Here we are, WEEK 3 , or whatever stage this is for you .You are welcome to join our merry band at any time .
It really is useful to be part of a ‘community’ .We are all in this together, to support, celebrate, help wherever we can, whatever the challenges !
Here we are :
wendleg
sunshine-girl
SunnyB
caronl
Verano
Elle-Mae
Tulip1
WindyJulz
Wendy1947
arcticfox
RubyG
Dreamscometrue
Russianroulade
ahntp
JGwen
Al
Thank you wendleg I have found you😂
For me this is now week 2 day 3 & my weekend went well averaging 800 -900 calories. Also regarding M M 800 diet shakes I have bought some plus two of the protein ones & my husband & I had one with milk for lunch before playing our short match bowls match. We were impressed by how good we felt because we hadn’t wanted to eat much with then bending over to bowl & we lasted with no pangs of hunger until our supper of soup. We find them useful to have as a quick fix meal if we are on a tight schedule or hungry & I haven’t much time to cook from scratch. We have them with milk not water but I of course include the 300 ml oat milk calories in my daily count. The protein shake is much smoother than the other ones which are a bit grainy but tolerable & I had my chocolate one heated to give me a hot chocolate which was quite good.
I am feeling quite encouraged starting my second week & am re-reading the Fast 800 diet book because of its updated research.
I hope everyone has a great week working downwards👍🍀🍀
Margaret
Hello again everyone! My scales broke last night which made today more tricky but I went on what I remembered portions of chicken and such were, we’ll see how successful that was!
Had a mash potato squash for dinner tonight with sausages, instead of the cauliflower mash – not sure if anyone has tried these before but it was really nice and I think about 50 cals and 14g of carbs (lots of different nutrition values online!).
Good to read about your bowls on the other post Wendy, I’ve not seen that game before but sounds lots of fun!
Have a great week all ☺️
How frustrating your scales breaking Al! but you made an enjoyable meal👍
I do enjoy playing bowls because it’s relaxed & social but also gives me some exercise walking up & down. It’s not really aerobic so I get some of that going with my husband to an exercise & balance class but do need to do more to try to tone up with my resistance band. I like doing the Jane Fonda exercises on her dvds which also include stretching & working with light weights because it’s unfortunate that getting older muscles do atrophy so I suppose the phrase “use it or lose it” is very true. What exercise do you enjoy?
Margaret
I all, still here. Not a very good week diet-wise. Even though I have been pretty rigid except for a small piece of baguette, even so I have lost absolutely zero. I know this is due to fluid caused by the baguette, time of the month (even though I dont have periods I still get the bloating) and the fact I had a big loss the week before. Bit peeved as I am doing dry January and would expect that to make a big difference. No matter, I will keep on keeping on…
I was having breakfast this morning when my daughter whatsapped me to let me watch her cat giving birth – amazing what we can experience nowadays with tech, even at breakfast time. She is a stray and my daughter volunteers with the Cat Protection Society. This poor girl is around 8 months old and this is her 3rd litter due to the ignorance of her owners. This will be her last as CPS pay for sterilization.
I can sympathise sunshine-girl because I stood on my scales this morning & seem to have gained 4 ozs despite keeping to my calorie allowance. I have done some exercise at my balance class this morning that was slightly aerobic so I’m hoping that will help & tomorrow I’m playing short mat bowls. Oh I’m also doing a dry January so let’s keep going😀
I do miss my two cats that we had a long time with one dying from old age & just going to sleep in the sun & the other unfortunately as an elderly cat developing heart failure with me having to take her to be put to sleep which was so very upsetting!! We did try to re home young brother & sister cats through Cats Protection but after inspecting us decided our house was too close to our busy village High Street so wouldn’t let us have them. Such a shame because both neighbours have cats & I do miss having one.
Food wise today so far I’ve eaten houmous with crudite & an apple for lunch with making Shakshuka with some chorizo a protein add on for supper. However I think I’m way below my required protein intake today & guestimate about 38g & will have to try to eat more in my calorie allowance tomorrow. I am finding it difficult balancing eating 50g of enough protein & fitting that into 800-900 calories 🤔
I hope everyone is having a good week👍
Margaret
Hello. Amz here. I am back… hopefully. Many of you know I have struggled for many years because of my weight as well as the difficult marriage I was in… My depression and anxiety were extreme, and even my insomnia was severe, but I really did my best to be a good wife and stick it out… however, last August, my husband committed suicide. Obviously, the past 5 months have been life-altering, to say the least. When my husband died, I did not just become a widow, I lost my house, car, source of income, everything basically… so my daughter and I are staying with my mom as I try to reassemble our lives. I have returned to you all once more in hopes of getting my health together permanently this time. Since I do not have to currently worry about work and bills, I would like to take baby steps toward a healthier me. I am currently not on any diet or exercise regime. I weigh about 265-270 lbs. My hope is no longer focused on turning my body into something my husband will find attractive, but instead, I want to become comfortable in my own skin and improve my health while pulling my daughter along as well.
OMG , Amz..you’re back !!!!
Of course we remember you .
Your news is shocking ..but frankly I am relieved that you are here and reaching out to us.
You have a lot to process and you may need help with that. but only you can decide when the time is right for you to focus on YOUR health and well-being. You need to be in the righr head space to focus on your needs. You don’t need any extra pressure with unrealistic targets.
You are living with your mum, a safe space now and hopefully she will be able to support you as you change your way of eating. Yes, baby steps for sure. When you are ready start gently and concentrate on natural, healthy foods . Don’t worry about how you look, but how you feel. Nourish yourself with protein ,healthy fats and vegetables.
If it feels this is the right time then we will be here to support you, Amz. You deserve peace after so much trauma. You have to rebuild yourself, find a way to move forward with huge challenges.
Take it slowly Amz…focus on healing yourself. Healthy nutrition is essential in that process.
I’m concerned that you may need support in all of this . Do you have any professional help available to you ?
For now just sending you a massive hug.
Stay with us xxx
.
First a big welcome back to JGwen and OrangePandaMomma. So good to see you, though very sad to hear of the hugely challenging times you have been going through. As wendleg says, Amz, stick with us and let healthy food help the healing process.
I’m on Day 4, so a bit reticent to cheer about progress. But this is the day when I normally start to feel smug and think that a biscuit will be OK. Probably in physiological terms all the sugar dependent gut bacteria have gone into panic mode and will do their best to make me eat carbage!! Anyway after 3 low-carb days and 2 16:8 sessions, I am down 2.5 kilos. Mostly water of course, but some glycogen must be in there too, so perhaps I shall move over to fat burning today. Most important for me is that I just feel less sludgy.
How are others getting on? Onwards and downwards.
Welcome back AMZ so very sorry to hear of all the trauma you have gone through. Take care of yourself and your daughter, only you will know when it is the right time for you to move forward and in the meantime sending you massive hugs 🤗🤗🤗
Wanted to add a welcome back to AMZ. So sorry to read about the events of the last few months, it seems you have really been through the mill, but hopefully now that you are staying with you Mom, you’ll be able to shift focus a little. Don’t put any pressure on yourself though, be gentle with yourself and allow time give to process and heal …. we’ll be here anytime you want to post.
SG, sorry you’re not seeing the progress you’d hoped for, but I’m sure it’s just a temporary glitch. How exciting to have been able to witness new kittens arriving this morning, just wonderful.
Encouraging result to date caronl, a good morale boost.
On a personal note, I’ve just completed a 44hr fast and feeling much more ‘on the zone’ now. Next two days will be TRE 16:8 or there abouts. I’m not yet back to proper tracking yet, so that will be the next step.
However your week is shaping up, hope you will have something positive to report at the end of the week.
Hi everyone and welcome back to AMZ. I really dont know what to say that our wise members have not already said so I just want you to know you have come to the right place for a group hug and support. Dont worry about diets, goal setting or anything else, just give yourself time to heal. And lean on us. Collectively we have strong shoulders.
I dont have any news, weight exactly the same as a week ago but not worried, at least I lost all my Christmas weight and I am the same as I told the anaesthetist so he wont have to change his calculations.
I am still doing dry January but last night was difficult. However, I cant bear the thought of breaking a promise to myself and not doing at least 30 days.
My son in law is in hospital today for a replacement hip – we make fun as he is younger than my daughter and she has ended up with an old man. Once this is done he should be his old fit self but without the football which is partly the cause of his problem.
Enjoy the rest of the week.
Thank you for everyone’s kind thoughts. My mom’s house is a lifesaver in the sense that we would be homeless without it, but as some of you might know, I’m from an abusive family where the violence was emotional and mental… so living here has its pros and cons.
What I’m focusing on right now is trying to transition to whole foods. With my husband, we are a lot of processed foods since that’s what his tastebuds liked. My mom loves to eat “healthy”, which basically means she’ll choose something that looks like a good choice such as a salad, but by the time she finishes putting on all the toppings and sauces, it’s like she is eating junk food.
So I finally bought a little used car this week so I’m going to start grocery shopping for us and leading my daughter towards a diet of meat, fruits, and veggies.
Well.done SG…you are a star not caving in to a cheeky glass of something despite the stress of the imminent op. Not too long to go now.
Well done caronl and SunnyB for getting back on track .
For anyone else not seeing immédiate results, remember every day you commit to healthy eating is progress.
Amz,it doesn’t sound ideal to be in environment which does not seem to offer you the support you need but I accept you have few options right now.
That’s great that you have a little car to get around and shop for healthy food. You are going to need to be very strong to follow your way of eating when you cannot be in your own space. Do your best…and as SG says,lean on us anytime you need us. It won’t be easy changing habits overnight. Remember those carby foods can appear comforting and the process of withdrawal is tough.
However….
breaking away from the processed junk food is a good move ,Amz. Maybe see it as a break with the past ?
Stay strong,Amz xx
Just a quick, late “hello” from me.
Amz welcome back just want to add ‘take care’ of yourselves to all the other advice.
S-g ….. don’t beat yourself up!!! Hopefully all will be resolved soon.
As for me just very busy so will pop in as and when.
Have a good week everyone.
Hello AMZ I don’t know you but wish you well after such a traumatic time & you sound as though you are taking very positive steps for you & your daughter 👍
Wendleg I like your positive thought that every day committing to healthy eating is progress!! I stood on my scales this morning but it looks like I’ve not lost any weight but will weigh on Saturday morning so hope that I may have lost something then.
As a treat my husband & I have just eaten the Keto steak recipe with Romesco sauce which was very nice but a cheaper cut of steak & with steamed kale & homemade ratatouille. I cooked a baked sweet potato for my husband that I resisted having so I’m feeling rather virtuous at the moment😂 but would have loved a glass of wine with dinner🙀
Everyone try to stay strong & keep on going!!
Margaret
Yesterday I fasted until 6pm. For dinner, I ate hummus with grape tomatoes, mini cumberbers, baby carrots, mini bell peppers, and chicken sausage. I also had some fresh cherries and a couple that were covered in dark chocolate.
This morning I weighed 165.2 I broke my fast a little after 12 and ate the leftover veggies and sausage sauteed in olive oil. If I feel hungry later, I have fresh blackberries to munch on.
This week will be hard for me to continue my healthy eating changes as I will be at my dad’s and my stepmother is against separate meals. Instead, for those three days (Saturday to Monday), I will simply eat less at dinner and fast the remaining time.
Well done & keep on going OrangePandaMomma!! You are on the right path & just try & avoid carbs concentrating on eating any protein & vegetables on offer to you & keep hydrated👍
Saturday 21st January I am now on Week 3 Day 1 & have just weighed & lost 3/4 lb 🤔 I am disappointed because I kept to my Fast 800 or Keto diet preparing all my food from scratch & will have to be very good over the weekend & not relax my eating. Since starting two weeks ago I have now lost 8 lbs.
Good luck everyone for when you weigh & for next week!!
Margaret
Well done Amz. Your meal sounded delicious. And adapting portion size is a good way to go when there is no alternative. Hope you have a good weekend.
Margaret, you sound full of determination. Well done! It is always a bit demoralising when weight loss slows, but you are still going in the right direction. It sometimes helps to remind yourself what you would have eaten – and this is a much better outcome.
This morning I weigh 3kg less than last Sunday. So feeling pleased and motivated. Though I know this coming week will be probably a standstill! Wishing everyone a good weekend. x
Went out for lunch today and was a bit worried about what the options would be, but the place did a roast half butternut squash instead of a potato at 122cals, with a potato filling – with a lovely side salad is was one of the best lunches I’ve ever had!
This week was tough as had a lot of commitments and have been away working, but stuck to 16:8 and made sure at least one meal a day was low carb… I’m hoping come Monday weight in I can be static (fingers crossed!).
I’ve found I’m not really hungry when I’m fasting now, which was a problem in week 1, I was sat in a hotel looking at their amazing breakfast options and just wasn’t interested! Equally lost all interest in sweet things (I’ve cut out added sugar and sweeteners) – I think I’m broken 🤣
Wow caronl what a great weight loss 👏👏👏 I am trying to be focused & determined but on Thursday when I weighed to see how I was doing & it showed no weight loss plus my knees were very sore, I became really depressed & fed up. However I managed to keep going & having some sunshine always helps my mood so now I’m mentally back on track!!
Well done for keeping on going Al it must be more difficult working away & having to cope with restaurant meals with all that temptation! How great you have lost your sweet tooth 👍😂 & you sound as though you are on track so good luck for when you weigh on Monday.
I have been used to having some chewing gum after meals to refresh my mouth with a minty taste but it suddenly occurred to me that of course that contains artificial flavouring & sweeteners so I’ve stopped doing that now. I do have some desire for something sweet so my treat after lunch of homemade broccoli & spinach soup was a nice juicy pear 😀Supper today will be the Keto recipe black bean chilli with quinoa. But I do miss a weekend glass of wine🙁
I have been out sitting in the sun at my neighbours weekly coffee meeting in their front garden which we haven’t been able to get to because of our catching Covid, Christmas & lots of rain!! It was lovely chatting & actually feeling warm in the sun although we were well wrapped up.
Good luck everyone for next week!!
Margaret
Hi all, great to see so many of you doing so well, those who are struggling are at least trying their best – like me. Still no weight loss in the last 2 weeks. So much for dry January, still doing it but where is the impact on my weight. I am not replacing a drink with snacks, as a diabetic I just don’t do snacks except some nuts, a bit of cheese and cold meats. I have also been doing TRE because that is also now my habit. Nothing after 8pm and before 10.30am.
I am all set for the hospital tomorrow and will keep in contact with Wendy so you will know how I am getting on. Expect to be in until Thursday if everything goes to plan. Then I will be rearing to go (after a recovery period) and do some exercise. Hopefully I will be back to my old self although not as old as I have been feeling. Worst year (2022) ever.
Take care everyone, see you soon.
Sunshine-girl, Very best wishes for your op and recovery. Looking forward to your return. x
Sunshine-girl …. my thoughts are with you. Very best wishes for the best outcome and a speedy recovery.
Hi everyone . Had a chat with Denise/sunshine-girl this afternoon and she is all set for her surgery tomorrow. I will keep you all updated when I get news .It will be an early start in the morning but after the delay it will be good for SG to get sorted finally and then hopefully able to put the health stresses behind her and enjoy life .
Amz, just do your best , adapt to the circumstances , don’t put too much pressure on yourself . You are making good choices and if you can fit in some fasting periods, that’s great .
Margaret , don’t get down by what you perceive as slow weight loss ( JGwen calls it discarding weight as we don’t intend to find it again !!) I reckon 8lbs in 2 weeks is a good result ! Some of us like to weigh frequently .Others like me tend to wait a while. It depends how the numbers on the scale make you feel ? This is where JGwen will come in and say those numbers don’t paint the whole picture .It may be that your measurements are shrinking , clothes feeling looser etc ? Don’t let it get you down . In my opinion you are making healthy food choices and you will continue to make progress. One suggestion could be to cut out any grain, beans etc, no fruit apart from berries as that would put you in very low carb territory and quicker fat burning ? I think it depends how keto strict you want to be ? Remember weight loss fluctuates and stalls but stick with it .You are doing great and yes, every day of healthy eating is progress !
Something that I have to constantly remind myself about is drinking enough fluid .It’s easier in the summer but in the winter I have to make a conscious effort to drink… green tea, herbal teas etc as well as water .
Well done caronl !!!! Keep going Al !! Verano, pop in when you can !
It’s JGwen’s birthday today !
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM US ALL ? JGwen !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope your surgery goes well sunshine-girl 🍀🍀
Happy Birthday JGwen 💐💐
Thank you wendleg for your encouragement! I’m nearer 1000 calories today because I chose to have the 800 cinnamon porridge with apple for breakfast mid-morning so still keeping to TRE, broccoli & spinach soup & an apple for lunch & teriyaki salmon with a large stir fry variety of veg for supper & a little quinoa. I will try to get nearer to 800 tomorrow 🤞
I hope you all have a good week!
Margaret
Can’t believe it’s Monday …. again! That came around so quickly!
Anyway, I’m so glad it’s Tuesday tomorrow, new week, new start. I don’t know why but this week has been a complete washout for me. So onwards towards a new week with a better mindset and definitely a better outcome!
Hello everyone.
I am sending a quick message from my mobile as our internet has gone down. Oh the joys of living in rural France 🙄
I just wanted to let you know that I have heard from SG’s hubby. Denise has had her surgery and everything went well . The surgeon said it was a much needed operation so I am glad that ordeal is over for her now.
Poor SG though…she arrived at the hospital expecting her surgery to be in the morning but an emergency meant it was delayed until early evening. …so a long ,tedious wait for her.
I will send her a message later as she is in recovery now.
Sorry for the delay in setting up the new thread. I will try again from my laptop later this evening when hopefully our internet connection will be restored.
Back soon xx
Wendy well thank goodness it’s over! Just hoping things will improve here on in… I’m sure they will.
Best wishes to Denise…. and hubby
Pleased to hear SG is doing well … at least the op is out of the way now. Hopefully she’ll recover quickly and can get back to normal soon.
Verano, I’m with you …. the last week didn’t go as well as hoped, although I’m counting no gain as a plus. Have fasted 27hrs today and only had homemade soup fur dinner this evening, so 🤞🏻I can make this coming week really count.
It’s good to hear SG’s surgery went well & let’s hope you get the internet back soon Wendy👍
Best feet forward for this week!
Margaret
Still no internet folks 🙄but I am going to set up the new thread via my mobile.
Thank you Wendy but how frustrating still having no internet!!
Fingers crossed you get it back soon 🤞🤞
Margaret
I’m very frustrated because I’m keeping to my calorie allowance, am still not in Ketosis & have not lost any more weight!🤔🙁
Hello – do you know how many grams carb you are averaging daily?
I find drinking a lot (2.5ltr) of water daily helps but I wouldn’t categorically advise that for everyone. It works well for me but sometimes just upping it a little makes a big difference.
Yes I also drink more water but don’t record my carbs only calories & protein because I’m mostly following the fast 800 or Keto recipes & assume they keep below the 50 grams of carb. But of course I may be eating more calories than I think I’m recording & eat between 800- 900 because I suppose the count may not always be accurate. My clothes do feel looser so I must have lost some inches and I’m still spending more pennies so I suppose I just need to be more patient. But thank you for message.
Margaret