My god, Mary R, that’s a huge bump up in calories. Thank goodness you shared that.
I use chicken instead of lamb for the aubergine dish. I can’t find lean minced lamb anywhere.

Just how much water can a person glug? It’s not so bad considering that it’s 31 C today, but how do people cope in winter? I might have to switch to hot water. 🙂

Hi Malkay
My phone counts steps which makes it easy. It’s a good idea parking farther away- though 10000 steps is 5 miles! But michael said work up to it. I work at home so I have to make the effort to go out. Today I did 3 hours digging instead.
Beautiful day.
It’s great how the hypos have gone. Don’t have to think about taking food with me or when I’m next going to eat. Very liberating.
Penny

That’s great.
Penny

Hi Natasha
That’s the amazing thing about the diet, the lack of carb cravings. Wonderful.
Penny

I’ve found the same unexpected improvement in my skin too, I didn’t even notice that until yesterday, 4 weeks in!

Going back to inaccurate calorie counts, I made the Spanish chick pea and spinach soup yesterday, painstakingly entered all the calorie counts for the individual ingredients into Cronometer, including deducting the calories for the discarded fat from the chorizo, and it came to 437 calories per portion, not 210 as it says in the book! I didn’t think the chorizo added much to it anyway, I’ll leave that out next time, maybe add some chicken instead.

Hi Janet,
Sorry to hear about the sensitive teeth, there are lots of things that can help, have you discussed with your dentist? There are toothpastes only available from your dentist, (not over the counter, they are POMs), that really do work, and stuff they can put on directly as well. I know from my own experience that those toothpastes work.

My story? Nothing very dramatic, not massively overweight, just boringly so, up and down over the years since the two children and stopping smoking 34 years ago, between one and three stone over ideal weight, never getting right down there, putting most of it back on again, always fed up of looking like a well upholstered sofa, and struggling to find clothes that look good. Have tried most things, usually half heartedly; Calorie counting but with carbs included (impossible) VLC shakes (disgusting), WW (not nutritionally sound, at least not at that time) Slimming World, (ditto) Dukan (worked well, but impossible to sustain, difficult to eat out, and too many weird French recipes with strange ingredients, as well as selling you very expensive products), low fat and no fat, (yuk) 5:2 (but made the mistake of eating and drinking everything in sight on the other 5 days). Mindful eating, but with no other restrictions. Various other specially tailored programmes, which failed either because I don’t get enough to eat or they cut out favourite foods – one of them tomatoes! What a list!!! No issues with blood sugar levels or diabetes, as far as I know, but weight and borderline hypertension puts me at risk, so decided now that I have retired, the boys have flown the nest, I have no excuses left and THIS TIME it has to work. I had 8 weeks before a family wedding at the end of March, a dress I really want to get into; I think Michael Mosley is brilliant anyway, the book is well written, well researched, well referenced, and the plan is nutritionally sound . It’s low carb, which I know works for me, wheat and sugar free; I love the recipes, tasty, simple, healthy, not French or American, not weird. So- 17lbs gone in nearly five weeks, another 14 to go and then review: I do not want to look like a wrinkled old prune, so suspect that aiming for my pre-pregnancy weight is not a great idea. But after this, doing the 5:2 properly, and staying off sugar, wheat and gluten permanently, will be a doddle. But almost the best bits have been the clearing of the brain fog which was making life miserable and hard work, the huge increase in energy, and I noticed yesterday that my skin was much improved. So in a not so small nutshell, that’s me!

Well done you for getting through the first few days, hang on in there! They are certainly the most challenging as you get over the change from carb burning to fat burning, and the carb cravings and maybe headaches at the beginning. I’m in the fifth week, and loving it, not finding it hard at all, enjoying the challenge, the recipes, the tracking, (using Cronometer). The cravings DO go. I was the same as you, a glass of wine with supper, and may be a (small) G&T beforehand. The best bits are the huge increase in energy and clearing of the brain fog (I think from being wheat and gluten free) as well as the weight loss (17lb to date and another 14 or so to go). I’m fortunate that I don’t, as far as I know, have a blood sugar/diabetes problem, but undoubtedly risk factors for it, so this plan has got to be a good way of reducing those factors and the flab. Will report on the other tonics next time I shop.

Just started week 5 today and 17lbs lost.
This eating plan is great!

I have received the book today, and it’s great. I want to get started right away. I already lost 3 stone on weight watchers, so am at the top end of a healthy bmi. I want to lose another 10lbs, and whilst I am not pre diabetic, I am addicted to sugary foods, and get regularly light headed and would like to change this.

I think 800 kcal a day is too little for my weight, so would like to try the 5:2 version. However, I have no idea what meals to eat on normal days, as there are no recipes for these, only low cal recipes for 800 kcal days, and I’m not very good at putting food items together to create healthy meals. I have also had iron deficiencies in the past, so need to be careful.

Can anyone help, as I’m really feeling overwhelmed?

Hi Penny
I have just found my pedometer, so will start counting my steps again. I have to drive to work as its 15 miles away, but might try parking a distance away and walking the rest. Exercise is probably the one missing link. On a positive, no, the hypos are not happening at the moment. Thank you for giving me a positive to focus on!!

Hi Malkay
That’s disheartening. What I’ve found is the 10000 steps – tho not usually quite that many, but I’m increasing them – have done it for me.
Could you walk to work or part of the way? I’ve found the way to do it for me is to walk to where I have to go to anyway.
Penny
PS
I am not getting any hypos no. Are you?

Also, my skin was still bad while I was on the GI Jeans diet. The improvement now in just 3 weeks since cutting out sugar is amazing!

Penny, thank you. That’s just what I need to hear.

The only other diet that seriously worked for me was the Rosemary Conley GI Jeans diet. It was excellent and I stuck to it like glue and lost 4 stone on it.

However, ‘treats’ could be chocolates or sweets and dessert was often a sweet ‘low fat/sugar’ pudding. So it did nothing to curb my sweet tooth, and when I came off the diet I went straight back to eating sugar. I also remember being hungry a few times on the diet and having uncontrollable sugar cravings resulting in mass chocolate binges. This hasn’t happened on the BSD. I am fairly confident that it won’t happen because my body seems to be getting everything it needs from the designated meals.

What I love about the BSD is that it zapped my sugar cravings in 3 days. I’m into my 3rd week now and so far so good.

I REALLY do hope the BSD will indeed be the turning point.

Hi Hummingbird
I think there’s quite s few hypothyroid sufferers on the forum. They seem to be ok! Maybe start a special thread?
Penny

Day 9 weight 10st 11lb
Blood sugar 11.7

Got the oldie moved in new Care Home today. Cheated with a battered fish and 6 chips. Back on the journey tomorrow. All of his stuff will be up with him tomorrow. Hopefully that will be the end of the drama’s for a while and I can concentrate on getting my weight off and my sugar down.

Hi,

thank you for all your information. I will look into it.
Yes, I tried Metformin but it made me sick and I felt really awful while I was taking it so I had to go off it.

I invested into the Nutribullet 900 as some PCOS ladies recommended. I was very sceptical and thought that it was another fad. Well I’ve had it for 5 days now and am hooked. I am very careful with fruits though so most of the smoothie contains mainly vegetables…it is low calories and and it fills me u[ for hours, plus is energizing. Also past 2 days I managed to cut down to 700 calories and only lost 300g which was probably only water.
I hope you are doing well.

Bill- you have me a shock for a minute there!
Penny

Hi time4change
I had water retention too. I got some hawthorn tea from Amazon. Amazing! I make it at bedtime and drink two glasses in the morning. No water retention at all.
Penny

Thanks Penny!

A few prunes did it for me.

Hi Spirit
Re constipation.
Michael advises also balance magnesium by taking milk of magnesia.
Penny

Hi justabloke
Fantastic results!
Penny

Thank you. Any help and guidance is very much appreciated. I need all the help I can get!

Hi TBS
I quite agree!!
Penny

Well I am now at a loss as to what to try next. I am getting very demoralised that I will ever lose any belly fat. I am now 5 weeks in, lost half a stone (nothing this past week), but not a single millimetre from my waist. I eat no starchy carbs, use full fat everything, and am pretty much sticking to 800 cals. When I get the chance I walk, probably not enough, but am on my feet all day at work. I started this to lose belly fat, as I’m not carrying weight anywhere else. My only positive is that my blood sugar is more stable, so it has been worth doing for that. However, I know that unless I lose belly fat, the improvement is not long term. Have gone from very positive to feeling more depressed than before I started – at least I felt then that I could do something about it. Now don’t think I can!! Sorry this is so negative, but that’s how I feel tonight.

Hi Kinahan. Don’t apologise! You can write what you like where you like. I was just giving you the information in case it would help you. 😊
Penny

I’m not using shakes.and am doing most of the cooking for me and the OH.
Bagged leaves with extra salad vegie with tinned smoked Mackrel with a little pot of soy sauce lime wedge & s&p to add to it make a really tasty 200-250kc lunch that’s easily taken to work.
Grilling or frying a steak, or liver of baking fish in foil with herbs & serving it with nice veg and or more salad is really quick and easy.
I really think eating actual food with nutrients your body recognises is a grate way of not being hungry and dissatisfied on the diet. It’s why we all over ate before. Your body was saying “I need nutrients feed me” but we just gave it more empty carbs, so it stayed hungry and then we gave it more.
Fresh tasty multicoloured vegie with a steak/ wedge of cheese/ whole avocado? What’s not to like. Just make them small steaks…

Hi Natasha
My pleasure!
I don’t think you ll go back because this diet is so different. The others were so hard, slow, effortful and wrong!
Penny

Apologies Penny. As i said im not too sure where to write! Thank you for your message of support Bill.

Hi kinsman
There is a thread already for people who ve had a binge!
Penny

Thanks for the great tips Penny!

I actually think I’d be happy to follow the book for 6 months to a year following the 8 weeks. My fear is losing the weight I want to lose and then slipping back into old patterns and going back to square one.
At the moment I cannot imagine that happening, but I’ve said this before on other diets. I’m determined not to let this happen again!

Thanks Squidgy. That is a fascinating article about the dawn phenomenon and now so much makes sense to me.

I am still getting higher results in the morning despite trying the late night fatty / protein snack but I figure I need to try it a few more times yet to make it work. However, I’m feeling very pleased at the moment because my levels overall are most definitely down. Yesterday my pre dinner level was 5.6 and tonight it was 5.5. I think I might actually be on the road home! But I’ve had disappointments before so holding back the celebrations till I’m sure it stays that way.

For three days now not been able to go to the loo. Drinking lots of water and Red Bush tea.
Eating plenty of green veg and salad. But nothing’s moving!
Anyone else experiencing problems?
Advice please……

It’s my weigh in day. I’m dead chuffed as I’ve lost another 5lbs. Have felt quite tired today which surprised me, as I’ve been feeling great on the diet up till now. Think I’ll be drinking more water…
Can’t get on with Greek yoghurt for breakfast while I’m doing the 8 weeks. For 200 kc it’s just sooooo small. Tastes amazing, berries or tosted seeds on it etc, but it’s tiny! I’m going back to breakfast salad with smoked Mackrell tomorrow. It’s nice to have something on my plate which takes a while to clear. But I’m not a gluten. Honest.

Hi Penny
You can download kindle on your smart phone
Penny

Hi Anita,
I’m avoiding starchy carbs while I’m doing the 8 weeks.
After, knowing what I do now, then I think I will use /make polenta, Bulgar wheat, sweet potatoes jacket spuds and the like. But for now, it’s only 8 weeks. So I’m avoiding it all. After they will be on the plate but never the main event.
I’ve been eating loads of fishy things, in salad. Mushroom omlet, fried chicken (see my recipe, it’s not as bad as it sounds), etc etc all with loads of salad or veg, and drinking water like it’s going out of fashion.
There’s loads of good things to eat on the shelves without looking for a way to add carbs back in, yet
Good luck on your journey.

Hi All – great to see everyone doing so well.

I”ve just finished week 5 and really pleased with progress. Dropped 15.5lb so far, over 10% of my starting weight. BMI down from 29.6 to 26.7, 4 inches off my waist and really feeling a difference.

One unexpected benefit is my resting heart rate (measured with my fitbit when I’m sleeping) has significantly dropped – was between 95 -100 the week before I started which is awful, and between 75-80 now which is definitely going in the right direction.

My fasting blood sugar levels are still on the high side but the rest are fine, and I have reduced my medication.

All going well, but ironically I’ve been quite hungry today, most unusual for me, and I’ve been having some cravings for naughty stuff! I’ve had a few much seeds and a little cheese and I think I need an early night so hopefully it will pass!

I’ve tried a few, but wasn’t happy with any of them so have gone back to writing everything down! I love technology, just not for this.

You could always try it and see how it affects you. As Squidgy says, not the instant sort. If you’re diabetic you might want to test to see how it affects your blood sugar. I find they spike my levels, but my son can eat them! We’re all different 😊

Hi Hashimoto. I’m writing down everything I eat anyway, so will take my notebook with me and do my best to record everything I eat. I don’t drink so alcohol isn’t a problem.

Sorry to hear about your infections, hope you stay well and get to Australia.

Know what you mean about the sandwich without bread! Years ago I asked for a burger without the bun. Now that seems quite common, but then it was almost unheard of LOL. And my friend is allergic to cheese, so asks for pizza without cheese. That’s fun anywhere, but we went to Italy! She really struggled at lunchtime.

I’ll let you know how I get on in Prague when I get back. Won’t have much internet access while I’m away though.

Hi all, i got started properly today, took my fasting blood sugar level (5.3 so I’m not pre-diabetic, which is good to know) and then searched on the site for a tracker similar to the one on the 5:2 site, to record my blood sugar, weight etc.

I couldn’t find one – are there plans to provide a tracker as part of the site, or can anyone recommend a handy site to record all that (including blood sugar)?

Yes it does, its just that it doesn’t appear in the menus or meal plans, so was wondering if its OK?

Hi Elgordo

The book says “oats are good as longs they aren’t the instant sort”.

I occasionally have a small portion (30g) of chunky oats for breakfast with blueberries and chia seeds.

Good luck

Hi captainlynne, I am now 6 and a half weeks in so it won’t be too long before I join you in eight week line and after. It will be good to hear how you get on in Prague. I’m hoping to go to Australia in a few months but won’t make definite plans as I have only been free of repeated chest infections since I was put on antibiotics three times a week in late December. I want to be sure I am consistently well before having to cancel another holiday last minute! The freedom from infections has given me the energy to go with this diet and I feel like I am going from strength to strength on it. All this weight loss may just give me the confidence to don a swimsuit and get in the water! So far if I have had lunch out I have asked for a ham sandwich without the ham, left the chips and eaten the salad. The request of a sandwich without bread does cause some bewilderment lol

Hi ally, just wanted to say stick with it! I had awful headaches and achy all over for first week but now well in to week two and am feeling brilliant, more energy and sleeping like a log. I was definitely addicted to sugar , so stick with it , I did take paracetamol to get me through when I was feeling really bad and had one day feeling really tearful! A bit of time and strength and you will get there. 😊

Hi Penny
Diet doc is much more strict VERY low carb. No fruit, no beans. Did you see the first shopping list? A mountain of meat!
Penny

Porridge doesn’t appear in the BSD book recipes at all. Is this acceptable in this diet?

Thanks Kimgall. No, family don’t know! My son is type 2 on meds, eats carbs. The twins say what they think, so it should be interesting when they see me after Easter LOL. If comments from my son and daughter-in-law are repeatable I’ll put them on here.

Off to Prague next Monday. Checked out eating places at both airports, so gave an idea what I can get there. Should get lots of walking done 😃 (Especially trying to find something I can eat!).

Lynne

Hi Yorkshirelass – well done on your achievement, 5lb is 5lb in the right direction and you can see the positive in the blood sugar level as well, so you have every right to feel pleased with yourself. I too carry weight around my middle, but luckily, have no serious pre-diabetic concerns, however, I felt it was definitely time to get serious about getting my weight under control.

Like you, I am finding the diet surprisingly satisfying, given that the portions are much smaller than I would normally eat. It’s been fairly easy to stick to and so far, I haven’t had any real cravings for sweet stuff and have only had the odd hunger pang. Haven’t tried the blueberry and green tea shake yet, but it’s on my list. Think tomorrow, I’ll be making a veggie soup, with whatever is in the fridge that hasn’t much longer ’til it’s only fit for the bin.

Anyway, hope you have a good week and an excellent result at the end of it. Good luck.