Thanks for the information and encouragement Aliba and pmshrink. I’ve downloaded the app now and will check it out this morning. I have had success before by keeping a food diary in an actual book so will have to decide how much advantage the app gives me. I will certainly be putting the 10g measures in, as multiplication is much simpler that division for the most part, great tip – thanks!
OK, tomorrow is the kick off day since I have a big party to go to this evening, looking forward to bumping into people here again!

Thank you. This is the second recommendation I have had for Mindspace so I will look into it. Might be the saviour to get out of this stress fog!

OOPS
2 small thin pancakes made with wholemeal flour and semin skimmed milk with a filling of blueberries cooked in theie own juice for tea last night and this mornings BS reading has gone up to 8.1

That demonstrates to me perfectly what carbs can do to you, even in small amounts.

I started the BSD 2 days ago. I cannot work out if the calorie value of the simple suppers includes whatever I am ” jazzing up” eg a chicken breast or salmon steak or lamb chop or if I have to look up the calorie value of the weight of food being jazzed up and add the calories to make up a bigger total. Advice welcome . Thanks

Yes , I know about the ‘dawn phenomenon’ as I have been monitoring my FBS for a year now. Mine generally stays slightly raised until lunchtime or if I eat. I was feeling positive that blood sugars were dropping but it’s back up to 6.2 today 😥. Not sure this is working for me. Have been very strict and not gone over 800 cals at all.

Thanks for this great tip. I have a number of Rose Elliot’s books but had not heard of this one, so I am off to seek it out! Good luck with your weight loss programme.

Try to keep the fat content up if you can. It really helps with carb cravings. Last week I totally overdid it with bread but the next day I had herring with small slice of bread and butter, since when I’ve had no main carb foods at all or even wanted them. I’ve made sure that I have a little oliveoil or butter wit most meals and it does seem to help.

I really hope so because I only started the diet today and I’ve come to bed with a banging migraine! I’m just hoping it’ll be gone in the morning. And that I won’t get any more this week, but I have a feeling I may well do, as cutting out carbs and sugar is pretty drastic! And my system is extremely sensitive. I have taken some pain killers, so hopefully it won’t prevent me from sleeping. It’s good to be on the forum and have positive comments from other people who have been on the diet longer.

Aly, I can see your marzipan and raise you…heck, you name it, I’ve binged on it. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not proud of it but in the spirit of this thread I own it and put it behind me. There is life after sabotage!

Hi Everone
I’m eating absolutely no carbs except what’s in beans and low sugar fruit like berries etc. No cravings at all. Which fits with the science.
Luckily for me I don’t have to have biscuits etc in the house as my partners sort of doing the diet too which makes it much easier.
Penny

Too late now Bill, but I saw a pancake recipe on the recipe section for gram flour pancakes. Much less carbs than wheat.
Hope you enjoyed your pancakes!
Penny

Hi Katie
According to the science, the less carbs the less cravings. Can you reduce your carbs more and replace with protein and fat?
Really inspiring TED talk on YouTube. Dr Sarah Hallberg. Obesity/ diabetes doctor. Inspiring.
Penny

Hi Jellyang
If you’re having hypos, maybe need to reduce meds?
Penny

Hi Jolly Roger
Welcome to the forum.
I’m wondering- if you’re still hungry after 2 weeks and your BG isn’t going down- are you accidentally eating too much carbs? Because those are symptoms of that.
Just a thought.
Penny

Hi Salty Stan
In a couple of days it gets easy.
Penny

Hi Joycey
I think we re a mixture of people whose sugar is high and others trying to avoid that! But I think everyone is aiming for weight loss.
Penny

Also there’s a BSD group on MFP – find it in ‘community’
Penny

Hi Chloee
I just put a long detailed post to help people with Myfitnesspal. It’s on ‘Wow2 weeks in and what a difference’
Basically the food info on MFP is whatever you and everybody puts on it, not MFP itself. So not accurate. Anyway I explain what to do about it on that post.
Hope it helps. Please ask me if anything else on MFP confuses you- which is likely- but after 2 years I’ve now got a handle on it.
Penny

Oh this is so me! I can go days being good then wham! Complete sabotage. I have tried keeping biscuits and chocolate out of the house but then I ransack the pantry desperate for something sweet. I once ate a whole pack of marzipan!

This is my kind of thread! Had Parents evening tonight at school, needed change for parking meter so bought a Lindor truffle egg to charge a tenner.. I was running late, stressed and there started the catastrophic thinking! Ok, so you know what happened next!
l then had kids leftover rice with the other sensible stuff when I got home famished at half eight. I am now back on track, not even waiting for tomorrow!

As I live in France where such things as coconut flour are unheard of it is very difficult. Whilst I am in the UK I will see what I can find. Amazon often charge high delivery prices. Doves farm deliver to me so will look there too. I have yet to try cauliflower rice. Maybe I should invest in a spiral gadget thing too!

Hi Kitty
Welcome to BSD!
Good luck with your diet.
Penny.

Hi Bruce
I would really encourage you to put your own foods in My Foods in Myfitnesspal, which is a bit of work but its just once then you’ve got them. The other list is everybody else’s idea of correct cals etc. Often wrong and usually in ‘cups’. I use Calorieking to find the cals and other info. Using two devices is best so you can read it on one and write it in on the other!
It’s best to put 100g or 10 g then it’s easy to put on a larger or smaller amount eg an 80 g Apple is .8 of a 100 g portion etc. Also setMy Foods as the default search so you don’t get that annoying stuff, or always press MyFoods before you search, then it will search your own list.
Sorry a lot of detail but I’ve had to work all this out over a long time!
There are some confusing things at first. Just ask me I ll probably know as been using it for 2 years.
Good luck with the diet.

Well done Squidgy, your doing great.

Day 2 – completed … Feeling great, I haven’t needed insulin for 2 Days. Fasting BS below 7 already. Sticking exactly to the meal plans .. Food is great no hunger.

Why I didn’t I do this earlier.

Absolutely agree Janet. The only way is to get back on the horse. Which you did , peanutbutty, with your herb tea. Just continue on as if all that stuff didn’t happen.
I wonder if there’s any way to avoid it in future. ? Ask colleague not to do it? Leave the room til others have eaten it all? Suggestions welcome!
Penny

“…will have to get a new slow cooker this weekend as I use my for jewellery making… ” – can I enter that sentence for the award of the most random thing I have ever heard!

How does that work Aliba?

Loving this thread btw

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

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

So sorry for your loss don pedro 🙁

Warning for all following recipes from the book

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RIP little breadmaker!

Hello

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

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

Thanks form a newbie 🙂

Hi all,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hi Somerset Lass & Elvis Jones, welcome

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep going x

Eureka

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

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

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

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

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