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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
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dogdaydisaster · 04/02/2017 11:34

I find I'm sleeping much better as a result of eating this way- anyone else?

Stayed the same this morning, well I think I did, but I do need to love the scales somewhere better. I got 5 different readings and am taking the average Grin and that seems fair after red wine last night.

dogdaydisaster · 04/02/2017 11:34

Move the scales!

jaxxyj · 04/02/2017 12:11

Thanks for all your posting it is keeping me going. Just finishing week 3 and I've lost 13 lbs , it has slowed down massively this week but I have been constipated which is unusual for me! Will try to drink more water. Really pleased so far as I have been sticking rigidly. I am going to Spain for 5 days on Monday so that is going to be a challenge!

yumyumpoppycat · 04/02/2017 15:59

Well done on weightloss Jaxxy Grin well done too Dogs, wine on a fri eve with no bump on scale is a great thing Wine

I have told dp (he will remind me now so cant get away with it) that I want to lose 10 lbs over the next 10 weeks. Lets hope calories in vs calories out works, have decided to try for 1 treat day at TDEE 1788, 4 days at 1400 and 2 at 800.

OP posts:
Scandicat · 04/02/2017 18:05

Weighed in today - I've completed 4 weeks now. Can't believe I've managed it for this long, I really only expected to make 3 weeks at best.

So, these are my stats:

After Xmas - 12 stone 0
At start of BSD - 11.9.8
End of week 4 - 10.9.6

So I've lost just over a stone in 4 weeks on the diet, having already lost 4 1/2 pounds between 2 and 7 Jan from MFP. In total, I've lost 18 1/2 pounds.

I'm so, so happy. It's a smaller loss this week, but I was expecting that, especially since my period has been due (finally arrived so interesting to see what the scales say tomorrow).

Keep going everyone, this really does work, Hope we are all surviving weekend temptations!

OnceUponATimeInLondon · 04/02/2017 21:08

Accio here, name change every now and then. Well done Jaxxy and scandi, really nice to hear of people doing so well.

I've had an up and down week. Not being consistent enough. Ate to TDEE today, which is not the plan, and didn't have anything too difficult to do, just I get into a point where I start eating snacks and can't stop. But yesterday 780, no problem at all. Don't know why some days are fine and others awful. Worried that I'm losing it in the fifth week and it will all just go back on again. Maybe I should ban anything outside of a meal. Normally the only extra I have (if I have the calories / carbs) is yoghurt and seeds. Think I need to cut that out too as sometimes it just leads to a spiral of more food.

Scandicat · 04/02/2017 22:46

Hello Accio/Once You won't lose it, just keep focusing. Every day you do well is a great achievement.

I haven't really been eating outside of meals. To be honest, I'm just not feeling all that hungry. It is so weird. I've only eaten 650 cals today. I was a bit over 800 yesterday, so it balances out I guess. The thing I most needed to deal with was the mindless eating I used to do in the evenings, so teaching myself not to eat when I'm not hungry is important for me.

Scandicat · 04/02/2017 22:50

Ok, so I'm a bit obsessed with dieting at the moment. And I'm watching a TV show called my 600 pound life.

God, it is so sad. Not sure where this is going, but this woman has had a stomach bypass and she's gained weight since. And she will not listen to anything the doctor says, and she's crying and claiming the scales are wrong, so her husband is buying her ice cream. It just shows how much of this is mental. I've seen other people on mumsnet talking about lightbulb moments, and I just wonder how some people just don't have them.

OnceUponATimeInLondon · 04/02/2017 23:45

Thanks Scandi words of encouragement really help. I also am trying to deal with mindless evening eating, so going to try the meals only no snacks cold turkey approach. Glad to hear it makes working for you Smile

APlaceOnTheCouch · 05/02/2017 10:49

Well done on giving up snacks. I only manage that if I'm having a very busy day. Sometimes I just have a day of snacking with no big meals. Blush
I've also tried to change what I snack on so always try to have a few low-carb snack options eg almonds; sugar free jelly; mangetout; sugarsnap peas; pate and cucumber.
I need to get some walking in today. At least it's dry.
Hope you all have a great BSD friendly day!

yumyumpoppycat · 05/02/2017 20:45

Keep going accio 5 weeks us a long time you are doing so well. I def think three meals a day is the way forward but I am a grazer like Aplace. I have managed to get back into no evening eating (apart from a tea or coffee with milk) and this at least puts a close to the grazing for 12 hours or so. Well done Scandi too,

Have discovered that egg whites (refrigerated kind in a cardboard tub) are really good for making omlettes and scrambles more filling for lower cals (1 egg 3 whites instead of 2 whole eggs for example).

Quite good on cals today mushroom omlete with mainly egg whites, plus babyleafs (under 200); cod loin with harissa chili relish dolloped on and fried with more leaves (125 cals) plus soom frozen green beans I forgot to count oops; chicken breast with salsa a little grated cheese baked with peppers and frozen squash, plus brocoli for dinner. Had tea and coffee and a square of galaxy which took me over a weeny bit.

OP posts:
APlaceOnTheCouch · 06/02/2017 09:43

yumyum it sounds like you had a good day yesterday. Your menu sounds amazing.

dogdaydisaster · 06/02/2017 10:13

So, week 2 totals: 6.5 lb loss so 15.5 lbs in total. BMI down by 2.4. I can't wait to get out of the 'obese' rating.

Had a slightly wobbly weekend so back with a vengeance today.

OnceUponATimeInLondon · 06/02/2017 11:12

Thanks yumyum you are right, five weeks is good - three and a half to go! Your food for yesterday does sound really nice - love a bit of harrissa. dog you are doing amazingly! Well done!

Allowed myself a midweek weigh in and seem to be another pound down despite a very bad Saturday, but we'all see on weigh in day on Thursday. Yesterday was a lot better and feeling more positive, particularly when I realise I was more than half way through - renewed motivation.

Jumping the gun but have been thinking about what I'll do after, going to regular 5:2 I think for at least a few months. My TDEE is 1900, will be very strange to eat double what I've been for eight weeks, but going to continue low carb with some brown rice / bulgar wheat etc added in.

Scandicat · 06/02/2017 17:03

Is anyone else really not hungry? I think it is partly because I've upped my water but I am really struggling to eat even 800 calories. Is that worrying?

Going out tonight. First proper test of willpower in a social setting.

OnceUponATimeInLondon · 06/02/2017 17:09

I think my hunger has been retrained a bit. I used to think I was hungry but really it was cravings, I don't feel hungry now. But I always make it to 800.

Good luck tonight!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 06/02/2017 20:12

Hi everyone! I have had a hit and miss few days (again!) but have been good today. Everyone's ill again in the bear household- I sometimes feel like human snot is literally the glue that holds my life together.

I 've streamlined my approach for this week. I can't do 'shakes' as they awaken my carb monster, but I've bought cartons of soups for my lunches this week (pulled pork and bean, and lentil and bacon) to take the choice out of the equation. Had pulled pork one today and it was yummy. I've bought cooked chicken legs as snacks and done some boiled eggs. Tea tonight is a fish portion and veg. I'm trying to get my head back in the game so we'll see how it goes. As of this morning I was officially back at the exact same weight as I was 5 weeks ago when I restarted, which is not a great achievement. Let's see how the week goes....,

dogdaydisaster · 06/02/2017 21:13

I've made soups from the books this week so have 8 portions ready. I made the roasted squash and pepper from the cookbook and the Spanish chickpea from the original book. I was a bit hungry today, probably as the weekend was a bit carby.

yumyumpoppycat · 06/02/2017 21:51

Aww new average, but laughing at snot as the glue holding you together, your plan sounds really good and doable.

Soup sounds yum dogs, do you have the recipe book - I havent used it recently but it has some nice ideas.

Aplace yesterday was a good day for me, I am not usually that organised, but actually was fairly cheap, used reduced cod for 99p, frozen green beans are excellent and 60p for 500g also used up stuff we had.

I was doing a 1400 cal day today but actually ended up lower on protein Shock. Went for lunch with a friend so was a bit carby. Made a version of a body coach tuna steak bean salsa thing for dinner for dp and I. Think it was a waste I would have preferred the tuna steak (was frozen am on a budget mission ;) ) with hot veg but the bean salad element was ok, I think the missing avocado and mango prob was part of the problem tbf to joe wicks!

Scandi I felt fuller yest on fewer cals than I have on higher carb and higher cal days, in general though I very rarely ended up under 800 when I did the 8 weeks. What is your tdee?

OP posts:
APlaceOnTheCouch · 07/02/2017 08:51

My calories and carbs were high yesterday.thanks to a cake and a Double Decker I feel as though I'm coming down with something. I spent yesterday (working from home) wearing a cardigan and scarf over my usual clothes, and ended up going to bed with a hot water bottle. I think I may need to go back to bed today. On the bright side, at least if I'm sleeping, I won't be eating!

Neenook · 07/02/2017 15:49

Can I join you all? I'm armed with the BSD books and 2.5 stone to lose! Feeling very inspired by all your stories.
Just slightly worried that in a week and a half it's half term and we're going to stay with family. How do you get over that?

thenewaveragebear1983 · 07/02/2017 16:30

Just prepped my dinner for tonight, chicken breast stuffed with basil, roasted red pepper and feta cheese. It would probably benefit from being wrapped in Parma ham or bacon, but we have neither, so I will oven bake it in foil and keep fingers crossed!

2nd day of soup for lunch and have snacked on a chicken drumstick. Still feeling rough do not fully reaping the benefits yet but I'm not gnawing my arm off too hungry so the protein must be doing its magic.

yumyumpoppycat · 07/02/2017 19:51

Hi Neenook welcome! Personally I would wait and do it after the half term trip, then just throw yourself into it. You could always get in the zone by cutting back on cake etc, trying out some recipes, plan some meals etc?

Newaverage how did your meal turn out it sounds yum.

Hope you feel better aplace.

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 07/02/2017 20:03

It was yummy actually, it's from the Jamie Oliver 30 minute meals book except he uses sundried toms (which I forgot to buy!). Probably needed a larger chicken breast to fully be able to stuff it without it spilling out. Really tasty. I'm doing his veg Rogan josh tomorrow with lamb steaks so will report back!

Welcome nee, I would start after half term too, but like yumyum says, maybe try and cut out the obvious sweet stuff (if that's at all possible with the kids off?)

dogdaydisaster · 07/02/2017 20:53

Week 3 day 1 and another pound down. Had a funny good day today and need to up the veg tomorrow, but it wasn't terrible. Avocado, hard boiled egg and feta for breakfast, and then a pepperami and a 130 cal graze protein box for lunch as I got caught out without my soup. Tonight's dinner was better; I had chicken thigh and mushrooms cooked with pesto and a splash of cream, with sprouts. Have come in just over 800.

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