Good evening.

Thought I’d pop in just to say ‘hello’.

This last week hasn’t been my finest and no way will I make my target for the month. I really do have a ‘have to be perfect or failed ’ problem. I just have to tell myself ‘this is life as it is’. Enjoy, as you are, or be miserable because you aren’t your ‘ideal image of you’. Yes we can all strive to achieve our ‘goals, wishes, fantasies’, and there is no problem with that. BUT …. how much of life ‘now’ is passing us by ? Are we missing out on life because our eyes are so focused on the ‘future’ ‘perfect self’? What’s perfect???

Sorry! I think all this meditation is finally changing my ‘mind’. Hope the new week, for those of us who start on Tuesday, is a good one and for those who start on other days equally as good.

Hi everyone, reporting in for my weekly weigh in. I have lost just 1lb so far this month. A combination of losing 1lb then gaining 2lbs for my birthday and spending the next week and half getting rid of it. Will we ever learn but, as Verano say, this is life. Anyway, I am not downhearted as my goal was 3lbs per month and already lost 6lbs for Jan and Feb so far. Hoping for another 2lbs before end of Feb.

Verano, I am not looking for my perfect self and I am not miserable as I am. What would make me miserable would be if I put the weight back on and ended up at square one. Which for me was just over 13 stone and I am now just over 11 stone. I am still motivated to lose around 6 or 7 more pounds before the cruise, but mainly to give me some leeway on the eating and drinking that is sure to go on. I will do my best but don’t want to spend a miserable holiday denying myself or a miserable return with an extra half a stone and BG out of control. Yes it is difficult but I just keep on.

We have a problem with cat number 2 at the moment. She has started peeing everywhere but not doing much so we spend nearly 3 hours at the vet yesterday, mainly waiting for results, oh and an emergency came in and knocked our appt back by nearly and hour. We had to get a urine sample overnight – ever tried that – and dropped that at the vet this morning, so waiting for the results as all her scan was okay – liver, kidneys, heart etc. I suspect she has an infection and needs antibiotics but I am not a vet so we are just waiting.

Have a good week.

SG, really hope your cat will be okay. Well done on your progress, I’m sure you’ll be reporting more discards before the end of Feb.
V, think the mindset needs to be more ‘I will do my best’ rather than ‘I have to be perfect’, but I recognise that’s sometimes easier said than done. I know there have been times I’ve definitely fallen in to the trap of giving up on eating right, just because I’ve made one small mistake. Anyway, I’m working on fostering the ‘I will do my best’ mindset at present, although like you, last week wasn’t my best.
So, nothing lost in the past week, but on the plus side no gain either. Today I’ve started track my intake properly, which proved interesting. Was surprised that whilst cals were pretty much on point, carbs were a little over. My intension is to keep on tracking for the next few weeks … and hopefully seeing some progress!
Over the past week, I have been making an effort to move more and am incorporating a little exercise on most days, which has to be a plus point as motivation doesn’t come easily for me.

Thanks Sunny, cat has a urinary tract infection and needs antibiotics. Have you ever tried to get tablets down a cat. We have bought her some soft food to hide them in (them – 1 antibiotic, 1 antistress and another I cant remember what for), she licks around them and just leaves them.

Diet is bouncing between 71.5 and 71.7 – today 71.7 – not reason. Except I roasted some chickpeas and keep dipping into them, only about 10 or so a day. The rest of the chickpeas have been made into hummus with lots of garlic and tahini. Yum.

Glad your cat doesn’t have anything serious SG. I don’t envy you having to get tablets in to her.

When we were in that situation, we’d wrap her up in a towel, almost like a swaddled baby. Then while one of us held on tight, the other tackled getting them into her mouth and stroking her throat to make her swallow. Yes, traumatic for all concerned, but the only way we could get them into her.

Anyway, hope you find a good way to persuade your kitty to take her meds and she’ll soon be fit and well again.

Hello just popping in to say hope your cat is doing ok s-g. Never good when pets are ill.

Sunny yes ‘I will do my best’ is definitely the way to go … we can’t do anymore than our best.

Yesterday I had a really ‘odd’ day. Suddenly out of the blue I couldn’t lift my left arm and it had a really ‘achey’ pain. Today I’m about 90% recovered. But shocking anyway and especially as I use a crutch on my left side to enable me to walk!

Life is full of curved balls!

So just ‘carrying on carrying on … ‘ here. Hope the new (Tuesday) week will be a good for us all and of course also for those to who start on other days.

Verano, that sounds really scary! Take care.

Verano, that sounds very serious, take care and look after yourself.

Look after yourself Verano & if it persists get a medical opinion?
I like the idea of I will do my best because this week is not going well diet wise but hosting friends for lunch went well & I did win a competitive shortmat bowls match last Friday. I didn’t dare stand on my scales until Tuesday instead of my usual Saturday knowing that I would have gained weight. My clothes definitely feel tighter now!
SG I’m glad your cat has been diagnosed & wrapping her in a towel does work & the way I got medicine into my cats with my husband holding her & throwing the tablet to the back of her mouth so she had to swallow it. Good luck 🍀🍀
Keep on going everyone 👍🤞🤞
Margaret xx

That is very worrying Verano, what do they say F.A.S.E. Face, arms, speech etc. It could have been a trapped nerve with the use of your crutch but you shouldn’t ignore these things. Saying that, how many times have I thought the chest pain I had could have been a heart attack and did I call an ambulance – no. I know I just felt stupid and didn’t want to bother anyone. We are getting on a bit and we should bother people when we are worried.

Funny old day, shopping and loading up the car when my phone rang. It went off before I could get to my handbag but it left a number saying Marc (a friend) so I called him straight back. Then I received a call from the vet saying we had to go in this afternoon, something about medication of 20g etc. A bit garbled and very quick French. So, just been to vet and they never called us – even though I let her listen to the message – it was by error. Then I got a call from Marc wanting to know what I wanted. I told him he rang me and he said he hasn’t rung me, but I had the proof on my phone or I would think I was going mad. One other message today saying the coursier (yes, not courier) couldn’t get my parcel in the letter box and I had to follow a link – no way jose a common scam except I was expecting a parcel but tomorrow. You can tell a scam when they cant even spell courier.

Hoping to get on the wiifit and do some exercise this afternoon, unless someone else disrupts my day. Have a good one.

Thank you all for your concern. Touch wood all seems to be well today. S-g I didn’t have any other symptoms otherwise I would have called the doctor. To be honest the thought of spending anytime in a hospital, especially in a corridor, at the moment, doesn’t fill me with any confidence of getting decent treatment. I think I have probably done too much over the last week and just put too much stress on my shoulder. Resting it seems to have done the trick.

Anyway, hope everyone is ‘doing their best’ which is all we can do. Saw lovely saying a few days ago … “practice doesn’t make perfection, it makes progression”. Think maybe we all probably need to be a little more realistic with both our goals and our methods of getting there. Sometimes we are far too hard on ourselves with goals that are probably unrealistic. Can only carry on carrying on or keep on keeping on!

I hope you are still feeling better Verano?
I have just weighed & lost 2.5 lbs to balance out that gain of my hosting lunch. However I’m still very demotivated & it feels very hard work trying to get back on & keep on a good diet track.
I really like the advice of just do your best & I will tell myself that from now on to try to take my perfectionist pressure off from myself 🤔
Thank you & I hope everyone has had a good week?
Margaret xx

Hi all, hate to say that my motivation is still up as some of you are struggling. I guess I have a clear goal in mind with 3lb a month and a holiday looming. Can’t wait to try on all my holiday clothes even though they are the same every year except for a few new tshirts and accessories. I have about 5 long dresses/jumpsuits and I wear them every year – no one remembers but I am not happy for the photos to be the same – hey ho.

Nothing to report really so will just wish you all a great weekend.

No worries S-G & the sun is actually shining here today & my husband & I sat outside having coffee with our neighbours. We have rugby on the tv & I am trying to knit Easter chicks to cover cream Eggs to sell to raise money for our local hospice 🐥🐥😀
Margaret xx

Margaret yes still feeling fine thanks. Think (hope) it was an odd one off.

S-g glad you’re still feeling motivated. I woke this morning to a loss which I had not expected. I’ve had almost a week of fish meals and it now seems to be paying off. Just have to carry on with fish but we are out to tonight so slightly more difficult!

Keep strong, the days are lengthening so keep on keeping on ….. spring is almost here!

Another day and weight popped up again, I wouldn’t even know it if I only weighed once a week but it is my habit for knowing how much insulin to use in case I have a whoosh.

Reduced insulin down to 13 units as I was having too many lows. But still had a low this morning and was eating Werthers and one Lindt very dark chocolate at 6 o clock this morning which might account for the 0.2kg blip upwards.

We are having a weird dinner tonight. I batch cooked some beef and made several portions of stew. So when I went to the freezer (trying to empty it out before out trip) I found a tub of ‘stew’. When I looked at it today I thought it looked strange so opened it and it is one portion of mince with onions and carrots. Not enough for 2 of us – hubby had labelled it incorrectly – so I am defrosting some chicken thighs to go with it. It is what it is… We are not traditional when it comes to Sunday lunch – in fact it is my most hated meal of the week – so boring and takes so long that I never feel like eating it. Anyone else feel like that, what is your favourite meal of the week. Mine is Sunday brunch – sausages, bacon, egg, canned tomatoes and mushrooms. Yum.

Just had a thought, I batch cooked some Spanish chorizo and chickpea soup – we could have a small portion of that as a starter and then some mince with shredded chicken. Yes, still weird but will stop me from needing something else to top up later.

My favourite meal, while not really low carb, but which is my go to meal when I need/want something spicy and delicious ….. salmon (you could use chicken) red curry served over tender stem broccoli or bok choi. That’s my ‘indulgent’ meal.

Other food I love are either chicken or fish based. I love a grilled fillet steak but only have it every now and again. I’m not fussy on other steak unless it’s stew etc. About twice a year I have lamb, cooked long and slow, but otherwise don’t choose it.

So I guess my favourite proteins are eggs, salmon, fresh and smoked, sea bass, kippers, fillet steak plus loads of vegetables …. sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus, cabbage, peas and salad, with some things. Although I’m not really a great salad lover.

Tonight I’m going totally off plan and having a roast potato(es) with roast chicken! A real one off but I am trying out a new roast potato recipe with bi-carb so I have to test it to see if it really works!!!

A bit disappointed as I have only lost 0.2 of a kilo and that has been up and down when I actually lost more but there you go, bodies are strange. The monthly quiz night and meal have been cancelled to no excuse now and wont be indulging until hubbys birthday at the end of March. I will have another weigh in on Friday for the end of Feb goal check in.

Nothing much to say. Except I get Slimming World magazine every 1.2 months (8 copies per year) and the first lady with a weight loss story is wearing my new red jumpsuit. Listed as Adrienna Papell – looked at her site and I must have got a real bargain as most things are in the 100’s of dollars mark. Must try it on to see if I can manage to shorten it with the frill down one leg or have to get it done professionally. I am also going to take up my full length evening gown which I find very old fashioned but might look good as a cocktail style dress.

Just count my blessings, I seem to be wibbling around 71kgs but I am 2 stone lighter than when I started 8 years ago so at least I haven’t had a gain. Exactly the same but would like another 2kgs off.

Did 30 mins aerobics yesterday and going to try to do it every day so I must go and put on my DVD. Have a good week.

S-g I think I’m in a similar position to you. February has been a ‘stand still’ month for me too with just a half pound loss overall. This was not my ‘plan’ but hey it is what it is. So new week today, new month starting on Saturday. We can always find a new start but in fact each new day is a ‘new start’.

‘Forging’ ahead in February turned out be be more like ‘Foraging through February’! Anyway at the end of the day a loss is a loss and better than a gain so we just have to keep on keeping on …..

March is almost upon us so do we have any inspirational titles for our new month? I definitely don’t want ‘March Madness’. I’ve managed that for February pretty well without much help!
Motivational March
Moving more through March
March winds will blow us towards success.
Marching towards success
Spring is sprung …….
Sorry they are all pretty bad but we do have another three days to come up with something.

Hi.
Sorry I haven’t contributed much this month, but I have been following everyone’s posts.
This month seems to have flown by, I almost cannot believe we are nearly in March. St.David’s day on Saturday will have lots of daffodils on show this year! Last year they were nearly over!
What about “Marching On through March” for next month? A bit corny but ….
Xx

I agree, February has been a bit of a wash out … and not just on the weather front. Despite a weekend away, cocktails and take away, today my scales registered a small discard for the week. However this brings me back to exactly where I started, still hovering 1.5lb from the right stone bracket and 8.5lb from target weight. Hopefully others have seen better results and will be posting about their progress.

With regard to the March monthly thread, how about “Moving Mindfully through March” as a possible title? Do we have a volunteer to set it up? If not, I’m willing to kick it off … just let me know.

Yes I’d love to add ‘mindful’ to our March title. Maybe with the sun shining a little more we need to be mindful and motivated and marching through the month instead of coasting.

New month , new choices, new aims, new goals …. pick the best choice for you self!

Clinging onto February, just! Birthday month so some treats on the day. Love seeing the crocus and daffs out earlier today. Early Feb was 3 months since starting the BSD800. Initial Hb1AC of 89 mmol in November no symptoms so started Bsd800. Repeat test a month later and down to 70mmol, 6lbs down and feeling good despite the Dr saying it wasn’t good enough and I need meds. Fast forward, had a private HB1AC today and now down to 60mmol (no meds) and 15lbs down. I have my GP blood test on Monday so wanted to be informed ahead of that. I intend to keep going with the diet, it works, I e got into a rhythm with it, I don’t feel hungry and my weight loss has plateaued at times, but I feel single minded about it. However, what I haven’t got right is the exercise and stress management, which is also key to reducing sugar impact over all. I know Rome wasn’t built in a day, I just need to be patient and keep at it!! Thanks for all your inspiring stories. Meaningful/Mindful March here I come!

Aqualady, well done on those positive results. I’m sure your doctor should be impressed this time. As you say, Rome wasn’t built in a day so just keep going.

The exercise thing has always been something I find hard to put into practise too, so you’re not alone in that just do what you can. As for stress management, perhaps try to find five minutes a day for a little meditation? Even if it’s only the last few minutes before settling down to sleep, it should still help

Anywsy keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ve proved it works, so all you need to do is more of the same.

Hi everyone, still dithering around 71 and 71.3. Was going to have a treat this weekend but think I can do without and as we are not going out on Monday I will be in a better position as I dont really seem to have lost anything this month. I will declare an official number on Saturday on the new thread.

Aqualady, an HbA1c of 6 is the equivalent of pre-diabetes so your doctor should no longer be talking about medication. Good luck for your test.

SunnyB thank you for offering to set up the March thread – I know it is a bit of a chore as I did it for nearly a year, so thank you for taking on the strain.

No more news so have a good rest of the week.

Nearly forgot to say that I have done 30 mins hiphopabs every day this week and even added hand weights yesterday. Just 1kg per hand but certainly made me feel it.

Just a quick post, to let you all know the March thread has been set up, ready for us all to transfer to on Saturday. Will look forward to seeing you all there.

Thanks Sunny.

I am slowly losing motivation. Stuck with almost keto i.e. no noticeable carbs like my Ryvita, creeping in, down to around 27g per day, calories down to around 700. Not lost a single ounce this month except for the 2.5lb I gained on my birthday treat but that dropped off within days. Tomorrow is a new month and I have nothing planned now the quiz is cancelled. I might give my body a bit of a rest or a shake up by allowing a couple of glasses of wine tomorrow evening and then starting again. Sometimes it does us good to slacken off, but only for one day or evening or meal. Dont know why keto isn’t working for me.

Looking on the bright side I have still lost 6lbs for January and February which is exactly my goal – just thought I would do better.

Still got tonight to have a loss so will log back in to the March thread tomorrow.

S-g we all feel low when the scales don’t move down as we’d hoped but those times pass. I’m not sure keto works for everyone and I do think you can go too low with protein. I think ‘shaking up’ the routine works. I usually have two meals a day but when I add in breakfast it seems to ‘rev me up’. Strange that on our last two trips away, one was even a cruise, I actually lost a few pounds eating three meals a day. Go figure! None of it makes much sense. The only thing we can say with certainty is that each ‘body’ is ‘individual’ and what suits one doesn’t necessarily suit another and what works one week may not work the next. You can only do your best and you’re 6lbs down … that’s great! Run with it and pat yourself on the back.

February hasn’t been a complete disaster for me with a small loss of a couple of pounds. At the beginning of the year I opted for a very optimistic goal of 2lb a week, where was my ‘sane head’? Anyway I’ve made a pound a week by the skin of my teeth and so for March I’m going to be more realistic and stick with one pound a week and anymore will be a bonus. A possible 52lb in a year is not to be sniffed at!!!

Roll on March. Tomorrow will be a new start, what is gone is past, we have the future to look forward to but we can only ‘live’ in the present.Take each day as it comes. Make March ‘meaningful’. At the end of the month we will all reach our ‘realistic’ goals if we stay on track.

I have just weighed & regained two of the two & a half pounds I previously lost which is not a good start for March. Has a new thread been started because I can’t see it?
Thank you
Margaret xx