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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 support thread #18

998 replies

thenewaveragebear1983 · 10/03/2020 17:03

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:
BSD and Fast800 support thread #17
http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet/3787860-bsd-and-fast800-support-thread-17

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
31
agteacht · 31/03/2020 09:41

I would be so happy at 10.6 @thenewaveragebear1983 - is that your goal weight and where did you start from? (If it's okay to ask)

Thanks @Cream123 - getting there, your menu for today sounds yum by the way!

What's low carb noodles is that the zero noodles you see in Holland and Barrett?

I'm having stir fry for tea and was thinking of trying to make cauliflower rice to go with it. Would you recommend? I don't have a food processor so would have to grate the cauliflower by hand. Will take a look online to see if I can find a recipe that livens it up...

agteacht · 31/03/2020 09:42

Oh I also bought a celeriac. Need to find some inspiration for that too!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 31/03/2020 10:17

Ooooh @agteacht, try my celeriac hash, it's so yummy! First Grate the celeriac. In a frying pan sauté off an onion, garlic, and if you have it you can add eg. Chorizo, (or ideally smoked polish sausage because it's a polish recipe), or a bit of bacon or sausage. Then add the celeriac, stir it until it's softened, it cooks quite quickly. Add seasoning, lots of black pepper, fennel seeds. You end up with a sort of earthy comfort foody, hash. Add a big spoonful of sauerkraut (if you have any) and let the heat of the celeriac warm it through. It's so yummy ( my polish and Hungarian students told me about this!) and it's great with sausages or pork. It's got that rustic feel about it.

If you don't have sauerkraut, you can try making that too- get an empty jar and run it through the dishwasher or in boiling water to sterilise. Finely slice cabbage, or red cabbage and/or carrot if you have any. Sort of scrunch it in your hands to 'bruise' it a bit. Make a salt solution in the jar with a teaspoon of salt (2 tsps if it's a big jar) and water, then put the cabbage into the jar. Top up with water so the jar is full, and put the lid on. Mix it by turning jar over a few times. Put it high up on a kitchen shelf for a few weeks and it will start to ferment. You can leave it as long as you want, but the longer the better. It's very good for the gut and any fermented food is good for weightloss!

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 31/03/2020 10:27

@agteacht I started at 13.6, a long time ago. I'd got to target at slimming world, found out I was having Dc3 and had gestational diabetes again, the third time was so uncontrollable and i felt very unwell and regained 4 stone! So after he was born I was very miserable. Rejoined slimming world...then on mumsnet learned about this plan. Bought the book after Easter in 2016 and started the plan.
I lost about 21lb in the first 8 weeks, and continued and lost about another 7lb. Then had a very on off/on off few months. Regained a fair bit. In September 2017 we got our treadmill and I attempted to use it and failed. In January 2018 I decided thAt I needed 1 last final attempt. I was so sick of the diet rollercoaster...

So I promised myself a final proper round of BSD 8 weeks and 10 minutes on the treadmill every day. And pretty much the rest was history.... I lost 2 stone fairly quickly and did a full 6 months sugar free, and kept up the running. The combination of the 2 is what's worked for me really.

My vanity target is 9.13...but realistically I have been 10.3-10.7 for so long now that I think this is my weight really. I can cheat a bit and still bob along here whereas to get any lower I need to be Uber strict.
I do love the plan though, and I do love being strict (weirdly) as it feels so healthy when I'm on it properly. Plus when I have taken my eye off the ball I've regained weight so for now I am still going...! I'd love to be a comfortable 9.10 so that I could have an excessing weekend occasionally and not be back in the 10's Grin

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bluepixie · 31/03/2020 10:32

@agteacht I eat cauliflower rice always now! I can’t stand the thought of the carbs and lack of nutrition in rice (but would happily eat cake?!?)
I started off at 11 stone 9. And got to 11.08 stone in 3 weeks but I’ve put a bit on and aiming for 10.3 which really I can do if I just do it and focus!

agteacht · 31/03/2020 11:51

Oh thanks so much for the recipes, so kind!
Stirfry is off the menu now - we will be having chicken breast and that celeriac recipe instead! Can't wait! Next time I'm in the shop I'll get a red cabbage to try that sauerkraut too. I lived in Germany for a couple of years and used to eat it all the time, haven't had it in years!

@Cream123 that's a fab loss and you are so close now to the elusive 140s.

@thenewaveragebear1983 that ya a fantastic story and so lovely to hear of someone maintaining. You must be so chuffed with yourself.

I lost over 2st on Weightwatchers years ago, going from 12st to 9.5st. But I let everything creep back on and have just bounced from diet to diet ever since.
I got back to 9st 3 for my wedding in 2014 but can barely remember how now!!

Fast forward, I was almost 11st when I got pregnant a year ago and am only 5ft 1 so could feel it. When I had my baby in December I was almost 13st. From there I've arrived down to 11st 7 but it's been such a slog. I have PCOS which I'm hoping this diet will also helps with as I really struggled to conceive but would hope to have another baby in the next two years. X

thenewaveragebear1983 · 31/03/2020 13:16

@agteacht I also have PCOS (or did have) ...I had it diagnosed via ultrasound in about 2006 and also when pregnant I had cysts on the ovaries identified during scans. I changed doctor a while ago and they somehow lost all my info so referred me to be retested- although these tests came back clear, no raised testosterone or LH levels or any of the other blood markers they test for. I don't know if I still have cysts but I don't have any of the other symptoms , and i completely believe that's a result of doing this diet long term

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bluepixie · 31/03/2020 14:35

The lowest I’ve been was ten years ago is 10.3 on my wedding day (I’m 5ft 6 so makes it about a Bmi 23.5) and I felt great but thought I was fat and wanted to loose More?!?! Ten year later I got to 11.9 I feel awful! I actually got to 10.10 last year and lost my baby weight and more but then it all piled back on following some medical treatment

Anyways my plan was that for my 10th wedding anniversary this year I would put on one of my honeymoon dresses and be back at that weight! I keep seeing them and I’ve not put them away as I keep telling myself I will fit back into them!!!! Although my body shaped has changed so much not sure I will
Plus we will prob still be in lockdown - but suppose I could dressed up and prance around the house Grin

A bit peckish today but not eating till my prawn stir fry!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 31/03/2020 15:08

@Cream123 every year (at least when it has fitted me!) I put my wedding dress on and flounce around in it. This year Dh and I were going to run 10km in our wedding attire, it will be our 10th anniversary and we were going to do it to raise money for charity. Probably won't happen now so another anniversary with me flouncing around in my dress like a princess....

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bluepixie · 31/03/2020 16:49

Haha!!! That’s a good idea! Yes not sure our anniversary plans will happen so maybe me in one of my honeymoon dresses!!

Closing kitchen at 850 and 28 carbs. Ditched the noodles for loads of broccoli.
Early kitchen close so need to be strong! Hit later (I think!?)

agteacht · 31/03/2020 17:22

@thenewaveragebear1983 that's amazing that your PCOS has gone!! I really think mine will too as it coincided with my weight fluctuations and constant yo-yo'ing... hormone issues created!

@Cream123 I love that target!! I'll have to think of a similar one.

I'm due back to work in September and desperately want to feel great about how I look then and arrive back in with an amazing new wardrobe! Still 5 months so lots of time as long as I keep motivated.

agteacht · 31/03/2020 17:24

Ooh @thenewaveragebear1983 did you have hirsutism as a result of raised testosterone / PCOS and has that now eased too?

thenewaveragebear1983 · 31/03/2020 19:41

@agteacht annoyingly that is what I went to the GP about which is why they ended up retesting me, and because my bloods came back clear they wouldn't give me anything for it. I do still have that unfortunately. I've stopped the crazy periods and the other delightful symptoms though! They can give you the pill for it I think, but only if you actually have it!

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 31/03/2020 20:14

Closing up the kitchen today on 1200 cals, 65g carbs, I did 14k steps (which is good because I didn't run today). Carbs are high because I bought seafood sticks, they are surprisingly high in carbs!

Change of plan with food today as I got a chilli and soy sea bass fillet in Sainsbury's today for 70p and I had it with broad bean and pea mash (my new absolute favourite!) - it was so yummy!

Tomorrow, 1st April so I will try to do a longish run to start the month off. Then I just have the usual domestic stuff. I need to check in and teach a maths lesson remotely which is difficult. Usually I would have a lovely latte at college for my lunch so I might replicate that at home with my milk frother! Dinner will be pork steaks and celeriac (after our talk earlier!) and veg. Should come in as a reasonable low carb and low calorie day (if I stick to plan of course...!)

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CiorstanMI · 31/03/2020 21:27

Day 23 and kitchen closing at 831 calories and 61g carbs. Bit of a miscalculation over my lunchtime soup is the cause of the above-limit carbs. Not a disaster but must be more careful in future.

Really loved reading everyone's posts today. Always nice to feel we're not battling alone.

agteacht · 31/03/2020 22:36

Well the celeriac was fab!! That's gonna be a regular potato / rice substitute for sure! Chorizo was a nice addition. I'll have to try a few different things with it.

Ended the day on 849 cals and 29g carbs.

Will report back with my WI results tomorrow...

CaptainBrickbeard · 01/04/2020 08:12

Hi everyone, I’m dropping back into the thread! I feel like I’m starting to get a bit of normality back into my life - kind of?! So I’ve been staying fairly low carb and keeping up TRE though I did have a day off for my lockdown birthday. My steps have gone waaaay down as I got ill and so did my children (all of us with a cough OR fever and none of us badly ill so no reason to think it was Covid or if it was we got away very mildly) so we had a full two weeks of total house confinement. I now feel a bit afraid to get out and do my daily exercise! Despite it all, I lost another half a stone in March which I’m happy with.

Anyway, I have been doing the Joe Wickes workout and have a bad case of DOMS plus I’ve bounced back up a couple of pounds despite being pretty on it food-wise. Have read that DOMS gives you water retention, has anyone else found that the case and could it explain this gain? If I keep up with the workouts will I be making the DOMS worse and thus increasing the water retention and scale gain? Waist measurement is reducing so I know things are going in the right direction but I do find the numbers increase a bit demotivating anyway!

Not snacking is so hard in lockdown and we keep running low on fresh food so it feels like I have a lot of carby options lurking in my cupboards. I’m just trying to focus on how important good health is right now when I’m tempted to crack.

I miss swimming so very much!

I’m glad to have read back through the thread and seen people are still doing well and handling the diet and lockdown with great aplomb!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 01/04/2020 08:51

@CaptainBrickbeard DOMS definitely is linked to water retention, that heavy sore feeling is water being held around your muscles to help repair them. In my experience if you train through it you can end up worse so if it's mild carry on but if it's literally ' I can't sit down on the loo without wincing' then take a day off! Or do some nice gentle yoga! Hope your birthday was lovely Thanks

I'm weighing in today on 10.4 which means all my weekend bloat is gone. I was good last night as I had real sugar cravings but even though I actually brought a chocolate biscuit into the lounge I didn't eat it. Managed to resist! I did have some pork scratching though in addition to my totals yesterday.

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bluepixie · 01/04/2020 09:22

I have doms too and been wondering same!
Was going to hit alternate days
Im still not back to 11.0.8 which I was before my 9 days binge ! Hopefully in a day or 2! :/

Not hungry this am so seeing if I can skip breakfast

agteacht · 01/04/2020 13:18

Morning everyone

Well that's week 1 done and looking through my app I didn't quite follow it to the letter but am getting there day by day. Averaged 956 cals and just under 60g carbs with 14:10 fasting rather than 16:8. Also managed a (virtual) spin class 6 days with Pilates on my rest day.

Starting weight: 161.2lbs
Week 1 loss: 6.4lbs
Week 2 starting weight: 154.8lbs

Am very pleased with this result as now the 10s are in my sight again after so long! Just that pesky 0.8lb standing between us!

Determined to have a good second week. Setting myself three little mini goals for now...

(1) Get properly into the 10s - 153lb, 1.8lb to go
(2) Back to my pre-preg state - 150lb, 4.8lb to go
(3) Reach 10st7 - 7.8lb to go

Thank you all for your hints, tips and support which helped a lot!!! ❤️

agteacht · 01/04/2020 13:20

PS have just discovered Heck chicken sausages - amazing!!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 01/04/2020 14:00

@agteacht that's a great loss well done! And yes, those heck sausages are so nice!

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CiorstanMI · 01/04/2020 18:36

Well done @agteacht, you're firing ahead.

This is day 24 and I'm closing the kitchen at 837 calories and 45 carbs.

Pinkied · 01/04/2020 19:01

First post and starting the fast 800 tomorrow.

Currently 170lb, want to drop 40.

Any tip tips would be welcome... it's all about the willpower with me!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 01/04/2020 19:13

@Pinkied hi, welcome!

I'm a bad influence today sorry.,,closing the kitchen on 1500 cals and lots of carbs,it was going so well but then I ate a big bar of chocolate! 100g! That's a lot of calories and carbs!! I did do 16k steps (an 8km run and lots of gardening) and yeah 1500 is not the end of the world but I'm cross with myself because I didn't need it and Now I regret it. I don't think I have drunk enough today and that always makes me crave sugar.

Tomorrow- try again! Another run probably, and I really need to make Time for some yoga and my leg is starting to twinge. The daily one sorted me out a treat so will try and reintroduce that. Food: lunch will be eggs and avocado, dinner will be a beef rogan josh curry which will slow cook all day as it's shin beef, and served with veg.

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