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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.

BSD and Fast800 support thread #17

999 replies

thenewaveragebear1983 · 06/01/2020 10:51

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.

Time restricted eating/TRE :
In addition to the fast800/ BSD plan you can incorporate a strategy of time restricted eating. Put simply, this means only eating between certain times each day to maximise your fasting time. TRE has shown to have positive results for weightloss, even if there is no calorie restriction, and increases insulin sensitivity/reduces insulin resistance. At first, try for a clear 12 hours without food each 24 hours, increasing to 16:8 as you get more adept at fasting.

Some useful links:

previous thread

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

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Thread gallery
23
FluffyEarMuffs · 18/02/2020 19:35

Evening everyone

I need to get off the sofa and go for a walk before it gets too late as I've been working and driving all day so I have a rubbish step count 😩

And I have booked onto bootcamp in the morning at 6:30. I am regretting that decision now.

Without being too specific, where I am going for the first part of my work trip this weekend is rather unusual food wise. I accepted a work dinner... then looked up the menu. Sheep's head, fermented camel milk and horse meat anyone? I think my calorie counter app might struggle 😁

thenewaveragebear1983 · 18/02/2020 20:41

@FluffyEarMuffs you will be glad you did at 7.30 tomorrow morning though!

I only counted half the day's food and haven't tracked this evening. Meals have been good, with 2 really yummy salads with hummus, olives, chicken and mayo. I have had raspberries and alpro, and one teeny little mini chocolate muffin. I'd guess that I'm closing up on around 1200/1400 cals and around 60g carbs. I've done 11k steps, day 8 yoga and 1hrs circuits/hiit class so overall, a reasonable day.

Tomorrow: I'm going to try to get out for a run, but will have to be early as Dh is leaving for work. Then I'll have a salad lunch and dinner will be lamb steaks with roasted peppers. Day 9 yoga, a few jobs round the house, and if I have the energy, a boxercise class in the evening.

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FluffyEarMuffs · 18/02/2020 21:05

Bear your idea of just a "reasonable day" is what we aspire to 🙌🏻 😊

I am just hoping for a loss tomorrow morning 🤞🏻

veryveryquietly · 19/02/2020 07:12

Have been doing a bit better this week, rarely hitting 800 days but at least avoiding some of my downfalls (pastry for instance) and more physically active, despite the hideous weather. Last night was work meal where I had naan and a bit of rice for the first time in ages, then (much too much) shortbread for dessert and (much too much) hummus as a late night snack. My stomach is a bit upset this morning and I feel a bit bloated and ick. At least I'm down 3 lb this week, after a couple of weeks of no movement.

Need to get moving and make my lunch salad but simply cannot be arsed. SO SO bored with lunch salads, really need to do some interesting cooking this weekend to prep lunches.

Teaismynewfriend · 19/02/2020 08:28

Hello
I'm restarting after losing a stone last year and regaining half of it in the summer and over Christmas. Today is day 2 and I'm absolutely starving. I don't think I ate enough fat yesterday even though carbs and calories were fine. I'm eating in a 10 hour window and doing a brisk 30-60min hilly walk every day. I'm going to do 800cals for around 10 days then I'm going skiing so will try to maintain before having another 2 800cal weeks afterwards. I'm finding green tea instead of my strong milky builders tea in the morning to be the hardest thing so far!!

This time I would like to lose around 20lb so I really need to maintain the new habits. I have a lot of social commitments involving hosting, food and drinks so it will be a challenge!!!

I really admire you long termers, you have so much dedication and you don't give up!!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 19/02/2020 09:28

Welcome @Teaismynewfriend , the first few days can be hard but stick with it. I've been reading a book about fasting and lots of evidence shows that once our body kicks in to fasting mode all sorts of things happen and one of those is our appetite actually decreases and our metabolism increases, so in a day or so you'll get this great boost of energy!

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Teaismynewfriend · 19/02/2020 09:45

Hi @thenewaveragebear1983 thanks for the reply. I seem to remember last year it was a lot easier than I thought it would be so I'll hold tight for the first few days and hopefully it'll get easier. I run too (well, jog/shuffle!) but I've nowhere near enough energy to contemplate that yet. Looking forward so much to feeling better and more comfortable in my clothes soon

FluffyEarMuffs · 19/02/2020 10:20

Morning all

Well, the scales were 0.5 lb heavier than they recorded on Saturday morning 🙄 But it motivated me to get out to my bootcamp gym class, and then a long dog walk. So by 8:30 this morning, I had done an exercise class and walked 10,000+ steps. It goes some way to mitigate the last few days where I haven't been as active.

Welcome @Teaismynewfriend 👋🏻 I restarted after a while year off and I found it much harder too. I got carb flu for definite, and felt really miserable but then I got through it and felt amazing. So much better than I did before when I did fasting and low carb. Really amazing health wise, and I have stayed that way since, so I hope it is the same for you.

Have you tried soup for lunches @veryveryquietly? Or a fast 800 shake? I also often have an avocado and a teaspoon of nut butter for lunches. I am feeling too cold for salad recently.

Hope everyone has a great day 🎉

Teaismynewfriend · 19/02/2020 10:41

Hi @FluffyEarMuffs well done this morning, great effort! It's good to hear you successfully restarted and feel amazing in your health. I'm determined to get there too!

Chrissmasjammies · 19/02/2020 15:45

Can I join? I'm day 8 of an attempted BSD stint. Have been doing my 800 cals across 3 meals but would like to work to 2 meals. Am reading the book at the moment when I can. Starting weight 74.6 kg monday, today 73.1 kg! Goal weight about 58 kg as I am 5 ft 3.
Have got such good knowledge and motivation from these threads so am delurking! Mostly sticking to the low carb other than one coffee with skim milk and I spoon sugar a day. Would crack up without it.

Chrissmasjammies · 19/02/2020 15:47

Aaah I should have said on day 3 of an attempted 8 week stint 🥴

thenewaveragebear1983 · 19/02/2020 16:54

Welcome @Chrissmasjammies

I had a goose egg for my lunch! It was huge! Had it with ham and salad, a few olives. At 4pm I had some tapas bits (koftas, hummus, olives) - the tapas range in supermarkets is often quite good for really tasty little BSD friendly bits, although it is expensive. It would be a great idea for lunches though if you're sick of salad- and certainly cheaper if you made your own batches and used Tupperware to portion out.

You could also make a ratatouille type thing using butternut squash, tomato, aubergine, olives, mushrooms, courgettes etc. Slow roast it all in a tray with oil and herbs so it goes all soft and sticky (not crispy) and then have a spoonful either hot or cold with your usual salad leaves. Maybe some feta? Or some Italian meats like Parma ham?

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 19/02/2020 16:59

Also @veryveryquietly there is no reason why lunch has to be your lightest meal, you could portion out and save a meal to have hot from the night before (depending on facilities at work of course). That might help if you're feeling cold at lunchtime. Bone broth is supposed to be good too, although I lose interest when I read it needs to simmer for 24 hours in a slow cooker and I never get round to making it! But I suppose any broth would be good, using eg, chicken bones or lamb chop bones?

I love love love salad though. I could (and do) eat it every day- but I do need interesting additions (salad topper seeds, mayo, sauerkraut...!) to keep my interest piqued!

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Riddleofthesands · 19/02/2020 17:23

I often have a plate of panfried (in butter) mushrooms for lunch, might wilt some spinach with it or I have a couple of eggs. Tonight’s dinner is halibut with roast cauliflower and sugar snap peas.

I tried on a pair of tweed trousers I love and haven’t fitted in for this last winter. I can now fasten the 4 buttons, the zipper looks a smidge strained but very nearly there. Buoyed up with this I tried a ring that only fits when I am slim and it slid on, can’t remember when I last wore it, admittedly my fingers were very cold.

FluffyEarMuffs · 19/02/2020 19:37

Oh well done Riddle!

I also had a try on of clothes today. Not quite there for a few things 😩

I had a baked egg of lunch with a smidge of smoked salmon my teenager was trying to make a wrap with, and feta cheese.

Tonight, a small amount of really slow cooked beef ragu with a little scoop of celeriac mash (and a parsley/lemon/anchovie thing I did to balance the richness of the beef). I have saved another scoop of the mash to have with roast chicken tomorrow night.

Busy day at work today so I am so pleased I walked earlier. I need to check the weather and do the same again. It would have been depressingly wet and dark had I had to have gone out now with the dog.

veryveryquietly · 19/02/2020 19:57

Bear and Fluffy thanks for the ideas. You're right I need to vary things and have a decent sized lunch. I usually do extra of my dinner (fish, chicken, halloumi, whatever) and then put in on spinach with some crispy veg for lunch the next day. So there is some variety (it's not exactly the same salad + crispy veg + protein every day), but lately it's been much too samey because I've been tired. I do definitely need to do more soups and graze-ish food (eggs, almonds, cheese, olives, etc) as an alternative. Sometimes the cafe in our building has nice soups that are not quite BSD friendly, but close enough. Luckily I'm going into a period of more working from home so will be able to try different things and get out of my rut.

I've actually been skipping breakfast and trying for sort of similarly sized dinner and lunch, albeit with something vaguely dessertish in addition to dinner. If I can stick with that and get back to staying off pastry and cookies, that'd be grand.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 19/02/2020 20:25

@veryveryquietly I'd imagine we all do a few of the same dishes 'on rotation' and then after a few weeks remember things that we did ages ago that we'd forgotten. Case in point, tonight I'm having a roasted pepper stuffed with merchant gourmet French lentils and feta cheese, with a piece of lamb and salad. Quick easy dinner, tasty- but I've not had it for ages and it was only because I was reading through a very old thread on here and saw I'd posted that I'd had it for tea!

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FluffyEarMuffs · 19/02/2020 21:06

Yeah. I've had a baked egg three days in a row now. Previous to that? At least 2 years 🤷🏻‍♀️ But I bought a Star Wars mini cocotte and remembered I liked them.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 19/02/2020 21:23

@FluffyEarMuffs now I've never had a baked egg! How does that work then? I do like a little huevos Rancheros which is sort of like a baked egg I guess?

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 20/02/2020 07:06

I'm up a couple of pounds this morning, which I must say I'm a bit disappointed by, but then: I'm due on in 4 days, I've done lots of strength building exercise this week, and I haven't really 100% been on plan. Yesterday my food was good again but I didn't calorie count and I'd imagine I was over. I had lentils at dinner too, plus I did have a little bit of dark choc. So I will make my peace with my 2lb fluctuation and focus today on really sticking to the plan!

On the plus side, I've slept brilliantly this week (normally the week before totm I slept terribly) and I actually feel very focussed on the plan, which hopefully will continue. I'm really noticing the difference from the yoga, particularly on my stomach, which is good because I begin my 6 weeks of collagen treatments next week (my treat to myself) and I wanted to give that the best chance of success. Considering I'm due on in 4 days I haven't had the usual pmt type feeling and I was thinking this morning that my stomach is actually feeling quite trim this week!

So for today: oldest Ds has his mate coming round so hopefully they will be out of my hair and not terrorise little Ds too much. No run for me today but I will do my yoga and will go to circuits this evening. I'm going to fast as long as possible again, lunch probably soup but will try to have it fairly late (maybe even 3/4 pm) and dinner will be something and salad.

I've been reading about bone broth so one of my jobs tomorrow is to go and source some bones (butchers maybe?) or failing that, roast a chicken, and then make some bone broth. You need to simmer it for a long time in the slow cooker so will set that going, and then I might consider a proper 24/48 hour proper fast (I have been reading about the extensive benefits of longer fasting, one of which is increased growth hormone which helps repair muscle and I wondered if that might help my still aching hamstring!)

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Apolloanddaphne · 20/02/2020 09:10

For some reason I woke up at 4am and felt the need to weigh myself. I was 14 st dead on which is the heaviest I have ever been.

I already have the Fast800 book and one of the recipe books so I am going back to it again as I feel I need to get right on top of this.

I will use this thread for inspiration and advice as well as tracking my progress. I go to NY on holiday in just over 3 weeks so whatever I can manage in that time will be wonderful.

FluffyEarMuffs · 20/02/2020 09:35

Bear the sort of eggs I do are called shirred eggs as I don't do them in a basin of water, but instead use some sort of base ingredient in the bottom of the ramekin/small dish and then directly into the oven.

Yesterday, it was a spoon of creme fraise in the bottom of the cocotte, some spring onion, thin strips of smoked salmon and some cubes of feta. Made a dent in that with the back of a spoon, broke an egg into it. Topped with dill and salt/pepper and in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

I have been buying nice organic eggs from my veg box, and they are so nice.

Also, on bone broth. I am making a roast chicken tonight and think I will freeze the carcass/(giblets as well?) and make bone broth when I get back from my trip. My new slow cooker is smaller than the one I blew up, but I think it'll still work.

And on 24/48 hour fasting, I did a long fast in January where I just had mint tea and water for two full days. It felt amazing, and so I decided to do it once every 6 weeks or so. But I've not tried it again since. I didn't have broth that time, but that's my intention the next - when I get back from my trip and need an urgent "detox".

Last time, I made it from Sunday dinner through the Wednesday noon before I felt I wanted to eat. I would have eaten Tuesday night, but I really didn't feel the need to. I didn't do HIIT or bootcamp during that time, but I did do yoga.

I have also weighed myself in the middle of the night @Apolloanddaphne 🙈 I hope today goes well and you get into it.

CaptainBrickbeard · 20/02/2020 09:46

When I was a student, I went on holiday to Greece and wore a sundress that made me feel a million dollars. I was browsing online and saw a sundress very similar to it, only available in a size 14. I ordered it, hoping to use it as a goal for my holiday in May this year.

At the start of January, I was wearing size 20.

The dress arrived this morning. It zips!

I’m a little shy of a two stone loss in total but I feel like my body is transformed. I never took measurements but whilst the scales are still telling me I have a BMI of just over 35 (down from nearly 40 only seven weeks ago) I am wearing a size 14 sundress and I can’t wait to go on holiday.

I know it’s all relative, vanity sizing etc etc. But considering it’s only been seven weeks and in that time I’ve had weekends away, eaten out in restaurants and carried on living life without putting everything on pause ‘until I’ve lost the weight’ this just feels incredible.

FluffyEarMuffs · 20/02/2020 10:47

Awwwww @CaptainBrickbeard that is amazing, really amazing!!!

It's an amazing thing you are doing so don't under sell yourself!

There's a few of us keeping trying on clothes every so often on here 😁 I think it's a great boost/motivation.

But anyone new; I said it before - take measurements!!! Lots. Not just waist. I really wish I had as it gets you through the tough spells where the scales don't shift.

🎉 sundresses! ☀️ 👗 Well done Captain

Riddleofthesands · 20/02/2020 11:58

That’s great Captainbrickbeard, I agree Fluffy re measurements and clothes, much more important than a number on the scales.

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