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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

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Thread gallery
36
Maccalenny · 24/03/2019 15:20

Sevenseasofrye I use full fat yoghurt, but not Greek - it seems fine.

I found the first couple of days quite tough - I found it easier to keep busy and drink hot drinks. Like you, I found three small meals easier than two larger ones, and even snacks if needed, although they are not recommended. I ate lots of very big salads and lean protein to keep feeling full.

I don’t find yoghurt and fruit very filling, even with a sprinkle of seeds - I do better with an omelette for breakfast. But see what suits you - good luck and let us know how you are getting on.

Maccalenny · 24/03/2019 15:49

Seeking something to mop up my curry - I tried a lupin flour tortilla with my curry leftovers today. You whisk an egg till very fluffy, add 20 g lupin flour, whisk, then 50ml milk, whisk, and a pinch of salt. Fry with a dab of oil - it cooks like a pancake. It makes one big tortilla, or two sensibly sized ones. I split it into two. 73 cals. Just right to mop up with! Next time, if for a curry, I will add cumin seeds and stuff.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 24/03/2019 18:44

Seven welcome. If fruit for breakfast it needs to be berries only really, maybe some nuts instead or as well? Most supermarkets do their own brand full fat Greek style yoghurt, and a few do a real Greek too. Where have you looked? (Sainsbury's is the nicest I find!). Otherwise my only pointers are to plan your food, even if it's just a day in advance- it really helps me. And get plenty of fats and plenty of water. Good luck!

A reasonable day today, went for a 3.5km sprint interval session and a high intensity workout on youtube this morning, then a family birthday (meal was very good, but there was cake which I did indulge in)- as a result, very few steps and rather too many carbs. I'm about to sit and plan the week's menu and my exercise/running schedule for the week.

Dh is off work tomorrow and has bought a bottle of red wine to share while we watch the final ep of Baptiste; I'm currently saying no but maybe will be swayed!

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 24/03/2019 20:12

Menu for the week; trying out a few new things (such as a vege chilli made with chopped mushrooms, and a lamb, ginger and soy stir fry). Factored in some lunches, 4 fast days , running (including my 21km timetrial and last super-long run before my race) , hiit, possibly a swim.....it's like a military operation isn't it?! Although once it's planned out, it's done. Just have to stick to it.

The following week could be tricky as we are having our kitchen done so it could be microwave meals all week so I really want to get a good week under my belt.

Blood Sugar Diet and Fast800 thread 14
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lasttimeround · 25/03/2019 08:06

Hi if like to join you all.
That's very impressive bear. I started yesterday. And have today and tomorrow planned out ... in my head

Retreatbynameretreatbynature · 25/03/2019 09:34

I desperately want to start with the Fast 800 but I don’t know how to get myself organised. No-one else in the family will want to try the dishes (think fussy eaters x 3) and so I know I’ll already be cooking two separate meals each time. Plus I have a DC with autism so they’re very rigid with their foods and this means that we inevitably have biscuits, crisps, chocolate in the house.
I’m so miserable being this obese and know, for the sake of my DCs, that I cannot go on living my life like this. But I just don’t know where to begin. ☹️

lasttimeround · 25/03/2019 14:30

Could you just eat the family meal without the starch? retreat And for the days when they eat pasta or whatever make yourself an extra portion of protein the day before and have that instead.
No answers for how to resist chocolate I the cupboard.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/03/2019 18:38

Retreat welcome. Maybe try the first week with a menu of things you know they'll eat but that you can easily remove the carbs from. Eg we've just had chicken wrapped in Parma ham, kids had wedges with theirs, I had creamy mushrooms, we all had the same veg. You really don't need to use the recipes in the book if they don't work for you.

For the chocolate cupboard, I find that buying things I don't like does help a bit. Plus, we count out all the lunchbox biscuits for the week so it's more of a pain (if I eat them I need to replace them!). My dc are 15, 6 and 3 and they each have a treat box that the rest of the pack goes in to after the lunches have been counted out. They are pretty good at policing their own boxes, plus it feels worse to actively take something from their labelled box than from an anonymous biscuit tin. It takes me about 3 minutes after shopping to divide everything up and it does help me to keep away from them (most of the time!).

I'm closing the kitchen on1150 cals today, it was supposed to be a fast day but I had lunch without thinking and then was way over. 38g carbs. 15k steps ( run 5.5km)so I'm happy with that. I'd regained a few pounds this morning, as usual!, so I'm hiding the bathroom scales and going back to basics this week. Too much being strict all week and then going mad at the weekends, it's not getting me anywhere.

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noworklifebalance · 25/03/2019 18:46

This thread is really helpful - thanks all!

Is there are max carb limit per day for the fast800?
Are carrots contraband because they grow below the ground?

thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/03/2019 19:33

There's no max carb limit really, if you avoid the high carb foods and stick to 800 calories and eat a balanced diet (eg not 800 calories of lentils) you'll be low enough carbs. Also carrots are allowed, in small quantities (I eat them anyway, and beetroot)

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lasttimeround · 26/03/2019 07:39

Managed another day. I have to admit it's hard getting started. I'm hoping that the more days I succeed, the less I'll worry that I will cave at the 11th hour.

It's so weird when I stop with sugar and bread esp. I've been waking up ravenous ever since I started eating toast again. Building up to 2 slices over the morning as time has gone on. But 2 days in to cutting it out I'm fine with just a coffee for a good while in the morning even though I'm eating a great deal less. Something is buggered with sugar regulation/ insulin and I really need to keep in mind that if I stick to this diet I might fix that again which is worth a lot more than being thin. It would just be eating like a normal person rather than constantly struggling with wanting more. I have no stop switch with some carbs.

PhoenixMama · 26/03/2019 09:23

Morning all! Closed the kitchen at 768 yesterday but I have a sneaking suspicion one of the recipes was off by about 100 cals but either way ok.

Also, hooray!, my 4-day plateau has ended with another 2lb loss which means: (a) I'm the lowest I've been since Jan 2015! (b) I'm 2lbs away from having lost a stone, and (c) I'm 4lbs away from being under 200lbs!

Breaking that 200lb mark is making me determined to keep going. Nearly gave in to a Mr Kipling angel slice but I didn't, not because I didn't want the cals but because I didn't want to screw with my sugar/carb levels - I can't get over how much I'm not starving!

Still have this awful cold/keto flu bug but a loss today is helping me get through!

noworklifebalance · 26/03/2019 09:56

I think I am coming it at under 800kcal/day - I am monitoring my progress by my physical appearance/clothing fit rather than weight, as I am also doing the 30 day shred so hoping to improve my muscle strength and muscle weighs more than fat. Need to shift the belly fat and reduce my risk of T2DM.

Managed 15 hour fast overnight both yesterday and today - found it more manageable today.
Last bit of food by 6pm, coffee at 9am.

My meal plan for today:
Breakfast:
Coconut milk (Alpro) latte - 50kcal
Greek yoghurt (100g) with berries, chia seeds and toasted almond flakes - 120kcal

Lunch:
M&S roast chicken and bacon Caesar salad (with Caesar style dressing) - 187kcal (dressing I will use sparingly so expect to come under the kcal)

Dinner:
BBC good food Greek omlette - 371kcal but will reduce the quantity of some of the ingredients

Total = 728kcal

Made the korma from the fast800 book - used prawns, whole bag of spinach leaves wilted in the curry and a big pile of salad leaves with tomatoes, peppers and some carrots - absolutely delicious.

noworklifebalance · 26/03/2019 10:12

I plan to cut down the volume of coconut milk but for now it helps break my fast and is relatively low carb.

lasttimeround · 26/03/2019 12:59

Reporting in really happy: this is my easiest transition to low carb yet. And I've done a fair few. It's only day 3 but the first 5 days I generally find the hardest.
I think what's helped is going for really unprocessed food. I've had one sausage but otherwise all straight up meat and fish, no processed stuff. And stuck to really low carb veg for now - I am very carb sensitive appetite wise. Plus a very short jog in the morning before breakfast I think helped switch me over quickly
The tough part is just after meals. I could basically eat the same portion again and feel a flare of panic and defiance just as I stop eating thinking "shit shit I can't do it, this is nuts ". But I have a hot drink and wait and then I'm fine. The other tough part is I've had enough diet failure to feel anxious as to whether I will stick to it. Late night eating is a problem. That should get easier if I stick to low carb eating pretty strictly and I expect I'll gain confidence and my stomach will shrink a bit. I'm really pleased with this so far. Waistband already feels better so I guess I've lost water everywhere.
To motivate myself I'm planning to clean up my diet. Switching to healthier meat and healthy fats over time. And I plan to slowly get used to taking all but my early morning coffee without milk. I love milky hot drinks but when I log my food I realise it would be great to just cut this out. Same as I cut out sugar in hot drinks years back. I figure if I could just get used to it it would be habit.
Anyway hope you are all doing well too. Pheonix keep your eye on getting under 200lbs. I also have these thresholds I'd love to get through.

alem · 26/03/2019 20:13

A quick question...
I'm short on calories today, but not particularly hungry.
Should I eat something to get me closer to 800 or just leave things as they are?

thenewaveragebear1983 · 26/03/2019 20:24

Non fast day for me today, I had overnight oats with almond milk and blueberries, salad lunch, chicken as a snack, and a really nice ginger, garlic and soy stir fry with beef. I'm over on carbs a bit but largely because I've eaten a lot of food and not because I've eaten the wrong carbs. Plus I have done 31k steps, (21km was a run, I did my time trial today for my half marathon!). So all in all, a good day.

Tomorrow I'm fasting, and it's going to be a vege day too- with Mexican baked eggs for lunch and a chilli made with mushrooms (eg not mince or quorn) for dinner.

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PhoenixMama · 26/03/2019 21:08

Closing the kitchen at 790 today - seem to be a little lower on protein today (by 17g) need to find an easy solution for that.

Also have discovered FAB ice lollies are only 81 cals so for days when I feel I need something sweet they're an ok grab.

Hope everyone sees the scale move tomorrow!

UrsulaPandress · 26/03/2019 21:54

Place marking

lasttimeround · 26/03/2019 22:12

Gosh bear your step counts are huuuge. Impressed.

notapizzaeater · 27/03/2019 08:31

Whoop, 28lb today 😀😀😀😀

PhoenixMama · 27/03/2019 11:02

@notapizza Woop woop! Well done you!

@alem Its fine on the odd day (as long as you aren't too low) but over time staying under means your body will start holding onto fat in preservation mode!

No weight loss today but I think I'm a bit bunged up (sorry tmi!) Think the cold/flu bug is starting to move on slightly which is a relief!

lasttimeround · 27/03/2019 13:02

Whoop whoop notapizza

Maccalenny · 27/03/2019 15:31

Well done everyone, some fab losses.
I’ve been feeling poorly this week, not at work, so have spent a bit of time reading from the start of bsd on MN, back in 2016. Picking up some great tips, and reading about all the same issues we are experiencing! Well worth a look back if anyone finds themselves with time on their hands. I found the first appearance of bear back there somewhere...not keen on exercise, just wanting to lose a few pounds. Fabulous success story, brilliant that you are still on here supporting us all and setting an amazing example of what can be done.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 27/03/2019 17:46

Can I recommend my dinner? It was delicious, makes loads and really filling!
mushroom chilli

I served mine with coriander and lime cauliflower rice and lots of Parmesan cheese. Dh is having his as a side dish to some chicken portions, which the kids had with corn and waffles. 2 portions frozen for later too. A good example of how it can work in real life blending our way of eating with the family's way.

Ended up eating only half what I budgeted for so I hope I might have enough calories left for a little pot of yoghurt and some raspberries.

Great losses everyone

Macca ah, a little trip down memory lane! I was totally out of my depth when I first joined here, I'd been doing slimming world and this diet is like the absolute opposite of everything I knew.

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