Advancing into Autumn – Stepping into Spring

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  • posted by SueBlue
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    Jess you are spot on there – this way of eating IS simpler and feels better 🙂 I know that’s why I’m still here after 4 years! Every time I stray off plan and eat the way I used to I feel awful, have so many health issues etc, I know this is best for me.
    And agree with you about how bad it is in parts of Sydney right now – 30 year olds should NOT be dying in their homes! It’s wrong on so many levels…! I felt so upset
    Yesterday when the Premier announced our ‘freedoms’ – wow to go from 1 hour a day outside the house to 2 hours outside From September 13 IF we are fully vaccinated – whoopy do! Yet other areas of Sydney can meet 5 people outside…
    No mention of when us ‘outsiders’ can see our families again… but I felt better today when they announced schools would start going back from October 25, at least some hope on the horizon that life will start to return to normal again… it is hard to try and stay on track with all this going on…
    I do find though that making the most of my 1 hour exercise period by going for a walk outside helps, as does healthy eating – I know I’m doing the best I can to stay healthy not only for myself but for my family. Also listening to meditation or mindfulness apps –
    Or even listening to Classical music on Spotify Or YouTube – anything where I can switch my mind off for a while! Take care xx

  • posted by Mariet
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    SueBlue, I’m with you. I am spending time in the park with my daughter today for my hour of exercise. None of the easing applied to me really, as a person living alone in a high risk area.
    I’m also desperately concerned for my son, an ICU nurse in a major teaching hospital. One of his colleagues, a young girl fully vaccinated, is ventilated in the very ICU that is her work place. There seems to be no plan to give them boosters although they were given their injections right at the beginning so their immunity is starting to wane now.
    I am pegging away with the WOE, it’s second nature now after so long, more than 4 years now. But I’ve noticed a tendency to snack in the evening that’s new so I’ll have to cut that out, that will be my focus for the coming week. Still not weighing but clothes are feeling very comfortable so I must be at least staying the same 🙂 My FB memories coming up now are showing lots from 2017 when, frankly, I was looking fabulous! so that’s another incentive to keep going.

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Linda&Hubby – thanks for the air fryer tips. I did get a 22l one, it’s a combination air fryer, grill and oven. I made pizza in it on Saturday – the Fast 800 Speedy pizza so it was healthy 🙂

    Mariet – hang in there! I can only imagine how worried you are about your son. And how awful about his young colleague…I heard about her on the radio on Friday, praying she recovers soon.

    Another lock down weekend over. I went out for a walk both days. Instead of the 10,000 steps we used to do, we walk about 8-8,500 to stay around the 1 hour allowed exercise limit. I kept busy doing housework, our tax returns and other ‘Life Admin’, and here it is, Monday morning again. I’m going to check my weight on Tues or Wed as have been recording monthly. I’m making Lentil
    Dahl for dinner tonight, it’s my current favourite winter comfort food, along with Roast pumpkin soup. Spring begins in a few days though so it will be back to salads soon…

    Speaking of September, DCT – your wedding day must be approaching fast! How exciting 🙂

    Have a good week all 🙂

  • posted by LindaandHubby
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    Great to see Lauren is back with us albeit on the weekly thread. Maybe she’ll hopefully join us to when the Christmas bus starts moving in a couple of days.

    I was hopeful that I could end the time on this thread with a weight of 12st. It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, not even eating figs 🙁 as I’ve put on 0.6lbs instead). Ho Hum It’ll take it’s own sweet time BUT will eventually happen.

    Hubby was up all last night getting in touch, where he could, with friends & family in the US. He’s originally from New Orleans. No family left there now. His sister is in Baton Rouge & last he heard from her the hurricane had just veered off to the right of them instead of cutting through the state capital. His friends in Pass Christian (right on front in Gulf Coast) had already evacuated. His eldest daughter decided to stay in Ocean Springs as they thought their warnings had gone down & we hope they are high enough to escape most major storm surges. The other daughter is in the Florida Panhandle but away from the coast in Pace. She wishes her sister hadn’t stubbornly decided to stay at home as she has 2 spare bedrooms. When we spoke last to his sister she said every single pump in New Orleans was shut down – no further news seems to be online at the moment. The effects of Katrina 16 years ago to the day were easily still seen when we last were over there 3-4 years ago. Those poor people!

    I had a really restless night last night, probably because hubby didn’t come to bed & the fact he couldn’t get in touch with many of his friends & the wayward daughter in Ocean Springs, I shall go back to bed shortly.

  • posted by Yowzer49
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    Hiiii everyone, we are advancing rapidly towards a change of seasons,hope everyone’s looking forward to it!
    JESS,SUEBLUE!MARIET am so sorry things are so bad lockdown/covid wise right now ❤️ Sending hugs xx
    MARIET please keep us posted about yr son and his colleague.
    On a lighter note,MARIET,I too was looking fab this time in 2017! We cant get back to 2017 but we can return to looking fab in 2021/22! Our mantra is ‘ looking sleek and feeling slinky!’ 😀
    LINDA our thoughts are with you and hub and his family 💙 🙏🙏🙏❤️
    Been busy washing and polishing up the bus …not sure when it comes out of the garage..does this challenge end start or finish of Sept?
    Take care folks,be safe and well and remember..
    💜⭐️💜⭐️💜⭐️💜⭐️💜⭐️ No regrets in life,just lessons learnt. ⭐️💜⭐️💜⭐️💜⭐️💜⭐️💜⭐️💜

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Yowzet – good to hear you are getting g the bus ready 🙂
    This challenge runs until end September… so that gives us a good 3 months on the bus – Oct, Nov and December.

  • posted by Yowzer49
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    SUEBLUE!happy Monday to you,as I climb into bed,Sunday night! Isnt it an amazing world we live in! I’m really looking forward to September,hope you too,lose a bit more weight,enjoy the start of spring and autumn,then the big countdown to Christmas as we all take our seats on the bus. Plenty of space for all,everyone welcome🥳🥳🥳 Have a great week guys xx

  • posted by LindaandHubby
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    YAY – everyone is OK, that we know of, Little damage & many without power & water BUT it could have been a heck of a lot worse

  • posted by LindaandHubby
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    I bought some Edwards of Conwy Beefburgers – yummy, just the right amount of seasoning. They are the only ones we’ll eat. I’m proud to say I’ve only ever been to Macdonalds’ once as Hubby’s friend came over & he had been brainwashed into thinking anything he ate here was awful. 1 burger was enough for me & as we met them in London, where you can get anything, we finally persuaded them to try a few different offerings – Italian & Indian. I think after we left they probably went back to MacD? Those damned arches were on posters everywhere,

    I digress – I’ve just bought a waffle maker & made Chuffles. OMG we used them 1-2carbs each to wrap the delicious burgers, Topped with a few thin slices of mature cheddar. OMG we’re both stuffed royally after just 1 burger. We often used to go back for a 2nd burger but no way could we have eaten another. Hubby said I could make them again. lol I think he liked. You all should try them as they’re really good.

    I thought this was our last day on this thread? I’m glad it’s not as we’re not quite ready to go back on the full BSD diet. NOT that we’re far off the BSD now, just a few extra carbs, mainly in the form of fruit & extra protein especially for hubby as he’s been told to eat more protein to allow his horrendous leg wounds to heal.

    I have my annual diabetes/thyroid check-up tomorrow morning, then Hubby has his leg dressed in the afternoon. I’m hoping that my HBA1C has come down a LOT. My bloods are running about 5ish, sometimes below sometimes just above. That to me seems like remission BUT will the doc feel the same when she sees them? She said she’d only take me off my meds if I got my BMI down to ‘normalI – what is ‘normal’ for someone who was in the front of the queue for hunoungous boobs? I’ve cut my Victoza dose in half & I have cut my Metformin down to 1gm. If she doesn’t like it then she can’t see what I’m taking. This was the doctor that said the Newcastle diet was a load of rubbish & NO I couldn’t be put forward onto it. I wonder if she’s even heard of the BSD diet? We will not be going back any time soon (if ever) to our old way of eating as both of us feel SO much better eating this way.

    Boobs & New Bras – The M&S one I picked up is awful so I’ve been buying on amazon & ebay whatever I think might fit. None of them fit properly. None of the independant lingerie shops within a 20 mile radius are now open 🙁 They’ve all closed for good. I did however telephone a shop in Bridgend & the lovely lady sent me 3 bras BUT unfortunately none of them fitted properly either. All from Panache (which was my fav. brand with Elomi) but 3 different styles, every 1 of them was not my fit, although they were all totally different. i’m going to have to make the journey over there to try many styles on (about 40 miles each way) hopefully nest week if hubby hasn’t got to go every day with his leg. I needed to take stuff back to Matalan too BUT hubby had the receipt & I’ve missed the slot to take all back. I need a 14 on my bottom half now. I also need to buy new knickers as hate the feel of them dropping down on me. I suppose that’s a nice thing to happen. NOT the falling down bit but the fact I’m in a much smaller size now. I still want to lose just over a stone so don’t want to buy too much at the moment.

    Another fig for me I think before bed. I really don’t like Chia seeds. I must buy some psyllium husks as I remember testing these in the lab when all the Scandinavian countries went wild over them – we used to partake of them too. Psyllium husk powder doesn’t have quite the same attraction somehow.

    Anyways off to bed for me in 10mins. Sorry to be so verbose on here. I think we’re both highly relieved that everyone is OK. Things could have gotten far, far worse. Keep on, keeping on all. 🙂

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
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    Hello everyone

    It’s lovely to read the positivity on the thread as well as the excitement for the Christmas Bus coming out of the garage. My seat is booked and I can’t wait to climb aboard and begin the countdown. I am hoping that when I board the bus at the end of September I will be in the 140s. I had my toes injected on Saturday which was incredibly painful but I am hoping it will mean I can get walking again in a week or so. I’ve finished for the time being at the vaccination centre until we know what is happening with boosters so I am enjoying being at home and looking through my BSD recipe books and planning healthy meals. We had chickpea chilli last night and it was delicious. My daughter in law has been seeing a personal trainer and she was telling me about how increasing my protein might help my weight loss so that is something I am working on. I am a strict vegetarian who is trying to get her cholesterol down to a normal level (repeat bloods next week) so I am upping my Greek yoghurt intake and eggs and seeing where I can tweak my diet. Hopefully my cholesterol has come down as I’ve cut out cheese, cream, butter since March!

    Dreamscometrue- I am not sure what date you are getting married but I know it is imminent so I just wanted to wish you a very happy wedding day. You have maintained your weight loss so well and I know that you will look stunning on your wedding day and your hard work and dedication has paid off. Enjoy your celebrations and I will look forward to seeing you on the Countdown Bus.
    Have a great week everyone.

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Morning all

    This will be my last post for a couple of weeks as the wedding is on Saturday and I’m then away for most of the following fortnight. I’ve been really strict this week in the hope of getting back to 138lb for the wedding; this morning I’m just over 139lb so there’s still hope! But will definitely be aboard the Christmas bus when it departs at the end of September. I’m hoping that my major life change will be the inspiration for my final race to 133lb.

    Jess you’d asked about long term goals and 133lb has been mine since I started this WOE in 2017. Tbh it was never a scientific or rational goal, it just felt like a nice round number to aim for, and had been the kind of weight I remember being at for quite a while before I gradually started putting on more and more weight. It would also take me well into the middle of my healthy BMI range. So I have my eye fixed on it and am determined to get there. I’ve been consistent about that goal but not always consistent in my efforts to achieve it. As all who know me will realise, I’m brilliant at making plans but not so good at keeping them!

    But I keep on plodding and have managed to gradually decrease my weight and maintain it most of the time – but with many stumbles and glitches along the way. I’ve also found the importance of exercise to me in tackling more those stubborn wobbly bits. And I also realise that when I get to 133lb I may find there is still more work to be done: I do not want to be skinny (as if!) but am very aware that weight is just a number and only part of your overall health and wellbeing.

    Cathy good luck with your planning. I’ll be interested to see how the increased protein works so keep us posted. And do hope your toes are recovering?

    Dawn how is your 9 day blitz going? Have a wonderful holiday.

    Linda I’m so glad your hubby’s family are safe. How did your review go?

    Mariet, sending good wishes to your son. How is his young colleague doing? Hope that you and SueBlue – and anyone else affected – find ways to keep life satisfying during lockdown. Stay safe both of you.

    Sue your food sounds amazing as always! I may investigate an air fryer. Our precautions are mostly now ended in the UK but I’m still wary of mixing too much, particularly in groups of strangers and particularly in the run up to the wedding.

    Yowzer thanks for getting the bus ready for departure at the end of September. I’m really looking forward to our Christmas journey! Many of us have said that we want it to be a significant one for us, and I love your “looking good and feeling slinky” mantra!

    Best wishes to you all, and will see you on the other side! X

  • posted by Yowzer49
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    DCT ….just popping in to say,wishing you a very happy wedding day to you and your other half! Fingers crossed for lovely weather.Have an amazing day,will be thinking of you on Saturday!!!!! XXXXX 🎶🎶🎶 ❤️ ⭐️ 💙 🎶🎶🎶
    Some lucky black cats for you …🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛
    (André Maurois)
    “A happy marriage is a long conversation which always seems too short.”

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
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    DCT- I am SO happy for you. Congratulations on your wedding and congratulations on your fantastically low weight too. You’ll feel and look amazing! I reckon you’ll be 138 on Saturday! Have a wonderful day and enjoy your celebrations and honeymoon and we will see you on the Christmas Bus!

    💒 👰 🥂 💕

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    I have not been contributing to this thread but I do read it daily. Just wanted to pop by to say many congratulations and very best wish to DCT.

  • posted by SueBlue
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    August loss for me was only 500g, but a loss is a loss 🙂
    It was announced yesterday that from today we are allowed UNLIMITED outdoor exercise (instead of one hour), so I’m going to make September, STEPtember. My daughter has joined in a challenge to walk 100km during September to raise funds for charity, and I’m going to walk with her as much as possible.

    DCT – I’ll be thinking of you on Saturday. I’ll send you some of our beautiful spring sunshine 🙂 But whatever the weather, have a lovey day! Weddings are such a special celebration so enjoy every moment! 🎩 👰 💒 💐 🍾 🥂 🎉

  • posted by Jennie10
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    Hi everyone
    Sorry I’ve been AWOL again. I’ve been really busy lately (getting some big house repairs done which we’d put off last year) I’m on tea-making duty right now so will come back tomorrow to report in properly. But I just wanted to wish DCT all the very best.

    DCT – Wishing you and your soon-to-be husband all the very best for tomorrow. Hope you both have a great day celebrating with your family and friends followed by a wonderful, memory-making honeymoon..
    Jennie xx

  • posted by Mariet
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    DCT, best wishes to you and your new husband for your big day! I am sure you will look and feel fabulous.

  • posted by ADD6605
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    Hi all,sorry I didn’t get a chance to read the forum or post last week.DCT I hope you had a fabulous wedding and are enjoying your fortnight break.My nine day blitz didn’t go too well and,despite walking quite a bit on our five days away, I’ve put 2lbs on but I’m hoping that now I’m back I can crack on and have some losses on my sparkly chart before the start of our Christmas journey.
    My mum had her hip replacement op whilst I was away and was in hospital until Saturday.I stayed over on Saturday night(my sister and I will share her care until she is able to manage herself) The op went really well and though she is in discomfort at the moment she knows that will pass.I need to get my meals organised around her care as I know that I will easily overeat if I don’t!
    Good luck for our last few weeks on this journey everyone 😀🤞 Dawn X

  • posted by Jennie10
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    Hi everyone
    The beginning of a new week here and I’m determined to make it a good one. I’m not doing too bad with food at the moment. I’ve managed to lose 5 of the 7lb I put on recently (hoorah) but also managed to strain my ankle the other week so my walking has not been great. But, building up again slowly.
    SueBlue – I love the idea of Steptember so I’m going to use that idea too. If I don’t get out and about this month I’ll have no chance when our autumn/winter sets in. Glad to hear restrictions are being lifted a bit and you can get outside a bit more. What a great challenge your daughter is doing. Great good luck to her.
    Jess & Mariet – hope things get better for you soon.
    Linda – I’m glad to hear that your hubby’s family were safe. What an awful ordeal for everyone to go through. We’re off to North Wales this week so I might try out Edwards of Conwy – those burgers are calling to me. Any other recommendations while I’m there?
    So my challenge this week is to stay on plan while we’re in North Wales. I usually do alright on holiday. We are staying as usual in a holiday cottage so I’ll switch my 2 meals from lunch and dinner to breakfast (yoghurt) and evening meal. If we eat out (still not used to being out and about so I’ll see how it goes) I’ll have protein (fish or meat) and salad or below ground veg. Lots of walking around and maybe a couple of coastal walks (see how the ankle holds out) and things should be good.
    I won’t be posting this week (so what’s new!) but I will be reading everyone’s posts. Hope everyone has a great week.
    Jennie xx

  • posted by Jennie10
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    Best wishes to your Mum Dawn xx

  • posted by ADD6605
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    Thanks Jennie.Hope you enjoy your holiday in Wales and that your ankle is better soon! Dawn X

  • posted by Yowzer49
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    Hi SUEBLUE,I like yr Steptember idea, am trying to put it into action without kicking off my sciatica. 500 g is still go8ng down,and when you think,if you hadn’t made good food choices,you could be a few pound up instead.so well done!👍
    SUNSHINEGIRL,it was lovely to have you visiting! Always welcome x
    JENNIE hope you’re enjoying N Wales,such a picturesque area. Watch that ankle tho.
    DAWN I bet yr mums doing well with all your TLC
    DCT hope weather was good for you Saturday and that you made many happy memories! X
    as for me,had a good sort out of clothes today and happy to report some previously snug things are now fitting a lot more loosely! I could do better,but am doing ok on 1000 cals and up to 50g carbs tops..not enough for Ketosis but at least things are deffo improving sizewise and it feels manageable. When we board our Crimble bus,I will get more drastic! X
    Take care friends and stay well XXXX
    🌻🌼🌸 “Take time to stop and appreciate all that’s beautiful in your life “ 🌸🌼🌻

  • posted by LindaandHubby
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    WOW! I just had to get on here & share my good news.
    Finally I managed to get a telephone call from a doctor today re my bloods done on 31st August. All the receptionist could tell me was that everything was OK – but I wanted to know how OK? I’m dumbstruck as my HBA1c had gone down from 64 to 34. I suspected it was going to 42 or so but am amazed & highly pleased it’s gone SO far down. Going to scoff a big pack of doughnuts to celebrate – just kidding! 🙂

    Doc was very nice (not sure if I’ve ever seen her, although hubby has & was pleased with her) & she didn’t seem to mind that I’d cut my metformin down to 1gm a day & also cut my Victoza down to half original dose. She said that it’d be OK if I cut one of them out totally. YAY! I’ve opted to cut the Victoza out totally. Yeah it can help with weight loss BUT it can also cause Pancreatitis so for me it’s a no brainer. It’s also very expensive so I’ll be saving the NHS some badly needed money. I don’t mind staying on Metformin for a while longer as the health benefits of remaining on it are good.

    My lovely mum passed at just 65 after over 2 years of horrendous ill health from complications of the diabetic drug glibenclamide that she’d only been on for 4 months – after taking herself off it after 2 months because she felt really ill on it she was persuaded to go back on it as she was told ‘It’s not the drug it’s your diabetes that is causing you to feel unwell’ She was REALLY ill for over 2 years as the damned drug had caused sarcoidosis of her liver & lungs – i.e. granulated both her liver & lungs. She was SO fit & healthy previously, bless her. She was admitted to the specialist Liver Unit in QE. Birmingham where the consultant said he’d seen this happen to someone else on glibenclamide but it was very rare. She was offered a liver & possibly lung transplant too BUT turned it down. I think she hoped that she would be able to beat it, but sadly she couldn’t. I am VERY wary, seeing that I share some of my DNA with her of what I put into my body. Mum always said to me to listen to your body & believe me I do now.

    I shall be sticking to the low carb diet for the foreseeable. I have to have another HBA1c in 3 months & hopefully that will see me on or below my current reading of 34. MORE good news. I’ve finally reached my 1st goal of 12 stone, I weighed in this morning at 11 stone 13.8lbs so in exactly 6 months I’ve lost 2st 10.6lbs – 38.6lbs. I was going to stick here BUT I’d really like to get a smidgen under 11 stone so that’s my next goal on the next bus.

    Hubby has an HBA1c of 44 now & he weighed in this morning at 16stone 13.6lbs – a weight loss of 3st 2.6lbs or 44.6lbs in exactly 6 months. He’s pretty pleased too so we’re continuing on this WOE at least until Christmas – probably for life. Neither of us is sure if we’ll go back on the BSD diet (although saying that we’re probably on it now 3 or 4 days a week, the other days we up fruit & protein). Guess we’ll stick to what we’re doing at the moment & see how we’re getting along in a month or so.

    Jennie, if you’re still in N. Wales, hope you#re enjoying it & if you got the Edwards of Conwy burgers (we have the quarter pounders) hope you enjoyed them. I can also recommend their sausages especially the leek ones. Saying that I’m sure they used to be 97% pork BUT when I looked at them in the supermarket they are now at 82% ish. Whether at their shop they are more pork, who knows? I must admit their burgers when I last did them had more fat come out on cooking than I remember BUT they still tasted great. We’re in South Wales & can buy them in Tesco here, so we’re lucky. Heck is a good replacement.

    I have to go feed hubby so am going to have to leave it here as I can hear his tummy rumbling. We’ve just inadvertently had a 22hr fast – oops!

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    What great news LindaandHubby. So pleased your doctor was supportive. Keep up the good work and put it out there about this diet.

  • posted by LindaandHubby
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    Sunshine-girl. I tell everyone that this WOE is amazing for us diabetics. I’ve given next door the book & told them to go online. The hubby is diabetic.

    I had to take my hubby to the docs again today for his leg dressing – they have to take away necrotic skin on his leg & I shudder when he tells me what he has to have had done. OMG it’s SO bad, it was when he fell & he must have lost about a pint of blood. After I dressed it (as best I could & that wasn’t too great as I just needed to get something on it to stop any infection). Luckily I still had some HUGE old pads in a cupboard & I managed to cover it with 1.5 of them OMG!. He then went to the bathroom, came back & managed to fall on top of me sat on the bed & dragged me to the floor where neither of us could move. I was pinned underneath him & I thought sure my leg was going to break as he’d managed to catch it against the side of the wardrobe. He kept going in/out of consciousness for it had to be about 2 hours, with me lying under him. Can laugh about it now but at the time it wasn’t funny. His BP when I finally managed to get him to the hospital was dangerously low. He was in for 4-5days on an antibiotic drip BUT they took my dressing off & no-one did anything to his leg or dressed it for 16hrs. Of course I couldn’t go in with him at all due to Covid so there was no-one to fight his cause. At least he’s now down to go to surgery every other day. This is going to take many months to get his leg back to some semblance of order. poor devil has been through the mill.

    OMG I do go off on one. Anyways today this chap came up to talk to me as I was sat in the car – he’d seen me help hubby into the docs. He told me if he was a few years younger he’d be asking me out on a date if you weren’t married.:) I have NO idea what age he thought myself & hubby were. I thought he was probably my age or maybe a bit younger? lol I know that often when going for appts at docs/hosp (which happen every week or so for last 5yrs or more) we both have been told – NO you’re not 69, come on give us your real age – then they look on the computer & see our birth-dates & do some mental arithmetic & end up with dropping jaws, lol.

    Anyways I digress again – this chap was carrying a blood testing kit & a shedload of info so obviously a ‘brand new diabetic’. I proceeded to tell him about the BSD & told him he should get the book & get on the web as there was SO much on there. Told him I’d been diabetic for about 8-9 years but in a couple of months I’d reversed it & had just been told I could go off some medication & maybe the rest in another 3 months after my next bloods were taken. I know it has been six months BUT I know myself that my readings had been really good in as little as a month after starting it. I’m putting it out there as much as I can.

    I just wish this diet had been around when mum was alive. Her diet was pretty damned good as she ate a ‘proper’ cooked dinner every single day with loads of veggies, had a salad nearly every day BUT she did like her cake – she was a wonderful cook! Her diabetes was just down to severe stress brought on by my damned brother. Mine too was totally down to him as was hubby’s’ first heart attack. How 1 person could be so nasty, so money grabbing & use their children as bargaining tools to attempt to control you & get himself 70% of your hard earned cash + all of what mum left me (the exact same share as himself) is totally beyond me. He cost us tens of thousands of pounds. We’re totally different people – thank goodness! I’m sorry he’s like that. It’s taken me a long time to get over this BUT why should we let him try & ruin our lives. I’m very sad that I’m too frightened of him to get in touch with my nephew & niece but hopefully one day they will realise that it was him NOT me that spent their entire inheritance from mum IF they realise at all, that she wanted them to have at least a house deposit from her. I’m over it now as can’t hold on to the hurt any longer.

    Keep on keeping on people

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Linda – well done on your excellent blood test results 👍
    Sorry to hear how hard it has been for your hubby lately, I hope he’s on the mend soon 🙂
    I can sympathise with the situation you have with your brother, I have had to cut one of my brothers out of my life unfortunately due to his toxic behaviour. It’s sad sometimes when I think of my nieces and nephews, but my mental health and my immediate family come first!
    I’ve had an ok sort of week, lots of healthy meals. Tonight I’m having pizza again, I roasted some Mediterranean veg this afternoon and using that as a topping on pita bread. I also made some Thai pumpkin soup, the Orange and Almond loaf from the Fast 800 recipe book (really love this, I have a slice for lunch with some yoghurt and berries). Also made some of my current favourite, Lentil Dahl. I do enjoy cooking, I must admit, and now we are in week 12 of our 2 week look down, it helps to keep me occupied!
    I haven’t weighed myself this week, going to wait until the end of September.
    On a NSV note though, I can see my feet when I look down in the shower! Well some of my feet anyway, before they were completely blocked by my tummy!
    Walking is going well, I’ve walked 50km since 1 September, so halfway to my goal already.
    Hope everyone is having a good weekend 🙂

  • posted by Yowzer49
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    Just a quicky for now,will be back to catch up with all the posts. Just wanted to say hello for now and leave hugs for all 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
    🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻 “Search for something beautiful in every day” 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻 xxx

  • posted by ADD6605
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    Hi everyone,sorry I haven’t been posting much,bit of a busy time sharing the care of my Mum after her hip replacement.My sister and I take it in turns staying with her during the day and sleeping over.My willpower has gone pretty much out of the window as I’ve just been so tired.It just reinforces to me why I should really try my best to stick to this woe as if I did I would be feeling much more capable of coping,it’s a vicious circle!
    I had been thinking about getting some Fast800 shakes in just for handiness when I’m at my Mums but I’ve had them before and wasn’t keen on their ‘bitty’ texture,I know it was maybe just the blended nuts in the mixture but I think I will just take a couple of Brazil nuts and small piece of cheese out with me in the morning and snack on that instead for lunch as I’m sure some of you have said this helps hunger pangs
    Lindaandhubby I’ve just been reading your post about your husband’s fall,it sounds horrendous!Wishing him well in his recovery.
    Hope everyone has a good day,Dawn X

  • posted by Mariet
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    Linda- what wonderful results, you must be so happy! I am glad your husband is on the mend, his fall sounds dreadful.

    Dawn, It’s so hard to stick to anything when life is so hectic. I hope your mother is improving, is she doing rehab? My friend had her second hip replacement last year and found the hydrotherapy really helpful.

    Someone asked me about my son’s colleague who was ventilated in ICU. She is still in hospital but no longer in ICU and is expected to recover, such a relief for her colleagues and family.
    The hospital where I work is very large and always busy but it’s all on another level now with the rising Covid numbers, our ICU is full and it’s the largest ICU in our state. We are moving patients out every day to other places and all that. I’ve been working at home since June as my work is computer and report based but they are so short now, with staff furloughed, I’ve been recalled to do clinical work in the postnatal ward. I don’t mind that, it will be nice to get back to mothers and babies but i haven’t worked on the postnatal ward for more than 20 years and everything has changed, process, paperwork and techniques. I’m also going to be so slow! I hope they don’t think they’re better off without me. When I realised I’d be going back I thought I’d better check my uniform fits. I can wear it but my trousers are sadly tight, which made me go to the bathroom scales for the first time in ages and was horrified to see I had gained 3.5kg. SO yet another back to basics and I’m hoping I will do better this time. That was on Saturday, back to weighing every day and so far 2.5kg of that has disappeared but I’m still glad I got that shock, the evening glass of wine had gone from Friday night to nearly every night and sometimes more than one. I needed this to open my eyes properly.
    Yowser, thank you for all your cheerful posts, they’ve lifted my spirits often.

  • posted by ADD6605
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    Thanks Mariet,we think a physio should be coming out to visit my Mum soon as the only exercises she’s been told to do so far are walking around with her frame and small leg exercises when she’s sitting.I know when my friend had a knee replacement she was doing quite a lot of recommended movements every day,she’s a lot younger than my Mum so I’m not sure if that’s why they haven’t given my Mum much to do yet.I’m pleased your son’s colleague is improving,such a worrying time. Dawn X

  • posted by Yowzer49
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    Sorry for quick call in again. Back later hopefully to catch up.
    Quote for Wednesday…
    I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing. ( Herman Melville) Good philosophy for life! X

  • posted by SueBlue
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    The weekend has rolled around again and another week done and dusted, how is everyone doing?
    Today marks the beginning of Week 13 of our 2 week lockdown, but there is hope on the horizon that restrictions will begin to ease next month, as long as 70% of the population is fully vaccinated, so that’s something.
    Mariet – so glad your sons colleague is doing better, I had been thinking of her.
    I’m sure the staff on the wards you will be working on will be happy to have your expertise.
    I had a video consultation with one of my specialists yesterday – I hope they are here to stay as an option in the future, so much easier than travelling in to the hospital 🙂
    Dawn – I hope your mum continues to improve, she is lucky to have you and your sister to care for her, I agree with Mariet in that it is hard to focus on diet when life is so hectic, so be kind to yourself 🙂
    My walking is going well, my target was to walk 100km during September and I’m up to 70km already, so will definitely achieve that goal. I’m really enjoying it too, and finding that it’s getting easier to walk uphill, and my pace is getting faster. I’m discovering parts of my suburb too, parks that I used to just drive past and glance at, but are really quite lovely to visit, with pockets of bush land, creeks, native birds etc that I haven’t had the time to really notice before.
    I did weigh myself this week – was going to wait till the end of this challenge – and I was still the same as a few weeks ago. I do need to refocus and get back into weight loss mode, starting with TRE I think. I was looking back at my diary from earlier this year and I was losing the most weight when sticking to 16:8.
    I was looking through my Fast 800 book last night and realised there’s still loads of recipes I haven’t tried yet, so that’s another goal for this week – a meal plan that includes some new meals 🙂
    Hope everyone else is well, we are on the last part of our Autumn/Spring journey together, not long now till the Countdown to C starts!
    Lastly – Yowzer thank you for popping in
    with your quotes this week, they always make me smile 🙂

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Hello everyone! I’m back and just been catching up with all the recent posts. Lovely to read good news from many posts; and sending love and good vibes to any who are struggling in any way.

    Thank you for all your good wishes. Everything went as well as it could and we had a wonderful wedding day. We’ve been away for most of the time since then and it’s been a lovely break – with lots of wining and dining of course. I almost didn’t dare get on the scales this morning! and yes, there is a bit of an increase but it’s not as bad as I’d feared.

    But now it’s back to reality. This week my aim is to get my diet back under control again, and also ramp up the exercise. A bit like you Sue, I’ve signed up to a fitness challenge that will hopefully motivate me to do 10000 steps per day; and as part of that I also plan to get back into the running this week after rather too long a break.

    And soon it will be time for our Christmas bus to depart! Any views on when we start? This current challenge was intended to run up to the end of September, so we could maybe either board the bus either Thursday 30th September or Friday 1st October? And all ideas for names appreciated: I think we called it Countdown to Christmas last year so maybe something similar but different, if that makes sense?

    Hope you all have a really good week, both diet-wise and in whatever else is happening in your lives X

  • posted by Mariet
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    I’m so glad your wedding day was so happy, DCT, and if you can’t splurge a little on your honeymoon when can you! I’m sure the small increase will disappear quickly.
    I’m also on a challenge, so far have walked 67km this month. We have mostly had beautiful weather this September and it’s been a pleasure.
    400g down this week which has made me happy, that’s2.8 down since my reboot so pretty much back where I was before lockdown started 3 months ago. 3 more kilos to my first mini goal.
    I can’t think of a thread name. Crusaders on The Christmas Coach? I don’t think so but maybe someone else will be inspired.

  • posted by Mariet
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    I’m so glad your wedding day was so happy, DCT, and if you can’t splurge a little on your honeymoon when can you! I’m sure the small increase will disappear quickly.
    I’m also on a challenge, so far have walked 67km this month. We have mostly had beautiful weather this September and it’s been a pleasure.
    400g down this week which has made me happy, that’s2.8 down since my reboot so pretty much back where I was before lockdown started 3 months ago. 3 more kilos to my first mini goal.
    I can’t think of a thread name. Crusaders on The Christmas Coach? I don’t think so but maybe someone else will be inspired.

  • posted by SueBlue
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    DCT how lovely to hear from you! So glad your wedding day went well and you’ve had a good break 🙂
    I like the idea of starting on Friday 1st Oct, as it’s the 1st day of a new month…or otherwise Monday 27th September if everyone prefers to start on a Monday? Depends on what everyone else wants to do, I’m easy 🙂
    And as for names, how about Countdown to Christmas Reboot?

  • posted by Yowzer49
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    DCT a big hello!!!!!and welcome back!xxxxxx
    I recently got Netflix and have been immersed in it,I need a huge catch up here.( sorry )
    I’m doing quite well on this challenge,have managed not to stray off course even once..think it’s 11 weeks now. Don’t know what I weigh but deffo slimmer round the middle
    I like both name suggestions from SUEBLUE and MARIET 👏👏👏👏 and I’m happy to start new challenge whenever best for everyone else, either on the first Oct or 27 Sept..which has just dawned on me – is next week!!!!!
    Which means for once I’m looking at having successfully completed a whole challenge,go me!
    Excited to start our Crimbo Challenge! 🎶🎶🎶🥰🎶🎶🎶🎶🥳🎶🎶🎶🎶wooooohoooooooo! XX come one,come all,jump aboard!💜❤️💙💖💓

  • posted by ADD6605
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    Hi everyone,thanks Yowser and Sue.My Mum is doing really well thanks.She managed to stay by herself overnight for last two nights and got herself dressed and made some breakfast so that’s great progress.We got her a caddy for the Zimmer frame and she’s finding it really helpful.It has a detachable tray to carry a drink too.She’s enjoying getting some independence back.Unfortunately my sister and I haven’t been able to visit my Dad for a few weeks as there has been another case of Covid in the care home so we are awaiting news on when visits can start up again but he is doing ok.
    I really haven’t managed to stick to Fast800 plan at all but now I’m getting more sleep I think I’m ready to start taking things a bit more seriously.Did a food shop today so have everything in I need to make things as easy as possible for myself.Really looking forward to the Christmas Countdown reboot,hard to believe it’s almost a year since our last Christmas journey!!!!! Hope everyone is having a good week so far.Dawn X

  • posted by JessKirkpri1
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    Hi Fasters,
    Sorry I’ve been absent. I’ve been a bit down and really struggling with how uncomfortable the hunger feels. I’ve been doing my best but feel I let myself down nearly every day.
    Finally hoped on the scales and am sitting at around 70kg. My mini goal is 65kg then I will reasses. But at this point it’s about so much more than the weight it’s about feeling in control of my hunger/urges not them in control of me.
    Anyway I’m glad to read that you are all making such efforts in the face of everything at the moment in the world, your immediate life as well as the planet at large.
    I admire you all so much and don’t know how you do it.
    Jess xx

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Hi Jess, lovely to hear from you. I think you have hit the nail on the head about how hard it is to focus on diet and stuff with everything else that is going on right now. Which leads me to ask if all our Oz friends are ok? Read about an earthquake in Melbourne this morning.

    Anyway Jess, I hope we can help you push forward. I confess I don’t do hunger! I’d be interested to hear what others think, but to me this WoE is not about denying yourself food and making yourself hungry and miserable. I’m not saying it’s easy btw, but my personal opinion – and others may disagree – is that if you are feeling hungry all the time you maybe need to change what you are doing.

    For example, if you are trying to survive on 800 calories a day and just can’t, then rather than trying but then sabotaging your efforts perhaps try upping it to 1000 cals a day. Or do some version of 5:2 where you do 800 some days of the week but not others. Or even move onto a less calorie controlled Mediterranean diet. Michael Mosley’s first book, The BSD Diet, covers all these options. You would lose weight on any of them, just at different paces. But I think we all have different needs – depending a lot on our lifestyles, fitness and any underlying conditions – and if you’re really struggling with whatever your regime is at the moment, then perhaps it’s worth tweaking it a bit?

    Hope everyone else is doing ok? Great news about your mum Dawn, and hope that you can see your dad soon. My mum had a fall shortly before the wedding and was desperate for me not to find out. But I did! Nothing broken thankfully, and she had recovered enough to enjoy a lovely little family party when we visited the week after the wedding.

    I bought new running shoes yesterday at an eye-watering price. Now I have NO excuse not to get back on it today . . . . .

    I love Sue’s name – Countdown to Christmas Reboot – for our next thread. Shall we start Friday 1st Oct as I’m aware some on this thread are working hard towards their 30th September weigh in, so I don’t want to sell them short! I’ll set up the new thread next Thursday (30th) for boarding the bus then off we go on Friday 1st 🙂

    Have a great week everyone X

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
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    Hello everyone

    Dreamscometrue- I am so happy for you and am so pleased you had a lovely wedding. Good luck with your running regime.

    Sorry to hear that some of us are still struggling – It’s so hard isn’t it. I’m so fed up with myself.
    Apologies for being quiet – more things to cope with! My friend who I went to Ragdale with in July had a sudden seizure and has been diagnosed with a 4cm brain tumour! It has been a terrible shock and has sent me into a spin. Life has been particularly hard this year and it has been one thing after another and I keep being derailed. I really wanted to be 149 lb by the time I got on the Christmas bus but I’ve let myself down yet again and September has been a complete disaster! I am planning to board the countdown to Christmas bus and desperately need to lose weight but my head is all over the place at the moment. My clothes are tight and I feel miserable. On a positive note, I have got my cholesterol down from 6.3 to 5.1. I am going to try my best to board the bus on 1st October and strap myself in for a long ride. It feels like I keep making excuses and I need to give myself a real talking to and just get on with losing weight but I am really struggling to motivate myself.

    It’s my wedding anniversary today 37 years and we have just been to the pub and had a lovely meal. I keep saying “I’ll diet tomorrow”. Anyway, I can only try. And I will try again tomorrow!

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Cathy lovely to hear from you – I noticed you’d gone quiet – but what terrible news about your friend. I’m so sorry. Are they able to treat it? It’s not surprising that your head is all over the place, as you put it. You’ve had an awful year and I think you’ve done really well to keep it all together in spite of everything. I’m so glad you had a lovely anniversary celebration last night. Honestly, just relax and look after yourself and your seat on the Christmas bus is ready and waiting X

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi Jess.
    Did you know that the gut bacteria which depend on you eating sugar are able to send signals to your brain to prompt you to feed them. These are the “bad bacteria” which need you to eat carbs for them to survive, and as you cut out the carbs their numbers reduce. – But equally, if you step off the waggon and increase carbs for a period they will rapidly multiply. So sometimes your hunger is not actually you being hungry, its the carb eating bacteria in your gut that are hungry.

    When I am feeling hungry and reminding myself that I have plenty of pre digested food now in my fat stores for my body to work on is not enough, then I try to think about the bacteria in terms of the cartoon bugs in the adverts for toilet cleaner. Ugly individuals that are trying to bully me into feeding them.

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi guys,

    I really need to roll up my sleeves, pull on my trainers and run to the bus stop again.

    Those of you who have been on the forum for a long time, may remember that I had a system of setting myself “treats” when I achieved specific targets. – My discard of the first 3 stone milestone was celebrated by finally purchasing a replacement car. – Sadly, that car is coming to the end of its viable life before I have reached my end target.

    I have been occasionally watching the american program following people who weigh over 600lbs in their weight loss journey. I do think that its about time it was recognised that eating for comfort, / to meet emotional needs was put higher in the healthcare agenda.
    I acknowledge that its and issue for me still – I have come on so far from where I started, time restricted eating is the norm for me, and despite all the stresses and stepping off the waggon for the last year I have not returned to my old habit and size. – But if I want to deal with the large layer of fat under my skin then valuing myself is what I need to focus on in the next stage of my bu ride.

  • posted by RubyG
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    Thanks JGwen, that makes perfect sense, and there are some interesting cases highlighted in MM Clever Guts book.
    I think that intermittent fasting helps to kill off the carb-hungry bugs, and I have started a practice that if carbs are consumed (alcohol being an example of occasionally falling off the low-carb wagon), I follow-up with a larger than normal intake of milk kefir and/or yoghurt and/or other fermented veg to keep my good bacteria happy and hopefully overwhelm my bad carb-hungry bugs. Whether this has any scientific value or not, I don’t know, but I feel it helps.

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Cathy so sorry to hear about your friend x as DCT has said try to look after yourself.
    That’s an amazing result with your cholesterol though, well done 👍 I’m no expert but you would think from a heart health point of view, having a lower cholesterol level would be far more beneficial than dropping a few pounds would. Congratulations on your anniversary too, I’m glad you were able to go out for a meal. It’s my 30th anniversary next week, but we are unable to go out to dinner as everything is still closed with lockdown. So we’ve decided to go out for a picnic instead, as that is something we are allowed to do! Well have to stay in our local area, but we do have some nice parks to choose from so that’s something. Not quite how I’d imagined we’d be spending our anniversary – we’d planned to go overseas (pre Covid) bit it is what it is I guess, I’m just grateful we can go out for a picnic at least. We still live in the area where we got married, so are going to go back to the church and take some photos, then in the evening my youngest is going to cook us dinner, so that will be nice.
    Jess I’m sorry to hear you’ve been struggling too. I don’t have a problem with hunger at all, but I eat about 1000-1100 calories daily, and try to include protein and healthy fats with each meal, that keeps me feeling satisfied.
    I’ve had an ok week, no weight loss but I didn’t expect any as it was my birthday mid week and I had a few off plan treats 🙂 my walking plan is going well, and I’ve now walked 105km during September so I’ve already gone past my target of 100 for the month. I’m really, really enjoying it to be honest. My daughter and I look forward to going out each day and I make a point of looking for something beautiful each time, and to appreciate when it is a lovely day. We’ve been having some lovely, warm spring days.
    I had a good reminder of why I’ve stayed on this plan for so long this week – the day after my birthday I had awful pain And swelling in my hands, wrists and feet and I’m sure it was from having too much sugar – I’d eaten a cup cake, but also drank some G & Ts with full sugar tonic water not the diet one – going to stick to gin and soda water in future! I don’t like drinking diet drinks so think soda water will be a better choice. Luckily the pain and swelling has settled again, pre BSD I used to be in pain almost all of the time.

    Well we are down to the last 5 days of this challenge. I’m waiting to weigh myself on the 30th. I know I won’t be at target but I’m determined to get there before Christmas! According to Happy Scales when I last recorded my weight, I’ll reach my goal weight on 23 March 2022 if I keep losing at my current rate (which is now down to 160g per week!), but if I can step it up to 500g per week I’ll get to goal in early November. If that happens that will be good, then after Christmas I can start working towards my final target, which will be another 12kg away, this would be achievable during 2022 at 1kg per month… anyway getting ahead of myself here!!

    I read a great quote yesterday and I thought of Cathy, Jess and everyone else who is finding things difficult:
    “Self care is how you take your control back”
    So take care of yourselves everyone and let’s make the next 5 days count 🙂

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
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    Thank you for your kind words. My friend is having surgery on Thursday next week. Sadly, it is a malignant brain tumour but she has no spread and how lucky are we to live in the 21st century so the Neurosurgeon can embark on such a delicate operation with the help of MRI and CT scans. What a worrying time for her husband and family. She is such a lovely person. It’s been a cruel year.

    I am going to weigh myself on 1st October and take things from there. I’ll face the scales and face up to the disappointment. I can’t dwell on the past and feel sorry for myself and beat myself up any more but will look forward now to hopefully happier times and put my energy and focus into trying to lose the excess weight I’ve gained over the last year. My clothes are too tight and I feel miserable that I’ve lost control and let life get me down. I know I’ll feel better when I have some control back in my life. It’s certainly been a testing time for so many of us and hats off to us for still trying!!

    I’m so sorry to keep sounding like a scratched record and I really really do want to enjoy the next few months with some success. To be honest, it feels like I can really do this just to prove to the universe that I won’t let it get me down any more.

    Yowser- thank you for the uplifting quotes you post for us- they really do make a massive difference.

    Thanks everyone for believing in me. I am going to prove to you all that I can do this.

  • posted by Californiagirl
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    Hi ClarinetCathy,
    Don’t despair. The world continues to offer you grace and joy.
    Humans have caused the damage of the last 18 months but we can heal from this.
    Just start today, embrace the beauty and love. We all still try to communicate, pull your mask down and smile, and our world will come back.
    You ARE the answer to this mess — the people who are most hurt are the ones that understand.
    Of course you can do this.
    I believe in you.
    A friend by circumstance in California, west coast USA ,
    Julia Hover-Smoot
    (That’s my real name)
    Don’t despair!!

    .

  • posted by Mariet
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    I am sorry to see your news about your friend Cathy. It’s awful , that sick feeling of anxiety and inability to help.
    My partner of 13 years has been in hospital for 3 days this week and although we are waiting for a definitive diagnosis it is probable that he has lung cancer. The survival rates are poor and the news was unexpected though he is a life long smoker. It has has thrown us both for a loop. I sort of can’t believe it’s really happening, then the realisation rolls over me like a wave. We don’t live together and the solitude is sometimes hard to cope with.
    I hope things go well for your friend, it’s good news that there has been no spread.

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Oh Mariet I’m so sorry about your partner! Take care of yourself, I can only imagine how hard it is for you right now with living alone and also lockdown, and now this. Thinking of you x

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