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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.

Original poster

MM-Blood-sugar-diet-Part4

995 replies

Not2bObvious · 25/06/2016 11:17

Shiny new thread for the BSD'ers. Best thing you can do is first read the MM bsd book do you get a full grasp of what the rules are but in a nutshell:
800 calories a day
No bread/pasta/potatoes/rice
No processed food, no alcohol
As close to no sugar you can get
Full fat, no low fat
Protein to keep you full
2-3 litres of water a day
10,000 steps a day (work your way up)
HIIT if you can 2-3 times a week

OP posts:
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20
yumyumpoppycat · 30/09/2016 09:20

I think that is a slight flaw with this diet, it is aimed at people with a lot to lose but it is impossible to lose all that weight in 8 weeks! I always browse the 5:2 thread and notice that Big Choc does 800 x 2 a week to maintain her weightloss so I think the phase 2 of this diet is becoming the sticking point for some of us as we still need to be fairly 'strict' the rest of the week. Personally I think an week occasional off holidays for xmas, birthdays etc are needed esp if this is it now for life! If we have weeks where we dont really follow it strictly but maintain our losses that is actually a victory really. I would like to lose another 7lbs potentially but if I manage to stay at the weight I am for the next 5 years I would be delighted tbh.

APlaceOnTheCouch · 30/09/2016 09:39

yumyum you're right. It's actually an inherent problem in the plan because if you have a lot to lose then you can't lose it in the 8 weeks. Moving to the maintaining diet or 5:2 isn't going to help us reach our targets although it will maintain our losses.
In a way it would be better if Michael Mosley said it's an 8/12/16/20/24 week plan depending on what you have to lose but I can see how that seems like more of a challenge than committing to follow it for 8 weeks.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 30/09/2016 11:35

I imagine that he 24 weeks at 800 calories is seen as a bit dangerous and could have repercussions even for very overweight people. That's probably why it's 8 weeks with maintenance advice. And I don't really know if more than 8 weeks is really feasible- most people seem to have blips once they go past the 8 weeks, as if the body rebels after a while?

KindDogsTail · 30/09/2016 13:24

Thenewaverage
I was wondering if this is quite right for you just at the moment, with a little baby? (Are you BF too, by any chance?)

It's not really any of my business, but do you think you just should be eating a little more, more often and in a planned way; and that you need to include something like a bit of porridge, or rice with your vegetables and protein? Do you think it could be your body telling you the truth at the moment - you need more frequent, nutrient-dense food with some complex carbohydrates including some starchy ones as well as healthy fats and protein?

thenewaveragebear1983 · 30/09/2016 13:42

Kind no not breastfeeding, but I do have 3 dc ranging from 12 years to 12 months! Life is very busy.
I've always been a comfort eater and a carb addict. I had gestational diabetes 3 times, and the third time I was very poorly and so was the baby when he was born. It terrifies me as to what life could be like as when I was on insulin I was very unwell. The consultant said that it was not if, but when with regards to developing t2 in the future, as my body was demonstrating that in times of stress it was unable to cope with glucose and this would only get worse with age. So a scary prognosis. The first 8 weeks literally changed my life because I have massively overhauled the way I think about food. But right now, I'm back to feeling out of control around foods and I know that the one thing I should not eat too much of is sugar. (Not even carbs per se, but sugar: biscuits, chocolate, sweets) I have a very unhealthy relationship with these foods.
I do think that 800 is too low for me, and I rarely manage 800, more like 1000. Right now, I'm not even counting but it's a lot more and most of it is unhealthy rubbish that I don't even really want.
I need to snap out of this way of eating because I can feel myself becoming very weakwilled and I can feel the pounds going back on. I can be very very good and disciplined when my head is in the right place. Once this week of birthdays and other events is over (baby yesterday, dh today) I'm going to go back to planning my meals and trying to first get the sugar out, and then try to get back into the BSD mindset. I do know how to do it, I just find myself eating toast.....!
Stress isn't good for me, and I'm feeling it at the moment, with virtually no time to myself, school runs, moving house, poorly kids and everything else that comes with a busy family life. Food is a crutch for me but it always has been. The irony is, I get such motivation from doing well, eating well, and when I'm being good that motivates me so much. I'm still trying though and that prevents me from just giving up completely!

APlaceOnTheCouch · 30/09/2016 14:08

bear your life sounds very busy just now.It's amazing how much you are dealing with and yet still managing BSD Flowers

yumyumpoppycat · 30/09/2016 18:42

Newaverage you are doing really well, it is annoying when you know that eating a certain way makes you feel better but you cant get back to it. Sometimes it takes a few false starts and then you find yourself back in the swing of it.

I have done paleo type diets before, cutting things out etc, and I find it annoying that I know I look well when I eat that way but just cant get back to it. I have now decided not to try and be perfect and just to do my best which means that although I have had lots and lots of 'off weeks' I don't feel so bad about it.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 30/09/2016 18:55

In a way I think it's worse because now I know how easy it actually is to give up sugar, when I'd thought it was some massive challenge that I'd never manage to do. But I did, for over 8 weeks, and I'm really cross with myself for going backwards- even if I'd reintroduced carbs I didn't need to go back to eating crap!
But hey, I'm not going to beat myself up. I said earlier that perhaps this is ' rock bottom' so hopefully I will have a better day tomorrow.
Thanks everyone for your supportive words, think I just feel a bit down today, but you're all dead right.
We have the in laws round tonight, for wine. I 've done a cheese board, some cold meats, and baked some figs , so it will be relatively BSD ish.
Have a great Friday night y'all

yumyumpoppycat · 30/09/2016 18:57

Yum enjoy newaverage! Wine

KindDogsTail · 30/09/2016 19:35

I can see what you are worried about Thenewaverage.

I wonder of you might like to look at a book called the Appetite Solution
www.panmacmillan.com/authors/dr-joe-colella/the-appetite-solution and put it together with MM Blood Sugar diet?

I looked at it in the book shop, it is completely low carb but with more calories than MM. If you fond you are getting bad cravings, it may help you to stay low carb, but follow what this book would say to include more small meals and protein/vegetables. If you did the two books together perhaps you would bit by bit loose the carb longings, you would not be eating sugar, but because of eating more your own body mechanism for sugar balance would kick in.

Hope this helps.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 30/09/2016 22:54

Thanks kind I will definitely look at that

Lndnmummy · 01/10/2016 06:23

No weightloss for me this week, in fact I have put some on. I am really gutted!! Why?

APlaceOnTheCouch · 01/10/2016 09:30

Lndn Flowers it's so difficult to predict. Maybe it's because of your cycle; maybe it's because of something you ate a few days ago; maybe you haven't had enough water or enough steps; maybe you used a different eating window; maybe you didn't get enough sleep. I find all of the above impact on whether I lose, gain or maintain. A lot of variables have to come together to lose.

Breadandwine · 01/10/2016 13:55

KindDogsTale - I've just noticed your mention of Martin Seligman, of whom I'm a huge fan.

You've probably come across this book by one of his students, Sonja Lyuobomirsky - but for anyone who hasn't, it's a terrific book with many techniques for promoting happiness.

KindDogsTail · 01/10/2016 14:07

Lndnmummy Tue 27-Sep-16 17:01:13

I would love the recipe for you coconut/dark chocolate/peanut butter snack
Lind, if it would not be too much trouble. It does sound good.

KindDogsTail · 01/10/2016 14:08

Sorry, Lnd I have just seen you already posted it. Thank you very much.

KindDogsTail · 01/10/2016 14:14

BreadandWine Thank you very much for the link to that book - I did not know it. I shall get it.

I only knew of the Martin Seligman idea from Michael Moseley's Low Blood Sugar Diet book. It is a good ting to think of tree good things - there is always something.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 02/10/2016 10:15

Morning all! Feeling a bit brighter today. Faced the music after my week off piste, and yes, I 'm the heaviest I've been for a while, but it wasn't as awful as I thought. So it's a new start, new week.
Breakfast was Greek yog with some walnuts which was nice. Maybe omelette for lunch, and I've already put a casserole in to slow cook for dinner. Lots of veggies to use up too, as I had bought a lot but not eaten them this week, so maybe some soup or ratatouille might be on the menu for tomorrow.
It's a beautiful crisp autumn day here, I'm going to put my wellies on and get out in the garden for a bit of fresh air and tidying up.

pfrench · 02/10/2016 10:40

Had a relatively healthy and low carb day at 1200 cals yesterday (part of my new plan) - feels like an amazing amount of food!

pfrench · 02/10/2016 22:13

2 days of eating 1300 cals (or around about that), and I haven't had a hot flush since yesterday lunch time - coincidence?

I've had all the blood tests for menopause now, hope I haven't wasted NHS money!

yumyumpoppycat · 03/10/2016 08:17

Pfrench even if the hot flush was caused by the low cals it would still be worth checking it out, have heard of feeling cold on this but not hot, hope the results are all ok.

Lnd dont worry about staying the same or a small gain as kind said there are loads of reasons why this can happen, even just having the scales in slightly the wrong place. I think almost all of us had a stay the same week during the 8 weeks.

How did you get on in the garden yest Newaverage, it was a lovely day and looks nice again today!

I finally got the recipe book and it looks good! Tried the overnight tomatoes though and that didnt work - they looked exactly the same, and my avacado was hard so cooked them a bit in a frying pan, felt like it needed toast so had a little bite of one of the dc's to test the theory ;)

thenewaveragebear1983 · 03/10/2016 10:06

It was gorgeous. Harvested the rest of our apples from the trees and stewed them up in batches - delicious in Greek yoghurt with cinnamon!
Today it's still beautiful here. Haven't had breakfast yet so will probably wait til brunch now and have something eggy with ds.

MoreVelmaThanDaphne · 03/10/2016 12:58

Well I've lost 3.1 kilos 2 weeks in.

I haven't been able to do 800 cals other than as a net balance intake - usually eating about 1200 - 1300 and doing 400-500 cals of additional exercise with a HRM each day.

pfrench I have read that oestrogen is stored in fat cells, so when you begin burning off the fat stores your hormone levels can be disrupted. I got my period 2 weeks early after beginning this diet and earlier in the year went 50 days without a period after starting a low carb diet. Not sure if your hot flushes may be linked to fat burning?

Rachcakes · 03/10/2016 16:34

That's interesting...my period was early too.

I've messed up. I had lasagna for my lunch. I'm so mad at myself.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 03/10/2016 18:29

My cycle had been messed up since doing this plan, and since going off track and back onto sugar they 've been worse than ever. Insulin and oestrogen/ progesterone/ testosterone must be strongly linked because having pcos makes you a higher risk for gestational diabetes.