Morning all- according to my all singing and dancing new scales I am 146lb this morning so am down from my post holiday weight of 151 lb already so it must have been fluid retention that caused me to gain 7lb in a week. I am back on track and enjoying feeling back in my comfort zone. The hot British weather has encouraged plenty of water drinking! Hope everyone is keeping up their good work.

SueBlue- great to read how well you are doing- you are back in the zone and doing great- keep going and keep inspiring us all!

Have a good week all. Am hoping to lose 2lb next week and my next mini goal is to get into the next stone down bracket!

Well done everybody, love reading your news. I’m delighted to report a 3lb loss this week, weighing in at 10st 1 this morning and the 9’s are almost within grasp…

In this week I’ve had a family gathering/buffet, a night out with friends and four days away from home having to eat ‘on the hoof’ so I’ve done well to hang on in there, will be off again for four days this week so wish me luck…!

Some excellent results being reported – congrats everyone, keep it going. I can report a 1.2lb lose, which given the up and down results through the week and having a couple of days with alcohol featuring, I’m quite content with this as the lose for the week.

Plan is to consolidate this, press ahead and report at least a similar result this time next week. To this end I am extending my overnight fast Monday to Friday and keeping carbs really low.

Looking forward to reading posts from those who haven’t posted yet and wishing everyone a successful week ahead. Onwards and downwards.

Wow! Well done everyone ! Seems we’re all having a good week!
I’ve removed 2lb this week, even after my all night binge early in the week! Hoping to see 11s on the scales next week, that will be so inspiring for me.. I managed to fit in size 14 trousers very comfortably, I don’t think it will be too long till I reach my size 12 goal.. I couldn’t have imagined feeling this good when I started this woe.. Actually, this is a milestone result for me, I’ve lost 3 stone!,
I’m trying to keep my fat intake up, more difficult than it sounds, I’m not a fan of fat! But I am getting used to advocado, half a day definitely helps the fat count. Also, I’m experimenting this week with eating in an 8 hour window 12miday till 8pm, I’ve done it a few days this week and at the moment I think it suits me. We shall see how I feel for the next week!
Thanks to all our friends for the lovely messages of support to us here in Britain, to everyone in Britain, let’s hope and pray that there is no more bad, bad news this week. Sometimes it’s just too much to bear. Let’s hope that people’s humanity keeps shining on through .
Keep on keeping on and movin’ on down!
Luv Ann x

Hey Pod – excellent result – congrats on hitting that 3st mark and getting into size 14 trousers. You’ll soon be in the size 12’s I’m sure. Have you tried a drizzle of olive oil on salad and a little double cream in coffee to help boost the fats? Actually, I bought a spray basil flavoured oil from Lidl, which is lovely squirted on salad.
I’ve taken to extending my overnight fast too and it seems to be going okay. My appetite seems to be a bit depressed by the humid weather and drinking more due to the heat definitely helps me hold out ’til lunch.
Keep going and I’ll look forward to reading good news from you next week too.

Yay !! Excellent results everybody. I am down 3lbs too this week. Feels good. The best part is the cravings are gone.

Well done, everyone! Inspiring to hear all your triumphs, although I feel I’m letting you down massively as have put on 5lbs this week. 5 lbs. On the plus side, my jeans feel just as loose as they did before the challenge so I’m trying not to be too down about the numbers. Will keep on keeping on.

froggy x

Might you have some water retention going Froggy? You would certainly have had to be way off the BSD to put on 5lb in a week, so it’s much more likely to be water than fat gained. As your jeans are still loose, I’m sure there’s no reason to be overly concerned, but it is tough to stay positive in the face of these set backs.

Make sure you are drinking enough and staying well hydrated, which is especially important in this hotter weather and just have a quick review to see if there were any little slips or blips through the week.

Most importantly, start afresh from today and I’m sure you will be reporting good things next week – good luck.

Keep on keeping on froggy (I’m loving your name!) doesn’t matter how many times we fall, just keep on getting up!
Sunnyb had some good pointers for us all, a mine of info she has. Thanks Sunnyb, I’ve just drizzled walnut oil on my salad and it was ok! Not so sure about cream in coffee, I did try it once, didn’t like it too much! I do like my coffee strong and black!
Good wishes everyone for the coming week, it’s so much easier to drink gallons of water now it’s soooooo blinkin’
Hot!!
Ann x

I didn’t weigh today!! Is it cheating to report in a day late.

Hey Baristagirls, not cheating, just a bit late to the party!

My fast day went brilliantly yesterday until the evening when I started eating again. Still stopped just under TDEE but definitely got ambushed by the carb monster. Carbs actually weren’t too much higher than a normal day in the end thanks to starting on a 16:8 pattern, but water retention hit, possibly because I was a little under hydrated yesterday, and I was back to out of my comfort zone this morning with a 11 stone 1.6 pounds. That is BMI 25 as well, so the first time back over that milestone since I hit my target. Fasted today instead, with a slightly high 1000 calories, but then I did play badminton so that should help it to count. It was a sub 40g carb day though.

Weighed in this morning as an overall 2lb loss from last week – lost 4 last week and regained 2.

I tell you, it goes on a lot easier than it comes off! 😡

I’ve succumbed to anxiety which in turn means I’ve let the carb monsters be in charge instead of me being in charge. No damned control whatsoever. Feeling angry and bloated.

Not clinical anxiety but the anxiety/anger around the renos which should have been straight-forward and have instead turned into the never- ending story.
I’ll sort me tomorrow. But the blithering idiot managers of the blithering idiot scaffolding and guttering and patio installing tradies? …….. words fall me. I meant to say fail but maybe fall is just as good. 😤

Hi Marsie – sorry to hear you’re having a bad time and have succumbed to the dreaded carb monster. Get him back in his cage as soon as you can and lock him in good and tight! . Once things settle down you will be back in control and showing him whose boss. You have got four days until the Tuesday weigh in so hopefully things won’t be as bad as you fear by then.

Keep strong everyone, that carb monster is waiting to pounce on us all!

Thanks for your support ClarinetCathy. Managed to reign things in over the weekend and today so will see what tomorrow’s weigh-in shows. And, big plus, have remained polite to the tradies despite all provocation. In any case problems are more with the employers than the employees.

See you all tomorrow.

Love and hugs Marsie.
X B

Tuesdays seem to come around so quickly lately!
Weigh-in this morning showed another 600g (1.3lb) gone, so very happy about that. It’s also meant I’ve gone under my goal weight for this 4 week round. I set the goal based on my usual slow losses. So I’m now focussing on getting closer to my next goal weight, which is 3.6kg away. (I have a total of 18.6kg to lose all up, so have broken it down into 5kg chunks). I managed 71,000 steps last week, so looking to up that to 75,000. Calories averaged 900 per day – after 5 months on BSD I’m finding 900 easier to stick to – and I’m actually losing weight at a steady rate now!

Should clarify re the 900calories. I mainly do 5:2 but in reverse – 5 days of 800 calories and extra on 2 days. When averaged out across the week it is 900 calories per day.

Tuesday morning weigh in, back down to 10 stone 12.2 so the water retention is gone. I was away camping for the weekend so got in plenty of steps, it adds up quickly when there is a short hike to the toilet and shower blocks, so despite many indulgences I feel a lot better than I did in the heat last week.

I am changing my maintenance strategy. The ‘anything day’ was leaving me unsettled and craving bad stuff so had started to spread to two or three days usually just checked by my Monday fast day, so I am restarting Mon-Thurs 5:2 (except for Monday bank holidays and my birthday this week which is on a Thursday, so 6:1) and using the Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet idea of allowing bad stuff every non fast day if I want, but within a strictly controlled time period, to minimise the insulin rise. The rest of the time I will stay on Med style 5:2. Now I have read that book I know what to call what caused my obesity, so I am a recovered hyperinsulinemic. If their method does help stop that happening again, it may be useful for others when they get to this point to stop the whole hyperinsulinemia starting the yo-yo cycle again.

I maintained this week, exactly the same weight down to the ounce. Normally would be happy with that but this isn’t helping me achieve my goal……..

I don’t think I posted my weight last week – I think because I was a bit cross with myself. I had gone up to 9 stone 7.5lbs which is right at the top end of my maintenance weight. The culprit was double cream. Instead of 2 teaspoons in my coffee I had started chucking it in – plus having another couple of table spoons every time I went to the fridge. Delicious – but very naughty and not very healthy to have so much cream.

Fat secret said my calories had gone up to nearly 3000 per day!!! So last week I went back to 2 teaspoons of cream in my coffee and no extra spoonfuls at any other time. Calories per day about 1600/1800. The intention was to do a few days on 800 starting today. I needed a week to get my head in the right place for doing the 800 again. So really surprised that weight this morning is 9 stone 5.5lbs.

Quite shocked actually – because who loses weight on that amount of calories. I definitely couldn’t when I started the BSD. So will carry on as I am because I don’t want to drop any more than another pound. I am not missing the extra cream at all and my coffee tastes so much better with only two teaspoons of cream.

I’m a bit dispirited too this morning baristagirl! Have been away working and had to make quite gargantuan efforts at times to stick to the plan, counting calories wasn’t possible and in the evenings couldn’t choose my meals but managed to stick to the principles. That meant not touching a potato or dessert or alcohol in the evenings, having mushroom soup at lunchtime when everyone else had the most delicious fish and chips, walking out of a sandwich shop empty handed one lunchtime and having a few bites of cheese and an orange instead, and generally having next to nothing for breakfast. I tried so hard and have gained a half a pound this week for my efforts!
So I badly need help to get inspired again for the next two weeks!
And I so want to get under ten stones… 10 st 1 3/4 lbs this morning… 🙁

Seems like there have been quite a few good results this week. Don’t beat yourself up about staying the same Baristagirls – sure it’s frustrating, but it’s not a gain and if you stay focused and stick with it you will be posting a loss next week. It’s all too easy to drop into bad habits isn’t it KrysiaD? That’s what happened to me while we were away, when it became a habit to have at least one glass of wine every time we ate out and to have a little cake a few times a week – it all adds up.

For this week, I can report a loss of 2.8lb despite a couple of gains during the week. It was a pleasant surprise, as I was expecting much less. This brings me to within 2lb of target weight again, which I’ll be happy to reach in the next couple of weeks, as 2lb+ loss in a week is really unusual for me. I have decided that once I get to target weight, I’ll try to drop a couple of extra pounds to give myself a buffer zone, before I drop back to maintenance again. I have just under three months to our next big trip away, so I’m confident I can be where I want to be before then.

Hope to read lots of other positive posts later today and to those who aren’t so lucky, don’t be discouraged, it will come right if you stick with it. Good luck everyone.

HI Everyone, I had a very strange week, did well till friday when I started to want to eat everything.Surprising that on sunday I was down to 81 kg an all time low.celebrated with bread with jam and cream.a whole block of dark chocolate etc etc
Needless to say today 81.7kg and still trying to get back on track.Im not too concerned I know if I put in a good effort it will be gone in 3 days.Ive got a new theory that getting mad at my self would be too negstive and so Im just moving on.cheers to all who are doing well and dont giveto the rest.

Hello all,

Earlier in the day I had my post almost complete when one of the tradesmen working outside today (for which I give sincere thanks and also say “not before time!”) needed to consult. By the time I came back in the post had disappeared and here I am only getting back to you at 11pm. So a short post, for which some may give thanks.

I weighed in today at 63.9kg. 900 gms more than last Tuesday. Carbs, carbs, carbs. Posted earlier of my struggles this week. Did well yesterday until after dinner when I attacked the 85%/GF chocolate I keep in the house for OH, who, drat him, she says enviously, has always been able to have 1 square and walk away. Did better again today.

Too late now to comment on others’ posts, but I am always inspired by you all. Good luck this week, goodnight now xx Marilyn

SunnyB – yes it is so easy to drop into bad habits. The great thing is that, for me, staying on this forum has helped me become aware of what I need to do to achieve long term success. It isn’t by being perfect – it is by keeping on keeping on and accepting that sometimes things go wrong but that it doesn’t matter in the long term.

So – I won’t stress over eating a whole jar of meridian crunchy almond butter in 2 days – even though it was an amazing amount of calories nor the pots of double cream I consumed recently. They are little blips on my journey to better health.

Well done for your weight loss this week and for anyone who didn’t lose – or put weight on – well done for keeping on keeping on.

Quick hello.

Not sure where I’m up to with this challenge but I think we’ve just completed 2 weeks. So, my goal was to stand still I think because I’m on holiday. I’ve put on 2.8lbs over the last two weeks but not too upset with that. I’m not weighing or counting or logging but eating with gay abandon but within BSD principles plus wine! Very warm here so I’m taking on board Mixnmatch’s theory that water retention puts on 3lbs in hot weather. So I’ve lost!!!

That’s my story and I’m sticking too it!

Hope you’ve all had a good week and sorry I’ve not answered other posts, but well done to the losers and for those of us still trying we just have to keep on keeping on….

Hello everyone

This morning I weighed in at 143.8 lbs and have lost 2.4 lb this week. My BMI is 27.2. I have had a good week avoiding bad carbs but feel I need to start looking at eating more variety. My husband has “gone vegan” after being vegetarian like me for almost 30 years so that means a lot of the food I used to cook that we shared I no longer cook for us to share so I feel like I am just eating omelettes, yoghurt, cheese and salad. I am taking a good multi vitamin but I need to up my game now for the next few weeks. I am in my 24th week of BSD now. I am hoping that another round of BSD 8 weeks will take me to a near normal BMI.

MaisieMouse- it’s so hard when everyone else around you seems to eat and drink whatever they want and we have to make sacrifices. My colleagues have been ridiculing me at work this week for suggesting that instead of having a glass of beer in the lovely sunshine they choose to drink sparkling water if they want to lose weight! Like you my next mini goal is to get under 10 stone- I am about 4 lb away so next month that will be my main challenge.

Have enjoyed reading the posts today. Keep chipping away everyone. – we’re all doing so well keeping on keeping on!

Hi all… nearly didn’t post today, as I am in the pits.
Unbelievably l’ve removed 3lbs this week, should be elated but I’m in the depths.
The depression monster has been baiting me for weeks. I tell myself something to eat will make me feel better, then tell myself it won’t and basically argue with myself constantly. Basically a comfort eater I’ve been craving carbs, basically bread, for weeks. I’ve managed to distract it with water, cycling , swimming and anything else I can do. Today I just couldn’t be bothered and tonight have basically given up. I was at the docs last week and she has upped my anti depressants, not what I want but what I need. I’m hoping to get it together and not beat myself up, have a long soak in the bath and start again tomorrow. Depression is sh*t and no matter how hard I try, it gets me in the end. Anyhow, hopefully be happier next week. Oh, and by the way today I haven’t smoked for one whole year, Who would’ve thought!,
Ann x

.

HI Pod

I am so glad you did post today and congratulations on another 3lb loss. It is so difficult at times having to say NO to the nasty carb monster but I think you would feel a whole lot worse if you did give in. It can’t be easy living with depression but you have proved how strong your will power is by being a non smoker now for twelve months and doing so well on BSD. You are obviously a vey strong person. That is a massive achievement. Hopefully the antidepressants will kick in soon and you will be feeling so much stronger and ready to continue on your BSD journey with us all.. You’ve done so well losing an incredible three stone in weight and it won’t be long before you’re in those size 12’s. Sending you a big hug and hoping you feel better very soon.

Cathy

Hey Pod – sorry to read that you are struggling at the moment. Hopefully the new dosage for the anti-depressants will set you right and you will soon be feeling better. Meanwhile, excellent news about the 3lb loss and a big congrats on achieving a whole year smoke free. All-in-all you are doing brilliantly, despite the struggle with depression. Keep posting and we’ll keep supporting – onwards and downwards (weigh-wise that is). x

Thanks Sunnyb and clarinet Cathy, weight wise I’m doing good. Although I’ve blown today’s calorie count, apart from the potatoes and sausage, tonight eating coconut flour bread I made a couple of weeks ago, it was in the freezer. So at least didn’t give into the carb monster again, I did get a piece of OH bread out of the bread bin, went to put it in the toaster and thought ” what are you doing” and put it back in the bread bin! I must have some will power then!

Seems to me you have heaps of will power, Pod! Don’t worry about the excess calories today, you can get back to the programme tomorrow and today’s blip almost certainly won’t register on the scales, so just ignore it. Just keep on keeping on.

My BSD birthday passed unheralded a week ago! I had to look back to make sure of the date but June 20th 2016 was my first 800 calorie fast day, replacing the standard 5:2 I had been on up to that point. My actual birthday is on Thursday this week, and there will be some indulgences over the next few days, as only seems fair. 😀

I went for a second boditrax scan today at the gym. Fat percentage was down a little from 22.5% in December to 21.8% now, muscle and hydration were also a little lower, but I expected that as I haven’t upped my exercise, and the exercise I am doing no longer involves hauling that extra weight around. Pleasingly the visceral fat reading was still 4, so the same as it was immediately after finishing the 8 weeks, and we’ll into the healthy range. I am still in the same thin/muscular zone on the body composition grid, so won’t be trying to lose any more weight just yet.

That’s fantastic Mixnmatch!! Just really excellent. I am sure you are very pleased with your hard work!

Great news Mixnmatch!

Ann/pod, thank you for posting. Your results speak very much of your strong character. To achieve progress with weight loss, AND also becoming a non-smoker, in the face of clinical depression is very, very impressive. I hope your meds are now right for you.

Hugs and love to you in your continuing journey🙅💜 Marilyn

Great maintenance Mixnmatch. It’s always good to hear of people maintaining over a long period.

Thank you all. It is quite interesting looking at the distribution of the fat I have left. My trunk reading is down to 18.4%, at 6.8kg only left, my arms have about 1kg each, and my legs just over 3kg each. Apart from maybe a little more off the legs, I really don’t think it would be healthy to lose any more, even if my BMI is still quite high at 24.6. I will pick up on the weights work though to try to stop losing more muscle. It is such great stuff for driving the metabolism.

Mixnmatch, please don’t consider 24.6 as a high BMI. Not only is it in the normal range, we are all so different that I personally dislike BMI as a standard measurer of what we should be. At my good weight I am also exactly that amount, and that’s quite nice and slim 🙂 I have very heavy bones so BMI doesn’t hold much water!

Well done MnM, great maintaining – and a belated happy BSD birthday to you, and an early happy actual birthday to you too.

As far as your BMI goes, as Baristagirls says, we are all different. Case in point, my fat %age is higher than yours at 23.1 (don’t know the distribution), my water %age is 56.1 and yet my BMI is only 21. On the basis I have a higher fat %age than you, one would have thought my BMI should be higher than yours, so there are other factors involved. BMI should be taken as a rough universal indicator only – there is no way that one size can fit all – and on all the measurements that really count, you are in FANTASTIC shape. Well done.

I didn’t join this thread as I was going to be away for most of it. Maybe I should have as I’m still trying to get maintaining right, but still dropping, despite a 2 week holiday – went away 2lbs under target, and came home 5lbs under target, so will have to increase my cals / carbs a little more, but I’m off for a luxury 5 day break on Friday (Christmas present from our son and his wife) and as there will be loads of fabulous food and copious amounts of wine, I am very happy to have that 5lbs to play with atm. 😜

Thanks for your comments, I know the BMI is a rubbish system. I shudder to think what I would look and feel like if I lost the remaining stone to what the Boditrax reckons is my ideal weight, 9 stone 11. If I look at the muscle mass though I’ve got almost 10kg more than what it reckons is ideal. I show as 51.6 kg muscle and the scanner reckons the ideal amount is 41.9 kg. Since there is quite a lot less than 10kg between my current weight 69.4kg and ideal weight (according to the Boditrax) of 62.1kg I am clearly quite skinny enough already. I am really glad I did the scan though, because my bathroom scales still keep stubbornly telling me my body fat percentage is 34%!!!! Enjoy your gourmet break, Theodora and make full use of that wiggle room if necessary.

Well done mixnmatch, you is awesome! Well done for maintaining and staying the course xx
Have a lovely break Theodora xx
Thank you for your lovely comments Marsie xx

Hello all

Late to the party due to copious amounts of wedding celebrations. Dared to step back on the scales yesterday and have found an extra 5lbs from when I ‘started’ this challenge. Went straight back to this WOE yesterday and have already pulled back 2lbs. Boy did I have a good time though 🙂

Still, back to it, back at work, the humdrum of normalcy is kicking in and there are still two weigh ins on this challenge. I started this challenge hoping to go under 9st. I need to lose 7lbs in 10 days. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. Still – you only get married once (mostly)

Welcome back Topcac, well done on only gaining 5lb – I have gained 55lb since my wedding day 🙁 admittedly it was almost 26 years ago, and I’m doing something about it now, but still…
It’s great that you’ve lost 2lb already 🙂

HI All.not much to report here.the weather is cold and wet so feeling tempted to eat a lot. I always overeat on weakends.I weigh daily and check BGL daily both are hovering at the same levels this week. So I wont get to my target by tuesday.Im not too worried as Im going on holiday to Singapore and thailand on wednesday so I will probably over eat while Im away .I wish someone would do a BSD Asian diet as its teally hardto stay off the carbs .I hope you are all enjoying your weekend.Best wishes to you all.

Good to see you back and in good form topcac. It seems you’re getting right back on track.

As Butterlover said, it’s cold and wet here, and goodness I’m craving “stodge” -white bread, (none in the house) crumpets (n i t h) mashed potatoes (not doing it) spaghetti bollanaise (had the bol without the spag). I need to stay distracted. …..

Hi all
Its been awhile since I posted. Great to find this thread and the familiar names. My aim to be 9stone anything by August is probably just about possible if I get myself together. I’m 10st 7. My lowest was 10 4. I’ve been staying around the 10.7 for awhile now. Wine has crept in and so too bread, rice this weekend and a few chips fell into my mouth. I feel I can still do this but need my mojo back. I’ve never counted on this way of eating so pondering that (again). Wondering if the clever guts would get me motivated again…. thoughts or opinions would be welcomed. Great to read all the inspirational stories again x

Weigh in today – up 1.5lbs to 9st 7lbs. All of it at the weekend. Daughter and family up for the weekend so lots and lots of really lovely BSD friendly food – and I do mean LOTS.

Yesterday I was still so full that I had to throw away half my dinner because I just couldn’t eat it – even though it was one of my favourites. This morning still not very hungry. What a difference from before BSD. I would have had a carb fest which would have left me hungry and desperately craving carbs (and of course eating – or maybe devouring them is the word that describes how I act when in the clutches of the carb monster). It does make me feel hopeful that I will be able to sustain this in the long term.

Had a wonderful time clothes shopping yesterday. I actually found 3 lovely summer tops in M&S with slightly longer sleeves. Really short sleeves don’t suit my 69 year old arms.

So still maintaining – on the 10th it will be 7 months.