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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
Oblomov17 · 25/01/2017 13:00

Feeling very bloated. Have felt this for last 3/4 days. Have been trying to up water drinking.

Here is lunch @ work:
Pepper, cous-cous, feta.

blood sugar diet thread 5
dogdaydisaster · 25/01/2017 13:11

There were no Starbucks at my end of London Bridge, so I went to Leon instead and had their Salmon and avocado poached egg pot which is 148 cals and very tasty. Am now heading back out to the office and have a courgette veg pot from pret for lunch, which is 131 cals. I may have a few nuts with it, but am not at all hungry yet. Which is so weird.

AccioNameChange · 25/01/2017 13:59

Joining in the lunch club - I had the no carb ploughmans from the book. Love it! Had a sneaky weigh this morning although official end of week is tomorrow, have stayed the same in week 3... think my bad Friday caught up with me. Not going to be disheartened, know that there will be plateaus.

APlaceOnTheCouch · 25/01/2017 16:40

Thanks scandi . DS is finally sleeping -after happily calculating that school rules mean he can't go back this week Smile

dogdaydisaster · 26/01/2017 08:29

Morning all
Week 1 Day 3 weigh in and I'm down to 232.5. That's 4.5 off today and a 9lb loss in 3 days! My BMI is also down to 36.4.

I'm not feeling at all hungry and the sugar cravings haven't been too bad. I'm a little anxious about the weekend, which is when I normally have a few drinks, so any tips from those that have done it would be greatly appreciated. It's tougher at the moment as DH was made redundant, and is really bored at home. Usually his beer buddy and him would go out a bit at the weekend but he's also doing an 8 week diet so won't drink. I know he'll be climbing the walls with nothing to do all weekend so I do need to try and offer him some company for at least one night. I think I need a few cheap things to do in London so a takeaway and beer aren't the default options. How does gin and slimline stack up on carbs/calories?

APlaceOnTheCouch · 26/01/2017 12:54

Gin and slimline are good on cals and carbs especially if you get a can because then you don't have to try to judge the measure and the calories. Could you both go out for a walk together? Or go round a local museum? That's what I try to do at weekends because it increases my step count and I don't eat if I'm walking.
For snacking, if I'm staying in watching a film, I have a small snack of nuts or make up bowls of mangetout and sugarsnap peas. I add some salt, pepper and chilli flakes to the mangetout and peas, or make up a little bowl of dip (and pretend they're just like crisps!).

AccioNameChange · 26/01/2017 13:55

Glad your DS is better APlace, I'm out this weekend dogday I didn't do well last weekend but not too many drinks, I'm just trying for far less food in the daytime (out for dinner) and then half of what I'd normally have at dinner and low carb. And keep reminding myself I'm on this to retrain myself and my willpower!

Weigh in today - Week 4 Day 1 - another 1.5 pounds off, 1 stone 1.5 total. Hoping for a few more this week.

bear how did your work thing go? (I think that was right and this week, sorry if I've got it wrong!) Hope it's sorted and you can concentrate on this if you want to.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 26/01/2017 14:33

It went ok, we're not quite there yet but there's some money on the table now which wasn't there before. Can't say too much obviously but....

I'm not really on it....I'm sort of halfway there. Sorry (tmi) but having the mother of all periods, probably partly explains my crappy mood and carb craving this week. I've lost a few pounds though, probably water retention, and treated myself to two new tops today with a tkmaxx voucher I had for Christmas. I'm feeling really sorry for myself- can you tell?? Woe is me. I shall feel better tomorrow I'm sure.
Dd cooking tonight's tea in school today, she's doing bolognese so that will be nice for a change to not have to cook!

APlaceOnTheCouch · 26/01/2017 14:39

That's a great WI Accio Flowers
I forgot to WI this morning as I slept in.
bear I read through the bra interventionist threads on here and ordered some new bras in the sale last night. I've had a voucher for lingerie for ages but didn't want to spend it when I was a size 16 so I used some of it last night.
I've just had some lychees as a rare treat. They are insanely high carb for the teeny tiny size of them.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 26/01/2017 14:59

Good for you place, was there much difference in your size? My dm was of the old school m&s mentality of adding 4 inches to the back measurement so I grew up totally mismeasuring- I didn't believe it when I did the bra guru method and I was a totally different size. I also have quite widely spaced /broad shoulders boobs and even in a dd cup they don't meet in the middle. It's bizarre, but that method has meant I am comfortable in bras for the first time in my life. Hope you treated yourself adequately with your voucher!

APlaceOnTheCouch · 26/01/2017 15:33

bear I had gone up sizes when I was pregnant so have lots of different sized bras but had got into the habit of wearing 36B or 38B depending on the style. I'd also got used to my straps falling down or sitting incorrectly (sounds crazy but it was only whilst reading the threads that it dawned on me that (a) it was happening and (b) it shouldn't be happening!) With the advice on MN, I seem to be 32DD.
I've ordered two bras in the sale and will see how they fit before spending the rest of my voucher. Thanks so much for your advice to look on here. I can tell my current bra size is wrong because my clothes are sitting wrong iyswim

thenewaveragebear1983 · 26/01/2017 15:35

That's exactly the same as me- I got used to the lack of support IYSWIM, and didn't notice it. I also had this weird little armpit bulge of fat that disappeared once I got a bigger cup size!

Scandicat · 26/01/2017 16:25

Hi everyone.

Sorry you're having a bad day, Bear. Hope you feel better soon.

Couch, new bras sound a good idea. I had to bite the bullet and get remeasured in the summer because I'd put on weight. Looking forward to getting more, smaller (hopefully) ones soon.

I'm having an ok day today. I've discovered almond milk which is great - can have a milky coffee for less calories than a cup of tea. Have parents staying though so they have bought lots of unhealthy food with them, so need my strongest willpower.

My dad has type 2 diabetes and really should be doing this diet. He won't though. When I read the book, I really thought of him - all the health problems he is storing up for himself. It has been quite a big motivation for me to sort my own eating out. I watch him now, constantly complaining about tiredness/hunger/headaches etc. But still having white bread and marmalade for breakfast, sugar in coffee, cakes mid afternoon etc. Makes me sad.

APlaceOnTheCouch · 26/01/2017 21:20

weird little armpit bulge of fat
I have that! Although maybe after tomorrow, I won't that's when my delivery is coming I'm quite excited at the thought. I'm going to gather up all my incorrectly sized bras and store them away so I don't accidentally wear them again.
scandi well done on maintaining your will power whilst surrounded by temptation. That's very impressive. Perhaps your example will rub off on your dad. At least you know you are doing everything possible to ensure your children won't ever feel that sadness about you. Flowers

dogdaydisaster · 27/01/2017 09:05

Morning all. Stayed the same this morning, which is probably fair enough after the big losses early in the week. I stayed within 800 yesterday but it was probably more cheesy than previously and I possibly didn't have as much water. Our water dispenser at work gives freezing cold water and I just didn't fancy it. Had scrambled eggs this morning, and have pepper soup for lunch. Not sure about dinner yet.

dogdaydisaster · 27/01/2017 09:10

A place, thanks for your suggestions. I'm going to try a g&t and a few nuts and hope that does it.

Re bras- I am a bravissimo girl and had to buy a load of new bras last year when I lost some weight. Luckily thanks to my (ridiculous) cup size I can actually sell my decent old ones on eBay as there's always someone desperate for them. I made about £7-8 per bra. Which went some way to offset the bravissimo costs.

Scandicat · 27/01/2017 13:24

Dogday - never thought of selling bras. I've got a bag of old ones sitting upstairs and some are really nice. Was going to donate them but the local donation bin has gone. Great tip.

I had a good loss this morning. I seem to be in a pattern of staying the same for 4 days, then losing a couple of pounds over two days, then sticking again. Feel better about it now I know.

Place that's very true about my children. I really want to give them better eating habits than I've had. I feel I've started badly with them, but it's not too late to improve.

Scandicat · 28/01/2017 13:58

Weigh in day

New year's day = 12.0
Start of BSD = 11.9.8
End of week 3 = 10.11.4

I had a plateau for a couple of days earlier in the week but ended up losing 3 pounds, so more than last week.

I'm really pleased. And I hope this is encouraging for anyone reading this and thinking about trying the BSD. I'm honestly less hungry than I was eating 1200 calories on MFP. And I've lost 16 and a half pounds!!!

yumyumpoppycat · 28/01/2017 14:10

wow scandi well done Star down from 12 something to 10 something within a month is phenomenal.

I am so not on it right now but when I was I also found it easier than eat what you like 1200 on MFP. I am planning a week of 800s next week once period starts as apparently that is the optimum point in the month for low cal Grin Hmm.

OP posts:
dogdaydisaster · 28/01/2017 14:52

Well done Scandi that is very inspiring.
Stayed the same today but was out last night in the pub. Had three red wines then a takeaway- but I ordered a lamb shish kebab with just the salad and the pitta separate, which DD are. Drank 4 pints of water too. So happy with that and back on it today.

AccioNameChange · 28/01/2017 15:32

Well done Scandi, so good.

I'm half way through week 4 and finding it really tough to be honest. Weight at end of week 3 was 13.8 down from 14.10 at the start, which is great. But yesterday was back up to 13.11, and have 1000 cal days all this week, when I'd been managing 800's mostly before.

Tonight is a friend's birthday in a set menu restaurant so I've been trying to eat as little as possible so when I inevitably end up eating off plan it will minimise it. But I've just completely cracked and eaten a big bit of chocolate and a big bit of cheese.

Any tips gratefully received. I feel like I have to get back onto 800 cals from tomorrow or the whole thing is going to slip away and I'll be back to bingeing.

Scandicat · 28/01/2017 19:35

I've not gone more than 20-30 cals over 800 on any day. I've been lucky, kind of, that I had three really quiet weeks with no major social things to navigate that involved eating.

I think, see every healthy choice as a win. And try to get things like chocolate out of temptation's way. If I had chocolate in easy reach, I don't think I'd manage to get through the tough days.

yumyumpoppycat · 28/01/2017 20:47

Accio chocolate and cheese is not so bad at all don't beat yourself up - we have all done it. Another option for you might be sticking to the relaxed rules lowish carb, but with no calorie counting fri and sat - so this would allow a couple of square of dark chocolate, nuts without worrying about cals, a small glass of red wine etc maybe a juicy steak with sweet potato etc. Would give you a break from MFP. Then you can do strict 800 sun- thu? If you have had problems with bingeing then finding a more long term way to do this is important. Also the weight loss slows a lot at this point and potentially you might find that although you will be heavier for a day or so after the weekend by the end of the week you might have lost a similar amount as you would have with 7 straight days at 800?

I have been finding myself gradually eating later in the evenings so need to get back on that as not doing that is one of the main things keeping me on the straight and narrow. (have been sort of doing this on and off for a year)

OP posts:
thenewaveragebear1983 · 30/01/2017 07:19

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a good weekend?

I'm giving it one more shot this week- I had a pretty much off plan week last week on the back of two half-arsed weeks before that. I'm feeling a bit better today, still got a rotten cough but not so bad. I feel worse I think from my terrible diet, so I'm starting again, day 1. Going to the supermarket first thing to stock up and then will plan some meals. I know I say this every week, but I mean it this time!

diamantegal · 30/01/2017 11:12

Bear I'm with you on the final attempt to do this properly. Had a rough couple of weeks (nothing bad, just busy and so didn't meal plan and suffered a result).

Let's see how long this lasts!

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