Fabulously Frugal February

We have not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you are have any health related symptoms or concerns, you should contact your doctor who will be able to give you advice specific to your situation.

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
    on
    permalink

    Hello and welcome! This is the latest monthly forum for a band of travellers who are just finishing our Journey Through January. We want to be Frugal while we Fast800 through February with Fortitude! And have a Fabulous time in the process 🙂

    Anyone is welcome to join this thread. We are all at different stages: some new to Fast 800, others (like me) been at it a while and still plodding on. Some of us have medical conditions they are aiming to improve, some want to lose a certain amount of weight, others are more concerned about measurements and clothes fitting better, and still others just want to maintain where they are at. And we’re all finding our own ways of moving towards our goals, with some form of Fast 800 at the core.

    So do join us! Sharing your goals and progress with others, and following their ups and downs as well, can really help you to stay on track. We look forward to your company through Fabulously Frugal February X

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
    on
    permalink

    Thanks DCT for getting us underway for our onward February journey. I am in. My plan for February is to lose a minimum of 3lb. It probably doesn’t sound a lot to new starters, I know, as some are losing fabulous amounts of weight but for me to lose 3lb takes a lot of effort and it will still be a step in the right direction. If I keep my expectations reasonable I am more likely to achieve them and not lose my enthusiasm. So here goes… I am definitely going to be frugal and fasting and hopefully fabulous by the end of February.

    Good luck everyone- hope to see less of you all in February!

  • posted by Capricornia
    on
    permalink

    Hello! W2D5. Down eight pounds although it’s starting to move much more slowly. Blood sugars really improved. Sensing some changes in my body shape. Here’s to February!

  • posted by Gattina
    on
    permalink

    Hi all – I’m in for a fabulously frugal February – love the name.
    I aim to reach my first goal this month – I set it at 15st and today I weighed 15st 5lbs so I hope to get there in the next couple of weeks. A big milestone for me. 15st has always been my target for all the various diets I’ve done over the years – even when I did the bsd before I aimed to reach that target and never quite made it. The lowest I achieved was in 2018 when I got to 15st 3lbs. So this month I’m on track to achieve it and set a new target 🙂
    Capricornia – sounds like you’re doing really well 🙂 keep going
    ClarinetCathy – we’re all at different stages and have different amounts of weight to shift and we know that it’s easier to lose more weight at the beginning of a change in a woe and it slows down after we’ve been doing it a while. I have every confidence in you – I look forward to hearing your updates.

    Good luck everyone and I look forward to hearing how you’re all getting on.
    X

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
    on
    permalink

    Gattina- with this way of eating I have every confidence that you will smash your target this month. If you lose 6lb this month you will achieve your lowest weight since 2018- it really can be done! I’ve just enjoyed a delicious brunch- two quorn sausages, two eggs, mushrooms cooked in butter and a slice of tomato fried in the pan. It looked and tasted delicious and who would have guessed it was all within BSD. There was nothing frugal about my brunch!
    Capricornia- you’ve had a fantastic 8lb start – that’s a brilliant incentive to know that this way of eating works.

    February always feels like a short month so let’s make the best of it and do our very best. I am going for 145 or less by the end of Feb. I am going to weigh daily to help keep me on track and motivated.

  • posted by shoegirl
    on
    permalink

    Thanks for setting this up, DCT, great to have a new thread for this month! Sounds like you are off to a positive start everyone, good luck! I’m a Saturday weigh/measure person, so I may be a day or two behind others with my results. I ‘relaxed’ during January and gained 3kg, but just over a week of Fast 800 I have already lost 2.4kg, with 3cm off my stonach and 4cm off my waist! I’ve found other WOE (Ways of Eating) have been a struggle to get back into after a rest or a ‘blip’, but this has been so positive and feels like something I can continue as a lifestyle choice.
    My February goal is to lose another 2kg in weight, 3cm off my waist and 4cm off my stomach. This would put me well into the safety zone re-diabetes and heart disease risk factors. Like ClarinetCathy said, it’s a short month so let’s stay on track and stay well!

  • posted by SlimmyKim
    on
    permalink

    Thanks for setting up another thread for this month.👍

    In January I began my journey, dipped into the thread a couple of times but did keep a close eye on it. I’m sure the thread helped me to stay on track and motivated so thank you all 😄

    Today I weighed in 1 stone lighter *little fist pump* I am really proud of myself-not something most of us are used to saying to our selves. I usually berate myself on my failures, scold myself when I’ve slipped up or internal speak negative to my body. This WOL has changed this.

    One month in and I’m feeling far more compassionate towards myself. I’m acknowledging slip ups and quickly moving on, not punishing myself. My body is working well. It’s feeling fat healthier and it’s look much slimmer. I’m pretty proud of how it’s changing. I have decided I’m not going back. Yes, I might eat a little off plan on my holiday in two weeks but I’m not giving up and I’m not going back to my overeating ways!

    This month I plan to lose 5 lbs, even with my holiday, and I’m also going to dust off the trainers and start running again. Here’s to February 👍

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
    on
    permalink

    SlimmyKim that’s fabulous news! Amazing progress, both weight-wise and also with the other general health and body changes you mentioned. So excited for you, and feel very inspired. I’m sure you’ll lose the next 5lb this month (if not more) – and good luck with the running too.

    My two main goals this month are firstly to get back below 140lb (10 stone) again. I was actually there for most of last year but then managed to self-sabotage (my speciality!) and am currently 143.8lb. But over and above what the scales say, I want to feel slimmer and firmer by the end of the month: some clothes that I had been able to wear again quite comfortably are now beginning to feel tight. I have no intention of buying any bigger clothes so I need to reverse that trend pdq!

    Good luck everyone, and look forward to having a fabulous time with you all this February! X

  • posted by JGwen
    on
    permalink

    Hi Guys,
    I will be hanging around in this thread again this month, but as we have a positive weather forecast for this week I will probably be popping in just in an evening or early morning each day to catch up with posts.

    To help newcomers understand my aims for this month maybe I should just introduce myself by saying that I started lurking on this forum in October 2017 and started to join in the discussions in December 2017. As a result of following this WoE, and staying low ish carb even when I increase calories I have discarded over 40kg by Autumn last year. I reached the point where I had achieved my key WHY, to return to the weight I have traditionally been most of my adult life and I have maintained that discard. I am still overweight, with at least another couple of stone of fat it would serve me to discard, but I struggled with motivation to move on. I am fit and healthy enough to do the activities I want to do, I know from body scans that my fat is all fat under the skin rather than around organs and I am not into looking at myself in a mirror.

    I have been reading more about the differences between a body adapted to burn fat against one adapted to carbs and the default fuel. I had eaten a high carb diet all my life, and when I started on this journey a small slip up of over 20g of carbs would kick me out of ketosis (fat burning) and it would take me days of counting every carb to get back into ketosis. That’s improved in that I can return into ketosis now usually within 24 hours, but I still have to stick to around the 20g of carbs a day to be in ketosis.

    There is lots of research going into the mechanisms by which our body is fueled by fat or carbs and the benefits at a cellular level. Including the reduction in the risk of dementia of ketosis. As someone else on the forum said a few weeks ago, when you have had to fight the NHS to represent the best interests of family members it can be concerning to think about what will happen when you become frail and have no one to speak up for your needs. Have a beach ready body in my retirement for the first time since I was in my early teens doesn’t inspire me. Avoiding years of being parked in a row of arm chairs forced to watch day time TV in a nursing home is motivating.

    .My aim for this month and beyond is to not worry so much about calories, but to focus on staying in ketosis. I have come to the conclusion that my weekly one item allowed in the shopping trolley which I know will take me out of ketosis has to stop. I think to enable my body to be a more efficient fat burner I need to put my body into a position for a while of constantly burning fat for fuel.

  • posted by JGwen
    on
    permalink

    For Olive_1, re thyroid.

    Hi Olilve, I didn’t reply initially to your post because I didn’t know if there was anyone on the forum with the experience of taking thyroid medication who could step in to reply to you. As that hasn’t happened, and as you mentioned you were following forum posts and wished people a positive Feb at the end of your post I hope you see this post.

    Insulin does not just act as the switch between what fuel source our bodies burn, it also regulates other hormone systems. When insulin levels are high our body struggles to convert T4 (the hormone produced by the body) into T3 the active hormone.

    I did post a link to a podcast on this topic on the Take A Look at this thread some time ago. Probably around a year ago at least. I remember the podcast went into all sorts of details about how reverse T4 levels are increased. I am sure when I posted the link I will have included mention of thyroid as the reason I thought it was interesting. Maybe you will find it helpful? I would certainly suggest that if you stick with this Way of Eating you keep an eye on your hormone levels as you may be able to reduce the level of medication you are taking.

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
    on
    permalink

    JGwen thanks as always for all the really helpful info. And thanks also for sharing about your own experience. I’m gobsmacked you shed 40kg – that’s incredible!

    Also appreciated the info about the positive impact of ketosis in terms of reducing the risk of dementia. I did not know that and – as someone with an elderly mother potentially needing additional care options sometime soon – it certainly gives food for thought for our own futures. Which is really motivating.

    Thanks again, your contributions are always so valued. Hope that February is a great month for you in every way X

  • posted by JGwen
    on
    permalink

    Hi Dreamscometrue.

    I saw a podcast the other day which I didn’t post a link to on the Take A Look At This thread because it was a really irritating production. It included sections of shots of the presenters walking though an outdoor plaza with mood music, and the way the female interviewer talked to the two female doctors….. well if it had been a man talking them in that way it would have been called unacceptable..

    There were some snippets of information, that I think are interesting. but because of the interview style I think it would be best to find more informative podcasts on the topic. There is an annual keto convention where professors make presentations on the latest research and I am sure that these topics will come up there sooner or later. but this brief podcast may be interesting for you.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCB3lDm04hE

    As you may know research from the 1920’s identified that some people with epilepsy who do not respond to drugs do respond to a ketogenic diet. They are now finding in one field of research the a range of other mental health issues respond to ketogenic diet, ranging from reduced drugs to being drug free. – They are also doing some research comparing the differences between people trying to loose weight by calorie counting against those trying to lose weight through low carb. They are finding that the outer edges of our DNA responds differently to the two eating patterns.

  • posted by Olive_1
    on
    permalink

    Dear JGwen, thank you so much for your useful reply on hypothyroidism. I also found a lot of old posts through the search function. I will keep an eye on my medication as you suggested.
    My goal for February is to hopefully loose 0.5-1 kg per week. But I will also have a planned pause for a week’s holiday. I will lift the calorie restriction a bit but keep low carb. I do find I feel so much better on so many levels when I keep the carb intake low.
    Let’s keep it up in February!

  • posted by JGwen
    on
    permalink

    Hi Olive_1 By complete coincidence, someone on another thread on this forum asked about chilblains, I had never heard of anyone suffering from that problem when going keto, so I went looking for information and guess what popped up, and article on the impact of different fats on our temp regulation because of the effect it has on the thyroid. Thought you may find it interesting.

    https://www.marksdailyapple.com/is-keto-bad-for-the-thyroid/,

  • posted by Jennie10
    on
    permalink

    Hi everyone
    I’m just popping on to say a quick Hello to everyone. I’d like to join in for Fabulously Frugal February if I may. I went AWOL in January for various reasons so I need to jump back to it now otherwise things will start to slide backwards. I’ve just set my goals/vision for 2020 and will come back later today to set my February goals on here.

    Thanks DCT for setting up the thread (like all the FFFs!) and best wishes everyone.

  • posted by shoegirl
    on
    permalink

    Interesting article, thanks JGwen! I also feel the cold more when I’m fasting and in a keto state, not to the extent of chilblains but then this is Australia!! 😀

  • posted by Olive_1
    on
    permalink

    Hi all,
    Thanks JGwen for the interesting link. I’ve had a low body temperature all my life, but after the hypothyroidism it went even lower. Always cold feet and hands and an extra sweater on. But since starting on liothyronine (T3) last spring I’m positively steaming – such a difference! Also not feeling cold on the BSD800 this time around.
    On a different note, Monday is my weigh in day – 0,5 kg down since last week. Happy with it even if I know I was down to -1kg in the weekend (my scale only does half kilo steps :-))
    Have a nice day!

  • posted by MerryMelba
    on
    permalink

    Thank you JGwen for your post on your monthly aims. You explain the research so clearly. And “being parked in a row of armchairs” is most definitely a key motivation to stick with low carb and Keto. I should stick that quote on my fridge door!
    So my Feb aim will be to be more mindful to keep in ketosis for as much of the month as I can. I can get back into keto quickly, and know I need to keep under 20-25g.

  • posted by Gattina
    on
    permalink

    Hi all FFFs – hope everyone is well.
    My weekly weigh-in is Monday – so I’ve lost 7lbs this week putting me at 15st 4lbs. I’m on track to reach my first target this month 🙂 and 15lb loss since I started on 2 Jan – so I am feeling a bit pleased with myself.
    Dreamscometrue – I know that feeling when clothes are feeling too tight. You can do this – I’m sure your clothes will be comfortable again in no time. I’m having the opposite problem at the moment where most of my clothes are beginning to feel too big, and really pleased when some of the ‘smaller’ items now fit.
    Slimmykim – well done on your weight loss. 1 stone is a real achievement 🙂 You sound so positive – I’m going to allow some of that positivity to wash over me
    JGwen – I can relate to your goals 100% and admire you for what you have achieved. I remember you from when I first joined the forums in 2018 and you have made so much progress since then. Your determination is an inspiration – I myself am still getting off the starting blocks but thank you for sharing your story, it really helps to motivate. The image of the row of armchairs is scary…
    Olive1 – well done on the weight loss. Keep going – it’s moving in the right direction 🙂
    Hi Jennie10 – good to see you.
    All the best everyone.
    X

  • posted by Gill33UK
    on
    permalink

    Hi, will jump in to if that’s ok. Inspiring weigh loss and tales of non scale victories, I like that! W3D5 for me, weigh day is Wednesday, would like 3lbs ideally as that gives me 1st in 3 weeks which I am more than happy with.
    I started dieting alongside my sister and then my son joined in, he is hitting the gym and cutting down on junk food/energy drinks and she is doing the Cambridge Diet, we all lost 8lbs in our first week, she has some family stuff going on so has fallen off for a couple of weeks but my son is just .5lbs behind me. I have promised him $25 euro for each stone as he is away to Greece in April and never has much spare cash, hoping that is the incentive he needs to stick to it.
    I am going away for a week on the 27th Feb and would love to be a size smaller, currently an UK 18, my size 20 jeans are now too lose around the legs, my 18’s are comfortable again and my 16’s are probably about 8lbs away.
    but a 4lb loss on Wednesday would put me in a new stone zone… will be lovely to say 13 st something, my non dieting weight is around 15st 6lbs which I was in December now 14st 4lb
    Good luck for February everyone.

  • posted by SueBlue
    on
    permalink

    Hi all
    I’m in for a another month 🙂 my goal this month is to lose 1.7kg which will mean I’ve reached my next mini-goal. I’ve broken down the 20kg I need to lose onto 2kg mini goals – I’m a slow loser die to a variety of reasons, as many of my friends on here know 🙂 it’s my birthday in September so I should be close to my goal weight by then.
    During January I discarded the first 2kg and so now I’m working on the next 2. 300g is already gone so I just need to focus on discarding the remaining 1.7kg over the next few weeks.
    I’ve been trying out some new meals using recipes from the 8 week BSD book, the Fast 800 recipe book and sites like Diet Doctor, I find If I have a nice dinner to look forward to in the evening it’s easier to stay on track during the day.

  • posted by JGwen
    on
    permalink

    I have just posted a link to a podcast on the take a look at this thread that I think may be helpful for people. – It is an interview with the Doctor who has written the text book of processed food being an addictive substance. Its one and half hour long, but I think its worth listening to no matter what stage you are at in your journey.

  • posted by Olive_1
    on
    permalink

    Hi all fabulous Februarians,
    I was wondering what your thoughts are on being too frugal?
    I’m not writing a food diary. I’ve done it many times and in the end it is often what trips me up, that when I don’t write I loose control. So I’ve decided to use recipes and common sense to guide me this time. This has worked well the first couple of weeks on BSD but I notice now that I don’t think I’ve eaten enough the last couple of days and my body isn’t liking it. Slow discard and feeling week. I think there is an optimal individual level of calories and carbs for best weight loss and I think going under it is not good.
    Any thoughts on this?

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
    on
    permalink

    Olive- a common sense approach is a great way to approach this way of eating because this way of eating is for life. We know when we are not following the plan. Listen to your body and see the trends. Sometime when I’ve been really strict nothing has happened and over Christmas when I was being “relaxed” I didn’t put on as much as I feared! I seem to spend most of my time being frugal because anything else shows on the scales. I have been following this way of eating for three years so I think I am in tune with how my body reacts. Listen to your body Olive.

    Sue, I love your 2kg approach to your continued weight loss journey – so doable and September will be a celebration for you and all your BSD friends when you achieve your goal!

    My goal for Frugal February is to be less than 145. I weighed in at 147.2 this morning so I am on course. However, for no reason I gained 1.8 lb earlier in the week! Breaking the journey into doable steps makes the small achievements feel rewarding. If I can get to 145 then I will be the lowest weight I have been since June last year! From June 2019 I seemed to go up and up to peak at 152. I intend to get under 138 and preferably 133 at some point this year. 138 will be my maximum weight- I could maintain that but 133 might be a pipe dream!

    JGwen- I’ll check out your link- thank you.

    Keep frugal everyone- we will be fabulous in February!

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
    on
    permalink

    Hi Olive I completely agree with you about using common sense and also Cathy’s wise words about listening to your body.

    You probably already know this but there is something known as carb flu, where you can feel a bit flu-ey in the early days as your body starts to burn fat. So it could possibly be that, but if not then you may need to look again at what you are eating.

    The beauty of this WOE is that we can adapt it to meet our own individual needs, whilst still sticking to the principles. Some like to have three meals a day, others to do some form of TRE and have two – or even just one meal a day. Others do longer fasts, but this is not possible (or even desirable) for everyone.

    The key thing is to make sure that your body is getting all the nutrition it needs, especially if you have other health issues to consider as well. There was also something recently, either this series of threads or another, about us needing more protein as we get older. Not sure if that’s relevant to you, but you do need to listen to your body and make sure you are treating yourself with kindness.

    Last summer I went through a phase of not being very well: nothing serious but lost of minor things one after the other. And I think part of it was that I just wasn’t feeding myself properly. I’d got into TRE, just eating within a 6 hour window each day, between 13:00 and 19:00. That wasn’t the issue in itself – and I actually found it very easy to do and to fit in with my lifestyle. The problem was that I wasn’t planning meals properly for within those 6 hours so ended up with my body not getting all the nourishment it needed. So you do need to be careful.

    I’d say if in doubt, just stick to the recipes in the Fast800 book, then you can work out not just the calories and carbs you are eating, but also rest assured that you are getting all the other vital nutrients you needed. And be wise, if you have additional health or nutritional needs or are doing loads of exercise then you may need to have more than the 800 calories. It can also be good to mix up your routine a bit too. Once I get back below 140lb I want to try switching to 5:2 (or maybe 4:3)so that I can be really strict just a couple of days a week and eat “normally” (but not excessively) the rest of the time. I hope that by doing that I can gradually cruise to my target without constantly having to watch what I eat.

    Good luck on your journey Olive and also you Cathy – great to hear your progress X

  • posted by Olive_1
    on
    permalink

    Hi Cathy and DCT, thanks ever so much for your wise thoughts and advice.
    I’m feeling better and have eaten better today. Yesterday was a bit of a downer as I had 2 cortisone injections in my hips to help combat inflammation. This was my third round so hope it will stay ok long enough for me to work up some strength in the muscles in that area. Anyway, the injections are quite painful and I also get heart palpitations and bad sleep the night after.
    But it’s already feeling better in the hips.
    I hear what you say about listening to your body. I need to get better at that. So easy to ignore and just go on (like I have done with my hips for years). Will be an extra resolution for February to listen more to my body and be kind to it.
    Take care everyone!

  • posted by Jennie10
    on
    permalink

    Hi everyone
    Have had a tricky week – not linked to BSD – so never got to set my goals for Frugal Feb. My starter for 10 (well, actually 10,000) is to do my 10,000 steps a day. This is about me just generally keeping active and moving. We’re away for a couple of days from today so I’m planning on doing lots of walking – and getting those steps going. I’m usually pretty good with food when I’m away (l have a little natural yoghurt for breakfast and an evening meal). This weekend I’m going to make sure I pick the most nutritious evening meal – I’ll let you know what it turns out to be.

    Hi Olive – glad to hear your hips are feeling a bit better. I had a period where I was inadvertently having about 600 to 650 calories – I was just focused on counting the carbs – it was only when I began to feel very tired that I realised what I’d been doing. I agree about trusting your body and eating as nutritiously as possible (getting back to that is one of my targets for this month). Good luck with it all xx

    I’ve got to go – OH has just called up to tell me the ironing board is broken – but, hey, it wasn’t last night when I ironed all my clothes! Hope everyone has a good weekend.
    Jennie xx

  • posted by SueBlue
    on
    permalink

    Jennie – hope you have a lovely weekend away, hope this next week isn’t as tricky for you!
    Olive – I can sympathise with hip pain. Hopefully the steroid jnjections give you some relief. I’ve had the injections a couple of times, the last one was about 5 years ago now and it has worked really well. I do still get some pain from time to time but nowhere near as bad as I did before the injection. When I had it I found the pain got worse for a few days and then I got relief after that. One thing I have found with this WOE is that I have had a definite decrease in joint pain and inflammation. It’s not related to weight loss so much as I haven’t lost a large amount, I noticed a reduction in pain after only 3 weeks on the diet, and my blood tests showed a reduction in inflammation markers then too.
    I’ve had a bit of an up and down week,
    But I have managed to discard 400g over the week so on track still to meet my next mini goal by the end of the month. I was out on Thursday for medical appointments and errands and got public transport and walked everywhere so ended up doing 18,000 steps, so happy with that (and no expensive parking fees either).
    It’s a (welcome) wet weekend here so I’m going to catch up with chores at home and do some meal prep for next week. As well as being frugal with calories this month I’m also trying to be frugal with money too, tracking expenses and trying to save a bit, so it really is a Frugal February for me 🙂

  • posted by Olive_1
    on
    permalink

    Hi all!
    Jennie, I hope you have a great time away with lot’s of walking.
    I’ve just been out for an hour’s walk with the family and my hips feel ok, hurrah!
    Sue Blue, thanks for sharing your experience. I’m excited about that this WOE can help and reduce inflammation. I take blood tests a couple of times a year for my hypothyroidism and my doctor has remarked that my inflammation markers have been high during this last year. I have a new test coming up in March so will be very interesting to see if they have gone down.
    Another observation I’ve made is that when I cut the carbs my resting pulse goes right down (I wear a Fitbit and can monitor), and the low resting pulse correlates well with when I’m in optimal condition for discarding weight. Any step off the path with too much carb, some wine etc brings the resting pulse up and the weight loss down. For me it becomes an easy way to check that I’m on track.
    Hope you all have a good WE.

  • posted by chrissierichards
    on
    permalink

    Late to the party, just back from a weeks holiday, and yes, weight gain… started the diet in Jan and lost 4kg, put 2.4 back on in a week! Yes carbs crept in, lots of puddings and alcohol so I guess it’s not surprising. Glad to be back to this WOE but expect ing next couple of days to be tough. Wish me luck!

  • posted by SueBlue
    on
    permalink

    Welcome Chrissie, you may find that some of your weight gain is water weight if you’ve been eating carbs, as they hold on to water. I find a few days back on plan after a holiday that my weight goes down again. At least with the success you had in January you know that this diet works 🙂
    Good luck!

  • posted by SueBlue
    on
    permalink

    Happy Valentine’s Day fellow FFFs 🙂
    It’s Friday so weigh in day for me A whole kilo gone this week so I’m happy – only 700g away from my next mini goal now and confident I can reach it over the next 2 weeks.
    I’ve downloaded an app on my phone that’s hypnotherapy for weight loss, I’ve been listening to the mindfulness and sleep/relaxation tracks for years, and they work, so I thought I’d give the weight loss one a go. Too early to say how it’s going really (have used it twice) BUT I did feel different yesterday, a slightly different mindset I suppose. My husband was having chocolate biscuits with his coffee and I didn’t even feel tempted to have one, just ate some berries instead and really focussed on the colour and taste. I’m going to try it for a month anyway and see if it makes any difference to my progress.
    Hope everyone else has had a good week 🙂

  • posted by chrissierichards
    on
    permalink

    Thanks SueBlue, I do know it works, but I’m finding it hard to get back into the mindset. I love the recipes and meals, I just miss chocolate and wine! Also feeling really tired and headaches again which doesn’t help. Hopefully will be gone by tomorrow.

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
    on
    permalink

    Morning everyone from the UK. Hope that all is going well?

    So we’re halfway through February: well, just under halfway given that we get an extra day this year! I don’t know about anyone else but it seems to have been a long month so far? Chrissie I totally get where you’re at! I’ve found it difficult to get motivated and so unsurprisingly haven’t lost anything yet this month. But I’m away as from Wednesday 26th Feb so am going to try to be very frugal until then and see how things go.

    SueBlue it sounds like you are doing really well and I think I’ll follow your lead on small milestones. I know it makes sense. But I tend to put together these ambitious plans (all to eventually reach my long term goal of 133lb) then I get discouraged easily if I have a week or two without progress.

    So, given we’re halfway through February and I’m back at 144lb again, my mini milestone by the time I go on holiday is 142lb. I would love it to be more (well, less!) but I just seem to be quite lethargic at the moment. So if I can get to 142 and maintain it till I’m back then aim for another couple of pounds at a time then maybe that’s the way to go. Thank you SueBlue for being so constant and I can’t wait to celebrate with you when you reach your goal this year – which I know you will! Do report back on the hypnotherapy too.

    Hope everyone else is ok, and look forward to hearing from you X

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
    on
    permalink

    Hello everyone- I’ve had a very HUNGRY week! I have been so hungry!! Could it be the cold weather? I have gained 2lb this week. It started at book club last Friday night, a couple of gins and then crisps and then cheese and biscuits and on Sunday I ate a piece of Christmas cake. I have not had a great week. I’ve not been greedy but I have been really really hungry. Very disappointed to see 149.2 on the scales this morning – exactly a 2lb gain! Rubbish!

    I was hoping to be 145 by the end of February. I’ll do my best in the next 15 days to get as near as I can to 145. Two steps forward and three steps backwards….. but still I will plod!

    Sue- you’re doing so well. This will be your year! We are all supporting your sterling effort. Well done on another weeks success!

    Dreamscometrue- we have had a similar week. Not great on the scales but still motivated!

    Hope you’ve all had a better week than me. I do not know why I’ve been as hungry as I have felt. I did google it and cold weather can make us feel hungry so that is my excuse? Here to a better week ahead. I really do want to be 145 by end of February.

  • posted by JGwen
    on
    permalink

    Hi CC,
    Please don’t beat yourself up too badly about your struggle to get back on the waggon after one step off. Remember that the sugar eating bacteria in your gut are the type of bacteria that can rapidly multiply as soon as you eat carbs, and they are the bacteria which can signal to your brain that they want feeding.

    I have had a dooh experience on this topic myself this week. I was explaining to my friend the other day the reason I moved over to recommending coconut meal feed to horse owners who’s horses had previously been lame as a result of a high sugar diet. What I had realised was that cutting out the auger and tightly controlling their diet was enough to heal the worst of the condition, but it wasn’t enough to take the level of bad bacteria which react to sugar low enough that they would be completely sound and you didn’t have to worry about them relapsing if exposed to sugar levels in the future. What I had stumbled on from observing the impact of this food product on horses that had a bad start in life was that a diet high in the acid which kills off the sugar digesting bacteria works much better than just a controlled sugar level diet in reversing the problem.

    The dooh moment came yesterday when I noticing in two separate situations people who were not overweight with carb loaded meals. The light bulb went on, of course, if I know that eating a low sugar diet is not enough to take the levels of bad bacteria back to normal levels in horses, why am I not applying the same solution for myself. So I have decide to take caprylic acid supplements again.

    Its sort of coming full circle really, because when I was looking into why the coconut was having this effect I found lots of articles online recommending coconut fat and diabetes.

  • posted by SueBlue
    on
    permalink

    Cathy – sorry to hear you’ve had a tough week. Don’t be too concerned about the small gain – my weight is always going up and down, I can gain 2 KILOS in a weekend, not pounds! Then it comes off again. I’ve had weeks where I am really hungry too, and so I just eat more temporarily. I’m starving as I type this. It’s 8.45am and I’ve been awake since 6am and just had a cup of tea, waiting to have my breakfast at 10.30am, so that I will be eating 16:8 – I won’t be home until 5.30pm so the earliest I can have dinner is 6.30. I am finding 16:8 helpful, because I have breakfast so much later I then am not as hungry at lunch time, so have just been packing a snack box to take to work with things like boiled egg, nuts, cheese, ham and berries. I bought some nifty containers that come with 4 small divided sections so it’s helping with portion control. And then I’m just having a decent meal at night time. My weigh in day is Friday but I had a sneaky weigh in today and another 200g has been discarded, so that means I’m only 500g away from my next mini goal.
    DCT – having small 2kg Goals is definitely helping me stay on track. It’s not so daunting thinking about 2 rather than 20! The weight loss hypnosis track is going well too. I like the language in it, things like “Focus on the weight you are GOING to be” rather than “WANT” to be for example. It’s still early days I know but it seems to be helping as I don’t have the same urge to snack in between meals and feel like I have more discipline. I won’t count the vodka and sodas, and salt and vinegar chips I had on Friday night! But I consciously made the decision to have a few drinks and then enjoyed them, rather than feeling guilty, so I feel like my mindset is changing.
    Happy Monday all and hope everyone has a good FFF week 🙂

  • posted by Jennie10
    on
    permalink

    Hi everyone
    My internet keeps dropping in and out (think it’s the high winds) – so I’ll be quick.

    I’ve just been reading an ancient buddhist quote that SunnyB posted to me. I really like it, so thought I’d post it on here.
    “If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.”

    That pretty much sums it up for me. It’s definitely not a straight road but as long as we keep going we’ll get there.
    Jennie
    xx

  • posted by LouiseKangooroo
    on
    permalink

    Hi all, just checking in. I have been away from the forum as life got very very very busy. I’m working on a new business venture with a friend and that sucks up the little time I had left for me but it’s a lot of fun 🙂
    Weight wise, I’m back to my initial goal after the Xmas feasting. Very pleased to have bounce back so quickly. Now I’m working towards my ultimate goal, which is 4kg lower.

    I feel like my baseline weight has reset – it’s super easy for me to maintain at 66-67kg at the moment, regardless of what I eat. I used to be easily maintaining 10kg over that so it’s a big success. However I’m going to keep pushing and reset it to 61-62kg as that’s my happy comfortable weight.

    Speak soon!
    Louise

  • posted by chrissierichards
    on
    permalink

    That’s interesting about maintaining weight whatever you eat Louise, do you really mean whatever? I’m looking to lose 6 more kg to get down to 60kg, lost 4 since beginning of the year. I love this woe but would like more chocolate and the occasional glass of wine or 3!

  • posted by LouiseKangooroo
    on
    permalink

    Pretty much anything but def not all the time! There was time of feasting with wine, sugar, carbs… balanced with time of fasting (skipping breakfast and lunch). My weight was stabilised around 66-67kg without much effort at all on this regimen.
    However I do not like the way carbs/sugar are making me feel. I don’t have any health issue like diabetes so can technically have them – yet when I do, it doesn’t take long to feel sluggish, tired, bloated, irritable. So will keep them at bay outside of exceptional circumstances (holidaying in France for instance 😉).

  • posted by Patricia1066
    on
    permalink

    Hi LouiseKangaroo, you have put it really well.

    After six months counting carbs and feeling good on a restricted diet (no bread, no potatoes or simple sugars) my appetite was trained so in maintenance I ate to fullness. I was 82kg in June yet now on my first anniversary I am usually between 76 and 79kg. This feels comfortable, and I can maintain without calorie restrictions or more exercise. I still don’t eat biscuits, potatoes or sugar but I eat a wide range of fruit and homemade bread in small quantities. I like to take the food pyramid and upend it, so that bread and fruit are at the apex, while protein and fat rich foods are at the base.

    I do like baking, so finding a bread that doesn’t spike my insulin has been important. Of course I am speaking for myself only as we all have different metabolism, and response to carbohydrates.

    I tested, and continue to test my blood glucose two hours after eating. Raspberry jam on wholemeal wheat bread is definitely off limits for me.

    100% Rye wholemeal bread with peanut butter and a smear of raspberry jam is my idea of heaven. I know I will have a long slow release of sugars after eating so I eat it for breakfast, and eat eggs without carbs for lunch and keep. to a 6 hour eating window.

    That works for me, I don’t feel bloated nor hungry and I don’t feel deprived.

    Aren’t we all so different!

  • posted by arcticfox
    on
    permalink

    Hi Patricia and Louise K, great to hear that you are managing to maintain at your lower weights. Gives me hope for when I finally get there.
    Patricia, whole rye bread works for me to without spiking my blood sugar, so I have some occasionally and may be able to have it a bit more often once I reach my goal weight. I have 2 kinds that I have. One is a Dutch Roggebrood that is easy to find here https://www.tasteatlas.com/fries-roggebrood
    And the other is a sourdough rye bread made by a local bakery that is owned by some Dutch people. It is chock full of seeds so really only has enough rye flour just to hold it all together. Favourite toppings are cheese at the moment, but sometimes a light smear of hummus with avocado hits the spot.

  • posted by Patricia1066
    on
    permalink

    Hi articfox,

    That seeded loaf sounds lovely, lots of vitamins and minerals and fibre as well as carbs. That makes it a valuable food, so you aren’t indulging in a non nutritional item. I’ll try to make it with sunflower seeds.

    Does the bakery give you an average weight of the seeds? The seeds may bring it over the average of 15 g carb per slice of rye with linseed. (Agatson. South Beach Diet. Good fats, good carbs guide)

    The reason I mention carb count is because you need to stay in ketosis to be able to shift the body fat. Once you have achieved your goal you can eat it more often, because seeds and nuts don’t have the inflammatory effect of grains.

  • posted by Patricia1066
    on
    permalink

    Articfox, have you got someone to come with you to your vertigo clinic? You have really done so well in coping with serious injury while living alone. I salute you.

  • posted by arcticfox
    on
    permalink

    Thanks for the note about the carbs in the seeds, Patricia. I haven’t actually had a loaf of that one in since before Christmas, so haven’t been back to the bakery to be able to ask them. I have at most 1 slice of the roggebrood per week and only on a feed day. I’m managing many hours in ketosis each week by doing clean fasting 3x per week, 2x 36hrs and 1x24hrs, and eating lowish carb most of the time on feed days. It seems to be working quite well at the moment. Even though the scales are not moving much, my clothes are fitting so much looser. I wore my best work trousers today after not wearing them for a couple of weeks as I had to attend a public meeting, and they are so loose in the waist that I needed a belt, and after so long being fairly tight in the leg, they almost look like the wide leg style they are meant to be. I think the scales will catch up eventually to what is happening size wise, so I’m just staying the course and trying to be patient.
    Thanks for asking about my appointment. Yes, I did manage to find an acquaintance who is going into town for an appointment on the same day and has said I can catch a lift with her, so that was really lucky.

  • posted by Patricia1066
    on
    permalink

    Articfox, the clothes getting loose is the surest way to know how your shape is changing. Narrow waist, well done you and me both! If you have not also lost any (total) weight your muscles and bones are increasing. When you are recovering from injury it’s really hard to keep up your muscle tone so you are doing something right!

    I am very resistant to fasting at this moment. I have just got over the carb high in Ireland and I’m back on my old familiar foods and 2 meals a day.

    My good friend Birdy76 is a great faster, she is on holiday now, and is balancing her glass of wine with days of fasting.

  • posted by shoegirl
    on
    permalink

    In response to arcticfox and Patricia, I have a small slice of very good quality, grainy bread as part of my 5:2 a couple of times a week. For any Aussie readers it’s cape seed loaf from Baker’s Delight.
    On another note, I’d like some advice from any knowledgeable forum member ( so any of you, really!). Has anyone noticed or have data on how weight/measurements can fluctuate when a woman has her period? My weight loss has been steady all month, about 300-500g with 0.5 – 1cm loss from my stomach/waist each week. But checking in on my regular Saturday morning today, I have gained 300g and about 1cm all around this week! My period had arrived on Tuesday so I’m wondering if that makes a difference as I feel like I’ve followed the usual WOE all week. Thoughts and advice would be very welcome!
    Hope everyone else is staying Fabulous for the final week of February.

  • posted by LouiseKangooroo
    on
    permalink

    @shoegirl I used to put up to 2kg of water on the days leading to TTOM
    It just makes for a huge loss the following week 😊

    Although these days, i barely put on any water weight at TTOM. Since incorporating fasting into my life actually. It’s a weird side effect but one that I like 😅

  • posted by arcticfox
    on
    permalink

    Shoegirl, like Louise K, I can also put on a large amount of water weight leading up to TTOM. Last summer I was really having issues with water retention and I was going up a size in clothing and increasing weight by around 4-5kg. Luckily I have resolved some of the issues that were causing that, so it is not as dramatic anymore, but still will retain some. At the moment it manifests by the scale not moving at all around my TTOM and then a bit of a whoosh down after.
    I can get cape seed loaf here too as we have a subsidiary of Baker’s Delight, although it goes by a different name here. I’ve always enjoyed it as with all the seeds it has a much more interesting flavour and texture than ordinary bread. I didn’t test it though when I was wearing my continuous glucose monitor, so I don’t know if it spikes my blood glucose. I did test some of their other wholemeal wheat bread options and they did cause some pretty dramatic spikes, so I’m staying away from their bread, and all wheat bread for the moment. If I decide to invest in some more CGM sensors in the future, it would be interesting to test the cape seed loaf, but for now I am enjoying the odd slice of rye bread.

Please log in or register to post a reply.