2023 – A Healthy New Me!

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  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Hi everyone

    If you want to lose weight, get fitter and healthier, and generally be the best you can be in 2023, why not come and join us?

    This is the follow on thread from various others, the most recent being Christmas Belles. We’re a fun friendly group, all with long term weight loss goals that we are gradually inching towards. We’re supportive and non-judgemental, and everyone is welcome. We treat our weight loss journey as a virtual bus tour, and have plenty of laughs along the way.

    So if you have goals in mind for 2023 and would like a bit of company along the way, do hop on board! The thread will run for 8 weeks from Monday 2nd January until the end of February – Tuesday 28th. Which means you can fit in a full 8-week Fast 800 if you want to do so, or are equally welcome to hop on and off as and when it suits.

    Here’s to a brilliant 2023 for us all X

  • posted by Yowzer49
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    Thanks DCT,Im in! Mightnt post as often,as part of “healthy new me” is being online less,but Im deffo on board!
    Hi to friends old and new on our trusty shiny bus,and good luck with the ride! XXXX💜❤️

  • posted by chocolatemonster
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    hi everyone! I’m popping in to re-commit. I made my christmas weight goal (86kg down to 80kg), but put some back on over the last week (now around 81.5kg). Aiming to lose 4.5kg by end of February…that’s a fairly big goal for me, but hey…if January isn’t for making lofty goals then when is! The grand plan will be to achieve the final weight loss, and then maintain for the year. That’s something I have never managed before, and I anticipate quite a lot of bumps along the road, but it’s such a necessary thing if I am to avoid endless cycles of calorie restriction and abundance – and most importantly, the cardiovascular risk reduction (we have such a high genetic risk in my family).
    Look forward to hearing everyones updates – it really does help to know that there are others pushing through the cravings and slow periods too. And I suspect it also helps save my family/friends from the bore that I become when I only think/talk about food!
    SW 81.5kg, BMI 25.1
    GW 77 kg, BMI 23.7
    Weeeeeeee, happy new year!

  • posted by ADD6605
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    Hi everyone and thanks DCT for setting the new thread up.I’m aiming to lose 22lbs by the end of this trip which will leave me with about a stone to lose to get down to what I think my goal will be (though it may change) I’m going to weigh and measure myself every two weeks.Good luck everyone.Dawn X

  • posted by Nokie
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    Hi everyone thanks Dct for starting us on our new year’s journey 👍
    I have climbed on bus 🚌 got my seat 💺 in the front upstairs I thought that would be good 😊 I can’t get off do easily then 🤣
    I would love to loose a stone so let’s see what I can achieve in the 8 weeks will definitely need all your help but feeling positive
    Good luck all I am ready !!!!
    Lv nokie x

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Thanks for setting up our new thread DCT 🙂
    I’m re-starting today. My goal is to lose, and keep off, 9kg this year (1 st 5lb from memory). My aim for this journey is to lose 4kg (9lb), which I think is achievable over 8 weeks, even for a slow loser like me!
    I also want to get back into healthy habits, walking more, drinking less alcohol, meditating and being more mindful, so I really am aiming for a healthy new me!
    I’m going to keep it simple in terms of food – focusing on keeping calories between 800 and 1000, following the 50/50 rule (at least 50g protein and carbs under 50g), and TRE of 16:8 when I can, or at least 14:10. I’d like to do the full 8 weeks like this but most likely it will be 5 days on plan and 2 off each week, as I have a few social and work events coming up, as well as some leave towards the end of Jan.
    On the menu today I have Veggie and egg tray bake for breakfast, ham salad and coleslaw for lunch and Mozzarella chicken for dinner (breakfast and dinner recipes from the new Fast 800 Keto recipe book). I’ll be drinking lots of water as it’s going to be 32 degrees here today 🌞
    In a couple of weeks time it will be 6 years since I first started my BSD journey, so I would dearly love to finally get to my goal weight this year!

  • posted by Mariet
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    Hi everyone, me again 🙂 Good to see so many familiar names.
    I finished the year exactly where I started it which was disappointing but realistically, could have been a lot worse!
    I’ve got my spreadsheet ready and no tempting food left in the house. My aim initially is to stick to the principles EVERY DAY, if that works ok I will hope to lose 5kg by the end of the challenge. Unlikely as I’m another slow loser but if I don’t try I’m already beaten! I am already walking a lot with a one year old puppy who needs regular exercise but I don’t find exercise helps me lose weight. I do feel better for it though.
    Good luck to all!

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Welcome back Mariet, nice to be travelling with you again 🙂
    Wow can’t believe your puppy is now a year old! Time flies!

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Hi Marie and welcome back! It’s good to have you on board again and I hope you achieve your goals. Thanks also to SueBlue, chocolatemonster, Nokie and Dawn for sharing your goals. Together we can do this!!

    I’m currently at 148lb (67.1k) and hope to get to 138lb (62.6k) by the end of February. I had a good run for part of the Christmas journey, and got down to 143.8lb (65.2k) before Christmas overeating took over. Though, as I said on the other thread, I didn’t particularly go overboard : I just realise that I now need to be very strict to see weight come off and stay off.

    Yowzer I completely agree with you about spending too much time online. That’s one reason I don’t post too often, tbh. I work on my laptop all day so often the last thing I feel like doing is getting it out again during down time. And also as you say it can be such a time waster – I’m not talking about this forum which I love, but I can go to look up one thing on the internet which should take 5 minutes and I’m still browsing around half an hour later on totally irrelevant stuff that my brain just got curious about. So yes, there’s definitely a balance to be struck. I intend to participate fully on here and celebrate our successes! But try not to get sucked into other websites and social media just for the sake of it.

    Hope you all have a wonderful week, and a great start to the journey. And there’s plenty of room on the bus for more travellers!

    PS, I noticed the Daily Mail advertising a new MM supplement starting Saturday, something about losing a stone in a month I think. Will definitely investigate. I’m sure it’ll be stuff we already know, but it’s always good to have something fresh to inspire you.

  • posted by bobizgrate
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    Hi all,

    I don’t know whether this is the right place to post this, but I have surprised myself by being a bit of a success story (so far!) for the Blood Sugar Diet. Hopefully it might give other wople hope and encouragement – I was almost proud of how badly I used to eat, and thought that the misery a diet like this would cause would outweigh the health risks! I was quite wrong, and actually came to find it interesting (dare I say fun?) working out my calorie counts and recipe plans.

    I got diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the beginning of September 2023 with a blood sugar on the HbA1C test of 70mmol/mol. The doctor weighed me in at 16 stone 6lb (104kg/230lb), which put me just over into the NHS “obese” category for my height of 6ft (180cm). I also had high blood pressure and my cholesterol was 5.4mmol/L (the healthy threshold is below 5). Now, I was prescribed medication for all of these, so dieting possibly can’t take the entire credit for my improvement, however…

    I spent a bit of time looking at the Diabetes UK and NHS websites, the DESMONDS approach, and found it a bit depressing that it was all about managing diabetes without ever making any difference. I saw a reference to the Walk Away from Diabetes pilot, under which the NHS prescribes soups and shakes adding up to 800 calories a day for 8 weeks. The pilot was not available in my area, but I did a bit of googling and found the Blood Sugar Diet by Michael Mosley, whom I recognised from the telly.

    I read the book in fascination and started my 8 weeks on 24 September. My goal was to lose 10-15% of my body weight, which my GP said was a good aim to see if diabetes remission was possible for me.

    I used some of the recipes from the book, but also used the My Fitness Pal app to record all of my calories. I went almost keto because I was a bit uncertain about a some grains – I definitively cut out sugar, potatoes, rice, bread and pasta. My main tip for anyone starting this journey is to find something you can eat which you like – in my case, inspired by a holiday to Tunisia many years ago, I ate half a tin of tuna with a teaspoon of harissa for either breakfast or lunch most days.

    I also heard Michael Mosley on the radio extolling the virtues of an apple every day, so I stuck to that religiously. Otherwise my diet consisted of eggs (often hard boiled, but sometimes omelettes or scrambled eggs or even fried with a couple of rashes of bacon or veggie sausages!) And the evening meal would be something like a steak or a quarter of a grilled chicken with salad or peas. I became very daring with cauliflower, which takes all kind of spices beautifully and can be eaten in almost limitless amounts on this diet.

    So I finished my eight weeks on 19 November and weighed in at 13 stone 4lb (84.5kg/186lb) this far outstripped my goals and I was delighted, although it was slightly irritating that this was still slightly above the ideal weight range for a 6ft man on the NHS website, which tops out at 13 stone 3lb.

    I went onto the 5:2 diet on a more permanent basis, and was a bit more lax over Christmas, like most people, with a Yorkshire pudding and a small dollop of mashed potato. There was a bit of an admin mixup at my GP surgery with the results of the HbA1C test I did at the beginning of December so I did the test again on 3 January. This was very slightly irritating – I was worried about how much of my good work I had undone over Christmas.

    However, I just got my results today. I currently weigh 12st 12 lb (81.6kg/180lb) and my blood sugar is now 34mmol/mol! I am going back for another test in April to check on progress, but my doctor was very congratulatory and said he had to check he had the right person’s results. He has kept me on the Metformin for now but cut the dose in half.

    In addition, my blood pressure is now well within the normal range and my total cholesterol is down to 3.5mmol/L.

    Anyway I hope this is interesting/encouraging to people rather than seeming smug, but I was very excited to get my test results today!

    All the best everyone.

    Bob

  • posted by Nokie
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    Hello Bob
    Well done 👏
    What an achievement you must be delighted thanks for sharing your news with our group
    I did the blood sugar diet about 5 years ago and Like you did very well
    Unfortunately I haven’t stuck to it no excuse really but had several family issues and reached to the biscuits 🍪 too many times🤣
    I am determined to start on Monday and do the 8 weeks again this group is brilliant so welcome on our bus 🚌
    Happy new year to you and keep going
    Nokie 👏👏👏

  • posted by bobizgrate
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    Thank you Nokie! It is good to be on the bus! I found this forum super useful, especially the discussions of specific foods (still a bit unclear on butternut squash!) but didn’t contribute until now. I think I wanted to wait and see how it went first!

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Morning everyone, and a special hello to Bob. Great you’ve joined the motley crew, and well done for achieving so much in such a short time! That’s great news, and very inspiring. You’re living proof of how much positive difference healthy eating can make, Are you planning to stay on the 5:2? Thats how I originally started before trying the BSD, and what I intend to do when I finally get to goal.

    My week has been ok I guess. I have a weight loss goal for this journey of 1-2lb a week and achieved that this week. But I feel I need to up my game a bit, as feeling very lethargic and I know I’m at high risk of comfort eating/drinking. I had this horrid flu lurgy thing all over Christmas and still feel drained from it. So, like you Nokie, I want to really move things up a gear from Monday and try to do a full Fast 800 for the rest of January and February. Also need to start exercising again as I’m becoming rather a couch potato at the moment 🙀

    Have a wonderful weekend everyone X

  • posted by chocolatemonster
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    hi everyone, happy Friday! also absolutely loved your success story bob, thanks for sharing. Great to see that the bus is filling up too 🙂
    I’ve stuck (mostly) to the Fast 800 plan Monday-Friday, and have a meal off planned for Sunday evening (dinner out with a friend).
    I think I’ll post my progress each Friday, so here we go for this week:
    (re-)SW 81.5kg
    CW 80.25kg
    GW 77kg

  • posted by Nokie
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    Hello fellow bus pals !!
    I know this is a subject people find difficult to talk about but does anyone in the bus gave a remedy for constipation 🙏
    When. Did the diet for 8 weeks 5 years ago I was pleased with my results but I remember I nearly gave up several times because of this
    I really want to do this for the 8 weeks but not sure what to do if any one help I would be most grateful have a good weekend all
    Lv nokie x😘

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Hi Nokie just to say I’ve noticed this in the past too. It does pass but make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids to compensate for the carb water loss. Good luck!

    Bob I see MM has responded to your Twitter post. Well-deserved! Fantastic results.

    Goodnight all from the UK x

  • posted by Mariet
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    Hi Nokie, I remember this from past efforts as well. I take magnesium citrate tablets at night, they help me relax and sleep and also sort out constipation. I was advised to use the citrate rather than the sulphate but I don’t know if it really matters. But give that a good. I take two, occasionally three. Any excess is just discarded by the body. Good luck!

    I’m doing well so far, 1kg down but my proper day for checking has always been Tuesday so I’ll wait an see what happens then. Finding it easy to stick with no snacking and no white carbs and I’ve earmarked a few recipes to get ingredients for, next time I get groceries. Hope everyone’s keeping on keeping on 😁

  • posted by Nokie
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    Good morning thanks Dct and mariet 😘
    I will try your suggestions ! It’s so great to be on this bus! I really feel I am going to get good results
    Have a good weekend everyone and great that mm commented on your journey Bob!
    Be in touch soon nokie 👍

  • posted by bobizgrate
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    Hi Nokie – there are fibre supplements you can get at Holland & Barrett, psyllium husks, which I haven’t tried but did consider. I found that an apple a day helped in that department. Also mine was made more unpredictable by my diabetes meds.

    Haha yes it was very cool to get a reply from Dr Mosley!

  • posted by Nokie
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    Thanks Bob
    Just going for a walk in the wind ad rain ☔️ going to get the daily mail to look at mm keto diet !! I got the book and there are some great recipes I am doing the scallops tonight
    Thanks again
    Nokie 😊

  • posted by Never Give Up
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    Hello All, just really enjoyed having a good read of all your posts. I’m a little later to the bus than I would have liked but I’m still here.
    So – my goal last bus was to lose a stone and I lost half a stone. So – goal missed but hey – it didn’t go in the wrong direction 🙂

    I have the same goal this time – I have a daunting but exciting 2023 goal to lose 4 stone. If I can lose a stone by the end of February I will be well on track. So here goes.

    Last week was a week of bad eating – when I’m stressed I eat too much rather than not enough which is so frustrating. Had an extremely stressful few days and the stress isn’t set to go away anytime soon but I’m determined to get my head into this like it was at Christmas, and not give way to the mindless eating, so I don’t undo how far I’ve come since September.

    Nokie – just to add some extra belated advice re the constipation, drinking a pint of water and then lying down for half an hour can really help….
    Bob – inspired by your story. Thanks for sharing.

  • posted by Mariet
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    Reporting in to be accountable. Tuesday weight was a bounce upwards, which really upset me because I had no slip ups to put it down to. So I’ve been feeling a bit despondent. But keeping on and we’ll see what tomorrow brings.
    I’ve been re-reading the Fast 800 keto book and found the reminders of why protein is so important very timely. I don’t always find it easy to get above 50g/day, eating two meals a day so even though I’m not a breakfast person and never have been, I might have to try to fit in a boiled egg, either early or mid morning then move lunch back a bit.
    My younger sister (60) had a stroke on Monday, reminding us all of the need to be healthy to stay well into our later years. Though to be honest, she is the healthiest one in the family, she runs half marathons, refinishes furniture as a sideline in retirement, always on the go. Luckily her husband and daughter were home when it happened and got her to the Polyclinic within 15 minutes, and they transferred her to the referral hospital within another 40 minutes after starting treatment and they prognosis is excellent. She’s able to speak again though it’s slow and slurred and she has largely regained use of her right arm and leg. So thankful. Unfortunately so far they haven’t been able to do an MRI and they don’t know where the clot came from which is a bit worrying.

    I know it shouldn’t be about me but it has shored up my determination to improve my health and reduce the fat in my middle!
    I hope everyone is ticking along well and keeping chins up.

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Mariet – sorry to hear about your sister, what a worry for you all! It’s good she was able to be helped so quickly. When my MIL was in hospital recently one of the other patients was recovering from a stroke, she was only 64, it was so sad as she had lost all mobility. It is a good reminder to the rest of us though that we really do need to put ourselves first and make our health a priority.

    The scales have been moving in the wrong direction for me too! Although when I weighed myself this morning I had lost again. I started the new year off at 89kg, went up to 90.5 last week but back down to 89.5 at todays weigh in. I’m aiming to get back under 89 by next Friday. Happy Scales has set my next milestone as 88.9 so that will do nicely 🙂

    Bob – thanks for sharing your story, very inspirational!

    Despite my good intentions I haven’t got off to a good start at all on this journey. I’m going to regroup and make more of an effort this week. Watch this space!

    Hope everyone else is doing ok x

    Bob

  • posted by chocolatemonster
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    happy Friday fellow passengers! Hope everyone is doing ok – sorry to hear about all the life-challenges, it’s so much harder to focus on yourself when those around you are in need. But there’s still a spot on the bus, whether you’re an active or passive passenger for now.

    Weekly weigh-in: edging closer to the goal weight. I think I’ve cracked the weight loss phase – I’m doing the very fast 800 and plenty of exercise – and it seems to be working well, and that’s a relief because I’d had several years of trying but not knowing how to lose weight effectively. Hoping to reach the goal in the next 2-3 weeks. Then the biggest challenge…maintaining!

    SW (April22) 89.7kg
    (re-)SW (Jan23) 81.5kg
    CW 78.65kg
    GW 77kg

    Keep going everyone – whether that looks like total focus on the diet and health, or simply getting up and dressed every day. I suspect we’ve all been at both ends of that spectrum during various seasons of this journey, and neither is a lesser achievement!

  • posted by Yowzer49
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    Wow what a great turn out on the Healthy New Us Bus 🥳
    So great to see MARIET back on board XXX and a big welcome aboard BOB,and thanks for sharing yr story..well done!XX
    MARIET I hope your sister continues to make good progress! 🙏🙏
    Good luck everyone at keeping on keeping off! Have a groooooovy week ahead! XX🙂🙃

    🐝 ¨*• ¸🌼¸¸ 💞🐝*•.¸🌼¨*•💞¸🌼¸¸ 🐝 ¨*• ¸🌼¸¸ 💞🐝*•.¸🌼¨*•💞¸🌼¸¸ 🐝 ¨*• ¸🌼¸¸ 💞🐝*•.¸🌼¨*•💞¸🌼¸¸ 🐝

  • posted by ADD6605
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    Hi everyone,just catching up on posts today.Have had a bit of a slower start than I would have liked, my first week started well then I spent a couple of days passing a kidney stone and felt pretty rough which battered my willpower so on my first 2 weekly weigh in I’ve only lost 2lbs.Hope everyone is well.Dawn X

  • posted by abdulmalikingle
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    I started on the 31st December and am down 13 lbs now. Trying to stick to 800 is a nightmare and to be honest I find the recipes too fiddly so I do my own. Lots of veggies and fish / eggs and pulses….
    I bought a ketone blood monitor and was very dissapointed to not be in the ketosis range, however the weight loss does make up for it. It does say in some blurb I read that you dont necessarily go into ketosis so the weight loss is the key.
    Cravings? Yes for sure, week 1 was cravings but it seems to be levelling off now. I find in the evening I desire chocolates but I do resist despite thinking I would not be able to do it.
    So After 17 days nearly a stone off – if I lose another stone by the end of the next 6 weeks I will be happy indeed. I was on 1000mg Metformin twice a day, I have cut that down to 500mg twice a day and my blood sugars are coming in at 5.6. When I lose another half stone I will cut metformin out altogether and see what my blood sugar does then.
    If I don;t do this at 64 having been fat all my life I never will…so the hill is being climbed and I feel better for it, although man I sleep heavily – feel almost hungover type feeling in the morning. Does anyone else have that?
    Keep on working at it my friends, it is worth it for your body and your health.
    Adios

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Hi Dawn, good to hear from you. And well done on your loss despite your kidney stone. A loss is a loss, and 2lb is a great start!

    Abdul welcome! Lovely to meet you and your initial loss is inspiring. A stone in just over 2 weeks is amazing! And all the other related health benefits too. Very well done! Good luck with the next stone – you seem determined enough to do it! And yes, I’ve experienced the deep sleep thing too. It’s as if our bodies are thanking us for starting to look after them better. And good sleep also helps with weight loss. Win-win!

    Here’s hoping for a fabulous week for everyone X

  • posted by Mariet
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    Hi everyone, Dawn good to see you and that’s a solid result under difficult circumstances!
    Another week down for me and 100g down, not inspiring.
    We had a belated Christmas picnic on the weekend for my family, my mother had Covid on the original date so it was put off. My sister was able to attend and stunned everyone with how well she is, speech is very nearly back to normal now, so good. Now that that party is over I have no more excuses.
    I hope everyone is well and feeling positive.

  • posted by Nokie
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    Hi all😃
    I need some help🤗 please
    I am really struggling this time after my good intentions!! I keep switching from recipes from the new keto book 📕 to the fast 800 recipe book I start the day off ok then change my mind half way through it’s silly I know but I feel hungry with this Cold weather then I have a mm shake thinking that’s good 😊
    I feel maybe if I just did 5.2 I might be better but obviously try and stick to Mediterranean the other days if anyone has any suggestions I would love your help I have well and truly fallen off the bus 🚌 can’t even run 🏃‍♀️ behind !!!
    Hope the rest of you are doing well
    Lv nokie x

  • posted by bobizgrate
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    Hi Nokie!
    I agree, it can be super confusing with the slightly different approaches and recipe books. I found that rather than sticking strictly to the recipes, I try to stick to the principles – so counting the calories, trying to keep carbs as low as possible (definitely under 50g, and as near to 20g as I could manage), using an app to keep a record of it all.

    For me that has been more helpful than stressing myself out about sticking to particular recipe plans. I also found a few things I liked that were allowed (tuna, eggs and an apple a day) which were the main props of my diet for the 8 weeks.

    Still not sure how helpful I am being as everyone is different, but for me the important things were a) trying to make it as misery-free as possible and b) focusing on the ultimate goal of trying to out the diabetes in remission.

    Good luck! I am sure you are doing great, even just putting as much thought as you do into what you eat will sure be helpful.

    Bob

  • posted by Nokie
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    Thanks Bob😃
    I will try that I also have high cholesterol as well as pre diabetes do have to watch the cheese !!
    I will let you know how I get on thanks again
    Nokie x😀

  • posted by Nokie
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    Thanks Bob😃
    I will try that I also have high cholesterol as well as pre diabetes do have to watch the cheese !!
    I will let you know how I get on thanks again
    Nokie x😀

  • posted by bobizgrate
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    Yes I think that what was possibly helpful to me was that I was put into statins for cholesterol and Ramipril for high blood pressure, so they helped me manage those things during the diet. However, eating 800 calories a day I think probably means you can’t eat that much cholesterol just because the sheer quantity of food dropped so much – so I didn’t worry about having a couple of eggs a day.

  • posted by bobizgrate
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    That is really interesting, thank you – although I do note that it says there may be more risk from cooking high cholesterol foods on high heat (eg frying) and particular problems for diabetics.

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Nokie I hear you 🙂 actually I could have written that post except for the cold weather part as it’s been 34 to 36 degrees here over the last few days!

    I re-read the intro to the new Keto recipe book yesterday. It reminded me there are different approaches to this diet, not everyone does the 800 calories every day, you can opt to have 2,3,4, 5 etc fast days (those with 800 calories) and then eat lowish carbs on other days. Some people fast Mon-Thurs for example and have 3 days eating more than 800 calories. I think we have to find what works best for us as individuals. I’ve been able to lose 15kg now and keep it off by mainly following a 4:3 (or 3:4? I always forget which way round they go!), but basically having 800-1000 calories 4 days a week and then maybe 1000-1500 3 days a week. As long as I keep my carbs lowish then I lose weight.

    I’m just not in the right frame of mind at the moment to be honest, I’m working on a major project at work, still also visiting MIL 4 times a week as she settles into her new care home, plus also helping my husband pack up and clean her house as most likely it will need to be sold.

    I’m focusing on healthy eating, smaller portion sizes and trying to keep active, rather than following a strict diet plan. I’m hoping that getting back into good habits will then encourage/inspire me to get back on track!

    Weigh in day for me is Friday and I’m hoping to see a loss this week 🙂

  • posted by Nokie
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    Hello sue blue
    Thankyou for your reply it helps to know others are with me !!
    I am going to try doing the same Like you 3/4 I will really try it sounds as you have a lot stress especially with selling house and you visiting mil hope all goes well for you I am going to sit down with a cuppa ☕️ and work out my plan
    Thanks again this is such a great group 😄
    Lv nokie x

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Great to see all the recent posts, and helpful advice and information!

    Nokie, I’m struggling like you as well at the moment and think a split approach like Sue suggests may be a good way forward. I’d been going to say something similar. I know I do best when I do Fast 800 completely 100% but, like both you and Sue, I have lots going on at the moment and it may be more realistic to do it properly for half the week than try to do it each day and not make it. Nokie and Sue perhaps we could sometimes agree a day to do it and compare notes afterwards?

    But, whatever/whenever/however everyone is organising their journey, I’m glad we’re all in this together!

    Hope the rest of the week goes well for you all X

  • posted by Nokie
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    Hello dreams cometrue
    Thankyou for your reply I think that’s a good idea if sue agrees 🤗
    I am sitting 🪑 here now trying to work out my plan yes I have a lot of stress at the moment that’s why I can’t stick to it but I will not give up so let us know if we can agree on something
    Half a week is much better for me than a whole week what a great 🚌 ride this is 😀
    Lv nokie 😘

  • posted by Yowzer49
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    Hiiii bus dwellers,just popping by quickly as have v little techno time as am limiting myself strictly, whilst trying to Move More and Do Other Things, instead of constantly sitting on my bus seat looking at ipad!
    DAWN ouch,kidney stone,i feel for you 😢xx ABDUL what a fantastic start! Keep going 👏👏xx
    MARIET so glad to hear yr sis is making good progress. And 100 g down is better than 100g up xx
    BOB i totally agree,we have to make this as misery free as possible! xx
    NOKIE I know what you mean,I get overwhelmed and frustrated too,not sure what to do for the best,but I agree with SUEs advice in her last but one paragraph,and with DCT also XX
    Just for benefit of the many of us berating ourselves for not doing better…i wanted to remind you of the Primal Paradox…

    Primal Paradox = We are designed for scarcity but live in abundance,
    The Primal Paradox tells us…Its not overeating/ snacking/ not wanting to exercise that’s our main problem,so dont hate yrself and feel like a failure when you succumb to unhealthy habits.
    An old brain combined with the modern world is the big problem.
    We have still have old brain from a long long time ago when food was scarce. You ate it all when you found it bc you didnt know when you would eat again. You always rested when you werent actively hunting or running from predators.
    In the modern world,we are surrounded by food,we dont have to hunt for it,nor do we have to run from predators. But part of our brain is still wired to those old habits,so when we encounter todays version of running from predators ( stress,anxiety and worry) our brains are wired to eat,and we want to rest,bc our brain is designed to tell us to do so.
    This is an evolutionary mismatch,not our fault,so be forgiving of yourself,though not complacent,we still need to work on being healthier!
    But remember its not a quick fix,we need different approaches at different times,just do your best each day..small changes done regularly can give better results in the long run.
    Love and hugs from me to all bus folk 🥰 long live the magic bus!🎉XX
    ❄️❄️“ Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can” ❄️❄️ ( Arthur Ashe)

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Yowzer – thanks for your positive words, just love your quotes 🙂

    Nokie and DCT – ideally I would love to have 4 x 800 days and I was thinking Mon – Thurs BUT (there’s always a but lol!) next Thursday is Australia Day and I know I’ll be having a few beers and some off plan foods then. Plus I’m thinking it may be better to start off with 3 days, so for me it will be Monday to Wednesday. I’ll see how I go over a few weeks then will add another day if need be.

    I’m still planning on tracking my calories on the non-fast days, and sticking to lowish carbs, just out of interest, but on those days will eat more to suit my appetite rather than keeping to 800 calories.

    Let’s see how it goes!

    On a positive note, I weighed myself this morning and was pleased to see I’m at 88.3kg, so a loss of 1.2kg (2 lb something?) since last Friday. I think a lot of my previous weeks gain may have been water weight as I had definitely been eating more carby foods.

    Dawn – I hope you feel better soon! Kidney stones sound painful 🙁

    Abdul – well done on your loss! If you are finding 800 calories too hard to stick to you could try upping to 900 (or even 1000) as I’ve noticed in the last couple of recipe books from MM and Claire Bailey they say this. Vegetarians/Vegans especially need the higher calorie limit to be able to get adequate protein.

    This is from the Fast 800 Keto recipe book:
    Stage 1 rapid weight loss (3 to 12 weeks)
    “…. It involves sticking to around 800-900 calories a day, eating two big or three smaller meals….. However on days when you are feeling hungry you can choose from a range of keto friendly top ups to take your daily quota up to 1000 calories.”

    Actually looking at the suggested meal plan in the back of the book, total cals look like this:
    Day 1 – 976
    Day 2 – 860
    Day 3 – 831
    Day 4 – 800
    Day 5 – 868
    Day 6 – 967
    Day 7 – 912
    So only one actual 800 calorie day 🙂

    Personally I’ve found I can go up to 1000 calories a day and still lose weight, especially if I keep to the 50/50 rule (carbs less than 50g, protein at least 50g).

    It’s Thursday here and rainy, but thankfully a lot cooler. Hope everyone has a good 2nd half of the week 🙂

    Let’s all keep going, we’re all travelling on the same (virtual) bus, but our journeys are all different – just like a real bus when you come to think of it!

  • posted by Nokie
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    Hello Yowzer thanks for your reply also thanks also to you sueblue 😊
    I have been busy writing down my recipes from the 800 sugar book ie breakfast lunch and dinners thought it might be easier and quicker to pick a meal when i need it I have put the page number then the calories will let you know if it works
    I would also like to do four days but I think I am going to do mon wed and Friday at 800 then relax a bit on the other four days but not go too much over I can always add another day if it doesn’t work 😄
    Also weigh myself on a Saturday morning
    Thanks once again for all your support just off to bed 🛌 to dream of my plan !!
    Lv nokie x💜

  • posted by Mariet
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    My report for the last week- best result for one week in years, 2.8kg or 6lb. I was pretty unwell over the weekend with a nausea and headache thing and didn’t eat much but wow! Very happy. I measured as well but sadly the only difference is in my upper arms and my thighs, down 1 and 2cm respectively. I remember last time my waist was the last place to give it up.

    Onward and downward!

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Marie – congratulations on your big loss last week! That’s a fantastic result for a week 🙂

    Nokie and DCT – how are you going with your modified plans? I have to admit I haven’t managed ONE 800 calorie day in the past week! I’m on annual leave this week, haven’t gone anywhere but am using the time to finish off the admin tasks I needed to do for MIL’s move into care, plus catching up with all the tasks I’ve got behind in at home due to being so busy these last few months. I’m also using the time to do a stocktake of foods I have here and what I can use in my meal plan.
    Although my calories are over each day, I am getting back into Healthy Habits – less reliance on takeaway, more home cooked meals, eating more fresh fruit and veg etc and upping my exercise. Im hopeful that when I weigh in on Friday I’ll definitely have had a small loss!
    While out shopping today I found a lovely summer dress in a charity shop, it was only $6 so I bought it. It’s only a size 14 but I’m planning to lose enough to fit into it nicely before the cooler weather starts here in a few months. I still find myself looking at size 18 and 20 clothes sometimes, then remember I’m a 16 now, so next target is 14. The dress does fit but it’s clingy around my tummy which I definitely need to reduce!
    Hope everyone is having a good week so far – let’s make the most of this last week of January!

  • posted by Never Give Up
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    Hello everyone, trust you are all keeping on keeping on.
    SueBlue – that’s so encouraging to be fitting into smaller clothes than you initially look for, well done. Looking forward to that stage 😊 Back in September I was a firm 20/22 and now it’s 18/20 so its small progress.
    Today I was finally back to the just marginally below the weight I was pre-Christmas. It took many pints of water to get that to shift! Glad to be back in that space and looking forward to getting stuck in further. Onwards and downwards.

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Hi everyone

    Some great progress on here! Mariet 6lb is amazing, though I’m sorry you were ill, and hope you feel better. And Sue and Nevergiveup, it’s great that you are starting to fit into smaller clothes.

    I had to smile both Mariet and Sue at your tummy references as that is my bugbear too. Even when I was down to my lowest weight a couple of years back, I still recall having a bulgy tummy.And I know it’s a postmenopausal thing but still dream of having a flatter tummy again. That’s actually more important to me than numbers on the scales, because there are so many of my clothes that do fit ok but would look and feel a way lot better with less tummy bulge to contain 😂

    But it’s good to hear that everyone is moving along in their own way, despite all the stresses and strains of daily life. We’re still less than halfway through this 8 week journey, so plenty of time to see more fabulous results.

    I’ve been a bit in a holding pattern for the last week or so; neither gaining nor losing. But things have been given a new impetus this week as my hubby has decided definitely to go gluten free for a while (did toy with it before due to tummy troubles and we bought MM Clever Guts book) so I will join in seeing as much of it overlaps with BSD/Fast 800 anyway. I’m hoping that with having someone else in the house committed to improved diet as well I may see a bit more progress.

    My exercise has also plummeted due to the weather. Any excuse I know, but I’ve felt so cold and miserable – also still not fully over the Christmas flu thing – that I’m still in couch potato mode. But there are rumours of milder weather to come, and I’m also beginning to feel better, so I hope to start getting those steps up again over the next week or two.Will report back in due course.

    Hope everyone has a good rest of the week.

  • posted by SueBlue
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    DCT – wish I could send some warmer weather your way – it’s heading for 37 degrees here today! ☀️ 🌞

  • posted by Yowzer49
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    Just a quicky,on my way out..just wanted to leave hugs to my bus mates ..have a great weekend everyone xxx
    MARIET so pleased for you! 👏👏👏👏
    Need to come back and play catch up on all the news XX
    “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” ( Marilyn Munroe)
    🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

  • posted by ADD6605
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    Hello everyone and apologies for not posting regularly at the moment.I’ve spent some time today rereading the posts for this journey.SUE as you also mentioned, I just don’t seem to be in the right frame of mind to stick to this woe recently.NOKIE I see you said you are struggling too.It’s great to see some positive results posted,MARIET congratulations on your good loss and I hope your sister is continuing to recover well.CHOCOLATEMONSTER that’s great that you are so near your goal weight (unfortunately my chocolate craving seems to have multiplied tenfold in the last week! ) NEVERGIVEUP congratulations on getting back to your pre Christmas weight and ABDUL that’s a fantastic loss in 17 days🎉BOB your success story is very inspiring, I feel I should reread it weekly to remind myself that this woe does really work when I stick to it.DCT,MARIET,YOWZER and SUE thank you for your words of encouragement.SUE I hope your Mil is settling in well and YOWZER how is your daughter doing now?Apologies if I’ve missed anyone,I’m going to start reading posts daily again.I think I’m in a bit of a bad cycle at the minute, I feel grotty most days so don’t feel like healthy eating yet it’s because I’m not eating healthily that I feel grotty! I need to get back to planning my meals for the week as that has always really helped me.I would be happy to lose any weight on this journey after the last few weeks, my initial goal of 22lbs is unrealistic now!I know I can do this, I just need to get the first few weeks under my belt and then all cravings seem to stop (I then just have to continue and not let things derail me) it all sounds so easy as I’m typing it but, as we all know, it’s not always that simple.Wishing everyone a good week and increased willpower for those of us who need it❤️ Dawn X

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