Today is the last official weigh in of this, my year on the BSD. Yes, a year! I started this journey on 19th December 2015.

I am 5’1″, female and was 65, now 66 years of age.

So what is different now from this time last year?

On starting this journey I weighed 16 stone, BMI 42.3 (recalculated for height difference!), measurements (inches) 50 – 46 – 54. Dress size 24 (getting tight) Fasting blood sugar 10.9. HbA1c 9.6.

Today: I weigh 8st 6lb, BMI 22.2, measurements 35 – 28 – 37. Dress size (normally) 10. All blood tests now within ‘normal’ range – last HbA1c (July) 5.2.

Just worked out that I have lost:7st 8lb or 106lbs or 48.08kg. That is 47.32% of my starting body weight!

Not only is my current weight my lowest ever adult weight (I weighed 11st at age 11), but has to be the longest time I have stayed with a ‘diet’. It has been so easy to incorporate into my chaotic life and I now am just not tempted by all the bad carbs I used to eat a year ago. Not only that, but my portion sizes have shrunk and I’m not always thinking about food. I can be out at mealtime without panicking about finding something to eat.

As well as having so much more energy I am making progress with changing my image. Contact lenses and makeup already, with a renewed interest in clothes after so many long years of buying something just because it fits.

I began this journey in the hope it would work for me. And it did. I can honestly say it has changed my life for the better in so many ways.

Best wishes, and every success, to all my BSD friends, wherever you are on your journey.

Well said, Lynne, we all begin this journey in hope, and when I take stock at the end of my year next May I hope I am in the same situation. Looking forward to a new all of us in 2017. Best of luck to everyone following this path wherever you are on it, your first steps on the path, or close to the end of the beginning, and ready to look towards maintenance.

Hi Lynne

New club house…perhaps a new name tag too…Skinny Minnie, Liberated Lynne, Willowy Woman?
Congratulations on a year well spent, thanks for the road map.
N

Congratulations on all your achievements and long may it continue. BSD is a lifestyle not a diet so should be sustainable in the long term. I think it was your nurse who said it wasn’t sustainable, what is she saying now. Keep on keeping on… and Christmas wishes and all the best for the New Year.

Congratulations on your wonderful achievement and I would also like to thank you for the ‘road map’. It has made the journey so much easier for me to be able to follow in ‘your slipstream’.

Congratulations Lynne, fancy being half the woman you were!
Whenever I feel like slipping up, I think of you and make better choices. Most of the time!

Congratulations Lynne, fantastic achievement. Your story is an inspiration to so many, thank you and all our best wishes for your future health and wellbeing.

You are amazing Lynne! Congratulations, no matter how good this diet is and easy compared to others it still takes a lot of mental strength and hard work to start and stick to it through hard times. I remember once Oprah was told she had it easy for losing weight as she could afford a personal trainer and a chef, and she retorted that yes but she still had to do the exercise and resist the bad food! No one can do it for you. You have been an inspiration to so many here.

Many thanks everyone. 😀

In another part of my life I am a ‘Preparer of the Way’ but when I started this journey I never thought I would be doing that on here!

Now, as I prepare to start my new BSD year – this time in maintenance – I’m looking at new challenges for 2017. I’ve already said I’m working to learn Italian. But I’m also spring cleaning- not sure if it’s late or early! – throwing out things that I’ve been dragging round each time I’ve moved house, stuff I’ve not used in years, books I’ll never read again. Get the picture?

Having lost the weight that was holding me back, it just seems time to lose other stuff that is restricting me. And I just didn’t think that could/would happen.

So, onwards into my new BSD year, and (very soon) 2017.

Oh, and a new clubhouse will be open tomorrow. 😀

Dearest Lynne!
Absolutely nothing short of inspirational!
I’m starting tomorrow. I have to lose 50% of my body weight as well. To know that this time next year I’ll be healthier is very comforting- knowing that it truly works! Thank you so much for sharing!

Congratulations on your anniversary captainlynne.

Removing clutter is another great way to lose weight metaphorically. It’s amazing how refreshed your mind feels after a big clearout.

Hi just read your post and has given me a terrific lift and well done to you and i can relate to everything youve said, my start began in may blood sugars up around 12-14,weight 14 stone 5.1inch bmi 49 and also bad liver result so i decided i had to do something and started eating mediteranean way oils, fish etc which started me losing weight and sugars started to slowly drop.
Then my husband heard on radio about 8 wbsd and ordered me the book , i spent many weeks reading the book then 8 weeks ago i i started im 2 stone lighter and bloods 5.6 and on my way to my next 2 stone now increasing my exercise to an extra hour at gym and doing more jogging thxs

I would like to raise a glass (of sparking water) to Captain Lynne and all the other long term BSDers who contribute to these forums and provide us with motivation and inspiration; A sincere thank you to all of you

Cheers:-)

captainlynne your progress is amazing and inspirational. Well done!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!

Have only just seen this thread.

You really are an inspiration for many of us. What a great idea to have a ‘spring clean’ to end the year. Maybe we should all be doing the same. Sounds to me that leaving last year’s baggage behind maybe as good, if not better, a plan than New Year’s Resolutions!!!

Think I will give it a go myself!

Look forward to following your continuing journey.

Thanks everyone.

Today is my first BSD anniversary!😱😀

For completeness, weight today 8st 7lbs (loss of 7.5 stone in the year). I seem to be hovering around that weight at the moment – within a pound or so either way – which is great, much lower than I ever expected to get. But still comfortably in my healthy BMI (and smart BMI). Not bad for an old lady LOL

Oh, and my fasting blood – originally 10.9 on starting was 4.1 today (just a random test)

I think it’s time to open a new clubhouse on here to celebrate. If you want to follow my ramblings, look out for “Still keeping calm and carrying on – Year 2” on this board.

Many thanks for your support and company during this last twelve months. Best wishes for your continuing journeys.

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Happy Anniversary CAPTAINLYNNE
You must feel like pinching yrself when you think back to this day last year
What a great achievement! XXX

Congratulations. Maybe you could adopt today as your second birthday, a bit like the queen.

Great idea Snoop.

My birthday is in June, but it was suggested some years ago I had a second one because my mother died a few days after my real birthday. But when to choose?

Now you have solved that puzzle!

A bit late to the party but congratulations CaptainLynne – how wonderful. My mum always says ‘oh I’m FAR too old to do anything about my weight’ but that’s rubbish isn’t it? Anyone else had the ‘I will not be 20/30/40 and fat’ determinations with short term diets, lost the weight or some of it but still felt crappy?

I’m really fed up of feeling out of control, like I’ll slip back as soon as my concentration wavers because the cravings for carbs – they are a real thing – for me, sugar is addictive. I can’t just have the one square of chocolate because as soon as my body gets hold of it, it’s going to beg me for more for the next few days.

I’m only a few days in and it’s so good to hear it works longer term. I don’t have a lot of weight to lose. But I do have some new habits to learn, which for me is the hard bit.

I hope to see you posting next year of your maintenance and continued good health.

Merry Christmas.

Hi nomoresugarhighs

Thanks. I’ve posted elsewhere about dome family issues, but they were part of my incentive to do this. I want to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible to be around for my family, especially my twin granddaughters who’ll be 9 in January.

My other incentive was my own health issues, and the knowledge that I had regular blood tests that would show any deviation from the BSD!

A few days ago I overheard a conversation when an elderly lady said she was on her way to her doctor for diabetes checks. Her comment was that she loves her cake and sweet stuff too much! But I have heard similar comments so much during this past year.

Like many others on here I’ve tried just about every diet known to humanity but only once got to target (for a few weeks) before regaining the weight with interest. This has to be the longest I’ve stayed with a new eating plan. Not only that, the longest I’ve maintained (although I am still losing a little). And my lowest ever adult weight.

Not too bad for a silver surfer/recycled teenager/golden oldie 😀

I had to go cold turkey on carbs. I knew that if I once ate even a small amount, I’d eat a lot more. But I can honestly say that now I don’t miss them or crave them – even during a particularly stressful day yesterday. In the past it would have been chocolate and/or cream cakes washed down with Diet Coke! Oh – now I only drink water (preferably fizzy) and black coffee. Shares in Diet fizzy drinks must have plummeted!

Best wishes for your continuing BSD journey and your weight loss. I look forward to reading your progress.

Have a very happy Christmas and a great 2017.

Nomoresugarhighs my mum didn’t say that about her weight (she was always on the latest fad diet) but she did about relationships. Divorced at 40, she was “too old” to find someone else – anyone who’d want her wouldnt be worth having. At 50, she thought “I wasn’t old at 40, what was I thinking? But NOW I’m too old…” at 60, she thought “maybe 50 wasn’t so old, looking back, but now I’m 60 that is much too old…” Arg! You are never too old to start living your life and becoming who you want to be.

CaptainLynne that is amazing! Very many congratulations to you 🙂 Proof indeed that it can be done! I need to follow your example. Oh to be half the weight I am now….!

Hi Flash21
Why don’t you come and join us on’ 4 Week Fix’. We started on Tuesday and there are 36 of us. Some ‘newbies’, some ‘old timers’ and some ‘maintainers’ like captainlynne. Just reading the posts with our trials, tribulations and coping strategies may help you to get back on track.

Ooooohhh Verano – you’ve promoted me from an ‘old timer’ to a ‘maintainer’ 😱😃☕

Thanks Flash21 😃 You can do it!

I hope that’s good!!!! ‘Maintainer’ definately sounds younger than ‘old timer’ so certainly fits your new image better !!

Hey Verano, thanks for the invite! I shall come and join you 🙂

Verano – much better than some of the things I get called 😱LOL

Wishing my BSD friends both old and new a very happy and healthy 2017. And, of course a successful BSD new year.