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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:
Thread gallery
31
waterproofed · 06/05/2020 07:07

Good morning @thenewaveragebear1983 - back on track with a loss! Great news!

Thank you @whensmynexthol1day - this thread really helped me see the plateau as part of the process, not a failure.

Grateful to @thenewaveragebear1983 for the red coleslaw recipe (I added a little apple and everyone loved it) and @agteacht and @Cream123 for the almond flour porridge recipe. Both were very tasty.

I closed the kitchen last night at just under 900kcal and 32g of carbs, but I did do a fair amount of exercise.

@NathanNathan I never would have thought I could stop craving sweets for more than a few hours but as I get used to this diet and my weigh is shifting I think the hormonal changes in my body have an effect on what I want to eat.

@Whattheladybirdsaidnext I get up from the table every time my family is eating a dessert (which seems to be all the time!). Did you resist the fish and chips?

@LarryUnderwood and @thenewaveragebear1983 I often said cheese is laced with crack - never knew quite how close to the truth that was.

@thenewaveragebear1983 and @RedLipsAndRosyCheeks I will be listening to Jo’s podcast later in the day and now I’m off to do some morning yoga because I need to keep smug, don’t I.

WellHurrahAndHuzzah · 06/05/2020 08:04

Well done @thenewaveragebear1983!

Day 5 for me (I lied yesterday and thought I'd got here already! Doh).

9 stone 3.6.

I'm feeling good. At first I honestly wasn't sure I'd be able to make it to 2 weeks (which given some of your willpower, is embarrassing to admit) but now I'm determined to do so.

Plan for the day:
Red berries for with yoghurt brunch.
Eggs, tomato and spinach for dinner.

Good luck everyone!

agteacht · 06/05/2020 08:28

@WellHurrahAndHuzzah I was already jealous of your starting weight 😂
You'll be at your target in no time.

@thenewaveragebear1983 well done that's motivating!

@waterproofed agree on the cravings!! So strange how tastebuds change. Glad you liked the porridge too.

agteacht · 06/05/2020 08:38

Weighed in this morning at 10st5 / 65.7kg at end of week 6 - a 1.6lbs loss this week.

Starting weight 11st7.2 so total loss now of 16.2lbs / 7.3kg.

Averaged over the week at 1170 cals, 36g carbs.
Over the six weeks 1090 cals, 43g carbs.

Onto week 7, I have decided I will keep going until I reach 10st and then I will reassess whether. So 5lb to go, could be 2 weeks, could be 10! 😂

bluepixie · 06/05/2020 08:58

Wow well done agteacht. That’s great!!!

I’ll report back on Friday my w loss has been slow though as I have no will power!

Whattheladybirdsaidnext · 06/05/2020 09:48

waterproofed I managed to resist the chips, it was a good job I left the house though, the smell was amazing!

WellHurrahAndHuzzah · 06/05/2020 11:07

@agteacht - it's weird isn't it, how different it is for everyone? I just know that that half a stone makes a massive difference for me in terms of how I feel about myself. I guess everyone's on a different journey Smile as well as the weight loss, I was also conscious of the health benefits, I think I can easily be a 'fat' slim person if that makes sense, and I also wanted to stop the bloody binge eating / sugar crashes!!!

@Whattheladybirdsaidnext that is some serious willpower! I feel furious every time my OH makes a slice of toast Grin

LarryUnderwood · 06/05/2020 12:34

Weighed in today with another 1lb off, I know weighing every day is not a good idea but i couldn't resist! Feeling both motivated and hungry today - had avocado with seeded crackers for lunch which was delicious but not filling. May need to change my dinner plans to allow for a protein shake this afternoon to keep me going.

bumbledeedum · 06/05/2020 12:59

Been lurking for a bit while trying to find a good way to shift some baby (toddler Confused) weight which has been getting worse on lockdown. I have PCOS and am definitely more apple shape at the moment than I ever have been so am more inclined to a low GI or BSD. Just wondering why BSD is meant to be so good? Surely eating only 800 calories a day of anything is going to result in weight loss as it's going to be below even the smallest most sedentary persons recommended daily intake? Sorry if this comes across goady, it's not meant to, just trying to understand as I'd really like to improve my diet & loose weight/improve health but ideally in a more lifestyle change and sustainable way.

whensmynexthol1day · 06/05/2020 13:07

@bumbledeedum I think for me the key difference between this and any other low calorie diet is the combination with the low carb focus and focus on 'proper' home cooked food. Whilst the first few days were hard and I have the odd ravenous day- generally I feel far more satisfied on 800 kcal doing it this way than I ever did trying to stick to 1200 calories where I allowed myself to eat mini milky ways, Muller lights and bulked everything out with potatoes.
I have IBS also and I've never felt so well and not bloated!

whensmynexthol1day · 06/05/2020 13:08

And just an extra thought - I did have some success with a low carb diet for a while, but just found without tracking what I ate my portion sizes became out of control - I need the discipline of tracking to make me eat mindfully.

NathanNathan · 06/05/2020 13:16

Hello @bumbledeedum it's about insulin resistance and spikes. Very well explained in the BSD book, worth reading.

I just read this interesting article
www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/weight-loss-fat-cells-what-happens-burned-scientist-explanation-carbon-dioxide-water-urine-a8258941.html%3Famp
about how fat is burned which helped me understand more about plateaus from water retention and gave even more reason why exercise works!

agteacht · 06/05/2020 14:43

Hey @bumbledeedum in my view it is a complete reset of your body. Your hormone levels, energy levels, cravings, tastebuds, appetite etc. Granted I tend to do 950-1000 cals a day but I'm never hungry anymore. On SW, WW or just plain calorie counting I was always hungry.

I too have PCOS and my periods are currently regular which I strongly believe is helped by this way of eating. I'm on week 7 of 8 now and have lost over a stone with an almost 5 month old baby to mind which as you will know can drive you to the fridge!!

It's definitely worth you trying this. It will genuinely work for you.

agteacht · 06/05/2020 14:45

Thanks @Cream123 ! Three days to WI you can still make the scales move (and then enjoy Saturday 😉)

bluepixie · 06/05/2020 15:20

Yes knowing I get alchol and pudding on sat is my only motivating factor!!! Ur very good when u have ur days off u don’t go totally insane like I do !!!! Hence my weight loss is so much slower
Sigh!!!! It’s really quite annoying

Am waiting for dinner time I’m hungry today having marinated prawns and 1 spoon of coleslaw and some brocolli

Made some Thai red paste today from scratch for tmrw salmon yum can’t wait already!!!!

agteacht · 06/05/2020 15:34

Oh the prawns sound lovely! Have just made (low carb) blueberry muffins, I'll let you know later if they taste nice!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 06/05/2020 16:37

@bumbledeedum it's all to do with insulin control. I definitely recommend the books as they will explain it well and there are specific case studies and info about pcos too.

OP posts:
thenewaveragebear1983 · 06/05/2020 16:39

Struggled a bit today. Slept terribly, woke early and then had a really crappy work session. I really wanted to eat my feelings, i won't pretend otherwise, but...I ended up having a bsd friendly 'binge' (is it even a binge if it's ham, cheese and low carb almond/flaxseed bread ?!) so will definitely be over on calories today but I feel pleased that I did not crack and end up eating biccies

OP posts:
LarryUnderwood · 06/05/2020 19:14

Oof I was going great guns till dinner then disaster! Rest of the fam were having home made cheese burgers and chips with a special burger sauce (mayo, ketchup and mustard ketchup). I was having courgette with tomato sauce and half a baked salmon fillet. It was horrible, all watery and tasteless. Smallest boy didnt eat his burger so I ate half of it for him :(. It was just so tempting. So I'm closing the kitchen on 1271 cals and 54g carbs.
I've learned thought, on the days when I have a cooked lunch with lots of protein I can easily go all afternoon without thinking about food. But if I have a light lunch (today was mashed avocado on some seeded crackers from the BSD recipe book) then I just spend the rest of the day hungry and jealous.

Whattheladybirdsaidnext · 06/05/2020 20:20

Finished on 829cal and 21 g carbs

NathanNathan · 06/05/2020 20:34

I've started tracking my water. I don't drink enough water Grin

Made a DELICIOUS courgette thing tonight. Courgette, in a frying pan, cream, tomato purée (don't need much of either to make it nice). That's it! Had it with some chicken and a bit of cheese on.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 06/05/2020 20:34

This was my dinner tonight, it was very tasty. Had alpro and raspberries for dessert..

Feel absolutely climbing the walls, gnaw my arm off hungry tonight though, and if I hadn't deliberately bought horrible biscuits for the children, I would be eating them right now. Don't know what's got into me because my dinner was great!

Blood sugar diet and fast800 support thread #18
OP posts:
bluepixie · 06/05/2020 20:51

Closing at 836 and 40 carbs. Am starving though! Not sure why. Had a good mix of protein and fat today.

@thenewaveragebear1983 sorry u had a though day. Sounds like u still need well by not raiding the biscuit tin and sticking to a bad binge! Well done :) ps ur dinner looks great what was it?

@agteacht how were muffins. I need some low carb desserts. Today I had Waitrose 10 percent fat and strawberries for mine and it was divine!

Tmrw plan is almond flour porridge with raspberries
Fish pie with celariac topping
Chicken Caesar salad

agteacht · 06/05/2020 21:08

Oh amazing @NathanNathan - I gave courgeyyes and don't know what to do with them. That's perfect. I'll have chicken stuffed with halloumi and bacon with it! Thanks for the inspiration.

@Cream123 the muffins were good! Found the recipe on Facebook, will paste it for you. But here is my all-time favourite new dessert - if you don't have lo-dough left you could just make it as a mousse. It is AMAZING. DH loves it too and keeps asking me to make it again.

lodough.co/blogs/recipes/low-carb-chocolate-orange-tart

agteacht · 06/05/2020 21:09

*courgettee, fat fingers

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