Here we are..phew
If you are following the 8 week programme…approaching the half way stage.
If you have gone AWOL or having a wobble,it’s ok…come back any time it feels ok.
You can also start with us at this stage…everyone is welcome.
I can’t post the merry band list until I can copy and paste !
Have a good week everyone xx
I heard from SG’s hubby this morning. All is well. Denise will be out of intensive care today and in her own room later. Hopefully home tomorrow. Xx
Thank you Wendy for setting up the new thread in the face of adversity, (no internet) and good news about S-G.
That’s good news. Thanks for keeping us up to date with s-g Wendy and for setting up yet another thread.
I’m just over 2 weeks into this 8 week challenge and last night I decided not to continue. I have a net gain of 1.8lbs since January 6th. This morning I realise that this definitely isn’t the time to quit. BUT I’m in a quandary.
I’ve been following this way of eating, even though it’s only been very loosely at times, for 6.5 years now. I just think I need a bit of a change. I tried a Noom trial but didn’t like the philosophy. I’ve checked out a diet doctor trial but the recipes are too ‘fat’ & ‘meat’ based for me and I’m not really happy following recipes. So, that brings me back to BSD.
I’m not sure what to do really.
Eating low carb keeps my blood sugar normal so I have to stay low/ish carb. As so many others have commented it’s so much harder the second/third etc.etc. time around. Maybe it’s just January blues and it will pass but I do have lots of weight to lose so any ideas to boost my motivation would be gratefully received!
Thanks for the thread, Wendy and the SG update… glad she is doing fine and will soon be home.
V, I can sympathise with your dilemma, but sadly don’t have any inspiring advice. I too have been struggling to get properly in the groove again. For me, it’s very connected to the time of year…. SAD has really hit me this January. So my current approach is to do what I can (OMAD, TRE etc.), with the intention to fully commit to 800/20 when my mood lifts. It’s a definite that if I want to ditch pounds, at some point a move back to basics is a must …. at least for me.
Really hope others are successfully discarding pounds/kg and seeing some non-scales pluses too. 🤞🏻Verano and I will be joining you soon.
Verrano, Sunny, I’m sorry you are both struggling. Just try to stay low carb but don’t worry too much about the calories until you are feeling in the right mindset. The time will come and your mojo will be back, until then treat yourself to some TLC xxx
Elle, thank-you for the kind words …. I’m hoping that once January is behind us, I’ll be able to find the mindset and drive to knuckle under and get back on track. Hope you’re doing okay Elke-Mae.
I’m doing ok thank you Sunny. I have lost my Christmas gain. Just in time for Fiance’s birthday, and Valentine,’s 🤣
I have had my new cooker delivered and installed today. It was ordered in November! Was supposed to arrive beginning of December so I had to cook Christmas dinner in the small oven.
My back has seized up again, but I have just done my 2 mile walk. I didn’t go at all the last week due to the weather so maybe too much (less) exercise has caused it.
Last night’s dinner was too have been coconut harissa meatballs but I dropped the glass jar of harissa paste and smashed it, so put in various spices to make my own mix, which worked but the harissa would have been nicer. Oh well as Fiance said next time I make this recipe it will be right.
Thanks Elle-Mae and pleased to hear you’ve lost your Christmas gain.
I spent quite a bit of time reading and thinking this afternoon.
Looks like I’m still looking for that ‘silver bullet’ …. more fool me!
I have fallen into the trap of needing to lose x number of pounds in x weeks …. nonsensical really.
After a lifetime of yo-yo diets I should know that there are no ‘silver bullets’ and even more importantly, looking to lose a specific number of pounds over a short timespan is a recipe for (the word we don’t use here) Failure!
So, I’m very fortunate in that we have several trips planned over the next few months. I can’t try and lose x pounds in x weeks between trips because it becomes self destructive.
I know I just have to relax, eat low carb, day by day and let it become the way of life it used to be for me. I guess that really means just ‘relax into the process’. Sunny maybe you should adopt the same philosophy too???
Elle, you must be thrilled to have your help cooker at last. What’s on the menu for valentines day? I’m completely hooked on harrisa and use it a lot, sometimes just as a condiment, so I always have a spare jar in the pantry.
V, like you I’m trying to just to go with the flow and not stress about targets etc., but still be conscious of what I’m consuming and keeping low carb. I’m confident we’ll both be reporting better things soon though.
Well Sunny the Valentine menu will be low carb but not low cal 🤣. At the moment I’m thinking of halloumi wrapped in bacon as a starter, steak with crispy fried onions, I may make a sauce with marscapone and harissa with either cauliflower mash or roasted butternut squash cubes, and for dessert I have just found a recipe on Diet Doctor for peanut butter cup cheesecake. However I have also just realised that Fiance has to work that evening so we will have to have it the following night.
Evening all. Good news about SG. Thanks for letting us know. Do pass our love to her via her hubby. It is always nice to know people are thinking of you, when you are ill.
Sorry to hear some of you are struggling. I find this weather can be a bit challenging, as all you crave is stodge. Don’t be too hard on yourselves and remember one day at a time.
I had a bit of a rogue week. I have endometriosis which is killer and causes me anaemia. I was so anaemic this time, that I had to have an emergency blood and iron transfusion yesterday. I do get dreadfully fatigued, which means I can reach for the chocolate and carbs. However I fought against this last week and generally kept to below 1000 cals. Which means I have been maintaining my initial 8 pound loss. Am already feeling so much better, which means I can now consider getting back out doing g some exercise. I am going to really hammer the next 3 weeks with the diet, before my next period, just to see if I can shifts another 8 pounds, which will get me to the stone mark.
Hi everyone,
Very glad to hear SG has come through her surgery alright.
I’ve been struggling a bit over the last few days as well, but not doing too badly today. I had mushroom and barley soup for lunch and dinner was spiralized zuchinni and carrot with pesto, avocado and prawns.
Russian – I have struggled with low iron and anaemia as well and know that feeling of needing carbs and chocolate all too well. I banned chocolate from the house completely for more than a year, but have recently allowed Lindt 100% with orange to be in the house. The fact that it doesn’t have sugar in it keeps me from eating too much at once.
Wishing SG a good recovery.
I am here, not in the right headspace, not bothering with excuses either, and I’m the same weight I was after Christmas.
I am really struggling with motivation in the cold, dark, grim weather.
I’ll continue lurking on the forums for now.
I too like Harissa, especially the El Fez one which has a smoky flavour – added to ratatouille or soups it really boosts the flavour.
Last night we had the obligatory haggis, but no neeps or tatties, just a medley of brassicas (savoy cabbage, sprouts and cauli leaves). There would have been some carb in the haggis, but not a huge amount.
Have a good weekend everyone.
You’re far from alone in struggling, Ruby, but we’ll hit our stride as lighter days arrive I’m sure. In the meantime, just do what you can and count maintaining as a positive, even if it is at a higher weight than desired.
Thank you for setting up this thread Wendy despite the difficulties. I also seem to be having trouble & standing still weight wise this week. It’s the third week for me & I’m trying really hard to keep between 800 – 900 calories following the fast 800 recipes & trying to keep my protein intake up. I’m rather puzzled but my scales show no weight loss so far this week & I’m trying to not become despondent. I will weigh on Saturday.
Margaret
Margaret, please don’t be despondent. It’s late here but I will come back tomorrow to respond. Our internet has been restored.
This is a tough time of year, and very challenging . It’s ok not to be perfect. I understand the disappointment though.
SG is home and recovering with visits from the district nurse. She has an impressive set of staples ! She has been told to take it easy for 3 weeks.
Margaret, as Wendy says, don’t despair. That always happens in week 3 or 4. Your body has let go of a lot of fluid and some fat and now it needs some time to catch up. To quote s-g, just keep on keeping on and you will start to see a discard again. It’s a good time to take some measurements too as often at this stage you may not see much movement on the scale, but can often see it in the tape measure.
It is indeed a tough time of year. Things will get brighter though. We’ve had a rainy few days, but it will be cold and sunny again over the weekend.
I bought some cashews yesterday while I was picking up some cat food at the shopping centre near my work. Seemed like a fairly good choice at the time, but I ate too many. I will have to try to find some brazil nuts instead as I seem to be able to ration those better.
I had a late lunch of borscht and rye bread with cheese and alfalfa sprouts, so dinner was fairly light. Crab cakes from the freezer with avocado.
Thank you Wendy & arcticfox for your encouragement! I’m feeling more positive today because I stood on my scales & they seem to have crept down 4oz which isn’t much but at least not upwards. The sun is shining here & I’m sure I’ve lost some inches & I’m wearing some new size 14 wide leg trousers I found in the M & S sale😀 I know that their sizing is now much more generous than it was when I was younger but it’s cheered me up. I’m pear shaped so most of my excess weight is on my bottom, stomach, legs & thighs which doesn’t help my arthritic knees.
I will be very careful with what I eat today & am back again spending more pennies losing fluid, but drinking more water, so hope my body is on the move again. Lunch will be 50g feta cheese with an avocado & salad before I go out to play Mahjong & supper the Keto Chunky courgette & prawn soup which is delicious. So I hope for a better outcome when I weigh tomorrow! I also like making the Roasted Butternut & cashew nut Fast 800 soup which is more calories but also delicious!
I hope everyone has a positive result this week👍onwards & downwards.🍀🍀
Margaret
Hi everyone .
Reading through the messages it’s clear that it’s a struggle for lots of us right now .Blinkin heck we are human, it’s January, it’s cold and grey and it’s hard to be totally on the ball all the time .I find fasting difficult right now because I feel so cold . So I adjust and try one meal a day (OMAD) , two meals depending on how I feel .
I honestly think that doing our best to stay as low carb as possible is good enough right now. We are not chomping on junk food , our food choices are healthy . OK that might mean more calories which will slow down weight loss but we are looking at long term improved health,no ??
Margaret , you will see results but everyone has different rates of loss and ‘progress ‘ You don’t say how much weight you want to lose. Generally the greater the weight loss target, the greater the initial loss .BUT it takes time to adjust and the loss is not linear .You will see times when you ‘plateau’ but it doesn’t mean the program is not working .What makes you think you are not in ketosis ?The urine test thingies are notoriously unreliable after a few weeks .
As arcticfox has said , don’t forget to take measurements .Maybe have an item of clothing to use as your guide and see it fitting better, rather than just rely on the numbers on the scale ?
You are making good choices Margaret, enjoying the recipes .That is a victory .Your health is improving , be proud of yourself !
Yes, if it helps to just relax a bit right now as Verano has suggested, that’s ok . SunnyB, just go gently and adjust as best you can during these low spells xx
RubyG, go easy on yourself for now and you will know when it’s the right time to focus more .It’s ok We will be here xx
Elle-Mae , well done on your inspiring menus ! I hope your back pain eases soon and well done for keeping up the exercise despite the difficulties .For anyone else not able to find the motivation, just gentle stretching , a short walk is good enough , it’s ok !!
Wow, RussianRoulade, that is tough and you are very brave .I really feel for you with the endometriosis .A friend of mine suffers with it and really struggles .An emergency blood and iron transfusion is scary . Wishing you a more peaceful time now.
So folks if January has been and continues to be tough, we will soon be in February and inching closer to Spring . Set yourself short term targets if that helps .I see Michael Mosley is starting a 10 day FAST 800 challenge beginning Monday 30th January .I think it is linked to promotion of the new Fast 800 keto recipe book but it might be worth giving it a try as a mini reboot if motivation is waning ?
Just do what feels right , right now !
Take care everyone , and especially those who are not able to check in at the moment xx
Thank you Wendy and I need to lose at least two & a half stone now & have been trying to do so on & off for the past seven years & did lose three stone for my sons wedding but still didn’t reach my goal weight of ten stone regaining a stone of that. I now weigh twelve stone twelve & a half pounds. As a first stage if I can get to eleven stone I will feel I have made some good progress . I’m 5ft 3inches tall & of petite build so am still in the obese range hoping to firstly get into the just overweight category🤔
I try to take it just one day at a time because if I think of the total amount of weight I need to lose it seems overwhelming & impossible. My husband is a Type 2 diabetic & lost his excess weight following the BSD when I did but unlike me has maintained that loss & I’m very conscious of the low carb diet that best suits him & me . He however now can gain a few pounds & then lose them because he has successfully maintained his goal weight, whilst any change of diet for me such as staying in hotels etc then I can easily gain six to eight pounds such as at Christmas & eating more convenience meals whilst having COVID just before Christmas. Maintaining any previous weight loss has always proved difficult for me because I’ve never had a long enough maintenance period for my body to adjust to & achieve homeostasis. Oh well writing it down I suppose I’m making a public pledge that I will keep going this year & reach my goal weight.😀
I hope next week proves to be a better one for everyone & reading your posts & about some of your health difficulties I have little to moan about and wish you all well!
Margaret
Hi everyone,
I am quite pleased to be instantly a size smaller today. Before anyone decides to congratulate me on a discard though, I have to confess that it is only due to the fact that the first pair of compression tights that I ordered finally arrived today. I am still pleased though because they fit really nicely and are very comfortable. These ones are knee length capris and I ordered them hoping that I might be able to wear them even in summer under my lightweight farming overalls, and I think they will work for all but the most stinking hot days as they feel reasonably cool. I have another pair coming that go to mid-calf as I have lipedema tissue on the inside of my knee and my upper calves now too. Tomorrow I will try exercising in them. They have a wavy weave to them that is supposed to help massage the lymph system when you move in them, so we’ll see how that works.
Good day food-wise. I had a late breakfast of avocado and eggs at 11am, lots of lemon water throughout the day and then some salad and cheese for dinner. I felt like running to the supermarket and getting a ‘reward’ meal due to it being Friday and a long week at work, but I resisted and stayed home. I’m making a list and will shop properly tomorrow.
Good morning everyone & I’ve just weighed & found I have lost one pound in weight so I’m very pleased that my scales did move downwards & I’ve now lost 9 lbs since starting three weeks ago. If I can do this everyone can just taking it a day at a time & trying to focus on eating fresh low carb food 👍It’s been a weirdly difficult week diet wise for me not because I was hungry or not able to prepare meals but because my scales weren’t moving which really stupidly affected me after reading in MM’s books the fast weight loss that he records for some people🤔. As you so wisely say Wendy everyone loses weight at different rates! My husband also lost one pound & has been eating much more than me with breakfast, larger portions of supper & more fruit & nuts! He only needs to lose 3-4 lbs of his Christmas gain but is six feet tall 😀
This is the beginning of week 4 for me because I weigh on a Saturday morning. Next Thursday we will be having friends for lunch & they are both vegetarian so I will be carefully planning what to produce that will be a soup, some spicy bean dishes with wild whole grain rice, and that I may not eat, a Greek yoghurt raita, a ratatouille, kalettes which I love eating & baked pears for pudding. Also cheeses & grapes for them & I will have one or two glasses of wine & record what I eat allowing myself to eat to my BMR for one day & try strictly to keep to 800 calories on the days before & one after the lunch.
Sorry about my writing sagas but writing it down makes it “concrete” & more accountable!
I hope all of you find your scales are kind as mine have been this morning 👍🍀
Margaret
Well done arcticfox & I hope your compression tights very much help you. I had never heard of lipedema before you wrote about it & it sounds as though you have a lot to cope with & the idea of going running to the supermarket or anywhere sounds very impressive! I also love eating avocado & poached eggs which is a good substitute for smashed avocado on toast😀
Margaret
Hiya,
Wendleg- so glad to hear SG is recovering 🙂
I’ve been experimenting a bit with foods, so not strictly BSD.
Love to anyone struggling with the January blues or other difficulties xx
Oh dear ! I have been struggling too. This thread really helps! Thank you every one for being so supportive to each other! I am going for reboot starting tomorrow. I’ve been doing exercise but finding controlling the cravings a real challenge. I’ve also decided to do a yoga class tomorrow to help the refocus. Weight has been stable for 10 days now but at least a it’s not going up….
Morning all,
Not had a bad week BSD-wise, Friday’s weigh-in showed a slight loss, and the weekend was busy enough without resorting to boredom snacking, which can only be a good thing.
I started reading Dr. Jason Fung’s The Obesity Code, not got very far into it yet but I am hoping the refreshed understanding will help me find my lost “why”.
Have a good week everyone
Well done RubyG every weight loss is a win 👏👏
Hi Everyone,
just calling in to catch up with everyone’s news. I am glad to hear that S-G’s operation has been successful.
Thanks for remembering my birthday Wendy, it was a quiet time as snow had settled over the weekend and then frozen into sheet ice. which lasted for over a week. Fortunately the thaw came just as I was coming to my last container of cream for coffee so I was quite content to wait it out.
I am continuing along the path of following the fasting for long covid program. I made a mistake on Sunday, I had breakfast and was not in the mood to eat in the evening, so thought I would start another fast. – Bad planning, its always the time around 24 to 30 hours that is the hard time, If I had started the fast later in the day then the harder time would have been overnight while asleep.
Good luck with your fasting JGwen 👍
I’m back to having ginger & lemon tea when I awake trying to extend mine to mid-morning when I have a coffee with oat milk so from 7 -0 pm overnight until usually 10-30 am so about 15-16 hours. Lunch is usually 1-0pm & supper between 6-7pm. so about a 6.5 hour eating window with a mid-afternoon decaf coffee. I’m not sure if that is the right way having some calories with coffee before supper but it helps me last through preparing it.. I hope it’s helping my arthritis because TRE is said to be anti-inflammatory?
I hope you have a good week👍
Margaret
Hello, I’m still around. I’ve not been doing great… nightmares about my husband have cause my terrible insomnia to worsen even more. I’ve already started the process to see a therapist and I’m going to see my doctor to see if I can be put on anxiety medicine temporarily. I’m been really tired because of this, still forcing myself to work on my school, but otherwise lazing about. I’m still trying to adjust my food to be carb-free. My daughter and I are super sweet lovers so since I want to include her in this lifestyle, she is opposing. But I’m aiming for slow changes. I need to sit down and plan a menu… any ideas for a simple breakfast and lunch that doesn’t need to be cooked or can be made ahead of time so my daughter can go ahead and have her meals while I sleep in?
OPM … sounds like you are still up against things, so don’t pressure yourself to get your diet spot on, just do what you can to make the best choice possible at each meal time.
Could you perhaps make some egg muffins for your daughter? You can put different things in them …. almost any veg, chicken, sausage, cheese etc. and they can be eaten cold. Frittata/crustless quiche works the same too. A boxed salad is another option or yogurt with portioned toppings. I’m sure others will offer suggestions too.
Well done to everyone who has seen progress this week and ‘hang in there’ to those like me, who continue to struggle. We’re at the start of a new week and a fresh start though, so time to dust ourselves down and refocus.
Hello everyone .
Good to see JGwen ,Tulip,BFG2 and Amz ( OrangePandaMomma) checking in despite things being difficult right now.
Well done on the compression tights, arcticfox . They are prescribed here for ‘heavy legs ‘, varicose veins and also post op when mobility is limited to avoid the risk of thrombosis. I liked mine to come up to my bra so they were very warm !!!!
RubyG , Jason Fung was my inspiration in the early days and opened my eyes to the good sense behind low carb eating.I like his “The Complete Guide to Fasting ” too
I have found a solution to make sure I drink enough . I found some concentrated ginger juice in my local bio shop and I drink it in WARM water. A bit like your ginger and lemon tea, Margaret . It’s very tingly and warming .I can’t drink cold water very easily but I have no excuse now.
JGwen , well done on your fasting , especially when you are dealing with ice andd snow !!.I find it challenging in these winter months .The best I can do at the moment is 24 hours because I cannot eat before I go to my Tuesday yoga class and that takes me to early evening .
Amz ( OPM) I am glad you are looking to get support from your doctor and therapist . I can’t see how you can really concentrate on making radical changes to your eating habits without that first step .As SunnyB says, just do your best to make simple changes . Making a conscious decision to avoid junk foood and focusing on healthy, natural foods will help you to feel better . Sugar addiction is real and your daughter is bound to resist any change there , that is normal . In my experience kids don’t necessarily process information on healthy foods .I wouldn’t put too much pressure on her now, to be honest because she is likely to rebel and do the opposite of what you want to achieve. You don’t want to inadvertently sow the seeds of what could develop into an eating disorder while she is also struggling with the trauma of recent events.Maybe when the time is right she could talk to someone also ??
Sunny’s breakfast ideas are good . I would try not to have sugary cereals and biscuits in the house which are easy to reach for but will not keep your daughter full for long and will inevitably lead to a sugar slump . Meals have to be something she enjoys or she will refuse them. Even porridge would be better and you could try using hemp hearts or millet flakes rather than oats .Add some chopped dried fruit or nuts ? Eggs are ideal .but would she eat them ? There are also recipes for low carb pancakes or chaffles. Just try a few options Amz and hopefully you will get some medication to help you sleep better and give you more energy . We are all rooting for you xx
I am going to set up the new thread now xx