I think fake meat might be your only option. I am veggie and must say would find it challenging without Quorn. I am eating a lot of soups and salads and eggs. Have lost 3lb in the first 2 days and blood sugar is down from 6.9 to 5.4 this morning. Good luck and if you have any recipes please share 😀

You just need to change the orientation of your screen to landscape view for those pages and go back to portrait view for the rest of the book (or not as you wish). Its in the ‘change font size’ function on my (older) Kindle.

Having said that Dr M has done well out of me because I ended up buying a paperback copy of the book as well as the kindle version ! (as I found the recipes easier to use that way .. and it meanst I could also lend it to a friend, who I’m sure will benefit from reading it ).

its half price in WHSmith right now ,

I started today & have stuck to the 800 calories & drinks 2.5 litres of water & not felt hungry once & felt quite full all day. Enjoyed the healthy food I’ve been eating too. Here’s to the next few days & weeks & healthy weight loss. Well done, Vaughnie. Keep up the good work & good luck everyone else

Hi All , I too have started today. I did post something last night but I can’t find it.
It will be great to find encouragement here as I think we will need it. I have done the diet already 18 months ago but have put the weight back sadly so I am here trying it again and then maintaining the loss.
My levels were brilliant when I did it last time so well with doing!!
Good luck everyone. One day at a time!

Hi Mermaid 2 – I’m 5’1, 51 and starting weight last week was 11’3. Lost a fantastic 6.5lb in the first week, so a great start and i can feel the difference already! Roll on week 2……

Good luck, stay strong!

Good luck to you too Vaughnie….nice to find a forum where everyone is starting out at about the same time and really inspiring to read about peoples stories of success

Yay, day one over and I have loved it. Got weighed and measured this morning followed by a PT session – she wasn’t kind but I told her not to be otherwise I won’t achieve my goal. Weighed in at 90 kg, with a 40 inch waist – not my proudest moment but school of hard knocks. That’s why I’m here. I was going to follow the 800 cal menu plan but loved the lunch, stuffed peppers so much I had it again for dinner. I have not felt hungry at all but I think all the water has helped that.
Hope all you first dayers have been okay – long may it reign. It feels so great to be a part of something – I’ve always found dieting so lonely but it’s so encouraging reading everyone’s news. Good luck everyone

Well done everyone – it’s really encouraging to see everyone do so well.

I’ve been diabetic for 8 years, and my medication has been going up and up so I was at the stage where I think it’s now or never to get myself in hand.

After reading the the Blood Sugar Diet book cover to cover, and some time meal planning, I started on 26 January and am astonished by the results after just one week of the 800 cal diet.

According to my new bluetooth scales, I’ve lost 6.5lb in weight, BMI dropped from 29.6 to 28.4, Body fat dropped from 40.1% to 37.8% and water and muscle increased slightly! Best of all my Blood Glucose results were under 7 all week, getting as low as 4.7 on a couple of occasions. I saw my GP this morning and she agreed that I could cease Gliclazide and see how I get on, and then over time gradually reduce my other medications.

I found the first week really quite easy, and haven’t been hungry at all (though have been drinking and weeing more!). I think it helped that last summer I did a few months of the 5:2 diet and lost 1 1/2 stones, so 800 calories feels quite generous compared with that!

With results like that I feel really motivated for week 2!

Keep going and monitor yourself Floraellen. Its your life and your body. I bought myself a blood sugar monitor and already had a bp one. I love the comment in the book where it is said that as soon as you are diagnosed with T2 you will be thrown medication quicker than you can say CocaCola. I was- without even seeing a doctor. I disputed needing to be on Metformin so it was agreed that I could have a 3 month trial on diet and exercise.No advice given though. I took the Metformin when I found my bs was 15. I lasted a week and was so ill I came off it again. Started on the blood sugar diet and have lost weight and my bs is reducing. This even although, so far, I have not been very strict due to my husband and I both having significant birthdays in January. So we have had family meals out, a holiday in Rome and a final birthday bash this weekend. Then I will be strict. So be heartened and keep going – treating your body the way you want it to be treated not how someone else dictates. You will be able to tell your doctor that you don’t need medication once you are stabilised – and you will make that happen.

Hi Bexicle
People usually just add carbs for the children. Good luck!
Penny

Hi GettingSerious
I have just started the diet today. I am using a Nutriblend to make my own shakes, and a book called The 5:2 Diet Low Carb Nutribullet Recipe Book by Susan Fotherington.
It’s available on Amazon. I’ve got it on kindle. It was about £3 I think.
Really recommend both!
Penny

Bad start! Got unexpectedly invited for aperatifs this evening, so had a few drinks. However, stuck to the dinner I had planned of baked cod, green beans and lentils. Only had a greek yoghurt for breakfast and no lunch. I’m hoping this diet will work for me. My main problem has always been that I don’t eat enough (so why am I so overweight!?!?) I was always told off at WW for not eating enough. So I think having breakfast and then a higher cal dinner should work for me. I’m now in the mind set that if I have a bad day it’s just one day and I can start again tomorrow, rather than just give up, so back on it again tomorrow, with no alcohol!!

I was about to post a similar question re shakes. I was wondering whether I could incorporate the PhD shakes into the diet as I often don’t get time to eat during the day. I also find them handy after I’ve been for a run, I usually have them with unsweetened almond milk which is a total of 120 cals per shake.

Unfortunatly my GP left so l am in limbo finding one that l can communicate with.. The one l saw treated me like a dim wit. I thought l would monitor myself as much as possible and after a couple of weeks go back and say ‘now can we dicuss my treatment’. Like get me off all this medication cus l dont need it any longer. Gosh how l would love to say that

That’s a lot of steps Penny!
Day two I felt a bit weird and hungry but that could be because I’m not used to ever allowing myself to feel any hunger!
Good luck and hope it all settles down

Hi everyone
I also started today. I didn’t find it hard and wasn’t tempted but I was hungry all day. I am also hypoglycaemic which made me nervous about starting and now I do feel fairly brainless but then I did do 9,500 steps on 800 calories. Hopefully tomorrow or the next day things will even out.
Good luck everyone I hope your day went well.
Penny

Glad your first day when we’ll Bexicle….I found that peppermint tea helps when hungry…comforting and no calories!

First day today…had a handful of almonds cos I was struggling but in general a real good day! Was stuffed after breakfast lunch and dinner, first time in a long time, and it was all tasty!

Good luck to all of you who started today!This is the first time I have ever posted on a blog but I really believe this is a revelation for those of us who struggle to lose weight. it has always been tough for me and being type 2 for the last 4 years hasn’t changed that. But 4 days on this diet and I’ve lost 5lbs….ok some may be water but who cares …..it’s working.
Day one was a bit tough (I love food!) but since then, no problems. Have made sure I take food to work (boiled egg) and truly have not been tempted. In fact walked past a full tin of chocs today without wanting one.
Stick it out folks, we have nothing to lose but our weight!

The courgetti is great isn’t it? I had been wanting a spiralizer for ages and this has been the perfect excuse to get one and actually use it lol.

Hi,
I recommended this diet to a friend who is concerned that rapid weight loss will cause skin sagging , wouldnt his be the case ?

Thanks

About a year ago I tried the 5:2 diet. I found it easy to do but it triggered gout. I’m now taking allopurinol and haven’t had an attack for a long time. I really like the idea of this 8-week plan, but I’m worried about the prospect of it triggering gout again.

I plan to discuss this with my GP, but has anyone here tried this whilst being on allopurinol?

I had just logged on to ask the same question. I have the Hartley’s ten cal pots and they are 1.8g of carbs each with all the carbs from sugar so not sure if they are permitted.

Crushed raspberries and a few raisins are containing my sweet urges. Although the raspberries aren’t really sweet. They are in fact a little sour, but they do help.

You have done so well with 7lb in one week. That’s amazing.

I have no idea about sugar free jelly. I’m not a jelly eater so have never even heard of it, but wouldn’t it contain some other type of sweetener instead of sugar?

Bought the book last week and most of it makes sense. Bought a spiraliser and tried the courgetti bolognaise , excellent if I say so myself and so did the rest of the family. Looking forward to trying new things, losing weight and hopefully get the blood sugar levels down.

Hi Kel, I just know that I am feeling more awake, less lethargic and lighter since not eating all those processed carbs.

Call me daft, but also think about how we got certain foods. We didn’t even know about the potato in the UK until the 1500s. Pasta I hadn’t even heard of until the 1960s. Rice I’m not sure about but it certainly wasn’t native to this country – Maybe the 10th century when the Romans invaded. I honestly fail to see how anything that we would never have had if we hadn’t been introduced to it from another part of the world can be bad for us if we don’t eat it.

Here in the UK we are hereditary farmers and before the world was opened up to us we lived off only what we could grow in this country and the animals that were native to us. That didn’t include potatoes or rice, and we certainly never invented pasta.

The only reason we don’t eat bread on this diet is because it’s been messed about with in the processing of it. If those breads that are called whole wheat really were the whole wheat grain ground and used directly then we could eat it.

I am eating one or two ryvita a day if I feel so inclined because I’m hoping I am right and that they are made from the whole grain only with no mucking about or additions. (please correct me someone if you think I shouldn’t even be eating those either.)

Well, I’m thinking it hasn’t been healthy eating lots of carbs, so far, as it’s got me diabetes. When first told (5′ 8″ and 12st) I was “pre-diabetic” I was given the usual diet sheet with a third of the plate carbs etc. I asked how this was going to help as that’s what I’ve been doing for my entire adult life. Since then I’ve gone to “diabetic, and lately to “need meds” via the “healthy” NHS diet advice, as predicted. I was told it can only get worse, all I can do is slow the decline. There has to be another way!
There are lots of other low carb theorists out there. Lots to read. Like Dr. Bernstein who has decades of experience of diabetes as a T1 diabetic himself, and as a doctor. He has written several books on the subject. Plenty of people on Diabetes.co.uk forums are living the low carb life. Check them all out. This book, after the “needs meds” diagnosis, finally spurred me to make the change.
So far I’m loving the diet. Chucking in some chick peas, kidney beans, etc., as bit of a carb, just leaving out the concentrated stuff like bread, rice, potatoes, cereal, etc. Can eating tons of veg be wrong? More energy, hunger disappeared (I was always hungry every 2 hours on carbs, now go from a late breakfast to an early evening dinner, and then through the night, no problem), fasting blood sugar normal, massively better spirits too.

Wonderful Kankan. I am so pleased for you. I love myfitnesspal. For me it’s been a great help also.

Wahoo! Floraellen. Tickled for your success. Please do keep monitoring your blood pressure as well as your sugars. My blood pressure went down first! Wouldn’t want you to faint!
I think with careful monitoring, this old foggey will show ’em. And, it looks like you will too! How wonderful!
My blood sugars finally came down to a nice normal (below 100) the beginning of the 4th week. 83 this morning (US measurements).
Is there a way to change to another physician? I really believe monitoring is key on both sides for many of us.

Too late now if l am too old. Have been on a nearly bsd for a week now. Haven’t got all the ingredients yet. Even so l have lost 8 lbs which l am absolutely thrilled with. My fasting blood sugar remains at 9 mmol and it will be good to see that down. Never have been good at taking lots of fluid so find this a bit hard but it is getting better. This forum has helped no end and if l feel a bit low or hungry l just read all the goals you have all achieved at l can carry on. Thanks again everyone.

Well done, it is great to get something that works. Hard sticking to it but I think the strictness helps.

Two weeks ago I started on the blood sugar diet, given I know that if I didn’t make some changes, I was walking into diabetes for sure. My dad has diabetes, has had a heart attack and just been diagnosed with cancer, and I had gestational diabetes with my daughter (who is now 8). Being 22kg overweight (according to a BMI calculator – not 100% accurate but a good start), and having tried every diet going over the last 8 years to try and lose my baby weight, I knew I needed to take some drastic action.

I decided that a quick fix wasn’t the answer, and wanted something based on logic as well as scientific evidence so that I could really believe in it. I came across information about the blood sugar diet in the Daily Mail and just knew it was what I was looking for. Having got the book immediately, I ordered a blood sugar monitor and started the next day.

Since starting two weeks ago, I have lost 3.4kg and an inch from my waist, but that pales into insignificance compared to how I feel. I have loads more energy, I am trying new (very simple but tasty) recipes which I can give to my husband and children (with a few more calories), people have noticed that I look happier, my shape is starting to change (thanks to at least 5 exercise classes a week), and I am so motivated because it feels almost effortless, and the obvious thing to do.

I’m logging everything on MyFitnessPal which has re-educated me with portion sizes, and this has become a nightly habit to put in my meals for the next day, so I am planning ahead rather than just eating what I can find.

I can’t thank Michael enough for the simple concept, sound scientific evidence and family friendly meals that have revolutionised my life and health (although I’ve still got a way to go.

Hi all,
Interesting stuff, I lost weight since my diagnosis of type 2, approx 30 lbs, My hba1c has gone from 106 to 48 in 10 weeks, I have been allocated a dietician, you can guess what she thinks of low carb, she advises either bread, pasta, rice or potatoes with each meal, portion size equal to the size of my own closed fist. she has told me to ignore the advice in this book or I will be ill in the long term, btw doctor tell me I doing great and is happy with my progress. My question is, is it safe to exclude, bread, rice, pasta and potatoes?? would love to hear other forum member opinion.
Thanks, Kel.

Hope everyone’s first day going well. I’ve only had 500 calories so far but lots of water in between & feeling quite full! Heading home for a healthy 200 – 300 calorie dinner. Let’s do this, folks. Good luck.

Andy

Hi guys

Well just finished week 1 and lost 7lbs! Very pleased! However although I am getting on well I still miss a pudding (tut, tut). How do we stand with sugar free jelly? I have avoided anything sweet so far, except a few crushed raspberries in yogurt but really feel like adding something in that will not ruin all my hard work?

Ideas please!!

You will be fine! I thought the same but actually I just leave out the pots, rice etc from mine. I have also introduced them to the ideas as well, that way not only are they all backing me but we are ALL eating better! Just starting week 2 and lost 7lbs in the first week. My kids are also sleeping better which I’m sure is down to the change of eating.

Good luck – ban cadburys from the house, that’s what I did!

I must say I haven’t found this diet expensive, shopping at Aldis for cheap veg , fruit, salad, low fat plain yoghurt, tuna, sardines, cottage cheese,eggs, and nuts, hummus etc it’s cost me less than my normal diet , now not buying bread, snacks , cereals etc not eating a lot of meat as tinned fish, feta, hummus, eggs , chickpeas are a good source of cheap protein. Good luck folks x

Hi, I started the diet 2 weeks ago, bs was 8.3 on starting, after week one 7.9, week two 5.9. However this morning it was back to 7.3. Is this normal. I have lost 10 lbs in the two weeks and notice my midriff is going down. I have nodules in my thyroid which my GP (who is fully behind me) says it may cause a problem with weight loss. Not on any medication. Metformin makes me ill.
Any advice would be appreciated and yes I am sticking to the diet.

Hello Cat, thanks for your reply. Yes, just eating the jumbo cheapo oats, nothing processed. 40g with 100ml milk and some water. Like it with mixed berries and a tsp of sugar but all calories counted : )

Wondering if it is a cortisol or insulin issue here as I should really be losing weight I think, even on 1,000 calories. Will get tested on Wednesday.

You have lost 5lbs in a week – well done, so encouraging!

Thanks to all for the help. So, I’ve started today as planned, after doing some last minute shopping and analysis yesterday.
This is what I’ve found (I don’t like buying health stuff online, I’d rather go in main street shops for these things):
Optifast is simply not available without enrolling in a clinic, but from their site and others I figured out they contain approximately 20g of sugar (short for: carbs of which sugar, so there can be more carbs of the good kinds) for 100g.
Optislim doesn’t seem to be available in UK pharmacies or health and fitness stores.
Elle Belle, couldn’t find it anywhere, but I’d probably not use them due to too much carbs (of which the sugar is unknown), and also 500 kcal per serve is too much — I’d rather have 3* 200, or 2* 300 kcal portions to reach the 600 in 2 or 3 “meals”.
Herbalife, couldn’t find it anywhere either, seems interesting: so little calories (so, more portions), but 9g of carbs per 130 kcal means 41g of carbs for 600 kcal — it’ll depend on how much of that is “bad” (quick) sugar rather slow-intake sugars.
Exante shakes, also couldn’t find them anywhere.

In a pharmacy I found this (in all cases, grams of sugar (“carbs of which sugar”) per 100g):
AYMES: 38/100; Slimfast (who conveniently are the only ones to describe portions in ml rather than g, but with some simple maths I worked it out anyway): an incredible 50/100; Boots Slender: 33, 34, 35 depending on flavour; Conplan: 34, 33, 27 depending on flavour; Sculptress: 20, 21 depending on flavour; Celebrity: 30, 45 depending on flavour; Almaseed: 30. Many of these also had very low amounts of protein (which I understand I should be taking to preserve lean muscle mass).

Eventually I settled for 2 products:
from Boots: Sanatogen High Protein, with impressive 5.8g of carbs (0.4 sugar) and 81g of protein for 100g of product, and
from H&B: USN Diet Fuel Ultralean Nutrition shake, similar composition, 55g portions to 200-300ml of water for 200kcal (so I can have 3 a day) and which specifically is described for weight loss and lean muscle preservation, not performance or sport, etc.

I hope I’m doing it right, I’ll keep researching and of course I’ll make sure to also drink lots of water and have my daily 200 kcal of vegetables as per the recipes in the book, for the fibre and the general gut mobility, etc.
I’m pretty sure in three weeks maximum I’ll be trying to do it all with real food though, for more taste and satisfaction.

I was triggered into action initially by “That Sugar Film” (whatch it, it’s an eye-opener in many ways), then by articles by and about Dr. Mosley on newspapers.

Chinta, you might find watercress and small amounts of parsley work instead of spinach. Kale might be good too, though it’s much tougher. I hate spinach too, but find that a tiny sprinkling of grated cheese helps as long as it’s all mixed with other things like herbs and eggs. Actually, in spiced food you don’t notice spinach much either.
Jazza, I know just what you mean about denial!

Wow, you are doing well gateofheaven and happysheryl! What a great start. I’ve just finished one week but have been using a mix of diets while doing huge amounts of reading into the background research, both for Michael’s diets and also a couple of the higher fat low carb ones in the US: Dr Michael Eades (protein power.com) and Dr David Ludwig (“Always Hungry?”). I really recommend both these authors for clarifying issues surrounding fat and cholesterol myths, something Micael M also does in his books too. I started on David Ludwig’s diet, but as I have a blood sugar issue and slightly high cholesterol I thought I’d switch to Michael’s diet as giving quicker returns, especially after reading that speed is not dangerous as previously thought. I followed some of MM’s research references to some very technical stuff. Though I am no biochemist and struggled a bit, I returned to Michael’s explanations with a new understanding of the research background. So now on my fuller eating days I won’t be worried about fats and oils and know they’ll help me stay off the carbs. I have lost 3.5 lbs on the other diet but am now on my first fast day, which regime I hope will help my liver and pancreas etc.

5ft 1. 11st 2… Nearing fourty. Fuzzy headed, no energy, grumpy and totally addicted to carbs. Family history of diabetes. Not very good at sticking to a diet but 56 days sounds like a reachable goal. Craving cadburys and potatoes already. The hardest thing for me will be feeding my husband and sons.

Hi ArranGranny – It seems to be quite common for the liver to continue pumping out excess sugar overnight, even though you are having fewer sugar spikes the rest of the time due to the lower carb/low calorie diet.

This probably because it can take time for the insulin resistance to settle and to get rid of the fat stored in the liver. Once these get back to their normal function, the fasting blood sugars should improve. So sometimes people find their HbA1C has improved (a measure of your average blood glucose over a period of time) but their morning fasting blood sugar is still a bit raised. Don’t worry, stick with it as it sounds as if all is heading in the right direction and you are doing well!

Hi – same postion as you, Laska – not diabetic and not obese. In my case I definitley need to lose couple of stone though. I did the test in Michael’s book and came out as a raging carb addict .

I found last week easier than I thought apart from one day at work when I had to stand by a buffet for an hour and my resolve crumbled. I did go slightly over 800 both days at the weekend and had one glass of prosecco (so you did better than me) but still down 5 lbs at the end of the first week. Determined to be strict this week because i know i can usually start a diet with gusto but then start to get bored and make excuses for breaking the rules. The first week has really made me think about eating healthily and i am very inspired by the recipes in the book so i am really going to try and make this one work.

I’ve noticed this as well, no Idea why though sorry

I’m sleeping better than ever luckily, over sleeping if I’m honest but as I’m recovering from an op and usually work 15-18 days I’m making the most of the down time. I had no idea sleep affected weightloss though so it’s something I’ll remind myself of when I’m back at work and working silly hours on call with little sleep. Certainly makes sense to me. Thanks for taking the time to lt me know about this 😀 Weightloss has stared again now although slowly but least it’s going in the right direction.

Hi do you think the reduction in weight loss could be due to extra muscle mass from exercise? I know I’ve increased the amount of exercise I do. Anyone have a way to measure % muscle v fat?

Hi, nice to meet you and thanks for your advice. I cut out diary ( which is my only guilty pleasure for a couple of days) and hey presto weightloss is back on the move ( yay). Without th weightloss my BSG has come down to under 5.5 though so maybe my body was busy doing that and couldn’t multi task lol

Keep up the amazing work and look forward to seeing you alongside at the finishing line!

Will do many thanks for the tips 😀