# Newcastle Diet Break Advice Please



## Familyguy1314 (Nov 21, 2022)

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can give me advice on coming partially coming off Newcastle for a day or so without ruining the good work.

I've been on Newcastle for a week now using a combination of Keediet meals and asda shakes. I've lost 6kg in my first week and for now am feeling comfortable and content. However, later this week my wife and I are going on a short break. My wife, quite rightly will be wanting to be taken out for dinner/lunch during this time. I can't rock up to a country hotel or restaurant and ask them to make up a shake for me, so think I'll be forced to order "real" food. I'm really nervous about destroying all the progress of the last week, and restarting the hunger pains when I restart Newcastle. Has anyone any experience of this and how they coped? I was thinking I could maybe get away with too many issues if I order a plain grilled steak and steamed veg. 

Any advice on how to eat out occasionally and get away with it?


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## everydayupsanddowns (Nov 21, 2022)

I’m just trying to remember some members who have tried variations of the Newcastle diet who may be able to offer some experiences.

@travellor @Mountain Path @ColinUK @Weekender @Feathers

There’s also this thread which documents one person‘s journey with the Newcastle Diet which may have some useful hints



			https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/newcastle-diet.93831/


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## travellor (Nov 21, 2022)

I found it was the break from food that worked for me.
I used that to take the opportunity to reintroduce good foods at the end.
If I just cut down, I wouldn't have made that step, I just up portion sizes again.

But, it's only been a week, and if you are going out, I'd go for bland foods, to keep the taste buds at rest.

I'd be looking for a low calorie meal, not steak, as steak is always a "treat", and would have restarted my eating paterns. My personal choice would have been a salad.
Which I did have as part of the diet anyway.
And I would have absolutely no issues telling the hotel I was on a diet.

Unfortunately the Newcastle diet is a fairly extreme treatment, Prof Taylor has said the whole family needs to be committed, so it should work out ok.


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## Mountain Path (Nov 21, 2022)

I tried a VLCD (Very Low Calorie diet) although at the time it wasn't called the Newcastle diet, It was based on some research that if I recall was conducted in a Scottish University, possibly Glasgow that my wife found. We also went to slimmer's world and she lost a ton of weight, I lost a fair amount and became 'pre-diabetic' according to my doctor. 

In my experience of the diet, I also lost a considerable amount of weight in the first few weeks (shakes mainly) then the weight loss slowed quite considerably as my body adjusted so I didn't quite hit my ideal BMI before I stopped it. I stopped it because I was finding it a increasingly hard with increasingly smaller losses. 

My girlfriend (who is a geneticist)  and I have conducted a lot of research in this area, how it works etc and my general view is.

1. VLCD is a good an effective way to loose weight fast if you have the will power.
2. You do start to suffer from the law of diminishing returns and it is not really sustainable in the long term so its a booster effect.
3. You need to transfer to a lifelong healthy diet/exercise regime from the VLCD and not go back to your old habits.
4. To determine what is an lifelong healthy diet for you,  you need to measure your own biology and see what works, this will also change over time so its a continuous background job.

There are a few other points that may be of interest:-
1. Check the sugar content in the shakes and monitor your blood sugar, some are quite high and its best to look for low sugar ones.
2. You may get the 'Hunter effect' where all your perceptions seem to sharpen, its quite cool and nothing to worry about, its your body saying find calories now!
3. Monitoring and logging health changes (sugar, weight, how you feel) and food helps you connect more with the diet.

On a restaurant point, in my opinion its all about being aware of what your doing and taking a calculated risk, rather then being in denial, there is a lot of research about 'falling off the diet' and suddenly everything falls away like its a switch, you have given yourself or been given permission to give it up and the food gates open.

For example I went for a gourmet meal (the taster menu type)  with a university friend last week, I forsook the paired wines and avoided alcohol and monitored my sugar in real time. It peaked at 14, despite popping some pills and I was concerned that I need to pop outside for a quick jog around the block, but i decided to forsake the sweet course (my friend sacrificed himself by eating mine and his, what a hero) and it calmed down again, I was at peak for about 3 minutes, overall though I am still overall nearly 90% in my desired range for the period and thus am unlikely to have any significant bad effects.

The moral of this story is I took the risk to enjoy myself but I kept a close eye on it and was not in denial, I pulled the pleasure plug at the right time. The bonus is I still get to dip in to my old lifestyle every so often and remember the good ole days. without having to fall off the wagon entirely ;-)


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## Familyguy1314 (Nov 21, 2022)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> I’m just trying to remember some members who have tried variations of the Newcastle diet who may be able to offer some experiences.
> 
> @travellor @Mountain Path @ColinUK @Weekender @Feathers
> 
> ...


Thank you, thats very useful for me.


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## Familyguy1314 (Nov 21, 2022)

travellor said:


> I found it was the break from food that worked for me.
> I used that to take the opportunity to reintroduce good foods at the end.
> If I just cut down, I wouldn't have made that step, I just up portion sizes again.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I'll look for bland and try to control my urge to remain in the clean plate club


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## Jenny65 (Nov 21, 2022)

There is a VLCD that recommends having a week off (not bingeing but eating normal low carb healthy meals) every 4 weeks, this is for people that have a considerable amount to lose and means that every 4 weeks they can go out to lunch and share special occasions, it also gave the weight loss a boost when returning to it.  I think it depends on your goal here.  If you eat low carb healthy food on your break I would say it would be OK, then get straight back to it.  If the worst comes to the worst you can add another week on at the end to compensate


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## travellor (Nov 21, 2022)

I never had any worries about shakes being "high carb".
It's a low calorie diet, not low carb.
By the very fact it's limited to 800 calories,  it's fairly impossible to actually get a carb overload on it.
I just used Tesco shakes.

I eat a healthy Mediterranean style diet, so long as I keep the weight off I eat pretty much anything though.
I do avoid sweet foods, as I've lost the taste, I'much more hit savoury now to get that kick.


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## travellor (Nov 21, 2022)

Familyguy1314 said:


> Thanks, I'll look for bland and try to control my urge to remain in the clean plate club



That's a hangover from my youth!
It's one of the habits I set out to break.

I will stop eating when I am full, instead of feeling the pressure to "eat it all up"


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## Jenny65 (Nov 21, 2022)

travellor said:


> I never had any worries about shakes being "high carb".
> It's a low calorie diet, not low carb.
> By the very fact it's limited to 800 calories,  it's fairly impossible to actually get a carb overload on it.
> I just used Tesco shakes.
> ...


Yes, I agree, I went on the cambridge diet and though like you say low cal and not low carb, I did go into ketosis (the good kind) as wasnt consuming many carbs as so low cal


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## Familyguy1314 (Nov 21, 2022)

Mountain Path said:


> I tried a VLCD (Very Low Calorie diet) although at the time it wasn't called the Newcastle diet, It was based on some research that if I recall was conducted in a Scottish University, possibly Glasgow that my wife found. We also went to slimmer's world and she lost a ton of weight, I lost a fair amount and became 'pre-diabetic' according to my doctor.
> 
> In my experience of the diet, I also lost a considerable amount of weight in the first few weeks (shakes mainly) then the weight loss slowed quite considerably as my body adjusted so I didn't quite hit my ideal BMI before I stopped it. I stopped it because I was finding it a increasingly hard with increasingly smaller losses.
> 
> ...


Thanks! After being type 2 for 13 years, I've noticed the blood sugars are getting out of control and I'm very overweight so need to kickstart the weight loss. I'm hoping the law of diminishing returns doesnt kick in too soon but I'll try be prepared to move onto better eating habits by then. Never heard of the hunter effect. I'll look forward to it haha!


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## Jenny65 (Nov 21, 2022)

Familyguy1314 said:


> Thanks! After being type 2 for 13 years, I've noticed the blood sugars are getting out of control and I'm very overweight so need to kickstart the weight loss. I'm hoping the law of diminishing returns doesnt kick in too soon but I'll try be prepared to move onto better eating habits by then. Never heard of the hunter effect. I'll look forward to it haha!


you will do very well on VLCD, I lost a stone a month after having my son, and lost a total of 4 stone, people thought I was unwell as had lost so much very fast.


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## Familyguy1314 (Nov 21, 2022)

Jenny65 said:


> There is a VLCD that recommends having a week off (not bingeing but eating normal low carb healthy meals) every 4 weeks, this is for people that have a considerable amount to lose and means that every 4 weeks they can go out to lunch and share special occasions, it also gave the weight loss a boost when returning to it.  I think it depends on your goal here.  If you eat low carb healthy food on your break I would say it would be OK, then get straight back to it.  If the worst comes to the worst you can add another week on at the end to compensate


Thank you, thats very reassuring. Yeah, I'm well into the obese range so maybe this might work well for me.


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## Jenny65 (Nov 21, 2022)

The bit I messed up though was I was always dieting for an occassion, like an all inclusive holiday, so didnt follow the maintenance and you can guess the rest, so re-introduce good eating habits when you have reached goal and dont do like me and gain it all back and more


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## Jenny65 (Nov 21, 2022)

I admire those that can stick to a VLCD, I think the first time you go on it is easier as you lose weight and get very quick results, but then you always think, well I can eat all this as I can always go back on a VLCD, but never do


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## Jenny65 (Nov 21, 2022)

Although having said that, the motivation is the difference here, you are not doing it for a holiday or special occasion you are doing it to get your diabetes under control so it's more permanent and you will be more conscious of what you are eating afterwards.  I have got rid of all my size 24 clothes now and only have size 14s and some 12s in my wardrobe, so unless I want to go out naked, I need to keep on track....and trust me no one wants to see me naked


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## Familyguy1314 (Nov 21, 2022)

Jenny65 said:


> Although having said that, the motivation is the difference here, you are not doing it for a holiday or special occasion you are doing it to get your diabetes under control so it's more permanent and you will be more conscious of what you are eating afterwards.  I have got rid of all my size 24 clothes now and only have size 14s and some 12s in my wardrobe, so unless I want to go out naked, I need to keep on track....and trust me no one wants to see me naked


Yeah with me the motivation is very much health only. I've never been slim so have no idea how I'll feel or look. The thought of wearing normal size clothes is beyond my imagination. I've always been of the mindset that as long as I popped some pills and kept fairly active I would be fine. Since discovered that will only work for a few years before everything catches up with you.


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## Jenny65 (Nov 21, 2022)

Familyguy1314 said:


> Yeah with me the motivation is very much health only. I've never been slim so have no idea how I'll feel or look. The thought of wearing normal size clothes is beyond my imagination. I've always been of the mindset that as long as I popped some pills and kept fairly active I would be fine. Since discovered that will only work for a few years before everything catches up with you.


I bet you will love the bonus of the way you look too though, its funny but I sort of think of myself as being too old to care about fashion or the way I look anymore, but it's given me a real urge to spend money I can't afford on the latest trends, I bought some leather look trousers the other day and a nice (none baggy) top, it made me feel so positive and happy, not to mention how easy it is to use 'normal' shops rather than the plus size ones and be disappointed with the choice.  When I stayed at my sons the other day, he wanted me to stay overnight to look after the dogs the next day, but I hadn't got my pjs with me, this was the first time I could fit into his wife's PJs she lent me, such a lovely feeling, (otherwise it would have been one of his oversized football shirts)

The main difference as well as your diabetes being under control will be how light you feel, I previously was always looking for the next seat when I went out, as it felt like I was lugging around my weekly Tesco shop with me!  The more active you become the more you want to keep pushing further, good luck and let us know how you get on and the changes it makes to your life, I bet you will be amazed at the other benefits along the way xx


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## travellor (Nov 21, 2022)

Jenny65 said:


> The bit I messed up though was I was always dieting for an occassion, like an all inclusive holiday, so didnt follow the maintenance and you can guess the rest, so re-introduce good eating habits when you have reached goal and dont do like me and gain it all back and more



For me, that was why I specifically went for the shakes, not a "real food" variation.
With real food, there are two many options to avoid breaking bad habits.

That and the fact that only the "Newcastle  Diet" had actually been scientifically proven to reverse diabetes.


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## Mountain Path (Nov 21, 2022)

Jenny65 said:


> Although having said that, the motivation is the difference here, you are not doing it for a holiday or special occasion you are doing it to get your diabetes under control so it's more permanent and you will be more conscious of what you are eating afterwards.  I have got rid of all my size 24 clothes now and only have size 14s and some 12s in my wardrobe, so unless I want to go out naked, I need to keep on track....and trust me no one wants to see me naked


 Motivation is the rub isn't it.. How do we motivate ourselves to undertake any task.

I have some tips, that have worked for me and largely still work (only a very small sample of a larger theory)

First off we do things because we either have a carrot (some benefit from doing it) or a stick (some penalty for not doing it). In many cases we cant see the carrot clearly or don't actually need the carrot, because we are more then happy with donuts, so its less effective then the stick, which maybe Diabetes can be seen as. 

The thing is we don't necessarily believe the stick will manifest, yeah the doc says there is  a stick coming but its so far away and the effort to avoid it may be as bad the stick. 

So we need to address the reasons why we don't believe the stick, and when the carrot comes, it will be an added bonus.

We can do this by micro-sticks (matchsticks perhaps?) and a routine that ensures that they are coming at a regular basis and that the effort to generate them is relatively low.

Microsticks are for example:-
1. Weighing yourself every day and feeling good or bad about it.
2. Taking your sugar readings regularly and also feeling good or bad, if your in the right range.
3. Measuring other stats up to your tolerance of what you can stand. (dimensions, blood pressure, food consumed etc)

Reviewing these regularly or as an adhoc process.

Separating* who you want to be* from *who you are*, can create a game when your future self chastises your current self based on real data, also if you don't measure you can also tell your current self off and hopefully over time you will do better.

This last bit is very hard for some people so in my experience a buddy system works really well, where you do it with someone else and compare notes.

(Note this is the basis of slimming world, weightwatchers and may other organisations that have a reasonable success rate, also the way AA and other support groups work. we are after all a social animal)

So in summary:-
1. Record stats regularly
2. Review these and decide if you have been good or bad.
3. Recruit a buddy to do it with you, support you and compare notes.

Lastly never give up, never surrender, always try new things, its a marathon not a sprint.


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## ColinUK (Nov 22, 2022)

The key whilst you’re away is compromise. 

Take shakes etc with you and limit your choices at breakfast to perhaps one single egg, no juice, no toast, maybe a few mushrooms or just a coffee with cream rather than milk if you’re uncomfortable taking a shake to the table. 

When you go out for dinner just pick a simple salad. No dressing. Maybe a drizzle of olive oil. 

I found the Newcastle diet worked first time around but I found it almost impossible to keep all the weight off longer term. My blood sugar levels have stayed ok however. I am still about 20kgs down on my start weight which puts me about 15kg above my supposed ideal weight. But 20kg is still 20kg! 

When I was on it 100% I did indeed take a shake with me wherever I went to eat out. I mixed it at home, stored it in an insulated travel cup, explained at the restaurant that I was on a medically prescribed diet and never had any issues.


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## Jenny65 (Nov 22, 2022)

ColinUK said:


> The key whilst you’re away is compromise.
> 
> Take shakes etc with you and limit your choices at breakfast to perhaps one single egg, no juice, no toast, maybe a few mushrooms or just a coffee with cream rather than milk if you’re uncomfortable taking a shake to the table.
> 
> ...


This is brilliant advice  I agree on taking the shakes with you as well, do you have a portable blender you can take too.

This may not be the case with your diet but on my VLCD if you ate they advised green veg and chicken as a meal but advised to have the shakes for 2 of the meals to ensure adequate nutrition and vitamins,


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## Jenny65 (Nov 22, 2022)

I went away for a 3 week holiday when I was on mine, and took my bars and shakes (it was a caravan park in Devon though so not quite the same as we cater for ourselves), I would nibble a bar with a black coffee whilst the others tucked into breakfast, I didnt eat a thing apart from my shakes or bars but if I had done I could have and if I made sensible choices I am sure it wouldnt have caused any issues, but again mine was weight related and not to do with having diabetes, as I didnt have it then, or if I did, I didnt know I did.


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## ColinUK (Nov 22, 2022)

If you have any thermos flasks don’t forget you can mix up your shake and decant it into the flask. Pack the flask with ice and it’ll stay cold for hours.


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## Jenny65 (Nov 22, 2022)

ColinUK said:


> If you have any thermos flasks don’t forget you can mix up your shake and decant it into the flask. Pack the flask with ice and it’ll stay cold for hours.


I always assumed that once mixed it has to be consumed quickly, I dont know why I thought that, in my head I thought the vitamins would evaporate if made in advance but probably just in my head.


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## Feathers (Nov 25, 2022)

Sorry for the slow response. I'm giving a Newcastle style diet another crack at the moment, but was aware when I started there would be a few events that would require a break. To handle this, I'm:

- keeping some solid food in my diet every day, so my system isn't totally shocked by a meal.
- strictly defining a break. For example, I'm not going to go to family Christmas and sit there drinking a shake. But the 'break' is just the main meal: no snacks through the day etc. And I've thought ahead to what the meal will involve and how I can keep it reasonable (more carrots, less roast potatoes, for instance)

If you go out for a couple of moderate meals and stick to shakes the rest of the time, I doubt that would throw you off course for long.


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## ColinUK (Nov 25, 2022)

Jenny65 said:


> I always assumed that once mixed it has to be consumed quickly, I dont know why I thought that, in my head I thought the vitamins would evaporate if made in advance but probably just in my head.


I think if it’s kept cold it would be fine.


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