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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 and Fast800 thread 14

999 replies

thenewaveragebear1983 · 13/03/2019 19:48

Here’s the new thread for the BSD followers, plus those following the Fast800 plan. Everyone is welcome to join us. Here’s a quick recap!

The BSD/fast 800 is a low carb, Mediterranean style way of eating, with the primary aim of stabilising your insulin response when you eat. You achieve this by: eating fewer carbs, cutting out sugar and sweet tasting foods including most fruit, and by following a low calorie plan that reduces your visceral fat meaning that everything functions more effectively. Less insulin means less fat storage (in a nutshell, although more info can be found on this online). The blood sugar diet was designed to reduce T2 diabetes symptoms (or even reverse it entirely) but can also be used for weightloss.

Eat:
Meats and fish
Oils
Eggs
Full fat dairy products
Nuts, seeds
Pulses/ beans
Veg that grows above ground
Limit fruit: apples, pears, berries- in moderation, with meals, with fats

Occasional alcoholic drinks allowed (spirits, red wine are preferable to beer, lager, etc) although alcohol is calorie heavy and can influence your appetite
Tea and coffee, herbal tea etc.
And water- drink lots of water!

Avoid
sugar, sweets, and ‘naturally occurring sugars’ such as fructose, maltose, honey, agave, puréed dates etc....

Potatoes of any variety
Pasta
Rice
Breakfast cereals (occasional steel cut oats are ok)
Breads/ flour based products

Exercise:
Michael Moseley recommends HIIT workouts to increase calorie burn and help to tone up, and recommends walking more (increasing your steps weekly until you hit around 10000 a day)

Mindfulness
MM also suggests a programme of mindfulness, meditation, practised for a few minutes each day.

How to follow the plan:
Fast800: follow the plan above, sticking to 800 calories every day for 2 weeks. Ideal to give your weightloss a real kick start, plus improve your insulin function and reduce your sugar cravings.
8 weeks BSD- 8 weeks, follow the guidelines above- 800 calories a day. You don’t need to count carbs grams because the diet is naturally self limiting.
BSD 5:2- for a more leisurely weightloss journey, or as maintenance, or once you’ve done an 8 week stint or 2 weeks of Fast800, you can play around with a combination of increased calorie count, ‘free eating’ and fasting days (800 cals) until you achieve your goals. Many of our long standing members now follow this approach.

You can stop 800 calorie days at any time once you achieve your goal. It’s advised to limit yourself to 12 weeks maximum of 800 calorie days, but you should get excellent results in 8 weeks. Depending on your weightloss goals, you can do further ‘rounds’ of either the 8 week BSD or the Fast800. We recommend you take your measurements before you begin, not just your weight. A target pair of jeans in a smaller size or even a photography or two can be very motivating!

Some useful links:

previous thread

meal planning thread

<a class="break-all" href="http://go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=healthyeater.com/important-tool-weight-loss" target="_blank">TDEE calculator to calculate your daily calorie requirement

information about the ‘whoosh’ phenomenon

OP posts:
Thread gallery
36
Fantasmagoric · 24/04/2019 13:29

Yes, I tend to fall off once failing... and yesterday was day 2 of rubbish excess, and I ended up feeling dreadful (today too). Back good now, and just had a lovely tuna salad.

Wondering if instead of fast 800, or 5:2, maybe I should be thinking of 2:5 as more sustainable for these early weeks. It's what I've done in first week almost!

Good to hear how everyone else is doing.

Maccalenny · 24/04/2019 17:34

I’ve been feeling hormonally hungry today....had lunch at 11 and tea at 3, then accidentally had some egg mayonnaise and natural yoghurt when making daughter’s tea. Now drinking a lot of herbal tea to stop me grazing further! Puts me around 1000 for the day.

JeanieJardine55 · 24/04/2019 20:24

I finished at 746 cal and 38g carbs yesterday and 820 cal and 37g carbs today. I will need to go back and check the book as not sure if I should cut my carbs a bit more or if that’s ok. It’s my morning berries that count for most of them.

I wasn’t hungry at all yesterday and only slightly mid afternoon today. I thought I would really struggle with this but so far so good.

boldly this is my week one too. I tried 5/2 when it was 500 cals on fast days and couldn’t do it but am finding 800 more manageable.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 24/04/2019 21:07

I've had a good day today, salad for lunch, just had a Young's gastro fish and salad for dinner. Plus a few nibbles of cheese during the day. But no sugar! Not even a tiny morsel. (Asda has all their giant Easter eggs reduced to £1 today so that was a real test of will but I resisted) And my kitchen is now finished, hurrah! So from tomorrow I will be able to cook and weigh my food/ingredients and properly calorie count.

Jeannie your carb grams should be ok, but it does depend on what they are (as in berries, lactose, and veg are all good carbs, but if it's rice or potato for example, you might want to swap them)

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PhoenixMama · 24/04/2019 23:24

Closing the kitchen at 609 today. Slightly more hungry/unfulfilled today but think that's just from the constant eating of Easter!

@Fantasmagoric I wouldn't recommend doing 2:5 in the first few weeks, you just won't get as good results. I think the key is to be as strict as you can for the first 2 weeks, and then knowing you can do it, decide what to do for the rest. The biggest thing for me is changing the bad habits & it's much easier to see what you're dealing with when you're strict - if you're eating normally twice a week your body is going to be moving out of ketosis regularly so it will be harder to lose weight even when you're doing 800cals.

Maccalenny · 25/04/2019 06:51

I’ve officially lost 2st! In two days short of 9 weeks!!

(Still have a stone to lose before ‘overweight’ and three before ‘healthy’ so I have a way to go....)

thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/04/2019 07:02

Well done maccalenny Star

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lasttimeround · 25/04/2019 07:11

Managed yesterday by skin if teeth. Feels like today will be with a clearer head. I notice that my perimenopausal hotness at night seems to come back when I've eaten more carbs. Or maybe it was the wine?
Cant wait to be back in the zone. No weight gain just a stall from this. But I don't lose as rapidly as others so maybe my water fluctuation isn't as pronounced.

Some nice new numbers out there. jeanie sounds like a good start. macca well done!! Sounds like lots of us are finding our way back post Easter.

MrsMalcolm · 25/04/2019 07:27

Hi All, can I join? I started Fast800 on Tuesday so Day 3 today. I thought I drank enough yesterday but have a headache this morning and feel slightly dizzy. I am surprisingly coping with not having breakfast - it’s the only way I can get my TRE hours in.

I am in the diet zone so really hoping this will work. I have 3.5 stone to lose. Eek. Hoping to have a couple off by my summer holiday in August.

There are some really inspiring stories on this thread. Hoping they will help my motivation!

JeanieJardine55 · 25/04/2019 09:38

Gosh Macca that’s inspiring! If I could achieve that and be 2 stone lighter before the schools break up (Scotland) I would be really happy. Something to aim for.

bear it’s my berries and Greek yogurt at breakfast that push my carbs up. I could alternate with eggs but my berries are the highlight of my day Sad so will leave them in for now and see how it goes. I Would like to ditch breakfast all together but can’t quite face it yet.

MrsMalcolm hello, I also started this week.

6lb down today, slight headache but going to go for a swim which will hopefully clear it .......or finish me off!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/04/2019 11:01

Jeannie if the yogurt is full fat and it's eg. Blueberries or raspberries then it's ok. While it may add a few carb grams, it won't push your blood sugars up and therefore your insulin will remain stable. You could add some nuts or seeds to add a bit of fibre to your breakfast, or save it for as a dessert on some days, but in essence it's fine to have it.

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PhoenixMama · 25/04/2019 11:40

Whooooohoooo @Maccalenny! Well done!

PhoenixMama · 25/04/2019 11:44

Down another pound today so hopefully I can get back to where I was before Easter by tomorrow. Just in time to have to navigate another weekend of birthday celebrations (other people's on Friday and my delayed ones on Saturday!)

I actually think I'll be ok on Saturday - I'm doing a BBQ so will do mine bunless and while I'll have some cake I'm not actually going to drink which will mean healthier choices all round! Tomorrow night we're off to a place that does 'sharing meals' so not sure how much control over the food I'll have. Hopefully can fill up on protein! Really don't want to have to repeat another week again!

Maccalenny · 25/04/2019 18:00

Thank you! I am amazed how easy it has been to lose so much - possibly a bit because I’ve done keto before so it’s been quite easy to get back in the habit of carb-avoidance. However, this is better because I am eating food that I believe is actually good for me, rather than loads of meat and dairy. I’m loving lentils and beans again!

I’ve ended up a bit over again today, around 950. I had an unplanned snack of natural yoghurt and a square of dark chocolate. And really enjoyed it.

Maccalenny · 25/04/2019 18:03

phoenix I hope you really enjoy the birthday celebrations - sounds like a good plan.

mrsmalcom welcome. Two stone by the summer is very doable!

bear is the neck getting any better?

thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/04/2019 20:17

Thanks macca, yes it's a fair bit better. Still the odd twinge, but definitely not enough to mean I can't run on Sunday which was my concern. What's also annoyingly obvious is that a few days rest from running has done wonders for my other aches and pains, which probably means I should heed advice and take more days rest.

I've had another good day, snacked on a chicken leg and cherry tomatoes while decorating today, and then for dinner I had a chicken breast stuffed with garlic and herb philli and a huge salad. I feel rather like I'm in the throws of detox as well, a bit of a fuzzy head and weirdly buzzing with energy, which is I suppose a good sign!

I must remember to drink plenty tomorrow, I've been thirsty today!

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PhoenixMama · 26/04/2019 08:00

Yes! Finally moving again with a loss of 3lbs overnight. I now think it takes around 2 days to get me into proper ketosis.

And as we love a chart... The other interesting thing I discovered is I think I have a blip every 3 weeks maybe something about my focus or just a body cycle?

Either way that's 23lbs in just under 6 weeks!

Blood Sugar Diet and Fast800 thread 14
lasttimeround · 26/04/2019 08:49

Well done Phoenix!!! And isn't that interesting with the blips? Good luck with the weekend.
I'm regaining focus slowly. I tend to do carb lowering first then calorie reduction. I'm also not exercising this week. Just cant bring myself to it. Interesting how far my mood affects everything. I think I need to teach myself constructive responses to stress!

Maccalenny · 26/04/2019 11:02

phoenix that’s a fab chart! It is reassuring to see how quickly our bodies recover from an off-plan blip isn’t it. Helps to ensure a blip is just a blip, not a descent into weeks of carb-binging.

last - interesting your comments on stress. I’ve been off work for two weeks on Easter holiday, and despite a much more relaxed approach to the plan in this time, my rate of loss has increased a bit. I am constantly stressed at work, which I believe can slow weight loss....maybe that’s why I’ve lost a bit more this week. I guess I also need ways to cope better with stress!

boldlygoingsomewhere · 27/04/2019 07:50

That’s a great chart, Phoenix!

I’m not weighing myself but going by clothes fit and measurements instead - I have a pair of jeans which are my marker. Once I’m comfortably back in those and they feel a little loose, I’ll know I’m about right. Smile

thenewaveragebear1983 · 27/04/2019 08:07

I had a good day yesterday, although I did end up having a square of chocolate because my dc went to Cadbury world and when they got home I just mindlessly ate it- but d'you know what? As soon as it was in my mouth I realised I didn't want it, and I certainly didn't wait until they'd gone to bed and steal more! So that's 3 (or is it 4?) sugar free days under my belt now. It's amazing how quickly the desire turns off isn't it? It's odd because today is pretty much the day when I can eat lots of carbs (call it carb-loading if you will) as I'll be burning them tomorrow, and for today need to prioritise my running not my calories/carbs. But in Asda yesterday, I just didn't really want any cake and biscuits in my trolley. I reasoned that if I do want them today I can have them but there was no point buying them in advance. I will be having porridge and pasta today instead.

This is all very promising and is making me feel very optimistic (and excited actually) about doing a strict 4 weeks sugar free from Monday. The dc go back to school and it's 4 weeks until Whitsun holidays when we're away, so a perfect opportunity.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Maccalenny · 27/04/2019 08:08

My nine - week summary:
Start: 16st 8.4
Week 1: 9.2lb loss
Week 2: 4.0lb loss
Week 3: 0.6lb loss
Week 4: 5.0lb loss
Week 5: 1.2lb loss
Week 6: 2.2lb loss
Week 7: 1.6lb loss
Week 8: 1.4lb loss
Week 9: 2.8lb loss
Total loss 28lb
Current weight 14st 8.4

My loss this week has been higher than recent weeks. Pondering reasons why....maybe because I’m off work so not stressed? Maybe because I had a high-carb meal the week before - a few sources on the internet reckon a way to get weight loss moving is by eating a carby meal. It is not because I’ve been stricter on the plan, as I’ve been at 1000 cals for most days this week. It’s not because I’ve been lower carb, as I’ve been around 50g most days. I’ve not been any more active...gardening some days, but also a fair amount of tv and reading.

My main goal now is to get below a bmi of 30, so that I am no longer obese. I would like to get there by the time schools finish for the summer, in 12 weeks. I need to be 13st4 to get there, so looking to lose 18lb in that time.

My second goal is to exercise....I’ve still not manage to maintain any regular exercise plan....no good excuse at all....I just need to get on with it!

Blood Sugar Diet and Fast800 thread 14
Maccalenny · 27/04/2019 08:15

bear good luck with your pre-race day! It must feel odd to need to eat carbs, but really good that you don’t feel like using the opportunity to eat biscuits.

Maccalenny · 27/04/2019 08:24

Amendment on my goal....apparently I’m 5ft7, not 5ft6, so I need to be 13st9 to not be obese, not 13st4. Happy days!

FurryTurnipHead · 27/04/2019 09:02

Morning, can I join you all? I've been meaning to start this for ages, but Easter has been the push I need as I have eaten so much sugar and feel terrible. I've got on very well with low carb in the past, did the boot camp and got to goal weight, but a stone crept back on.... As a vegetarian I found very low carb a bit limiting on a long term basis, so want to be able to eat pulses and some grains etc so this seems more manageable. Am going to aim for 2 weeks on 800 then go to 5:2. I need to be on here for accountability!

Day 1 plans are:

Breakfast : 1 quorn sausage, baked beans, 1 egg
Lunch: spinach salad with Marinated tofu pieces
Dinner: cauliflower rice with ratatouille