Hopping back on board the cruise ship for my new Day 1. Had a worrying time at the end of January, when my mum became very ill again, culminating in her being taken into hospital in an emergency ambulance towards the end of February. March was therefore dedicated to visiting her in hospital several times a day to keep her morale up while they stabilised her and then we all waited for the date for the operation she needed. Originally that was to have been 28th March but she got suddenly transferred to Plymouth 2 weeks early and had the operation on 14th March. She has been home now for 2 weeks nearly and is still getting better every day. My weight has been roughly stable through this period, and pleasingly my visceral fat readings are still normal, despite a diet that is sometimes too carby as I try to encourage mum to put a bit of weight back on. She essentially hardly ate anything for nearly 5 weeks while feeling really ill. Now ready to start a push to lose a little more and gain some fitness again, after far too much driving and sitting next to a hospital bed.
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Good to have you back on board ship MixnMatch- I hope your mum continues to improve.must have been a worrying time.
We are all enjoying a leisurely cruise and you’ve got plenty of time to get back into the swing of things. I’ve enjoyed pacing myself this time round and learning to be patient. Two steps forward and three back sometimes but am heading slowly in the right direction. -
Glad to see you back Mixnmatch and I hope your mother continues to improve.
Well done on your results CCathy, a really solid result.
I am reporting a gain for the first time in a while, only 200g so not the end of the world but still a little disappointed as I haven’t fallen of the cruise ship or lashed out on any way. Oh well, maybe make up for it next week 😁
Tomorrow (Saturday) I have two little grandchildren, nearly 2 and nearly 4 staying all day with me, and over night and they will go home Sunday lunchtime. Their parents are going to a wedding and I am glad to help out and give them some child free time but I’m kind of dreading it too! They are dear little kids but exhausting.
My strategy is always to physically wear them out and luckily we have a spell of fine mild weather so we’ll hit the parks and playgrounds!
I hope everyone has a great weekend, keep on keeping on! -
Hope your mother continues to improve M&M.
CC, great that you are heading in the right direction.
Mariet, I have also gained this week…2lb…but I think because I succumbed to a bottle of sparkling wine on my birthday! (I stopped drinking regularly about 10 years ago) I suspect I will gain a little more tomorrow, as it is our wedding anniversary, so I will be tempted again! Life is for living..(or cruising!) I had been maintaining well before that…so will get back on board on Sunday! Good luck with the grand children…hope they don’t wear you out first! 🤔😁
Keeping on keeping on! -
Happy April everyone aboard the Good Ship Lollipop!
MARIET is your older grandchild nearly four now! seems like no time since you were awaiting their birth!Time goes by so fast. Already a quarter of our year long cruise has passed.X
POOTLE happy wedding anniversary! X
Well done MIXIE and hope yr Mum continues to get better soon X
Cant go back any further without going onto another page,so I’ll just say well done to all who have lost,even if just a small amount,and have a great weekend! X
I read this April Blessing…
May the warm sun rise in our souls and illuminate the precious nature of life.
May the gentle winds of change blow through our uncertainty and remind us that we are beings of infinite possibility.
May the newness of spring awaken our hearts with love, peace and the hope of new beginnings.
May we remember our shared humanity and act from a place of love, kindness and peace.
May our prayers rise together for all suffering beings and for the healing of our earth.
🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸🙂🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸⭐️🌸 -
Morning all. Thank you YOWZER as always for your inspiring words. It always feels like spring (in the UK) is a time of new beginnings so here’s hoping!
I’ve been busy with work and life, but am now retired!! Im off to London today to see my daughter for a combined celebration of Mothers Day, retirement, and it would also have been my mum’s 97th birthday this week. So we’re meeting at her flat for Prosecco then going to see a play and finish off with a Mexican dinner! So my reboot (of the reboot of the reboot . . .) starts Monday. I’m feeling positive and hopeful, especially with the better weather and more time to plan meals etc I’m confident of seeing some good progress soon 🤞
Well done to all who are losing. CATHY you are doing really well and it sounds like you are on target for your cruise. And I also love your “one in one out” philosophy. As I think I’ve said before, I’m really trying to cut my clothes right back – ideally to a fully fitting and functioning capsule wardrobe. How are your eyes doing now? Did you ever have the rescheduled appointment? Hope you’re progressing well.
MARIET enjoy the time with the grandchildren. As Yowzer said, I can’t believe your oldest is 4 already! Has all your dental work finished now?
SUEBLUE good luck with getting the rest of the MIL house sorted. It’s such a long slog. And when you do get back to meal planning please share on here as your food always sounds amazing and I’m looking for new inspiration!
MIXNMATCH great to see you back and I’m so pleased your mum is out of hospital and doing better. But it’s such a worrying time. Take care of yourself and I hope that everything settles down now.
POOTLE it’s a time of celebration for you too! Belated birthday greetings and I hope you have a wonderful anniversary celebration too.
How is everyone else? NOKIE, DAWN, ARCTICFOX, VERANO? And HEIDI it must be your birthday round about now? Hope you are ok and that you have something special planned for that. And hello to anyone else reading this too.
OK, must go and get ready now. Time to face the process of trying on all my ideas for what to wear then getting grumpy because nothing fits 😂
Love to you all and I’ll be back raring to go next week! X
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Hi Yowser, my oldest grandchild is actually 6! They go down like steps, 6, 4, 3, almost 2. The girls both tell me that the baby shop is shut, so 4 it is and that’s plenty for me ❤️
DCT, happy retirement! I am sure you will revel in it. Every so often u have friends telling me that they miss work but I just look blankly, I adore being retired. Enjoy ask the opportunities that come your way.
After my steady week last week i’m happy to have had a 700g drop this week, to 70kg! That’s a big psychological barrier for me, I didn’t really think I would get below it again. Next goal is 68 and possibly 65 as a final goal, we’ll see how that goes. -
Hello everyone
How are we all doing? I’ve not posted for a couple of weeks. I hosted book club a couple of Fridays ago and fell off the wagon for a week or so. I am not weighing myself until the end of the month but i can tell I’ve not made any progress. My target for April was only 3lb but I don’t think i will achieve it. I have decided to try something completely different and something I’ve not done for a long time- calorie counting and my word it’s been an eye opener! Things I’ve been eating without thinking are coming up so high in calories! A tablespoon of toasted seeds, crunchy peanut butter, four brazil nuts! I have been logging my food today and it’s been a total eye opener. Usually i eat low carb or keto and just eat what I feel is reasonable. I am going to calorie count until the end of the month as well as stay low carb and see how i do. I will weigh myself on the last say of April and report my score. I have quite enjoyed not stepping on the scales but it’s hard to know how far off target i am.
I hope you are all seeing some progress and look forward to reading your news. Two more weeks to go in April so if we knuckle down we could hopefully be a couple of pounds down. Here’s hoping. When I set my goal for April I felt it was achievable but I didn’t count on falling off the wagon for 10 days! -
CC, I have had that exact experience as well, it’s a timely reminder as I wonder to myself why I am up 200g this week. The extra handful of grapes, the little piece of a grandchild’s Easter egg and all the rest probably hasn’t helped.
I hope calorie counting for the next little while helps for you.
I am still having awful trouble with my teeth 😫 so I am on a liquid diet, apart from the aforementioned grapes and chocolate. I’ve been referred to an oro-maxillary surgeon next week and hopefully he will be able to help me.
Meanwhile, looking forward to hearing from other cruisers and hearing how things are going! -
🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰
Hi CCATHY and MARIET and all my other shipmates! Happy Easter to all xxxxx
I have lost the plot completely and have indulged in buttery hot cross buns and have already cracked open the chocolate! Its a holiday weekend and Im allowing my Carb Monster to throw caution to the wind until Tuesday.😄😋
Look out 👀 for the Easter Bunny,ive seen him strolling round the deck with a basket of goodies! XX
🦋🦋 Happy weekend everyone X 🦋🦋 -
Hi Yowzer.
We all need a treat from time to time…and Easter is as good a time as any!v
I am looking forward to my special easter egg tomorrow…(Whisper…husband has treated me to a Hotel Chocolate Dark egg….🥚🍫!!!)
But I am now worried about avoiding the Easter Bunny…🐰😉Will get back to it on Tuesday!
Happy voyaging all.
xxx -
Hello everyone
Let’s dig deep for the last week in April- the time is flying by and progress at this end is slow! I ate two hot cross buns over Easter which were calorie counted in and a jam and cream scone which wasn’t! I want to finish April at a lower weight than I started so am giving it my best this week. I know I won’t have achieved a 3lb loss which I hoped for but at this rate I’ll take even 1lb! I spoke to the orthopaedic doctor yesterday and I have asked to be listed for the fusion surgery on my first big toe after my cruise in September . My toes are incredibly painful now and I’m having to limit my walking. I’m going to enjoy my nieces wedding in June and my holiday in August and then hopefully have my surgery. I am mindful that I will not be moving much for about three months so need to capitalise my weight loss now! Am at the eye clinic on Friday so hoping to be signed off to get my new glasses if the uveitis has cleared up. I’m going to defer the retina surgery to next year as I feel I’ve had enough eye ops this year!
I have a few things coming up which might scupper my losing weight schedule so I am going to work extra hard on the weeks when I’ve got nothing on. I’ll post my April result next week and am hoping to be less than 155!!
Have a good week everyone. -
Hi everyone. How are we all doing? Hope we all survived the Easter Bunny!
CATHY it sounds as if you have a lot going on! I hope that your eye appointment goes well tomorrow and that you can then focus (pardon the pun!) on your forthcoming happy events before getting your toe sorted out. I think it’s a good idea to defer your retina surgery to give you time to breathe! Good luck with your April weigh-in result. It may be better than you think : I often find that when we are expecting little or no loss it can be more than we think. And sadly vice versa!
No loss this end, but that’s because I still can’t (or won’t?!) knuckle down to be honest. Part of it is that with recently retiring and then the Easter holidays there’s always “something” getting in the way. By which I mean, that I will use pretty much anything as an excuse not to get fully back on board this week, or next, or the one after etc. Be it an event, a lunch out, a family visit, it becomes a convenient focus on why I should leave it till next week to get going properly again.
So earlier this week I gave myself a good talking to (as you do!) and decided for now that I will commit to 5:2. Whatever else is happening, there is no reason for me not to be able to be really strict for 2 days a week. I did one of my 2 days yesterday and did fine, and there is an immediate loss on the scales this morning (water weight I know, but they had been starting to creep up, which I was cross with myself for). And today would have been my first day. back at school so I’m off for a spa day and will allow myself a glass or two of fizz without feeling bad.
Next week I’m off for a country hotel break from Wednesday (my birthday!) to Sunday, so I will do my two days Monday and Tuesday. I’m not planning to gorge myself while away – the food at this place is lovely with lots of healthy options. I’m just in the place at the moment where I need to get back into calorie and carb counting gradually without the “all or nothing” mentality that I tend to fall into.
Once I get 5:2 working well, I will probably increase it gradually to 4:3, 3:4, then 2:5 – ie being stricter during the week but cutting myself some slack at weekends. I’m going on holiday with my daughter at the end of June so hope that by this gentler approach I’ll be able to shed a few pounds before then.
MARIET how are your teeth? I have recently been told I need root canal treatment on one tooth, which is booked in for 21st May.Not looking forward to it. I really hope that the oro-maxillary surgeons appointment helps and that you get everything sorted soon.
Hope the rest of the week goes well for you all, and have a great weekend when it arrives!
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Hello all, thanks for your posts DCT and Cathy – you’ve given me some great ideas and inspiration! I’m definitely going to try calorie counting for a while, and I really like the idea of 5:2 and then moving to 3:4 etc – as I have been behaving exactly the same as you DCT, I just can’t seem to knuckle down!
My husband suggested we have a ‘dry May’ as we’ve both been consuming too many liquid calories so far this year. May is a good time, as apart from Mothers Day there’s no family birthdays or occasions to get in the way.
We’re still keeping up with our walking, we walk for at least 40 minutes, 4 days a week, and sometimes when we’re out on the weekends or running errands we’ll walk 12-15,000 steps a day. So between walking and the upkeep and garden maintenance at MIL’s house, we do keep fairly active. I just need to get serious with my eating. I’ve lost a couple of kilos since the start of the year and have kept it off – BUT I still have a long way to go to get to my target weight! -
Hi everyone,
Apologies, have been meaning to post most days then didn’t get round to it! I’m still not sticking in the way I know I can so haven’t weighed myself again yet. We are heading to Yorkshire tomorrow for a four day break and I know I won’t be able to resist popping into Betty’s shop in York but I will definitely weight myself next Friday. I’m so pleased this is a leisurely cruise which gives us plenty of time to refocus. I will catch up properly with everyone’s posts whilst I’m away.
Hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Dawn XX -
Hello everyone
Enjoy your break Dawn . Enjoy a Fat Rascal in Betty’s- I love them! I’ve decided that on the days I am doing nothing I am going to be 100% good and that will give me permission to enjoy the odd luxury when on holiday or eating out etc. I’ve made a note of all my forthcoming events and if I am good in between then I still should be able to see a loss on the scales. My son is coming home next weekend and I’ve not seen him since September and we are going out and I am going to enjoy our meal. So, I’m being good til he comes home. The following weekend we are going to Lytham for a couple of nights so again, I’ll be good before and after!
Sue- I’m glad I’ve been an inspiration along with DCT. I do think being mindful of calories is helping me. I’ve ditched the peanut butter for a start! DCT’s idea of 5:2 is great. I have been so inspired by this cruise because it’s given us space to see what works and to experiment and mix n match. It keeps me inspired to keep trying different methods and because we have time I don’t feel like I’ve failed.
I went to eye clinic this morning. My uveitis has cleared up so I can have my eye test on Tuesday . I’ve got some antibiotic eye ointment for 10 days. My eye is still a little sore. Podiatry went well too. I am booked in for 4 more sessions of shock wave therapy for my plantar fasciitis and he has recommended some trainers for me to try which I’ve ordered – £159 but if they help me it’s worth it! . He said they’ll take the pressure off my toes! I am becoming a new woman!!!
Have a great weekend everyone. Weather is looking good here for the Uk next week. Let’s eat plenty of salad!! 🥗 -
Hi everyone,
Thanks Cathy, we had a lovely break in yorkshire, DH enjoyed a fat rascal from Betty’s😀, I had a vanilla slice and we both also had fondant fancies! We also had various meals out so not a healthy four days at all. We got back yesterday and I sat last night doing a food plan for the coming week as I daren’t think how much weight I will have put back on. I’m pleased your uveitis has gone, DH has had it twice and I know it’s awful.Yowzer, I’m afraid I bumped into the Easter Bunny and ransacked his basket😱 Instead of a sparkly chart this time I ordered myself a food diary/exercise/habit planner (which I will use my sparkly stickers in😀) and took various body measurements this morning to fill in on one of the pages.
DCT I totally feel as you described about not knuckling down and using anything as an excuse to not fully stick in and I’m really going to try hard from today. The recent sunny weather has helped me imagine another Summer where I can’t fit into the majority of my clothes and I really don’t want that again😩
So, I’m definitely feeling in the right frame of mind and, with the usual brilliant support from you all, I really hope I can finally crack this in 2025. I hope everyone has a good week🤞
Dawn XX
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I haven’t posted for a little while, it’s been a bit rough here. I wish humans had evolved better teeth! After a strong fight to save it I have had to have a tooth taken out last Saturday. I am still on antibiotics but I have the most putrid taste in my mouth although I’m on antibiotics and have been for some time. It’s revolting. So much so that I am barely eating, only soup or protein shakes. The silver lining in my mind was going to be a satisfying drop on the scales but sadly no, I have registered a gain 😭
Tomorrow I see an oral surgeon because this saga hasn’t finished yet.
I hope others are in a better place and getting better results! -
Hi Mariet,
I’m so sorry that you are still having dental problems, it sounds awful! Hope you’re feeling better soon. Dawn XX -
Mariet, sorry to hear you are still having dental issues, I hope you get it al sorted soon.
Cathy, glad to hear your eye issues are improving 🙂
Dawn, you sound really motivated, glad you enjoyed your break away.
I’m off work this week, and yesterday went into the city with my husband. We ended up walking 23,000 steps over the day! Haven’t walked that much for a while. We visited Cockatoo Island on Sydney Harbour – despite living in Sydney for over 40 years I’d never been there before, so enjoyed the visit.
I weighed in this morning and have lost another 300g or so. I looked back in the Happy Scale app I have on my phone and saw that I have now lost 3.5kg (since January) and have lost a small amount of weight each week for 8 out of the last 9 weeks. 3.5kg is half a stone – so it goes to show that while small losses each week may seem quite insignificant at the time, they do add up!
I’ve started to get back into meal planning and cooking again. In the last few days I’ve made some of my favourite BSD recipes – pumpkin and roast capsicum soup, vegetarian bolognaise, pear and cinnamon porridge. Today I want to make a plan for the next week, and then organise a shopping order.
I’m absolutely loving the cooler weather we are having now. I cope so much better in the 20 degree temperature range rather than 30-40 degrees! Hope everyone else is having a good week 🙂 -
Hello everyone
April flew by! Here we are in May and I am hoping I’ll be back on track after a not very productive April. I am 1lb down. Had planned to lose 3 lb but as ever life got in the way. I’m feeling positive that I can make a difference in May although I’ve got my son coming home tomorrow for the weekend and a weekend away next weekend but that still leaves plenty of days when I can eat sensibly. I’ve had my eyes tested and the optician said my new lenses and the left epiretinal peel have made quite a big difference to my vision. I only now need reading glasses and they only cost me £50! That is a huge win. I usually had varifocals and they cost me a lot of money. Today I weighed 154.8. It’s creeping down SLOWLY. Calorie counting, low carb and time restricted eating will be my focus for May. I’ve bought some new trainers as recommended by Podiatry so hoping that I can get some more steps in this month too. SueBlue- 23,000 steps in a day is incredible!! I can usually only manage about 7000 but I’m hoping my new trainers will help take the load off my toes.
At the start of a new month let’s all focus and plan for what we want to achieve this month. I will be happy to weigh less at the end of each month. Would be great to lose a couple of pounds during may- I’ll aim for 152lb. I find I have to be realistic as it comes off so slowly. I have to admit that when I weighed this morning I was really pleased to see that I had actually lost weight during April even though it was only 1lb!
Mariet- I’m so sorry to read about your dental problems- you must be feeling awful.. Good riddance to that problematic tooth. Once the antibiotics kick in I hope you’ll be soon able to eat properly and feel better.
Have a good week everyone. I’m going to weigh myself once a week to keep track. I lost my way a bit in April but im back on track for May. I’ll weigh in next Friday and report back. Am loving this cruise 🚢 -
Hi everyone,
It has been very busy with the farm and it has been a very stressful time with our national situation. Haven’t felt up to much outside of work and the farm and keeping a very narrow focus right now.
However, I have lost some inches. My jeans are falling off without a belt! And my leg pain is much better. I’m just focusing on healthy, lower fat, high fibre meals. It seems that too much fat sets off the inflammation that makes my lipedema worse. So I’ve had to stop worrying so much about carbs and am focusing on the most complex carbs that I can.
One thing I’ve started to do, is when I’m too busy to even think of what to make for dinner or lunches, I put the ingredients I have on hand into an AI chatbot and ask it to come up with some meal ideas and recipes. It is doing a good job for the most part!
Hope everyone else is doing well. I’ll catch up on the posts when I get a chance. -
ArcticFox it’s good to hear from you, well done on your inches loss 🙂
What a great idea to use AI for meal planning – I’m definitely going to try this!
I’ve been using CoPilot at work recently – it’s a great help for writing process manuals/instruction guides, which is what I’ve been doing. I paste a section of text and then ask AI to simplify it, or word it more professionally, or give me some examples for usage – it’s great! Obviously you need to check everything, but it really speeds things up.
I hadn’t thought of using it for health/diet before but am going to try it 🙂 -
Hi everyone,
I decided to face the scales after all on Tuesday after my Yorkshire trip and had definitely gained, not sure exactly how much tbh as I can’t find where I’ve written what my last weight was(haven’t used my sparkly chart for a while!) when I’ve weighed this morning I’m 3lb down which I’m pleased about.I know it will be water weight as my midriff (where I carry most of my weight) is 1 and a half inches down so I’ve definitely lost some ‘bloat’ so that’s a good start.
Like you Sue, I’ve lost half a stone since the beginning of January, however you have lost yours much more healthily I’m sure, losing consistently whereas mine has been up and down with all of the messing around I’ve done! I hope I can be consistent throughout May. Well done Cathy on losing in April, I don’t think I lost any in April after gaining over the weekend. Articfox congratulations on losing inches, that’s my big aim, more so than losing pounds. If I can lose more inches on my stomach, waist and midriff this month I will be really pleased.
I still have four days left on my food plan which is helpful. I’ve decided to have it go Tuesday to Monday as I go food shopping on Tuesdays with my mum (who turned 90 last month and has more energy than me🤣) I hope everyone has a lovely weekend, we’ve had gorgeous weather this week here but not sure it’s due to continue unfortunately,.Dawn XX
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Hi Dawn-
Well done on your weight loss. Half a stone down since January seems to be a theme. I am also down 7lb since January. Slow and steady wins the race. This longer thread is really helping take the pressure off for me. Like you I want to be consistent this month and hope for at least 2lb off. I’m feeling more positive since ditching nuts and peanut butter! Didn’t realise how loaded with calories they were. I’ve not calorie counted for many years and it’s been an eye opener. Also, I feel that I can include more things if I count calories ie more choice!
A busy weekend this weekend and a weekend away next weekend but knuckling down in between. Let’s make May make a difference as we head to the halfway point of the cruise! -
Hi Cathy,
Yes I’m finding this longer thread better too, hopefully it will be the one which brings the results we would like🤞Dawn XX -
Sueblue, I stayed on Cockatoo Island one long weekend with friends, in the Overseer’s House. It’s a fantastic place to visit. Well done you on losing half a stone! I have done the same, since the beginning of the year. I am back to my pre- Easter weight and very relieved about it.
Arctic Fox, losing inches is the best! I’m very glad for you.
Good news about your eyes and sight CC and that the weight is dropping even if it’s slow.
Dawn, glad you had a good trip away and that the gain is dropping off. My mum is 90 as well and I do her shopping on Thursdays. She is bright and fit and still drives ‘the older ladies’ to their various groups but she finds grocery shopping very tiring.
My dental problems are slowly getting better. The oral surgeon is hopeful that I will not need any surgery, I have to see him in a week. Apparently the infection I had was there for a long time and had eaten away the bone that separates the upper jaw from the sinus, leaving an opening there- there’s the reason for the disgusting taste in my mouth. He feels it should close over, if not there is an operation that can fix it up.
It’s good to be able to eat proper food again 🙂I hope everyone is having a good week.
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Hi everyone,
Thanks Mariet, I hope we are as active as our Mums as we age:) I’m pleased your dental problems are getting better, albeit slowly.
I weighed myself this morning and am another 2lbs down. If I could lose just over 2lbs this coming week I would be back down in to the 11s again so am hoping to do that. I’m going to change my weigh day to Tuesday as that’s when my menu plan runs from which is the day I go food shopping. I’m going to aim to lose 2 and a half pounds by then so will concentrate on sticking to the menu plan I have loaded onto Mfp and see how I get on, it’s only four days away so I may be being a bit ambitious but it would definitely give me a boost.
I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.
Dawn XX -
Just a quick hello to all. Not very well at the mo. Sciatica is very bothersome and painful, and I have a virus which I cant seem to throw off,its been over a month now. I feel my weight is creeping up due to inactivity and comfort eating! I need to get a grip!
Several of us have been suffering one way or another and you have my sincere commiserations! XX And congrats to those losing weight,very well done! XX
Hope to bump into you all when Im well enough to stroll the decks and smell those lovely sea breezes!
🥰 High tides and good vibes everyone! 🥰 -
Hi Yowzer,
So sorry to hear you have had a virus for a while now and that your sciatica is playing up on top of that, not surprised you have been comfort eating bless you! I hope you start to feel better soon and am sure that once you do you will be back to being your usual focused self:) ❤️Dawn XX -
Ahh DAWN thanks,lovely to hear from you.
Im sure you will smash that 2 1/2 lbs very soon 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 Onwards and downwards! Isnt it a fab feeling when you drop into the next stone down. I know you can do it! 🥳 🩷xx
I’m giving myself the wet lettuce treatment and pulling myself together for a fresh start..every day is a new beginning!
We have to “ seas” the day,hehe! Sorry for the corny joke 🥰 -
Thanks Yowzer,
Yes it will be lovely to drop down into the next stone, I was in the 11s for a long time and it seemed so sudden being in the high 12s after Christmas, it’s like I can’t remember how I got there😱. My goal since I joined this forum has been to get down to around 9st 12, my thinking being that I could rein myself in if I then ever went over 10 but I honestly would be happy getting down to 10 and a half stone at the minute because I started this year the highest weight I’ve ever been so to get down to 10 and a half would be quite a chunk to have lost. I will just see how I feel when I get there as I got down to 10st 11 I think when I first joined the forum and felt I still had a way to go. I’m sure your positive vibes will help me get that 2 and a half pounds off by Tuesday (actually I’ve just remembered it’s my birthday on Tuesday so it would be a lovely present to myself to be under 12 when I weigh myself that morning!)
Don’t be too hard on yourself with the wet lettuce, it sounds like you’ve been through the mill a bit so deserve some leeway!
Have a lovely evening
Dawn XX -
Hello everyone. I was about to say how can we be in May already then realised we are almost halfway through it!! I had a few days away from the end of April to early May and since then never seem to know what day it is! To be fair we had a busy weekend just gone, and this is the week when hopefully things will return to some semblance of normality.
YOWZER I am so sorry to hear you are unwell and do hope you feel better soon. I’m sure you can feel the love ❤️and positive vibes from everyone on here. Do let us know how you’re getting on.
MARIET I’m so glad your dental problems seem to be easing up now. What a relief! And your mum sounds wonderful too!
DAWN here’s hoping for you to be in the 11’s tomorrow, and Happy Birthday in advance! You are doing really well on this thread as are you SUE BLUE – both losing half a stone is fabulous news 👏
CATHY well done on your half stone loss this year so far too. That’s fantastic news, and I’m sure will continue. Not long till your niece’s wedding now if I remember rightly?And then the cruise to look forward to.
ARCTICFOX well done for losing those inches despite such a busy time. I always find your lifestyle so inspiring – you seem able to do such a wide variety of things, it’s awesome!
I’ve been maintaining ok but at around 8lb more than I want to be at this stage – which in turn is a few pounds more than my ultimate goal. But I’m feeling very relaxed and know that the weight will come off if I put the effort in. I’m more concerned with inches now too rather than numbers on a scale : I just want to wear nice things and have them fit freely without the belly bulge! I’m going on holiday with my daughter at the end of June and aim to lose my half stone before then (so I’d better get on with it really! 😂)
Hello to everyone else too – can’t scroll back further at the moment! But hope all is well with you all, and look forward to catching up soon X
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Hi everyone and thanks DCT, weighed myself this morning and only 1lb down since Friday so didn’t manage to get down in to the 11s unfortunately but I’m convinced that I will by my next Tuesday weigh in! Dawn XX
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DCT I hope youre enjoying your retirement so far x!
DAWN I’m sure you will drop that 1 1/2 lbs by next Tuesday..and hope youre having a very happy birthday THIS Tuesday! 🥰🥳🥰🥳
See you on deck to give you the bumps!
Thinking about it..Im hoping today has included cake and other goodies,so dont worry if maybe it will take until Tues 27 th to drop that last bit..or even 1 st June..what a lovely way to begin a new month 👍🙏! X -
Thanks Yowzer, I’ve had a lovely birthday thank you and it did involve cake😄 I’m back to my food plan tomorrow though so still hoping to lose that next 1 and a half by next Tuesday🤞 Dawn XX
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DAWN Glad you had a lovely day and cake! And well done for getting straight back on the horse tomorrow clippety clop! 👍🥰🦋⭐️ xx
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Hi everyone,
Still no time to do more than just skim everyone’s posts. I’ve had a horrible last 2 weeks, but starting to come out of it now and feeling more optimistic. My counsellor accidentally (at least I think it was an accident – I’m going to ask her to confirm at our next session) shook my marbles really hard in a session and it has been a brutal ride ever since. One good thing is that I know I’ve lost a bit of weight from not being able to stomach solid food for the first few days, and also from my muscles shaking non-stop for nearly 8 days. Once my muscles stopped shaking though, I found I was able to move much more freely. They do say that trauma gets stored in the body, so perhaps I was letting a lot of it go. I think I’ve been carrying a lot of stress around with raised cortisol levels. My heart rate is still elevated. I’m hoping that once I’m able to get my nervous system re-regulated that will bring those levels down a bit. I’ve definitely been feeling like there has been something stopping me from losing the extra pounds. Hopefully I’m on my way to figuring it all out.
Yowzer, sorry to hear you are still suffering with your sciatica. I had a new treatment today at physio called interferential current therapy on my back and hip. Feeling pretty good at the moment. I’ll let you know if it sticks!
Keep on keeping on everyone! -
Hello everyone
Foxy- it sounds like you’ve had a very difficult couple of weeks. I hope things soon improve. It’s interesting that you mention the body storing stress. I don’t always know if i am storing stress but ive had it released on a couple of occasions with reiki when i didnt even know i was storing it. The relief afterwards was immense! Yowser, i hope you are soon feeling better and strolling the decks. Please will you bring a wet lettuce with you? I need a swipe with one. I am back to it again but had a weekend off plan so once again i’m playing catchup to get off any weight in May. Am back to being good now and really do have to knuckle down as I do not want my lovely cruise dresses to be like sausage skins in August. Nothing on the horizon to scupper me now so all systems go! Haven’t dared to get on the scales since my weekend away but I’ll work hard this week and jump on next weekend. I keep making excuses and i am running out of time. My wedding outfit for next month will be ok but any extra weight wont help! I really do want to be at goal weight when we disembark at the end of December. I want to catch the maintenace cruise ship when it sets sail in January! Need to get at least 7lb off before August.
Keep doing your best everyone. Almost half way through the cruise and plenty of time left to set your goals and make this trip count. Slow and steady wins the race 🐢 -
Hi FOXY,I’m so sorry youve been having such a rough time recently. I’m glad the therapy helped your back and hip,and thanks for the heads up,I’ll look into it,I’m forever trying to find things that help! X
CCATHY dont worry I have a huge stock of wet lettuces waiting in my cabin! 😄 You sound positive and focused as always,and I feel sure you will slink into those cruise dresses! X
I love the thought of us all on a maintenance cruiser next year!⭐️💜🩷⭐️
Love to all,the weekend is nearly here – yippee!xx -
Hi everyone, I hope you are enjoying May! It’s cold, rainy and miserable here but I see we are supposed to be gifted some sunshine next week which will raise our spirits 🙂
Arctic Fox, I hope your pain has settled down and you are all systems go now. It sounds like you had a horrific time there for a while.
CC, how are you going? I know how determined and focused you are so hopefully you have got some good results.
I am hoping to be on the maintenance cruise as well! Today I weighed myself I’m down to 68.6 or 151lb, my lowest since well before Covid so I am happy about that. I have noticed however that although the weight is going down, sadly my waist seems in no hurry to come back. My jeans are swimming on me as far as legs and hips go but I can’t go down a size because the waist of my size 12s is uncomfortably tight. maybe planks or other tummy exercises to remind those muscles they’re supposed to be working?
I have a wedding to attend in November (in Essex! I suppose it was less expensive than in warmer weather but I presume it will be freezing) and the dress I want to wear actually has a waistline instead of a shift style, my usual go to. So it would be nice to have a waist 🙂
Good luck to all and hope to hear from you soon. -
Hello everyone
My annual blood tests have come back and it’s not good news. HbA1c back in pre pre diabetic range at 43! Comment was satisfactory repeat in a year!! Cholesterol raised at 6.7! Not heard anything from GP yet! All other lipids were normal. So it looks like I’ve really got to work a lot harder. It has upset me to be honest because I don’t feel I’ve gone off track! Tomorrow is my repeat abdominal MRI scan at Christie – I have a review in June.
So my plan is to work extra hard on my diet, lower carbs and fat and try to increase my steps ! Feeling quite down to be honest as it feels like a blow! I’m 64 next month- I’m a size 12/14 and have eaten a vegetarian diet for 35 years. I’ve been following this healthy way of eating since 2017! It’s not fair! -
Hello Cathy and all fellow friends
Firstly I am so sorry I have not written for ages I am really struggling after our move from last December and have been so low I just have not felt like writing I have read all your messages but every time I went to answer I just couldn’t I really am sorry Also my dad had been in and out of hospital so my eating plan had gone out of the window!!I have fallen off the 🚢 ship!!
What I want to say Cathy is try not to be despondent with your results I too have to go for my blood test in July and I don’t think it will be good I was supposed to go in April but my eating is terrible and I now weigh more than I have ever done ! Not sure how to pull myself out of this one but I didn’t want you all to think I forgotten you all I will try and keep in touch
Take care everyone
Lv nokie x💐 -
Hi Nokie
Good to hear from you. So sorry that you’ve been struggling since the move. I hope that you soon feel inspired to get back on track. Stay on the cruise with us. I’m feeling a lot more positive this morning and using my abnormal blood results as a kick up the bum! So today I’m back on skimmed milk. I’m going to go back to low fat for a few months and see what tweaks and changes I can make to improve my blood results . I don’t want to take statins. I’m hoping that the tweaks I make will help me to lose some fat and so I’m going back to square one and rethinking my meals. I’ve just had half an avocado. Some cottage cheese, a tomato a mini cucumber and a few seeded crackers. I’m off to the hospital shortly for my scan. Yes, I do feel fed up with my blood results and I am fed up of juggling a variety of health issues BUT I am still in the fight and I know life isn’t fair. I am lucky to have strong willpower and strength of mind and so I will dig deep and am determined to get my blood work back to normal! -
Hi everyone, just catching up!
MARIET well done on your loss, and I can really identify with your clothing issues! Even when I was at my lowest weight since starting the BSD I still had a bit of a belly. And now I’ve let things slide I have the spare tyre to prove it. Let me know if you find ways to reduce it? I seem to remember when I was doing my running I could definitely see a difference. I did try to get back to that recently but ended up with achy hips and knees. Tbh I’m frustrated with myself at the moment as I keep setting goals and targets but then not really trying very hard to reach them. My next short term goal is a holiday at the end of June, before which I’d like to shed some of the pounds I’ve put on recently, but my heart isn’t in it somehow.
So YOWZER I am in urgent need of wet lettuces or I’ll be heading for the lifeboat! How are you feeling now? Any improvement on the sciatica? And I hope that the virus has finally cleared off? Hope you’re ok X
DAWN I’m glad you had a nice birthday and hope that you did manage to get back on plan. We’ll all be cheering you when you get into the 11s!
NOKIE it was lovely to hear from you and I’m so sorry things have been tough. I hope your dad improves soon. And you will be able to lose your weight when you feel ready. What I hope to do next week is to go back to the same eating pattern and meals I had right at the very beginning, and just try and follow that again for a while to see what results I can achieve. Maybe that’s something you could consider too, when you feel able? Do keep in touch on here and we’ll help you when you’re ready.
ARCTICFOX how are you doing now? I hope that things are settling down for you, and that you are feeling some positive benefits from the release of the trauma. Let us know how you’re getting on x
CATHY your positivity is inspirational! I really hope that you see some equally positive results soon. I really like your philosophy of accepting that life is not fair and of seeing setbacks as a kick up the bum rather than a reason to give up. Keep going and I look forward to continuing our BSD journey together. And don’t worry about age either. I’m on a mailing list from another health website and something there inspired me too this week. It was related to a health/fitness challenge and a summary of what the writer said is that
age is not a reason or excuse for why you can’t reach your goals. It doesn’t get any easier as we age, but at the same time, the truth is, if you think you’re old, then you’re old. Your mindset and your beliefs are every bit as important as your nutrition and training – argue for your limitations and they’re yours. He went on to say that we need to look for role models and seek out successful people who have already done it,. If they did it, and they’re a lot like you – including the same age bracket – then you can do it too.Hopefully we can be that inspiration to each other over the coming months! X
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Hi everyone, just another quick check-in. My nervous system has calmed down significantly. I’m still a bit shaken and confused, but my counsellor assures me we’ll work through it.
Cathy, thanks for the idea about reiki. I have heard about it being used for trauma as well as stress, so could be something to look into. I do get massages covered through work and I found a massage therapist who does trauma-informed massage, so I might give that a try. I’ve still been feeling lots of tightness through my shoulders and neck following all of that shaking.
Yowzer, the interferential current (ICT) has really been helping. Last week the physio used some acupuncture, and even though it helped, it wasn’t as good as the ICT.
One good thing about being shaken up as I was is that I had some flashbacks to a much earlier trauma than what I had been discussing previously with my counsellor. That in itself was pretty awful, but really started to provide some clarity on the way I’ve been interacting with the rest of the world since, and the nature of the trauma means that there may be funding available to me so I can have more frequent and longer counselling sessions, and my counsellor has offered to fill out the forms for me at our next session, so I don’t chicken out sending them in.
I found a local in-person support group, so I am going to try that out this week. We have been talking in my sessions about developing a robust support network that I can rely on. In the past I’ve always joined groups for sports or hobbies, but I’ve found that the people I meet that way are not usually interested in connections outside those activities, and I’m feeling the need for something deeper at the moment. As always, everyone on this forum is super and I count you among my best supporters at the moment. It is just a pity that everyone is so far away and I really need in-person support just now.
My diet has been pretty garbage over the last little while, but I have to keep reminding myself that I’m doing my best under challenging circumstances. I have veggies growing in the garden now, so I just need to remember to harvest them and make healthy meals from them. In a couple of weeks I should have some mange tout peas and carrots which I can just eat raw. -
Hello all, it’s been encouraging to read everyone’s posts. It is good to share the ups and downs with weight loss, and of course life generally. I’ve got into a routine of taking a shake (strawberry is my favourite) for lunch on the days I go to the office, which is 3 to 4 days a week, and other days have some eggs or a small salad. I am batch cooking bolognaise and chicken casserole type food, and have a sensible low carb meal for dinner. No treats and alcohol only one or two at the weekend. I’m waiting for it to come off my biggest part, around my hips, bum and belly, but instead it is going from everywhere else! My waist and midriff are shrinking, and I’ve also noticed it going off my back, arms and face, while only a bit off my belly. The body does what it does, I suppose, and it will catch up if I just keep going. Hope everyone has a great week.
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ARCTICFOX you are inspirational! I’m so glad that the initial upheaval of your recent counselling is calming down and that you are beginning to work through not just that but also the earlier trauma it unearthed. I really hope that the support group is helpful and/or that you find other in-person support to help. And, as you say, we are here for you – albeit remotely – to support in any way we can. I genuinely admire the way that you have ploughed on despite whatever has happened in this past and have developed so many other skills – professional, practical and creative. And you can even grow vegetables!! Well done you, and keep going X
STARGAZER lovely to see you again and it sounds like you are on a really good plan at the moment. Though, like MARIET and me, it’s the belly that is the last to go! Actually this morning I just remembered a 7 minute belly workout that I used to do religiously every. morning during lockdown, and I do believe it helped. I’ll try to dig out the details and share on here if anyone’s interested. I certainly plan to start that again, and in fact am setting myself a personal 30 day challenge starting tomorrow to try and shed a few pounds and tone up a bit before my holiday at the end of June. Wish me luck! As regulars will know, I’m great at making plans and setting targets . . . . just not so good at the actual execution of them 🙀
Hope that everyone has a good week, and let us know how you’re getting on X
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Hello everyone
I let myself down in May and have started June 2lb heavier so it’s knuckling down time as we reach the half way point of our cruise! No time to waste as my other cruise is in two months’ time. Can’t afford to start the holiday with tight dresses! I’ve ditched full fat milk and butter to try and address the raised cholesterol issue. I tried 0% Greek yoghurt and it was horrible so I’m going to look for a better option. I’ve found some low fat cottage cheese that is quite palatable. I went for a big walk yesterday in my new trainers and walked 11,500 steps. So my aim for June is to stay focused and determined and to get the scale moving down again.
DCT- how are you doing on your 30 day challenge? I think it’s a great idea.
Foxy- I hope you’re doing well after the recent shake up.
Nokie- hope you will soon feel strong enough to take a walk on deck with us. Just small steps to get started. We have 6 months ahead of us to make even a small difference.
My productivity journal is out and I’m trying to keep calm despite my May gain. It’s another kick up the bum for me. I’m annoyed that I’ve let myself down and I don’t want to be feeling sorry for myself again so today is a new start. Nieces wedding in three weeks and cruise in 10 weeks. Six months to disembarkation from this cruise! Six months is a good amount of time to reach our goal. Let’s make it count. The maintenance cruise liner 🚢 is sailing off in January-how many of us will make it on board? -
Hi Cathy, good to hear from you. And GOOD LUCK for June! We can do this! I think it helps when you have an event to aim for, and I really hope that you get where you want to be for your niece’s wedding. And well done for the steps as I know that’s been a real challenge for you with your foot issues.
My 30 day challenge is 4 days in and a bit up and down so far . . . . literally! I lost 2lb by Friday but seem to have put them back on again. Much of that is water weight I’m sure, but I need to go lower carb to see more results. And also do more exercise as that has been less than planned. But I’m feeling hopeful and will report back in due course.
I read an article in the Daily Mail yesterday with Clare Bailey. I can’t believe it’s almost a year since Michael died. She seems to be coping very well and is not bitter about what happened, but grateful for all the love and support. So let’s do him proud this June!
Love to you all X