Hello and welcome!

It is now just over 12 weeks to Christmas. Those 12 weeks could make a huge difference to your life.

Last year a group of us did a virtual bus journey before Christmas, with the aim of achieving weight loss, fitness and health goals together before the festive season. It was such fun we want to do it again, and would love YOU to join us. The more the merrier!

So if you’d like to join our Christmas journey and use the time between now and then to achieve some personal goals, do hop on board. You are welcome either for the whole journey or for whatever stretch of it works for you. You will be in great company and we will do our best to support you in whatever you are trying to achieve. Above all, it will be a fun and friendly trip!

I look forward to travelling with friends new and old over the next few weeks X

Hi everyone and thank you for setting up the new threat DCT.Well done to all who lost on the last journey,YOWSER that loss is FANTASTIC,you must be over the moon🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 I did very poorly on the the last journey,as I did on the previous two😩 I binned my chart so can’t even remember what I weighed at the start of Advancing to Autumn but am busy filling in details in the lovely Goal Planner journal I bought earlier in the year and barely used.It is a 12 week one so I intend🤞completing it every day which I hope will help focus me.It’s been a difficult few months for various reasons but I am sitting firmly in my bus seat looking forward to our journey together.Good luck everyone,Dawn XX

Thanks for setting up our latest challenge thread DCT 🙂
I’m looking forward to continuing my weight loss journey on this Christmas bus trip. I’ve lost 9.3kg so far this year, and want to focus on losing the next 3kg between now and Christmas. This will see me reach the goal I set for 2021. To be honest I had thought I’d reach this weight by June, and then September, but with one thing and another it hasn’t happened yet!
Another goal I’m looking forward to achieving soon is becoming overweight (rather than obese) – this is only a few hundred grams away now.
Today was a good day – I hadn’t planned on starting until Monday, as it’s a long weekend here this weekend, but I decided to start today. I made a smoked salmon and Camembert omelette for brunch, had some ham slices, cream cheese and a few nuts mid afternoon with a milky coffee and then Lentil Dahl with cauli rice for dinner. I did have a small piece of naan bread also, not quite on plan but I really felt like some! Best of all it’s Friday evening and I’ve managed to avoid having wine, which has become a regular Friday night thing for us during lockdown. I didn’t do as much walking as I wanted to as we were hit with severe thunderstorms this afternoon so I had to cut short my walk after about 20 minutes – but at least it was a fast paced walk as I rushed to get back home before the storm hit!
Hope everyone else gets off to a good start also 🙂

Hello
I have secured my seat on the Christmas Bus and I am not getting off until December 24th. I am sitting on the front seat so that you can all keep your beady eyes on me. I have stayed the same weight during the last journey from July but am focused and positive for a good result as we head towards Christmas. Like Dawn, I’ve not had a great year and when I think about the challenges I’ve faced this year then I can forgive myself for not being where I want to be. Life is always going to be challenging and so despite things not being ideal I am going for it. I am aiming to lose 2lb per week. I’ll do a combination of low carb, fasting, time restricted eating and pure grit and determination. I am going to focus on the wonderful Christmas present I am giving to myself of being healthier and slimmer and also thinking that my 60 year old body needs to be healthy and my mind needs to be happy. I need to be back in control and so today is the first day of a new, better, slimmer, healthier me.

I’ve got all the low carb, BSD cook books, I’ve got a wealth of knowledge and experience and I’ve got the support from the wonderful friends I’ve made here on the forum. The only thing I need now is my inner strength which previously has been like iron. I think I can feel it coming up to the surface again so once again here I go……

I did weigh myself today and it wasn’t pleasant reading- I’m the heaviest I’ve been since early 2017 but that is all going to be history as I gradually get myself back to a healthier weight over the next twelve weeks. As Esnecca wisely said many times when she was on the forum back in 2017 “not one step backwards”.

Good luck everyone. Let’s do this.

Thanks DCT for setting up this new thread. I’m happy & excited to be here & am staying right to the end – just in case we overindulge at Christmas. 🙂 NOT that I think we’ll do that as we’re both pleased & amazed at the weight we’ve lost this far on the BSD the 5:2 etc. etc.

OK I’m weighing in at 11stone 8.6lbs – 162.6lbs. I lost 1st 1.8lbs or 15.8lbs on the last 3 month challenge, which I’m more than happy with at the grand old age of 69 – never thought I could do it!
Since starting this WOE on the BSD back on March 10th 2021 I’ve lost a grand total of 3stone 1.8lbs or 43.8lbs! YAY!
We’re not on the strict BSD now, probably do it 2 or 3 times a week the rest of the week we’re mindful of carbs but sometimes do go up to around 50 a day, nothing too silly passes our lips. We’ve upped protein & also fruit intake. My Blood Sugars have plummeted from 68 to 34 & I’m well into diabetes remission. Hubby is at pre-diabetic stage, I think he was at 44 – he’s gone downstairs to scoff on some protein – to help his horrendous leg wounds to heal, so I don’t have his figures. We both want to get & stay down as far as diabetes is concerned, His BP is very low now so he’s taken himself off the BP medication as we think it was making his syncopies too frequent too. My BP is hovering around the ‘normal’ range, often below but sometimes slightly above so I need to sort that too hopefully.

My goals for these 3 months are to get my BMI in the ‘normal’ category. It’s now 26.4 so should reach that at around the 11.1 stone mark, then it would be SO nice to get into the 10 stone something range. I also want to fit into 2 jackets that I used to absolutely love that I have repurchased through ebay, well, one of them should be here tomorrow & the other one I intend to buy on Monday. Both size 14 & a small 14 at that BUT I’m going to get into them, even if it takes another 3 months or having my humongous boobs chopped off – not going there!

Keep on, keeping off peeps, we ALL can do this!
Love & Hugs to everyone on the bus
Linda

Just thought I’d add this very quick & easy flatbread recipe, not to mention inexpensive – while my dough is getting ready.
Been playing around with this for a while trying to make the best combination. I weigh everything for accuracy.
60gm Coconut flour (I use Pink Sun from Amazon) very fine flour.
15gm Psyllium Husk Powder (I use Bulk from Amazon)
10gm Baking Powder (Dr Oetker)
230 ml of water weighed – 230gm – must be blood heat to lukewarm.

Put all dry ingredients into a bowl. Mix them up well with a fork & try & get any small lumps out. Add the water & then mix together with the fork for 30 secs or so. Get your hands in the dough & make it into a ball. LEAVE it for 10-15mins to let the psyllium take in a little more water,

IF you use different makes of anything then add the water very slowly – you may need anything between 200-250ml/gms. I can easily make them now just using the above every time.

I cut the ball into 8 equal-ish pieces & then put them in my tortilla maker between 2 pieces of silicon paper – again amazon buy the rolls very cheap & a boon for these, – it’s the brown stuff. I make them 4-5inches in diameter. Ideal for a quick sandwich. They keep in fridge for a week or so.

Wipe the frying pan with a small amount of oil on a paper towel , just once. Bring it up to hot – you need it on a medium to high heat so the psyllium will make them fluffy, Plonk 2 or more into a large frying pan. They should cook in 2-3mins for each side. If they don’t fluff up then turn the heat up until they do, You can probably make them into pockets if you slit them on 1 side as they are risen. Must try that today! Put on a wire rack to cool. Keep the frying pan going with the rest of them. obviously you can make larger flat breads or nans with mixture. We use for sandwiches – be warned they are VERY filling BUT only have less than 1 carb each of the 8 made flatbread.

Gotta go get hubby to docs for his leg & no time to make dinner. These are a godsend sometimes.

Enjoy Linda xxx

Sooooo excited to see my old friends here and can’t wait to welcome new passengers! 🎶🎶🎶🎶 All aboard til Christmas Eve when our luxury coach turns into Santa’s sleigh!
Yes! Luxury coach,all mod cons,to keep us happy on the way.
Let’s make it the greatest countdown ever with healthy eating,v little or no junk,drinking plenty of water ( it’s ok,the coach has loos! ) and give ourselves the most fabulous gifts of great health,shiny eyes,glossy hair,slinky sleek silhouettes,clothes that just slide on!
Doing a little dance,I’m so pleased to be aboard the Comfy Coach,with music,song,laughter,shoulders to cry on if needed,tips and advice to share, Soapbox to jump on if you need to get anything off yr chest! 😀😘🙂🙃xxxxx

Ooh Yowzer the new coach sounds lovely.Hopefully it will make me less likely to roll off!Dawn X

Yowser – you are getting sneaky! Just popping your massive weight loss over the last 3 months into the last day on the old thread! I missed it until I looked back on all recent posts after we got back from docs. Well done girl, you should be VERY proud of yourself. That’s a massive amount especially since you’ve done the BSD before. Well done! YAY! Us all being fairies on top of the Christmas tree made me spurt my coffee at the computer & down my front at the thought of it. lol Where does the top of the tree go? Don’t answer that, please!

Oh Oh NO! The first of my jackets has arrived & it’s quite a bit smaller than I expected. I have to lose 3-4″ off my bust – OMG! I can do the waist button up BUT am wondering if another 3-4″ off my bust is possible, without me looking a lot more haggard than I am at the moment. If the 2nd one goes cheap I’ll buy it & keep my fingers crossed that I can get into it soon. I have lost 7″ off my bust but that’s by losing just over 3 stone & I know I can’t lose more than another 1.5 stone otherwise I look awful. IF I go under 10 stone everyone used to say I needed to put weight on (It’s my bust that holds a lot of my excess weight). I suppose I’ll just have to wait & see how it goes & also look for a larger size of the one I really, really want. Ever since I can remember from teens onwards (that’s over 1/2 a century ago!) I’ve always had to have tops 2 times bigger than skirts/trousers. I doubt this weight loss will make that any different. The joys of inheriting mums’ side of the family traits, all my cousins on that side of the family have the same problem.

First day done and I’ve been good. I must admit to feeling a bit grumpy this evening! I usually have a gin and tonic and some nuts on a Friday night but I am doing sober October and I won’t be eating in between my meals whilst sitting on the bus. I’ve popped by to share a quote I’ve just read in a magazine I was reading online which inspired me:-
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen”
Have a good weekend everyone.

Cathy

Morning all! Great to see such positive posts on here already.

Wowzer Yowzer, you did so well on the previous thread! That’s great news. Please inspire the rest of us to do likewise on our journey!

Same for you Linda: amazing. And who says jackets have to button up anyway? I prefer the unbuttoned style myself 😉

Sue I’m so excited to read about your progress. Slowly but surely you’re getting to where you want to be. Very well done!

Cathy and Dawn, I’m with you in that last thread did not go at all to plan for me. I did well in Jive to July but put that weight back on plus a couple of pounds more during the Advancing to Autumn thread. So no excuses now, I’m clearing the decks this weekend then boarding the shiny Christmas bus on Monday. Hope to disembark on Christmas Eve having shed 9lb on the way. I hesitate to say it – as it usually goes wrong! – but I’m aiming to lose 1lb a week, which gives me a bit of leeway for weeks that don’t go so well. As if 😉

Good luck everyone! And if you’re reading this but are not sure whether or not to post, please do. We’d love to have you on board X

Yowser, I’ve jumped on & off that soapbox SO many times yesterday & today that I’ve broken it. 🙁 It didn’t work as my chest still remains the same size. I suppose I’m going to have to repair it so everyone can see if it works for them. 🙂

It’s really cold today. Last night we had to put the other part of the duvet on (triple season one) & I’m seriously thinking of turning the heating back on. They are forecasting snow for North Wales this next week, thankfully we live in South Wales so fingers crossed we won’t have any, Autumn has arrived with a vengeance, although the colours on the trees are gorgeous. We have warm air which we both love BUT it’s starting to become a bit of a nightmare as it appears SO many repairers now have no-one qualified to do any repairs on it. We really need to upgrade it but hubby has been SO ill for so long that I keep putting it off until he recovers fully. Hopefully next year this WOE will make a huge difference to his health & we can start to have all the things we need doing done.

You are all so positive in starting on this new thread. We’ll all be here for you if you need some help. I’m off to repair the soapbox now. I may even need to pop out & buy another grander one that will fit on this extremely comfortable bus perfectly. Keep on keeping off peeps! Linda xxxx

Hi guys, I am both jumping on the bus (if I may) and also sliding into a new car.

Those who have been on the forum for a few years may remember that my “treat” for myself to mark discarding the first 3 stone was to finally buy a new to me 4×4. – Well without my noticing the years have marched on, and she has developed mechanical problems which mean its time to replace her. If feels significant that I picked up her replacement on the first day of this coach trip.

My target is also jacket shaped. – Pre Covid I was down to being able to comfortably do up my heavy waterproof jacket and today its about 2 inches away from meeting. Which isn’t too bad for 18 months of being off plan, but with the rain today isn’t a pleasant experience.

My other personal aim, which I may need the accountability of the reboot is to get my house decluttered and redecorated by Christmas.

Hi everyone, lovely to see everyone on the bus and on their way.
I am aiming for continued loss, I hate to put a target on because of failing to reach them in the past but then again, it’s good to have something to work towards. I have a spreadsheet with graph going and as I enter my weight each morning it shows me the trendline. I think it is wildly optimistic but as a numbers person I like it. So, what I’d LIKE would be to discard 7.5kg, which my graph tells me is possible but really, I feel it’s unlikely as I’ve never lost weight quickly. My first interim goal is 2.5kg away so that’s my first focus.
Good luck to everyone! Onwards and downwards!

Mariet I was just thinking about you this morning, so it was good to read your posts. Fingers crossed for Tuesday x
Well done on your loss during the Autumn/Spring challenge 🙂 I’m like you – a numbers person, I love charts and spreadsheets. I’ll often do things like convert my weight into pounds (from kilos) to see if there’s any milestone numbers I can aim for.. at the moment I’m focusing on getting under 200 lbs which is very close. If I focussed on my long term goal (which is 14 kilos away) I’d get disheartened, so I like to break it down into smaller targets and focus on those one at a time.

JGwen – nice to see you back on board with us 🙂 I can identify with the whole jacket thing too Linda. Well not a jacket so much for me but a blouse. I bought a really pretty green floral blouse Online last May during our first lockdown and Was disappointed that I could only do some of the buttons up and it was gaping across my chest. It was too difficult to return so I kept it and wore It as a jacket with a top underneath. Well this May I could do all of the buttons up, and now it fits all buttons done up AND with a top underneath 🙂
I took my measurements yesterday, so far this year I’ve lost 35cm – 10cm each off of my bust and hips, 8cm off of my waist and 7cm off of my thighs. I probably should measure more regularly I guess as it can keep morale up when the scales aren’t showing much loss.

Cathy – it’s nice to see you back on board 🙂 I’m sure you’ll do well on this trip, you are like me, we never, ever give up trying!

I’m having a relaxing Sunday today, meal planning and cooking. I just made some ‘healthy’ banana bread with a recipe I found online. I tweaked it a bit, replacing honey with maple syrup and using less of it than was in the recipe. It’s not BSD friendly as such – although I did use wholemeal flour – but my daughter had excess bananas left and I hate food going to waste. I compromised and ate a small slice which I worked out to be 160 calories so ok as a treat now and then. I’m going to freeze the rest before I’m tempted to eat more. ☺️
I also made some of the leek and barley risotto from the Fast 800 recipe book, I replace the goats cheese with feta and it’s quite tasty, so that’s my lunches sorted for the next few days.
Now I’m going to cut up all my left over veg in the fridge and baking some of it in the air fryer with garlic and herbs – I then use this mix for pizza toppings or to add to omelettes, my youngest daughter uses them also in pasta salad. Then all the other veg is going into the slow cooker to make some vegetable stock. Waste not want not!
Hope everyone else is off to a good start too 🙂

Morning all.Well my first 2 days haven’t gone too badly so I’m still sitting firmly in my seat enjoying reading all of your posts.Reread my Fast800 recipe book and have made a list of meals I would like to make from it and went on to the Fast800 website which I haven’t looked at for a while.I read some of the success stories which were very inspiring and have realised that if I stick to the food plan as well as I can then I could actually be at goal by Christmas.I know that’s a big IF but yowser you have lost around about the amount I would love to lose by Christmas so are proof that it can be done🎉I’m totally an emotional eater so will try to crochet or sew instead of turning to food over the next week and see how it goes.I can totally relate to jackets not meeting at the front!I’ve posted on the Non Scale Victory thread about a gilet I would like to be able to zip up in a month’s time🤞

Hello everyone
It’s great to read about everyone’s goals and aspirations. I am really hopeful for some success this time round and feel very inspired and focused. I am aiming to get back into a pair of trousers that were extremely comfortable about eighteen months ago but are now bulging!! I have started well, fasting for 16/18 hours. I am going to skip breakfast this week and eat about 2pm each day. I might try extending the fast next week and having just one meal a day. I went for a good walk yesterday and managed 9000 steps, my arthritic toes were sore so It was probably a little too far. I’ll maybe aim for 7000 steps a day. I am hoping to lose 2lb this week and I’ll weigh myself each Friday morning. I am back at the vaccination centre this week starting the boosters so I will need to plan my lunches for when I am at work, I was looking through my journal from when I did this back in 2017 and looking at what I ate and it really was quite simple food for lunch, a few nuts, a piece of cheese or an egg and salad. I’m going to start making some soup for lunch and am going be very, very strict with myself. I definitely haven’t been disciplined enough recently and that is something I am working on. I really do want this journey to be successful and the quote I read the other day has inspired me.“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen and others make it happen” I am making this happen!

Good luck everyone – We have enough time on this Christmas journey to really make a difference and be proud of our hard work and determination for Christmas. How wonderful to fit into our chosen outfit and feel great.

The Christmas bus is picking up Dreamscometrue tomorrow and I reckon there will be a few more people waiting at the bus stop. All aboard! 🛎 🛎

Morning all. The shiny Christmas bus has just pulled up outside and I’m hopping on! I think I even spotted a little jingle bell in the driver’s cabin! I’m excited to be joining fellow passengers and welcoming more over the coming days.

I feel ready to make a(nother!) fresh start, with the ambitious aim of losing 1lb a week. I say ambitious, because although that’s not a large amount numerically, I know my weight loss is never linear: more a case of three steps forward and two back. Or the other way round 😉 But if I aim for an average of 1lb a week – knowing it won’t be that neat – you get the drift.

This week I plan to go back to basics. When I originally started the BSD I had 3 small meals a day, typically an egg for breakfast, soup for lunch and a light dinner, mostly using recipes from the BSD book. So that’s how I’ll reboot this week and take it from there . . .

Good luck everyone and happy travels X

Hi everyone.I’m afraid I haven’t had a great day.My mum has been quite poorly for about a week now with an upset stomach (such a shame as she’s been making a brilliant recovery from her hip replacement) and had really bad night so my sister rang GP who said they would call out but couldn’t give a time so I stayed there all day (my sister would have taken over but her husband is ill with a flu like cold so we think it best they stay away at the moment) GP called and was great,she did lots of checks and is going to send samples away and is arranging for someone to call to take bloods tomorrow.My mum has lost quite a bit of weight so was understandably anxious but the doctor was really good with her.I’ve come back tonight to spend a bit more time with her.My food choices included calling into Greggs (hence the not so good day food wise) as I’ve been here most of the day apart from school runs and making tea at home. I aim to be back on track tomorrow and will be doing a food shop so will get easy to prep healthy stuff in for myself in case it’s a busy week.Dawn X

Sorry to hear your mum isn’t feeling well Dawn and hope she feels better soon. It was nice that you were able to spend some time with your mum and help her. Tomorrow is another day food wise and you have another 82 days to Christmas so no panic. Sometimes we just have to do what we can.

I am now on day 4. Went for another good walk today – 8000 steps and some of those uphill, I was sweating! I am firmly in ketosis, in fact the stick was the darkest I’ve ever seen it! I’ve been fasting until lunchtime. I had some Brazil nuts and some cheese for lunch and an omelette and broccoli for my evening meal with some yoghurt and raspberries. I’ve bought some liquorice and peppermint tea for a change and I made some flaxseed microwave “bread” today which I used to make whenever I fancied a sandwich. I forgot how nice it tastes. I had a piece with some cream cheese on! I’m going to take it to work tomorrow with some kale and bean soup I made from one of the Fast 800 books. I am definitely on a roll at the moment and won’t be peeping at the scales until Friday morning when hopefully I will get a reward for my effort this week. It feels good to have got the sugar out of my system and I am definitely feeling in control.

One day at a time everyone- keep chipping away. We can do this.

Thanks Cathy,I’ve just got home and left my mum nice and snug in bed.She will hopefully have a much better night.I completely forget about things like nuts and cheese for lunch and always have them in so will write a list of easy to transport things like that I can grab quickly.It’s great that you have sugar out of your system,I remember how good that feels and will hopefully be in that state myself soon🤞 Dawn X

Hello everyone
Hope you’re all having a good day. I am exhausted after a busy day at the vaccination centre. My new soup flask was a massive win and I enjoyed my kale, bean and pesto soup.

I’ve got a delicious little dessert idea to share with you. So simple but so delicious- I always freeze my raspberries so they keep longer and defrost as I go. Tonight I semi defrosted about six of them and ate them semi frozen with half a piece of Aldi 85% chocolate. It was a taste sensation!!

Hoping the scales will show a loss on Friday. I am being so good this week! I’ve not been this good for a long time. Sitting at the front of the bus is really helping me.

Hi everyone, I am so happy! Two reasons, firstly, against all warnings form the specialist and medical staff, my partner does NOT have lung cancer! They are not sure what it is, some kind of atypical infection which they expect to completely resolve. I can hardly believe it.
what a reprieve! Fortunately the scare has made my bulletproof man decide that giving up smoking is the best plan and after 40 years, he has not had a cigarette since the day he went into hospital more than two weeks ago. With lockdown set to ease next week we are planning on sailing, seeing a few friends and enjoying some time together without that pall of fear over us.
Thank you so much to all who sent me kind messages, they meant a lot to me when I felt very alone.
In other happy news, after a 9 day stall at the same weight I have had a whoosh and am now a kilo lighter. It happened over three days, I really couldn’t believe it was happening, I rarely get whooshes. Much appreciated!
CCathy, I’m glad you are in a good headspace now, it makes all the difference in the world. Your dessert sounds lovely, ‘ll give that a try when the price here comes down a little.
Dawn, I’m glad your mum is a little more comfortable. What good daughters you and your sister are,
Encouraging thoughts to all on the bus! I look forward t reading all your news every day.

Oh Mariet I am SO pleased for you! Happy dance happening right now!! Your partner’s diagnosis is the answer to so many of our prayers and good wishes. Wonderful news! And it’s great that this has given him the impetus to give up smoking. Well done for your weight loss too. All good news 🙂

Cathy I’m glad your week is going so well. Am excited to see your progress!

Dawn I hope that your mum is beginning to feel better?

I’m off to a slower start. One of my main passions is music and we went to see Steve Hackett last night so I had a glass of wine. Then played at a local music evening tonight so ditto. But the next week is hopefully quiet and uneventful . . .. until we see Genesis in London next Tuesday!

Over and above all that I’m feeling positive and confident about sticking to plan and losing my last few pounds towards goal. And can’t think of better company to keep as I journey towards that point.

Lots of love and go well everyone X

Oh Mariet what wonderful news! I’m doing a happy dance for you both 🙂 💃 💃
Dawn – sorry to hear your mum has been unwell again, take care of yourself and don’t stress – we’ll keep your seat warm on the bus 🙂

Cathy – great to hear how well you are doing so far! I love raspberries with dark chocolate also. Like Mariet I’m waiting for the price to come down a bit before I start buying them. Luckily strawberries and blueberries are in season at the moment and very affordable so I have those in my online grocery order this week.
DCT – I had a few wines on Saturday but well watered down with soda water. I fee if I can keep it to once or twice a week at the most then I can fit it into my plan.

I can feel the positivity beaming out of the bus at the moment, let’s all keep
On keeping on 🙂 I’ll be weighing in on Friday.

Hi all,Mariet,DCT and Sue thank you all so much for your kind words,my mum was much better yesterday and will hopefully have had a good night.Mariet I was so pleased to read your news,I can’t imagine your relief.
Yesterday wasn’t a brilliant day food wise but I went food shopping so lots of fresh healthy food in the house now which will help me!Hope everyone has a good day.Dawn X

Mariet- I’ve just read your post!!, absolutely amazingly good news about your partner. I am thrilled for you both. What a relief. That is the best news. Puts lots of things into perspective.

Hi All I hope you don’t mind if I jump onboard ? I have been here a few times before and I know it works but like a lot of people knowing what to do isn’t the problem it’s actually doing it that is difficult 
My hubby had his gallbladder removed a couple of days ago and is now recovering well at home but I think it has made us both more aware of our age (mid 50’s) and how much more complicated any illness is if you have an underlying condition to deal with as well. We are both motivated to eat better and exercise more and cutting down on carbs has worked well in the past as hubby is diabetic. This Christmas journey looks like fun and will hopefully keep me motivated. I weighed in at 13 stone 2.5lb this morning which is 17.5 lbs heavier than I was a couple of years ago. I will weigh in on a Friday and my first goal is to discard 11lb by 26 November (7 weeks) when I go to visit my daughter and then the further 6.5lbs by Christmas (4 weeks). It’s quite a tall order for me as it isn’t my first time doing this so I know it will be a slower discard but I like a challenge. MyFitnessPal app is reloaded and ready to go 
Good luck everyone, I’m looking forward to sharing this journey with you all x

Hi lauraknits and welcome! It’s great to have you on board. Good luck with your challenge and do keep us posted as to how you’re getting on. I think most of us on the bus so far have been following this WoE on and off for some time. So like you, we know it works, but sticking to it is another matter altogether! But together we can do this. Hope that your hubby continues to recover well and that you get some rest too X

Thanks DCT – we are certainly motivated at the moment. I am going to do an audit of the cupboards and freezer tonight and make a shopping list based on our planned menu for next week. When things have gone wrong in the past it has mostly been because I haven’t been organised, but I am aware of that now so will take steps to avoid it this time. Happy travels x

Welcome JGwen & Lauraknits you’ll both fit in nicely on this luxury bus. We have plenty of room for more people too & are keeping to covid rules – So, come & join us.

Mariet – wonderful news about your hubby, I know only too well how things like this worry both of you SO very much.
Cathy, Sue, DCT, ADD – the reason I posted the flat-breads is because they are incredibly easy to make (you don’t need a tortilla press, 2 plates pressed together will do) You can get 2-3 at a time cooking in a large frying pan. Did I say they keep for a week? They actually keep for 2 weeks in a bag in the fridge. We make sandwiches with ham & cheese & half a teaspoon of red onion chutney – delicious & they keep you full for about 6hrs, maybe longer – 2 carbs only! They have saved us from eating the wrong foods SO MANY times!

My 2nd jacket, the one I used to adore, arrived today. Exactly the same I need to lose 3-4″. I see we have a few more here that have problematic boobs, although I doubt if any of you were beside me in the queue for them. I think I got about 4x what I should have been allowed. 😉 Got on the scales this morning & it said I was down 5.6 lbs – much as I’d LOVE to believe it, I know in my head that it’s totally wrong. 🙁 I think 1lb is nearer the mark.

Tomorrow Hubby & I are starting a 15 week course on silver jewellery making. I don’t know why I signed up with him – guess it’s because I have to drive him & I won’t have to sit in the car for 2hrs waiting for him in the middle of winter (he’s not allowed to drive any more because of his syncopies – NOT that he would drive anyway as he’s far too sensible to do that, he stopped driving many months before the doc. said he should). This is actually going to be the 1st time since last March that we’re going to be in a room with others. We’re both going to wear masks & keep our distance though. The way he’s looking on you tube for hints, tips etc. etc. he won’t be able to be taught anything. Me – I’m just gonna go with the flow until something catches my eye. Brooches for me as I can’t wear silver, it turns me black & as for necklaces, I look as if I haven’t washed for months after wearing one for 4-5hrs. I’m OK with 14ct or 18ct gold but can’t wear 9ct for the same reason. No gold classes available in this area BUT I supposed the same principals will stand. Our wedding rings are both too big for us. I’ve been shopping for something a bit more original & we might have to get them made. I think gold & diamonds are a bit too expensive to start working on ourselves – unless, of course, they tell us we are geniuses. Fat chance of that with me! PMSL.

Off to the ‘Rock & Gem’ show in just over 2 weeks. LOVE it there & wondering what we’re going to buy this time? It’ll give us some idea on the gemstones to put in jewellery & I just know we’re going to buy too much. It’s usually very reasonable there – although we doubt our friends are going to be there exhibiting this time to get us discounts on EVERY stall, as they are well into their 70’s now – they used to exhibit crystals at every alternative health fair we put on. We’d give them a dozen tables in the middle for the price of 1 table, as they were SUCH a draw. Ray said he was retiring about 10 years back, when we last did shows, as he was finding it increasingly difficult to load/unload the van. Hubby used to help him a lot then as he was also 10yrs younger. You should have seen some of the amazingly sized geodes as well as huge crystals they used to cart around with them.

I’ve actually been looking at some re-positioning transatlantic cruises in November, Princess has one I’d LOVE to be on, I forgot about the course! 🙂 Oops! Amazing price & some excellent stops & we’d love to see the daughters, their hubbies & the grand-children BUT we also don’t know how much longer they’ll want to dress his leg 3x a week – although they keep telling him his leg is healing miraculously for being a diabetic. He was in pre-diabetes a month ago which I suppose they know?

I’ve also been buying some absolutely beautiful floaty long dresses in a size 14 from Windsmoor mainly on ebay for amazing prices – like £5-£25 each+ postage – in anticipation of going transatlantic now the US is opening up to us. We have a 2 week cruise anyways next August to the Fiords & very North Norway that we had booked for 2020 but was put off 1 then 2years. It was on our bucket list. I LONG to do another cruise & be waited on hand, foot & finger again. Hubby also has to see the cardiologist & see if she’s happy enough to give him her blessing to go. Hopefully this WOE has also improved his heart health tremendously.

Anyways, I type too much. I never know when to stop. Keep on keeping it off peeps. love & hugs to everyone – we’re all going to do great! Linda XXXX

Oh gosh so many lovely posts! I forgot to tick notify me and I was thinking,why isn’t anyone posting! V happy to see there’s lots of posts. Too tired to read them all tonight,will catch up tomorrow,have just read the first two for now.
LINDA sorry about yr jacket,but how about wearing it unbuttoned,does it feel comfy that way? You’ve done so well losing over 3 stone. They do say as we get older we have to choose..face or figure. I don’t know,,,I feel like both my face AND figure have lost the plot 🙄
My 2 stone,it sounds good,but it’s only a guesstimate really coz I didn’t get weighed at the very start of the challenge,but my weight at end of the challenge was about two stone down from last time I was weighed.I’m v pleased with it,and hopefully a lot more off between now and Crimbo,travelling on the magic coach! x
CCATHY well done on resisting the Friday night treats! x I know what you mean,I want evening nibbles and crunches and a lovely drink. But it’s all worth it.. we’re sacrificing short term pleasures for long term results! 👍 x
Back tomorrow to read how everyone else is doing! For now,going to kip at the back of the coach! XX

Hey CoachCruisers! Another day of rock and rolling down the roads and lanes with all their twists and turns! 🍁🍂🍁!
MARIET! I went straight to you,hoping for good news and YeS it is! 🎶 🥳👏👏👍🥳🎶 phew you can breathe again!
Enjoy the sailing etc..
Oh and a whoosh! 👍fantastic feeling isnt it! Well that’s two good things,they often come in threes,so watch out for another happy happening!X
DCT,a pound a week is sensible,I’ll be happy with that too. I have my bday and DDs coming up and I know there’ll be treats,plus a weekend away,so I won’t expect tooooo much,but – who knows,it’s a magic coach! we might get some fab whoooshes!X
JGWEN I love a jacket shaped target! Last winter my best warm winter jacket was really uncomfortably tight,this year it’s better,but there’s still room for improvement. My trousers are satisfyingly looser,so I’m deffo jackets and tops targeting this time X
SUE BLUE your blouse story!..isnt that so satisfying! And the inch loss ! and spread out rather than annoyingly losing it all in just one area.X
DAWN To be at goal at christmas..you’ve just got to go for it! Imagine how wonderful you’d feel come Christmas. And even if you gained a little over Xmas,you could lose that very quickly before NY,before it has chance to settle. Wdnt it be marvellous to start 2022 at yr goal?!
Yr mum,do you think she could have had that horrible tummy bug that’s been going round? so many people have it,and it seems to hang on for several days. Hope she feels better soon X
CCATHY I’m so glad the boosters are starting to happen! hope it doesn’t get too hectic for you tho,you sound extremely busy …
Fantastic about yr ketostick being the darkest yet!👏👏 stay on that roll! PS yes! Rasps and dark choc are a lovely combo!😋must try the semi froz rasps..X
LAURA KNITS Welcome back,I remember yr name! Yep it’s always harder after the first time,I wonder why….grrrr,that Carb Monster is a snidey devil! Good luck and happy riding on the coach X
LINDA I have prob boobs too ( large) …OK when I was young,a nuisance as you get older I think,mine have gone shall we say “ matronly” 😀….,my less well endowed friends still have quite neat bosoms. Hey don’t dismiss that 5.6,you may have had an almighty whoosh!
I enjoyed reading yr news about jewellery making and gems,cruises and floaty dresses! You cheered my morning up!X
🍂🍁🍂“ Autumn leaves are reminding me to release and let go,And open space with ease and grace,for miracles to grow “🍁🍂🍁 xx

Well I am super proud of myself today. I have worked really really hard at the vaccination centre today and am absolutely shattered tonight. Met some really lovely elderly people and they were so grateful and thankful. Whilst my colleagues were eating crisps, cakes and biscuits, not one crumb of any snacks passed my lips. I drank plenty of water and had soup for lunch. I am just off to polish my halo! Weigh day tomorrow morning….. hope the scales reflect my hard work. I am super focused on losing one stone before Christmas.

I’m super proud of you too CCATHY! That’s really good going, when all around you are eating the naughty things !
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 huge round of applause for both things..massive willpower and also working hard at the vaccine centre,you’re really doing yr bit! X

What a lovely supportive group this is. Yowzer you are the most brilliant morale booster ever 🙂

First week of reboot complete and I’ve lost 3.4lbs! I am really happy with that. I have been super good and it really does feel liberating to have ditched the sugar from my body. No cravings, no hunger. I’m working with a team who have eaten so many cakes, biscuits and sweets this week they must all be bordering on diabetes! I haven’t even been tempted to eat anything because I know once I put sugar in my body it will set me off again. I know I won’t be able to lose 3lb this week but I am going to try for 2 lb. My husband is away until next Friday so I can cook simple BSD small meals and do my best to lose what I can. Pre reboot I would probably have called into M&S after work tonight and bought myself something nice (naughty) for my tea such as pasta bake and garlic bread but I am home without calling in and am going to have courgette and Halloumi bake from the fast 800 cook book. I think the key to doing well on this way of eating is to ensure your blood sugar levels are so low that hunger doesn’t rear it’s ugly bead!

Have a good weekend everyone. I am looking forward to hearing how everyone is doing. Feet up for me tonight. another 200 boosters done today – I am exhausted.

Your job sounds exhausting Cathy. And congratulations on your results, how wonderful after your hard work!
My whoosh is continuing- in fact I am wondering if there’s something wrong with my scales because my weight is going down at the rate of half a kilo a day. I am sticking to the program but these results are very out of character for me.
I’ve been busy because my daughter and SIL are moving so I have been lucky enough to have my grandson five out of six days- part days- so they could pack, then move. He is 5 months old and cute as a button but doesn’t sleep much during the day. I was a lot more resilient at 28 than I am at 62.
Today I am heading over to help clean out the flat so another busy day!
Have a great weekend everyone 🙂

Cathy & Mariet – Congratulations to you both on your wonderful losses – amazing! Give yourselves a pat on the back & keep on keeping off! YAY
Well I think my scales has gone totally crazy from a drop of an unbelievable 5.6lbs to a gain the day after of 8lbs the following day & no I wasn’t eating a load of lead.

Had a delivery today from Tesco. They only allow us 1 cauliflower, 1 pack of 2 Romaine, 1 pack of 4 avocados & a few other strange limits. I’ve been getting heartily sick of them as often their cauliflowers are partially mouldy or the size of a golf ball, so decided to stock the freezer up . Guess what – Brussel sprouts, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Runner beans & Broad beans all frozen were ALL out of stock as was fresh Romaine & Avocados, also no eggs or chicken breasts – What the heck are we supposed to eat? It was too late after the dismal delivery to go shopping. Thankfully I had a delivery Thursday from Asda plus some stuff in the freezer which is keeping us going. NO WAY am I going shopping on the weekend! After hubby being part of the shielding group I’m VERY wary of shopping at all. It used to be SO easy to let their drivers take the strain………but recently? Is everyone else the same? Is it Brexit & having no European workers to pick the veg or no lorry drivers to drive it to the shops? Lack of C02 to help fresh meat stay fresh or to quick freeze veggies? It’s looking bleak around here.

The silver jewellery making class – there were only 7 people there, 5 other women besides us. Hubby & I were both hoping that there would be a couple of men on the course that he could chat with. I felt awful as she split us into 2 groups & the lady who was supposed to be with us on the large bench we were sitting at (group of 3) something (or someone, more like!) was telling me to ask her if she’d had her 2 covid vaccines – she was in her 40’s or 50’s. Her reply was “No, I haven’t had any!” I just had to say that I was sorry but she couldn’t join us as hubby has an impaired immune system. We were wearing masks but no-one else was. Correct me if I’m wrong but I thought everywhere in Wales it is still mandatory to use masks indoors?? I was busy wiping down the bench with anti-bacterial wipes & using the hand gel, as was hubby BUT no-one else was too bothered. As an ex microbiologist I’m going to have to say something next week to her, to try to persuade her how important the vaccines are for her & all her family plus try & cancel any unreasonable or crazy myths she has heard. This is known as ‘Linda going in with all guns blazing’.

The course itself – Hmmmmm? I know we need be able to cut the metal with a fine saw & file it down. The saw blades were absolute crap & everyone’s broke numerous times including the lecturers until there were no more blades. 2 hrs cutting & filing VERY small (2″ square) , very thick pieces of copper – boring! You’d think the college could have bought a laser to leave the tedious tasks out. The lecturer had bought the rubbish blades herself & in future we have to buy them, plus numerous other things including silver – which is damned expensive now. I KNEW we should have been looking for a pewter jewellery making class instead. (That voice again!) I actually REALLY like pewter & it looks SO easy to cast + it’s a lot softer to saw & file. I can also wear pewter & who can tell it from silver if it’s polished up? OK we’ll keep on, we’ve paid a non refundable £270 & I think any skills we get will be transferable BUT I think we might buy pewter in future to play with ourselves. I think Carl may be thinking the same as myself now & even he was impressed by some of the things on you tube that I found. It’s not as if we’re going to be making jewellery to sell. He’s always liked to make things whereas I’d prefer to buy them & honestly sometimes I wonder how they can sell a lot of items at knock down prices – unless they are pewter (marked as silver) instead of silver?? lol

On a brighter note. I’ve had 3 absolutely drop dead gorgeous dresses arrive today. They fitted me perfectly & hubbys delight & amazement at seeing how much of an hour glass figure I now have was reward enough. Poor man has rarely seen me in a dress or skirt since we’ve been married & I wasn’t that slim when we met. My weight gain & I’m NOT going to admit what I disturbingly got up to, It’s all his fault, of course, after he spent all his holidays from uni working in a renowned 5* New Orleans hotel & restaurant as the Banquet Steward & where the superb chef took him under his wing (as he has an amazing palate & can recreate any meal & improve on it often) & he taught him loads – he wanted him to quit Uni & his Banquet Steward post (which paid his total way through Uni as they used to have HUGE banquets & he got paid a hefty % of all takings) & work with him full-time. OMG the meals he made me makes me salivate now & he’s not been able to do this for 5+years. Poor devil has to eat the food I make – I can cook, begrudgingly as I don’t enjoy it, unlike him BUT I’m no chef.

OMG it’s 4.10am!!! Where did the time go? I’d better go to bed before it’s time for me to get up. EEK!

Well done Cathy and Mariet.
Linda – really enjoyed reading your post. If I am up late I get the munchies so respect to you for being up so late and being good….you were good weren’t you? Wasnt sure how true the stories about food shortages in UK were but sounds grim..hope it resolves itself.
It’s another lovely day here so I shall be busy outside – the owls were still hooting when I walked the dog earlier 🙂
Be strong everyone….good weekend.

Hi all,sorry I’ve been absent for a few days,my mum is still poorly,Yowser I don’t think it’s the tummy bug going around(but I think DD may have that as she vomited on Wednesday night then seemed fine yesterday morning but was ill again last night and was again at 5.30 this morning bless her)my sister and I think my mum may have something called microscopic colitis as it’s happening during the night rather than daytime and it can apparently be triggered by blood thinning meds and my mum was on daily injections of those for 31 days after her op.The GP is doing various tests so we are hoping a solution can be found soon.
Mariet and Cathy really well done on your weight losses,I’m holding out until next Friday to get weighed as can’t imagine I’ve lost this week.
Linda and hubby,I’ve just been reading your post about the jewellery making class and definitely would have felt the same about sitting with an unvaccinated person at the moment.I’ve just been reading on bbc news app that uk has highest infection rate in Europe at present!
Hope everyone has a good day.DawnX

Cathy & Mariet _ Great losses 😄
Antigone – I agree with you ,this is such a supportive group and that makes such a difference to this journey.

Linda – that is so disappointing about your class and you veg. We are really lucky up here in Fife as we have had no problems getting vegetables in the supermarkets. I sometimes find stocks a bit low if I shop after work on a Friday but that’s all.
2lb down for me since Tuesday but I know it’s mostly fluid but I feel better in general as well
Which is great. Friday will now be my weigh day so onwards and downwards everyone . Have a nice weekend xx

Hello everyone

Dawn – I hope your mum is feeling better and you have some blood results back soon. What a worry for you.

Laura – well done on your initial weight loss. Losing those first few pounds whether it’s water or not is so encouraging and every single pound matters. I think Friday is a great weigh day because it gives you time to maybe have a more relaxed weekend before tightening the reigns Monday to Friday! I used to weigh on a Tuesday but I am sticking to a Friday. I hope to have lost another 2lb by Friday.

Linda- I’ve decided not to feel embarrassed about staying safe. I wear my mask, wipe down my trolley etc at the supermarket when others don’t and I have decided that if people come too near me at work or when out shopping I will ask them politely to give me some space. People are rude and have no respect for those of us who are keeping safe from Covid. One of the guys I was working with a few weeks ago was coughing and profusely sweating and I asked him if he could possibly have Covid and he told me he had catarrh! I asked him to not come too near me and I felt bad about having to say it!!! Why should we feel bad for protecting ourselves. People should respect social distancing during a global pandemic!

Mariet- it’s great to read that your scales are moving in the right direction. Most likely a combination of sticking to low carb, being busy and the relief of your recent good news about your partner. The stress of recent weeks has probably stalled any weight loss.

Have a good week everyone. I have just been for another brisk walk. I’ve downloaded an app called Active 10 – it is an NHS app which tracks walking and now many brisk minutes I have walked each day. I have set a daily target at three brisk ten minute walks a day. This week I have walked 291 minutes and 149 of those have been brisk, Of course these walks are only registered when I have my phone with me so I’ve most likely walked more minutes than the app says but it’s something different to try.

Wow the coach is so full of passengers I’ve had to hunker down in the luggage rack!
CCATHY AND MARIET…👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
You have fantastic willpower CC not only coz yr colleagues are eating for England,and you’re not….but also you’re exhausted which can often be a trigger to just eating junk mindlessly…x
I agree with you and Linda, and echo what you said about masks and wiping trolley etc..I’ve had some dirty looks(!) for wearing a mask,and noticed I was the only one sanitising my hands and basket handles recently when I popped in to SMarket for a few essentials.
MARIET!enjoy that whoosh! Thats turned into a loooong whoooooooooooosh!x
ANTIGONE ! I know yr name from another challenge or another thread..really good to see you on the CrizzyCoach!X
DAWN yr poor mum,I hope she gets better soon. Enough going thru a hip replacement without extra problems. How is yr Dad? Hope it’s a good week ahead for you and yours X
LINDA that’s so lovely about yr new perfectly fitting dresses! You deserve them and it was nice to hear yr OH is appreciative of your new hourglass figure!
Hourglass reminds me of when I was at my heaviest and I did a quiz to tell me what my shape was,apple,pear,hourglass etc..it turned out I was a bell or spoon shape!🙄 I’m hoping I’m no longer THAT bad🙂🙃X
LAURAKNITS take that loss! You weigh two pounds less 💜
If you hadnt been eating carefully,you could have eaten a load of junk and be 4 lb up not 2 lb down,and not feeling any better. In fact you could be feeling much worse,so Keep going!
Let’s have a great week as we wind up and down hills and dales on our magic bus! XX

Hi All,
Dawn, Hope your Mum & DD are feeling a LOT better. Ginger sometimes helps with the nausea. Whitworths’ crystalised ginger is good especially the ‘hot & fiery’ one if they can eat it. Otherwise ginger & lemon tea from Twinings is very good & helps to settle the stomach.
Laura – great start, keep it up girl.
Cathy – you are doing GREAT & make sure you keep that positive mindset girl. You can & will do this
Antigone – I must admit to having 2 squares of 85% dark chocolate and a few grapes as my past midnight feast.
Yowser – the jackets are a bit short on me as they are Eastex brand – made for shorter ladies than 5ft 61/2inches. They are only 2″ below my waist. Mum was only 5ft and 1.2 an inch – she reckoned the 1/2″ was important! 🙂 I wouldn’t normally look at any Eastex BUT the colours & the wonderful patterned cloth made me try them on & I absolutely adored my favourite one. I think they look far better done up OR at least nearly meeting. 🙂 If they’d have been longer I think they’d have looked more forgiving. Yeah, My boobs also look ‘matronly’ the days of pinky & perky are over for them. I think I’m getting a face & figure to match now 🙁 Hubby loves me anyways so it really doesn’t matter, we’re both doing this WOE for ourselves & each other – which is great!

Hey don’t anyone worry about us not being able to get all the groceries we need. My freezers are usually well stocked up. I need to sort the larger freezer out as we have 2 large turkeys at the bottom. I just need to cook at least 1 of them to give us room for more veggies. I also have some chicken breasts, some pork loin, some lamb etc. etc.
Living, as we do, out in the country we need to start going to markets around us. Abergavenny (10 miles away) is REALLY good for meat & Veggies BUT on Market Day Tuesday it’s normally absolutely heaving with people. We have an agricultural college just over a mile away from us, they used to have a shop but they closed it when Covid came along. Usk 3 miles away has a farmers market but Usk is a bit twee with prices to match its’ tweedom. Pontypool 5 miles away has a market on a Wednesday BUT the last time I went there it was pretty poor. Cwmbran 6 miles away has numerous shops Asda, Heron, Aldi, Lidl of these only Heron seems to have a quieter shop BUT their prices can be excellent eg. Boursin often at 75p, Other cheese 1/2 price too. Numerous really good Yogurts at half the best prices of the supermarkets. Their ice-cream (keep me away from those!) the best brands again, often not stocked in any supermarket, at 1/2 price or even less than supermarkets. Ham, Chicken, Beef, Pastrami 180gms for £1, OK it’s off-cuts BUT they taste better than any major supermarket off-cuts. I bought some cooked butterflyed chicken – 3 double breasts for £1.50 last time I went there in their XL Xsell freezer range. They sometimes sell fish in XL range which are often restaurant quality overstocks at amazing prices. I think last time I went in there they had just about every frozen veggie we’d need. Of course they also sell a load of crap in their freezers too but I just stay away from that.

Looking for farm shops I realised just yesterday that we drive past one at least 3 times a week only 2 miles away. They just advertise free range Gold or Bronze Turkeys on their gate. I had NO idea that it seems to be a full blown farm shop they also sell beef , pork & lamb they raise plus fresh veggies from other farms. I think we need to visit them pretty soon.

OMG I have the clothes bug. I’ve bought another 5 or 6 dresses, 2 lovely coats etc. etc. I can’t believe what I’ve already bought from ebay & all have been new or barely worn & knock-down prices too. I now have to start selling my lovely coats (3 unworn – bought just before Covid struck) My far too big for me now cruise collection of dresses etc. (Still in the suitcases, lots of them). Hubby went nuts before Covid struck, buying some wonderful jackets & trousers from Brook Taverner, unworn & he sadly took all the labels off, he refuses to try them all on now as I think he knows that they’ll all be too big. Ho. hum. I hate selling on ebay (but love buying) but I think I have to.

LINDA I’m the same,love buying on eBay. I rarely sell,just my Mother of the bride outfit and a faux fur jacket for a friend! But I’ve bought endless things,they nearly always turn out ok. If not,I give to charity shop.
I always enjoy trying to bid at the last minute as well X
Also love going to food markets 💜 but haven’t been to one since before locko. X

Last minute Yowser? You’re missing the trip a bit. I always put my bid in with 25secs to go & then wait until there is just 8 secs to go to confirm my bid. I also put the max amount I’m prepared to pay & if someone outbids me then good on them. Amazingly all I’ve done this on I’ve won at the next bid price i.e VERY inexpensively. Put your bid in too early & you can be outbid quite quickly. Leave it until the last few seconds & it’s rare that someone can out-bid you. I used to use a sniper (for the life of me I can’t remember which one) BUT with the extra layer of confirming your bid then I’m not sure if they’ll still work?? I shall have to research it.

I don’t think I could go to Abergavenny market yet – there are just too many people there to feel safe. The farm shop near here I’ve never seen anyone turning off into their long, very narrow driveway so I think we’ve got to give that a try. I was amazed when I realised they had a farm shop up there, just hope we don’t catch someone going in the other direction as it looks as if there might be some big turns on the way to the farm. We go past it every time I take Carl to the surgery as he goes to a smaller surgery mainly for his dressings to be done & on the dual carriageway there can often be long delays on so I stick to the very old highway that wasn’t replaced until 1980’s. I remember working away & coming back home about a month later & finding the new dual carriageways – I wondered where the hell I was?
Bed-time for me. as it’s 2 minutes past the witching hour. Keep on keeping off peeps. Isn’t this bus great!
Linda XXX

Happy Monday all 🙂
Well done Mariet and Cathy! You are both off to a great start 🙂
I didn’t have a loss last week, stayed the same, but I wasn’t surprised as I’d had a whoosh the week before and got down to a record low weight (for me, the lowest I’ve been in about 15 years). Typically when I have a whoosh my weight either stays the same or goes back up a bit before settling down again, so I’m being patient!
Food wise I ate healthily probably 90% of the time. I did have a couple of glasses of rose on the weekend, but had it as a spritzer so not too bad.
I’ve done loads of walking, averaging about 5km per day, I’m really enjoying it to be honest. When we walk in the morning I’m amazed at how energetic I feel and how much faster I can walk compared to a few months ago.
I’ve still been getting my shopping delivered, I order online once per week. The only frustrating thing is when something is out of stock and is not substituted, as it means another week to wait for it, but all in all it’s A pretty reliable service. I’m getting a fruit and veg delivery from the markets this week too. I calculated that I was spending around $50 some weeks from the online supermarket on fruit and veg, and a mixed box costs around the same but you get lots more and the quality is so much better.
It’s ‘Freedom Day’ here in NSW, well if you are vaccinated anyway. Not that I’m planning on changing anything just yet,
I’d prefer to watch and wait. If all goes well then I may go to the hairdresser in late November or early December. And as much as I want to see my eldest 2, I’m happy to wait a few more weeks, as my eldest daughter only had her 2nd vaccine last weekend.
I’m going to contact my doctor to find out if I need a booster or not, as I have impaired immunity.
I certainly would have no hesitation in asking people to keep their distance, and when I do go back to shopping I will be wiping the trolley and basket etc. I have a small bottle of hand sanitiser attached to my key ring so always have it on hand.
It’s a cool, grey, cloudy day here and I’m not working today so going to make some soup and cook some veggies that are left in the fridge from last week, to make room for my market box 🙂
Have a good week all!

Morning all! Just dropping by quickly to say hello. Cathy and Mariet, I’m so pleased about your losses. Very well-deserved for both of you, and I’m particularly delighted with your good news as you’ve both been going through some difficult times. Let’s hope this is the turning point in so many ways. On which point, Dawn I really hope that things improve for your mum soon as I know it’s a big worry for you X

Great to hear from everyone else too, and a big welcome to all newcomers. I’m loving the discussion about eBay. I’ve used it both to buy and sell, and Linda I do the same as you when bidding. I’ve not sold for a while but have recently embarked on a major declutter so as part of that am listing a few items each week. Slowly but surely I hope that my clutter will reduce and my bank balance improve!

My first week on the bus didn’t go very well last week for all kinds of reasons so I’m hoping to do better this week. Friday will be my with in day and I want to see 2lb gone – this week’s and lasts. Today is a bit dodgy though as I’m off to London to celebrate my daughter’s birthday with her. So will need to work extra hard from tomorrow. Must dash now as lots to do before I go: I do freelance work from home and have lots of extra work on at the moment, which will help with the post-wedding finances but means I need to get my head down!

Have a great week everyone X

Really enjoy reading the posts – you are a fun bunch! I’ve been doing 800 cals for a several weeks now but since getting my amazing smart scales I have lost 4.5 kilos – a few ups and downs of course but that’s an average daily loss of 35g which if maintained equates to almost 2.4k per week so that is encouraging. Friday is a good weigh- in day and I will need it to get over yesterday! We went to some friends for lunch. I was pleased that there were no potatoes but horrified to find out ( afterwards) that the mashed sweet potato was 56g of carbs ( I guessed it was a bout a cup)..I’ve been keeping to about 30g carbs per day so that was a shocker..and then there was dessert…….anyway it will average out…..I hope…..by Friday! I’ve bought some new clothes too so we shall all look very dapper on the bus!
Have a great day in London DCT..haven’t been there for a few years now.
Good on you SueB for feeling the benefit of your loss 🙂
Linda – I’d defo check out the farm shop – they may even deliver and so much better to buy direct. We almost moved to Wales but ended up coming to France where we live in a rural area like you but we grow most of our own food.
Yowzer – I hope you are wearing your captains hat at all times on the bus!