I have an unexpected day off today so jumping on quickly to say hello and hang in there everyone! I’m pretty please with my August so far as I have had some food challenges that come up in my job and for the first time I have responded to them differently. So even if my end of month results don’t show a massive discard, resisting all the temptations day after day is a huge win in my book!
Cathy – sounds like you are on track to hit Xmas in your jumpsuit! Sounds super sexy and again I’m wishing there was a place on this forum to share photos!
Arcticfox – you sound like you’re being very tough on yourself despite doing so well! Sometimes our bodies just don’t respond even when we do everything right. It liked playing golf. You think you’re doing the exact same shot as last time when you scored a hole in one and then there you are, in the bloody bunker! I think you’re doing great and being very conscientious xx
CG – sounds like a very positive article, will see if I can find online.
DreamsComeTrue and Jennie – even if you feel you haven’t been very attentive, there’s still some days to go and there always September 😊
Hope everybody else is doing well and happy with their August results whatever the focus! Xx

Kafin, how do you stand for so long on your job!!!! Happy day off!
Julia, house is getting close and can’t wait!
Cathy, nice going
Arctic fox, I agree with Kafin – too hard on your successful self.

Cat

Hi Kafin,
I just wanted to say well done in responding differently to food challenges. – So many people on the forum focus just on the reading on the scales, but you are reporting an achievement that is so much more important.
= Its our screwed up responses to food challenges and addiction to carbs which has got us into the situation about stressing about the reading on the scales in the first place. – Healing our carb addiction and inappropriate responses to food is the key to stepping off the diet roundabout. So give yourself a big pat on the back, for an achievement which is worth much more than a weekly tally of lbs on the scale.

Hi,
I’ve been lurking around the forum for a couple of years now and think I’ve only posted once before. I’m not especially good at reading, posting etc but after reading Louise kangaroos post a few days ago I felt determined to make myself be part of this community. LK’s post could have been mine! I have had so much success with this woe but then as I’ve inched closer to my goal I have become complacent and all the positive thoughts disappear and the carb addiction continues. I need to lose weight but am also concerned about diabetes as I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant 15 yrs ago and know that I am at a higher risk now. I’m starting afresh tomorrow as I’m back from my holiday today and am off to the shops with a shopping list/meal plan. I am hoping that as I become more confident in using the forums your diet buddy support will help me through 🤞 I’m also looking forward to being a more consistent reader of your posts as you all seem like such lovely people helping each other through life’s ups and downs. 🤩

Hi Amethyst and welcome! We are here to help – and also all have our ups and downs, good days and bad. Good luck with your new start, and I hope you will stay with us into September and beyond. Look forward to hearing about your progress.

You mentioned Louise Kangaroo and let’s give her a BIG shout out! I promised to give her a nudge when she got back from holiday which I think is any time now …. so hope you had a fab holiday Louise Kangaroo and welcome back on board.

Here’s hoping everyone else has a great week. As I posted a couple of days ago, I’ve not been as attentive as I’d hoped this August but there are still almost two weeks to go so here’s hoping!

Thanks for the shout out @dreamscometrue! You’re so lovely to have remembered the much needed kick in the butt 😅
My holidays were Ah-ma-zing!! Couldn’t stay away from the carbs as all the dishes were rice based so I put on quite a bit of water retention weight. I’m hoping most of it will be gone by next week, but who cares about a timeline, this is a long game – it will happen when it will happen.
I’ve already started my fat fast as I had planned, so very happy with my own commitment. It feels good to be back to the good WOE.
How have you been travelling DCT? Hope your August is attentively awesome 😁

Hello Everyone

I have lost 2.6 lbs this week which means so far I have lost nearly 5 lbs in August! . I am delighted with this! I had planned to lose 4lb per month. I am aware that this won’t always be the case but I am happy with this great start.

Scrambled eggs for lunch today with cheese.

Keep attentive everyone! This way of eating does work if we keep attentive!

Thanks Dreamscometrue, I’m feeling positive but that’s always easy to say the day before you start 🤣
What’s a fat fast Louise kangaroo?
Clarinet Cathy, well done on your loss and you’re right, it’s all about being attentive so hopefully that will help my refocus, reduce the snacking and help me enjoy cooking and eating more interesting and flavoursome things 🤩

Weekly weigh-in news. Snap and well done ClarinetCathy!. 2.6 lbs for me this week too. That’s 18.2 lbs since I started on 1st July which I really chuffed about. It was my birthday on Saturday so I treated myself to one of those 18.7cl wine bottles! I was hoping to get to 8 weeks without a drink but hey-ho!
Keep going everyone!

Thank you, JGwen – that’s really kind of you to say and you hit the nail on the head. It is a big achievement to make even a little bit of progress on why we feel the need to soothe with food and to be able to say no, without feeling like you’re missing out or deprived. I’m not there yet but it is getting a little easier 😁. I still place a lot of credit with my breathalyzer – there is something about not wanting to see those numbers get lower or disappear that keeps me on track!
Welcome Amethyst!
Congrats, Cathy! There is nothing 🐢 about that discard!!!
Happy belated, Chunkyd 😊

Hi everyone,
Clarinet Cathy and Chunkyd – well done with the great discards.
Kafin and Cat – sorry for sounding so negative yesterday and thanks for the reminder to not focus too much on the scales. I didn’t weigh myself for so long and then started doing it every day as a way of getting/staying on track, but it is easy to get obsessed with the numbers. I was engaging in a bit of catastrophic thinking where the scales going up means they will keep going up and that I won’t be able to get the weight off again. Luckily this was just a bit of water weight that did end up coming off late yesterday. I’m back down in the 92’s today, so will take that and not use the gain as an excuse to give up.
Focusing more on NSV today which is that I had been thinking I wasn’t losing any inches either, except maybe a bit around my ankles where I don’t really need to lose, but then when I really thought carefully about it, I realized that I do feel better than I did at this time last month – less bloated for sure and even though my clothes are not fitting dramatically better, there is maybe, just maybe a slight bit more ease in how they are sitting on me.
Kafin – I spent the day on the couch yesterday as well, but in my case it was because my legs were sore and tired from hiking for a couple of hours on Friday, not from being on them for 15 hours! You’ve been doing so well with your food whilst on set and are an inspriation for sure.
I’m back at work tomorrow, so having a grand tidy up and going to do some food prep for the week so that I’ll have some tasty options and won’t be tempted to fall off the wagon. Being at work is my hardest environment for making good food choices, even worse than travelling, as I really haven’t found a great way of dealing with the stress and mental fatigue that comes along with it.

Yay for the 92’s ArcticFox xxx

Just dropping by to confess that I’ve so far failed to be awesome in August, but am currently on an egg fast, in an attempt to get myself properly back on track. Day 2 and it seems to be going okay so far.

If nothing else, it’s breaking me of picking between meals, which I had inadvertently fallen into. Fingers crossed that this will get me back in discard mode again.

Hi,
End of day 1 and all seems ok, although I know the next few days will be harder! I even made a low carb diet doctor dinner that the whole family ate 😍
Like you SunnyB, it’s the picking between meals that’s the challenge. That and evenings…. so am about to lose myself in some good TV drama as a distraction. Another plus of keeping myself distracted is the three cupboards I have cleared out today 👍
I’m going to try and not weigh myself in the morning as I can be a bit numbers obsessed. I’m taking inspiration from Arcticfox and will be measuring my energy levels, improved sleep (🤞) and less bloated. I may even be able to fit into my work clothes when I go back in two weeks 😆

Hope everyone is still on track- Ten more days left in August to make a difference – I started being attentive on 5th August and it has made a massive difference. I am aiming to lose another 2lb before 31st August and if I do then I will have lost 7lb this month!!! WOW! I am still feeling focused and visualising a smaller me seems to be helping me stay on track- I really want to get back to where I was two years ago, less than 138 and ideally 133. I am going to see my son in London this weekend, he is a low carber too. I plan to fast during the day and eat one meal in the evening whilst staying with him. I won’t be able to weigh until Tuesday when I get home. I may try and incorporate a fast or two next week to help me achieve my goal for August,. Keep chipping away everyone, Super September (can’t remember what name was decided) is around the corner! 🐢

Hi all, I’m on day 3 of AAA and am missing carbs a bit but getting into the habit of eggs mid morning is helping. Hoping to feel proud of myself by the end of August and am looking forward to the September challenge. Good to have a focus 😊

Hello everyone.
This has not been the best August ever …I am not used to seeing my lovely hubby ‘diminished’ and in pain but I know he will get better. I doubt I will hit my 11 stone target by the end of the month although I have some days left. Will see what happens. I am not concerned with the number on the scales right now.It feels good to be wearing smaller clothes after my sister’s alterations. She has given my dresses a more fitted shape which I am enjoying getting used to 😉

Of course you should be proud of yourself, Amethyst ! Keep going !
Well done, CC ! Fantastic achievement and you are right to be so thrilled !!
Sorry I have been a bit out of touch with this thread and am not addressing you all indiviually but wishing you all a successful end to the month xx

Hi Wendy,
I’m not sure exactly what’s happened with your husband being a newcomer to posting but I am hugely impressed that despite everything happening you are still being conscious of this WOE. It is such focus of you all on here that is helping me stick to this. I don’t feel so alone on this journey. 🤩

Hi Amethyst, my hubby is slowly recovering after a fall in which he sustained several fractured ribs and a fractured collarbone…so I am on nursing duty !
Thanks for your good wishes . I am a year and almost 5 stone down the line so I have had time to establish very sound eating habits which are my way of life now. Hubby’s injuries , however serious, would never make me eat buns 😉
I am far from being rare in staying focused on the forum but most importantly, those who stay are very much devoted to helping others by sharing their experiences.
Yes, please stick to it , Amethyst ! You definitely won’t feel alone ! Good luck and believe in yourself !

Hi everyone

Wendleg, I’m glad your husband is on the road to recovery. That’s really good news. I’m sure you make a tremendous nurse, just try to look after yourself as well: easier said than done I know. But well done for not falling into the comfort eating trap.

Amethyst it sounds like you are doing really well! How wonderful it will be to go back to work being able to wear some of your old favourites again. And it’s good that you are seeing the value of NSVs (Non Scale Victories) as much as what the numbers are saying. Keep going!

Cathy – WOW! 7lbs. That’s fantastic and I am so pleased for you. You’ll be in that slinky jumpsuit before you know it 🙂 And how great that your son is also adopting this WOE. Have a wonderful time in London.

I need a bit of a kick as (still!) not been very attentive this week. Too many bad carbs. My weight is ok-ish but I’m feeling bloated and splodgy. My one excuse is that it’s a weird time at the moment, just having retired from full time working and needing to establish new routines. Which I know I will, but probably not until October as I’m away on various short breaks over the next few weeks (including to Ragdale Hall Cathy, which I know you love. First time so will report back in due course!). So whilst I can’t yet get into the same kind of regular routine that I have been in until recently, I will just try to do my best for the rest of August and into September. My concern is that I’m going to slide into loads of bad habits and start undoing all the efforts of the past couple of years. But I know that you lot will help to keep me on track 🙂

Happy weekend everyone – especially those in the UK who have our hot sunny Bank Holiday weekend to look forward to!

Hi DCT..try to do your best to stay as low carb as possible over the coming weeks. I fear you might be facing a difficult re start in October otherwise ? That would be such a shame and so demoralising to undermine your achievements DCT ! You don’t have to fear you will slide into bad habits if you stay determined to make healthy choices which you can sustain long term .Why can’t you get into a regular routine now ?
I am nagging and bossing you a bit..in.the nicest possible way 😉

Hi I’m probably more of a stalker than a poster I discarded 2 1/2 stonr a couple of years ago following BSD or 800 Cals less than 50 g carbs.. I found about 10lb in the last year .. not sure where from they just sneakeaked up and latched on as they do when your not paying attention. I’ve now managed to get rid of hopefully never to be found again 😂. I only want to give the boot to another 14lbs to be in the middle of my happy healthy weight but I know that this is going to be the hardest part of my journey and the maintenance will be even harder … 💕 how I feel eating low carb and know I can get there reading all your posts …. even though I don’t feel confident to always join in with your conversations xx

Hi Jess,
I’m probably more of a stalker too 😂 but thought if I joined in on a few threads it might keep me focussed so I started here.
Well done on achieving what you have so far and good luck with the next 14 👍

Wendy, sorry about your husband and I hope his recovery goes well. What an amazing year with your weight loss achievement, I’m still learning who is where, so to speak, on their journey. I’m still impressed by your focus though as I always use food during emotional times and I know that I need to fix that.

DCT, sounds like you have some lovely things to look forward to. I want to reiterate what Wendy says though (although I’m clearly not as experienced as you all) and see if you can look beyond these fun times and look at the longer goal. It is so hard to get back on the wagon 🙄 Have fun doing what you’re doing and make choices you’ll be proud of.

I’m going out tonight and have opted to drive. My friend is disappointed I’m not being a partner in crime drinking with her but only being four days on this plan I really need to stick with it. Alcohol and snacks are my downfall (or one of them anyway 😉). I hope that I will feel better for it in the morning and I have to look to the future where, once I’m at a healthy weight again, I can indulge mindfully.
Happy weekends everyone ☀️

Hi Wendleg and thanks for the nagging and bossing – it’s what I need! I’m a complex mix of being a very creative person yet also craving a daily routine, and with going through some major lifestyle changes at the moment that routine has gone completely out of the window. But until a new life pattern stabilises I just need to harness the creativity to continue to make BSD work even when times and places are different from normal. I know I can do it – and look forward to journeying with you all over the next few weeks and months.

Thanks Amethyst too, and I’m glad you’re doing well. You mention not being as experienced as some on here, but everyone’s experience is very unique – though sometimes with similarities to others. So you are already experienced in your own experience – if that makes sense?! Yes you will have questions and frustrations along the way, and someone on here may well be able to help, but you will also have just as much to give as many of the old-timers: perhaps more so in the sense that you are coming to this afresh so can re-inspire those of us who have been on the road for longer.

Talking of which, welcome Jess and well done for your success so far! You did really well to lose so much a couple of years ago (perhaps we started around the same time? I was January 2017) and then especially to re-lose the pounds that had snuck back again. Well done. I’m sure that now you are travelling with us you will start to make a dent in those remaining 14lb. I think the nearer you get to goal, the harder it is to lose the pounds so do stay on here and keep posting when you can: I don’t post that often but it does give you a sense of accountability and it really helps when others can either celebrate your losses or give you a nudge when you’re beginning to wander off-piste – as happened to me yesterday 😉

Have a great weekend everyone X

Hi Amethyst & DCT I try to read all forum posts each day, it seems to help to keep me focused and motivated. I came across the BSD book in April 2017 and started the next day, so you started a little bit before me DCT. I’m going to try and post a bit more.

Just back from a few days with my son in London. To be honest, didn’t really stick all that well to strict BSD and have decided not to weigh myself until Saturday when I will calculate my total weight loss for Attentively Awesome August and then look forward to seeing what I can do in September. I hope i have managed to lose at least 4lb this month- I was doing so well til I went away at the weekend! I forgot my to take my lunch to work this morning so had a forced fast today! I am having egg salad and yoghurt with raspberries for my evening meal. Hopefully, any damage done at the weekend will be gone by Saturday. Good luck to everyone for our last few days of August. Will be interesting to read the scores at the weekend of how much we have all managed to lose during August. Keep plodding everyone. 🐢

Scores at the weekend? Oo-er…I don’t think that is obligatory….hope not! CC, that is very impressive to just pass on lunch.
Now to look at the weekly thread!

Don’t worry 6T it is not. If people want to share then that’s fine, if people don’t want to then that is fine too. I think we have all had our ups and downs this month but it is ok and we will be accountable to ourselves only. We all know this is the long hall flight!( loved your analogy 6T). So here is to the next month and the rest of our lives❤️❤️ Birdy 💞🦜

Hi everyone . I haven’t posted on here so often as I try to look after the weekly thread but I will definitely be joining you in September. It’s an important time for me and marks my first BSD anniversary. The ‘rentrée’ is very much considered a time of renewal, not just as the beginning of another school/working year after the slower months of July and August in France.
I will see where I am in a few days time but the numbers are not everything, we know that (and as JGwen keeps reminding us)
Let’s concentrate on acheving great health and sustainable habits..in September and the coming weeks and months xxx

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to post my progress for the month today, because its a relatively quiet work day where as later on the week will be busy.
———
I can now confidently say that I have made what I view as a major stride in healing my body from IR. – I have been in the category of having to stay under 20g of carbs a day to get into ketosis and just a slight slip over the 20g level would knock me out of ketosis for 2 to 3 days. – This month after a conscious day off the waggon I got back into ketosis within 24 hours, and when having a meal with a friend going over 20g of carbs did not knock me out of ketosis.
So I have experimented this week and I have definitely reached the stage of being able to go up to 35g of carbs and stay in ketosis.
———-
No weight loss to report, in fact I have gained a couple of kg, but I am counting the improvement in IR as being a major success as its a landmark on the road towards a healthier body as well as a stepping stone towards successful maintenance of my new lifestyle / relationship to food.

JGwen
Well done on your August achievement. I am impressed that your insulin resistance has responded so well to this way of eating. What do you think has made the impact? Like you I am very insulin resistant. I have struggled to maintain this year and as you are aware some pounds have crept back on steadily and I am desperately clawing back to goal. Your experiment will help me when I am once again trying to maintain. Being able to eat 35g of carbs without knocking you out of ketosis is a massive deal. I have noticed, like you, that I can quickly get back into ketosis with low carb back to basics and wonder what may have changed. Is it because we have been working on this way of eating for some considerable time now and our bodies react quicker? I will update the thread on Saturday with regard to my August progress . I was doing really well up until this weekend when I went to stay with my son and didn’t stick to strict BSD. I have been good today and yesterday and may do OMAD tomorrow, I think mixing things up from week to week is a good idea.

Overall I think August has been a great success and a blank canvass for September is around the corner for us all. I plan to make September Super!

Hi CCathy,
I haven’t come across any research on this topic, but I have a theory.

First of all, I think I need to recap on all the threads that go into my theory.

I was watching a podcast from the Salt Lake City conference on ketosis a while ago and had an Ahhhhh moment. – The presenter was explaining how high insulin levels interferes with the body converting the thyroid hormone T4, into the active hormone of T3 at a tissue level. – That knowledge convinced me that my body has been struggling with high Insulin levels to the point of being beyond the level it can cope with and has not been in fat burning mode for over 30 years.

Watching Dr Bikman podcasts has shown me that there is a considerable difference in the cell structure of cells adapted to be successfully fuelled by ketones rather than sugars. – Also our livers need to adapt to being able to produce ketones.

The studies I have read on Keto Adaption and its impact on muscles all focus on taking existing athletes and moving them to a ketogenic diet over a couple of months. These are not likely to be people who are IR so the timescales for their adaption is not going to apply to those who are IR.

The research paper I read on the impacts of a Keto diet on insulin sensitivity was run on rats that are 9 weeks old and had been in the lab on the controlled high carb diet for a week prior to the start of the study. So again, not IR.

More recently I have read a paper which draws together a whole range of studies on Keto Adaption, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6410243/ It seems to be a comprehensive list of research into Keto adaption studies, but it doesn’t mention any papers where people / animals which have been on a carb high diet until they have developed IR have then been monitored on their progress to becoming fat adapted. However, the study focusing on the livers adaption to ketosis in rats ran for 762 days, so a little over 2 years.

Before I started on this WoE, from childhood I was always eating a carb centric diet, even when I was dieting to try to control / loose weight. My presumption is that those of us who have been IR for decades need that much longer a period of being in ketosis to give our livers and muscles the incentive/opportunity to heal so that they can be fuelled by fats.

From this paper https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5783752/ I realise that the switch within the liver to swap to ketosis is linked to SIRT1, and apparently SIRT1 production is impaired in fatty liver disease.

I haven’t tracked down enough research on the topic for this to be anything more than a personal theory, but my guess is that before we can start to be keto adapted we have to reverse any fatty liver disease, so that the liver can produce ketones only then will the rest of the body start to adapt to be able to use ketones.

I understand from the podcasts I have seen by Dr Bikman, that someone who is keto adapted will have a lot more mitochondria in each cell (5) in comparison to someone who is not (2). – It must take quite some time for all of the cells in the body to be transitioned

Although I get back into ketosis quicker now than before, even when I am working in a fasted state my breathalyser doesn’t normally read more than 0.2 (One day of intensive physical effort when fasted it was 0.3) –

I am thinking that testing for the byproducts of ketosis by using the breathalyser means that our results will be be a mixture of our carb levels and how adapted our bodies are to using ketones as a fuel source. – That would explain why some of the people who have been on the egg fast protocol have reported that their readings on their breathalyser suddenly jumped up and have stayed up after the end of the egg fast. – They have pushed their bodies into adapting into being better at burning fat for fuel.

So I think that although I started cutting down on carbs back in October 2017, and after a time I started to reduce carbs further, I doubt if my body started the change of being fat adapted until I started to focus on being in ketosis.

I don’t know how long it takes for the liver to heal, or for the cells in the liver and muscles to change/be replaced with cells with more mitochondria. I know that for muscles its exercise combined with ketosis that triggers an increase in mitochondria, But, what triggers the liver cells to increase the number of mitochondria? or is it just when cells are replaced that they are replaced with new cells with more mitochondria? Apparently the average liver cell has a lifespan of 300 to 500 days, and dysfunction of the liver mitochondria precedes IR.

I have noticed that my stamina has improved, so I feel that my muscles have increased in their ability to use fat for fuel in the last few months. I suspect that the low levels with the breathalyser mean I still have more healing to do to get to the stage of being fully fat adapted and the best I can do to achieve that is continue to focus on remaining in ketosis as much as possible combined with exercise.

Wow JGwen some great thoughts there and I wouldn’t be surprised if you were correct. I wish my brain could work it all out😂. It is also great news that you have been able to up your carb intake. I am still too scared to do so, but I know I have to at some point as it is not supposed to be be sustainable?? Mind you Allie did it for a year with no ill effects, and I have only been at it 21 weeks. So we shall see. I think when I reach my goal of 12stone 9lbs(80kg or 117lbs). I will play with my carbs a bit. I still won’t be eating rice, pasta or bread, but I might try some pulses and lentils. I don’t miss any of the carbage really and watching the Magic Pill film made me even more determined to stay away from crap food.

I am also going to start going to a butcher where all his meat is grass/pasture reared and locally sourced in and around the South Downs near me and near Brighton. I have been told of a place not to far that grow all their own seasonal vegetables with modifications and nasty insecticides. Because I eat a lot less meat, as in portion control it shouldn’t be much more expensive to get decent stuff to feed the whole family.

Thanks for making the science a little easy to understand as always JGwen and again congratulations on your results❤️ Birdy 💞🦜

Hi Birdy, the reason I noticed the small increase in carbs without dropping out of ketosis is simply because being a vegetarian it is so hard and limiting on the range of meals to stick to being under 20g of carbs a day.
I have been thinking about what aims to set for September.
I think it may be a useful experiment to follow the example of others and embark on an egg fast. – I might even look at adding MCT oils into my eating plan.

JGwen it is great that you did stumble upon it though. I need to get back into it and I have been very conscious of what I am eating since I got back from my holiday. But I need to get back to basics and I will once my parents have gone home and my son is back at school. I am so far out of routine with the summer holidays😂. Once normal day to day life resumes I am sure I will be able to sort it out.

I am also thinking of what goals I want to set for September. I know the main one will be to get closer to 12 stone 9.

Off to work in a bit so a little snoozette is on the cards for me.

See all later lovely people.

Birdy 💞🦜

Thank you JGwen for all the research you do and kindly share with us all. Very interesting research into ketosis and our livers. When I was a child I suffered with Stills Disease which is a juvenile form of rheumatoid arthritis and I was very very poorly and had hepatosplenomegaly (enlargement of the liver and spleen) I had a very abnormal liver and my consultant feared both for my liver and my life! Thankfully, my liver repaired itself and here I am aged 58 alive and very well. I wonder if my damaged liver had any correlation with me being insulin resistant as I got older. I recovered and my liver healed and I am going to ensure that I live a healthy life and make sure as don’t end up with a fatty liver. This way of eating is probably doing a lot more than we realise in terms of our health.

Will be interesting to share our September goals over the weekend before the September thread gets under way.

Keep plodding everyone. 🐢

Haven’t had a chance to post on here lately and realize, I’ve missed a bunch because somehow I got kicked out of this thread! I’ve been battling away through August and had some losses and gains which are frustrating as they seem to come from nowhere. I’m holding off on my final results until the end of the month and starting to plan for September which will include an egg fast at the beginning to kick my ketosis higher and then back to being strict with my macros and calories. No cheese or nuts seem to be the key for me right now.
I’m interested to see everyone else’s results in whatever form they take. I love your research and experimentation, JGwen and that it’s a success that is outside of the scales. I totally believe what you said “My presumption is that those of us who have been IR for decades need that much longer a period of being in ketosis to give our livers and muscles the incentive/opportunity to heal so that they can be fuelled by fats” makes a lot of sense. I’ve also noticed that I can still gain quite easily even when my carbs are consistently under 20g but my protein or fat is too high so for me, it’s important to remember that I have to keep all three in check at this stage of my journey. There will be time further down the road when I can relax a little more with regard to fat and protein.
Hang in there everyone for the last few days xx

Hello all, Im using this thread to take stock of my progress. Lost 5.5kg / 12lbs this month which is an EXCELLENT result if I say so lol because it included 10 days away on holidays with a very relaxed approach to carbs.
I’m actually not sure how I managed such a good result. This WOE never ceases to amaze me.
—
As for September goals, I will be happy with a drop of 3kg/6lbs as I want to start putting on some muscles as well which should slow the scales results. Will make sure to take lots of tape measurements to monitor progress in a more meaningful way.

Also I wanted to give a big shout out to @dreamscometrue, you answered my call for help earlier in the month and you remembered to call me out on it and for this I am very grateful. It had a big impact on me to know that there was someone on the forum waiting for me to come back to the straight and narrow after my holiday. Thanks so much <3 <3 <3
I’ll be here for you should you need support in reaching your goals.

LouiseKangooroo – that is a phenomenal weight loss for August and whilst being on holiday too! Wow! Well done. So inspiring. You must have worked hard to lose that much weight.

Weigh day for me is tomorrow. I was doing so well until I went to spend the weekend with my son and didn’t behave myself too well! I’ve been good this week and so tomorrow I will see what I’ve lost this month. As a slow loser I hope I have lost 4lb this month. I’ve enjoyed being part of the August thread and feel ready for the next leg of the journey- September.

Thanks @clarinetcathy it didn’t feel hard, I’m not sure how I did so well. I guess some months will be great some other average but August agreed with my body 🤷‍♀️
I have found a fasting routine that has kick start my weigh loss and giving me consistent strong results while being manageable.
Fingers crossed for your scales showing a good 4lbs loss tomorrow. If it doesn’t I’m sure it will in a couple of days as any damage from your wkd with your son will mostly be water weight.

Hi All, I want to congratulate everyone who’s stuck with it for August – gain, lose or stay the same, committing to it for the month and actually following through is a win, in my view. And reinforces that for most of us this is for the long term.

I haven’t been as regular in popping into this thread as I’d hoped to be, but August had delivered me a few unexpected bumps that were a wee bit distracting. I’m hoping to be here more in September 🤞

I unexpectedly managed to achieve my August goals- I’d aimed for a discard of 3kg (6.6lbs) and managed 3.3kg (7.2lbs). I am thrilled with this. But I think it came about mostly through stress, and I’m hoping not to see another month like August for a good while. On that basis I’ll aim for something rather less ambitious for September 😊

See you next month, Elky

Morning all! Well done Elky on meeting your targets!❤️ It warms my heart knowing what a difficult month you have had! I too hope you don’t have a repeat of it and I am sure you won’t🤗🤗🥰. September is going to be good😌

I managed to hit my targets(well kinda😂). I got down to 14-1 by the time I went on holiday, so win there😂. I did have one croissant and 3 slices of bread whilst I was in France, so no win there😂. But I can honestly say I didn’t enjoy the croissant! So a sort of win as I know I won’t want one again😂😂. I put on 4-5lbs whilst away so hoping to shift that and some more in September. Fingers crossed. I hope you all have a great weekend. Birdy💞🦜

Morning everyone

Am reporting a 5.2 lb weight loss during August. I am really happy with that. I’ve enjoyed the Autumn thread and am looking forward to beginning a new start for September tomorrow. My plan for September is to lose at least another 4lb but hopefully a little more if possible. I am happy to start the September thread if it isn’t already sorted.

Well done to everyone who has succeeded during August and if you’ve not done as well as you had hoped then don’t worry, see you for the September thread tomorrow. Keep on keeping on, keep chipping away and keep focused, We can do this.

Onwards and downwards!

CC – that’s a great result, and you too, Birdy and Elky – and a big shout out to everyone else who has reached their goals, part-reached their goals, and/or kept trying. I agree with you Elky – that’s a win in itself.
I’m afraid I’ve been none of the above this month – not been very attentive to my step counting at all – rubbish really. I’m a bit irritated with myself because I do like to meet a target once I’ve set it.
Nor have I been good at updating and offering support on here. So, I’m going to bow out of the September thread, and really reconsider my priorities.
Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to reading of everyone’s progress in August and wish everyone a fantastic Seriously Sensible September.
Jennie xx

@jennie10 I hope you might reconsider your involvement in the September thread as I’ve always found your posts both supportive and helpful.
I know what’s it’s like to not reach a target and I feel that it’s crucial at that point that stranger people like me remind you on your importance and to keep going, keep logging in, and keep touching base. The rest will sort itself out
Take care Jennie xx

Jennie10
It made me feel sad to read your post. You have always been so supportive of others on the forum. Please don’t beat yourself up because you didn’t achieve your August goal. It doesn’t matter. We have all had ups and downs on the journey and this is why I personally find it helpful to be on the forum, for the encouragement and support it offers. I could no way have achieved getting to goal in 2017 without the support and encouragement I received along my very slow journey and here I am again after what hasn’t been a great maintenance year chipping away at the pounds again slowly and being part of a group of like minded people encouraging and supporting each other. Sometimes setting a target can be counter productive. I know only too well how disappointed I get when I jump on the scales and don’t see what I want to see hence I’ve stopped weighing daily. That took the pressure off me.

When I joined the August thread I didn’t want to pressure myself as I too get disappointed when I don’t achieve my goals so decided that I would just accept a loss each week, any loss would be a gain.I hope that you can draw a line under the disappointment of August and consider being part of Seriously Sensible September with us again.

Jennie10 – I’m with the others, please don’t beat yourself up. I’m sure you had important things that you needed to take care of and often that can be what prevents us from doing as we aim.
I didn’t meet my August weight goal either, but I recognize that 6kg was a bit ambitious and was really set to motivate me to try hard. I think I met the goal of being much more attentive than I have been and recording a lot of what I eat, etc. I did end up losing 3.3kg which is more than 7lbs, so not bad considering I have gained in all the previous months. I know I am also still carrying some end of month water weight, so hopefully that will come off over the next week or so and I can continue to keep losing in the early part of September. I did learn that I can lose quite a bit of weight in the early part of the month, and then I have to keep on being just as attentive, if not more so, through the second half of the month just to stay the same. It can be so discouraging to think you’re doing everything right only to see the pounds creeping on again. At least I know it is not me, just my wonky hormones at the minute.
I’m hoping in September I can finally get under 90kg. Only 2.7kg to go to meet that goal. I’m at the beginning stages of planning a holiday to Europe next year to see all my friends from uni, and I would like to go on a riding holiday as well for part of the time, and the one I have in mind has a weight limit of 88kg. I would be nice to be well below that so that they have a wider selection of horses to choose from to put me on. Means I have to keep being attentive through July 2020 now!

Wow, you’ve all done so well, no matter what your goals were! And Jennie, I agree with all the others – plus you made it back to report in your progress, even if you’re not happy with it. Many times in the past when I felt I wasn’t on track, I slunk off because I felt ashamed so I admire you for coming on, owning it and choosing to keep pushing yourself. Even if you don’t feel like posting, I hope you continue to read and feel the support 💕
Cathy, I would say, go ahead and start the thread. I think 6T started this one but I don’t think it matters, it’s more important that it’s up and we’re all on board! If you want to do that, then maybe we can post our goals/wishes for September. For those that want to, not necessary obviously,! If people are more comfortable just sing the thread as support, I think that’s awesome. And congrats, Cathy! No 🐢 anymore!
I will post my final results tomorrow as I’m choosing to count from the 1st to the 1st! But those will just be numbers – more importantly as I mentioned previously, I stayed away from all the bad catering options while working this movie, including an assortment of pastries and delicious looking fresh fruit for breakfasts (choosing to have eggs and sometimes a piece of bacon instead and very thankful for the options available), ignored the desserts at lunch or dinner despite my team always bringing a plate of cookies back to the table for everyone (again thankful that there were good proteins, veggies and salad options to fill up on) and only went to Crafty (this is the food station available with snacks all day and night) for fizzy water or coffee. That’s a really big change for me as normally, it’s all the food I would never buy for myself so I used to see it as a chance to taste things I always wanted plus I would stockpile for the drive home. I feel really proud of the swing in behavior as it’s so out of character so I hope it doesn’t sound like boasting. Fingers crossed for my last ditch effort today and the willpower to keep going tomorrow xxx

Sixturkeys
Just checking in to see if you were planning to set up the September thread for us for later or whether you would like me to. There are a few of us who are looking forward to continuing on our journey into Seriously Sensible September.

Kafin I think you have done amazingly well. Your discard is always a challenge and you could so easily get frustrated and discouraged by what you consider to be slow progress whatever you try but you never give up and as you said to Jennie, you keep pushing yourself.
The movie work was clearly frantic and stressful but you got through it despite the pressures and to resist all the carbage on offer is as much a victory as numbers going down on the scales, if not greater !! You keep going ,it’s not easy for you , we know and yes, you really should be proud of yourself !!!
I will be with you in September, for sure !