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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
CaptainBrickbeard · 24/02/2020 18:10

My weight has been up and down like a pair of bellows for the past twenty years! I lost a really significant amount between pregnancies and, like the vast majority of people who lose a lot of weight, put it all back on with a few extra stone for good measure!

I have no way of knowing if this time will be the last time or just another spin on the merry go round, but every time I learn something and move towards a better acceptance of my body. In my teens I starved and binged and hated myself. In my twenties, I learned to love exercise and healthy eating for a while and found a balance. Then life happened - babies and the grind of a stressful job and food was my comfort whilst I was too exhausted for exercise. Then I tried some extreme diets - hugely successful in the short term, ultimately counter productive.

Now I have a calm job which I’ve always dreamed of and my children are growing up and mostly sleeping through so I hope I can find a better path to health. My priorities are different and I’m a lot less focused on appearance than wellbeing. I hope that will be more sustainable.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 24/02/2020 18:11

@Lndnmummy I did- twice! I lost quite a lot of weight with sw years ago, gained 4 stone having my Ds, then lost (almost) all of it again, then got pregnant again with ds2 and put it all, and more, back on. With Ds2 it was worse because I just didn't even try not to, I just ate crap for 9 months. I felt so depressed after he was born, the heaviest I'd ever been- but I discovered BSD then and it changed my life.

You're in the right place @Lndnmummy. Magical things happen on this thread! How can we help you? Do you need meal
Ideas, or motivation, or help planning? You did so well before and I know you will do well again, but it can sometimes be harder to find your groove second time round. Thanks

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 24/02/2020 18:13

(I don't know what's going on with my bold text today!)

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 24/02/2020 20:19

Ok, well I'm closing up the kitchen but to be honest, I never really opened it. All I have had today was two big bowls of soup (which I made by roasting a turkey drumstick and then simmering it in the slow cooker all day) and I also had a chunk of leftover gammon which was left from last night's dinner. It's been very low calorie and very very low carb. I've drunk gallons of water and had electrolyte at about 4pm as I was getting a detox headache. Plus herbal tea. I don't feel hungry at the moment but periodically throughout the day I have felt very hungry indeed. It's true that it comes in waves and passes. I'm not sure that all day fasting is really for me, but I do potentially see it as a means to achieving 800 calorie days as realistically I could do that and eat a proper meal in the evening quite easily. Considering I never^^ achieve 800 cals, that could be a big boost to my weightloss.

Tomorrow: I will go for a short run in the morning, then I have my first collagen treatment on my tummy (will have 6 in 6 weeks). I'll do Day 15 yoga. Then back to work in the evening. My food will be soup during the day if I want it, and then chicken breast wrapped in Parma ham, with lots of green veggies once I get home from work.

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Lndnmummy · 24/02/2020 20:45

Oh you wonderful wonderful people. ❤️Thank you❤️. @thenewaveragebear1983 I mean it when I say I believe you deserve a medal for your services to public health. An OBE! I might start a petition. I think I need motivation and inspiration. If anyone has any words of wisdom.
You are all amazing.

Kimlek · 25/02/2020 07:15

Ah fluffy you make me laugh!!
@Lndnmummy it’s a lovely supportive thread and you will definitely find your groove. Like bear said what help dyou need? As there’s so much experience & advice here!!
bear it’s really interesting how we have to hide our efforts due to others comments. Im lucky, I don’t tell anyone that I fast or that I’m on a diet/woe. So don’t have anyone giving me a hard time. My girls know that I don’t eat pasta, rice, bread, & try to avoid sugar - they know they’re empty foods with no nutrition. So view it as sensible. No one notices that I miss bfast as weekdays it’s all rushed and all sort ourselves out. We don’t eat bfast together as a family on a weekend either so it’s only noticeable when we’re on hols. But it’s never questioned. Skipping dinner would be a big thing and not something I’d do. Going from dinner one day to dinner the next day is 24hrs and that’s plenty for me and then I’ve only done that once and would probably only do it after an indulgent holiday.
I wasn’t very good yesterday... didn’t go to pilates or do day 1 yoga. Watched Vera catch up as rained and horrid! Ate left over roast dinner for lunch and more blooming Peanut M&Ms!! I absolutely adore peanut M&Ms - middle DD bought a huge sharing bag at the airport!! Had beef stir fry for dinner but a very Very small portion as still full from M&Ms. Bizarrely I’m down to 11.0.6 this am. So 0.7lbs away from being in the next stone bracket!!!!!!! So blinking excited!!!

Kimlek · 25/02/2020 08:44

I’m going to tennis this am and will have a brisk walk with the dog now he’s returned from his holidays. I should also do day 1 yoga!!! I’ll stay away from the M&Ms (my girls giving up sugar for lent so will put them at the back of the freezer) and have leftover beef stir fry for lunch. I’ll do a salmon and veg for dinner & a couple of pancakes with lemon for the girls. I know no one cares what I eat or what I do but I find popping it on here helps me think it through & plan.

Kimlek · 25/02/2020 08:45

@Lndnmummy maybe just write on here what your plans are for today.... always helps me focus! X

SummersMahoosiveClipOnFringe · 25/02/2020 09:46

Hello everyone. I am coming up to week 4 on Exante and feeling much more in control of my eating. I have read up on the Newcastle Diet and plan to stay on the shakes for 8 weeks before transitioning to making my own low carb food.

Can anyone recommend a book that will help me plan my daily diet after the Exante bit so I don't fall back into bad eating again?

I have PCOS and losing weight is usually tough but it is melting away right now and all my sugar cravings have gone- which is a minor miracle in itself!!!

Thank-you :)

MMC20 · 25/02/2020 10:24

Well done everyone on here. It's truly heartening to see everyone's success but more importantly their struggles too. I chip in from time to time here but am usually lurking behind the thread!
Am slowly losing 1.5 pounds per week having come down from 12st 3 to 11st 6 since early January.
Completely blew it yesterday though as felt tired and it was my daughter's 17th birthday. Had lots of chocolate cake and crisps. Regret it today and hard to bounce back 😭

CaptainBrickbeard · 25/02/2020 12:04

Couldn’t help but try to push a bit more fasting and went 17hrs by skipping breakfast today. Calorie wise I’ve just compensated by having a bigger lunch tbh! But Dr Chatterjee of the Four Pillars is a big advocate of TRE and suggests that even without reducing calories, longer periods of fasting help to lose weight. It’s not for me on a daily basis; I need to eat breakfast to get anything done in the morning but probably good to do on a regular basis I think.

thisyeargoodyear · 25/02/2020 12:23

I am back on the fast 800 after a year (baby is now 12 weeks old today!) and I am feeling motivated! I have re-read the book, done before photos and measurements and stocked up on all the good stuff! Food for today was a coffee with milk and an almond milk protein shake for breakfast, lunch was 2 slices of ham and 2 boiled eggs and dinner will be a veggie sausage bean stew. All calories counted and coming in at about 850 for the day. Yesterday I managed 800 and fasted for 14 hours overnight. Already 1 kg off but probably all water! I have been walking loads with the pram and have been doing a specific post-natal fitness class once a week and body balance (had a c-section so need to ease myself gently back into exercise!). Challenge tonight will be avoiding pancakes and chocolate spread as have promised my older son we will make them. Anyway just wanted to check in and say hi. Smile

Kimlek · 25/02/2020 14:00

Hi goodyear and well done! Yes staying away from the compulsory pancakes will be tricky... less so the pancakes for me but if there’s Nutella 😱
I’ve not heard of the Newcastle Diet or Exante * @SummersMahoosiveClipOnFringe but a quick google and it’s a meal replacement at either 800 cals; 1200cals: or 5:2. I didn’t go into it properly but is it also low carb? I use the Blood Sugar Diet (BSD) recipe book. Others use the Fast 800 recipe book. They’re both backed by Michael Moseley.
I also tend to have a pretty decent lunch in the 300 cal mark captain
Happy birthday to your DD MMC20 and I think a bit of cake etc is excused on occasions!! Don’t beat yourself up! Hopefully the choc cake is finished and will no longer tempt you today.
I’m incredibly achey after an hour of tennis and an hours brisk dog walk! Batch cooked some dinners for the rest of the week and finally sitting down to lunch & definitely ready for it!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/02/2020 14:00

Welcome back @thisyeargoodyear , sounds like you're off to a good start

@SummersMahoosiveClipOnFringe, we use either the Michael Moseley blood sugar diet book, or the recent revised Michael Moseley fast800 book which explains the whole plan and has recipes/menu plans as well if you were looking for that. You could continue to use your shakes for maybe 1 meal and have 1 meal real food, as you phase out the shakes?

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FluffyEarMuffs · 25/02/2020 15:11

Hello! And good evening from the Middle East. I am having a glass of wine in a gorgeous French restaurant (just to utterly destroy any stereotypical ME fantasies people may have 😁) and I have been mulling over the whole "is this sustainable long term".

Personally, I am going to keep going (though not as strict now I am 8+ weeks in, as I think i need a short break) as I slowly get to my target weight.

Then maintenance I think it very much going to be linked to controlled fasting and time restricted eating. I am thinking about a 24/36 hour fast weekly - and then the rest of the days avoid the evil carbs apart from occasionally. And also restrict number of hours eating every day.

Yoga and bootcamp classes I will definitely continue with. They are for my mental health and strength rather than weight loss.

I have to have the occasional treat/cheat though long term. I cannot be in a world where I can never ever ever eat creme brûlée with a glass of wine while looking at a beautiful view. And being bitten my mosquitos.

Oh and I FOUND THE GYM at this hotel. I did some walking, a HIIT circuit and an abs workout. The equipment and facilities are like 10x better than any gym in the UK. It's depressing really compared to what I have within driving distance in the uk.

@SummersMahoosiveClipOnFringe do look up the different shakes. If you need to buy more, consider switching to the fast 800 ones as they are the lowest carb ones they are. I have both the chocolate and the vanilla and they are not terrible tasting if you mix them vigorously. MM has a page on the different shakes and I've seen somewhere he has a chart of them and nutritional values:

https://thefast800.com/product/meal-replacement-shake/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7qLkf3s5wIVxfZRCh1lpwgwEAAYASAAEgLdjfDD_BwE#toggle-id-11

PhoenixMama · 25/02/2020 17:40

Hi gang! Just catching up. You're all doing so well! I have had a totally crap 10 days. Thursday before last I totally fell of the wagon due to work travel. Then the weekend got all messed up because my ex couldn't have DD as his son was sick. Then last week DD got sick & we've spent the last 5/6 days in and out of hospital, including a 3 day stay. To say I'm shattered is an understatement. At one point early last week I was at my lowest and today the scale says I'm up 7lbs! Couldn't keep up my daily yoga either! Granted I've had less than half the amount of sleep I should have had in the last week & I'm due on so, yeah, good times all round. Planning on getting myself together later this week (DD is home but still off school) and then getting back on track next week. I really wanted to lose the last 12lbs before my 1 year anniversary of starting but that's feeling highly not doable in 5/6 weeks!

CaptainBrickbeard · 25/02/2020 18:41

That all sounds dreadful, Phoenix, I hope the stress is over now and you can get some decent sleep.

I really felt the lack of pancakes today. Had an omelette and salad and now I feel like I’m hungry even though I’m not really, I’m just very dissatisfied and envious of all the toppings my kids had!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/02/2020 21:26

@PhoenixMama sounds like you've had a hard week, hope you are ok

@CaptainBrickbeard that's why we had ours on Sunday as a kind of 'last supper' type affair because I would have found it very hard not to indulge today.

I'm closing up the kitchen on 871 cals, 37g carbs, I've done 15k steps (including 6km run) and did day 15 yoga. I'm feeling really good. I had my broth again for a light lunch at about 4pm and then this evening I've had a salmon fillet and stir fried veg with half a sachet of some Chinese style sauce. Very tasty! I had budgeted for some yogurt and raspberries but my food took me over and I am determined to stay under 800 so I haven't had them- although my body is really craving something sweet after my meal.

Tomorrow: I am running first thing, then work over lunchtime which usually means a soy latte from the coffee shop, and so I will probably try to fast until tea time (which will be a tikka roast chicken served with roasted cauliflower)

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 26/02/2020 06:58

Morning all. I couldn't resist a little hop on the scales and I'm down 5lb since Monday! I know that's all water but 5lb water is still a fair amount that needed to go, so I'm very pleased with that.

So that's 10.7.5. I'm about 4lbs from my lowest BSD weight and about 8lbs from my target.

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CaptainBrickbeard · 26/02/2020 08:03

5lbs, what a boost! That’s amazing.

Weight loss has been very gradual in tiny increments for me the past couple of weeks. Tomorrow makes it eight weeks on BSD and as of today I’ve lost 24lbs in total. If I’d stuck to it rigidly it could have been more but I’m glad I had a couple of fun weekends and still am finishing the 8 weeks on a big loss. I’m going to keep on going with it. I still have at least two stone to lose.

Feeling very demotivated these past couple of days. I’ve struggled to get myself going with work, diet and exercise. Lots of carb cravings have crept back in - more emotional than physical I think, if that makes sense? I need to shake myself out of it!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 26/02/2020 08:28

@CaptainBrickbeard that's amazing. Well done Star

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Kimlek · 26/02/2020 08:55

Wow captain that’s amazing! Huge well done!! 👏🏻 Sorry to hear you’re feeling meh though. Hope your mood lifts xxx
5lbs in 1 week is incredible bear especially when you’re pretty light anyway. How dyou know it’s water? I don’t really understand this.
pheonix you’ve done incredibly well in a years so please don’t be disheartened by some numbers on a scale. You’ve had a crap week or so; be kind to yourself and hoping you get some well earned sleep!!
I’m going to tennis shortly then walking the dog. I’ve got lunch out with a friend but will try to stick to BSD foods. It’s easy bolognese for dinner. If I’ve time this afternoon I’ll do the 1st day yoga... ive got a fence man coming to quote & no idea if time so don’t want him to catch me in a downward dog!!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 26/02/2020 09:19

@Kimlek I suppose it's water because it's that first initial whoosh. Maybe a few hundred grams is fat? Plus my rings fit me today and they didn't yesterday! Losing water is an essential part of losing fat though, because first you have to lose glycogen and water and then once you're glycogen depleted, you start burning fat for fuel.

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 26/02/2020 20:36

I'm closing up the kitchen on 691 cals and 31g carbs. I've done 19k steps though which included a run and I feel very tired after work today. I haven't done yoga today, the first opportunity I got was 8pm and I couldn't face it. I'm not running tomorrow so I will do it then.

I have stuck to my plan for today, soup/broth after work and a couple of vege cocktail sausages and olives. Then evening meal was a tikka roast chicken and salad. I had some frozen raspberries and some alpro, although I (unlike usually) weighed everything carefully. That's definitely one big change this week. Other big changes are, (aside from sticking to 800 calories!), not giving in to my hunger until I'm sure it's true hunger. After work today I felt frazzled and kept finding myself in the kitchen, but I wasn't hungry and it took a lot of effort not to eat something- which I would normally have done to calm my frazzled head.

Tomorrow: another busy day. I've got various bits of work and home stuff to do. I currently have a new batch of bone broth simmering in the slow cooker with apple vinegar, so that will be my lunch tomorrow. Dinner will be a quorn mince and celeriac cottage pie, which I will batch up and freeze portions of too for some of my busier days next week.

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SummersMahoosiveClipOnFringe · 26/02/2020 20:48

Thank-you - will look into it Flowers

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