Mokovex I love your overgrown garden idea and am going to use this! My neural pathways definitely need some TLC 🙂
Jules – I love charity shops too! Today I’m wearing a pair of brand new size 18 slim-fit black jeans, they still had the $40 price tag on them and I only paid $2. This time last year I was a size 20-22, and I eventually want to get back to a 14-16 so it doesn’t make sense for me to spend a lot on clothes. Most of my work wardrobe has come from charity shops too. My daughters love it as well. We get that way now that we resent paying full price for clothes in retail stores & boutiques when we know how much cheaper it is in charity shops! I’ve also been donating my bigger clothes as i have no intention of fitting back into them!
Luvtocook – I love your yoghurt dessert ideas, am going to try some this week. I have had yoghurt and berries with flaked almonds for breakfast before, but had t thought of doing that for a pudding.

VictoriaM: I put the chia in the raspberries to thicken up the saucy/liquid part.

And yes, I have both the powdered stevia and the liquid stevia…prefer the liquid. Less aftertaste.

There is also a stevia glycerite….thicker more viscous. Do NOT like that one. Not sure what the difference is other than the thickness, but yelch, don’t care for it.

Jules / SueBlue: using charity shops…what a great idea. Over the years I have certainly donated enough to them as my weight has gone up and down (and have a bag waiting to drop off right now). Its our turn to take advantage I’d say. Your right….silly to invest money in clothes you hope/plan to grow out of in about 8 weeks. After 8 weeks you can donate them right back.

SueBlue…I am jealous that you can fit in size 18 skinny jeans. I am very pear shaped (translation….huge bumm) and must still buy the “women” sizes. Can now fit into my size 16W NYMJ (Not Your Mothers Jeans) as they are more “ample” in the hip. Anxiously looking forward to the day I can drop the W off all the pants I buy. Not nearly so well endowned upstairs. No W there.

Right now my purchases have been limited to an insane number of scarves …both to wear with coats in the winter months, but also to dress up a tee shirt over jeans. At least they will still fit next year is my rationalization.

Hello Everyone, Wowser everyone is doing so well, either losing weight, getting a better understanding of their triggers or hunkering down and starting a new effort. So many good tips. I can’t list everyone but gratitude for your sharing, congratulations for your strength and perseverance and high fives to everyone.

Nearly the end of 4 weeks of absolutely rigid BSD for me and I’m pretty much over cravings, although I do sometimes find myself wondering whether I’ll be able to incorporate a special favourite into ‘rest of life’ eating once I get to my goal weight. I try not to ruminate on those thoughts as goal weight is still a fair way off. So no difficult cravings but habits are a different thing. At the markets today I just auto piloted over to the nut stand and began to order snack size bag of salted cashews, which I would sometimes just munch as I go about marketing. Whoopsie, lucky I caught myself in time!

I am still amazed by how well I feel and how this plays out in different ways. Yesterday, for example, I helped my daughter (kept her company) choose a new reading chair for a house she has just purchased (her first so its very exciting). This show of support included my worst nightmare – a trip to IKEA. I would normally end up with barely contained ‘shopping rage’ after about 30 minutes. Not this time. I don’t know if it is having reasonably stable blood sugar levels or the steady availability of fat to burn or what – but I just sailed through, even picked up a couple of new cushions covers for me and actually enjoyed spending time with my lovely girl. A very unexpected NSV!

See you all on Tuesday weigh in – I think I’ve got the counting day thing sorted

LTC, I’m not stalking you around the forums tonight, I promise 🙂 Plans sidelined
because of the weather, so I’m here tonight. Just wanted to tell you how profoundly
healthy I think it is to be buying beautiful scarves to frame your face. I spent 15+ years
treating myself like I didn’t deserve anything because I was obese. I well understand
what it feels like to wear a Women’s size 3X and have to settle for cover-ups instead
of well made clothing. It’s similar to an out of body experience to fit into a Misses 6/8
today. All it takes is fortitude and committment, what ever that looks like for you.
Treat yourself well along the way! It’s part of the process.

‘Night, All,

Allie

LTC and VictoriaM, I have been doing something similar with full-fat Greek yogurt when I would like something for ‘afters’, but in my case I add cocoa powder, sliced almonds and a bit of stevia to sweeten it.
SueBlue, I definitely hear you about the emotional eating. In addition to the stress of having a sick horse, this week has also been high stress at work. I know that in the past I have made junk food runs to the nearest supermarket in the afternoons on high stress days when I’m feeling tired, overwhelmed, alone and unable to cope with all the political craziness. I have put on most of my weight in the past 3 years, and interestingly that co-incides with my previous boss retiring. He was a bit like a father figure to me and shielded me from a huge amount of stupidity in the upper ranks. I have had mainly short-term, self-serving managers ever since who are not interested in the work, but are just using our unit as a stepping stone to move on to greater (in their minds) things. I recently had a few months reprieve with a very good manager who was providing some protection and stability, but she just got headhunted and went elsewhere, so I am back to dealing with stupidity again. Luckily, even though I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit this week, it hasn’t been as bad as it could have been because I don’t feel like junk food anymore. I actually fell into old patterns by buying a large bag of crisps on Tuesday evening when I was in the supermarket trying to find something for dinner, but in a completely uncharacteristic move, I never opened them. By Thursday, I knew I wasn’t going to, so I took them to the party I attended and let others eat them instead.
The party went reasonably well. I filled up with some vegetarian cabbage rolls that had a really nice lentil filling, and rounded out my plate with lots of veggies, various cheeses and some pear slices. I took a very small piece of an apple based dessert, but it was too sugary sweet, so I didn’t finish it.

Woo hoo,
Another 2lbs today. So 3lbs this week as target. I have read on here about a few days with no loss and then a whoosh, but obviously on week 2 haven’t experienced it before. This week I had 5 days with no loss and then 3lbs in 2 days. So I’ve lost a total of 1st; 4 lbs before Bsd and 10lbs in two weeks on Bsd, even though I had 3 Christmas events this week. Next week target 3 lbs again.

Luvtcook, thanks for the answer on Stevia, I’ve ordered some.

Articfox I really sympathise with your problem with mangers. My last manager was the same, pleasant enough, but whilst we were in the middle of reorganising she totally focussed on her future and completely ingnored the rest of us. So I had to support my team, with no support. During all that time the chocolate bar vending machine was my friend, sometimes it felt like my only friend, and that’s when I triggered over into Type 2 diabetes. I wish I’d known about Bsd and this forum then, I’m sure all of you would have helped me realise that chocolate wasn’t the answer. It sounds like you are winning that battle and managing things so well done you. Now 3 years on and retired, I wish I’d had the attitude that I wouldn’t let her wreck my health, but that’s hindsight, you seem to be taking control whilst still in the situation which is great.

Another blow out. Tomorrow is a new day.

nothing exciting to report although the scales did wobble between 75.9 and 76.1 but rested on the higher reading. Still, it is a successful weekend so far. I have my blood test on Tuesday and see the doctor on Wednesday with my results. Fingers crossed. My machine shows I have a 3 month average reading of 5.3 but I know I will be a little bit higher. We will see.

Hi all
Just popping in to say thank you for the birthday wishes and for helping me enjoy the new weight loss moment.
X B

Congrats to everyone having powered through another week.

Well, next SUN will wrap up my first 8 weeks on BSD and am very pleased how things are going so far. Really appreciate all the support and encouragement during the rocky start I had (weight bouncing all over the place….gains at times when there should have been none). But in the end it looks like it is setlling down and evening out.

As Esnecca said some time ago, I feel for the first time that I have unlocked the secret to how my body works and am control of my weight loss instead a passanger on some crazy random ride where I never knew what to expect. This seems, overall with the grand total of just 7 weeks in, much more predictable now.

Would love to know from the BSD maintainers that are out there and have lost so much, if along the way the saw the same crazy plateaus with the WOE as we all have seen with other diets? If yes….how long was the worst, and did you see the weight that should have come off finally drop….or was there ever stalls that were black holes that never produced a weight loss?

I just feel I need to be realistic as this is going very well right now and do not want to set myself up for unrealistic expectations.

Will report total 8 wk loss next week. I also have some moderately agressive goals in 2018….starting with a desire to nose in at 199.0 as of Jan 1…..see the end of the 200s finally. This DEC challenge is just what I need, so am so pleased it is so active. So will do the double target of DEC 25….and JAN 1 a week later. Will help keep me out of trouble Xmas day.

LTC. All good questions! I’d really like to give you a thoughtful reply based on your
particular experience over the past 7 weeks. If you are comfortable sharing this
information, would you tell us your weekly losses, average daily calories, and average
daily net carbs? Also, what role do you see sweeteners playing in your life now and
in your future maintenance? What has been your experience with “stalls” to date?
Simple questions aren’t always as simple as they look 🙂 🙂 🙂

Allie

Hey there Blah, what counts as a blowout? I wonder if you are being a bit hard on yourself? Also you don’t gave to give up for whole day, just make the next meal better. I ‘cheat’ all the time, but with low carb yummies so my blowouts still fit into BSD even if the calories don’t. Then over time your blood sugar will stabilise and it will get easier. So if it was crisps, for example, next time eat cheese or nuts (even roasted or salted ones – not peanuts tho!) and then at least you are making it better for when you can face the 800 calories. You’ve been making such great strides, don’t be disheartened!

Hi Blah

It’s good advice from JackieM. I remember one of the best pieces of advice I read on here (sorry to say can’t remember who said it) was if you are going to break the diet it’s better to have too many calories than the wrong type of food.

I’ve had far too much Fage yoghurt tonight – again! But, as you say, it’s a brand new day tomorrow. Stick with it.

Marie x

Luvtcook, SueBlue, Marie123, Mokovex, VictoriaM & Flick – I’ve just spent half an hour drafting a huge reply to you all and accidentally deleted the lot! Arrggghhh! Will try again separately this time, not making that mistake again.

Hi Luvtcook, yes it’s lovely to be able to get rid of a bag full of too big clothes and get smaller ones for next to nothing. I’m looking forward to hearing your 8 week results soon, I’m sure you’ve done brilliantly. Love reading all your meal ideas too.

SueBlue – congrats on your bargain jeans and down 2 sizes to 18, that’s so close to your 14 – 16 goal, well done, you must be delighted! I’m sure you’ll get there in next to no time.

Marie123, how lovely you found a hoard of favourite clothes just waiting for you and fitting again, congratulations!

Unfortunately, my blow outs really are blow outs. Broke the dam with a cheesymite scroll, and ended up with char kwayteow, iced Milo and chocolate for dinner.

I need to remember how ravenous going for a swim makes me, and prep ahead. Today, I’ve got all my food properly planned and ready to go. Just need to keep my fingers out of the chocolate bowl at work. I need to work on Lucia’s small steps/chunking down.

Wish me luck for the day.

Weight: 76.8
Waist: 103

H Mokovex, thanks, another stone off and hopefully they will go over my hips. I love your garden path analogy, we’re all trampling our way through at different rates and it’s lovely we have each other for support. I’m so annoyed with myself for drifting away last year instead of staying and asking for help. Hopefully I’m here to stay this time 🙂

Hi VictoriaM, well done on getting rid of that 1lb, you must be so pleased. I’m with you on the pud thing. My favourite now is frozen strawberries, blueberries and raspberries warmed in oven with spoon Fage, splash cream and topped with almonds. Eaten slowly is heaven!

Hi Flick, 4 weeks rigid BSD is fab, well done on controling the cravings and swerving the cashews. How fabulous that you feel so well and enjoyed your day with your daughter – even in the nightmare of IKEA!

Allie, no stall yet and to be honest, I am really going great guns for now. To date, have lost exactly 23 lbs in 7 weeks on BSD (and 2 lbs the prior week before I started it, for a total of 25 since mid Oct).

So well pleased, goes without saying. I just am wondering if clipping along at this rate is too much to hope for and frankly looking for problems when none exist at the present time (you can retire from the job but the “find icebergs in the water before you hit them” radar is still very much active. Can’t help myself). And the loss is on top of at least some muscle gain, as I am lifting weights twice a week and can now do more reps with arms….and have been able to increase the resistance on the eliptical I do twice a week for legs.

So very much interested in how your weight loss journey went…..whether fairly predictable and even week to week, or in spite of keeping to the plan did you have plateaus such as are common for low calories/low fat diets? Hoping the answer is NO.

This diet is just a game changer for me. Have never ever ….ever ever ….. lost weight so fast and so easily, felt so not hungry, had ample energy, and a such a positive mood. I have been able to walk the straight and narrow, been good as gold, and BSD has rewarded me. Waiting for the bubble to burst. But hope not.

There is no bubble to burst, this is real. I am with you in having the experience that I feel that something will happen, it will prove to have been an illusion and ‘normal life’ will resume, but it hasn’t happened. Over a year now from the end of my 8 weeks, 18 months from the start of my adherence to this WOE and it is more clear than ever. There is no going back, only forwards into the rest of our lives (hopefully longer than they would have been otherwise). So much has changed, that although I have reconnected with many previous foodie favourites over the past year, I now no longer see them as such, and as the occasional ‘extra’ they have done me no harm. I had never considered that this state was possible or that it would be so ‘easy’ to get there or stay there. Keep the faith, keep on keeping on and this will be the same for you. It really is a game changer.

LTC, I’m delighted that you’re happy with your progress to date. It is wonderful to
feel so full of energy, isn’t it? I can’t answer your question re your expectations without
specific data as requested, so I won’t attempt to. I can certainly share my experience
however, and I’m more than happy to do so. Month 1 &2, lost 14 lbs. each month,
calories 800-900 per day, carbs 35-40 per day. Month 3, 18 day plateau. Dropped
carbs to <20. Weight loss for the month, 14lbs. Months 4-10, weight loss 14 lbs.
per month, cal. 800/day, carbs <20/day. Began maintenance by increasing cal.
to 850 week one, 900 week 2, to the present, where I consume just about 50 cal/day
under my TDEE. I’ve lost an additional 12 lbs in maintenance, but happy to say that
my weight has finally stabilized and I’m holding steady at 21 lbs. under a BMI of
25 for my height, i.e. 21.46, and right in the middle of the range for healthy BMI.
Once I dropped my carbs to 20 my losses were steady, predictable, and uninterrupted
at approx. .5lbs per day. I was unable to do any exercise for the first 8 months due
to chronic pain issues, but when I added in 5 miles/day of brisk walking, it didn’t
affect my rate of loss at all. Obviously important for heart and lungs, however.
I hope this is the information you are seeking. Anything further, just ask!

I’m calling today a success. Fasting bsl was 20.4

Have stayed within 50gms carbs and 800 cals with a pre dinner reading of 7.9.

Good morning everyone. Thanks for your post Alliecat, Even though I’m only just starting week 3, I have been thinking about what happens after week 8, and your gradual approach makes so much sense.

I lost another 1lb today so that leaves 1 and a half stone to my target. My target is 12 st which is mid BMI for my height. I’m pleased that I’ve started this week well, because tomorrow is the least controllable of all my Christmas meals. I’m going to lunch at a Lebanese canteen and we’ll be having Mezza. In theory that is Mediterranean and ok but I won’t know what’s in the dishes and definitely won’t be able to stick to 800/20 and I won’t be able to count. I won’t be drinking because I’m singing in a concert later, so hopefully it won’t be too bad. I’ll reduce calories today and Wednesday so maybe that will compensate.

Oh well done Blah – sounds like a terrific day – keep at it, one day at a time!

Luvtcook – 7 weeks and -23lbs – wooho. AND still, positive, enthusiastic, and obviously from your recipe ideas, eating very well. Gives me courage.

VictoriaM – what great results and managing a minor stall! Good luck at the lunch tomorrow. It starts to feel like one challenge after another. I keep reminding myself that there are worse things than not eating nasty 🤢 food.

Good luck with your blood tests Sunshinegirl!

JulesP – thanks for the nod, I was still enjoying the feelings long after the outings were done.

Hugs to everyone.

VictoriaM, there are plenty of breads, grains, cereals and sugars in Mediterranean cuisine, alas. Lebanese is one of my favorites, but it is full of bulgur, chickpeas, lentils, honey, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask what’s in things. There is nothing wrong with you ascertaining if a dish suits your dietary requirements. It’s no different than keeping kosher or being allergic to tree nuts. You aren’t a vessel for other people’s food cravings. You do you, and have a great time. 🙂

Thanks, Esnecca you are right, I need to get over the need to apologise and make excuses. I have spent quite enough energy already thinking of excuses I could mak eover Christmas so as not to offend people. I need to be more positive to others about my choices. Sadly my sister in law was a Health Visitor for many years and now in her 80s is very stuck in the old NHS way of thinking, so I’m trying not to have to fight, she’ll only worry!

It took me a while to figure out how to handle those public eating situations without things gets uncomfortable and tense. I finally just opted for the “don’t feed the troll” approach. I refuse to engage them, no matter how well-meaning. It’s my body, my life on the line and I am making considered decisions that are entirely mine to make and nobody else’s business. There are laws against disclosing this kind of information without permission. I simple ask the server my questions, get my answer, make my choices and move on to another subject. I don’t usually do substitutions, just to keep it easy, but I will frequently ask that something be omitted. I’ve only been denied once and that was because the ingredient I ask them to leave out was already part of the mixture; it wasn’t prepared to order.

A friend of mine once told me that the trick to getting through hard things was to “act as if.” Battling with timidity and people pleasing? Act as if you’re fearlessly self-confident. Afraid your choices about your own diet and health are going to become subject of controversy? Act as if you can’t even hear the conversation. If you do it often enough, “act as if” turns into the way things are. It’s profoundly liberating, and in the end everyone benefits because you can be yourself without having to pay a taxing emotional price for it and your loved ones see you succeed and feeling great on every levels.

Act as if, Victoria, and good luck! I hope they have that cabbage and mint salad thingy. I could strap on a feedbag and go to town on that one all day. 😀

Allie, that is the perfect answer….simply wanted to know if plateaus were to be expected….and if you wait them out that eventually the weight loss catches up.

At present I am averaging losing 12 lbs a month…..would like to keep up that pace and hopes its not unreasonable to set that as a goal. Your steady weight loss of 14 lbs a month certainly suggests that 12 lbs is not to much. I am a bit shorter than you (5’4″ to your 5’7″) so my muscle mass is going to be a bit less….but all in all, am now more comfortable with setting my target at 12 lbs per month.

Thanks so much for such a detailed history of your weight loss journey. Pretty inspiring to say the least.

Esnecca: what a wonderful, eloquent, and empowering reply to Victoria. No one could have said it better. Seriously. Simply wonderful. You have a gift for writing.

I feel I am a strong woman, and no shrinking violet when it comes to asking for what is reasonable. But that philosophy of caring for oneself should be printed on a plaque and hung on the wall. Its an affirmation if I ever heard one. Bravo.

LTC, I’m so happy that I could be of some help 🙂 I think 12lbs/mo. is indeed very realistic.
I’ll be following your journey with much interest, celebrating your victories with you
along the way. You can do this! Go, girl!!! And keep buying those scarves to frame
your (I’m sure very lovely) face 🙂 🙂 🙂

Allie

Thank you all, you are just the tonic I need!

Esnecca, you are so right. I had decided not to tell my friends what I was doing and hope to get by without them noticing. That’s mad, they’ll understand, or at the worst roll their eyes a bit – so be it! Like you say act as if I don’t worry about what others think and eventually I won’t.

Alliecat and luvtcook – I’m behind you on the 8 week cycle as I’m only just starting week 3, but I’ll be watching you with interest and hoping to copy your success. If I keep up 3lbs a week I will be within 4lb of my target by the end of 8 weeks and probable ready to start the gradual changes.

Thanks again everyone.

Hi all

If I can just shove my two pence worth into the general convos, I think being British is terrible in these situations. God forbid we speak up, might upset anyone and why oh why are we constantly apologising?? If our friends are really that then they should be encouraging, I know that’s what I do when it’s a friend of mine, and what we all do on these forums. Be bold everyone, insist on food that you can eat – after all, you’re paying for it!

I remember about this time last year, I went to visit my parents and I told my mum that I wouldn’t be having roast potatoes, or parsnips but would have the meat and green veg. I was very nice about it but she told me I was being stupid and why couldn’t I just have them instead of making it awkward. I told her that I wasn’t making anything awkward, I wasn’t asking her to prepare anything else for me, I just wasn’t going to eat what I didn’t want. It would have been the same if it was a vegetable that I didn’t like . (Never met one by the way :). She eventually relented and actually ended up doing BSD herself for a while – but she has no motivation and no staying power. Shame really since she is 16 stone.

Anyway, I love the fact that this forum is so supportive – best of luck with weigh-ins tomorrow – see you then!

Ha, Topcac, your two pence did make me smile! I could do with some of that British
reserve. Although 50% of my genes have British roots, as an American I have little
or no filter and what goes through my head generally comes out of my mouth, with
very little editing in between. Far too often than is comfortable I get asked “tell us
what you REALLY think, Allie” 🙂 I hope the pressure around your holiday table will
be mitigated this year by all your achievements! Stick to your goals, either way…

Allie

Hi everyone, same weight so no loss at all this week (so far). Got my blood test in the morning so nil by mouth from 9pm. I will report my results tomorrow afternoon, before I see my doctor. I am fairly confident they will be under 6.0 or thereabouts.

On the subject of going public it is a conversation I have had many times. I have no fear of asking for what I want and once ordered boeuf bourguignon without the chips and the waitress brought them to me on a separate plate ‘just in case you change your mind’, you can make lots of friends as you hand your chips down the table, there is always one greedy sod at the table. In another restaurant I ordered a giant burger but asked for no bun and no chips, it came in the bun with chips so I sent it back. My dinner companion said ‘why dont you just leave it’ to which I said ‘have you ever tried to leave chips’. That is not the point, I dont want to have to resist them, just dont serve them. We stayed with family so I had to tell them about my diet – okay a very intelligent lady – and also I dont eat fish. For dinner our first evening she served fish and chips but said it was okay as there were no carbs in them because it was panko breadcrumbs. Give me strength. On a cruise I decided to just not eat the accompaniments but found I was still hungry after eating so I told the maitre d’ I as diabetic and dont eat carbs but could I have extra veg. It worked great and I even got extra meat portion sometimes. My husband bans me from discussing it and that is okay as long as he doesn’t drone on about when he was in the RAF. Deal done. Anyway my results speak for themselves. I know I dont lose lots of weight but I am on insulin and it is called the fat magnet and my doctor is amazed that I am able to lose weight at all, although he nags me every time I see him.

Allie, I beg to differ……I think you and the other participants in this blog show TREMENDOUS restraint in what you all post. Very admirable.

I did 5:2 about 3 yrs ago and quit participating on one of the threads that started out so beautifully….then got quite ugly. Some posts were even deleted by the editors. I left because I needed a positive environment in which to do a challenging IF….was not interested in watching grown women throw barbs and accusations at one another.

This forum is so different. People are respectful of differences in opinion and preference. Advise is offered when asked for but nobody imposes their chosen path on others wanting to take a different bend in the road.

Peoples opinions are welcomed and different viewpoints entertained. Frustrated members are welcome to vent all they need to. But it is a forum of kindness and support. And the advantage of the typed/printed word is we do have a moment to review and think about how it might be taken. The best of both worlds for strong opinionated women ….who are also very kind at heart.

Hi sunshine-girl I agree we shouldn’t have to ‘resist’ and why do they serve these things …. probably because just a burger on a plate would look lost! I did resist chips served on my plate last week for the first time since I started BSD, I just had no desire for them but hey why put yourself to the test!

Best of luck tomorrow hope all is well.

Sorry not to be really taking part in this thread. There are so many new people, and so much to read and I’m away and just chilling out, but I will get back into posting soon. In the meantime I wish everyone well in their quest.

Morning all,

Perfect timing to be reminded that it is OK to ask for, and receive, what you want. While perhaps not as restrained as our English friends, for the most part Australians value being easy going, not making a fuss, being one of the crowd. I have one semi regular dinner group joiner who becomes very tense and judgmental with people who order off menu. I have often wondered what has happened in her past to make her care so much about such a benign thing. You can watch it cause real physical discomfort to her.

Loud applause from me to us as we go about politely ordering what we want to eat and not eating everything that our hosts have on offer.

My excellent news for the day is I have now completed 4 weeks of BSD. Half way through!

This week I have lost .6kg bringing the total for this December Challenge to 1.9kg (this corrects last week counting 6 days only – should have been 1.3 instead of .9). Total loss for the 4 weeks 6.1kg.

Week 4 has seen a much smaller loss than each of the previous weeks (2.2, 2.0, 1.3). My 3 day mini stall followed by a loss or two pattern held strong during this past week and I have now been 72.2 for four mornings. I’m just plodding on, confident the losses will restart. This body of mine can resist but it will eventually have to to give it up.

However – drum roll please …. I have lost 4 cm from my waist and 3cm from my hips!

Well done Flick and everyone else posting losses! This is such a busy thread, it’s hard to keep up.

I also have a friend who tenses up when I make enquiries about meals and ask for things to be left off. She doesn’t say anything but it’s very clear that she doesn’t like me making things ‘difficult’ for them even if it’s just No potatoes thanks. Like many others have said, it’s easier to avoid these things if they’re not on the plate to begin with!

I didn’t check in last week, it’s been a crazy work and social fortnight and I am exactly the same weight as at the start of this challenge which means I have lost and gained a kilo, excellent if I was maintaining but frustrating when I only have a kilo to go to goal. No one to blame but myself and I wonder if I am self sabotaging because weight loss has been a constant goal for so long, how am I going to fill the space when I don’t have it any more? I know others have worked through this and I will too, I wish my logical mind would give my inner child a smart smack on the behind.

Keep on with all your interesting and insightful discussions, they give me many things to ponder.

On to a new week 😁

60.2kg – new personal low after a week of up and down the 60kg and 61kg scale. I ate a lot yesterday but I did have big gaps and I was done by 7pm. Also Day before I ate a lot of veg, and I think that makes me go up until it’s time for it to – ahem – come back down.

I think if I bought a pair of UK size 8 jeans that would not be ridiculous. When you think in August I bought some size 16 pants (underwear) and had more or less given up that is remRkable. I wish getting my BMI down (4kg to a BMI of 22) went a bit quicker, but other than that WAYHAY!

I’ve always had a bit of a mental block on being ‘small’ but I am not Small, or at least I am strong so don’t feel small even though I guess objectively I probably am Small (5’3” and 9st 4llbs, I think, I’ve used kg til now as it sounds less, but now the stones sound less too!)

Good luck with everyone else’s journey, it is definitely very doable, even if you don’t cook!

Weigh in today and I am up 3.5 pounds but it is TOTM and I can actually see some of the water bloat so not worrying. This week is our wellbeing week at work so today at work and Thursday I am introducing people to the delights of strawberries and Greek yoghurt on healthy breakfast days along with a selection of other fruit 😀 still outnumbered by the free bacon butty and pastries days but at least it is something.

Good morning fellow Elves.
I am 0.5 lb up on my birthday weight last Thursday but have lost 1.5 lbs over the week. I am not too concerned as it usually takes a few days/weeks for my body to accept a new low. Although we have a busy social weekend coming up, I will try to reach the magic 13.s again before we leave next Tuesdsy.
KOKOODAAT.
X B

Morning all challenge buddies.

Allie, I have spent a lot of time in the US so have managed to chuck off some of the British reserve but it still hangs around like a bad smell sometimes. I’m definitely getting better though!

I can’t honestly remember what I weighed in at last week but looking at the weight I logged on the day before this challenge, and what I weighed this morning, I’ve lost 5.5 lbs. In 15 days ( I actually think it’s 2.75lbs per week). I am very chuffed!! However, the amount of will power that this has taken has been ridiculous. Yesterday I tried an experiment. Every time I walked past a sweet, or biscuit, or chocolate in my offices (and there are LOADS around) I picked one up and put it in an (empty) chocolate tin that I have in my office. At the end of the day I looked at what I probably would have eaten (because I literally can’t walk past it usually without wanting something) and then put it all back on the pile and went home. It was a lot of stuff – all bad, all refined sugars and trans fats. Felt proud. Going to do the same today.

I’ve set my goal over the next two weeks just to maintain as I don’t think anything else is realistic.

Well done to anyone losing at this time of year – it’s a massive achievement. Keep your shields up and your heads down until 2 January – we can get through this lol!!

No loss to report here, again!
I have seen the 10’s and 11’s on in between days but for some reason on Tuesdays the scales are sticking to 8.12!
Still I’m hoping to get to 8.10 by the end of the challenge so will try to stay focussed.
At this time of year I traditionally associate wrapping presents with scoffing chocolates. Think I’ll make do pretty well with cups of tea this time. Am enjoying a satsuma or two also in the evenings.

Hi all, managed to lose half a pound so big cheers all round. I put it down to fasting from 8pm so I didn’t have my usual bedtime snack, maybe I can live without it, at least now and then although I went to bed hungry. So 11st 13 1/2 lbs. Had my blood taken this morning so will let you know my results later.

Hi everyone.Im pleased to report a loss of 0.4kg which is not much but Im pleased because I have been completely off plan this week. I have been so busy with our house .The Ceiling in the living room dropped and we had urgent repairs done.before it completely collapsed, since the furniture was removed we painted the walls.so I washed the curtains which fell apart .then went shoping for a new rug curtains etc.With no time to plan my meals and the weather at 36 plus I grabbed whatever. Salads and cold meats also some bread and even icecream.I will probably gain as I am probanly a bit low on fluids. But Im happy its not a big blow up KOKO

Well my results are in and not too bad but not good either. HbA1c of 6.1 or 43.2 mmol/mol. That is up from 5.7 in September. Okay, Christmas is coming up so not much I can do right now. I have to remember that I am on nearly half the amount of insulin I was on before. There is a little red asterisk next to the result and in brackets (normal reading 4.0 – 6.0) so I am just over but I am diabetic.

Will see the doctor tomorrow.