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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
Lovetunnocks · 17/01/2017 11:37

Morning everyone. Have been AWOL because my laptop is refusing to log me into MN for some reason. Coming to the end of week 3 here and have recovered from red wine blip to lose another couple of pounds so chuffed with that. Away on work trip today and tomorrow so that's going to be tricky. Any recommendations of low carb food I can buy on the hoof will be much appreciated. Will go back and catch up with everything if I get any WIFI on my train!

yumyumpoppycat · 17/01/2017 12:15

Welcome aboard Jax

Love Tunnucks well done on your weightloss - loads of places now do prepackaged boiled eggs (boots, tesco, M&S), pret is always a good bet for salad - they do a crayfish one which is arount 200 cals

Good work Accio on weightloss and under 800 day - that is fantastic I am rubbish at coming in under 800.

How are you feeling aplace - hope your over tummy bug.

Brilliant newaverage for not doing catastrophic thinking and instead planning ahead.

I am doing work from home and about to have another stuffed pepper Grin

OP posts:
thenewaveragebear1983 · 17/01/2017 12:40

For the first time in a very long time I have lay on the sofa and slept while ds had his nap. I am sooooo exhausted at the moment.

I'm trying some salmon in bulgar wheat for lunch. It's not exactly low carb, (27g for the pouch) but it's 'good carbs' and convenient. I bought it in asda yesterday, so might be suitable to take away on your trip in case you can't get anything on plan? I got Moroccan but there were other flavours too

blood sugar diet thread 5
blood sugar diet thread 5
Scandicat · 17/01/2017 13:36

Hi all. Been busy so not posting and not much to report. Still sticking to diet but not lost any weight since Sunday. Trying not to stress, but I have upped my water in case that helps, it had dropped off after early efforts!

Re food on the go, I've bought sashimi for lunch at work today. Depending on where you are, you might be able to pick some up. It's lovely and comes with a huge salad.

AccioNameChange · 17/01/2017 14:17

Can I ask about how many glasses of water a day people average?

ragz134 · 17/01/2017 18:48

Average water for me is about 1.5 litres, if I'm doing gym it's more. This morning I had a 500ml glass before I left, another 500ml during the day and will drink over 500ml this evening. Plus 3 large coffees.

ragz134 · 17/01/2017 18:51

Today went well. Felt really good all day. NSV, a colleague told me my eyes have looked really sparkly this week!
Lunch - chili soup.
Dinner - chizza (chicken breast halved and topped with tomato puree, herbs and mozzarella) and salad leaves. Raspberries and Greek yogurt for pudding. First fruit in 2 weeks!
Weight loss is now 12lbs in two weeks.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 17/01/2017 19:11

Today hasn't been a great day for me. I'm just so tired, it's really affected me. I'm not a great sleeper and the baby has been unwell so the last few nights I 've had very disturbed sleep and then struggled to get back off once he's settled. I really really need a decent night tonight.
As a result, I have not coped too well with the 4pm- 7 madness, and a few too many carbs have slipped in. I'm like a seeking missile, I can sniff out long forgotten things from way back in the cupboards. Tomorrow I am going to clear through the cupboards and larder with a bin bag and ensure there is nothing there to find.

That salmon pouch thing was really tasty by the way, very filling as a quick lunch idea. You could easily do 2 portions from it or use it to fill a pepper or flat mushroom with a bit of cheese on it.

As for water, I aim to drink 3 pints (I have a trusty old carlsberg pint glass that I stole from a pub aged 18, it has survived 3 moves, 3 kids and 15 years of use!!) - but on the days when I struggle, when I look back, I acknowledge that I didn't drink nearly enough. There must be a correlation between perceived hunger and thirst.

Today I've done 5200 steps. I have barely stopped all day, running around after ds, and walking to school and back x 2, plus I swept and moved furniture in the lounge for a whole hour, and walked round the shops for an hour. How, oh how, is it possible to get 10,000 steps in??? For those of you that do, what's your routine like?

Scandicat · 17/01/2017 19:54

Ragz - that chicken sounds really good.

Re water, today I've had 1.5 litres plus two big cups of tea.

Bear - I have a fitbit. I mostly get 10,000 steps. On work days, that means walking to the station, then walking to work and back to the station plus a 20-30 min walk at lunch. Too dark to walk home in the evening. On non-working days, I will get 10,000 easily if I walk the dog and walk DS to school and back. But weekends with DCs at home I find it almost impossible. I think if you aren't actually going out, as such, it's very hard to up your steps.

yumyumpoppycat · 17/01/2017 20:15

I don't count steps or drink much water tbh Blush Have had an ok day today so fingers crossed for a better weigh in tomorrow if not then I will have to start paying attention to water and steps.

Brilliant NSV Ragz!

Fingers crossed for scales to move tomorrow scandi.

Newaverage it is a biological thing to eat when sleep deprived so don't feel bad. Good idea to clear temptation away though. We put a lot of the christmas stuff in a box in the converted loft storage space and take some down rather than buy new treats.

OP posts:
thenewaveragebear1983 · 17/01/2017 20:21

Scandi I wonder if it's because this new counter is actually quite accurate so isn't counting my general moving around and also whether it isn't registering my steps when my hand is on the pushchair (which realistically is every single step I take outside of the house). No way to get around it really, I just need to try and increase each day. I might try wearing it round my ankle instead of wrist tomorrow!

yumyumpoppycat · 17/01/2017 22:11

could you wear it in a pocket bear, or attach it to a bra strap or something? steps do sound low for a whole day of activity.

OP posts:
APlaceOnTheCouch · 17/01/2017 23:33

I probably drink between 6 and 8 cups of water per day. My step count is rubbish during the week so I try to walk more at the weekends to compensate.
First day free of the stomach bug here so it will be interesting to see how it impacts of tomorrow's WI.

Scandicat · 18/01/2017 07:57

I lost loads when I had the stomach bug Couch but then nothing since. Not weighed yet today.

ragz134 · 18/01/2017 08:06

W3D2 12.8lbs off.
Today is breakfast day! Once a week DH and I go out for breakfast as we are both off today (well, he has work in the workshop) so we have a cheap buffet carvery breakfast and go food shopping together (height of romance here). I'll be having a mountain of bacon, eggs and some tomatoes. Sausages seem very high calorie/carb so I may skip them this week. Last week I wasn't hungry again until 10pm, so I probably won't eat until after karate. May have Greek yogurt and raspberries for evening snack.
Bring on the breakfast!

Have a good day everyone.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 18/01/2017 08:09

I'm wearing my stepper on my ankle today, I look like a prisoner on tag! Hopefully will record a bit more accurately.

I had a better night sleep last night, but have woken up very throaty this morning which could explain my exhaustion and hunger this week. I'm not even going to attempt to calorie count, just going to stick to 'on plan' foods. I had a few bouts of laryngitis in the last few years and I'm terrified of getting it again as I was so ill with it- so ds and I are staying in today except the absolute necessary trips out, fire on, blanket and trashy telly!!

APlaceOnTheCouch · 18/01/2017 08:29

bear you're probably a bit run down from all the stress of moving and then the DC having chickenpox, and the lack of sleep that entails. Look after yourself - lots of rest, vitamin C and fluids Flowers

I'm down another 0.8lbs this morning. Only another 0.8lbs to go and I'm back to my lowest (and pre-Christmas/New Year binge) weight. DH has just brought in a shopping with nice crisps which are calling to me from the cupboard. The last time, he bought disgusting chicken crisps so it was easy to ignore them Envy

ragz134 · 18/01/2017 12:57

Amazed myself at breakfast. I tracked everything before I served it, 1 egg 3 bacon 1 sausage and some tomatoes. I then had a tea and two black coffees with a glass of water. About 600cals. VERY restrained of me! Normally. I'd have twice that. At least. With toast and marmalade for 'pudding' (several slices).
I still felt full after...
I've got raspberries and Greek yogurt for later.
Bear hope you're feeling better soon. Enjoy your on plan foods and plenty of warm drinks Smile

Oblomov17 · 18/01/2017 13:26

Hi-de-hi Campers.

Well done everyone. people are doing well.
Accio's 9lb's is really good.
I've been eating lots of stuffed red peppers aswell.

I haven't weighed recently. I'm too frightened. I haven't put on anything, but I haven't lost, I've just maintained.
But I really like that lb of fat picture.
Mind you, I have been very unwell diabetically - my blood sugars have been very high and this makes me physically sick, yellow bile - nice!! - excuses, excuses.

My dry January is going ok. But it is my birthday next week. so that's doomed !! Wine Wine Wine

Oblomov17 · 18/01/2017 13:30

ragz, I adore sausages and it always kills my daily totals when I do eat them, which gets RIGHT on my nerves!!

diamantegal · 18/01/2017 18:45

ragz you sound like you're dying really well - congratulations!

Rubbish week here, DH has been getting back much later than planned so I've ended up rummaging for snacks to eat while waiting for him. And then we eat crap food because neither of us can be bothered to cook properly at 9pm.

Might have to stop believing him that he'll be home by 7pm and come up with a menu for next week that is either quick cook, or even better, just accept we're going to eat separately and plan for that. This has been my downfall in the past - we have good intentions of about cooking nice meals and then life gets in the way and drives bad habits.

diamantegal · 18/01/2017 18:47

Dying? Doing. Ruddy autocorrect. Wasn't meaning to wish that on anyone!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 18/01/2017 19:04

Dia the slow cooker is your friend! That way you can both eat the same but only have to cook once and you can either eat earlier on or wait til dh gets home.

yumyumpoppycat · 18/01/2017 20:38

well done on dry january oblomov - a day off on your birthday sounds only fair - actually its prob a good test for when Feb starts.

Dia I sometimes eat a different meal to my dh, othertimes I make a meal then save him some to eat later but he is a bit funny around 'leftovers' Hmm even if I do the thing of deliberately roasting some veg or meat to eat another day he doesnt like it. He really likes pre packaged salads [weird] even though they are expensive they are easy so I do buy them sometimes.

Hope you are feeling better bear - did you wear the fitbit thingy on your ankle in the end?

Well done on your weightloss A place. A good weigh in for me today but still a bit of xmas/new year weight to shift (about 3lbs of my lightest which I got to in dec) .

OP posts:
APlaceOnTheCouch · 18/01/2017 21:46

I usually end up eating differently from DH. Unless I've made soup in which case we all eat it.
DH is funny about leftovers or reheated food too. I have no such qualms. this may explain why I have to BSD and he doesn't Grin
I've just realised I have an Italian lunch booked for Friday so I'll need to be extra good for the rest of the week, to compensate.

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