Hi everyone! I have decided to start my own thread having been spurred on by some fabulous successes on here – particularly Captain Lynne.

I am 51 now and have been very fortunate with my health, but being so overweight (17st 12lbs) will lead to health problems at some point. I dare not even think about having to be lifted or staying in hospital and being examined. My Dad was in hospital last week and so the embarrasssment of having to cope with me having to go through the same, as a very heavy woman, and the increased risk of developing health problems are the main reasons why I want to lose weight now. I do also want to look better, be able to buy clothes in smaller sizes, even a size 16 would be great and say ‘yes’ to opportunities instead of making excuses. I love walking but am slow and so don’t feel confident in joining walking groups. I know I can change all that and I know how to do it. I just need to do it.

I had great success with BSD Aug – Oct 2016 but I wasn’t working and the days were longer, sunnier and warmer. I started working in October after a break of 3 years and I felt so alive. I’m sure my improved confidence through feeling lighter and fitter and liking what I saw in the mirror was the key to my success. What a different person I was at those interviews compared to the previous June when I interviewed for a job and was a nervous wreck, despite a lot of experience. My appearance made me feel embarrassed and the clothes I wore were the ones that fitted rather than being clothes I liked. I realised at that point, when I didn’t get a second interview that I had to change my appearance and improve my appearance. Just walking to the interview room left me puffed.

So, in August I started the BSD. I didn’t expect to be able to stick to it because I had never been able to stick to fasting – 600 calories was just too low. But what a difference 200 made. I stuck to it everyday and lost 26lbs. I. bought a navy suit, navy shoes and a couple of tops and got a great 4 day a week fundraising job.

I knew I would find it stressful, having been out of the work place for 3 years. I’d had depression and anxiety but left with enough in the bank to keep us going. I knew being with new people and trying to establish a working routine would be challenging and it was. I found it difficult keeping ,y eating routine going – all year I had followed restricted time eating 10am – 8pm which was easy when I wasn’t working.

I now feel much more settled but my weight is practically back where it started in August – ‘thanks’ also to Xmas and New Year. I can’t get into a lot of my newer clothes and miss the joy of having lots of choice.

I am still 20lbs down on this time last year and 32lbs down on my highest weight.

I know how to do the BSD and I did so well with not a lot of exercise apart from walking.

So, I am starting again tomorrow – 2nd Jan. I have 7 stone 9lbs to lose and am challenging myself to lose 5 stone this year.

I am taking part in the Country Walking 1000 mile challenge and will also swim 100 miles and read 52 books. Added to that is growing my nails again – they loo,ed great at my interview!

I have planned my meals and exercise and have Ocado arriving tomorrow. My Fitbit is charged and my walking clothes ready to put on.

I WILL LOSE 5 STONE THIS YEAR and will write about here, I’ll tell you about what’s working well, my successes and ask for your help when I’m finding it hard. I would love to have some buddies along the way so please join me in my challenge if you think it would help you as well.

Tomorrow morning I will take photos and measurements and the get out for a walk.

Here’s to a healthy 2017 and beyond!

Laine xx

Congratulations on taking control! And you already know this plan works. I will be reading and cheering you on.

Elaine. Sounds like you could use some support. Will join you in the endeavour. I have less to lose having also been very successful losing on BSD last year. But this isn’t about same numbers but about sharing the same struggles, same small successes and same challenges – and crucially sharing support to help us work towards a healthier body and mind (can identify with the depression myself – current meds have caused some of my recent weight gain).

Go go go – this is about taking it one meal, one walk, one day at a time. Jump right on here if you have a bad day and together we will all stay on the wagon.

Julia

Hi
I too am returning to the BSD after losing 2 stones last year but letting things slide over the past few months. After reading these forums for several months I decided that this new year I should sign up and join in. I know this lifestyle works, I just need to keep my motivation and good habits going. I want to lose 2 more stones this year but more than that I want to feel in control of what I eat. I am hoping that posting here will help me.
Juno x

Juno/Lainie
I will get on scales tomorrow morning and try and work out pounds/stones as well as the kilos I think in from 10 years living outside UK!
Julia

Hi Julia

Yes, I would LOVE some support. I really like your approach of 1 meal at a time, 1 walk at a time. I have written that in my diary. It all helps my mindset.

I know that by sticking to BSD will have a tremendous affect on my mood, my body size and my health.

Here’s to us feeling great!

Elaine

Thanks Natalie – I’ll be doing the same with you!

Laine xx

Hi Juno

I feel the same – we can support each other. I plan to read through Captain Lynne’s 2016 posts (she lost over 7 stone) and have started making notes from my successful BSD last year.

Lainie

Hi all – Lucia’s thread called My 8 Weeks is also hugely inspiring – she, Bill1954 and Captain Lynne all helped me stay on the straight and narrow last year! Lucia started another thread the other day. There are numerous inspiring people who have joined since as well.
Successful on the food front today although didn’t get outside for the planned walk. Am considering doing the 1000 mile challenge… but for now my challenges are mini ones. Achieving at smaller goals spurs me on more than setting myself something daunting initially. Current goal is 3 runs per week in January to build back to where I was at fitness wise. Might not help much with weight loss but does wonders for my morale!
Julia xx

Hi Julia

I’ll have a read of those posts as well. It really motivates me and blows away the myth that older people lose weight slowly!

I will join you on the 3 runs in Jan. Last year I did park run. I was the slowest but I did manage the 5k. I’ve not been for a run since Sept and really miss the way it makes me feel and the sense of achievement. I work 4 days so have 3 days a week available so no real excuses! I’ll use my couch to 5k app and fingers crossed, I won’t need to start at week 1!

Keep me posted on how you do.

Laine xx

I did the couch 2 5k as well, off the NHS site. I was a confirmed running hater before that. I did 600k in 2015 and didn’t struggle at all emotionally that year in spite of high stress situations. I still don’t like it (particularly just now with the horrible cold windy weather and the extra kilos around my tummy) but I love how I feel afterwards and the fact that it keeps me on an even keel and meds free. Hence the challenge of getting back to it this year properly. 2016 was the year of losing weight but not so good for running as I did less – just 339k. Just think what we can all do in 2017 with the BSD and exercise too!

Just had 3 almonds – amazing how much they satisfied me compared with the junk I’d been ‘enjoying’ recently.

Julia (floating along on a cloud of virtuosity helped by the supportive forums😆)

Hi,
Am joining in, did well September to November, but trip to Hawaii and Xmas have seen regression, happy to join in supporting others while getting support too.
Starting tomorrow, doing lots of reading to motivate myself today. My motivation to start the journey happened primarily due to the death of my mother at 71 last year, after having type 2 for 10 years of her life and relying on medication (no lifestyle changes) she ended up with ulcerative colitis. While this led to several surgeries she died after 5 months in hospital, her wounds never healed. For me it was a wake up call, particularly seeing what happens when a very big person has to have abdominal surgery. I don’t want to traumatize anyone but think in the discussion around health and weight loss there needs to be a focus on the realities of what surgeons can do and can’t do, they can’t heal you, only you can with good health.
My focus is to not be my mother, and help my family understand health and wellbeing is about CHOICE. One choice at a time.
My plan is 8 weeks at 800, but also focusing on my psychological and spiritual health. Have a couple of girlfriends joining me on the journey too.

Hi Gypsyjo

Very sad to hear about your Mum. 71 is young these days. My Mum has chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder due to smoking all her life. She is on oxygen at home and has less,than 30 per cent lung function. She can hardly live now. She is 73. I don’t smoke but my Nan had osteoporosis which meant in her later years she was confined to a wheelchair. My Nan weighed about 14 stone so her weight didn’t help. Both my Nan and Mum had/have mobility problems and I don’t want to go that way. I suffered from very bad depression and anxiety 2 years ago and when I started recovering I couldn’t stand for long let alone walk to the next lamp post – I weighed over 20 stone. I know what I need to do, I know I am poor at dealing with stress – fortunately the depression isn’t making it’s annual appearance (I wonder if that’s down to twking Vit D spray). No longer do I have children to care for (my sons are 25 and 22) nor do I need to work full-time – so now is the time to sort me out!

Laine

Well done Julia!

I know what you mean about exercise helping our heads. Last year I had a PT to help me run better and she kept encouraging me to do some weights – she said it would help,build my confidence – I still plan to do that once I’ve got back into the exercise where I feel. Ore comfortable – walking, running outside and treadmill, exercise DVD and swimming.

And from tomorrow I’ll be going to bed at 10:30 after a warm relaxing bath.

Hi Lainie,

Count me in, I am joining you – same 5 stone goal (which will take me to my goal weight) and giving myself all of 2017 to do it.

I’m a restarter also, having embarked on the Fast800 in October (I’m a member of the 1st October Starters group which is an amazing bunch of (mostly) ladies). However I put on 2kgs in December from my lowest BSD weight so it’s time to get back on the horse. Many of us have fallen off the wagon in December and are re-starting today too. I didn’t manage to make it consistently to the end of the eight weeks last year exactly angelically but I did lose six kilos (just shy of a stone) and felt a huge amount better physically, mentally and (crucially) emotionally, having started to become pretty miserable and reclusive. (I also gave up biting my nails at the same time and have thankfully maintained them so far!) The 1st October Starters Group was critical to my morale during this time so I recognise the importance that group support plays in this journey.

So I have started the Fast800 today and feel optimistic about the next eight weeks. My goals during this period are to a) stick to it (!) b) incorporate an hour’s walk at least five times a week (up from ‘zero activity’ now) and c) go to bed/ get up earlier.

You’re not alone. Let’s do this!!!!
Sarah

Good morning!! First time on the forums and felt that this thread just called out to me – would like to join you kindred spirits please. I turn fifty this coming Saturday and need to finally stop thinking and start doing something about losing some (actually rather a lot of) weight. Currently hitting the scales at 17 st 12lb so Lainie your goal of 5 stone in 2017 is one I share. Dabbled with BSD back in summer and lost 7lb so know it suits me, just need to get myself more organised this time! Onwards and downwards…. 😉

Hi Sarah and ‘ThisIsFifty!

So great to have you on board! 5 stone is achievable and it will make such a difference to how we feel. I’m taking a photo of my face every day – my face really bloats up when I put on weight – and a full body pic every time I lose a stone.

I’m back to work tomorrow so for a change am pitting my own needs first – sorting out my clothes, my lunch and my job list. I know that by being organised, it will keep my stress levels down and should help me find time for good nutrition.

I had scrambled eggs, grilled tomato and 1 slice of Bury black pudding for lunch and have made a vegetable soup for dinner. I’ll add in some gammon. I’ve had 2 satsumas as a snack and am focussing on upping my water intake today – I”vet been drinking far too much fizzy over Xmas – even though it is calorie free it’s a costly and probably not very healthy habit. I’m also going to get into my habit of having fresh lemon and fresh mint in hot or sparkling water – it’s really lovely.

Right off now to log my food – let me know how you are getting on ladies!

Lainie

Great stuff Lainie.

Have had an okay day here (I live in Dubai). Breakfast was soya yoghurt with sour cherries. Lunch was a goats cheese, hazelnut and baby spinach salad. Dinner was poached haddock in dashi (Japanese fish stock) with Barenaked noodles which are my life-saver in the early and/or hungry days. (A big packet – enough for two people – is around 20 kcals and 0 carbs. But I scoff the lot!) I will have had around 2.5 litres of water by the time I go to bed too. No other drinks. Everything logged like a ninja on MFP!

To be fair, I am not hungry. But it’s more a mental struggle isn’t it? It is in my case for sure. I’m a bit of a foodie and don’t eat meat, eggs or (usually) dairy (the goats cheese is a fridge hangover from the New Year) so I have to keep pushing myself to invent new meals so that I don’t get bored and revert to carb-stuffing type. I bought the recipe book at Xmas though (finally!) and can see it’s going to be a big help.

I agree that being organised is key – and in my case, a few packets of Barenaked noodles and a big bottle of Diet Coke as munchies back-up for the harder early days.

Ploughing on!!!

Hi Carb-Addict

Hot meals sound lovely. I love feta and fish. I’ve come in well under calories – 591 but carbs are a bit high at 60. I will aim to have a lower carb day tomorrow. I’ve had a lot less to eat today and don’t feel hungry at all. I plan on a nice warm bath and a pampering session later on.

Exercise has been absent today but that was planned as I wanted to get the house straight, ready for us all going back to work tomorrow.

I hope everyone else is having a successful day.

Lainie

Hi all

Lainie – hope the return to work goes better than expected. I’ll join you on Wednesday – I only work 3 days not 4, and so I have even less excuse not to fit in the exercise! For me it’s the rain/wind that discourages me. I am not a gym bunny, preferring outdoors for exercise.

Welcome to the newcomers! Hope you all had a good day – but if not, don’t let that derail us! I am teaching myself that the next meal is a new meal and a new opportunity to be sensible… better thinking that way than ‘tomorrow is another day’, or even worse, ‘I’ll start again next Monday’!

I stepped on the scales this morning and they say 85.6kg, so that’s already better than 2 days ago when they said 86. something (can’t remember in all honesty, but logging starts now!).
I am 5 ft 8 and at my heaviest was 93.4kg, which was 14 stone and (almost)10 pounds. BSD took me down to 79kg, or 12 stone 6. So currently a whole stone up from where I was in the summer. I would love to get down to 70kg. Last seen at that weight in my early 20s, plus a brief spell 10 years ago before my dad got ill and I promptly piled it back on again. I am now 43, and older and wiser, and certainly while I have regained some weight in December I have absolutely no intention of going back up the kilo scale to where I was before! So as you all say, it’s doable – in my case the desired loss is 15 kilos, or 2 stone 5 pounds.

I took the plunge and joined the 1000 mile challenge after all. I decided that there was no harm in trying for it, inspired by the examples on here!

Today, food choices have been 95% good – skipped breakfast as I got up late (can’t do that much more as back to work on Wednesday!) then had a sensible lunch and dinner. I did have some Spanish turron, in a weak moment, but I doubt it was more than 100 calories, and I am not going to beat myself up over it. No point in falling off the wagon in despair, I’d rather wobble and stay on it! Still within the 800 cal. In spite of strong family history of type 2 diabetes, I don’t want to get it, so I was careful to have the turron with plenty of cabbage and other sensible stuff (in same meal, not in same mouthful!), to balance the effect on blood sugar. I am knowledgeable about low GI foods due to family members’ diabetes and much reading, which might be why I don’t yet have it… not that I am making excuses.

Sandwiched a run in between the 2 meals, which means I have 3.4 miles of the 1000 under my belt already. Beautiful sunny day running along the seafront – not my neck of the woods but was determined to get the Jan copy of Country Walking. Closest place I could find it in stock was the other side of town (all the BSDers must have been busy getting a copy for the progress tracker for the 1000 miles challenge!). The tracker is now stuck on my fridge door. It is a very ‘in your face’ reminder every time I am tempted to open the fridge for a snack, that it would be more sensible to have a cup of tea instead. Seeing the thermometer on the side for mileage clocked up, I thought I might be able to find one for weight loss, and print that off too – I use MyFitnessPal for logging but it is nice to have a physical note too. Keeps me motivated. There are loads on Pinterest but I like being creative so have made one instead! I have put (non food) rewards up the other side to the kilo notches! Still thinking what the big one will be when I get to goal – I think the biggest rewards are health, but any suggestions gratefully received!

As many say, onwards and downwards, folks!

Julia x

I don’t have another 5 stone to lose, but lost over 5 1/2 stone in 2016, so if I can have any useful input will post it here for the new ‘big losers’ on the forum. Onwards and downwards, and don’t forget to be kind to yourself and just keep on keeping on, all forum watchwords that helped me hugely. Mindfulness is an essential component, so don’t forget to pay attention to the reasons why you are doing this, especially when tempted to go for the simple carbs. It will happen, you may slip and have some, but just start again the next day. One bad day does not undo all the good.

Hi all,

First day has gone well, bang on for calories and not hungry, I am not sure if I have to count carbs too ? I had a soup from the site and steak and veg for dinner and 3 pints of water, which I hardly ever drink, feeling positive about the diet.

I do struggle to get myself organised counting everything before cooking, my husband is following the Diet Doctor so is eating slightly differently but along the same line(not for me too much butter and cheese ) so it’s a bit tricky but I am sure I will get my head around it soon.

Onwards and downwards as you are all saying xxxxx

Hi DaisyMay
Counting carbs as well as calories isn’t necessary but many find the weight drops faster if they keep carbs under 60.
Sounds like you might have managed that though based on what you said you ate – unless the veg were starchy.
Apologies all for epic length of my previous post! Will make Mondays only my weigh-in/exercise logged posts. The rest will be outward looking!
Julia

Thank you it’s so great having some moral support , my veggies were cabbage fried in 1 tablespoon of butter (calories counted and recipe from Diet Doctor) mixed cauliflower & broccoli so I think that’s all good.

I saw somewhere on here that myfitnesspal had a lot of blood sugar recipes already loaded but I can’t find them, I am having some trouble with mfp it’s very American in measurements am I doing something wrong?

thanks again and it’s great reading everybodies experiences, it really helps, thank you xxxx

Hi DaisyMay
Try putting BSD or 8 week BSD into the search box along with the recipe name. I get lots from the book coming up that way, but not tried searching on MFP for recipes from the website. Personally I found the recipe book great for inspiration. If you struggle with MFP you could always try using the measurements for fat/protein only as things like cabbage and broccoli etcan are so low I don’t think it matters much if you don’t count them, but no doubt some more radical than I would disagree.
Julia

Lainie
Hope the 1st day back at work went OK. Haven’t heard from you this evening. Sending encouragement your way☺
Julia

Attempting to lose five stone as well this year. On day 7 now of the fast 800 and hunger seems to have stopped. I’m not having any cravings, which is really good, but it feels very strange to be so disinterested in food!

You are so right Thelwellpony about how strange it becomes to be disinterested in food when it has played such a controlling and dominant role in our lives (due to our choices). It is liberating but at times seems odd. Aren’t we lucky to choose to avoid food domination.

What a wonderful target. I don’t know if I could lose so much in one year but I will certainly give it a try. I would be so thrilled with myself if I do it. In our town if you weigh over 80Kg/176lbs the ambulance won’t take you unless you can walk yourself into it. The staff stay with you and care for you until the one ambulance with the large weight lifting capacity arrives. Then you get taken to hospital. Two of my friends have died waiting 5 hours for the weight lifting ambulance to arrive from dealing with another patient 100km away. It’s pretty scarey when you are so obese. So I really wan’t to get down below the 80kg.