Just Keep on Keeping on in June ! Week beginning 14th June 2022

We have not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you are have any health related symptoms or concerns, you should contact your doctor who will be able to give you advice specific to your situation.

  • posted by wendleg
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    Reading through last week’s thread I would just say don’t worry if your progress is different from others or what Michael Mosley suggests. There are so many factors at play, starting weight, insulin resistance, water retention, length of time on the program etc etc .

    Don’t get frustrated or despondent and remember you are doing this for your health and well being . The number on the scale is uplifting if it is going in the right direction but can be discouraging if not.
    You are still setting yourself up for massive benefits in terms of your health.

    So we are going to Keep on Keeping on in June !

    Crikey we are already half way through the month. Silly temperatures here , thank goodness for aqua gym !
    SG that pool of yours will be your saviour when we hit 40 degrees !!

    Good luck everyone for this coming week xx
    Wendy , sunshine-girl and Sunny B XXXX

  • posted by MrsH22
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    Thank you Wendy, sunshine-girl and Sunny B.

    It’s sometimes easy to get carried away with things.

    Have a great week everyone.

    Laura 😀

  • posted by FlowersForever
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    Hi wendleg
    I’m here. My challenge for this week is to reach 62Kg. Currently at 62.4, so it should be possible this week. I also hope to inspire others to stick with it. I really want hear what everyone is doing to make this work. All ideas are really appreciated. Menu options too, to make it easier. I am so used to TRE that I now need to set an alarm to remind me to eat. I’m really interested to know what works for you
    FlowersForever.

  • posted by HopefulinOz
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    Hi everyone – lovely to be back. Wendy – your opening messages always strike a chord – so true that there are so many variables at play and the results are different for all of us.
    FlowersForever – you asked what my tweaks are. They are nothing remarkable I am afraid, but are based on what I found worked for me when I did this last year. You see, finding something that actually worked was amazing for me – I have been trying weight loss diets probably for about 25 years on and off as I had always been on the heavier side. I am very short at 5 foot 1, and excess weight shows easily on my body. When I tried the Fast800, it was just another thing to try, and to me it was amazing how much impact it had because nothing I had ever tried before really ever worked. It is clear that, for my body, this way of eating very much works and over a number of months I played with different things and discovered that to really lose weight I need to do a few things a bit more strictly than what MM recommends in the Fast800 cookbooks. Ideally, I need to stay below 20g net carbs a day – that means things like beans on toast doesn’t work for me when I am trying to lose weight – I stay away completely from grains, legumes, all starchy veg, most fruits, the processed foods etc. Excessive dairy also stalls weight loss for me, so many of the online keto receipes that are heavy on cheese, cream, sour cream etc really just don’t work for me (which is unfortunate given that good cheese is one of my greatest loves in life! ). I also tend to do best on time restricted eating, usually one meal a day but sometimes two if I find I am hungry earlier. I found this really hard when I first started it last year, but it is amazing how quickly I have gotten back into it this time. I still hit 800 calories a day, but I also drink coffee with a very low carb/low calorie almond milk during the day which staves off my hunger. That’s about all really – obviously good sleep helps, but I find if I can be consistent in these things, the weight does come off (some weeks with speed, other weeks a bit more slowly, but all progress is good progress in my mind). I hope that helps.

  • posted by Daisy Walsh
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    Thanks for the welcome and all the info guys (Jennie…sorry for calling you Jennifer was predictor text fault ha ha) I have been reading your posts and you all have so many great things to say and are really inspiring. Day 3 for me and am feeling a bit tired today but looking forward to trying some new tasty recipes I have found on here

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    Hi everyonem cant remember if I said hi to Daisy Walsh – so hi and welcome.

    Just looking at Wendlegs opening words of wisdom and it brought to mind something I am reading in Slimming World magazine right now. To paraphrase the 5 secrets to weight loss – nobodys perfect, we will all have bumps in the road. There is no weight loss magic wand, dont think of this as a diet but a lifestyle change, Know yourself, as you were talking about making tweaks that suit your lifestyle or tastes not everyone is the same. Be prepared, try to have something to hand in case you need a snack, have something in the freezer (homemade, not fish fingers and chips:) ) for those days when you dont feel like cooking or have forgotten to get something in. But the final one resonated the most with me concerning some of the questions we get asked about the speed and or amount of weight loss. Compare and despair. When someone loses 10 lbs on week one and you only lose 2, celebrate your victory, people are different. No amount of dieting will make me look like Liz Hurley in her birthday photoshoot but I can be my best self.

    Back from my holiday and the scales show a 1kg gain so I am not too unhappy. However, we did do a lot of walking and swimming as well as the food. Mainly I could keep to plan with the meals it was just the times when we had to grab a lunch whilst travelling and it usually ended up being a sandwich. Fully back on plan and hope to have lost the 1kg by the weekend. From today I have exactly 6 weeks to lose as much weight as I can in time for the wedding. Doubt I will get into ‘that’ dress but I have another one on standby. I did have another on but it is now too big on me.

    Have a good week and remember to drink plenty of water in this heat. We are 36 degrees today but I know the UK is going to be pretty hot too.

  • posted by FlowersForever
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    Hi everyone
    Curious to know are any of you taking vitamin supplements. I take a multivitamin on 800 days. I kind of got spooked last week reading a post on a low carb keto forum talking about hair loss. To date I have no hair loss and also no ill effects.

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    Hi all, slight blip up on my weight but only a tiny amount, just the holiday catching up with me. I have already had a swim this morning and looking forward to locking myself in a darkened house to keep away from the 35 degree heat.

    FlowersForever, (will be shortened in future posts to FF or flowers or something). I take a multivitamin daily just because I am on a restricted diet but truthfully the only thing my diet is lacking is the vits etc you get from oily fish. Everything else I eat is healthy and fairly well balanced. All we are cutting out it the stodge with our bodies dont really need and we do get carbs in other foods like fruit and veg. As for the hairloss, I have had 2 instances of this happening but I am diabetic and we go through all sorts of funny stages or intolerances. You say on the 800 days you take a vit so that means you are probably doing 5:2 which is only restricting your diet for 2 days or whatever it is – I will read up on your posts and profile to check. But dont worry, we all get things that go wrong or annoy and blame it on the diet but it might have been going to happen anyway. I had hairloss before I went on this diet.

    Does anyone have a solution to very hard, dry, cracked skin on elbows. I try to moisturise regularly but it gets rubbed off and last night I used the diabetic foot cream for hard skin and it just made it sore.

    See you later.

  • posted by FlowersForever
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    Hi-sunshine-girl. Sorry you don’t like my user name
    You are free to call me FF or whatever. I am not offended. As a former florist, I love flowers, hence the name. I am so sorry to hear about your dry skin. I am not criticising the diet, just looking for a way forward and to make it easier. This forum was advertised as friendly. I hope we can keep it that way

  • posted by Verano
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    Hi s-g have you tried Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream? I find it great but it can be a bit messy. The other alternative is good old fashioned petroleum jelly!
    Having a bit of a break at the moment because I just need a change in my regular foods. No real carby stuff just extra nuts and cheese and sourdough crackers. I’m having a ‘feel like something tasty phase but not sure what’ ! So I’m not really reporting this week.
    Hope everyone has a good week.

  • posted by Elle-Mae
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    Hi SG I was thinking vaseline for your elbows and maybe covering them with a dressing to prevent it being rubbed off.
    I have been on a reset, having let a few lbs creep back.🤭. I have started using Carb Manager does anyone else use it? So been back to 800 cals for a week with 16:8 tre and one 24 hr fast a week for the last 2 weeks and now only 1.75lbs off target so 🤞.
    FF I also take a multi vitamin on 800 cal and fast days and have recently added pre and probiotics as well.

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    FlowersForever, I am so sorry if I have upset you. We are friendly and I will explain. First of all, I get called SG because it saves time typing some full names in especially if they are long. From now you will be FlowersForever. My comments about what diet you are on is because there are several on the same site. I personally do the full BSD as a diabetic. I usually read up about someone before I answer but in this case I hadnt so I wasnt sure which diet you were following. Having said you had 800 days I assumed it was a version of the 5:2. We are all at different stages of the diet on this particular thread and it is better for that variety. Hopefully we can start again.

    Thanks for the tip V. I think I will try the petroleum jelly but I will end up having slippy furniture. I am using a skin brushing brush and moisturiser but I think it might be sitting here with one elbow (the scabby one) resting on the desk so will have to stop that habit.

  • posted by FlowersForever
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    Hi SG
    Apology accepted. I was just about to stop my membership of the site. I am continuing my weight loss journey. You will see my progress. I am determined to reach my goals.

  • posted by Verano
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    S-g I suffer badly with rough/scabby elbows. I think it’s partially from resting my elbows on cold granite. Once you have them back to normal do as I do …. without too much thought …. when I moisturise in the morning I wipe the residue on my elbows and also when I put hand cream on I wipe my hands over my elbows and that seems to do the trick.

  • posted by wendleg
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    FlowersForever/FF/Flowers , no need to be offended ! Definitely not intentional. I think it was probably me who started calling sunshine girl SG just because it’s quicker ! I honestly didn’t think you were criticising the program either . How lovely being a florist !

    I started taking magnesium and a multivitamin just after my bout of Covid but never really did before that . I have heard of hair loss on strict keto programmes but as I have very thick hair I’m not sure I would have noticed !
    I think it is covered on the dietdoctor website
    http://www.dietdoctor.com ( it comes up if you do a search)
    Apparently it can happen on low carb programmes as well as for lots of other reasons but it should only be temporary .

    SG , my go-tos in France for dry, damaged skin are
    La Roche -Posay Cicaplast Baume
    Avène Cicalfate
    and
    La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP Triple Réparation
    I slather those on regularly as I have dry skin

    It’s blinkin hot here !
    Take care everyone xx

  • posted by FlowersForever
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    Hi wendleg
    It’s reassuring to hear from you. There is so much criticism online about this diet. I am proof that it works. I have tried so many other diets that don’t work. This does. And the science backs it up. I intend to continue. It is a new way of life, with low carbs, that currently the scientists don’t understand. I have personally seen the benefits.

  • posted by wendleg
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    Absolutely ! I was definitely what you would call a serial dieter ,having tried all sorts of weight loss diets which did nothing to make me think about the types of food I was consuming…and certainly the blood sugar/insulin question .
    Have you read any of Jason Fung’s books ,Flowers ? That’s where I started really researching low carb and fasting in particular.
    I do think that low carb definitely works but you do have to be mindful if like me there is still a continuing issue of over eating. I can happily over eat healthy foods and and have to be very careful of that when an insidious little voice tells me it’s ok to have more nuts,dairy,avocado etc etc !
    I never feel I have it totally cracked !

  • posted by MrsH22
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    Hi all,

    I’m having a good week and have kept to between 25-50g carbs a day. The pounds are coming off again which is very motivating.

    Hope everyone is having a good day 😀

  • posted by MrsH22
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    Hi all,

    I’m having a good week and have kept to between 25-50g carbs a day. The pounds are coming off again which is very motivating.

    Hope everyone is having a good day 😀

  • posted by FlowersForever
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    Hi Wendleg
    I’ve watched the videos of Jason Fung and would urge anyone interested in this way of life to do the same. He explains the Science perfectly.

  • posted by HopefulinOz
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    Morning all, I hope you are all well? I wholeheartedly agree – Jason Fung has so much to offer. His book, The Obesity Code, was fascinating.
    FlowersForever – I haven’t personally noticed any hairloss (and I have relatively thin hair). It did remind me of something though. When I started this WoE last year, I trawled these forums trying to soak up as much amazing information as possible, and I found that a member from years ago, Esnecca, had some great success also. I seem to remember that she said she actually found the opposite – that after some time cutting carbs, losing weight etc, she started to find little baby hairs sprouting up all around her hairline, and I think that some people might have reported that they found the conditions of nails, hair, skin actually improved. BUT, as Sunshine-Girl so beautifully wrote earlier above, we are all different. I am a big believer that your body will actually tell you what it likes / needs and doesn’t like by how well it seems to function.
    The last 4 or so days for me have seen me just holding steady. I have Covid, and am not sure if that has anything to do with it, as I have been 100% on plan. My scales say that my body fat % is decreasing each day, but my weight stays exactly the same! I refuse to get frustrated by it, and keep imagining that in a few days I will step on the scales to see 1kg miraculously disappear into the atmosphere overnight 🙂

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    Hi all, weight loss and BG back on track – it only takes a couple of days when you get back on it straight away. Only downer right now is I had forgotten we are going to a village party on Saturday. Although it will depend on the weather as we are expecting temperatures in the low 40’s so hubby might not be up to it. If we do go I will make a pastryless quiche and also take some snacks (not for me) but it will be the wine calling me. I am sure I can manage without any with my end goal only a few weeks away.

    Hopefulinoz, you know yourself that if you are sticking to this – which I am sure you are – it will happen. Not the time to give up especially when the scales say your fat levels are decreasing. Although your scales are not showing weight loss you might have found a decrease in inches as well as fat. Funny thing our bodies, just koko.

    Wendy, I do like the Avene products. S’cuse me not using accents, I have a French keyboard but converted to qwerty and I dont know the shortcuts. Stay cool everyone and keep drinking the water.

    Nearly forgot to say, I found some Germaline in the back of the bathroom cabinet so will see how I get on with that for now.

  • posted by RubyG
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    RubyG and hubby still here, I have not tracked this week (I know……………) but feeling OK and weight seems to be holding at just over the 12st mark, adde to I think by some hormonal bloating going on this week 🙁

  • posted by HopefulinOz
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    Thanks S-G. Good news this morning with the scales showing a 600g loss. Yay!
    I was going through some of my old ‘Fast 800’ resources that I saved when I was doing this last year, and came back across this great video. I’m not sure whether I first got the link from someone on this forum possibly. It always serves as a great reminder for me about why I have always been a bit of an overeater. It is about Carb addiction.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKEmTZRShII
    xx

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    Hi everyone, another good result this morning with weight and BG. However, all is not well as I had my routine annual bloodworks a couple of weeks ago and it threw up some worrying results. Since returning from our trip I have been back for pooh testing and more blood tests. Again, results not good but I dont want to talk about it right now. I am waiting to hear from the doctor, said he would ring if the tests were bad news and I can see for myself that they are. So I am waiting.

    What I would like to do is change my answer to the question from FlowersForever about taking multivitimins, I said I take them every day. You could almost add on to that the words….. and they have never done me any harm. Well, if my problem is what it appears the multivit could be the cause or in the least making it worse. So, dont take anything if you are not sure and if you dont really need it.

    Thats, all for now but will keep in touch.

  • posted by Verano
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    S-g sending good vibes xx

  • posted by MrsH22
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    Sending positive thoughts S-G 😊

  • posted by Elle-Mae
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    S-G You are in my thoughts and sending you big hugs and lots of love 🤗❤️

  • posted by florob85
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    Hi all

    Just catching up, SG thinking of you x

    Re the multivits – the vast majority of vitamins we need are fat soluble – which is why we’re supposed to make sure we eat fat alongside our vegetables. They also get stored in fat which is sometimes why when we lose a lot of weight quickly you can see toxicity. It’s a common misconception however that you can’t overdose on vitamins – you can, mostly, you have to take a lot of them to do so but you can get side effects ranging from an upset tummy to liver toxicity. The exception to this is mostly vitamin c which is water soluble (so anything you take over and above the amount required will just be excreted in your pee – there’s no point overdosing on it etc.

    As a general rule if you eat as many different colours as possible and plenty of leafy green veg, added to with some nuts and dairy etc. you should get enough vitamins (A, C, D, E, K), trace elements like selenium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc etc. and anthocyanins, antioxidants etc. from diet, but the focus should be on variety of colour, eating fat with veg etc. B vitamins are incredibly difficult to get through diet, particularly low carb, as this is often found fortified in grain products and is mostly in dairy, which obviously we can eat but is calorific and relatively high carb (milk) so can be difficult to get enough of) – B12 in particular is vital to absorb iron, and also interacts with vit D to absorb calcium etc. so this is sometimes worth supplementing.

    If you don’t eat fat with the fat soluble vitamins, you simply won’t absorb them. Vitamin A and E in particular are fat soluble, but be careful with A as it’s toxic in high doses. There’s loads of Vit K in leafy green veg, but your gut bacteria also manufacture this. Vitamin D is the one we get from the conversion of cholesterol in our skin by sunlight, the kidneys also make a small amount of vitamin D, but something silly like 80% of people don’t get enough vitamin D from these sources so we get it from dairy, or sometimes need to supplement as well.

    I am currently taking a stupid amount of supplements but that’s because I’m trying to conceive so it’s all directed towards that –

    Anyway, I’ve waffled on about science long enough! Just wanted to add my tuppence worth.

    L xx

  • posted by HopefulinOz
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    S-G – regardless of what is happening with you right now, please know my thoughts are with you. Sending as much positivity your way as possible xx
    Lauren – That was all really great information. I must admit that I haven’t been taking any supplements at all, but it is certainly food for thought. All the best with the conception journey 🙂

  • posted by wendleg
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    Just popping in to send a massive hug to SG and anyone else who could bear to be hugged in this stoopid heat. We are on red alert in SW France and I ain’t going anywhere..maybe just to hang out my washing which dries in about 5 minutes ! At least I don’t have to force myself to drink ….keep hydrated folks.

    HopefulinOz…the heat won’t be a problem for you. Hope your bout of Covid is mild .

    Have the best weekend you can xx

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    Hi everyone, thank you for your good wishes. Lauren you hit the nail right on the head, some of the bad effects are why I changed my comments about taking multivits. Stopped from now.

    Not heard from doctor yet but he will have only got my results on Friday and might not have looked yet. Give him time. I rather stupidly forgot he is open without appointment on Saturdays and it was nearly noon when I remembered. My blood pressure has gone up to 105/60 so I am not dead yet 🙂 Talking to Wendy so she knows how I am.

    At least I have a good excuse not to go to the party tonight, just not feeling up to it. Not feeling ill, just tired. Anyway it was already 32 degrees at 10 am and it is going to reach around 42 so not good for sitting out with little shade (although the large parasols will come out). No, I just dont feel like it.

    Enjoy your weekend, my daughter says it is 17 and raining in Birmingham – oh bliss.

  • posted by Tulip1
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    Hi All,

    SG….so sorry to hear you have some worrying results- thinking of you xxxxx

    I have yet more job stuff to keep me occupied alongside life’s other usual tasks)- I’m applying for a post I really want but I’m so out of practice and the application form is taking me hours and hours! Hence being incommunicado…I am thinking of you all tho-

    diet a bit up and down but trying to keep relatively healthy whilst my mind is elsewhere.

    Love to all xxxxx

  • posted by wendleg
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    Good luck with the job application Clare !
    Always good to hear from you !

    Fingers crossed it all works out …pop in and let us know how you are doing 🤗🤗😚😚

  • posted by florob85
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    Good luck Clare!

    Ps SG it slipped my mind, but re your dry elbow problem, O’Keefes is the best moisturiser I’ve found for really dry skin, it’s rich in something, I can’t remember what. Not sure if you can get hold of it in France or French Amazon, but maybe when you’re over here for your daughters wedding you can pick some up? They sell it in Boots etc. I use their foot cream, hand cream and intensive lip balm.

    L x

  • posted by MrsH22
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    S-G I hope that you get to see the GP soon.

    Tulip1 good luck with the job.

    Lauren I hope all the vitamins help with your miracle.

    Today is weigh day for me and I’m really pleased I’ve lost 4.5lb (2kg) this week making it 1st 4lb (8kg) in the 5 weeks since I started BSD.

    I’m meeting with my diabetic nurse tomorrow for the time tomorrow so I’m really pleased that I can take so great fact & figures with me. I’m going to ask if I can extend my HbA1c until 12 weeks since my last, not 7-8 as the GP wanted. I want the results to be totally based on my changes in diet & fitness.

    I hope everyone has a lovely day!

    Laura x

  • posted by HopefulinOz
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    Lauren’s post about the science behind vitamins has got me thinking.
    Being new back to this WoE, a number of days ago now I was feeling very drained and light headed and it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn’t added salt to any of my food since starting back a week and a half prior. I recalled that last year this made all the difference to me on this eating plan and was used to replenish electrolytes. So I grabbed myself some more water, a small pinch of Maldon salt flakes, and literally felt better within half an hour.
    Today I have done some research on how much salt the human body actually needs, and it is amazing how much reports vary, but about 500mg seems to be the minimum, which is about a quarter of a teaspoon per day. Given that I have removed pretty much anything processed from my diet, I clearly need to start adding some.
    I was curious as to how you all go about salt intake?

  • posted by florob85
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    Hopeful, I do the same as you and make sure the first few weeks I add in a bit of extra salt to compensate for the loss.

    The reason you lose so much salt to start with is because you are losing water and water and sodium chloride ions (salt) ALWAYS travel in the same direction. If this becomes extreme you can even become hyperkalaemic (too much potassium) as sodium and potassium always travel in opposite directions, but you’d have to become really dehydrated for that to happen so it’s important to keep drinking loads of water as well as topping up salt. Sodium has a role in lots of processes in the body, normal nerve and muscle function, regulation of blood pressure etc. and the depletion is often the reason we experience things like dizziness and headaches, magnesium deficiency causes this too but this is only needed in trace amounts in the body and we get enough of that in normal table salt usually as well as veg, but it can be helpful to supplement if you feel you need it – go gently though, too much magnesium has rotten side effects.

  • posted by florob85
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    Hopeful, I do the same as you and make sure the first few weeks I add in a bit of extra salt to compensate for the loss.

    The reason you lose so much salt to start with is because you are losing water and water and sodium chloride ions (salt) ALWAYS travel in the same direction. If this becomes extreme you can even become hyperkalaemic (too much potassium) as sodium and potassium always travel in opposite directions, but you’d have to become really dehydrated for that to happen so it’s important to keep drinking loads of water as well as topping up salt. Sodium has a role in lots of processes in the body, normal nerve and muscle function, regulation of blood pressure etc. and the depletion is often the reason we experience things like dizziness and headaches, magnesium deficiency causes this too but this is only needed in trace amounts in the body and we get enough of that in normal table salt usually as well as veg, but it can be helpful to supplement if you feel you need it – go gently though, too much magnesium has rotten side effects.

  • posted by wendleg
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    Ooh I love it when Lauren gives us all the brainy science stuff !
    I always have a bit of salt in water during my fasting periods. I think that came via Jason Fung..

    Well done MrsH22/Laura on your very encouraging results which I am sure your diabetic nurse and doctor will be impressed with . Yes..push to stay on the programme.

    Another thing.. I saw something that Jason Fung mentioned about vinegar / fermented foods helping with insulin resistance. I must look that up and then see what you think ,Lauren ?

  • posted by sunshine-girl
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    Hi all, yes I love all the science bits. Wendy, I take just a dash (about a teaspoon) of white wine vinegar in cold or warm water each morning. Don’t know if it helps, just another thing we read about then try just in case it does work. See what Jason Fung says.

    Didn’t go to the party last night but obviously wasn’t missed as no-one came to check on us. In France you fill out a form for the local mayors office giving details of your general health, age etc. From this they know if there are vulnerable people in the area so they can make sure they are kept an eye on. According to the limits we are vulnerable due to age and illness yet no-one comes to check on us either during the pandemic or now during a canicule (heatwave). Makes you wonder – is it cos I’m not French – to misquote an old joke about racism. We seem to manage on our own but it would be nice to know someone cares. Any comment Wendy, should I mention it to the mayors office. Must stop moaning but I don’t feel great so maybe a bit sorry for myself.

  • posted by wendleg
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    Hi SG.
    I think you were right not to go out. We are staying out of the heat too .
    I reckon if noone checked up on you it was probably because many others didn’t turn up either ?

    I have never heard of the form from the Mairie in our village ..but I suppose they must know who the vulnerable are…
    We get a visit from the fête committee every year with a gift in exchange for a donation so they would know if we were on our last legs . My hubby props up the local bar every Tuesday evening so he would certainly be missed 😉

    Lots of advice about how to stay safe during the heatwave but more national rather than local .It’s definitely not because you are not French, SG !

    It sounds as if you are in need of a bit of TLC.
    Tomorrow morning you can ring your doctor ‘s surgery,explain you are worried and get an appointment quickly to voice all your fears with a list of questions.
    You need reassurance and hanging around waiting is not good . You understandably feel neglected and a bit sorry for yourself.
    We all care about you here SG xx

    Try and distract yourself tonight xx

  • posted by florob85
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    Just wanted to pop in and send hugs to our lovely sunshine-girl, and remind her she’s loved and cared about and we would definitely notice if she wasn’t around so poo poo to the village I say! You have your virtual “family” right here! Also, sg you’re not moaning! You don’t feel well and are entitled to be a bit down! My counsellor tells me every week to stop apologising for “complaining” as I call it, she always says “you’re being honest and genuine Lauren, that’s not something to apologise for!” – so I’m passing on a bit of her wisdomous wisdom!

    Wendy, I’ve just got in, but I’ll watch the video you sent later on and see if I can interpret the sciency bits!

  • posted by HopefulinOz
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    Thank you, Lauren – I, too, love the science wisdom that you bring to us! I shall keep adding my salt when/as needed in small doses.
    SG – I know I am only new back onto the forums, but remember you well from my time here last year. I echo everyone’s sentiments – please take care of yourself and nourish your soul over the next few days with everything that you know warms your heart. Sending you so much positivity all the way from Australia xxx

  • posted by RubyG
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    I have just caught up with the posts, sorry to hear about your worrying results S-G, you are a real inspiration to so many on here, thinking of you.
    I also love to hear the science behind stuff, so thank you Lauren.
    I have started taking a teaspoon of cider vinegar in my morning fizzy Vitamin C, and recently bought a live cider vinegar (with mother) in fused with garlic, ginger, turmeric and horseradish – it must be doing me good 🙂
    On another positive note, I picked up a copy of The Obesity Code at the charity shop on Saturday.
    Weight-wise – I seem to have settled at just over 12st and don’t have the mental bandwidth to knuckle down to drop below 12st at the moment. I had a good week 2 weeks ago, last week was a bit “meh” and this week is not looking good, so I am just trying to look after myself mentally and physically.
    With the hot weather we’ve had in the UK (nowhere near as hot as France), my appetite does decrease, but for some strange reason hubby is the opposite!
    Wishing everyone lots of hugs and hang in there for another week!

  • posted by florob85
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    Morning all

    Let me tell you, when currently suffering extreme exhaustion, to the point you have to sleep during the day several times, every day, to get up the energy to basically do nothing (no joke, I left a SPA early last week due to being too tired), waking at 7.30am to get on the phone to the doctor, to get a sick note proving you are too exhausted to work, to be on hold for AN HOUR to then be told I could have done it all online (even though they said I couldn’t) last night, is NOT IT!!!!

    Anyway.

    Science stuff.

    So this vinegar thing is interesting, I too have taken some apple cider vinegar (live, with mother, it’s disgusting to look at!) in sparkly water every morning for a while as I’d read vinegar is good for regulating blood sugar (so is cinnamon FYI but I can’t abide cinnamon for long complicated PTSD reasons), however this blog post Wendy has discovered is interesting as it talks about taking vinegar or acid like lemon juice directly WITH carbs to lower their glycaemic index – I.e. the insulin/carb response they generate.

    This does actually make sense the way it’s explained (side note, I think Jason Fung is very interesting, but I personally think his books would be improved no end if he just explained things as straightforwardly as he does in the video without all the convolution and repetition and going over the same point over and over and over again).

    Basically what he’s saying, and it’s backed up by scientific studies which I also read last night, is that the starch in carbs like bread, pasta, rice etc. is broken down by two forms of the same enzyme, amylase. Starch is basically long chains of glucose molecules, which is why we get such a strong insulin response to it. The reason we have two enzymes – one in the saliva and one in the intestines (from the pancreas) is because our body likes to use glucose as the primary source of energy – yes I know before you all jump down my throat, we can reprogram our bodies to use keto bodies and proteins and fats, but the instinct is to use glucose, simply because it’s a really straightforward reaction – glucose + oxygen = carbon dioxide + water – simple waste products we can easily get rid of, and this reaction produces literally bucket loads of energy in the form of ATP. It’s a “clean” and “efficient” reaction. Anyway, I digress, but because we have glucose as our primary/preferred source of energy, our body is programmed to get as much out of our food as possible, and so we have an enzyme amylase present in our saliva to start digesting starch the second we eat it, rather than waiting till the intestines.

    Salivary amylase starts working in the mouth and we start absorbing glucose straight away, then food travels to the stomach where, because we can’t absorb glucose in the stomach, the acid inactivates the enzyme, temporarily pausing digestion, until food reaches the duodenum (first part of the intestine) where pancreatic amylase takes over.

    However what Jason is saying is that if we consume vinegar or acid or ferments (also acidic) with carbs, and I think he is literally saying it has to be with the carbs, not separate to it, we can reduce the GI of the carbs significantly because the acid inactivates the salivary amylase in the mouth, so we can’t start digesting starch until it reaches the intestine and therefore can’t get as much glucose out of the food.

    This is an interesting take, and certainly worth experimenting with – although I would caution that the GI of bread etc. is still extremely high even with the vinegar – it’s interesting the research doesn’t really focus on legumes and pulses – I’m doing a lot of reading around this at the moment because legumes and pulses are super high in fibre, and are also good sources of proteins, but as we know also high in complex carbs and cause an insulin response in some people, but they are the original superfood really, so I’m trying to work out a way to incorporate more into my diet while still following the “rules” – I’m very much focussed on a keto version of the anti-inflammatory diet at the moment (seems best way to combat my PCOS) and confusingly some books say eat all the beans and pulses, and some say never shall thou even so much as look at a bean again lest you be struck down. So I’m confused.

    Interesting side note of JF’s blog post, he says that the added vinegar seems to improve the satiety of complex carbs – I.e your sense of “fullness” or “satisfaction” – I wonder if this might be due to the acid helping to denature proteins in whatever grain is being used, helping us to absorb more of this…..this is just speculation

    Anyway, to summarise, I won’t be rushing out and hoofing bread down any time soon with gallons of apple cider vinegar, but it’s nice to know you can perhaps moderate the damage if consumed with acidic food.

    That’s it folks, science lesson of the day over, im going back to sleep!

    Lauren x

  • posted by florob85
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    PS

    Today, after much reading and researching the best way to move forwards with PCOS and insulin resistance and a weight problem and trying to conceive, and trying to find the best plan through conflicting evidence, I’ve come up with my own, anti-inflammatory, TRE, whole foods, no (or very limited) dairy, keto plan and it’s day 1 for about the 56 gazillionth time.

    Today I will be having:
    Breakfast – nothing, just my usual ACV in water and maybe a black coffee (although I’m also meant to be avoiding caffeine…..hibiscus tea maybe)
    Lunch – hemp seed porridge with fresh raspberries
    Dinner – rosemary and almond crusted chicken with garlicky green beans

    As well as supplements: chromium, omega 3, inositol alpha, cinnamon (only way I can tolerate it), inulin (dissolved in tea), B6, folic acid, vitamin D and manganese.

    Measurements today (which have depressed me as they are back to where I was in Jan, bloody Covid!)
    Weight 19st 2.8lbs
    Hips 52in
    Waist 44in
    Bust 52in
    Under bust 42in
    (For those who don’t know me by the way I’m very tall so that doesn’t translate into as horrendous a BMI as it might appear!!)

    My interim target weight is 17st – I don’t know why but this seems sensible, and that is the stage I’ve decided on before I seek further support from the doctor re fertility – I know I’ll still be a giant heffer at that stage but I can’t set my interim lower than that because I won’t stick at it.

    Determined to go one week at a time, and to stick with it now.

    L x

  • posted by HopefulinOz
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    Lauren – firstly, thank you. That was absolutely fascinating to read, and I know how much time it must have taken you to research and write in a way that we would understand it. Secondly, a private note regarding your “Measurements today (which have depressed me as they are back to where I was in Jan, bloody Covid!)” comment in your last post. I desperately hope that what I am about to say does not come out creepy or make me sound like a stalker. When I first got back onto this forum last week, one of the first things I did was look for recent posts from members I remembered from last year – SG, MerryMelba, Wendleg, Tulip…and you were one of them. And looking back at some of your posts I came across a link you provided to your wedding video. Since I remembered you looking forward to your wedding so much, and having to delay for various reasons last year, I clicked on it. Firstly, congratulations on your nuptials. And secondly, the first thing I thought when I saw the video is that YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! I know that doesn’t change what we want for ourselves or our health (all valid goals, for sure). But sometimes it’s nice to remember that the reflection we see back in the mirror is not what other people see x

  • posted by florob85
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    Thanks Hopeful, that’s really sweet of you to say! 10 weeks ago yesterday, my new husband caught Covid the day before and obviously gave it to me, and I’ve developed long covid as a result (currently not long enough to call it long covid as it has to be 12 weeks, but we all know it is) so I’m off sick from work and all my intentions of getting straight back on the diet afterwards have gone out of the window but starting fresh again today! (Ps I don’t think you’re a stalker!)

    L x

  • posted by wendleg
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    Oh Lauren ..life has thrown you some tough challenges,so much to cope with but remember we will be here to support you all the way.
    You know your stuff and we will be rooting for you as you follow your program. I like the sound of the hemp porridge !

    Waiting to hear from SG.

    You are most definitely not a creepy stalker, Hopeful ! 🤗

    RubyG..just maintain as feels best right now. I had a moment when I felt I was ok,and lost a bit of motivation to drop any more weight but I realised complacency was a danger for me.
    I’m always learning !
    I hope today is a good day folks whatever you are dealing with.
    Will be back later xx

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