Hi,

I am a newly diagnosed type 2, and am desperate to get going on this WOE !. I understand the science and know that it will be a life changing event if I could just get my head sorted out !
I seem to self sabotage myself with carbs about 4pm, I eat really well for breakfast and lunch, but then seem to think it’s ok to have a ‘treat’ and then all goes wrong. I am being so hard on myself and calling myself a loser, I am so desperate to get going, eating carbs is making me miserable. I seem to have a very low tolerance to carbs, I am very aware that I need to totally (or at least eat less than 20g) remove them from my diet. Are there any tricks that I may not have tried yet to get myself through the first couple of weeks ?, I’m drinking lots of water, 3 ltrs, exercising when possible etc. I have a week off work now so that is a perfect chance to get going, I know if I can do a week, I should be well on my way.
The most annoying thing is that little voice in my head that screams out for Carbs, I know it will go after a while, but I am feeling so weak to ignore it. I am going to try mindfulness, to see if that works. Apologies for the nature of this email, it’s a cry for help, I’m normally such an upbeat person, but this is really getting me down, why can’t I just be in charge of my own body and mind !. I realise now that sugar really is as addictive as crack cocaine (apparently) and trying to wean myself off is proving disproportionately difficult !. I would just add that I think if I can just beat this early evening self sabotage thing then I can beat this ?. I do find that even if I eat just protein and fat I take that as a free ticket to go on and eat rubbish.
Thank you all x

I don’t know your situation but can you get rid of all the junk from the house? I threw out all the bread and biscuits and kept some boiled eggs in the fridge for the arsenic hours when it’s too early for supper but I’m starving. That takes away some temptation. Also, if you batch cook some meals you can eat your dinner early and later have some yoghurt and berries before bed if you’re hungry again.

Don’t be too hard on yourself, as you say the refined carbs are addictive. As any ex-smoker knows you need to keep yourself busy and avoid the triggers so if you can schedule something else for that time- visit a supportive friend, stop at a park and go for a walk before you go home, anything you can think of!

If the hunger is really getting you down, ease into it- better to go over cals on the good food rather than staying under 800 but eating rubbish. The hunger disappears quite quickly, before long you feel very satisfied on less than a thousand cals a day.

Do you practice mindfulness? There’s an app called Headspace, I’m sure there are many more, you might find it helps to get into the right mental place to do this.

Many people find really drilling down to work out why you are putting yourself through this helps. You say you’re recently diagnosed T2, what is it about this way of eating you really want to achieve? For me it was vanity ( I am shallow 😧) I wanted to look good in my sons wedding photos, not the short, fat butterball. Find your motivation, it will help.

Lastly, don’t give up! One of the long time posters here, Sunshine Girl, says Keep on Keeping on and it’s true. If you fall off the wagon, dust yourself off and get straight back on! Don’t wait until tomorrow, draw a line and move on from there.

Good luck and let us know how you get on. This is a very supportive forum, I’ll be interested to see your progress.

Hi Seadog,
I understand how you feel, I had a hard time cutting out the carbs. – As you have obviously realised once you start on the carbs its hard to walk away, it is an addition. A few suggestions based on my experience.
1. If you are going to be at home for a week, have a major clear out of all the carbs from the house. Than afterwards plan your shopping for the week so that you don’t restock carbs. Go cold turkey on carbs for a while and you will have so much energy and feel better that it will be easier to refuse them in the future.
2. I came across a piece of advice a while ago which has struck a chord with a number of members of the forum. Making a resolution to cut out carbs is one thing, but it is much more powerful to consider WHY you want to break free from the carbs and focus on your WHY each time you are tempted. I would guess for you its about thinking about all the health issues related to T2, perhaps you need to spend a little time researching the implications for your long term health if you continue with carbs. For someone with just weight related concerns an example would be if you are into gardening and the spare tyre makes it difficult to bend. Or you struggle with a different hobby, maybe there is a special occasion you want to look good for.
3. Work out a program of treats linked to reaching goals. It could be losing inches, weight, going so many days within your carb target. But this version of a treat is obviously not going to be eating carbs but doing something, pampering yourself in some way that appeals to you.

A number of us have found this is an interesting journey to undertake, it can lead to a lot of changes not just a change in eating habits.

There are a couple of challenges, a weekly one and a four weekly one, where a range of people from new comers to those who are in maintenance after loosing a substantial amount of weight discuss their experiences, seek advice and report in on both weight and Non Scale Victories (NSV). Why not join us, The weekly challenge has a date in its title, and the current 4 week challenge is to Vroom into June.

A lovely evening to you, Seadog! Your username sounded familiar to me, so I took a quick look at
your profile, and past postings from 7/17, 1/18, and 3/18. You have a very honest and heartfelt way of
expressing yourself, which I admire. I’m wondering if you can identify why you drifted away from the
forums? It’s not my intention to pry at all, but when I consider what you might do differently this
time around, I’m wondering if you might find the support of Verano’s “One Week at a Time” thread helpful
to you? I’ve been on this way of life for very close to 2 years now, I’ve lost a little over 50% of my overall
body weight, and I find the community here the secret to 13 months of maintenance. I absolutely
agree that for some of us who are particularly insulin resistant, bad carbs and sugar are a bone fide
addiction. 🙂 The longer the period of abstaining from them, the easier it is to leave them behind
forever. As I’m certain that you’ve heard before, this is a lifestyle, and not a quick fix “diet”. Another
thing that I was fortunate to discover in june of 2016 was Gary Taubes book. “Why We Get Fat..
and What To Do About It”. It’s a perfect companion to MMosley’s work, and for the first time I
finally understood the effects of carbs on the body, after reading it. I’m positive that my ability
to do the Fast800 for 10 months straight was a direct result of reading it 🙂 Welcome back, and
just shout out if you need help. One of us is always out and about, and will be along with advice
and encouragement. You CAN do this, Seadog. Very best to you!!

Allie

I’m early days in the eating plan but got a lot of my motivation from binge watching YouTube videos on tv. If you search for Robert Lustig, Gary Taubes, Aseem Mohatra, Jason Fung and Dr Bergman (can’t remember his first mame) you’ll find tons of inspiration. All of them are very evangelistic and obviously frustrated at the misinformation being fed to us by Big Pharma, the food industry, corrupt official advisory boards and the incentivised medics we see. Assembly Mohatra says in his address to the European Parliament that it’s impossible to practice honestly as a medic, which is fairly remarkable coming from an eminent cardiologist. Don’t assume the medics are totally on your side
Lots of associated vids will show up and some you need to take with a pinch of salt!
A book worth reading is Wheat Belly 10 Day Detox. It explains the science behind the addictive nature of carbs – ,he calls them an opiate – and the immense harm they are doing to your body. I’ve downloaded it to my Kindle; it has recipes that cater for those who would like to mimic their old way of eating, though you would have to cross-reference with the BSD to check for any conflicts. I haven’t really explored them as I could live off berries and salads 😉
The great thing is to get off carbs and then you will find it so much easier to make choices across the huge variety of healthy options.
Good luck Seadog, I hope you can find the way in. You’ll be grateful every day that you did.
Maggie

“Aseem” not assembly – a pox on auto correct !

Hi Mariet,

Thanks so much for your reply. Yours and the other replies I’ve had have been really useful. I’ve woken today with a renewed sense of strength to get this done. My diet yesterday was awful, so I’m struggling with carb withdrawal,but have taken the dog out for a walk and downloaded as an audio book, ‘Why we get fat’. A really interesting book, which backs up MM’s work. I’ve taken on board your advice, it’s well received !
x

Hi Alliecat,

First of well done on your tremendous weightloss !. That is truly inspirational. Thank you all for your kind advice, it’s been enough to set me up with a renewed sense of excitement about starting this plan. I’ve been out for an 8 mile walk with the dog this morning which was lovely, and got me away from the fridge, so that I could listen to the book, and dig deep into that stubborn brain of mine and try and reason with it. I’m realising now that it’s not my fault, Carb’s are addictive and lead to a vicious insulin cycle. I’m obviously a person who needs to limit their intake to less than 20g a day, which is entirely achievable. I’m just going to keep myself busy today and take 1 day at a time. We have a family BBQ tomorrow evening, so I’ve found some healthy recipes that I can cook.
I’m also realising that I’ve been awfully hard on myself. It was mentioned that I’ve been on these forums before, but then had a setback. I feel like i’m in a different place now, this is something that I now WANT to do, rather than NEED to do, there is a huge difference. I want to be kind to myself and start nurturing me. I’ve been recently diagnosed with T2, only a month ago, the DN was very sympathetic,and when we spoke about this WOE, said she was firmly in favour of it. I’m not on any meds (yet) so this is my chance to get into remission and never need meds.
Weight wise I would like to lose about 3 Stone, entirely achievable. This is early days, but I’m feeling just the faintest glimmer of hope somewhere….

Hi there, Seadog! You have a plan and feel a sense of excitement, so I would say that you are already
in a good headspace. Indeed, you’ve already taken the first step to “Get Started”! Having the support
of your DN is a great asset, and arming yourself with the knowledge in Taubes’ book will hopefully
make it possible for you to be a little kinder to yourself 🙂 I’m really happy to hear that you’ve been
listening to it out on your walk. One of the more interesting things that has happened for a lot of us
is the recognition of true hunger as opposed to peckishness. Late afternoon is always the danger
zone for me, too! I got in the habit of always keeping a bowl of hard boiled eggs on hand. If I open
the fridge and they don’t appeal to me, I know that I’m NOT really hungry! Good time for a walk 🙂
I think all of the snacking we’ve been accustomed to doing is actually a rather recent development.
My grandparents and parents simply had 3 meals a day, and eating between meals was never
done. Now we have a burgeoning epidemic of obesity in our children both sides of the Atlantic!
(I’m American). Let us know how you get on.. We will see those 42 lbs gone, together.
Very best to you 🙂

Allie

Hi Seadog and all of you other wonderful posters,
Wow! Your post , Seadog rang a very loud bell for me! I start, eat too much, and just give up. I can identify with everything that you say- and I need to do this for my health.
Thank you to all the supportive posts from everyone, you have helped me too. Am starting right now and am going to use some of those ideas. Hopefully you will hear positive news from me soon. (I tend to be a “stalker not a talker)
Keep up the good work everyone, especially you ,Seadog . Feeling more confident we can do this.

Sue😊👍

HI all, especially Seadog. Sounds like you’re back on track. I was pleased to read Mariet saying:
“If the hunger is really getting you down, ease into it- better to go over cals on the good food rather than staying under 800 but eating rubbish. The hunger disappears quite quickly, before long you feel very satisfied on less than a thousand cals a day.’
For me counting calories is too far to go but cutting carbs is possible. Also the reference to mindfulness speaks to me. I do Headspace and it is really helpful. I think warding off hunger before I start wanting to binge on carbs is a key. I am trying to not get hungry. For sure that is a carb trigger.

Hi all,

Apologies for my absence, but I’ve had a few really rough days. I’ve been suffering from Carb withdrawal that has absolutely taken over, I’m the fits to admit that I’ve been a miserable and ill tempered SOB. But, today I woke up and felt a little bit like my old self. I’m not there yet, but I’m feeling brighter. This is the first day where I have actually stayed under 20g carbs, and I’m feeling very proud of myself. I now know that to be successful, I am going to have to stay at this level, as I am so severely addicted to carbs. The only time I have felt like this before was when I gave up smoking, some 15 years ago. Even my wife noticed a big difference in me. Thankfully, the normal me seems to be making a comeback.
This carb addiction is becoming my focus now. I am going to name this monster Norman, as I worked with a guy called Norman years ago who I couldn’t stand !. Norman is going to be told to sit in the corner and reign it in, I don’t think he is ever going to go away, but he is now going to sit quietly and control himself.
Please don’t think I’ve lost the plot…..I’m sure some of you will have your own slightly ridiculous way of dealing with this ‘problem’.
Anyway, I’ve finished listening to ‘What makes people fat’ and it makes for compelling listening (audiobook). It all makes perfect sense now. I’ve got a very analytical mind, and this really helped in understanding the cause.
I’ve had a wonderful day out with my kids today, a 15 mile bike ride through the forest, and then had a lovely prepared salad for lunch which I carried around with me, instead of the usual rubbish I would buy from a shop.
Could it be that I’ve found the door to this WOE ?, I’m just tentatively looking in at the moment, and I like what I see.

xx

Hi Seadog! Use every tool at your disposal, and demonizing what we refer to as the carb monster around
here, as “Norman” tells me that you have a great sense of humor 🙂 Carb flu is usually short lived, so just
hang on. It will soon pass. When your body gets into ketosis you will feel fabulous! When you begin burning
your own fat for energy, rather than carbs, EVERYTHING changes. If you can quit smoking, YOU CAN DO THIS!
Stay in touch! There are many of us “old timers” out here that believe in you!

Allie

Sounds hard. If it’s like giving up smoking, it’s really hard. I haven’t had that level of withdrawals, but i’m not counting calories. Or carbs, actually. I’ve just quit bread, sugar, rice, pasta, potatoes. Great that you seem to have come through to the other side. Keep us posted. Have you taken on board the Mindfulness plank of the program? I use Headspace and it really helps. While saying that I haven’t had any withdrawals, it is true that I have felt very irritable with my husband, so perhaps that is a symptom of withdrawal. I hadn’t thought of that. I just thought he was being particularly annoying! I do find my mindfulness practice really helpful in dealing with my feelings of irritation. Notice them and let them go.

Push through it Seadog and you’ll be there before you know it; you’ll actually be wondering what was so attractive about food that made you feel bloated and tired. Once you’re through it it’s like your digestion is a Ferrari when previously it was an old banger.
You’ll feel in control and strong. Hard to believe? Absolutely. True? You bet. My only advice is drink that water and don’t succumb even to one biscuit; you’ll spike your insulin and get rebound hunger. Your body will also be reminded of refined carbs and be trying to make you eat more.
Read MM’s Clever Guts and you’ll see how your body can be your enemy. It makes a lot of the theory fall into place.

You sound like a guy who likes a challenge, this is WOE that works if you will let it. The more you read around it and explore the mass of YouTube content that’s available the greater your understanding will be. Knowledge is power so arm yourself and you’ll win!

So very well said, Maggie!

Yes, very well said! I love the idea of giving my carb monster a name! Then you can visualise it and make it go away and sit in the corner! Lock it in its room, even! Punish it by starving it! Am I getting a little over the top here?! It makes me cross at how addicted I am but it’s only bread that can still bother me and take me unawares. All the other white stuff and sugar leaves me cold, but crusty bread – I am on my guard with it. I avoid the aisle but mostly I order groceries on line. It’s getting much easier but it has been worse than giving up smoking for me! Embarrassed to admit that! Seadog, you’re practically there and a big well done from me as it’s not easy particularly when there is a family being catered for around you.

Seadog you took the words out of my mouth!
I have been following and posting on these forums for several years and always seem on the verge of starting! In swimming lessons once, I stood on the edge ready to jump in, and stood and stood and stood. Just as I am doing now. Thinking, watching different people’s videos. Analyzing, doubting, looking for a secret way out while pretending to study.
I had decided to start 800 BSD on June 1st.
But I got the day wrong and thought today (May 31st) was 1st. When I realised (last night) that I still had a day of ‘freedom’ / freedom to do more harm to myself / Death By Bread / I though, I’ll practice today and watch myself.
At first it was very interesting – spurred on the the woman in the Crash Diet programme last night who drove around Basingstoke (?) noting what food various places meant to her; where she always bought her Kebabs, her chips, you name it!
I was the same this morning. But I wasn’t driving around Basingstoke, I was just at home thinking normal thoughts. And it was very clear how food was as entangled in my thoughts as ground elder gets in roots. Thoughts of food – well carbs, bread, chocolate punctuate most of my thoughts – and punctuate my day. They are the highlights of my day – even though I know they should not be. Food was present even in thoughts unrelated to food. It gets everywhere.

All went well this morning and I was watching myself and seeing all this and making mental notes. Then I thought, I have to pop to the supermarket to get some milk (for the shakes I am planning to use in the mornings.
But who was kidding? It did occur to me to resist and not go to the shop but I also knew in the back of my mind that, if I went, I would buy my usual stiff.
Ok, I got the milk but also my usual bread rolls, usual hummus, and even some choc while I was thinking; this is the last time I will be doing this … as I have thought many times before.
The psychologist on the programme last night who was a bit dismissive of the woman who said she was addicted to carbs / take-aways. I thought here is another one mouthing the old untruths. He just doesn’t know it yet.
Last night had been amazing. Great dreams of feeling well and being proud to be sticking to that diet. WOE may come in the future but it’s meaningless to me at the moment. Each mouthful will have to be deliberate for a long time.
It was rather frightening, the thought of not eating what I fancied. It felt like a good reality but a hugely empty reality. Like the loss of an overbearing parent. A sort of freedom or relief, but more immediately a huge emptiness – a void in fact. An honest void where I know my real self wants to be, but the thought of having to walk into that void without my usual crutches well, it was great but so very hard. I ran back to my crutches after about 8 hours. The empty space, the void goes on for ever. There it is a WOE. Where I am now it is a diet.
But tomorrow is the 1st. What was it Paul Simon said?
“Still, tomorrow’s going to be another working day, And I’m trying to get some rest, That’s all I’m trying to get some rest.”
Rest from being controlled by food. I’m hoping today was maybe, maybe not a failure but a lesson? It’s possible!
Let’s see what tomorrow 1st June brings?

Speedy – I can’t respond adequately enough to what you have written, it was so honest and heartfelt. But I do hear you so very loudly and I and many others are in your shoes, at different stages and walking this path. I’m holding out my hand to you, Speedy, c’mon, let’s go for it! Just one day at a time …. xx

I think it’s time Kazz. I hope it is.
I’ll grasp hand! I know there are many good hands on here who inspire. x

Great post, Speedy. All the very best. As Kazz says, one day at a time.

Hi Speedy. How is today going so far? I found your post very moving and it reminded me so much of when I gave up smoking. I was a 30+ a day person – incapable of speaking on the telephone without a fag etc etc… Giving up felt like I had lost a limb. 27 years and 7 months later, I still miss it now and again!

The good news is that giving up most carbs was hugely easier. You do need to grit your teeth for the first few days, and help yourself by avoiding temptation – empty/lock the cupboards etc! But you can get through this and the prizes – good health, self-respect, fun and fashion are so worth it! And there are lots of lovely foods and recipes out there to discover which are BSD friendly and so much better for you.

Two things that helped me particularly were: to remind myself all the time that a so-called “treat” would make things MORE difficult, because of my body’s reaction to the carbs. And to take each hour at a time. If you slip, don’t write off the day. Dust yourself off and carry on. We are all human.

Wishing you every success. And shout when you need help or advice. There are so many people cheering you on on this forum.

HI Caronl,
So far so good. Thank you. 2 shakes – very nice tasty ones! They are so easy as you know they are 200 cals. They are really like filling vitamin pills aren’t they? Planning some new runner beans and few other veggie this evening.
Last thing at night my dog has a Kong with (usually) raspberries or blueberries and a piece of banana. I just have the fruit but may have a few blueberries and an inch of banana and see how that goes.
Where I live they say “You just have to find that off switch in your head” but I have never been able to find it but my ‘Road to Damascus Day’ yesterday maybe has shown me in which room that blummin’ switch is! 🙂

Hi Speedy — welcome to your BSD beginning — i am one of the people who became entangled (good word) with food also. I wanted to share with you that the BSD is going to set you free. I cannot count how many times I have said that on these forums — you are going to get your life back.
I’m running late and I’ll post more later but when you look at the future, it is NOT going to be as you imagine — your future is going to be free of the tyranny of food. It absolutely is going to change how your brain works and how you see food.
Food will still be great — but as you move forward you are going to enjoy it again.
And the best thing is that you are going to be friends with your beautiful body again — your body is going to become your partner, not your millstone.
Go after the carbohydrates and cut them way back so you can lower your insulin levels and get your fat stores mobilizing. That will immediately reset your physical and mental response to food and help you get started.
I know others will step in here with good help. Keep us posted and take your time — it is my belief that we LEARN how to do this way of eating.

Hi Speedy. Good to hear that you are on your way. I have never been a shakes person, but if that is what works for you, go for it. Try finding the “on” switch for lovely lean protein (fish, chicken, steak, eggs..) and filling fat (avocado, nuts, full fat yoghurt, crumbly feta)…. Yum. And we are now into the season for superb salads – check out Luvtocook’s and Allie’s recent recipes. There is lots to enjoy without feeling deprived. We are all here to cheer you on!

Seadog. How is Norman doing? Badly I hope!

Hi all,

Apologies for the absence (again), I’ve had a few lovely days with with my family, and haven’t been able to get near a PC.
The good news is that Norman is tied and gagged in the corner, but he is still very much alive and well !. For those of you wondering who Norman is, and why I have him tied and gagged (please do not call the Police…), he is an old work colleague of mine who I couldn’t stand, he was boring and inflexible, so it seem’s a perfect name for my carb monster !.
I’ve had a really good three days, and am really getting into this. I’ve watched a few Jason Fung videos and it is all clicking into place, knowledge is indeed power.
Speedy, how are you ?, what a lovely heartfelt post you wrote.I hear you, you can do this, do not be a slave to carbs, but do not think for a minute that it is easy to give up/avoid, as I have found. I have a question, after lunch I get a real slump and feel really tired, it passes after half an hour or so, and I think it’s getting better, I guess this is just my BS dropping due to no carbs ?. I’ve had a couple of energy bursts, early on I swear I could’ve run a marathon, but went kayaking instead (my fave hobby),other times I’ve been really lethargic,but it’s early days isn’t it, so I’ll hang in there and watch with interest. I’m in this for the long run, I am absolutely fascinated by the fact that I may just be able to regain control of my body !
I’m doing this one day at a time, as it is a very uneasy truce I have with myself at the moment, I think I can do this but I’ve still got my training wheels on so am being very weary of any ‘traps’.
Take care everybody, and I’ll report in again soon.

xx

Hi Seadog,
I love the idea of naming our personal Carb monster. Going to give this some thought!
That is a very recognizable slump. I’ve kind of incorporated it into my life these last years – but I do remember when I lost weight with 5:2 it disappeared after a few weeks so it does get better.
I’ve just finished Day 2. Going quite well apart from an extra bit of cheese I saw in the fridge – but a small matchbox size so I am forgetting about it and going on!
It’s hard drinking enough water I think. I’m aiming for 2 litres but not getting there. After that programme the other night about rash Diets and the info that in the first weeks your blood has a lot (up to double) the amount of fat I guess the water is important.
I’m noticing how eating was one of the most pleasurable things in my life and now that’s gone really. I think the chap on that programme who just tried to keep busy had the right idea – but keeping busy is very exhausting at the moment. I do meditation with a small local group and I think it will help to try to focus on eating – still even today I’d eaten that extra cheese without really experiencing it. In front of the television of course.
Caronl, I look at the recipes at strong points in the day! I’m veggie but have now twice steamed an aubergine in the microwave and used it with tomato puree and a little Parmesan as a sort of pizza! Nice new technique steamed aubergines.
I’m sure that’s right Californiagirl, eating like this does sort of lead you down a different path.
But blimey! Have I been going to the loo a lot today. Not sure what that signifies – but another reason to drink more water I guess!

Speedy, how about taking a pinch of salt several times a day to stimulate your thirst- I use Himalayan salt which is loaded with trace minerals.
Seadog, what are your carbs? The slump could be caused by them. I cut to 20 because over that really didn’t cut it for me , and it stimulates ketosis which isn’t mentioned in the book but does maximise fat loss.

MaggieBath – you know it didn’t occur to me to do that! Thanks. I’ll try it.
Also, realised this morning that the shakes I am having x2 per day contain 26 carbs when made with skimmed milk as they suggest.
So that means today, on my 3d day I have been having possibly 90carbs or even more a day. Too many. But, OK, I’ll perhaps think of it as an introduction to lowering carbs. I’ve never used shakes before and prefer real food but I must say only having to prepare food once a day is helping me not think about it all the time!. Think it will be shakes with water and a splash of milk from now on.
Do we have a blog possibility on here? I’m finding it’s helping to write each day – but can imagine it’s dull to read.

Almond milk is carb free – as long as it isn’t sweetened
There are plenty of traps for the unwary. No blog but no reason why you shouldn’t post every day, just start a new thread ; it’ll be interesting and helpful to watch your journey 🙂

Thanks Maggie, I will do that. Never thought of almond milk. Thanks x

Hi Speedy, There are other people who have set up a thread for themselves that they use as a daily diary.

Ah thanks Gwen, I read quite a lot but have missed them.

Hi Speedy,
As I said a few minutes ago when I put something on the ‘welcome bit’ we are looking for a new way of eating for life but as you said, it is just so hard. Have you got something to do the plan with? As both me & other half are significantly overweight, well morbidly obese actually, we sat down and had a chat about what are the pro’s of staying fat, and the pro’s of losing weight. For me the fear of airplane seatbelts, painful knees & ankles, family history of diabetes and the host of related medical issues (I am needle phobic), raised blood pressure, tiredness, frumpy clothes, flab slapping flap when I trot downstairs in a nightie, ugly underwear (I could go on and on) was enough. NO pro’s to staying fat. As other members have said chuck out all the bad stuff, stock up on the good stuff and make ‘treats’ be interesting veg and salads, nuts, goods oils, fruit, pickles, herbs & spices. We’ve decided to do a weekly meal plan to begin with just to get in the swing of it, but that may or may not last. If I’m peckish I down some water or make a hot drink or nibble pickled onions/gherkins; can’t nibble sweets or biscuits as none in the house. Very best of luck Speedy, keep with it.

HI Maisiesmum ,
Your list and self description sounds very familiar – I would add wanting to give my dog a better life. The tiredness is bad too.
I don’t have anyone but I think a daily blog on here is going to help a lot. Pickled onions – now that’s a very good idea! It’s about this time in the evening – as well as mid afternoon – I get peckish.
I know I have gallstones anyway so image they may get worse as/if/when I loose a lot of weight. So need to get stronger to possibly be able to have them out if needed.
Good luck, I’ll follow how you get on too.

Sorry to be a dark cloud here, but check your pickles, they could have a lot of sugar in them!

Hi everyone! Those of us that have been at this a long time have been very shocked along the way to discover that
carbs lurk everywhere, so it’s really helpful to get in the habit of reading nutritional labels, always 🙂 I remember being
so surprised to learn that a med. size onion contained 11g of carbs. Sugar is often used in the pickling process, as
Maggie says. If unpasteurized pickles are available to you, then the probiotic benefits are there, to!. My sources
are American, so probably cost prohibitive for all of you. Watch out for these little monsters! Sugar is everywhere,
masquerading under a lot of different names..sucrose, fructose, syrups, etc. If you don’t know what it is, don’t eat
it!

Hi Speedy,
With regard to people setting up a personal thread as a blog. What seems to happen is that newcomers to the forum find a need to do this, they post every day initially and then gradually their use of their personal thread fades away either as they achieve their targets and then fade from the forum or as they get more used to being a member of the forum and move over to posting on the weekly or monthly challenge. Then their personal thread will drop down the list of most recently used threads quite quickly, which is why you have probably missed their existance.
I tend to use the latest forum posts option all the time rather than follow specific threads because its a quick way to bookmark the forum.