Making June joyful and judicious : One week at a time beginning June 13 2023

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posted by wendleg
on 12 Jun 2023 at 18:12

Back again and hopefully taking you all with us for another week ! I am conscious of the days and weeks galloping by .I have the thought of Australia constantly on my mind but lots to do before then.
I hope the fine weather is keeping you motivated .I love my twice weekly aquagym sessions ( envious of your pool SG ) There is no way I could do a gym session or run but I happily cavort in the pool for an hour !

I have guests over the next couple of weeks and I can’t guarantee I won’t be indulging in more cheese and fruit ( I know I know!) but I can guarantee no bread or flour because the yukky effects are horrendous .

Again , thanks to SG for rounding up the troops and providing valuable input as always .Well done everyone for your continuing efforts and sharing of experiences .

ONWARDS !
Wendy and sunshine-girl and SunnyB somewhere in Turkey xxx
posted by Wendy1947
on 13 Jun 2023 at 09:06

Thank you for continuing this thread Wendy.
I’m going to my village gym for my induction tryout this morning & it will no doubt be hot in there because it’s an old building & I don’t think they have acs. When I lived in Saudi Arabia our house had ac units in the walls of each room that kept it tolerable during the hot summers but in Bahrain where my eldest son was born only ceiling fans plus ceiling geckos to eat the also circulating insects😀. We did however have swimming pools at the end of both roads where we lived which was lovely. I must admit when we returned to the UK from Saudi in November I froze because I think we had acclimatised to the hotter weather. Our eldest son now has ceiling fans in his London house & our youngest an ac unit for his flat but we are making do with individual fans in our rooms but I would like ceiling fans in the bedroom & living room & will investigate those because they can be part of the central light fittings.
I also belong to an online slimming club that offers a variety of more older style diets to follow which are slowly becoming modified but still promotes low fat eating which of course I don’t follow that & also fast!! However they run challenges & I have signed up to the latest which is to lose 6lbs in four weeks. I find the competition quite motivating with entrants chatting about how they are doing & there is also a running total of how much weight I lose so I can keep on track. I know this month is going to be difficult for me with social happenings & as RubyG said plenty of “carbage” on offer to negotiate so I need all the motivation & encouragement I can get to keep recovering from my inevitable weight gains so I know it will be a yo-yo month. Oh well such is life & we all as previously written on here cope with social/family events with many contributors also with much worse situations & health problems than me.
I have much admiration how everyone is keeping going & hope you all have a good next week👍🍀🍀
Margaret xx
posted by sunshine-girl
on 13 Jun 2023 at 12:40

Thank you once again Wendy. Good to see you still with us Margaret, now I know your name I don’t have to call you Wendy1947 so as not to confuse you with Wendy Wendleg:)

Weight loss this week is 3.5 lbs. Very happy with that, could have been more except for the blip yesterday. However, I always think if I hadn’t weighed myself at all I would just have seen the scales go from 76kg to 74.4 and been really pleased. So I don’t let the little ups and downs derail me. To keep up with Margaret’s earlier goal of 7lbs in June I am trying for another 3.5lbs by the end of June.

Made 10 courgette fritters yesterday and trying not to dip in too often so they are away in the fridge. Our weather is cooler today which is very welcome. Looking at 32 degrees at the weekend.

Enjoy the weather and have a good week.
posted by caronl
on 13 Jun 2023 at 18:39

Thank you wendy and s-g for the welcome back. I’ve spent the first week getting some order back in my life.. Down 1.5kg. Now sitting here surrounded by Fast800, Fast 800 keto, BSD et al. It’s time for me to get back into the why’s and wherefores and plan!

Well done sg on your week’s discard. And good luck with enjoying your visitors, Wendy! 32 degrees here too, and we are right by the coast. No rain since 13 May…..

Best wishes to all for a good week. x
posted by arcticfox
on 14 Jun 2023 at 00:34

Hi everyone,
A cooler week is forecasted for me and I’m glad. We do normally get hot here in summer, but typically not until mid-June. This year we’ve had +30 C since the last week of April, so it’s nice to be down to more seasonal mid-20’s this week.
Margaret – I think I’ve already adapted to the heat this year as I’m finding today’s 26 to be quite cool! The biggest thing that will be happening to help me cope with the rest of summer is that I’m finally getting a new window installed in my attic bedroom next week. I’ve been waiting for it since September! I’m going to be so glad to have it as I will then be able to open it without worrying about the cat falling out (it is a tilt and turn window), and it will have screens. The mosquitoes are starting to get bad already. I have a floor fan that I use in my home office and a ceiling fan in my lounge. I would like a ceiling fan in the attic bedroom as well, but it’s been a struggle to find one small enough that the blades won’t hit the chimney that goes through the middle of the room.
Now that I’ve got the extra protein thing sorted, I think my priority for this week will be to take advantage of the cooler nights to try to catch up on sleep and see how that helps. I only got about 5.5 hrs last night and I’ve not had much energy today.
Thanks for the new thread Wendy and s-g!
posted by Wendy1947
on 14 Jun 2023 at 09:10

Good morning everyone I’ve just stepped on my scales to see how I’m doing & are down 0.5lbs I know not much but still going down. S-g you will soon be overtaking my June weight loss & Caronl congratulations on your marvellous weight loss! I will weigh early on Friday because of being away for the family weekend & will try to complete a 24 hour fast before then. It was cooler here last night but this morning we are off to play short mat bowls under a warehouse style flat tin roof with no ac or fans which will be interesting experience 🤔 Oh & I completed my gym induction yesterday & it was good.
Arcticfox I envy you your cat because our local Cats Protection League wouldn’t let us adopt any more because of us living on the village “ Main Street “ which does get busy with cars even though all our neighbours have cats that have learnt to cope with them. I still miss the two cats we had named Isis a small female tortoiseshell & Ebony a pure black half Siamese female because they were such characters, friends & very much & important part of our family.
I’m having my shoulder length hair cut up to a jaw length “bob” this afternoon so that will make be feel lighter 😂😂
Good luck everyone for the rest of the week!🍀🍀
Margaret xx
posted by caronl
on 14 Jun 2023 at 12:13

Thanks Margaret. But it was the first week, so just water. Hope you like the new hairstyle!
posted by sunshine-girl
on 14 Jun 2023 at 15:35

Hi all, well I dont know where to start. After my blood tests I went for my regular check up but with a doctor I dont know. Talk about an annual check over it was like the Spanish inquisition. I was in with her for 50 minutes and she didn’t speak a word of English or was not very helpful in slowing down. Anyway, like always in France, they don’t start at the least possible problem, they go straight to the top. So I am booking in for an Echograph of the bladder and kidneys (waiting for an actual date). Then she said because I had the problem with my neck she wants me to have a Doppler on my legs – so I have booked that with the guy who is looking after me post-op for my neck and I have an appointment on Monday – yes that soon. I also have to have a urine test to see if it is an infection, so that’s the easy bit. Just take a pot of pee to the laboratory tomorrow morning.

I should be grateful I am getting so well looked after but I am sick to death of dopplers, echographs, MRI’s and hospitals I could have cried. She has also increased my statins from 40mg to 80mg because my LDL is 1.37 (should be less than 1.50), when I pointed out it was less than the recommended lowest, she said because I am diabetic she wants it to be 0.50. I just hope I am not bouncing around with cramps every night.

Thank you for listening, rant over.
posted by Wendy1947
on 14 Jun 2023 at 18:28

Wow S-G but the French medical services do sound more efficient than the poor old NHS at the moment. Although to be fair a couple of friends have had an excellent treatments for a cataract op much improving her very poor vision & another with prompt treatment for a stent to be inserted in an artery. Although I suppose both of these were day surgery.
I hope you feel much better soon!
Margaret
posted by Tulip1
on 15 Jun 2023 at 08:09

Hi All…..SG! What a palaver for you! I hope it all turns out helpful!
Just replying to a few peeps from last week-
Arctic fox, ah that sounds like a good way to manage the carb and fat thing.
Ruby- oh no, I forgot what I was going to answer! And it’s on the other thread 🙁
Wendy- thank you!
SG I hope your daughter does well on the new WOE, I’d b surprised if it doesn’t help, I think we are all very unique so getting to know our own bodies is key.
I’m struggling a bit with the OSA diagnosis and it’s health implications, worry about my children etc, but I am sure I will get through it.
Finally a little movement on the scales again as I am gradually reducing my calories/ portions after going back to the healthy WOE more strictly….my appetite had been reducing and also cravings so this is good.
Love to all xxxxxxx
posted by happysnap
on 15 Jun 2023 at 12:32

Hi all,

Hope everyone is enjoying the heat (at least here in the UK!)
I have been a silent lurker for a while. Had lots going on and I wasn’t sure whether to post or not. But here goes-
8 weeks ago I unexpectedly discovered I was pregnant. I had wanted another baby, but not before a year or so- because I desperately wanted to get my insulin levels a lot lower to reduce my risk of gestational diabetes. As some of you might remember, I was doing regular 3 day fasts and I was coping quite well with it. I was also very low carb (less than 20g per day) and I was shocked to discover that I couldn’t go longer than 7-8 hours without food- I was feeling ravenous and ready to eat anything in sight; and I was craving carbs (crisps, bread etc) which was downright weird. That’s when i realized that I might be pregnant, and a test confirmed it.

Now I was understandably very confused and unsure what to do. On the one hand, I was taking every reasonable precaution to prevent pregnancy, and yet I had become pregnant anyway. I had to decide whether or not to abort or go ahead… On the other hand, I really did want a chance to improve my health first. Without boring you with too much detail, I decided to go ahead with the pregnancy and did a lot of research into the safety of fasting and going low carb in pregnancy.

I decided that I must listen to my body, which means no fasting- simply because I was too hungry, and because I wouldn’t make my baby fast after birth, so I shouldn’t do it in pregnancy either. But I decided that low carb is the way to go. The studies that I read often contradicted each other, and I came to the conclusion that if a low-carb diet is healthiest for me then there is no way I can go back on a high carb diet- it just makes most sense to me. (How can a diet that puts me at huge risk of developing GD possibly be safe for me or my unborn baby??)

I was debating whether to post my decisions on here or not- because I realized that I would definitely need lots of support to get through a pregnancy whilst low carb, but to be honest I am pretty new here and was worried about being judged…

Last week I went away for a few days with my husband on holiday and started spotting and bleeding whilst I was there, and yesterday i had a scan and blood test which confirmed that I am miscarrying (having another scan and blood test tomorrow just to confirm the numbers are going down but that seems to be the situation now) and I am quite relieved to be honest. I did have a twinge of disappointment at the miscarriage, but on the other hand I am super pleased to get another chance to do extended fasting and reduce my insulin levels as much as possible.

so here I am, back again and ready for Round 2 of fasting and BSD!!

good luck to everyone with their BSD and IF journeys.
posted by sunshine-girl
on 15 Jun 2023 at 14:18

Hi everyone, been to the lab with my pot of pee this morning so hoping for results later today, might not be as I had it in the fridge for a couple of hours before I could get out. I was quite upset about yesterday but having had time to think I am sure the doctor is only being very diligent and a bit over-enthusiastic as a new intern. However, she is doing all the right things. I instigated a lot of the ‘problems’ i.e. telling her I thought I had a bladder infection, telling her about my surgery (she probably hadn’t read my notes), she kept bringing it all back to diabetes. I haven’t yet managed to get an appointment for the echograph of the bladder and kidneys but if it turns out I have an infection it becomes less urgent.

Tulip, one of the things the ongoing Zoe does is give personalised dietary information. Daughter already does low carb but might have to sacrifice the calories to get the good bacteria she needs. What do people think about the capsules – are they worth the money. When I used them before I noticed a quick change in my bowel habits, going from constipated to fairly regular and since I stopped using them I havent gone back to constipation. What a subject:)

Happysnap, welcome back. Wow what a lot to take in. I have swung from happy for your news, then glad to didnt make a decision to abort and then to sadness at your miscarriage and another emotion when you said you were relieved. All I can say is maybe your body was telling you it was the wrong time or your body wasnt ready to support a new life. Stick with us and do everything you can to get yourself into the best health you can and then you can make plans for the future. No one will judge you, we will support you.

Cooler and cloudy today so a welcome relief from the heat. Saying that, it is still 27 degrees. Not sure if I will swim today, my body might be grateful for a rest.
posted by RubyG
on 15 Jun 2023 at 15:56

Hi S-G, hope the medical appointments etc. go OK
Re. good bacteria – I do take a supplement when I am travelling, as I can’t be sure of always eating what I should be eating, and I don’t have my usual milk kefir, and especially air travel causes havoc with bowel regularity.
These last 2 trips all was good, very regular and no constipation.
The one I take is a H&B Live Friendly Bacteria with Acidophilus, 4 strains of good bugs which are apparently proven to reach the gut alive (as stated on the label) – from what I can recall it wasn’t stupidly expensive, but neither was it cheap, and the recommended dosage is 1 capsule per day, so when travelling 1 take one at night.
There are 4 strains of bacteria in the capsules, at least 2 are found in normal live yoghurt cultures, and lactobacilli are what are responsible for the fermentation in kimchi, sauerkraut, etc.
Saying that, hubby and I are travelling soon on holidays and have had a cholera vaccine – 2 doses of an oral vaccine containing 4 inactivated strains of cholera bacteria plus a shot of cholera endotoxin for good measure – all swallowed in a bicarb buffer solution! Hubby didn’t react well to Dose 1, so this morning we both had a bugs capsule, and had some yoghurt with lunch, just so we have some good bugs keeping the cholera friendly while eliciting an immune response. We will also be taking bugs capsules travelling with us 🙂
The scales have fluctuated 1lb up or 2 lbs down this week, but we have been eating well, a variety of different meat, fish and fresh veg, that has been the focus.
I am still reading the Ultra-Processed People book and becoming slightly cynical about radio or TV advertising – last night’s shocker was the list of ingredients on a tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream sundae! Not that I eat that normally, but the book is an eye-opener, and questions the role of “food” manufacturers as businesses whose sole purpose is making money, our health, good or bad, is irrelevant.
posted by Wendy1947
on 16 Jun 2023 at 08:42

Good morning everyone & I apologise for a brief post because I’m shortly leaving to go away for the family gather in Yorkshire. I’ve just weighed a day early because of this & pleased to have lost 1.5 lbs but know I will gain weight over the weekend with the change of diet & drinking wine! On my return I will have to work extra hard to lose that gain plus another 3.5 lbs by the end of June to have lost two stone (28 lbs) since joining here in January.
I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend & it’s going to finally be raining here on Sunday which will help my garden
Margaret
posted by sunshine-girl
on 16 Jun 2023 at 12:52

Hi all, I have had some fluctuation on the scales this week. Up a1lb then back down half a pound. 15th of the month. Always get bloated even though I dont have periods.

Margaret you are a star. I am so glad this plan has worked for you. Enjoy your weekend. Where in Yorkshire, it was my home when we lived in the UK.

Early morning (well 8am is early for me) swim because I was up. We have an owl nesting in the roof and it was giving it large this morning. Think it might be a hungry baby or it is screaming at the cats.

Have a wonderful weekend.
posted by RubyG
on 16 Jun 2023 at 14:31

Hubby is originally from North Yorkshire and still has family there too (Redcar and surrounding areas) and don’t forget that “Yorkshire portions” could easily serve a family of 4 for a week!
posted by sunshine-girl
on 16 Jun 2023 at 14:40

Margaret, I am from Leeds originally but have lived all over including Australia. Our last address in the UK was in Northallerton which everyone seems to have heard of or been through. Lovely place to live but we couldn’t afford to take early retirement there as we could in France. Yes, watch out for the generosity of food. In an italian restaurant for lunch in N/allerton my husband asked why the portion sizes were so big and the waitress thought he was crazy.
posted by Wendy1947
on 16 Jun 2023 at 18:33

Hello S-G & RubyG the family gathering is in Guisley & my husband’s mother came from Bradford & after living in Portsmouth where I met my husband they moved to Knaresborough where my husbands father continued to work as a local GP. They then stayed there in retirement & we often visited them. We are now visiting my husband’s cousin & we are staying at the Leeds/Bradford Premier Inn with our youngest son with us having dinner with my husbands sister who is over from Frankfurt with her German husband & his cousin who is a well travelled retired ex BA stewardess 😀 We will be meeting younger offspring tomorrow at a cousins house, who I have met but the second cousins we have never met before & I expect chaos & much confusion as to who is who!!😂😂
Margaret
posted by Wendy1947
on 16 Jun 2023 at 18:40

S-G I envy you living in France because I have a French Canadian Maternal Great Grandmother & on my fathers side the story of French Huguenot ancestry with the the Musset name coming over to East Anglia as lace makers. Before becoming grey haired I had very dark brown hair & have brown eyes & understand Mussets came from the Dijon area. I’ve always felt that I should somehow have been born speaking French instead of struggling to learn how to speak it!😂😂
posted by sunshine-girl
on 17 Jun 2023 at 11:56

Hi all, another reason for being happy to live in France is the health care system. Who would get 50 minutes with a GP, felt sorry for the poor woman waiting to go in after me, she looked well p000sed off. Results are in and I have a urinary tract infection, I will call in doctors on Monday and get some antibiotics. Dont know if I still need to have the echograph of my bladder and kidneys but what the hell, might as well as it will be the full body dealt with. I am having the doppler on my legs on Monday so not long to wait for that.

Some bad news. Daughter fosters cats and kittens and she loves doing it, especially the kittens. When there is a cat involved it is usually because the kittens are still feeding or just that mother cat has to be ‘done’ then rehoused. She has a very skittish cat and while the kittens were away at the vets getting their bits done she decided to try to bond with mother. LSS, it bit her, went right down to the bone on her finger and within a couple of hours it was yellow with pus. She is currently in hospital having surgery to either remove the poison or, if it is too bad, remove the finger. That shows the NHS works when it is needed, this all happened yesterday. Seen immediately at ER, sent to Queen Elizabeth where a hand specialist was waiting to see her and then overnight to fast and surgery this morning. I am just waiting to hear how it went and trying to keep busy and keep my mind off the worst case scenario. Told her she wont be able to pick her nose but she will save money on having her nails painted. Sorry, but that is nurses humour which my daughter very much appreciates.

Will report back when I have news.
posted by Tulip1
on 17 Jun 2023 at 15:04

omg, SG, I imagine that must’ve really hurt!!!! As well as the danger to her finger etc….fingers crossed for her (no pun intended)….

Well, I’ve lost 8 lb in 4 weeks ish I think….I didn’t make a note of the exact start date…..and have got back into some shorts that were a wee squeeze too tight to do up before….and I can breathe ok in them so that’s a great start 🙂

Love to all xxx
posted by Verano
on 17 Jun 2023 at 19:32

S-g so sorry to hear about your daughter but I do hope all is well.

So…… S-g you and I are coming up to the end of our 7th year here! Who would have believed!

So …….. into year 8 and I feel the need for change but not quite sure what. I know I can’t carry on within this way of life as it is.

I do eat ‘carbs’ when away but not massively. How do we find that happy balanced between eating low carb but enjoying some carbs on holiday etc?

I don’t know the answer. Would love to hear any ideas/thoughts.
posted by caronl
on 17 Jun 2023 at 19:49

So sorry to hear of your daughter’s accident, s-g. I really hope all goes well tomorrow. As you say, the NHS can still be brilliant when it comes to emergency care. My mother fell and broke her hip 6 weeks ago, and she has received excellent care pre and post operation. Very impressiv, particularly given she is now 94.

Well done Tulip on the shorts. I have three pairs of summer trousers that are uncomfortably tight. It will definitley be a non scales victory when I can wear them and breathe!

Verano, I wish I had wise words for you. I am intrigued to see whether I can have the same success with BSD this time round. I suspect it will be much harder, since I have already adopted many low carb approaches and hardly drink alcohol, so there are no easy wins. But i can’t see any alternative. I want to be healthier and I am not going anywhere near WW or Slimming World. At least i have real motivation this time, since blood results 10 days ago make me sound like one of Dr MM’s case studies! I have to rerun them in late July, so I am really focused this time on making a difference. Fingers crossed.

Do let us know S_G how it all goes tomorrow.
posted by caronl
on 17 Jun 2023 at 19:50

So sorry to hear of your daughter’s accident, s-g. I really hope all goes well tomorrow. As you say, the NHS can still be brilliant when it comes to emergency care. My mother fell and broke her hip 6 weeks ago, and she has received excellent care pre and post operation. Very impressiv, given her advanced age.

Well done Tulip on the shorts. I have three pairs of summer trousers that are uncomfortably tight. It will definitley be a non scales victory when I can wear them and breathe!

Verano, I wish I had wise words for you. I am intrigued to see whether I can have the same success with BSD this time round. I suspect it will be much harder, since I have already adopted many low carb approaches and hardly drink alcohol, so there are no easy wins. But i can’t see any alternative. I want to be healthier and I am not going anywhere near WW or Slimming World. At least i have real motivation this time, since blood results 10 days ago make me sound like the starting point of one of Dr MM’s case studies! I have to rerun them in late July, so I am really focused this time on making a difference. Fingers crossed.

Do let us know S_G how it all goes tomorrow.
posted by Wendy1947
on 17 Jun 2023 at 20:46

Oh no S-G I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter & hope that the news will be good for her!
With very best wishes
Margaret xx
posted by arcticfox
on 17 Jun 2023 at 21:33

Hi everyone,
Just popping in quickly on my lunch break and while I wait for the weather page to load. It’s being very slow today for some reason. I’m hoping that we’re going to get the 4 days rain starting tomorrow that they were forecasting yesterday, but wanted to come in and check before I sow a whole lot of veggies this afternoon, so I know how much water to give them.
S-g – sorry about your daughter. Cat bites are so awful.
My cat is a quite skittish, ex-feral cat that I found after she had kittens in my hay barn. I trapped her and the kittens with the help of a local cat rescue that provided advice and the traps. It took 8 weeks to trap them. Then they went off to the rescue and I had told them that I thought the mum had potential to be socialized, so they did try, but didn’t really have the time and skills to do it. So after her kittens were adopted, they asked if she could come back and live in my hay barn, but by that time winter was setting in and we had some super cold temperatures in the forecast. So, I set her up in a spare bedroom and tried to socialize her myself. I was quite worried that this cat would injure me at some point, but I was lucky because I have a friend who is a clinical animal behaviourist who pointed me in the direction of some new research and a protocol on constructional aggression treatments. It took 12 weeks, but it worked and she is such a cuddler now.
Ok, weather has loaded now and it looks like it will start raining overnight with just a bit tomorrow but then as much as 20 mm on Monday and Tuesday. This is such good news. We have been so dry! But this means that I should probably mow the lawn too, so I’d better get on with it. I may be back with a more fulsome update on one of the rainy days!
posted by JGwen
on 18 Jun 2023 at 12:47

Hi Guys,
I recall there was some one asking about fasting a female hormones and fertility. I came across some podcasts by Dr Mindy Pelz who focuses on the relationship between female hormones over the month and fasting. Also Megan Ramos (from the clinic set up by Dr Fung) has just published a book on fasting for women and they do have a lot of experience in supporting woman who want to increase fertility.

I can’t remember which video I saw it on, but I recently saw some expert talking about the impact of fasting on the balance of gut bacteria. They have found that during fasts the good bacteria spread out within the colon. They think the lack of food intake means that the bacteria move through the gut looking for food.

I have been having a good week. I am continuing with a mixture of TRE, low carb and extended fasts. – I am still seeing changes, in inches and my long covid issues have eased further this week. I have been able to take advantage of the good weather to get out to work in the fields with my tractor. She is an old gal, so no power steering, which means spending hours a day driving around in ever decreasing circles is a good workout. —– I am not sure if the increase in the vibrations is a reduction in my padding or an indication that the floor under the seat is getting a bit more bouncy and needs some welding, but clothes continue to feel looser.
posted by sunshine-girl
on 18 Jun 2023 at 13:27

Hi all, happy Sunday. JGwen someone called indiestar000 was asking about doing the Fast800 to help with fertility. Think she was going down the IVF route.

Arctic, my daughter is a cat fosterer for the Cat Protection Society and has had so many kittens and cats. I asked if it has put her off but she said, no it is the owner she is annoyed at. This one person currently has 19 cats/kittens being fostered and another 9 on the waiting list to be taken in. These cats are not socialised as they are living in a pack, such a shame. Husband is training to be a cat rescuer, going in and catching feral cats but I think this has put him off. Back to the finger. The operated under local anaesthetic and cut out all the black dead skin plus some clean skin around it. She has to go back in 5 days, told to watch for red lines crawling up her had, signs of septacemia. It was grandsons birthday yesterday and she was so upset about not being with him, she was home in time to take him to Nandos.

My weight seems to have come to an abrupt halt but I am sure it will shift again soon. Like you Verano, I am thinking something has to be done different. I have not ‘cured’ my diabetes and it only takes one small period of time eating badly to set me right back. Im thinking of the 3 days I was in hospital and they fed me absolute carbage. Bread and jam for breakfast, mash and fish fingers for lunch etc. I am only just now, 5 months on, managing to get my BGs back to normal. My last HbA1c was 6.4, 6.5 the time before, so only come down by a milli whatever. I know I still have to lose weight and that will be the key for me. Without even asking my weight or height etc one doctor just wrote, this patient is obese. He was right I am around 33 BMI up from 29 in January, again down to the hospital. They are not meant to try to kill us:):) Welcome to year 8 next week.
posted by Verano
on 18 Jun 2023 at 17:10

S-g so pleased your daughter didn’t end up with the worst scenario. Fingers, toes and everything else crossed that she avoids septicaemia …. been there, done that, no fun! Let’s hope she recovers now without further intervention.
YEAR 8!
Who’d have thought all those years ago we’d still be here.
I’m not sure diabetes is ever ‘cured’. Because I was diagnosed with T2 probably 12 or 13 years ago I’m still considered by the medics to be ‘diabetic’ despite not having taken drugs for over 6 years. Only difference now is I’m asked by them ..”how do you control your T2 … insulin, tablets or diet?” So now looks like diet is seen as a way to ‘control’ but not ‘cure’ T2! All seems a bit odd to me, unless of course you take into account the fact that GP’s get paid extra for treating ‘diabetic’ patients!
Anyway, like you, my HbA1c has been on the rise and it was 41 at my last test …. dangerously close to being pre-diabetic.
So I know we have to keep going and I think we do have to stay low carb but I think there must be a slightly different scenario.
I really think that it’s a case of ‘one way just not fitting everyone’.
I’ve tried 1, 2 and 3 meals a day.
I’ve tried fasting but I end up ravenous and happy to eat everything in sight.
I’ve tried keto but it wasn’t sustainable for me.
Strangely we have just had a 15 day cruise. The food was amazing but I couldn’t eat ‘through the card’, two courses were maximum. But, I was eating three meals a day ( only 2 at home) with eggs or yogurt and berries for breakfast, with the odd slice of toast. Lunch was mainly a very small, almost starter, portion of vegetarian pasta and some cheese and crackers. Dinner usually a starter and then a protein and vegetables. The odd dessert here and there. Oh! and lots of champagne! I put on 2lbs! Almost nothing to speak of.
BUT I was moving around more.
So, for me, I think I really will go back to 2016 with what worked for me then …three meals a day, but maybe not as quite low carb, and ‘move’ more. I used to weigh lettuce! At my time of life I don’t have time to weigh salad! Life really is too short!
So, I guess that’s my plan …. 3 meals a day, when I feel like breakfast, lowish carb, maybe FatSecret or maybe not, and more movement.
I do think that maybe the odd higher ‘good carb’ meal now and again.does no harm. Possibly our bodies get so used to the same foods that they almost go to sleep and stop ‘responding’. Maybe a small portion of good homemade pasta, or something similar, gives our system a bit of ‘jolt’ and wakes up our bodies.
Who knows!!!
Possibly the old saying, ‘variety is the spice of life’ , really is true, and we should all mix and match a bit more.
Guess at the end of the day it really is ‘horses for courses’ .
🎉🎉🎉 Happy Birthday S-g. 🎉🎉🎉
🎈🎊🎈 We’re still here trying!
🥂🥂 Welcome to year 8.
🪄🪄Let’s hope it’s a ‘magical’ one for both of us!
posted by sunshine-girl
on 18 Jun 2023 at 17:44

Verano, just looked back on my blog. I started on 28th June 2016, so coming up to a full 7 years with number 8 still in front of me. I know I cannot go back to old ways although I was always ‘on a diet’. What has changed is the knowledge we have. I used to think everything low fat and low sugar and now I know that is absolutely wrong. We also have more tech to help us. I regularly use my Yuka app in the supermarket. Just this week I aimed it at some coleslaw and it came out at 50/100, not great, so I aimed at another which was only a few cents dearer and it came out at 100/100.

Today for the first time my BG was right down (54) and I used 20 units of insulin, so I am reducing it down to 18 and hoping I am now on a downward trend. To be honest last year was terrible for me. First discovering why I couldnt do any exercise without gasping for breath – diagnosed with asthma. Then in September I was told I had a very dangerous blockage in the carotid artery and was banned from doing any exercise. That lasted up to a couple of months ago when I was given the all clear. I certainly have not been feeling good about things. Now I am back, food on track after 2 recent holiday, exercising most days and getting BG down. The young doctor has probably done me a favour because she looked at me with new eyes whereas Dr Gorgeous was probably just letting me cruise along in my own merry way. I will have the doppler on Monday, booked for Echo on bladder and kidneys which will show me if the diabetes has had any negative effect. I hope the regime I have been following have kept me in good health but I now have to do better, especially as I am getting older. I do tend to eat the same things like eggs for breakfast but I find them filling but I might allow some more carbs for variety. Hubby doesnt eat carbs now so I wont be piling on the potatoes or pasta.

Heres to another year. Keep well V.
posted by MerryMelba
on 19 Jun 2023 at 05:26

Lovely to read of your 7/8 year anniversaries S-G and Verano. And glad to hear your daughter’s finger is hopefully on the mend.
I *AM* going to start back at my seniors gym class tomorrow. Writing it here makes it a Contract! SO I have to go. I’ve not been since Feb 2022 and stopped because of some sciatica. But I really need to exercise and it’s cold outside, so the gym it must be.

I’ve been buying some hazelnut and oat crackers, just to have with a small slice of cheese after dinner. So I thought I’d have a go at making them: https://www.nzwomansweeklyfood.co.nz/recipes/walnut-and-oat-crackers-7449 . They turned out well and are just as tasty as the bought ones (and cheaper). I used hazelnut meal, but the recipe uses walnut. Either will work. They do have a tablespoon of brown sugar in them but I think this is to help colour them. I will try them with monk fruit next time. If no sugar then about 2.5g carbs each cracker, 40 cals – I made 30 crackers (smaller than the picture in the recipe) – as I just sometimes want something crunchy! (They’d be tasty with your cheese Wendy 🧀)

Congrats for your nsv with your shorts Tulip. And I’m glad you have some rain Articfox. I have been reading of how dry parts of England are, the Lake District etc. Australia is forecast to have a hot summer Dec-Feb.
posted by wendleg
on 19 Jun 2023 at 13:11

Hi everyone ! Just a quick drop in as we have back to back visitors . The house is a tip and I had forgotten how all intriguing breakables have to be put out of reach now we have a very inquisitive toddler here ! They need so much stuff too !!! I am getting some Nana training 😉 !!
My son went off hiking in the Basque Country / Pyrénées after staying here for a few days which was lovely .I hope he didn’t get stuck in the fierce hail storm we got here last night !

So to be honest I am in cruising mode as I can’t fast and do my useful stuff when I have to cook for guests .It will all slow down a bit by the weekend, oh and then we go to Paris for 5 days .Oh heck
Oh well I can only do my best

So happy to hear of all the successes , however modest . Using clothes to gauge weight loss is great if the numbers on the scale
don’t always behave .

Crikey SG that was scary for your daughter and I am glad that although serious, it was not a catastrophic outcome .Very nasty .
Well done to you and Verano for your ongoing determination . I tend to question my approach at times ( which may just be a way to ‘allow’ myself a bit of leeway, which can be dangerous !!) I know what works so no messing about !

I hope to be back later to set up the new thread !
posted by Verano
on 20 Jun 2023 at 11:16

S-g when everything seems to be going haywire, especially with our health, we can start to feel so overwhelmed. As you say, new doctor new eyes, could just be the nudge you need. Hope your latest test results are ok.
My first recorded weight was July1st 2016 which was a Friday so I guess I started Tuesday July 5th. It’s been a long and winding road to get to today. I know I have to control my carbs to control my T2 otherwise the dreaded ‘drug merry go round’ will start up again. I hate medication. I do have an autoimmune disease for which I have two medications but that’s it. I’m really pleased that at my age I don’t need statins, blood pressure pills, diabetes pills or any other ‘age’ related pills.
To stay well I know I have to lose some weight, drink more water and move more. So it’s back to the stop watch for me …. walk and water every 30 minutes! So this is ‘step 1’ on the road back to lower blood sugars!
posted by Wendy1947
on 20 Jun 2023 at 11:58

S-g pleased to hear that your daughters cat bite injury was not as awful as originally feared.
Everyone on here is so busy & as expected I gained 2.5lbs whilst away for the weekend with poor food choices available. I suppose lack of staff & the extra cost of food costs must be affecting the quality of food & service now on offer!
I made myself go to my local gym this morning to try using the equipment on my own. The leg press & rowing machine was fine but I had trouble using the leg lift machine that changes to exercise the front then back of the thighs & to be frank I felt embarrassed asking again after being shown once by the staff. But at least I went along!
We had thunderstorms overnight & my runner beans have grown so much & are growing up the canes above my head now.
I’m back on track food wise & mostly fasting today apart from a coffee that I know has already broken my fast. My husband is off on the bus to our local hospital because he will have his pupils dilated for a diabetic eye check so cannot drive there & I still haven’t yet had enough practice driving his car on my own to take him there & back🙁 I will work through the pile of washing & ironing whilst he is away & this afternoon also fit in using 1kg weights to do my Jane Fonda dvd.
I hope by the end of the week I will have shed my weight gain plus a little more.
I hope everyone has a good week!
Margaret
posted by sunshine-girl
on 20 Jun 2023 at 12:14

Hi everyone, glad you are all still here. Apologies, but I will be setting up a new thread in exactly 5 minutes and hopefully taking you all along with us. See you soon.
posted by wendleg
on 30 Jun 2023 at 20:10

Hi everyone !
I was away last week and SG very kindly agreed to set up the new thread . It was not to be as she alerted me to the fact that the site was down . We even feared it was permanent as we could not get replies to our queries and it seemed more serious than just a temporary error .Fortunately all is well and the site is up and running again ! Phew !

So no thread this week and we have been thinking…..hoping you agree with our suggestion . To be honest I have been thinking this for some time but SG voiced it …..that we would like to try a MONTHLY thread .I do find that the weeks come round so quickly and I don’t always have time to respond as frequently as I would like .SG feels it would take the pressure off a bit and I agree .

We are away that some folk will be away or busy with various family commitments in July but the thread will be open for anyone to pop in and contribute at any time .
Are you happy with the change over to a monthly thread, folks ?

Wendy and Denise ( sunshine-girl)
posted by Tulip1
on 30 Jun 2023 at 20:25

Hi Wendy and Denise,
I personally think that’s a great idea, especially as I sometimes fail to log in some weeks. I would find each month very helpful.
Thank you for your continued support snd motivation!
Clare xxx
posted by caronl
on 30 Jun 2023 at 21:59

Hi Wendy and Denise – yes a monthly thread is good too. Thank you for continuing to set it up and helping us to keep on track.
posted by Wendy1947
on 30 Jun 2023 at 22:10

Hello Wendy & Denise I also agree that a monthly thread is a good idea 👍
Thank you
Margaret
posted by Verano
on 1 Jul 2023 at 07:33

Hi I’d love a monthly thread too.
Thank you both.
posted by wendleg
on 1 Jul 2023 at 11:12

Thank you for your feedback, everyone .
New monthly thread coming up !