Hello and welcome to the latest 2 month thread, following on from Marvellous May and Joyful June. It will run from Monday 1st July until Saturday 31st August.

Many of us have been on this ongoing thread for sometime, but anyone is very welcome to join in at any stage. It would be lovely to see some new passengers . . . . for some reason we tend to refer to the thread as a bus journey, which will hopefully help move us towards our individual destinations in terms of our own weight, health and fitness goals.

We’re a friendly, honest and supportive bunch, all aiming to be lighter, trimmer and healthier by the end of August, and have fun together on the journey. So if that sounds like something you’re aiming for too, please jump on board!

Hello everyone
Thank you dreamscometrue for setting us up once again.
I’m in my seat and will be staying on the bus until 31st August. I go on my two week Mediterranean cruise on 1st September so anything I can lose beforehand will be welcome. I hoped to start this leg of the journey at 149 but I can’t seem to lose the fat! I am starting at 151 and aim to be less than 145 by the end of this bus journey. 6lb in two months doesn’t sound much but I can’t tell you how difficult it is to lose weight at the moment. I am going to be eating low carb healthy food as I also have to attend for a repeat blood glucose test in august and hope to have reversed my pre diabetes. I will be doing everything I learned from Michael Mosely to help me. Eating well, walking, fasting, low carb. If I can just get under the 150 lb mark in the next two weeks I will be thrilled. I started this year at 163 lb so I am heading down into a healthy weight. My BMI is currently 28.5 so I am making slow progress.
It will be lovely to share this journey with so many friends and it looks like many of us are going to be committed until the end of this year. Let’s see what we can do.

Hi everyone and thanks DCT for setting up this new thread,
Well done Yowzer and Cathy on your great results.I’ve weighed myself this morning and haven’t lost anything on the last trip.Yowzer your post about dieting off and on since your 20s really resonated with me.I’m 58 now and have done the same and when I started dieting I weighed less than the goal weight I have in mind now!!!When I look back at photos from that time I wish I had just accepted the weight I was and had known about the damage carbs can do as the only ‘overweight’ bit of me was probably a pudgy tummy, the rest of me was pretty slim.After a long hard think I have decided to sit out this next bus trip.I am just going to write a healthy food plan at the start of each week and do my best to stick to it.I intend not weighing myself again until 1st September.I’m hoping this approach will stop me from thinking about food ‘all the time’ which I think has become a bit of a problem for me.I think the maintenance bus sounds like a brilliant idea and would love to be in a position to join that🤞🤞🤞
Good luck for this trip everyone.Dawn XX

Hello everyone thanks Dct for setting up this bus trip u also have climbed on board the bus i need to loose a stone my blood tests came back I am still pre diabetic it’s my own fault too many carbs !! I am going to really try and by the end of august when I go to Switzerland 🇨🇭 to see my sister I want to look and feel better
I just have to remember all mm taught us so here goes I am strapped firmly in my seat 💺 and not getting off till the stone had gone 🤣goodluck everyone
Lv nokiexx

Yay everyone,the bus is on the road! All welcome. Newcomers,jump on! X

Hi everyone, please count me in, and thanks DCT for setting up the thread.
I don’t think I made much progress weight wise on the last journey, but I do finally feel like some things are starting to click for me. I have been distressed about not being able to be consistent with healthy meals or being able to fast, but I am starting to figure out what I can and can’t eat, and some aspects of the counselling I’ve been having are also starting to make a difference in my ability to just cope with the overwhelm of my life. I have had a bit of a change in my mindset this weekend following my last session on Friday that has suddenly had a big difference in how I am looking at things like self-care. Less of being an authoritarian disciplinary, and more of being kind and compassionate towards myself.
So I’m hopeful moving forward on this next part of the journey. I would like to lose some inches around my waist by September, if not weight.
Keep on keeping on everyone. Good to see so many people on board!

DAWN we will miss you. Good luck and let us know how you are 1 st Sept. If you ever feel like calling by to say hi,please do!
ARCTICFOX im glad counselling is helping. XX

Am getting on and staying on…thanks DCT!! Always lovely to see fellow travellers too…
I am restarting and have picked recipes out of the several BSD books I own and planned a menu around them because I know I NEED to do this.
I look forward to seeing those numbers reduce…o yes! I am off on annual holiday in 5 weeks so have a goal…altho am not putting a figure on that just yet…

Thanks YOWZER, I will definitely check in in September, if not before!

Dawn XX

It’s seems a few of us are thinking along the same lines and finding the years and years of dieting taking its toll. I am up and down the same two pounds. My husband has come back from Glastonbury and tested positive for Covid so I am bracing myself for a positive result any day soon. It’s two years since I had it last. I have come up with a plan for myself which Is exciting! My son and his wife are staying in a lovely spa hotel in Buxton after being at Glastonbury for some pampering . I’ve decided that when I get to 140/142 lbs I am going to book myself in for a two night spa break for a treat. 10lb away from a treat!!! What an incentive. These little things will keep me inspired as we move along. It would be ideal for me to go in October/November.
Hope everyone is feeling strong as we work hard to do our best before the end of the year.

Thats a great idea CC! Really encouraging when theres something nice awaiting just over the horizon.
Ive now lost 16 lbs in just under 4 weeks,6 june – 1 july -not boasting,but hoping to inspire anyone like me who has a lot left to lose,and is feeling a bit defeated…I did…
low carb does seem to get the best results,specially in the first weeks,when you really need that incentive to keep going.
Im so sorry about yr husband getting covid and hope you escape it. Hope he will soon be better. I wonder how many other people came home with it

Yowser well done on your incredible and inspiring weight loss in just four weeks’! No matter how hard I try I dont seem to lose much weight these days. I can be up and down the same pound for a whole month!
I am testing positive for Covid today and feel achy with a raging throat. My husband is still in bed sleeping but I got up to feed Monty and to do a test because I felt so unwell. Not a welcome Glastonbury present but now I’ve got it it should give me some immunity for a few months so I can go away in September without having to be nervous of catching Covid pre holiday.
I’ll be listening to my body for the next few days. I won’t be walking and I’ve no biscuits or treats in the house so I’ll be on the straight and narrow!
Be careful everyone as Covid seems to be on the increase.

Sorry to hear you’ve got Covid, Cathy. Cases and hospitalizations have been on the upswing here again too, unfortunately. I just had a new order of masks arrive as I’ll start wearing them in the office, etc. again. Unfortunate because summer has finally arrived with sweltering heat (high of 38 forecasted for a few days next week), and it’s really too hot to be masked up.
Self-care with kindness continues. Some of the dietary changes I’ve made this week (really, just being consistent and making healthy, vegetable-based meals) seem to have made a bit of a difference. My abdomen doesn’t feel as bloated and I’m maybe slightly smaller around the waist too. My legs and joints don’t hurt as much either. I’m considering doing a full elimination diet to try to figure out if I’m sensitive to certain foods that might be making me bloat and swell (and possibly causing the gastritis). I think it will take a fair bit of planning and organizing though.
Having a lazy afternoon as I was interrupted in my morning work in the garden due to having to take the cat to the vet suddenly. She’s stable for now, but might have to go back on Monday for more tests. Anyway, by the time I got home again, it was already over 30 degrees. Normally I would already be adapted to working in those temperatures, but this is our first real hot spell so far this year, so haven’t had time to adjust yet. Hopefully I will get more done tomorrow morning while it is still relatively cool.

Hi everyone, just catching up.

YOWZER well done on your ongoing loss. I’m really pleased for you and you’re right, it’s really inspiring to show that it can be done, especially when many of us have been on this journey for a while now.

CATHY I’m so sorry you have Covid. Please take care and look after yourself. And as you say, at least you should now be immune for your cruise.

ARCTIC FOX I’m glad you are starting to see results, and the elimination diet sounds like a good idea if you can find a time to make it work. I hope your cat is ok too.

I’ve lost 1lb so far this journey. I head off on holiday on Wednesday, rather heavier and flabbier than I’d hoped to be by this stage, but I’m being kind to myself. It’s been a tough year, and the main aim of the holiday is to spend time with my daughter, rest, relax and get a bit of sun . . . not to be comparing beach bodies! I will do my best to try and maintain and then really want to throw myself into low carb and high fitness once I get back. I’ve been feeling very weary and flat recently so I’m hoping to get back bounding with energy and enthusiasm for a fresh start.

I’l try and check in again before I go. Meanwhile, hope everyone else is doing ok?

Hello everyone
Just caught up with posts my sister was over from Switzerland 🇨🇭 this past week so been busy !
Dct hope you enjoy your time away with your daughter relax and I have been feeling just like you I hope to knuckle down and sort these points out !! We are trying to get away for some sunshine ☀️ but as my husband can’t fly( docs won’t let him) as he is waiting for open heart surgery we are looking at last min cruise 🚢 or trying to get to south of France on train think it
will do us both good 😊
Sorry to hear you have covid Cathy my youngest son has it too hope you feel better soon
Yowzer well done on your loss!!
One quick question do any of you pay monthly £12 to mm 800 club I rejoined but as I have all the books 📕 not sure it is worth it just wondered if anyone did it also
Have a good week all
Be in touch soon Nokie x💞

Hello everyone,
I have definitely lost inches, and quite a few at that! I didn’t measure to begin with, so unfortunately I don’t know how many. I went swimming yesterday and the same swim suit that was tight on me when I wore it last week was actually almost loose. After struggling for so long and just thinking I was weight loss resistant, it seems I may have finally found the issue. Even my mum who can be quite critical about my appearance said “Your legs are looking so slim, even in this heat”. I have been swelling up in the heat so much the last few summers, so nice to see some improvement there too.
It is 36 C today, but I’m so far managing to keep the house at a relatively cool 25 C. My temperature sensor out in the garden was reading 48.5 C at one point, but it was sitting on a brick in the sun, so doesn’t really count, thank goodness, but speaks to the intensity of the sun beating down on us at the moment. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be hotter, but then we will gradually get a bit cooler again which is nice.
One final NSV – I am able to get up and down the stairs without my knees and hips hurting and I was struggling a bit with some tennis elbow from all the weeding in the garden, and it has magically improved as well. So it seems I was dealing with a lot of systemic inflammation that was preventing me from losing the fluid and weight. Hope it continues!
Hope everyone is doing well. If I could send some of this sunshine your way I would!

ARCTICFOX what great news! I’m so pleased that you are starting to see significant differences, and hope that it continues. I know you were talking about an elimination diet, but it sounds like you have already found some kind of pattern that is working for you. You mentioned healthy, vegetable-based meals : is there anything else that you have changed too? Whatever the answer is, I’m so glad it’s working for you and look forward to hearing how you get on.

CATHY I hope you are beginning to feel better ? And YOWZER how is your weight loss going? I’m so excited for you, you have done really well recently!

NOKIE I have just seen your question about the £12 800 club subscription. I don’t pay that, in fact I have never joined or paid anything since first getting involved with this way of eating in 2017. I have gradually bought most of the books, but have managed my own meal plans etc – with varying degrees of success 😀

1960SMP welcome back and how are you doing? Only 4 weeks to go now to your. holiday! I hope you’re getting on well too. It seems that many of us on here either have events to look forward to, or some other time goal in mind, so I hope we all continue to do well on this journey. Keep us posted!

And hello to DAWN lurking in the. background 😀 Hope all is well with you and yours and look forward to catching up soon.

I’m off on my hols tomorrow so will go quiet for a couple of weeks then hopefully report back without too much collateral damage, and ready to plunge forward again. Till then, lots of love and keep on going! X

Morning everyone
I’ve had a rather terrible dose of Covid. I am beginning to feel better and have got dressed! I’ve had no appetite and have ached from head to toe. I am over the worst now and looking forward to getting back to full health. My weight has stayed the same! I honestly hoped I’d have lost a few pounds because of my reduced appetite but I think I may have inflammation and my body has been using all its energy to fight Covid! . My pulse rate and my breathing rate increased a lot over the last five days according to my Fitbit .i am so glad to be feeling better.
Have a wonderful holiday DCT and we will be here when you return. Enjoy every day and the precious time spent with your daughter. I am really looking forward to my holiday and have 7 weeks to try and lose some more flab. It’s a battle but even if I don’t manage to lose any more i am still down 12 lbs since January and once I feel stronger a combination of walking and low carbing might result in another couple of pounds to take me under 150 lbs. Today I was 151 lbs.

Hello all
Hope everyone ok this is just a quick note to say my husband and have booked a last minute holiday to escape our terrible weather!! And he needs some sunshine 🌞 before his op so we are going to La Rochelle in France on Sunday back 23rd July I won’t be posting while I am away but will catch up on my return
Take care all Lv nokie xx💞

Hi folks!ARCTIC FOX! how is your cat now?
im glad youre seeing some results,specially in your legs,not easy to lose there,especially when you have lymphodema like we do. And you have an impressive list of NSVs. They all feel so good dont they,specially less joint pain and more ease of movement – and looser clothing is a BIG favourite of mine! 🥳 XX
DCT is it tomorrow you go away with DD? I hope you both have a marvellous time,you really deserve it XX
CCATHY how are you and Hubby. Im so glad to hear youre feeling better,it sounds like youve had a really severe dose of Covid. At least now you can look forward to a germ free holiday,which you really deserve,just like DCT XX
NOKIE! A Happy and well deserved holiday to you and your husband too! South of France sounds idyllic. I havent paid anything to MM apart from buying the books…I get emails about fast 800 but no idea how that happened..i didnt subscribe to anything. Is your son any better yet after getting covid? Hope he is well soon. There seems to be a summer increase doesnt there.XX
Im still doing well weightwise but have sciatica at the moment which makes getting around a bit difficult,have started using a stick,which making me feel dreadfully elderly and crabby! 😄
The bus is emptying out for people’s summer breaks,but it keeps bowling along and always ready to welcome passengers back aboard. XX
A big yoohoo to DAWN if she sees this and big welcome back to 1960SMP,great to see you, XX
MARIET!SUEBLUE! and all other bus members…Keep on folks,onwards and downwards! xxx⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️xxx

I’m jumping onboard from a thread I started today so you can read about me there. I’m new to this, need to lose weight, drop blood pressure and reverse diabetes.
Struggling with hunger at the moment. But have been good so far. 4 days and counting
Thanks

Lucy this is not the thread I am on right now. It is the Join Us InJuly One Month At A Time thread. But you can be where ever you want.

Thankyou yowzer for your kind wishes my son is feeling much better from the covid
I will be in touch after my hols
Stay healthy everyone
Lv nokie x💞

Hi everyone,
DCT – yes something is working, but I don’t know what it was exactly. I deliberately cut out all sources of gluten, but I also failed to have any eggs or nuts this past week. Hence the thought of doing a full elimination diet and adding things back in one at a time to see what it might have been that was causing the inflammation and fluid retention. I wasn’t eating much bread or other sources of wheat, but I was still getting some gluten from the rye crackers I was eating a few times a week and from things like soy sauce, etc. I was really reading labels and making sure that I cut it out completely. It’s amazing all the things that contain wheat or gluten when you start looking. I actually ended up eating more carbs than usual because I replaced the rye crackers with brown rice cakes and I had some brown rice to bulk out meals as well, and still I lost inches. I was still eating gluten free yesterday but something bothered me because my legs were very sore during the night and I didn’t sleep very well as a result. I had a shrimp and cucumber salad for dinner with a mayonnaise dressing that had mustard in it as well, so might have been something in that.
Yowzer – the cat seems to be improving. Still not sure what happened with her. Vet thinks she may have become allergic to even more foods, so she’s going back on a hydrolyzed protein diet. Interesting that we maybe have similar issues that are just manifesting in different ways!

Just want to share a delicious dessert I just made. Six frozen raspberries slightly defrosted topped with some M&S authentic Greek Yoghurt and a passion fruit drizzled on top! It was absolutely delicious. Raspberries and passion fruit are a fantastic combo!

Hi cc
Thankyou its sounds delicious 😋 I will make it tomorrow 😉
Hope everyone is ok be in touch after my holiday
Lv nokie x💞

thanks CCATHY! I often have greek yog and rasps,but have never thought of adding passion friit. Sounds yummy! Defo putting passion fruit on my shopping list for Saturday
I often have greek yog with crushed walnuts on top and pretend its an ice cream 😋
Happy hol Nokie and husband,enjoy the choo chootrain! I went to Austria by train years ago,lovely scenery en route. Pleased to hear that yr son is feeling better xx

I love Fage Total 5% Greek yogurt and have it every day (along with home made kefir). I also love Yeo Valley’s version of 5% Greek yoghurt but it doesn’t have so many live cultures in it as the Fage. I usually put a teaspoon of cocoa, not hot chocolate powder, (15cal, 0.8g fat, 0.4g carbs and protein 0.8g) in my yoghurt for a lovely chocolatey dessert, along with various seeds (chia, flax, sunflower, pumpkin, frozen raspberries and/or blueberries, walnuts, almonds, chopped prunes – not all at once obviously!

🥁 🥁 🥁 drum roll please ……::
At long last I am under 150 lbs . Today’s weight was 149.4 lb! It’s taken weeks of up and down the same couple or pounds but today the scales went down. Despite having a reduced appetite with Covid the scales still didn’t move. Anyway, this is huge progress for me. I am feeling better post Covid and went for a walk today.
My podiatrist is arranging for me to have some shock wave therapy on the plantar fasciitis and Achilles Tendinitis’s in August – it’s three sessions one week apart and hopefully that will help ease the pain. Perfectly timed for my cruise in September. This has been going on since February and now I’ve had a scan which doesn’t show a tear in the Achilles it means I can have the shock wave therapy. Things are going in the right direction. I am aiming for a goal weight of 142 lbs. I reckon I can do it before Christmas!! That’s my plan. My next little goal is going to be 147 lb. Hopefully by the end of July. It’s slow but steady.
Keep plodding everyone. Little steps in the right direction. We can do this.

H well done CCATHY! Your patience has paid off 🥳🥳🥳🥳and good news re the wave therapy xx things are defo looking up!X

😜well done cc
I am in France on holiday but read your post and had to congratulate you keep going you will definitely get there by Christmas 🎄

Will send a proper message to everyone on my return
Lv nokie 😘

Hi NOKIE! Happy hol x

Back up to 150 lb today- think it’s going to take a few weeks to consolidate any loss! Up and down seems to be the way I go. Eating well and healthily and keeping my blood sugar levels in the normal zone. I’m having a repeat HbA1c next month so it will be interesting to see if the changes I’ve made have made any difference to my pre diabetes diagnosis. I’m not giving up this fight until Christmas!

I’ve found a great way to get me from lunch time to tea time. An iced coffee! ☕️ I have a Nespresso machine so just make a small coffee and add a large ice cube and then add cold frothed almond milk. It’s delicious and feels like such a treat.

Hi everyone,
I have been very busy harvesting garlic for the last week. It is all hanging to cure in the shed now, just in time for the weather to turn. I doubt we will get much rain, but hopefully some cooler temperatures. We have been over 40 C the last few days, but wildfire smoke has rolled in today so it is a bit cooler already. Just hoping that we don’t get too many more fire starts with the expected storms this evening. We already had a lightning show at 5am, and the winds have just picked up.
It has been a bit challenging figuring out what to eat in the hot weather. I always struggle with this, but feel I’ve been doing a bit better with it this year. I made a chickpea and quinoa salad though by cooking the quinoa in the microwave. That lasted 3 days for lunches and dinners. Then I mostly just had fruit and raw veggies to munch on. I am going to take advantage of the cooler week to try to batch cook a few things. I have a new curry recipe I want to try, and will have a frittata and possibly a lasagne made with zuchinni instead of pasta. Also some portobello mushroom pizzas and kale chips.
Hope everyone is doing ok. Cathy, well done with getting under 150, and good idea about the iced coffee. It reminded me that my sister gave me a bunch of herbal teas she bought but never used that might make good iced tea. I’ll have to try some this week. I’ve mostly been sticking to water and club soda this week with a slice of lemon or lime added. And smoothies – berries, greek yogurt, spinach and spices.
Well, back to work for me. I need to finish clearing some weeds from around the house given the current fire risk, then housework and off to a local farm stand to buy the kale and zuchinni. Yes, I live on a farm, and no, I didn’t get my act together enough to plant those things earlier in the season. I have zuchinni coming though and will plant some kale and broccoli for fall. Not enough time to get everything done!

Hi everyone. I’m back from holiday and just catching up with posts. I had a fabulous time! I also stuck to healthy food options for most of the time and was pleased to see I’ve maintained whilst I’ve been away. So I’m now firmly back on board again and hoping to see a decent loss by the end of this journey. We have 5 weeks to go until the end of August, and I’m aiming for 1lb per week during that time.

ARCTICFOX your food planning sounds great, and has given me some inspiration. That’s the side of things Im not very good at. I tend to be very unimaginative and stick to the same meals – usually fish and veg – because I don’t take the time to think and plan before I shop.

CATHY it sounds as if you are doing well. I hope you not only get back below 150 soon but also stay there. And that your next tests show really good results. I also hope that you can get your foot problem sorted.

ANNIEW thanks for the tip on the Fage yoghurt. I’ve not tried that brand before so will add it my shopping list. Some great ideas for things to add as well!

NOKIE I hope you had a great holiday too?

MARIET you posted on the previous thread (May/June). Good to hear you are maintaining despite the odd slip, and I hope you have a wonderful 4 weeks leave. We actually have some decent weather here in the UK at the moment so I hope yours is kind to you too.

YOWZER how are you? In your last post you were struggling with sciatica and I really hope that it has improved since then?

Hope everyone else reading this is doing ok? Do let us know how you are getting on.And have a great weekend X

Hello Dct and everyone aboard the bus 🥰
I am back from France 🇫🇷 now had a lovely time in La Rochelle the weather was kind to us so nice to see the sun 🌞 and now it’s shining in England!!
Hope everyone is ok I put on 2.5 pounds 😜 I know it’s naughty and my own fault i climbed off the bus 🚌 for ten days just goes to show what happens if I leave my 💺 seat!!!🤣
Back on board now and strapped in so I must get rid of the pounds and some more
I always have the FAGE yoghurt with berries and nuts for my breakfast it’s thick but I really like it
Have a good weekend everyone I will be in touch next week as still busy unpacking!!
Lv nokie 😘 x

Very quiet on this thread. Welcome back Nokie. Glad your time away didn’t do too much damage.
Cathy – I hope you’ve been able to solidify the under 150 and hope you’re still on target to meet your goal.
DCT – I didn’t quite make everything on my meal plan, but that’s ok. I made a zucchini oven pancake instead of the lasagne. It had almond flour instead of regular and red and orange peppers as well as the zucchini. I thought it would be a way to use up some eggs. I haven’t been eating eggs as much because they cause me to reflux quite badly. It made 6 servings and only had 3 eggs, so only 1/2 egg per serving, so I thought it would be safe. Nope! Terrible instant reflux upon eating it and I still have 4 servings left!
So, I’m definitely going to plan to do the elimination diet. Just need to slowly get organized and figure out what I’m going to do and what I’m going to eat on which weeks. It’s going to make things very difficult if I can’t eat eggs again, but luckily the soy-free tofu seems ok. Unfortunately it seems a lot of the other high protein foods that I typically eat are causing me to reflux, such as greek yogurt. Milk and kefir seem ok though. I’m hoping that if I can figure out what is truly bothering me that it might drop my inflammation down so I can finally lose some more weight and fluid.

Hello all
Just catching up on all the posts – I was sure I had hit the subscribe button but obviously hadn’t.
We’ve had the flu going around our household – luckily I was spared, maybe because I’m the only one who has the flu vaccine this year lol.
I have no weight loss to report, it’s the opposite unfortunately, I’ve put on another 2kg while my fractured ankle was healing, most likely because of the lack of exercise during the 9 weeks I had the injury but also comfort eating during winter, it’s been really cold this year and have a few stressful things I’m dealing with.
Anyway it’s encouraging to hear that others are doing well 🙂
I’m going to get my act together this week and try to reverse the recent gains – it’s my birthday in about 6 weeks so I’m aiming for a 2-3kg loss by mid September 🙂

Hello everyone
Nice to read your news. Well done Nokie on only gaining 2.5 lbs whilst on holiday! I think that’s incredible. I can put that on over a healthy eating weekend! DCT how on earth did you manage to maintain on holiday? I am very impressed.
Good to see you back on the bus SueBlue. It must have been so frustrating for you waiting for your ankle to heal. Once you are able to get walking again you’ll soon see the reward on the scales. Don’t be hard on yourself- it’s a small setback.
Arcticfox – good luck with your elimination diet- it would be fantastic to find out what the culprits are. What a shame about eggs- as a vegetarian I find them such a great source of protein. It’s hard when we have so many restrictions in our diet. I often think meat eaters would find this way of eating so much easier than us veggies.
I am fluctuating between 149.2 and 150.6 – I can’t seem to consolidate any weight loss! I am doing time restricted eating and so missing breakfast and eating between 1 pm and 7 pm. It’s five weeks til my cruise but I honestly don’t feel I’ll be able to lose more weight. I am having my repeat HbA1c next week and so I’ll be able to see if I’ve made any changes. I was 42 and 41 would be normal so I am hoping that by losing weight and staying low carb and exercising I have reversed the pre diabetes numbers . I’ll report back after I get my results. The blood test is on Tuesday next week. I am keeping focused and eating healthy food. I am trying to avoid ultra processed foods and keeping to natural foods. It’s not too difficult to be honest. I am going to keep trying to lose a pound here and there until I reach my goal of 142 lbs but I am looking forward just focusing on maintenance in 2025 and calling it a day. I feel like the last few years have been a really difficult uphill slog! I am having shock wave therapy starting next Monday for my plantar fasciitis/ it’s a three week treatment once a week. I’m hoping it will heal my PF and enable me to walk more. Enjoy the sunshine those of us in the UK- nice to see the sun after such a poor summer here in the North West of England.

Hi all! Well,we jumped through July and we shall now Advance through August,driving up hills and down dales!
Ive been very ‘ good’ for the last eight weeks, but too scared to weigh,in case the scales disappoint. I feel I might not have really lost much the last few weeks. Bust and wrists (!)are thinner,but elsewhere feels same. But I will continue,undefeated! Ive got to the stage where the idea of eating bread,spuds,pasta,, feels almost impossible to imagine,and Ive got sweets and chocolate in the house ( bought as gifts for upcoming bdays etc) and not been tempted in the least. So I guess thats a NSV. I know Ive lost more than the weight of our cat (he weighs in at 16lb) and he is sooo heavy when you lift him up,so its good to know Im not now carrying the equivalent of him around 24/7 😄 wd be nice to now lose the equivalent of a few extra cat tails,snouts and ears!
SUEBLUE get well soon x I m having a bad attack of sciatica,so I feel for you. Its hard not being fully mobile!
Hope yr family have recovered now from flu – my daughter has scarlet fever at the mo..theres always something isnt there!
CCATHY,my eating window is about the same as yours most days,seems to suit me quite well.
Good luck with your tests next week!x
ARCTIC,best of luck with the elimination diet,hope you get to the bottom of your problem and find the culprit( s). Reflux is horrible isnt it. x
NOKIE,that was good going only gaining 2.5 lb on holiday,it will only be water weight,so it should vanish quickly now youre back on track. Hope you had a lovely time x
Hi DCT! Im still struggling with sciatica,hopefully it will go as suddenly as it came. Thanks for asking.
I’m same as you,tend to stick to the same few meals over and over. A bit unimaginative but if we enjoy them,and theyre healthy,its all that matters.x
Keep smiling everyone and hold tight as we travel on and become losers in the nicest possible way!
Be happy,have fun!XX
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Hi everyone!

SUE good to see you back on board, and good luck for your birthday goal. CATHY it sounds as if you have a lot going on at the moment and I’m always so impressed with your positive attitude. I really hope that you do lose the weight you want to before your cruise. On the one hand it doesn’t matter at all if you don’t : you’ll have a fabulous time anyway. But I know you’ve tried so hard so would love to see a whoosh for you before then!

ARCTIC FOX how frustrating about the eggs. If it is actually them that is causing the issue, but it is looking increasingly like it. I hope you can get a definitive picture of what you can and can’t eat to make things simpler for you. Well done for keeping trying. NOKIE how are your “holiday extras” doing? Hopefully as Yowzer said it’s mostly water weight. I was luck on my holidays as it was an all inclusive hotel with a fab buffet but fortunately they did some lovely healthy options along with everything else. So whilst I ate a higher quantity than I normally would it was mostly high protein low carb options which I really enjoyed. And I guess as it was very hot and I swam a lot that kind of mopped up any collateral damage.

If anything, I’ve been worse since I’ve got back – slipping into some of my old bad habits again! So no loss this week. But as YOWZER said, we still have a month to go, and I’m determined to get back into the 9’s – ie below 140lb – by then. Just need to try a bit harder than I have this week!

YOWZER I do hope your sciatica improves soon. So sorry to hear you’re struggling with it and sending hugs xx. Other than that, it sounds as if you are doing really well and I love the weight loss analogy of your 16lb cat! When you put it in those terms I think we can all be proud of any loss we have achieved recently. Even a 2lb bag of sugar (bad analogy I know!!) feels pretty significant when you pick it up, yet we are so quick to bemoan the fact if we’ve “only” lost 2lb over a particular journey.

It really is a case of “every little helps” and also – as many others have said – the NSV’s that happen as well. I’m sure I’ve lost some fat from my waist recently as there are a couple of items that are now sliding down and never used to. I’m just rubbish at remembering to take and record measurements so I can’t be sure.

Have a great weekend everyone, and keep plugging away. We’re only halfway through this journey so there’s time to either double your success or reverse your disappointment!

Hi everyone
Thanks for asking Dct about my Pounds I put on holiday I will weigh tomorrow morning so hope they have gone !!
I have been good all week but lost the plot today !! Not sure what happened but needed food that i should not eat 🤣🤣
Hope you feel better yowzer and sue hope you have a great cruise don’t worry about those last pounds you deserve to enjoy your holiday
Hope everyone had a good weekend
Hubby at hospital Monday for more tests so just a lazy weekend for us will try and stay on my seat 💺
Lv nokie 😘 x

Hi everyone,
Very busy as always, so just popping in to report a NSV. Went swimming today for the first time in a few weeks (pool was too warm during the hottest spell – 35 C!! It was like bath water and not refreshing to swim in). My swimsuit continues to get looser. Might need a new one soon!

ArcticFox that is a fantastic NSV. You’ll feel fantastic wearing a size smaller— the scales don’t always tell us the whole truth. Well done.
Yowser-I hope your sciatica improves – it’s so incredibly painful.
I’m not making a lot of progress but am sticking to 149/150. I’m excited to see if I’ve influence my pre diabetes next week. I’ll be delighted if I have. I’ll report back next week.

Hello
I’ve had some good news today- my HbA1c is back to normal so I am not pre diabetic and I am thrilled my hard work has paid off. I had my first shock wave therapy on Monday for my plantar fasciitis and it wasn’t as painful as I was expecting. I’m having a course of three and keeping my fingers crossed it helps as I want to help my weight loss with walking. Anyway, great news today so onwards and downwards: hope everyone is doing well.

Hello Cathy
Wow 😘😘😘😘well done so pleased for you you must be over the moon all your hard work has paid off really proud of you I know we have never met but all our little group keep each other going through the year and your news will be a great incentive to stay on our bus and keep going thanks for posting your news
Hope everyone ok

Lv nokie x💞

Well done, Cathy! You’ve worked so hard so you deserve to see some good results.
I’m trying my best to stay on piste despite some sudden stress. I may not be checking in often over the next while as there is a large wildfire burning less than 10km from my property. It more than doubled in size overnight, so just hoping that conditions stay calm today and they can get a handle on it. The one good thing is that when I’m this stressed, I don’t feel like eating much. Just trying to force myself to eat regularly and fairly healthily, so I don’t suddenly realize I’m ravenous and at that point only want to eat junk.

Oh my goodness ArcticFox- I hope the firefighters can extinguish the fire and the weather calms down. What a terrible worry. Stay safe and sound and I hope things improve. Let us know how you are doing when you can. We will all be wishing you and your neighbours well.

Hi CCATHY thats lovely news and well deserved,you have stayed very patient and committed and deserve this good outcome. Im glad the therapy wasnt painful as expected. Ive had PF so I know how horrid it can be,i hope the 3 sessions sorts you out so you can walk more. I can barely walk at all with sciatica ( 5 weeks now 🙄);and feel like ive lost no weight at all recently as Im so sedentary at the moment. But onwards and downwards,we plod on!X
ARCTIC I hope you and yours are all ok,we have got our fingers crossed this scary situation resolves asap.Please keep us posted X
NOKIE I agree. Its amazing how much support and comfort we all share on here. The internet can be a great resource and I feel genuine affection for the folks Ive met here and on other threads X