Hi stalagtites

I hope you make the decision to try & reverse your type 2 diabetes now! You stand a better chance, according to Prof Roy Taylor’s findings (Newcastle Uni) if you haven’t been long diagnosed. I am three years in & some trying are many more years diabetics. Wish we’d had the chance you have now. It’s only 8 short weeks & you could stop dire future health problems

This is experimental stuff & we can’t wait any longer (five years before the results of the Newcastle Uni trial). We’ve made that decision now to help ourselves – & each other on this BSD site. Do hope you are ready for the challenge & the fight. We’re fighting to regain our health , Diabetes is a killer. My mum & dad died due to complications of type 2.

It’s laudable you want to continue exercising, & it’s advised in the book to exercise. Your body has a lot of adjusting to do on this diet & it takes a little time, but we do feel better. I’m going to swim again & go back to TaiChi. Could you do something less punishing for a few weeks, then crack on & do your original training sessions?

Hope you’ll consider it. We’d love to welcome you on board
Eureka

I love Brussels but I can not see them mentioned anywhere in the book. Are they to be avoided

is there anywhere a menu plan for a maintaince diet. I have only just started the diet but already worrying about what to eat on a maintaince diet. I like the diet because it helps me decide what to eat each day.

Hi, I have been doing this diet for one week and have lost 6lb, I have had two tricky moments, on the first day I was very light headed and could barely do anything without feeling awful, I was sure I wouldn’t be able to continue, the next one was the first Friday evening, when we normally have a bar of whole nut between us, I was having a waver, I stuck to it and, am feeling a bit more positive, so just try and do a bit of mindfulness, I’m sure you can stick to it and we’ll done for getting so far, good luck with the rest of the time in the diet.

We often have New Covent Garden Classic Chicken Soup which is 213 calories for a half carton portion.

Hi all,

I’m just on day 2 at the moment but ‘warmed up’ by dropping to 1,000 then 900, for about a week and lost 2lbs. I’m T2 and diagnosed after birth of first child 5 years ago.

I know that most have you have said that your weight loss hasn’t been great, but what have your BS’s read as? (for those with diabetes) Mine are up and down (from 17 down to 5.2), but I’m getting alot more lower readings than before so that’s encouraging me – I’m hoping this diet is going to show me what foods my body reacts badly / well to.

Plus to back up some of the other comments I think you do have to cut out pasta/bread/alcohol etc for the 8 weeks and also watch the tinned stuff (even lentils etc) as they add sugar in as preservatives. Then after the 8 weeks move on the 5:2 diet where you can introduce things back in. Like Wine…. 😀

Good luck and keep going!
Charlie

I did a PCOS Diva Jumpstart for a week this time last year. it was a good overall health coaching week, good for overall well being – I did lose some weight but found that the meal plans were not so simple to put together. I have been to a nutritionist before asking for help to balance blood sugar- but really she didn’t know enough about it. I definitely know that this is helping me lose weight already at the end of day 2! I’ve been a bit hungry especially right now, as used to be snacking by now but choosing to have hot water and lemon slice to hand helps!

I think the meals have been lovely so far. just off to soak raisins for the morning!
Looking forward to success!! Night folks!

Hello, bedtime on day one and I’ve eaten so much I am still feeling full. I had no carb Bircher for breakfast,, peanut butter and soft cheese dip with veggies for lunch but could only eat half, and chicken on white bean mash for dinner. Again could only eat half. Whew! I actually rechecked all the quantities in case I’d mistakenly given myself two portions. Also feeling a bit bloated from all the water. Hope I’m not up to the loo all,night. I’m 62,retired female, a bit overweight BMI 29 but I do a little bit of exercise most days and I’ve been meditating daily for about eight years now. I want to do this to help my hubby who is T2 with blind faith in metformin and not keen to do anything else. He loves his carbs, toast, sandwiches, pasta and crisps especially and we will be eating separate meals but he has agreed to eat at least one bite of everything I’m having with a view to eventual change.

I start week 2 now. Please let me know what your results are on Monday. Hope you have a good week. Lou x

Hi Misssay

Please totally ignore what I said about olive oil – I see you use coconut oil for frying and not olive oil. SORRY 😔

Must learn to read properly.

snackerlady I find some of the calories attributed to foods on myfitnesspal a bit weird, the garlic being the most obvious!

I do put my own recipes in, sometimes just the name and the nutrition, but otherwise I love to be able to scan the bar codes.

Thanks Tracey

Evening All,

Great to read everyone’s messages!

Misssay – the Medi Platter sounds delicious. My idea of grazing heaven is to have a picnic-type spread to pick at, so the Medi and Mexi platters are the perfect solutions to high cal grazing choices. Please send your anchovies my way, I love them 😄
Good idea re freezing 50ml portions of apple juice, thanks for the tip. I have just bought a Nutribullet so I can make apple juice from now on.

Snackerlady – I’m totally with you about waste, and repeating meals is a great way to save money. I agree it’s the best way to make the meal varieties last!

It sounds as though we are experiencing similar appetite patterns. I thought I’d be ravenous but I’m not. Cheesy Beans are amazing and satisfy for hours!

Auntylil – thanks for the tip about apple juice, that’s helpful to know 😊
I’m also a terrible worrier. It is annoying that so much worrying doesn’t burn off calories! I’m trying to turn my worry energy into getting active because I’m noticing my energy levels are rising by the day. If I don’t do something physical, the energy turns into anxiety and that’s horrible. Do you find this healthy no-sugar diet is helping with your worrying?

Misssay – just a thought about olive oil; I’ve heard it’s better to use other oils to cook (heat) with ( I’m not sure why). I think olive oil is ok when you heat a small amount for a very short time, but I was advised to use an oil like Rice Bran Oil for cooking which is supposed to be safer, and is also very good for you. I need to check it out 🤔

Well done everyone, I’m feeling inspired by everyone’s motivation.

That’s not too bad. Tomorrow is another day so you can get back on track then ☺

It was 2 sausage rolls and Chocolate!!!!

Thanks Fred unfortunately we won’t be cooking we will be ordering from a takeaway hence asking for advice. I’ll have a look at the BBC good food recipe for future use tho

Tandoori Chicken is good. The recipe on the BBCGoodfood site is quite low cal and no sugar.

Avoid Chinese stir fries, my favourite by a country mile, but they use lots of sugar in their recipes something you can avoid if you are cooking yourself.

I think I got a bit discouraged. I lost 11lbs in first two weeks and in last two weeks have hardly lost a thing. We were invited out to friends today and I thought “to hell with it”. However I’m going straight back on it tomorrow 😀

I’ve got a bad night coming up on Saturday its take away at a friends. Not sure whether it’s Indian or Chinese yet so wondering if anyone has any advice? My gut instinct is to go for tandoori chicken if it’s Indian as it’s dry cooked in yoghurt although my favourite is chick pea curry. For Chinese I guess perhaps a veg stir fry? Any thoughts would be most welcome.

LOL. I was in W H Smith recently and saw a woman pick up a copy of the book. Of course I had to go across and tell her about it. And, yes, she did buy it!

Try not to stress about it (I’m assuming from your post that you’ve not had a good day?) We are all human, and most, if not all of us, have days where we are not 100% ‘on it.’ Tomorrow is a new day. If you can get straight back on track, you probably won’t have done much damage in just one day. Drink plenty to ‘flush the carbs out.’ Most importantly – don’t beat yourself up about it.

Haha! I thought I had read it properly before posting! Asda it was!

What happens if you have a complete blow out one day? 😢😡

Thank you EIM and Newt2 for those nutritional values. It’s quite calorific, as I had suspected. However, my slices are just under 120 grams, so slightly less. And they are very satisfying, but I could still eat lots as its so good!

Wow! The cauliflower rice kedgeree was amazing. I will definitely be making the cauli rice again. We were so impressed, and are now looking forward to having it with a curry or in a risotto (cauliotto?)

Hi all, end I’d second day and have to say it’s been ok so far. I don’t feel hungry but like you Cassie I’m really having to force water down. I have been suffering with headaches so probs not enough water ! Glad to hear that you’re all doing well ….go us 👍🏻 ..lets keep it up 😊
Keep your eye on that holiday Cassie ✈️
I did weigh in this morning Snackerlady, and I’d put on a pound, very surprising because I was super measured on the first day but I’m not at all disappointed just looking forward to a big loss at the end of the week 😃

Hi Cazzowary,
Thanks for the information. I am expecting it to plateau at some point which is why I am glad I am a little bit ahead just now. I was planning on ramping up the walking at that point – looks like I may need that weeks 4 and 5 if your experience is anything to go by.
What I did do after week one was to look very carefully at the carb:protein:fat ratio of the calories from each day and I noticed that in week one, the meal replacement I was using for two of the meals (the other two were ‘normal’) was high in carbs, meaning my carb intake was 60% of the total calories. The following week I changed that and the carbs are down to about the same as the protein. I am vegetarian so getting extra protein without the carbs can be a challenge, so I have gone for an oat-based replacement drink which has worked ok. Next week I am aiming for ‘normal’ food every day…. lots of soup!
Good luck with the final weeks.

It’s difficult not to become a BSD Bore when you feel so good on it and so positive about it isn’t it? I did smile at the idea of you going to Asia to pick up your ingredients though. That is real dedication! (Presume Asda, and auto correct!)

I am in my second week. First weigh in was on Monday and I was thrilled to lose 7lb. So far I love this way of eating.

Hi snackerlady I also started the 8 week diet yesterday, Thought I would be staving by now but actual finding it very filling, although I am struggling to drink enough. I have lots to lose as currently a size 30/32. But have the extra incentive of a holiday in Canada if I can get to a size 18. Sure your weigh in will be brilliant.

Hi dariusz19,

I am a recently diagnosed type 2 diabetic and having just read this book, I intend to start the 8 week diet.
I burn 1,000 to 1,400 calories during 90 minute training sessions and thought that this would mean I should increase the calories I consumed by the same amount as this still meant I was back to the 800. I didn’t think my body would cope otherwise.
I contacted the blood sugar team and their response was to stop exercising whilst on the diet, at least for the first few weeks anyway. They told me to listen to my body after that.
I don’t want to stop exercising as it is important to me so I am now a little torn as to whether this will work for me.
I would appreciate any advice anyone had to offer.

Great, Thanks.
I just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t missing anything. I have com in around 70-80 today and yesterday so that seems about right and I am not eating any of the simple carbs.
I might look for the thread with more thoughts on the amounts of carbs ( just because I quite like a rule to try to stick to) but glad to know I’m on the right track.

I know what you mean, I have both my sisters on it and in tesco the other dates I saw a woman picking up the book and I wanted to tel her to go for it, she wouldn’the regret it.

Hi Louise,

I am on day two and have lost one pound so far! Well done for losing a stone, I have decided to treat myself to a new item of
clothing or makeup/perfume every time I lose half a stone to keep motivated. I need to lose 2 to 2 1/2 stone I will decide when
I get there as I don’t want to look too gaunt. Maybe you can mix it up with the 5:2 until you are feeling better.

Hi Snackerlady, glad you are finding it ok so far, I have to agree, so am I! I think my portions are bigger than recommended, but I can adjust that as I get used to all this. Keep at it!

My husband and my daughter are becoming a bit fed up with me going on about this programme although they are both supportive. The final realisation that I’m going over the top came a couple of hours ago when I was in Asia picking up a few items for the delicious chicken and asparagus salad. Although I didn’t act on it I felt an urge to go up to all the people buying cakes and pastries and tell them all about this wonderful programme!! I’m only on day 9. I hate to think what I’ll be like after 8 weeks!

I’m not tracking carbs at all as there is nothing in the book that says we should. I’m just not eating any of the simple ones. I’ve lost 4 pounds in four days and two and half inches off my waist. There are some other threads on here where people have done the maths for carbs.

Sometimes hormonal changes caused by weight loss can have an effect on our mood. It could be that its not really you talking, just your hormones. Try to stick with it for another few days and do plenty of things – possibly new and exciting things- to distract/reward yourself and these feelings will probably pass. Best wishes.

Thanks. Have you been on the plan long? Have you lost much weight? Lou

Yes, its 5 and a half cm’s which is just cracking! Thanks for the reassurance, feeling a bit better now. I had a few nuts and now l’m having thick vegetable soup for tea.

Ha ha, maybe you’d feel better about it if you did pelvic floors as well as squats?

I’m just looking for a part time job in care work, which I can do in between my dog grooming. I’m thinking I might one day train as a nurse. I made some really bad decisions last year around work and I want to have a better year this time round.

Hope your lie down did you some good?

I was very queasy and headachy the first few days but it did pass. It is just the adjustment. Keep up the fluids though as this really does help.
I think your hen weekend will cause you a set back and may well put you back to the beginning but if it does please know that the bad feelings really do not last when you get back on to the diet.
Best of luck.

Wow – you’re whizzing along nicely, congratulations. I think light headedness etc passes after a few days for most people. I was okay again by days 4 and 5 but this afternoon had to have a little lie down. Hope you find a job you want soon. Thanks for squats advice – shall follow it although have to say I am slightly wary of anything that is the opposite of pelvic floor exercises… About measurements, how about cm’s? That could be just over one of them, perhaps.

Thanks for the lovely comments everyone. I felt a bit better today, I went shopping and tried on some clothes which was a much nicer experience than normal 🙂

I’ve re-read p145 of the book and decided there’s no way I’m giving up because apart from one bad day this is the easiest diet I’ve ever been on!

xx

I don’t think there is a rule about how many grams to eat – more to avoid processed carbs – bread, pasta, rice, crackers, crisps etc. I’ve been tracking 70-80 over the past 2 days. x

Well done – alb is amazing! Just on my second day & am surprised that I don’t feel hungry. Looking forward to seeing the benefits next week when I weigh myself 🙂 x

I enjoyed the 1st 5?days but struggled on day 6 (Sunday)
I have eaten some amazing food this week just need to plan. I used my fitness pal as a calorie & sugar guide it’s ace. Keep in touch. Lou x

Hi Auntylil
I’m glad you had a good night out, I do believe we can still have a good social life while we are on bsd.

Check out youtube for squats ‘how to do squats correctly’ will do it. They are also in the bsd book, not the hit stuff but the other ten minute workout Dr M does a few times a week. He says first thing in the morning but there’s no reason why you couldn’t do the same routine in ten minutes while cooking lunch or dinner and in between stirs or adding ingredients. Its done then, without having to set any separate time aside. The exercises are all you need to build muscle by lifting your own bodyweight. The squats are particularly good because they use our biggest muscles (the don’t call it gluteus maximus for nothing!) One exercise he doesn’t do are lunges but they are also good for legs.

Another pound and a half off today so a total of 4 pounds and 2.4 inches off my waist in 4 days. Dr M deserves a knighthood or to be sainted or something! I’ve never lost weight so quickly. Mind you, today I have had some very weird pains in my thighs and hips (not from exercise, I haven’t done any yet). I have been applying for jobs for most of the afternoon but I have had to stop because I’m feeling light-headed and nauseous. I guess my body has finally realised something is going on! But I love this new feeling of control I have so I will push through. What do you call .4 of an inch? I’m a decimal girl so what is smaller than an inch? (Yes, I’m getting delirious too). Omg!

That’s a good point Auntylil, about enjoying food again knowing that it is doing us good. I think those of us who have dieted before (in my case on and off since I was 15) have become so used to thinking of certain foods as “bad”, and seeing food as an enemy. I remember when I tried Atkins a few years ago, after years of low fat dieting. I was literally standing over the frying pan with the olive oil poised to pour in, but so many years of low fat indoctrination had left me almost scared to use it! Now I only use olive oil and coconut oil for frying, and sometimes butter at the end for flavour.

It is quite amazing to think that as an adult I could be fearful of using olive oil, but it just goes to show how we can believe something, if we grow up with that belief, and enough experts continue to tell us it is true.

Interestingly, I clearly remember that whenever my mum wanted to lose a few pounds, she gave up potatoes, bread and dumplings. She did buy into the polyunsaturated fats belief though – but again, that is what we were told by the experts.

Hi all, I’m on day 2 here and finding it all ok so far.
One question I am trying to find the answer to is how many grams of carbs should we be staying under. Standard LC dieting keeps you under 20g/ day but with beans, nuts and lots of veg that is definitely not going to be a possibility! I am just trying to make sure I get this right so it would be good to get a bit of an idea.

Hello Julia – I’m on 2nd day of 2nd week so learning from the book as I go along and from the supportive people on this forum. Aside from all the info about food, drink and exercise I would say that rewarding myself on completing the first week gave me a buzz – only a few very cheap cds and a book off the internet but I needed to do something. Perhaps a manicure or a bunch of flowers would do it for you. Today I said hello to a tramp sitting on a bench (he was very drunk) and when I passed him again on the way home a lady from a charity shop had just popped out to give him a sleeping bag. I think perhaps normally I may not have even noticed, so that told me I’m beginning to be a bit less miserable about myself.