Thank you Janet1973. Enjoyed my meal out and had a glass of red wine too. Not feeling hungry again yet and it’s coming up for 10am.

Re: exercise, I walk a lot already but it’s more of a stroll whilst the dogs run around chasing rabbits. If I had dogs like your adorable dach I could use them for weight lifting as I can’t lift mine up! Squats eh? What are they… I loath swimming and don’t fancy a gym. dvd a poss I suppose, oh I am a lazy daisy. I might take up yoga again or try pilates. I get so sweaty and flushed even attempting a jog and to think I used to be athletic in my teens, representing the county and all that. I think a tap dancing class might suit me. Remember the rolly pollies?

I love chick peas and tend to bulk buy the dried ones: I like a spinach and chick pea curry with lots of cumin, tumeric, coriander, garlic and green lentils. I have a bedtime snack sometimes of a few strips of red pepper dipped in lactose free Arla cream cheese – there’s so much to chose on this diet that’s guilt free.

Hope it’s continuing to go well for you.

Hi Everyone – you are all so inspirational. I love reading your messages – they keep me going. I finished my first week yesterday and have lost 5.5 lbs so am really pleased. It was so hard to cook a roast meal for the family on Sunday and then only eat meat and veg. Still on track and am feeling great. Keep up the good work everyone, we can do it !

I love making soup, but then often find once it is made, I don’t fancy eating it when meal time comes along. I suppose I am just weird! I am considering have smoked basa fillet with the cauliflower kedgeree tonight, instead of the smoked mackerel, as then it will seem a bit more like a real kedgeree to me. I’ve just finished half an hour of low impact cardio. I walk quite a bit, including to and from work, but as I am on holiday this week, I thought it would be a good time to start something more structured. 15 minutes in I though she (in the video) would quite possibly kill me, but by keeping going found another burst of energy, so it wasn’t too bad by the end! Off for a shower and to clean the bathroom now. Judging by the state of my bathroom at the moment, that will be a workout in itself!

Hope you have a good day

Anyone in Australia who is missing bread should rush out and buy some of the Herman Brot low carb bread! Tried some today, it’s not cheap at over $6 a loaf but I figure I’m worth it. It is dark, dense, moist, full of seeds, and delicious. I only needed one slice with cheese and tomato.
Really on a par with my fave breads. So low in carbs and available in nearly every Foodland/ IGA.
Thanks again Cazzowary for putting up the link.

Hi Natasha,

I think it is definitely a case of doing what works for you. For most of my first week (I am day 2 of week 2 today) I cooked our own choice of meals using the guidelines/rules from the book, but not the actual recipes, so I could use food I had in the freezer and pantry. You’re right – it would be crazy to waste the food you have if it fits in with the plan, even more so on a tight budget. Maybe, when you do your next food shop, you could shop for a different set of ingredients, to try a different set of recipes until those supplies are used up. That way you are less likely to get bored with your choices.

I know what you mean about the initial outlay on new foods and like you I have altered things so I don’t waste anything. As I’m veggie I don’t have to buy meat but used up quite a lot of petrol searching for coconut flour, and then when I found it it was 1000% more expensive than normal flour. I’m getting a little tired of courgettes, red peppers, eggs and mushrooms I must say as they are the cheapest ingredients but I pulled myself up sharp earlier when I read about a Nigerian 3yr old who had been abandoned 8 months ago and had been wandering alone scavenging to stay alive. Dear me, us in the West eh, how we’ve got used to expensive food that kills us. Found that the veg curry and cauliflower rice and the beetroot falafels freeze well. Have you tried the home made humus yet? Tins of chickpeas are really good value and the dried ones even more so.

Hi Newt2! That is the bread in question with slight alterations – thank you! I made it again yesterday as I promised malkay the calorie break down. So here it is – values as per the amounts used in my recipe above:
Sesame seeds:422cal; oats:373cal; pumpkin seeds:390cal; almonds:448cal; sunflower seeds:208cal; chickpea flower:235cal; poppy seeds:362cal; chia seeds:199cal; linseed:310cal; olive oil:270cal.
The loaf weighed 930g after baking – 3,235cal which works out 347cal per100g or 128cal per 37g slice. It doesn’t seem too bad as one store-bought gluten free bread lists a 36g slice as having 97 cal ( far more carbs and far less nutritional value). Hope this helps.

This is at the heart of this diet conundrum – is cholesterol raised by eating fat, as they’ve told us for a long time, and apparently based on experiments on rabbits in the 1950s OR is it raised by eating too much carbs that lay down fat in your internal organs, as quite a few, are now telling us. Is a, quite normal, level of 5.7 actually a problem, compared to high sugar levels? Pick your expert to believe!
I’ve never quite got the idea that the fat you put in your stomach causes the fat in your blood. I am going with this diet. It has got my weight back to age 21 (I’m 62) and my morning bloods to low normal.
Personally, many years ago, I was told to get my cholesterol down, and went on a very low fat diet. No cheese, very little meat, skimmed milk, more wholemeal carbs. It had no effect. A more recent go at statins gave me double vision.
I, like a lot of others, am feeling the guilt when I tuck into full fat yoghurt, eggs, etc., although enjoying them. Only a cholesterol test will tell. Try a chemist to see. I am hoping for the best – anyway, diabetes is the bigger enemy.

Hi all,

Only started yesterday and was quite surprised by how much food I was able to eat! And only slight hunger pangs before my evening meal.

But my gosh, the nausea last night was awful. I was actually sick a couple of times (sorry to be gross, but only a tiny amount!). I couldn’t sleep and have got up today still nauseous and with a headache. Drinking lots and I know people talk of that hungover feeling, but has anyone actually been sick?! I know it’s withdrawal symptoms (I am a sweetie and carb monster) but I’m taking solace in the comments here that it will pass!

I also have a hen weekend this weekend (not ideal). I will do the best I can but there will be lots of wine and drunken eating (meaning crisps and carbs). I will do my best over the weekend, but when I get back on the wagon on Sunday, will these withdrawal effects come back? I really hope not!

Other than that, Husband will be eating the same as me in the evenings, but I’ll just add a jacket potato or some other carbs to his meal so the diet seems quite simple as a couple – just need to get past this stage and keep it up!

Hi Niffer – you’ve hit the nail on the head with ‘enjoying life’.
I am confident that when on holiday I can control my carbs and not even have any on most meals but I am going to have a dessert on one of the days as we are booked into a very fancy restaurant on one of the days, which we have been waiting for 2 years to go to.
I have also already written my meal plan for when we get back which has helped me to see the holiday as a ‘treat’ and a temporary break from calorie counted meals and back to business when I get back.
Also planning on increasing my exercise on holiday as we will be doing loads of coast walking.
Enjoy you’re holiday and don’t beat yourself up if you have some nice meals – you are on holiday. 🙂

My doctor is quite happy to supply the monitor and the strips, I’ve just been lazy about testing because everything was a status quo. Now however….? Mrs.S, as to hypos, I did get them when just on metformin, if for example I missed a meal, or moved furniture etc. I’m wondering if this low calorie intake will mimic the effect of overexertion, ie burn up all the sugars too quickly. I’ll keep you posted!

Well done Paddy!, I’ve just started week 4 today, but my weight loss is only 8lb in three weeks, I haven’t got that much too lose, so it’s not a real problem.

I’m motivated to continue because I don’t want to have to start from scratch again in the future! Also, I really really really don’t want to be a diabetic, especially if it’s my diet that is the cause……

Well weighed in the day after and had lost 3.4lbs so was satified by my calculations that is what I was expecting. 9 days in loss is 4.8 in total. With regard to the WW comment that is considered a slow loss and Michael’s book is about fast loss. The mention of panic starvation mode again is debunked a a myth by Michael as the studies he quotes show this occurring at a very low level of calorie intake. For those that still believe in the starvation mode thing I watch Bear Grills the Island and they dropped shed loads of weight through not eating not one of them maintained as they were in starvation mode.

My doctor is watching my thyroid. i take Nature-Throid. He said that limited calories can negatively affect the thyroid, but so far it hasn’t. That’s one of the reasons that he doesn’t want me to continue the 800 calorie ‘bootcamp’ after the 8 weeks. but wants me on the 5/2. I’m into week 6.

My doctor is watching my thyroid. i take Nature-Throid. He said that limited calories can negatively affect the thyroid, but so far it hasn’t. That’s one of the reasons that he doesn’t want me to continue the 800 calorie ‘bootcamp’ after the 8 weeks. but wants me on the 5/2.

Congrats! I’m entering the 6th week and am planning ahead. My very knowledgeable and supportive doc told me to go to 5/2 after the 8 weeks because he didn’t think I was getting enough good nutrition in the 800 calories that I was eating (he saw my food diaries and i am trying to be thoughtful). How do you think your nutritional needs are going? Any suggestions? I’ll still have a good 90 pounds to go. I’ve lost 22.6 pounds and 4″ off my waist, so hopefully i’ll approach your numbers by the end. Down one dress size (24 to some 22’s) and blood sugars went from 112 to 83. I’ve just been told i can exercise a little bit now – so i think that should make a difference. But i must do it in incremental pieces.

I am on the 5:2 with a reduction in carbs the other days. It has taken me over 4 weeks to lose 10 lbs but my Blood sugar has been dropping steadily. It was only 4.4 fasting this am and I had omitted my Gliclazide the day before. My daughter bought me a FitBit and I have been using it to keep an eye on my calorie intake and exercise. It is a wonderfully motivating little tool and the food recording certainly makes me think twice before eating anything. It is surprising what the calorie count can be on some innocent looking foods.

Hi All – I’m pleased too to hear of slow losers as I plateaued for around 7 days between midweek 2 and midweek 3, and lost only 1lb, despite religiously sticking to the calories etc. I too re-read the book. I decided it may be because I’m now within a stone of my target weight, and that stone has been around for at least 20 years!

I also upped my water intake again, and increased my exercise a bit more (walked more and went to a Zumba class), and finally it started coming down again.

But even when my weight wasn’t changing much, I definitely feel thinner, especially around my middle but also my thighs and I can see my face changing shape (down to the last double chin!) and I managed to get into some of my size 12 trousers for the first time in years!

One thing I did at the beginning of week 1 was cut a length of ribbon the exact size of my waist and now I can see easily how much I’ve lost (about 2-3 inches). Roll on week 4!

Hi olisue fab fab fab!

You have lost 1 STONE. 7 Bags of SUGAR. And not yet three weeks! This is really good Louise.
Did you do the two week review p140 in the BSD book? There is one at four weeks p145. Re read the book & mark the stuff that is really hitting home for you
Check the quality of calories you eat. You can feel low in energy on 800, that’s why you need to review how you feel & if you need to do 5:2 diet instead.
Make sure your general health is ok, see the dr if necessary. Hope you have them on side with this diet anyway

Think about why you wanted to do this diet & have you really lost that motivation? If you wanted to lose four stones, then you are a quarter of the way there. All of us want the same thing, weight loss & better health. It’s a great club to join & we don’t want to lose any members

You can do this, we can help. Charliem & I don’t want to lose you
Eureka

No problem, queenvix, I guess quite a bit of it was fluid loss, but none the less, an encouraging start! I’m using myfitnesspal to track what I am eating, and if you use it, it will flash up lots of warning about eating too few calories, but having that app on my phone is a big help for me. Best of luck!

Hi
I got these two links from Sandy on the forums. Thought it might be good to have a thread.

This gives you lots of help with side effects like headaches, constipation etc. Very comprehensive.
http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/low-carb-diet-side-effects.html

And another site detailing a similar type of diet is
Diet doctor.com
It has a lot of good info, short films etc.
If you ‘join’ you get even more.
Penny

Found a link for a rather wonderful looking YumUniverse bread recipe which seems very similar to EIMs post above, and gives the following nutritional info for carb and calorie counting…….Nutritional info (per slice, based on 14 slices per loaf): 157 cals, 10.5 g fat, 130 mg sodium, 10.9 g carbs, 4.6 g fibre, 1.5 g sugar, 6.1 g protein

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2014/11/12/heathers-toasted-super-seed-power-bread-from-yum-universe-vegan-gf/#ixzz40HSdn4xd

Hi All

Great to see everyone doing so well. I’ve just finished week 3 and total lost to date is 10.7lb which is my lightest in years!

BMI has dropped from 29.6 to 27.6 and I’ve lost 2 inches off my waist.

Unexpected benefits – my blood pressure dropped from 127/79 in week 1 to 113/ 75, and resting heart rate dropped from 88 to 77.

Only slight disappointment is my fasting blood sugars are creeping up after stopping the gliclazide – I’ve had a 2 or 3 readings above 8, but through the day they are usually between 5-6. I’ve been diabetic for 8 years so I don’t expect an immediate improvement.

Roll on week 4!

Happy to have been of assistance Cherrianne :0

Hi Bill1954- it wouldn’t be so bad if my target was 10kg but my target was the 15-20kg that are so often referenced in the book as the amounts lost (and I’m 125 kg/275 lbs to start with)- I’m happy to have lost weight but think the numbers in the book raise unrealistic expectations for some people- and because I’m so much fatter to start with, the slow-going is painful to me. Thank you though for your positive outlook – something lost if better than something gained in this situation 🙂

Hi Rico
Sounds like progress!
I think Michael says sugar free gum is fine to use. I think he might even use it.
Re drinks- I always have a marmite drink at bedtime.
Penny

Hi fitjacq
Sounds like a good idea.
Penny

Hi Swaby
That’s great news.
Down 1/2 lb today.
Good luck
Penny

Hi everyone,

I have just logged in and I’ve been reading the posts. I really like the feel of this group!

I also like how keen everyone seems, even if it’s all feels a bit overwhelming. I agree, with support and encouragement we can cheer each other on.

Thanks Snackerlady, my day has gone well re the bsd. Today is my 8th day and I had Cheesy Beans for breakfast and Sirloin Steak with Peppercorn Sauce for dinner.

I find that the meal plans have been so expertly devised that I’m not at all hungry in between meals – in fact I don’t even think about food. This is a total miracle!!

I am not working at the moment and money is a bit tight, so affording all the food in the plans was a bit of a worry at the start. However, I’m comfortable with repeating the same meal plans until all the ingredients are used, or else I’ll be buying ingredients, only using a small amount and then not using them again, and spending loads of money on new stuff that will go to waste if I don’t use them.

Just wondering if anyone else does this?

Hi. I move around the country a lot so have seen gps in different areas. Occasionally they’ve prescribed test strips but always discontinue doing so. It’s easy to get a free meter from the manufacturer because they know you’ll need to buy their strips. Let’s just say I’ve had some ‘interesting discussions’ with gps and diabetes nurses about this over the years. My current diabetes nurse says she’s hearing from lots if type 2s now that they should be given the strips and that the practice should listen. I’m not holding my breath!

Wow that’s an amazing loss claire_cruik !! I’m the same I love carbs but I can’t really eat them. That’s great that it works for us PCOSers- thanks for letting me know that it will work- that’s will keep me motivated!

Agreed Reynards. I’ve been to many slimming clubs over the years (without much success) but find the support on here great. And it’s 24/7. And no cost. It’s win/win 😃

Hi Helen
That’s really good.
I’m down 5 1/2 lb in 14 days.
2 1/2″ off waist.
Penny

Hi ladies, I too have PCOS too but not diabetic/prediabetic (have diabetic parents) and thought I’d try this diet. The standard healthy eating plan I was given by the dietician required 6 portions of starches/carbs to be eaten each day. I love carbs but they really don’t love me as just looking at them makes me pile on the weight.
I’ve done this strict 800 cal low carb diet for one week now and lost 4kg, which is unheard of. I’m not craving bread/potatoes, just chocolate, but hey, nothing new there!
All the best ladies, what have you got to lose, other than weight??

Hi GrumptoGlam
Have you measured your waist? It’s datusfying if it goes down even half an inch!
down 1/2 a lb this morning. – it’s something!
Penny

I’m only 8 days in but I know I had to be sure to drink plenty of extra water in the first couple of days, it really makes a difference and helped me to get past the foggy brained, headachey stage (which only lasted an evening). All the best to both of you for a very successful experience with the diet.

Thanks Reynards. I’m staying outside the main tourist area but it looks like there are lots of different types of restaurant in the area, hopefully I can find something. Otherwise the market/supermarket and smuggle something back to my room.

Hi Louise, wow, 14 lbs is amazing! Well done! Just a thought… have you got some interim goals, i.e. something between this stage and the 3 st you’ve still got to go? Just to give you something to aim for that is in sight… I’m just starting week 2, I’m 7 lbs down and feeling very inspired, still got 28 lbs to go and I’m absolutely determined to stick with it. This is the healthiest, most manageable and effective diet I’ve ever done and I’m so pleased to have stumbled across it. I do hope you get your motivation back, the thought of not progressing at this stage… the alternative is – for me – not worth considering.

I’m new to this and only just done my first week, so I can’t help you with your question, but I would just like to say that reading your post has inspired me and I just want to say well done.
Maybe knowing the positive effect you have on other people may help you get your motivation back.
Good luck and keep at it – you’re doing so well

Charlie x

Prague is wonderful but when I went there was lots of goose and dumplings! Suggest you take some nuts with you.

HI, Mrs S. It was the other way round for me, I bought a monitor then asked them for strips. I think if you look on the diabetes uk website there is some info about getting strips from your doctor. They are I think supposed to give you them. I think I told my doctor that monitoring would help me with my control. A yearly test really isnt good enough, especially with the diet they recommend.

Cancelled my ww membership today. Wasn’t happy trying to explain how I’d lost 6 lbs in a week when previously it had been 1 off a week and a half pound gain the next. I’m convinced this forum will be a greater support than a once weekly weigh in.

@loftbabe re your self diagnosis of fatty liver disease. I would definitely consult your GP as my Mrs had exactly the same symptoms you described. Pain under the ribs etc
She had a scan last year and was diagnosed with a gall bladder stone!
Very painful at times, she is still awaiting for it to be resolved.
It may turn out your self diagnosis is correct, but I would want to be sure.
Wishing continued success with your journey to improved health and wellbeing.
Kind regards Shrinky.

Hi everyone, I’m coming to the end of my third week on the bsd. I’m pleased with my progress so far – lost 14lbs, and I’ve managed to stick to 800 cals a day everyday with virtually no cravings. However today I’ve felt really down and pessimistic about this diet. I feel like the next week is going to be a struggle, not because I want to eat junk food, but because I feel like I’ve lost the initial motivation and I still have so much weight to lose (another 3 stone).

Did anyone else feel like this and did it pass?

Louise
x

Hi catlady, and nettyrim 😊 didn’t think I could get hypos when only taking Metformin?And I agree Nettyrimm about not knowing how food is affecting me, it seems common sense to test but apparently not to my doctor. When pushed I was told they would supply a monitor but I would have to buy my own strips does this sound like your experience?

Hi all,
Me and the better half have started today.
Neither of us has blood sugar problems, yet, but are fat where it isn’t good!
We are planning on trying to be really strict for 4 weeks and see how things are going.
I would just like to be healthy again and be able to do up my laces without holding my breath!
Work is hard enough without carting 3 or 4 extra stone around too.
Salad & steak for dinner, bulgar wheat and feta for lunch and eggs and mushrooms for b-fast. Hope my tummy shrinks quick, won’t feel so empty then!
12 hour shift tomorrow, fingers crossed I can go the distance on my planned food.
Will try to hydrate a lot. Any advice from anyone further down the track would be appreciated.

Brilliant news Tuesday!! She sounds lovely and understanding 🙂

Tuesday, that’s a great idea and outcome, well done 😊

H every one . Well I did go to my WW meeting tonight .i asked to speak to the leader privately she was very nice I explained briefly the book which I showed her .i all so said that the diet had been recommended for controlling my diabeties she was fine she promised not to mention it in the meeting .so I will keep going for now .

Well done captainlynne-this is so inspiring to read-10 inches off your waist…I hope I achieve something like that, it would be smaller than my hips then! Enjoy your holiday , and congratulations.