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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
thisyeargoodyear · 28/02/2020 09:27

@Cream123 you are doing really well and are being a little hard on yourself Smile It sounds like you have had a tough time with the IVF so try and be kind to yourself. The things that work for me are: having one shake each day with almond milk (I use a brand called Slim Zest diet shake from Amazon and I find them very useful), (2) following TRE so I fast a minimum of 14 hours in a 24 hour period, (3) avoiding all chocolate (if I have even one bit I am done!). I have stuck to between 800-900 calories each day and have changed to full fat dairy for everything (MM recommends this in his book). So yesterday I had fruit and Greek yoghurt with honey and coffee with milk for breakfast, followed by a shake and fruit for lunch and a coffee, then scrambled eggs with cheese on 2 crisp rolls for dinner (at 4 pm). This was about 840 calories. I just had sparkling water for the remainder of the night and then had my breakfast at 8 am this morning.

I originally started this diet last year as I was having fertility issues trying to conceive my 2nd and I was in a bad place. I put all my effort into my diet and lost about 2.5 stone then fell pregnant! I am not saying the diet in any means helped me conceive (and I don't know your reasons for IVF so this may not be applicable to you whatsoever) but I think it played a part, even by making me feel both physically and mentally better. I am now back on it as I gained a lot of weight during my pregnancy and started this week at over 95 kg, 12 weeks post birth (even heavier than when I started last time) so I have a lot to lose again but I know this diet works. It just needs to be followed correctly and planning helps. I don't eat a lot of meat as my husband is veggie so most of my protein comes from eggs and quorn, although I do buy ham and chicken occasionally.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 28/02/2020 09:52

@Cream123 I agree, you are being very hard on yourself. I know nothing about the ivf process but if that was only Monday (after 2 weeks) you could find that the hormones have made your insulin go haywire too. Plus stress/cortisol as well. Be kind to yourself.

The beauty of this diet is that it's so nourishing- does anyone else feel their hands and hair get really soft due to the extra fat? If it's doing that outside, what is it doing inside that we can't see?

@Kimlek I didn't buy a bone specially but I did specifically choose meat with bone in to use the bones. So today it's just literally a chicken carcass, a good slug of apple vinegar, water, salt and a few sticks of celery and a carrot chopped up. That's been simmering since yesterday although I have topped up the water once. Then I'll just strain it (Make sure you catch the liquid though, sounds obvious but I've read many tales of people straining it and forgetting the catch the soup!!) - I am going to store it in jam jars in portions so I can freeze individual servings.

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bluepixie · 28/02/2020 11:15

@thisyeargoodyear congrats on having ur little one! We have severe male factor so ivf is our only way. My ds is a miracle after 6 mc and lots of ivf and immune tx. We had 2 frozen left and I tried them in June and a few weeks ago and both didn’t work. It’s part of the reason my weight is up and down. I get super healthy and fit and then it fails and I go on a huge binge plus all the meds. It’s my own fault tbh but now it’s all over I can just focus on doing this and then maintaining.

Anyways.... I had nuts and a coffee with a splash of semi skimmed milk . I’m good at weighing everything so everything accounted for

Lunch is 2 eggs and some salmon!

Dinner is a chicken and lentil and red onion stew I found online looks quite tasty. I should be in at 920 today

Good days everyone! Xx

CaptainBrickbeard · 28/02/2020 11:26

bear I have strained broth directly into the sink before! Yes, it’s ridiculous but surprisingly easy to do! Also 8lbs is incredible!

I have definitely been more in the ‘lifestyle’ than on the diet this past couple of weeks. I have lost a couple more pounds but I probably didn’t deserve to!

cream I’m so sorry about the ivf Flowers.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 28/02/2020 11:40

@CaptainBrickbeard I think it's both totally normal, and also necessary though- to have some times where we're totally focussed and on it, and some times where we are stepping back, reflecting, planning... as I always say to my students, we don't learn until we apply. So our weeks where we are more 'lifestyle' is where we are actually working out our boundaries that will make this a lifelong weight loss and not temporary. Eg. I learned that I cannot buy peanut butter even though it's 'on plan' because I will eat it all. So this week when I'm 'on it' I don't buy peanut butter. You might conclude that actually, you can go up to 1200 cals but you can still never have bread/pasta/ rice or whatever. This is when we 'personalise' our plan. The key is, we know when it's time to get back on it, and importantly, we know what to do!

I think having that understanding of how it really works for us means as well that when you do have an unavoidable day/week/meal off, it doesn't always have to descend into weasel poo rat shit because we've 'practised' for exactly this eventuality.

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FluffyEarMuffs · 28/02/2020 11:58

@thenewaveragebear1983 I have strained mulled wine into the sink before and practically cried 😆

I have my chicken carcass in the freezer ready to go in the slow cooker when I get back.

I went to the gym this morning, fasted all morning, was so good at lunch today but I have since eaten four pieces of fudge 🙈 I am mindlessly sitting on an exhibition stand and I am bored.

Colourmylife1 · 28/02/2020 13:00

@thenewaveragebear1983 Great loss. You must be thrilled. I have been rereading the book and feeling a bit more relaxed about maintenance. I plan to try 6:1 and see how that goes. I really wanted to get beyond recording my intake and weighing myself but that hasn’t worked for me in the past so perhaps I just need to live with it. I’ve been counting calories for much of the last 43 years !

bluepixie · 28/02/2020 14:50

For part of my lunch I had a babybel felt like such a treat! Yum yum yum!
So hard not eating the rest of my Ds snack of bread and hummus he doesn’t want!

I think maintaining is so so hard - well done u guys for doing it!

bluepixie · 28/02/2020 14:57

Posted too soon
I’m def less hungry today as I’ve upped the fat
Whoopy!
I’ll be in at 1000 though I am struggling to do less. Tmrw I’m going to a dinner party so god help me! Planning on 2 gin and tonics and slim line only. And will try have only protein and fat until I get there no idea what they cooking either disaster!

But Sunday will be back on it and gonna aim for 800 from Monday

thenewaveragebear1983 · 29/02/2020 00:06

Well my plans have changed and I'm going out tonight after all. I don't really feel like it but Dh wants me to go so I will. I had two little koftas dipped in hummus and a bowl of soup earlier and I'm really going to try hard not to drink too much as I have bootcamp at 8. I also had the 2nd half of my celeriac hash from yesterday

I was in ketosis today (used a ketostix) which I don't think I ever have been before - but I could tell I was because I felt all woo-woo. Weird energetic buzzy feeling and I kept thinking 'I should eat, but I don't want to!' - very weird feeling and I don't think I actually enjoyed it.

Should be ok tonight, it's curry but I am happy not to have rice or bread or pudding. I'm right back on it tomorrow though, I'm determined to protect my weight loss this week!

11k steps today (6 km was a run so the rest of the day I've been quite lazy!) and did day 17 yoga. I struggled with the balances- I think I just have weak arches/feet.

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bluepixie · 29/02/2020 07:33

@thenewaveragebear1983 hope you had a good night and didn’t have too much wine and carbs! We have to live a little too but it’s annoying when life gets in the way!

I’m 11.4 today so that’s 5 off from Monday which is fine! I’m gonna attempt my first ever not eating till 12ish today as have my dinner party tonight so need to be low cal and low carb till then ow I’ll end up gaining tmrw! Confused

Stay strong this weekend everyone xx

thenewaveragebear1983 · 29/02/2020 07:41

@Cream123 I didn't really have any carbs - I skipped the starter as it was pastry based, had just the curry with salad and no rice or naan, and had no dessert. I didn't really miss it although it was weird sitting at a table with everyone eating and not joining in. I had a few grapes and a few peanuts and I did have a few glasses of wine. I'm not going to weigh myself today! The biggest issue for me is not last night's food. It's what I do today now, as i have a tendency to let tiredness/hangover/carb cravings get the better of me.

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bluepixie · 29/02/2020 08:35

Yes me too
And then u think ah well f it and I’ll start again tmrw
And before u know all ur weight is back on!

FluffyEarMuffs · 29/02/2020 15:52

Evening all.

I am pleased to report I have been in the gym in my hotel every day for the last five days. I even have a bruise to prove it as I fell over a treadmill today 🙄

I have eaten 90% Fast 800 friendly over the last week, avoiding as many carbs and possible and never eating breakfast. I have drunk quite a bit though. A lot actually. It's too hard to avoid when on a work trip 😔

But I do actually feel fit and healthy and my skin is still glowing. I hope the scales aren't too horrible on Monday morning.

I have realised I am going away AGAIN for work next Thursday!!!! Which gives me Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to really be very strict and perhaps have a looooong water fast Monday-Tuesday.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 29/02/2020 17:26

@FluffyEarMuffs good work. I have to say I would hate being away from home so much, and you're doing very well to keep on track as best as you can.

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Kimlek · 01/03/2020 06:25

Agh!! I’m not sleeping! I’m awake at 5/530 last few mornings and not getting to sleep til after midnight. No idea why that is.
I’m a couple of pounds up this morning as had a couple of days well over 800! Was out to lunch on fri and although food BSD friendly, I had a glass of wine. Out for dinner in eve and again food BSD friendly but a couple of full cal G&Ts... they were house special G&Ts and given their sweetness I suspect had syrup or something added. I decided to fast most of yesterday (bar 2 lattes - so not really fasting at all, but frozen watching hockey in the sleet) until dinner, which was out again and BSD friendly but had a beer. Also had a Belgian chocolate ice cream at the theatre. So a rather indulgent weekend and no dog walking or tennis as hockey was a crazy 3 hour round trip plus a 2 hour play. Half my day gone! So up 2lbs is to be expected! The lack of sleep won’t have helped either.
I’m going to fast (properly and without lattes) until dinner as feel quite bloated and will be doing lots of driving around taking the girls to various activities. I’ll try to walk the dog too as I missed that yesterday.
Well done fluffy keeping up the good work whilst you’re away!

Maccalenny · 01/03/2020 07:46

Hi everyone - so wonderful to catch up on the thread and how brilliantly everyone is doing!
I just wanted to drop in to post a bit of a ‘one year on’ update. I’ve not been posting much on here since Christmas as I get properly into maintenance.
I started BSD at the end of February 2019. I had done low carb before and had managed to lose a couple of stone but had not maintained. Tried most of the other diets around, not even managed to lose a lot. At 47 and 16st8.4 something needed to change!
I lost 9lb in my first week, and suddenly it all seemed possible. I set a target of 11st5, to get to a healthy bmi - a weight I hadn’t been at for about 25 years and had never thought of being again. Prior to this, I’d vaguely hoped to get to about 14 stone and stay there, rather than keep gaining and losing.
I stuck to the plan very carefully for two months, then started relaxing the calorie a count a bit at weekends, sticking to 800 in the week. I kept off sugar and wheat to avoid risk of awaking the carb monster!
In school holidays, I follow weekend pattern and my weight loss slows or maintains. At Christmas, I ate more about put on about 6lb, which went in a couple of weeks.
I’m now 11st 7, so a couple of lb above target still. I’m losing about half a lb a week, but consider myself to be maintaining as I’m not really seeking the weight loss any more.....probably the first time in my adult life I’ve said that! I don’t count calories at all, but still avoid carbs and eat a lot less than I used to. I’ve got out of the habit of an evening meal, which regulates the amount I eat quite nicely and means I can eat a decent breakfast and lunch. I’m really never hungry and don’t miss sugar and wheat at all. I do miss potato a bit....maybe because that’s the thing I allow myself as treats so I keep the craving going? But I do have the occasional jacket potato, mash or chips - once every few weeks.
In the recent half-term, I ate potato several times, and had evening meals most days. My weight only went up a couple of lb and came straight down again. I hope that means that my body is happy at this weight and isn’t desperately trying to grab and store any excess calories that wander past!
If I keep losing, and get to around 11st3, I will have to start increasing a bit as I don’t actually want to lose more....I’ve replaced my whole wardrobe once and don’t want to do it again!
Sorry this has been such a long post, but I wanted to reassure all those in the early stages that maintenance is entirely possible, and also to thank this community, and Bear specifically, for this thread, without which I would be five stone heavier and despairing of ever losing weight.
Back to lurking now! Keep up the good work everyone.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 01/03/2020 08:32

@Maccalenny that's such an inspiring story, well done Star

I'm down to 10.3.4 this morning, which is pretty much my lowest BSD weight, and considering I was 10.12 this time last week I'm exceptionally pleased with that! I also can't remember the last time I ended a weekend lighter than I started it, or had such a healthy weekend (although I did still drink wine)

I have a very busy few weeks ahead; mock exams which I am invigilating on most of my days off, plus parents evening, plus my own teaching...Dh has Thursday and Friday off so potentially an extended weekend. I am really determined to use this busy time to really focus on another week of 800 cals days as I'd love to finally, finally get to my target weight (approx 4lbs more to go!)

So today's job is to plan plan plan: meals, exercise, work, and get my shopping list done so that it's all there ready for me. I'm going to do as I did last week and fast from Sunday night's dinner to Tuesdays lunch so will make another broth today.

Dh and I are going to start healthy March with a nice run in the Sunshine this morning, and it's day 19 yoga today.

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CaptainBrickbeard · 01/03/2020 12:37

Amazing to hear positive maintenance stories!

I’m one pound away from a two stone loss so really pleased. I didn’t weigh or count or track at all last week so am very lucky to have lost a couple of pounds but I have to say it’s been my best writing week since I started this diet! It’s a balance for me and when I’m really on top of the diet, my work suffers. But I’m really happy with how it’s going at the moment. I think I still have such a lot of weight to lose so creating a calorie deficit is enough to keep it shifting. As I lose more, I know I’ll have to tighten up on that 800 goal. What’s been amazing for me is that I just feel cured of evening snacking which I never thought possible.

CaptainBrickbeard · 01/03/2020 12:38

I mean I didn’t weigh food last week, I weighed myself every day!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 01/03/2020 18:19

Closing up the kitchen today on 1165 cals, and 30g carbs. 11k steps (did a 5.5km Run) plus day 19 yoga.

All planned and ready for next week. Bone broth in the slow cooker. I'm going to fast all day tomorrow and maybe into Tuesday lunchtime if I feel ok, just having my soup. That seemed to set my week off very successfully last week, and then continuing the broth for lunch, evening meal strategy kept my calories under 800.

I was in ketosis today again, but I did have that same weird feeling again which I don't like, so I had a roast parsnip with my dinner for some slightly more carby veg!

I'm going to sit tonight and enter 2 races; I've been putting it off because of my leg being injured but I'm really feeling quite strong on it now and want something to aim for: so a 15km in March and a half marathon in April, which will give me something to focus on and train for.

Hope you've all had a good weekend, and have a good week ahead!

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Kimlek · 02/03/2020 07:12

macca I wondered where you’d gone! So delighted it’s still working!!
I’m 11.0.6 this morning which is to be expected given Fri was a 2000 cal day. I didn’t fast yesterday morning as DH made a ton of sausage sarnies for everyone so I had a couple of lovely sausages. Skipped lunch (accidently as driving all over the place) then had a big dinner of easy bolognese made into cottage pie with celeriac & cauli mash with broc and carrots. I haven’t calorie counted all week. So to end the week the same as started isn’t too bad.
I’m going to plan this week and try to stick to 800 but I’ve a few nights out etc. I’ll walk the dog this morning and go to a Pilates class this afternoon. And this week I’ll log food on MFP as didn’t last week!

FluffyEarMuffs · 02/03/2020 08:14

Well after 8 days eating bread and drinking too much while away, despite trying to be good and going to the gym... I am 3.5 lbs heavier.

However, I have some bone broth in the slow cooker that I will be having today and tomorrow, and maybe even Wednesday. Perhaps I can lose this (again) fast, with a fast.

I am away again with work dinners on both Thursday and Friday evenings this week. I have to be drastic these coming three days.

bluepixie · 02/03/2020 10:45

Disaster weekend. 2 gins became a few too many and I ended up having pudding and the dinner at the party was high carbs and no meat as all veg. Then I was hungover on Sunday (I hardly drink so 4 drinks and I feel it!) so had loads of carbs
Which means this am I’m 11.7 (having got to 11.4 on sat am). Terrible! So that’s 2.5 off in a week considering it my first week that’s not great but really it’s my own fault

I’m now feeling super focussed and motivated. So I’ve planned my entire weeks meals. I’m not having any dark choc and no milky coffees. I had a black one this am and yoghurt and berries for brekkie. Lunch is chicken and lentils dinner roast chicken and a salad . I’m sticking to 850 and low carb . I’m going to finish Finishing eating at 530pm and have brekkie 830 next day and going to tolerate being a little hungry while I get used to it.

Sorry for those who have gained! Hopefully will fall off once ur back on it!

I’m out fir night which rare occurance with DH as we have a little DS so drinks and food will be had but will just have to really focus before it and I’ve chosen off the menu already (sebass and chorizo and veg - seemed like the lowest carb option). It’s the drinking which ruins it all! Hopefully I’ll catch up with your weight very soon @Kimlek

Kimlek · 02/03/2020 11:32

fluffy I don’t think 3.5lbs is that bad. I put that on In a week following BSD principles but no calorie counting and skiing 5 hours a day but drinking a fair bit. If you’ve had fun (albeit work) then it’s not so bad. I bet it’s off within a couple of days... it’ll be booze!

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