Out on my broomstick and flying light as a feather

[Lisa-Ann]

So I started reading Dr Michael Mosley's 'eight week blood sugar diet' last night. He advocates an 800 calorie low-carb diet to clean out organs such as your liver & pancreas and to reverse diabetes type 2. I need to finish this book and have a look at the recipes and then re-read Atkins. I wonder if there is a way I can combine the two as I really want to start Atkins again but not sure I can keep Atkins to 800 calories nor am I sure if Atkins will help clean up the liver or pancreas. Anyway, all that aside for one minute. My other half just finished work and brought me home a Cornish pastie for lunch. Obviously he didn't register me talking to him about Atkins yesterday!! Nevermind, he'll soon get into the swing of it when I start back again properly. What I'm looking forward to: kick starting my weight loss, using up my carb stores and going into fat burning mode, making flaxseed bread again. What I'm not looking forward to: eating eggs for breakfast so much that they start to make me heave (that's what I remember from last time).

 

[Allotrope]

The Michael Moseley book is also low carb but more "healthy" fats rather than Atkins which is any fat...

Anyway, I have read through your diary, wishing you loads of luck whichever low carb route you go

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Ah thank you Allotrope. I will try & meet both plans in the middle if I can. Also considering cutting down on dairy again as I did this earlier in the year and it helped with some of my pcos symptoms.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Welcome back Lisa-Ann!

I think the key thing about Atkins is NOT worrying about calories, and the whole key to ketosis is eating fat and lots of it...so I just don't know if you can combine those two plans without driving yourself nuts.

What about just making a few simple changes like cutting out bread, pasta and potatoes? Or go another route and follow the SW SP plan, which is pretty much low carb?

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide, and lovely to see you back xx

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Thank you Ladyfelsham. Yes you are right the two plans do tend to cancel each other out, when combined. I like the idea of the blood sugar diet to reverse diabetes, but I don't like the idea of possibly feeling hungry all the time. My heart really lies with Atkins but I'm not quite ready to start yet as I'm still reading, planning and researching. So, in the meantime I will just make lower carb choices at mealtimes xx

 

[Allotrope]

So many diets out there. And they all work, at the right time for the right person. Decisions decisions!

Good luck - we'll be here to support you whatever you choose

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Thank you Allotrope and likewise! I know, so much choice when it comes to choosing a plan to stick to. All offering their own pros and cons. But what you said on your own thread is true, we need to find or create a plan to follow for life. Only this way will we maintain a healthy weight and stop yo-yo dieting.

 

[Lisa-Ann]

The other half is off work today. He's already mowed the lawn and tidied up the privets and now he wants to sit back and reward himself with junk (biscuits, crisps). He's naturally very active and competitive and even at work manages to do about 25ooo steps per day. I wish I had half his energy! I just need to get him on side now with my low carb eating. I don't mind him eating what he wants but I need him to stop buying me crap as he'll often come home from work and throw a wispa or a bag of quavers at me. I also need to get him excited about eating a steak or something homemade on a Saturday night, rather than our usual Chinese takeaway. I know what he'll say - 'I don't know whether I'm coming or going, one minute you can eat this and not this and now you can eat this but not this!!'

 

[Lisa-Ann]

I haven't started a diet-plan properly yet as I'm still getting my head around the books I'm reading. Although, I figured I could start the blood sugar diet as it's only for 8 weeks (or less if I can't hack it) and then fall back onto 'atkins' or a similar form of low-carb eating. Earlier in the year I cut down on dairy products as I'd read it can improve PCOS symptoms. At the time my symptoms did improve but I'm not sure if I can attribute this entirely to cutting down on dairy or whether it was because I was taking other supplements. Sometimes I wish there was one diet-plan that worked for us all. Too many mixed messages in what I read, with things that I took for 'gospel' turned on their head as little more than a myth.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Sometimes I wish there was one diet-plan that worked for us all. Too many mixed messages in what I read, with things that I took for 'gospel' turned on their head as little more than a myth.

Yes wouldn't it be great! I can't stand it when people say "Eat less, move more" because it ain't that simple for many of us.

 

[Lisa-Ann]

So true @ladyfelsham. I've been told that enough times myself. I've given up on presenting with 'any' symptoms at the doctors as it doesn't matter what it is, it's always put down to my weight. While, medical advice on how to lose the weight is never tailored to the individual and seems to largely depend on whatever boxes need ticking at the time.

 

[Allotrope]

I wish I could work out the fact from the fiction when it comes to the best diet for health.

My cholesterol was on the highish side, and the on call doctor told me to go on a low fat diet, to which I responded "is that evidence based?" And he started umming and ahhing and then said well, healthy fats. Perhaps a Mediterranean diet? Which part of the med? They all eat different diets depending on whether your North, South, coastal, rural etc - I think he was quite pleased to get off the phone to me, but it left me none the wiser!

 

[ladyfelsham]

Good for you for interrogating him Allotrope! GPs are just not equipped to deal with diet-related issues so they trot out the same old line.

I personally think low fat is bad, because low fat stuff is so full of sugar. But pizza is bad too and that doesn't stop me eating a mountain of it

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Omg!! @Allotrope I hope your call inspired that on-call doctor to be a bit more on the ball next time he's giving out advice. Did he not try to offer you statins? My GP surgery has been trying to push statins on to me for a few years now. From what I understand, my cholesterol is not high, but is treated as more of a concern because of my type 2 diabetes. I have refused this medication, particularly as it seems they want me to take it to prevent a health problem that might not occur. I guess all we can do is what we are all doing already, learn as much as we can about our own body and create a plan that works for us in the longterm.

 

[Allotrope]

No he said my cholesterol was borderline and he'd rather I treated it by diet.

Anyway, in other news, I've just signed up for 12 weeks blood sugar diet program!!! Even though blood sugar isn't my problem (at the moment!), the way I see my diet going long term is pescararian with healthy fats. Dr Mosley has an online program to help you achieve success on his diet (which is basically the med diet) and the next round starts on 4th Sept it'll be a nightmare at first with going back to work, but target weight by Christmas and ongoing support I cannot turn down

https://thebloodsugardiet.com/

So I'm going to carry on as I am for the moment but will lower the intensity of my exercise from Sept and start this.

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Oh that's good @Allotrope and a much better option. I bet it also feels good to have a plan in place with support from others on the same diet and you've got plenty of time between now and when it starts to get everything prepared. The first week on the plan will be tough but at least being back at work will keep your mind occupied and you'll naturally lower the intensity of your exercise as you'll have less time on your hands. From what I've read most people are fine on the plan after the first week. So fingers crossed.

 

[Allotrope]

Have you decided what plan to follow?

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Yes I have @Allotrope. I'm going to do the BSD for eight weeks from the 18th September (getting my holibobs out the way first). In the meantime, I will just continue to make low-carb choices.

 

[Allotrope]

We can keep each other company then

 

[Lisa-Ann]

Yes, definitely @Allotrope that will be fab.

So, not much to report my end. I have a plan in place for when I'm going to start my diet properly and until then I'm a bit in limbo. I've been making low-carb choices wherever possible but the last two days have been very carb heavy!! So much so I've been regularly trying to fast from early evening until late morning to give my body a break. I honestly can't wait to get started and have that stricter regime in place. Otherwise for me it's too easy to keep saying yes to the carbs and planning to have a better day the next day.