Day 29 - Bank Holiday Monday

Today has been one of those family days where you go somewhere a little bit different, a little further away. You pack a lunch and things for your children to snack on. You plan activities and watch with delight as your family eats and enjoys the things you have packed and planned for them.

(I might just add here that I did not snack on anything today! I simply ate my three calorie-counted meals and have felt hungry exactly zero times over the duration of today.)

Bank holiday Monday; August bank holiday. It has been great. But tonight I'm tired and I just want to dry my hair and slump on the sofa for a bit before bed - and before I have to get up for work tomorrow. And before I have to plan another week of weather-corresponding dinners and clean the bathroom and the bed sheets...

So, here it is. The weight loss summary for Week Four:


This week I lost: 2 lb
In total I have lost: 9 lb

This week Mum Lost: 2 lb
In total Mum has lost: 9 lb

Combined Weight Loss Overall at the Halfway Mark: 18 lb

Nine pounds each over the last four weeks and many other benefits besides. I can't wait to see what the next four weeks will bring.

Four Weeks In, Four Weeks Out

So here we are. Halfway through the 8-week Blood Sugar Diet.

At the beginning of all this it felt like we would never get to this point. Now we are four weeks in, and there’s four weeks to go.

Today is day twenty-eight and we are halfway to the end.

Time, then, for a brief celebration:

• For four weeks I haven’t eaten a single biscuit.
• For four weeks I haven’t let a single piece of bread pass my lips.
• For twenty-eight whole days I have avoided eating cereal.
• For four weeks I have been reading and researching everything I can about this miracle diet and others like it – and I’m still not bored.   
• In the last four weeks I have had alcohol on only two occasions. 

In the last four weeks (twenty-eight whole days – the duration of February (non-leap year)) I have felt better than I have in a long, loooong time. I have felt happier. I have felt more peaceful. I have felt more content. I have enjoyed my food more than I used to even though there’s less of it and it’s not always the food I would choose to eat. I have made my peace with turkey mince and have eaten it twice without wanting to throw it in the bin (which is what I did with it the last time I cooked with it). I have eaten more eggs than I can count, more frozen berries and full-fat yoghurt than ever before. More almonds than I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. And I’ve had less alcohol than when I was pregnant (just kidding – I didn’t drink at all). And I have never, not once, felt cheated or like I am missing out.

Of course, I have been hungry at times. But I have made my peace with that. We’ve had hot days and I’ve watched the boys eating ice creams with saliva dribbling down my chin, resisting the urge to rugby-tackle my three-year-old and lick the ice cream from his face. I have actually really craved a banana at least once (I usually don’t like bananas unless it involves dairy - banana flavoured ice cream or milk shake), but haven’t eaten one. I have eaten apples and enjoyed them more than I have in my whole life to date.

Of course, I’ve had a few rice cakes here and there but now the packet has gone I won’t be buying any more for a long time. I’ve even snuck in the odd crisp – emphasis on odd. But generally I’ve been good. I think this diet is working well, it’s not too hard to stick to, and most importantly it seems to be doing the job for my type 2 diabetic mother, who seems to have changed a lifetime of bad eating habits in just four weeks and she hasn’t had a single metformin tablet in all that time.

Added to this, both Mum and I have voluntarily become more active. Mum is walking at least five miles a day, when she can. And I have been running. And, I might add, I have been going out running without having first felt that dull feeling of resignation while I put my trainers on because I have eaten half the tin of biscuits and I really need to try and make the effort to burn off at least one of those twenty I have consumed… I have enjoyed running and I have not noticeably struggled at all while only consuming 800 non-biscuit calories. It has, inexplicably, been easier and more enjoyable.

Tomorrow is day twenty-nine. Tomorrow morning I’ll weigh myself ‘officially’ (that’s the weight which gets written down) for the fifth time. Hopefully I’ll have lost another pound. But I must not lose sight of what is important in the hypnotic Cheshire Cat grin of the scale’s digital readout. Losing weight with this diet is, for me, a happy side-effect. What’s most important is that my mum’s blood sugar is being managed with diet alone. What’s important is that both Mum and I are exercising more frequently and of our own free will. What’s important is how happy my insides feel and as a result, me.

And what’s really important to me is that if even one person who reads this blog decides to buy Dr Michael Mosley’s book, read it thoroughly and think ‘I can do it’; take control of their nutrition and in doing so, their life, to me that would probably be the best thing ever.  

Functioning with Fatigue

Today I suffered. With fatigue.

I was fine when I woke up; I made the boys their breakfasts, I cooked and ate my own breakfast. But somewhere around 9am, and my second cup of tea, I started to feel unaccountably weary. I just wanted to go back to bed and sleep. And sleep.

But I couldn’t. The two boys were looking at me to provide some kind of activity for them. It was a beautiful day; sunny, warm and very little wind. How could they miss out on that because I wanted to sleep? So I told them that I’d take them to the beach for a swim before lunch.

Somehow (after a strong coffee) we managed to get out of the house by around 10.30am. We walked to the beach. We found a spot that wasn’t too crowded and I dragged the buggy across the sand, near to the water’s edge. We put our towels out. The boys put their trunks on. And I did all this with my brain functioning like a zombie's (except instead of wanting to eat brains I wanted to get the boys to the beach).

Then we went for a swim – and the water was amazing.

And then, miraculously, I started to wake up. The fog started to leave my head and I was able to think about things other than sleeping or closing my eyes.

Whether it was the walk that did it, the sea or the joy of watching the boys playing in the sand and splashing in the water – I don’t know. But I woke up. And since then, the rest of the day has been fine. I managed to get two loads of washing washed and dried, ironed and put away. I made dinner for the boys (although one of them had a tantrum and went to bed early). I went for a short run, made dinner for Andy and me, washed up and then made Andy’s lunch for tomorrow. And now I’m writing this blog.

There were two notable factors about today’s weariness:

1) I wasn’t hungry, not at all, all day, and

2) Not at one single point ever did the thought of eating biscuits occur to me – a few weeks ago if I woke up feeling tired I would eat biscuits at the earliest opportunity.

So when fatigue strikes, my advice would be to just power on through. Don’t reach for easy way out and eat sugar. Maybe even have a cold shower. It might not seem like it while your brain is foggy, but you might just achieve quite a lot if you fight the urge to get back into bed and eat biscuits.

photo credit: dreaming in milan via photopin (license)

The Many Different Shades of Disappointment

Disappointment, I have come to realise, can affect you in either a positive way or a negative way. Depending on how you choose to view it, I suppose. It can come in many different shades; from a mild dissatisfaction to outright disillusionment, frustration and regret.

Last week, for me, was peppered with disappointments. I’m talking strictly about my 800-calorie-a-day Blood Sugar Diet here, not about the Rio Olympics British gold medals nor my husband’s attempts at helping with the housework.

Below I will list, individually, last week’s disappointments:

• I failed to stick to my daily calorie limit for six out of seven days
• I missed two runs
• I ate seven yogurt covered rice cakes (I love these – but they are not allowed until my eight weeks are up)
• Instead of drinking one small 185ml bottle of red wine (126 calories) with my steak on Saturday night (a treat while my husband was away), I drank a whole 750ml bottle (514 calories) and woke up the following morning with a terrible headache
• I didn’t lose any weight at all. Not even a single pound.   

Combine these disappointments with the fear and panic that I will give up on the diet after straying from it, leaving mum all on her own, and you have a recipe for self-flagellation and destructive thoughts.


However, there are two sides to every story (someone once told me there are four sides to every story, but that’s another story). For every single one of my pessimistic bullets points above, there is a small glimmer of optimism just waiting to be caught:

• My daily calorie count stayed below 1500 on every day except one (the wine day)
• Since missing two runs I now can’t wait to get my runners on tonight and attempt a four mile jog along the beach (renewed enthusiasm) and I did manage to get out three times this week, which is more than the previous week
• Even though I snacked on rice cakes, I managed to stay out of the biscuit tin (previously unheard of). I also steered clear of crisps and ice cream (hurrah)
• Renewed realisation that two large glasses of wine are ok, I should have probably stopped there and next time I hope I will (fingers crossed…)
• I didn’t gain any weight – I stayed the same. 

So there we have it. I have listed my week of diet disappointments and turned each of them around into something I should be pleased with.

I will stick to the 800 calorie limit every day this week to make up for my ills and to give mum my full dieting support. At the end of this week we’ll have hit the halfway mark, something that seemed impossible on day one. So, let’s keep this up and see how we get on.


Weight Loss Summary for Week Three:

This week I lost: 0lb
In total I have lost: 7lb

This week Mum Lost: 1lb
In total Mum has lost: 7lb

Combined Weight Loss Overall: 14lb

   

Did you say Extra Fries or Exercise?

It’s Friday again. 

In Bournemouth it’s the weekend of the annual air festival and just a few miles away I can hear something terrifyingly noisy performing stunts for thousands of freezing revellers who have braved a typical English summer’s night to gather and watch the spectacle in the sky – gale force winds are predicted for tomorrow.

It’s the third Friday in a row where I haven’t sat down after dinner to a large glass of red wine and a bag or sharing chocolates which I have no intention of sharing.

One of my biggest worries before I started this diet was ‘how on earth am I going to get through the weekend without eating chocolates, ice cream and drinking wine’. But I can tell you after three weeks, it’s not so hard after all. It was a silly worry to have. And actually the weekends are quite pleasant without all those things.  

Today my calorie total is just below 600. Having gone over my 800 limit for the last few days, I thought I’d better rein it in for a while. I even went for a run today having only eaten 300 calories at that point, I felt surprisingly sprightly.

While I was out running I started to think about how unmotivated I was with my running a few weeks ago. I knew I needed to get out and exercise because I was doing less physical activity and eating more and more – of entirely the wrong foods. But all the eating was making me lethargic and try as I might, getting my running bra on just seemed like too much effort (in all honesty it is quite difficult to get into). The more I ate, the less exercise I wanted to do. That seems funny to me – not hahaha funny, but, odd.

Since I have been eating a LOT less I have gone out running and enjoyed it. I’ve been out three times this week. Again, odd.

It seems that by eating 800 calories a day I am left with more energy and enthusiasm than I have when I eat pasta for dinner, have cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Obviously I have days when I am tired but they are few and far between. I generally find that the busier and more active I am, the easier the diet is and the easier it is to go out for a short run.

Maybe if you cut back on those extra fries you’ll have more tolerance for exercise. I certainly have!

All the Better for a Frozen Berry Bowl

Everyone needs a go-to breakfast that’s quicker than boiling the kettle. Something you don’t even have to think about. Something you can make with your eyes closed while you’re still half asleep. And it has to be tasty. It has to be so tasty you look forward to eating it.

For me, that something used to be toast with an unhealthy spread (chocolate spread was a favourite) or sugary cereal. I could make it with my eyes closed and I didn’t even have to think about what I was doing.

Whilst on the 8-week blood sugar diet that has had to change. I can no longer have toast or cereal in the mornings and the suggested breakfasts of eggs and shakes can be a bit time consuming (and produce more washing up than I would like!). This is how I fell into the ‘frozen berry bowl’.

We always have a large tub of Greek yogurt in the fridge. And recently I’ve had frozen berries in the freezer. The perfect breakfast for me at the moment is two tablespoons of yogurt with about 100g of frozen berries – blueberries and raspberries are the favoured ones at the moment. I also add a small handful of flaked almonds – about 5g. This comes to around 200 calories - perfect. 

Once the berries have started to defrost a little (about five minutes) I mix my bowl of yogurt and berries together. The cold berries turn the yogurt into a kind of ice cream and the result is honest-to-god amazing. It tastes too good to be a breakfast and I am literally salivating whilst writing this; I can’t until morning.

So there you have it. My go-to breakfast. My frozen berry bowl. If you make only one change in your life, try swapping your morning toast or cereal to a ‘frozen berry bowl’. I promise you, it will not disappoint!    

  

Three Litres of Water a Day

Three litres of water a day seems a lot to drink. But is it...? 

It is vital that you drink between two and three litres of water a day while on the 8-week blood sugar diet to try and prevent constipation and headaches. In fact it's a good idea to drink plenty of water whether you are dieting or not. 

You can drink any calorie-free liquid that you wish; fruit tea, tap water, fizzy water, tea and coffee (but go easy on the milk). I enjoy a mixture of all these, every day.

You must absolutely not drink fruit juices or fruit smoothies. And absolutely no sugar filled fizzy drinks at all. At a push you could have a diet fizzy drink but do this infrequently, if you go out or are doing something special.

If you are not keen on drinking tap water (I’m not) try buying a large bottle of ‘nice’ water. I like Volvic or Buxton. You can then see how much water you are drinking and it becomes more rewarding. Or buy a water filter which definitely helps make the water taste better. If you are really struggling with water, try adding ice and a few frozen raspberries, a slice of lemon or a squeeze of lime.

I thought it would be interesting to work out how much fluid I drink in a day. So, during the course of an average day I’ll have a large-ish cup of tea with breakfast (if I’ve got time – which at the moment in the summer holidays I’ve got plenty of – I might have two) let’s say that’s 400ml. I have an effervescent multivitamin drink in the morning too, let’s say that’s 200ml. I’m already on 600ml!

I’ll drink a glass of water, maybe two throughout the morning and another with lunch (1200ml). 

Maybe another cup of tea after lunch (400ml). And about four o’clock I’ll have a coffee (250ml). That’s an additional 1.8L of fluids. And the day is not over yet! 

I’ll have a glass of water with dinner (400ml) and if dinner was particularly salty perhaps another, and after I have washed up I’ll sit down with a peppermint or Redbush tea (250ml).

This works out to just over three litres of water in one day – I never knew I was consuming so much liquid! And I haven’t even been trying!  

    

You will notice that you pass a lot of water too – this has got to do with drinking so much water, obviously, but there is also an interesting scientific reason about the release and use of glucose from your body. I’ll try and write a blog about that one day…

  

On Any Given Tuesday

There is an element of empowerment in calorie counting.

If you ask any one of your friends or colleagues how many calories they have consumed today, I bet most of them wouldn’t have a clue. Some of them might hazard a guess. And a one or two may not even know what a calorie is.

On any given Tuesday before I embarked on this 8-week diet, I would not have been able to tell you how many calories I had consumed (food and drink) in the last 24 hours. And to be honest, I would have been scared to know the truth. 

Some days I imagine I was eating in excess of 3000 calories, and on occasion I imagine even more than that. Sometimes I would find that my dinner actually got in the way of my snacking ("Oh, I can't have that biscuit now as it's not long until dinner; I'll eat it after dinner" is how my thought process went). Or, that I was squeezing my dinner in even though I wasn't hungry as a result from all my snacking. Sometimes I would find that the nice things I was eating (M&Ms, Malteasers, whole tubs of ice cream) stopped tasting nice because I ate them so frequently. I would then resent the food I was eating for being bad for me and not tasting nice any more, and I would resent myself for not being able to stop eating it! Vicious circle.  

Today I am on day sixteen of my Blood Sugar Diet. I have started to appreciate the natural flavours of foods a little more. The sweetness in natural berries is enough for me. I really look forward to meal times and enjoy every mouthful - not snacking in between meals allows me to enjoy my meals even more.  

So, if you asked me how many calories I have consumed today, I can tell you I have eaten a grand total of 840 calories. I don’t feel hungry. I don’t feel tired (well a bit but only because it’s late). I don’t feel grumpy. I actually feel great. I feel more energetic and just generally better all over.

On any given Tuesday, anyone can take on the 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet and WIN. Just like me. 

Running on 800

It has been fifteen days since my last biscuit. Fifteen biscuit-less days which have gone by fairly quickly. 

My husband has joined us on the diet now. He isn’t weighing out every nut and counting every single calorie like we are but he is eating the same foods, and most importantly, not snacking between meals on sugar-loaded biscuits and chocolate or ice creams (of which there is an abundance of in our freezer at this time of year – how I’m avoiding them is beyond me). He’s had a tough first day; I can see it in his tired face. But hopefully over the next couple of days he’ll adjust, and feel a lot better.

So what I assumed would be a lonely, unhappy time for me is turning out to be a bit of a diet social. I certainly do not feel alone with this.  

I weighed myself this morning and I’m pleased to announce a loss of one solitary pound. A loss is still a loss no matter how small (small positives are still positives too!). My mum weighed herself and she has lost two pounds. We are both pleased with our efforts.

I went for a run today. Three miles in my new Nike Free Runs. I went along the beach and soaked up the atmosphere like a sponge. And although I am still slow, having not done much training this summer at all, I felt stronger and faster than I felt yesterday morning when I went out. I loved it so much I might even go again tomorrow evening!

Breakfast, 200 calories

With regard to running having only consumed 400 calories, at the point I went out, I didn’t feel it negatively affected my run at all. Now maybe if I was training for a marathon… but that’s a different matter altogether, maybe even another blog... 

To summarise:

This week I lost: 1lb

In total I have lost: 7lb

This week Mum Lost: 2lb

In total Mum has lost: 6lb

Combined Weight Lost Overall: 13lb 

Well done to us! 

Sunday (Run Day) Round-Up

It’s Sunday. The last day of my second week on the Blood Sugar Diet. For fourteen days I have tried very hard to stick to an 800 calorie-a-day diet, avoiding breads, pasta, pastries, rice and potatoes and filling up on protein and low-carbohydrate vegetables with plenty of fibre. I’ve had the odd sweet or a taste of ice cream whilst dishing some out for the children but I have stuck to the diet as best I could.

On only one day did my calories stray over 1000 – and that was only just (1045). That was on Wednesday of this week, and for that I blamed the popcorn. Most days I have stayed just below 800, but a few I have gone over. Overall, I should be aiming to eat 5600 calories in a week (I think I have eaten more than this in one day before now – when I realised this I actually cringed). In my first week I hit the target nearly spot on and lost 6lbs. In my second week (the week just gone) I was about 200 calories over the weekly target, which I will still blame on the popcorn. However, this week I have completed two short runs, only five miles in total but it’s something. So I’m excited to see how much weight I have lost when I weigh myself tomorrow morning.

I’ve had a good day. I have eaten well although only two meals, and 100g of strawberries (30 calories – amazing!). Who knew strawberries tasted so good on their own? With the addition of sugar, cream or ice cream (or Chambord – my mother-in-law’s favourite addition!). I also managed a run this morning and although it was short and slow, I felt great. I came back buzzing and enjoyed the sun for the rest of the day in the garden. Pure bliss.

And, you may ask, how is my mum doing? The reason I’m even doing this diet in the first place. Mum is doing great too. She has fallen into a bit of a pattern with her meals which is making it easier for her to keep track of her calories, and it makes meal times quicker and easier. She has tried lots of different dinner recipes which are suggested in the book and most of them, if not all of them, she loves.

We are both finding that smaller portions are now filling us up. I am also finding that sweetened things (like ice cream – I licked the spoon earlier) are too sweet. Drinking fizzy water with ice is my new treat and I can’t wait to have frozen berries and Greek yogurt for breakfast the way I once couldn’t wait for toast or cereal (I love both of those things).

So things are getting easier. And what do you know? We’re two weeks in already! There’s only six weeks left to go. We’re halfway to being halfway. And what a great feeling that is.

Let’s hope when I weigh myself in the morning it’s good news. But even if I’ve put on a pound, or stayed the same, I won’t be disappointed because I feel healthier and just generally better for embarking on this challenge.    

Small Steps with Smaller Plates

I’ve started eating my dinner from smaller plates. This way I can’t load so much onto my plate and over eat. Although I’m calorie counting, I am prone to making a salad without paying much attention to the calories of iceberg lettuce and cucumber. I’m a bit more careful with tomatoes, peppers and carrot ribbons though. My salads will often overflow to two thirds of my plate with a small chicken breast or steak taking up the rest. My dinner plates are quite big, so in order to stop me overfilling my plate I have started using a smaller one.

Now, I’m not saying that eating loads of salad is bad for you. Far from it. But, when sticking to 800 calories a day it’s important not to consistently break the limit – even with salad. Which is why I have started to be a little more mindful.

Getting used to using a smaller plate (if you don't already have one) will help when returning to a ‘normal’ diet following the 8-week blood sugar diet. It will help you to control your portions when you no longer have to calorie count and it will hopefully train you not to over eat (hopefully - I couldn't guarantee it though - I'm a massive over eater).

I also read somewhere once (a very long time ago) that blue is a good colour for your dinner plate as it prevents you from eating too much – by suppressing your appetite! Therefore, (can you guess the colour of my dinner plate?) the colour of my small dinner plate is blue. 

Apparently you will also eat less if your food contrasts with the colour of the plate you’re using (http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/discoveries/color-your-plates-matters). Or if you want to eat more greens, buy a green plate. Interesting stuff!

It may only be a very simple and small step but it is at least helping me go in the right direction. It’s not rocket science but it might help me to lose an extra pound. Who knows? It’s got to be worth a try though, hasn’t it?      

What A Difference A Day Makes

Yesterday I was lethargic, ravenous, I had a headache and I struggled to function to do basic tasks.

Today I spent the whole day out with the boys making the most of the sunny day. We packed all sorts of activities in, including watching a bit of Punch and Judy on Swanage seafront (it makes me laugh so much). 

I haven’t felt hungry once, not at all, all day long. 

For breakfast I had full fat Greek yogurt with a handful of blueberries and raspberries (straight from my freezer). For lunch, knowing we’d be out, I made a tuna salad to eat. We decided to get fish and chips for the boys so eating a tuna salad felt appropriate. For dinner I made a Mediterranean chicken tray bake, I just added a few new potatoes for the boys. 

And I noticed a remarkable difference in my mind and body. 

In Dr Michael Mosley’s book, The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet: Lose weight fast and reprogramme your body he clearly states, very near the beginning, ‘done badly, a very low-calorie diet will cause misery. Done properly, rapid weight loss is an extremely effective way to shed fat, combat blood sugar problems, reverse diabetes, perhaps even cure it’. (Short Books 2015: 19.) 

Interestingly enough, yesterday I tried to substitute 150 calories of poached egg and mushrooms with popcorn. It would seem that my subsequent lethargy was a reaction to eating something which was fat-less and therefore unable to fill me up and sustain me for the day. That is why I was prowling the cupboards for almonds and raisins and that is why I was so tired. My body digested the popcorn easily and I had a sugar surge which in turn made my pancreas produce insulin which forced the sugar out of my blood and into my cells, and later, when I felt tired and hungry, I had ‘crashed’; my sugar levels had dipped to below where they had started.

Yesterday, in Dr MM’s words, I did my diet badly and it caused me misery. Today, I followed the diet correctly, ate the right foods and I didn’t suffer once. My calories are below 800 and I even wanted to go for a run, but I ran out of time.         

I Blame the Popcorn

We had a family trip to the cinema today. I wanted to partake in popcorn eating, so I calorie counted my homemade popcorn and added a dusting of cinnamon. Everything was fine until 4 o’clock this afternoon, when suddenly, tiredness struck. My head was heavy and I had to have a nap. Nothing else would do.

I was woken up by my loving husband who wanted me to make the dinner.

I thought the nap would have worked its magic on me but I was still tired and now I was cold, light headed and ravenous – for first time since I started the diet. I had to eat something. So I had a handful of almonds, and another handful of raisins. These will push me over my calorie limit today to around 900, but I thought I was better off eating these than a biscuit.

I managed to make the dinner and get it in the oven with the help of my two boys, who incidentally make great little helpers in the kitchen. And then I tried to make excuses to myself why I shouldn’t go for the run I promised I would do today. There were many reasons not to go, but one big reason for going – I thought it might make me feel better.

On went the leggings and my running bra (an awesome thing which restricts ALL movement) and on went my old running shoes and with a half-hearted yet resolute attitude off I went for a slow, untimed, two miles.

The first mile was hard. My legs felt weighted, in fact I felt heavy all over. But I kept going. I thought I might have to walk – no shame in that, but I didn’t. I kept going.

As I was approaching one mile something amazing happened. The heaviness lifted. I suddenly felt good and my mind was able to wander to things other than how hard each step felt, or that pain in my shoulder. The run was doing its job.

I didn’t do a PB or anything like it; at one point I began to hallucinate, thinking that a bench was a German Shepherd (it was a long way off at the time). And when I realised that I still had to get home to prepare the runner beans for dinner I even sped up a little bit.

And now I don’t feel too bad, the endorphins have given me a boost. But I am definitely ready for bed (at 8.30pm).

What do I think caused this unbelievable feeling of lethargy? Well, I could be coming down with something, but personally, I blame the popcorn. Although it was calorie counted into my daily allowance, it was the wrong type of food for me to eat and because of a complex chain of chemical reactions,I was left craving food and sleepy. I promise to do better tomorrow with my newfound knowledge.  

Eight Short Weeks

This diet can be hard. Fact.

Restricting yourself to 800 calories-a-day when you are (if like me) used to eating pretty much what you want, when you want, it is obviously going to cause you some anguish.

If, also like me, you enjoy snacking on foods which are high in sugar between meals and then eating starchy carbohydrate-based meals like bread, pasta, rice or potatoes three times a day, then cutting back to 800 calories is going to feel like a massive slap in the face.

But it doesn’t have to be difficult. If get your head on side, your stomach will follow (I promise).

If you accept that you are only on this diet for eight short weeks, it becomes instantly easier.

If you tell yourself that when this diet is over you are going to make and eat a whole banoffee pie, so be it – if that makes it easier for you (one of my genuine thoughts a few days ago).

If you weigh yourself and see you have lost another pound – easier still.

If you look in the mirror and you think ‘I can see cheekbones’ or ‘my skin looks clearer’ then it becomes easier again.

I was speaking to a mum friend earlier today; we were speaking about the length of the summer holidays. She said, “you think six weeks is ages but it really isn’t.” And it’s really not. No sooner do the summer holidays begin then you realise you’re three weeks in and you’d better make that dreaded trip to Clarks to spend all your wages on one overpriced pair of school shoes that your two children have to share because you can’t afford two pairs…

This diet is only two weeks longer than the school holidays. So, just get into it. Get your head into it. Try to enjoy it. And before you can say I’m on the 8-week 800 calorie-a-day blood sugar diet, it will be over.

Keep on repeating those small positives to yourself until they suddenly become big positives and you realise you feel amazing, empowered, strong, confident, different and better. Ready for change.  

Tomorrow I go for my first run since starting the diet. That could be a real challenge. I’ll let you know how I get on. 

A Right Pair of Losers - Week One

Shall I tell you how much weight I lost in the first seven days of this diet?

I weighed myself this morning, before breakfast. Just as I did last Monday morning. Today I weighed a whole 6lb less than I did a week ago. Success!

Mum weighed herself for me too. She has lost a grand total of 4lb. Another success!

I know (before you say to me) that a lot of this will be water. But we are both moving in the right direction. And, most importantly, Mum hasn’t had to have a tablet at all, all week. So well done, Mum.

These results speak for themselves – we are both losing weight. We now have some extra motivation to keep this diet up for another seven days to see what we weight in at next Monday morning. Hopefully we’ll both be a few pounds lighter again but we’ll have to wait and see.

How much will we lose over this coming week? Will week two be more difficult and carry new challenges? Keep reading my blog to find out!  

To summarise:

I lost: 6lb

Mum lost: 4lb

Combined weight lost: 10lb

Seven Days In, Seven Weeks Out

Anyone who knows me, knows I love food. I eat when I’m happy, I eat when I’m sad, I eat when I’m celebrating and when I’m commiserating. I eat when I’m relaxing. I love to eat.

I love to eat anything. From healthy dinners full of vegetables to plates of pasta with creamy cheesy sauces and garlic bread. I love to eat snacks; biscuits, crisps, naughty little chocolates like M&Ms and Malteasers. I LOVE to eat ice cream and breads and cakes and pastries… The list goes on.  

I think about food a lot too. I think about the food we will have for dinner every day; I think about what I should have for lunch. I think about what food I could make to go on a barbeque on a sunny day. I think about what food I will cook for a dinner party or for the boys’ birthdays. I will start thinking about Christmas food at the end of September (not joking).

For these reasons, I was worried that I would struggle endlessly on this diet.

At the end of day seven – my first whole week on the Blood Sugar Diet – I can honestly say that it has been difficult, without a doubt (and if you’ve read my previous blogs you’ll know how much I struggled with those sweets and how tired I was to start with). But, and this is the important part, not impossible.

In fact, I have succeeded in completing the first seven days without the need of a ‘binge day’ or a ‘diet-day-off’ as I have with previous diets. Perhaps because there is a timeframe attached to this diet; after eight weeks I can have a cake or an ice cream, if I want to. Or perhaps because there is so much riding on this diet. If me and my mum succeed and successfully complete all eight weeks on 800 calories a day or less, there is the chance that my mum will have reversed her diabetes and will not need to take tablets any longer. If I give up, maybe Mum’s willpower alone will not be enough, so I have to keep going for moral support and encouragement. 

At the end of my first full week I feel different already. I feel happier, lighter (in mood and in body! Tomorrow I'll tell you just how much I've lost in my first week), slimmer, motivated and excited for the next seven weeks, and for life after the diet.

Getting through those first few days was difficult and I’m sure it won’t be plain sailing every day BUT I’m excited by the thought of what I will experience over the course of the next seven weeks. I'm excited to try new recipes, to research this diet further and to see how my body changes and maybe my brain too – will I be grumpy or happy, short-tempered or peaceful?

I am becoming more mindful of what I eat, when and how much I put on my plate. I am now starting to see that I feed my boys too much of the wrong things, for no other reason than they love these things and I want to make them happy. I will need to change this in due course, and I'm excited for this too. 

For those of you who are concerned about very low calorie diets or VLCDs, let me tell you a few things. Firstly, you will not faint and neither will you fade away. Also, believe it or not, you will not be as hungry as you think. 800 calories is more than you think, but a lot less than you currently eat, that, I can guarantee. You will struggle at times, so try to remove temptation. But mostly, even if you don’t think you can do it, let me for one tell you that YOU CAN. If you need to lose weight or lower your blood sugar, if you are on the brink of type 2 diabetes, even if you are embroiled in diabetes and you need to take tablets after every meal, you CAN do this diet and it might even fix you.

If you need to start a diet and you need a some encouragement, why don’t you join me and mum on our journey right now?

If you need some more help and advice, buy this book by Dr Michael Mosley right now. I promise, you will NOT be sorry.

  

Saturday Sweet Day

When I was little, my parents would only let me have sweets on a Saturday. This became known to me as 'Saturday Sweet Day'. And it worked. My teeth were healthy, strong and white. I didn't get fat or ill, or spotty. I didn't crave sweets or chocolate. That all came later, when I was university, but that's another story for another day.

Today we had a Saturday Sweet Day of our own and the boys had their sweets, the very ones which had been tempting me last night. I had three of their sweets today. I am not ashamed and I do not feel guilty. I have stuck to the diet all day today apart from those three sweets.

We've had salads for lunch and dinner. Our dinner was an amazing steak cooked by my husband - he always cooks our steaks. It has been a beautiful sunny day and we've all spent quality time together, for which I am truly thankful. It has been (mostly) peaceful and relaxing.

Mum is doing well too. Sticking to the 800 calories a day doesn't seem so hard for Mum. But then she lives alone with no one to buy sweets and ice lollies for (I very nearly failed today when all the boys had ice lollies, but I resisted). There isn't as much temptation in my mum's kitchen as there is in mine! But hopefully we are both making progress and at the end of day six things are looking good.

Fingers crossed that my willpower remains high for tomorrow...

Good night :o)

Willpower and the Chewy Sweets

Last night I was able to resist the temptation of a rice cake with my iron will. Tonight, straight after dinner, I tried and failed to resist one of the boys' gummy sweets. They have been on the kitchen worktop all day and I've struggled to avoid them. But after dinner I just couldn't resist their sweet cries any longer. I popped in a gelatinous strawberry-shaped fiend and felt instantly ashamed, while thinking how amazing and sweet and chewy it was. I could literally eat the whole tub. I am proud of myself for somehow managing to resist the rest (small positives!).

I read somewhere that after salty food, you tend to crave something sweet. This was probably my downfall today as I added a sprinkling of pink Himalayan salt on my dinner. I haven't added much salt to my food this week so this was probably a salt bomb going off on my taste buds. I think after tonight I will resist adding salt for the remainder of this diet. Especially if there are sweets within easy reach!

Dinner: Spicy Chicken and Lentils

Day five, has been without a doubt, the toughest diet-day to date for me by far. I have a headache, I feel sluggish and tired. And hungry. Incidentally it has been the day that I have consumed the most calories. Today I am nearly at 900.

Friday is usually my evening to unwind and have a glass of wine (half a bottle), a bag of Malteasers (who am I a kidding, a box!), crisps, popcorn, biscuits, and to be honest anything I can get my drunken hands on. Not tonight though, not this Friday, or the next seven. My willpower is having to work overtime tonight.

I will do my best to go to bed without having allowed another calorie pass my lips. It will be a real struggle though.

Sticking to this diet is taking as much willpower as I can muster. I just hope it doesn't run out over the weekend.

Wish me willpower.

Small Positives are Positives Too

8-Week Blood Sugar Diet - Day Four

It's definitely getting easier. Even if it's only getting a little bit easier. 

I didn't eat breakfast. I tried to make baked egg in avocado and ended up with a mess, which, when faced with first thing in the morning, I decided I couldn't face it. I had two cups of tea instead of breakfast. 

Then Leo, my three-year-old, fell face-first out of the trampoline (through the zip of the doorway which his older brother was just about to zip up!) onto the gravel. So we had to deal with blood and swollen lips and scratches, and general trauma (me as well) before lunch. 

Then during lunch my place in the Harry Potter ticket queue came up so I had a LOT of stress to try and book tickets for that! 

Then during dinner the same thing happened!!! 

All in all, it's a wonder I've stuck to any kind of diet today, let alone an 800 calorie diet. In times of stress I normally turn to food, and not the good kind. It's usually laden with sugar and empty calories. So a pat on the back for surviving today (best to focus on the positives).   

To help me along this long journey, I have made a wall chart where I can cross off every day as I go through the diet. So today, after dinner, I crossed off day four. Just 52 days left to go. I am hopeful that this will give me a visual sense of achievement which will keep me going during the tough times. Like today. 

Focus on the positives, says Dr Michael Mosley, even if they are very small.  

PMA, my husband bleats at me when I am feeling hopeless. Positive. Mental. Attitude.

Always look on the bright side of life, sang Monty Python (Eric Idle).

My wall chart may only be a flimsy bit of paper with some numbers on it, but it is a positive reminder that me, and Mum, are fighting for better health. We are positively changing ourselves in the face of the sugar land in which we live!!!

Happy Thursday everyone! :o) 

From Here to the Pier. And Back Again.

Seeing as it's the summer holidays, we (Mum and I) walked with the boys into Bournemouth today along the beach. It's 2.5 miles from our house to Bournemouth Pier. So by the time we have walked there, looked in a few shops and walked home again we are probably looking at 6 miles, maybe more.

We usually do this in the school holidays - it's our treat (mine and Mum's). We walk there, let the boys do something for a bit and then drag them to the pub where we let them eat whatever they want for lunch, ply them with ice cream and lemonade and let them play on any handheld gaming device we have with us (iPhone, Nintendo DS). While the boys are distracted, Mum and I get plastered on red wine and lager respectively. We eat whatever we want, ply ourselves with ice cream and slur at each other until it's time to stagger home.

Today we did things differently.

We didn't have breakfast. We agreed in advance we would refrain from food in the morning to allow us (sob) just one glass of wine each. That's right, we chose to drink a glass of wine instead of having breakfast. Actually we both found that neither of us were hungry at all until about 12pm.

We both ordered the lowest calorie lunch we could see on the menu - Chicken Caeser Salad (no bacon thank you, that's nearly as many calories as my wine). There were a few croutons on there but not many, so we ate them. We added no extra sauce - no mayonnaise, no salad cream. And we had one glass of wine each (well, one and a half, our willpower isn't that good).

We sat a drooled a bit at the boys' chips, baked beans, chicken nuggets and ice cream... But we did it.

On day 3 of our 8 week diet, we had our day out in Bournemouth and we didn't slip up (much).

I'm going to bed tonight with a grand total of 853 calories inside of me. Well done us, for sticking to our guns, even though we would have loved to blow the diet out of the water.

And, do you know what? Chicken Caeser salad is actually really nice. I didn't feel bloated or a bit sick like I usually do after burgers and fish and chips (not on the same day obviously). It was a really great alternative and one I think I will keep when these 8 weeks comes to an end.

For dinner tonight we made the Beetroot Falafels we should have had for lunch and they were amazing. They come highly recommended and when I get my head round this blog I think I will tweak the recipe (to my taste) and post it on here. I have never cooked with beetroot before so a massive thank you goes to Dr Mosley tonight - THANK YOU!
   

Too Tired to Type... zzz

Tuesday. Day 2. A grand total of 600 calories have passed my lips (plus 6 cashews = 54 calories, I just checked). So, 654 calories.

Avocado and Poached Egg (with chilli flakes)

My breakfast was poached egg on avocado and to be honest I didn't really enjoy it at all. Something about the cold avocado and the warm egg made me shiver. Needless to say I won't be eating that breakfast again in a hurry.

I have been to work today and it was a struggle. I found it difficult to concentrate; my head was swimming all day. I had a shake for lunch while at work which was fine, but I left work feeling hungry.  

Since getting home from work I have hoovered the house, cooked two lots of dinner and prepared some of my mum's dinner as well. I have done some washing and washed up. I could get into bed and go to sleep for the whole night, and it's only 7.30pm. I am shattered. Worn out. Lethargic.

However, I have done it. I have completed day two and that is certainly something to celebrate with a peppermint tea before I pass out.

I am looking forward to this getting easier when my body adjusts to the proteins and veg which is fuelling it rather than the carbs and sugars it is used to. So far no headache - good news. But tonight my tummy is aching for something else to eat: a biscuit, a chocolate bar... something, anything! I will resist though, and go to bed early.

Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.