blood sugar diet thread 5

[yumyumpoppycat]

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

Morning all
Well, finished week one, with a 9lb loss. the second half of the week i basically stayed the same, which is OK given that Friday and Saturday I wasn't on 800 cals but on low carb. I'm hopig to see a few lbs in the next few days, to convince me that now that the water loss is gone, I can still lose on the plan. I have planned 800 cal menus for the next 4 days so fingers crossed!

Thank you to everyone for your advice over the weekend, on phone so having trouble seeing names.

Mostly 900 cal week last week. Last three days have been off plan, but not awful awful like in the days of horrible binges, so I'm hoping might have averaged at TDEE.

Next weigh in Thursday which will be the end of week 4. Have meal planned for the next three days, just need to make sure I stick to it and then carry on. No more birthdays before the end of 8 weeks so if I can get to the end largely sticking to it will be very pleased!

Looking forward to 5:2 which is my plan for after, just hoping I can break some of the more ingrained habits with this first 8 weeks.

Hope everyone else has a good week.

Dia glad it's not just me!
The thing I struggle with is that I know i can't do it 100% all the time. I need a strategy for the days when I know I can't be on it, because those are the days when I go totally off the rails. I think I need to really consider my lifestyle and plan which days I'm going to be on it 100% and which days maybe 80%, rather than 0%! So if I'm meeting friends for coffee and cake, I can factor in the cake but not then go awol with a white sliced loaf and a pot of jam.... I 've tried doing 'allowed foods' but not calorie counting, but this doesn't work for me really because once I release the control I just go mad.

The truth is, I can do it. I'm just telling myself that I can't, so I need to work out a system that I can do so that I can balance out life with diet. Ie. 2 days a week, allow myself a sweet treat but keep on track with meals?

bear sounds exactly what I need to do for the "off" days, some great ideas. Hope you can find one that works well for you.

I have always been a slimming world dieter before this plan. I don't agree with the 'load your plate with pasta and veg' mentality anymore, and the low fat dairy etc. Sw seems to be a plan that capitalises on the dieter's belief that they are hungry or deprived and need lots of food. Which we know, from doing this properly, that we don't. But all that being said, they do have a variation of their plan called 'extra easy sp' where they say you can have unlimited food off a list of 'speed' foods (eg watery veg) and protein foods, very limited carbs off their free list (so no rice, pasta, parsnips etc) and no fruit that's not a speed food (such as bananas, grapes, mangos etc are not allowed). The benefit of this way for me would be the fact that you can have a calorie controlled amount of anything you like, in this case, 300 calories (15 syns). Sorry if this is gobbledygook to anyone who's not done sw.

I'm wondering if that might be my option on maybe 2 or 3 days a week. Allowing myself a calorie controlled amount of something, but otherwise stick to the BSD plan. That way, if faced with the cafe/coffee conundrum I can have something within my 'plan' rather than just go crazy and have the huge slice of chocolate cake because I'm writing the day off. Once I know I'm not going to get anywhere near 800 cals or 50g carbs, I sort of don't see the point. Catastrophic thinking in a big way....
I think I need to have a way of not failing at this diet. I'm feeling very low at the moment and pretty useless, so failing at this is just adding to the long list of things I'm rubbish at.

Sorry for my ramblings. I don't want to bring everyone down with my moping about. As dh said to me last night- is that chocolate going to make the baby sleep, the house clean, the weather better? After I'd finished beating his smug face ten blocks sideways I sort of saw what he meant and reluctantly agreed with him.....

bear only ten blocks sideways? You were lenient I think it's hard to focus on any eating plan if you're feeling stressed and overwhelmed in other areas of your life.
I also think it's more difficult when you've been doing BSD for a while because your weight loss slows. I feel like I've been losing and gaining the same 2lbs since Nov. (apart from the massive weight gain over Christmas). I can't tell if that's because my body has adjusted to BSD, because I'm being less strict on eating windows, etc, or because I'm more or less at my target weight and hence my body is stubbornly sticking here. Last week I averaged 816 cals with 67g carbs but it's TOTM so it's made no difference.I'm still fluctuating by those same 2 lbs.
On the plus side, my new bras turned up and I'm so happy! My shape is transformed! It's been a revelation to see what a difference it makes so thank you again bear for your tips.

There are some really good tips on the 5:2 thread for non fast days I think these are things like no snacking between meals, only having sweet treats/deserts in small portions at the end of a meal to avoid blood sugar rises, keeping alcohol within NHS limits. Maybe these would be an option for off days.

I am off the wagon too at mo, but my period is due any day now then I will get into line ;) I am a bit fed up of dieting too.

Aplace would it be worth popping on to the 5:2 thread for some advice on what to do now? Maybe you should only calorie count on 2 days and stick as close to rules as pos the rest of the week?

yumyum thanks for the advice I tried 5:2 for 6 months in 2015 and it didn't work for me at all. I'm not sure why. But I'll have a look at the threads on here - maybe I missed something or maybe approaching it with a BSD mindset will make the difference.

Aplace, I did 5:2 a five years ago for almost a year and it didnt work for me either, so not sure why I suggested it tbh, I was meaning blood sugar diet 5:2 version though. I want to do that myself but havent quite managed to get into a routine - I seem to be either on it or off it.

Hello everyone.

Dogday - well done on your first week.

Bear - I so understand what you mean. I've managed to lose weight before (although not for a couple of years). I lost 2 and a half stone over 8 months but then I went on holiday and all my good habits went out the window and I just couldn't get back on track. Slowly, over 3 years or so, I gained it all back and another stone on top. I am terrified of that happening again, I really see this as a last chance.

Maybe we can all work together on long term strategies to try? Sounds like Couch and Poppycat you might also think that would be a good thing.

Either way, you definitely aren't useless. Anyone who can do this at all is really strong, in my view. Especially seeing other people around me who say they want to lose weight but can't even contemplate making the kind of changes necessary. Don't be hard on yourself, concentrate on what you have achieved.

I'm expecting a tough week this week because my period is due. So trying to avoid the scales and the kitchen!

Hi all, just a quick note to say no loss on the scales this week but % fat has gone down several points so that makes me happy! I haven't stuck to calories as I was getting cold a lot and worried about my thyroid as I'm hypo. But I am still very much on plan and totally sugar free aside from my 85% choc. That's 4 whole weeks and I am just amazed... I am aiming to 5:2 this week with the lower cal days. DD's birthday tomorrow so challenge to not eat the orange cake she has requested!
Will catch up on the thread later.
Ragz

Well done Scandi !! That is mahoosive!!!

Interesting to read how others find it so tricky. I am too.

My dry (ish) January might have helped. Mind you, I did have a huge blow out for my friends birthday in the first week of Jan. Then last week, for my birthday, I ate so much and drank so much wine, at a George Michael Tribute concert, which was a scream, a total giggle and I 💃 danced and danced, until I could dance no more, coz I drank so much wine, my legs went wobbly!

Do you think the dancing, was the reason for my 2lb weight loss? Ignoring all the wine, food, chocolate and crisps I've eaten in the last month?

Nope. Me neither!!
Just luck. I'm now back down to the same weight I was pre Christmas. I just need to get down below that stone!!

Am going to try and be really strict for the next month. I have been doing very well with my meals. It's just the crisps and chocolate inbetween that's not going so well.

And I totally get what Bear says about sabotaging!! I do that. If I eat one bit of cake, I then go and eat 2 packets if mcCoys crisps and some maltesers.

I think we need to sort that mentality.

when you're on the first 8 weeks and you're trying to be really strict that's one thing. but even then you are allowed a treat. It's not all over if you eat something.

If you fall off the wagon you mustn't beat your self up about it but just get back on and say okay so I'm allowed a treat.

Especially for people like bear, couch, me yummy : people who have been here for a long time and still trying to get that final bit of weight off :

I think we need to work on not seeing us as a failure, not sabotaging, not giving up, if it's one treat or a total blowout that's ok.

let's not beat ourselves up and try and get back to it the next day or whenever possible.

I will try and work on that mentality. To stop myself from sabotaging the whole day, if I have one 'sin'.

Oblomov - so true. Finding a mental way to pick ourselves up from a slip is key. I've not let myself slip at all because I'm so all or nothing, I'm afraid that will be that.

I'm thinking of having a pret salad today for lunch. Its 313 cals and 5g of carbs. Does that sound ok? A bit wary of pre-made stuff but forgot to bring anything to work with me. I'll be 800 for the day and about 25g of carbs in total. That should be ok, right?

Hello- just found this thread and marking my place to come back later. I started the BSD just over two weeks ago, and I've lost 7lbs BUT only 1lb in the last 9 days, and whatever I do the scales are not budging. Am wondering if anyone else has had this, it's making me a bit despondent. Will RTFT and come back...

Hi everyone. Thanks all for your kind words. I'm feeling a bit more positive today and had a better nights sleep which always helps.

I've got a shoulder joint of lamb slow cooking on a mountain of casserole veg in the oven for dinner tonight. It's probably a bit carb heavy, with carrots and squash but I won't have delicious buttery mash like the rest of the family, and will do some green veg. Lunch is my trusty stuffed peppers!

Miserable day here, ds and I are just staying in and doing jobs. I can't wait for spring- I want to get out in the fresh air and in the garden, this drizzle is so rubbish.

Have a great day everyone!

Hi Whowantsadog. I've been doing the diet three and a half weeks and I've had a couple of stretches in that where I lose nothing, only to then lose a couple of pounds very quickly. Keep going. Lots of people also say make sure you're getting enough water.

Welcome whowantsadog and well done on your early losses
This is a diet where you have sudden losses and then equally sudden plateaus. Sometimes, when you aren't losing weight, you are losing inches instead so don't be disheartened.

Hi all. Week 2 day 1 and another 2lb loss. That's my first loss in 5 days but a total of 11lbs. I've dropped 1.9 off my I and 1.5 inches off my waist.

Feeling good and fired up. Have all my meals planned for the next few days so that will help.

Whowantsadog, welcome. You're at about the same stage as me. I had big losses to start as well, and then nothing. But I've just started losing again. Are you drinking loads of water?

welcome to new people and well done on scale and inch victories!

Oblomov your message helped me this eve. My period is taking its time in appearing and I havent eaten well today, went all blood sugary after work carrying groceries home, shaky clamy etc. Had some minstrels this eve BUT I put a clip on the packet and had Oblomovs message in my head and didnt give in to my old white toast night time treat even though tempted ... I had the old 'get it out of my system and be strict tomorrow' thing going on but resisted, and v glad about that now so thanks to everyone for being honest about their struggles as well as motivating successes

Well done ragz, scandi, dog and anyone I've missed. Oblomov and bear, totally with you on the sabotaging and looking for a sustainable way forward. Scandi sounds like your willpower is amazing, your posts are great for motivation - thank you. Bear I completely understand how you were feeling end of last week, nothing useful to say but hope this week is going better and

I have had a mediocre week, bad weekend, couple of 800 days, couple of 1500 days. Official weigh day is tomorrow, but I was the same as last week this morning after a couple of days of being a few pounds up. Going to try to make today a good one!

Also did my first HIIT session this morning, only 15 mins but owwww I have no arm muscles.

Thanks Accio.

I'm kind of all or nothing, so willpower is good until it breaks and then I tend to fall apart totally. Having a tough, premenstrual, horrible weather, everything going wrong kind of day. Had to go into supermarket and god did I want some chocolate. I haven't cracked yet but this is the hardest I've found it so far.

Scandi so good for not cracking! Just made lentil dhal - a Jack Monroe recipe from BSD website, was really easy and really yummy!

Accio I'd have thought lentil dhal was high carb - just shows what I know It used to be one of my specialities when I first learned how to cook.

I did a big supermarket order today and am going to try a few new recipes including oven baked risotto (which is high carb but I guess will be ok on a salad heavy day); 5 spices chicken etc. I'm actually looking forward to making some new recipes. I've got into a bit of a rut.

I saw that dhal recipe. It sounded fab and relatively easy. Must try it.