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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 9

999 replies

thenewaveragebear1983 · 18/01/2018 20:16

Shiny new thread for the blood sugar dieters!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
41
thenewaveragebear1983 · 16/02/2018 19:09

Elanor yes, those 56 days do actually fly by.

I did a very strict 8 weeks first time around, but subsequent rounds I’ve been more sloppy relaxed about it. I need a life too! The biggest mistake I made was not carrying on after the first 8 weeks; rather than go to 5:2 med style like he suggests, I sort of went back to normal, albeit gradually. That was nearly 2 years ago and I’ve had many failed attempts since. I have to allow more flex at the weekend because otherwise I just won’t do it at all.

My weekend looks like: homemade curry and glass of wine tonight; kids party, coffee with mum, out with friend tomorrow night (that will likely not be the best day!), and Sunday, collect the kids and then sitter kids party. Then it’s half term! I will need to be extra organised as with 3dc around, meal times merge into one big long feast all day.

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ElanorGamgee · 17/02/2018 11:49

Thanks bear, I intend to be very strict, get it over with. I do find it hard though as I absolutely love cooking for everyone, complete foodie.

I think I need to make it easy for myself by sticking to a couple of easy known breakfasts, something like soup (a few new Covent Garden skinny soups look ok for this and I can buy them opposite work) and some salad leaves for lunch and then make sure I have got the right things in the fridge for dinner.

I will probably still cook for everyone as I find cooking relaxing when I get in from work and then just make my own dinner separately.

I find it hard to incorporate into family life but it isn’t long and I will keep telling myself that.

veryveryquietly · 17/02/2018 12:50

londonista I don't think it was light halloumi, just cheap halloumi (horrible cafe in our building, everything is straight from industrial food prep land). Oh well, I've had yesterday's lovely lunch today and have learned my lesson.

Sounds like your lunch with DS was great!

There was an, um, incident yesterday with some chocolate. Friend gave me gift of said chocolate. French chocolate, from Paris. With salted almonds and caramel. I ate every last iota. Thankfully it wasn't too big (Lindt bar sized) and amazingly the scales didn't register a gain this morning...but they didn't register a loss either. It was worth every single calorie. Sometimes, you just gotta eat the Parisian chocolate, BSD be dammed.

Off to work conference tomorrow for next 4 days. Making homemade roasted almonds (with my own spices and olive oil) as well as hardboiled eggs, so I'll have some BSD-friendly snacks. Living my most exciting life, I am.

User5trillion · 17/02/2018 16:13

Having a trying day today. Sadly I have eaten all my cals and a few more by 2pm. Had a tough day so made pizza with a low carb pizza base, I intended to eat one slice but ate 3😢. Probably nearly 1200 cals today but trying desperately not to say f-it and eat choc! I have awful pmt and am so tired. Early night for me.

Oblomov18 · 17/02/2018 19:28

Bear, they are aldi chicken slices, which are round, cut in half!

Oblomov18 · 17/02/2018 20:06

Well, the good news is that I've lost 4lbs.

I've been strict for breakfast and lunch all week, but very carby dinners, so that's not too bad.

Plus I have had some wine etc.

But I'm so angry with myself.
I still have a stone to lose, to get back to where I was pre Christmas.

I worked so hard, to lose 1.75 stone, so very very hard. But putting a stone on, only took about a month, of over-eating, over Christmas.

Losing weight is so hard. Gaining weight is so easy.

But, I will continue next week. And try and be stricter!!

APlaceAtTheBSDTable · 17/02/2018 23:57

Oblomov 4lbs is a brilliant start. Well done!

NotMeNoNo · 18/02/2018 00:52

Elanor, I can't be doing with different breakfast every day. I have Total, blueberries and flaxseed nearly every breakfast, the Medi platter lunch at home, Tesco chicken spiralized salad if out, occasional soup. Otherwise the different things go off in the fridge.

houseRefurb · 18/02/2018 07:33

Catching up on all your posts.. Smile

Just something that I learnt from the MN bootcamp thread, some Vegetables are quite carb high...and the list includes veg we regard as healthy..they probably are..but they are high in carb too. So, while on this diet, need to be careful on how much of those we include. Eg.. Kale, Pepper..The bootcamp thread has a handy spreadsheet which can give you an idea.

I just use MFP to log. Just on my 2nd week. I don't think I have lost much. weigh in tomorrow. Will find out!! But I am going to do the full 8 weeks regardless. I have been overweight pretty much all of my adult life. So, it is my challenge! Smile

ElanorGamgee · 18/02/2018 08:24

Not, I am pleased you posted that. My usual non bsd diet breakfast is porridge, proper whole oat porridge with an apple or pear or blueberries in it - more or less the diet suggestion other than my portion is probably twice the amount and I sometimes add honey.

Not sure why I felt pressured to vary it but I did! Easiest is likely to be successful for me.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 18/02/2018 08:49

Sorry House, and others, but Can I just add one thing please? You don’t need to count carbs on this plan! The 50g carbs count comes from the collective wisdom of the internet but it is not from this book/diet. You don’t need to limit ‘overground’ veg, except by the natural limits that are imposed by including variety and limiting calories. It is helpful to read, and then re-read the book once you’ve gone a few weeks into it, because it can help to tighten up and tweak what you’re doing.

Re:veg. Mediterranean veg is ok. If you do shakes, he suggests you can have up to 200cals worth of veg on top, (about 500g peppers/ 32g carbs) so please don’t worry about including a variety of veggies throughout your week. But, if you read the book you will see that the menus also don’t pile plates high with veg; they will often have just one veg type with each dish, maybe two, and all calorie counted within the 800. The BIWI boot camp is interesting but it is not the same as this plan.

If you are counting cals to 800, choosing full fat first, avoiding fruit, cereals, rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, and sugar, and hugely limiting (ie. a small tbsp) Of things like quinoa, buckwheat etc (I avoid these too) and not having them every meal, you do not need to be concerned about the carbs in peppers or kale, or other green veg or any veg that grows above ground. Things underground, treat with more caution (celeriac, carrots, beetroot). If you do these and stick to 800-900 cals it it quite difficult to exceed 50g carbs anyway, it’s naturally self limiting. If you’re finding at the end of the day you’re regularly having quite high carbs, combined with not losing weight, then you need to address the fat in your diet- eat more of it! If you still restrict to 800 calories, your carb count with inevitably drop if you include more fat.

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 18/02/2018 10:27

Just weighed in and I’ve pretty much maintained this week, which is better than expected. I’ve struggled to hit 800 calories this week, basically I’ve eaten too much of the ‘right’ foods, and a few of the wrong ones! I have run four times though, and am hitting my steps including yesterday which is normally my lazy day. Last night I went out for a curry- we took our own drinks so I had 4 cans of gin and slimline, and a small glass of red. I had a prawn chapatti type thing and then a lamb Passanda, no rice, but I did have naan (my first bread all year, I nearly wept with joy), so all things considered I think i reined it in quite well.

The week ahead could be tricky as it’s half term, but as little Ds is at his granny’s today I am going to use the time to plan some good meals to keep me motivated all week. I need super flavour, and easy lunches if we’re going out. On the days we are home based I will stick to my shakes.

I’ve lost track of how many weeks this is, I think 6 now? It’s not so important for me anyway as I am not doing an 8 week super strict plan, I’m more on the Med style, scenic route plan! I’d like a loss this week though, even a small one! So to achieve that I’m going to try to still hit 800 (by aiming for 700!), 5 days this week, and allow 1200 on the other two days. This is partly an experiment to see if, rather than just a free eating strategy on the 2 days, an increased calorie count helps me stay on track.

My friend is doing 5:2 the traditional way, and was saying how on her non fast days she literally does eat what she wants (ice cream, pizza, chocolate, wine) and she loses half a pound on each fast day. I think that sounds a lot of effort to lose a pound a week! I was trying to lure her over to the lightside but she was having none of it!!!

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houseRefurb · 18/02/2018 13:44

bear1983, thanks for your input. That makes sense. I like the way you have summarised it. If increasing the fat and keeping under 800 cals, and avoiding all white stuff and overground Vegetables, the carbs fall consequently.

I like eating a variety of Vegetables. S
Being a vegetarian, I have always done so.

The one thing I have still not quite given up is the tiny amount of sugar in my coffee. It's come down though from 3 tsp per coffee ( I know, I know..) to 0.5 tsp.

houseRefurb · 18/02/2018 13:46

Any recommendations on couch2FiveK Apps..to use while running outside ( not on treadmill) where you can also hear music alongside..

User5trillion · 18/02/2018 14:00

HOUSE, I use the nhs couch to 5k podcast. It has really awful lift music but laura is nice and encouraging and tells you when you are to start and are half way through etc.

I had a bad day yesterday, it was a real struggle. Today pmt has subsided and I have been swimming with the kids. Off for a run later. Just had roast chicken breast, carrots, sprouts and broccoli with a little gravy. I am not sure how many cals but will.just have a protein shake later. 4lbs off since weds which has improved my mood no end!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 18/02/2018 14:39

House there’s validity in the 50g carbs method- it can be useful to have in your arsenal if you are for example, allowing yourself a ‘cheat meal’ or have an enforced meal off plan that you want to still feel in control of. It’s just that you don’t have to. If you continue after the 8 weeks, you may find that alongside increasing calories, a set carb limit helps you to continue losing weight.

There are other similar diets that do restrict/count carbs- low carb boot camp (I believe is a ‘free eating’ plan in terms of eating as much as you need and being guided by your appetite, but in order to achieve that you mustn’t exceed 40-50g carbs); Keto diets insist on very very low carbs (I think some say less than 20g) but with the added extra of needing a certain protein count, but again most aren’t calorie counted. It’s the calorie count aspect of BSD that differentiates it from the others, and keeps the carbs low.

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bridgetreilly · 18/02/2018 22:37

Starting week 7 tomorrow. That's six weeks without cake, chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks, chips, pasta, potatoes, bread AT ALL. I had two cookies and a spoonful of risotto, but otherwise no biscuits or rice either. I have lost a stone and a half, two dress sizes, and most importantly the symptoms of prediabetes. I'd love to lose another half a stone in the next couple of weeks, but I'm already amazed by the changes I've seen.

Keep going, everyone!

RarelyInfallible · 19/02/2018 01:29

Hi guys. Can I join? I bought the book about 2 years ago but haven’t been in the right mindset to do it until now - I am very all or nothing. I gave up alcohol for January and it put me in a more healthy frame of mind, plus with genetic factors and my weight I was a poster girl for impending diabetes (although blood sugar ok so far). I started on 2/2 and have lost 4.4kg in the first 2 weeks, plus I think (hadn’t weighed myself) about another 3-4kgs in January by cutting out booze and crap.

I had a couple of days of carb flu in week 1, but am now feeling good and with copeable (sic) hunger. I generally have yogurt for breakfast and soup or salad for lunch. I made a massive pot of the pumpkin/red pepper soup from the BSD recipe book and froze it in portions. For dinner I’m cooking stuff from the BSD recipe book most of the time, and just feeding bigger portions to the rest of the family or giving with carbs. I’ve gone out for lunch a couple of times and had sashimi, breakfast and had eggs Benedict and left the bread, and had a takeaway curry at a friend’s on Saturday (chicken tikka, little bit of dhal, took some cauliflower rice). So far, all very doable.

I’m having lots of fun buying bargains in smaller sizes on eBay, including a leather jacket that I have had in about 5 sizes over the years! However I’m trying to remember, and not be too fazed by, that it’s the keeping it off that’s the real issue. Back in 2010 I lost 40kg (about 6 stone) and gradually put it all back on. It’s a real mindfuck.

Plan is to do 8 or 9 weeks until mid-April when we visit family, then be sensible/low-carb/Med diet for a few weeks, then a few more weeks of strict BSD until we go on holiday in July. Even if I “just” lose 20kg, half of what I need to be “ideal” weight, I’ll be a lot more healthy. But I’m trying not to let the perfectionist/self-critical monster rear its head ...

ElanorGamgee · 19/02/2018 06:36

Back on the wagon today here now that half term is over 👏🏻.

Porridge, skinny soup for lunch and am about to put some chicken in a roasting bag with lemon, garlic and rosemary so that I can cook it for dinner with vegetables.

I intend to be strict, very strict !!!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 19/02/2018 08:51

Morning all.
Well done Bridget that’s brilliant! I bet you feel amazing! It’s very motivating too isn’t it, so that will keep you going for the next 2 weeks.
And welcome to rarely!
And forgot to say well done oblomov for your weightloss posted down the thread!

Half term begins here today, and we’ve got a busy few days. I’m hopeful that that means I’ll be too busy to eat! Menu planned, shopping today. I have a Lunch out today. Then we have a day at national trust tomorrow, and sealife centre on Thursday- these will be the tricky ones, not for temptation necessarily, but simply lack of options. I will have to take a packed lunch I think, just in case.

I’ve managed to maintain last week, weighed in at 11.9 this morning, which considering I didn’t exactly have the greatest week last week is good. However, I am actually looking, dare I say, pretty trim. The running is working! I have definitely lost inches. That is very rewarding as I have never really been toned.

Have a great week!

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AromaticSpices · 19/02/2018 09:42

Today I officially begin. I have made portions of broccoli/courgette/spinach soup, each with 118 calories, and am planning cucumber and tomato salad with olive oil/lemon dressing (225 in total). No breakfast for me, still in 16:8 mindset which means i can have two decent (ish) meals.

Dinner will be small homemade cottage pie portion with broccoli.

Read the book over the weekend too. Bring it on!

User5trillion · 19/02/2018 10:28

I am now 14st something which has cheered me up immensely! I have just been prepping food for the coming week whilst watching Dr m on YouTube. So I have made a mackerel pate to have on cucumber slices approx 330 cals a serving, then my yoghurt and granola 350 cals and leaving me 120 cals for some veggies and meat for dinner. Tonight its chicken stirfry.

Need to increase my water intake and not just hydrate with black coffee. Good luck everyone. You all sound really positive.

RarelyInfallible · 19/02/2018 10:32

Ooh, that’s a good idea about watching him on YouTube (never actually seen the programmes). Probably a bit healthier, mentally and physically, than rewatching Homeland as I am at present.

londonista · 19/02/2018 10:36

Well done all that sounds good. And good luck to the new starters, the planning is a great start.

I had a good weekend away, Saturday was completely off plan as anticipated.
I only lost 2 pounds when I weighed in this morning, so that's obviously disappointing after following the plan for 6 days out of 7, but I was expecting the rate of loss to completely slow down.

At the end of this week I will have been on the plan for 4 weeks. If I don't lose this week, I'm going to speak to the doctor, it could be that it's not the plan for me, or the complete opposite, as in, I've completely peaked my insulin resistance and my body has gone into hibernation for self-preservation!

I'm hitting the cardio this week, I normally do a lot of weights, but it might be the cardio that forces the fat burning to start.

I feel good though! Bridget, I agree one of the best things is I seem to be completely off the junk food snacks - crisps and sweets etc. I was "off-plan" on the weekend and didn't feel like snacking at all.
My husband said he was proud of me as well - normally he is begging me not to buy crap for us and the boys!

Oblomov18 · 19/02/2018 11:45

Well done everyone. And welcome newbies.
We are back at school, after 1/2 term last week, so hoping that will make it easier for me, to be a bit stricter.

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