Someone posted on here about the Keto diet a few months ago. I thought that I'd look into it as the author of the post has such positive results from it. In the end I decided not to go on it as my consultant wasn't keen and it did seem quite complex and lots of strange ingredients. However, I have discovered Michael Mosley's The Fast 800 which is a life changer for me. The science is definitely behind this way of eating, not only do you lose weight but your blood sugars reduce and it reduces the flab around your midline which is so important. I have only been on this way of eating for a week, lost 9lbs, feel fantastic and have lost an inch from my waist. If anyone is interested there is a programme on Channel 4 on Wednesday 5th August which will give you more info or go to the Fast 800 website.
The Fast 800: Someone posted on here about the... - CLL Support
The Fast 800
From theconversation.com/the-sci...
...They found participants in the 800 calorie groups lost more weight and more of the adults with type 2 diabetes achieved remission than the control groups.
This is what you would expect, given the intervention was very intensive and included a very low total daily energy intake.
But the low energy intake can make the Fast800 difficult to stick to. It can also be challenging to get enough nutrients, so protocols need to be carefully followed and any recommended nutrient supplements taken.
Fast800 is not suitable for people with a history of eating disorders or health conditions such as liver disease. So if you’re considering it, talk to your GP.
Yes, I agree with this but if you follow the guidelines and the recipes you get all your nutrients. 800 calories a day sound not very much but it is for a short period of time and you can do 5:2 if you want to do a slower version. I only felt a little hungry on day 2. I'm eating so much better than I was, the recipes are delicious. X
Floxxy, you've been on it too short. It's called a starvation diet. It can not be maintained indefinitely. I'm not surprised your doc doesn't like it. As soon as you stop adhering to it, you will gain all the weight back and then some. I'd like to be proven wrong, but I won't be. You'll see in a few weeks or months yourself. Read up on the about the Minnesota Starvation experiment conducted by Ancel Keys. Diets are all fad, a change in eating habits and lifestyle on a permanent basis is needed for a sustainable result. Going back to eating the previous junk once the diet is over is what they call a yoyo effect. Only each time it is more and more difficult to loose weight again. I recommend Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes to get the full version of the science behind. BTW keto IS difficult esp.for women, but the good news is low carb eating is good enough for most. 100 grams of carbs per day are still OK. Any daily calorie deficiency must be very slight. Else the body starts playing defence and show you that even on 800 calories you can still gain fat while loosing all your energy and muscle mass. These are dangerous things to play with unless knowing all the lurking pitfalls. Pls don't shoot the messenger 😊 Take care and be careful.
Hi, I've been on it for 2 weeks and feel fantastic and have so much energy. My consultant didn't want me to do Keto but was quite happy for me to do this one. It has been devised by 2 doctors and is based on science and lengthy trials. This is not a diet but a way of eating. I fully intend to continue this way of eating after I have completed the 800 stage and do the maintenance phase. I will let you know how I get on but at the moment have not wanted to go back to sugary type foods at all. X
Good luck and pls do post from time to time about how you feel and whether it still feels doable for the long haul. I'm really curious and perhaps not only me 😊
My doctors said to stay away from any "fad" diets.
My husband was on Weight Watchers ( not considered a fad diet) Easy to follow and very good results without compromising any health issues. What is good/safe about Weight W, is it's a way of changing eating habits instead of a "diet". You can still endulge in fun foods so you are never punishing yourself or feel left out of certain food groups that you enjoy. Their points app is amazing to use while shopping. Does the work for ya.
I don't like to hear diets that could be dangerous to liver, kidneys, diabetes etc. And my doc definitely said no Keto diet. 🤷
Is he still on it?
He was on it 15 years ago for few years. Then again for past 3 years. He still treated it like a diet instead of a way of life. It still was successful. He gave it up around January. Bad timing since virus came. He definitely needs to get back on it at some point.
I did keto for almost a year and it worked for me as far as getting my blood sugar under control. Went from 140 to 90 and just last week tested at 80. I lost 55 lbs and that was a positive outcome but did struggle with energy. I am on a more balanced diet. Per my oncologist he wanted me to eat more carbs. Still eat very little carbs and sugar but a bit more flexible with it. I do feel better but as with most of us CLL patients, tiredness is my constant companion. I have found that for me a intermediate fasting diet has helped keep my weight down. But as I tell everyone who asks....It works for me but your mileage may vary.
Hi Floxy
Thanks for sharing this, I’ll definitely watch it. I did the 5:2 for a year and it was amazing. Very healthy to fast and give your body a break.
Sadly, since FCR treatment, my body has changed and I have out on weight around my middle, which I struggle with. Have you had treatment yet?
Mandy
Hi, I know what you mean. I finished FCR a year ago and definitely put on weight throughout mainly because I was too tired to cook proper meals and snacked a lot. I had been on SW before and reached my goal weight just before starting chemo but just couldn't get back on it. I had read a great deal of info about the influence of sugars on cancer, and with the increased threat of covid on obese people an being at risk with CLL I needed to do something. I did do a great deal of research and found that Fast 800 was definitely the one for me and haven't been disappointed. I hope all goes well for you. X
That’s good to hear and well done. I’ll watch the programme and give it a go.
Thanks so much for sharing this. Xx
While we do consume too much sugar in the typical western diet, which is associated with a range of health conditions, sugar consumption does not make cancers worse as is often incorrectly stated. It's just another carbohydrate, which the body converts to glucose and which all body cells need to survive:
healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...
I hope to later post a link to a video about Australian research, which has identified that CLL cells uptake lipids (fats), preferentially to glucose. That's why CLL swollen nodes show up better on a CT scan than a PET scan. The reasearchers hope to develop a PET scan using a radioactive lipid tracer, so CLL will show up better than the radioactive glucose tracer used with standard PET scans.
Neil
I have been reading behind the science of weight loss whilst shielding. All the recent proper science books on weight loss agree that if there is an element of fasting in a diet then it likely to be successful. Friends of mine have found the 5:2 diet very helpful. I didn't think it would work for me, as I like my food too much. I have been using its variant of 16:8, which I have no problems keeping with in lockdown.
You are only allowed to eat within an 8 hour window, and then nothing but non-calorific drinks in the 16 hours until eating commences again. I was careful to work out what my basic calorific intake should be and stick to that. In the main I just try and have my main meal of the day before 5pm and have a later breakfast at 9.00am.
I am a fat person, but my consultants have said that I am not to attempt any dieting regimes - especially not anything very low calorie, or very low carb, or Keto. They say that dieting and weight loss are not healthy for people with cancer. So please be very very careful and talk to your doctor. Many years ago, our teenage daughter went on Atkins, and within 4 days she was in hospital on a drip, very poorly. And she had asked GP if it was safe to go on.
Should have added that it has been really good. 2 stone lost over a 4 month period and have never felt like I was on a diet
you're doing it right, congrats.
Thank you. X
Hi I've been doing 5:2 and the 800 calorie diet for a couple of years, on and off. But since lockdown I've been doing 800 calories Monday through Thursday as nd easing off at the weekends. I ha e also been doing almost daily solo cycle rides in the countryside. I also only eat two meals a day, at 12 and 6:30. I have been losing about 2 pound a week and haven't felt so fit in decades. BMI down from 30 to 27.5. Goal is to get down to 25 next year.
I remember seeing the programme on the research he did before writing the book 5:2 which was extensive. OH uses Dr Moseley’s basic concept having adapted it to suit his working week eg Greek Yoghurt and berries for breakfast; salad, slaw, tomatoes etc and fruit for lunch and protein and vegetables for dinner. When disciplined I do 5:2! It’s certainly helped my OH. And interestingly eating out we both eat less without thinking about it.
Good luck, enjoy and please keep us updated.
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