Hi Mad medic

Well done on your weight loss, you are doing really well. Personally, I am not using the recipes much as I find there are too many things in them I either don’t like or flavourings I’m not prepared to buy in case I only use them once. I have also stopped counting calories and am now counting carbs so the amounts of food don’t matter too much. Meat and fish don’t have carbs so the amount to eat is the amount I need to feel full. All I have done really is take the meals I have always enjoyed and made them low carb. So now, for example, I have (veggie) sausages and cauli mash instead of potato mash. I have scrambled eggs with butter for lunch – again no carbs in either. I fast for sixteen hours every day without feeling the slightest bit hungry and only eat between 12 and 8. I have around 50 carbs a day. I have also found that I have stopped buying bread, potatoes, pasta, coke etc so I can now buy coconut flour, gram flour, etc. These things cost the same – my gram flour from asda was £1.20 for a huge bag. I’d say don’t drop the principle of the low carb diet – you know it works better than any other, are you really going to give up on this opportunity? Just find ways to make it work within your lifestyle and preferences. Best wishes.

Hi Nat, it really does become easier and you learn what you can have and stay in the diet. If you are going to a restaurant could you look at their menu in advance so you can select without the pressure and do not be afraid to give the chef specific instructions about what you want. If you are eating at a friends that could be more difficult, lol 🙂

Hi Inka, I have had a very small glass of wine on 2 occasions in the last 8 weeks though Michael Mosley’s advice is to avoid it if you can! He suggests if you really, really need a drink try a spirit which I guess if it was whiskey you could add plenty of water! The thing to watch out for is alcohol can make you feel hungrier and then you eat more than you should, which is a double whammy!! 🙂

I agree, trying to find an 8 week window with nothing in the diary is impossible. I am hoping that after the first week, where I have cleared my diary, I will be feeling the benefits and not want to ruin the results when out and about. Fingers crossed.

I hope everyone else starting today is successful and those that are already into the program continue with their amazing work.

N

Hi MadMedic, I don’t know where you live to be able to give shopping advice but if you have an Aldi anywhere near you their yoghurt, cream cheese, cottage cheese and free range eggs are really cheap. They also do 250g packets of milled flax seed for under £2 (the same is £6 in Sainsbury’s). If there is an Asian supermarket near you the besan (gram/chickpea) flour should be relatively cheap.
Aldi also do cheaper frozen packs of chicken breast fillets. Their bacon is a good price too.
Try to make a lot of your meals based on the cheaper ingredients such as frittatas, omelettes, cottage cheese, cheese and salad. Soups can be very cheap – I look to see what veg is on Aldi’s super 6 and base my soups on it. You can add a dollop of yoghurt or cream to your soups to add fat and protein. Other supermarkets also do a similar thing to Aldi with fortnightly cheap veg range.
If you have a freezer I would make the multi portion foods and store some, it makes life easier.
The besan flour can be used to make flat breads ( recipe on website) and bhajis. I posted a courgette bhaji recipe on this website but you can substitute the courgette with onion ( I often do) because the protein is in the chickpea flour. In fact I often make them with any odds or ends of veg I have.
Tins of sardines are relatively cheap and can be mixed with cream cheese for a dip – likewise , if you are in the UK celery is cheap at the moment.
I’ll give this some thought and see what ideas I can come up with. You certainly won’t be the only person with this problem!!!
Keep with the diet though as you are doing wonderfully on it!!! 🙂

Just one other thing: I am going out for dinner tomorrow…. this might be a challenge, but I will be able to handle it…. can anyone tell me if it is OK to have a glass of winw with dinner, or should I cut it out? I thought alcohol is high in cabs, so not sure if it is OK ….

How very odd indeed! Just when we think we’re getting a handle on it….

Hi Lizzie
Its funny but my experience has been that I haven’t missed the carbs at all even though they were 80% of what I ate before. I have found that swapping ordinary milk for soya milk has meant I don’t need any sweeteners – another big vice of mine. Other people swap milk for full fat cream. If you find you have calories to spare, try using them on fats like butter, coconut oil or olive oil rather than carbs. They will satisfy you more and are actually good for your weight loss. Keep up the good work!

Thanks Hashimoto, i am going over to Europe soon and I will take the book. I can go through the important parts with them and translate it. Hopefully, i will be the proof and they can see for themselves that it works… They only know me as I am now…. fat…. and if they can see my success first hand, it wont be hard to get them to follow the diet …. 🙂 and yes, I will tell my family… I have started so many other diets that they stopped believing me, but this time, I am confident that I can follow this through. and show them too…:-) thanks for everyone’s encouragement and advice. It really helps.

Hi Natasha, this diet is a flipping miracle, I quite agree. A pound a day is wonderful! 🙂

Hi Inka I guess the easiest thing is to tell your family!! Or use the ‘no’ word like Bill said. I have googled the book in other languages for a non English speaking diabetic Italian with no success. It will come in other languages sooner or later. I guess you are going to have to send your family a long email explaining this diet and translate some recipes into German.
It’s amazing how quickly people notice you looking healthier!
I had quite a few headaches during the first week on the diet but they are now a thing of the past!
Hope the weekend goes well and what lovely places you have lived in – I’m quite green!!! 🙂

I am currently unemployed as is my wife and we have both been on the 800cal diet for 10 days so far. The meals are generally fantastic and tasty but boy do they cost a fortune! There is so much waste! We are having to repeat meals in order to use up expensive ingredients which is making the diet boring. I have lost 14lb in 10 days and my wife 6lb but we are finding it hard to pay for the ingredients. Does anyone also find this? Are there any low cost options? Can we please see more recipes of 1 0r 2 servings rather than the 4-6 which is common? We may have to come off this diet purely because of cost which is a pity because of the great weight loss. Help! On another note, PLEASE can recipes include accurate quantities instead of things like, ‘ a piece of Haddock’. Guessing is no good!

Hi Hashimoto – thanks for the encouragement. It does get to be bit of a struggle when there is no obvious progress being made, but I know sticking with it is the best way forward and I really want to see it through. Helps to have some support and kind words though!

Maybe my story may inspire some of you who might be struggling. I was diagnosed T2 on 5th Jan this year with an HBa1C reading of 50. I was given a prescription for Metformin and Statins and told to go on a low fat diet and try to lose some weight with a review in March. I was 130kg (20st 6lbs) and 62 yrs old. To say I was despondent and confused was an under statement. I took the Doc at her word, and went on a “diet”, baked potato not chips. Brown rice not white. Wholemeal pasta not white. Yes I lost a few pounds but the diet was bland.Then Dr Moseley went on about the 800cal diet in the Mail. I was hooked and realized what a fool I’d been. I started the diet on 25th Jan and lost 7lbs in the first week. I have got 3 days to go until end of week 7 and have so far on this diet have lost 33lbs (15kg). I have eaten some of the best food ever using the recipes from the book and adapting some of them. (I don’t like Quinoa any more) I was sceptical about yoghurt and berries for breakfast but it is one of my favourites now. Anyway I went for my review to the Docs after a blood test last week and my HBa1c is now 40. Cholesterol is normal. BP is 122/75. I mentioned a blood test monitor and the nurse gave me a brand new Nexus saying that they don’t normally give them to T2’s but I have shown that it would be useful for me. If your struggling, keep at it because this diet does reverse diabetes. I have another 5 stone to lose yet, so I will be hanging around for a while.

Hi SunnyB the scales will show a drop in weight when you least expect it!!! And a pound lost is far better than nothing at all! I thought weight loss would slow very quickly but after 8 weeks I still lose weight in fits and starts. Keep with it!! You’re doing brill! 🙂

Thanks, Bill, good tip. I have bought nuts and other allowed foods… and you are right: A simple NO, is really all that is required… A work colleauge ask me today what I was doing and that I looked different somehow… Slimmer in the face and around my shoulders, he said …. 🙂 … I only said, that I was looking after myself and have stopped eating sugar and carbohydrate laden foods, and told him to check the BSD website out…. this is already one other person now…. Like many of you already mentioned…. this will snowball and hopefully lead to a lot more healthy people everywhere…. I heard about this book by accident on one of our news channels. They mentioned briefly it and talked about Michael Mosely’s documentaries…. This got me interested and here I am 🙂

Well Janet 1973, we have followed Michael Moseleys recipes more or less, but have the odd cup of coffee or tea with, in my case 1/2 spoon sugar which is half sugar/half sweetener and milk. I have to say the first few days were just awful & depressing as I love all the things we can’t have on this diet, Bread, Potatoes, Pasta. As my calories were very low one day I had vegetable curry with a tablespoon of basmati rice (delicious) Cutting out these carbs seems to be getting easier & easier so we are trying to do the whole 8 weeks. We haven’t lost much percentage of our weight, so I do really find it truly amazing just one week knocking out those carbs brings blood sugars almost normal.

Thanks Bill. I have stocked up on some fresh veg soup mix which is currently on the stove, complete with olive oil. A schoolgirl error in that when a I got it home and looked at the deeper ingredients, it has potato in it but only a small amount and the carb levels for the whole bag are only 32g so I figure the good will outweigh the bad in that small amount. I have also managed to get some coconut flour so plan on trying your flatbreads if a I feel up to it later. Topped off with some prawns, baby tomatoes and little gem lettuce, I should be getting a few more nutrients in me over the next couple of days compared to the last. It doesn’t help that I haven’t lost a pound this week but been spurred on by all the other similar stories in week three and not wavered, other that the few homemade Mother’s Day goodies which I just had slivers of!

Onwards and upwards!

Morning Janet thanks for the good wishes
Weird results today, blood sugar down but no ketosis – very interesting, could this be a one or the other effect. That would explain a lot of strange readings.

Hi susieb

I think there is always a reason to hold off on these things – an upcoming holiday/birthday/family get together etc. ect. ect. – tomorrow never comes! Better to start now and drop a few pounds and I think you will find that in the three weeks, your eating habits and appetite will be altered, so that you will automatically eat differently while you are away.

I am three weeks in (almost), have two meals out happening this w/e, a celebration for my daughter’s birthday next w/e and I go on holiday early April. However, as this is not just a diet, but is also about changing your eating habits from here on in, there was no good reason to postpone starting the diet when I did. Already, I find I don’t have the appetite I did before, I don’t get desperately hungry and need snacks, I don’t want sweet stuff anymore and 800 of the right calories is quite sustaining. So in three weeks time, you too could be looking at this transformation for yourself and be several pounds lighter too.

So go for it – take the bull by the horns and make that change!

Hi Hashimoto,
I live in Canberra, our Capital, at the moment, but have lived on The NSW South Coast… About 2 hours south of Sydney, in the Snowy Mountains, about 3 hours drive west of Sydney on the other side of the Great Dividing Range and a number of other smallish towns. I was born in Berlin, and I think my love affair and ultimately what I would classify addiction, stems from the very carbohydrate rich German diet I grew up with… Its not an excuse, and I am glad that I finally found something that helps me overcome my obesity. My parents are still in Berlin, and both my mum and sister are suffering from the same overweightness, down to even the same body shape, like me. I have been telling them about what I am going. Does anyone know if the book is available in other languages? I have roughly summised the diet to them, but it would be better if they could follow and read everything themselves…

Thank you, Bill! (that’s the semi-skimmed milk out tomorrow, then!)

Truly amazing – the body’s ability to self heal if we just give it a chance. Fantastic results Lizzie and hubby, you have every incentive to continue. Have fun telling people how you did it!

Good luck for today Bill, I know you won’t get your daughters results for a while though.

I am still in ketosis, today a dark pink 4 so climbing every day. I have lost 3lbs since Monday which is not like me at all and is very encouraging. I had your coconut flatbreads yesterday which were yummie though mine were more like coconut macaroons as I didn’t flatten them down and thought they might do that in the heat of the oven. They were still lovely and very filling. I did some reading about coconut oil/flour on the coconut mama website you mentioned and I need to make sure to eat more of it as I think it could really help.

I think perhaps the relationship between ketosis and blood sugar is a complicated one but as long as you are in ketosis you are losing fat and by the end of your 8 weeks your bs average will be much lower.

While you are at the hospital, ask the coffee shop if they can make you a soya cappuccino.

Take care.

Hi Inka
try sticking to the brunch / dinner idea for weekends, it works well for me, I never feel hungry but you can always have an apple or pear or a few nuts etc if you need to snack.
Your greatest weapon when offered the wrong food is a simple no !! 😀

Most folk are trying for 50g or a bit lower as this amount of carbs will help your body into fat burning mode.

Well done! I think we are at about the same point for time and weight loss so lets keeping powering through to our targets! (even though mine is far too ambitious tbh)

Hi All,
Day 5 for me today— was battling with a huge headache most of the day. Was a relief when it finally went away in the afternoon. Not sure if this had something to do with the diet or not.
Foodwise I am going okay: Just had a very tasty dinner: chicken thigh fillet with shitake and oyster mushrooms, onion, cooked tomato and a big handful of baby spinach. …
This will be my first weekend on the diet and I am a little worried. During the week there is more routine for me and it is easier to stick to my diet plans. On the weekend, my family grazes all day and someone other than me cooks, which is usually nice, but because I have not told them about my new weightloss routine, it might be a bit difficult to avoid the carbohydrate rich foods, if they cook them…. Any tips anyone? I guess I could try to convince them to cook or not to cook certain foods, maybe…..

Hi all, just checking in to say that I’m coming to the end if my 4th week on the BSD and I’m averaging a 1lb a day weight loss at the moment. In total I have lost 19lbs. I am amazed.
Also, my skin is JUST about showing signs of starting to improve (thank god).

This diet is a flipping miracle.

Keep going everyone! Xxx

This is Day 1 for me and as my fridge/freezer is already full of stuff (mostly healthy, thankfully), I wanted to create my own menu and log the calories in My Fitness Pal.
But I can’t seem to find any guidance on exactly what ‘low-carb’ in this context means. Is it best to keep it under 100g? 50g?
Any ideas about fat/protein ratios?

xx

I never imagined I would part of a cultural health revolution at the age of 54! The sugar and drug industries will find it difficult to deny the existence of the army of melting people! In the book it talks about this approach as being as revolutionary as the stomach ulcer experiment that eventually won the Nobel. I am telling everyone who I think it can help and these days that is almost everyone!
Hope your own journey to a healthier you is smooth.

Hi, Nat and everyone else. I have taken the plunge and started today too! Like you, I am not diabetic (or pre-diabetic as far as I know) but I have a 44inch belly so could be heading that way! I look 9 months pregnant (with a gestation period of an elephant BTW). I have 3 stone to lose and I, too, have spent years being brain-washed by the low-fat brigade, but now I am the biggest I have ever been.

I have read the BSD book and have been avidly reading these forums and seeing how wonderful you all are, getting really inspired by your successes and super-excited to start.
I had been in a bit of a dilemma as whether to start now or not as I go away on a river cruise (where the food is meant to be amazing) in 3 weeks time. But, I figure, it’s better to start now for a boost (and hopefully my dresses would fit a little better and I won’t feel so self-conscious on holiday), otherwise I might just get back from the cruise in an even worse place.

So, here I am, and looking forward to getting to know you all.

xx

After doing the 800 calorie diet for 1 week, my blood sugars went from 5.8 to 4.6 after losing just 4lbs in weight, My diabetic partner had readings of just over 15 and 1 week later and 5lbs weight off down to 4.4

Great to hear you are off to a good start Nat. Make good use of the forums, as there is a lot of information and support out there. It’s really helped me – in week 2 I hit a plateau and found it really hard to stay positive and motivated, but the forum posts have helped to carry me through.

Hope you and all the others starting now, will soon be seeing results. Good Luck to you all!

I have certainly experienced a reduction in appetite and whatever the reason for that, I am grateful. Previous diets have had me reaching for snacks to stave off pangs, but there’s none of that on the BSD – at least not for me. I’m well into week three now, but still on a bit of a plateau – only dropped a pound so far this week. Determined to stay with it though, as I am feeling so much healthier on this diet and don’t want to screw it up.

Hi Sue1234 – it’s very strange this thing about weight and bowel movements! You don’t weigh any more or less if your bowels are full or empty. something to do with physics – your bowels are sort of suspended in your body. Try weighing yourself before and after and you will see what I mean – I heard this on QI a few years ago, can’t remember the comedians name but he is occasionally on The Sky at Night type of programme 🙂

The exercise debate sounds interesting. I will keep an eye out for any findings. N

Hi, thanks all for your messages of luck, encouragement. I have never used a forum before but I can see the benefit of this already, we can certainly support each other along the way. A good start with a lovely breakfast (yoghurt, apple, mango and hazlenuts), it seems a surprisingly large portion. I think my biggest challenge today may well be the steps. I am working from home, which is small, and as I have been meeting the 10k steps for more than 6 months now I have decided to increase this to 14k. Good luck everyone. We can do this. N

Good news about FBS and I love the analogy of the car and petrol! 🙂

Interesting thought, that, Bill, slow transit is supposed not to be too good for you. I think I will up the nuts and seeds in my diet now 🙂

Jeff and Lucia, wonderful posts from you two!! Both so positive!
Lucia I felt the same about the full fat yoghurt, I can’t believe I have been missing out for years by eating low fat sugar laden junk ones!!
Can’t wait to hear the posts about the weight coming off and the wonderful energy you will feel!!

Good to hear it worked for you zebbie and julia18togo. I don’t mind the american accent on the one I’ve downloaded (from zenlabs), because it allows me to set my own playlist from the music on my phone. I’m not sure that any other app would mix up Motorhead with the Jackson 5…

😀 😀 😀
Well done Sue
Tell me, how did you get that thumbs up emojie ? I tried the usual (Y) but it doesn’t work.

Hi Barry
Like Janet says try the 800 and see howit goes, you may well be very surprised at how well you cope.

Thank you SunnyB.

Day 20 weight 10st 8lbs – hallelujah!!!!! Weight finally going down again. Even though I replaced two coffee’s with milk for sugar free cola and fruit tea yesterday, because I failed to ‘go’ to the loo I didn’t think I would lose any weight. Ecstatic 👍👍👍👍👍😀😀😀😀😀😀
Blood sugar 11.4
Total weight lost 8lbs & as a bonus I tried on a pair of trousers one size less than normal yesterday and they fit.😀

Hi Marinecole
I think everyones appetite has lessened
If you make your digestive system work hard on the fats and complex carbs in the diet, it doesn’t have time to make you feel hungry.
Best of luck on the maintainence plan, let us know how you get on.

Hi teej
if you are really worried about calorie intake and you are struggling to eat veg, you can give the calorie intake a boost by adding a couple of teaspoons of olive oil (about 105 cals per tsp) or a little butter to your food.

Great to here mrscrimbo
Another testimonial to how well this lifestyle works.
Honestly speaking, are you even thinking about, never mind missing, carbs and sugary things now?
One day the world will listen and that will trigger a huge revolution in eating.
Remember it’s not just the drug and diet companies that will have to readjust, it’s the whole food industry that has been feeding us slow acting poisons for years, there will be a lot of (very well funded) opposition when the word gets out.

This is the way I’m seeing it now.
Compare your body to a car, it’s been running happily on 4 star petrol but everything gets clogged up with carbon. You have a can of unleaded in the boot and you run out of fuel.
Put unleaded in and the car may stutter a few times but as it gets used to the new cleaner fuel, performance gets better as the carbon deposits melt away.
The high sugar readings are the result of your body getting rid of those carbons (stored sugar) and once it’s gone, performance will improve.
Simplistic perhaps but it works for me.
Oh BTW 7.1 fasting reading this morning so hopefully the start of a downward trend again.

Agreed, lots of above the ground veg, use below the ground veg (swede, turnip, parsnip, carrots ets) sparingly as they do tend to have more carbs and sugar.
Cauliflower is very versatile and can be made into mash for pie toppings or cauli rice. Celeriac, I find, is a very acceptable substitute for swede. Add herbs and spice to vary your menu’s.