Joyful July

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  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    It’s back! We suspended the monthly thread during lockdown as many participants were quite understandably preoccupied in other ways. But now, as we are hopefully beginning to emerge slowly from those difficult days, seems a good time to get going again. So if you would like to make progress with your weight loss, health and wellbeing goals during July then come and join us and let’s spread a little joy?

    I would be overjoyed to reach 138lb by the end of the month. My long term goal since starting this WoE has always been 133lb and I nearly got there this time last year, just couldn’t maintain it at that stage. So now I’m doing it slow and steady: currently 141/142lb and hope to get to goal sometime over summer.

    I hope this thread helps to make it a joyful July for you, whatever your goal. It’ll be great to journey with you X

  • posted by DoubleDutch
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    Hi dreanscometrue,
    Thanks for setting up this thread! Great timing, because after nearly 6 months, my journey is is (almost) complete. I’ve shattered all my expectations (in the right way) by reaching not only my first and second big goals, but even made it to a place I’ve never really dared to think about. So my goal for July is to maintain my current weight, prefarably without counting calories. Let’s see 🙂
    I’m planning to post on July 6th about my full six months on fast 800.
    xxx DD

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Wow DD that is fantastic news! Well done. I remember your name from earlier forums. I can’t wait to read about your six month journey and am sure it will be a tremendous inspiration to many others. I also think that this WoE is so obviously working well for you that by now you probably instinctively know what to eat and not eat, so am confident you’ll do just fine without calorie counting. Look forward to your next update! X

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi Guys, I am in with a monthly challenge.
    I have the opportunity to work on a project that is close to my heart. – It involves spending a lot of time checking out different walking routes locally and recording them to publish them. I haven’t worked out what my target for the month with regard to the forum is. Maybe doing the walks in a fasted state? Maybe just being able to do the mindful walks is enough.

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
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    Hello dreamscometrue and thank you reinstating the monthly thread. It felt right to suspect the thread at the beginning of the Covid crisis and like you I now feel that I am in a better place to continue my journey. I am very, very impressed with how you have maintained your weight, you’re in touching distance of your desired weight.

    I have only just got myself back together with the help of the weekly thread. I am annoyed with myself for letting the weight creep up and up last year. It happened so slowly pound by pound over a few months! Lockdown and retirement has given me chance to reflect on so many aspects of my life. I am thankful that I didn’t go too off piste when my anxiety levels were high at the beginning of the pandemic and to be honest I came out of lockdown a little lighter than I went in!! However, because I allowed my weight to creep up pound by pound last summer, I ended up almost one stone overweight and am now heading back down to my goal weight which Ive revised to 138 lb from 133 lb which I couldn’t maintain. My goal for July is to achieve 142lb. I am currently 146.8.

    DD- good luck for the next phase of your journey- maintenance. I look forward to sharing the journey with you.

    JGwen – great to see you back with us. I feel like I, too, have reinvented myself since lockdown and retirement and that I can concentrate on me for the first time in my life.

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Hi Cathy it’s so good to hear how well you are doing and that you are in such a positive and happy place. I look forward to continuing our journey together and am confident that we will both achieve – and maintain – our goals this year!

    JGwen your walking project sounds fabulous and totally in tune with the more holistic approach that you are now taking. I think you’re right: even just doing the mindful walks will be a goal in itself, but will also have the side effect of increased overall fitness so will contribute to the weight control as well.

    DD look forward to hearing more about your successes.

    Jennie10 and caronl I hope you have a great day. Let us know how you’re getting on and how we can support you this month? X

  • posted by WindyJulz
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    Can I jump in and make a wee July goal? I need the discipline of the weekly thread but I’m now in a place where i can look a little further ahead and I have embraced the fact this is not a quick fix but a long term thing.
    So by the end of July I would LOVE to be just under 11st….. even 1/4 lb. This will need a 5-6lb discard from the beginning of the month so ‘should’ be achievable. It would be a massive massive milestone for me. I have NEVER seen 10st anything in my entire lift……
    I think i’m nearly 11 weeks in so starting to look up and look ahead and be ready to start thinking longer term and more holistically ….. thanks for the thread guys, really well timed!
    🙂

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
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    Hi WindyJulz and welcome to the monthly thread. It’s good to have the monthly thread back again where we can plan ahead and progress on our journey together. Wouldn’t it be fantastic for you to achieve your milestone this month! I think it’s good to look forward to how you will manage maintenance. I achieved my goal in 2017 but struggled with maintenance last year and consequently put one stone on which I am desperately trying to get off again. My goal for July is to get to 142 lb. Like DCT, I want to get back to goal this year and hope that by Christmas (sorry to say that word in July) I will be celebrating in something sparkly! I also want to learn about how to maintain long term my weight loss so let’s crack on together and do this and make July a joyful celebration when we achieve our mini goal. Onwards and downwards.

  • posted by WindyJulz
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    Thanks CC.
    I know its not how you’d have chosen it but reading about maintenance challenges is so so helpful in terms of mental preparation; and it is heartening to see that you can jump back in even when it doesnt go to plan and everyone here is so willing to support you. I too have started looking toward christmas (I think partly as covid chaos is making us have to look further ahead for the light) and I am content with eating like this all that time and the prospect of looking and feeling awesome by then!

    Lets make July a good one!

  • posted by Jennie10
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    Hi everyone,
    DCT I’m so thrilled you’ve set up this thread again. Thanks.
    Sorry, I didn’t get back on yesterday. I have to pinch my husband’s laptop (mine is still ‘on loan’ !?! to our younger son who lives the other side of the UK), and by the time he’d finished with it I was asleep.
    My aim for this month is to get my daily blood glucose levels back down into the 4s and low to mid-5s which is where they generally are. I had my last HBA1C in early March and I was still in the normal range but at the high end of normal and during lockdown I haven’t really been worrying or looking too much. I’ve kept to low carb but have been a bit lax with how much I’ve eaten, hence the 10lbs gain. So it’s time for a reset – I’m going back to basics – weighing and recording my food, testing my bgls and exercising daily.
    CC – It’s great to be travelling with you again x
    JGwen – what a great idea the walking routes are. It’ll be good to hear how you go.
    Double Dutch – I’ll also really look forward to hearing your 6 month update. Sounds like you’ve completely got this.
    WindyJulz – getting under 11st for the first time in years was such a big thing for me, just seeing a number beginning with 10, it’s completely doable, and we’ll all be cheering you when you get there!

    It’s so nice to be back on the road with everybody again.
    Jennie xx

  • posted by caronl
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    Hi DCT, Thank you for setting up the thread. It already feels like a party here! My first day went pretty well. As I went to my diary to note down the starting point, I came across my weights for this time last year and the year before. Enough said. There is work to do. I’m afraid I can’t face spelling out the damage! But my goal is to be back at my healthy BMI range by mid August. It would be nice if it is sooner, but there is quite a way to go!

    It will be lovely to share this month with you all. Like others I look forward to DD’s 6 month check in. Ik ben nieuwsgierig!

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Hi everyone,
    Thanks for setting this thread up DCT 🙂
    My goals for July are to get back into a regular exercise routine and back on track with 16:8 TRE. I was doing really well for a while there in May and early June, despite Covid and lockdown restrictions. Then I was unwell and couldn’t exercise (for about a week, 10 days), then didn’t get back into it again. I did my first Couch to 5K walk/run in 4 weeks yesterday. I couldn’t believe it had been that long! It’s surprising how quickly we can form good habits but then just how quickly we can fall out of them again!
    Anyway I started back at the beginning with Week 1 day 1 again. It was much easier this time round and I’m looking forward to working my way through the program again. My plan is to do
    3 workouts a week, with 30min walking on the other days.
    Food wise I’m planning on having 800-1000 calories per day and sticking to 16:8 as that was working well for me.
    Despite not exercising or tracking food for the past few weeks I only weigh the same as I did a month ago, but I’d like to lose around 2kg during July. I feel that 1/2kg a week weight loss is achievable for me.
    Good luck fellow Joyful Julyers! I look forward to reading about everyone’s successes 🙂

  • posted by Jennie10
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    SueBlue – just as I saw your post I was coming to the conclusion I’m not able to maintain my weight unless I weigh/keep a track of my food intake. Since mid March when my husband and I went into lockdown I’ve managed to put on 10lb. I didn’t eat for comfort, I didn’t even think I’d eaten that much – hey ho, shows what I know!. So, to be able to maintain your weight without tracking or weighing is a pretty good achievement in my eyes – well done, that woman! I’m also going back to basics from today with a similar plan. 800 cals and 20g carbs and 16:8 TRE.
    Oh, man’s here to fix leaky roof……. Hope to catch up with everyone later. Have a great Monday.
    Jennie xx

  • posted by DoubleDutch
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    I’ve posted a rather long, well ridiculously long post in a new thread called “6 months on fast800: results! “. I hope other people will post their 6 months results as well. There must be a few people around who started around early January, methinks? I’ve even included before/after pictures!

    JGwen great to have you here. I love your research and way of thinking. How is de walking project, what did you decide?
    CC and WindyJulz i really liked that you’re talking about Xmas, we’re in this for the long haul. I
    will think of a Christmas target as well!
    DCT & Jennie i told my OH about your comments and trust I can do this … and how this made me feel. Thank you 🙂
    Sueblue, I hope I can say the same after July, that I’ve managed to stay the same weight for the whole month without measuring / weighing food.
    Caronl, the post is online! felt great to write, did get a bit carried away though .. and my OH figured out how to post pics 🙂

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Great post on your other thread DD. Thanks for sharing so much about your journey and the pics are fab too !

    Sue great to hear from you and glad all is well. So pleased you are joining us on this journey. It sounds like you are both determined and organised in terms of your eating plan and also your exercise. Good luck!

    Lovely to be in touch with you all and yes caronl, it does feel like a bit of a party already! Let’s hope we all have lots to celebrate by the end of this month. Jennie I’m sure those pounds will begin to melt away: you have done so well on this plan before. And Windy Julz it’s great to have longer term goals as well as weekly ones so I hope you find this group helpful too.

    Cathy I hope you’ve had another good week and am excited about getting to our respective goals together, whenever that happens.

    Dashing now but will post again soon X

  • posted by DoubleDutch
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    Hi joyfullers,
    So far I’m maintaining nicely, even dropped a bit. Maintenance sounded scarier than it really is, although it seems weighing and measuring is a new addiction and I need to remind myself not to do it. The newly found satiety signals seem to work properly so far 🙂
    I feel July is going to be a good month!
    DD

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
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    I’ve had a great week Sticking to plan but when I weighed myself this morning I was up 1.8 lb from last week. I didn’t do the fast I had planned yesterday because I am suffering with what I assume to be a dental abscess and feel terrible. I’ve been doing salt water bathing and taking painkillers. My goal for July is to get to 142 lb but I may have over anticipated my weight loss Success for July. I didn’t expect to put on weight this week!! I don’t know why my weight is up as I’ve been sticking to plan. Still, lots of time left to see the scales heading in the right direction.

    DD – was great to read your inspirational post and see your progress in six months.

    Have a good week everyone- I’ll be back posting when I feel better! This toothache is horrendous!

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Cathy do hope you are feeling better soon. Toothache is so wearing. Sending you get well wishes.

    Thanks JGwen for that link, will have a look tomorrow.

    Just back from my first post-lockdown haircut!

    Have a great week everyone X

  • posted by JGwen
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    Dreamscometrue, I should warn you that Dr Bikman can be quite deep, he does talk about a cellular level. This interview was all about insulin resistance, and I came away with some extra puzzles to work on. I just find his work so informative that I couldn’t stop myself from breaking off during listening to the podcast to share its existance. – You may find searching the Take a Look at this thread for links to other podcasts by him helpful.

  • posted by shoegirl
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    Hi all, how lovely to see all these familiar names, thanks for starting this thread DCT! I am definitely ready for a new start and to get back on track with this WOE. Like CC and SueBlue the weight has steadily crept up on me and I feel like I was still trying to eat healthily but maybe just too much of it! I want to lose 2kg and 3cm off my waist by the end of this month. Melbourne heads into lockdown again tomorrow so hopefully my motivation stays strong during this. All positive support from you all would be great!!👠

  • posted by Jennie10
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    So, I wrote a nice long post early this morning and then my computer crashed and lost it, so I gave up and went for my early morning walk. Had to chuck myself out the front door as in times past but did nearly 12,000 steps before 8am, so I’m pretty pleased with that. I’ve been strict with my cals and carbs and my blood sugars have started to drop back down – I had a 5.5 and a 5.7 today so getting there. I’m not weighing myself until next Tuesday so we’ll see how that goes then.

    I had a bit of a lightbulb moment during my walk about my weight gain during lockdown. I realised part of it was linked to doing shopping online. Because I’d been ill and am T2 we decided to lockdown early (March 13th) and started weekly shopping online. I got lots of fresh greens and protein but found I kept having food with short use by dates that needed eating before it went off, or got wasted. It’s never occurred to me until today that was partly why I ended with bigger portions or having 3 meals a day instead of my usual 2. I’m still not great at the online business – I’ve got 4 big pots of yoghurt coming tomorrow and just realised I’ve got 5 big pots already in the fridge. What to do with 9 large pots of yoghurt – all ideas welcome!
    CC – I’m really sorry to hear about the abscess – that sounds horrible. I hope it gets better quickly. Like you say still plenty of time to see those scales move downward.
    JGwen, thanks for the link to the podcast, it’s on my list to listen. I agree about some of his interviews getting a bit heavy but like you I’m a fan. I’ve had his (kindle) book on pre-order at Amazon for a while and am really looking forward to reading it. My favourite interview with him is still the BioHackers lab one (I think it was you who put that one on Take A Look At This) so I’m hoping his book is similar to that.
    DoubleDutch – hurray, that’s a brilliant 6 month update – congratulations, and I also love the pictures. I’m really looking forward to reading how you go next.
    DCT – thanks for the vote of confidence and I really envy you the post-lockdown haircut. We only just started leaving the house last week so I might need to build up to that, but I bet it felt great.
    caronl – hope you’re going well this week – I love the little bits of Dutch? maybe?
    shoegirl – sorry to hear about the Melbourne lockdown, I’ve been watching it on the news – we’ll all be here to support you xx
    Hope everyone has a good rest of the week.
    Jennie xx

  • posted by MerryMelba
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    Hi Shoegirl. At least the sun is shining this morning on our first day of a long 6 weeks. We can do this!
    Stay safe 🌺🌼🌷
    Merry in Melbourne

  • posted by caronl
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    Hi All,
    Thinking of you MerryMelba and Shoegirl as you enter 6 weeks of lockdown. My best friend from Uni lives in Melbourne too. Must be very hard to restart all those limitations. I fear many parts of Europe will need to do the same – have planned a quick trip to England next month, in the hope that I can get there before numbers pick up again. But we shall do our best to be joyful despite everything!

    Jennie, thanks for the wave. Yes they were snippets of Dutch – how could I resist when writing to DoubleDutch – there is a reason for my moniker ending in nl! So far my joyful July has been gin-and-tonic-free and salted-peanut-free. That is a useful little victory, which I hope will show up on the scales when I weigh at the mid-point next week. Fingers crossed. Must now consider the next corona habit to tackle. They have crept up on me slowly but surely, and now is the time to beat them into submission! Your early morning walk is very impressive. I shall count my steps tomorrow, but seriously doubt that I get anywhere near 12000 steps. 🙁 Too busy hauling the dog off his next chosen partner…..

    Cathy sorry to hear about the toothache. Rotten. I sometimes think you are my doppelganger – I have a second visit to the dentist this week after breaking a tooth. On the bright side, it has really put me off eating anything challenging!!

    Best wishes to all.

  • posted by shoegirl
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    Thanks, Jennie10 and caronl for the friendly thoughts. Good luck and stay safe to you too, MerryMelba! Xx

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi Guys.

    Well the good news is that I am back to needing my belt to hold my jeans up. But its not on the same hole as it was when I went into lockdown. So my challenge for this month is to drop another hole on the belt. As my body seems to want to discard weight from anywhere before my waist that could be a hard challenge to reach. As I get relatively dressed up in jeans when I do the weekly shop, that works well as a weekly test of progress.

    My progress with my work schedule for the week is also satisfying. – I have been working with the website developer to sort out the details of how to display the information.

    Lockdown in Wales has lifted enough that we are allowed to head out in the forests for walks. All the existing promoted walks that need the details updating start from car parks. The gates to access the car parks were locked to prevent people from outside the area travelling here. until the 6th of July.

    We have a couple of sunny days coming up this weekend when I can head out to take photographs as I walk the routes. – Its important to have photos taken on a sunny day to inspire tourists even on a cloudy day.

  • posted by MerryMelba
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    Thanks CaroNL and Shoegirl! (nice to know the NL is Netherlands!)
    Great news on needing a belt for those jeans JGwen. Enjoy those sunny walks. I’m looking forward to seeing your photos up on a website soon.
    I made some keto bread yesterday from the What The Fat recipe book – probably the best I have made as it is lighter than previous recipes I have tried. They have done a couple of versions of this bread but this is their most recent. Their original recipe had whole eggs and olive oil, but this version is basically just almond flour, psyllium, egg whites and some seeds. Small loaf – doesn’t rise a lot and makes 12 small slices – 2g carb / 90 cals per slice. Just enough to go under my poached egg.
    Stay safe😷

  • posted by sixturkeys
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    I have not posted for ages, but it is nice to see a current monthly thread with familiar names! Lockdown has been quite hard; a real sense of lethargy plus I became a carer in unexpected circumstances (all much better now). Result is that I have added close to another turkey to the two I had got down to at the beginning of the year. Still (just) in my size 12s but the sporran has expanded. So I need to get back on track. What really helped me before was getting some meal plans/ recipes from so many of you so I hope you will share some tasty tips. I am off to make the roasted broccoli and cheddar soup from the recipe section here…and drink some water.

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Morning everyone, just catching up with various posts. Can you believe it’s almost halfway through the month already? Time to renew out monthly goals perhaps? I’d love to get below 140lb and am currently wobbling between 141 and 143. I’m off to see my elderly mother for a few days later this week so may need to take remedial action from next Monday onwards!

    Sixturkeys great to see you back again! Sounds like you have had a tough time during lockdown and I’m glad to hear that things are now improving. Hopefully now a bit of time for yourself and getting back on track. Yes if anyone does have tasty recipe tips do share them here. My go to during lockdown has been home made curry – primarily to use up various veg lying around – with lots of herbs and spices added. I don’t eat red meat, so it’s usually a chicken curry but works well as a veggie one too. Then cauliflower rice as the side. I just throw things in so it never tastes the same twice!

    Shoegirl and MerryMelba good to see you again too; how is your new lockdown going?

    Cathy are you ok? Hope your tooth is getting better?

    Lovely also to hear updates from everyone else. Hope we all have a successful week X

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
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    Morning everyone and here’s to another week of staying focused. My toothache has subsided thankfully. Hot saltwater rinses and copious amounts of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen seem to have got me through! I have an appointment in a couple of weeks’ time with my dentist. As far as BSD, well I’ve been doing 16:8 and sticking to principles but I’ve been listening to my body more and easing off the strict rules and I have felt happier. I had a dalliance with an egg sandwich and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have booked a meal with my husband and son and daughter in law at my favourite vegetarian restaurant for 2nd August to celebrate my retirement and our birthdays which we were all unable to celebrate during lockdown. Rather than weighing myself and getting worked up about what the scales said I decided to try on a lovely dress I bought to celebrate my son’s 30th birthday a couple of years ago which I am planning to wear for my retirement celebration. Guess what, it fitted great and looked lovely so I was really pleased with that. The dress is a pink spotted linen shift dress so unforgiving of bulges! I haven’t weighed myself yet this week. I don’t want to get back to being a scale slave and being upset that my weight has increased but I am still on plan and enjoying the lovely foods I eat. I have been enjoying passion fruit and chia seeds in my Greek Yoghurt for a nice change from raspberries.

    As long as we keep focused, keep plodding and keep trying then I think that is a huge win. We are all having to deal with the massive changes to our lives caused by the pandemic and the fact that we are here and doing our best is testament to our resolve.

    It’s quite nice to have a month at a time to make plans, focus, make mistakes, fall off the wagon, get back on track and just keep going.

    I have enjoyed reading about how everyone is doing and it is clear that being kind to ourselves and just doing our best is very important during these difficult times so, keep focused, be kind, keep going and hopefully we can all be joyful during July and celebrate some wins whatever they may be. They don’t have to be scale victories.

  • posted by shoegirl
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    Well done CC, sounds like you have a wonderfully positive attitude! I’m glad you’re feeling better, good luck with the dress, that’s a great idea. Melbourne is still having a tough time virus-wise, thanks for asking DCT, but focussing on health is a good way to feel a little in control of life. As I come to the end of my first week back on the 800 I’ve noticed that I’m really feeling the cold. It’s winter here in Melbourne but not too icy at the moment. I literally can’t get warmed up ( but not in a being unwell way). I was wondering if it’s a side effect of this WOE. Any thoughts??

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Shoegirl I have the same problem whenever I’m following the WOE really strictly. I notice it particularly in my hands and wrists for some reason. It seems to happen whatever the weather so I reckon it could well something to do with the WOE but will look into it!

    Cathy so glad you are feeling better and that the dress fits so well; also that you have something nice to look forward to – I think we all need that at the moment.

    Hope that things are going well for everyone in every way – scales and non-scales victories, but also life, health and well-being in general X

  • posted by shoegirl
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    Thanks, DCT, I’ll look forward to more information!

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Hi shoegirl just had a quick Google around. I’m not a scientist but my understanding is that our bodies normally use carbs for energy, to keep the metabolism functioning well. When we go into ketosis (as is likely on strict Fast 800) our bodies will begin to burn fat for energy as there are not enough carbs – hence we lose weight. But the body may also then prioritise other metabolic functions, such as breathing, digestion and cell repair. Meaning that heating may drop down the priority list for a while.

    Suggestions I have seen to remedy this (apart from increasing carbs) are to try adding more (good) fat to the diet and also to make sure you are getting enough electrolytes, primarily salt. Worth a try maybe? Good luck!

    Just to add to the above though for anyone else reading, I am absolutely NOT an expert: just relaying bits and pieces from Google. So I’d also say if anyone is doing this WOE and feels unwell or has any symptoms they are concerned about then please do seek medical advice!

  • posted by JGwen
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    Hi Shoegirl,
    Its interesting that you mention about feeling the cold. – I am now the exact opposite. – I have been feeling the heat this summer in a way I never have before.

    Most of my life I have struggled with the cold but all that time I was counting calories on a high carb diet. – I have noticed this last year that coffee with cream or something high fat really revs my temp up. – But I also feel warmer generally especially on a sunny day.

    I think the best source of information on this comes from Dr Bikman. – He is a researcher who focuses his work on the differences in cell structure and function. There are a number of differences in a muscle cell adapted to burning fat. But also our fat cells adapt to a ketogenic diet and you get more brown fat which is the fat which generates heat.

    Your body is going to take time to convert the cells, and you will need to be consistently in ketosis for the adaption to occur. But I don’t think there is a lot of research into the rate at which cells change. – I have been eating low carb now for 2.5 years and this is the first summer that I have noticed the difference.

  • posted by shoegirl
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    Thank you, DCT and JGwen, really interesting information! I’ll try to add some extra salt and perhaps see if I’ve strayed into lowering my good fat intake accidentally alongside lowering my carb intake. I totally agree, DCT, any weird symptoms are always worth getting check by a dr, especially at the moment. I hope I didn’t cause anyone to have concerns, I feel great as long as I stay warm:)

  • posted by SueBlue
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    How is everyone going? To be honest I’m finding it a bit hard to feel joyful at the moment, with the current covid resurgence in NSW and Victoria. Although in NSW we aren’t in lockdown like Victoria, I feel like I’m in lockdown still. I’ve been pretty much self-isolating now for 18 weeks, the only time I go out is for necessary trips to the doctor, chemist, bank etc, so walking down to my local town once or twice a week. I’ve left the suburb once and that was to go to a hospital appointment. A couple of weeks ago I was starting to plan some outings and even possibly a weekend away, but all that has been cancelled again now with this 2nd wave. I realise it could be worse, but I am finding it hard to keep my spirits up and stay motivated! So this week hasn’t quite gone to plan… Anyway there is still a couple of weeks left in July so I’m going to get back on track tomorrow and attempt to get to my July goal.
    Thanks for the podcast link JGwen – I still have a bit more to listen to, I’ve been listening in chunks, but very interesting to me so far, especially the info around Rheumatoid Arthritis, Insulin Resistance and inflammation.
    Take care and stay safe everyone 🙂

  • posted by shoegirl
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    Very true, SueBlue, I don’t think I realised how much motivation I got from wearing nice clothes at work etc to show when I’d lost weight until lockdown here in Melbourne when I don’t go anywhere!! Having said that, I read an excerpt from Michael’s new book about being in a good physical state to cope with illness ( including Covid) and it spurred me on to resume this WOE after a bit of weight/cm gain. Just 1.5 weeks in and I’ve lost a great 4cm off my stomach and 3kg!! I like to celebrate the cm’s more than the scales as I want to do the best I can to avoid age-onset diseases brought on by holding too much fat around my middle.
    How is everyone else going? Hope my fellow Melburnians are staying safe.

  • posted by Jennie10
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    Shoegirl – I had the same problem when I first did the BSD, and I’ve seen it mentioned by quite a few people on here over the years. For me, it was during the winter in particular. I felt like I couldn’t get warm. In fact, you’ve jogged my memory – I’d forgotten I used to cover myself in a blanket while watching telly. What I do remember is that at one point whenever I was out and about my hands were cold to the point of being really painful. A couple of tips I read on here if anyone’s hands in particular are feeling the cold. One is to wear mittens rather than gloves (keeping the fingers together helps keep them warmer apparently) and the other is to get some hand/glove warmers to put inside your gloves/mitts. I got some from Amazon. I’d put these in just prior to leaving the house. This worked for me although it did make me feel like I was setting out for infant school! Anyway, the whole feeling cold thing stopped after a few weeks and I’ve never had the problem again.

    JGwen – I’m the same as you these days, generally much warmer than in days past. That’s a great idea about judging progress by dropping another hole in your belt. I like it. It sounds really exciting what you’re working on and developing your website etc. I’m looking forward to reading some more.

    caronl – ahh, I always read your name as Caron L – but anyway I am enjoying the snippets. Sounds like you’re doing great with your corona habits – gin and tonic and salted peanuts, eh! You got me thinking about mine. One I want to break is how much coffee I’m drinking. I’m usually very low carb – 20g – and can usually manage this fine, but I’ve been drinking more coffee since we locked down and since I can only drink it (and tea) white I need to break that habit – too many carbs used just on them. I think it might go along with me not drinking enough water so that’s my challenge for the coming week – time to switch things round! It’ll be good to hear about your next challenge!

    Merry – I’m interested in your keto bread. Normally, I don’t eat any bread as it spikes my blood sugars, but my husband has gotten into bread-making during lockdown and decided to make me some keto bread. (Turns out later he made the recipe up – and added ‘just a bit’ of flour to ‘make up the numbers’). Anyway, after having one slice my bgls went from 5.1 to 10.9 (& after re-testing to 11.1) I suspect the ‘just a bit of flour’ might have been ‘just a bit of a fib’ but I don’t want to dampen his enthusiasm so I thought I’d try to find some good keto bread recipes. Would you recommend this book generally, or are there any other sites you (or anyone) would recommend for keto or low carb bread recipes?
    Hope the lockdown is going OK for you and you, shoegirl xx

    sixturkeys – it’s really lovely to see you posting again – sorry to hear about how things have been for you – it’s tough this pandemic and changed lives. I think that’s why as DCT says, it’s so important that we treat ourselves gently right now. Glad to have you back. xx
    One extra turkey is soon shifted – and, it’s probably wrong of me to say, but I was always quite attached to reading tales of your ‘sporran’ So, I’m delighted it’s put in an appearance! Yes, that soup is one of my favourites too. Let us know how you go on.

    CC – I’m also pleased to hear your toothache is better. That dress sounds lovely. I do like a nice shift dress and like you say there’s nowhere to hide so well done that woman! – you do right to be thrilled with that. Also, here’s wishing you a very happy retirement – a bit belated, sorry – and a very happy birthday – well, to the whole family really! It sounds like you’ve got a great balance to things right now – well, definitely more than I have – but it was lovely reading your post. It made me remember it’s not a race and not to get too hung up about not doing things perfectly.

    DCT – Ooh, you’re so close – within touching distance of that target – can she do it, yes she can!!
    (Hmm, not sure if I’m quoting Barrack Obama there or Bob the Builder ?!?). Hope you have a lovely time with your mother and come back on Monday raring to go. Those curries sound good, by the way. As I’ve mentioned in the past I’m no cook but I also started making curries during lockdown – there’s something really pleasurable about following that ‘bung it all in’ approach.

    Well, it’s been one step forward, one step back for me this week. On the positive side, my blood sugar readings have all been in the 5s (apart from after the non-keto keto bread incident) so that’s a definite positive, and I’ve managed to lose 2lbs. Hurray!
    But – I’ve started weighing food, then stopped. I’ve started tracking my carbs and cals, – then stopped. I’ve gone out for my early daily walks, then stopped. So frustrated with myself. So, my goals for next week are to get back into weighing & tracking food throughout the day, and walking every day. If I can do that and reduce my coffee that will be great.

    My goal for the end of the month is still to get my daily bgl readings into the 4s and 5s. Almost there but not quite yet.
    Hope everyone has a great weekend. Stay safe.
    Jennie xx

  • posted by Jennie10
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    Hi SueBlue
    I missed your post. I had my (above) post open all morning and I was coming back to it as and when I could (and gosh I didn’t realise I’d written so much – oops).
    Anyway, I just wanted to send a hug and warm best wishes. Like you, we’ve been more or less self-isolating for 18 weeks. Completely until a couple of weeks ago, and now we go out once a day for a walk – mine early morning. It’s been hard and at times it’s been sad. There’s nothing wrong with feeling unmotivated, fed up or sad. In fact, I think there are times when that’s the right thing to feel – if that makes sense? Anyway, I’m glad you’ve posted, glad you’re still here and I admire you for expressing what you’re feeling.
    Take care.
    Jennie xxx

    SueBlue – One positive – you haven’t got Boris Johnson as your leader!

  • posted by MerryMelba
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    Lovely posts Jennie10. Thank you.
    If you want to send me an email address I will send you the bread recipe I used. Don’t post your email address on the forum as you’ll get spam. 😩 But look in my profile and down the end I have put in my email info.
    It’s not an original recipe so I can’t write it up here😀
    I really felt the cold today! A “feels like” temp of around 6c for most of the day. So into bed early tonight to get warmed up.
    Cheers 🌺

  • posted by SueBlue
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    Thanks for your lovely words Jennie x and for the laugh you gave me with your Boris comment 😂
    I’m feeling in a better frame of mind today. I’m going outside for a walk/run around the garden soon (have restarted Couch to 5k again) and will spend some time today meal planning and cooking.
    I saw a positive quote on FB and it resonated with me – “Train your mind to see the good in every situation” I was able to do this before so will do so again!
    Thanks again Jennie 🙂

  • posted by Jennie10
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    SueBlue – Nice quote, I like it. Funnily enough I’ve just been searching for a positive quote a friend gave me but can’t find it. Mind, it was over 25 years ago. Something about reframing things I think, had a tiger in it maybe. Anyway, I can’t find it (surprisingly !?!) but it was about changing the way you see things so your quote fits perfectly instead. xx
    Merry – Thanks very much for the offer. I’ve sent the email. I think it’s right. But if you don’t get it let me know. xx Hope you got warm.

    Went out for my early morning walk this morning; it was a beautiful, bright day, the air was fresh and I was on my own next to the sea. It was smashing. I’m also going to be meal planning today and ordering my next online food shop. I often start my meal planning and then trail off by Wednesday. This week I’ll try to push through and work out the whole week and think about the balance of food I’m eating. Need to get better at that.

    Have a good day/evening/night everyone.
    Jennie

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Hi everyone

    I’m back from visiting my mother and all is well. In fact she is doing remarkably well given that she is 92 and self-isolated for 12 weeks. So it was good to see her and to get back in the groove of visiting again. Even if she does insist on giving me toasted teacake for breakfast!

    So here we are – 10 days to go till the end of July. Whatever your goals were for this month, you still have 33% of the month left: so if things need a bit more effort (note to self!) then now is the time.

    Just been catching up on the posts since I’ve been away. It’s great to hear from those making good progress and also those who – although struggling – are girding their loins and just keeping on going. Sending particular love to SueBlue, Shoegirl, MerryMelba and anyone else in new lockdowns.

    Shoegirl well done on your 3kg loss and also your 4cm stomach reduction. That’s great! I’m also at the stage where although I do have scale targets in mind, I’m more concerned about measurements and how clothes fit. You mentioned nice clothes and I know exactly what you mean. During our lockdown it was mostly great weather so I spent the whole time in shorts and vest tops – a bit like an extended holiday in wardrobe terms. Which sounds great but I did miss wearing nice clothes. So as things have eased a bit here I went a bit mad with the online shopping and have spent birthday money on various nice things in the online sales. The problem is that there is one dress and one skirt that are a bit too tight around the tummy. I am NOT sending them back – so it’s the tummy that has to go!

    SueBlue well done for going back to the Couch25K. You’ve got this! Recently I have been trying some runs outside my normal garden/driveway route. One or two have been fine but I do feel I struggle more when running away from home, even though the timings etc are all the same. I’m sure it’s all in my mind, but it’s something to do with not being able to just pack it in if I come unstuck (which I never have) and also because there are other people around. I just feel more “exposed” and less confident in myself. So that’s one of my main goals at the moment, to break that psychological barrier and feel able to go for a little run anywhere I jolly well choose! Good luck with yours Sue, I know you can do it. Your “train your mind” quote applies really well to running as well. And I do think that a bit of regular exercise can really lift our spirits.

    Jennie your posts are lovely and so encouraging to everyone. Thank you. I do hope that you manage your daily walk for the rest of the month, and also your coffee/water switch and food tracking. I’m sure you will soon start seeing the results you want.

    Lots of love to everyone. I hope that the next ten days will be positive for us all – whatever our situation – and will bring us a little bit of joy for the rest of July.

  • posted by WindyJulz
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    Reading your post came at the perfect time! I was beginning to think July goals impossible so just write off the month….nope, we still have days to go and small steps in the right direction can be taken!! As ever, the time to be good – is NOW!!
    🙂

  • posted by ClarinetCathy
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    Hi everyone

    Just checking in to say hello. Not a lot to report. I haven’t weighed myself for a couple of weeks. I am sticking to BSD but just don’t want to be a scale slave. I feel as if I have gained a few pounds but my clothes are feeling OK. I have been looking at some old videos of the children when they were young ie 30 plus years ago and was admiring how slim I looked even though I know I have spent most of my life “feeling fat”. It made me think about how I feel now and how I would feel looking back at me now in say 10 years time. I wish I had more self confidence and self esteem and that is what I am working on at the moment – Trying to feel good about myself whatever the scales say. In fact, I wish I didn’t have any scales and I might not get on them for a little while. I’ve said it before, they hold a lot of power and I don’t think it’s healthy.

    Can’t believe we are nearly at the end of July. I can tell that my clothes aren’t any looser than they were at the beginning of July but I am healthy, happy and remain positive so that can’t be too bad can it? I will be continuing my journey of self care and discovery with you and look forward to being inspired by you all along the way,

    .

  • posted by shoegirl
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    Well done, CC, that seems like a positive way to view a long term approach to health and well-being. I like to have a combination of weighing and measuring as the scales can often show little change, but I know that I have lost “centimetres” , which is often a healthier result. This week I’ve lost 600g and a further 1.5cm off my stomach. So glad to be reducing my stomach circumference as I have a few genetic predispositions to type 2 diabetes and want to avoid that as much as I can. Reading Dr Libby Weaver’s “Women’s Wellness Wisdom” at the moment, which has some interesting ideas around food, weight and emotions. Anything that promotes better self care and breathing as a positive way of life gets my tick of approval, especially in these challenging times.
    Hope everyone is going well and that your couch2-5k goal is progressing, SueBlue, great goal! Stay well and safe. We’re all masked up in Melbourne now, so at least I’m saving money on make up at the moment! 😷

  • posted by Jennie10
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    DCT – I agree with WindyJulz – that was a great post. Realising there was still 33% of July to go kept me walking, and re-inspired me to push forward with my main goal for the month. I’ve always thought that running outside is a really gutsy thing for someone to do – I think my feelings would be similar to yours – so I really admire you doing it at all – and you, SueBlue, for getting back to it.
    Liberating is the word that comes to mind – so I really hope that goes well for you.
    By the way, aren’t Mums great. Whenever I used to visit my Mum she would always cook me the same meal and have in a certain type of cake because I used to like them when I was 7. Teacakes and love for breakfast. Lovely!

    Merry, thanks very much for the recipes – I’ve got the pysillium (?!? sp) husk in my Amazon basket ready to order. I made the seed crackers yesterday which were lovely and crunchy as ever. They’re so easy to make, but so easy to eat – oops!

    CC – that’s so true what you say about how you see yourself – now and when you look back. One of the things I would have wished my younger self was a higher self-regard and self-belief – it’s such a hard-fought-for thing. I think being happy, healthy and positive is a great place to be. xx

    shoegirl – that’s great news about the 1.5 cms from your stomach – my waist size was the last thing to start reducing when I had my original big weight loss. Btw, I’m curious about the book you’re reading by Libby Weaver when you say about breathing – can I ask what she says about that? Is it about slowing your breathing down or something like that? Any and all tips welcome.

    So my good news this week is my daily bgls are back into the 4s and 5s again which was my main goal for this month. During lockdown my bgls crept up a bit too high – 5s and 6s – and the odd 7. They were still in the normal range but higher than usual. They’ve been back mainly in the 5s for a couple of weeks but this week I got my first 4s, so I’m really pleased that I’m back to where I usually am with my bgl readings. Pushed on by DCT’s post I did a couple of longer overnight fasts, and I think that just helped tip the balance downward. – so once again thanks DCT.

    Hope everyone enjoys what’s left of the weekend with particular good wishes for those of you in lockdown. Take care.
    Jennie xx

  • posted by Dreamscometrue
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    Jennie I can’t tell you how timely your post was! This morning I had plucked up my courage to drive to a quiet part of our town and do a little run. Had planned to park the car in a particular car park then do a lap from there. However, when I got there there was some kind of outdoor car boot sale on, with loads of people milling around, so I had to divert. Drove round the streets for a while and eventually plotted a new route. Was still feeling wobbly though – and tbh on the point of just going home – when I decided to check email on my phone (as yet another delaying tactic!). And there was your encouraging post! So I read that, girded my loins and off I trotted. Still somehow got lost in some posh street, but enjoyed looking at the nice houses and managed to make the run back to my car. So thank you for that. It struck me that we never know how our posts can inspire each other. Very well done also with getting your bgl’s back in line – fantastic news!

    Cathy I totally agree with you about scales. I still weigh myself everyday but should really ditch that habit. If I go above my current “acceptable” range I do get cross with myself – because I do have numerical targets that I want to get to. But day by day I’m increasingly more concerned with how good I feel. That is becoming much more important. I don’t know why but I’m also having a renewed surge of interest in clothes, and wanting to make a bit more of an effort to look nice. So how clothes fit is important too. I would say that weight-wise I’m maintaining at the moment, but with the running I think I’m also toning up quite a bit. Friends I’d not seen for a while recently insisted I’ve lost weight – in a complimentary way. I actually haven’t, but I think I do look trimmer.

    But I also know what you mean about self image. I did have puppy fat as a teenager, and got teased mercilessly for it. I was an early developer so had boobs and other women’ stuff way before most of my friends, so I was always self-conscious about my body. And since then I’ve always thought of myself as chubby at the very least. But like you, I look back at old photos and videos and realise I was really tiny. So now I don’t want to get obsessed with numbers. Yes I have a target I’d like to get to and hopefully I will – some day! – but more importantly I’m in a good place in my life, and happy with lots of things, so hitting numbers is not a major stress thing at all right now.

    Anyway we still have 5 more days of July so anything could happen between now and then! Let’s make it a good week all round, whatever that means for you X

  • posted by MerryMelba
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    Great news on your lower BGLs Jennie.
    I also made some seed crackers – and yes – I had forgotten how tempting they are! In a tin at the back of the pantry now 🙂
    July is almost over – can’t believe it. I feel our stay at home will extend into September – so I hope that our last winter month August brings some slightly warmer weather and sunshine. Walking has become Melbourne’s major form of exercise, and it is good to see people, dogs, families all out and about.
    I have maintained during July, and am fine if I keep to that. Spring may bring the impetus to shed a couple of kilos – but not sweating the small stuff at the moment.
    Merry

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