One month at a time ! Jump in and out but stay joyfyl and judicious July 2023 !

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posted by wendleg
on 1 Jul 2023 at 11:31

SG you wanted alliteration 😉

So here we are , a new month and a new thread .We are aware that it is not always easy to contribute to a weekly thread when it’s holiday time, there are trips, visitors, children etc to organise and so we thought we would try a different format .

Please pop in when you can .Thinking long term over 4 weeks in July gives us space to balance out any excesses or celebrations .There will always be someone to respond, give advice and support whenever it is needed. It just gives a bit of breathing space as it is sometimes hard to keep up as the weeks fly by !

I am around all summer although there will be times when we have visitors.SG is not planning any visits yet , I don’t think .
It’s a disturbing time in France right now but fortunately we are both far from big urban centres but it makes me very sad .

Hoping to see you all in July !

Wendy and Denise ( sunshine-girl ) xx
posted by wendleg
on 1 Jul 2023 at 11:32

I misspelt JOYFUL but we are stuck with it for a month now 😉
posted by sunshine-girl
on 1 Jul 2023 at 14:04

Hi Wendleg (Wendy), this takes a bit of pressure off of you on setting up these threads. I know for the times I have stepped in it is hard to think of something motivating, uplifting and encouraging to say and also something a bit different from the weeks before.

For me the benefit of a monthly thread is that I often start conversations with someone, say on a Friday, then by Tuesday when we have moved onto another weekly thread that conversations is either lost or I am referring to someone who might not have joined the new thread. This gives us a bit more continuation.

Well June is over and I have done, not too bad. My goal was 5.7lbs loss to make up the the gains made during 2 holiday events. I have managed to lose 4.9lbs. However, I am not giving up yet as I intend to continue over this weekend. This will by mainly staying alcohol free until we go out on Monday. Hopefully I can lose that 0.8 kilo by then.

As Wendy said, I dont have any plans for going away now until September so I am always around to call in for a chat or to answer any questions. We are mostly made up of regulars so we are very comfortable in talking to each other. Hope to see you during JoyFUL July 🙂

Have a wonderful month.
posted by Verano
on 2 Jul 2023 at 06:29

Morning!

Thanks for setting this thread up. I’ve been so inconsistent in posting this year that a monthly thread will suit me much better too.

I’m also around until September now. We have finally finished our catch-up, rebooked trips. It’s good to have more or less stopped worrying quite so much about cancellations.

S-g you’ve done really well to shed your holiday weight. I had lost mine but then we went to a lovely hotel in Yorkshire and racing in Beverley last week … yet another rebooked trip! But too much of all the good stuff!
So I’m back to needing to lose 2.5lbs before I tackle the rest!

Like s-g I’m just starting my 8th year of low carbing, although to be honest it’s not been that low this year. Nonetheless I still eat far fewer carbs than an average person and BS is still ok, so not all bad. I realise that when I do eat, pasta for instance, it has to be a really good pasta, not just any old stuff. I think, for me if I do have a carby meal then it has to be great quality to justify the occasional high carb intake.

Anyway for July I’m going to do my best to go back to my 2016 regime but without weighing lettuce …. life is too short!

Have a good July!
posted by sunshine-girl
on 2 Jul 2023 at 13:48

Hi all, I stuck to my guns last night and stayed on track. However, no weight loss but if I had a drink I would have gone up so I am happy enough. Just tonight to go to get to my goal and still motivated. Not been swimming for the last couple of days as we have had the gardener here and then we had rain. Today is brighter but the pool temp has dropped by 4 degrees.

I have totally given up on Sunday roast dinners. Except maybe now and then a roast chicken. I just find them tiresome to cook and then boring to eat – meat and 2 veg, and obviously no potatoes. Tonight we are having seared sirloins steaks in garlic butter with a salad and I will do hubby a few oven chips. I am still wading through the courgettes and have about 6 very large ones in my fridge, although I dont have to be in a hurry to eat them as they are not like shop bought and been sitting around on shelves for weeks but straight from my garden just a week or days ago. There are some more coming through but more slowly. Next it will be the tomatoes and the plants are heaving but still green.

V, yes 7 years is a long time. I have never gone back to any carbs and cant remember what pasta or rice tastes like. My one exception might be some rustic bread when we go out for a meal or just now and then when I get a baguette from the supermarket but so rare. One thing I do miss is a jacket potato. I had one when I was going for my hospital consults (so that would be September). I had to fast for an MRI at 10am then see the consultant at 12 noon, so I was starving. We had walked past a Patate Restaurant on the way and couldn’t resist. I must say it was worth the extra pounds but only for a treat.

I have been having a clear out of all my tops. It is amazing how many lovely clothes are in the back of the wardrobe and I wear the same old things over and over. Anyway, I have pledged not to buy any new tops for at least this year. I put things I dont want in the charity bag but end up taking them out again. I have a couple of tops from ROMAN which are beautiful but honestly I am happy to say they are meant to be floaty but are so baggy. I have put them on vinted. So that is going to be my new hobby.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and stay healthy.
posted by arcticfox
on 2 Jul 2023 at 21:26

Hi everyone,
Thanks for setting up the new thread, Wendy. I think a monthly one will work better for me as well given that I’m mostly only checking in once a week or so.
S-g – I miss jacket potatoes too. Even when I was still living at home, I never used to like the inside starchy bit, so I would scoop it out and give that part to my dad and just have the skins with butter. It would be lower carb than eating the whole potato, I suppose, but now that I’m on my own, it seems like a waste just to have to put all the insides in the compost, so I gave up having them.
I was off piste yesterday as it was Canada Day and went to my parents for a swim and a barbeque. Making up for it today though as it is much cooler out, so I’m having a longer day in the garden and catching up on some harder tasks that I couldn’t face in the heat. Fasted until noon and then came in to rehydrate and refuel. I’ll be headed back out shortly to plant my squashes now that they are hardened off.
Verano – you sound as though you have found a good balance between enjoying life and staying healthy. I agree, life is too short to weigh lettuce. It’s mostly water anyway, which is why I can’t grow it this summer, as we are in a drought. Generally gets too hot for it in summer anyway. Fingers crossed that we get some rain late summer and fall so I can grow a crop when the weather starts to cool down. That and spinach too would be nice.
posted by happysnap
on 3 Jul 2023 at 12:59

Hi again and thanks for the new thread!

I can’t remember who the person was who responded to my last post, and tried to clarify all the (confusing) screen names for me. Thank you for attempting to do so- for some reason my brain can’t wrap itself around all these names! I have a big lump in my head called Wendy-wendleg-margaret-Sunshine Girl etc. Sorry for that, I would love to respond to people individually but just don’t seem capable of figuring it out!!

Happy to report that I am back to myself physically following my miscarriage, and have jumped back onto the bandwagon and after doing a proper low carb day yesterday, I am doing an extended fast today and for the next few days. (i know I am very insulin resistant so fasting is my powertool right now).

I picked up a couple of books in a charity shop on Friday, one of them “The Obesity Epidemic” by Zoe Harcombe. I’m finding it fascinating if a bit technical. I find that reading about relevant things- low carb, fasting, insulin resistance, etc keeps me on the right track.

Wishing everyone a good week!
posted by wendleg
on 3 Jul 2023 at 13:26

Hello everyone ! Good to see the monthly thread has been well received 🙂

Happysnap don’t worry what you call us all ! I used to publish a list of all our regulars with real names if I knew them and people didn’t mind revealing their identity !! .I will have to ressurect it !

I am wendleg : Wendy my real name ( not hard to figure out 😉
SG is sunshine-girl , real name Denise
Wendy1947 , real name Margaret

So glad you are starting to feel better.
Talking of books .In the early days I used to devour all the books I could find about low carb, keto etc .Like you they kept me motivated . I like Zoe Harcombe but I don’t know the one you mentioned .Jason Fung is the fasting guru but you probably know that already;All the very best to you xx
posted by happysnap
on 3 Jul 2023 at 13:33

Thanks for the explanation, Wendy. I have a feeling it ain’t going to make much difference…!!

I love Jason Fung and have read 3 of his books. I’ve also read Robert Lustig, Gary Taubes- a bunch of his. Would appreciate recommendations for any other books worth reading.

Thanks again!!
posted by wendleg
on 3 Jul 2023 at 13:36

SG we are getting lots of courgettes too and I am trying to source decent recipes which don’t involve flour to be a bit creative .I have tried a gratin and will have a go at a ‘flan’ not a sweet tart flan but a sort of savoury soft mound which has ricotta and parmesan . I also found a recipe for courgette and halloumi balls which have coconut flour and lots of fresh herbs .

Hubby grows lots of silver beet and rainbow chard which is great as a spinach substitute . Tomatoes will soon be ready too

My little farm shop up the road is my go to for the most splendid lettuces and fresh parsley which I must have in my life 😉
posted by sunshine-girl
on 3 Jul 2023 at 13:40

Hi all, happy Monday. I sometimes lose track of the days being retired and the days and weeks come and go. I am a bit disappointed as I have not lost any more weight despite sticking to the diet and doing around 140 mins of exercise over the weekend. However, I had an upset tummy on Friday and took some Imodium and I am bunged up now.

We are out tonight and I usually say French restaurants dont do a lot of carbs but last month at the quiz they served mashed potatoes and a pastry type pie so finger crossed it will be better tonight. Because we are a group of Brits and the wife of the restaurant is English I think she tells him to make British influenced grub. Anyway, I can just push it to the side of my plate unless they do the same as last time. I was so hungry I had a pudding which was only ice cream as I kept away from the sticky toffee pudding. I would never be able to eat something that was so gooey.

The gardener is here finishing the hedge so I wont get a chance for a swim and I am going to be talking to someone who has applied to housesit for us so will be kept busy until it is time to get dolled up to go out.

Have a good week.
posted by wendleg
on 3 Jul 2023 at 14:02

OK Happysnap 😉

If you like podcasts the ZOE science & nutrition one is good, also the Diet Doctor podcast . Mindy Pelz is a good source of info for fasting and female hormonal issues :The Resetter Podcast .

Books , good choices there . You could also try

Tim Spector ‘ Food for Life’
Eric Westman ‘ End your carb confusion’
Jimmy Moore and Eric Westman ‘ Keto Clarity’
Roy Taylor ‘Life without Diabetes’
Mark Hyman ‘ Eat Fat Get Thin’
Vera Tarman ‘Food Junkies’

Very interesting also
Annabel Streets and Susan Saunders ‘The Age Well Project’
Eric Berg is very informative too
xx
posted by wendleg
on 3 Jul 2023 at 14:04

Don’t be disappointed SG the numbers will catch up , I’m sure .

Enjoy your evening out !
posted by sunshine-girl
on 3 Jul 2023 at 14:44

Wendy, I have a recipe for fritters which uses chickpea flour but I only use a very small amount just to hold them together. My lettuce used to bolt due to lack of picking but this year I have put them in among the flower pots and they are doing great. I just go and pick a few leaves when I need them and they continue to grow.
posted by JGwen
on 3 Jul 2023 at 18:43

Hi Happysnap,

I would recommend watching podcasts and reading research papers published by Dr Bikman, he tends to explain ketosis at a cellular level. I found his book quite boring, but that may be that I had seen so many of this podcasts that I found his book was just a repeat of what I already know.

I would also suggest seeking out the low carb conferences you can usually watch a number of talks given at each conference as podcasts for free.
posted by arcticfox
on 3 Jul 2023 at 20:20

Happysnap – I second Dr Bikman as being good to watch. I agree with JGwen that I didn’t enjoy his book as much as I thought I would based on the talks I had seen. The ZOE science and nutrition podcast is one of my favourites as well these days.
Wendy – there are some good courgette recipes here: https://thebloodsugardiet.com/recipes-from/jules_stonesoup/ . I especially like the savoury cheesecake one. It is a bit rich though, so I don’t have it very often. I haven’t even sown any courgettes yet this year. I need to get on with it! I did get the kabocha squash planted out finally though.
In a bit of a mad panic today as not only will my window be replaced on Wednesday, but the guy who is going to do the vinyl on my decks showed up today and says he can squeeze me in between jobs this week. So he’ll either come tomorrow or Wednesday. I now have to deal with all the weeds that have grown up around the base of the decks so they are not tripping over them. In addition to arranging my flowers for sale at the end of the drive, mowing the lawn and making a trip into town to the feed store. I’ve had a protein smoothie with kefir and blueberries to keep me going. Luckily it has been cool enough to wear my compression tights yesterday and today. It really helps with keeping my energy levels up and the spring in my step!
posted by happysnap
on 4 Jul 2023 at 10:38

Thanks for all the books and podcast recommendations.
I personally hate podcasts, am I the only one who prefers old-fashioned reading?
But will check out Mindy Pelz and Bikman, as well as all the books mentioned. I love getting immersed in a rabbit hole of literature and information! Not sure how much hubby/kids will appreciate it but I suppose I’ll have to stagger the books- one or two every couple of weeks!!

Re courgettes, I make a delicious “quiche”, the recipe calls for a tbsp or 2 of flour but I skip that- and the texture is still lovely. If you want the recipe I can post it for you.
posted by wendleg
on 4 Jul 2023 at 11:09

Happysnap I can fall asleep listening to a podcast !
Ps would love the quiche recipe otherwise it’s courgette soup !

Thanks as always JGwen !

SG ,hope you enjoyed your evening out xx
Quiet day here..aquagym later xx
posted by happysnap
on 4 Jul 2023 at 11:18

Wendleg, I am not home now but think I remember the recipe anyway!
cook and mash 6 courgettes.
Meanwhile saute a couple of onions in oil until golden and add diced mushrooms (amounts are very forgiving)
Combine onions/mushrooms with mashed courgettes, add 1 tsp baking powder, 4 eggs, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, and dashes of your favourite spices (I like garlic powder and black pepper)
Bake for an hour at 175 until golden.
Enjoy!!
posted by Verano
on 4 Jul 2023 at 11:43

Hello!

Sounds like a lovely recipe Happysnap think I’ll give it a try too. Glad you’re feeling ok now.

S-g don’t worry too much about the scales they are so unpredictable and as you’ve said so many times it depends on whether you’ve pooped or not etc etc !

Wendy bet you’re glad of a quiet day once in a while!

Arctic I agree I also like the Zoe work but was not that impressed with Tim Spector’s ‘Food for Life’. I listened to an audio book from Dr Andrew Jenkinson ‘Why We Eat (Too Much)’ one of the things he talks about is how the production of food has changed. When did you last see a field of ‘swaying’ corn? It’s now modified to grow shorter and have a greater yield. Just one fact that stuck in my mind. Must listen to it again.

I sometimes wonder if we can suffer from information ‘overload’ to the point where we become so bogged down the various theories that we lose sight of the basics.

Anyway it’s Tuesday, my traditional weigh-in day from time immemorial, from the days of WW and having to eat a whole can of tuna with no dressing! So for the last few days I’ve been using my stop watch to remind me to drink water every 45mins. It works! I’d forgotten how important water is.

Have a good week and a good July.
posted by happysnap
on 4 Jul 2023 at 11:56

Verano, I think you might be correct in saying that information overload can make us lose sight of the goal. Definitely happened to me in the beginning- I ordered a ton of books, started with MM, and went rapidly from there to all types of keto, sugar, diet, etc etc and found myself very confused and kind of forgot what my goal was!

Thankfully I then found this site which really grounded me. Nowadays I am more careful with the literature I read and I keep coming back to the BSD book- which I find helps me keep the compass pointing in the right direction, so to speak- but its definitely something to be mindful of!
posted by sunshine-girl
on 4 Jul 2023 at 16:36

Hi all, thanks I had a lovely evening. It is a quiz night and we came second from last. But there are only 2 on our team as our usual people had visitors staying with them and brought them along so had a full team. We dont mind and called ourselves The Lonesome Two 🙂

The food was not too challenging with coleslaw and chorizo salad (4 very thin slices) and then turkey leg stuffed with prunes on a bed of mushy vegetables. I did have several glasses of wine but the scales were kind to me this morning and I have actually lost weight. Just 0.1 of a kilo. Hopefully it wont catch up with me tomorrow. Another month of not much happening so I will be able to stick with it.

Verano, you ask when did you last see a field of swaying corn. I saw it last week right outside the bottom of my garden. Farmer grows winter wheat although I am not sure it wasn’t barley. Anyway, he came and harvested it a few days ago. His next plant cycle will be sweetcorn which will mean we have free corn for a while – he does say we can ‘try’ it.

I am having a restful day today, so no swimming and now going to watch Tipping Point. Oh to have an exciting life like mine.
posted by sunshine-girl
on 5 Jul 2023 at 15:28

Another day of medical checks. Cardiologist for his and her’s annual. I have to do a bicycle test next week and cardio wants me to have a whole load of blood tests before so I have the nurse coming out tomorrow morning. To say I am sick and fed up would be an understatement but I should be grateful they do such a thorough job and I got an appointment with nurse straight away. The good news is, if my test next week is good then he doesn’t want to see me for 2 years. Should also say hubby is doing well and had his meds reduced.

The Monday feast has caught up with me with a small gain but not worried as I still lost 4lbs for June. My new goal for July is 3lbs as it is bound to slow down.

Rain on and off today so no swim and we have gardeners coming tomorrow to do a massive clear up of the garden. They will be here all day, so no swimming again.

Have a good week.
posted by happysnap
on 6 Jul 2023 at 11:37

Sunshine-Girl, you sound thoroughly fed up and I don’t blame you! But keeping fingers crossed for good results and hopefully no more appointments needed.

Can I just use this forum to rant?
A good friend of mine was just diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. She’s one of those (nasty) people who remains thin, no matter what she eats. But she eats a very, very processed, carby, sugary diet and I suppose its inevitable that she developed GD. So what is making me so angry is the advice she’s been given!
Her midwife (who in my opinion has no business giving nutrition advice) told her to eat lots of fruit and veg… ie. don’t eat ten mangoes but a couple of fine, and so are apples, peaches, plums…
Then she was told by the diabetes team to cut down on carbs but still include a tbsp of pasta or rice with every meal.
When I told her about the BSD, she said sorry but I am sticking to the advice i’ve been given. And I can’t even blame her for saying that!
Gosh, it just makes me so angry… poor thing would be helped if she’d be guided to a diet like this one.
posted by MerryMelba
on 6 Jul 2023 at 13:03

Reported Chris Morris post as advertising.
posted by sunshine-girl
on 6 Jul 2023 at 13:25

Weight has dropped again and I am back to my pre holidays weight. Continuing exactly the same for July although we are planning a Sunday lunch at a restaurant at the end of the month – just for the hell of it.

Happysnap, I feel your frustration for your friend. Although on the bright side they are suggesting fruit and veg (although not stating which to avoid). You could let her keep to the advice she has been given but give her a print out of diet doctors list of good and bad fruits and veg as a guide. She might appreciate that. Also, in an ideal world we would all be able to eat a little bit of rice or potato and that is how it should be. Unless you are diabetic. So if it makes her look at the amount of carbs previously eaten it might mean quite a big reduction. I honestly believe it is not the carbs (for non diabetics) but the amount. In the UK I see plates piled high with the carb part of a meal, be it pasta, rice or potatoes or chip and it makes me cringe. You have to remember that it is traditionally the cheapest part of a meal and fills people up. Fortunately, it shouldn’t be necessary these days but, looking at the financial situation a lot of people are struggling and need to pad out their meals. If you go to, say, Italy, the amount of pasta is so small and not the whole of the meal. Also, in France we are rarely given white carbs at a meal. On the other hand, the French do not think a meal is complete without bread. When I saw a nutritionist early into my diagnosis she told me to eat carbs with every meal plus 2 carb snack each day (11 am and 4 pm) and a bowl of cereal before bed. With bread or cereal for breakfast, pasta or rice at lunch and again for dinner it came to around 300g of carbs daily. I stuck to it for 3 months as like your friend I trusted the expert, gained 5kgs and sent my BG off the scale. And she charged me €90 for the pleasure. Obviously this was before I discovered BSD, but even then I didnt eat many carbs so her plan was a real shock to the system. I think they are trying to save us from having hypos.

Nurse arrived at 8.30 and my results will be in later today. I am hoping for a big drop in LDL cholesterol due to the increased amount of statins I am taking but also hoping my BG is down as I have been too indulgent during ‘holidays’. I will report back.

We have had a garden full of gardeners today. The lad who was doing the hedge turned up with a van and trailer to take away all the cuttings at the same time as the 2 blokes hubby has hired to give the garden a massive overall. Fortunately, I had warned the hedge man that hubby had hired someone else or it would have been embarrassing. Its a bit noisy outside so I am staying in the house for the rest of the day.

Be good and keep on keeping on…
posted by sunshine-girl
on 6 Jul 2023 at 16:23

Results are in and BG is down from 6.4 to 6.2. Total cholesterol was 2.29 now 1.47, LDL down from 1.37 to 0.68. And that is in 3 weeks since medication was increased so I am looking forward to good things.
posted by Verano
on 6 Jul 2023 at 16:32

WOW s-g!
Everything going in the right direction ….. be happy!
posted by Tulip1
on 7 Jul 2023 at 07:40

thanks so much Wendleg and SG!
I’m holiday prepping and tying up work before my hol on Sunday- if I don’t have time before, I’ll make a longer post later in July,
Love to all xxx
posted by sunshine-girl
on 7 Jul 2023 at 13:51

Going to be a hot one, already 33. Had a swim this morning and if the weather forecast is right I will be swimming early as it really can get too hot. I have known me swim in a T-Shirt and hat although I always wear a baseball cap that one of my grandsons left behind. Yo! Gangster granny.

Weight is down again so going to try to be really good and not have anything to drink this weekend. Total loss for June/July 5lbs. Trying not to be too hard on myself but honestly I enjoy the food I eat. This morning poached egg with grilled mushrooms (85 cals), lunch was a salad made of left over honeydew melon, feta cheese, ribbons of courgette, 3 small olives and a few cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar (190 cals). So it is a good job I am having fish and chips with mushy peas for dinner. However, the fish is fresh with a sprinkle of egg and breadcrumbs, 3 or 4 small chips and very healthy marrowfat peas. Adding everything up including a square of chocolate the day comes to 696 cals, so room for a snack this afternoon if I think I need it. It still takes me to 50g carbs with the chips so I am only just within carb allowance.

Tulip have a lovely holiday. I am just so happy to not be doing anything although hubby wants to go a see the new Indiana Jones film on Monday. 2 hours 45 mins – think I will have a sleep 🙂
posted by Verano
on 7 Jul 2023 at 18:05

Well done s-g!
Weight keeps creeping up and down but we can have a little ‘life ‘ as well.
Had a Thai meal last . No rice or anything but up a smidgeon today. No problem it will be ok by tomorrow.
Think if we stay lowish carb when we eat out any ‘damage’ can be rectified pretty quickly.
posted by arcticfox
on 7 Jul 2023 at 18:51

Hi everyone,
On a quick break as this is the weekend I am harvesting garlic. I have 180 bulbs out of the ground so far this morning and that is only 1/2 way down the first row. I have 3 rows total. It’s going to be 33 here today as well, s-g, so trying to get as much done in the morning as I can. May have some thunderstorms later too, so I can’t work out in that. I’m trying to cool down and get rehydrated. I find I have to drink electrolytes as well as water when I’m sweating so much, but I have some tablets that dissolve into water that are much lower sugar than a lot of the off-the-shelf drinks that you find in the supermarket. I have frozen strawberries as a cool treat as well. Fueling up with a chia and hemp ‘porridge’ with yogurt on top.
I have a worker here today finishing up putting vinyl on my decks. That will be so nice to have that done. Also, my window was finally installed on Wednesday. It has definitely made a difference to the temperature in my bedroom. I’ve been able to get to sleep earlier and I think I’m sleeping better too. Unfortunately, I discovered that one of the screens has a tear in it, so the mosquitoes are still getting in. I’ll have to call the company later and talk to them about that.
Anyway, break is over. Have to get on. Hope everyone has a good weekend.
posted by sunshine-girl
on 8 Jul 2023 at 14:22

Hi all, not much to report. Gained a little but the usual ups and downs, still no alcohol (sound like an alki), swimming this morning.

Arctic, you are busy as usual. Hope you enjoyed your short break, now back to work with you 🙂

Have a good weekend.
posted by Verano
on 8 Jul 2023 at 17:24

Hello everyone hope you’re all well.

S-g you sound just like me down a bit, up a bit, but mainly a downward trend. I must admit I think I may have worked out just what does work for me. This week I have used two strategies. The first is drinking water by using my stop watch every 40 minutes. It works! Water works! When I drink enough water my weight drops, even if it is by a little, it still drops.

The second is my list of ‘off limits’ foods like crisps and crispbreads etc and my ‘ eat cos they’re good for you ‘ foods like olives and walnuts.

When I look at my progress over the last week when I don’t drink enough water my weight stalls. If I eat walnuts for a snack my weight seems to fall …. maybe I’m not as hungry at dinner after walnuts … I don’t know.

Anyway, I think it’s obvious for me use the stopwatch for water and monitor my good/not good foods everyday. Just seems to work without having to log every morsel I eat.

Anyway enjoy your weekend be here next week.
posted by Wendy1947
on 9 Jul 2023 at 10:24

Hello everyone & I’m back from my week away & of course have gained weight with eating out, self catering with easy meals, snacks & wine to drink. So in June I lost 6.5 lbs in weight & I have just weighed & have gained 7.25lbs holiday weight & back in the obese range at 30.3BMI.
Oh well I’m obviously going to get back on track asap. no wonder my knees have noticed🙁
Very well done to everyone already keeping on track & staying positive 👍
I will endeavour to lose weight this next week but we will be staying with my son, who lives alone, for a few days because he is going into hospital for a kidney biopsy because scans & blood tests have not diagnosed what the problem is with his kidney function. It’s very worrying but we will be there to take him to hospital where after the biopsy he will have to lie still on his back for six hours not moving in case of bleeding & is then staying overnight for observation’s. We will be staying with him that day & for the following couple of days when he comes out to check he is recovering with no problems & is resting & I will be doing the motherly thing of providing meals at his flat. I think food will again be a compromise of easy prep but trying to stay with mainly protein & veg but some treats for my son😀
I hope you all have a good week
Margaret
posted by Patricia1066
on 12 Jul 2023 at 08:30

Hi Wendy, Verano, sunshine girl! I am back in town for the company and good sense.
The scales show slippage, like having a few slices of toast, blackcurrant jam for breakfast rather than the eggs I know will satisfy me. I like the quiche recipe happysnap – tomorrow’s breakfast then.
posted by Wendy1947
on 12 Jul 2023 at 09:29

Thank you averagestudent for your support & I’m gradually getting back to my usual way of eating more protein & less carbs so a protein heavy tapas supper out with our son & porridge for breakfast today. I’m now sitting in the hospital day unit & ward with my son & husband & we are waiting for him to be called for his biopsy but no idea when at the moment. It looks like my husband & I are fasting for lunch because there seems to be no hospital shop nearby but my husband has gone exploring to try & buy some water.
posted by sunshine-girl
on 12 Jul 2023 at 13:06

Hi everyone, Margaret I hope you didnt click the link of the scam you had directed at you by averagestudent. Very cleverly done but obviously AI generated.

Welcome back Patricia1066 hope you can manage to get back in the swing of things. Egg is so much more satisfying than toast and blackcurrant jam 🙂 Seriously though, it will keep you full longer and not send you mad with cravings.

I am back from my appointment with the cardio yesterday. I have ecg tests every year due to diabetes and the bicycle stress test every 2 years. Unfortunately, it is not good news. Won’t go into my woes as I am sure you are all sick and tired of hearing about my ill health. So am I. Anyway, he has found something and referred me back to the surgeon who operated on my carotid. So at least I know I am in good hands. I had seen the cardio last year before my op and he said he wanted me back in 6 month so I had an inclining something wasnt right. I asked him straight out – have I had a heart attack – his reply was ‘No, but…..’ Before I had a chance to ask what the but was I was shown back to reception for the admin side of things and to make another appointment. Sometimes I just lose the right language when under pressure so didnt say anything else. Just like I didnt yesterday. I am calling in on my GP this afternoon to give him his copy of my results so I might get a call some time or a letter from the surgeon.

This is for Wendleg – j’en ai marre 🙂

Have a good week everyone.
posted by Wendy1947
on 12 Jul 2023 at 13:49

Thanks sunshine-girl I hadn’t realised it was a scam but fortunately hadn’t clicked on the link! Actually my husband yesterday was caught by a scam with Apple gift cards bought on behalf of friends from Tesco but then realised after checking with the friends partner that his account had been hacked!! Fortunately my husband spoke with Lloyds Bank & had paid on his credit card & now has had the money refunded & a new card issued. These scammers are really evil but it’s easy to be taken in🙁
Margaret
posted by Wendy1947
on 12 Jul 2023 at 13:52

S-G I’m so sorry to hear about your cardiac review & hope your GP can clarify things for you & what can be done to help.🤞🤞
Margaret xx
posted by caronl
on 12 Jul 2023 at 14:10

Hi S-G, Wishing you lots of strength and patience. You have had a very wearing year.

I am still here – had to go to the Uk for the third time in 8 weeks to care for my elderly parents. But managed to stay more or less on track. Still 3.6 kilos down, and hoping for some more movement this week. Wishing everyone a successful week. Fingers crossed.
posted by sunshine-girl
on 12 Jul 2023 at 14:15

Margaret, glad you didnt click the link. I am not going to over dramatise my problem, it is a blockage in my heart but not a main valve or artery. There are 3 options 1. no treatment but keep an eye on it and the other branch bundles, 2. resynchronization of the heart to get the beats even on each side, or 3. a pacemaker. All perfectly do-able but will wait to see what the vascular surgeon says. I am not bothering my doctor with it although I did drop in the copy of my results earlier. If he wants to see me about it he will call me. Bad thing about being a nurse, I know too much, but enough to know this is not an emergency and it will get sorted. Just sick of doctor after doctor, test after test etc. At least I am being looked after. When I told my brother (another nurse) he said welcome to the vascular misfits – he has had a stent but has now been waiting 6 months for his second one.

Life is for living.
posted by wendleg
on 12 Jul 2023 at 15:54

Hi everyone
Oh heck SG , sorry to hear about the ongoing cardiac issues .At least you know you will get sorted so try not to worry .I think it is defiinitely reassuring to know you are being well monitored . Any idea when you will get to see the surgeon ? Hopefully this month as I am sure you know it is notoriously difficullt to get anything done in August . You could ring the surgeon’s secretary to inquire ??
Sorry if I sound a bit bossy , you know what to do 😉 Remember you had brilliant results recently due to your constant detemined effort .

We have had a quiet few days allowing me to get back to my normal routine .My two boys met up in the UK last week and spent a lovely few days with family .Now they are both in France , yippee !! There are a few gatherings arranged but they should be easy to navigate as we all bring a dish to share rather than a ‘fixed menu’ 😉 So it’s a happy summer here !

It’s flippin hot though and even though I should be used to it , it can be wearing . Thank goodness for aquagym … 4 sessions a week available now which is great ! I don’t have the luxury of my own pool like SG 😉 Anyway, being positive I can get my washing dry in no time !

I just made a cheesy courgette bake with grated courgettes, eggs, feta and cheddar cheese , with some chives .The recipe called for flour but I react badly to wheat flour so substituted a bit of almond flour and it seems to have worked .

Margaret, so sorry to hear about your son and I hope they can find out what is going on;We always worry about our kids however old they are .Just do your best with meal choices and be flexible if you need to as you will be pretty exhausted .

Caronl, you are having a tough time too .Sending hugs and well done for keeping on track .

Yes, I too thought averagestudent was a bit dodgy posting that link after a lengthy speel .

Tulip have a lovely holiday . You need that break xx

Welcome back Patricia ! You are never that far away and it’s always good to see you !

Verano you sound very relaxed now you have found what works for you

Oh dear, happysnap, I would be really fed up on behalf of a friend too but you did your best .

Hi Merry ! Hope you are ok xx

Crikey you work so hard, arcticfox ! I had heard that garlic is a good mosquito repellent ? That would be good as you have loads !

I do like this monthly drop in when you can format ! So good to see everyone checking in !

Wendy xx
posted by Verano
on 12 Jul 2023 at 18:34

Hello.

S-g so sorry to hear about your problems. Fortunately you’re in France not the UK! You are getting the best treatment. Never good to have health issues. But …. as you say … keep on keeping on!

Hi to Patricia. Hello to everyone else.

Mixed week for me. Felt down. for no particular reason, but resulted in not the best of food choices. Stayed the same! Need to be losing!

Have a good week
posted by arcticfox
on 13 Jul 2023 at 03:15

Hi everyone,
Well, I managed to get all of the garlic dug up and hanging in the shed to cure before it started to rain on Sunday night. There are 1197 bulbs in there. How’s that for loads of garlic, Wendy? I don’t know if it helps with the mosquitoes though as you can smell it wafting out the doors of the shed several metres away and the mosquitoes are still biting me there. Oh well, the company came right away and had my screen fixed within the hour, so that was awesome service and no more mosquitoes upstairs.
I’ve been taking it a bit easy since Sunday, as that was quite the effort. Interestingly, even though it was so warm, my legs didn’t swell up. I think maybe it was because of the way I was using them with the digging motion? I’ve been for 2 swims since I finished, so that has helped with my recovery as well.
I pulled one of my “do not eat until August” meals out of the freezer for tonight. It is a veggie paneer curry. Very tasty and I only feel a little guilty about it still being July. I still have several meals left in the freezer, so figured I may as well start eating them. Lots of veggie burgers and salmon portions as well. I had a turmeric latte earlier, so I’m full of anti-inflammatory spices today!
posted by Wendy1947
on 13 Jul 2023 at 08:50

Gosh everyone is so busy & loads of garlic sounds wonderful arcticfox but hard work to produce & I use a lot to cook with so am a fan. We had loads of wild garlic growing in our garden before pulling it up to plant our tomatoes & runner beans that smelt wonderful.
My sons kidney biopsy went well yesterday with no bleeding in his urine samples or excessively from the biopsy site. He was in some discomfort when the local anaesthetic wore off & was bored having to lie still for six hours but I think very relieved it is all over & we now await the results & an answer to the puzzle of what caused his kidney damage, although his prescription gout medication is suspected, & what treatment can now help rectify this. However on the plus side he didn’t have to stay in overnight because his Doctor said everything went so well but he must take it very easy now for at least a week so we will now stay until Saturday to ensure he doesn’t do too much😀The hospital staff were caring & excellent & we felt well looked after.
Thank you all for your good wishes.
Margaret
posted by sunshine-girl
on 14 Jul 2023 at 19:13

Margaret, I can assure you I am not busy. Had a swim this morning and spent the whole day doing nothing much. It has just reached 38 degrees here and we are staying indoors with fans on.

Im glad your son is okay. My brother has gone into total kidney failure and has to have 6 hours a day dialysis until they can work out what to do. It is the result of a long term illness he has been successfully living with but knew the day would come. He lives in Thailand and gets excellent care. A friend in the UK has offered to get tested to be a donor but not sure if that is feasible. We just keep hoping and loving him. I must have a chat with him.

Have a great weekend everyone. Fingers crossed for the Euro Lottery 🙂
posted by Wendy1947
on 15 Jul 2023 at 10:55

Sunshine-girl I’m so sorry to hear about your brother having to cope with dialysis & kidneys do seem to be a problem in that livers can repair some damage but kidneys don’t seem to have that same facility. We just have to keep our fingers crossed that ongoing research & treatments will improve. We are awaiting my sons biopsy results with some nervousness.
With my very best wishes to you & your family.
Margaret
posted by sunshine-girl
on 15 Jul 2023 at 13:43

Well I didnt win anything on the euro lottery (: Had a lovely swim this morning in the cool air. We have dropped to 22 degrees today and hoping for some rain. There is a shortage of fresh milk in France due to drought conditions. Cows don’t produce as much when they are not getting fresh grass with moisture in it and the dry winter feed has almost gone. It will take a lot of rain to get out of this situation. When they talk about global warming you just think of hot weather not animals not being able to produce for us, hens don’t lay well in hot weather either so that might become a problem. Lets just hope for lots of rain.

Not mentioned my weight as there has been nothing to report, I am still 5lbs down for June and so far in July. I am being really strict so hope I can be down a couple of more pounds by early next week. KOKO.
posted by arcticfox
on 15 Jul 2023 at 18:48

Well, another productive weekend here. I’m catching up on all the weeding that has been neglected in favour of other tasks recently. It’s now a big job, but I’m seeing progress. We’ve had a lot of smoke about yesterday and today, which makes working outside hot and difficult as I have to wear a mask due to asthma. It has lifted a bit today though and may clear out completely by this evening. The one positive is that it is keeping the temperature down a bit from what was forecasted.
I haven’t been mentioning weight either as I haven’t been weighing myself. I haven’t noticed any difference around my waist or hips and thighs, but my lower arms and especially my lower legs seem to be sliming down somewhat. Not the most useful areas for getting clothes to fit better, but at least it means that I seem to be losing some non-lipedema fat. I’m hoping that if I can look really very slim in all the parts of me that aren’t affected by lipedema, I may be able to convince my gp that I’m not just obese and actually have this condition.
Breakfast today was a smoothie with strawberries, kefir and protein powder. I’m still hungry though, so will have to find something more to eat. Then I have to go out and pound in some fence posts so the horses can have a new area of grass to eat. It’s never a nice job, but even more so now that the ground is so dry. We’re in severe drought here too, s-g. My hay farmer called to say that his hay is nice this year, but the yield is down significantly. A dairy farmer normally cuts my field and takes the hay for his dry cows as my horses won’t eat it (picky things!), but he hasn’t told me when he is coming, and the grass in the horse pasture has gone dry so I’ve been putting in grazing strips with temporary electric fencing along the edge of the field for them. As someone who works in agriculture, we’ve been seeing this coming down the pipe for years now. Unfortunately, it is very hard to get the message out to people who just want to bury their heads in the sand and try to carry on their lives as usual. I was in the local supermarket yesterday and was listening to some tourists complaining about the price of food and blaming it on the prime minister. Some people apparently don’t understand where their food comes from and that the prime minister doesn’t actually control the weather! The next issue isn’t going to be the cost of food but the fact that there won’t be enough to go around.
Anyway, on that depressing thought, its back to work for me. I may sow some spinach and broccoli plants later in hopes that we get some rain that will allow me to plant them out at some point!