I found coconut flour at Asda. Maybe an online shop if there isn,t one near. They do quinoa and bulgar wheat too.

I’ve seen the fresh cauliflower rice in Tesco, but I bought some of the packaged cauliflower rice in Indian pilau and plain, made by CauliRice company, I think., also sold in Tesco. Quite handy when in a hurry, although I do make my own too. I had the Indian one with some quickly stir fried prawns last night, flavoured with madras curry powder, ginger, garlic and chilli – very tasty!

So sorry for your loss don pedro 🙁

Warning for all following recipes from the book

First heard dr Mosley on BBC2. Bought the book and started the diet. Going very well, already seeing results. Using only recipes from the book – so far all of them worked like a charm and produced delicious and satisfying meals

Up until tonight. Having very high expectations I spent significant amount of time shopping for ingredients and preparing ‘skinny chilli’ recipe (page 231). All was good, amazing flavours all around the kitchen made a promise of a great meal. Until the last moment, the chilli was flawless. Guided by the book, I tossed 75g of chocolate in my perfect chilli and mixed it in – just like the book says. The result – a total disaster. Instead of a delicious chilli Inedible disgusting chocolatey goo. All of this after 1 hour preparation and 3 hours of waiting for it to come out of the oven.

Only later I started reading other chilli recipes on the net and found out that you are supposed to put just a small chunk of chocolate, to balance the acidity of tomatoes. The amount that recipe makes you add is more than 10 times higher.

This must be a mistake and I am sure it will be rectified in later editions. However, as for now, sitting here hungry and very cross as up to the very last moment, I had an excellent delicious dish to enjoy and was left with nothing.

Hi PB
Speaking as a serial dieter, I know exactly where you are coming from. You have had a truly magnificent start to your weight loss. And guess what – there will always be things, events and people who will sabotage your good work.

I learned many years ago that guilt is one of our biggest enemies. Your wagon takes a slight knock in a pothole and before you know it, you are so full of remorse that you have pulled all four wheels off well and truly!

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start. As long as you have tomorrows, you have fresh starts. So remember the good times – you really loved that kit kat! But forget the guilt and move on, tomorrow is a new start. You’ve already proved how well the diet works so you will soon make up for any damage done. Lets see the next 5 kilos please!

I’m at the very start of my weightloss, day 2 , but feel encouraged by how well others are doing. My story very similar to beginning of thread, determined to give myself a fighting chance 👍

Try amazon for your coconut flour. You can get absolutely everything on there!

Great to understand why I’m feeling a bit hungover! Only day 2 for me, looking forward to health benefits and hopefully a smaller tum!

Hi

I’ve just found this forum thread after starting a new topic on vegetarian options – I had looked in the book and on this site for vegetarian and vegan options and surprised there weren’t any. I’m a little concerned about using lots of eggs as I have high cholesterol but may be I have to revise old habits about all that too.

I dislike fake meat although I do like some of the Cauldron products. I can’t have dairy – born lactose intolerant – so used to challenges but still grew old overweight and unhealthy. Tried the cauliflower rice this evening with the veg curry and prefer it to real rice. I like Rose Elliot’s cookbooks the most but looking forward to experimenting and changing old habits.

Got to source coconut flour for making muffins with courgette as emergency rations as I can foresee a crisis looming. Does Waitrose stock it I wonder – I’m in a rural location where the usual supermarkets within easy travel distance don’t have the greatest of ranges. I had not idea coconut flour existed!

Haloumi cheese definitely has more calories that it shows in the recipe. I’ll check the calorie content of different brands when I next buy them. I didn’t get too worries as I don’t think it’s an exact science. I’m definitely eating fewer calories each day than previously.

Hi I’m a newbie, started on Monday 8th February. I need to loose 3 stone and I’m planning to follow BSD 800. Any filling low cal snack that anyone finds helps or should I just feel hungry?

Hi everyone, I’ve lost over 2 kg after my first week. About to start week 2 and plan to increase my exercise. Consciously getting up and walking around more at work too. Very motivating to read this thread.

I think if enough of us bang on about it, we might get a few more recipes. There is another thread in this section called Vegetarian. I have just finished reading it and they also recommended Rose Elliot so I have just ordered one of her books off of amazon for 2 pence!

I’m also a fan of the cumberland sausage but my asda has stopped stocking them and I am finding the ones very salty these days. Another thing that doesn’t help me is I must be the only vegetarian in the world who wretches at the smell of mushrooms!

RIP little breadmaker!

Hello

I began the 800 diet yesterday and have been looking in Dr Mosley’s book and on this site for alternatives for people who don’t eat meat like me, and also to see how vegans can go about it. In my case I cannot have lactose either and for decades have not had any dairy at all.

So, it would be great if any of you here can point me towards anything I’ve missed in these respects or solutions you’ve tried that work. After 2 breakfasts, lunches and dinners so far it’s not been a problem – but do I use Quorn pretend chicken fillets for example and not compromise the diet…

Thanks form a newbie 🙂

Hi all,

I’ve been doing this diet for five days (3 kilos down and 2cm of waist so far!) but today a well-meaning person brought a tunnocks teacake to my office. Obviously I ate it and then giddy with sugar bought a kitkat from the vending machine.

Today on my way home I had just crossed the road to go to Co-op and splurge on all sorts of sugar-based goods, when at the back of my mind I heard Michael diagnosing a classic case of catastrophic thinking. I crossed back over the road and came home where I am drinking a herbal tea. Alright, so I messed up on the sugar front, but I am still at 1000 calories for the day which would be amazingly successful on most other diets.

I thought I would start this thread as a place to come and rant when you are feeling in danger of catastrophising and need an outlet/ support.

Those who have been doing this for a while – if you have gone off-piste, how did you get back on? I used a mantra from a recent yoga practice (herbal tea, mantras, whatever next? Hemp underwear??) – I ACCEPT.

I accept that I took the opportunity this afternoon to eat a delicious bit of chocolate. I accept my blood sugar is now much higher than it was. I accept that I could carry on eating like that all the time if I want – it’s a free country – but I also accept that in doing so I am putting my health at risk. I accept my decision to value my health more. I ACCEPT.

Thanks Janet – I totally missed the small print and I don’t seem to get shaded boxes but you sorted it for me.

I don’t usually like any meat substitutes other than Cauldron Cumberland Sausage and some Quorn meatballs. I think I will start a veggie topic to help veggies. I cooked the cauliflower rice and veg curry tonight, enough for three so two helpings are now in the freezer. It was really good and I didn’t miss the usual accompaniments. Looks like chickpeas are in both lunch and dinner tomorrow – I need to switch meals around a bit as you suggest, to avoid waste as well.

I’m finding becoming ‘mindful’ about what I’m eating is coming fairly naturally now I can’t reach for quick fixes and fills and my beloved bread – I have a 500g loaf bread maker which is now pushed to the back of a cupboard – one day!

Going to visit that website you mentioned now. I have a book by Rose Elliot about cooking without sugar that’s good, need to dig that out too. I’m surprised in a way that there isn’t a section for vegetarians and vegans. I was one of those people who thought because I didn’t eat dead animal my cholesterol and BMI wouldn’t be too high!

Thanks for that. Just found it in Book depository, I always use them as there is no delivery charge.
Am in the UK at the moment picking up the car hubby bought. Just been to a gastro pub and had a lovely meal..spinach and cheese roulade with a parsnip cake and buttered veg, also a sauce of finely chopped leeks in a butter sauce. So yummy but no good for weight loss. Home on Friday when the diet begins!

Reassuring to read about everyone’s experience. I had something similar. I went to the gym yesterday morning (day 6); first time since I started the 800cal BSD. I had a low grade headache all day & felt like I’d caught flu. Took paracetamol, went to bed early & woke up feeling ok today. My focus is on drinking more water. Have lost over 2 kg so far. The recipes are really quick, tasty & filling which helps a lot!

Cauliflower rice makes a really good alternative for brown rice and spirallised courgette and carrot replaces brown pasta quite well. There are websites and apps which will give you calorific values for fruit and veg and stuff if you want to create your own recipes and work out the calories.

I think one of the best things about the bsd is that there are no real deadly sins. Dr Mosley seems to be quite a kind guru in that I have often heard him say that the odd bit of something will not harm. So the odd bit of chocolate, the odd bit of bread, etc, so long as it really is quite a rare occurrence. The important thing is not to view that little stray as an excuse to have a pity party and pull all the wheels off the wagon.

I’m no expert but I’d suggest there’s a couple of things you could look at to decide whether to have it or not. Do you have a blood sugar tester? If so, test your blood two hours after eating your rye bread and see if it raises your sugar level beyond what is acceptable. If it does, then you know there are good health reasons to avoid it, if it doesn’t then you can enjoy some when you want to. You will want to check the calorie count and make sure that you can make room for it in your 800 calories.

Even if you can’t make room for it, you may decide to keep it as a real treat every once in a while. I have just finished reading an article on this website about mindfully eating cake and drinking coffee so maybe you could substitute the cake for bread and eat it in a mindful way.

I have been a vegetarian for 40 years & have struggled with my weight all my life . However I am determined to make this work & reverse my type 2 diabetes.

I would recommend that you take a look at Rose Elliots Low Carb for Vegetarians , there are 2 different books to keep your diet varied but within the 800 .

Hi Somerset Lass & Elvis Jones, welcome

The original Newcastle diet with Prof Taylor ( see Newcastle uni Magnetic Resonance Centre) low calorie diet prog. http://www.ncl.ac.uk/crp & http://www.ncl.ac.uk/mares , is essential reading I think

Print out the diet & recipes, reply from prof Taylor & info sheet for your dr. & give it to him/her!
No root veg like potatoes, sweet potato, turnip during That 8 week diet

Also read Michael’s blood sugar diet book again re his recommendations of 800 calories. Page 88 re good vs bad carbs & GI (glycemic index )& GL (glycemic load)
GI scores carbs according to how quickly they convert into blood sugar. Pure cane sugar scores 100. Baked potatoes, chips, white bread, white rice score between 70 – 100. I go below 50 GI

GL gives values according to the effect on blood sugar of a Normal Portion of the food.
Protein & fats slow down the digestion of carbs. High GL = 20 or more. Med GL= 11- 19. Low GL = 10 or less

I use Collins gem GI book, & Calorie counter book too. Apps as & when I need

BSD diet book – use it as a constant reference & mark all the bits salient to you.. It’s your bible at the moment

Potatoes bread rice & pasta really spike me. I’m steering clear until I know my individual toleration of those carbs

Eg: Sweet potatoe = 130g has carbs 27g & kcal 109. Med GI value
Parsnips boiled= 80g has carbs 10.3g & kcal 53. Med GI
Carrot grated = 40g has carbs 3.2g & kcal 15. MedGi

Carrots a no brainier for me. You really have to do some looking & learning as to what suits you. Beating Diabetes is so important that we all need an army of knowledge. And this ever growing group of BSD dieters is fighting with all we’ve got. Knowledge is power. Pass it on

I signed up in the first batch. I’m back off hols & started yesterday. 3lb lost in one day!

Keep going x

Eureka

I must say, it was very nice and even he’s said he was full, and then he asked for ice cream and tinned peaches lol.

I found coconut flour in my local Tesco, so I’m going to try the muffins tomorrow as I’ll be making liver treats for the dogs too.

Then as my partner is back to work tomorrow I can cook for myself 🙂

I’ve been doing a bit of surfing and I found a website which has low carb veggie recipes called http://www.allrecipes.co.uk. I’m sure there are other websites too.

Apart from Quorn, I’ve never liked the meat substitutes they laughingly call ham or chicken. But if you enjoy them, perhaps you could just have the meal you mentioned a couple of days in a row so that you use it up before it goes off. I often find that menu plans have too many different dishes in one week and so, as you say, you end up wasting some foods that you have only eaten half of. So I repeat the dishes once or twice in the week to use the food up and then change the menu for the next week and do the same.

Hi MandaK
Sounds like you’ve had quite a year and a fair few low points to contend with. Big congrats on your weight loss. This time around it will be a positive experience where you call the shots. Go on – give it some!

Lol playing with the recipe already. I had that dish last night but changed the lamb mince for diced lamb as the fat content was much lower. Have to say it was delicious! Today has been avocado and egg for breakfast, no carb ploughmans for lunch which I really enjoyed and tonight was the veg curry and cauliflower rice. Delicious. Very impressed so far. Just hope that remains when I weigh myself on Monday!

It’s always good to have some mini goals isn’t it. My goal after centre parcs will be the summer holiday that I have booked abroad and want to feel more ‘comfortable’ in swim wear around the pool!

Will be off to the shops tomorrow to get gloves. Thanks for the tip.

I felt like this until about day 5 of the diet, I knew it was withdrawal so resisted taking pain killers but it really got to me and in the end I took some anadin and went to bed really early! I woke up the next day headache free and it hasn’t come back thankfully. I had also drunk loads of water so it wasn’t dehydration, I just think it’s your body trying to adjust to a big change in your diet. I now feel so clear headed, like a fog has lifted which feels great!

People say that for two reasons: 1) they are jealous and wish they could do it. 2) it is part of the accepted folklore we have been told for the last 30 years or so that slow weight loss means we keep it off. Michael’s book talks about evidence that this theory isn’t true.

There is also mention of people in his book who have experienced feeling the cold more after losing weight. All I can say is congratulations on the weight loss and treat yourself to a pair of gloves!

Started 4 weeks ago at 17st. Have lost 22lb. Blood sugar gone from 6.9 to 5.2. Have introduced exersise and have the mind set to continue to my goal. People keep telling me I an loosing to much to quick. Only down side my hands feel cold late in the day. Any idea why??

Day two, eaten 814 cals and feel as eaten plenty. Sugar withdrawal…feeling dizzy and headaches! I’ve drunk loads of water and 2 black coffees today so not dehydrated, even carried a bottle of water out with me to drink out and about. Cancelled cinema trip as don’t fancy driving with spinning head! Going to bed 8pm, hope feel better tomorrow. I know it will be worth it once get past this stage. Not diabetic so nothing to do with that, doing diet as three diabetics in family and need to loss quite a lot of weight – 3 to 31/2 stone.

Arrgghhhhh, first meal and he’s already “played” with the recipe!

Roasted aubergine with lamb and pomegranate, oh he says, the mince will fall off, let’s scoop out the aubergine. .. then, this will taste better with a slice of cheese on top… This is why I wanted to cook the meal tonight by myself lol

Hi Sharon,

I started on Saturday, Sunday we were invited for lunch. I found it relatively easy and just ate the veg, but I had told everyone so I didn’t upset anyone by not eating much.

My Aunt (who recommended this diet for me) does 2 5. She doesn’t go mad at the weekend but isn’t as rigid. She lost 5kg on her first week. I think that you need to do what is best for you. What works for you may not work for someone else.

At least you have made the first step and started. Good luck.

Hi if I feel like the odd slice of rye bread – the dark variety – say once or twice a week – is that ok ?

sometimes when I feel like I a biscuit and I have had my share of fruit and veg – it keeps me going for a lot longer in the day..

As I understand it, it’s the inability to deal with the carbs that is genetic, causing fat to store in the liver and pancreas. If you don’t have the carbs and the fat comes out of those organs, the diabetes goes.
Penny

What shakes would be best or which did Michael use.?

I have taken the view that if I have understood the principles that Dr Mosley has outlined in either of the two books, I can adapt the method to suit myself. I found that restricting myself to <600 kcal/day on the 5:2 just a bit too much, but I have no problems in fasting for 23 hours which means I can go without breakfast, lunch, snacks and eat only a dinner which might be typically 700 – 900 kcal. To compensate for these extra calories consumed, I decided on doing a minimum of 3 fast days a week, although in practice it often is 4 or 5 days fasting. Early days so far as I have only been practicing this for 2 weeks, but have lost 3.5kg and reduced my fasting blood glucose result from 6.2 to 5.5 mmol/L in this period.

Hi Chloe, I’d love to be your diet buddy 🙂 my partner used to work at centre parcs 🙂 it’s nice to have a goal. Mine is my good friends 60th birthday on April 2nd, followed by my birthday on April 14th : D

Ddraig

Hi Bruce
I’m far from an expert but I do use Myfitnesspal. You can look up what ever it is you are eating and it will usually have a near idea. I’m not totally strict on it but it can record an average chicken breast or a cup of green beans or a tablespoon of something. It’s helpful to keep track of what you are eating and there is a free version of the app. You can also record weight loss.
It might be good to give it a go…it certainly isn’t difficult to use and you can weigh and measure as much as you like
Good luck

Hi Auntylil
Great to hear from you and thank you for giving me a couple of new ideas to try out.

About adding a new topic – the button is at the bottom of the shaded box for each type of forum. So I picked this one as it seemed to be for ‘new arrivals’. There are three or four threads listed and then it says how many comments there are and just below that is the option to click on to start a new topic.

Good luck!

Hello!

I started the 800 BSD yesterday, Monday. I was drinking cream soda and lemonade too often but now enjoy sparkling spring water or carbonated water just as much. Instead of lemon or lime I prefer a slice of orange, and I’m planning on trying a few pomegranate seeds next time the diet calls for one. I like the idea of your suggestion of adding a fruit tea bag, going to go and try that.

By the way – I can’t figure out how to start a topic on the forum – I am vegetarian too, have been for decades, but I do eat eggs, and could do with exploring veggie alternatives without compromising the diet. Today the lunch meal included 2 slices of ham but I cooked a veggie sausage yesterday and sliced that – if I bought veggie pretend ham it comes in lots of slices and I hate waste. Don’t think they can be frozen.

Jasmin tea is nice, cool, and in a cafetiere I sometimes steep cinnamon, lemon and sage. Not so good without the honey I used to have but I will get used to it hopefully. I think experimenting with cooled fruit tea bags might be one way to go.

Would someone tell me how to start a forum topic? I can usually figure things out but this has got me beat. Hopefully the brain fog will lift soon…

Hi Jai
That’s great!
Penny

Hi Squidgy
That’s amazing. Just shows how absolutely right the theory behind this diet is.
Penny

Hi Donna
There does seem to be a phenomenon of slightly raised BG immediately after getting up in the morning. Presumably to give you a bit of energy as someone with normalBG readings may be a bit low having not eaten for 12 hours. Then it sorts out after a short time. Lots of people have written about it on the forums. So maybe it’s not a problem? Only if it stays high. I’m no expert, I’ve just noticed it and vaguely remember reading about it.
Penny

Hi zebbie
That sounds really good.
Penny

Hello everyone,
I’m just about to start the 8 week programme; I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my blood sugar testing kit. I suspect that I may be around the prediabetic level and so I want to know where I am starting from and hopefully see some positive changes in my blood sugar and, of course, my weight over the next few weeks. To this end, I would welcome any advice/ideas for vegetarian meals. But also I would like to share a suggestion of my own.

One of the hardest things I find to give up is fizzy pop (I put it that way but I know you can guess which brands I mean). I have always justified it by only ever having the sugar-free versions but now I am hearing that even they are not that good for us because of the artificial sweeteners. I just don’t think I can bear a life of tap water and I really, really hate lemon juice. So I have started having fizzy water with a fruit tea bag. The flavour is very subtle but the fragrance helps to make up for that and they are surprisingly palatable and satisfying. I’d love to hear from anyone else who is managing to beat their pop-cravings in innovative ways.

I have just read the 8-week blood sugar diet and it’s been a revelation – but I might have already been on it quite by accident! I was told last February my blood glucose levels were higher than should be, as was my cholesterol although not by much – which I put down to the stress of divorce, house selling etc. Knowing I was also overweight at 11st 6lb, I started on the 5:2 diet. Unfortunately a few nasty falls left me unable to walk more than 100 yards and I needed a new knee 🙁 I kept up the 5:2 as I didn’t want to put more weight and my weight remained stable. Then in September I had the TRK surgery and after a shot of morphine (standard stuff) I started throwing up. It took weeks for my stomach to settle and in that time I ate very little of anything. After 6 weeks recuperation at my daughter’s I returned to my own home whereupon I immediately went down with a gastro-intestinal virus that hung around for most of the next 2 weeks. Oh joy! By this time my weight had gone down to 10st 6lb – which I have to admit I was pleased about, but expected to put it back on fairly quickly, however I returned to the 5:2. I see my doc at the end of this month for a review of my BS levels and hope they’ve come down, along with my cholesterol. I then intend to do the 8 weeks again, this time with my daughter. I’ve found that since my “accidental” 8-week BSD, my appetite is far less, and I hate that full feeling, so hope another go at it will not be particularly arduous. Being able to walk and exercise again has made a huge difference – I am now down to 10st 1lb, so here’s to dropping another few unwanted pounds around the tum!

Excellent Jacattack I’ve gone from 9.8 to 6.8
This diet works and I’ll argue the point with any so called health professional who says different.

Just wanted to post this in case anyone is looking at the forums trying to decide if this diet is worth trying.
In 6 days my fasting blood sugar has gone from 15.3 to 9.3 and I’ve lost 3.5 pounds, weight loss might have been more but I had a leaving night at the weekend which involved gin and a burger and chips.
The first two days were tough but can honestly say i’m not hungry and feel better than i have in months. Wee bit to go to get the blood sugar in normal zone but massively chuffed so far.

Katie I fully intend to have my pancakes tonight, made from wholemeal flour and skimmed milk and filled with blueberries and raspberries – yummy 🙂