Cherrianne, I am definitely going to try the liquorice tea … I know I have some in the cupboard! Not for the hunger pangs, cos there aren’t any, but just cos I quite fancy that!! Right now you are probably in bed in Aussie land, while I am sitting in my office with a busy day ahead!! I’m really pleased about your blood sugar levels, cos insulin is no fun! I look back over the past 12 years, and to be honest, whether its because people are under the misapprehension that I know what it’s all about, or whether its because they don’t know either, or whether its because I have just ignored the fact I am diabetic and not stayed on top of it … which I think is probably more of the case … I have never been as keen to lower my bg as now. I have to take responsibility!!

Hope you have a good day later … and thanks for the tip on the liquorice tea (have now had two cups!!) x

Does any one have a suggestion for replacement of Portobello mushrooms for the Portobello toast and the Cheesy baked beans, that would be a similar calorie content and nutrients?? I would be glad to know..not a fan of mushrooms!! Will appreciate any input

Hello I too have PCOS plus polycystic kidneys. I’m on my 4th week of this diet and it’s working well lost over a stone. Have you thought about how much water you’re drinking? A 2 litre bottle of water weighs quite a bit and if you’re retaining fluid that can give a false picture. I have found that if I have a more vegetarian diet the weight seems to fall off and being very careful about using salt in recipes going for more pepper and other herbs/spices instead.

Good luck.

Hi Hummingbird, I was scared of the full fat too but not any more. Try the 800 for a fortnight and then see. I found the 800 much easier because you are allowed more food, it’s more filling and once you get over the first few days you don’t get the hunger pangs. I know everyone is different but I tend to eat at about 10am, 2pm and 6pm. It gives a long fast but if you are diabetic it may be better to have a full fat greek yoghurt like Bill an hour before you go to bed 🙂
Just a thought – you could make a vegetarian cottage pie ( with lentils – do you have Rose Elliott’s books?) because the cauliflower mash on top is totally scrumptious. I will admit I felt strange adding all that cheese and olive oil to the cauli but the weight is still dropping off – go for it gal because you won’t regret it 🙂 🙂

You know what guys, I try on a daily basis, to do whatever I can to offer help and encouragement to others in my own little way.
Today I’m on the other side of the fence so to speak and I’m so chuffed about these resposes from strangers who are rapidly becoming friends.
If what I do makes others feel even slightly the way I feel at the moment, then I must be doing something right.
Thanks to all of you for the kind responses and support

Sod the readings – Onward and Upward 🙂

Bill

Hi Aly, I have never tried to make greek yoghurt, I know it involves filtering, so don’t think I will bother with it. My time is filled making all these lovely recipes. A double batch of Bill’s coconut flour flatbreads this morning. I have experimented with no salt. Some I will use as a dessert with cream and fruit and the other batch I sprinkled parmesan cheese on before they went in the oven. They turned out fine. 🙂

Thanks for that info Hawkeye

Hi LH and hashimito,

Thanks for your replies, and well done on how you’ve done so far!, inspiring stuff! I’m going to do a few 800 cal days to see how it feels, I’ve done loads of 500 cal days with the 5:2 so maybe won’t be so difficult. I’m trying to get my head around the fat content on this plan. The marketing machine did a good job on me, as I’m ‘scared’ of fat, have avoided fats for years, and only use olive oil sparingly, this is going to be interesting, ‘allowing’ myself creme fraiche and such like, sure it’s why I am a sugar junkie, as I don’t get enough of the right fats, although I do eat nuts as am vegetarian..

HB.x

Phew Yael, that is good news about the quince!!! Thanks 🙂

Welcome to the forums Hawkeye, you could really make a difference to others especially when they see the weight falling off you and want to know how to get the same results. Well done 🙂

Thanks, Hashimoto. I think I’ve said that my 85 year-old doctor father has been debunking the low-fat products for many years. I guess there are plenty of doctors and dieticians who just don’t bother keeping up with research and new thoughts. I felt quite protective about ‘our’ Michael.

Bill, despite your little blip that is VERY good news. Your nurse is reacting the same way as mine. They have to when they see the results. Let’s hope it benefits other patients in your practice!!

Hi there, I’m about to start the new 8 week BSD. I have read the book and just writing a shopping list of all the things I need.

Do I have to follow the diet sheet from Monday to Sunday religiously or can I use the recipes and make my own week up?

Say for instance I wanted portebello toast with goats cheese twice and a green tea shake twice in one week and a no carb bircher twice in one week for breakfast would this be ok.

I am going shopping but have non of the ingredients and not a great deal of money so trying to buy for the week and keep costs down.

Aly, I have a quince tree, just the one, and it fruits just fine. Love the smell of quinces.

Hi Bill,
Stick with it – it seems to be working well for me. I started 10 days ago and initially had the same experience as you – fasting BS in the morning 12 – and thought OMG! But have persisted. No longer getting hunger pangs between meals and average BS through the day 6.5 – first thing in the morning, down to 7.4. I have also lost weight – hallelujah! I’m already feeling better than I have for a very long time and I don’t think it’s all down to the ‘start of diet euphoria’ – I feel more active and I’m sleeping better. Like you, this has got to work for me and after 10 days, I think this is something I can adapt to.
I look forward to celebrating with you at the end of the 8 weeks.

Hey Bill
Take your own advice 🙂 Don’t beat yourself up! Listen to the sensible (new) diabetes nurse. Nothing about humans is ever 100 per cent perfect or consistent. I have nerve damage in my left foot (spinal fusions didn’t quite stop the rot) and it tingles a lot. But, after just 6 days, I’ve noticed less tingling …
You’re our hero. So what if you have a toe of two that’s made of clay. 🙂

Hi Petra,
I also have PCOS, and type 2 diabetes and I’m going through peri-menopause (the last 2 were diagnosed at the ripe old age of 46 :.. which is pretty young – however apparently the combination of these conditions often results in their early onset.

Anyway, i have tried the 5:2 and now the BSD. I did have some success with the 5:2 however it was much slower than everyone else i knew who was doing it. And now I am into my third week of the BSD.

So far, after 3 weeks on the BSD, I have only lost about 1 kg.

at times the lack of weight loss gets me down, but then i remind myself that at least i am not putting weight on (so i am going in the right direction) … AND .. my body has always taken a long long long time to lose weight – so why should now be any different.

My advice … keep with it .. be kind to yourself .. and remember every one is different … and whilst we would all love to be like the examples in the book – we aren’t.

Good luck. 🙂

Hi SunnyB

I do weigh myself every day, as Michael says, if you pick just one day, that might be a day where you have gained some, so its better to take a week’s readings and divide them by seven to get an average weight loss for the week and then the month if you want to. I also read the same advice in Rose Elliot’s book and her reasons are slightly different. She says weighing every day takes the emotion out of it because its just part of your getting-up routine, rather than a big event that you’ve built up to.

My weight doesn’t change on a daily basis; typically I will stay the same for three days then drop a half or a pound, then stay the same then put on half a pound. But as Bill says, our weight will fluctuate due to all kinds of reasons, many of them hormonal so its hard to be in complete control. I have still lost weight on this programme faster than any other I have done – and I’ve done a lot! The first week is always going to give the best results because of the water you shed which was trying to deal with the toxins of your old diet. Now you have cleaned up your diet, the water is no longer needed. From the second week onwards, or thereabouts, its going to be fat loss.

Stick with it and be kind to yourslef; the sure fire way to make sure this diet doesn’t work is to get disheartened and fall back into old ways. I’m sure you will see some movement in the next few days.

Plateaus are completely normal, it’s just your body adjusting to a new way of eating, it’s also common for your weight to fluctuate by up to 4 lbs over the course of the day.
I know what Michael says re getting weighed and it’s the one thing I disagree with. Getting weighed once a week at the same time on the same scales works for me.

God I’m so annoyed
I knew had my yearly blood tests this morning but I let myself be talked into going out for dinner last night to our favourite Turkish restaurant.
I was really good, had a mixed seafood starter and a kebab of chicken done on a skewer with a small side salad.
Didn’t have my usual yoghurt snack as I just wasn’t hungry.
Fasting blood sugar ……… 9.1 I couldn’t believe it.
Anyhow I discussed this with the (new) diabetes nurse and she said not to worrry as the blood tests were different to what we do each day and show an average over a period of time. She was also really impressed with the weight loss and the lack of tingling in my feet, so much so that she has asked me to print off the pdf file for her to read – looks like another possible convert.
9.1 !!! anybody have a smilie for holding a gun to your head ?

Have been weighing daily, as the book says those who weigh more often, are more likely to stick with the diet and I have to admit that part is working for me. However, this is my second week and I lost steadily through the first week, so it is concerning not to see any loss at all since Monday. I am sticking with the diet, but find this ‘plateau’ worrying, just hoping things will start to go in the right direction again.

Hi All,
I too am new to this site and its wonderful reading about everybodies progress. I began the diet 3 weeks ago and have found it not too difficult, and have really enjoyed trying the new recipes. I have trained as a peer educator for Type II diabetes so its important to me to try this but also for my health as an overweight apple with rising fasting glucose. The area I live in has a high number of Asian diabetics from the Indian Sub Continent and East African heritage so I am really interested in finding recipes both vegetarian and not vegetarian that have been addapted for a low carb, and of course its an opportunity to add Indian low carb to my repetoire!

Many thanks in advance.

I make my own yogurt too! From full fat milk. Will have to increase the amount I make so I can have some. It is possible to make Greek yogurt butbI need to get my head around it. 😀

I use Clearspring Miso Soup which are really easy to use, only 29kcal and are fine in a flask if you are out for the day and need something to keep you going rather than resorting to finding a meal or snack on the run.

Aly I am so impressed!!! What a wonderful thing to do. I was just saying to a friend yesterday that if I had the money (and a strong back) I would want to be self sufficient and use green energy – in fact precisely the way you have described, apart from the wood burner these days cos of my bronchiectasis. I will look your website up!

If you can’t find greek yoghurt you could make normal yoghurt with full fat milk. It tastes delicious. I know what you mean about the jam – I made loads myself, wild bilberry and rhubarb and ginger along with every kind of jam you can think off. Glad that I stored so much in the freezer just as it was.

Oh, I didn’t know that about quinces. I know there is a new strain from Russia on dwarf rooting stock but will definitely have to check up on the pollination situation.
Hope your license arrives at an appropriate time.

Hi there, thank you for your reply. I am going to book in with the doctor and make him aware this is the diet I am going to be doing. I need a check up anyway as over the last week I’ve become extremely tired with no energy or motivation. How does one know if they have become full diabetic from prediabetes? I am also trying to come off the meds I’m on, but slowly, this is again with the doctor and how I’m feeling. One thing that puzzles me though is I can go a couple of days without very little food as I work 11 sometimes 12 hour days and on my feet all day and do not lose any weight, I mentioned it to the doctor and they asked if the 11 hours were intense or was my heart rate elevated? Well in my eyes I think 11 or 12 hours on one’s feet is surely enough to lose weight, especially as all I would maybe eat would be shredded wheat with skimmed milk and no sugar. I don’t want to start this and become demotivated. I have otherwise a sedentary lifestyle apart from walking my dog. I have a trial at a gym tomorrow which is huge for me as I hate excersise but I am scared for my health, hence why I am doing this and also read that a large abdomen was dangerous and I have a lot of abdominal fat, a huge over hang. I am also going through menopause.

Hi Rubbu, good news on the weight loss!! I personally have not measured the things like carbs. Today I will have greek yoghurt and berries for breakfast ( same every day), lunch is either home made veg soup with beans and dollop of full fat cream cheese or yoghurt, or frittata or the no carb ploughmans or chicken stir fry – just simple things. My evening meals are a variation on the lunches. As I live on my own this is a necessity! So if I have half an avocado for lunch one day I will have the other half the next evening. I love the recipe for avocado, bacon and radish mixed together and dollops put on the leaves of a little gem. The next day I might have avocado and poached egg. I have to do a similar thing if I buy prawns or good quality ham. Basically I just follow the recipes in the book. One of my favourites is the cottage pie with cauliflower mash, in fact I am making it for dinner tonight.

You should try the coconut flour flatbreads or chickpea flour flat breads – they are so versatile. Like a few others on here I am not too hung up about the exact science as following the recipes in the book is working very well for me. I just make similar meals if I am not following rigidly. So if I have grilled a packet of bacon and had the avocado bacon mix I will use up some of the bacon in a frittata instead of the chickpeas.

If you follow the book I don’t think you will go wrong. If it helps to have something more pictorial than the book, google daily mail 8 week blood sugar diets. There are four weeks of recipes you can print off (in 5 editions of the paper) I did this and stuck them in a book. I like to look at the pics and make a decision based on what takes my fancy – they do say we eat with our eyes!!!
Don’t know if this will be any help but good luck on this diet 🙂

I have a quince and have since been told you need two for it to fruit! Have not yet sourced another.
On another note…I applied some weeks ago to change my driving license to a French one. Had a phone call from the prefecture this morning and I think she was checking to see if I am in today as a courier will deliver my new license that has to be signed for! I have a Drs appointment at 12.15 so hope it does not come then.

wonderful news, graemesmith! bet your gp is pleased too. I have the trouser problem myself – fortunately I had kept all the ones I had grown too fat for and have had to pull them out of retirement. Two sizes down already!!! Treat yourself to a new pair, you have earned it. Once I stopped wearing the baggy slipping down ones I actually looked slimmer. Buy cheap ones though as they too will soon start slipping!! 😉

Cherrieanne, I think I was born a Luddite!! when I mentioned the forums my son was gobsmacked – ‘Oh, you have managed to sign up to go on forums?’ I just hope I can remember what I’m learning on this site!!!
I too am a courgette queen! Green ones, yellow ones, round ones, stripy ones! Chocolate and courgette cake – fooled my mother with that few years back, hated courgettes and thought it was the nicest chocolate cake she had ever had. Told her about the courgettes after her comment lol. Courgette and garlic soup is one of my favourites. There are endless things to do with courgettes – even courgette risotto is pretty good.
My new favourite way is to make courgette noodles with my spiraliser, just fry the courgette noodles add some chilli and garlic as it begins to soften then heap on the full fat cream cheese and parmesan. Quick and delicious. It’s good to hear of youngsters eating good, healthy food in this day and age.
The only sad thing about the allotment is that it has laid fallow for several years because the council thought the old man’s family would take it over. There is a lot of rubbish to clear before he can start the digging. But, yes, real serendipity! Like you I also am passionate about heritage seeds, I prefer to grow heirloom varieties of tomatoes such as the good old Brandywine. We will certainly keep our eyes open for any seedlings that crop up on the grandfather’s old site.
Cherrieanne, I hadn’t thought about parrots decimating Aussie crops, it’s wood pigeons over here in Blighty. Though camping in the Blue Mountains, years ago, I did see HEAR lots of them of a morning round the camp site and they do like the green stuff!
I think I will be the one supplying my son this year – with young fruit bushes I have been growing for him and seedlings from my greenhouse for as soon as the land is cleared of debris. In a few years though I should be receiving quinces as he is planning on buying a tree. 🙂

Hi, day one almost down of the 800 calorie diet. Mann am I experiencing hunger. I’m told its just coming off the carbs but gee whizz.
Hope i can keep it up! I’m avoiding eating around the kids coz I’ll be tempted to eat what they are eating. Think I’ll have the bircher muesli tomorrow, hoping I’m not so hungry tomorrow.

This is why I do not weigh often. My first week over today and checked the scales, have lost 6lbs. It may be that your body is taking a while to adjust. We are all different, some lose massive amounts some a little. Give it a full week and you will hopefully see a difference.

We bought a disused farm. It was sold with an acre which is enough for us. If you would like to see our home go to our website letertregites.com
It was built in 1832 and the house and barns are all granite. It is a major project but we want to be as self sufficient as possible. We have solar tubes that provide all our hot water via a heat exchanger. No central heating but a wood burner in the main living room and a wood burning Esse in the kitchen. We try to keep our carbon footprint low.
I like the sound of the Greek yogurt and may give that a go. I have masses of jam, homemade that has built up but that does contain sugar.
I am limited with the fruit Trees I can buy and grow here. I bought a Bramley apple from the UK last year but it would not grow and finally died. Just not suited to this area I guess.
Planning on growing tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and chillis in the polytunnel this year. The veg patch will be kale, peas, cabbage, cauliflower, red onions and hopefully some squash. I also have raspberries and black currants. If space allows I will put in courgette too but they are always available here and cheap to buy.
This all fits with my clean food campaign.

Panicking!!! Third day I have got on the scales to see no movement at all! Any advise gratefully received. Have checked over my food records for the last few days and can’t see any anomalies. Has anyone else had this problem?

Hi I’m into week 5 now & have lost 43lbs my bmi has dropped from 32 to 26. I am a long term type 2 diabetic (15 yrs+) & was on a regime of 1000 metformin twice a day, Lantus 60 units twice a day & Rapide around 30 units a day. Usual side effects of retinopathy & neuropathy.
I had continued with metformin and was at about 8 units of Rapide a day, usually 1st thing with bloods of around 9 to 10 then dropping and being at 5 or 6 last thing at night. Then I read about the Dawn Phenomenon on another link (see https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/dawn-phenomenon-t2d-8/ ) so yesterday I dropped the metformin & relaxed over the early morning “blip”. Its early days but me fasting BS was 7 this morning. So I’ll keep of the Dracebos meds for a few days and keep monitoring….

Fantastic news, Natasha, go girl go!!! I don’t know why but the weight seems to be falling of faster the more weeks I do this. I thought it would slow down! Perhaps it’s having more energy to be more active!! Whatever the cause it’s wonderful when you get on the scales. I stepped on twice this morning because I didn’t believe what I was seeing. I thought I might have put a little on or at least stayed the same because I ate just over 900 calories yesterday – but no…..another 10 ounces off overnight! 🙂

Thanks, Natasha, I’m rather old fashioned like that, it means I can just pick up the book and make a meal with confidence – on the other hand I did make an excel spread sheet at the beginning of the diet to record my measurements, weight, bmi etc. I colour coded the BMI starting with red at first because it was too high, then amber for almost at 25 then green when I went below 25. I think I just like the visuals! 🙂

Thank you so much, Natasha. I’m over the moon. This diet is doing wonders for us all 🙂

Sage advice, justabloke! 🙂

Hi Yael, what a disappointing and frustrating evening’s viewing for you. I guess it is going to be individuals who have made excellent progress on this diet who will convince GPs that this is something every diabetic, and I suspect, every hypothyroid patient should be doing. It could take a few years to really be ‘out there’.

I totally agree about people being trained to be big babies. Eating small and often tends to translate to eat a lot more calories during the day.

Good on you for pointing people to this forum 🙂

Hi Penny.
Spirit is right about larger people losing more weight especially at the beginning.
As a long distance Truck driver I have eaten crap for years consuming a vast amount of calories each day.
I started 25 days ago and was 20st 9lbs and weighed myself Sunday and in total disbelief I was 18st 10 lbs.
The first 2 weeks I lost 20 lbs and now my body weight is coming down the weight loss is slowing down.
We are all different and my starting point was quite high compared to most people on BSD but eventually we all gain positive benefits from the program so I hope the other guys have given you inspiration.
Keep up the good work and I hope the weight starts coming down again soon.
Nidge

WOW! Aly I am turning green! Poly Tunnel on order! Something I have dreamed of but won’t fit in the garden now. Bee keeping – something I would love to try, I’ve talked about it for at least a decade but it might annoy the neighbours, they have no plants at all in their garden just wall to wall grass and concrete. I’ve heard the kids scream if they see as much as a spider lol. My son is thinking of chickens and geese for his allotment.

Can I suggest growing a greengage, the fruit is so aromatic and sweet. I also have a peach tree on the back of the south facing garage wall. My grape vine is just over an arch on a path in the middle of the garden and still manages to produce plenty of fruit here in the North East! Oh, what I could do with a poly tunnel. What are you planning in yours?

You were a townie but it sounds as if now you are a fully grown country girl!!

Good news about the weight loss but sorry to hear about the chest infection, I know how miserable they are. Hope you get the doc to understand you.
I always used to have porridge for breakfast but soon started having thick greek yoghurt and fruit for breakfast when I started this breakfast and I have realised I actually prefer it. Never thought I would hear myself say that! I’m still eating garden fruit out of the freezer – loads of blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries, tayberries, blackberries, rhubarb etc to get through. I treated myself to a dehydrator a few years ago so I also have a vast stock of dried apple rings etc.
Hope it goes well at the drs for you and you know you are reaping the benefits of this way of eating x 🙂

I started on Monday 29th at 144.8kg. I have elevated BP but decent bloods and no indication of diabetes yet. Got some gout and a few other issues. Weighed in this morning at 141.7kg. Water and a big visit to the toilet will account for most of that but already starting to feel better. I have a dodgy knee from too many rugby injuries (and being overweight) so running is out – bought a rowing machine for my Christmas present to myself and blast out 9k in 40mins before breakfast. I’ll nail this. I’ll be 50 in October – I want to lose 50lbs by then and 50kg overall…

Hi Penny and Spirit my weight loss is also slow but my body shaped has changed significantly and I feel more energised than I can remember. I’ve had to put 2 new notch in my belt as I’ve lost 3 inches! I also use the diet doctors site which is low carb and there’s a video on there about women over 50 outlining how it can be harder to shift the weight but persevere and it may take longer. I’ve been doing this a month and took a picture of myself when I started and one again yesterday . I can see the difference and my blood pressure is within the normal range without medication and my blood sugar is down from 10.3 to 7.0 . I think we have to just keep going and don’t just rely on the scales but on a broader range of indicators .

Hello all, Michael was on a current affairs program in Australia last evening. Mixed response. Representative from Diabetics Australia a bit defensive. One woman has lost ‘only’ 2kg (4.4 pounds) after 3 weeks, but was so motivated because her blood sugar had dropped heaps. And she doesn’t want to progress to injections. Feedback on the program’s FB page was polarised. Praise from people who’ve tried the 800 calorie diet or a similar diet (the majority), but howls of criticism from people whom I suspect are dieticians and/or work for Diabetes Australia. They referred to Michael as ‘Mr Mosley’, a ‘TV presenter’, blah blah, and typically said, ‘I cannot understand why there were no dieticians in the audience to give expert opinion ‘. !!!

It will take a while for the low-fat professionals to update their knowledge (if they are open to reading & accepting latest research). I do worry about people being given bad advice by dieticians. Some said, but my dietician told me to eat regular snacks so that I won’t overeat at meals. You know what I thought? People are being trained to be big babies with regular feeds. No wonder obesity is on the rise! Snacking is the new smoking!

People made good points: we need to distinguish between low fat products (artificial and processed) and natural low fat foods (like most vegetables). and low-fat diets are bound to fail.

I made a few posts & people asked me for further information. I recommended this site, and, of course, this particular forum!

A

Hi all, this seems like a really friendly, supportive forum reading through all the threads. I am possibly prediabetic and have weight to lose but my journey for help with migraines has led me to the low carb solution. I was going down the keto diet route (popular across the pond) but that was too extreme really. This seems more doable so am keen to get started. Susan

Felicitations, chere Aly! I am about to eat dinner (Australia) on Day 6. Weighed myself: I appear to have lost 2 kgs (4.4) so far even though I weekend & had a glass of wine on two evenings. Noticed my jeans were not so tight. Amazing! Take care of yourself. Chest infections are no fun.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the support. I had a bad night last night as I was starving and couldn’t sleep, but I woke up fine this morning. I don’t feel as hungry today and I bought some meal replacement shakes to fill me up a bit at night time. I lost 1.2kg in the first day which I know is just fluid but it has spurred me on. Will post weight loss at the end of week 1. 🙂

Under the heading Instant Soups there is 3 different examples. They all say make up a soup from a sachet. or a packet and one says make up a conomme base. Is the base from any recipe or a specific recipe??
What sachets or packets are these?? I gather this would be a bought packet soup?? Is there certain type or brand recommended??
Thanks in advance. I will look forward to replies.

Well, I would never have believed it…faced the scales this morning as it is my one week mark….and……6lbs off! Explains why my clothes were feeling more roomy.
I think as a result of my being so unwell I have ended up with a chest infection. I will give it today and if no better go to the doc. It is always fun here as he speaks no English. I have most of the words I need but will need to look up a few.. One of the problems living in France!
I managed a small dinner last night and my small bowl of porridge this morning and think it is helping to clear my head. My legs still ache but bearable. I still have no desire for any sugar stuff. Long may it last.
I don’t want to speak too soon as my track record is not good but I think I can do this.