Blood sugar diet thread 9

[thenewaveragebear1983]

Shiny new thread for the blood sugar dieters!

Hello e'one,
I would like to join you all here. Y
I am on trial week this week, starting properly on Monday, 05 Feb.
I have 2.5 stone to lose; First target is 1 stone
I am a vegetarian and don't eat egg, so makes it rather hard to find food choices that are not carb heavy and to feel satiated.

A quick Q :
I am not pre-diabetic/diabetic and have no family history of diabetes.
But, I want to lose weight and revamp my health.
So, I am wondering if this is the right direction to go (The advice in the Blood Sugar diet book) and/or how to tweak it.

Hi Refurb. I'm not prediabetic either.
I am however a complete carb-muncher / sugar fiend.
I desperately need and want to break my addiction to both.
I don't eat enough protein, so for all these reasons that's why I chose the BSD diet.
It's day 5 for me. I've had a bad headache for quite a few days, and feel generally very weak, but I fully expect to snap out of that this weekend. My husband told me today he's a bit worried about such a low cal diet, but I am not giving up - I really need to make a big change quickly, and I think the symptoms will pass.

My husband is vege, he's extremely healthy and doesn't have weight to lose but he is joining me on reducing carbs on the plate. He eats a lot of nuts, seeds, grains and pulses. We also eat tofu. Don't know whether you eat dairy, but also the light halloumi actually has more protein than the full fat variety. So that with some salad is actually quite satisfying.The almond nut butter from the book is also quite good.

Good luck.

Hi refurb, welcome. I’m not prediabetic either, I don’t think many of us on here actually are, or have T2. I had gestational diabetes 3 times and also have pcos, so for me (as the consultant told me in my 3rd pregnancy) , it is virtually inevitable that at times of hormonal stress (eg menopause, pregnancy etc) I would develop insulin resistance that could/would lead to T2. Like londonista I am a terrible sugar addict, which is very common in people who are insulin resistant because insulin makes you crave carbs (in a roundabout way). Your reasons for starting seem quite similar to mine! Plus I like the quick weight loss, and I have so much more energy when I’m doing this plan. There are a few vegetarians on this forum who may be able to help you more with food choices etc.

Thanks everyone .

I am not pre-diabetic either, just have gained weight after a terrible 2016 and 2017 - being ill/on steroids/two times big surgery.

I am have always been fit and well, now I am a bit fat for me and just about heading back to wellness.

I like the idea of this diet, it just seems so easy - and short term, I can live with that.

I have one particular shift dress that I would like to wear to a wedding in May. I currently resemble a sausage roll in it and am hoping for great things . That dress will be my scales!

My fitness is returning slowly, I have resumed my yoga classes in the last two months and am using my trusty concept 2 rowing machine every other day. I used to do up to an hour a time on it but I am taking it slowly, currently doing 15 mins and increasing it every second week (started at 5 mins in December after the all clear post surgery).

The MG Puy lentils are just that - nothing else in them, they are lovely cold with olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar on them, I have been having them with spinach, beetroot, baby plum tomatoes and some sort of chicken, fish etc., etc..

I was not diagnosed but I had several symptoms of prediabetes which now, almost 4 weeks in, have disappeared, yay!

Kitchen closing today on 1047cals, 35g carbs. I’ve done 17k steps, including a 5k run.

My calories are over today because I have counted in two glasses of red wine. It’s been a long week!

Dinner tonight was delicious- I was so hungry, and it was nice to have a big plateful! I had forgotten how nice halloumi fries are.

I fucked up last night I saw it coming and I fucked up.

I over ate at dinner which would have been ok but then I got done bad news about my brothers health. And rather than just deal with my feeling I just ate and ate and ate . I knew I was doing it. I knew it was a terrible idea. At the moment my only proper good technique to stop eating is to put myself to bed. So over the next week or two I’m going to try and find something better.
I knew how bad it was I almost came in here to talk about it but I didn’t.

But I’ve woken this morning with a renewed sense of self.

I tried to make the almond pancakes from the recipe book but they turned into sweet scrambled eggs :(
So had berries and yoghurt.

And to join in the conversation I think this diet is worthwhile for overweight people without additional health issues because it helps reduce the amount of fat our bodies are carrying. It also help make our eating intentions clear. Like last if I’d been on weight Watchers I could have claimed it was within the diet and not addressed my behaviour around the food. Eating 800 calories a day leaves no room to hide.
The rapid weightloss is also motivating even with over eating last night I’ve lost over 6 kilos in three weeks. Clothes that didn’t fit before Christmas now fit :)

As someone who is very, very overweight I completely agree with IC above that this works well even if you're not pre-diabetic or early T2. For me it caters to my psychology: rapid loss is encouraging beyond anything else. I have problems with emotional eating and instant gratification, so it's no surprise that nearly instant gratification in terms of weight loss would be a real motivator for me. As opposed to glacially slow, careful plans where the scale doesn't move for weeks, I get bored or disappointed and give up.

And IC do not do not DO NOT feel bad at all about one bad day, or two or even seven. Handling bad news takes priority, however you need to handle it. And be proud that you recognised what was happening, which is half the battle. Keep focusing on how much you've done so far - 6 kg down is amazing in such a short time - and give yourself a break.

Recipe time
I made this (from a random BSD 'meals in 15 minutes' cookbook) and it was a delicious lunch. Very fast, very filling; lots of fat, but kept me full for a while. Only down side: so tasty I wanted a second bowl. Good thing I only made the one serving.

Stilton and celery soup
1 serving, 181 cal, 12 carbs

a little bit of butter
115 g celery, chopped
1/4 onion (or one shallot), chopped
150 mls hot vegetable stock
35g crème fraîche
20g Stilton cheese
black pepper

Heat the butter in a pan, add the onion and celery and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for 8 - 10 minutes. Add in the crème fraîche and stir in the cheese until it melts. Serve with lots of black pepper

Ooh, that soup does sound yummy.

Monachopsis We had the turkey burgers from the BSD recipe book for the second time this week. They are a hit my my kids. And from chopping yo serving about 30 minutes. The kids have bread with theirs and I have salad. The recipe makes six so good for leftovers too.

I basically agree that this is a great diet for most people wanting to lose weight but I really would advise everyone to read the book because it is NOT recommended for everyone. Type 1 diabetics and people with low blood sugar issues, most obviously. But there are other medical conditions which you shouldn't combine with a very low calorie or low carb diet. Best case - the diet won't work; worst case - could be dangerous to your health. If you're not sure, talk to a doctor. I just hate the idea of someone trying this without doing the proper research and ending up properly ill as a result.

I'd agree insofar as anyone with a pre existing medical condition should really speak to a doctor first. I'm not diabetic and reasonably fit (despite the chub) and I've have really struggled this week. I think the most worrying thing would be anyone with blood pressure issues should definitely get advice.

To be fair, he does stress this in the book in a few places, but yes I'd agree it's not for everyone!

yes yes anyone reading this PLEASE read the book first and consult GP if any pre existing issues before doing this. The first week or so your body revolts enough (lightheadedness, tiredness, wooziness, headaches, constipation) that if you have something serious going on as well (esp blood pressure problems, cardiac issues, anaemia) it could be very problematic indeed. And if you are actually T2 I would definitely see doctor first.

I'm just plain fat, my underlying cholesterol and heart status is great, and my med issues (asthma, hypothyroid) are very well controlled, so I felt safe doing it. I also have a job that involves a lot of flexibility, so if I felt like shit at any point in the first few weeks it was much easier to cope with!

I have to admit, if I were a vegetarian or vegan I'd find it very hard going - it would require a lot of planning to get adequate protein and feel filled up, and still control carbs. I try to keep the amount of meat I eat down in general, but have found myself having more chicken breasts than usual simply because they are an easy, fast option. Salmon is lovely and easy, but gets expensive fast. I'm trying to do more tofu where I can, but that takes more thought than I can often manage.

I find I'm eating a fair amount of vegetarian meals on the diet with cheese and nuts providing both protein and fat. Eggs, too. But I think it would take a lot of work for vegans. Although presumably if you're a vegan you're already used to that diet so it would be much easier for you to work out how to make it BSD than for me.

Feeling a bit weary today, I had another awful night’s sleep, with several hours awake in the middle of the night. I’ve allowed myself a bit more leeway today food wise, and while I am calorie counting I’m not stopping at 800. I feel like I need a bit more today. I’ve decided not to go out tonight, so instead I’m planning an early night and a lovely pampering bath.

Definitely pamper yourself and take it easy bear!

So, I have my period, feel tired and grumpy and I really don't want to cook tonight. What's the best thing to go out and buy for an approx 500cal hot dinner that I can just stick in the oven/microwave? All supermarkets are within easy reach except Waitrose.

Bridget me too. Bad week to start!
I would go for soup I guess although some are quite carby.

I'm having half a (big) carton of new Covent Garden bacon and lentil tonight. Normally I'd trough the lot with a huge hunk of bread so already winning.

Bear sounds a good call. Hope you enjoy!

The birds eye inspirations things are quite nice, they do have a small amount of carbs but the tomato one is about 120 calories a piece- you could have both, with loads of veg. Or if you can be bothered, a fry up- bacon, egg, mushroom, grilled tomato?

Agree with londonista - check the soup info and see which is best.
Or maybe get a curry ready meal or such but dump half or all the rice?
Supposedly Aldi's SlimFree ready meals or whatever they're called has some lower carb options, but you have to check.
Plus maybe a ready made cauliflower cheese? Hot cheesy gooey may do the comfort trick.

I did think about cauliflower cheese, but in the end I bought falafels, hummus and a tray of mediterranean veg to stick in the oven to roast with some halloumi. So not no cooking, but minimal.

Phew!

I've had chicken chop suey, few chips and table spoon of sweet and sour sauce. Why do I feel so guilty? Why do I feel like I've let myself down? Only 2 days out of the last 5 i have actually exceed (by a couple of dozen) 800 cals. The other days I was 520, 699 and 634 so I had some in the bank so to speak. I didn't even feel full either. Not like the other meals so I know it's a better w.o.e for me. I don't want to sabotage what I've done and I know I need to let it go. Wish I didn't overthink things so much

Ah Winky I understand how you feel, even though the rational you knows you're completely fine, it feels like a loss of control doesn't it.

This morning I made my sons boiled eggs and soldiers and we didn't have regular bread (which I can resist no problem) so I had to use posh lovely pillowy bread for the soldiers. I did scoff 2 of them before I put the rest in bin. I felt ridiculously guilty even though in total it deffo wasn't more than 80 cals. Just annoyed with myself because bread is like kryptonite to me, my absolute downfall. Just felt like I'd let myself down! My husband thinks I'm losing the plot. But he's thin and does triathlons so he can do one!