Thank you Cathy, Dawn and DCT for your messages, I weigh almost daily but hop on the scales quickly then hop off again, my official weigh day is Friday so I take that as the real reading but just like to know if I’m heading in the right direction, it’s silly really.
A walking pad is a good idea as you can easily get the steps in when it’s wet outside or whilst you are watching your favourite tv show, I need to do more strength training but one step at a time, I run 3 times a week and on my feet for work so cardio is sorted. Cathy that will be more than double your goal, well done, you must be really chuffed with that.
Dawn its so easy to continue another “off the wagon” day once you’ve had one, my family seem too good at planning celebrations around food and that derails me alot but I’m trying to stay focused and making better choices and resist the temptations they have to offer. I’ve tried lots of lovely recipes that surprise me with just how tasty they are but also how low in calories, certainly makes me think how much I over ate last year!
DCT thank you so much for the recipe I shall certainly be making those when I have a few calories to spare, maybe a weekend, they sound delicious 😋
Hope everyone has had a good Monday, albeit a wet one in the UK
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Just a quick pop in to report on my result for the past week, which unfortunately is zero … no lose, no gain. Guess I’ll take that as a win, but a bit disappointed not to have made any further headway before our trip.
Anyway we set off today, so I won’t be checking in for a couple of weeks, but wish you all great results I that time. I’ll be back at the beginning of March, to get back to my quest for target weight.
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Have a wonderful holiday Sunny. We will all be here to share your journey when you get back in March. Please bring some sunshine back with you. This winter has been relentless.
Newbie- I’m going to make some Kale crisps today so I’ll report back. I’ve made them before and remember them being really nice. Thank you DCT for the Parmesan crisp idea. I’ve never tried them but I’ll give them a try too. Forgot to buy Parmesan today when I went shopping!. My veg fridge compartment and the bottom tray of my fridge is full of vegetables and my shopping bill is definitely cheaper since doing 800 keto. Just a faff weighing everything out and making two different meals each evening but I’m loving following the plan to the letter.
For anyone doing the fast 800 online I sent in a question as I had swapped a couple of recipes on the plan and my total calorie count came to less than 700 for the day and I asked if I could top up with yoghurt and raspberries to make up the difference to 800/900 and the answer was yes. We need to keep our calories to 800/900.
My lunch today is Greek Salad and tonight I am looking forward to trying halloumi fajitas in lettuce wraps. My husband is vegan and doesn’t need to lose weight so we usually have different meals but we do sometimes have combined meals and he gets more and usually rice or chips!
I’m not feeling as hungry this week it’s more of an emotional hunger but I am so strong with willpower when I get going.
Keep going everyone- we’ve got this! -
Newbie – another crisp alternative is those mini pappadams you can cook in the microwave – I can’t remember the exact calorie/carb count but they are quite low, and used to satisfy my cravings to some degree. Another thing, if you are not vegetarian or anything is pork crackling.
Cathy – you are doing so well! The walking pad sounds good 🙂 I had one some years ago and got into a really good routine where I would complete a 30 or 40 minute workout every day without fail. I had a soundtrack I would listen to, and I knew that when it got to a certain song where I’d be up to time wise! My favourite was St Elmo’s fire as so many of the words were fitting! You could easily incorporate HIIT too – this week I’ve been walking fast for 20 seconds, slow for 40 seconds and repeat another 2 times, so all up only a few minutes of my walk.
I’m REALLY enjoying the meals! Yes it can be a bit of faffing about sometimes, but worth it. Yesterday I made the Chicken satay salad – this would work well with Tofu I’m sure. The sauce is delicious! My husband devoured his in record time and asked for seconds 🙂 I had my serving exactly as the recipe (with spinach leaves and tomato) and I served his on a bed of rice, so it was more of a stir fry meal than a salad (just added more liquid). Anyway, one I’ll definitely make again! Our other favourite is the Halloumi kebabs, so I’ll definitely try the fajitas.
I can recommend the chocolate porridge too – just chia seeds, cacao powder, oats and almond milk. It was really filling for the 180 calories. I made 2 servings so going to try it cold (like a Bircher) in the next few days.
I’m finding it easier to cook extra and repeat some of the meals. I make 4 servings of dinner, I have 1, husband has 1-2 (depending if my daughter is having the same meal or not) and then I keep another serving to use as a quick meal on another day. So tonight I’m having left over spinach and lentil Dahl – glad I’m not having to cook as it’s 36 degrees here!
I wish I could send you all in the UK some of our sunshine and swap it for some cooler weather! I really detest summer here, and am counting down the days to autumn!
Hope everyone is having a good week so far 🙂* I looked up the nutrition info for the mini pappadams I buy and they are about 30 calories and 4.5g carbs for 10g (the box has 100g in it). This works about to be around 1/2 the calories of crisps and slightly less carbs – plus I think it would be difficult to eat a lot of them, plain pappadams aren’t as more-ish as crisps!
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Hello everyone
The crispy kale was really nice. Will definitely make again . I followed a BBC recipe.200 g Kale, 1tsp olive oil and salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 120 degree fan. Toss the kale in the olive oil with a pinch or salt then transfer to baking trays. Bake for 15 mins and the shake the tray and then return to oven for 10- 15 minutes.
Today I’ve had apple and cinnamon keto muffins for my lunch and they were really yummy. Tonight I’m having sag paneer. I am eating so much lovely food.
This is strange because I actually feel really guilty for having the Apple and cinnamon muffins even though they’re part of today’s menu plan. There is no sugar in them but because they felt like a “treat” I feel bad for eating them. Says a lot about my mindset!
Looking forward to weigh day on Friday but am being realistic and expecting only about 1lb a week from now on.
Thank you Sue for the poppadom suggestion . I’ve not seen them in the shops but I’ll keep a look out for them. To be honest, I am trying to wean myself off “wanting” crisps as I think it would be a good life hack for me. I’ve managed to eradicate biscuits totally from my “needing” and I can easily never eat chocolate. I will still keep nuts in my repertoire but unsalted. These are things I am working on so that when I get to goal I won’t make the same mistakes yet again! I really can’t go through trying to lose 2 stone ever again after this. It’s been a really tough lesson. -
Hi gang! And a very big welcome to NEWBIE! XX
And CCATHY youre doing so well,and you deserve to,you never give up despite some hard times youve been through healthwise xx
Good to read that so many here doing well on Fast 800. I kept to it for many weeks back in 2016 but I dont think I ‘m made of such stern stuff these days.
I cant find my fast 800 book,but Im getting my fast 800 Keto book out to have a look through..one cheering thing i remember from the last time i read it was MM says,dont count the carbs on any green veg.
Which helps,one less thing to worry about!
unless I just dreamt that😄…will check in book.
Spring will soon be here for many of us..I love this Lady Bird Johnson quote…
~ 🌸🌸⭐️🌸🌸⭐️ “ Where flowers bloom,so does hope “ 🌸🌸⭐️🌸🌸⭐️ ~ xxxxx -
Have a lovely holiday SunnyB.
Cathy sounds like you are focussed and on it with the Fast800, sounds good to be able to switch recipes around and still allow yourself treats of yoghurt to top up your calorie total. The kale crisps sound lovely and easy to make so another recipe I shall be trying out. You’ve got good will power Cathy I’m not sure I can cut crisps out completely, I’m having less “needs” for things and getting used to not having them, but not sure I can do that for crisps just yet.
SueBlue thank you, I think I know the popodums you mean, I may get some to go in the retired treat cupboard. I love pork scratchings and were pleased to hear I could still have them, although in moderation. The recipes you speak of are they on the fast800 plan or in a book?
Yowzer49 I love that quote, I may have to borrow it 😄. Is the fast 800 diet as it sounds, 800 calories but you only have them within certain hours of the day so you fast the rest? Is that more successful than normal BSD800?My friends went out last night to celebrate Chinese New Year and I declined to go, but they sent me pictures of all their yummy food (at my request as I’m such a foodie), but I think it was a bad idea as it made me miss Chinese food even more 🥲, I’m hoping I will be able to go out and celebrate it at a later date and just be careful with what I order.
Hope everyone is having a good day, either in the sunshine or the cold x -
Hi NEWBIE! Fast 800.. its a long time since i read the book or followed the diet but if I remember rightly,there was no element of fasting in it..it was just a very restricted diet for a period of time..maybe 8 weeks? Though I did it for much longer. If you wanted to do it as a fast day some days you could do for example,16:8 ..16 hours fast,eat 800 cals in your 8 hour eating window.
Your body gets time to rest when not digesting,or gets on with other necessary tasks like repairs.
I might be wrong but think the word fast in the title is a little misleading..I think it just refers to losing some weight fast for a while before settling into a routine where you are watching your protein and fat intake while keeping the carbs on the downlow.
Oh chinese food! I love it! Yummers! My favourite cuisine 🩷XX -
Newbie – my understanding of the fasting in Fast 800 or Blood Sugar Diet is that the days you keep to 800/900 calories are regarded as ‘fasting days’. There are different versions within that, so 5:2 for example is 5 days of higher calories and then 2 x 800 calorie days which are the fasting days. You also have the option of keeping to 800-900 calories every day for 12 weeks, so every day is a ‘fast day’ then you transition to a higher calorie
Intake.
Then there’s TRE or Time Restricted Eating which can be part of all this where you eat your calories in a specific time window and then Fast (no eating at all) for the remaining time. So a 16:8 fast is where you eat your calorie allowance in 8 hours and then you fast for 16 hours, so if you are on the 800/900 calorie allowance you are essentially fasting within your fast 🙂 The books explain it in a far more technical manner, but that’s my understanding of it all! I used to find 10:14 days suited me, so eat within a 10 hour window and then nothing (except water, black coffee or tea) for the next 14 hours – which as it was overnight was easy to do, I’d just have my dinner earlier and have my breakfast a bit later than usual.
With the recipes I’ve mentioned, they are from the Fast 800 app, but many of them are based on recipes from the various books (Fast 800, Fast 800 keto etc), and you can also find many of them online by just Googling “fast 800 recipes”, there used to be quite a few on the Fast 800 website that you could access.Yowzer – lovely to hear from you and I always enjoy your positive quotes 🙂
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Just sending a wave and cheering you all on. Thanks for the call out DCT, I am still on the sidelines, but finding it impossible to focus on anything at the moment. Six weeks since my husband’s death and 100 days since my father’s death. A very tough time. But I am trying to eat sensibly and that’s probably the best I can do at the moment! Wishing you all lots of health and success. xx
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Sue and Yowzer thank you both for the explanations, so BSD800 and fast800 are the same thing? I’d seen people talking about TRE and wondered what it meant, now I know. OK so I will stick to the BSD800 for 8-12 weeks then switch to one of the other ones, I’ve read you try and consume 3/4s of the calories recommended on non fasting days but that to me seems like quite a lot, well I’m nowhere near there yet so will worry about that at a later date.
Heidi, I’m so sorry to hear about your father and your husband, thinking of you and sending you healing wishes xx -
Newbie – BSD and Fast800 are not the same as such, but share the same principles. So the Blood Sugar Diet books were published around 2015-2016 from memory, then Fast800 came out a few years later, and the Fast800 Keto after that.
All of the books have variations of the diet – you can do 12 weeks of 800 calories, or 5:2 or more or a way of life approach, which is slower and also used for maintenance. The books explain the science behind the diets really well, as well as the various approaches.
I started with BSD in 2017 and lost about 11kg from memory, over about a year – I took a flexible approach rather than sticking to 800 cals. I sort of maintained the loss for a few years but then during the first COVID lockdown I gained weight, so made a more determined effort in 2021/22 and lost the gains plus more, so around 17kg from when first starting BSD. I sort of maintained over the next year then went up and down quite a bit, which is why I’m now doing the online plan. I’m 60 now and really don’t want to be keep having to lose weight going forward, so my aim is to get down to my goal weight this year, then stay there by weighing myself weekly & measuring monthly to reverse any gains.Heidi – thinking of you and sending much love – take care of yourself, I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it is right now xx
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A quick weight update for me too, as it’s Friday and my regular weigh in day, another 600g down, I’m sure it would have been more if I hadn’t gone off plan on the weekend, and on the 36 degree day this week – but still happy as I’ve now shed 4.9kg, or 10.8lb since the beginning of January 🙂
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Enjoy your holiday Sunny, I’ve only been to Turkiye once, a long time ago but it was fascinating.
Sure Blue congratulations on your wonderful results! Young and Cathy are inspiring, the way you just don’t give up no matter what life throws at you.
Today is Friday 20th Feb, my 9th BSD anniversary. I remember saying to myself when I hit my goal weight eight years ago, I’m never going to let this happen again. And here I am.
Still, 9 years ago I weighed 86kg at 158cm and now I am 68.8 (and only 156cm 😳) so not as bad as it could be but for me it is I think a life long… struggle? Concern? Something I must always be aware of in any event.
Heidi, I can’t imagine the difficult time you’re going through at the moment. So hard to lose beloved family at any time but to lose them so close together is cruel. I hope peace comes to you soon. -
HEIDI lovely to hear from you. No pressure to post, but I hope you know that we’re all thinking of you and are here for you in whatever small way we can be X
Great to catch up with all other recent posts too. NEWBIE it can be confusing! What started out as the plain and simple BSD has now multiplied into so many different variants. But basically they all have in common the two principles of creating a calorie deficit and keeping carbs low, so that the body needs to burn fat stores for energy rather than just relying on carbs. It sounds like you are doing really well, so don’t get hung up on definitions, just do what works for you!
SUE and CATHY, I agree about the meal plans on the paid programme. I’m loving them. One of the reasons is that you just don’t have to think any more about what meals to make : it’s all there for you. And I use the Swap facility a lot to make sure that there are meals I like the sound of and also will use up ingredients. BECCA I remember you saying that buying all the ingredients for the recipes can be expensive and I agree that can be true. But what I’m finding very quickly is that some ingredients can easily be replaced by other similar things, and some end up just being for garnish or topping anyway so not strictly necessary. So I’m learning to adapt as I go to cut costs and reduce food waste. But it’s definitely working for me. I’m delighted to weigh in at 151.6 this morning, which is almost 5lb down since I started the plan 2 weeks ago. I’m not saying the plan is essential, not at all. In fact I probably wouldn’t have considered it had it not been mentioned on here and at such a good offer. I just think for me, I’d got into a bit of a rut and was losing my way in terms of the WoE. So it’s helped to give me the big kick up the backside I needed. My original aim had been to get to 152lb before going to New York and I’m now daring to hope I might just be able to hit 150lb (though I know not to count my chickens!!!). Will report back next Friday . . . .
Talking of the plan, DAWN how are you doing? Thank you so much for mentioning it and I hope this week has gone a bit better for you.
MARIET I think you’re right in that weight management is a long-term thing. I hate saying that, as I have this ideal dream that once I get to a weight I’m happy with everything will be fine. Which I have before, and it was for a while, but as the years have gone by I’ve just slipped into bad habits and it’s started to come back. But right now I don’t mind that it’s a long term thing as I’m feeling well and positive, and enjoying lower carb/cal meals. Once I reach maintenance stage I’m just going to be more mindful of not overdoing eating and drinking too regularly so I don’t end up in this situation again.
YOWZER thanks for your inspiration as always, and I do hope things are looking up for you? SUNNY have a great holiday!
ARCTICFOX how are you doing? And I hope our other newbies – PATSNOTCARB and FIGHTINGT2 – are still hanging in there?
Hope you all have a restful weekend X
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Well done DCT on your incredible weight loss pre New York. I have a good feeling that you will achieve 150 next Friday. I think most of us who have struggled for the last few years have realised that this is it now. We can’t keep struggling. We have all learnt the hard way that losing and gaining is difficulty. Let’s get to goal and learn how to maintain long term.
This morning I am 155.6 lb and I started at 166.4lb. I am 1.4 lb down this week and I am really pleased with that. It hasn’t felt too difficult this week. I had 3 apple and cinnamon muffins for my lunch again yesterday! Very indulgent but totally keto.
My walking pad has arrived this morning so I’ll look forward to opening it and seeing if it is something I’ll enjoy. I have to be mindful of my toes but I’ll make sure I’m wearing my glideride trainers which have been an enormous help. I’m talking to the orthopaedic surgeon next week and will be hoping to avoid surgery. I can’t wear nice shoes but the trainers are great. I have oofos sandals for the planter fasciitis which I wear in the house and that is also under control.
Hope everyone else is well – sending Heidi love at this difficult time.
Yowser – please keep posting your wonderful and uplifting thoughts – they’re lovely to read and inspire.
Have a good week everyone…. Here we go again! -
Hi everyone,
I’ve just been catching up on posts, Sunny hope you have a lovely holiday. Heidi, I’m thinking of you and sending hugs. Sue that’s a great loss this year so far! Cathy congratulations on your loss and I hope you enjoy the walking pad. DCT I’m so pleased you’re enjoying the meals on the online plan and well done on the weight loss so far. I feel as if I’ve just got back properly onto it in the last few days so haven’t lost any more weight since my first week but, hopefully, will have done by next Monday’s weight in. I’m also really enjoying the meal ideas, I do swaps too to ensure the meals mainly include ingredients I know I like, I had cinnamon cooked apples with yoghurt and chopped walnuts (I’m not usually keen on walnuts but these were toasted a bit and went really well with the apples) this morning and it was lovely. It’s one I will definitely add to the My Fitness Pal app when I’ve completed my twelve weeks. Like you, I realise that, for me, this is a long term thing, once I’m down to my goal weight I will need to continue to meal plan as much as I can if I want to keep the weight off. It’s great that the online plan is giving me new ideas which will hopefully ensure that I will have a big catalogue of recipes which I know I like and plenty which the family can also enjoy. The free month maintenance at the end of the twelve weeks will be interesting and at the end of that I will decide whether it will be worth the £12 per month to continue with it.
Yowzer, I hope you’re keeping well and it’s lovely to see a quote😀
Dawn X -
Just popping on to say I think I had my nicest breakfast yet this morning from the online food plan, oven baked oats with pears and walnuts. It reminded me a bit of a bread and butter pudding! Dawn X
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Hope everyone has had a good weekend. Sorry if it’s too much information but I’ve been struggling with constipation since doing the keto 800. I’ve never had this problem before. Maybe because I’m not eating a lot of food. I have upped my water and ordered some Fybogel. It’s strange because the food is really healthy with lots of veg. I added some flax seeds today to my yoghurt . Anyway, apart from that I am following the plan 100%. I had mushroom stroganoff tonight with broccoli and cauliflower and sugar snap peas and it was delicious . I don’t feel very hungry this week and I think it’s because I am now in ketosis and burning fat. I have been craving an apple! I can’t have one til I’m off the keto diet. Made some kale crisps last night and they were lovely and crispy. I had a 20 minute walk on my walking pad yesterday – it’s felt different to walking outside and I did feel a bit dizzy when I got off but it could be adjusting to the motion. Because the sky was blue today I went out for a proper walk and it was so lovely. It’s been a dark grey and wet winter.
Dawn, your breakfast sounded so lovely. I looked it up but it’s not keto friendly so I’ll look forward to that when I’m on a different plan. I’ve been printing off some of my favourite recipes and keeping them in a folder. Such a lot of lovely food.
Have a good week everyone. I am hoping for a 1lb loss on Friday. It feels good to be back in the 150s and creeping towards the 140s.
Hope everyone saw a bit of blue sky today- it definitely makes us feel a lot better. -
Hi everyone,
Cathy I hope the fibogel works, I have IBS which usually gives me the opposite problem, following the food plan has reduced the amount of trips to the bathroom to probably what is considered ‘normal’ but I can imagine that I would be struggling too if I hadn’t been too much the other way in the first place if you know what I mean! I’m pleased you’ve been on your walking pad and hopefully the dizziness will cease once you are used to using it. Yes the Baked Oats with Pear and Walnut recipe is definitely not very low carb and, because I used whole milk instead of almond (as I didn’t have any in)was also pretty high in calories(I had to adjust my lunch to a half portion to make up for it!) but it’s definitely one worth a try once you’re off the Keto 800. I look forward to having it in maintenance with maybe some Greek yoghurt and berries every so often.
I’ve weighed myself this morning and have lost a pound (not much in two weeks but I think I had probably gained at some stage during those two weeks so am happy to have lost at all) my waist is another inch down though and that has got it to under 40 inches for the first time in a good while I think so I’m over the moon about that😀
I hope everyone has a good day, it’s been sunny here in Newcastle this morning but is extremely windy🌬️ Dawn X -
Dawn – I have IBS too with the same symptoms you have described – luckily I know my “trigger” foods so it’s usually manageable without medication, although I always carry it on me in case it flares up while I’m out. I’ve found a daily probiotic capsule seems to help. I’ve had a huge reduction in symptoms though since starting the Fast 800 program, it’s nice to feel ‘normal’!
Cathy – in the past I’ve found Magnesium helps (I found out accidentally when taking magnesium for leg cramps!) so that may be worth a try if the fibrogel doesn’t help.
The walking pad sounds good, and a convenient all weather option 🙂
I was out in Sydney with my family on Saturday, it was very hot, about 34 degrees, but I still managed to walk almost 13k steps. It helped counteract the off-plan lunch I had!
I’m back on track today though – have walked 11k steps, completed the week 3 day 1 exercise routine and had 3 tasty meals – Quinoa porridge, Tuna salad and the beef tacos (in lettuce leaves) I enjoyed those as I was able to serve them to my family as well, they had regular soft taco wraps instead. I wasn’t keen on the Quinoa porridge to be honest , I added a small amount of cream and a tiny dash of pure maple syrup which helped! I didn’t want to waste it after going to the trouble of making it.
Hope everyone else is having a good Monday, and I’m glad you got to enjoy a bit of sunshine in the UK – thankfully it was overcast for most of the day here, and a little cooler, although still very humid. I’m counting down the days till the end of Summer now… Autumn is so much nicer 🙂 -
Hi Sue, I’m pleased your IBS symptoms have reduced since starting the programme. I’ve been taking an optibac capsule daily for about a year and I think it probably has helped a bit but not as much as how I’ve been eating these last few weeks has. I’ve also just realised I’ve stopped getting heartburn which I was getting almost daily before I started the programme , not sure why it’s taken me until now to notice I haven’t had it for weeks! Well done for getting so much walking in., I am going to start trying to walk more over the next few weeks. I didn’t do any of the programmes daily exercises last week but started them again today.
Dawn X -
Sunny – so sorry that your vacation coincided with a week of record-breaking snow and blizzard conditions in New York. Hope you are able to have some kind of fun, and safe travels home next week. Thinking of you!
I haven’t posted much lately – did well the first two weeks of February, lost 8 pounds, and then gained the 8 pounds back during the 3rd week, due to Valentine’s Day sweets and daughter’s 40th birthday celebration. I didn’t even eat all that much, but eating carbs piles the water weight back on me with frightening speed. Fortunately, I’ve lost them during this last week of February and have even managed to get down to a new low, though not by much.
Best wishes to everyone, hope you’re all doing well, those on the online program and those on their own! I kind of wish now that I’d signed up if only to have an inexpensive look at it all again, but that’s okay. Would be great if some of you shared the names of your favorite recipes, though, because I have all the recipe books! Nothing like a recommendation from someone who’s already tried out a recipe!
–Becca
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Thanks for the concern Becca, but think it’s DCT who was going to New York, I’m currently in Turkiye where it’s chilly but no snow thankfully. Hopefully DCT is doing okay despite the weather issues in New York.
I’m back next week and so will be back on the thread properly once I have done my weekly weigh in on Tuesday.
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Hi BECCA and SUNNY. Yes it’s me going to New York but thankfully not till next week. It looks like the snow will be on its way out by then 🤞
I’m a bit grumpy today as a bit of weight has crept back on over the last couple of days. Totally my fault : I went off piste on Sunday with friends round for lunch and then last night at another event. l got down to 150.6lb by Saturday and my original end Feb target had been 152lb : so I boldly changed that to 150lb but am now nearer 154lb. And yes I know it’s most probably water weight (like you BECCA, it comes back on really quickly) but I’m just annoyed!
Anyway, still 4 days to go so let’s see how we go!
BECCA I will trawl through my online recipes and send you a few that I recommend
Hi to everyone else too and hope you’re all doing ok?
SUNNY enjoy the rest of your holiday X
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Hello everyone
DCT- I was hoping it was the end of this week that you were travelling to New York . That’s fortunate and hopefully the snow will be gone and the sun will be shining . I’ve enjoyed a few sunny but cold trips to New York. I love it!
Don’t be too annoyed with what has happened this week. This is the teaching we all need to learn. This is the teaching that has got us back here time after time because we don’t learn. We really will have to be so strict and disciplined going forwards. It’s going to be tough. It will be water weight and so it will whoosh away quickly and with a few strict days you’ll be back nearer to 150 again. Enjoy your holiday and when you get back you can continue to chip away. I am planning to allow myself holiday time going forward but the lesson is to get back on track straight away and not get back into this situation ever again ( I lost 42lb and put back 32lb)! Your little lesson is teaching us all DCT. I reckon by Friday you will reach your original target of 152. I think smaller goals are more realistic. Anything more is a bonus and a boost.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday.
BECCA- I will post some recipe ideas too later. I’ve particularly enjoyed mushroom stroganoff and Halloumi fajita this week. Mine are vegetarian keto but they’re still really yummy! -
Ooops, sorry I got you mixed up, Sunny and Dreams! I’m relieved to hear it, though. Hope your holiday is going pleasantly, Sunny, and hope your holiday will be pleasant when you go, Dreams.
You are right about the need for strictness, Cathy. I had one tiny sweet thing last night, and even with still being under 20 total carbs for the day, my weight was up almost a pound today. Just crazy. I feel torn at times between wanting so much to stay disciplined, but also feeling like life is short (especially now that I’m in my 70s), and a little pleasure is called for, too. I know it just comes down to balance, but that balance means the scale tends to go up and down.
Thanks in advance for the recipe recommendations! I’ll look for the mushroom stroganoff and the haloumi fajitas. Not sure I’ve ever seen haloumi in the stores – but will look for it!
Cheers, everyone! Onward and downward. –Becca
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Here is the halloumi fajitas recipe – this is for one portion – 400 calories 25g protein. 12.7 g carbohydrate. 25.9 g fat. Fibre 6.4g
1/4 red onion
1/2 red pepper
1 portobello mushroom sliced
1/2 tsp ground paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
25 g plain full fat Greek Yoghurt
1/4 lime zest and juice
80g Halloumi cheese sliced
1/2 baby cos lettuceToss the onion peppers mushrooms in the spices with half the oil and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the vegetables. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking mix together the yoghurt! Lime juice and zest with a pinch of salt.
Remove vegetables from pan and heat the remaining olive oil. Add the Halloumi and cook each side for 1-2 minutes until golden and crispy.
Return the vegetables to the pan and warm through with the halloumi.
Scoop the mix I to the lettuce leaves , top with lime yoghurt and enjoy. -
Becca I hear you regarding treats! I don’t have much of a sweet tooth usually but sometimes crave sweetness. Last night after dinner I ended up having 3 frozen grapes!
There are some treats in the recipe books. One of my favourites is the Beetroot Chocolate Brownies, from the BSD recipe book I think. I used to make a batch and then freeze them so that I wasn’t tempted to eat more than 1. They are quite rich and satisfying.
The berry chia “jam” recipe in the same book is good as well. I make it when I have left over berries usually, but you can make with frozen ones too. It makes a nice topping for porridge, I used to spoon it over a warm brownie and to me it was (almost) like Black Forest cake, especially with a little bit of whipped cream 🙂
Another sweet treat I used to make was a version of stewed apple – you sauté chunks of apple in butter and cinammon, then when the apple is coated then the heat down and add some water and cook until just soft, but still keeping the chunky shape. I then kept it in the fridge and had it on porridge, or as a “dessert” with yoghurt after a meal.
Other favourites of mine from the BSD recipe book are
– Pecan chia porridge
– Apple and cinnamon porridge
– Roast pumpkin (squash) soup – can’t remember the name but you roast the pumpkin/squash and some red capsicums then make the soup – it’s delicious. I make Haloumi ‘croutons’ to have in it sometime too (just cut into cubes and bake with the capsicum for 10 minutes).
– Red cabbage and beetroot saladThere’s a Beef Rendang recipe, I think it’s in the Fast 800 recipe book that’s really delicious. The vegetarian bolognaise is good too.
I’ll have to dig out my books again as there’s loads more I used to regularly make 🙂
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Thanks SUEBLUE and CCATHY for those meal ideas,they sound yummers and right up my street xx
DCThave a wonderful time in New York! I would love to visit there x
I hope NOKIE and FOXY ( ARCTIC FOX) are ok,seems like a long time since ive seen posts from them
Cant believe its Thursday already tomorrow..feels like only a few hours ago it was Sunday evening
Stay warm and well wrapped up folks!SUEBLUE hope you can keep cool XX!
Only a few days now til March! The meteorological season changes then from winter to spring wooohooo!
They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb …and this year we have an early Easter ( and lots of chocolate…no,no,NOT lots of chocolate,what am I thinking of…well,maybe just a little nibble 🙂🙃 )
💚🌸🌸 “ May the dream of peace take flight across the world “🌸🌸💚 -
Thanks, Cathy and Sue! Cathy, I didn’t mean for you to have to type out a whole recipe, but thank you! Was just thinking that maybe those favorite recipes people had tried could be found in my cookbooks? Or maybe the online recipes aren’t in the cookbooks, not sure!
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Becca there’s some recipes available online through the Fast 800 website – https://thefast800.com/recipes
Most of the recipes I’ve had so far on the plan seem to be simplified versions/adaptations of ones in the various books 🙂
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Thanks CATHY for your wise and kind words yesterday. I always seem to fall into the trap of feeling complacent. Once weight is coming off I seem to think I can ease up a bit. But a bit turns into a bit too much! Something DAWN said really resonated with me, about once you have “blown it” a part of you thinks you might as well write off this week and start again next week. Or some such warped logic 🙀. Anyway, thankfully the scales are heading downwards again this morning so I’ll report back again at the weekend on that one.
BECCA some of the recipes I have enjoyed on the Fast800 programme are:
Spinach and cheese stuffed chicken
Salmon in cream and pepper sauce
Greek yoghurt chicken salad
Chili prawn zoodlesSome of them are so nice it doesn’t feel as if I’m on this WoE or indeed any other kind of special diet. They wouldn’t look out of place on any restaurant menu! If you can’t find any of them just give me a shout and I can give you a quick run down.
DAWN I notice you said you’re in Newcastle. I grew up in Sunderland and my mother lived there until 2023. So I’m very much a northern lass too, even though I’ve been living in London then Hampshire for over 40 years now.
Hope everyone is doing ok. I’ll check in again at the weekend before heading off to the Big Apple!
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Hello everyone
DCT- I had a feeling and hoped it would just be a short blip on the scales and you’ve definitely got time to lose that small gain before heading off to New York. How exciting! I agree with you that when we follow the plan properly and eat properly it doesn’t feel like we are on a “diet”. When I ate 3 apple and cinnamon muffins last week with a cup of coffee for my lunch it felt so indulgent! I couldn’t really believe I could lose weight whilst enjoying such a delicious lunch! The lesson I now have to learn is to be strict (apart from holidays and special occasions). The main lesson I am trying to learn is to remember how hard it has been over the years to lose weight in the first place and so not to take my eye off the ball and put back my hard earned pounds! I do think maintenance when it arrives will take a lot of effort. Anyway, for now we don’t have that to think about. Let’s keep chipping away to discard the excess and we couldn’t be in a better place than here supporting each other.
Lunch today is mushroom and pesto egg muffins. I really do look forward to my meals and appreciate them. I’ll get on my walking pad for half an hour later and I’ll look forward to my weigh in tomorrow to see if my hard work has paid off. Would like to see another pound gone.
Looking forward to seeing how we have all done this week. Next week is week 4 of my 12 week reset. I’m still craving an apple but my crisp addiction is well under control oh and the Fybogel had worked it’s magic!!!
Have a good day everyone . -
DCT and Cathy… oh, how I relate to that old feeling of “Well, I’ve blown it now, best to start fresh later.” I would venture to guess that much of the weight I’ve gained over the years was gained while “getting ready” to go back on a diet… like an “eat this while I can” kind of thing. Very foolish, and I should have overcome that silliness a long time ago. I keep coming back to “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans,” or whatever that was that John Lennon said.
So, DCT, you are by no means alone in feeling demoralized from time to time. It’s true of all of us, I’m sure. And Cathy, I like what you say about “chipping away.” That’s a good healthy attitude that can hopefully keep us staying the course.
Hope everyone has a good almost weekend, and I’ll be over here rooting for your next weigh-in, DCT, as you prepare for your trip!
I’m going on a trip with my daughter and granddaughter at the end of March… Grand Canyon, Sedona, other parts of Arizona, ending in Palm Springs… and I’m still working out in my head whether to relax and enjoy some things that I don’t usually allow myself… or whether to try to stay reined in. Still haven’t decided.Edited to add – I’m loving all the recipe ideas! I’ve had all the cookbooks (even the dessert one!) for such a long time, but get a bit overwhelmed when I look through them as far as what to try, so the recommendations are much appreciated. Kudos to those of you who are sticking with the online programme! I’m watching with interest. : )
–Becca
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Becca I can totally identify! And that John Lennon line is one of my favourites to quote (along with “we are all of us lying in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars”)!
With the trip if it was me going, I’d aim to keep my weight stable, or with minimal gain, rather than trying to lose. So maybe have 2 “sensible” meals a day and then one “treat” meal (for want of a better word), where you eat whatever you want/feel like without feeling guilty?
I would love to see that part of America, am very envious! -
Sue, that’s a great idea for how to handle meals on holiday, thanks. I think I’ll try that.
Love that other John Lennon quote! I think I may have heard that one once, but had forgotten it, and it’s wonderful.– Becca
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Hello everyone
Just jumping on quickly to post my weight this morning- 153.8 lb – so a loss of 1.8 lb this week. Very happy with that. A total loss of 13 lb since January. My goal was 5lb for January and February so I’m smashing it! My next goal is 149lb for the end of March. We’ve got this.
Looking forward to seeing your progress.
DCT- have a wonderful trip to New York. -
Wow CATHY that’s fantastic news! SO pleased for you. Very well done 👏. And I’m sure you’ll get to 149 at least by the end of March.
I’ve met my original target of 152lb for February, and had been lower than that last week. So I’m hoping to be in the 140’s by the end of March too, taking into account my New York trip. Here’s hoping!
BECCA your forthcoming trip sounds fabulous! I’ve been luck enough to visit those areas many years ago and would love to go back someday – they are so beautiful. Plenty of time to shed a few more pounds before then too 😊
Hello to everyone else too. It’s lovely to keep up with all your news on here so keep it coming!
If I don’t post over the weekend I’ll check back in first week in March X
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Yay, Cathy and DCT! Your dedication is paying off!
I’ll weigh again on the 1st of March to see what the loss was for February.
I’m feeling a bit wiped out tonight, like I need to include some more carbs. Not sweets, but a little fruit, more vegetables, and the occasional bits of whole grains, nuts, beans, milk, etc. I think I’ve been overdoing it with the keto thing for many weeks now, and it’s left me not just bored, but a bit flat-feeling, lethargic, etc. For a time I even considered trying to go ZERO carbs. But… no. I need a bit more balance. Looking through my Fast 800 cookbooks today, I’m reminded of that.
I know I had said a few days ago that even a little bit of carb makes me retain water, but maybe that’s actually a sign that I’ve been going too low. Will need to experiment.
If we don’t talk to you before your trip, DCT, have fun! Try to say hi from the Big Apple! I’ve never been there and I live in the states!
Speaking of trips, I am shopping online for a bathing suit for our desert holiday… which is something I NEVER thought I would say again! My granddaughter can get me to do anything. : ) Seriously, though, it’s been DECADES, and I’m still very overweight, so this is a bit of a challenge.
-Becca
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Congrats CCATHY and DCT,you have both started off theyear so well! XX
My start to the year has been a damp squib,too much hibernating,too much comfort food and treats,but I am buckling down 1st March,no more excuses.
DCT,enjoy the ‘ city that never sleeps’
I read somewhere,maybe Instagram,someone saying they never say that theyve lost weight – because they dont ever want it back 🙂🙃 xx
Happy weekend everyone x -
Yowser – thank you for sharing the brilliant quote about losing weight and not wanting the weight back. It is just what I am thinking after years and years or losing and finding it again! So now i shall say i have discarded my weight because I never want it back. I’m tired of the continuous cycle of losing and gaining. More gaining than losing to be perfectly honest.
I know how committed you are Yowser when the time is right and you will know when you are ready. Spring is an ideal time to spring into action. You did brilliantly last year before you became unwell and you lost consistently so I know you have the tools and the mindset and of course your friends on here to cheer you on as you discard! What has worked for me this time is drastically reducing my calorie intake alongside low carb/keto. I’ve cut out breakfast just a coffee (with milk- I can’t enjoy black coffee still) and am managing on 800/900 calories a day, lowering the calories has made a big difference. Low carb wasn’t enough, Even fasting for 24/36/42 hours didn’t have an impact on my weight loss last year. I was so disappointed and disheartened, You know I have tried various formats since my success in 2017 and 800 calories seems to be working at the moment so I am going to do this for 12 weeks and then gradually increase my calories to a level where I stabilise my weight once and for all. I hope you are inspired to come out of hibernation and join in with “the losers”.
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Well done Cathy and DCT on your losses and thanks for your inspirational words Yowzer 🙂
Not much of a loss on the scales for me this week – only 500g (about a 1lb) BUT my waist is another 3cm down (so 6cm in 3 weeks). Total weight discarded in Jan and Feb was 5.4kg (11.9lb) so very happy with that 🙂
I’ve changed my meal plan over from the Very Fast 800 Fibre plan over to the Keto one. This is because when I read the description properly for the fibre plan, it’s primarily designed for those on GLP-1 medications, which I’m not.
Anyway I’ll give the Keto plan 2 or 3 weeks and then maybe switch to the standard Fast 800 plan. They are all the same calories, it’s the macros that differ, so I’ll see which one suits me best. In the past I’ve usually followed a bit of a mix!
During the week I have 3 meals, but on the weekends I prefer to have 2. I made a Traybake for breakfast as my husband and I like to have a cooked breakfast on Sundays. We went into the city (Sydney) on Friday to run some errands and ended up walking almost 17,000 steps, so that was my exercise that day!
Now it’s March my goal is to discard another 4kg, which will bring me that bit closer to my goal. Happy Scale is predicting I’ll be at goal at my goal weight at the end of July
Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend 🙂
DCT – enjoy your holiday! -
1st of March and I am 300g less than I was on 1st Feb. not a stellar performance but all least not a gain. I’ll try to knuckle down and greet a better result for this month.
Congratulations to all the discarders😁 it’s great to see so many doing so well.
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Hola! Here we go with a brand new month offering us 31 days to do our best in!
Progress not perfection! 👍
CCATHY,me too,seem to have spent since my 20s putting weight on,taking it off,regaining it.So tedious!
Btw,I am your Fybogel pal,took some last night!x
MARIET, i too am aiming for some decent results this month!x🙏we can do it!
SUEBLUE,how satisfying to lose so much from your waist and the year is still so young! x
CATHYBLUE,yes,I spent June – Dec 24 shedding weight,happy with the results,then in 2025,planned to maintain,but due to
Shingles,slapped cheek syndrome,and sciatica making me miserable,I ended up piling weight back on.
So here we go again,another six months or whatever it takes,THEN maintain! Defo in the right mindset now and cant wait to low carb,watch the calories at least for a while,and throw in some fasting!
This time I wont let ongoing health problems sabotage things! x
~ Onwards and downwards,folks! 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸~ XX -
Sorry CCATHY and SUEBLUE, i dont know who CATHYBLUE is meant to be! 🙂🙃 sorry, should have read “ CCATHY “xx
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Hope everyone is having a good Monday. DCT I hope you are enjoying/enjoyed your NYC trip! Becca I hope you found a lovely bathing suit to order. Cathy and Sue well done for ‘discarding’ so much since January. I remember on another thread we always talked about discarding rather than losing😀. Mariet well done for maintaining. Yowzer I’m so pleased you are feeling better after all of your health problems and hope that continues🤞. I had a good week food wise and probably stuck about 95% to the online food plan so was disappointed when I weighed this morning and have stayed the same. Hopefully I will make up for it next Monday🤞. I tried lots of new recipes during the week and can recommend the Tuscan chicken which was delicious. I’m thinking I may switch to two meals a day so am going to try that in the online plan settings now as I will be going food shopping tomorrow so will see which meals it recommends for the week.
Good luck for the week everyone. Dawn X -
Hi Dawn- it’s so frustrating when the scales don’t reflect our hard work. Maintaining shows thst you’re in the right zone. Changing plan sounds like a good idea and will give you an idea of whether it works for you. I have had success with the keto 800 two meals a day plan. I don’t even think about breakfast anymore. I do “cheat” with a cup of coffee with milk or cream but I am still losing weight so I will keep on with it. I look forward to my cup of coffee every morning. I have realised that I have to go very low calorie to lose weight – it will be interesting to find the sweet spot once I’ve finished the 12 week 800/900 calorie way of eating. Have a good week Dawn.
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Thanks Cathy, yes it’s frustrating but, as you say, it’s definitely worth me changing plan to see if that helps. I’ve never been much of a breakfast person so would be happy with a cup of tea or herbal tea and will probably have ‘brunch’ around 11. I usually have my evening meal around 5ish so will have to see how it goes as that’s going to be quite a long fast but I will bring my first meal forward a bit if it’s causing me problems.Dawn X
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Congratulations to all those who logged positive results for last month, especially those of you who made sizeable discards. Commiserations to those of you who struggled, but didn’t manage to make the headway hoped for. We’re beginning a new month now though, so a good time to double down, refocus and make a fresh start.
I’m reporting in with a holiday gain of all but half a pound of those I ditched before going. Guess the positive to draw from that, is that if I hadn’t made any effort to discards those pounds previously, I’d be even further from target at this point.
Anyway, I’m back to it and determined to make March a month of scales wins.