murph524/newcastle diet

[lisa5466]

Hi Cara,
I've fluctuated quite a bit due to some setbacks where I didn't stick rigidly to the plan, and also my bathroom sclaes had to be repalced and the new set weighed me in at 3lbs heavier on the same day as the previous ones had done.
I'm on my last day of week 4 today, my weight started at 11st 12lbs (166lbs) and today I weigh in at 11stones, (154lbs) and that is on the new scales that weigh 3lb heavier. (I guess on the original scales I'd be 151lbs!)
My BG was 7.4 when I started, it dropped through out the first three weeks to 4.7, but after a small 'blip' in following the plan last week I read 5.7 again.
What I'm finding is that exercise is crucial, when I drop the exercise I don't lose any weight.
I don't stick rigidly to the replacement drinks every single day, however I do stay within the 800 calories, as going above this seems to mean I put a couple of pounds back on.
I'm trying to stick to the drinks now as I am seeing better results the more rigidly I follow the plan.
And today I discovered the Tesco Ultra-slim Mango Smoothie meal replacement, it has the same nutritional content as the milk shakes and tastes good for breakfast, has anyone else tried it? Is it ok do you think to incorporate into the plan?

Keep going Cara, I'm thrilled with what I've achieved so far, you will be too I'm sure.

 

[carraway]

Thanks for the reply Lisa. How are you now?

Murph- how are you doing this week?


ANy updates from anyone else?

Cara

 

[mitsi5959]

hi murph and mongoose
how you both getting on with your diets?

 

[Mongoose39uk]

Good 5 weeks done! Weight loss has slowed but fat still seems to be going. 8 inches of my waist so far.
My GP is more than happy with the results so far. He isn't bothered about fasting levels but wants two hours after each meal for a full day at least once a week and makes sure I get test strips when I need them.

Testing at between 5.2 and 5.8 after meals. 4.6 after exercise but I do feel strange at anything under 5.

I have the blood test forms ready for the week after I finish and it's then back to my GP. His opinion is that I will be diabetes free but I am not holding my breath. However you never know if you don't give it a go. 8 weeks is bloody hard work mind

 

[mitsi5959]

well done mongoose
are you on any meds or have you managed to reduced them, have you planned diet maintenace and what you will be eating after this finishes

 

[Mongoose39uk]

Going to review the Metformin (500mg) twice a day with my GP when I have finished. I have missed a few and its made no difference.

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[Mongoose39uk]

Food after I am still working on a plan. It may involve steak and Gin

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[lisa5466]

Mongoose that's amazing, well done!!!
Cara, how are you doing?
Murph, how are you doing!


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[mitsi5959]

hi all
i am on week 5 of the newcastle diet, am due to go for a fasting blood test, how long after the diet has finished, should i go for this test

 

[mitsi5959]

murph
have you got a meal plan after you finish this diet

 

[julie54]

Hi again! My meal plan after the Newcastle Diet was to go very low carbohydrate. This has continued to give lower blood glucose readings and also kept the weight loss up - although obviously at a much slower rate than on the shakes regime. Have had no bread, pasta, rice, flour, cakes, pastries, etc etc since the end of June - and can honestly say that I haven't missed them and have never felt hungry. My primary aim in following low carb was to keep blood glucose levels in the normal range - with the secondary benefit having been that I have not put any of the lost weight back on - and that in fact it continues to reduce, albeit much slower at around one pound a week. Initially I felt disappointed at the slow weight loss (the shakes diet in a way lulls you into a false sense of security because the weight loss is so dramatic!) but the slower weight loss is in fact much more the norm - and not as bad as you initially think because if you lost one pound a week, that works out to over three and a half stone in a year - which is a much better way of looking at it!! :thumbup:

 

[murph524]

27th day = fbg = 6.4 weight = 12.4
28th day = fgb = 6.7 weight = 12.4
29th day = fbg = 7.0 weight = 12.4
30th day = fbg = 6.9 weight = 12.4
31st day = fbg = 6.8 weight = 12.3
32nd day = fbg = 7.3 weight = 12.3
33rd day = fbg = 7.2 weight = 12.3

I have been very strict with this diet up until the 33rd day, The weight is coming off very slowly, but still going in the right direction, But the bloods just seem to be all over the place, They went into the 5s then the 6s and now they are back into the 7s, I just don't know what i'm doing wrong.

The night of the 33rd day, Indian takeaway and 2 bottles of wine later, Oh and 2 kitkats, I woke up with my first hangover in 5 weeks,

34th day = fbg = 7.8 weight = 12.5
2 lb weight gain, But back onto the diet with added determination,

35th day = fbg = 7.4 weight = 12.5

I have started to wonder if it could be the shakes that i have been using that are keeping my numbers up ? I am using the asda shakes made up with skimmed milk, So i have decided to make them up with just water,But adding a extra shake to add some of the lost calories. So hopefully with the reduced carb intake from the milk, i should see my weight and numbers coming down.

 

[carraway]

Hi Murph

Well done for sticking to it ( Mostly)

Have a look at the Slim and save website, they have very low calorie shakes, soup, bars and meal replacements. Maybe something to look at?

I don't know about the Asda shakes but I know Slimfast is high carb in comparison to some.

This diet is a lot to go through for small results. I lost 3lbs in week 2 and was not happy. So I accidently let a flapjack fly into my mouth!!

Are you testing your bloods at any other time? Morning readings can be the highest of all ( dawn phenomenon or liver dump)

Keep in touch
Cara

 

[Mongoose39uk]

Fasting blood glucose is often the last thing to drop.

Try before meals and then two hours after, your looking for the size of the increase after meals decreasing.

Don't beat yourself up for being human **it happens

It may not be that you get good results until you get down near your target weight. It may be it won't work for you, it does not for everyone.

You were giving it a **** good try and I am sure you will again.

 

[julie54]

Hi Murph! I did the ND just over a month - using the Asda shakes with skimmed milk, just as you have. This was because it wasn't possible to get the Optifast as my G.P. was about as helpful as a chocolate fireguard!! I stopped because it was my birthday and I was going on holiday to Portugal with a friend!!) However, I was always a bit concerned that I was using the shakes with milk (skimmed) when Professor Taylor's diet states not to have milk. So I wrote to him and here is his reply:

Apologises for the delay in replying. I have received a very large number of emails about this matter.

I hope this advice is still timely. Making up the shakes with skimmed milk is reasonable. It may extend somewhat the period of time necessary to achieve the degree of weight loss necessary to reverse diabetes. For the intended short term period of weight loss nutritional deficiency is extremely unlikely although iron balance is always worth watching.

Best wishes for future health.

Yours sincerely


Roy Taylor

Funnily enough, because I had the same concerns as you, I also made them with water, but increased to three scoops (great minds think alike, eh!) towards the end of my month on them.

I think for me, the main reason for doing the diet was to kickstart and boost weight loss - with the added advantage that it may 'reverse' diabetes. I am now low-carbing and increasing exercise, still with the main aim that this will continue the weight loss as I see this as the key to any potential blood glucose improvement. This does continue to work for me with my levels being pretty constant within the acceptable levels (i.e. 4 to 7) - but I know that if I fall off the wagon and get back onto the carbohydrate truck - the levels go up!! Interestingly, I now find that one of the worst for me is skimmed milk - found this out when I had a friend round for a morning moan/catch up - and got through about 4 cups of coffee with milk splash - tested my bloods and they had shot up to 10.2!! So that reinforces for me that when I was using the shakes diet - whilst my blood levels did reduce significantly, (they were 19.4 on diagnosis!!) the milk kept them slightly up from where they may have gone to if I had been able to use low carb shakes.

Low carb is keeping my levels great - and the weight continues to go, albeit it seems painfully slowly compared with the weight loss on the shakes!! However, the shakes regime remains in my 'tool box' and I may well use it as a sort of 'two week blast' if i feel the need. At the end of the day my aim is weight reduction whilst maintaining safe blood glucose levels - whichever road I need to take to do that.

I hope all this makes sense!!

 

[lisa5466]

Hi murph, it helps for me to read your posts as I am currently stuck the same way as you are, with weight remaining the same give or take a pound or two, and CBC reading increasing. I've increased my exercise routine but that's having no effect. In total, since starting this 5 weeks and 4 days ago I have lost just 14 lbs!!! Fbg is lower but has increased again to 5.9 today. I'm also using asda shakes and the soup recipes, I'm thinking of mixing with water for a day or two to see if it helps. Did you try it and if so were you lot hungrier?
That hangover must have hit you, I know the first time I had a drink and 'doner kebab' I felt awful the next day, hmmm I guess we're just human!!
Keep going& I hope it helps to hear you're not the only one struggling.


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[murph524]

Hi Lisa, I was going to post tomorrow, But since you have asked i will post today.

day 36= fbg = look below = weight = 12.2
day 37 = fbg = 6.1 = weight = 12.0
day 38 = fbg = 6.1 = weight = 12.0
day 39 = fbg = 5.5 = weight = 12.0

The fbg for day 36 was either 7.6 or 5.3 on the left hand or 6.6 or 6.0 for the right hand, I tested 4 fingers at the same time to see the difference and was amazed at the results, but i have been using the same finger for the rest.

Yes i have started to use water for the shakes, as you would guess it's a slightly more watery taste, But it does not take long to get used to, first couple of days were fine, but starting to feel a bit more hungry in the last few days, I'm sure it will pass as its the same as when i first started the diet, iv'e just been drinking more water and green tea.

My fbg in the morning when i test are also starting to come down, and i am putting this down to stopping the milk in the shakes, plus the weight started to come off again after the much needed at the time, wine and curry, 5lb loss between day 35 and 37.
I can't wait until my next pound comes off ( hopefully tomorrow ) that will put me into the 11 stones, the last time that happened was about 17 years ago, and it was going in the wrong direction then.

I have decided to finish my diet after 7 weeks, which will be a week on Friday, as i am going on holiday the following week and i want to be into a sensible low carb eating plan before i go, ( hopefully not to put most of it back on, as i know what i am like on holiday )

Lisa, i think like me you would benefit from making it up with water, as i wished i had started from the start of the diet, just remember to add another shake to your day, to keep up the calories and vitamins.

Good luck when you give it a try and keep us updated with your results.

 

[lisa5466]

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly Murph. Looks like using water has done the trick, I'll start that tomorrow as I've had today's quota!
I don't blame you for stopping this before your holidays, I'm sure it feels fantastic for you to drop into the next 'stone' zone, well done, you definitely deserve a break.
Interesting that your bloods read differently on each finger, I've read that somewhere else here too?
I'll keep going for the next couple of weeks and see if the change to water can kick start things a little, it's definitely inspiring to hear it's working for you.
I'll check back to see how you're doing & I'll let you know how I get on, you're having four shakes a day and still having the soups I take it?
Good luck........

 

[murph524]

Hi Lisa, yes I am having 4 shakes a day now, I have cut down on the soups as I am not sure about the added salt in the veg stock, but I still make it twice a week, I must admit you defo need the will power to stick to the veg every night as it gets very very boring, I have seen myself not really enjoying the food, just eating it to get the vitamins and nutrients from them, But good luck, and keep on posting.

 

[murph524]

day 40 = fbg = 5.4 = weight 11.13
day 41 = fbg = 5.8 = weight 11.13
day 42 = fbg = 5.6 = weight 11.12
day 43 = fbg = 3.7 = weight 11.12
day 44 = fbg = 4.6 = weight 11.12

Everything going fine, With just under a week left for the diet, stopping at 7 weeks, I decided to have another bottle and a half of wine on Friday ( day 42 ) Cooked low carb sausages, bacon, eggs and mushrooms, mmmm. Next day when i woke up my bloods were down to 3.7, I felt very shaky, had to have 2 small biscuits to put numbers up a bit, 45 mins later 4.3, 1 hour and a half later, back down to 3.9, 2 more biscuits, back to 4.3, then back to 3.8, got it back to 4.3, It went on like this through the night, and i did not sleep that well, So i decided to reduce my metformin to 2 tablets, I will see how that goes, might take it down again depending on my bloods for the next few days, I have also just bought a blood pressure monitor from ebay, ( should be here in a couple of days ) as i have been getting a bit light headed if i get up to quick, I have also decided to stop my blood pressure tablet for a while until i see what my blood pressure is.

I'am just away to write down my shopping list for when i come off the diet properly, as i want to make sure that i have loads of low carb foods and snacks in the house.