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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.

blood sugar diet thread 5

999 replies

yumyumpoppycat · 15/10/2016 17:12

Continuing thread for Blood Sugar Dieters:
Phase 1 lasts 2 - 8 weeks and involves restricting calories to 800 a day. Eating healthy fats is encouraged as is limiting carby foods (no specific guideline on this but some people aim for under 50g), small amounts of complex carbs are allowed but should be balanced ideally with green veg, protein and fat to lower the glycemic load and reduce the effect on blood sugar.

Tips
You may get headaches at first so drink lots of water, possibly try mixing a teaspoon of marmite into boiled water and having that to replenish salts etc
Exercise: aim for 10,000 steps a day and ideally consider adding in resistance training and some HIIT workouts.
Fasting some people find it helpful to have an eating window e.g 14:10 – 14 hours fasting and 10 hours to fit in the 800 cals. Avoid snacking and grazing - split your calories into 2 or 3 meals for potentially better weightloss.
Use the menu plans in the book or plan ahead on My fitness pal app

Foods to avoid
Sugar, sweets, milk chocolate, biscuits, cake
White bread, pasta, rice, chips etc
Processed Junky food with added sugar
Alcohol, fizzy drinks, juice etc
Diet foods, artificially low fat foods
High sugar fruit

Foods to eat
Full fat Natural/ Greek yoghurt
Fish in particular oily fish, Meat, eggs, nuts seeds
Non starchy veg, cauliflower, leafy greens, avocados, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli etc
Olive oil, coconut oil, rapseed oil

Berries and low sugar fruit (2 portions or less)
Lentils, beans etc

Foods to include in small amounts and be careful of
Full fat dairy is fine but some people do better with less of this
Starch veg such as sweet potatoes and squash
Wholegrains (quinoa, buckwheat etc) limit to 2 tablespoons
Low carb crackers and breads made with coconut flour, almond flour etc

Phase 2/ 3
for more sustainable continued weight loss and then maintenance add in some days with higher calories but still lower carbs, and have 2 – 5 days at 800 calories. Continue to avoid processed simple carbs like white bread, chocolate etc but possibly add in small amounts of dark chocolate and red wine or less sugary alcohol if you wish to.

Useful links:
My fitness pal
[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/8-Week-Blood-Sugar-Diet-Recipe/dp/1780722931/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476547726&sr=1-1&keywords=blood+sugar+diet Bloodsugar diet recipe book
BigChocs Fasting exercise thread]]

For full recommendations and lists of those who should avoid this diet please see the BSD forum

OP posts:
Thread gallery
40
thenewaveragebear1983 · 12/01/2017 16:58

Ooooh they sound good- are they with the veg?

ragz134 · 12/01/2017 17:01

W2D3 here, total loss 9.2lbs. Yesterday after my massive breakfast I wasn't hungry all day! Had some buttered cabbage at about 10pm as I hadn't had any veg really.
Lunch today was ham, cheese, carrot, lettuce and cucumber. Dinner will be an omelette with cheese, ham and kale.
Still feeling pretty good.
Congrats to others on their losses so far.
Looking for hope - I am so sorry it isn't working as well for you yet, but you have achieved a lot just sticking to the plan so you should be patting yourself on the back for that. Fingers crossed that the woosh comes soon. Are you having any supplements, eating enough salt etc? Maybe tweak your carb and fat levels to less carb more fat? Really hoping it shifts soon for you xx

LookingforHope · 12/01/2017 17:06

Actually yes, Scandicat - you may have hit the nail on the head there, it is the time of the month and when I weighed on Tuesday was two days before when I retain water. Hmm... (glimmer of hope). As for my resting calorie needs, I'm assuming its 3 a day at the rate I lose! But will check again (actually think it was reasonable last time I checked but I used to go to the gym a lot more often when I was in a different job)

Scandicat · 12/01/2017 17:19

average - no veg, its rolled oats, jumbo oats and then seeds and nuts and blueberries and I think coconut oil.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 12/01/2017 17:30

Oooops Scandi, I was responding to yum yum about the butternut squash things in sainsburys!
I have made those flap jacks from the book though, they are yummy. I'm sure I found a recipe for some others as well that used coconut and oats as a sort of breakfast bar, will have to dig it out!

Morning was excellent, lunch was ok, 4pm witching hour with 2 kids plus nephew and surprise visit from friend with another 4yo in tow- well, let's just say it wasn't low carb or low calorie. Plus have just eaten ds's leftover toast and 3 biscuits in a shark style feeding frenzy.

Tomorrow is a new day.

AccioNameChange · 12/01/2017 18:40

Grin at shark style feeding frenzy! If there's one think I want to learn from this WOE eating to stop with those, happens to me far too often.

diamantegal · 12/01/2017 19:17

Hmm, well we ended up having Domino's last night which is very definitely not on plan. I left my crusts though and only had small not medium I blame DH for not getting back until 9pm.

Anyway, today is a new day. Frittata and salad for lunch and the chicken we were meant to have yesterday for tea.

I may not have a huge week 1 loss though - annoying because I know if I do it properly it works, but just so hard to do when you have to feed the rest of the family at the same time!

Scandicat · 12/01/2017 20:46

average - I did wonder what kind of flapjacks would be made with vegetables. That's just taking healthy eating a step too far Grin

yumyumpoppycat · 12/01/2017 21:36

love the idea of veg flapjacks, there probably is such a thing - such a handy way to use up juice pulp yah

Butternut squash waffles - looked amazing when raw but the kids were not fooled and they didnt hold up that well once cooked. Tasted fine though, dc didn't agree sadly, and saves peeling and chopping

Lookingforhope that looks like an explanation hooray fingers crossed then for a sudden big loss in the next few days.

Well done Dia on getting back to it today - that's all that matters. DC are having pizza with friends tomorrow I might join in, assuming they dont eat it all!

OP posts:
thenewaveragebear1983 · 13/01/2017 15:27

I bought the crinkle cut squash chips to try tonight so will report back.

Interesting chat with Paul McKenna on the Wright stuff this morning about sugar and sugar tax if anyone's interested and can get it on catch up?!

Busy day for bear....I've painted ds's room x 2 coats and I'm just building a chest of drawers. Lots of steps. I really could do with eating something but there's nothing really bsd friendly in the house, so by keeping myself busy I'm hoping to hold out til tea time.

Scandicat · 13/01/2017 16:18

Ooh. Squash chips. They sound worth a try. I've got steak tonight, but no chips. Sad

Feeling better today so think yesterday was some kind of bug. Had no trouble sticking to cal, although I'm now distracting myself on mumsnet because this is my worst time of the day.

Non-scale victory to report - bought a pair of jeans - same as my old ones but a size smaller. That felt good!!

ragz134 · 13/01/2017 16:57

Scandicat - congratulations on the size smaller jeans!
Went over my cals yesterday as I seemed to be having a hungry evening. Cheese and nuts though, so on plan.
Today lunch same as yesterday and dinner is a waitrose chicken jalfrezi with roasted cauliflower.
Been having muscle twitches (right Lev and right eyebrow!) so assume I'm lacking some mineral or another? Off to google it...

thenewaveragebear1983 · 13/01/2017 20:58

Finally my dinner- my god I'm so hungry but dh was cooking and he likes to prance around the kitchen like Jamie flipping Oliver.
Butternut squash chips are ok, but I can't say they're amazing and I'd probably have prefered a really nice salad instead.

blood sugar diet thread 5
APlaceOnTheCouch · 13/01/2017 23:29

Your dinner looks lovely. I'd planned to have roast beef, Stilton and rocket salad but ended up picking at DS' KFC instead Blush I stayed about 800 cals and 50 carbs but I'm sure my salad would have been tastier! I'll have it tomorrow instead.

Lovetunnocks · 13/01/2017 23:32

ARGGGG. Week three day 2. Got on the scales this morning -another pound down (4 this week so far) so was smuger than a smug thing all day. By the time I got to dinner I had 500 cals to play with so smugly decided I could have a wee glass of red.
Cut to four hours later and I'm at 2000 cals thanks to the better part of a bottle of wine, a chocolate pot, salami, a massive wodge of cheese and a packet of bloody walkers crisps.
WHY. WHY. WHY.
I feel so great on this WOE. Why do I insist on blowing it every four or five days??????????? Chocolate is calling but going to bed now before I can do any more damage. Thoroughly disgusted at myself.

Philoslothy · 13/01/2017 23:34

I have the original blood sugar diet book. Is it worth buying the recipe book too?

diamantegal · 13/01/2017 23:42

Lovetunnocks you and me both - although my wine was white which is worse. But I'd already decided to give myself an easier time over the weekends, so I'm not going to feel guilty - I had a good lunch, and pizza aside, 4 good days this week, which is 4 more than normal.

I think the 8 week 800 calorie idea is great. I don't think you can do it and be sociable - and that includes eating and drinking with family. But if you adopt it for a good chunk of the week, you'll still lose weight just more slowly. I bloody hope so anyway...!

diamantegal · 13/01/2017 23:44

Oh and I haven't got either recipe book - I just making do from my own recipes. I think it depends how hard you're finding it - the recipes are probably a good way to keep you on track, but I've just been adapting things I'd normally cook - either swapping pasta for courgetti etc or just skipping the carbs altogether.

That said, I suspect if you lived off the recipe book it would be a lot easier!

Philoslothy · 13/01/2017 23:50

Thanks diamanté. I probably could do it without the book but I like flicking through recipe books

AccioNameChange · 14/01/2017 00:05

Tunnocks I did very similar earlier in the week. I just keep trying again the next day and hoping that at some point if I keep in the no snacks, 800 cal routine largely, my brain will learn a bit to stop wanting to overeat. Expecting it to take some time.

Don't beat yourself up Flowers

thenewaveragebear1983 · 14/01/2017 08:24

Tunnocks you and me both- food was ok yesterday but wasn't 800 calories, but after sharing 2 bottles of wine with dh plus a couple of gin and slimline, I feel decidedly worse for wear this morning! Didn't cupboard raid too badly, but I would have done if there had been anything worth having. Oh well.
In my vague recollection of my first round of BSD I'm pretty sure that I didn't drink for the 8 weeks, which may go a long way to explaining why I was infinitely more successful that time

Anyway. Forward! Today I'm walking to the hairdressers, then have a busy day of grafting ahead as dh and I are dismantling a mammoth 1970's fitted wardrobe unit. Kids going to the zoo with mil. Food wise, probably something eggy after my haircut, dinner is chicken as I still have two massive packs of chicken portions waiting to be used!

ragz134 · 14/01/2017 08:26

Week 2 day 5. Total loss 11.8lbs. After several days of tiny losses, I have had a woosh of 2.4lbs overnight, taking me under 200lbs for the first time in ages. Hoping it stays off, it's a good motivation anyway. No plan for food yet today, which is a bit risky...

thenewaveragebear1983 · 14/01/2017 08:40

Brilliant rags that's an impressive loss. 10lb = a dress size apparently, is this true for you?

AccioNameChange · 14/01/2017 08:59

Great to hear ragz. I'm on Week 2 day 3 but making myself weigh twice a week instead of every day so hoping losses will seem a bit more consistent. Fingers crossed I can match you in a couple of days.

AccioNameChange · 14/01/2017 09:01

bear wardrobe dismantling sounds like it will help with calorie burn!