Wednesday 3 November 2021

Sweet Talking

When Bob saw the GP about the chest pains etc, she did some blood tests. These revealed he has Type 2 Diabetes. On top of everything else! He was called back into the surgery to discuss this - not keen to go onto medication for that [on top of all the heart stuff] he asked for time to try and lose weight and get his blood sugar levels to a better place. He is going back in three months.

So we are both doing Michael Mosley's 8 week Blood Sugar Diet. I am joining Bob because I know I am overweight, and it is much easier if we are eating the same meals.

Once we left Leicester and I had much less teaching work, more time to bake [and all that splendid church catering at UCF] my weight has been increasing fairly steadily. I lost a little last summer whilst I was here on my own doing grandma's Nursery. But my BMI passed 30, which makes me technically obese. 

We are now half way through. Bob has lost more than a stone, I have lost over half a stone. His belt buckle now fastens 3 holes tighter- and I can zip up my winter boots comfortably over my calves!

We're both sleeping better, and generally feeling better. Most days we go for a walk of between 30 and 60 minutes. So we hope all this will result in Bob not having to go on meds.

How about the food? you're thinking. Well the bad news is, we can't eat toast,cakes,biscuits, puddings or pasta - the menu plans are low carb, low sugar. 

It's a Mediterranean style eating plan - lots of veg and good quality protein. [Hence my steak and salad at Wetherspoons] The aim is 800 calories per day - I suspect we are at 800-900, but that's still pretty low cal.

Four weeks in and we are tweaking the diet a little. On alternate days, we have a half sized bowl of porridge for breakfast [I can only eat so many eggs, and I don't like avocado] and top it with a sprinkling of salt or a grating of nutmeg [not demerara sugar, as I have done for years]

We are learning to recognise which foods have 'hidden sugars', and avoid them.

I can make a passable 'rice' using cauliflower put through the food processor, then roasted in a baking tray. And 'mash' is no longer potatoes, but butterbeans, or celeriac, or a mixture of both.[The book gives a great fish pie recipe with a celeriac topping]

The salad leaves in the raised bed means we can have a freshly cut green salad every day - and Bob is a wizard at making flavoursome salad dressings with different herbs, oils and vinegars.

I have been buying Chinese Leaf [aka Napa Cabbage] I cut a large rectangle from the broad white central rib. The green leafy bits I shred into my salad, and the white pieces become 'crackers' for cheese, or paté spread very thinly. We are determined to do the full eight weeks - and then go onto the 'maintenance' diet plans after that. Christmas will be a challenge- but we don't want to undo all the good work before Bob returns to the surgery in January. 

I know I will never get back to the weight I was when I was 18 [100lbs when I went to Uni!] but I peaked at 166lbs earlier this year. 

I really miss toast, and croissants for Sunday breakfast, and sponge puddings. And I find it very hard at the chapel on Wednesdays when there are huge slices of cake offered with the coffee. But if a thing is worth doing...

The book says that initially there is rapid weight loss, then there will be a plateau. This is true, but I hope that by the first week in December, at the end of the eight weeks, we will feel fitter and slimmer. 

If you have good diet tips, please share them!




29 comments:

  1. Drinking lots of water too?
    I'm not sure what to suggest as I've put on weight recently and some clothes feel tight or don't fit.x

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    1. Yes, making myself drink water with every meal. I'm not good at that

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  2. Well done congratulations to both of you! I have just been watching a show about Michael Moseley tackling diabetes in Australia. Since we're just coming out of the worlds longest lock in I also am a bit more rotund than I was. I am an emotional 'picker' and finding it hard to get over that.

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    1. I saw that he was doing stuff in Oz. The pandemic has left many people a little more rotund than they were before

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  3. I know of many people who have reversed their diabetes with their diet and many more who do not believe that diet has anything to do with the condition. I think there will be many children growing up now that will have diabetes much sooner than the generations now - it is a bit of an epidemic and costs the NHS something like 16 million a day.
    So I am really pleased that you have managed to alter your diet and it has had results for you because that is what will keep you going.
    The only tip I have is not to call it a diet but your new way of eating. Being vegetarian mostly eat wholefoods too - so brown rice as it has protein (white is all carb), wholewheat pasta but we use a minimal amount in a dish with loads of mediteranian veggies and we have very little in the way of any pastry dishes like pies etc. Brown lentils are good for shepherd's pies and you can use them in any recipe requiring mince.
    It sounds like you are doing very well on the diet and it just needs time to adjust.
    When you start relaxing the diet a bit or go into a cafe you can always ask for the small sizes of coffee etc and share a cake - thereby reducing the calories but having a little taste of something you like.

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    1. I like the brown lentils tip. Thank you

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  4. I’m type 2 diabetic as well so very low carbs, just in veg really, lots of fruit and veg, a little fish and occasional egg, lots of beans, nuts and seeds. I lost 2 stone quickly so waiting on next assessment to see if diabetes in remission. It’s fat around the middle that is dangerous apparently. Good luck to both of you. Sarah Browne

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    1. I hope your assessment is good. Bob goes back in early January for his

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  5. We don't do the MM diet, as I'm 5'10" and husband is 6'2" (almost 6'3"), and we both have big frames. On 800-900 cals a day, we'd collapse!
    However, I follow Weight Watchers, and as I'm the main cook in the house, what I cook, husband eats!
    Do you like Butternut Squash, it makes brilliant soup, or mixed with butter beans to make a great mash!
    I had no idea that butter beans were as lovely as they are, I could eat them until they come out of my ears!
    I make a great cauliflower soup, pop onions, courgette, cauli (inc stalk and leaves) one or two veggie stock cubes, (I use Marigold Bouillon powder) and a small of potato into a saucepan, bring to the boil, simmer for about 25 mins. Whizz with a stick blender, season well and serve. If you can put a bit of strong blue cheese in halfway through blending, it makes it doubly delicious! X

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    1. Yes to butternut squash and butter beans. The stick blender is a real asset for turning veg into smooth soup.

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  6. I am so impressed with your commitment to this diet and I just know that we should all be eating in such a healthy way. I don't have a weight problem on the whole but our long winters encourage a bit of pampering. DH loves everything sweet but he is so active in the yard and bush that his weight isn't packing on, and sometimes we are busy and forget to have any afternoon tea with snacks. When we do, I try to avoid having a cookie except on weekends. Sunday is a "feast day", so I like to indulge in something yummy. One "rule" I used to have was not to eat anything sweet that wasn't worth eating - dubious store bought items. In general I think that we need treats but they have to be treats, i.e. not to be indulged in every day. Now if I could just stick to that rule! (Halloween mini chocolate bars are being munched here this very week - nobody came to ask for them).

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    1. I love sweet things... Finding it hard to give up puddings

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  7. I think you are doing really well and I am proud of your commitment. I don't do it as much as I should, but drinking lots of water is a great idea. Eight weeks isn't too long!

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  8. Sounds like you're both doing well with your change of diets. I'm sure the results will be in Bob's favour come January. I've put on a vast amount of weight since I had Covid/Long Covid and stopped working, which was a very physical job but I'm not concentrating on dieting, just moving more and trying to eat less. I don't have any advice to offer except don't go overboard with the dieting thing. xxx

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    1. We are being realistic, acknowledging that we can't be 100% perfect in following the rules.

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  9. It's very motivating to see how well you are both doing on the new diet! I'm sure all your hard work will pay off when Bob returns to the doctor's for his January check up. :)

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  10. Love and prayers to you both - I do hope that Bob will get encouraging results when he goes back x

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  11. Good luck - what you are trying to do is very hard - those pounds sneak on and cling on. All the best. Cheers

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    1. That is true. A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips!

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  12. My hubby did Michael Moselys 800 fast a couple of years ago, but once lockdown hit and he started baking bread he gained the weight. He finds intermittent fasting really does help lose the weight and we try not to eat too many refined carbs. Switching for beans and pulses, we generally eat normally at the weekend.

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    1. Thanks, this is encouraging - but don't expect me to get my exercise on roller skates, I'm not as agile as your family!

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  13. Since Mr FD started making his own bread things have gone downhill a bit..! Well done to you both for working so hard at this.

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    1. Clearly Pandemic Breadmaking has a lot to answer for. (is there a French word "paindemique"? I feel there should be)

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  14. Haven't heard of this book or author before! I went to his website and found he has some recipes listed so will give them a try. At the beginning of the shut-in I lost 15 pounds but now realize I have gained it back so changes are in order. At the beginning though I was making pasta and bread and then stopped last Christmas - so that is not what encouraged the weight. Not sure... Anyway, how wonderful that your husband and you are doing this together! Bravo!

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