Hello everyone,

Am cautiously optimistic for the first time in a very long while. Luckily did not have a social weekend, unusual lately, have been head down tail up in the garden (we seem to be in a “renovate the garden as well as the house” mode) and I’ve managed to control each day since the 11th. Fingers crossed that I’m able to keep my focus on “one day at a time”.

Hope we all have encouraging results tomorrow.

Thanks Mariet- one could shop forever and I am hoping when I see it again it will all make sense. Worst case I can sell it right? It’s just a lot more elegant and classic than o had planned – I like a boho ruffle flowery aesthetic.

Sigh! First world problems.

Jackie you are doing so well – check you out hurtling down toward 60!

I ha d a much better and cleaner weekend – good to see you too Topcac, getting the planning in. I did eat a few gummy sweets yesterday but apart from that have kept the flour out completely so relieved with that and have a meal plan for today.

Fage, walnuts and cinnamon.
Oxtail stew with bare naked noodles (konjac root- calorie free)
Smoked mackerel with a boiled egg and a big pile of greens.

Ps Mariet I am five two and I totally agree that big dresses look a bit heavier on us small folk – has your daughter tired many? I found my view changed a lot once I got inside them!

Thanks Mariet for reminding me that I had gone ‘Back to Basics’ yet again!!! I seem to have forgotten over the weekend and the scales are showing an increase again this morning. Not to be deterred today will be a better day after all it’s a new day, it’s a new week …. and I’m feelin fine…….

Morning all,

-0.1lb

It’s a loss so not to be sniffed at. This woe is mucking about with my cycle. Last month I was 10 days late, this month 7 days early. PMS Symptoms are nearly nearly non existent which is fab but clearly my hormones don’t quite know where they are.

Anyone else experienced anything like this?

Morning morning all and happy Monday

Good weekend. Like you Marsie, had a rare one with no social engagements so kept slap bang to plan. Haven’t weighed yet this week, will save that for tomorrow, but worked hard in the garden on Saturday so hoping to see at least some kind of loss!! I have had a semi persistent headache most of the weekend too so I’m hoping that’s the last of the carb monster, hog tied and being dragged out kicking and screaming.

Mokovex, can’t help on the ‘cycle’ front as I am like clockwork now (although that’s not always been the case due to PCOS). Don’t know your age but if you are of a ‘certain’ one then it may just be coincidence that you are all over the place. I can’t think of anything about this plan that would disrupt it too much.

Have a good day all and let’s hope the scales are generous to us all tomorrow!

TC xx

Not so sure about hoping for too good results tomorrow – had a weekend away with very limited food options. However today I am sticking to the grind and hoping for at least a maintenance….

Onetowatch, I loved your dress too, simply gorgeous, stick with it, you will look fabulous.

Very hectic past week, socially, stuck mainly to BSD foods, but FAR too much wine, and I have lost 3 whole pounds of wriggle room and am feeling a tad bloated. Still 4.5lbs under target though, so no need to panic, but am reining in today, not to gain more wriggle room, but I really don’t like this bloated, sluggish feeling – funny really, as I used to feel like that all the time and just thought it was “normal”. We go away on Wednesday for our anniversary, so really want to be back to feeling full of energy again by then, especially as there will be lots of lovely meals and, no doubt, more wine involved!

I have a real incentive for keeping all the weight off (apart from feeling great😉) because we have just booked a safari trip in a luxury lodge in a private game reserve in South Africa for next Spring (their Autumn, obviously). There is a swimming pool, and our suite has a private hot tub and plunge pool so I really want to feel confident in my (yet to be bought) new swimsuit! Mind you, the holiday is all inclusive, 3 meals a day and all beverages (including unlimited alcohol😝) and drinks and snacks when out on the “game drives” so I may not be fitting into my swimsuit quite as well by the end of the holiday!! Will definitely be trying to get lots of “insurance” wriggle room before we go!

Looking forward to hearing everyone’s results tomorrow – good luck fellow spooks.

Well, four days of basics and on weigh day I’m happy to report my lowest weight yet, 63.5 kg. Now my challenge is not to reward myself and bounce upward again! My aim for this challenge was to hit 62.5 by the end, doable if I stick with it I hope. I’ve got two packed social weekends coming up so it’s going to be tough.

Theodora, 48 years is a marvellous accomplishment, congratulations and enjoy your holiday!

I hope everyone has a result they’re happy with.

Mariet, you’ve just about written my report for me😊 congratulations on your progress, you must be feeling terrific about it.

I, too, can report I’ve weighed in at 63.5kg this morning. Last Tuesday I said I’d touched the 65kg again. In fact, it was 65.5k that day so since then it’s two whole kilos! ! Hard to believe it, and like Mariet, I need to focus today on NOT thinking “oh, you’ve lost, you can afford to have……” I DON’T HAVE WRIGGLE ROOM YET. But, I’m thrilled with the turn-around this week🙆

Hoping to read lots of other good results at the midway point of this challenge.

One day at a time. …..

Morning all,

Start : 140.3 lb
Week 1: 136.6 lb
Today : 135.4 lb

Total loss -4.9lb
Body fat : -1% (finally, there seems to be some movement)

Can’t believe we have reached the halfway point already. Remembering that only a couple of short weeks ago it felt like I would never get into the 130s and now I am starting to think about the 120s.
This weekend I very deliberately ate a piece of rocky road and a chocolate crispy bite. I haven’t had anything like this in 8 weeks and needed to see if I could just walk away. I did. By no means do I think that the sugar dragon has been slain but it was a baby step.

We had friends staying with us this weekend who were happy to eat our way. We haven’t seen them in a few months and so we didn’t need to persuade them with our words, we just look different. I ended up creating a weekly meal plan with my friend for them to follow which they are keen to do.

Well done Mariet and Marsie on a great result this week. 👏 👏

65.1kg today. Down another 300g.

Yesterday I ate nothing for breakfast, lunch was salmon and watercress, plus teaspoon mayo, dinner was chicken, red pepper, onion (!) – leftover from daughter’s pasta lunchbox, but with no pasta OBVS, plus grated cheese, heated in microwave PLUS cauliflower cheese, which is cauliflower, Greek yoghurt, Worcester sauce and cheese, mixed and baked. It has breadcrumbs on it (for son) but I scraped them off. Plus a few chunks of lamb leftover from yesterday. Oh and a bit of 90%chocolate. Quantity obviously key here, it was bits and pieces.

Cautiously optimistic I may be healthy weight next week.

Good morning all.

Progress so far is:
Start of challenge 13 6
6/10 13 4
10/10 13 5
17/10 13 3

So good progress being made so far!

I was baking for the family on Sunday and had a few small tastes, which was not good! I will try to stay on the straight and narrow this week. I am off to Champney’s spa for the weekend with my husband so maybe some more concentrated attempts at getting exercise in will help!

Californiagirl, my heart goes out to you and those you love, what difficult times you are all facing.

Good luck to my fellow travellers, I wish you a smooth path ahead this coming week as we go screaming into Halloween!

Yay, 9 st 1 & 3/4 this morning, that’s almost four pounds off since I started the challenge- am going really well on this one!
If I can just maintain that for the next couple of weeks I’ll be very happy… although I’m now inspired to try and get into the 8 stones bracket!

I bought a pair of size 10 dungarees last week, you can’t imagine how ridiculously happy that made me. And everyone is commenting how slim I look suddenly so I think they must suit me. And they’re baggy! Plenty of spare denim there! 😄

Some excellent results everyone. Well done.

Well done on the dungarees Maisie. I can imagine exactly how happy buying size 10 made you feel. Believe me, that feeling continues – 5 months into maintenance and I still get a thrill when I shop for small clothes!!

After one day reining it right back in, that sluggish feeling has gone and I’m feeling energised again. Plus I have aquired 2lbs of my wriggle room back, so now 6.5lbs under target weighing in at 8st 0.5lbs so very happy with that to go away with tomorrow., and hoping not too much will be gained while away.

Looking forward to everyone else’s results.

Good morning Challenger’s.
Everyone has done so well this week, but I have to report no loss but no gain. I was doing very well in spite of travelling up and down the M6 to visit a very poorly uncle, then on Sunday I succumbed to a piece of toast with my boiled egg and the carb monster leapt our of the cupboard! I did manage to reign it in and was back on track yesterday.
I must try not to comfort eat and will keep on keeping on one day at a time. (Hi Marsie).
X B

Lovely results everyone. Unfortunately I have gained since this challenge started so I’m going to take a break from here for the moment and re-organise my meals and myself. Re-read ‘the’ book and generally get myself back into ‘losing’ mode. I’m not disheartened as I’ve managed to stay in control these last few months just gaining and losing the same couple of pounds. Hope you all continue to do well on this challenge. See you soon.

Shame to see you go but you must do what you need to do Verano. Hopeful that you will come back soon and keep reading if not contributing.

Whipping the carb monster’s ar*e this week has resulted in a 3lbs loss for me since I returned from holiday. This brings me back to my pre holiday weight which was still 2lbs up from the week before but now I have to tackle 8 days of travelling in the US. I will very much have to depend on restaurant food, as I will have no cooking facilities, but have decided to skip at least one meal each day (probably breakfast) and eat only in a 6 hour window to stave the influx of calories. Feel confident that, if nothing else, I can keep carbs low (steak and salad for me please) and hopefully resist the carb laden rubbish.

Congratulations to all those celebrating a loss and a big old ‘keep on keeping on’ for those who haven’t. Marathon not a sprint remember. Life gets in the way, it always will, we must be kind to ourselves.

Big Love to you all xxx

The sun is shining after last nights’ bad weather and I’m about to go out for a walk – it’s part of my “I will learn to enjoy exercise” daily routine, so will keep it quick.

Verano, I’ve just finished off a mug of your Pea Soup – had it every lunch-time for the last 3 days and am looking forward to tomorrow’s already. Delicious. I added the spinach this time. It is so green (my favourite colour) and so full of goodness, and I feel completely virtuous every time I eat it – win, win, win!

I’ve now lost 4lbs since the beginning of this challenge which is great – although my recent losses have come on the back of several weeks of no loss – so don’t think its anything I’ve particularly done differently except learn to have patience, maybe. My weight goal is to lose 6lb by the end of the challenge so I’m hoping that’s do-able if those pesky plateaus stay away. One of my non-weight goals is to extend the types of food I eat – try new things – so will continue to focus on that this week!

Best wishes for the next week everyone.
Marie

Only a 0.2 lb loss for me this week! Better than a gain and STILL heading in the right direction. Today’s weight is 135.8. Goal weight is 133 so almost there now! It could be possible to achieve my goal weight this challenge! . I won’t put pressure on myself though as it will happen when it happens. Will try hard this week to lose another pound. Have lost 40 lbs since I started in January so feel very happy about that (80 packets of butter gone off my body)!!!

Loving the size 10 dungaree story Maisie- how fantastic.

Keep eating clean for Halloween 🎃 everyone!

You’re an inspiration Theodora! 😘

Cathy it’s fab that you’re so near to target and yet relaxed about it… keep on rocking on everyone!

It’s occurred to me that it is only when we are wearing NEW clothes that people will notice our weight loss! Good reason to go shopping! 😄

Missing you already, Verano. Wish you well in turning things around again. Remember ….. no medications, please don’t put that at risk. Again, wishing you well xx

Theodora, envying you your proposed trip to South Africa. In early 2000s OH and I spent about a month in various parts of SA, Kenya, Tanzania, making the most of the game parks. Would go back in a flash given the opportunity. I’m sure you will love it.

Raining fitfully here today so didn’t work outside, went to Pilates which doesn’t really burn much in the way of cals but is so beneficial to my back, core, balance. OH and I have been working harder physically than might be expected at our ages due to renovations inside and out but today. apart from a plasterer replacing the cornices in our reno bathroom, there was something of a lull. Instead of finding any one of a dozen houseworky things to do, I wandered aimlessly and there was the most terrible urge to eat, eat, eat. I did, but fairly harmlessly, and managed to stop. There, a victory. And a lesson……keep busy.

A day at a time…….xx

Hi not really ‘going’ anywhere just relieving the ‘pressure’ of the challenge. I’m finding that I am thinking constantly about food! Today has been much better, far more relaxed so hopefully things will keep getting better. Will be reading and contributing sometimes but just cutting myself some slack.

Glad the pea soup is successful Marie the colour does make you think it just has to be ‘good’ for you!!

Ok, if you want to avoid a BSD disaster, avoid Las Vegas like the plague! Even after a year and a half of maintenance I find this place challenging.
The conference offers muffins and bagels for breakfast and pizza and beer for networking dinner (I hate those networking things!).
We ordered omelette for breakfast the first day and I think it might have been made with about EIGHT eggs, it was as big as the giant platter it came on.
Dinners seem to be “accompanied” by lobster Mac and cheese, onion rings and “loaded” potatoes — and my measly kale salad came with a cup of sugared cranberries and swimming in sweet dressing (forgot to ask for dressing on the side).
Aaaaaaaagh!! Nightmare food place! So I did what every good BSD’r does when faced with food overload — Theodora you will be proud of me — I fasted for a full 24 hours and that totally helped, along with an hour on the treadmill in the gym.
I am in a much happier mental place this morning — thank you to everyone like Theodora and Esnecca who helped me learn how to fast!
On the California fire front, they are slowly gaining control but there are 6,000 homes burned — devastating loss for Sonoma and Napa counties. A wonderful story this morning however, on a Great Pyrenees dog who shepherded a flock of goats through the fire (they couldn’t get him to come when they evacuated) and he saved all of them, and himself, with just a few burns on his legs — the ranch was completely destroyed but the dog heroically did his job and greeted his family with his herd when they were able to go back in. As a former owner of two Great Pyrs, I can truly imagine him doing his job like that — they are wonderful, dedicated (and so smart) dogs.

Cathy, go girl, you are so nearly there and, as we started together, I’m sooo looking forward to welcoming you to the “maintainers” club😊

Maisie, thank you, but nothing inspirational about me, I’m afraid – just dogged determination like everyone else here. But thanks anyway.

Marsie, you are soooo right. Keeping busy has always been key for me – when I don’t have time to think about food, I never really miss it, and then by the time I realise I haven’t eaten all day, I’ve kind of gone past it! Then, lo and behold, a complete fast day has occurred, all by itself😜 And yes, I’m really looking forward to our trip, you are so lucky to have spent time in Africa. It’s years since o/h and I have travelled together, because he does loads of rugby trips all around the world (and ALWAYS goes on the British Lions Tour!) and he is also a keen sailor, so when we actually have holidays together they tend to be aboard the boat but, sadly I am a “fair weather sailor” and when I am aboard we generally have the dogs too, so tend not to make very long passages, so never reach any exotic climes😭 So this safari trip, which is something I have wanted to do for years, but has never really appealed to him, is something really special for me. But he loves South Africa and has travelled fairly extensively there (mostly for rugby) so I’m sure he will love the safari too, and it will be a totally different aspect of the country for him to explore. I’m really mega-excited and, even though it’s a whole 6 months away, I keep going to the game park’s website just to gaze at the wonderful photos, and imagining myself there! Mind you, I kind of conned him into it – he offered to treat me to 5 days in Florence as a reward for losing so much weight, and when I was looking online for a nice hotel etc, an advert for this safari trip popped up (as they do!) Next thing he knew, the poor man was footing a bill for an all-inclusive 2 week luxury safari in South Africa (and looking at the pics and reading the reviews, it really does look like luxury), instead of 4 nights in a mid-range hotel in Florence! Just as well he loves me😍💞💗💥

Sorry, gone way off Hallowe’en topic🤔

Well done on resisting all that temptation and fasting Cal-girl. Very impressed, not to say very proud of you.😘 Been watching the news about the fires, just heartbreaking, even more so coming so fast on the hells as the hurricanes on the East coast, double whammy, and my heart goes out to all affected. The story of the Pyrenean and the goats made me cry………………my screen’s gone all blurry.

Obviously, in my post above, that was meant to read “heels” of the hurricanes, but I guess hells describes it pretty well too!

Californiagirl – what a lovely story about the dog who kept the flock of goats safe in the fire. It’s so good to hear some good news amongst all the almost unimaginable devastation of the fires.

I have been positively saintly but have put on 0.25lb. Strangely my belt is looser this week – even though the scales haven’t moved.

Well done to everyone who has lost, maintained or like me have gained a little.

Well done everyone. I am back with more determination but with little time. I go away on Friday and our house sitters arrive on Thursday for whom we are providing a nice meal (filet mignon in white wine and prune sauce) and mandarin roulade so not much chance for me. I have remained the same weight and hope to be a little lighter before they arrive. Then we have 10 days in Birmingham with our family. I will drop in to say bye before we head off and remember,,, keep on keeping on…

Happy weigh-in day everyone, but I have a confession to make. I hit my trigger weight this morning, 11 stone 7 pounds, yesterday’s fast day didn’t happen, a meal out on Friday and an indulgent weekend with a few too many high calorie eating and drinking sessions made the difference, although I have been flirting with the elevated number for a week or two, only held down I think by the fast day on Monday’s. So the last week of my challenge is now an 800 a day week, on the basis that there is no point in setting a trigger weight if you don’t react immediately you hit it. Still, the wedding dress came out again on Saturday just before being packed away again, and it still fitted when I showed my mum, and she took a picture. Today has been relatively good, I haven’t counted up yet, but apart from a single fig roll, no BSD contraband (one of the hardest things I always find is sticking to one fig roll so I am quite proud of myself). My estimate is I am currently on less than 400 actually and not planning on eating much else, just a cup of my broccoli, Kale and spinach soup. Will probably be hungry tomorrow as it is double badminton so will have a good meal. I can see myself ending up on more like 1000 tomorrow.

Well my guess was out, closer to 600 at 575, but I guess that’s lack of practice as I haven’t been weighing and logging for the past few months. A week of discipline will do me the world of good.

morning,

today =+0.4lb (sigh)

Don’t know why I gained. Bit discouraged. I know it isn’t a linear thing and objectively I know there is probably water weight etc but some days, don’t the scales affect you more than they should?

Go well. x

If it’s some consolation, and I know it’s not much, over time the small random movements in the wrong direction do affect you less. After 14 months on the Fast 800, a half-pound overnight gain gets no more than an eyeroll from me nowadays whereas it used to cause lip tremors and if it happened several days in a row, floods of tears.

Buck up, Mokovex. Don’t dwell on it. Push it away from the front of your mind and live your day. This isn’t just a way of eating, it’s a mental workout too. You control what you think about just like you control what you eat. If that figure pops into your head, make a concious decision to think about something else, ideally something complex that requires concentration. The scale will move the other way soon enough.

Mokovex I am in the same boat this week, with a 300g gain. I’m not sure why either as calorie wise I’ve stuck to 900-1000 average each day. I’ve had a flare up of my Rheumatoid Arthritis so possibly some of it is inflammation? I’m not sure. I’ve also had to increase my steroid dose this week which may have affected weight also. Anyway not letting it get to me and still looking at the bigger picture – still 2 weeks left for me to lose the weight I wanted to, to reach my next mini-goal. Just that it’s now 2.8kg I need to lose in 2 weeks!

Weighing in a bit late but better late than not at all, determined to stick with this challenge! I lost 2lb 2oz and am feeling quite inspired, I hope this lasts. This leaves me just short of 5lb in the next 2 weeks, it might sound unrealistic but I really need to get back in control. I find it the hardest time of the year eating wise and know that if I can head into the Christmas break the right weight, it will be much easier not to overeat, and to make the most of what I do eat.

How lovely, Theodora, that your husband is treating you with a trip because of your weight loss! So happy for you.

Keep on, be keen, just two weeks to Halloween!

😄thanks for making me laugh Theodora. Loved your story of the impromptu booking to SA. If it’s any consolation, after several years of “his choice” touring, which I thoroughly enjoyed of course as they were also on my bucket list, he caved to my neverending, subtle (?!) hints and we did our safari tours. Did OH enjoy it? Yes, indeed he did, wished we’d done it sooner, for heaven’s sake!

😍oh, that Great Pyrenees dog story, it did touch the heart Californiagirl, in amongst all the sad stories. You did well to fight through and recover from the Las Vegas conference food. We were at a national conference being held here in Perth a few weeks ago and it was all sauces, sugars, alcohol with some real food under there somewhere. Difficult, and I can’t claim to be as disciplined as you were, so well done☺

I understood where you were coming from Verano, happy for you if that was just enough to ease the pressure that does build up sometimes.

Good on you sunshine-girl, you’ll do what you need to, especially thinking of the impact on your meds reduction.

Head down, tail up, Mixnmatch, work yourself hard to get away from that trigger point (and isn’t it good that you have one!). You can do it, I know.

ClarinetCathy, you’re so close you must just about feel it, doing so well. 👏

Hope I’ve not missed anybody. Proud of us all. Press on, one day at a time x

After yesterday’s control, I was rewarded by a drop of 3.4 pounds to 11 stone 4.2, obviously a lot of that will be water/glycogen so pushing on though. I will do standard 800 a day until next Sunday, then a five day plant based low protein FMD at 800 followed by my gradual rise back to standard TDEE at 50 calories a day, which will probably take me the whole of the next challenge too.

Hi everyone. Great about the safari Theodora – we have booked a 17 night cruise around the Med and Eastern Med for our 25th wedding anniversary. This is by a husband who has either been there already (27 years in the RAF) or just doesn’t fancy it. So we are taking in Gibraltar, Venice, Sicilly, Italy and Croatia. Now we have discovered cruising he is already planning 2019 when he wants to do the Baltics and Russia. Such a small world, who would have ever thought it.

CaliforniaGirl loved the story about the dog, always a silver lining eh. Still so sad for the loss of life and property and now occurring in Portugal and Spain.

Been a good girl since Monday and have lost 0.5 kg so just on 76.1 kgs and still got 2 days before my holiday and want to be 75.5. Just shows when you stick to it, it works.

Got to go, got so much to do before our house sitters arrive, still got to clean bathroom and separate toilet and as we have tiled or wooden floors throughout I have to get out the mop for the wood and the steamer for the tiles. Hey ho, it is better than paying €350 to have the cats in the cattery.

I will still find time for you all as it is such a boost. Cheers.

Had a kettle chip blow out today at work! Put a few in a bowl and ate them at my desk and then went back for another bowl! Don’t feel I’ve blown things but certainly won’t be making that mistake again! There is definitely something in them that makes you want more or is that the carbs? Didn’t eat any of the other “goodies” that had been brought in by the medical rep. 0.6 lb down from yesterday this morning before the blow out and tomorrow’s weigh in will be interesting! Have reigned myself in again and will be on my best behaviour as I am so close now to my goal weight it would be ridiculous to go off piste! Don’t even know why I did it but I did enjoy them!!!!! Have really missed crisps!

Hi ClarinetCathy,
You have made me smile. A kettle chip blow out – if I’m going to break my diet I want it to be with one of those! Yes, I also love crisps.

I was in a hurry on Tuesday when I was reporting in on this challenge but I did read your post. I’ve also just lost 40lbs – including a chunk before I started BSD in August, – and was completely struck when you said about the 80 packets of butter gone from your body. What a great way of describing it.

Have a great week – not far to go, now.
Marie x

Happy days! Daily weigh today is 62.8kg a weight I haven’t seen since 1989. I’ve just worked out that that’s 49.2lbs, 33 of them on BSD. Now I’m hanging out for a round 50lb.

California Girl, I loved the Pyrenee dog story, it brought a lump to my throat. How frightened but determined that dog (dogs? Can’t go back and check) must have been.

Well off to work now and walking on air! Tomorrow I have to get up at stupid o’clock to pick up Daniel and Katie from the airport after their honeymoon, so looking forward to seeing them and hearing how it all went 💕

Hi all!! Yay!! I’m home from Las Vegas and I think the damage is minimal thanks to the fasting advice from our forum!
We had turkey burgers (no bun) and brocolli for dinner so I think I will shed any Las Vegas “excess” quickly. AWFUL place!
❤️Mixnmatch, good to respond immediately to trigger weight! And good loss! I think just staying on track will keep us where we want to be!
❤️Mokovex, don’t despair — weight comes and goes — it is the longer term picture that matters and you’re doing great
❤️Barista girls, good loss! And I know what you mean about about gaining control through Christmas — always tricky with so many temptations
❤️Marsie, thank you for the support
❤️Sunshine girl, you are too kind to your house sitters! Have a lovely holiday!
❤️Clarinet Cathy, oh my gosh, Kettle Chips, my # 1 favorite munching food on the drive home from the grocery store pre-BSD!!
❤️Marie123 — 40 pounds loss is huge and fantastic!
❤️Mariet, I hope Dan and Katie come home with wonderful memories
Wow, did I get you all? I don’t know you in person, but your stories have become very important to me!

Looks like I got away with the unfortunate kettle chip blow out from yesterday as the scales were showing exactly the same weight this morning as yesterday – 135.2. (Phew!) Seems I may have got away with it! Will be very careful today to stay in control. Back to basics again for me again today. Am going to try to get into the 134’s for Tuesday! We are going to Washington DC for Christmas to stay with my eldest son who is currently seconded there for a three month period from his job in London and in his most recent text he said he is looking forward to seeing how little I am when we meet up! It made me feel quite nice! I’ve not seen him since Easter so he will see a big difference! Have a good day everyone and remember to KEEP AWAY FROM THE KETTLE CHIPS!

Morning everyone! I’m back on this after a looong hiatus, so joining this group late but hoping that a starter to aim for Halloween will kick start me! One question, I always think it would be good to skip breakfast but then in practice I love eating in the morning too much!! I know I can have breakfast on this, but I like the idea of keeping more calories for later in the day etc…. will this get easier? e.g. if I do 2 weeks with breakfast but 800cal, do you think I will be able to drop breakfast when my blood sugar etc is evened out, or should I just go cold turkey from day one and be a bit stronger about it?! Any advice welcome, and thanks for the encouraging posts I’ve just been reading, you guys are ace. XX

Hi everyone, still on a roll and have lost 0.9 kg since Monday so that is a whole 2lbs. Yeah – a little bonus before my holiday. Well, have to go, just finished cleaning the fridge and making space in it and the freezer for visitors own stuff. Still got the bathroom and toilet to clean but will do that after lunch before I make a mandarin roulade to go with dinner tonight.

Will check in tomorrow before we set off.

Well done s-g. Have a great trip back to the UK.

I had an NSV today. My OH asked me if I could post a parcel for him during my lunch break today, as a it’s difficult for him to get to the post office during their hours. He did warn me it was a bit heavy. Anyway I carried it from the car to the post office (a few mins walk) and was thinking how heavy it was. I put it on the scales and saw that it weighed just over 9kg. In that moment I realised exactly what I had lost during my BSD journey – I’ve actually lost over 11kg, but carrying that weight today, albeit for 5 minutes, really brought it home!

Great NSV, SueBlue, significant insight. 🙂

Welcome back, abisaysyes, hope all goes well for you. I know many here delay or miss breakfast and find it helps. I once attended a Chinese Medicine Dr who was a proponent of skipping breakfast, said the weight would drop off. Or at most have half an apple or pear – why have I just remembered this?? I’ve swapped backwards and forwards in my thinking and it probably shows in my progress …… 2 steps forward 1.5 steps back. This last, mmm, maybe 10 days, I’ve been having a fairly minimal breakfast, taking advantage of the beautiful blueberries in season here. Approx 50g of berries, 70-90g (depending how I feel) of full strength sheeps’ milk yoghurt, 10g slivered almonds for crunch (I seem to need crunch. If I have mouth hunger rather than stomach hunger, and I’m thinking straight, I’ll try for something crunchy. However, that did lead to an extended overabundance of dark-roasted crunchy peanut butter, so BIG re-think was needed!) Since Tuesday of last week until today my head has been in the game for each entire day and I’ve lost 2.5kg, which is very heartening even though it is not new weight. I guess in my long-winded way, abisaysyes, what I’m trying to say is “whatever works for you” and sometimes what works this week doesn’t always work next week, so trial and error, trial and error, until it all becomes stable. Not sure I answered your question, I hope someone else does.

ClarinetCathy, that 80 pkts of butter is a very graphic image of your progress. Impressive. Big applause from me.

Mariet, what a thrill for you – 1989!! More applause from me.

Was out and about a good part of the day and haven’t had enough water despite having a bottle in the car. Hope there is no impact from that and will have to be more aware tomorrow, another busy day.

One day at a time….

Hi All.Im back from my lovely wedding in singapore.today i was asked whose wedding. So I said the youngest son of the second husband of my husbands god daughter whose father is my husbands oldest friend. Or my husbands goddaughter ‘s younger stepson.its very complicated.modern blended families can lead to very interesting relationships .Any way we stayed in a fabulous room with a huge bathroom and a bath the size of a small pool.a view of the gardens and the ships waiting to get into the harbour. we ate lots of lovely food only had two glasses of white wine but definitely ate lots of carbs.end result was about 1.2kg gain but after two days of strict eating mostly fluids in the am and two small meals.Im now 81.1kg.with luck I should show a further loss by tuesday and be back on track

Hi Abisaysyes, I do 18:6 intermittent fasting most days which means I don’t eat breakfast. I’ve never been much of a breakfast person so it was easy for me, but my OH is a huge breakfast fan, like hobbit levels of breakfast fandom. He literally ate two of them every day.

He doesn’t have blood sugar issues and isn’t on the BSD (except in an associated way because I do all the cooking so he largely eats what I eat for lunch and dinner), but he does want to shed his little middle aged tummy, about ten pounds’ worth. He decided to try delaying breakfast until 10 and eating his last meal 6ish, so almost a 16:8 fast. The first few days were difficult for him. It took him two tries before he actually managed to wait until after 10. Then he said he barely noticed anymore, just a hint of hunger here and there, the beginnings of a couple of headaches. He lost 5 pounds in 4 days. This is eating plenty of carbs (he breaks his fast with a large bowl of oatmeal with banana). The only thing he changed was the timing. IF can do wonders.

Good luck!

I’ve finally persuaded my hubby to give the diet a go. While I am doing this little reboot seemed like a good opportunity for him so today is day one for him and day three for me. I am in a state of no little trepidation as he is usually quite a heavy drinker so the abstinence will be very hard for him, but I am so proud of him for making the choice to improve his health. My weigh in today was 11 stone 3.4 so another 0.8 pounds off and TOTM started so that may be the cause of some of the added weight anyway. Today is ending up closer to 1000 but still well below TDEE and also a little high in carbs, but I am compromising slightly to better fit in with hubby’s requirements.