Hello and welcome. As we move into 2021 here’s hoping for a better year for everyone. As part of it, why not join our Easter Bus Tour?

This is no ordinary bus: it’s a Fat Buster Bus! We are a friendly group that have been journeying together on the Countdown to Christmas thread, sharing our ups and downs along the way and enjoying the company of our fellow travellers. We all want to lose weight and inches, and perhaps achieve other health and fitness goals as well. The thread is honest and non-judgemental and we would love you to join us.

So whether you are trying Fast 800 for the first time in 2021, or have been around for a while, do get on board. Share the goals that you’d love to achieve by Easter 2021 (the first weekend in April) and we will do our best to help you get there. And we guarantee plenty of fun and friendship along the way!

Good morning DREAMS COMETRUE! May I reserve my place for the Easter Bus Tour please!
I’m buying my ticket today,but wont be joining til 4 th Jan,when I’ll be clambering aboard,undaunted by a few extra pounds put on over the festive season!
Come and join us one and all for a fab Magical Mystery Tour all the way to April! XXXX
Very best wishes for a great 2021 and love and hugs to all Bus riders and everyone on their BSD journey XXXXXX 🥰

Hi DCT, I will be joining you on the Easter bus as we (me and hubby) still have our fingers crossed for an Easter trip to the UK. I asked my doctor when we might get the jabs (him over 75 and me diabetic) and he said June. Then we read in the French news that we should be starting to get ours end of February. I think the doctors answer should have been that he didnt know. Anyway, back to the Easter bus. I had a peek at the scales this morning and I am creeping quite quickly to a dreaded number I have said I never want to see so will be strict today before the NY festivities. Then, like Yowzer I will be ignoring everything until Monday 4th Jan. Have a good celebration – shrugging off all the horrible things we have been through and hoping for a very happy New Year.

Thanks for organising this new bus trip DCT, I’m reserving my seat now and will be boarding on Monday 4 Jan, my official restart date 🙂
This meme came up on my Facebook news feed a few days ago, and it is perfect for me:

My goal for 2021 Is to accomplish the goals I set in 2020, which I should have done in 2019, because I made a promise in 2018, which I planned in 2017.

I started my BSD journey in 2017, lost 12kg that year and planned to lose the remaining kilos I needed to lose in 2018, which didn’t happen, then the same again in 2019 and 2020, they’ve basically been maintenance years, with some kilo creep!

So here’s to a new year, and a new bus journey 🙂 I’m looking forward to travelling towards Easter with my fellow passengers and friends, and discarding some unwanted kilos along the way!

Hello Everyone
Thank you DCT for organising the Easter Fat Buster Bus Departure and I, too am reserving my seat for Monday 4th January. I still dream of getting back to goal, something I achieved way back in 2017 and on Christmas Eve I was less than 7lb away. I was going to tease myself this morning to see how much weight I have put on over Christmas but realised that was just torturing myself so didn’t! I have committed to getting back to healthy eating BSD style from Monday and will weigh my progress on 1st of every month. Scales will not be a big part of my next weight loss journey. I’ve enjoyed my Christmas break and to be fair I haven’t gone mad so have lots of stuff left! In 2021 I aim to get back to looking after my health and wellbeing and to make the most of every day. I am sad that my retirement has been scuppered and have to start a new job/adventure but it will be nice to have some money to spend and to save for a rainy day and I feel fortunate to have found a job when so many will be struggling to find work.
SO, here I go again- I am looking forward to strapping myself in and enjoying the Easter journey with you all. I know that whatever happens we will have loads of fun and be supportive of each other and that many of us will achieve our dream next year. See you all at the bus stop on Monday!

Thank you DCT for organising the Tour. I shall draw a line under Christmas Countdown, and start afresh. Happy New Year to fellow passengers!

Thanks DCT, very excited to get a seat on the new bus!
It’s good to see all the familiar names and I look forward to giving and receiving support. My first goal is to cut out the snacks between meals!

Hi all, thank you DCT for your invitation. May I join?
My goals at the end of the Easter Bus tour would be to complete 12 weeks of the fast 800. (And bust a lot of fat…and be a whole lot healthier!)
I have started…a few times…but given up too soon…and got nowhere. (So Sueblue I can identify… but at least you lost some weight 😉)
This week I’m reading MM’s books and finishing my eating by 8pm.
Looking forward to meeting you on the ‘bus’ and journeying with you. It’s just what I need and hopefully be a mutual support.
Let’s make our dreams a reality.
Sue

Hi AussieSue and welcome on board! You are in great company here.

I can totally identify with where you are at, and I hope that we can help you along the way. I started BSD in January 2017 and never expected to stick to it for more than a few days. I’m not very disciplined in terms of food and drink! But surprisingly I did stick to it, and a lot of the reason why was the company of the forum I was on at the time: a couple of others from that forum are still here too. Since then I’ve lost 35lb – at one point had even made it to 40lb but lapsed. Still, I’ve managed to keep most of the weight off, despite various ups and downs both in life and also my commitment to this WoE.

So there is definitely hope for you Sue and it’ll be great spurring each other on over the next few weeks 🙂

I’m going to chill out today after a late (but uneventful!) New Year’s Eve last night, then will gear up over the weekend and get going properly on Monday. Will post my current weight and weight loss goals then too.

Great to have you on board. Happy New Year to everyone reading this. Come and join us as we journey into a hopefully better 2021 X

Hi all, I’d love to join you on your Easter Bus Tour – never done anything like this before, but really need to change my lifestyle (and waistline). Hope you can find room for a large one! Sue, I’m hoping to achieve 12 weeks too – hope it’s not too bumpy a ride!
Happy New Year to all,
cuppa
x

Hello cuppa and welcome!

Great to have you on board. Most passengers seem to have reserved their seats as from Monday so don’t worry if it’s a bit quiet between now and then. But you are definitely in the right place. Do post as often as you want to. No post is too trivial. When I started on the forums in 2017 I was a bit shy about posting, thinking who could possibly be interested in anything I have to say. But every contribution is equally valid, and it’s often the case that whatever you say might really be exactly what someone else needs to hear.

So it’s great to have you with us and I look forward to travelling with you over the next few weeks. Do you have specific weight loss goals in mind? Do share them if you’d like to. What may be helpful is to see how you get on for the first couple of weeks then perhaps set yourself mini targets along the way. The most usual experience is to lose a nice chunk of weight early on as you adjust to this different way of eating (WOE) then it slows and goes more in steps rather than a regular linear pattern. But your weight loss journey will be different from everyone else’s, so the big thing is not to get discouraged if you stall for a while, particularly if others seem to be losing weight more quickly. We are all different and our bodies will respond differently.

But I can promise you two things. Firstly you WILL definitely lose weight if you adopt this WOE, even if you are not sticking to it perfectly all the time. And secondly, this thread will be supportive and friendly. No-one will judge you or tell you off if you have a bad day or two, or try something different, and it’s no-one else’s business how you choose to do this. Find your own way and we will walk alongside you every step of the way.

Good luck! And I can’t wait to see how you get on X

Hi everyone,
I’m back, heavier than when I left for our holiday and very disappointed in myself, but whats done is done. No-one to blame but myself.
I will also be climbing aboard the bus, sitting up the back and singing to my heart’s content!!
Welcome to all our new people and a happy new year to everyone, onwards and downwards.
I am starting all over again today. I won’t be eating anything till much later in the day and will be keeping as busy as possible.
My move back to Tassie is coming closer (March)..as long as the borders let me through 🤞so I would love to be back down to 60kgs by then..
Well it’s shower time so stay safe, healthy and happy 😊🖐️

Hi everyone and Happy New Year 🙂 I’d like to join you on the bus! I’m restarting a 12 week 800 plan tomorrow. I did a restart in December but with Christmas things got a bit off course…I’ve put on 1.5 lbs over the last 3 weeks 🙁 I have a mountain of weight to shift so will be starting again in earnest tomorrow. I’ve stocked up on herbal teas and sparkling water and am ready to get going 🙂 Easter weekend will be my birthday and I’d love to feel much better in myself by then. Good luck to all….I’ll be posting on here frequently I hope! xx

Hello and Happy New Year to you all,
Thank you to DCT for getting the bus out of the garage ready to start it’s journey on Monday. I have bought a three month ticket and am looking forward to fun, laughter and lots of love and support.
See you at the bus stop on 4th!
X B

Oh this is lovely!!! seeing all friends old and new signing up here! ❤️💜
I’m very much looking forward to Monday morning and the coming days,weeks and months we’ll all spend together! wooooohoooooooo! *turning cartwheels with delight! *( just in my imagination of course! )
🎶🎶🎶😀😀🎶🎶🎶🎶🥰🥰🎶🎶🎶🎶😘😘😘🎶🎶🎶🎶😍😍😍🎶🎶🎶🎶

Hi everyone,I’m in my seat with my ticket,all ready for our Easter Bus Tour from Monday.Looking forward to travelling with you all again😀 Dawn X

Hi everyone….so, I’ve managed Day 1! 🤩 I’ve lost count of my trips to the loo as I’ve been increasing my water intake lol. I managed to distract myself this evening whilst feeling hungry and have sorted out some clothes…I now have a big pile of things to donate and a couple of drawers that now actually close 😉 Big hello to everyone and to those who are already sitting on the bus – look forward to more joining the ride soon 🙂

Hi everyone!
It’s been a week since i restarted properly and was going very well until… I went camping with friends. It poured rain for three days solid, I really hate walking in the rain and all my shoes were soaked so my activity over those three days, apart from setting up and packing up, was way less than usual. I stuck to my normal two meals a day and no snacking but there were definitely too many celebratory beverages over new year and now instead of the 2kg discard I was on track for I am back to the beginning.
Oh well, I only got home yesterday, hopefully some of that will dissipate over the next few days.
A couple of NSV- I kept up the 2L water each day and I’m really proud of no snacking because there were platters of antipasto out every afternoon and evening and though tempted I didn’t have any.
One more week of holidays before I go back to work so onward and downward!
Keeping on keeping on. Best wishes for everyone in lockdown and separated from family and friends, hoping you get some easing soon.

Hi all,
Ellie Allegra, I too managed day 1 yesterday, didn’t eat till late in the day and drank enough fizzy water for Australia, so I also spent a lot of the day in the loo 😂..
Had scrambled eggs with avocado and smoked salmon for breakfast, very filling and yummy.
Not having anything else untill dinner, which is going to be chicken meatballs with salad.
I’m not going to be weighing myself till I feel some nsv then I’ll see just how much I have discarded.
See you all tomorrow for the first leg of the journey. 😊🖐️

Hi Everyone,I’m back on the bus and needing to get back to my November numbers quickly.I have been struggling with a recurrence of sacroilliac inflammation since Christmas.barely able to walk with sciatic pain.I spent several days on the sofa scoffing leftovers. Giving myself an excuse that strong anti inflammatory drugs must be taken on full stomach .I finally saw the Chiro yesterday and I’m better.Today I’m on fluids only till 1pm then meds and Salad lunch. Dinner will be salad with salmon.late medication will be with a glass of milk. Im probably not going to be able to do any exercise for a week or so.Which means a strict 2 meals a day.try for less than 50gms of carbs a day.Ihope everyone had a Happy new year and we are all motivated to get the bus going

Hi all,
I’m looking for a bit of motivation to complete Fast 800, hoping to lose 5-8kg put on in the past year of lockdown. I can’t really believe it’s possible by easter but will give it a go.

Hi Gabrielle and welcome. In my experience, and that of others on here, that weight loss is definitely possible by Easter.

The pace of weight loss does all depend on how well you follow the diet, how large a proportion of your overall weight you are trying to lose, and also your individual metabolism. But you will certainly lose weight. What most people find is that there is quite a rapid initial weight loss, so that in itself is motivating, even if things do slow down a bit after that.

We have 13 weeks till Easter so even half a kilo a week would get you to your goal. (Although I’ve found that the weight loss is not as neatly linear as that, sometimes nothing for a couple of weeks and then more comes off than you’d expect).

Anyway, good luck, and I hope that you enjoy travelling with us. I can’t wait to see how you get on, because I think – and hope – that you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I know I was 🙂

Ding! Ding! Can I please get on the Easter Bus?!
Hello friends! I haven’t been on here for quite a few years now. My dear friend Yowzer49 invited me and I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I have about 4 Stone to lose – eek!
Thought I’d start with a proper fast day tomorrow – how will you guys deal with the first day?
Look forward to seeing how we all do. Best wishes Bean xx

Hehe! Sooo pleased to see you join us Beano!!
( My pal nursebean was Queen of the Alternate Day Fasts when we first met back in 2014 on the fastday forum)
Im camping out over night at the bus stop!😀😀😀😀 cant wait for tomorrow and our exciting new journey! xx

Hi everyone – lovely to see lots of enthusiasm 🙂 I’ve completed Day 2…was tricky this evening but I’ve managed to keep on track. I’m determined to get through week 1…if I can get that under my belt then hopefully ketosis might set in and take the edge off the hunger. Anyway, hope everyone is staying safe and well – I’m back to work from tomorrow but continuing to work from home for the foreseeable future…at least it is handy for all the trips to the loo! Hopefully my body will adjust to my increased water consumption soon! 😉

Hi everyone🙂
Well done to those who have already started the journey,I had intended to but didn’t so am really looking forward to starting today.About to complete a meal plan for the week so that I’m not caught short and end up eating things I shouldn’t.There are still things in the house for DH and DD which I will avoid at all costs.I last weighed myself on Christmas Eve and don’t intend to again until 1st Feb so that is the first date I’ve put on my chart on the fridge door which also lists my waist measurement and BMI.Let’s all reach Easter feeling a lot healthier,good luck everyone😃 Dawn X

Hi everyone
Well today I had a successful Day 1 – I stepped onto the bus, strapped myself in and started my journey. It’s lovely to think how much lighter I will be when I step off the bus at Easter 🙂
I had prepared my breakfast and lunch yesterday, overnight oats with berries and chia, and some Leek and Barley Risotto. The risotto was lovely (recipe in the Fast 800 recipe book), I made 4 serves so will be eating it a few times this week 🙂
Dinner was Thai chicken curry, my husband had jasmine rice with his and I can cauliflower and broccoli rice.
It was a very busy day at work, first day back after the Xmas closure, I was too busy to think much about food!
I’m still working from home which is good given the current Covid situation.
First meal was at 10am and dinner at 6pm, so I’m eating in an 8 hour window which I find suits me. I do sometimes feel very hungry in the morning, especially when I’m up early for work,
but find I can stave it off with a cup of
coffee until 10 or 10.30. On work days I eat my breakfast during my morning tea break, and on weekends or non-work days I sometimes just have 2 meals, brunch at 11 and then dinner in the evening.
I had meant to go for a walk before work this morning but didn’t feel up to it… I had a few pre-diet wines last night, and a couple of scotches ☺️ I’m planning to be alcohol free on 5 or 6 days a week from now on. I’d love to have no alcohol but I have to be realistic!
I’m going out for a walk soon with my husband to make up for missing this morning.
I haven’t really set goals for this trip
– I do want to lose at least 11.5kg this year, which will bring me down to my 2020 goal weight. I’ll still need to lose more after that, but want to set myself realistic goals, and take it one step at a time. So with that in mind, my Goal for Easter is to lose at least 4.5kg. I’m a ‘Slow Loser’ but I believe this is achievable. Other non-weight goals are 1) to drink 2l water a day, 2) do 16:8 TRE each day, 3) walk for 45 minutes on 6 out of 7 days each week, 4) 5-6 alcohol free days each week as I mentioned.
Here’s to Day 2! Hope everyone else is off to a good start 🙂

Hello , everyone.
Thank you DCT for your lovely welcome. I have enjoyed reading everyone’s messages and am feeling very positive.
Started on the 1st and going ok so far, bar a bit of light headedness and headache.
So I just keep drinking water (and like you Waitaminute, and Ellieallegra been visiting the loo a lot!)
How much weight do I want to lose? Any! I need to lose 30 kgs, which is almost 5 stone🤦🏼‍♀️ So my first goal is 5kgs .
😉

Hello everyone. I am really looking forward to our Easter Bus Tour. The bus is really busy and full of enthusiasm and we are all in for the ride of our lives. So many old friends and new friends are strapped in and ready for the ride.

I have been off piste since Christmas Eve- a mindful decision, thoroughly enjoyed but it’s apparent I could not live off piste for the rest of my life. One week and I am itching for healthy food and control. My joints ache and I am slower and more sluggish. Back to basics for me from today. I did have a sneaky peek at the scales in between Christmas and New Year but that is not going on the record! My next official weigh in will be 1st February and until then I will try and undo the Christmas damage, get back to fasting, get myself into ketosis and enjoy a more healthy and fulfilling eating habit once more.

I am off to get my fridge filled up with healthy vegetables, salad, eggs, cottage cheese and cream for my coffee this morning. The naughty things I have left over from Christmas have been packed away and I intend to rid myself of the sugar in my body over the next three days. It really does feel like poison in my system! I can usually get into ketosis fairly quickly.

I intend to get to 138 lb by Easter. Once that is achieved I may try and go a little lower to 135 lb and then I need to tackle maintenance. I am booked into my favourite spa retreat in July (vaccine dependent) Ragdale Hall so that is when I hope to be at my target. So plenty of time to achieve my 2021 goal.

It’s nice to see lots of new friends on the thread and you are all going to be amazed at how this way of eating curbs hunger. My advice is not to compare your weight loss to others. We all lose weight differently- some of us quite slowly!! One thing you will notice is that even if you don’t lose weight, your clothes will start to feel loose and you will see your shape change. I remember seeing bony knees and shoulders!

I know the first three days will be difficult for me whilst I am adapting from burning sugar to fat but I know I will do it and I know that I am in great company. Have a good day everyone and just do your best every day.

Morning all and welcome to the ride! It’s exciting to be travelling with you, and to see where we all get to with our respective goals.

Welcome Bean, great to have you on board! And hello to anyone reading this from the sidelines – do come and join us. The more the merrier.

2021 has not got off to the best of starts for me. Just before New Year I fell whilst running, so am rather battered and bruised. I’m normally quite an active person but since then I have been resting – aka sitting on the sofa feeling sorry for myself and grazing on rather too many Christmas goodies! So sadly I’ve pretty much undone my small weight loss from Countdown to Christmas. But am ready to start all over again . . . .

My current weight is 143lb and my long term target 133lb. I’m going to be bold and refine that to 130lb in the hope that it will spur me on to work that little bit harder. There are 13 weeks of this challenge so that’s 1lb to lose per week – although I know it doesn’t work exactly like that!

I’m also mindful of the fact that numbers aren’t everything. NSVs (Non Scale Victories) are really important too. JGwen has set up a great thread on this. So, whilst I tend to be driven and motivated by numbers, my real main goal is to get rid of my belly fat. If my combination of diet and exercise achieves that, even if I’m not at my numerical goal I will stick there and go into maintenance. Conversely if I do achieve 130-133lb but still have the jelly belly, then I’ll keep going further.

All very hypothetical at the moment, but those are my aims by Easter. Imagine how we will all feel if we do achieve our goals by then! And we will hopefully be able to celebrate in some proper, non-Covid way by then too. Cathy you mentioned Ragdale Hall and if you remember I was there with my daughter in 2019. I’d love to go again and hope to make it sometime this year. I think I’ll earmark that as my “when I achieve my goal treat”. Even better, start saving money that I would have spent on wine and chocolate into my Ragdale Hall fund!

Have a good day everyone. The Easter bus is on the move!

ELLIE and AUSSIESUE! Well done on your good early start! Youre both already up and away! X
DAWN im so glad to hear the sparkly chart is still up! I m a 4 th Jan starter too..am easing in gently for a couple of days then midweek Im going to start throwing a few fasts into the mix! X
SUEBLUE that risotto sounds fab,I must look it up X
GABRIELLE! jump on board,you wont regret it! Lots of support and fun here on our magic busX
BUSYBEE!CUPPA!WAITAMINUTE!NURSEBEAN! MARIET! CARONL!BUTTERLOVER! Great that youre all on board. Are you belted up and ready to rock!?
BUTTERS I really feel for you, I have bouts of sciatica,and its horrible. We ‘ve got a special padded cushioned seat for you,where you wont get knocked about when we drive over any bumps in the road X
CCATHY I totally agree…those pesky carbs really make me much more achey and stiff,and very bloated…the difference when I go low carb is really noticeable,so bread,spuds etc are now kicked to the kerb! My Carb Monster is disappearing into the distance,jumping up and down with rage,as the Bus zooms off into the distance,over hills and dales!X
DCT thanks for setting up our Easter adventure X!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
We’re on our way now,bowling down the road …Move along the bus please,plenty more room on top! 😀 xx

A good thought to keep in mind as we career along on the bus..
It’s not about what you eat between christmas and new year that matters,but what you eat between new year and christmas!😘

Hello and let’s get this bus moving!
I too am glad that the carbs have been banned again as, like so many others, my poor old and rather large (euphemism) body complains bitterly when I eat the nasty white stuff.
I would like to lose 1.5 stones during the next 13 weeks though realistically would be happy with 1 pound a week.
I am stealing different ways of travelling the bus journey from fellow passengers and these include:
I will only weigh on 1st of each month – this will take a very strong will as I have always been a daily weigher.
I will stop (try) drinking alcohol Monday to Friday except for our wedding anniversary when I will allow a glass of fizz.
I will try not to be so hard on myself and if I do fall of the bus I will try not to eat for Britain for the rest of the day. (Or week)
I intend to make my eating plan easier by having a hard boiled egg mid morning so I can take my steroids with food, a protein shake later and then protein and veg for dinner.
I will record my water intake as it’s easy to forget.
I will increase my exercise a little more each day over the next few weeks.
Finally, I have polished the mantra from last year-
Yesterday has gone, tomorrow never comes so I will follow the plan one day at a time.
O.D.A.A.T.
X B
(Sorry it was a bit of an epistle but I wanted to make a commitment to myself)

I’m hopping on this bus, hi everyone!

I weighed-in at 12st10lb on Friday 1st Jan 2021, so my aim is to be 11st something (anything) by Easter, which will be my lightest in 5 years and at which I didn’t look too gaunt.

Also following the theme of non-scale victories, I want to increase fitness and strength a bit more this year, so will be using the exercise bike and doing some online yoga and home kettlebell sessions.

ODAAT 🙂

Hiya, I am new to the bus- but I’ve been doing the BSD/ this WOE since June 3rd last year and have lost 2 st 11 lbs, taking me from well into obese to now only 6 lbs from top of normal BMI- also my Hba1c has reduced from 42 in May (why I started the diet, a new diagnosis of pre diabetes) to 34 in December (hooray!). I don’t really have goals that go as far as Easter yet- I have been doing the weekly thread with Wendy but the Easter bus was mentioned so I thought I would hop on and say hi! My current goals are my birthday goal of losing 42 lbs in my 42nd year- 3 lbs to go by Feb 15th, and my original goal of 45 lbs to get to top of normal BMI since June last year (6 lbs away)- don’t have an exact date for that but could try and get there too by my bday but don’t mind if it takes longer. Also aiming for healthy waistline of half my height but not set a real date for that also need to check where it’s at- last time I checked I had lost 9.5″ leaving 4″ to go- I will review when I get to my target weight whether I still need to lose more to get to my waist goal.

Oh, and I guess an Easter goal could be at least maintaining what I have already lost, continuing the WOE and daily exercise.

Nice to meet you all,
Tulip xx.

Hello – DCT what a warm and welcoming welcome, thank you and hello to all my fellow travellers.
Well, based in Scotland we’re now looking at a different picture…there’s been an outbreak of soup in the Central Belt…if anyone knows folk growing carrots I could use some!
That aside, please keep safe folks, wear masks and follow the rules. I’m front line and it’s scary.
Realising I need to drink a whole lot more water (I think I read somewhere that quite a lot of water is in food, so if you’re reducing food, you need to balance it out by upping the water intake.)
Anyhow – we can properly do this – generations before us got through world wars,
Keep safe, keep positive (and if you have to go out to a space away from your immediate family and scream I’d recommend aiming for at least 150Db!)
with love and hope
cuppa
x

I’m feeling happy! the upward blip caused by my lack of self control has disappeared with a little extra so after my first proper check in I have discarded 1.1kg. I know others do better but I am always slow and had resigned myself to no progress for the first week so feeling good now. I’ve managed to stick to the no snacking, carbs <30g and a daily walk except while I was camping. I know I have gone over on calories a few times but sticking with the WOE. I’m feeling very enthusiastic!

Hi all, thought I would check in to keep my seat! Now on Day 3 and all well so far. A hint of a headache, but otherwise feeling positive and excited to be getting back on track. I have a really sore hip/knee at the moment, particularly going downstairs, and was encouraged to read that every kilo weight loss is 3.5kilos less stress on those joints. That’s a big motivator!

I am not posting goals here. Just hope to announce a really good achievement by Easter.

Many congratulations tulip on your discard so far. You must feel so chuffed. And good luck to all fellow passengers.

Hello Everyone

Day one completed. Looking forward to getting rid of all that sugar from my system. I was hungry yesterday but I know it’s not true hunger just the carb monster growling for fuel. Today I am fasting until lunchtime. I have had coffee and cream and will drink a lot of water. I have got the best part of four weeks to get back to my Christmas Eve weight slowly and surely. I know that I will feel better when the carbs are gone. Another lockdown blow for the UK and I don’t know whether I am starting my new job next week. I am going to ring them today and see whether they will defer my start date or even if I have a job as there may be a complete change of plan! Anyway, we are getting used to dealing with change so whatever happens it will be OK.

Plan for today is to keep drinking water, peppermint tea, coffee, a light lunch and then cauliflower cheese for my evening meal. It usually takes me three days to get into the swing of this way of eating after a break so hopefully by tomorrow I will be back on track and the hunger will have subsided and my carb monster will be back in his cage!

Have a good day everyone.

Yowser, I loved your thought for the day yesterday- it’s not what you eat between Christmas and New Year, it’s what you eat between New Year and Christmas that counts! I keep thinking about it. Oh, and I am needed at my new job next week – it’s a private medical practice so I am feeling happy that I am still wanted and don’t have the worry of looking for another position after lockdown.

Hola! Hope everyone is getting nice and settled on the bus..are your seats comfy! 😀
CCATHY Im so glad you still have your job to go to. Do you start next Monday?
I agree with you re that quote,it really struck a chord with me too! It points out that we can still have treats,as long as we eat healthily for 80-90% of the time. Nothing is totally off limits!
CUPPA i totally agree with you too..our oatents,grandparents,great grandparents were hardy souls and went thru more hard times than we can even imagine. In my exoerience,they only ever spoke of those times in humorous terms,never as complaints. They were real stoics! X

Hello to everyone on the bus,
difficult times for all – I have loads of food ‘do’s and don’ts’ questions…also it’s January and if we’re taking down Xmas trees in homes they may look a bit bare. So…in the spirit of a post Xmas quiz…if you were on Strictly Come Dancing…what would be your aspirational song and dance? (I answered this question with Blues Bros Everybody needs somebody….dancing a Jive.) Then back pedalled saying 16 week lead time. Couch potato to 5k is one thing, 3 mins high intensity workout for someone like me something else!!! Good news tho, found a carrot (and no, I didn’t nick it off a snowman.) River deep mountain high, this bus is going to keep us trucking (bit like all the haulage companies)
cuppa
x

Hi TULIP! Climb aboard,youre welcome,more the merrier!
Waist to height ratio..my waist measurement wd be fine if i was about eight foot tall! X
Hi CUPPA yep,ive been dreading the deccies coming down..im leaving all my fairy lights up,i need their twinkle to keep a twinkle in my eyes!😀
Dance wise,i wd do a belly dance! Ive deffo got enough belly for it! Joking aside tho, anything egyptian/ eastern / moroccan appeals to me …Ive been told i was Egyptian in a previous life! Plus I love the colourful belly dancing costumes. Music wise I would choose Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc5OyXmHD0w
Ps I Love all the music from Blues Bros and have watched the film so many times ❤️
Beepbeeeeep 🚌!!!!!!!! get out of our way,the Easter Bus is speeding along ! x

Hi everyone – so, Day 4 done! 🙂 Yesterday was really busy and news of lockdown 3 has caused a few issues, but I’ve managed to stay on track. Had a lot of hunger this evening so have been drinking lots of herbal tea. In addition to the ups and downs of covid, I seem to get hungry when the weather gets really cold – it has been very chilly this evening in particular and I’ve been wanting things to warm up…so, herbal teas it is! Anyway, hope everyone is doing well…onwards to Easter we go! 🐣🐣🐣

Hi all, hey Yowzer darent look at the thighs on the Pussycat dolls they must do some serious workouts. I used to do belly dancing back a few years and still have some of the gear, just the beaded scarf tied around the hips. Makes a great jiggling sound when you shake your bootie. My favourite dancing was Ceroc which is French for c’est rock – translates as ‘its rock’. It is a combination of salsa, rock and any Latin American dance moves. My favourite song, or my Strictly choice would be dancing Ceroc to Santana’s Smooth. Lovely gliding with the sensual moves. Oh I wish I could still do the dances but hubby refused to come with me so after lessons I had no one to dance with.

I have set myself an Easter goal now knowing my starting point. I reached 77.9 kg so never hit that dreaded 78 kg although I seem to have had a pretty good shot at reaching it. Anyway, that was Monday and my goal is 13 weeks to Easter Monday to be 72 kg which is 6 kg minus a smidge. I like having goals and charts. There are two things on my fridge door. My weight chart and my weekly menu.

Hiii Fellow Bus Travellers…..brummm brumm…..there we go…just a blur flying down the road! Fortunately,no speed limit necessary, coz we’re the only vehicle on this path
I must admit,Im finding it a bit difficult to adjust to being “ good”..but its early days,and I’m loving looking into my colourful fridge. Lots of greens,bright orange peppers,and lovely red,blue and purple berries 😘
Ps a tip..i learnt this the hard way..for some reason,frozen blueberries dont defrost so well..they go a bit mushy and tasteless. I thought maybe it was just me,but I googled it and seems to be so. So will only buy fresh bluebs now
Strawbs not great for freezing either.
💜 Whatever your problem is the answer is NOT in the fridge! 💜 XXX
Well done ELLIE on day 4 successfully completed!
Keep on rockin SUNSHINE even if your Beloved doesnt want to!

Hello everyone
I was doing great today – coffee with cream for breakfast, a hard boiled egg and some quorn slices for lunch followed by Greek yoghurt and Raspberries. Went out for a brisk walk (slipped on some black ice!) and then at 5 pm I ate four chocolates and felt sick! My tea was sprouts and two quorn sausages. I then ate a large handful of salted nuts. I was so good on Monday and yesterday and then let myself down tonight. I think it might be because I know I am not getting weighed until 1st February so I think I have got time to undo any naughtiness! I am glad I felt sick after the chocolates. I reckon my body was virtually in ketosis and the sugar rush was too much for my body to cope with.
It is always difficult after a week off piste to get back to things but I did it on Monday and Tuesday so back to basics again tomorrow! How silly of me to even open the chocolate box.

Hope you’re doing better than me. I will call it a false start and get back on the start line again tomorrow.

CCathy I can sympathise re the chocolate – I had a snaccident on Day 2! I found some leftover Christmas pudding and some brandy cream lurking at the back of my fridge and as no one else in my family really likes Xmas pud, and as one of my resolutions this year was to limit food waste … well let’s just leave it there!
I don’t think too much damage was done as it was only a small piece, it just meant my calories were probably about 1000 instead of 800.
Day 3 was better, I came in at 807 calories and today is on track for about 850.
I’m making a stir fry with lots of veg, chicken and teriyaki sauce. I found a low sugar, natural Japanese one so giving that a go. I had planned to have with Wholemeal soba noodles but when I went to get them out of the cupboard saw that I only had Udon noodles. I’ll just have a small amount, I guess I could have made some quinoa instead but tbh even though my carbs will be up a bit the calories still fit in. I figure if I do the right thing and stick to plan 90-95% Of the time I should be right.
I’m looking forward to my first weigh in tomorrow. I’m thinking of weighing weekly for a few weeks then switch to fortnightly or monthly as the weight loss slows down.
I hope all of my friends there in the UK are travelling ok during the latest lockdown. I’m guessing we are all wearing masks on the bus 😷
Certainly one way to stop snacking anyway! To be honest though I’ve been so busy with work this week snacking hasn’t been a problem at all, I’ve been able to stick to just meals (well apart from the Xmas pud incident!)

Hi everyone,I’m finding it more difficult than I thought I would to get back firmly into my seat on the bus,Cathy I think what you said about not getting weighed until Feb 1st may be right as that is also what I am doing (in my case because I don’t want to be totally derailed by seeing the damage done over Christmas) and it’s making me think I have plenty of time to get back on track.I need to get my head in the right place to focus now.I’ve planned all of my meals until Sunday so really have no excuse (lots of food in the house still for DH and DD which I shouldn’t be having and which in the past I have been fine ignoring so I need to do that again) Well done to all of those who are firmly in their seats already😀 Dawn X

Morning everyone!

Lovely to read the posts, and I admit I’m struggling too to sit still and settle on the bus. I’ve been a bit under the weather this week, and feeling a bit low, particularly with the latest Covid and lockdown situation in the UK. Also, as Sue said, keep finding bits of Christmas food that need finishing so they don’t go to waste! To be honest, I’m tempted to draw a line under this week and get going properly from Monday. I do my next big food shop today so can make sure I have the right foods in, and should also be able to get out exercising again this weekend. I may even give Dry January another go as it has not got off to the best of starts!

So I’m with you all on the bus and cheering you on, and will come out of the naughty corner on Monday!!

Cathy, great news that your job hasn’t been impacted by the latest lockdown. A lovely fresh start for you. And Sue, your food sounds wonderful as always! I tend to stick to the same old things so I think I need to get back to the recipe book and ring the changes a bit more. Yowzer thanks for all your cheer and inspiration; I hope that your colourful fridge helps you get back on track. I also love that both Dawn and sunshine girl have got charts on your fridges. I have a spreadsheet which I enjoy using, though it can be a bit disheartening when things are not going well :@

Hello to everyone else on here too – Caronl, Mariet, AussieSue, Cuppa, RubyG, Waitaminute, Ellie, Busybee, Tulip, Butterlover, Gabrielle and NurseBean. And anyone I’ve missed (sorry!). Great to have you on board and hope we can keep each other going on our journey.