Hi,
I’m trying to adjust my eating to be much more Mediterranean (although not with large pasta portions!). I initially tried the fast 800 calories a day diet, but not exactly – I might even have eaten fewer than 800 calories a day, for two to three days, and didn’t like it. I added a small amount of porridge oats and 25mg portions of rice to some meals, and these helped me to tolerate the meals without extra carbohydrates. I don’t have type 2 diabetes though. I’ve lost some weight after two weeks, and am continuing to try the recipes like the portobello mushroom with pine nuts (I chopped hazelnuts instead), and creamy goat cheese and some salad leaves – lovely. I’d like to get my waist size below 30″ as it’s about 32″ at the moment.

Hi,
I read the book two weeks ago and can’t remember seeing a recommended daily carb allowance. I got the impression that pretty much all starchy and white carbs were off the list – there might be a few included in some of the menus in the book? There are carbs in beans and peas and fruit, plus a little in yoghurt and feta cheese, and in vegetables. Strangely, ordinary potatoes only contain about 17% carbohydrate (I read this in a book once), but they’re starchy and quite high on the glycaemic index. I initially tried no carbs other than legumes, etc., but felt strange, constipated, and grumpy! I then included a very small amount of porridge oats for breakfast (the slippery slope….) and two small boiled potatoes at dinner..and felt alot better; I even made a ham and pea risotto where the risotto rice was a 25mg portion in alot of peas, rather than the other way around, and that helped me tolerate other meals with no carbs. I then found I wasn’t hungry for hours after a Subway salad and single portion of meatballs alone – although the meatballs probably contained some carbs, such as breadcrumbs or flour.

I struggled a bit over the weekend as I went out for a meal but the good news is that I haven’t gained any more weight but I haven’t lost any either

Hi everyone, been on the diet one week. Starting weight 19st 6lbs and one week on 18st 9lbs plus 1.5 inches off the waist and feeling great already. Fasting bloods reduced a little but I’m not expecting a rapid reduction as I’ve been type 2 for 25 years. I’m using the “Fat Secret” app which is geared up for the UK and measures Fat, protein, carbs and cals. Found the book very inspirational as well as informative. Thanks Dr M. Determined to continue. The other thing I’ve done is opted for an eating time window of 8 hours. I only eat between 11am and 7pm giving me 16 hours fasting. It’s not for everyone but being retired it fits in with my lifestyle. Wishing all of my fellow travellers on the Fast 800 big reductions.

Good luck Rosy! The book and this site have given me the confidence to go low carb, after not being sure it was the right thing to do (after reading lots of conflicting stuff). After a few days, I am beginning to feel better. Early days, but feel motivated to continue. Just impatient to see the weight start moving!!

Hello everyone, started the BSD 8 week plan one week ago and finding it very easy to stick to. My starting weight was 19st 6lbs and one week on I’m 18st 9lbs and have lost 1.5 inches round my waist. My fasting blood sugar average was 9.6 and is now 9.3. I’m not expecting rapid reduction in numbers as I’ve been type 2for 25 years. But this is a great start.

Hi, I’m a new joiner today having read the book cover to cover yesterday. Don’t know if I missed this somewhere in my haste to read book and get started but is there a recommended daily amount of carbs whilst on the plan?

Sorry if I’m being a bit thick and have missed it but would be grateful if someone can answer.
Thanks

Hello. Today’s my first day on the BSD. I thought until recently I was diabetic for life. Now I believe differently. Due to back problems I can’t exercise very much but I can do something about my weight. So here goes.

I wholeheartedly agree. It can be tough to stick to the principles of
low carbing, but the Newcastle diet and the knowledge that it is possible to put your diabetes into remission,which is provided by the books you mention above , give hope to those of us who are already diabetic.knowing that it is not inevitable to deteriorate into insulin dependence and loose eyesight, a limb or kidney function as I have observed in older relatives.

I have started on the BSD today, following the menu plans in the book to the letter. Not being a great fan of shakes in general and the like, I found this mornings blueberry and green tea shake very acceptable and easy to make. Quite looking forward to having it again in 4 weeks time!! Looking forward to tomorrow blood sugar reading. Good luck to everyone going for it.

I am type 2 . I have completed the Newcastle diet in 2013, using the shakes and veg on Professor Taylor’s website. It worked really well and until recently I have kept my hb1ac levels below the medication threshold and my diabetes under control with diet and exercise alone. However recently after a bout of illness, I have put on some weight and done less exercise. I am currently preparing to do it again using the diet sheets in Dr Moseley’s excellent book. I am trying out some of the recipes in advance of my doctors appointment later this week , so can I make a few suggestions…A shopping list for each week of the diet plans would be super useful, I will start making one of my own before starting , as the ingredients are necesarily many and varied. I am using a kindle version of the book and a live link between the diet sheets and each of the recipes would save a lot of book marking or flicking backwards and forwards.
I know how lucky I am to be diagnosed at a time when a realistic option for controlling the progression and even reversing my diabetes are available to me. I look forward to making a start very soon .

Good luck Louise and Hedds! I’m starting today as well. Planned a couple of days of food on MyFitnessPal but haven’t done a shop yet. I notice there are some nice looking recipes on this website that aren’t on the book so must have a look through them as well. Had a spinach and pea omelette for breakfast this morning, quite nice and still full from that. Chicken salad planned for lunch, veg curry and cauliflower rice for dinner.

I bought the BSD book on Kindle which isn’t ideal as it’s harder to browse through the recipes. So I might buy the physical book too. Shopping delivered is a good idea – I will do that and avoid the chocolate aisle 🙂

Hope your week goes well both of you, and anyone else who is starting today!

Good luck too Hedds. I have also planned the week of food but haven’t actually bought it yet! Online is a good idea, no supermarket smells and offers on chocolate!

Welcome Hedds and well done on making a start to change your lifestyle to a more healthier one. Is is plain yogurt you don’t like eg the sharpness or yogurts generally? If its the sharpness just mash the strawberries a little bit to release their natural juices and sweetness and mix it in with the yogurt .

There are chair based exercises that maybe you could look into? I try to think of it as moving more and less about exercise. Its the sitting still for hours that kills us even housework counts.

Do T2 diabetics get to see a GP? All I get is a nurse working from a script. Problem will be that this, or low carb generally, diet is not in the NHS script, so they won’t know how to deal with it. If on medication you’d have to be careful not to end up hypo, I presume, as you’d be eating to the tablets formerly. Somehow you’d have to get the GP/nurse to help manage meds down.

Morning Louise,
I too am starting today! I spent a long time planning a weeks food yesterday and I am looking forward to my delivery today. I have decided to get my shopping delivered as there are fewer temptations. Bad news about the monitor, but it’s great you are not letting it stop you start the plan.
Good luck!😀👍🏻

Hello.

Good luck with this, it seems like such a good plan.

I’m the same as Mandypad, not diabetic (as far as know) but large waist size and inability to lose weight on low fat diets after 20 years of faffing around on them.

I read the book over a week ago and have been gearing up to start today.

Not a great start this morning unfortunately. I went to bed early so I’d be well rested (I eat more when I’m tired), but ended up being awake from 3am stressing about work…then I broke my blood sugar kit! So I don’t know what my starting point is.

But I’m starting today regardless. So have just had breakfast of a plain greek yoghurt. I have another one for lunch – inspiring I know! Planning on eggs, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms for dinner, and a few cups of tea.

More adventurous recipes to come! Good luck to anyone else starting this week 🙂

Likewise CTO!

Hello Arran,
I am using my fitness pal for food tracking and I have ordered a jawbone sleep and activity tracker. I can’t do much exercise at the moment as have an existing condition which is making it difficult. But hope to slowly introduce the workout Michael suggested in the book.

Call it coincidence or fate, I had read the book cover to cover on Saturday morning already thinking if I am not already diabetic I am pre diabetic. I then recieved the post and among the usual junk mail was a letter from my GP asking me to go for a fasting blood test. I had had blood taken for other things but they had tested my blood sugar and it was a little high.
Straight down to boots I went and bought a blood sugar monitor to check my self. This morning I had a fasting blood result of 7.2 not good. Luckily I had spent a great deal of yesterday ordering my shopping and also going to my local Holland and Barrett to buy what I needed to start the eight week challenge today.
I am currently sitting writing with a bowl of natural yoghurt and strawberries with a tea spoon of flaxseed, sunflower and pumpkin seed mix sprinkled on top. Can’t say I love the yoghurt but I will learn to like it as my mother would say.
I am a large lady with probably 90lbs to loose, so not only hoping for a reduction in my levels but also in weight.
I have a doctors appointment on Friday, but I wanted to get started straight away.
Good luck everyone
Hedds

I have been following this programme for a week now. I am prediabetic . The first three days saw my fasting levels drop from 6.8. 5.8 and 5.7 but from day 4 they have been rising again with two days at 6.0 then two days at 6.2 and today on day 8 it is 6.6. Is this normal? And if so when will they stat to drop again.

Hi. I bought the book yesterday and noticed it says I am able to log my measurements (waist, weight etc) on this site. I can’t find where I do this. Could anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks Arran,

I have plenty of recipes but using the recipes in the8* week Blood Sugar Diet book they don’t specify weights of protein in the recipes, so I’m not sure what I’m substituting for… ie: 1 chicken breast – this can be from 100g – 300g depending on supplier

We eat Lite and Easy meals a few times a week. The calorie value of these is around 350 to 500 per meal. If I have a shake (200ml milk, blueberries, whey protein scoop and a banana etc blended) about 350 – 400 calories in the morning and then only a L&E meal later that day/night how do you think that will work. It will total around 800 calories for the day. Is it better to go onto the Mediterranean foods or will L&E suffice. They are quick and easy.

Thanks so much for this, shall try it when out this coming week. Will report back.

Cheese? We met a 70 year old man who was a very keen cyclist and his advice was just carry cheese and apples as they give you enough nutrition for cycling and take up little space. He would cycle all day and have a meal in the evening. Cheese gives the calorific value without the carbs.

There are some really good Vegan cookbooks an Amazon – some free for Kindle. I suppose all you can do is work out the calorific value of your protein which will be on any packaging.

Just wanted to flag up an issue I think I’ve spotted with one of the recipes in the book – the apple wedges with homemade almond butter. The recipe uses 300g of almonds and says it makes 4 portions, but says that the calories (with apple and seeds) is 110.

300g of almonds contains 1776 calories according to the packs I bought today, which tallies with calorie counts on my fitness pal. Just wanted to flag it up as if you used this recipe you’d end up eating >500 calories in one go.

Thank you! I’m sure you’ll make excellent progress too 🙂

Good luck with the plan- I found a cup of hot milky tea helped keep the hunger pangs at bay in the first few days (ps the hunger pangs mostly go away after the first couple of days- I guess that must be when the burning fat kicks in!)

Mashed chick peas are also remarkably like mashed potatoes. What an adventure making all these discoveries !

Hi Cazzowary,
Thanks for the response.
Fabulous weight loss, congratulations!
and great to hear you are managing without giving up milk in tea.
I am on day one today and have counted milk but glad to hear it won’t affect losses if counted.

Hi Swan

In the FAQs on this site it says:

“You can drink anything that has no calories/low calories. This includes coffee and tea. Adding milk is fine as it is rich in protein and relatively low in carbohydrates. But it also contains calories.”

The book says to use just a splash of milk so maybe there’s been a bit of a mind-change. In any case I’m drinking milk in my tea (about 150 ml a day) and counting the calories as part of the 800. So far I’ve lost 4.2 kilos in 14 days so will keep doing so unless the weight-loss stalls.

I am not diabetic but have a waist measurement of 45inches. Other diets just aren’t workink mainly because soon after eating a large low fat meal I am hungry.

It occurred to me that some of my every day recipes such as fish stew will fit into the m diet by substituting barley and butter beans for potatoes. Worked well tonight

In the book, it was recommended as an option to start on meal replacement shakes and then to move onto real food. What shakes are recommended that have the required nutrients?

If you can’t get out I can recommend Leslie Sansome or Jessica smith walks. Jess smith is on you tube for free.

I’m going to make an effort tomorrow and go for a brisk walk 20 mins possibly 30mins – surely its got to be better than nothing! x

That makes sense… I think that i’m going to start of with the meal replacement shakes for a couple of weeks (hopefully!) and then take it from there… Wish me luck day one tomorrow x

Is it okay to use milk in tea if I count the calories?

Good question Steve and Ei. Also want to know if & when to stop medication if your GP not on board with you?
Should HbA1c tests be done to keep an eye on things. And very importantly too is will you still be considered type 2 diabetic ( diet controlled) by the insurance companies?

Be grateful for your help & advice please Michael

Hi captainlynne you are holidaying with FRIENDS in their homes. Tell them what you are doing & why. They can look at the web site too. Offer to cook them some meals , as your repertoire expands it will be fine. Go food shopping with them or for them. Bulk up on lots of veg.
I went to Hawaii & it was poi & spam! Rice & potatoes was their idea of 2 veg on a plate. A whole cob lettuce sprinkled with cheese was considered a salad. I was very surprised & disappointed.
The USA has a huge problem with diabetes & portions. They may be very grateful & impressed with your efforts to change your life. It could rub off – go girl & enjoy

I would love to get a cross trainer, but after the treadmill I wanted gathered dust for ten years before we finally got rid of it, I don’t think my husband would allow it!

My only problem with the diet, and ongoing maintenance, is knowing when I have finished the 8 week cure part. How do I know if I am “fixed”, i.e reversed out of T2 diabetes, or just getting low BG readings because I am avoiding carbs. I suppose a home-made glucose intolerance test at some point?

I am really excited – 7 days in to this challenge and I have already lost 5 kilos- drinking more water has been a challenge. I am trying to make the 8 weeks easier by counting down days instead eg. Day 56 – day 55 etc.. This has helped with my head knowing that there will be an end – by this time I am hoping I have formed a habit and will continue to clean eat and revert to 5:2. At this time I am happy to keep lunch simple and the same for a couple of weeks as I have already got results. I am also trying to remind myself that food is a source of energy and I should not depend on it as a source if happiness. I am so grateful for this challenge and the support of science – thanks Michael. P.S. I have had one indulgent day so far but I have been kind to myself – all is forgiven and I have moved on 🙂

I vaguely remember watching the piece on smoothies. I think the problem with lots of commercially available smoothies is that they contains fruits that are really high in sugar but they are promoted as being healthy. Have you noticed that innocent have started putting veg in their smoothies?

I don’t think the recepies or the menu in the book are that exotic for a Mediterranean style low carb diet. The lamb in the aubergine dish is minced you could maybe change it into a lasagne style dish using the aubergine like lasagne sheets?

I still have milk I think the broblem with skimmed or semi skimmed milk when you are on a low sugar diet is that lactose the sugar found in milk is actually higher in low fat versions.

I don’t think Michael intended us to follow the meal plan slavishly its just a suggestion for me it includes some of my favourite foods. Its completely understandable that people would want to adapt it to suit themselves just as long as we stick to the principles it should work.

I don’t think I will be buying coconut water either but its essentially the liguid in the middle of a coconut its quite nutrient dense.

Hi, what are the recommended portion sizes for the permitted grains (rye,oats,quinoa)?

Eureka you mention skimmed/semi-skimmed milk but I’m pretty sure Michael promotes full fat dairy. And a splash in your tea/coffee isn’t many calories.

Like many things “low fat” milk is more processed – they try to give the creamy texture that taking the cream out loses, by adding other stuff.

I’m prediabetic but very close to a diagnosis of diabetes (and I’d had gestational diabetes) so I went along to the diabetes information sessions. They were still promoting up to 60 grams (4 serves) of carbohydrate per meal! I would have felt like an idiot saying “but I read on the internet…” I mean the information is so contradictory you can find “evidence” for any advice you prefer, so I didn’t argue with them except to say even 45 grams (3 serves) made my blood sugar spike. We were taught about slow release low GI, which is important, but not to dramatically reduce carbs. I started testing myself regularly to find out what works for me, and low carb/low processed is definitely to way to go for me.