Hi Frog that is a shame that yours sits unused, perhaps you could sell it. Or put it in the attic and see if it becomes worth more cash in a few more years lol.

I was eying up a big one with lots of bells and whistles but I can’t justify the expense or the worktop space. This one realistically will do everything I want it to, without taking up loads of space and without costing an arm and leg.

Morning all 🙂 having my normal morning herbal tea and catch up whilst my world is quiet, need to get going in a few minutes though!

Food today- breakfast was strawberries and yoghurt, lunch is chicken and lentil soup and crackers, dinner will be courgettes stuffed with pork mince probably cooked with onions and passata.

It’s dull and raining today.

I’ve just remembered I have a meeting at work today 11-1300 so I hope they don’t serve food. I’ll just say I’m not hungry lol I like my soup! Rumour has it they are removing our normal toolboxes and asking us to take a small toolroll into homes in an effort to help health and safety. Both in the sense of engineers with back issues due to bad lifting and the occasional customer accident when they trip over the box (which does happen now and then)

However I’ve trotted about doing this work for 24 years. No one has ever fallen over my box because I’m careful where I put it down and I keep it a bit lighter than most so no back trouble. However my main problem is this… I use it to stand on ALL the time. I’m only 5 ft tall. So basically they might stop me bringing it but I’ll need to replace it with my small steps. In fairness they are lightweight so will be easy enough to carry but take up more space so someone could just fall over that instead! Got to laugh at people who work in offices making rules for people who work in the field.

Every house is different so impossible to have a generic risk assessment so we have to do our own as we go, why not just let us decide what we need? ok that’s my work moan and mumble over haha. Good to get things off your chest.

Well I best go wake my son and start the day. Have a good one BSD-ers.

Morning Izzy – when I move and have a big kitchen!
I was thinking the other day that I could create a lot more counterspace by putting the toaster away!

Ooh, good idea Frog, I am never going to use the toaster, well, at least less frequently than I use any of the other things that clutter up my work tops. I can also put away the sugar canister. And the sugar bowl! Haven’t used any of these in 7 weeks, urg the sugar is all clumpy!
Izzy, I went for my MOT with the Practice Nurse today. BP= 100/60 (practically dead! ) which she was pleased with. Then she said ” oh, we haven’t weighed you. Jump on the scales”. She noted the reading on her ‘puter and said ” bloody hell, you’ve lost 10kg! How did you do that?” So I told her and she was genuinely interested, I think. She’s also the diabetes nurse, so hopefully she will give it some thought.
Your menu plan sounds good, I like a stuffed vegetable! Keep standing on the box! ( that’s not a sentence I’ve ever written before!)

The other people in the house still use the toaster otherwise I’d consider binning ours, but my husband who is in to all things fitness came across a facebook thing showing someone ‘toasting’ slices of sweet potato in the toaster, so no doubt he will be trying that at some point.

I finished work a bit early so I popped in to pick up my glasses, feels a bit strange but I’m sure I will get used to them. Not sure I’ve chosen the best pair but we are all self critical. My daughter thinks they look good as does hubby, but seriously I walk in looking like an absolute scarecrow at times and he doesn’t notice lol. I’m off to pick up my son in a few mins so I’ll get the opinion of my friend and childminder whom I have known for over 10 years. We trust each other to tell the truth!

I’ve never paid any attention to my eyebrows and now I feel like these glasses are drawing attention to them and for the first time in 40 years I might have to have them shaped up a bit haha, such vanity.

Bissell that is fab news that your MOT went well, and also that the nurse was genuinely interested. Hopefully change will happen in the NHS soon.

I’m no longer allowed to stand on my box 🙁 much sadness. Having said that I do kind of like the tool roll now that I have it, so it might work out better than I expected. I’ll use it the rest of the week before I form a proper opinion, give it a chance lol.

Right, I gotta go get the boy and then cook dinner. Byeeee

I had forgotten to take the pork mince out of the freezer so I’ve switched up my menu. Everyone else had pasta bake for their dinner and I had chilli left over from last night with courgetti. I’m only on 690 calories so I’m going to have an almond milk hot choc and a little chill out before bed.

I’ve been low on my steps over the weekend but I’ve made my 10000 today (and most days in fact over the last 8 weeks)

I can’t quite believe I have made it through 8 whole weeks! This has passed so quickly. I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning (so long as I don’t put any weight on haha) to weigh and measure and report in with my 8 week results. I still have a longish way to go but I’m more confident than I have ever been that I can do it.

night all 🙂

*******cartwheels into the forum********

Ok maybe not. I’ve never been able to do cartwheels, and I had a rubbish sleep so I’m tired but nonetheless my 8 week results are in and I’m a happy Izzy. I’ve lost 2.5 this week.

ok so here are my 8 week stats

starting weight – 12st 12, end weight- 11st 7.5 (down 18.5lb’s)
starting Body fat- 49.2% end body fat- 42.5
Starting BMI- 35.1 end BMI- 31.4
starting FBS- 5.1 end FBS 4.3
Starting resting pulse rate 71, end resting pulse rate 61
starting waist- 37″ end waist- 33″
starting bust- 43.5″ end bust- 40″
starting hips- 47.5″ end hips- 43.5″

I’m not done yet I know, much to still achieve, but I’m proud of what I have accomplished in the last 8 weeks. I’ve learned so much about what I do and don’t need. I’m sure like any other addict I will remain a recovering addict for a lifetime. There may well be slip ups in the future but now I know what I need to do to get over them. Now I know that actually I’m perfectly happy without all the stuff we cut out. Sure in the future I might succumb to an ocassional banana. Shoot me. Maybe even a baked potato at some point… but I think if I can keep to this most of the time I should be fine.

I think I’ve found my way, the plan that works for me. So thank you Michael Mosely. Thank you BSD, Thankyou to every person here who has helped and encouraged me.

Now… on to today!

I’ve had strawberries and granola for breakfast, I’ll be having crackers, cheese and salad for lunch.

Dinner is going to be stir fry pork

And tonight I’m going to have a little of the pecan brittle I made to celebrate 🙂

Should I call this week 9? I’ll still be sticking to BSD just one day per week not 800.

Seriously I can’t believe I’m an 8 week graduate!!

Well done Izzy
CONGRATULATIONS
PP

Ah, that’s so fantastic Izzy! Brilliant results and hugely encouraging for us all! And it really sounds as though you have made fundamental changes to the way you think about food and your health and choices you make. It’s inspiring to read your posts. Enjoy your new found delight in your ability to take control. And the brittle!

🎉 Good on you Izzy for those fantastic results – I’m so happy for you 😌
And thanks for the link to the pecan brittle recipe. I’m looking forward to trying that one out.

Now enjoy basking in the many good wishes and congratulations to follow…

Thankyou all 🙂

I’ve just been eating my almond flour crackers with cheese, cucumber and tomatoes and thought to myself… this is NO hardship at all!

It’s chucking it down with rain here and I’ve forgotten my jacket so no lunch time walk for me lol. It’s hardly stopped raining all day.

Hey Izzy,
Wow I am so happy for you and so proud of you!! Huge congratulations on losing so much and for learning what works best for your body!!!! 💖💖💖
Glad you are loving your foods and sorry there is no walk for you today. It sounds like you get exercise in your work as well which is good if you do.
Read my diary page for my update. Crazy day yesterday and lessons learned.
It’s cold and rainy here in Seattle as well this morning. We had 80 degrees last week and low is 46 today. Supposed to be almost summer!!
Hugs!
💜

Congratulations izzy!!!! Have been reading/lurking on here a bit before jumping in so have been following your progress from afar.

I’m stuck in a train station for the next hour after a manic day doing science demos at a primary school (any primary school teachers out there-respect! I am knackered beyond belief after just one day!!).

As my colleague drove my from the school to the station all I could think about was paninis, m and s iced and spicey buns, sandwiches etc. I sat myself down in a costa to read your thread as I knew it would keep me on the straight and narrow, and here I am, sipping a coffee with nary a bun in sight.

Thank you and congratulations again!!

Congratulations Izzy,

It’s great to see that all your effort and hard work has paid off. I’ll be interested to see how the next few weeks go as you finish the reduction phase and get into the maintenance phase.

I’ll be six weeks in on Thursday and I dont think I’ll beat the 16kg target I set myself, but I’m already fitting in clothes I’ve had for 2 years and never been able to wear 🙂 I’m thinking about what I’ll do after the 8 weeks and I’m leaning towards the Med-style diet he talks about in the book and the 5:2 approach to help keep me on the straight and narrow. Has anyone got any experience on life after the 8 weeks they want to share?

Cheers ears,

Sciencemonkey

Hi Happy I will pop over in a minute!

Thanks Melb100, well done for staying away from the buns!

Science Monkey thanks, and don’t mind that target I’m sure you will get there just do it in your own time 🙂

Hi science monkey,

I’ve been eating low carb med style 5:2 BSD since transitioning from BSD 800 at the end of May. I basically stick to the same foods but don’t count calories on the 5 days. I’ve introduced more complex carbohydrates in the form of 100% rye bread and organic oats but these are not everyday foods – just a couple of times a week.
The thing I find most flexible about this way of life is that I can always find 2 days a week when I don’t have to eat out, whereas that was not the case for 7 days. The scales continue to go down – just slower than before – this is my way of life and now I’m off the training wheels of BSD 800, I have the knowledge to live it.
I’ve been focusing on overnight fasting – 12, 14, 16 hours overnight until I break the fast at breakfast, brunch or lunch. It makes me more disciplined after dinner at night and satisfied with a no calorie drink before bed (on the 800 days I find I need a piece of cheese or hot milk and cocoa before bedtime).
Anyway, following BSD 800 it’s easy to choose which form of BSD suits you – we’re all different and have different end goals. The BSD gives us the 3 choices as well as exercise and mindfulness – a powerful combination.

HI Switzerland,
Thanks so much for sharing how you are doing the plan now. It’s nice to see you are successful adding in some carbs on the 5:2 and adding calories.
I am far from my main goal but your sharing helps me know where I might be able to head.
I miss rye and Swiss cheese sandwiches 🌷 Ha

Yes thank you switzerland that was interesting reading 🙂

Morning all.

Just a quickie as I’ve been posting on other threads and running out of time.

I’ve got my hospital appointment first thing to see if they can do anything about my dizziness that’s been ongoing for 5 months, or 6 I forget.

I’ve had a shake, made in my NEW BLENDER that arrived yesterday lol. I used rasperries and almond milk and as this blender can take it… ice. It was very cold and lovely.

Lunch will be soup, dinner would suit you happy! we’re having fish and veggies. I’m thinking of crushing some crackers to ‘bread’ the fish with. The kids would like that. Home made fish fingers….

Got to run, have a great day 🙂

Hi Switzerland and Izzy and y’all,

Switzerland, that sounds pretty much identical to my plan once I’m off the 8 week intro phase. It’s also nice to hear from someone else doing intermittent fasting and finding it work for them too. Thanks for the feedback and for giving me an idea that I’m on the right track 🙂

Izzy, although I might not hit the 16kg target I was aiming for, I’m already 12.4kg down and I still have another 2 weeks (and 1 day to go). So don’t cry too hard for me 😉 Mind you, the next couple of days will be a challenge as I need to travel for work, so my choices might be somewhat limited in a hotel etc.

Anyways, I hope y’all have a great day.

Sciencemonkey (ook ook)

Hope the medics were able to help with the dizziness problem. Poor you its horrid! A while back I had a virus that attacked my middle ear, left me so dizzy and severely compromised my ability to stand up straight…for months I was listing to the right…people accused me of secret drinking as I kept toppling over 😂 funny looking back but not good! So you have my sympathy. Sure that your positive mindset will see you through.

Take care🌻

*enters confessional booth*

Ahem. Well, today I ate a chocolate hobnob snack bar. It wasn’t even all that nice. I paid dearly as less than an hour later it felt like my stomach has been infested with 267 tiny fiery demons all trying to escape at once. Indeed their escape became inevitable when I had no other choice but to run to the toilet. (much apologies for the tmi) On a positive note it set off no cravings and I’ve continued my day as normal. A mere diversion from the straight road as opposed to a momentous falling off the wagon!

The ‘fish fingers’ were a big success (picky daughter ate more than any of us!) So those could well become a regular addition.

Interestingly my calories today even counting the biscuit is 866 and 64g carbs so actually it’s still not too bad. I won’t need anything else tonight.

At the hospital a few more tests, poking and prodding and lots of questions. I’m going to be booked in for a tilt table test, which actually sounds like fun lol. I’ll be hooked up to an ecg and a blood pressure monitor whilst they tip me up and down to see if it affects the readings. He didn’t seem overly worried and I’m booked to go back in 3 months by which time I should have had the tilt table thing.

Sooo that’s all my news. I’m feeling tired again haven’t slept well this past few days. I’d like an early night but I promised hubby I would put the new tv brackets on the wall and the wall units he’s bought for the xboxes etc needs mounting. We both play games although I’ve not done recently- well I was addicted to tomb raider at the beginning of the year lol but finished that. I don’t have time for much. Anyway because we both play we have two tv’s and two xbox one’s, an old 360 which really could be put away, an old ps3 that he uses so these new things will tidy them all up.

I might suggest we just do one set tonight and the other another night. We have role reversal here lol I do all the fixing here!

Have to go put the small one to bed, bye for now!

sounds like the chocolate bar won’t have stayed in your system for too long!
Hope you get some answers as to whats going on from your tests today – at least they don’t sound too worried

they took blood and I have to wait for a date for the tilt table thing.

That’s the second time I’ve eaten something carby and had a poor outcome! there was the Macdonalds breakfast wrap too. Maybe bad carbs are poison to me now! I best stick to BSD.

Well that’s one tv fitted with a wall bracket and one wall mounted shelving unit all fixed up. Looks good but definitely not time or energy to do the other one!

Goodnight Frog and all!

well TFI thursday! well I don’t work Fridays so I like Thursdays lol. I still didn’t sleep well lots of weird dreams and it was a struggle to kick myself out of bed this morning.

I have a training brief this morning but after yesterdays fiasco with the biscuit I am definitely skipping the bacon rolls, I’ve had strawberries and fage yoghurt.

Lunch I have crackers, tomatoes and a pickled egg. We’ve ran out of cheese and cucumber lol. Dinner will be pork mince probably stuffing a courgette.

Have a great day life changers 🙂

My day has gone well but I noticed at lunchtime as I was able to come home that I wanted to eat more than normal. I only had a few more almond flour crackers but I think work lunches are easier to control when I can’t pop home. It meant I could have a cup of tea though lol.

Dinner is cooking and once the little one is in bed we plan to mount the 2nd lot of shelves and tv bracket so fun evening but it will be out of the way at least.

And I’m pondering what new recipes I might try over the next few days 🙂 I’ve not made salt and vinegar chick peas for a while so might do a batch of those, and now I have a better blender I might retry the paleo porridge recipe that went wrong. Hashimotos chickpea chilli sounds good, as does the pumpkin and cashew nut soup in the recipe section here. There are also a few recipes I might try from Elana’s pantry including low carb bread…

Decisions decisions….

Hi Izzy, I see you are looking for recipe ideas, and I have just made the bacon wrapped chicken recipe from the forum, and it was very delicious (I actually made a veggie version though). I also have your chicken recipe printed off to try next! Thanks for putting it on there.

Re the almond flour crackers, do you make them? I do miss crackers sometimes, with a bit of cheddar, yum..

Hi Barby the recipe section here has lots of great stuff on it 🙂 I like experimenting. My hunters chicken recipe came about when I was following another recipe and didn’t have all the ingredients so substituted and we liked it better than the original 🙂 The sauce is yummy we use it for other things sometimes as well. I used to make a big batch of the sauce and freeze it but I haven’t done it for a while.

I make the crackers yes, this is my fav recipe for them it is a simple one. I made two batches last weekend and between me, the kids eating them, and crushing some to coat fish in ‘breadcrumbs’ this week they are all gone!

https://elanaspantry.com/salt-and-pepper-crackers/

On the same website if you search ‘crackers’ she has many variants 🙂 I like Elana’s recipes a lot. I cut mine out with a biscuit cutter rather than squares for consistency.

Well I’ve tired myself out again but our second TV and shelving unit is all fixed up and it all looks great. Bit of a tidy up needed in the morning though!

Night everyone.

Morning lovelies 🙂

I’m chilling in bed with my herbal tea, with my son beside me munching an apple watching the Lego movie lol.

My midweek weigh in shows just over 1/2 lb gone, but that takes me below the next target of 11st 7, so new target of 11st which has significance because that is also when I become merely overweight instead of obese. looking forwards to smashing that target to smithereens! Going by my history that should be 4-5 weeks on BSD but we will see. So long as the weight continues downwards I’ll be happy anyway. I like watching the numbers change on my fitbit dashboard edging ever closer to the next new target 🙂 6.8 to go!

Did I mention I love BSD? maybe? just once or twice? lol

Today looks rainy, but I got some stuff to do. I need to repot my herbs that have grown well in the propogator, one of my planted chilli’s have grown but I can’t remember which one was which so it could be either the poblano or white habanero. It will be a surprise haha. So it needs potting as well and moved out of the propogator. From previous experience the other chilli will likely grow still they all come in their own time. Two of the herbs haven’t grown yet either.

I’m a little annoyed because I use ‘scroll stickies’ which is a post-it note type app for my mac. I plan my weeks food on them and just leave them stuck like a post it so I can easily look. They have gone blank 🙁 it’s the second time it’s happened so I guess I will bin the app and find another. I will have to guess at what was for dinner lol. I’ll make a new plan and all will not be lost.

So… soon I will get up. Breakfast, then food planning, shopping list to be made for husband, tidying, potting, nip to the shop… then we will see. I have to pick my daughter up a little early from school so I can take her to see the asthma nurse and the off to get her glasses. She is excited lol.

I think this morning I will retry the paleo porridge, I’m going to try Hashimoto’s chickpea chilli for lunch and katsu chicken curry for dinner 🙂

I’m going to allow my calories to be a little more than 800 today if I need it, but I might not, we will see. Regardless it will all be BSD friendly foodstuffs.

I’ve posted it before but here is the curry sauce recipe – http://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/recipes/chicken-katsu-curry.aspx

It does us twice and freezes well. The kids eat it so it’s a good meal for us. I’ll dip the chicken in olive oil and a little seasoned coconut flour instead of breadcrumbs, bake em in the oven.

It feels like a luxury meal and it is really. I don’t have time to make it on work days but it lends itself to BSD well. Healthy stuff! I’ll have me some cauli rice to round it off.

Goodness I get far too excited about food! haha.

Well I think I have rambled long enough. Time to go and try that porridge! It will be a great breakfast for colder days if it works out!

My paleo porridge…

it was a bit runny so less water next time. I like sweeter porridge so added a teaspoon of sweetner and instead of adding the raisins on top I added them to the blender. It was ok but not worth the calories (I ate about 300 calories worth) A good breakfast for someone in maintainance I think I could tweak it to my better liking but not sure it’s worth it as down the line I could probably have some proper porridge. Yes… I think that’s what I will do.

Izzy you sounds so organised – thanks for that Katsu curry recipe, will definitely give it a try! :-))) You’ll get to 11 stone very soon I’d say and in the meantime inspire lots of other people to keep at it.

I’ve made a few new things this week – not all successes, but keeps me for getting bored. Usually fish and veg for lunch and eggs of some sort for breakfast (or strawberry smoothie with almond butter or full fat greek yoghurt and water). Tried these fish fingers and they tasted really nice but not sure I want to be eating too many ground almonds – good for good fats but calories go up so quickly. Had them with rocket and tomato two nights this week. Think I’ll borrow your idea and use coconut flour next time, might mean I get to eat more than one and a half of them 🙂 Chilli and garlic and lemon lovely with the fish though.

http://www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/recipe/super-simple-fish-fingers/

Also made quinoa and chia seed bread from here which was… interesting… Not sure I cooked it long enough but was running out to a class and had to turn the oven off ;-)) Had it with an egg one day this week and it was seriously filling – 159calories and 18 carbs which is probably bit too much for a piece of weird bread, even one full of good stuff :-)) Still 39carbs that day so all ok.

Also had version of the Ploughmans thing one day this week for dinner – but lots of random things from the fridge – small bit of cheese, small slice of really ripe melon, piece of ham, few celery sticks, few cherry tomatoes – delicious!

Sorry should probably put this on the what I ate thread but I’ve started replying to you now :-)))) Have a good Friday!

+ recipe! (lots of good ideas on her site)

https://www.thehealthychef.com/2012/06/gluten-free-bread/

Thanks for the links Especially 🙂 and I like hearing what others are eating lol.

http://lowcarbyum.com/gluten-free-coconut-flour-chicken-tenders-baked-paleo-recipe/

This is where I got the coconut flour coating recipe from. Beware as the first time I made them I coated them too thickly in the flour and it wasn’t so nice, you don’t need much. I add some all purpose spicy seasoning to it. You could probably do the same with any of the low carb flours but coconut flour is the easier one to get and it’s cheaper so it makes sense to me to keep the almond flour for making other things. I’m not as fond of the chickpea flour but I do have a bag of it so I should probably try it for this as well.

I’ve just made a meal plan for the next 10 days (on a new post it note app lol) breakfasts, lunches and dinners all accounted for. It makes it easier for me to stick to the plan but I am flexible, especially if I’ve forgotten to take something out of the freezer!

Also next week I’m having a day out with my friend on Friday which will include eating out, I will try to choose wisely but that will be a higher calorie day for sure!

Izzy, looking for meal ideas I borrowed this from my library. I wouldn’t buy it – not enough that I think I would cook – but have noted some elements I would try out. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Low-Carb-Revolution-Comfort-Eating/dp/0857831828/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466162493&sr=8-1&keywords=low+carb+revolution

ooo brill – chicken tenders look good! WIll try out coconut flour – have some somewhere in the cupboard…

Enjoy day out with your friend! :-)) Loads of good stuff to choose I find, once you focus on what you want to have. I found it’s good to ask for just what you want sometimes – like I was in a café and they had tasty eggs but I didnt want the sauce they had but didn’t bother asking for them to leave it off which meant I pushed it around my plate avoiding it for the whole lunch:-))) – what I should have done is asked for exactly what I wanted seing as I was paying for it! It’s easy enough for places to leave things out.

Going camping this weekend so will be interesting to see what I will find to eat. Will bring trusty tuna and sauerkraut and drink lots of tea! 🙂

Thanks wescotty and you know I hadn’t considered using the library for this! It’s a nice walk along to ours so I may well just go for a snoop and see what they have on their shelves.

Especially I hope you enjoy your camping trip! I have been ok eating out recently I have had a cheese and gammon salad once and another time a chicken dish – I just asked for no potatoes and extra veg 🙂 It can be done!

Well I would like to report that Hashimoto’s chickpea chilli made for a lovely lunch, and Brett and Lynne’s pumpkin and cashew soup is also yummy as I’ve made a pot of that to add to my lunch stash in the freezer. I made mine with a butternut squash because we can only get pumpkins here in October.

Last Halloween I made a big pot of pumpkin soup to give to the grown ups when the kids came trick or treating 🙂 it went down well and I became known as ‘the pumkin soup wifey’ (wifey- scottish lingo for woman lol) Love pumpkin soup!

Well I need to go get ready as I’ll be off to get my daughter soon.

Bye for now!

Hi Izzy,
When you made the pecan brittle, did you just use a hand whisk to whisk the egg whites with the cinnamon, salt and honey, or does it need an electric mixer?
Pecans are quite expensive here, so I want to get it right first time…

Yes you’re not whisking it up like meringues just getting the ingredients combined and smooth really. It might work ok with other nuts as well.

I don’t want to give the illusion that this is like the shop bought wrapped up in toffee – it isn’t. But it is very nice. Mine came out sticky like many of the comments in the recipe say. I transferred it on the sheet into the freezer for a while before breaking it up, then I kept it in the freezer and it doesn’t even need thawed before you eat it 🙂

Thanks Izzy 🙂

No probs. I might try it again with some mixed nuts and seeds.

I’ve had a super busy morning 🙂 I’ve made a pot of mince and cabbage soup, and from Elana’s website I have made a small loaf of bread, and also cheesy crackers, which my daughter has already confirmed she loves.

Sadly I can’t recommend my blender 🙁 But at least it didn’t cost the earth so it’s no biggie. It works great with wet ingredients but not so good with dry. Most of the almond flour recipes start with the dry and then combine in the wet but I might try to do them back to front and see how they turn out.

Well we’ve tried the bread… not so good so I think I will bin that idea and continue to make copious amounts of crackers as I’ve been much more successful with those. I’ve also had to substitute my lunch! I swear I put the leftover chickpea chilli in the fridge but it isn’t there. So, either I’ve put it in the freezer or my husband has stolen it. Either way I just had a bowl of mince and cabbage soup instead.

well we’re off for a rummage in the woods so bye for now!

Izzy – just read this
” I’m a little annoyed because I use ‘scroll stickies’ which is a post-it note type app for my mac. I plan my weeks food on them and just leave them stuck like a post it so I can easily look. They have gone blank 🙁 it’s the second time it’s happened so I guess I will bin the app and find another. I will have to guess at what was for dinner lol. I’ll make a new plan and all will not be lost.”
ahem – (polite cough)
Somebody not using TimeMachine?
I hadn’t thought of using stickies for menu, scrolling or not! Have devised a spreadsheet template – got the hang of doing one month at a time ( 2 weeks alternating rather than thinking up meals for 4 weeks ) and was really to attempt to eat locally and seasonally. This was while on 5:2. Had got into nice rhythm and then decided to change to BSD. Has been quite a task to pin down down recipes that are not too fussy/expensive to make and that I like, so I’m not ‘there’ yet. Many ingredients suggested are not local. *Compromise* will have to be the new watchword.
Thinking of trying some cracker s as have found a hummus I like but sticking my finger in pot and licking it off just doesn’t seem very well-mannered.

you could use cucumber or carrot sticks in your hummus or celery but I can’t stand celery sticks. Don’t mind it cooked though lol.

Have you tried any Elana’s pantry cracker recipes?

As for time machine, maybe. I don’t know… It rings a bell. I’m not especially literate in these things!

I use my laptop for writing books too but I back those up in an external drive, anything that really matters is in more than one place. Generally though my laptop has proven extremely reliable and only crashed once in 18 months and even then mid chapter I only lost a sentence or two.

Eating locally and seasonally is a great idea but not one I have time to try to plan for, and picky daughter would make it tricky.

I might make a spread sheet…

weescotty – try a teaspoon!

Although if you have it with vegetable crudité as Izzy suggests, you’ll probably eat less hummus
olive oil sesame seeds and chickpeas are the principal ingredients, so quite calorific and carby

Its quite good spread on a slice of raw white cabbage

So it’s Fathers day here tomorrow, hubby is working so we can’t spoil him until later. I would like to visit my Parents and I probably will but part of me doesn’t want to because there are always copious amounts of biscuits around and my Mother will insist on giving us lunch haha. Lunch is probably do-able I could ask for something I can eat but the biscuits…

Mind you last time I ate one I didn’t feel well.

carb crisis mostly averted.

My daughter had a watch that she took off for some reason and it was stolen from her desk at school. I did wonder if she lied and maybe just wanted a new one, but having offered her a new one she has chosen the same one so I think she must have been honest lol. Suspicious parent! So we’re going to swing by argos to pick up a new one. Then we’ll go for lunch as my parents are going to church and won’t be home until 1300. I could just have had lunch there but if me and the kids have lunch out ourselves I have more control over what I can choose, and it means we can then maximise our visiting time by not having my Mum running around feeding us.

My parents are great people and I love them dearly but they are very carb oriented. They don’t really understand what is and isn’t good. My Dad is type 2 and I’ve tried over the years to help them a little but it kind of falls on deaf ears because my Dad in his early 70’s just wants to eat what he wants lol. He doesn’t eat sweets or chocolate or fruit so it isn’t sugar that’s the issue it’s the starchy stuff, but they won’t listen so… I did post my success recently on facebook with a link to the book in the hopes that my Mother might read it. My Dad isn’t a reader but my Mum might read it and even if they made one or two changes it would be a positive.

Anyways we will have our visit, I will make my best attempt to avoid the biscuits. Mum does have sweeteners for my tea!

Then… dinner is a gamble because I am setting the oven timer to cook a chicken in our absence… this could go very well or very badly and it could be eggs for dinner lol. I need to set the timer so that is the first hurdle lol.

I haven’t been to see them since I started BSD (bad daughter) so they will see a difference in me I’m sure.

I stuck to 800 yesterday so today I’m allowing myself another higher calorie day if I need it. However I’ve had almond flour pancakes for breakfast, I’ll definitely choose something BSD friendly for lunch and then dinner will be roast chicken and veg with a bit of the left over katsu curry sauce from the other day.

I don’t want a biscuit
I don’t want a biscuit
I don’t want a biscuit
I don’t want a biscuit.

have a great day 🙂

Hey Izzy,
I hope all
Went well in your visit and with your chicken!!
💜

Hi Happy 🙂

Well for lunch I had a ‘build your own breakfast’ so I had 1 fried egg, 1 sausage, 1 slice of bacon and 1/2 tomato. It wasn’t a large meal and I can’t guarantee there was no wheat in the sausage but I think that was ok. Then at my parents home I had 2 cups of tea and NO BISCUITS! We had a nice visit.

Dinner went to plan and we arrived home to the aroma of roast chicken 🙂

I’ve made an almond pie crust from Elena’s pantry book to try for dinner tomorrow with the left over roast chicken, so we will see how that turns out and I’ve made more crackers to see me through the week, so it’s been a productive evening 🙂

I’ve also ran around putting away all the clean washing. I tend not to do laundry monday-thursday and have a blitz over the weekend, always a big pile to then put away lol.

In other news over this past week I’ve realised I’ve stopped biting my nails again. I was a lifelong nail biter until I was pregnant with my son and had morning sickness, about halfway through the pregnancy I suddenly realised I had stopped biting after many failed attempts to stop in the past, here I stood having stopped without trying. After my son was born I expected to return to my bad habit but I did not even with the stress of his early arrival. However about 6 months ago suddenly I had no nails again. I’ve tried off and on to stop without success and here we are again. I didn’t try to stop I just suddenly have nails again! It’s weird but I’m considering it a good sign of improving health physically and mentally.

I’ve also realised that water is much easier to drink now too and I think my body recognises thirst more readily than before.

Onwards to tomorrow, my last day of week 9!! And having followed my plan of staying on 800 most days. Only one day over so far this week and I doubt I will go over tomorrow. We will see if the scales show it to have been a good idea or not on Tuesday lol.

Sweet dreams all.

good morning all:)

I’ve just munched some of my granola with a few strawberries. The granola is still ok but getting softer and I’ll probably have to throw it out soon which is a shame as I’m not even half way through it. Next time I will make a quarter of the recipe.

Lunch is going to be crackers and cheese and tomatoes.

Dinner – hopefully – chicken pie and veg. Not sure about Elana’s pie crust but we will see!

Have a great day 🙂

Hi IZZY

Thanks, I enjoy your regular updates.

Wierd about the nails, mine grew looooong over the first few weeks on this plan. So long my hubby must be tired of me thrusting them within viewing distance with a “Look at this!” Having gnawed them since I gained my first teeth 60 odd years ago I didn’t even know how to cut the extra long things. Have filed them back but am so chuffed I keep looking at my hands. No urge to bite them at all. Wierd. My hair grew flat out at the same time, settled back now. We all need to be taken to a lab somewhere for a major debriefing concerning everything BSD.
ARISE SIR MICHAEL I SAY.
N.

Izzy, g’day. Think back to my comment on Time Machine. If you have an Apple laptop then it has Time Machine on it – hunt about in applications or ‘launchpad’ ( don’t know what you have there ) that is how I access my external drive. If the drive is always attached TM backs up every hour then as the days go by there is one backup for each day of the last year.

Will have a look at Elana’s recipes thanks. I must admit I wish I was at the stage where I don’t have to look/plan/think about food as much as I do while getting BSD ‘nailed’ . I am not diabetic so previously have eaten anything freely. I like food/cooking but feel my day is somewhat dominated by thinking about it these past weeks. It will settle into a pattern I’m sure. Eating out also gives me puzzle as I don’t want to live on salad or omelettes every time I have lunch out. Makes me appreciate what my several friends with Gluten probs have to cope with.

Nettle good idea about lab debriefing but maybe the medics need training too? in fact more urgently? I just threw away a ‘factsheet’ ( having a tidyup) printed out by my GP only a few weeks back re high blood pressure and it trotted out the low fat high carb diet and 8 glasses of water mantra – I mean – really? Way too much conflicting advice for them let alone us. Recently some research has suggested we are not all the same therefore need different meds/advice – that sounds reality to me.

Hi Izzy!
Great news on no biscuits!! Huge congratulations to you!!
When I started the diet my nails were growing fast but now seem to be chipping a lot. Not sure why but for sure its the diet adjustments. Just waiting it out as my body gets healthier.
So exciting you have come so far Izzy and it really flies by does’nt it?
Did your parents notice your weight loss since you hadn’t seen them for so long??
Off to the pool for the day so have a great evening!

Hi Nettle, Glad you’re not bored with my prolific posting lol! Great that you have nails too! I was thinking maybe it’s the healthy oils but that doesn’t explain why Happylife’s nails are chipping – sorry to hear that. We should all get a day in the lab to see how everything affects us individually lol. Minimal prodding please!

Weescotty I just attach my hard drive when I’m writing my stories mostly, nothing else is too upsetting to lose! Or when I have a new batch of photo’s I want to back up.

Well today was the sort of day that historically would have thrown me off track (but not today!)

So I was held up at my first job and had to fit some parts which set the scene for the rest of the day trying to catch up. I didn’t have time to stop properly for lunch but I did eat my food quickly in between. Then, suddenly in the afternoon I had a text ‘reminding’ me about a school meeting this evening that I didn’t know about!

So managed to get through my work and headed home, as I was running a little late I parked my van at my childminders house to save time and walked home with my son. I didn’t bother with my keys as my husband should have been home by then (my own stupidity) so I got home to find the house locked and no one in. Husband late from work and daughter out. Called my daughter to come and let me in and waited in my neighbours house lol.

By the time she showed up to let me in it was too late to cook chicken pie, and husband still wasn’t home when it was time to go to school meeting. So son got some nibbles for his dinner and then stayed with our neighbours for a short while (I knew by this time that hubby was on way so it wasn’t for long) and walked with my daughter to the school.

Had the meeting (quite impressed with the school gladly) then cup of tea afterwards (avoided the biscuits- didn’t even want one) then walked home. On the way home my head started to hurt, and by the time I was home I couldn’t be bothered with cooking.

Hubby announced he had a steak that needed eating so he cooked that – I refuse to cook steak lol. I only provide properly cooked food and he likes it pink ;-P I refuse to serve anything half cooked! I tracked down my missing portion of chilli chickpeas from the other day. My husband hadn’t stolen them I’d just put them in the freezer so I popped that in the micro and had that for dinner.

Pleased that even with the days upheaval I not only stayed on track I actually didn’t even feel like I wanted anything. I’d have eaten nothing tonight rather than rubbish which I know also isn’t necessarily a good idea but better than carb catastophes.

In other positive news, one of my daughters friends mothers noticed I’ve lost weight and mentioned it 🙂