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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
diamantegal · 15/11/2016 09:46

I stir-fried my courgetti instead of boiling it - no idea if that was right though!

Well this week has been a disaster. Weighed in this moring (the hotel have helpfully left scales in my room) and I've put about 6lbs on in 3 days. So overall weight loss of 1lb after 2 weeks. It's probably not surprising, the initial weight loss will have been mostly water, and the food here is just so heavy and washed down with wine

So the only postive I can take is that I know I can lose the weight again, as I did it before, and at least I'm still 1lb down. But clearly this has to be more of a lifestyle change rather than doing it for two weeks and then hoping it will just stay off! Looking forward to coming home though!

yumyumpoppycat · 15/11/2016 10:00

Dia did you weigh when you arrive - its possible some of the poundage is just the fact its different scales. At least you are down 1 lb rather than up a few lbs if you hadn't done the diet first?

OP posts:
Oblomov16 · 15/11/2016 12:25

Diamant, I think you may find that 6lbs actually drops off quite easily when you get home.

Goodness that stone in 3 weeks has got to be a record. Well done.

Am doing ok here.
Meatballs and courgetti (reduced) prepared for tonight.
As is 3 portions of roasted peppers, (One for lunch tomorrow as I am working) puy lentils and feta. Which, now I've added it to my mfp it seems is actually quite high calories. Bugger!

Never mind. Am drinking more water.

blood sugar diet thread 5
blood sugar diet thread 5
BeyondReasonablyDoubts · 15/11/2016 12:40

Those roasted peppers look good!!

Oblomov16 · 15/11/2016 14:14

Charlie don't boil courgetti, either microwave it, or dry fry it- I do it in a frying pan with nothing in it whatsoever.

CharlieChipmunk · 15/11/2016 19:21

Ha I won't boil the courgetti again. Good god, it went very very small and pathetic looking

Today's food

Bulletproof coffee

Yogurt, pecans and blueberries

3 cheese triangles and some Queon slices

Courgetti (dry fried!) with creme fraiche, broad beans, mushrooms and goats cheese

Total of 760 cals

I do cheat a little bit to achieve a higher weight loss and that's I will substitute a meal with a protein bar or shake from time to time. Not every day but every other day maybe. It just seems to jolt things along a bit more and gives me a sweet fix if I need one. Half an apple and a tablespoon of peanut or cashew nut butter helps too as does not snacking

I've done every diet under the sun and finding this one the first that I've not had cravings with. I'm an absolute carb fiend and prior to this was eating a bag of fruit gums and a bag of these other very nice sweets every day. And I mean family bags. On top of that I'd have chocolate. And on top of that I'd have cheese sandwiches or pizza. How I'm only two stone overweight is anyone's guess really.

How much do you guys want to lose between now and Christmas

coulditbeforever · 15/11/2016 20:56

Yes the peppers look great, this is a good idea for a packed lunch for work for me - thank you for sharing Flowers

coulditbeforever · 15/11/2016 20:59

Charliechipmonk, I find if I think I want X amount off, I put pressure on myself and end up failing, so asking as I'm going down, I don't mind really.

BeyondReasonablyDoubts · 16/11/2016 08:20

Week 3, day 2 and I have 0.8lbs to go til I hit a stone :)

I need to recommend the unroasted almond milk I had this morning. It tastes like marzipan and is fewer calories than the unsweetened roasted kind too :)

yumyumpoppycat · 16/11/2016 09:42

Well done Beyond. Which milk is it. I found Alpro to be ok but don't like the one they stock in my tesco (cant think what the brand is now).

Charlie that's interesting, have you tried low carb before? I found this better than most diets too. My weight is yoyoing between 134 and 138 at mo, but because I have been doing it for too long I cant really do 800 daily, just need to work out how to do it so weight continues to slowly come down. I would like to be 131 at christmas.

OP posts:
BeyondReasonablyDoubts · 16/11/2016 10:30

It's an alpro one

LCHF was the one I stuck to best so far (apart from this) but it was very slow for me. With this, I like that I can (within lower carb principles) wangle what I eat a bit. So I can use my calories to have an apple - should I want to - without ruining the whole thing. I also like that it isn't forever in the same way, that it leads to 5:2 and maybe even just med style LC far in the future :)

CharlieChipmunk · 16/11/2016 22:44

Evening all

Today's food

Bulletproof coffee

Yogurt with blueberries and pumpkin seeds

Protein bar

Apple with heaped tablespoon of peanut butter

Think that was it today.

I may vary my breakfast tomorrow

focus800 · 17/11/2016 06:50

Hi all I've been lurking and reading. I started 4 weeks ago. After losing baby weight 4 years ago I since put on ten pounds of that, still had a good bmi but knew that I felt amazing at my lower weight 9.10 pounds but haven't been able to shift significantly even using 1200 a day and exercising up to 4 times a week.

In my years trying and in the past 4 weeks of doing bsd I've learnt that ;

  • exercise just makes me eat more although fantastic for muscle and well being
  • 1200 won't make me lose even though apparently my expenditure should be at least 2000 the maths just don't show reality.
  • 800 has shown consistent results which motivated
  • I am energised and focused all day
  • pre period i accept I'm going to eat a lot more but it doesn't matter and will not have a significant effect
- I love planning my meals and will eat foods I don't normally touch when trying to lost weight and they taste so much nicer.

It feels right to be hungry between meals but it's not he old hunger I had where I ate everything in sight

Thanks so much for your posts it's really inspired me.

Oblomov16 · 17/11/2016 09:37

Charlie, are you ok? You have no real food there yesterday, no meals. Are you sure you are eating enough?

I am doing ok. Yesterday I was under, by 88 calories, at 712: cup of tea, peppers,puy and feta, and then for dinner tortilla and salad.

I feel a lot less bloated. I am expecting to see a reasonable weight loss when I next weigh. saying that, I am going to my closest friends birthday party on Saturday night. I would normally drink 2 bottles of wine, over 7 hours, and dance the night away .... how am I going to prevent that? Wink

Oblomov16 · 17/11/2016 09:43

welcome focus.

APlaceOnTheCouch · 17/11/2016 11:54

Oblomov everyone knows dancing spirits away all the alcohol calories Wink Enjoy your party. BSD will still be available the day after.

Oblomov16 · 17/11/2016 12:23

Grin Couch

not to worry it all disappears ....

Evapourating calories ....

through the medium of dance .....

Oblomov on Saturday night:

CharlieChipmunk · 17/11/2016 14:31

Maybe drink sparkling water and dance the night away? Or is that really not going to be the same? Grin

Yes I'm fine thanks. Don't feel hungry. It's variety I struggle with! I'm terrible for eating the same things day in, day out until I get totally sick of them. I hate eggs and onions and tinned tomatoes which doesn't help much. Oh and I'm vegetarian.

I've had my usual bulletproof coffee this morning along with a protein bar. Lunch was yogurt, raspberries and pumpkin seeds

BeyondTheHarpy · 17/11/2016 15:39

Hey all :)

Hmm. Just had a phone call, my op should be on Saturday. How am I gonna wangle 800cal around that! I think my plan atm is to eat as if maintenance (once I'm past nil-by-mouth). Which might be a bit hit or miss with hospital food...! Im worried, I have no idea how they cope with people who need carers. My only adult experience in hospital has been in maternity

APlaceOnTheCouch · 17/11/2016 17:52

Oblomov I watched the disappearing calories video like this Shock - science is like magic to me Grin

Beyond forget about BSD. Eat whatever you want and whatever you can. Honestly, it's more important you keep your strength up and you can always get back on BSD once you're better. Flowers

yumyumpoppycat · 17/11/2016 21:14

Beyond second everyone else put the diet on hold for a bit and it will be good practice for maintenance.

Charlie are there any bean based things you can eat - houmous and veg, lentil soup ...or the dreaded tofu!

Enjoy your party Oblomov Wine

Well done Focus great to hear how well you are doing. Have you reached your target already?

I had an ok day today not terrificially balanced, but prob 900 ish.

Waves to a place.

OP posts:
diamantegal · 17/11/2016 23:36

Beyond - what they all said. Look at the positives of getting the op done - well worth a few lbs as a temporary increase.

So I'm back from Poland but into a wave of work dinners. But it's easier to manage here - I had oysters as a starter and then a starter-sized portion of lobster as my main tonight, which was easily enough by the time I added a side of spinach.

And even with failing miserably to keep to any kind of diet over the last week, I'm still 4lbs down after 2.5 weeks. Can't remember who said it, but they were right - as long as you get back on it, you can get away with the blips - it just means it takes longer.

APlaceOnTheCouch · 18/11/2016 12:03

Every time I come on this thread I realise that I keep eating my food before I can photograph it Grin
This week, I've had some nice soups (lemony carrot and cauliflower; winter veg) the chicken and red pepper curry; a few omelettes; and salads with cheese or turkey.
I'm still fluctuating by the same 1lbs - having lost 36lbs in total but I feel ok about it as I've lost another half an inch from my waist so it's obviously still working.

BeyondTheHarpy · 18/11/2016 17:07

I hit the stone today! :) :)
Just waiting to hear when I'll be going in - I have been shopping for appropriate snacks so I can stay as on the wagon as possible

yumyumpoppycat · 18/11/2016 18:44

Hey Hey what a week for stones off well done Beyond Grin Good plan stocking up on snacks, reminds me of packing a bag whaen I was pg, maybe avoid honey sandwiches which used to be the thing reccomended for that!

Fantastic too dia losing 4lbs that is awesome.

Aplace your food sounds delicious, that is good not losing weight but losing inches I could do with that happening as worried there is no muscle in my tummy as it still looks flabby!

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