Hello again, I’ve been worried about the toe numbness which is now in both feet. But there is hope! Just read this:
“you can reverse neuropathy by lowering your post meal blood sugars. ” Yea!!
“Effective Treatment for Neuropathy

Everything changes when you define “tight control” to mean “Maintaining post-meal blood sugars below the level where neuropathy begins.” That level turns out to be 140 mg/dl (7.7 mmol/L). Lower your blood sugar to this level, meal after meal, and your nerves sill start to heal.” http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com.au/2008/12/diabetic-nerve-pain-and-what-you-can-do.html

OK, just checked creds of the blog writer. A diabetic herself who has done lots of research and written books re blood sugar and diabetes. Will double check the facts, but at the moment will start taking post-prandial BS.

Cheers fellow travellers.

Hi kes, welcome to the forums, just jump into the 800 calorie blood sugar diet, you seem to have done a lot of preparation so you should not find it as difficult as you think. I did do the tests and they helped galvanize me into action!
I have hypothyroidism and haven’t felt this good for years, I have lost 2 stones despite having fails on other diets.
If you decide to fully go for it you will find lots of support on these forums
All the best 🙂

Hello Denise
Pleased to hear the day went well and well done for getting past the food at work….. think I would have struggled with that one!
The bit I I’m going fined difficult is how many cals in something. I’ve never weighed food unless making a cake and I know generally speaking root veg. are higher in cals than veg above ground! A number of recipes say things like one courgette, at my greengrocers that could be rather larger. I know I need to be sensible but with such tight margins it could be very easy to go over the 800.

Keep up the good work!

Hi team, another day and I haven’t given up, and I don’t want to.
When I read my first blog, I understand it now. I was like a zombie, eating junk. Now, I can’t understand why I ate it all.
I am now settled with cornflakes, turkey or ham with salad wrap and for the evening, plenty of veg. Tonight I enjoyed an omelette. I turned the telly off so I could taste the food.
Now I am ready for the next level.
I asked for ideas for breakfast, to get rid of the cornflakes. I have just written all the many examples down in a notebook. So thank you.
I hope, by the weekend, to start counting the calories. I will get down to 800. I don’t honestly know how many I am on now.
I was ashamed to say I was 14 stone 8 pounds.
In only a week, I have lost 6 pounds, I am delighted as I am not on the true BS diet.
Please keep giving me your suggestions, I need them.
I am walking more now, in the morning, lunch and evenings. I am up to 5000 steps instead of 50 a day 😎
Looking forward to 10,000 steps.
Love Lucia xxxx

Hi Sarah
Shift went well and I resisted all temptations! I am now tucked up in bed feeling very empowered!
Denise x

Hi Hashimoto, I haven’t tried chickpea flour just coconut flour so I shall give them a go. Its all lots trial and error isn’t it? ☺

Hi Sarah
Today was ok actually, especially as there was a buffet there for a colleague that’s retiring! I kept my head and noticed how many saboteurs there are around me. Planning is the key to it so just have to remain really organised.
Denise x

Glad you are feeling a bit better Susan. As Hashimoto says, stick with it and it does become easier.

Hi Loulibelle, I’d echo Fluffyslippers’ comment about the amount of fat your hubby is eating. It really does curb the hunger grumps and it’s more satisfying. I’m now a big fan! Also, drinking lots of water seems to help. Good luck!

Hit the one stone off this morning – 4 weeks and 2 days in. Yay!

I’m sleeping better, feel happier, have more energy (no naps between getting home and starting the evening cooking), have had no sinus problems (previously 4-5 times a week I would wake up in the morning feeling like I had been kicked in the face by a horse!), less knee pain from an old injury. I’m sure there are more positives too!

Hi Cherrianne,

All I can say is Yaay! Thank you for your confidence and encouragement, it really helps! I love what you said about having that quality of life right into old age-this is so important to keep that in mind, especially when it gets tough-as a friend of mine says ‘no food tastes as good as being healthy feels’. I have learned so much and been so encouraged by the people on these forums. They are obviously such a great and vital addition to the book.
Jeff 🙂

Hi channelk the chickpea flour ones are more like indian flat breads, i like experimenting with adding seeds and spices 🙂

So great to read about lower blood sugars and weight. Day 10 here and my sugar has been under 7 for 4 days! This from a scary 17 one morning two weeks ago! Weight down 5 kgs. Feeling SO much better already..don’t wake with a back ache, climbing stairs easier.
Hubby is a very tall guy and has maybe lost too much for him, so he is now allowed a bit more than me. His BG is fine, only “beer belly.”
I now dream of fasting bloods under 6. And losing a dress size next. Keep up the great work everyone. Beaut morning here at Port Stephens. Perhaps another kayak, at least a swim.

Hi Cherrianne
Thanks for sending me your thoughts on this. I didn’t use milk at all in my scrambled eggs. I seem to think its more the fat than the protein that are the issue as full fat milk and cream both cause pain but I have no problem with skimmed milk. As you say, I have none of the usual symptoms for lactose intolerance so I ruled that out. The other symptoms you described – I don’t have any of them either – just a heavy pain that doesn’t go away unless I can get to sleep somehow. I recently tried buscupan just to try to get away from the codeine – it made me violently sick! Thanks again, I’m in no pain at all tonight even though I persevered with the higher fat today. Maybe I can butter my stomach into submission!

Greek Yogurt with blueberries and cinnamon

Ham salad with mustard mayo/sour cream dressing

Broccoli, spinach, red pepper and onion, cooked with curry powder and olive oil, mixed with cottage cheese and a few raisins, topped with chicken and fresh coriander. This was fantastic and came in at 420 calories including the olive oil.

Half a pink lady apple, three almonds

Water, three coffees with milk

840 cals total.

Thank you Cherrianne for your support! I have my grocery list and will stop at the store on the way home from work this afternoon-so tomorrow is day 1 (I plan on having a healthy salad tonight).

p.s. you must know me somehow, as I have delayed starting a bit 🙂

best wishes,
jeff

Hey Hashimoto, thanks for that. Not loving the coconut flour so my attempts at the flatbreads haven’t been that successful! I nearly succumbed to buying rye bread the other day but somehow managed not to. Weirdly I think I’m missing the texture more than anything. Each week brings an unexpected challenge (this is week 4 for me) so maybe this week it’s dealing with my love of bread!

Hi channelk, hope you don’t mind me jumping in here, there is a recipe for chickpea flour flatbreads and one for coconut flat breads on this web site, just look for the recipes tab at the top of the page 🙂

I wonder if you have an allergy/ intolerance to one of the components of milk eg casein or whey? There is very little casein in butter but if you added milk to the scrambled eggs as well it might explain it. Check the non fatty, non dairy foods that also give you problems to see if they have milk protein or whey added.
I think if it was lactose intolerance you would have been diagnosed sooner because that is more readily recognised. You would also have wind, bloating and diarrhoea but you haven’t mentioned any of these.
Pain without known cause is tough on you psychologically, as well as physically. If the pain is of the colicky, crampy, coming on in waves type you might get relief from Buscopan more than codeine. Hope you can get help for this soon:)

Can anyone recommend a good step counter app for android? Had a look but there are quite a few. I downloaded one and all it was, was adverts.

You are very welcome. The sooner you start, the quicker you’ll feel the benefits 🙂
If you can get the Daily Mail articles at least you’ll have the basic tools to keep you going until your book arrives. We’ll soon be hearing about the improvements in your blood sugar and weight, I’m certain.

Hi Penny
Thanks for the gram flour flatbread tip. What is it and is it easily findable? Definitely still searching for a suitable bread alternative. Have even started googling low carb bread options in desperation! I’m currently making the courgette and tarragon soup recipe and would love some sort of bread to dunk with it. Sigh. ☺. Onwards and upwards..

I started the diet on Feb14. lost 10kg so far. finding it very good not too hungry at all. I’m sure I will reach my target of 85 kg no problem. my question is what happen when I’ve reach the target weight. how or what do i eat to stabilise my weight.

Hi Jeff,
I too have a lifelong commitment to this way of life, so I’m sticking around. I want to be healthy right into a very ripe old age and get maximum enjoyment out of life!! Keeping my blood sugars in the non diabetic range is the key to achieving this.
It will only be a very short time before you’re able to help. The learning curve is steep and you acquire new insight into diabetes/ blood sugar control/ weight management very quickly.
Part of the joy in this forum is reading other people’s achievements as well as their personal stories. I really feel this is the best breakthrough in diabetes care for decades, and we’re all here willingly. 🙂

Hi does anyone have a meal plan for this? Cant seem to find anything on website and I just really need a bit of guidance. Thanks in advance !

Hi Kiwispot,
Yes, I think it is very easy to let things start to creep back in like fruit and even low fat stuff as that’s a hard habit to break. Dr Mosley says to keep fruit to non-tropical ones or berries as there is a lot of sugar in tropical,fruit. Maybe once you got to your target weight you can reintroduce your favourites. On the plus side, you can be more liberal with the butter and other dairy products and the fat in meat is no longer to be feared. Well done on your weight loss so far. I’m sure if you keep an eye on things you will continue to do just fine.

Thank you – this is JUST what I was searching for! I went to see Michael Mosley at a charity talk about the diet this week in Auckland – unfortunately this topic wasn’t covered.
I lost 4 Kg in the first two weeks, then if anything I have put on a tiny bit in the last 10 days. I suspect as I was doing so well and as time got on and I wanted more variety, the ratio of carb to protein/fat increased. Still staying around 800cal’s but eating more carb type veggie’s like beetroot carrot, pumpkin and kumara, and having two pieces of fruit a day. Why do they have to taste so good!

Anyone else finding their bodies have adjusted and now not losing weight??? Goal for this week is to keep carb’s around 70g and see if I can restart the weight loss.

Lovely to hear all the weight loss successes, health bonuses and especially all the positivity from this thread. My OH and I started the diet yesterday (well we started on something, not sure yet if it will turn into the full BSD or the 5:2 Med style). Breaking ourselves in gently as it’s scary to come down from a high carb intake (plus alcohol) to 800. Wasn’t going to weigh this morning after only one day but I haven’t set the scales up properly yet so had another go this morning and lost 2lb yesterday on a fast day of 500 calories. Not had the courage to take any tests to see if either of us is in the diabetic/prediabetic zone but we’ve certainly got a lot of the indicators and both of us have big bellies. I’ve also got hypothyroidism and take 150mg of levothryroxine.

Well done to everyone who’s already done so well and here’s hoping we’ll be joining you on the BSD journey to new bodies and better life.

Bre123 – Thanks for the tip about the yoghurt and seeds. Do you leave them all whole???
Just eating them now, but I seem to remember hearing you only get the nutritional value if you chop the linseeds up. But I guess we are eating them for a different purpose here!

Wow Damson that is incredible weight loss well done you, I have a similar amount to lose but couldn’t get on with the 5:2. Time to change that I think, day three and seems fine so far. Good luck to you 🙂

Very pleased to be of service 😉

Lunch 2 egg Omelette with ham, peppers and a sprinkle of cheese
Dinner home made chicken stew
Late snack as usual will be Greek yoghurt with berries or pear

Hi janet, just drinking my mocktail! Delicious! My son loves mint teas so I’m passing on your idea to him 🙂

Brunch: malkay’s ‘pancake’ – thanks malkay, i had mine with strawberries

Dinner: gram flatbread and the last of the beef curry (didn’t have enough space in freezer)

Hi janet1973, thanks. Bill is amazing, we are so lucky to have him. He was right when be said we will get a lot more of that as the site has more of us posting. Im having your minty drink in a mo 🙂

Same here – no hunger, enjoying food more if anything, and the tiredness and constant aches and pains in my muscles stopped on the first day! I feel happier too, not related to success or weightloss because I am only at the start – it must just be the change in my blood sugars. I find it completely bizarre! And when I tell people about it, they think I’ve gone a bit nuts and I’m fooling myself, kind of a placebo effect.

Hi natasha the number of calories needed for weight maintenance is likely to be different for individuals so I think it will be trial and error once we have reached our goals. I intend to increase calorie intake until i have reached my optimum level. 🙂

Maybe check how much fat he is eating? If he can give up some carb calories to increase the fat calories, and drink plenty, it may help.

Not my type hun 😉

Wow Hashimoto that’s great news!

I had a brainwave yesterday – lol it’s actually not that brainwavey but it occured to me after a lot of stressing about falling back into old patterns when I’ve completed the 8 weeks.

At the end of the 8 weeks I was thinking of continuing on 800 calories for a few weeks and then progressing onto the 5:2. At least then I will have some direction and it will be a good way to ensure I acheive either more weight-loss or steady weight and blood sugar maintenance.

I also think following a plan for at least 6 months to a year will ensure this new lifestyle will be a permanent fixture in my life.

Be good to know what others think about this and what has worked well for others.

By the way, does anyone know what the recommended daily calorie intake should be at the end of the 8WeekBSD (for weight maintenance)?

The not being hungry is pretty weird isn’t it? How can I be eating about 35-40% (probably) of what I was eating before and not feel anywhere near as hungry as I did before? I sleep better I ache less and I can move much more freely too. It is a wonderful thing. I hope you continue to do well.

Baggy knickers!
Yesterday, while I was out walking, I noticed flappy fabric around my upper thighs and wondered what was going on.
Loose knicker elastic perhaps? Today’s underwear also felt rather roomy.
So consolation that into Week 6 and it seems to be harder to lose the pounds quickly.
Weightloss has stalled but I must be shrinking.:-)

Happy to hear the news it is ok to continue with BSD longer as I don’t think oh and I can shift what we have to lose in 8 weeks! We are into week 4 and oh has lost 19lbs and myself 17lbs . Still a long way to go to our completely outrageous targets and the loss has slowed but like so many people on here the other welcome side effect of not feeling like death warmed up most of the time, plus enjoying our food immensely helps. This community of fellow dieters is very motivating especially all the honesty, kindness and great recipes!

Thanks for that, I’ll give it a try.

mmm the flatbreads do sound good – and less bruising than snickers. I’ll give it a go…

I’m sure its all those nasty sugars getting flushed through your system. Sadly, our partners don’t always like the sound of change but I’m sure yours will get more positive as the results come. Maybe if you make some flatbreads you could throw them at each other with less risk and fewer carbs?

Judith:
So great to hear! Thank you! Yup, commitment is key and the support of others so important to keeping it! I hope in a few weeks to be as helpful to new folks as you all have been. Jeff 🙂

Yep, I quite agree. I like the way he summed up what to eat and what not to eat. I’ll be keeping an eye on him (he’s quite easy on the eye, I don’t suppose you noticed)

Agog! What a great word! I need to use that somewhere soon. It was just a link to a ‘miracle cure’ for hypothyroid. If only! …Bill had it removed, god bless him!

Is anyone finding that the BSD is dramatically affecting their mood?
I’m finding it all ok – but my husband is like a walking snickers ad. Sadly I cannot throw a snickers at his head and wait for him to cheer up (this was actually the solution to at least 50% of our arguments in the past!)
We are on week three…
Tips? sympathy?