February 2020 : ONE WEEK AT A TIME beginning 18th February 2020

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 mumofStig
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    Hello, and late weigh-in because my scales busted, I’ve weighed this morning on a neighbour’s hahah. Must get some new ones but the weather has been horrible and I didn’t fancy getting soaked at the bus stop 😉
    I’ve lost another 2lbs this week although I’ve been really quite good at keeping to the 800 cals. Perhaps I need to try to lower my carbs – up til now I’ve just focussed on calories? Would that make a difference, my fasting blood tests have always been ok – so I’ve never thought about counting those before ?
    Well done to everyone else 🙂

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Hi MumofStig …. you’re discard is good, but it’s certainly worth taking a look at your carbs. If they are above 50g per day, you could try dropping them a bit and you should see your weekly discard increase. Given that you are seeing progress, it’s unlikely you will need to push your carbs much lower than that though.

  • posted by mumofStig
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    Thnx SunnyB, I’ll try it next week and see if it speeds things up a bit for me 😉

  • posted by wendleg
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    Yes Amz, sounds like a good, safe plan to ease up on the work outs. Maybe going for a walk would be less intensive and still make you feel you have had some exercise ? I am definitely easing off for a while. I woke up feeling very stiff and sore this morning, difficult to move, turn over etc. I think it’s maybe because I was constantly topped up with pain relief when I was in hospital which gave me a false sense of security. I have to give in and take the meds !

  • posted by wendleg
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    Hi mumofStig. I agree with Sunny that it would be a very good idea to keep the carbs low.I am not very good at tracking the numbers but there are apps that will do this for you. In my experience dropping the carbs really helps to establish long term habits as carby foods become less appealing as the addictions are cracked.

    I think a 2lbs discard is great though so you are doing well xx

  • posted by barby
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    Hello everyone, I’m a newbie (well I joined a long time ago, now returned) and Sunny kindly suggested I post my question here, as there are some regular vegetarians who might be able help me. I am trying to make this work as a vegetarian, who doesn’t like too much cooking. I will be doing SOME cooking but also am trying to find some ready meals such as a veggie burger etc, to have with loads of low carb veg. I am pre diabetic and have a lot of weight to lose.

    My main query is – Can anyone please tell me, is the Asda frozen cauliflower cheese OK to have? Apparently one fifth of the packet is :
    Energy (6%) 511kJ 123kcal Fat (10%) 6.9g Saturates (21%) 4.2g Sugar(6%) 5.2% https://groceries.asda.com/product/vegetables/asda-cauliflower-cheese/79662958.

    Last time I found this diet did work, and I did amazingly, lose my taste for junk food. BUT it was so hard as a vegetarian to do it, you have to be so prepared all the time, and it was difficult when socialising, so I gave up. Now vegan food has taken off in such a big way, I wondered if there might be more low carb meals available. Thank you for any help..

  • posted by wendleg
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    Hi barby
    Welcome back. I know there are vegetarians on the thread .JGwen in particular should be able to help . Articfox too ?
    Sorry I can’ t help with your query.I am a bit anti processed foods. Could you find time to do some bulk cooking prep and freezing ?Just keeping things simple ? Cauliflower cheese is easy . I often make a low carb aubergine parmegiana too. Veggie curries with cauliflower rice ? .Stir fries are quick and easy too. Do you eat eggs ? Frittata with any veg you have to hand ?

    There are lots of recipe ideas on the dietdoctot website
    https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes/vegetarian

    This is only my opinion but I do think it is worth cooking from scratch rather than relying on ready meals.
    You say you lost your taste for junk food last time. That is a massive victory. It would be a shame to jeopardize that xx

  • posted by wendleg
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    Barby would it help to remind you of a few ideas Esnecca gave you ???

    posted by Esnecca
    on 15 Jun 2017 at 15:31
    Reply • Report post •
    When you say you are not a cook, what does that mean in concrete terms? Can you boil an egg? Have you ever made a salad from scratch without pre-made dressings? How about sauteeing a veggie in a pan? Because if you can brave a few very basic cooking methods, the rest is just plugging in the right foods. I strongly advise you get a kitchen scale before you embark on this diet, because I’m an experienced cook and I had no idea of portion sizes and calorie counts before I started the BSD.
    The easiest cooking methods, in my opinion, are oven roasting, pan or microwave steaming and pan sauteeing. Oven roasting works for vegetables, meat and fish. For example, in a 400F oven, put a baking sheet with chopped veg and a couple of chicken breasts. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil on top, a little salt and pepper and toss everything to distribute. Cook for half an hour. Take it out, be sure none of the veg are burning. Stab a knife in the chicken to see if it’s cooked through (it’ll be white inside instead of pink and the juices will run clear). If any of the veggies need rescuing, take them off the pan. If the chicken isn’t done, pop it back in. Check again in 5. There’s your dinner done in one pan and you don’t have to babysit it.
    One of my favorite meals is the easiest thing I make: a giant pile of fresh spinach, wet with water, plopped in a dry pan on the stove at low-medium heat. Add salt and pepper. Toss it a few of times to make sure it doesn’t stick. When it’s all wilted and soft, take it off the heat. Drain out the residual water. Put the spinach on a plate and top with a half ounce of crumbled feta. That’s it. You won’t even believe how good two simple ingredients can be.
    Another quick favorite of mine is scrambled eggs. You don’t have to figure out anything challenging like the folding of an omelette. You just beat a couple of eggs and season them (my standard seasoning is salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika). Melt a teaspoon of butter in a small non-stick pan and sautee any veg you want — you can never go wrong with mushrooms — and/or an ounce of good meat like turkey sausage. Add the eggs and just keep stirring until it doesn’t look liquid anymore. Turn the heat off and add some melty cheese if you like.
    For your basic salad, this is my formula: half a tablespoon (8 ml) of olive oil, 1/4 tablespoon (4 ml) of vinegar or lemon juice, salt, pepper, half a clove of fresh garlic chopped as fine as you can. Whisk it or beat it with the flat of a fork. Add lettuce, spinach, arugula, endive, any salady green that looks good to you. To fill it out, add veggies like half an avocado, chopped, half a large cucumber (100 grams or so), 5 cherry tomatoes (tomatoes are fruit and can be quite high in sugar), a chopped green onion, kalamata olives, some leftover roasted veg you might have in the fridge. For a protein boost, add a chopped boiled egg or half a can of tuna.
    Do these sound doable to you?

  • posted by barby
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    Hi wendleg

    I can cook a bit, I just honestly don’t enjoy it much and it doesn’t always turn out as delicious as I hoped. That’s why I was looking for some ready type meals to help on days I don’t want to cook. I don’t mean a complete ready meal, they are not usually very nice. Maybe just a special burger, to which I can add big salad or loads of veg.

    Last week I made a huge lentil and vegetable bolognese sauce from scratch, and froze portions. It was nice. It is hard to get enough protein compared to you meat eaters. I also make a lentil and veg cottage pie with pesto, and cauli mash. I am just not wanting to cook all the time, lazy yes!.

    I don’t eat meat or fish. Quorn mince upsets my stomach, and I am not mad on mushrooms. OK as an added extra but not as the main ingredient. I love Halloumi and some tofu.

    I will try the spinach and feta, thanks. I do make a huge salad sometimes, I have added mixed beans but they are carbs of course. I just wanted to find some quick easy meals as well. Thanks for your suggestions.

  • posted by wendleg
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    Do you eat eggs barby ? JGwen and Duckie swear by their egg muffins which sound really easy to prepare and can be eaten hot or cold and taken with you for a quick lunch.
    I love halloumi too but I have never tried tofu. Avocados and nuts are good for adding healthy fats to your salads along with toasted seeds. Not much prep needed there. You could wilt a big bag of spinach or kale for instant veg. You can buy bags of ready prepared stir fry veg and add some halloumi or tofu ?

    You can do this barby ! Don’t let your aversion to cooking hold you back !
    I am sure you will get some more tips soon xxx

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi barby,
    Its rare that I have time to spend in the kitchen, the following are some of my standard go tos.

    Take a microwaveable bowl. Break in 3 or 4 eggs, beat, add a knob of butter, microwave at full power for a minute. take out, beat,, return to microwave for another minute, take out and check. If not completely cooked beat and return for a few seconds. Hay presto, scrambled eggs you can eat straight out of the bowl for breakfast. To make it even richer, add chunks of cheese at the start of the cooking process.

    ————

    Take a larger microwavable bowl. Put in as much cauliflower, or any other veg you would like to have for your meal. With a large knob of butter. Stick in the microwave at full power until its nearly cooked. Take out of microwave, lay slices of cheese over and stick back in to the microwave until the cheese has melted and the veg is cooked.

    ——————-

    Stir fry some veg in butter. Get a silicon muffin case tray. Grease each muffin case with butter, put the veg into the cases, Add beaten egg, stick in the oven. The silicon muffin cases are really easy to pop out the pasty less quiches.

    ——————-

    Slice tofu, fry in butter, then transfer to a baking tray and pop into the oven to crisp. meanwhile stir fry some veg in butter..

    ———–

    HTH’s

  • posted by AmzTheBeautiful
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    I am doing okay, resting. My leg was aching a lot last night so I am trying to do my best to take it easy. First week done; my goal for the next week is to do better with planning and tracking my meals. I want to make sure I am not getting too many carbs.

    WEEK ONE: 207.6 (2/15), 206.2 (2/16), 204 (2/17), 202.2 (2/18), 200.2 (2/19), 199.6 (2/20), 198.6 (2/21)
    TOTAL: 9 lbs

  • posted by arcticfox
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    Hi Barby, I’m one of the vegetarians mentioned. I do eat dairy and eggs, so that makes things a bit easier than being a vegan. Tofu is a good choice for a lot of vegetarians as it is high in quality protein, low in carbs and gives you a good dose of iron and calcium. Unfortuately I can’t eat it anymore as I’ve become allergic to soy, but you can marinate and cook up a large batch at once and then add it to salads as a way of keeping carbs lower than if adding beans. Mushrooms are not a great source of protein, so don’t worry if you don’t like them much. I think they are often recommended to vegetarians to add the unami flavour that is often missing when eliminating meat from recipes. By all means use them in small quanitities for that reason if you don’t mind it and just as a way to keep your diversity of foods high. I don’t have Asda products here, so can’t answer the question about the cauliflower cheese. I think more important that what is on the nutritional panel though is the ingredient list. So many processed/ready meal products have lots of extras added to improve freshness, flavour, etc. For instance, I picked up a packet of what was labelled low-carb naan bread in the supermarket the other day thinking in might be nice to have something quick with a curry that I didn’t have to make myself. What I can make at home with just 3 real food ingredients had about 20 and some of them were terrible, including dextrose which is just another name for glucose. I put it back and just had the curry without any bread instead. Unfortunately most veggie burgers are highly processed and can be fairly high in carbs. If you do want a veggie burger, I would recommend making up a big batch of lentil burgers and putting them in the freezer. The key with lentil burgers is to have something in there that will soak up the moisture and help them stick together. Most receipes will use breadcrumbs or oatmeal for this, but I’ve had success using a combination of nut butter, flax and chia.
    I am often very busy in the week and usually only cook once or twice. I tend to make a large dish of something that will last several days. Some of the cooked dishes are really quick to make and turn out well every time. One of my standbys is a spinach and feta pie (spanakopita) which is the same recipe I would use inside phyllo pastry, but I just forget the phyllo and cook the filling by itself in a dish.
    Spinach and feta pie:
    300g frozen spinach, thawed
    250g cottage cheese
    100g feta cheese
    3 eggs
    1 tbsp oregano
    1 tsp dill
    Just mix all the ingredients together and pop in the oven at 180 C until the eggs are set.
    This is another one of my quick dishes that is easy to cook in the evening after work and makes enough for lunches for the next couple of days:
    https://www.lentils.org/recipe/brocolli-lentil-shrimp-sheet-pan-dinner/
    Just leave out the shrimp part of the meal, and if you like garlic, add it to the broccoli mixture for some extra flavour. I often will add 2 tbsps of nutritional yeast to the broccoli to bump up the B vitamin content and it still tastes nice. The lentils make it a higher carb meal, so I will have it on days when my other meals are much lower carb.
    I have issues with getting enough iron and B12, but never protein, as all the little bits will add up over the course of the day. I add hemp, chia, flax and pumpkin seeds to yogurt and salads, eat boiled eggs on the side or a fried egg on top of things, make fritattas with any leftover veg, have the occassional glass of kefir, eat nuts and nut and peanut butters in moderation, and get lots of variety in my veg.
    And finally, one thing that I am doing that is saving me from having to cook and think about food all the time is fasting. At the moment I’m being fairly aggressive with it and doing clean fasting 3x per week. So that has cut the number of meals I have to prepare down by quite a bit. Rather than feeling deprived, I actually feel quite a bit of relief at not having to think about what I’m going to cook, and my brain has been freed up to concentrate better at work and I have more time to do other things. You don’t have to fast to have success, but something to consider if cooking and meal prep is more of a pain than a joy for you.

  • posted by barby
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    JGwen Thank you very much for those quick snack ideas, I will try them. Also I have bought the Cauldron marinated tofu before but it is expensive for what you get. I pan fry it. I never though of pan frying just the normal tofu, then putting in oven to crisp, I do like it crisper so again, my thanks. Little tips like this are so useful.

    Yes Wendleg, thanks again. I do use seeds and nuts, love them. I am not mad on avocado but may have to try again. I am not great at getting them just ripe.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    Amz that is a brilliant result for your first week back. Glad you are resting up and it can’t do any harm to check your carb in take meanwhile. Hope your leg recovers without the need for surgery. Have a good weekend.

  • posted by barby
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    Hi articfox, thanks for all the help.
    That spinach and cheese pie sounds delicious. I am going shopping tomorrow to stock up. Also I have the nutritional yeast but usually forget to use it. I eat eggs and dairy. I have not tried kefir (yet).

    The broccolli recipe, I have never tried roasting it before. It doesn’t really appeal, but I may have a nice surprise. I have had several attempts at burgers, none with great success. I have made a veg and lentil loaf before with cheese, that was good.

    Re fasting, in the past I have tried not eating until 12 noon from 7pm night before, and that was OK. Food used to be my enjoyment and comfort, if bored etc. I guess I have to look on it as fuel instead. Wish it was that easy to do. Thanks again.

  • posted by arcticfox
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    A little NSV to report today. Scales are not showing any further discard, but I have fit into a pair of jeans that I have not worn since before my accident. They are tight around the waist and giving me a muffin top as a result and they make my butt look huge, but just being able to get all the way into them and done up has given me a huge confidence boost. I’m not going to wear them out in public yet, but am wearing them around the house while I tidy up today and feeling how they need just a little bit more ease through the leg, hips and waist is motivating me to get through my fast day today.

  • posted by arcticfox
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    Barby, I hear you about having to view food differently. I went through the same thing and what I realized is that I was turning to food because I was going through difficult times both personally and at work and food was the only enjoyment I had in life. Once I realized that, I looked for ways to try to reduce my stress and to work at finding some other nice things to add into life. When I started fasting, I just increased my overnight eating window as you have done. Then as I was able to go longer, I substituted in some nice things like going for a walk with work colleagues at lunch instead of eating, going swing dancing, and heading over to the pool after work for a dip and time in the hot tub and/or sauna. It was a very gradual thing for me though and took a long time, so don’t worry if you are finding it difficult now. You will get there in the end if you stick to it.
    Roasting broccoli is a relevation, same with brussels sprouts. I will rarely ever do steamed or boiled anymore as I much prefer them roasted. So yes, do give it a try if you are game. The worst that can happen is that you will never do it again.

  • posted by wendleg
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    Thanks JGwen and artcifox for helping barby. I hope they inspire you a bit to cook, barby, without it needing to be too boring and time consuming.
    Here’s a thought for the weekend 😉
    I think what articfox mentions about viewing food differently is the absolute key . As long as food remains something to fear because of the ‘dangerous’ temptations , as long as it has an irresistible attraction when we need comfort we will always trip up and make unhealthy choices.
    Of course food should be for enjoyment but there will come a time when sugary and high carb foods are less appealing than a fresh green salad ( honest !) It’s good to make peace with food, not worrying if we are going to be able to resist temptation, but just choosing Something Nutritious and ultimately good for us.

    Taking the time to prepare a delicious meal helps us to respect food and to anticipate its deliciousness and feeling hungry for that meal is a true pleasure. After spending years of constantly grazing, never really experiencing hunger, it has been a revelation to me to be more in tune with what I am putting in my body. It takes time but it really is worth it

    Wishing you all a lovely weekend whatever your plans xx

  • posted by AmzTheBeautiful
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    A slight blip in the scale, but I am not letting it bother me. I know this is a WOE that is healthy and good for weight loss so I will keep going on. I’ve been feeling slightly depressed in the past two days… my anniversary was 2/20 but we didn’t celebrate it. Many of you know the difficulties of my marriage so I am not really surprised my husband didn’t remember, but what really has me down is this thigh injury. I understand the importance of resting it, but a month is a huge chunk of the time remaining until my event in April so I guess I just feel frustrated that I won’t be able to work out as I wish. I spent the morning brooding over the issue, but I am feeling better now. There is not much I can do and if I ignore the doctor and further injure myself, an operation would clearly put me out of action for a longer period of time… so I am just going to forgo Fitness Blender for now and switch to some walking videos by Leslie Sansome. With some adjustments like a faster pace or adding 2 lb weights, I can still get a good sweat going without endangering my thigh. Starting tomorrow I am also going to resume daily use my MFP to ensure my macros are within the right boundaries. In addition, I am going to aim to increase my water some more – my goal is a gallon of water (16 cups or eight average-sized bottles). With these three changes, I think I will still be able to reach my goal of wearing matching dresses with my daughter.

    WEEK ONE: 207.6 (2/15), 206.2 (2/16), 204 (2/17), 202.2 (2/18), 200.2 (2/19), 199.6 (2/20), 198.6 (2/21)
    TOTAL: 9 lbs
    WEEK TWO: 200.2 (2/22)

  • posted by wendleg
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    Amz, I am sorry about the lack of anniversary célébrations but I want to celebrate that you are focusing on YOU and YOUR needs . Don’t dwell on the thigh injury. Not much you can do about it as you have said,and you could risk further damage if you do too much. The walking sounds a very good, safer alternative. What is great is that you are not allowing the down moments to derail you as might have happened in the past so that is to be celebrated also !

    Don’t panic too much about the April target. You are doing brilliantly and you are well prepared so I am sure you will achieve great results . Remember it’s not just the work outs that will give you lasting results.If you can manage the carbs and adjust to eating healthily that will give you long term benefits which will continue after April xx We are all with you, Amz xx
    .

  • posted by arcticfox
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    Amz – I’m sorry as well to hear about your anniversary. That is tough. I’m single and get upset when people forget I exist (one year the only birthday card I received was from my mortgage broker!), but I can imagine it is even worse when it is someone you live with who is supposed to be an intimate partner.
    Wendy – good to see you back after your op and hope your recovery continuest to go well. I know what you mean about the joy in preparing and anticipating a healthy meal. I took leftovers of a hugely colourful greek salad to work one day with which to break my fast at lunch time. Some colleagues were in the break room with me when I was plating it and one remarked on how nice and colourful it was, and because I knew from my earlier serving of it how delicious it was as well, my reply was “Yes, I am sooo looking forward to this lunch!”, and some of them looked at me so strangely that I was gushing about looking forward to eating salad!

    I registered a small whoosh on the scales this morning. After holding steady at 91.9kg for most of the week, I am now 90.9kg. I said at the beginning of this week that I wasn’t sure if I could make it under 90kg in one week, but now I have it in my sights, so will give it my best shot. I think I have been in my retaining water portion of the month and that 1kg may have been some of it finally starting to come out. My lips have been dry and crusty yesterday and today in spite of consuming lots of water and salt, and that is what often happens just before I start losing all the retained water, so here’s hoping that it continues, and that this is what is necessary for the scales to finally catch up with what has been happening size-wise! My weight has now dropped just below what I was when I started BSD previously in September 2017 (91.5kg), but I am actually slightly smaller than I was then (especially around the waist – that’s the power of fasting at work, I think!) as I’m fitting into clothes that I was not able to at the beginning of that journey, so hopefully that means I have more lean mass which is the good stuff. Anyway, this also means that I’ve surpassed the 5kg mark with style as my total discard since January 11th when I started weighing is now 5.8kg!

  • posted by arcticfox
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    Hi Barby, another resource I should have mentioned yesterday is Jules from Stonesoup. She has posted a few receipes here:
    https://thebloodsugardiet.com/recipes-from/jules_stonesoup/
    She has a blog as well that I have followed for several years. She is a food scientist who became T2 diabetic, so lots of low carb recipes on her blog and usually only 5 or 6 ingredients or less. She really knows how to combine flavours for good effect, so even though the meals are simple, I haven’t tried one that isn’t really tasty. Lots of different options too if you can’t find certain ingredients or want to modify a non-vegetarian recipe to be vegetarian, for instance. All the recipes are freely available on her website, and then if you really want any thinking done for you about meal planning, she has a paid service for that. I’ve been tempted on occassion to use it, but haven’t yet!
    https://thestonesoup.com/blog/

  • posted by sixturkeys
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    Amz, please do be careful, a gallon of water is 4.5l. There are known risks to drinking too much water. I’m sorry to hear about the forgotten anniversary. I divorced (on my petition) many years ago; it was tough but in hindsight completely the right decision. For me and my children.

  • posted by Bryla
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    Hi Everyone. Just checking in at W7D2. 2lb discard during week 6, so I guess that’s about on track. 17.6lb down so far. However, my waist to hip ratio has gone back up into the danger zone because more has moved from my hips and other places than middle. I know I just need to keep plodding on and it will come right eventually.
    ArcticFox- I love the StoneSoup site! Lots of ideas there for me after a browse. Thank you for sharing that again.
    Hope everyone is remembering to give themselves a pat on the back for staying committed. I am celebrating the days getting a little longer already and looking forward to some enjoyable evening walks and hopefully the occasional glimpse of blue skies before long!

  • posted by Zanna
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    Hi all. I am starting tomorrow after ydars of yoyo dieting and feeling totally out of control of food. I have loads to lose to be near healthy weight and am struggling to not prempt failure. Need to loe 61 lbs and 9 inches from waist. . Brought the book yestsrday, shopping today and looking for group support i guess.
    Zanna

  • posted by barby
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    Thankyou again artic fox, that Stonesoup site is really interesting. I like the simplicity. She has a Halloumi and cabbage recipe I will try, and it’s great to see on video for that, exactly what she does, as I am not a confident cook. Hope you all have a good weekend in spite of the horrible weather.

  • posted by wendleg
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    Hi Zanna and a very warm welcome to.the thread ! We have all been where you are right now. I certainly was totally out of control around food..very chaotic addictive eating was my norm. You can change all that …read the book..ask any questions you need to. Be prepared for an uncomfortable withdrawal from the carbs initially but stick with it, it will ease. You will get where you want to be. All the very best xx

  • posted by wendleg
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    So pleased that articfox has inspired you with her recipe site recommendations,barby ! That is the spirit of the thread. We are here to help each other xx
    Have a great Sunday everyone xxx

  • posted by caronl
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    Hi Zanna and welcome. You have come to the right place. Many of us have landed here after SW, WW, Cambridge, and heavens knows what. This way of eating will transform your life. Feel free to ask any questions you need to. My starters advice would be to keep it simple at the beginning – cut out the main carbs (sugar, bread, rice, pasta, potato) and drink lots of water. Eat lots of above the ground veg, and go easy on the fruit. If you get a headache, google here on carb flu and take a pinch of salt! Very best wishes to you, and look forward to seeing you on this forum.

  • posted by Californiagirl
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    Amz, I’m sorry to hear of your difficulties with your anniversary — maybe you could bake a cake yourself and surprise your husband with it and a hug and say you forgot the anniversary and you are celebrating it today — maybe he feels as bad as you do and feels forgotten also.

  • posted by Zanna
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    Thank you for that. Reassuring to know there really are people there 🤗

  • posted by Zanna
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    Not sure I posted in the right place but thank you. I’m following the book recipes to start but when I put it on a calorie tracker seemed higher than book said. Anyone had views on that?
    🤗Thanks again

  • posted by wendleg
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    Hi again Zanna
    Yes it has often been reported that the calories are a bit out in the recipes in the book. Just keep tracking as you are doing. A lot of people favour apps like My Fitness Pal . I just started out with a visual calorie and carb book which was useful for me . Shocking also to see the carb values of many foods (oats,rice,fruit etc). Xx

  • posted by Russianroulade
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    Hi guys just wanted to check in. Am thrilled as after a week I’ve had a 4 pound loss! I am really aware that as I move through the weeks the weight loss will slow. In my mind I thought that I’d probably lose quite a bit in the first week and then it might slow down. At what point do you plateau? Just trying to get a sense of it, so I can prepare and motivate myself to keep going. Thank you

  • posted by Bryla
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    Hi Russianroulade. Congratulations on completing the first week and on your discard. A great start! After the early ‘whoosh’ the general rule seems to be that we tend to lose 1-2lb a week, though it can be more or less week-to-week depending on a huge range of factors. I’ve learned that it is really only a plateau if the scales don’t move at all for weeks, rather than days, though even then we might be seeing changes in body shape and other mental and physical health benefits that help keep us motivated and let us know the WOE is working for us.
    Stressing that this is just me, I discarded: week 1 4.4lb; week 2 3lb; week 3 3.6lb; week 4 2lb; week 5 3.2lb ; week 6 2lb . Others seem to discard twice as much early on, but I am chuffed to bits! For most of us it seems it’s really worth setting ourselves up with a whole range of reference points in addition to weight – body measurements, how our clothes feel/look, hip to waist ratio etc. There are lots of posts on the forums from wise and experienced folk explaining to us why we shouldn’t focus on the scales. I have also noted level of arthritis pain (vastly reduced), number of migraines (0 for nearly 7 weeks!!) and general energy levels (wow!) to stay mindful of all the benefits. I really like the graphs on MyFat Secret (I’m sure other apps have similar) that allow me to see the downward trend over time, rather than focusing on a few days or 1 week.
    Keep at it, Russianroulade!

  • posted by DoubleDutch
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    Hi all,

    Just finished week 7. Total discard 12.8 kilos, at 100.8 I am nearing my first goal of double digits. And my second goal, bmi under 30, is at 99.6. Although I feel bmi is not the best measurement, especially for the tall. There’s a professor in Oxford who improved the bmi calculation, see https://people.maths.ox.ac.uk/trefethen/bmi.html
    Use the new bmi calculator (only when you’re tall! Under 1.67 it will be higher!) here for example https://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/new-bmi/

    Anyway, @russianroulade, I agree with bryla. My experience will be different from yours and everybody else’s. I did read about the plateau, and some people seem to slow down around week 4-6. I lost ‘just’ one pound in week 4, I fasted for 36 hours after that, and next week I discarded 2.4 kilo. I try to weigh just once a week, but sometimes curiosity gets the best of me and I weigh midway the week.
    Keep going!
    x DD
    .

  • posted by DoubleDutch
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    Just realised my smallest discard was in week 3. In order to see the full results of a week, my weekly weigh day is the first day of the next week. See my profile for weekly results.

  • posted by SunnyB
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    We are indeed all unique and our bodies do not all behave in exactly the same way. So some will see a steady discard, for others there will be lots of peaks and troughs; some lose a lot in the first couple of weeks, some will plateau some won’t. The truth of it is, it is all normal and your experience on this way of eating is your normal.
    Somehow, I can report a 2lb discard for the week, which for me as a slow loser is really good – almost exceptional in fact. I am now dangerously close to being back at target, so am doubling down my efforts for the coming week, in the hope of achieving target in the very near future.
    Hope everyone has a brilliant week and look forward to reading about your progress in the days to come.

  • posted by wendleg
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    Well done SunnyB, Bryla, Russianroulade and Doubledutch ( and anyone prefering to wait before discussing the Numbers) That’s fine too.

    My experience ws that I lost 10% of my bodyweight in the first 8 weeks so 10kgs. I think that ws pretty standard but I have seen numerous plateaus since that time ( I started in September 2018) . I don’ t get too hung up on them any more and as you know I am not a regular weigher. Just do whatever works for you to keep you accountable. Mine is a battered old note book which has charted my progress which is not a totally linear thing. One thing which is set in stone is my rejection of processed sugary foods and starchy carbs and I think that is overall more important to me now than worrying too much about whether the discard is slowing down. I have no fear that I will go back to my old, very , very unhealthy ways. To succeed we have to establish habits which are totally sustainable, thinking long term.

    I totally agree Bryla, there are so many benefits to this woe .

    Come and say Hi folks ! I will set up the new weekly thread later on today xx

  • posted by SunnySideUp
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    Joining this thread in the last minute, to tell you I’m still around!
    Hello everyone! Good to see both new and old posters!
    Last time I wrote I was on a plateau, that lasted for two weeks. Then I lost ca 2 kg in just a couple of days, which pretty much erased the plateau! I didn’t do anything special to break it – I just kept on and waited.
    Tomorrow will be my first day of week 8! It’s not my first time on this diet, but I’ve never kept it this long. I’m not quite there yet, so I’ll probably keep on in a similar fashion for another couple of weeks.
    See you on the next weekly thread!

  • posted by wendleg
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    Hi SunnySideUp and all the weekly members !

    I am about to set up a new weekly thread !

    I hope to see you all over there ! xx

  • posted by Zanna
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    I used the recipes for the first week and are slightly over until I trust myself to work it out. Thank you

  • posted by Sugarfreeuzzy
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    Hi All! Not sure if anyone is still looking at this, I started my journey on 19th February which means I’m 2 and a half days away from finishing 8 weeks!

    I’ve lost 36 pounds / 2st 8lb!
    I’m currently on the max metformin dosage aswell as one other pill, given the corona world I can’t go out to get my bloods checked, by can’t mean won’t.

    Hope everyone is going strong!

  • posted by Angelsand
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    You are a true inspiration!! I have been stopping and starting since feb. Lots.of different things going on with me and ive just lost myself and gained even more. Want to lose two stone.

    Dealing with a divorce, buying a house, 2 young children and a full time job its all beaten me and i feel totally gross. Since the lockdown i have gained another half stone.
    So
    To admit now i am now 11 9. I want to be 9 and a half. I need to do this for me, my confidence and my wellbeing.

    Wish me luck. This week is a new week. I can do this xx

  • posted by Sugarfreeuzzy
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    That sounds like a lot of stuff to go through 🙁 I was going through some similar things and fell into depression.

    I can tell you one thing, once you break past the pain barrier of week one everything got so so much easier. There are always hard days, days when you sneak an extra snack or soemthing but aslong as you don’t fall off the wagon completely it will be worth it.

    People tried to get me to be healthy for years but you’re right you can only do it for yourself, strength to you I hope you do it!

  • posted by WindyJulz
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    Wow Sugarfreeuzzy that’s great – well done you!! I have been stop start also but nearly 2 weeks in to being back on the straight and narrow – your post is great to read!
    Whats your plans now?

  • posted by Sugarfreeuzzy
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    Thank you :))
    Well done WindyJulz on getting to 2 weeks! Keep pushing you can do it!
    My plan is to increase my dinner by 200 calories for 2 weeks and then do the same with lunch, by that time I would have hit 12 weeks from starting.
    It’s really interesting I really feel like the last 8 weeks has given me so many ideas on how to cook satisfying and healthy meals and I hope I will carry on incorporating them into normal life.

  • posted by WindyJulz
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    Brilliant. Good luck, sounds like its made the difference to your mindset and you have a good plan. Top job!

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