Thanks everyone, I’ll keep posting and let you know how I go. I still feel that I need the forum to keep me on track and to keep me accountable. You all help me so much, even if it’s just with your humour!

Thanks igorasusual, yes I had a good look at that website when you first posted it, but now that I’m at my goal weight, I’ll go back and check it out again.

Well, it’s s beautiful sunny Sydney day, I’m going out for a walk😀
Cheers
Linda

Hi

congratulations on JOTF Lucky.
I still have to go thru the piles of stuff that I bought home from the storage unit last week!

I was at my sisters again yesterday – it was cold in the evening so borrowed a jumper – first one I tried FITTED! No searching for a large one.
my sister is my half sister, so no particular size similarities between us, and until probably the last 10-15 years, she was a size ten or twelve, so quite odd to fit into her clothes!

Did a nice walk in the afternoon, organised by a local village fete (local to my sister and the village next to the one where my storage unit is). It seemed odd to organise an activity that was going to take a large group of people away from the fete itself, but it was nice to do a walk without having to look at maps because it was so well marked out, and marshals at strategic points along the route – although the signage was so good we didn’t really need them.
Got there very early, so had first dibs on the book stall and a beetroot muffin (carby I know but not sweet or iced, and more fairy-cake size than giant muffin. And it was very nice!)
Just had a look at a recipe and I think it would have been about 25g of carbs – so not too horrendous.

when I got home the walking book that I ordered online in the week of Hampstead Heath had arrived, so will have a look at that today and take it with me when I go on Tuesday, and walk in the afternoon after the Nordic lesson with a bit more purpose.

Good morning everyone, sheeeeesh, I am shattered today, and I had a lie in until 8.30 am – almost unheard of. Sometimes I think the more sleep I have, the worse I feel. But I must have needed it, so…

Hello Flowerpot and welcome 🙂 There is a whole list of ramblings, that should be like a ‘pinned post’ to the top of this thread, for those moments that you wonder ‘What are they going on about?’ 😉

Sounds like a really nice, successful day on many counts, Frog 🙂 I love a good Fete or Fair. Did the walk end up back at the Fete in the end? I mentioned the other day that I’d been hinting about the coastal walk to my husband, it’s on my 40 before (during and evidently now, AFTER!) 40 list. He suggested we walk a chunk of it next week when the children are back in school, and then get the bus back. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s not the direction I would have started the walk in, he’s taking us the other way, but thinking about it, it makes sense for getting back home.

I’ve never tried beetroot in a cake, but apparently it’s really nice. I don’t know about other parts of the country, I assume they’re all the same now, but the schools local to here are all healthy schools, since a good couple of years now. And when you get the menus at the start of term, you can see what meals are made out of and I know the chocolate cake is a beetroot chocolate cake. I think I would have paled at the thought of trying it pre BSD. But now my confidence has grown in both my cooking ability and the joys of cooking with unusual ingredients and turning out something that tastes lovely with them… I think I would give it a try. Cake/bread with courgette is another I’m yet to try. But – thinking about it, one of my most succcessful pre BSD family cakes was my carrot cake. That has become the norm in the cake world, hasn’t it?

My third child, who is notoriously fussy, looked like he was going to faint yesterday when I told him the ingredients of the chocolate cake which apparently was one of the nicest cakes he’d ever eaten, apart from my carrot cake. Especially when I mentioned almond flour. When we got home, I showed him all the ingredients individually and let him smell them (lol) and then he asked for another slice so, I think I’m winning him over to healthier eating.

Last day of the school holidays here. Woefully unprepared, for once. Skeleton uniform for the children as I left it too late and all their sizes were barren, so it’s going to be wash and wear for the next few days! No new school bags until later today. At least they have new shoes and pants. It just went so quickly.

Morning all 🙂

Lucky, beetroot in cake is great, tastes close to a dark choc flavour, in fact , you could tell people it was a choc fudge slice , and nobody would really know it was made from beetroot unless you told them.

Morning Gavin! Brilliant, will definitely give that a go then 🙂 You ok?

Hi Lucky, yeah I’m ok . Just under the weather slightly. And it won’t stop raining at the weekend!

hello i am back from 2 weeks in very very hot France some days 40 degrees. Got back on Wednesday had put on 4 lbs avoided bread and frites but did have wine. Already lost 1 1/2 lbs so onwards. Hope everyone is well and still eating well. Didn’t really mind not eating the bread but could write a book on a 1001 things to do with a courgette.

Ugh, hope you’re better soon Gavin. I know, tell me about it, it was shocking here yesterday. The rain has held off this morning so far but it’s chilly and grey, and I have a feeling the rain isn’t too far off now.

Welcome home Josie, nice to see you back 🙂 Well done on a reasonable weight gain for a fortnight away, and losing it too, nearly half of that gone in a couple of days! This WOE is amazing. Wine is a bugger though, I’ve decided to avoid it as much as possible from now on.

Hi folks x the weather here was atrocious yesterday,and there was a big music festival on..aimed at the fairly early teens…appearances by jason de rulo,olly murs,tinie tempah ( tho i must admit,as a 66 yr old,i love Tinie!) anyway i felt sorry for all the kids heading there excitedly but getting soaked. But i guess they werent at all bothered by bad weather! Saw them all returning about 11 pm,still in very high spirits.great to be young and unmoved by torrential rain! I remember being 14, sharing umbrella with my pal in pouring rain and wind,and the umbrella turning inside out. We were doubled up laughing, i laughed so much i wet myself! These days i just feel vexed when the wind blows brolly inside out!
Get well soon GAVIN and happy Sunday everyone!
LUCKY,September always seems like New Year to me,with the start of new academic year.! X
WelcomeFLOWERPOT and welcome back JOSIE x

Hello Yowzer, yesterday was terrible, wasn’t it? Ooooh, I love Olly Murs, he’s a sweetheart. I remember liking him from his first X Factor Audition. Yes, I was the same at that age, my daughter is now. She asks me if she can go out, I look out at the monsoon like weather and I think she’s crazy, but I think we all did it. I get so frustrated by umbrellas now I’m older, it’s very rare that I use one, because I can move quicker without battling one 😉 Yesterday was one of the rare occasions.

Morning!
I got up at 6 or 7 then went back to bed that’s what Sunday mornings are for! – it’s odd I am way more likely to do that on a Sunday morning, even when I’m not working regular Monday to Fridays.
I had chicken sausages for breakfast (on sale in supermarket – no added gunk and gluten free) decidedly odd – I’ll finish the packet but I don’t think I’d get them again.

Sort of agreeing on alcohol and food Gavin – I had a v small glass of red wine last night with cheese after dinner – really had munchies/craving when I got home. Salted caramel ice cream some time around midnight!

The beetroot muffins didn’t have any chocolate in them (the base of the very delicious red velvet cake) when I googled to get an idea of carb I found a recipe with carrot and beetroot in. On fat secret, I couldn’t be bothered to load that recipe in given that I’d had one cake and didn’t know if it was that actual recipe. Their database had a “Quinoa, Red Lentil & Beetroot Veg Cake! !?!? – it had a similar carb count so I logged that instead.

Somewhere I have the book “Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache” a book full of cakes with no wheat and a vegetable base. You’ll probably have gathered that I am not the world’s most prolific cook, so I haven’t made many from it, but may find it at some point & see if some can be adapted to be BSD friendly.

I dodged the rain yesterday & didn’t get wet despite being out all afternoon – we left the fete at the right moment though (yes, the walk was circular, Lucky) as it started raining about half a mile out of the car park.

Josie – 1001 Things to do with a Courgette???!! 😳

Beetroot chocolate cake is magnificent. I made a lot of it the previous year and the kids ate it like a pack of wolves. I never told them that they were eating veg or they would’ve immediately spat it out!! I find now that as log as I don’t tell them anything is ‘healthy’ or good for them until after they’ve devoured it I’m ok!!

Been walking into and around town today. Son is happy to do this now that Pokemon Go is here! All I know is that my Jawbone is happy and I’m clocking up the miles on my sponsored MyMarathon 👍🏼. Resisted ice cream and had coffee instead while we were out. I have a Nigella choc muffin for an afternoon treat if I fancy it but need to label/iron school uniform first 🙄

Wine is most definitely a no no on the BSD. It seems to be the worst/ easiest thing for suddenly gaining a lb or 2. But as Lucky found out, pretty easy to lose again once you’re back on the wagon!

barbecued, grilled, roasted, spiralised and so on chip size sliced diced and spaghetti shape, you name it i have done it in the last couple of weeks

Well done JANEY!
LUCKY ..!! Was in New Brighton today! Resisted ice creams,fish n chips,rock etc etc..the usual seaside goodies..however thats not why i am telling you about New Brighton!
To my great excitement Lucky, i spotted a BUDGENS! It used to be a co op ,last time we were in NB! It had turned 5 pm so it was closed coz it was Sunday,but i will deffo be going back! I Reckon NB is about fifty miles from you?
But then you might fancy a bit of New B air and a walk along the prom some time and a whizz round Budgens..!

To add to the excitement,as we passed Lpool Town Hall,they were filming..an Agatha Christie mystery i think..The Town Hall was transformed into a hotel i think,there were lots of bell boys,and girls in 1920s fashions…looked so fab! and also some gorgeous old cars. We’re used to lots of filming now in Lpool,it gets used a lot for films and tv series,but generally its all closed off..we must have caught them just before they began.!
So all in all an exciting time was had! X

Week 5 finished – hardly any movement on the scales this week. Not my best week as entertaining etc. Average calories for the week were 900 but that included several glasses of red wine – averages: carbs 63, protein 41 and fat 32. I think the moral of the story is it’s ALL about the carbs – most other diets would be pretty happy with 900 calories but the weight loss just doesn’t happen unless carbs are significantly reduced. Wine is definitely not our friend as Janey said above. I need to get more protein and fat (!) but especially more fibre 🙁 I am amazed how little fibre there is (according to MFP) in things like ratatouille. All things considered not too bad as I haven’t gained and clothes are getting looser. Maybe I’ll only lose on even numbered weeks!

Morning everyone,rise and shine.xx !
my last day of the eight week cycle! Woohoo!
ANTIGONE All the best for week six and pleased you have some non scale victories for week 5! X

Good morning folks, two mini goals just hit now, 5 1/2 stones off and the biggie NO LONGER OBESE 😀 BMI 29.9. A busy weekend/Monday following the Tour of Britain has upped my step count into the stratosphere rather than my usual barely scraping 5,000 which I credit for the good loss. I have also changed the fasting pattern to 2:5 instead of my usual 4:3 which may also have helped although as I only changed on 1st September and have just had my first weekend “off” I would have thought it would be too soon to see results showing from that.

Morning Yowzer

Just had breakfast then off to Hampstead for lesson 3 of Nordic Walking – weather not so great today.
End of week 8 – taaaa daaaaah!!!!!
– have you reached targets & on to maintenance now, or are you planning to continue for a bit?

Mixnmatch – 5.5 – sorry deserves to be in full – FIVE AND A HALF STONE!!!!!
that’s amazing many congratulations

Mixnmatch – WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. That’s a phenomenal result! I bet you look and feel amazing. The old you is long gone! I’m always interested in everyones’ longterm ‘maintenance’ options and how it works out for them. I’m generally on Med Style eating with the occasional treat (usually alcoholic!) and also an intermittent fast day depending on how I feel. The waistbands are still getting looser too 🙂

Yowzer -congrats on the 8 week milestone!

I have always allowed myself the odd alcoholic drink on my non-fast days and don’t generally get afflicted by ‘munchies’ but have already had plenty of experience of abstinence on previous though less successful diets. I will be continuing this until 1st October when I will try a Fast 800 diet to see how much more I can lose before Christmas. Final deadline for my target is April next year as I want to be able to fit back in my wedding dress for my 25th wedding anniversary. About another three stone should do it. Still buzzing, I almost didn’t realise how much that obese label hurt until it was gone.

That’s a great target to aim for, Mix, and you are most definitely in the correct mindset to reach it 🙂

I know what you mean about the ‘obese’ label. I never really thought of myself in that way until I began to read the medical establishment’s levels of acceptance weight/size recommendations and it was a real wake up call. I’m smaller now than any time in the last 20 years but I still remember the day when someone offered me their seat on the bus because they thought I was pregnant – the humiliation made worse by the fact that I couldn’t admit that it was just the fact I was a fatty!

Mixnmatch – how fab are you? Really pleased for you 🙂
Well done Yowzer – are you continuing?
I am being especially good this week (so far any way) to try and reach next target. It is soo good to read about other peoples successes (especially when I have slipped up) – encouraging and motivating. I’m feeling peckish so I will have to drink a few more gallons of water!

MIXNMATCH thats amazing! Well done x how long did it take?
FROG! Hope you enjoyed yr lesson!
Getting weighed this avvo at DDs to see the 8 week verdict..
i will continue ..tho i have been so good,not deviating once, and may allow a little more leniency now and again..want to lose two more stones ..i know now that low carb is the answer ! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Just calling by quickly to say its day 56 and ive lost 34 lbs..2 stone 6, 15 kilo..whichever sounds best
Average of just over 4 lb a week for 8 weeks! 👍🏻 x Donning the Cape of Smugness..
best decision i ever made to try the BSD..all thanks to my friend Nutty on the 5:2 forum x when i saw how well she did on it,i decided to give it a go,tho I never thought i wd do it for more than a week,and intended to allow 1000 cals a day -but i didn’t go over 800 once and many times was under. onwards and downwards now! X

wel done on the weight loss that is truly amazing

1st Feb 2015 I was at the heaviest I had ever been and decided this had to stop. I was having difficulty showering, out of breath walking up the stairs and so on. I started on a local leisure scheme where they lent you a “pebble” movement measurement device and encouraged you to get into sport and activity without having to join a gym. I started with a back to fitness course that mixed yoga, Zumba, step etc. for really unfit people and a few weeks later started playing (very badly) badminton on the same scheme. Since then I have been experimenting with different diets and variants of diets and am now really happy that I have an approach that will take me right to whatever my ideal weight proves to be. I also have got much better at badminton. 😊

Fantastic figures Yowzer, onwards and downwards!

Fabulous weight loss triumphs everyone.

Have got myself in a silly place as struggling to stick to the guidelines even though I know they work…so as a consequence am giving into my flesh too easily but I am determined to get through as I know from the first week on BSD it works!

So thank you for sharing your successes as it really helps those like me!!

Hi Yowzer – Fifteen Kilos – WOW, well done, that’s brilliant

The walk was great (less so for the woman that got lost maybe!)
Incredibly hot and muggy though – and in yesterday’s big sort through of clothes from the storage unit, I’d found some old walking t-shirts that fit again. They might ‘wick away’ the sweat, but so so hot!

It cooled down a bit later on, and I walked to Kenwood House, then part of the way home – 21.5k steps today, (including the nordic bit)

Lucky – enjoy your coastal walk (the best thing about coastal walks, aside form fantastic views and cool breezes, is that it’s hard to get lost, although I did manage it on one occasion, when leading a group of about twenty people!)
Is your foot faring better now if you’re contemplating long walks?

Yowzer49: Great job on your 8 weeks weight loss. I was posting on Nutty thread on the 5:2 forum but I can not get on the site anymore since they changed it. I went by the name of Loveswalking. It will not let me log in no matter what I do so I just gave up going there.

OMG! Good to see you here HAPPYITSWORKING! Big hugs!
I Cant get on fast day today..i had a lot of faffing round when the forum changed,then got sorted,then today I can login but posts wont stick! Grrrrrr i am dying to tell everyone there about completing the eight weeks!
If i manage to get back on ,will let Moogie know of yr probs.
How are you getting on!? I wondered where you had got to! X i had to change my password to get on..someone else had to start from scratch with new name/ new password.
Why do the techies want to fix something that wasnt broken! X

Night all xxxxx
LUCKY Hope youre ok? I knowyou were very tired yesterday. X
Sweet dreams everyone ..gosh i’ m full..out for dinner tonite..had steak and one big mushroom. No chips,no wine,no dessert. I dont know how i used to fit a full meal and drinks into my tum!

Oh deary me. Just home from a Breton send-off. Not drinking is NOT an option…and I’ve been so good 🙁

Yowzer49: I had e-mailed Moogie twice so far and did what she said to do about the cookies and I still couldn’t get on. I’ll try to change my password and see what happens.

I started the BSD the first week of July and had lost 8 lbs. my first week but to many things came up with a lot of company. So I just started over again a week ago last Saturday and lost 4 lbs. my first week this time around.

How you getting on HAPPYITS WORKING with getting back on 5:2 forum?
I told Moogie about yr prob this morning..i think you shd email her again,coz she said she wd love to help you get sorted..she said to mention yr 5:2 name when you do,so she’ll know who you are
I’ m still having probs getting posts to stick! But give M her due,she is trying hard to resolve it! X
Please come back if you can! The bsd thread there is v good as you know and Nutty and some of the others want to start a challenge!

MIXNMATCH THat course sounds very good,and it’s great youre now an ace badminter! X
FROG wow well done with the steps! In this hot muggy weather too!
ANTIGONE are you nursing a hangover? Hope youre ok today x

Has anyone heard from lucky?? Did she move (forums) without leaving a forwarding address?…..😱😅 Hope you OK Lucky and just enjoying yourself.x

Hii IMOGEN! ive been wondering where LUCKY is too..and TIMMY and JANEY..tho Janey was here briefly yesterday i think..
Hope Lucky hasnt run herself down too much..she’s always so busy,usually stuff for others too..she’s a little mother hen to everyone and i know she said on sunday she was feeling very tired x

Hi Yowser,

Hope all good with you?🌻

Yes, I’ve been missing the old gang😞, notice that both you and Igorasusual both active supporting the new starters🙌

Agree with you regards Lucky, she puts others before her own needs and deserves some downtime also… just wanted her to know that she’s missed and appreciated!

Went slightly off plan yesterday, feeling a little jaded and decided to have a treat so my first try of oppo icecream (though delicious), a disaster for me personally as my body no longer used to processed food of any kind and suffered awful ‘hangover’ this morning….back to strict BSD me thinks! …Week 20+ but still a long way to go.

Hi all, can’t speak for Lucky but I’m still here! Currently in Sweden in business… Eating a lot of meat in a Brazilian restaurant!

HIIII IMOGEN! yes i think so too..Lucky deserves time out but its very noticeable when she’s absent! Miss her lovely warmth and humour!
interesting about the Oppo..i havent tracked any down yet..lots folk here seem to love it and its a shame it hasnt agreed with you as seems to be a good low carb treat. Hope the hangover has passed..not a good feeling is it..well done tho on being at week 20! Is the second cycle easier/ harder/ same as first one?
I am just embarking on week nine and wondering if i will get a bit bored soon..i think i need to ring the changes and try some different meals! X

JANEY! Yay! So glad you called by x
Hi how are you? Sweden eh! How swish! Ohh those brazilian restaurants are very meat heavy arent they! Hope youre enjoying some tasty grub anywayand maybe a cheeky little glass of wine or two ! XX

Hi Janey🙋

Glad you’re still with us…all the way from Sweden…never eaten Brazillian food – exciting!

Hi Yowser,
I found the second cycle of BSD relatively easy, just continued very much the same; however, I do have frequent, sometimes extended plateaus which have stretched my patience…this 3rd cycle has been harder, think changing some foods, or adding new recipes might help with that…have found a tendency to repeat the same foods and may have got a got a little bored 😕 hence the little treat yesterday!!

Hi Everyone!
me too Imogen – too many plateaus!
The current one has been so long I’ve decided to kick start with being v. strict for a few weeks.
Today about 9.5k steps, 650 calories and 28g of carbs. I am going to try and keep below 30g average for a while.

Now – can I watch bake off without snacking?

hmm, I thought bake off – Bread week, no chocolate, that’ll be OK
first up – chocolate bread challenge!!

Hi Yowzer: Thanks for telling Moogie. What I did was changed my log -in name to this one here and my password and I was able to get in. I also used my other name and sent a message that I forgot my password and Moogie sent me a new one. So I will use whatever one will work.

Do you go by the same name there that you use here?

@josie53 …

Hello everyone, I’ve been feeling a little bit under the weather the last couple of days. Ok, a lot under the weather. Nothing I can put my finger on but it’s wiped me out completely, which is unlike me, because I’m like the Duracell Bunny usually 😉

Well done (and welcome back) Mix n Match and Yowzer on your great weight losses!

Smp – we’re here for you, sorry to hear you’re struggling at the mo, it happens. You know this works and things can be undone relatively quickly. Chin up chook.

Frog – touch wood it’s been ok this week… weather has been a bit patchy and I’ve been a bit bleugh so it looks like nothing will be done on coastal path this week. Again. It’s ok, I’ve been waiting about ten years to do it… I know once we start on it, it will get done, but it’s just making that start. This week has been chock full of appointments too, haircuts, dentist, physio, consultants and my son had his check after breaking his arm earlier this year. Next week not faring much better, nor the week after. And a mammoth trek to Norwich. Yikes.