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Fasting / 5:2 diet

Talk about intermittent fasting and 5:2, including what’s worked for others. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Michael Mosley - Blood sugar diet

999 replies

Yddraigoldragon · 14/01/2016 13:13

Just wondering if anyone has tried this and how it went? I am about ten days in and coping well so far.

I have been low carbing for years on and off, and on 5:2 since Sept which seems to make the fasting easier.

OP posts:
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13
Wheresthattomoibabber · 10/02/2016 16:21

I don't know what the answer is. Is it better to accept that some days are really hard and allow yourself to go over 800 calories sensibly by having a handful of almonds? Or should I try to fight through, knowing it will get harder throughout the day. I can't tell if that would be protecting myself or making excuses.

Wheresthattomoibabber · 10/02/2016 16:26

I also keep thinking that even if I fuck up occasionally I'll still effectively be doing 5:2.

Wheresthattomoibabber · 10/02/2016 18:08

Fucked up but not a disaster. Reading back my last couple of posts it's clear I was just persuading myself that it was ok to do it. But I still have not had sugar. Went over by a whopping 477 calories.

I took the sprogs swimming today which is the first time I have felt confident enough since last August on holiday. Stomach so much flatter. So it's not all bad news...

Obs2016 · 10/02/2016 18:24

I don't feel bad when I am not 100% good, don't stick to it completely, coz I just think, it's better than before.

Wheresthattomoibabber · 10/02/2016 18:28

That's a very good point. It's so very much better than before!

TheWoodenSpoonOfMischief · 10/02/2016 19:01

If you went over by 477 cals then it's still only 1277 cals! Which is fab for weightloss.

I managed to stick to just having dinner. I ended up having some roasted cauliflower with my courgettes and garlic chilli prawns. Roasted cauliflower is delicious.
I kind of followed a jamie oliver recipe. I put cauliflower in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Drain and leave for a minute or so do dry.
Put back in the pan and toss with some olive oil, salt, chilli flakes, coriander and cumin powder. Put in hot oven til it's a gone a bit brown around the edges.

Wheresthattomoibabber · 10/02/2016 19:18

I have a cauliflower. Might have to give that a try, it sounds yum.

Laska5772 · 10/02/2016 19:23

I love roast cauliflower especially with cumin amd lemon squeezed over before eating..

Well I forced myself to Shread again.. and actually it was ok this time.. ( dont know If ill say that tomorrow though!
I thought of so may excuses I could make not to on the way home, but when I got in , I made myself remember what it is I'm doing this for.. pure vanity mostly!

Im well down today feeling like its a 5:2 'fast' day, skipped breakfast as had to be in an early meeting, which ended up lasting until nearly lunch time.. (I was fuelled by lots of 'proper' black coffee though) .. so I just had my soupfor lunch and 10 Almonds, and this evening , am now just enjoying the same dinner (at my PC .. bad I know) as last night.. I just love spring greens!.. . All I need to do is stop eating after this! .. I may have some frozen blackcurrants later though

BigChocFrenzy · 10/02/2016 20:26

WoodenSpoon I think your problem with hunger is that your menu isn't low carb.
It's just an ordinary VLCD, which is v difficult to stick to and won't help blood sugar so much:

  • Muesli is starch; with the fruit & yoghurt that is a rather high GI start to the day
    I'd recommend a protein breakfast like scrambled eggs or veg omelette. If you are veggy, then maybe full fat Greek yoghurt with flaked almonds or seeds rather than fruit.

  • Rice cakes also not low carb - high GI of around 80. V little nutritional value or fibre.

  • Those sun bites are also grains, not part of the BSD. That packet has 15 g carbs and not much nutritional value except fibre.

I recommend you return to basics:
protein & masses of veg, generous portions of beans & lentils, minimal fruit

Oh and tell your DH to avoid sugary crap like KitKat - it'll spike his insulin and start a cravings spiral.

If you are hungry, unsalted almonds are better, even if you exceed 800 limit.
I recommend roasted beans as a high fibre filling YUMMY food.
Being lazy, I get the Food Doctor Roasted Bean mix, but Google would show DIY recipes if you are more virtuous / talented.

Laska5772 · 10/02/2016 20:32

Yes!! Roasted Chickpeas!! ..you can make then as spicy (or not) as you like .... thinks about wandering off to make some

BigChocFrenzy · 10/02/2016 20:58

This might help - 4 week menu plan crom the book:

Michael Mosley - Blood sugar diet
Michael Mosley - Blood sugar diet
Michael Mosley - Blood sugar diet
BigChocFrenzy · 10/02/2016 20:59

and week 4:

Michael Mosley - Blood sugar diet
TheWoodenSpoonOfMischief · 10/02/2016 22:29

Thanks BigChoc. I don't eat eggs really so breakfast is always an issue. I don't like meat for breakfast either. I found yoghurt and a bit of muesli as the best thing for me. I could replace muesli with seeds I guess.
I don't normally eat sun bites and rice cakes but just today I kept looking for things to eat and I ate those rather than biscuits or bread.
Lunch and dinner was fine.
Thanks for the menus. V helpful.

yumyumpoppycat · 10/02/2016 23:16

I can't wait for breakfast!

Woodenspoon - will you eat eggs baked in with other stuff what about the oopsie rolls from earlier on in the thread or some kind of low carb muffin?

yumyumpoppycat · 10/02/2016 23:19

Btw we have sunbites in our kitchen and they look deceptively healthy and low in calories they are kind of glowing on the worktop saying 'eat me' unfortunately the cupboards are too full to hide them!

TheWoodenSpoonOfMischief · 11/02/2016 07:25

I can eat things with eggs in them but I just don't like that eggy taste or smell.
I'll get some avocados as I love them.
I've been fine all the other days. I just don't know what happened yesterday. I did get a bit stressed out about something so maybe I wanted to eat as a response to that?
I'll just try to keep it in check.

Wheresthattomoibabber · 11/02/2016 08:08

Did you drink enough water? I realised yesterday that I had drunk barely anything and I'm sure that was a factor. I also forgot to take my medication til the afternoon which always makes me feel weird.

Bordercollielover · 11/02/2016 09:20

BigChoc, thanks for your reply on the Insulin Index. Your analysis makes good sense ( as ever!)
The information I was looking at, if you are interested, was from the Sydney University New Food Insulin Index plus a series of riveting videos by Jason Fung and a laymans précis of it all ( apparently checked and approved by Fung and others), from Optimising Nutrition.
I think you are right and it's not something one needs to be concerned about if the BS Diet is working well; I have found that it gave me a bit of clue as to why after initial success with 5:2 in 2012 and 2013, it all went (big) belly up so to speak for me and I have regained all the loss and more.
So, forewarned hopefully means forearmed and I plan for lasting success this time around!

Millliii · 11/02/2016 11:55

If you are only eating 800 calories a day for 2 months then you would lose huge amounts of weight regardless of what you eat and this weight loss would lower your need for medication wouldn't it? Confused

Obs2016 · 11/02/2016 15:04

Agree with milli, 800 isn't really very much is it?

I had sausages for dinner last night, with a few chips and steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

Dh had the same, we had youghurt for breakfast, he had salad for lunch and I had the remains of aubergine and lamb.

Today I had youghurt, passion fruit, almonds, but fur lunch I had fish cake and salad.

I am struggling with the dinners, preparing something that ds's will eat. They eat most things, but eat like teenagers, which is how I ended up with sausages and chips.

Am starting to find it harder now.

rogorman74 · 11/02/2016 15:08

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BigChocFrenzy · 11/02/2016 18:20

If anyone is deperate to bake, the book has a few recipes with almond flour instead of wheat. They sound tasty Smile
800 cals daily will lose weight for almost anyone, but you'll see greater loss and almost certainly more improvement in insulin metabolism, if you cut out the starches so you are actually doing the BSD.
Also, starches make you hungrier later, so less likely to keep to 800.

If it is too tough, ease more into the 5:2 BSF, by adding one or more days nearer TDEE, but still the same foods, i.e. no starches.

A piece of cheddar cheese, or a tub of cottage cheese, with a handful of almonds is a v quick meal.

Obs If you all eat the protein & veg, but the teens have bigger portions plus lots of starches (like chips !) it works easily enough.
e.g. for sunday roast, you eat lean meat & masses of different veg, horseradish sauce; the rest of the family add roast potatoes, yorkshire puds, gravy.

Millie I posted upthread that anyone taking meds - e.g. insulin, bp meds - needs to work with their doctor in case they need to reduce the dosage.
Some people foind after the BSD they had reversed T2 and lowered bp, hence no need for any meds. Some needed much lower dosages.

BigChocFrenzy · 11/02/2016 20:28

Looking at the ingredients on my delic Food Doc roasted beans:
Broad beans (bloody gorgeous roasted ! ), black soya beans, green peas, oil, salt.
So all those roast well, even tastier than nuts.
I've had roast chickpeas before too - they tend to be a bit higher cal though

mootime · 11/02/2016 21:33

Hi all,
Can I join you all here. I'm failing to restart on standard 5:2 so going to give this a go.
Going to break myself in over the weekend and get going properly (well on the 5:2 version) on Monday.
How is everyone getting on?

BigChocFrenzy · 11/02/2016 23:07

< waves to moo >
As an experienced low carber, you'll love the luxury of the additional foods in the BSD version

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