# My Newcastle Diet Thread



## NewkyD (Jan 15, 2022)

Hi there, I’m very overweight at 155kg and have been eating poorly for a long time and am at risk of diabetes so am starting off a new strategy by doing the ND with 3xOptifast a day and a load of microwaved frozen veg in the evening (cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, peas, cabbage) with a hint of extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Extremely boring but at this stage I just want to do the eight weeks without worrying about what to prepare.

I don’t feel hungry on this diet luckily, and unlike other shakes I’ve tried Optifast is not actively disgusting. I do feel mentally bored/resentful haha.

I’ll weigh after my first week on Monday.

Does anyone know if drinking artificial sweetener fizzy drinks eg 7Up Zero is allowed? It has no sugar and says it’s about 2 calories per 100ml. I ask because when just drinking water I often forget to drink but something like the above is possibly easier for now,

Many thanks


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## Leadinglights (Jan 15, 2022)

NewkyD said:


> Hi there, I’m very overweight at 155kg and have been eating poorly for a long time and am at risk of diabetes so am starting off a new strategy by doing the ND with 3xOptifast a day and a load of microwaved frozen veg in the evening (cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, peas, cabbage) with a hint of extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Extremely boring but at this stage I just want to do the eight weeks without worrying about what to prepare.
> 
> I don’t feel hungry on this diet luckily, and unlike other shakes I’ve tried Optifast is not actively disgusting. I do feel mentally bored/resentful haha.
> 
> ...


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## Leadinglights (Jan 15, 2022)

You may find this link useful.








						The Importance of Drinking Water on a Diet | Shake That Weight
					

It is very important when following this diet to drink you water allowance. Aside from keeping you hydrated, drinking water can actually




					www.shakethatweight.co.uk


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## Drummer (Jan 15, 2022)

Try having a different option very three days or so - check out what your supermarket has to offer if that is easier. I have enough variation from Lidl alone. They also have a range of sugar free fizzy drinks and squashes.


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## NewkyD (Jan 15, 2022)

Thanks to you two. I think paradoxically if I started thinking about variations in the vegetable component I would find it harder to stay the course because I would be thinking about other food possibilities.


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## NewkyD (Jan 15, 2022)

Update 1: lost 7 kgs since Monday but I assume it’s very easy to lose weight at the start and especially for the very overweight


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## Mrs Mimoo (Jan 15, 2022)

NewkyD said:


> Update 1: lost 7 kgs since Monday but I assume it’s very easy to lose weight at the start and especially for the very overweight


wowser you lost more in a week than I did in 4!! amazing

I'm on a newcastle diet. I like exante shakes as they have good nutrition. The pot meals are good too. I drink fizzy water to keep me hydrated and take fybogel in case i slow down....


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## NewkyD (Jan 16, 2022)

Mrs Mimoo said:


> I'm on a newcastle diet. I like exante shakes as they have good nutrition. The pot meals are good too. I drink fizzy water to keep me hydrated and take fybogel in case i slow down....


Best of luck to us both!


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## NewkyD (Jan 31, 2022)

Update 2: I have now lost 12 kg since starting ND on 10th Jan using 3 x Optifast shakes a day.
I have not succumbed/cheated yet as I’m not experiencing physical hunger pangs just mental ones. In fact I’ve kind of gone the other way - I started off having a good portion of veg in the evening on top as directed but have failed to do that for a while. 

For anyone knowledgeable reading  this: how can I test if my blood sugar is normal and behaves normally. Eg if after my eight weeks I just have normal sugary food how do I test that my body’s response is normal and fine (reminder I was/am at risk of diabetes I don’t have a diagnosis, but very overweight)?

Thanks


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## Leadinglights (Jan 31, 2022)

NewkyD said:


> Update 2: I have now lost 12 kg since starting ND on 10th Jan using 3 x Optifast shakes a day.
> I have not succumbed/cheated yet as I’m not experiencing physical hunger pangs just mental ones. In fact I’ve kind of gone the other way - I started off having a good portion of veg in the evening on top as directed but have failed to do that for a while.
> 
> For anyone knowledgeable reading  this: how can I test if my blood sugar is normal and behaves normally. Eg if after my eight weeks I just have normal sugary food how do I test that my body’s response is normal and fine (reminder I was/am at risk of diabetes I don’t have a diagnosis, but very overweight)?
> ...


I would be very wary of going back to 'normal sugary foods' as you don't want to undo your hard work.
If you are considering getting a new blood glucose monitor you might want to consider this one which has the cheapest strips of pretty well any of the monitors. You don't need to pay VAT

GlucoNavii Blood Sugar Meter Glucose Monitor Starter Kit | Choose mmol/L or mg/dL
The GlucoNavii Blood Sugar Meter gives a quick and accurate blood glucose level. This Blood Glucose meter comes with everything you need.
homehealth-uk.com homehealth-uk.com or Amazon
The Tee2 is another one with similarly priced strips.

You can use it to monitor progress by testing your fasting level in the morning or test the effect of meals by testing before you eat and after 2 hours. An increase of more than 2-3mmol/l would indicate you have not coped with the amount of carbohydrate in your meal.


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## Drummer (Jan 31, 2022)

These days, after getting used to sugar free foods, if I get something which tastes too sweet - even if it is artificial sweetener, I retch, as it tastes horrible.
I picked up a low fat mozzarella 'blob' by accident and had dreadful indigestion for hours.
I intend to remain eating as I am now, simply as the alternative really is not all that attractive.


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## zuludog (Jan 31, 2022)

As I've mentioned before, I add a spoonful of natural yogurt to Exante shakes when I make them up, as this cuts back the sweetness.

Like many people of my generation (don't know about the current) as a boy we always had sugar in tea & coffee; I tried it without a couple of times, but it tasted awful
Then in my mid - to - late 20s, years before I was diagnosed, I realised I had put on weight, so I decided to do something about it
It happened to be about the 1st or 2nd of a month, and I thought - right, I'll  persevere and leave out sugar till the end of the month, and if I still miss it, well, I'll have had a decent attempt

About 4 or 5 days later I realised I was having tea & coffee without sugar, and I'd hardly noticed, and I haven't taken sugar since

A couple of years ago I visited someone and they made me a cup of coffee with sugar in it. I thought 'oh well, one spoonful isn't going to kill me', so I said nothing
Ugh it was sickly! I only managed half a cup, then I had to own up and explain

And recently I've been having green tea, just one cup in the afternoon; you can have it plain, or there are various flavoured versions


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## travellor (Jan 31, 2022)

NewkyD said:


> Update 2: I have now lost 12 kg since starting ND on 10th Jan using 3 x Optifast shakes a day.
> I have not succumbed/cheated yet as I’m not experiencing physical hunger pangs just mental ones. In fact I’ve kind of gone the other way - I started off having a good portion of veg in the evening on top as directed but have failed to do that for a while.
> 
> For anyone knowledgeable reading  this: how can I test if my blood sugar is normal and behaves normally. Eg if after my eight weeks I just have normal sugary food how do I test that my body’s response is normal and fine (reminder I was/am at risk of diabetes I don’t have a diagnosis, but very overweight)?
> ...


Personally, I just ate a load of carbs.
But if you want the correct answer, Google "oral glucose test".
I would ignore comments about avoiding carbs, or undoing your work, as obviously the point of this is that you are trying to re-establish your normal insulin response, and then sort out a healthy diet you can maintain and enjoy.


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## NewkyD (Feb 1, 2022)

travellor said:


> Personally, I just ate a load of carbs.
> But if you want the correct answer, Google "oral glucose test".
> I would ignore comments about avoiding carbs, or undoing your work, as obviously the point of this is that you are trying to re-establish your normal insulin response, and then sort out a healthy diet you can maintain and enjoy.


That’s it, the reason I’m doing this rather extreme 8 week diet is to reset my blood sugar and whilst I will then attempt a long term sustainable healthy eating behaviour pattern I want to do that on the basis of obtaining and then maintaining a healthy weight not having to worry about sugar in such an intensive way if at all possible


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## NewkyD (Feb 9, 2022)

Latest update: I have now lost 15kgs since 10th Jan and haven’t cheated yet but am still incredibly bored haha


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## travellor (Feb 9, 2022)

NewkyD said:


> Latest update: I have now lost 15kgs since 10th Jan and haven’t cheated yet but am still incredibly bored haha



Just at think of that in the short term.
All being well, you will get a lot more options opening up after you have put the work in now!


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## NewkyD (Feb 13, 2022)

Today marks five weeks of this rather extreme diet and still no cheating, three more weeks to go


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## Kreator (Feb 13, 2022)

NewkyD said:


> Today marks five weeks of this rather extreme diet and still no cheating, three more weeks to go


Good job! - keep going - 3 weeks will dissapear in no time


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## NewkyD (Feb 23, 2022)

Latest update: still sticking to the diet with no cheating yet, adding a spice paste to carrot soup is actually quite nice


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## NewkyD (Mar 2, 2022)

Latest update: this is my final week of this torture haha. I have lost 22kg so far without cheating and last week my Hb1Ac result was 33. Had a venous blood test yesterday including fasting glucose. I’m going to have a large bacon sandwich on Friday.


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## Weekender (Mar 10, 2022)

NewkyD said:


> Latest update: this is my final week of this torture haha. I have lost 22kg so far without cheating and last week my Hb1Ac result was 33. Had a venous blood test yesterday including fasting glucose. I’m going to have a large bacon sandwich on Friday.


Sorry for being late to the thread - that is a fantastic achievement  - well done. I'd be interested to know how you adapt now you are off the shakes


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## NewkyD (Mar 10, 2022)

Weekender said:


> Sorry for being late to the thread - that is a fantastic achievement  - well done. I'd be interested to know how you adapt now you are off the shakes


Thanks!

I purposefully had a day of sugar and fat and all things bad to test my blood sugar - two hours after eating it was 5.3 though obviously will not do that every day haha


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