halfway through it. My eye is at the stage where I am starting to be able to see things, albeit through a thick fog and better at night in artificial light as sunlight causes problems due to light sensitivity after the operations.
Come on folk, if you have any recipes that could help fellow travellers on the road, get them posted !!!

Hi Time4Change, on two occasions I have put ‘weight’ on. Once two pounds, once 1 lb. Then suddenly one or two mornings later there will be a ‘loss’ of 2 lbs or more. You could be right about water retention so don’t be disheartened, ‘keep right on til the end’

Well done to all the “losers”😀 My scales isn’t my friend right now. I’m up 2 pound since Friday, I know it’s not real- just water/salt retention but it’s messing with my mood. Feel very frustrated, I’ll just have to keep on keeping on I guess

Yeah Squidgy, that is a cracking read and will put a lot of minds at rest.
I was thinking something similar last week, the liver only has a finite storage capacity, so if it is releasing sugar every night and it isn’t being replaced, there has to come a point where the sugar readings go down.
Just stick with it, it may take another week but yours will reduce as well, in the meantime, just conssider it as poison leaving your body.

Hi All, Posted on 23rd Feb that I had stalled, have just weighed in and lost 2.2lbs in the last week so I’m pleased with that, my fasting blood sugar is still down to 5.4 and overall on this 8 week plan have so far lost 1st 6.2lbs (even the .2 is important!) 4 more weeks to go and so glad I didn’t give up when the weight stopped dropping. Mind you, I just like the diet…………go out for a curry every weekend – that’s my treat – just have chicken tikka or shashlick with a poppadom and glass of red – really enjoy it!

Totally agree about the chickpea flour flatbreads, Bill, they are delicious! I added rosemary, chilli and caraway seeds to mine (you can add any flavours/spices you want) they were still savoury with a slight citrusy taste. I managed to get 10 out of the batter mix and froze 7 of them for easy meals in the future.
I also made your coconut flat breads this weekend – equally delicious. I thought I might have one today but with a sweet topping of whipped cream and strawberries ( a good fake cream tea!) I made a triple batch of them to store plenty in the freezer!
Good news about your weight loss. How are your eyes at the moment?

Week 4 weigh in and another two and a half pounds gone even though I was innactive with a bad back and had a cold too.
Fasting blood sugar remaining in the 5 – 6 range so everything heading in the right direction.

Keep it up guys and keep glugging the water! Helps with dehydration headaches.
Week 4 weigh day and again I wasn’t expecting too much as I was still failrly immmobile with my sore back and I also had a cold last week (real one not withdrawal symptoms)
I was really happy to see I had lost anoth two and a half pounds for a total loss of seventeen and a half pounds 🙂
I tried out the chickpea flour this weekend, dead simple to do, basically you mix half a cup of chickpea (Gram) flour and a pinch of salt with enough water to make a thinnish batter and cook them just like pancakes. 3 – 4 mins per side until golden brown. (this makes 1 flatbread the size of a 28cm frying pan)
Used them for a sandwich and a burger and they are quite tasty and hold together well. The real bonus is the versatility of them. They can be used for wraps, as chapatis, for dipping, or, cooked a little less until just pale brown, they make a very acceptable pizza base.
Well worth a try
Onwards and upwards !!!

Hi Rubytuesday, I’m glad to see that you are doing ok too 🙂

Constipation is a big old problem for some of us isn’t it! I’ve got flaxseed now and pychullum sp? which I have a spoonful of each. It’s not having much effect yet I must say. Note to self to go back to using Colon cleanse. It’s got alow vera in it so at least it’s natural.

Well I’ve lost at least a pound since Saturday. I say at least, as it will be more when I eventually make friends with my loo again 😉

Yesterday I had 340 kcals and 36 of those were carbs. I did my Davina fit in 7 first thing, swam later and went for a walk in the afternoon. I also nipped to the shops and bought one of those fitness bands to measure steps etc.

oh and in the morning, I also read bits from a book (will find the name of if anyone is interested, it’s on my Kindle at the mo) 2 Drs = extensive research on low carb diets. the following bit I found most interesting and I hope might help others in the same situation.

“when humans cut back in calories, they tend t lose weight quickly at first. Some of it is water due to reduced glycogen reserves (the body stores 3-4 grams of water along with each gram of glycogen. But then if all subsequent weight loss comes from fat, and a 500 kcal per day deficit results in a pound per week of loss, this weight variability within a 4 pound range can lead to a great deal of frustration for the individual.

this 4 pound range in weight variability could completely mask 4 weeks of excellent diet adherence at 1 pound per week of fat loss. some people are clearly sticking to much more stringent diets, plateau for up to 2 weeks and then abruptly show a 5lb loss This is explained by the unpredictable shifts in body water content”

So, that describes me I think. I am waiting for the whooosh effect!

Hi, Just about to start on week 5 – have lost a wonderful 1stone 6.2 lbs so far – and fasting blood sugar down to 5.4 so thrilled to bits. Have to say I love the food on this diet and am following the diet really well except for the odd glass of wine! Was stuck in a bit of a plateau for a week losing nothing but seems to have righted itself now. Each week I’ve had to travel away and stay in hotels for 2 -3 days and still I’ve managed it! Feel energised and actually look forward to standing on the scales! My aim is to have lost 2 stone by the end of the 8 weeks – hmmm, can I do it????? Have made my own smoked mackerel pate which I just love!

Yes I did watch sugar free farm and was horrified at the reactions some had. It was one of the things that spurred me on with this. I could not eat all my porridge this morning but the cat finished it so no waste. I feel a bit better having eaten something. I very much hope I do not feel like this for two weeks!

End of week 4 weight is down 18lbs waist measurement is down 8cm and FBG down from 6.9 to 4.8 blood pressure also down. Have stuck to it like glue and am thrilled. Going on holiday in 4 weeks and for the first time in years I wont be hiding from the camera! Well done everybody keep up the great work

Hi Aly and all,
I’m just coming out of a miserable fortnight of carb flu/ sugar withdrawal. I’ve have ached so much and had to go back to bed for a couple of hours most days. Stick with it , it passes. Yesterday was my first day without horrible leg aches and exhaustion. I hope I’m now on my way up. 😳

Sorry to hear you have had a bad night Aly. Keep on going as you are right about withdrawal from the sugar addiction. Did you see The Sugar Free Farm? Two of the women had to go to bed for most of a day when the lack of lots of sugar made them feel ill. The more they had eaten of the white poison in the past the more the withdrawals affected them – and Mark Labette really earned his title of The Beast because he was really ratty in the first week until the withdrawal symptoms settled down. It shouldn’t last long Aly, and the benefits are amazing when things settle down.

Thanks to all of you. Not a good night, woken with an awful headache again. My body is aching and I feel sick. It has made me realize how bad sugar is if it has this effect when given up. I am struggling to eat at the moment which is unheard of for me.
Will keep going and hope this illness passes soon.

Looking to start 8WC on <800 cals per day. Commencing 1/3/16, last day Saturday 30/4/16 (corperate triathalon). Current weight 94kg, approx BF% 22-25. 176cm tall 40yo male.

Thanks Squidgy, I think that’s the best explanation of the dawn phenomenon I’ve ever read.

‘auntylil’: Thank you so much! Heading to search now.

edit: Your link and search suggestion are perfect. Just what I was looking for!

cheers.

53 yo male – At start of BSD: 178 cm, 109 kg, Fasting Blood Glucose 6.8, BP 147/83
End of week 7: 99.7 kg, FBG 5.2, BP 125/76

Haven’t been religious about calorie counting, ( sticking to the breakfast suggestions, lunch is tuna and salad and some ricotta or hummus, dinner is a little bit of protein chicken or salmon and steak once a week, with unlimited salad of veg,legumes, seeds and a matchbook sized serve of feta with dressing or unlimited steamed veg. Still enjoying a couple of glasses of wine each night and exercising 2 or 3 times a week on a stationary bike. Weight did plateau a few times but then there was a big drop the next week, so just believe in the science. You can’t help but lose weight on a calorie restricted diet with exercise. there have been times when I craved a biscuit or slice of cheese, but I’ve just drunk more water or had an apple or a carrot and been fine with controlling the evil urges. But they are few and far between.

So far, so good!