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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 15

999 replies

thenewaveragebear1983 · 23/05/2019 07:34

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 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)
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 at 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.

Some useful links:

Previous thread

Blood Sugar Diet and Fast800 thread 14 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet/3532374-blood-sugar-diet-and-fast800-thread-14

Meal planning ideas thread
Blood sugar diet recipe thread and menu planner 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:
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thenewaveragebear1983 · 10/06/2019 12:23

Tonker welcome. I really think this diet can help with so much more than weightloss and those little realisations you're having are proof of that. Our food habits are so ingrained because we 'practice' them so many times every day, so a proper diet shake up like this can really help pick them apart.

I've just had a nice lunch of egg, avocado, and cherry Toms. My egg was a double yolker, what a treat! (Although probably means I'm going to have twins...noooooooo!!)

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FurForksSake · 10/06/2019 13:23

Well done Macca!!

I am back to 11st2, which I saw briefly before I went on holiday two weeks ago. A week back on it (aside from two days where I only ate dominos..) and I feel so positive.

Went spinning this morning and then broke my fast at 12.45 with a massive salad with some feta.

Dinner is going to be steak stir fry with pak choi.

teta · 10/06/2019 14:41

I did Hot Yoga today on a empty stomach and felt sick coming home. So needed something really quick to eat. An Avocado with a tin of sardines in tomato sauce with a squeeze of fresh lime and a sprinkle of chilli flakes was pretty tasty and quick .
The good thing is I can actually do some of the postures I couldn't do before due to weight loss. In spite of no Yoga for a few weeks , but lots of dog walking. And my balance has actually improved .I am still by far the fattest person in the room. But if I carry on with this way of life ( not a diet) I will be toned and healthy and slimmer. For the first time in years.

Justalittlebitfurther · 10/06/2019 17:39

Well done Macca, I hope I can get to that point!
I’m hoping to build some exercise back in to my life, can the fasters on this group what they feel like after generally? I know @teta said you felt sick - is that usual for you? I’m not very fit but I need to start somewhere I just don’t want to get put off!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 10/06/2019 18:06

Just When I first started running I was doing 800 cal fast days and it was fine. It's only now I have dropped my body fat % and also do much longer runs that I struggle if I'm under-fuelled. In the early days it was usually fine. It was probably the heat rather than the yoga that made teta feel nauseous, it raises your heart rate much more than 'regular' yoga doesn't it? It is worth remembering though that as low carb dieting clears a lot of water, we can get a bit salt depleted in hot weather, and also if we sweat a lot doing exercise, and sometimes plain water can exacerbate it. You can try using soluble sugar free electrolytes to rehydrate yourself.

I've just had my dinner of chicken wrapped in Parma ham and mashed peas, and for dessert I had frozen raspberries and a tiny blob of mascarpone cheese. Yummy! I've also made a huge batch of antipasto to go in the fridge for my salads this week: butternut, courgette, aubergine, sundried Toms, olive oil, olives and herbs. I will add a spoonful to my salads with some feta- lunches sorted all week!

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FurForksSake · 10/06/2019 18:18

I am not that fit, I restarted the gym a little while back. I do a minimum of two gym classes a week and aim for four. There is a point at about ten minutes in when I feel dead, but then a flip switches and I'm fine.

This morning I did 50 minutes of spin 15hrs into my fast. I then ate 3 hours later.

As long as I drink plenty of water I'm fine.

I do have plenty of fat to burn!

Lndnmummy · 10/06/2019 18:20

Hey all, just checking in as back from my dreaded funeral. I managed it as well as a job rejection (didn’t get the one I interviewed for a few weeks back) without a single food binge. I’m so proud. Food wasn’t always on plan as I was eating out etc but I have still lost weight and I’m now in the 60 something rather than 70something. I am also 10st something instead of 11st something. So so happy

FurForksSake · 10/06/2019 18:32

Congrats LDN, I can't wait to be in the 10's.

Sorry about the job, well done for the control.

Justalittlebitfurther · 10/06/2019 19:10

Thanks for the replies I have plenty of reserves so it sounds like I’ll be fine! I’ll let you know how I get on 😊

FurForksSake · 10/06/2019 19:13

Start small, try some 15 minutes HIIT workouts on youtube to see how you feel. I like Emi Wong no jumping ones.

Maccalenny · 10/06/2019 19:14

Thanks to everyone for all the nice comments. This forum helps me so much - checking in here every day or so inspires me lots!

teta · 10/06/2019 19:38

I think you do have a point there @thenewaveragebear1983. I suspect I was dehydrated . I've done lots of exercise on this diet and have been absolutely fine. But I deliberately left Hot Yoga until I was well acclimatised to it.
I made mashed Cauliflower for the first time tonight .It was great with steak and panfried mushrooms and very filling.
I also made the Brazilnut and chocolate brownies from the blood sugar diet book. They're cooling now and I will freeze them after tasting a tiny bit .The raw mixture was so lovely I had to put the bowl in the soapy sink to stop licking it .

Ohyesiam · 11/06/2019 07:51

macca you inspired me, I had a look on the nhs website and I too no longer obese! I’ve really lost the “ beefy” look, I can look almost slim in the right clothes!
So my weekend of birthday indulgence has left me the same weight, well.4 of a lb down, which is the best I could have hoped for.
It was definitely easier feeling I was somewhat accountable to you lot.
So many thanks.

lndn being in the 10 s is my dream, mega well done. Are you nearly at the maintenance stage?

thenewaveragebear1983 · 11/06/2019 08:13

Ohyes well done, it's great that you can come off plan and then get straight back on Star

LDN hope you are ok. Well done on your new, smaller numbers! Star

It's a grim rainy day here today. I was planning a quick 5km in my break between invigilating exams, but not if it's pouring down, so instead I have made a rather fancy salad with roasted veg, coconut dressing and feta cheese, and downloaded a book onto my kindle so I shall sit in the staff room and eat and read (which feels like a glorious treat actually!) . Tonight it's either circuits, or I might do a hiit workout using my treadmill and some YouTube workouts. Dinner will be a frozen fish in florentine sauce with veg.

I was a further pound down this morning, now 10.6, so it's gradually creeping down. The impact of now 10 days without alcohol is still not really showing in my sleep, but I do feel better and not so tired during the days. Hopefully after my little blip at the weekend I've now re-done the sugar detox and will start feeling the benefits of that too soon.

Have a great day

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Tonkerbea · 11/06/2019 08:56

Thanks @thenewaveragebear1983, your dinner sounds yum!

PhoenixMama · 11/06/2019 10:15

@ldn Well done for keeping control! Very impressed. And I'm sorry about the job, I've been going through that too and it sucks!

@macca You inspired me to check too & I'm also not obese! So exciting! In fact my body fat is down more than 10% from when I started!

@bear You are so good with exercise! I've fallen off the wagon but will get back to it on Thursday. Scheduled it in. I've been avoiding it because it's the first C25K run with no walking. I think I just need to suck it up & give it a go, I just don't think I can do it but that doesn't mean I actually can't!

dirynosaurusrex · 11/06/2019 10:59

Hi
I have started the online programme for Fast 800, yesterday was my first day! I found it relatively easy to stick to the 800 calories and weighed in 3lb lighter this morning which is ace! Today I forgot my lunch! Luckily there is an M&S food not too far away so will get something on plan. Cottage cheese and an apple probably.

It's so inspiring to read this thread and the successes of so many. I hope to stick around for a while Smile

Seasidedreamer · 11/06/2019 12:28

Just trying to catch up. Some great losses. Loving happy scale - would never have believed I would have wanted to get on the scales! Totally removes the stress of a weekly weigh in. 11 7 for me. Next target 10 13. Just want to get in the 10’s for the first time in 12 years!

Ohyesiam · 11/06/2019 12:42

dirynosaurusrex welcome to this WOE and to this thread.

FurForksSake · 11/06/2019 13:35

11st1 this morning, so close to dropping the bracket!

However, had a busy and stressful morning and ended up in a cafe at the hospital with DS2. He had a babycinno and a muffin and I had toast and orange juice. It was seedy brown toast and butter. First bread in weeks. I was so hungry and the options were so limited in Costa.

For lunch I had some feta and an apple. I need to eat something at about 5 as I have a dance class at 6. No idea what to eat that will fill me up but also be ok calorie wise to stay within my 800. I have some tinned mackerel so maybe asparagus, two poached eggs and some mackerel?

teta · 11/06/2019 16:06

It's really cold, wet and bleak here today and I definitely didn't feel like salad after my Hot Yoga today . So had left over Cauliflower mash, two sausages, fried onions and a bag of those microwavable frozen veggies plus gravy. Umm.....rather more than 400 calories, in fact more like 540! The frozen veg pack is 87 calories alone . I think it will have to be Oomi noodle soup for dinner with a few home made Vietnamese style meatballs and lots of vegetables.
Welcome @Dirynosauras.
Sorry about the job@ldn.
@phoenixmama you're on a roll.
I put on a pound overnight in spite of my strenuous efforts - two lots of exercise yesterday including a very cold n wet long dog walk.

Ohyesiam · 11/06/2019 18:28

Last night I wanted to atone for my slice of birthday cake, so I swam a mile. I Really pushed myself time -wise as lane swimming was due to close. Then this morning I went to do my regular TRX class, and I felt so old! It half did for me.
Either being 53 doesn’t agree with me, or I’m wayyy pushing myself.
I’m not doing any more training at all now till Friday.
So that combined with it pretending to be November left me very hungry for lunch, but I stick to plan.

Oh and I’ve been meaning to ask, can anyone tell me the biology behind why we need so much water on this WOE?

Ohyesiam · 11/06/2019 18:29

phoenix, it’s great to be in the no longer obese club!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 11/06/2019 19:00

Ohyes I have tried to find a simple explanation to your water question but I can't! I reckon it's multiple reasons: firstly, by reducing carbs you are naturally reducing water content in the foods you eat (eg meat and cheese vs fruit, veg, things like rice and pasta which we rehydrate when cooking) so that does leave a deficit. Secondly, water helps fill you up a bit and detract from hunger, and thirdly by cutting out sugary/artificial sweetened drinks, you need to replace them with something else. Thirst is often confused as hunger so it really does pay to be properly hydrated. Finally, because we are using up our glycogen stores, we are also by default expelling stored water as each molecule of glycogen carries 2 molecules of water alongside it to complete the chemical reaction to use that stored glycogen for energy.

However, all that being said, I cannot actually find anything that clearly explains the role water plays in that chemical process! So....my official answer is: dunno 🤷‍♀️

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Maccalenny · 11/06/2019 19:29

phoenix and ohyes - congratulations on leaving that particular bmi bracket as well! I don’t tend to say much about the weight loss at work but I did have to share that happy news with a couple of people as it has been a real target for me .

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