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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 thread 19

999 replies

thenewaveragebear1983 · 10/05/2020 22:25

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

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
35
Kimlek · 17/06/2020 22:52

I think peas aren’t so bad cream!!
bestbees roast onion flowers? Ive eaten courgette flowers but onion? Photos please!
collywobble yes I agree re DD1. Green duck pancakes is a 8wk BSD recipe - duck legs, slash skin and rub with soy sauce. Heat oven to 200’c and let marinate until oven reaches temp. Pop in oven but reduce temp immediately to 160’c fan and roast for 1 hour. I often go over about 15 mins. Serve with iceberg lettuce for the pancakes, DH & DDs all use wraps instead, with spring onions, cucumber and housin sauce. It’s meant to be a teaspoon but I go way over and just count it. They’re surprisingly filling as you get a leg each to shred. They’re around 350 cals I believe.

934 cals 40 carbs. I ended up having lots of ‘green’ duck pancakes as DD1 didn’t fancy it. Don’t worry, I’m watching this too.
All in all a better day. Feel enormous and my tummy looks huge tonight but my emotions smaller; calmer.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 18/06/2020 07:12

Morning! Weighed in at 10.8.4 this morning. I had a bit of a wobble last night as I'd been working hard doing diy all day and I was just aching and exhausted. Ended up eating a bit of chocolate snd a pork pie. Then took myself off to bed because dh was watching footie and I could sense I was just going to be sat there bored and eating! I've woken up this morning absolutely stiff as a bored (I really did work hard yesterday!) and there's no way I'm running in today's torrential rain!

It's my wedding anniversary today so like the good wife I am I shall spend the day tending the children and cleaning Grinwe're having steak and cauliflower cheese tonight, and probably a glass of wine. I'm intending to stick to plan though; making some keto brownies as dessert. Lunch I will keep light, eggs probably.

Welcome new starters! Have a good day all

OP posts:
Kimlek · 18/06/2020 07:26

Happy Anniversary bear!! Pork pie? I haven’t had one of those for decades. The pastry is something else! Maybe have a muscle relaxing bath?
JustASecond polish your halo indeed! I’m not keen on the term ‘princessing’ either but the concept of looking after yourself and treating us certainly worth nourishing!
I’m down h as of a pound to 10.8.8 this morning. Taking youngest into school, 5k dog walk with a friend. Could get soaked or at least a little soggy ☹️ Maybe smoked salmon salad for lunch and stuffed peppers for dinner. DH has bought minced lamb which I usually make samosas with so I may do a few of those for their lunch.

Bestbees · 18/06/2020 07:42

Happy anniversary @thenewaveragebear1983

@Kimlek it's an actual onion cut and roasted to look like a flower!

I am in the week3 plateau I think at 10.1 again this morning. Third day! I am not keeping my eye on carbs that much so could tweak a bit I guess, but to be honest I want to eat greens and beans for health and environmental reasons. Drinking loads and keeping to the plan. Any other top tips? Feel free to critique my meal plan! This is a good day for me, I tend to alternative this kind of day with one with beans etc.

So today will be
One cup of tea with splash of soy milk
Black coffee, herbal tea and water all day
Lunch mackerel with roast veg and salad
Dinner salmon with pesto and greens followed by berries and almonds.

Cals 824, carbs 29

Tomorrow will be

Lunch
Two veg sausages with some roasted veg
Dinner bean burgers with cheese in lettuce wraps
Cals 829 carbs 68

So I know the carbs are a lot higher on the second day, but surely alternating with a lower carb isn't so bad? I do want to lose the weight, but I don't want to be just eating meat/fish/dairy to achieve that as I don't think that is great for you. I was to lose weight eating food that is family friendly and sustainable!

collywobble · 18/06/2020 08:03

Morning everyone, happy anniversary @newaveragebear . Thank you @Kimlek for the recipe I don't know how that's passed me by as I love duck so that's on the menu for Friday now .
It's another gain for me which is incredibly disappointing as I really have been sticking to it with a few glasses of wine at the weekend . I write everything down in the fast 800 journal and count my calories via fat secret so the only thing I can see stalling me is the alcohol at the weekends . I felt this was my only pleasure at the moment on lockdown but I have made my decision that while I'm doing this plan to shift the weight the alcohol needs to go . At least there are no social events to take me off plan so there is no reason why I can't do this . I'm going through the menopause too so weight loss is always going to be tricky . I know this works so I will keep going as I do feel better on the whole .

thenewaveragebear1983 · 18/06/2020 08:04

@Bestbees stuck with it, your food looks great so it won't be that, it will simply be your body adjusting. Plateaus are totally normal!

OP posts:
bluepixie · 18/06/2020 08:10

Morning everyone
Happy anniversary @thenewaveragebear1983 - hope u enjoy ur vino!

Well I’m still 10.9 like seriously why won’t it shift? Apart from my one naughty day this week I’ve been an angel...prob need to stop that but with Father’s Day and my bday around corner it’s gonna be a wine and food feast I will need to navigate through somehow! (Father’s Day I’ll just Have half the the pizza we getting but that’s still pretty terrible! And I won’t drink )

Anyways my food today
Greek yog berries almonds
Brocolli and Stilton soup
Chicken and veg marinated in harrisa
50mls milks

Comes in at 850 and 30 carbs.

Any other ideas or do i just keep going and it will start moving?

@bestbees your menu looks yum and balanced and low for cals and carbs. Just keep going it will drop off and 70 carbs isn’t actually that high anyway I mean usually we prob all had over 150! Are you close to target ? I’ve not weighed 10.9 for about 10 years so suspect why my body is rebelling! Are u doing TRE too? How long is that? Can you increase it an hour? I can’t do it for longer than 16 I get too hungry and want to but my hand off!

Bestbees · 18/06/2020 08:25

Thanks guys!
@cream123 I eat my dinner at about 5.30pm then don't eat until 12 so don't think I could do more. I could possibly do a once a week longer fast. I have about 5lb to go so think that it is probably just harder at this point. I think it's just frustrating when I was eating lots of bread and junk and now not losing! To be honest I have lost about 8lb in 2.5 weeks which is great so I shouldn't whinge! Have a good day everyone!

Kimlek · 18/06/2020 08:30

Thanks bestbees now I definitely need a photo! Your menu looks perfect. Keep going as I’m pretty sure it’s just a week 3 thing.
Ah cream we are back to twins again!

bluepixie · 18/06/2020 14:09

Having a terrible day at work and want to go collapse eat choc and drink wine!
Aghhhhhhh!!!!!

Kimlek · 18/06/2020 14:10

Nooooo cream you can do this! Step away! Talk to us instead! Xxx

Cocobox · 18/06/2020 14:32

Hi everyone, caved and had a slab of fresh bread with salted butter and it’s weigh in day for me tomorrow. Oh well.

B Coffee
L Bread
D Using what’s left in the fridge: Chicken leg quarters, chickpeas, onions and paprika casserole with cavelo nero on the side (and potatoes for everyone else)

The chicken quarter alone is 500 kc so it’s going to be more like a 1,000 kc day for me.

Bestbees · 18/06/2020 15:42

Don't despair Coco, still a low cal day over all. Can you identify why you ate it (I bloody love bread and butter, more than chocolate!) Was it boredom? Hunger? Emotional? I find when I unpick these I can find a solution. Eg. Hunger- have something prepped and ready that is permitted, or don't have bread in the house? I bake our own sourdough so this doesn't work for us!
Cream I hope your day has improved!

I have been reading the delay don't deny website and saw that it is better to avoid milk during fast periods as it can spike insulin and make you feel hungrier and acutally last week I was having black tea and finding it easier so might go back to that. I also found this which really resonated with me.

Blood sugar diet and fast800 thread 19
Cocobox · 18/06/2020 16:03

Thanks Bestbees I think it was greed and opportunity. If I lived alone I would just keep a brick of rye but the rest of the family are loving lockdown bread making. Just ordered a beautiful new butter dish too so I need to have more self control. Looking at the fast800 I am thinking a spoon of peanut butter when I feel myself cracking might work.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 18/06/2020 16:11

Definitely dairy carbs have something in them that do crazy stuff to me, especially on an empty stomach. When I went dairy free properly I didn't especially lose weight but I definitely stopped the insatiable craving. It can mimic opiates in your brain too, cheese is literally addictive.

I am back on the cheese now, but I still have alpro yogurt and milk. I actually cannot stomach cows milk in coffee anymore, dh made me a cup by accident the other day and the lingering taste of sour milk was revolting.

OP posts:
collywobble · 18/06/2020 16:56

@Bestbees that's a great piece of info you posted in the picture thank you. I'm soldiering on knowing my body is healing now and that feels like a lovely thought.

bluepixie · 18/06/2020 17:28

I had some of my bday chocs work gave me. Ugh! I’ve left rest in car so I don’t eat them (I won’t go in rain to my car!)
I eat when stressed and bored. I need to take a babybel or some nuts for extra calories on a Thursday as it’s always a though day and I get hungry and irritable and then can’t take it anymore and crack!
Will prob be 1500 and I don’t even wanna know carbs.
Will behave tmrw . Sigh.

Re milk in coffee - been thinking same. Gonna go to black as I have that at 14 hours into fast then brekkie at 16. But going to move to 14.

bluepixie · 18/06/2020 17:35

Sorry I mean going to move to black coffee so I do a clean 16 hour fast.

Justasecondnow · 18/06/2020 20:07

Found today a bit harder. Only felt hungry before meals this week but today I feel ravenous even though I’ve had similar to what I’ve had all week! If it wasn’t weigh in tomos I’d def have an extra little something on plan and up to 1000. I’ve mostly held the line tho.....

Cals 842 carbs 40
2 boiled eggs, 2 slice ham and grilled tomato
Thai red curry
4 pecans & 4 chocolate buttons
Milk for tea

Going to paint nails now. Otherwise will end up eating all the pecans and umpteen non counted milky teas - why is my own brain so crafty at sneaking extra calories in when officially I’m being good dammit!

Feel your plateau pain bestbees just gained and lost same 3lbs on week 4. Week 5 weigh in tomos and fingers crossed! cream123 I also struggle with stuff on weekends. Thought had quiet one but forgot another relatives birthday and Father’s Day... eek!

Kimlek · 18/06/2020 22:57

Interesting about the milk/dairy. I say I fast from dinner to lunch but actually I don’t as I drink coffee with milk and quite a few before lunch. Oops!! However, I’m cutting back the booze so the coffee cutback will have to wait.
Did a 5k dog walk in the absolute pouring rain. Felt heavy and bloated all day. My tummy looks huge. Bigger than ever. Haven’t had a period for at least 6 weeks (I think) perimenopause 🙄
So...
706 cals / 48 carbs
Lunch was courgetti bolognese 250
Dinner was Lamb stuffed peppers 318
Milk for coffees - 50
Snack quorn chicken pieces - 90

But already worried about weekend. We are over to a friends garden tomorrow for rose wine & im wanting not to drink but not sure what to do about it. They live nearby so no reason to drive. I could take a bottle of rose for them (&DH) and nosecco for me. Also having posh take away dinner for Father’s Day and no idea of cal count... all sounds highly calorific. I could fast til dinner I guess.

Kimlek · 18/06/2020 22:59

Was it your bday today cream? I had in my head tomorrow! Hope you’ve had a lovely one!! 🎉🥳

thenewaveragebear1983 · 19/06/2020 07:09

@cream123 happy birthday for yesterday/today...!!

I had a good day yesterday, my food was all on plan but I didn't calorie count, and then in the evening I did drink some wine and eat dessert. (My dd made a millionaires shortbread that , no word of a lie, has 5000 calories and 600g of carbs in it) I did tell myself all day that I wouldn't have any but I did eventually have a little piece. However it's sitting in my fridge now and I'm treating it very warily like it's an unexploded bomb or a sleeping cobra- very dangerous indeed! Knowing that a tiny piece is 350 calories is certainly keeping me away from it though. I made some Keto brownies and gave portioned them out and frozen them so I can have one of those instead!

I feel quite positive today. Food will be sardines roasted in peppers (I keep adding this to the menu and it keeps getting bumped off but I'm having it today!) and then dinner will be lemon and thyme chicken from the book with lots of veg. Just working up the motivation to head out in the grey for a run!
Have a great day everyone!

OP posts:
Bestbees · 19/06/2020 07:29

Happy birthday @Cream123

Sounding positive bear, hope you have a great day.

After all that plateau moaning I dropped 1.5lb overnight so just squeaking into the 9s! Today is my move relaxed day, on plan mostly, but higher cals. Let's hope it continues slowly down Smile

bluepixie · 19/06/2020 08:12

Ah thanks guys but bday not Yest! It’s next week but have the week off work hence the gifts!
So despite my chocs yest I’m 10.8.5 yay! I did end up having take away but chose tandoori chicken and salad. Glad yest over.
Right so today

Yoghurt and berries
Tuna salad
Roast Chicken and harrisa veg
750 and 18 carbs as want to be 10.8 ASAP!

bluepixie · 19/06/2020 08:39

Kimlek also worried re weekend. Today and tmrw fine but sat we having pizza from our fav pizza place they do a non cheese one but the carbs I dread to think.
Then my bday which tbh I have processo and cake
Planned for! But Ned to damage limit on Sunday....may eat very little till pizza but then I get hangry!!!

Well done bestbees! That’s great :) it does work if we all keep going

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