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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

OP posts:
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thenewaveragebear1983 · 24/04/2020 19:56

I've had a really good day today, for me at least! No sugar at all, I haven't counted cals or carbs but I haven't snacked and my meals have been perfect BSD (Tuna fish cakes and salad for lunch, roast chicken and salad for dinner).

I don't want to get all evangelical about my hypno book but I actually wonder if it's a bit to do with that. I feel very calm around food today. Dh bought chocolate and ice creams and other goodies at sainsburys and I genuinely, for the first time I can remember didn't want one. And didn't eat one anyway despite not wanting one (I do that a lot). The diet she recommends in it is basically BSD anyway: limit carbs, cut out junky processed foods, and cut out cereals and flour. The only difference is she says no dairy, which suits me (although I do eat occasional cheese)

So anyway, I'm going to listen to the audio tomorrow and reread the book and maybe really try and link it to our BSD plan in my mind too.

Have a good weekend all

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Mycatismadeofstringcheese · 24/04/2020 22:12

Sounds good thenewaveragebear. What is the hypno book?Sounds interesting.

I’m in day for and my appetite has gone (yay!). Didn’t get hungry until 4pm and had a meal then and another at 7. All under the 800 mark. It does get easier doesn’t it.

I’m finding calorie counting is easier in this diet as I’m not constantly nibbling and having to log things. I’m making simple meals with a few ingredients so logging isn’t as much of a hassle.

Today’s dinner was spring onion, garlic, cherry tomato, spiralised courgette, rocket, precooked peri peri chicken all cooked together with a little grated cheese on top. Sounds a weird combination but it was spicy and delicious and under 250 calls too!

mummyof2munchkins · 24/04/2020 23:13

Thank you for such a warm welcome and the great advice. I'm sitting here with a gin and slimline tonic, the best diet tip I've ever received.

I've had a rubbish day personally, some bad news received that would usually send me directly to the chocolate and as many carbs as I can fit into my hands and mouth, all washed down with a bottle of wine. Instead I pretty much fasted all day, had only a latte and 1 babybell. Tonight I took part in family take away night with some salt and pepper veg and a small portion of chicken.

I know it's not the greatest fast 800 diary but its very unusual for me to avoid comfort eating after bad news with days of unhealthy eating and drinking. I feel like for once I had control and made Ok (ish) choices.

Mycatismadeofstringcheese · 24/04/2020 23:48

Sorry you had bad news mummyofmunchkins. Well done for not eating through it. That’s really well done.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/04/2020 07:00

@Mycatismadeofstringcheese I agree, well done @mummyof2munchkins.

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agteacht · 25/04/2020 14:30

Hi all

I really fancy making a lamb curry tonight, looking for some recipes online but everything tasty seems to use either cream or coconut milk, low carb but high cals. Anyone got a good recipe??

thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/04/2020 15:14

Could you do a rogan josh? That's lovely with lamb.

Or something Moroccan style instead?

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agteacht · 25/04/2020 16:36

Rogan josh it is! Thanks bear!

bluepixie · 25/04/2020 16:46

Tagine? I do it in slow cooker with chickpeas tomato can and all the flavourings And a few Dried apricots in . It’s yum!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/04/2020 16:54

I once did an amazing Anthony Warrel Thompson tagine, it was absolutely amazing (but does have honey in so not technically BSD...)

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Whattheladybirdsaidnext · 25/04/2020 17:04

I’m not having a great day... I’m tired and the kids are relentless and I’m hungry. So, I will end up somewhere in the region of 1200 cal but only 40g carbs.... I really don’t know what effect this will have, but it was that or Cheerios and wine. Which may still happen!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/04/2020 18:09

@Whattheladybirdsaidnext gosh we all have days where damage limitation is the only outcome. These are testing times. Thanks

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Whattheladybirdsaidnext · 25/04/2020 18:30

Change in plan again... my husband cooked and dished up...and gave me (by misunderstanding) slightly less than I planned and a lot less than I wanted in my food crazed haze.
Either way, that amount turned out to be fine, I am happily full and ended the day on 1079 and 42g carbs. Which includes the handful of chocolate cereal I pinched when no one was looking.

So not as bad as it could have been.

CiorstanMI · 25/04/2020 20:07

Day 48, 826 calories and 49g carbs. Very bored of omelette 😄

waterproofed · 25/04/2020 20:27

@Whattheladybirdsaidnext wow, what a loss! That's brilliant!

@Kimlek you are so close to your goal, that must feel good.

@mummyof2munchkins welcome! Sorry to hear you had bad news. I also like to eat my feelings (who doesn't?) so I am really in awe of you being able to stop yourself from doing that.

@thenewaveragebear1983 thank you for all the running tips and for sharing gorgeous recipes. I made a variation of your fish bake for dinner (with cauliflower mash and some wild garlic DM foraged on her walk) and the family loved it. Filling, low carb and so much quicker than faffing with a traditional fish pie.

Just reporting for the end of week one as I started fasting on Saturday of last week.

Week 1
Starting weight: 68kg/10.7
Current weight: 65.3kg/10.3
Week 1 Loss: 2.7kg/5.9lbs
Height: 177/5'10"

This week's challenges included PMT combined with a touch of carb flu meaning I had to shelve running for a bit. But my period finally arrived on Friday and I'm beginning to feel better despite the change in my diet. I still have to religiously avoid carbs because the minute I have some I crave them even more. I also make sure I do at least an hour of exercise everyday (either yoga, bike-ride or a walk). Would love to start running again this week as the sugar free electrolyte drinks @thenewaveragebear1983 kindly recommended have arrived and the carb flu fog is shifting. When would I drink them, @thenewaveragebear1983? Is it before or after running?

Just to illustrate the change in my diet I wanted to share with you my nutrient totals from MFP, comparing the last two weeks I logged. There is one showing my 5:2 week and another one showing the 800kcal fast week. The difference in carbs is staggering and I am no longer starving all the time.

Blood sugar diet and fast800 support thread #18
Blood sugar diet and fast800 support thread #18
thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/04/2020 20:38

@waterproofed I drink one on the morning about half an hour before I run. I don't know if that's correct or not though.

I've had another good (ish) day: no snacks ,no grazing, no rubbish. My meals have been good.

I am though having a glass or two of wine tonight. My DD's grandad / my ex's father, has died today of Coronavirus, and I am raising a glass. He was a good man.

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 25/04/2020 20:40

@waterproofed and your graphs are excellent. Well done. I think the biggest concern for people is that they fear they will starve without carbs when in fact the reality is entirely opposite.

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waterproofed · 25/04/2020 21:20

Oh @thenewaveragebear1983 I’m so sorry, that’s awful news. Thank you for taking the time to be supportive even during such a difficult time, it means a lot.

agteacht · 25/04/2020 22:26

Oh that's really sad @thenewaveragebear1983
Condolences to your family. Definitely have that wine x

bluepixie · 26/04/2020 07:29

I’m sorry to hear that @thenewaveragebear1983 Hope ur dd is ok
Very sad news xxx

bluepixie · 26/04/2020 08:44

Scales r unforgiving this am 4 pound gain after 2 days of drinking and eating what I wanted.
As a result today will be v v low carb and I will report back how quickly it comes off. I’m hoping 1-2 days max?

Kimlek · 26/04/2020 09:07

So sorry to hear your news bear and hope your DD is ok.
I’m also up 3lbs this morning and hit 11st again but I’ve been eating pizza (we've a pizza oven & perfect weather & kids love it) and drinking wine so it’s really no surprise. I get complacent that I maintain by eating what I want and whilst there’s a tiny bit of truth in that I push my luck! So, back to serious BSD for me. I may even start logging again & planning more. I cannot go above 11 again as it’ll be 12 before I know it! And I want to be low 10’s!!
Enjoy the sunshine every one!!

RedLipsAndRosyCheeks · 26/04/2020 09:18

Hi, can I join? I'm finding lockdown tough so I've been eating far to much and I need to lose 2 stone.

I've got the fast 800 book and recipe book arriving today and it's shopping day tomorrow. Are there any essentials you can recommend for me to buy tomorrow?

Thank you!

IgglePiggleNotInBed · 26/04/2020 09:23

Morning all, I had a day off yesterday, didn't go crazy but quite a few carbs! (planned day off). Back on it today, going to fast until later and I have some mince to make a chilli! So sorry to hear your news @thenewaveragebear1983, hope your DD is okay.

Whattheladybirdsaidnext · 26/04/2020 10:12

I'm to hear your news bear best wishes to you and all your family.
I made it through the rest of last night and weighed myself this morning to give myself a bit of encouragement. So continuing on today...
lips personally I seem to eat a lot of eggs.