Patsnotcarb – just letting you know I’m an Aussie too 🇦🇺 Well actually a dual British citizen but have lived here since 1981 🙂
I actually hate summer – far too hot for me – BUT the saving grace for me is all of the summer foods and salads 🙂
I have been using My Fitness Pal for over 15 years now, didn’t notice the data consumption to be honest but I mainly use on my home WIFI where I have unlimited data.
Years ago, pre-internet, I used to use the Calorie King little books – still see them from time to time in Op shops – they are useful for basic food stats if you can’t access an app 🙂
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Hello everyone
I have weighed this morning and I’ve lost another 1lb this week. My hope is that by the end of February i will be 5lb lighter. I have now lost 2lb so four packets of lard! I have made some changes this week and eaten low carb but there are still tweaks to be made and i am going to walk more this week. I am choosing simple food whilst I ease into my new journey. I am also monitoring my blood glucose levels which seem to be on the high side at the moment so i am hoping that by going low carb my glucose levels will come down. I will have my HbA1c level checked in May. I was reviewed at Christie on Wednesday and was seen by a consultant who i worked for 25 years ago (I was his secretary). I said I never ever expected to be one of your patients. He said he can operate to remove one of the tumours that is on a sensory nerve but he cannot operate on the one on the femoral nerve as it would be drastic! . I said i would rather defer surgery until i cant tolerate my symptoms. He said he will rescan me in two years but in the meantime i can contact him any time to be seen in clinic. I was happy with that. So, it makes sense to lose my abdominal fat as he will have to go deep into my abdomen.
I will weigh again next Friday and hope to post another loss.
Have a good week everyone. Ill look forward to hearing about how you’ve all done this week. -
SueBlue
G’day 🙂
I’ve been using MyFitnessPal for years no issue then the recent update, just opening the app chews through phone data?
Yes I remember the days of the little calorie counter books and keeping a physical food diary., dedication 🙂
There have been sone 40+C days here in NSW recently, too hot to do anything 🙂 but on the bright side also too hot to eat carbs 🙂
I’m checking out a few alternative apps a lovely person above recommended fatsecret app, but I’ve also noticed MFP app users defecting to Cronometer app, it has some good features like being able to record water, it’s not as straight forward as MFP app but I think once I get use to it might be a good solution.
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Hi everyone, back again for another year 🙂
Thanks for setting up the thread, DCT. Lovely to see so many old names and some new ones as well. For those who don’t know, I have been here on and off also since 2017 when I lost 23kg and was able to maintain that, within a 3kg range, until Covid hit. Cue drastic backsliding at that point with long lockdowns here in Sydney.
Last year I had some long term success with weight loss, losing about 15kg, 4 of which I regained on a long and very enjoyable holiday in November/December. Losing it again has been slow and frustrating and I have only been able to discard 2kg in the month since I came home. This time last year, before losing the weight, I had the beginnings of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease which completely resolved after losing weight but I know it will come back if I let things go.
I am sticking with low carb and eliminating snacking between meals as that seems to suit me best but I am not weighing or counting calories. There is no bread or ice/pasta in the house; if it’s not here I don’t even miss it but if it is here I am tempted because making a sandwich is so much easier than anything else. So I have 2-5kg to get to my goal weight and going on last year’s results I hope to get there by April.
My aim is to work out a way to enable to me comfortably maintain my weight without feeling deprived. If I am deprived I know from experience it will all go horribly wrong when life gets in the way as it has the habit of doing. I have done it before so surely I can rediscover the trick 🙂 -
Patsnotcarb – just wanted to pass along that I use My Fitness Pal on my laptop, and find it much more user-friendly than the phone app. Depends on your needs, of course.
Mariet – good job actually losing some weight over the holidays! I’m sure the remaining couple of pounds will melt away soon. That’s really inspiring to read that you resolved your fatty liver disease.
Cathy – hope you can get things taken care of with those tumours soon. I’m sure it’s not easy on body nor mind to have that concern ongoing. Also good luck getting the HbA1c down. I’m working on the same.
After several days of dealing with an “ugh, what should I eat?” mentality, I’ve spent some time working out a kind of default menu for myself that I can use when I don’t want to think and figure out the calorie math and such. It’s high protein, low carb, and exactly 800 calories. : ) Hoping this will help me stay on track long term.
I’ve also been staying off the scale since that was getting tiresome and frustrating dealing with ups and downs. I plan to now weigh at the start of each month, then halfway through. So every couple of weeks, basically. I have the 13 pounds gone for the first half of January, and hope to have some more loss to report for the second half of January.
So nice to see so many people on this board! Looking forward to getting to know everyone as we travel through 2026 together.
Becca
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Happy Monday all!
Lovely to hear everyone’s updates.
I agree with keeping it simple with food too, makes it a lot easier to stick to plan. Since starting this WOE all those years ago, I’ve mainly adapted our ‘regular’ family meals to suit, so bolognaise, chilli, grilled chicken, curries etc. I have mine with cauli rice or veggies and family have theirs with pasta, rice, potato etc. Works out well for us.I didn’t have the best week last week, I did manage to lose .5kg, or 1lb, but was ill with a virus in the 2nd half of the week, and over the weekend., so didn’t walk as much as usual and didn’t stick to low carb foods as I felt sorry for myself! I still feel a bit ‘ordinary’ today but definitely on the mend, so back to healthy eating.
For breakfast today I made some egg muffins – just eggs, cottage cheese, and then left over veggies and ham chopped up and mixed in. Then I bake in a muffin tin for about 15 minutes. I think they work out to about 100 calories each, so I had 2 with some avocado. I’m going to have Greek salad for lunch, and then lentil curry for dinner, it’s cool and rainy here so good curry weather.
And to finish this update off – I read this on Threads this morning and the words really resonated with me:
“I hope when I am in my golden years that I am at peace with my body. I really do not want to be in my 80s thinking about weight loss or protein or whatever….“
So that’s my over-arching goal for this year, to be at peace with my body! Finally! Have been dieting on and off for the majority of the past 45 years now!
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Hi everyone,sorry to be late to the party.
A very belated but heartfelt wish for a fab 2026 for all xxx
Are we land lubbers again now?!
However we might be travelling this time around,good luck to all of us on our healthy lifestyle journey!
Its my tenth year anniversary this year,like for many of us.
This is such a long living forum!i read that most only last about two years…..so well done all BSD forumers! XXXX
Thanks as always to DCT for setting this up! XXXXXXXX -
HEIDI i have just read your sad news.
There are just no words, but wanted to say how sorry I am,and send some long distance hugs to you.XXXXXX -
Hi everyone. Just catching up! A special welcome back to MARIET and YOWZER! It’s great to hear from you both 😊
MARIET I am sure you will get to your goal weight by April, you are such a determined person. Look forward to seeing your progress! YOWZER how are you now? It’s great to have you on board and I really hope that your health issues are beginning to clear up?
CATHY I’m glad your appointment went well last week and even more so that it was someone you knew and can trust. What a difference from last time!
BECCA it’s great that you’ve kept off those 13lb – that’s a tremendous start! And I am confident there will indeed be more by the end of this month too. I think your default menu is a great idea as it’s something you can always fall back on. And like many of us are finding, keeping things simple is often the most effective strategy.
PATSNOTCARB I hope you find an app that works for you. I’ve not used MyFitnessPal but wondered if there’s a phone setting where you can turn off background data on the app or something? Might be worth a look. The only app I use is FitBit because I have one, but I use it more for counting steps. Occasionally I’ll take time to put food in and it’s quite good at giving you all the macros etc, but tbh I find it all a bit of a faff for everyday use. Though really useful when you want to do some strict number crunching.
ARCTICFOX good to keep up with all your news. You mentioned kale and I love it, particularly crispy kale baked in the oven with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. I was intrigued by you mentioning kale chips. What are they?
SUEBLUE Thanks for the muffin recipe. I’m always on the lookout for new things so will try them, minus the ham (chicken is the only meat I eat). Will report back in due course. I love that quote about getting to the stage of being at peace with your body. Like you, I don’t want to still be trying to lose weight every year for the rest of my life 🙀 So let’s make this year count!!
I’m doing ok at the moment. I’m on target so far this month in terms of weight loss : the numbers do bob up and down all the time but the overall trend is downward, which is good. I’m excited to see if there is any reduction in measurements by the end of the month as that is the main priority for me at the moment. But I’m pleased with progress so far as it has involved breaking some old habits and establishing some new ones. I’m tearing more healthily and mindfully, have cut out all sugary foods, cut right back on drinking and I’m also making a conscious effort to exercise more – manage to get to the posh gym most weekdays which I’m enjoying. I’m a very habit driven person, so getting into a more positive groove is a significant start to 2026 for me.
How is everyone else doing? HEIDI if you see this, just want you to know I’m thinking of you as are all of us on here X
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xxx
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Hi everyone,
I’ve tried to reply and thank people for suggestions, but my posts aren’t posting?
Anyway if this post is successful I’m now using Cronometer.
Week3 done still going strong just need to drink more water. Water is really easy to track using Cronometer app so hopefully that will improve.
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PATSNOTCARB good to hear from you and glad you are still going strong. Drinking water is important when cutting carbs as you can become dehydrated. Though I do remember from my early days having to wee a lot!!
You mentioned your posts not posting. Is this from a phone? If I post from mine I seem to have to touch the Submit button twice for some reason. I touch it once then it goes green and I have to do it again. Don’t know why. It’s an iPhone btw. I tend to post mostly from my laptop, but if you do this make sure you don’t press the Back button or anything within the five minutes editing time otherwise the post can disappear. I also find that if you are typing a post and scroll too far back to check something from an earlier post you can lose what you’ve entered. So if I’m typing a longer post I tend to take a copy of it part way through just in case. Hope this helps!
FIGHTT2 how are you doing? Early days for you too but I hope that you are gradually getting into better habits and finding simple meals you enjoy that tick all the boxes. Let us know how you’re getting on x
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Thanks DCT for your kind words. I’m still struggling with sciatica. Waiting for appt at specialist pain clinic we have here. Hope they can help! XX 🌸🩵🌸🩵🌸🩵🌸
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Hope it’s okay to post on this thread, but I’m in need of making myself accountable again and was looking for an appropriate ‘team’ to join. I recognise several of the names here, so though I’d be in good company.
Some years ago I lost three stone using the BSD approach and had been maintaining within a few pounds of my target weight. However, over the last year or so, things have rather got away from me and I’m currently weighing in at a stone over target.
So, it’s definitely time for me to take back control and make a serious effort to get rid of the excess … both in consumption and weight! To that end, I kicked off my quest with a 36hr fast Monday/Tuesday and will be using a 16:8 approach for the rest of the week.
We’re four weeks away from a ten day trip away, so although it might be a big ask for a slow loser like myself, I’m keen to at get into the right stone bracket by then of I can … need to ditch 6.5lb to achieve that. That said, as long as I can make some headway in this time and clothes fit a bit better, I’ll be happy.
My usual weekly weigh in day is Tuesday, so I’ll report in then.
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Hi SUNNYB and welcome! As you say, you’re in good company here. There are several of us who have been doing this WoE for a long time, and also various lovely newer participants.
Good luck with your short term goal of 6.5lb by your forthcoming trip. It’s ambitious but do-able so please let us know on Tuesday how you’re doing. It sounds as if you’re doing all the right things and are feeling very determined ……. so I’m excited to hear what happens next 😊
YOWZER I’m glad you have another course of action for your sciatica. I hope and pray your appointment will come through soon and that it bring you some relief X
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Welcome to the group Sunny. Good to have you with us. I too am trying to get back to basics and undo the weight gain. We are all trying hard to achieve our goals. It’s so disappointing when we gain after doing so well to lose but it is what it is and we are all here. .
I have lost another 1lb this week. Well, I am doing something different this time and recording the average weight loss over a week because my scales fluctuate every day. Yesterday I weighed 163.4 so that is 3lb g down from my start weight of 166.4. Today I was slightly up but I am taking yesterday’s reading as being the best of the week. Is that cheating?
My goal for this next week is to lose another 1lb. It would be good to be 162 next Friday. Slowly chipping away. I can certainly make more tweaks to my regime. I did go out for two long walks this week which I felt did me some good. The weather isn’t looking too good next week so I might check out the walking at home videos on YouTube.
Have a good week everyone. -
Thank you for the warm welcome. Dreamscometrue, I recognise your name, but don’t think we’ve really ‘met’ before. I’m looking forward to being part of a supportive group again and getting to know everyone here.
Like you ClarinetCathy I weigh daily, however I only count the Tuesday results, while using the other readings as motivational tools.
At present things are looking okay for this week, but although this us my first week back to proper eating, I’m not expecting to report anything impressive on Tuesday. As a slow loser, I’ve never experienced a big discard at the beginning of a weight decrease journey, or a ‘whoosh’ at any point, so if I can record any decrease of any size I’ll be content.
Have a good BSD weekend everyone
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Hello everyone
Confession time -been bad this weekend! Ate some left over from Christmas Ferrero Rochas chocolates and had some sourdough bread with home made marmalade a friend made. Both delicious! Back to basics tomorrow! Feel bad because I have been doing so well and lost 1 lb every week since starting . I hope I’ve not put them all back on this weekend! I’ll knuckle down again tomorrow and hope that by Friday I’ve managed to maintain this week rather than put on any weight. Am still on track to lose 5lb by the end of Feb but I need to be stronger! -
CATHY I feel your pain …. and share it! Have gone completely off piste this weekend. Made a curry on Friday but crunched too many poppadoms. And over the weekend have definitely downed more wine than I should 🙀
But tomorrow is a new day, and the start of a new week. Let’s see what we can achieve by Friday : the end of January.
Good luck everyone! X
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Don’t dwell on the weekend’s digression Cathy and Dreamscometrue, focus on getting back to normal eating again and I’m sure the impact of your off piste eating won’t be as bad as feared.
I’m reporting in with a 1lb discard for the week … very modest drop, but at least it’s in the right direction. Not being a fast loser, it’s about what I was expecting.
The next few days maybe a challenge, as I’m going to visit my Dad, will stick as closely to plan as I can and have already decided on another fast Sunday through to Tuesday, by way of compensating for any glitches.
How is everyone else doing?
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SUNNY thanks for the encouragement and well done for that 1lb off. It may seem small, but as you say it’s in the right direction and a loss is a loss. I also think we can underestimate the significance of each pound or kilo we lose. It can seem like nothing, but if you pick up something of that equivalent weight you realise that it is definitely progress.
I’ve had a disappointing week scales-wise. My usual MO is to weigh every day. I like to see the fluctuations and work out what has impact in terms of gains or losses. Not that it’s an exact science! CATHY you were asking earlier if it was cheating to take your average weight for the week and I don’t think so at all. The scales do go up and down for all kinds of reasons. What I do is set my weekly target and if I go below that at any point during the week I consider the target met. But my weight then needs to settle at that weight consistently for a few days before I consider it a real loss. So last week I achieved my lowest weight for the month so far, which was a loss of around 3.5lb from my start weight. I was really happy with that. Then from the weekend my weight settled higher for a few days at 2lb below my start weight. Not as happy but ok, I thought, it will do. And did wonder if some of the gain was muscle as I have been doing lots of exercise, particularly swimming. Probably wishful thinking 😂. But this morning the scales are back up to where I started on the 5th January!! Being honest, we had a little celebration here last night and ended up with fizz and a Chinese takeaway, so I did go (yet again!) completely off piste which probably explains it. But I feel like I’m in the naughty corner. And am just hoping that by the end of the month I see some loss again.
It all seems very hard. Even though yes, this morning’s disappointing weigh-in was completely logical. But I was reading an article on another site about how periods of intense dieting and low calorie eating can reset your metabolism – Basal Metabolic Rate – so that it works more slowly. Which may not be true for everyone, but is another factor to bear in mind.
Anyway, on a positive note, I’m feeling happy and well, and am determined to lose weight and inches this year, whatever it takes. And there will be glitches when life gets in the way. So will keep on and report back at the end of this month on how it’s going.
How is everyone else doing? Do let us know your ups and downs so we can all help each other to keep moving forward!
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It is likely that the higher carb intake last night has hung on to water, hence your higher scales reading this morning, Dreams. If you can just get right back on track, that is likely to rectify over the next couple of days.
Like you, I like to use daily weigh in’s as a way to keep track and keep me focused … an increase means I need to buckle down, a decrease that I need to keep the ball rolling. However, I’m not at home right now so not able to do that, instead I’m just trying to make very carefully considered food choices. Hopefully I’ll be able to report another small decrease next week too.
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Dreamscometrue- I’m sorry to read about your disappointing weight loss this morning but I agree with Sunny that the salt and carbs from your meal last night will have impacted this mornings weigh in. I am facing the music tomorrow morning and haven’t been on the scales since last Friday. I know I’m going to see an increase and I hope it’s not even more than when I started at the beginning of January. I don’t know what’s happened this week. I had a day of invigilating on Tuesday when I had to drive through the most horrendous storm on the motorway to get to work. I was very nervous but arrived safely and had a good day . When I got got home at 430 pm I was really hungry and I went off piste. The scales will tell me everything tomorrow and I’m annoyed with myself. We have to remain strong and focused and just dig deep. Keep on trying and don’t give up. I hope I’ve not ended the month heavier than I started!
I think it’s good to be honest and accountable so well done DCT for owning it. You might well be getting fitter and stronger with your gym routine and you might be shedding fat and increasing muscle. Your gym and swimming work is going to be helping you become stronger and fitter and hopefully leaner.
I’ll report back after I’ve done the walk of shame tomorrow. -
I’m another one not looking forward to facing the music this week! We had the Australia Day long weekend here last weekend and then I’ve also had various retirement events – team lunch, lunch and coffee catch ups and a farewell afternoon tea -BUT I retired today 🙂
I was almost late for work this morning as I kept trying on different outfits
And so many of my clothes didn’t fit! I mainly work remotely so just wear comfy clothes, but went in to the office last week and today for the various events. It was a real wake up call! But I’m meeting up with some colleagues in a few months time for someone else’s leaving lunch so I have an initial goal date to work towards!
I’m hoping that by being retired now I’ll be able to focus more on health and fitness – that’s the plan anyway! I want to be fit, healthy and strong so that I can travel and make the most of it! A long term goal is to get to my goal weight
before a planned school reunion in the UK next year – I live in Australia now but was born and raised in England. Ideally that would be a 15kg loss – I certainly don’t want to be in the position I was today where I didn’t feel good in anything I tried on! So here goes! -
Hi SueBlue
Retirement – woo hoo! Enjoy it and enjoy the freedom it brings. It’s lovely being able to choose what you do every day. Time for yourself. I retired during covid lockdown but it was perfect. I then went on to work in the vaccination centre and now im invigilating but it’s my choice and thats very liberating. -
Hello everyone
I was very pleased with today’s weigh in as I have stayed exactly the same weight as last Friday 163.4 lb. It was a very pleasant surprise. I’ve been out today Supporting an elderly aunt who was nervous of having a smart meter fitted so didn’t get chance to come on and update you. I plan to lose another 1lb this next week and chip away at getting into the 150s over the next month . So I am 3lb down for January. Slow, but it is what it is. I used to lose that in a week when I first started. My aim is to lose 2lb in February but more would be a bonus! I’m going to Corfú with my book club in May so it would be great to feel comfortable in my summer clothes. I’ll aim for a loss of 10-14lb by 1st May when I go. It would’ve amazing to be 149 lb by then.
We start a new month so let’s make a plan for February – what’s yours? -
Hiiii everyone and happy weekend!
DCT thanks for yr kind words! Hopefully thisyear will be betther than last for me!
And Massive welcome to my old chum SUNNYB 🥳
Huge hugs to everyone and lets do our very very best in Feb. January turned out dreadfully for me foodwise so I need to pull my socks up ( if only I could reach down to do so without pain 🙂🙃) and tell my Carb Monster to get into the bin! Feb is going to be a good month for us,I can feel it! XX -
So glad your scales results was cheering Cathy. Keep going and make sure the next week gives a good result too.
Good to see you here Yowser. Really hope 2026 proves to be a good year for you. Fingers crossed you can get the pain under control soon.
Anyway, January is finished, so turn your back on the negatives it contained and step into February with new focus, determination and positivity. -
I’m taking part in A Letter in Mind – Brain Appeal’s envelope art fundraiser for 2026. Artworks on envelopes of any size up to A4, can be created using any medium the artist chooses.
All the artworks are all sold at the same price of £85 each, to raise funds for the support of those living with brain conditions.
Will you join me? This year’s theme is Spring Forward and you can register today at, aletterinmind.org and the deadline for submission of artwork is the end of February.
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Apologies … I meant to post my previous post on the positives thread … sorry, can’t work out how to delete it from here.
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Have just been reading a piece, about how we allow our internal dialogue to sabotage our weight loss, which I thought might be worth mentioning here, as the weekend is often the time we slip up.
Firstly, it’s important to remember that sometimes life gets in the way and we’re all human. Secondly, when we recognise we’ve gone off piste, not to use that as an excuse to just give in and leave getting back on track until another day. None of that “well I’ve screwed up so I’ve failed” nonsense.
Finally, be kind to yourself, give yourself the advice you’d give to others. “We all make mistakes, dust yourself off and get right back on track.”
Whatever you’re doing this weekend, make the best food choices you can and no negative thinking … if you’re having salad whilst others are eating roast potatoes, don’t look at it as being deprived, look at it as you’re taking a step closer to your goal.
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Thank you SunnyB for posting these wise words. I really do want to be positive this year with regard to my weight loss and that involves being kind to myself. I also want to be honest to myself so when I have a bad week like last week I’ll be open and honest about it. I’m putting a tick on my January Chart and I’ll be putting a tick on my February Chart. I think thinking positively does have an impact on how well we do and how we dust ourselves down after we have gone off piste. February starts tomorrow so let’s make it count – we’ve got this.
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Think the secret is spin, Cathy … two sides to the coin and all that – where there’s a perceived negative, there is a positive on the flipside.
You’ve made it through January with a loss and you’ll be checking out at the end of February lighter than you are now.
Talk to yourself as you’d talk to your best friend. You wouldn’t tell her she should be ashamed for eating that dessert, you tell her it might not have been wise but was a small slip and she’ll do better tomorrow. So do the same for yourself.
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Can I just disagree with ‘life getting in the way’.
We’re ‘living’ ! Life doesn’t get in the way but ‘dieting’ does get in the way of living ‘life’ to the full.
When weight or dieting gets in the way, ‘life’ comes first, the size of your jeans …. well ……. that almost becomes irrelevant. There’s a happy balance. We each just need to find our own ‘sweet spot’ and not buy into the ‘hype’ or the ‘norm’.
We just all have to be as healthy as we can be and enjoy life as much as we can.
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Hi everyone, just catching up with posts. Some very wise words all round!
It’s a tricky one isn’t it, getting the balance between living life to the full and yet also being aware of what we are eating and how well we are treating our bodies. And I know I fall into the trap of thinking that having fun automatically means having a few drinks and something wonderful to eat. Which sometimes it might, but it doesn’t necessarily have to. As you say VERANO, we all need to find our own sweet spot and make conscious choices between balancing a healthy lifestyle with allowing ourselves to have fun when we want to, whatever that means for us.
SUEBLUE big congratulations on your retirement! It’s something you’ve mentioned for a while now and I’m so glad it’s finally here. enjoy every minute. I found it a good idea not to throw yourself into too many new things too quickly, just give yourself time to catch your breath, relax, and then think about what kind of things you might gradually want to start doing.
CATHY it’s great that your weight stayed the same this week instead of increasing as expected. Well done! My end of January weigh in is a 2lb loss since the beginning of January. It had been lower during the month but bounced back towards the end. But I’m happy to see a downward trend, and have also lost 2 inches from my belly which I’m very pleased about. I’m going away with my daughter at the beginning of March for a surprise trip so would like to see a further loss by then. If I can lose 3lb in February I’ll be back into the 10 stone range so that would be perfect. We’ll see!
Happy February everyone! As SUNNY put it so well for us: “January is finished, so turn your back on the negatives it contained and step into February with new focus, determination and positivity.”
We’ve got this!!!
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Of course you’re right V, we do all need to find that sweet spot, but I think part of the problem is lots of us have the mindset that if we aren’t “eating the cream cake” like everyone else, we’re somehow being deprived. Whereas, what we’re doing is prioritising taking care of ourselves.
Essentially, as all of us who have been on this path for a long time know, this is not a diet it’s a lifestyle. And yes, taking an occasional mindful step off the path is fine, but it’s a mistake to make that a new habit by looking for excuses to do so. And I have certainly been guilty of that, otherwise I wouldn’t be looking at the need to rid myself of almost a stone gained back.
Like an alcoholic can always find an excuse for a drink, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of frequently finding an excuse for something carby … it’s a leaving party, a birthday, Easter, Christmas, special weekend, etc. One can’t afford to do that consistently and expect to lose/maintain weight and stay healthy and unfortunately it’s been the route I’ve been treading for the best part of a year. So I need to change my mindset if I want to achieve my goal.
This post is essentially just a stream of consciousness and in no way a criticism of how others decide to approach things to reach their goals. We’re all different, have different goals, priorities, lifestyle needs and so have each made our own adaptions to suit and none of them are wrong, as long as we’re happy they meet our needs and will help us achieve our goals.
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Hi, all, haven’t been here in a bit. Interesting discussion you’ve been having about life fitting into the diet vs the diet fitting into life. Also that question of whether it’s best to just stay away entirely from the sweet stuff or try to include in moderation. I have no answers, just my own lifelong struggle with trying to figure it out.
In the same way, I’m still trying to figure out exactly how low I need to go on the calories and carbs to have steady and sustainable weight loss. The 800 seemed very restrictive to me and I was actually losing a bit too fast on that, especially when I cut the carbs way down. However, I apparently just maintain or even gain weight if the calories get as high as 1300, especially when the carbs also get up to 50. So, I am trying to find my sweet spot. Seems like when you’re older and very overweight and sedentary, the calculators aren’t quite as accurate,
However, even with the ups and downs and twists and turns, I’m down 34 pounds since October 15, about 3-1/2 months ago. Very happy about that, but I still have a lot (a LOT) to lose (about 150 more), so would love to just find the ongoing answer to all these challenging questions related to how to keep it going and do this in a slow and steady way that won’t leave my skin looking more awful than it already does, or my muscles more depleted than they already are. (Note to self: Starting to do some exercise seems like a given.)
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That’s a fabulous result Becca! Sounds like you are managing to navigate a good route for yourself. Can understand what you’re say about finding that balance though, but seems to me you are getting a feel for what works best for you.
For me, it’s necessary to push both carbs and cals low if I expect results on the scales, but my guess is that somewhere between 800 and 1300 cals is your ideal. Remember though, as this is a marathon not a sprint, it’s okay for the numbers to vary a little day on day and still see positive results.
Again, ideal carb levels vary person to person. You’ve already discovered what your upper limit is, so you can now experiment by gradually sliding lower to see where your best level sits.
Anyway, keep going Becca, you’re doing great! -
Hi everyone, sorry I haven’t posted for a couple of weeks. my first week back on plan went quite well and I lost 3 and a half pounds but I haven’t lost any more since then as haven’t really been sticking in as well as I could. Well done to all who are managing to stay focused. I bought some high protein items from the Fast 800 website a few weeks ago to help on the odd day when I feel I could use them and the following week I got an email from them offering me 95% off the 12 week programme and the fourth month free so I decided to take up the offer and have started that today so, hopefully, the added motivation will give me the boost I need🤞 I hope everyone has a good week. Dawn X
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Dawn- that sounds like a great deal from the Fast 800 website and I’d love to see what you make of it. It’s something I’ve been considering as a boost and support to my weight loss plan for 2026. I’d be interested in your thoughts. Well done on your 3.5 lb loss. I’m chipping away slowly. I am determined to keep losing bit by bit.
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Thanks Cathy,
I thought it might be a scam at first because it was such a huge discount! so I didn’t click on the email link, I went in via the website and the code they gave me worked fine. It said in the email that it was because I had made a purchase but it may work even if you haven’t made a purchase, the code was PROGRAMME95. I think I did try the online programme years ago but didn’t really use it properly and probably wouldn’t have tried it again if the hadn’t sent me the offer. I think it works out £1.50 per month for the first three months then I get the fourth month free then, unless I cancel, it’s £12 per month from then which is the maintenance programme. I filled in all of my details and it came up with a weekly menu plan but you can swap meals from an extensive library. You can also print out a shopping list from it each week. It has daily exercises (mine aren’t too strenuous for this first week as I said I didn’t do much exercise) There is also a community part which I haven’t posted on yet with being so happy with this one! There are daily articles with useful information too and also a mindfulness section. I figured for the price it would definitely be worth my while giving it a go so 🤞I don’t waste the opportunity!
Dawn X -
Hope the programme helps and gives you the boost you’re hoping for Dawn. You’ve made a good start with the 3.5lb drop though.
I’m reporting in with a small drop for the week, just a smidge less than a pound down …. better than an increase, so I’ll take it as a positive.
This week, I’m looking to increase fibre and start ‘exercise snacking’. Exercise is always my blind spot so I’m hoping the ‘snacking’ approach will help.
Looking forward to reading how others are getting on and what adjustments they might be making as they move forward. -
Thanks Sunny and well done on your loss too. I’m enjoying the meals so far, had chicken fajitas tonight with lettuce leaves instead of tortillas and it was delicious. It’s nice to have some new recipes to add to my current ones. Dawn X
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Dawn – thanks so much for sharing the discount code! I had been thinking about joining the programme as it was 30% off or something here. Then I read your post so I thought I’d give the discount code a go, in case it worked, and it did 🙂 it’s $2.50 a month AUD for the first 3 months. To be on the safe side I paid with a card I have that has a
low balance on it, and that I have to manually top up…not saying it’s a scam or anything but in case that code wasn’t supposed to be used here or something.. anyway will give it a go, I’m particularly interested in the exercises.
I haven’t weighed myself yet this week, but when I weighed myself on the weekend I was the same weight I had been the week before – which considering the events I’d been to, I was happy with! So my January loss was 3.2kg, or just over 7lb.
Hope everyone else is having a good week 🙂 -
Massive congrats to SUEBLUE and DAWN on their losses 👍👍 What a great start you have both made to 2026! ⭐️⭐️
Love to all xxx -
Thanks Yowzer, hope you’re feeling a bit better. Sue you’re welcome for the code, I wasn’t sure about it working for anyone else but am pleased it did! Dawn X
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Hi Dawn
I too have joined the fast 800 12 week programme and I’m really quite excited to give myself another boost. Thank you for inspiring me- I’ve been thinking about joining since the start of the year. The code worked so thank you. I weighed this morning and I’m down 0.4 lb from Friday when I last weighed. I’m embarking on my first 7 days with the plan so let’s see how well we all do with a bit of extra support and motivation. -
Hi Cathy, I’m so pleased the code worked for you too, it really is a bargain, in my email it said it would be valid to use until 8th Feb. I really hope this gives us a boost🤞. I’m enjoying the meals so far, I had a basil and mushroom omelette this morning, the recipe included cream cheese but I used cheddar instead and made it a cheese crusted omelette (which someone first mentioned on the forums years ago and is really tasty) I haven’t done today’s HIIT exercises yet but intend to before lunch. You’ve had a good start losing weight since your Friday weigh in. Dawn X
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HI Dawn
I’ve opted for two meals a day and am doing the keto vegetarian version. I made broccoli and three cheese frittatas for lunch but I didn’t have any Parmesan so it was a two cheese frittata and tonight’s recipe was green eggs and halloumi. I’ve eaten four large eggs today!! The website is intuitive and I’ve downloaded week one of the changing habits course and completed it and put it in a folder. It feels like I’m starting again from scratch like I did in 2017 when I bought the BSD book. I’ve missed my yoghurt today. I’ve had a couple of cups of coffee with milk and a variety of herbal teas and sparkling water. I think I broke the rules this morning having milk but I can’t enjoy black coffee. Anyway, I’m using the programme as a tool. I go on holiday in 12 weeks and 2 days so the timing is perfect. I need all the help I can get so let’s see how things go.
SueBlue- it will be interesting to see how the programme inspires you too. I think you’ll enjoy the recipes. I am only really able to walk for exercise due to my rheumatoid arthritis but I went out today after my frittatas and enjoyed a nice walk in the park and got chatting to a man with a lovely whippet. I can’t see me making use of the exercises.
Hope everyone is on track for a good week. I hope to be 1lb down on Friday. I am determined to only have the scales going in one direction! -
Hi Cathy, it sounds like you’ve made a great start. I feel I’m not drinking enough so from tomorrow I will try to rectify that. I’m feeling a bit headachey tonight which is probably being caused by that and also maybe sugar withdrawal. I’m heading to bed early and will hopefully get a decent sleep. Dawn X