Evening all!

Nokie – not sure if it’s any help, but sometimes, when I get well and truly off plan, I go back to just trying to eat really low carb for a few days or a week or so until things are back on track. I don’t worry about the calories but focus on keeping the carbs really low – tell myself I can eat as much as I like as long as it’s very low carb (a bit like a ‘fat fast’, if you’re familiar with the term, but with more variety than the strict bacon and eggs!). By keeping the carbs down, I usually lose the hunger pangs and stop thinking about food in fairly short order and can then get back on track with calories. You definitely don’t need a telling off; nobody that wants to lose fat deliberately sabotages themselves; it’s a combination of emotions, habits and hormones. It takes time and a lot of re-starts but aim for progress not perfection.

ClarinetCathy – hope the training went well today and you enjoy the new job. Totally understand the anxiety around it but before you know it, you’ll be settled in I’m sure. Well done on a good loss this week!

As for me – went rather off piste on Saturday; had a hungry day so listened to my body, went well over calories but kept it all as low carb as I could (I’ve since developed an annoying head cold that has me sneezing, snuffling and coughing, so think it might have been related to that). I’m back on track with the calories as of Sunday, but haven’t been on my rebounder yet this week as I’ve put the exercise to one side while I get over this cold; hoping to be back on track with that on Friday once I’ve allowed myself sufficient recovery time. I weighed in on Tuesday and had lost 2.8lb down, so that’s 17.6lb in the three weeks I’ve been back on track so far; definitely mostly fluid, but I’m happy with that as I’m feeling a lot less puffy or bloated. I’m sure this week will be a lot lower on the loss front due to lack of exercise and head cold, but we’ll see what happens. Rather dreading next week as I’m away for two nights with work and the food will be horrendously unhealthy, plus the expectation that I’ll be on the booze; at least I’ll get to weigh in on the Tuesday before I go, so I can hope for a good result to cling to! Still debating the best way to handle the time away – I swing between not drinking and trying to eat sensibly, through having the two days off diet and eating and drinking as I please, back to ‘I’d rather fast for the three days than eat all that rubbish and feel shocking for days after’. Sigh. Will just have to see how I feel on the days I reckon. It’s not the calories that bother me actually, it’s how bad I know I’ll feel after eating & drinking high carb for the whole time!

Good eve little drummer girl and everyone 😘
Thankyou for you message it makes so much sense to cut down and go low carbs I am sitting looking at my recipe books 📕 decided to make some soups then I can have them at lunch times (without bread!!) 🤣 I just need to stop feeling sorry for myself and stay firmly on my 💺 on the bus
Thanks for your advice
Nokie 😊

Good eve little drummer girl and everyone 😘
Thankyou for you message it makes so much sense to cut down and go low carbs I am sitting looking at my recipe books 📕 decided to make some soups then I can have them at lunch times (without bread!!) 🤣 I just need to stop feeling sorry for myself and stay firmly on my 💺 on the bus
Thanks for your advice
Nokie 😊

Howdy pardners!
LD GIRL v good and wise advice! Damage limitation always helps!
You have done marvellously losing so much in such small time,..thunderous applause! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
i know you must be feeling amaaazing!xx
CCATHY well done also xx and v well done on contuinuing in your v important role helping to reduce covid risks xx
NOKIE hold on tight and keep doing your best!
Sorry i cant go back to respond further..i have read all the posts but details are slipping away and if i go back,this post will slip away,so will just say,love to all especially DAWN,thinking of you xx i feel its been very hard for bereaved families tnis last week or so,watching one particular family ‘s sad story unfolding.
Keep on keeping off folks..i havent lost any more since initial half stone ..have to plod on and keep those goals in sight!👀 😄
🍁🌻🍁🌻 “ If you are PERSISTENT you will GET it,if you are CONSISTENT you will KEEP it! “ 🍁🌻🍁🌻

🍁🌻🌷popping in to say Happy Autumn/ Spring Equinox! 🍁🌻🌷 xxxx

Morning everyone, I feel like I’ve been MIA over the past few weeks! I do read all of your posts, compile replies in my head – but then don’t get around to posting!
Nokie – my advice would be to just keep going, one step at a time, and do what you can. I’m terrible at sticking to plan, and have far more “off plan” days than on BUT by keeping low carb/more protein in mind, portion control and moving more I have been losing weight, albeit slowly. The small losses gradually add up. It was my birthday this week and while I was disappointed I wasn’t at my goal weight, I realised that I weighed 4kg (9lb?) less than this time last year, so eas happy with that.
I have the wedding in less than 3 weeks now but still can’t get motivated/in the right head space to stay on plan! We have a family lunch today for my birthday which will Involve drinks, but I’m thinking of having vodka and soda water as it is lower carb than wine, and alternating with water. Then I’m going out for dinner on Wednesday for our anniversary and next weekend I’m going to a High Tea my daughter is having as a bridal shower/hens party. But I guess there’s still 4 days over the next week where I CAN stick to plan 🙂 I didn’t weigh in on Friday but will be on Monday morning so will update then, although to be honest I’m NOT expecting a loss this week.

Cathy – I hope your new job is going well, good on you for taking up a new challenge at 60!

Yowser – thank you for your encouraging words and quotes, they always make me smile.

And to everyone else who’s finding it hard to get motivated – this article from the CSIRO is interesting:

https://www.csiro.au/en/news/news-releases/2022/csiro-total-wellbeing-diet

HI Sue, I know exactly how you feel! Been meaning to post for days.Belated birthday greetings and I hope you had a lovely celebration? and it must only be a couple of weeks to the wedding now? If you want to go on a quick weight loss blitz I’ll happily join you to spur you on – I’ve not only stalled recently but been piling weight on. Not happy! But still determined to lose a stone by Christmas so I’d better get my skates on!

How is everyone else doing? I meant to say LittleDrummerGirl a very well done for your 17lb so far! That’s incredible 👏 and is a real inspiration. I hope to report at least some loss again when I next post. Which will be SOON!! X

Hello everyone
It’s been a hectic week for me. The flu job didn’t work out- it was too chaotic and disorganised for me! The guy I was meeting last Wednesday for training at 9.30 am didn’t even show up and I was told “you can go home if you want”! I decided that I am better off staying at the vaccination centre where we are busy doing the autumnal boosters. I was sad and disappointed because I did 15 hours online training that I won’t get paid for but I’ve drawn a line under the disappointment.
Weight wise I am 0.2 lb lighter than last week! Rubbish really but still a little loss and I did host book club where I served up the ratatouille and halloumi bake (they loved it) and also it was my 38th wedding anniversary so we went for Sunday lunch (no pudding)!
Slow and steady wins the race! I feel better now that I am not stressing about a new job. I’m worrying about my son and his wife who have just applied for a mortgage for their first house – what a terrible economic mess we are in! Always something to worry about! Anyway, I am trying to keep healthy food wise and I am going to try and lose 2lb this week.
DCT – I want to see you at the front of the bus this week! I’m keeping my eye on you! 👁
SueBlue- not long now until the big day. I bet you’re so excited.
Have a good week everyone. Let’s just do our best every day. It’s as much as we can do.
Let’s see if we can collectively lose one stone between us between now and next Wednesday. I hope to contribute 2lb towards it. What are you going to aim for?

Hi folks,yes CCATHY,will join in seeing what we cal lose by next Wednesday!
Im sorry the flu job didnt workout after your 15 hours training,also sorry about yr sons mortgage appl..very difficult frustrating and worrying time for him,same for my young hairdresser ❤️
SUE is it just over 2 weeks..oct 14 the Big Day! X
Love to you all and hugs,life is trying our patience at the moment in several ways,so lets have a singsong…
Any suggestions..
“If youre happy and you know it clap your hands! “…🤨😄🙄

Hello all! I haven’t had time to post much recently but enjoyed all of your updates, thank you. Well done everyone on losses, and efforts, ClarinetCathy – a loss is a loss – last week I somehow gained 4lb but lost 6lb again this week so that balances out at a 2lb loss over the last 2 weeks, and overall 12lb since I joined so I’m very happy with that.
2lb more will be a stone so I would like to contribute 2lb towards next Wednesday if possible – count me in 🙂 A collective stone sounds good!
Life seems so busy these days with different things cropping up each week. I find that if I can pencil in at least 2 days each week for an 800kcal day, it’s great, and then a third or fourth is a good bonus. The other days where it might not be possible to count everything, I do damage limitation with very low carbs and it’s going in the right direction overall.

Evening all!
Late check in for me this week – lost 1.8lb when I weighed on Tuesday. Quite pleased with that given I’d had one day very over calories and had a head cold for most of the week and know I was retaining some fluid. That was the good bit – after WI on Tuesday I had to be away for two nights for work and got back this afternoon. Suffice to say, my calorie intake over the last three days as been very non-compliant to Fast 800! Haven’t even attempted to calculate the food and the booze would probably double it unfortunately! Only saving grace was I did quite a bit of walking and played a lot of table tennis while drinking, so my Fitbit reckons I had a 4K+ calorie expenditure on Tuesday and 5K+ yesterday, which might take the edge off some of the damage with a bit of luck! Will be back on plan from tomorrow and see if I can minimise the damage by WI next week! To be honest, I don’t feel bad about the calories, which is odd, I would usually be beating myself up about it, so I wonder whether I am finally adapting to treating this as a lifestyle, where I have the opportunity to celebrate with food and drink now and then, but return to my Fast 800 / low carb baseline. Hope so, as it’s a healthier approach than feeding the guilt monkey and keeping him sat on my shoulder! What I do regret is all the walking and standing – it’s really aggravated the achillies tendon issues I’ve been managing for the last several months, so I’m back to square one with a fair amount of pain and unable to walk properly when I get up the last couple of days; hoping my appointment with an specialist next week can shed some light on it. I can use my rebounder trampoline twice a day, five days a week with no problems, discomfort at a manageable base level, but lots of walking or standing and all the good work is undone. So frustrating.
Anyway – hope everyone has a good week and I’ll keep reading everyones updates.

Hi all and LITTLEDRUMMER! I empathise with you re walking,standing..i get tired very fast,not much stamina..i go on my rebounder but not as often as you. How long do you stay on it? Hopefully it does us some good!
Good luck with seeing the specialist,hope he’s helpful.
Guilt Monkey made me laugh.li have a Carb Monster and an Inner Chimp always hanging around me,trying to get me into bad ways and often succeeding! 😁
Cant believe Friday is around the corner,time goes so fast…wishing everyone bussing on here a great weekend as we chug along,theu hills and dales! XX🌷🍁🍁🌷XX
PS NEVER GIVE UP..nearly a stone off 👏👏👏👏👏👏 very well done! X

Hi All
I too have been meaning to post for ages BUT things got away from me. The transatlantic we’re on in March we just had a $2 deposit on & prices had gone down so I’ve been trying to get a good deal on a brand new booking. We normally go for a balcony but the inside cabins were a steal at just $750 each so we plumped for those. We can go through an American Agency as Carl still travels on a US passport & also has a valid US drivers licence at a friends address in MS. Anyways we also bought future cruise deposits for £75 each which hopefully they’ll covert to the US equivalent of $100 each which give us $100 of On Board Credit (OBC) too. We also each have $250 Casino Credit from the last cruise – which we desperately hope they’ll accept (the terms say Europe & that’s where we’re headed to from the US) On top of that they are offering $260 OBC per cabin. Then shareholder credit of $250$ I’ve been amazed at the potential saving especially on the well priced 15 day cruise. $1500 in total less a grand total of $1210 means we get a 15 day cruise for $290 for both of us!!! No wonder Americans seem to cruise all the time! OK you have gratuities to pay of $435 for both of us but it works out at a daily rate of just $48 for the 2 of us. Well actually it will cost us $1935 in total but we’ll have (hopefully) $1210 to spend onboard & for excursions, a few drinks & also hopefully we’ll win at the casino. Beats a long flight any day! As we’re on the American site they also usually have offers to upgrade& you can bid for an upgrade too. I had to phone Princess UK as US Princess can’t see the credits from the last cruise on their site, then I have phone the US agency tomorrow to see if the lady did put it on the new booking & if we can use ALL of them. Fingers crossed! Just put this on here in case anyone else can get an American address & et the bargains too. (many people do this (illegally really) pretty easily using relatives or friends address). We used vacationstogo.com (easiest to see what cruises are available) but Americandiscountcruises also offer great deals & you can easily see on there the final prices (which vacationstogo will match). We saved over $1300 on having an inside cabin & we’re also hoping they’ll offer us a cheap upgrade later on. Doesn’t matter if we just end up staying there as we enjoyed being out on the decks socialising rather than using the balcony. We met some lovely people on the last cruise. Hope some of you can use this information. Shame about the horrendously low £ to $ rate though since Truss’s brainwave (NOT!)

I’ve been & still am trying to lose the weight gained. Total loss just 2.6lbs since we came back Going to start making huge pans of soups again (2-3litres) from all my veggie scraps, as the weather is SO cold now. I’ve hated throwing out the cauliflower leaves & stalk, the broccoli stalks & the leek tops that aren’t too green. Such a waste not to use them & for those of you who don’t know the bits you throw away are full of more vits & minerals, not to mention fibre than the parts we usually all eat. Add a parsnip & spinach(for taste) also some cheap cream cheese then whizz them all up with a hand blender. Better than anything you can buy in a supermarket at high cost & my soups are better than anything you can get in a restaurant too. We LOVE them!

We are REALLY pleased that our nearest shop is now an Aldi, we have no corner shops or anything & nearest towns are 1.5 miles & 2 miles further than the Aldi. It opened on September 15th & I was boasting to Molly & Sarah that it’s now our closest shop. Prices for groceries are pretty horrendous in the US, making it cheaper often to eat out. Both girls raved about Aldi after they made the long trips to them, there weren’t many in their part. Believe it or not they BOTH had Aldis open up in their towns in FL & MS on the exact same day. What a coincidence YAY!

Talking of Aldi, they now have that wonderful 3 fish roast in stock at all stores. They were supposed to have it in ours on 15th too BUT we think they sent it all out to London restaurants etc. because of the many dignitaries that made it there for the Queens funeral. If you haven’t tried it then you REALLY should as it’s excellent quality & it’s something that anyone would be amazed to have in a restaurant. It’s now 650gms instead of i think 800gms but at £5.99 it’s an absolute treat for 2 people. Cod, Salmon & smoked Haddock make up 51% of the weight so about 330gms & the cheese & wine sauce is divine. OK tiny bits of potato (you won’t see them) & breadcrumbs top it but no way am i taking those off. 1/2 a pack is 493 cals with carbs of 29.4 – I know most of us try to keep under 50gms BUT even if you try to keep under 20gms this is a superb treat. Put it on top of cauli, leeks & broccoli & it’s a delight. You won’t need anything further on top of the veg. say YUM YUM! Going to try & pick up the salmon & Prawn Wellington too in about 10mins as this is I think 60% or so fish & prawns with cheese/wine sauce. Just ditch the pastry & that’s £4.29 for 750gms I think. IF you do buy it let it thaw out for FAR better results. If you cook from fozen at the temp they suggest on the packet it dries the lovely sauce out. We let it thaw then bung it in the air fryer (ours is a large 2,000W pan style) You then just cook it at a low 155C for 22 mins & it’s perfection.Gotta go shop folks, just 2 miles up the road. YAY!

Take care all, hugs to everyone.
Onwards & downwards peeps. Just keep on keeping off.
Linda XXXX

Hi all😷
I am sorry I cannot write ✍️ much but I have the dreaded covid and feel terrible thanks for all the posts they cheered me up I will be in contact soon when I feel bit better my husband just took test he has it now too😕
We both had flu and booster jabs on sat as well😪😪
Take care everyone have a good week not sure what I sm going to eat

Oh NOKIE im so sorry ….look after yourselves and get well soon. Sending very gentle hugs to you both XX
Linda,great to see you,just been reading the fishy thing you mention,im not very fishy but Beau loves it so will deffo buy. We havent been in Aldi for a while so its high time we went!XX hugs to hub and you also xx

Good morning from rainy Sydney! So tired of rain.
I’m feeling cheery this morning, 400g gone this week which is hardly earth shattering I suppose but at least it’s downward progression and it has been consistently downward though (very) slow since I restarted at the beginning of September.
Good luck to everyone for the one stone challenge! I am hesitant to put a figure on my contribution but a pound (800g) would be nice 🙂
CC, I am sorry your job didn’t work out. It’s disappointing after your prep for it.
Linda, I envy you your cruise! I am going on a one week cruise at the end of the month, just to Melbourne and back for the Melbourne Cup and to see friends in Melbourne that I haven’t seen for nearly 10 years. I am looking forward to it but it doesn’t compare with your transatlantic trip! The Tasman sea is often rough, on one trip I did with my mother just down the coast and back a few years ago the seas were so high we couldn’t leave the ship for shore visits and one unfortunate lady broke her leg falling down stairs and had an emergency evac at sea. I watched them trying to line up the rescue boat and the cruise ship to shoot a gangway across, I didn’t think they could possibly manage it but they are such skilled sailors, it all happened very efficiently and quickly.
Nokie I am sorry you’re feeling sick. Hope you recover before long.
Yowser, thank you for all your encouraging comments! It’s always great to read your posts.
Good luck everyone for the coming week, keep going!

Nokie – so sorry to hear you’ve got covid; hope you feel better soon.

Yowzer49 – my rebounder sessions are usually 2 x 15 mins and I tailor the intensity to how I’m feeling at the time so could be anything from a gentle bounce to something more energetic; I work from home so fit the first one into a break in the morning and then the second one between finishing work and picking the kids up from school! It’s not much, but it’s pretty much all I have time for at the moment unfortunately. I aim for Monday to Friday and have weekends off, but it doesn’t always work out if I’m away for work or similar; do what I can and don’t worry too much if I can’t as no need to sweat the small stuff in life! I do find it helps actually (improves my flexibility, strength and balance for sure), plus I enjoy it – bit of music and a bounce wakes me up and lifts my mood. I used to be a bit of a gym bunny and a runner 15 years or so ago (for a brief time – got over the fitness bug pretty quick!) so it’s nice to feel I’m doing something, even if it’s only a little bit – reminds me of when I was fit. I don’t think my tendons will ever take distance running again, so jogging on the rebounder is as close as I’m likely to get to a half marathon again 😂 I always ice my ankles after my morning session too, for 20 mins or so, which I think helps as well.

Nokie sorry to hear that you and your husband are unwell, hope you feel better soon 🙂 Touch wood I’ve dodged the covid bullet so far, I just need to keep well for the next couple of weeks and then it won’t matter so much after that!
Weight loss for me has stalled, I’m just not in the right head space at the moment. I know I SHOULD be, with the wedding less than 2 weeks away, but it’s just not happening. At least I’m not putting on any weight, just staying the same. I’d still like to lose another couple of kilos if I can, so will try to stick to plan over the next few weeks.
While I’m glad life is returning to normal after COVID lockdowns etc, it was much easier for me last year to stick to plan, exercise etc. Now we are out and about more and socialising, and work is busier,
I have less time to focus. Not making excuses just trying to reason why I found it so much easier to lose weight a year ago than I do now!
We had a lovely High Tea today with my daughter and bridesmaids. I ate a few sandwiches and a scone plus a few little bite sized cakes but only had one glass of sparkling wine and some tea. I’m not going to have dinner tonight so my calories shouldn’t be too bad today.
Now that my birthday, wedding anniversary and this high tea are out of the way, I have a good 12 clear days to make an effort! So my contribution to our group weight loss effort this week is hopefully 1kg or 2lb 🙂

Hi everyone, just checking in. Lovely to read all your posts, and well done for the successes. Nevergive up well done for your 12lb so far! I can identify with what you said about gaining then losing – I seem to yo-yoing up and down three pounds at the moment. But I’m just about back on track after holidays and everything, and hope to see another pound go (properly!) this week so that will be my contribution to our Wednesday weigh in 🤞

Cathy thanks for dragging me up to the front of the bus. I really need to be there otherwise I will get up to all kinds of shenanigans at the back. Sorry your job didn’t work out. You sound well out of it tbh – if they can’t even sort out your initial training session who knows what it would have been like trying to work there.

Nokie I hope you’re feeling better now? Take things easy and be kind to yourself – Covid is horrible. Littledrummergirl hope you’re recovering too? I also need to get back into fitness. I took up running during the first Covid lockdown and was doing pretty well until last summer when I had to pause it originally for a back problem but then got really busy with work and it kind of slipped off the agenda. I was also doing loads of w;alking until recently but that has also begun to slide. Time to get my act together! I’ve just started going to a yoga class to help with my balance but need to either increase the walking or start running again – ideally both.

Sue, not long till the wedding! Exciting times ❤️ My daughter is getting married in 2024 so I still have plenty. of time to get to goal . . . though time just seems to fly past these days and I know it will soon be here. Like you Cathy, they are hoping to buy their first home but one potential fell through recently and now I don’t know how they’ll be fixed re a new mortgage offer on another place.

Linda I will try the Aldi fish roast too. We had one open near us in April and I did go looking but couldn’t find it. So. maybe it’s a seasonal thing? And Mariet, hope the rain is easing up? Your forthcoming trip sounds amazing.

Yowzer how are you doing? You do such a good job of inspiring everyone else that I hope that things are going well for you too!

Hello to anyone I’ve missed, and hope you all have a great week. Here’s to our collective stone by Wednesday 😄

On my way out for blood tests,so just a quick thought for the day..
🌷🌷Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.🌷🌷……
So,enjoy the moment and seize the day!
Ps ..Ive lost 1+ lb so far this week,hope to make it to 2 lbs by Wednesday towards our communal stone!xx
✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨*.✫*¨*.¸.¸¸.✶*¨*.✫* ✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨*.✫*¨*.¸.¸¸.✶*¨*.✫* ✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨*.✫*¨*.¸.¸¸.✶*¨*.✫* ✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨*.✫*¨*.¸.¸¸.✶*¨*.✫* ✫*¨

Hello all 🙂 thanks for all your posts. Just popping by quickly because I wanted to tot up what commitment we had towards our “communal stone” that CC put forward and can add up 8lb – someone please let me know if this isn’t correct! So here’s to an 8lb loss tomorrow (and it may be more! Yowser has set the trend with 1lb so far….) but don’t lose heart if you haven’t lost what you said you would – any loss is in the right direction and we never give up…….

Evening! Quick visit from me: weigh in today +3.6lb and to be honest, it could have been much worse! The three days away with work after WI last week were bad, then back on track Friday, then Saturday and Sunday went extremely off piste and then back on track Monday. Feel like I’m retaining a fair bit of fluid so suspect the damage is actually less than the scales show, so we’ll see how it pans out at WI next week. Fortunately I didn’t volunteer for the “communal stone” target, so this shouldn’t set you back! Anyway, food back on track as of yesterday and I’ll try to get back on the rebounder tomorrow – laid off it yesterday and today as still struggling with my achilles after last week; saw a specialist about them today who wants to talk about surgery. As it involves 6 weeks in a cast, 6 weeks in a weight bearing boot and then 6 weeks of physio, I do not want to talk about surgery and will learn to live with the pain! No way I can be out of action and unable to drive for 12 weeks, so I’ll just have to make do unless the xrays show something really horrendous when I have them. Keep on keeping on folks – will check back when I can!

Hiii bus people! How did one week challenge go for those taking part? I lost 2 and a quarter pounds towards our communal stone xx
Found it a real incentive helping me stay on track! xx

Well done Yowser on your great weight loss this week. What did you do different? 2.25 lb is a fantastic result. I am ashamed to say i’ve put one on! I had a take away at the weekend after some very busy and difficult shifts at the vaccination centre. People this time round seem very “entitled”and inpatient and difficult!! I’ve been good in between but didn’t manage to get rid of the weekend excess in time for today! My husband has caught Covid from a colleague who he had a lift to work with at the weekend as I had the car for work on Saturday! He hasn’t had Covid until now. I’m scared that he will pass it on to me. So many people are testing positive at the moment. I had my flu jab last week but didn’t want to have them both together so held off with my Covid booster! Wishing I’d had it now! I will wait to see if I test positive and if not I’ll have it next week. I will get ,shelf back on track and hope to do better next week. So many life challenges to deal with that I can’t knuckle down despite being desperate to. My jeans are all too tight! Going to do a Covid test tomorrow as I’m due back in workon Friday and Saturday. Have a good week everyone.

Thanks Yowser – excellent on the loss well done!
A little annoyed to report a 1lb loss instead of 2 towards the communal 8lb loss – I’ve tried so hard – but at least it’s in the right direction and I will keep going (can’t give up with a username like Never Give Up – I kind of did that on purpose for my own sake….). However, to be 1lb lighter this week than I was last is still good for my body – that’s like nearly two packets of butter – one less weight for each knee. 😄
Little Drummer Girl – really really feel for you. I bust my ankle last year. Sprained it in April, and it slowly recovered, then in November I rolled it again 😰 and tore about 6 ligaments. I was actually overseas and had a flight home that night! My friends told me a clean break would have been better for it because I would have been forced to rest it. But as soon as it could bear weight again (4-5 days in) then of course I was staggering around on it. But I actually did myself no favours at all by thinking that was best for me. Nearly a year down the line, I am using 3 or 4 different ways to reduce severe issues in that foot. The podiatrist told me that if they don’t work, surgery to reconstruct ligaments will be what they look at next. So – I am slowly learning I will have to accept what is best for me. It’s not easy as I’m so independent and get about lots.
I really hope you can find a great way to help reduce the pain and get through 🤗

Hi everyone and sorry I haven’t posted recently, every day I mean to then never get round to it.My plan to stick to healthy eating since my last post was a bit optimistic unfortunately and I seem to have continued to feed my carb/sweet cravings so have only lost a pound since then.Only five days until my holiday and I had been thinking yesterday just to start healthy eating once I return on 27th October but I’ve been feeling pretty grotty for about a week and am sure it’s related to what I eat, I’ve also had a migraine most days for a week(probably anxiety about everything which needs sorting for the holiday) which hasn’t helped,so I’ve decided to try to stick to a food plan for the next five days as I have plenty of healthy food in, I just keep ignoring it!My aim for the five days isn’t necessarily to lose any weight, it’s just to help me feel less grotty.I don’t intend to stick to any food plan whilst we are away (it wouldn’t be easy in WDW anyway I would imagine 😀) but we will be doing a lot of walking so I would be over the moon if I managed to maintain without trying🤞
I hope everyone is ok.Well done for the many weight losses and hugs to anyone struggling.I will post again on Monday.
Dawn X

Hello all
Never give up – I also lost 1lb this week, so hopefully this small effort will make a difference to our communal loss!
I’m feeling very annoyed with myself tbh. I just went through my fridge and threw out smoked salmon, feta cheese, cottage cheese (past the use by date) and some berries and veggies that were past their best also. This is hard for me as I hate waste as a rule, but I’d gone and bought ingredients to make healthy meals … and then turned around and ate junk instead over the past couple of weeks. I think the only reason I lost a pound is because I’ve been doing loads of walking so that’s something I guess, but last night I downed a bottle of wine when my husband had some beers after work, and then because I was hungover today I bought fish and chips for our lunch!
To make some amends I’m not having any dinner tonight just a cup of tea. And I’ve made a batch of overnight oats to have for breakfast over the next few days. Now with only a week to go to the wedding I don’t know if it’s feasible to lose much weight before then, but I’ll try! And then I’m going to redouble my efforts from the beginning of November and I may still be able to reach my 2022 goal, or get a bit closer to it anyway.

Hope everyone else is having a good week 🙂

Hi SueBlue, re. the food waste (I too hate food waste):
Was the feta and cottage cheese actually not usable, or just a date on the printed packaging said so? If neither were growing or slimy, and if you have no underlying issues, trust your instincts (nose and eyes mostly).
Smoked salmon – probably a good call to bin
Berries past their best – unless they are mouldy, you could cook them down into a compote (with no added sugar) to have with yoghurt or your porridge, or freeze in an ice-cube tray for another day.
Veggies past their best – soup is your friend, again as long as the veg is not mouldy, bendy veg is fine for soups.
Hope the next few days go to plan.

Been thinking of you DAWN and glad to hear from you and v pleased its nearly your holiday time!
Thats all for now,on my way out,but..
Its National Poetry Day today….heres one of my most favourites…The Flame by Beth Nielsen Chapman
O come ye now unto the flame
Keep it through the night
Nourish it and share its warmth
And spend its precious light
The torch is passed among us all
To help us understand
A covenant of brotherhood
That joins our open hand
We are standing at the edge
Faced with just one choice
Teach each other to be kind
And let our hearts rejoice
As different as we seem to be
We are still the same
Divided by our separate walls
But joined before the flame
O come ye now unto the flame
Keep it through the night
Shelter and embrace it’s warmth
And spend it’s precious light
The darkness makes us all afraid
But we are not alone
The beacon of our common love
Will guide our journey home
Xx
Here it is in song..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2soq2NYBzQ

Ruby – thanks for your suggestions, yes these are the sorts of things I would usually do, but they really were unusable (mouldy/slimy etc). I had used up the previous berries I had left over by making a compote, and the leftover compote went into my overnight oats 🙂
The veggies were snow peas that had brown spots all over them, and brown, slimy lettuce!
Usually I would make soup, and the cheeses I’d use up in frittata or egg muffins etc.
I’ve been so busy with work, carer commitments and life in general lately that I hadn’t done my usual weekly fridge check.
I feel very determined today though to stick to plan. If I can lose 1.4kg over the next week that will get me back to my original target weight of 88kg, where I was in May/June. Then I’ll focus on losing another 4kg before the end of the year. That’s the plan anyway 🙂

Yowzer – thanks for the poem 🙂

Sue Blue, regarding your having to throw things out. Yes, use the smell test. If you know you are not going to use everything then freeze it. I have half a tub of mascapone cheese and half a tub of ricotta, left over from when I made real lasagne for some visitors. If I remember I will use one when I make my next courgette lasagne – keep forgetting to use it. I wouldnt freeze the salmon but I would any fruit, berries and veggies. The veggies might need blanching in boiling water for a few minutes. Even if it comes out of the freezer not looking like the real thing then, do what Ruby says and use it for fruit sauces or in a smoothie. I freeze everything. When my daughter got married and had an evening buffet at her house, she went off on honeymoon and we stay on a few days. She came back to 5kgs of frozen cheese (in portions), frozen sandwiches (which were great for the kids lunches) and lemons and limes chopped and frozen to use in drinks – ice and a slice in one go. They didnt know all those things could be frozen.

I guess it is my age group, waste not want not. 🙂

Thanks for your helpful suggestions Sunshine Girl, you’ve given me an idea for what to do with the lone lime sitting in my fruit basket 🙂
I would love to freeze more than I do but I have a tiny freezer (part of the fridge). I really must look at getting a separate freezer. My MIL lives near by and has a huge fridge/freezer. Before I went on holiday earlier this year I cooked up a whole lot of soups and curries to use up food in my fridge, and I put it in her freezer, all labelled with my name and “do not throw out”…. Came back a week later and she’d thrown everything out “because it had been in there a long time”! She had dementia so I can’t get upset with her, but lesson learnt there! I have thought of swapping our fridges around, but the problem is hers is really wide and won’t fit through our front or back door.

I had another weigh in yesterday, and was pleased to find I’d lost almost another kilo, so a total of 1.4kg or 3lb since last Friday. I’m now only 400g, or about a pound, away from the lowest weight I got down to in May (88kg). So my goal for the next week is to get under 88kg, so even though I won’t be at target weight for the wedding, I will be the lowest I’ve been all year (or actually in about 20 years as I can’t remember being that weight since the early 2000’s).

Have a good weekend all 🙂

Sue Blue, so glad to be of help. Well done on the weight, it feels great to get back to a low weight and shows we can do it even when things go off plan for a while. KOKO

Hi all and SUEBLUE! Only days to go now! Excited for you and for DAWN going off on her Florida holiday! 👏👏
Youre both climbing off the bus for a while! For the rest of us,how about a weekend singsong…as the wheels keep rolling around…
🎶🎶 ‘ heart of my heart,i love that melody! ‘ 🎶🎶
“Music is the universal language of mankind.” ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Hello everyone. Lots happening on here!

Dawn, enjoy your holiday. I hope you have a lovely time. And Sue, nearly wedding bells! I hope everything goes well for you all, and look forward to hearing all about it.

Cathy how is your husband? And I hope your test is negative? I have my next Covid jab on Thursday and then need to get the flu one organised. Like you, I didn’t want to have them both together. But how awful that you are having bad experiences at the vaccination centre. That’s not on.

Lovely words Yowzer as always, and well done for your loss. Well done too to NeverGiveUp – every pound matters. And my name is meaningful too – I’d been dreaming so long about losing weight (along with loads of other things!) when I started with the BSD that I decided it was about time to start making things happen. LittleDrummerGirl how are you getting on with your ligaments? I hope you can find a way forward.

RubyG and sunshinegirl, great to see you and thanks for all the tips about waste. I hate it too! Hope you’re both doing well.

Hello to everyone else too. Sadly I too ended up with nothing to contrite to the communal stone BUT how about we aim to nail that by the end of this thread, which I think we said was the weekend of 22nd/23rd? Then it’s full steam ahead for Christmas!!

Morning all, enjoyed all your posts, thank you.
SueBlue – all the best, the wedding so close! 🤩
Not sure what Wednesday’s weigh-in will bring but won’t be giving up. Popped by to say that my leggings felt looser this morning which is a big win. Hopefully I’m not just imagining it. 😄
I was looking back at my initial post on this thread, and I had said that my goal over the next 7 weeks was to lose 3.5lb average a week. This seems a bit unreachable now, from last week’s weigh in I would need to lose another 11.5lb to the end of this challenge. However I have made progress so I won’t start getting too disheartened at this stage before the 7 weeks is up, and maybe be more realistic next time.

Yes DCT lets keep working on the communal stone til the end of this thread! We can do it! Good luck with covid jab,i had mine last week and no side effects,not even a sore arm. Xx
CCATHY hope yr hubbys ok now and that youve avoided getting the dreaded lurgy.xx
RUBY how are you n hubby,hope youre recovering xx
Never regret a single day
Good days bring happiness
Bad days give experience
Worst days make lessons to be learnt
And best days of all form happy memories 🙂🙃 xx

Hi everyone and thanks DCT.Just a quick post as we are heading off to the airport soon.Sue I hope the wedding is lovely.I haven’t lost any more weight but will be back on our bus once we are home 🎉 bye for now everyone.Dawn X

Thank you Yowzer, DCT, Never give up and Dawn for your kind wishes 🙂

Dawn – enjoy your holiday! You deserve a lovely break x

With my daughters wedding just days away I’ll be jumping off the bus for a little while – but will place a Reserved sign on my seat as I will be back next week to continue my weight loss journey 🙂

At the start of this trip, my goal was to lose 5kg, or 11 lb, with the majority of that loss by mid October. I didn’t quite get there, with lots of ups and downs (weight wise), however I was happy this morning to be back down to my lowest weight again, so a loss of 1.7kg or 3.8lb so far – definitely To Be Continued!

Take care all x

Hi SueBlue
Just want to wish you and your daughter and family a wonderful wedding weekend. How exciting for you all. Enjoy all the celebrations and enjoy feeling fabulous in your outfit. You’ve worked so hard and now you can reap the reward of being your lowest weight at the perfect time.

We will look forward to hearing all about it when you jump back on board.

I am going to reserve a seat next to you because I need your inspiration and motivation at the moment as I’m not doing great.
Lots of love to you for this special weekend ahead. Enjoy everything x

Thank you for your kind words Cathy 🙂
I’ll definitely be back on the bus next week as although I’m back at my lowest weight, I am still 8-12 kg (between 1 and 2 stone) overweight. I’m really not that disciplined, and am kicking myself for not staying on track these last few months as I could have been much closer to goal…. BUT I am very grateful to this WOE and all of the support from my fellow travelling companions on here, as if it was pre-BSD 6 years ago I’d be 15kg heavier than I am now!

Hello All. I am very happy to report a further 2lb 14oz loss which is so nearly 3lb. (cartwheels!) Will reassess how close I am to my initial goal towards end of thread next week.
How much are we now towards our communal stone? We have a few extra days to achieve this now!
Hoping everyone is having a great week.

Just popping on to say I am going back to basics! I have been feeling down and I think it’s because I am out of control. I thought I was coming down with covid-my husband has it currently but I think I’m just fed up and feeling fat. So it’s low carb and intermittent fasting for me. I’ve been putting granola on my Greek yoghurt!!!! That’s going! I’ve been eating crisps- they’re going, I’ve been having a sandwich for lunch lunch at work, that’s going! So books are out tonight and I’m planning to eat low carb! It’s the only way to lose weight!
It’s never too late to join the party is it?

No, never too late to join the party and never too late to never give up 😁
All the best as you crack the low carb – I got so far away from it at one point and now being reminded of how much it helps me with my energy levels
We’re all in this together 🤗

Hello all
Sorry I haven’t been in touch for a while I had covid for 13 days and felt really rough 🥲
I ate all the things I shouldn’t because I could not taste anything
Even though I fell off the bus 🚌 I am now ready to climb back on and Cathy I am with you no more carbs for me either 🤪 I am starting from scratch again too I ordered some shakes to help me get started
Hope the wedding goes well for you sueblue treasure the moment
Hope everyone ok
Nokie 💕

Hi NOKIE hope youre feeling 100% better
Im with you and NGU and CCATHY in pulling myself up by my bootstraps,climbing backon my horse,getting the wet lettuces out..in other words,going back to basics! Go us,we can do it!
Nokie,what kinda shakes are you getting?i find the Huel black shakes filling and easy to prepare.
Not advertising just sharing what has worked for me shakewise!
When our bus goes up and downhill,the shakes get a good shake up! 🥳
Love to all specially to SUEBLUE..yikes its nearly here ! Im humming the Wedding March! Have a fab time xx
DAWN if you get to see this,enjoy yr much deserved holiday xxx

Hi yowzer49
I have ordered the Michael Moseley shakes I have included the mushroom one as well as chocolate and a coffee one. Back to 800 calories a day and one of my meals will be a shake they are delicious I have them with almond milk per it oat milk 🥛
Yes hope you enjoy your holiday Dawn
Keep going every one
Lv nokie 💕

Got my BSD and Fast 800 recipe books out last night and have written down some lunch ideas and evening meal ideas. There will be no breakfast going forward just a coffee with a little oat milk. This morning I’ve made some egg muffins with mushrooms and cheddar cheese and had two for lunch with salad. My evening meal is ratatouille with Halloumi and some greens. No granola, no crisps, no chocolate is going anywhere near my mouth! I’m working tomorrow and Sunday and so will take a couple of muffins and some yoghurt. There will be no more sandwich thins for lunch with a packet of crisps for me! Is it any wonder I am looking fat and my jeans are so tight that there is a huge roll of unsightly fat at the top of the waistband spilling over.
Nokie and Yowser we are the back the basics trio. We CAN do this. It’s the ONLY way to keep slim. I have proved time and time again that I can not go back to eating carbs without a huge weight gain.
Nokie- glad you’re feeling better after your Covid. I was really poorly back in July and my husband is still poorly with Covid – today is day 10 for him. Providing I don’t test positive I am planning to get my fourth vaccine at work on Monday. Keep safe everyone- Covid numbers are rising.
I am hoping that by Sunday I will be back in ketosis and will have got rid of all the nasty sugar in my blood. Once I am in ketosis I will lose the cravings.
I’m not bothering with the scales for a few weeks. I don’t need to see the insulting numbers. I will get into ketosis and keep low carb and the fat will start to disappear. I wonder if I can challenge myself not to get weighed until Christmas Eve! It would be liberating for me not to be a slave to the scales just to feel my clothes becoming looser. I am going to try and do it!
So lovely to be back at the front of the bus taking control and being strong. Ding 🛎 ding – all aboard!

Just thought it would be interesting to look back at my December stats so that I can make a plan for 24th December 2022. I hope that I can slim down to be in the 140s and then my aim is to achieve 138lb and try to maintain that and never go above 140lbs. I am probably near the top end of 150s after my summer off so lots of hard work ahead but I’ll definitely be reserving a place on the Christmas bus once again!!!!
December 2016 – 175 lb
December 2017 – 133 lb
December 2018 – 137 lb
December 2019 – 147 lb
December 2020 – 144 lb
December 2021 – 147 lb
December 2022 – ?????

Just thought it would be interesting to look back at my December stats so that I can make a plan for 24th December 2022. I hope that I can slim down to be in the 140s and then my aim is to achieve 138lb and try to maintain that and never go above 140lbs. I am probably near the top end of 150s after my summer off so lots of hard work ahead.
December 2016 – 175 lb
December 2017 – 133 lb
December 2018 – 137 lb
December 2019 – 147 lb
December 2020 – 144 lb
December 2021 – 147 lb
December 2022 – ?????