I really do laugh out loud! I’m afraid no matter what, auntylil, you have to stay with us as you keep us so roundly entertained. Not laughing at you, you understand, just with you!

I did the same as Mary with the 5:2 and ate everything in sight on the five days. But I think whenever I’m done with the bsd if I go for the 5:2 I know I’d have to stick to no carbs even on the five days and that will make the difference. I’m also thinking of just maybe a fairly relaxed approach with few carbs interspersed with a week of 800 every five or six weeks. Might work?

I bought coconut oil as well today for the coconut flatbreads. I also bought coconut flour and gram flour. I made one of Bill1954’s pancakes for 88 calories just to see what they are like and they are definitely a good idea. Veggie bangers and cauli mash for tea tonight. Fabulous!

I need to get my lettuces planted this week too…

Did someone mention allotment?
I have a fledgling small holding….you spoke my language!
By the way, feeling lots better and am doing myself a sort of ratatouille with some red kidney beans added.
Have noted the recipe for coconut flour bread which I plan to make tomorrow. That will sort out my lunch dilemma. I finally feel like I am winning. 👍

Hi Kimgall, thank you so much for your kind and supportive words. I think all of us on this site have had to go through a lot before we found this amazing ‘diet’. Looking forward to more posts from you about your journey on this path x 😉

Well done on the new skills, soon you’ll be emojing with the best of ’em. These forums always cheer me up, whether it be good tips, motivation or other people having similar stories to mine, I love being a part of such a great group!

Hi Janet 1973 , I’m still laughing myself so don’t worry. Glad to put a smile on your face! I actually typed a long message to ROFLMAO and submitted it. Then realised my error. So glad I had read the post about how to edit within 5 minutes or I wouldn’t have dared show my face on here again!! I’m so glad you explained the acronym to me as well or I would have been mystified for life.
Thanks for the explanation on how to send a smiley. I am learning so much on this site! 🙂

Bill, give my regards to your Mrs!!! I think I should stop trying to give my son ideas on how to start his allotment while posting on here! It’s amazing I didn’t post to ‘carrot’ or ‘rhubarb’ or straw bale gardening!!!
😉

OK, fed up now!! Knackered!! Tears streaming down my face … don’t panic … not cos of some emotional mental state … just because I’m yawning so much!!! Still full from the remains of last night meal, that I had for lunch … turkey mince, chopped tomatoes and broccoli … so not hungry … just cream crackered!! And I haven’t had as much sleep as I had last night, for a very long time!! 10 hours!!! I’m usually a 6-7 hour girl!!
Blood sugars before lunch at 1 = 5 … very shaky!! Blood sugars now = 6.1 … can’t believe how low these are … for me, anyhow!!
Right, I have to shake off this lethargy … off to walk three hungry nosed four legged animals. I get so much joy out of watching them sprint while I just about get one foot in front of the other!!
I WILL achieve my goals … it’s just a bit of a strange journey getting there!!
This is the time when I would normally be at the biscuits!!
x

If you do a colon : and a bracket ) it should turn it into a smiley when you press submit and a semi colon ; will give you a smiley with a wink 🙂 😉

I tried Janet1973 but he must have caught sight of my Bridget Jones’ on the airer and scarpered… no, not really, I haven’t put the plan into action yet. I emailed a friend a little while ago telling her why I haven’t been around – you’ll like this, I told her that I look like I have the plague because a detox/low carbs/no sugar diet brought out thrush and cold sores, so I’m only going out under cover of darkness to walk my dogs with a hoody on Elephant Man style because of the poorly shoulder hanging limp and dragging the leg I had surgery on. Not such a great exaggeration. Reading recent posts here reminds me I went to the dentist for a filling last Wednesday and I think that just about finished me off! There’s truly nothing left to get fixed is there?

On the positive side I managed to vac the house today which for me is a giant step forward and so far, it’s about 4.30pm, not one carb has passed my lips but I did have a big brunch. You know I went to the 5:2 diet in the light of things and being more gentle on myself but I manage some of the 800 regime too. I was worried I might creep towards it becoming a 5 week/2 week thing but no, mind and body do like the stricter way of going about it.

It is heartening to read about your progress and the others here, I value the sense of being in it together a great deal. I’m stuck at 13st 4lbs for the time being. Yesterday I used coconut oil for the first time and I’m planning on making one of those fridge cakes using cacao for a daughter’s birthday cake this week. Heard on the radio recently – ‘Have you heard about the birthday cake made from Brussel Sprouts? Blows its own candles out…’

He He
Judith have you been hitting the carbs ??
Hun there isn’t a user called ROFLMAO, that’s the first line of my post and it is my Mrs I’m talking about.
Keep taking the tablets hun, we understand 😉

Ha ha! thats so funny! ROFLMAO is text speak for Rolling On Floor Laughing My A** Off! Sorry Hashimoto, I am not being unkind but roflmao is Bill1954! That really made be laugh though, sorry, sorry xxx

On a more sombre note, however, Bill, it sounds like you are managing to infiltrate your wife’s diet anyway without her realising.

Thanks Kimgall.

Day 10 weight 10st 9lbs ( 1/2 a stone lost ) 😀😀😀
Blood sugar 13.4 – it’s on the high side but it shows that the stored sugar is coming out of “hiding”.

Oldie fully moved into new Care Home. I just need to notify everyone of the move so will be sending Easter cards next week with the change of address in.

As is always the case, now that my Oldie is sorted, my Mother ” isn’t well” and wants me to look after her !!
She is waiting for both knees to be replaced and the waiting list keeps getting longer. Hey ho, here I go again. If stress could speed weight loss I would be 6 stone! 😄

Hi Jenny.
Just beginning my 4th week and starting to really feel the benefits of the BSD program.
As bill said we all stated at some point and don’t look too far ahead and concentrate on each new day.
I was 21st 9lbs less than 24 days ago and I weighed myself on Sunday and was 18st 10 lbs which blew me away.
The weekends are hardest for me as everyone around me is over indulging and temptation is at its peak.
The first few days are a struggle but your body will get used to it but I do recommend eating quite a lot of fat in this diet and drink lots of water which keeps hunger at bay.
Good luck and remember there are lots of people in forum’s to help out.
Nidge

Hi Bill, I’m obviously a bit of a dinosaur – what does ‘ROFLMAO’ stand for? Stupidly I began a reply to ROFLMAO thinking it was a new member posting – until I looked a bit closer!!!
I too would be rich if I had a quid for every time I had eaten choccie bought as gifts – I even did it as a child whenever I bought mother’s day chocolate.
I really hope your wife joins us all on this path, it would be wonderful if she could reverse her diabetes and we would all welcome her on here.
Oh and how do you post smilies on here????

I wondered how I’d cope for those first few days – I was even carrying around a portion of All Bran in case I needed a few extra calories! I’m now in week 3 and thinking nothing of it. I’m occasionally very hungry, but it’s nothing my next meal doesn’t cure. On top of that, the results you will see will keep you motivated! Plan well and – I advise – count calories carefully until you are absolutely sure of portion sizes and so on. Good luck!

My acid reflux disappeared the very day I started the diet. Mine is caused by eating crap – pure and simple.

Yes, just normal fluctuation – nothing to worry about

Hi aquamarine, welcome to the forums. For the first month I just followed the recipes or ate things like poached eggs and portabella mushrooms that I already knew the calories for. I lost a lot of weight just following the recipes. You get a feel for what foods you need to eat quite quickly.
I’m drooling at the thought of all those sun warmed beef tomatoes and other luscious food in warmer climes. Good luck and don’t worry if you find things tough for a few days – it soon becomes an easy way of life. The lack of hunger pangs and carb cravings still amaze me!

Thanks Eureka,

“Natural sugar” -yeah! On with the search 🙂

Hi
I have been exercising for the last 2yrs and did tone up but never really lost weight – my trainer always told me Not to look at the scales as I was building muscle and that it weighs more ( I knew that but as a big girl so many people talk to me as if I am simple rather than just fat ) anyway , I trust MM and when I read the book I decided that both me and my hubby (tpye 2 diabetes ) should review our eating – as well as keeping up the exercise X twice a week ….. Our starting weight was 13.11 stone me AND 15.11 bunny oh I mean hubby – today I’m 13.01 and hubby is 15.4 – any other couples doing this program ?

Hi MaryR
Re: Fever-Tree Tonic
Received this email reply today:
Thank you very much for your email & interest in Fever-Tree. I am afraid I cannot be specific about the fruit used to sweeten our lower calorie mixers. We use a number of different fruits in varying quantities. However, they are all natural & we DO NOT use HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP or anything artificial

I am also a big fan of Michael Mosley & hope the diet is working well for you! I am sorry that I cannot be more specific.
Please don’t hesitate to ask if there is anything else you would like to know
Kind regards. Andrew Harris, International Marketing Coordinator Tel: 0207 349 4923

Eureka

Hi Daz
I feel for you mate, I’ve been through all the eye stuff that I can handle. If it helps, if you are showing signs of retinopathy, the first thing will be laser treatment to try to seal the broken vessels. If that fails there are a couple of options including drug injections or, finally, a retinopathy op.
I’ve been through it all including 4 operations.
But that is a worst case scenario and if you haven’t noticed any black streaks in your eyes yet, best not to worry.
Do go have the tests and don’t skip the appointment, the alternative is really not worth it. I had a period where I was convinced I was going blind and thats a stress I wouldn’t like to see anyone else have…..

BUT that isn’t going to happen to you because you have found the BSD and your future is now in your own hands.
Have a browse through all the success stories on the forums, it won’t be long before you are one of them 🙂

Oh BTW I have a 12″ skywatcher flextube with an Argo navis attached that I haven’t been able to use for 3 years because of the eye problems. I’m hoping to get it out again this Autumn

Hi all
New here, but not to diabetes 🙁
I’m 46, just tipping 16st and I haven’t tested in some time – mainly because I know I’m not going to like the result!!
I have my eye exam at the end of March and feeling quite nervous about them – I have a suspicion they will recommend injections or other treatments….
I came across the book while researching giving up sugar and I thought I could do that for 8 weeks! In fact, I think I absolutely have to! I’m fed up of being overweight, tired, irritable (my wife’s observation!), unable to concentrate and no enthusiasm for pretty much anything!

We’re away for a few days with a group of friends so I am planning to start the diet proper on 14th March. I already “try” and not eat too many carbs, but I will be planning the first weeks meals ahead of time, so I know what I’ll be eating beforehand. I already pay to not use the gym, so that will also change too…

I’ll probably set up a blog to record progress / thoughts as I go – I’ll share here when I do!

Thanks
Daz

I think that lump of fat would have had to be large to put a pound on.
It’s probably just a normal weight fluctuation due to fluid retention or something. It’s perfectly natural to have a weight variation of up to 4 lbs even over the course of a day so don’t worry and just keep going.

Hi acquamarine … welcome to this supportive, life changing, forum. I can’t give you any advice or help yet, cos only started yesterday, but the guys on here are motivating me … and trust me, I need motivating!! I have always needed to diet, and have always detested counting calories. However, I am at the moment cos I don’t trust myself … but I use My Fitness Pal, which you can get on the PC/Ipad or smart phone. It is helping me to see what I am eating … and what I can eat … and thankfully, not what I can’t!! For someone that could never fill in a Food Diary for a slimming club (without lying!!), it’s actually helping me!!
Good luck … you can do this … just listen to all these motivational people on this forum … they / we will get you through it if they / we can!!
Kim x
PS I love Turkey, too … and I’m not just talking about the meat or Turkish delight … however …

Just wondering whether it was normal to gain slightly while on the BSD.

I am 3 weeks into the BSD and have been following the diet exactly with no diversion, but when I weighed myself yesterday I had gained 1lb.

The only thing I did differently on Sunday night was keep and eat all the fat on my sirloin steak. The week before I removed all the fat. Could this have had anything to do with my 1lb weight gain?

My acid reflux has completely gone as a result of being on this programme. Did you have it before you started and could you pin it down to any particular foods? Do you notice now if it happens after any particular foods? It doesn’t have to be what you would call ‘usual suspects’, you can have a sensitivity to any food at all. Also, bear in mind that the problem could actually be too little stomach acid and not too much. When I had the worst bout ever, the thing that cured it for me was a drop of lemon juice in a tall glass of water. You’d think it would make it worse but it cured me, that’s when I started investigating too little stomach acid not too much. If your doctor has offered you anti-acid tablets, consider carefully if you want to take them. Along with statins and diabetic meds, they are massively over prescribed without recourse to the real causes of the problem or more natural holistic solutions.

Hi Aquamarine

Think of it less as a diet and more as a new way of life. I do count calories, although I aim for 800-900 rather than sticking rigidly to 800 and am happily losing around half a pound a day on that. But don’t read too much into other peoples’ weight loss as its a very personal thing. If you do decide to count calories, I would recommend that with any recipes you choose to use, you check the calorie count with an on-line calculator or with the packaging of any products you use. The recipes in the book are great but the calorie counts aren’t always accurate (often they seem to overestimate how many calories!).

Wishing you every success!

I make my own by mixing a half cup of chickpea (Gram) flour with a pinch of salt and enough cold water to make a thinnish batter
Cook in a pan just like a pancake until brown on both sides.
Tasty, full of fibre, and good complex carbs and none of the bad stuff.

Hi acquamarine
lucky you!! Turkey is my favourite holiday destination and the food available out there is a massive kickstart for you.
I don’t count calories, I have stuck to some of the recipes as they are delicious but mainly I use them as a guide to what I can eat. So far I’ve lost 17 and a half pounds in 4 weeks.
Don’t worry about never dieting before, within a fortnight it won’t feel like a diet apart from you losing weight

ROFLMAO
Judith, I wish I had a quid for every Easter egg and selection box we have had to re buy over the years, I’d be very well off.
Plus side of this, my partner who is also diabetic and on metformin, gliclazide, and insulin, also loves chocolate.
She won’t do the diet at the moment as she says she doesn’t like veggies so it wouldn’t work for her.
She has had 1 bar of chocolate since I started and now she is doing stir fries for 2 😉 and eating my greek yoghurt with berries
She has been very supportive since the “you’ll never stick to it” comments just before I started.
She is now telling me how proud she is of me 😀 and my main goal now is to get her into this lifestyle ASAP
She’s under the false impression that, because of all the meds keeping her sugar readings down below 5, she will be ok.

Hi…I have just joined here….I have bought the book and am in the process of reading through it.I don’t have diabetes yet but I am heading that way if I don’t do something about it….I usually have a borderline fasting blood sugar.I had back surgery almost a year ago and was told that I have to lose weight to help my recovery and to help prevent more problems with it….which I can’t seem to manage to do…so this has to help me!!!

I live in Istanbul so am hoping that the Mediterranean based diet will be easyish for me. Can I ask those of you that are losing weight…do you religiously count the calories(never done that before) and do you follow the menus in the book or using it as a guideline.Thanks

My biggest problem is that I have never seriously dieted before and am having a problem accepting that I have to
Well good luck to you all…you are an inspiration to me. 🙂

Aly I too have chocolate in the house AND I haven’t even been tempted to eat it!! Unheard of! I used to buy easter eggs as presents then rebuy them as I wouldn’t be able to resist eating one, or two or more. Can’t believe it! There is still xmas chocolate hanging around!

Hashimoto … WOW!! Congratulations! You have done so well considering what you have had to go through! You are yet another person that proves how brilliant this way of eating is just that … LIFE CHANGING!! Your story is motivational!! x

Aly the difficult first days will soon be over and you will be so, so happy that you began this journey. Best of luck and I love the sound of an afternoon crocheting by the fire. Bliss!

It is reassuring to know I am not the only one! This morning as I have been unable to eat much I thought of having my favourite toast and marmalade but couldn’t face it! Couldn’t even finish my bowl of porridge. I feel angry at the way we have been duped into low fat over the years.

This is my story. I kept having tests for hypothyroidism. I knew I had all the symptoms and life was pretty difficult. The test said I was at the low end of normal – for years. I started falling to ‘sleep’ in my dinner. I was so cold one August I had the central heating on, thermal clothes and duvets but couldn’t get warm. My hair was dropping out, my skin was painfully dry. Then one day my mother asked me what the big lump on my neck was. A huge goitre. I had been far too tired struggling to work while feeling utterly exhausted to notice. Went to the doctors and they thought I had hyperthyroidism because of the goitre. I knew I didn’t. A more complex (expensive) test was done and I was told I had Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. Of course I had put a lot of weight on due to the hypothyroidism and have struggled ever since.
I then developed chronic asthma and was diagnosed last year (after repeated lung infections) with bronchiectasis. I have much larger than normal doses of inhaled steroids and often have to take prednisolone as well. This of course also causes problems with weight.
Like many others of you on here I tried every diet going with barely any success or none at all. Then December/early January this year I began to get frightened. I was putting on as much as a pound a day sometimes and no matter what I did my weight kept on climbing up. I was eating far fewer calories than recommended – between 500 and 1200 a day.
In December I was put on antibiotics 3 days a week to prevent me getting so many chest infections. After a month of treatment I was still clear of infection and this coincided with reading about this diet in a newspaper. I ordered the book straight away and started the diet while I was waiting for it to arrive. I was hopeful that it would work but not overly optimistic. I approached it with trust in Michael Mosely but with the experience nothing else had worked. I did try the 5:2 which would have been successful if I hadn’t constantly been on strong antibiotics which required me to eat before taking and steroids which increased my hunger. Now I only take one antibiotic 3 times a week which makes life simple.
I started this diet on the 20th of January and I am in seventh heaven!! The fat is disappearing. I had skinny arms and legs and a barrel for a middle and I am now beginning to get a waist back and my stomach is beginning to flatten. People keep commenting on how healthy and energetic I look. I don’t get cravings for carbs any more and haven’t missed my favourite jacket potatoes at all.
I had a shock yesterday when I found out that my fasting blood sugar levels between 2011 and 2013 had varied between 4.5 and 8( not had any done since) they were written in my notes as ‘normal – hypothyroidism’. Now I wonder what they were before this diet – probably not good at all. So glad I started this diet. I feel like I have been give my life back after a decade or more of feeling like I have been clawing my way through life.
If anybody is thinking about starting this way of eating – don’t think, just start, you won’t regret it.
P.S I have currently lost 1stone 13lbs and my BMI is down to 23.5. Still some fat to shift from my middle but it is going fast. Can’t wait to join Lynne in a little over a week

Starting the plan tomorrow, so I am getting my shopping today. Are you allowed wraps.

Worth a try but watch out for a hypo creeping up on you.

Aly that is the strangest thing of all for me.
I love chocolate, I can do a family sized bar in a sitting!!! and yet, since I started this new lifestyle, I don’t even think about the stuff, even when my other half is munching on it. And don’t even get me started on ice cream 🙁
There has to be something in the diet that is stopping the sweetie need – it’s uncanny

He He
Kimgall, you have the exact right attitude for this and I’m already loving your posts.
You have a lovely relaxed writing style and know exactly how to get your points across. I sense a new star shining in the dark skies of the BSD forums 🙂

I might have but had a big clear out last year during my giving up stage. I was a size 10 when working 6 years ago. One of my reasons for not bothering was I cannot afford to replace my wardrobe! All the cotton dresses I made last year can be taken in easily and I still have dress and skirt lengths waiting to be made up. It will be a reward to cut the patterns down!
I feel a little better just now so hopefully by the end of the week I will really feel the benefits. It scares me realising what a sugar addict I was. There is still plenty of chocolate in the house for hubby but by some miracle I do not want it. It is beyond my understanding! This reaction has been the best thing for me as it has frightened me so much. I have been poisoning myself.

You’d better, Bill! I can’t wait to be one of those you are patting on the back!!! 🙂

Sue, well done on achieving a 5lb loss in 9 days when you are dealing with so much stress in your life!! I really hope that with your “oldie” safely in his new Care Home, you can start to Care for yourself!!
Good luck, I am sure you can do it!! There is enough support on this forum for you to let rip when you need to, and pat yourself on your back when you can. x

Yeah Lynne you’re sort of our pathfinder and as such you have done a magnificent job.
Your weight loss and sugar control achievements have inspired so many others on the forum including myself.
Kimgall, just another few weeks and we’ll be saying the same things about you!

Hello,
Have you considered a spreadsheet, Excel’s fine or something similar. I keep track of my weight that way and create a chart – feed in the new weight and it updates. I’ve got a rather up & down line chart but it clearly shows a downward trend – it’s nice to see pictorial evidence even if it’s not much.
Regards, Rose

Thanks, Cherrianne, it has been good to glimpse at the comments you have made to others. There are quite a few of you now that have so much knowledge through “being there”!!! And your positivity shines through, particularly as you must find it more difficult to keep the protein and fat up being vegetarian? Me? I’ll eat anything … and up until now, they have always been of the “sweet” variety! I have tried over the last six months not to eat pasta, bread, potatoes … unfortunately I forgot to not eat the low fat sugar filled yogurts (for my “being good” times), or the cream filled doughnuts (well, they were high fat, right?) … and as for the fruit pastilles (well, they had natural fruit juice, so must be better than wine gums, huh?). It was always going to be … “Tomorrow”!! And, trust me … Tomorrow never comes!! 🙂
Looking forward to your next post … which always seems to be of the supportive variety based on your own personal experience … what about your personal achievements? 🙂

Hi Jenny,

I started my fifth week yesterday (Monday). So far I have lost 10kgs (1.5st). I rarely feel hungry. I have once or twice exceeded the 800 cal per day limit. And I feel so much better. Stick with it.

Hi Kimgall,
Welcome. You’ve got the right attitude to do this. It may be tough at first but you might be one of the lucky ones who only has a mild withdrawal period. I think most people get through it in less than two weeks. You will start seeing results in less time than that though.
If you’ve been reading the posts you’ll know the mantra by now lol: keep your fat and protein intake up, drink lots, take something for headaches, and don’t forget the forum members are here for support, advice and encouragement!
All the best for your success.

Lynne … I can relate to so much of your story … I am so pleased you found Dr Mosley!!
I have just posted again to my initial topic I started yesterday, and now wish I had put it on this thread! May copy and paste it, if I can!
I was first diagnosed with diabetes in 2004, and now on 2x1g Metformin, Insulin twice a day and Dapagliflozin just for diabetes!! Never have been one for taking care of myself … always others. So, diabetes diagnosed, carb diet recommended, doctors visited, and struggled ever since! My responsibility, I know. Been to slimming clubs, tried to stick to diets, always embarrassed cos never lost anything, so gave up!
I probably have nearly every diet book imaginable … the majority of which I never got past page 20!!
However, this time I read the book … worked out what I can eat … and going to make this work … I hope!!! Why can’t I be more believing in myself???
Enough of me … I am so pleased you are doing so well … and sharing your journey. I see when you started there wasn’t as many on this forum as now, so you have achieved this without the help we are all gaining from. I am looking forward to hearing how you cope in Prague … and definitely want to know what family have to say!!
🙂

Well done Aly, it is all worth it, you’ll soon see even better results. Just wait till your size 12 jeans are sliding off too! Hope you’ve got a pair of size 10’s lurking in the back of the wardrobe.
Three cheers for your perseverance.