Hi everyone, continuing with our tradition of short sharp challenges and knowing how we all try so hard to keep going, here is a new challenge to take us through another 4 weeks.

Starting tomorrow (5th September) and I hope you see you all old and new jumping on board.

Count me in! I could use some motivation.

I’m in too, sunshine-girl – at least I am until my next trip away, starting 23rd Sept. Had hoped I would be on maintenance at this point, but haven’t managed to get there yet, which means I need to the focus of the new challenge.

See you tomorrow with a start point and a target.

I’m in too – managing to get downwards again recently, very busy so not sure how much posting I will manage but hoping to lose 3.5 kilos in the next 4 weeks. That probably seems a bit ambitious, but I am ultra focused at the moment, having even managed a couple of 39 hour fasts so I am hoping that target is doable with a couple more fasts thrown in!

Can I join. I feel a miserable failure since I was ill, to the stage I can hardly bear to weigh myself. I’m going to weigh myself tomorrow and go from there, but my goal for the next four weeks is to stick to the principles and get my clothes feeling more comfortable. Would be really pleased to lose a 1lb a week.

Sorry you’re feeling rather ‘doom and gloom’, Baristagirls, but hope you are feeling better and I think you should forgive yourself for being ill and things going a little squiffy. With luck the challenge will give you a bit of a boost, help you to stay focused and to feel back in control. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.

I’d like to join too. I’ve been maintaining for the past 6 weeks, by choice, and now I’m ready to make the final push to get to a healthy weight. At the moment I’m 65.5kg and in size 12, it’d be nice to be 63.5 in 4 weeks. The closer I get the slower it is 🙂

Here’s one for you Baristagirl. Do any of you remember a song called Tubthumping by Chumbawamba. No, me neither, until you look at the words – I get knocked down but I get up again, nobodies going to keep me down. Google it and sing along. There are no failures here, we are all heros – so keep on keeping on…

Thanks sunshine-girl!
I might amend the words to gin – as I love gin – but will try and keep that under control for the next four weeks as the calories are through the roof!

hee hee hee Baristagirl, I wasn’t referring to the alcohol content of the song but I like a vodka drink. I am right now looking at a video about curing diabetes and how the meds keep you ill. I’ll let you know what it turns out to be, or if it is just selling something.

Hello. Count me in too .. I need to start this and lose the insulin injections and weight.

Okay, watched a 25 minute video presentation and it is all about diet although he wont tell you what it is, you have to buy his book for $37. He talks about using coconut oil but I have my worries about that as the good cholesterol is good but the bad is worse so it kind of counteracts the good effects. If anyone knows more about coconut oil I would love to learn. He also goes on about spices but wont reveal until you buy his book. If anyone is interested, after all that is how I found this diet plan, it is called the Vedda Blood Sugar Diet. I am not promoting it, just found it interesting.

Hi there Rose88, I’m with you on the injections, I have reduced insulin from 38 / 40 units daily to 19 and still hoping to get rid of the needles completely when I stop fannying around and keep to the plan completely.

Count me in too please! I’m in week 6 of my first round and I’m down a stone to 174.8lbs.
I go on holiday on 17th September so would like to be a nice round 170lbs by then. Might be a bit tricky as we’ve got a few social events booked in over the next two weeks (overseas visitors arriving) but determined to stay focused.

Okay checked it out and it is a SCAM.

Can I join in? just prepping to start tomorrow, menu planned for week, which is fine. my problem is I need to have the will power to not drink any alcohol as its gotten to be a daily habit in the last year. reading your inspirational stories and how you coped will help.

Hi to newbeginnings59 and rosiemacyork – all welcome, the more the merrier, looking forward to tomorrow with weigh ins and goals.

This will be the first challenge I’m unable to join but I will still be drawing great inspiration from your posts. Good luck to everyone. Hopefully I can join you all with Keep on Keeping On …. Round 2!!

Sorry you won’t be on this challenge, V, but hope things are going okay for you. Hope to see you posting again soon.

Hello everyone- I too will be joining in the keep on keeping on challenge. I will be away from 25th to 29th September but will have my iPad with me so will be able to read the posts etc. I will be back for the final weigh in on 3rd October. My aim for this challenge will be to try and get to my goal – a BMI of 25 and be “normal”. I have kept on since I started BSD on 8.1.17. if I don’t achieve my goal this challenge then I will keep on keeping on until I do.

Hi everyone please can I join in? Completed my first eight weeks and a few fasts with water and coffee only- now I am ready to push on as I have another 12 kilos still to lose.

My mini goal for this challenge is to get to 68kg . Started well today with my cals and also took an exercise class – I have been away a month and lost 7kgs in that time and my I director can’t stop marvelling at thebdifference – my massive apple gut is down five inches so want to keep going!

Had a fun session this weekend trying on clothes that haven’t fitted for ages so pretty stoked about that!!

I’m in. I did my 8 weeks in Feb to April. Things been good since, and feel like my sugars have stayed pretty good. I have strangely missed the fast 800 and the dramatic results, so am keen to get back on it for a few weeks to see if I can get to the next target – which for me is all about Bodyfat % (and getting off meds)

Hey, I’m new to these forums but would like to join this. I need to lose about 2 stone in total. Hoping this month challenge will motivate me!

I’m in too! Did the 5:2 solidly for about 6 months on and off which worked but have subsequently been away several times & now feel like poo. Going to give the 8 week plan a go starting today!

Hi, count me in – I lost 1.5 stone earlier this year but have lost my way since the summer holidays and over half a stone back on…! Will weigh tomorrow but expecting to be around 11st 10 and would like to shift at least 5lb in this challenge.

Yes, count me in! I’ve lost 12 kilos during the 8 week challenge and have been on the 5:2 for 6 weeks. Need a boost as it’s the end of winter and I’m feeling flat. Technically it’s the start of spring, but my mind hasn’t changed over yet.

Count me in. My goal is to lose 8 lbs. during the next 4 weeks.

I’m in too…lost app 5-6kg in June/July but have been up and down (in sticking to diet) since due to a few unplanned events
back on track since yesterday!

Sept is good for me…then away again early Oct….

Please can I join? I’m on week 4.5 (week 5 on Thursday) and was 76.6kg when I started. I’m now 70.9kg and am delighted as last week I was in France and although I stuck to the principles of BSD I did not measure or calorie count but still lost 0.4kg.

My aim for next 4 weeks is to be 68kg (or less!) which ought to be achievable now I am home. Ultimate aim 60kg (I’m 5’3″ so could be less but 60kg seems like sensible aim and see when I get there).

Good luck to all xx

Wow – well done on losing whilst away in France, Jackie – must have been all that stress / excitement of watching your o/h run 😉

I’m just moving over from the last challenge, but my challenge is exactly the same – to keep on maintaining. Am now in week 34 of this WOE – 16 losing (47lbs) and now week 18 of maintenance. Weighing in at 8st 4lbs (116lbs) which gives me 3lbs of wriggle room (target weight 8st 7lbs ) so really hoping I can keep this up. My birthday tomorrow and am being treated to a girls’ lunch out with friends and then posh dinner out with o/h. Mmmmm, challenge doesn’t even come close😱 But hey – only have a birthday once a year 😉😜😉

Good luck everyone. Here’s to success 😃

Good morning and welcome to everyone old and new. I am starting this challenge 3.5lbs down and weighing in at 75 kg (11 stone 11.5lbs). By the end of this challenge I would like to be down 1.5 kg or 3.5 lbs. I would be more ambitious but I have friends visiting this weekend, staying for a week and I know it is going to be boozy and eating out a lot. I will be showing some restraint as my husband doesn’t want to be lumbered with 3 tipsy women. On Sunday we are going to that restaurant, those who know me will know. Serves 5 / 6 courses all with aperos, wine and liqueurs included. I have been there many times and usually have too much to drink but I have also been there and stayed cold stone sober. I’m sure I can do that again and just look after my friends and make sure they have a good time. Really, I can go there anytime.

I guess we will all be facing difficult days, weekends or birthday celebrations (happy birthday Theodora for tomorrow) but that is what makes this challenge so interesting, we can help each other along the way. One thing I really like about these threads is you can be completely honest even when you dont do so well, no-one here will judge and everyone is so supportive.

Good luck everyone and keep on keeping on…

Weigh in this morning: 81.9 kg (12 st 12 lb 9 oz, or 180.5 lb) and definitely hoping to lose 3.5 kg over the next 4 weeks. Determined to break that 79 kg barrier this month, I have reached it and then gone back up I don’t know how many times, so I want to go lower than that, then reassess goals at that point. Starting another 36 hr fast (water/tea with drop of whole milk only) as of last night 11.30pm, with the main aim of lowering prediabetic blood sugar levels, but more weight loss is an added bonus. Funny thing is that having always considered them anathema, having actually done 2, I find them easier than controlling the 800 calories and not edging up (and eating more, and more…). Must be because I am a button not a dial type of person .

Wishing everyone the best of luck. There seem to be several on here who have done the BSD, left it, felt yuck, and are coming back to it. Fellow feeling here. We all know it works, and is healthy, so power to us all.

I’m in – of course. Desperate to get back to a weight I feel comfortable with – which is about 10lbs lighter than I am today so….

No Alcohol for the whole of September – won’t do me any harm to go dry for a month – the only exception will be a wine and tapas tour I’ve booked when I go to Madrid in 10 days.

Back to the gym – at least twice a week

Move more generally – put the Fitbit back on and take the tongue lashing (virtual) that I get if I don’t keep up my steps

Stop f***ing CHEATING!! I know I can do this!!!! keep to 800 calories if it bloody kills me (and if you don’t hear from me that’s probably what’s happened!!!)

Good luck all – keep on keeping on!

I am joining too!

I have lost 4.5 stones so far on BSD and after six weeks off over the summer I restarted on 1/9 and so far I have lost 4lbs.

I’ve cleared the decks, socially for the next couple of weeks, so I am sticking to it well for now.

Ideally, I would like to lose a further two stones by Christmas.

Happy Birthday for tomorrow, Theodora.

It’s great to see this challenge so well populated, with lots of old and new ‘faces’ joining up, with lots of good solid goals being set and lots of determination to get there.

I finished the last challenge 2.8lb down. Given that I am now below original target weight and building myself some wriggle room, I’m content with that result. Would have like it to be more, as I had been a pound lower than that middle of last week, but the w/e messed with that and I’m just happy not to have gone over my target weight. I’m not able to go the distance with this challenge, as we are off on our travels again on the 26th of the month, so my goal for the period before then, is to lose 2.2lb (1kg). This is quite a small amount I know, but if I can manage that I will have build myself 4lb wriggle room. To achieve this, I’ll be on the 800/20g regime, with the possible exception on one or two days here and there, when we have social things happening.

TC, I KNOW you can do this and YOU KNOW you can do this and that it is a matter of applying yourself. It seems you have a pretty solid plan to get yourself back on track. I’m confident you CAN do this and really make some headway over the coming four weeks. Keep us posted and shout when you need validation and encouragement.

Best wishes to everyone for a successful challenge, no matter what your aims or goals. We CAN get there, if we just Keep on, Keeping on …….

Hello everyone, known friends and new, best wishes for best efforts in this new challenge.

My aim is to re-lose those same 2 or 3 kgs I’ve been recycling, it seems forever, and then to break new ground. How? Start by tracking everything! If I’m not in a position to weigh my food (eating out), at least over-guesstimate and note down asap.

Morning everyone!

I’m definitely up for a new four week challenge. Starting on 9st 5 & a half lbs this morning and just sneaked inside the ‘ideal’ BMI zone I’d like to… nay, I’d LOVE to… get down to 9st 2 by the end of the month.
I’m not weighing or measuring anymore, just sticking to the BSD way so even if I only lose a pound or two I’ll be happy.

Happy birthday for tomorrow Theodora!

I’d love to join in, too. My main priority is to get my blood sugars down, but that’s an on-going thing.
To date I’ve lost 32lb (14.5 kg) – 20lb pre-BSD and 12lb since being on the diet – or new way of life!

For this 4 week challenge my target is to lose 6lb (2.7kgs ?). 3lb will see me drop into the next stone down, and a further 3lb would shift me down from Obese into Overweight BMI category – 2 milestones in one fell swoop – woohoo – that would be brilliant!

Really annoyed with myself, as I have just realised I am only just under 1000 cals today!!! What a pathetic way to start off this challenge! On the upside, carbs for today are at 12.5g, so I’m hoping that the high calories and low carbs will balance out with no real impact on the scales. That said, I won’t be looking forward to weighing tomorrow.

Plan for tomorrow, A) further extend overnight fast to 18hrs and B) keep tight control on both cals and carbs.

If it’s not too much of a pain for everyone I’m going to try writing today’s food here as a way to keep me honest and also signify to myself I have finished for the day. So:

Breakfast: 100g Greek yoghurt/10g flaked almonds/3 raspberries
Lunch: field mushroom (120g)/10g cheddar/10 g Parmesan (baked in oven 15 mins)
Dinner: 50g broccoli, 120g salmon, 1 tBlespoon mayo.
After dinner: 1 tablespoon Jersey cream/85% grated chocolate (about half a square)

According to MFP I can finish the chocolate and have another square and be under 800 cals and also under 20g carbs.so I may or may not have 2 squares in totoal – the cream was so rich I’m not sure I want to!

Xx

HI JackieM- I think that’s a great idea and also it is very interesting to me to see what food others choose and hopefully you will inspire us. I like the idea of the grated chocolate and the cream. I have just had a cup of coffee with cream and had some 85% chocolate with raspberries and hazelnuts following my chick pea chilli. I love the indulgence of cream in my coffee. All those years when I was fat and using skimmed milk- it beggars belief!

Definitely joining in this challenge, as I have some real weight to lose (again) this time, after the combination of my birthday at the end of June and then three holidays. So my challenge is to lose 10 pounds over the four weeks, from today’s starting weight of 11 stone 5 pounds. That will get me back to the low side of my comfort zone, and give me a little wiggle room back, before the challenge of the next holiday.

Hi and welcome to everyone. It is 11 pm here and I will be going to bed in half an hour. I have been fasting since 9pm so nothing more for me today. Tomorrow at 8.45 am I will be sat in the laboratory waiting room ready to have Dracula take my blood. Having 2 tests HbA1c and, because cholesterol was up a smidge last time, doctor is doing that test too. I will let you know my results tomorrow afternoon. Fingers crossed.

Everything crossed for you tomorrow Sunshine-girl. Fasting myself too until tomorrow lunchtime and finding it so much easier each time. Not obsessing about my next meal as I would usually!

First morning weigh in on the new challenge sees 11 stone 4.0 pounds so 1.2 pounds off since yesterday morning, now to try to keep the trend going downwards, I’ve been nominated for a changing lifestyle award by the organisation I play badminton with, and the award dinner is near the end of this challenge on 29th September so I have some excellent motivation to stick to the plan so I can show off what I have achieved a bit.

Good luck isn’t required for blood tests of course sunshine-girl, it is what it is, but I hope the results are favourable for you.

Well done on the nomination mixnmatch!

Jackie m we are almost exactly the same height and size with same goals – will you be my micro buddy ( 5ft 2, 71kg or so, want to hit the 60’s)

Had a bit of an up and down time last couple of days with a bad day -1500 cals yesterday from poor planning while out and about and a couple of good days. Bit nervous to get on the scale!

Nice to see some new faces and here all your successes- great to hang out with the gang – what a merry band we all are!

Today’s plan is:

Gammon and egg and spinach for brekkie- going to have it now before my 16 hours is up as dropped hubbie off at 5am to airport to buy or house in Italy!! So starving now.

Lunch is going to be a white bean stew I found recipe for with greens – half a can of white beans is 15g carbs

Then dinner is prize jumbo marrow with cinnamon lamb balls- experiment at this end.

No reason this should not go to plan today.

Tomorrow will be frugal in day maybe even fast, so I can have ribs and a prawn salad for dinner at my favourite Vietnamese – dribble dribble drool.

Happy birthday Theodora – enjoy every minute. Up early this morning, hubby dropped me at the lab and then he went on to the vets to take our ginger for his shots. I waited for nearly 40 minutes, unheard of – maybe I will make an appointment next time as I really need FOOOOOOD. Then the doctor couldn’t find my vein, not uncommon as they hide as soon as a needle goes near them. Anyway, finally done and dusted. Just waiting for results now, should arrive later today.

Weight was exactly the same this morning which surprised me as I felt thinner – I can usually feel when my midriff shrinks. Anyway, it will show tomorrow. BG was 4.5 but the real results will be in soon. Keep on keeping on…

Well done on the award nomination Mm – well deserved.

Hope your blood results are favourable s-g and thank you for the birthday wishes.

Having a good day so far because, despite sharing a bottle of red with a friend last evening, this morning the scales told me that I am matching my lowest weight (8st 2lbs) so have my whole 5lbs of wriggle room back 😃What a nice birthday pressie. Thought I’d mention it now, in case it doesn’t happen again😉 Off for birthday lunch with girlfriends today and then posh dinner with o/h this evening, so certainly won’t have it tomorrow 😜

Have a good day, everyone.

Clarinet Cathy. Cream …. mmmm …. cream makes me happy. Also a bit bleurghy. Am learning to love it in moderation! Coffee with cream is sublime, so much better than milk and coffee.

Mix and match -.what great motivation! Well done on what’s obviously been a great effort so far if others have noticed. People have started saying stuff like ‘that colour suits you’ to me, rather than realising I’ve lost weight. But by Christmas they should.

Onetowatch – I would be delighted! We can descend the scales together and become micro in all senses of the word! Though you are so ‘on it’ I expect I shall be chasing your heels … which I am totally OK with btw, I have no pressing deadline other than extended and active old age!

Article in The Times linking evidence of low carb ketosis with reversal/prevention of Alzheimer’s. I’ll take a punt on that then!

Can I hop on here please? I have just completed wk 3, first time round for me. I am 5’5″ and now 145.3lb down from 155lb. That might not seem heavy and I am in the ‘healthy’ BMI zone but I am and have always been a TOFI with a body fat reading of around 36-37% and had a really unhealthy waist to hip ratio that put me in the high risk category. Donkeys years ago I remember being very light and had a full health assessment and was told then, you are underweight but overfat! (7.5 st bf 32%)! Nothing like underweight now but I need to change my body composition to be healthy and see where my weight ends up, which I guess will be around the 125lb mark. Excited that the BSD could be the way to do it but wk 3 has seen a stall in losses. Was starting to feel demotivated so thought I’d join the forum. Love any wisdom on plateaus.

Well that was a wake up! I finally got the courage to weigh myself this morning. 188 lbs. I am 19 lbs heavier than I was in January when I finished the 8 weeks. I knew I had gained some back, but I wasn’t expecting so much. The lesson learned is that I can never eat white carbs like I did before. Once I get back to my goal (again!!!) I will have to figure out how to maintain in a way that works for me. I am glad to be on this challenge to keep focused. I will be going on vacation for 10 days, so I will need all the support I can get to keep from indulging.