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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
Feelingfortyisntfun · 14/05/2019 20:53

I’m a bit lost with all the posts but jumping to purple springs post does Caitlin say what to do About it? Funnily enough someone one advised me to have a drink to calm down instead of food, I had to say I have kids and isn’t a great idea! Interesting if I see it as an addiction I personally see it as a problem if I don’t see it as a problem I just let myself off the hook, given in to all my carb cravings and get fat (ter): thank you for sharing.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 14/05/2019 20:56

Forgot my post!

Closing the kitchen on 1066 cals, 48g carbs, 18k steps (6.5 k run) and it's day 16 sugar free!

I ate too much at lunchtime really. I'm not good at choosing one or two things, I like to have everything on my salad, but it's amazing how quickly that bumps the calories up. Plus I had a small bowl of yoghurt after circuits which is what's taken me over. But still good. Tomorrow: run in the morning, falafel and salad for early lunch, then work. Dinner will be sweet chilli salmon and cauliflower rice.

OP posts:
PhoenixMama · 14/05/2019 21:02

@Lndnmummy Can you post what you've been eating? Especially macros - are you getting enough protein? Also don't underestimate the keto flu!

Slightly over today (around 940) because I forget how much corn tortillas are and I finished a piece of Uni work that's been pissing me off so I had a glass of wine. Which was a mistake because it's totally tanked me emotionally and now I just want to cry!

Thankfully went for a short run today (I'm nowhere near @Bear's level) and around 11k steps. Totally not hungry though so at least there's that.

Lndnmummy · 14/05/2019 21:10

Thanks everyoneFlowers. Maybe I should eat earlier in the day? So this is what I hAd.
Morning, coffee with 40ml unsweetened coconut milk.
Lunch, protein bar from my protein 12 carbs, 21g protein.200 cal
30g cheese from MS (I was starving!) and two boiled eggs. This was at 1pm.

Not had dinner yet but it’s ovenbaked cod in olive oil and black pepper with broccoli and cauliflower rice. About 300 cal.

Lndnmummy · 14/05/2019 22:22

Phoenix I’m so sorry you have had a tough day. You have done and are doing brilliantly. Flowers.

Maccalenny · 15/05/2019 04:47

I think the time you start eating is key to how you feel for the day, but it’s not the same for everyone. I get up early ( hence posting on here at 4.30am) and I eat my meals back-to-front really. Breakfast, by 7am, is my biggest meal, usually a low-carb cottage pie, chilli or similar - will be fish pie today. I then have meals at around 12 (today-crustless quiche and salad) and around 5pm (today stuffed peppers). I’m not often hungry any more if I stick to this routine, but if I eat a lighter breakfast or eat later I’m ravenous and feel like eating the whole day’s foods in one sitting. But I know some folk can easily go till lunchtime with nothing then just have two meals.
So I think finding what works for your body and your lifestyle is key. I pre-prepare all my meals for the week and only eat at work - when I get home I cook for my kids and sit and chat while they eat, but I don’t eat with them as it’s too late for me - if I start eating again at home I may graze through the evening.
So experiment to find what works and what doesn’t feel like torture! But, everyone has the odd day when for no obvious reason, you could eat the fridge....

thenewaveragebear1983 · 15/05/2019 07:09

LDN it could also be your protein bar, I'm not sure what it is exactly, but for 200 cals /12g carbs you could eat a huge lettuce and cucumber salad with 100g cold meat (and that wouldn't be 12g carbs) which would almost certainly keel you going longer and keep you feeling fuller. Then you did have a rather long gap from your lunch at 1 until your post at 9. I think it's bound to leave you feeling quite hungry. Hope you have a better day today though, the early detox days can feel very long but they do get easier quite quickly Thanks

OP posts:
PhoenixMama · 15/05/2019 07:53

@ldn I was going to say it might be the protein bar, they're definitely not filling enough to get me through the day. I often carry some chicken pieces with me throughout the day to top up my protein levels.

This morning I'm down another 2lbs (woot woot) meaning I've lost 30lbs (over 2 stone) in 8 weeks and 2 days! Now I'm only 7lbs from my lowest weight since I had DD 10 years ago!

If that's not motivation to not breakup binge then I don't know what is!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 15/05/2019 08:09

Phoenix that's really amazing, well done you! Star

Annoyingly I am exactly what I weighed on Monday, despite being extra good this week. Yes, I know it's only 2 days, and yes, I know I said I wouldn't weigh for exactly this reason. But booooo! I should learn from this because despite actually feeling really slim today, and multiple comments this week about 'you've lost weight again!' (Which I gratefully accepted), as soon as the scales flashed with that number I forget all the nice positive comments and good vibes and just felt rubbish. Which is ridiculous really isn't it?!

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Ohyesiam · 15/05/2019 08:36

bear you’re doing it and everyone else can see that. It’s so hard when we get stuck in the negative though.

Well I had about 1000 cals yesterday. It’s the first time I felt hungry after my evening meal, and I just went in for another portion. Doesn’t feel great.no carbs though.
Earlier in the day I noticed wanting to eat just to feel different, not for hunger. I ve. promised myself that Net time that happens I will do some sun salutes as that always makes me feel different/ better.

teta · 15/05/2019 09:18

I’m down two of the three pounds I put on overnight on Sunday. I tried Swede noodles with my Bolognese. last night. I think butternut is a lot better! My stomach is still massive due to hormone related issues.
It’s so difficult isn’t it bear when you feel slimmer and you’re trying really hard but the scales don’t show it. But they will!
Lndn wouldn’t it be better for you to have a small meal at 5ish like a Handfull of almonds with some cherry tomatoes. Or a spoon of humous with crudite or some yoghurt? Especially if you are exercising and eating so late. I skip breakfast too and try to leave about 16 hours before eating lunch. So I look upon this as a small meal.
Phoenix you’re on a roll - well done.
I think I might take someone else’s suggestion up thread and do a smoked mackerel salad with horseradish today for lunch. I bought some Creme Fraiche specially😀

lasttimeround · 15/05/2019 09:43

Hello everyone. Well done to those seeing progress. Keep going to the rest of us. Anyway my zen like response to a weight increase on Sunday got increasingly annoyed and frustrated as the higher weight stuck around...cue falling off wagon yesterday. My head is so odd. It's like: if that's what I'm going to weigh I'm going to eat to justify it...
Anyway I am putting my same grown up brain on today and getting back to it. I'm always astonished at how eating carbs makes me feel more hungry next morning. On 800 cals I feel empty rather than hungry in the mornings. Easily pootle along on coffee and water til 11:30 when I want food. Eat at 12 if I can wait. But having had various things I wont name yesterday I wake up feeling the jittery sugar dip and I want to eat. I've spun it out a bit but now going to have a boiled egg.

Laska2Meryls · 15/05/2019 11:24

I woke up hungryand v early this morning, like you lasttimeround I am usually manage on coffee and water until lunch.. I'm ok with a small lunch but find I want to eat as soon as I am home in the evening.this is about of a danger point for me so I need to be prepared.
Anyway this morning as I was upv early I did some useful things like laundry, but also made a mince mix ( beef mince some tomato and shallots with herbs ) which I can freeze in portions and have with LC veg .
Just had scrambled egg and asparagus , and will have an avocado for lunch

Ohyesiam · 15/05/2019 14:20

My head is so odd. It's like: if that's what I'm going to weigh I'm going to eat to justify it...

lasttime i think we share a head

lasttimeround · 15/05/2019 14:29

That made me laugh ohyes. Glad I'm not the only one!

Waterandlemonjuice · 15/05/2019 15:46

I haven't had such a good day. I started well with brunch at 12.30 and it was 2 little dressed crabs (200 cals) an apple, some raspberries and a Marmite cheese but since then I have been grazing on almonds and so I've probably eaten far too many. I was hungry and I haven't had enough water so am going to remedy that now. Sea bass tonight with veg. I think I will be over. Never mind, tomorrow is another day!

Lndnmummy · 15/05/2019 16:35

Hi everyone, you are all doing so amazingly well and it is really motivating to see! I think you have a point about the protein bar, today I had a protein shake with almond milk around 10ish (150 cal) then lunch at 2.30 and I’m doing a lot better this afternoon!! I have about 300 cal left for dinner. So not bad.
I did however have half a glass of wine as I forgot I was on bsd! That’s how good I felt, I forgot! When I remembered I gave it to my friend so I think I had about 100ml. Kicking myself but still, I rectified when I realised.
Hoping it doesn’t affect scales too much tmrw.

Do you weigh in everyday? X

onanothertrain · 15/05/2019 16:51

Lndn I don't weigh myself at all, did a couple of times in the first 4 months when I could find scales at work but haven't since October. TBH reading on here about fast and significant gains I'm glad I don't. I found measurement much more motivating and took them weekly for the first 8 weeks.

QRCode · 15/05/2019 17:16

So today was my two week weigh in and I'm down 2.9kg Grin

I've been fasting for anything between 19 and 23 hours before I eat. On Monday I had a banging headache that lasted overnight and well into the next day so I've made sure that I'm drinking loads of water since then and it has definitely helped.

My goal is 5kg in total by June 4th so I think I'm on track.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 15/05/2019 18:12

Ended up closing the kitchen today on 1300 cals, 100g carbsBlushalthough nothing was too terrible in itself. Had falafel for lunch (carby) then a peach (carby) then a leftover piece of breaded fish wasted by the dc (again, carby) ....any one of those would have been 'not ideal but ok' but all three just blew the carb budget! And interestingly, based on our chat the other day, I now have both a voracious appetite and a bloated tummy. It will be interesting to see how my appetite is tomorrow.
All that being said though, 1300 isn't awful as I've had a reasonable week and it's about half my tdee. 15k steps (6.5k run) and its day 17 sugar free!

Tomorrow: work in the morning, will fast until lunchtime, no run but will probably do a hiit workout, and then I have to don my willpower jacket because I'm baking more cupcakes and icing/decorating them for the PTA on Friday. Lunch tomorrow will be salad and ham or egg, and dinner will be a lamb kofta ready meal thing from the tapas range at Tesco, and some med veg and halloumi.

OP posts:
Waterandlemonjuice · 15/05/2019 18:35

I am DEFINITELY hungrier if I've eaten sugar or carbs. So after my chocolate snaccidents I was hungrier the next day for sure. I am struggling to keep to 800 cals and I did quite well for the first 2 weeks but am finding it harder this week, I think probably because of the chocolate. (I have 3 incidents to be taken into consideration this week guv, each of 250 odd calories, which will have taken my to 1000 calories on 3 x days). So I need to re focus. And maybe up the water and protein. I am getting fed up of peeing all the time though, I think I was up 4 times in the night because I drank so much water in the evening. So I need to do it during the day time and cut back.

Well done everyone. I won't weigh until Saturday at the earliest I might even leave it until next weekend as I am worried I won't have lost anything this week.

Maccalenny · 15/05/2019 19:05

Lndn I do weigh every day. Even if I’ve eaten a bit much, or think I will be retaining some water around TOM. I don’t expect to lose every day, and am really happy if I end up a lb lighter over the week - it’s more than I’ve ever lost consistently before! If I go up a bit, and I know I’ve been following the plan, I know it will come down again.

Laska2Meryls · 15/05/2019 19:07

I Like this 'closing the kitchen' bear
I have closed to day on just under 900 cals ,
pretty pleased with that

Black coffee ,
Eggs, asparagus and slice of brunswick ham for a v. late breakfast

Med Avocado for late unch ( lots of cals in that according to MFP but i reckon they are good ones)

A bowl of h/m beef mince mix (made with bacon /tomato/ mushroom/ shallot /evo ) and LC veggie s (courgettes, asparagus ) for dinner .(early) so kitchen i has now to be definitely closed

Chugged lots of water again ,about 2l so far and have another glass with slice of lemon and ice now (pretending to be a G&T)

I actually went out to a cafe lunch with DS and just had a pot of lemon verbena tea , whilst he had a salami and cheese panini and cappuccino , then went back to office and ate my avocado (just with salt pepper and vinegar) - so am pretty pleased with myself.

onanothertrain · 15/05/2019 19:24

Good day today, greek yoghurt and rasps for breakfast, salad for lunch and mushroom stroganoff with pea and Parmesan Mash for dinner. Stuffed now.

Maccalenny · 15/05/2019 19:26

phoenix - such great results! Well done.