Earthquake in central Italy this evening. Further south than where we are. We are all ok, didn’t feel it. Strong earthquake with aftershocks already.

Hi captainlynne – I am so glad the earthquake is further south than where you are and that you are all ok.

Hope that you have a lovely relaxing time in Italy – I am quite envious as it is quite chilly and damp here in East Anglia.

Hi captainlynne – sorry to disturb your holiday. My Consultant has asked me to email Professor Taylor to report that my diabetes is in remission. I would be really grateful if you could let me know where you found his email address.

Krysia

I found it on the website of the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

I don’t want to put it on here so any problem please email me on captainlynne@gmail.com.

Thank you -that’s really helpful. I do hope you are having a lovely relaxing holiday.

Hi Captainlynne
I heard on the news this evening that there have been more earthquakes in Italy – hope it is not near where you are.

Hi KrysiaD

Thanks for thinking of me 😃

Three major earthquakes since I arrived! The one yesterday was the worst- felt from Austria to the toe of Italy. Many small towns destroyed. Some have 80% of homes uninhabitable. Many historic buildings and churches collapsed. Damage at the Vatican. Roads blocked. No fatalities in these three, but some injuries. They are expecting another strong earthquake!

Fortunately we are in the north so not affected. I fly to Bologna, friends in Cremona. And they’d decided previously we would visit their other apartment in Torre Pellice, which is further north – near border with France.

The other thing that’s happened is a road bridge over a road collapsed with traffic on bridge & road underneath.

Back to Cremona Tuesday/Wednesday and fly home Friday.

I am so pleased that you are ok. It is so sad seeing all those old buildings collapsed or severely damaged. Thank goodness that there are no fatalities this time.

Arrived home last night. Still on Italian time this morning!

Four earthquakes while I was there, but we were further north so not affected. Plus a bridge collapse closer to us. A lorry was crossing a bridge over another road when the bridge ‘pancaked’ on to traffic on the road underneath 😱 One fatality.

So after holiday – this morning weigh 9st. Gain of 1 pound. Seems like I’m maintaining quite well at the moment 😀

Did I eat anything different? Yes – wild boar for lunch one day 😀

Hi CL
Welcome home and back to the blogosphere, you were missed. Congrats on the success maintaining well within the wriggle room, isn’t it great to know you are controlled, comfortable and confident it will be this way now? Your 1st anniversary is not far off, how fast this year has gone. Any fab new fashion pieces of note?

We lived through the three very large Christchurch earthquakes 5 years ago, then the thousands of aftershocks until we moved away to get away. We feel for the Italians, beauty and history in ruins, lives altered forever.

What is your report on wild boar?
Nettle

Hi Nettle

It’s hard to believe it’s almost my first BSD anniversary 😳

Unfortunately I didn’t buy any clothes while I was away. Been out this morning looking for sweaters – without success. All the colours were so drab!

My Italian friend (Maddalena) is from the south of Italy and has experienced earthquakes in the past. We had a few here when I lived in Manchester- two in one day. But nothing like what’s happening in Italy at the moment. The affected area is huge, and at least one other big earthquake is expected. Their immediate response is amazing. But many small hilltop towns are devastated – 80% of home uninhabitable. Many still sleeping in their cars, some in hotels etc, others relocated to the coast. Cabins built for the summer earthquake now being used again.

So much history and/or art destroyed.

It’s difficult to know if some towns will survive or if they’ll disappear for ever. Farmers have lost their animals. They are asking that tourists do not stay away, but again it’s difficult to know where they can visit and stay.

The wild boar was the ‘special’ in a bistro one lunchtime. I ordered it out of interest, not knowing how it was cooked (menu just said ‘wild boar’. I think I was expecting slices of meat, but it was like a stew. Very nice 😀 Would have it again.

We visited local fair – like a country show. Part produce, part livestock, part machinery. Bought salami to bring home (among other things). One with wild boar, one with truffle. Now awaiting taste test 😀

I might be going back February/March – Maddalena’s husband may be going to USA for a few months and I’ll go to keep her company for a week or so. Otherwise be later in the year.

How are you doing?

Just a thought.

Flying home yesterday my check-in suitcase weighed 16kg. Not only did I struggle wheeling it round airports and railway stations, but found it almost impossible to lift onto the train.

Then I remembered that I have lost 98 pounds, or 44.45kg. Nearly three times the weight of that suitcase!😱

Is it any wonder I struggled so much?

A timely reminder.

Hi Captain Lynne

I smiled when you mentioned ‘drab’ colour, once upon a time you’d probably have settled for it, especially if it came in a size that fitted.

Things I’ve had in the wardrobe for a good while, that were no where near being able to be fastened down the front, are now out and about and drawing comment, “Is it new from your shop up?” Even the OH has been thinking I’ve been out restocking, what a difference a lump of lost kilos make. We are heading in to summer so the colour can come out on show.

I am good, getting used to not seeing a loss each and every day, getting used to well-meaning folk telling me NOT to lose anymore. I get a tad defensive and say I will if I want, in a gentle way of course, but with determination. I’m also getting used to not fretting if I “wriggle” up a bit. I’ve left a big enough room for that.

The biggest change is getting up early to attend aquafit three times a week, a perfect plan to try and shape up certain anatomical areas in need.

We buy our milk in 2 litre containers, that’s 2kgs a pop, carting just two of those around for a bit is a strain, I’ve lost 5 times that amount and still wonder how I managed to get by with the excess for way too long. One does, but I know which I prefer.

Nine mates have now asked for the “secret” so they can consider trying it out. I did think to ask the local book seller if I can work on commission. 🙂

I’d be arrested at the border if I tried to bring in salami, truffles or not. Sounds quite delicious. We were recently questioned over chocolate, chocolate well-worth bringing in I have to add, chocolate, declared and all, but we were searched! It wasn’t taken off us so it must be OK.
Nettle

Hi Nettle

I double treble checked customs regs in both directions. I’m normally asked to take coffee (yes, to Italy!) and various other things they got used to here but not easily available there. This trip Maddalena asked for parsnips. I took pre-packed ones – also a pack of seeds so she may be able to grow her own. Antonio (her husband) also asked for bagels.

Coming home I had: 2 bottles of liqueur, 2 wild boar salami, 2 salami with truffle, one ordinary salami, 2 Italian black puddings, Parmesan cheese, truffle butter, and saffron. All packed in my suitcase – no wonder I could hardly lift it. Last trip I had a bottle of limoncello, 2 of olive oil, 2 of balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese, one salami. Another heavy bag.

Perhaps I should add that what I bring back is to share with my family! It also depends on when I’m there. Last year it was the nougat festival. Just now is the truffle season.

It was different when I’ve visited the USA. They’re really strict on transporting food. There was a fruit sniffing dog at Chicago airport.

I think I should be on commission from the publishers too. The number of the books I’ve bought for people LOL

I’m just about getting used to not seeing regular losses now. To lose the extra 2 pounds to reach 100 would be nice, but I’m not stressing about it. My boss has already said that If I lose much more I’ll not need to open the door I could just slip through the crack at the side! LOL

At a big festival tomorrow do may meet folk who haven’t seen me in a year – this could be interesting! Some folk I met in Italy didn’t recognise me. One lady did – said she remembered me as being ’rounder’ 😳 We showed her the photos and said how much I’d lost 😀

One of the things they do on Biggest Loser Australia (weight loss reality TV show, they all live together and eat 1000 cals (low carb AND low fat from what I’ve seen) and exercise about six hours a day), near the end they go on a long hike and at various spots along they way they add more weight to their backpack, the amount they lost each week. Their backpack gets heavier and heavier, sometimes they have to strap some to the front to balance, and by the end they are carrying their whole starting weight. They can hardly walk. The relief on their faces when they drop it all at the end and know they don’t have to carry it any more! It’s a real reminder of how they used to be.

CaptainLynne I quite like the term “rounder”. Polite way of saying it.

Hi CaptainLynne
Is the opposite of rounder, squarer, are we nice and square now?
If the customs dogs had spotted you on return they would have begged to follow you home.
We have border patrol dogs specialising in sniffing out explosives, money, drugs, fruit and other organic matter.

Natalie, I went to the weight rack in the gym recently and tried to lift two 10kg dumb bell things. I nearly did myself a mischief! It was great to put them back where they belonged.
N.

Morning Nettle

An early start today to travel to an all day festival. We set off at 7.45am and don’t expect to be home until about 10pm. Food for the day packed. Bottles of water packed. Kettle ready to make coffee for travel cup.

I’m not sure if the opposite is squarer or flatter! LOL. There are parts of me (especially my posterior) that are flatter 😳

I’m sure we also have all those checks at airports, just not as visible as at some others.

When I weighed this morning I was back to 9st 13lb, the same as the day I went on holiday 😀 Another pound will make it 100 pounds loss!

Listening to the rain, think I need a wetsuit and/or a boat. Still, only short walk to the bus taking us on our trip. Watched a live stream last night of the opening session and it was great. Hoping it will be as good (or better) today.

Straight to bed when I get home tonight. Will catch up on here tomorrow.

Hi @captainlynne – Just to say your story is inspirational….am now in week 6 of the diet and doing great. Did you maintain 800 calories or did you increase it slightly after the first 8 weeks were over?

My results so far….

Start 01 October 16 Weight: 135.0 Kg Lost: 0.0 Kg FBG: 6.6 mmol/l

Week 1: 07 October 16 Weight: 132.3 Kg Lost: 2.7 Kg FBG: 6.5 mmol/l
Week 2 : 14 October 16 Weight: 130.2 Kg Lost: 2.1 Kg FBG: 6.2 mmol/l
Week 3: 21 October 16 Weight: 128.6 Kg Lost: 1.6 Kg FBG: 6.1 mmol/l
Week 4: 28 October 16 Weight: 125.1 Kg Lost: 3.5 Kg FBG: 6.0 mmol/l
Week 5: 04 November 16 Weight: 123.1 Kg Lost: 2.8 Kg FBG: 6.0 mmol/l

Total Weight Lost = 15.1 Kg
Average morning fasting blood glucose: 6.0 mmol/l, down from 6.6 mmol/l at the start.
Waist size: 42 inches, down 6 inches from 48 inches!

Thanks sandylane 😀

Great results😀💐

I stayed withe 800 calories and low carbohydrate all the way to target. Now I’ve upped calories slightly but still low carbohydrate.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks CaptainLyne – great to understand. I feel totally great on 800 calories and really don’t feel the need to increase my calories at the end of 8 weeks. I will discuss with my GP, but am surprised how well I feel !

Hope discussions with GP of well. My diabetes nurse fluctuated between being supportive and saying 800 calories wasn’t sustainable. Err … that’s why I stayed on 800 for so many weeks!

Hi CaptainLynne

I have fingers crossed for you with GP. Ask how many calories a gastric bypass/banding patient would take in over a 24 hour period. On 800 after 8 months I still feel great, it could be the quality in the calories making a difference. I push it up a bit throughout the week but sometimes feel FULL so have to dial it back. My health, like yours, has never been better, I listen to the body, it’s happier than its been in decades. After three weeks of aquafit I realise that this activity is a very serious total body workout. The post-gig hunger has settled, but the chlorine makes me a bit dopey. I used to train young swimmers, at that time we read an article about chlorine being slightly sedative, now I have proved the theory. Perhaps classes should be evening not up with the birds.
N

Hi Nettle.

Sorry, but it was sandylane going to see the GP. I avoid mine! In just over a year since I moved here, I saw a locum once – apart from that it’s the nurses I’ve seen. And I understand that the GP,is leaving, which will leave us with locums!

My thoughts exactly about how may calories a gastric bypass/ band patients can eat post-op.

Not heard that about chlorine before – interesting. Perhaps I should keep looking for somewhere to learn to swim again !

It snowed here during the night! We’ve been told that it’s going to be a very cold winter this yeat😱

Not my official weighing day but just wanted to say that this morning I weigh 8st 11lbs – total loss of 101 pounds 😀

I just thought 100 pounds was such a nice round figure – but I’ll settle for th 101!😀

Not seen this number for a long, long time!

Well well, a nice round figure on paper is so very much better than being what was recently termed “ROUNDER” in the flesh don’t you think?
Can you stop smiling? I’m happy for you, what a great journey this year has been for you and your followers, you probably have 101 of them. 😊😆😊😆
N.

What an achievement. Well done. xx

Morning Nettle and Trelawny 😀👋🏻

I know it’s silly, only a number, but I remember how slimming club leaders made a big thing of 100 pound losers. When I met my original target of healthy BMI, then 9st 7lbs which was where medics had always said I should be, I just wanted some wriggle room. So I aimed for 9 stone. But then I realised I was only two pounds away from that nice round figure!

At the beginning of this journey last December I probably never imagined how much I would lose in such a short time, especially after a lifetime of ‘diets’

But here I am, approximately 46 weeks later, having lost 101 pounds!!!!

A small thing- I went to buy thick tights yesterday in M&S. I checked the size guide and found I now needed ‘small’😱😀. After so many years of XL I now need S. 😀😀😀

That is amazing Captainlynne. Well done.

That must be so inspiring Captainlynne. I am so pleased for you

Well done Lynn! 2016 has been a great year for you and one I’m sure you’ll remember. The hard work has paid off big style!

Thanks everyone.

It has certainly been quite a year 😀

Congratulations captainlynne. How fantastic you have lost more weight .You have inspired me after I saw you in the newspaper.

Morning everyone. Thanks Fairyface 😀

Official weighing day, and scales still show 8st 11lbs. 😀

Brief history for any new readers (apologies to regular readers):

Started 19/12/16 at 16st 0lb. Measurements 50.49.54. BMI (revised as I was 1″ shorter than thought) 42.3. HbA1c 9.6. Fasting blood 10.9.

38 weeks later 10/9/16 dropped into healthy BMI at 24.9. Weight 9st 6lbs. Total loss 92 pounds. HbA1c 5.2. All blood tests ‘normal ‘ – not even pre-diabetic 😀 Measurements 38.30.39.

Now, 9 weeks later and after easing up a little on calories but still low carb, today my weight is 8st 11 lbs. total loss 101lbs. BMI 23.2. Measurements 36.29.38.

Yesterday I found out my boss had shown the Daily Mail photo to my colleagues in the area 😱 Comments varied yesterday from ‘you look great’, ‘the reality is better than the photo’ to ‘dontlose more, your bones are showing’. I’ve been told that a neighbour has been asking about me – the comments indicate he thinks my next visitor is likely to be the undertaker!😱 But I’ve not felt this well in many years!😀

I wrote to Prof Taylor before my recent holiday and got a reply yesterday, so I hope you don’t mind me sharing his response. I think the phrase ‘personal motivation ‘ is very relevant for all of us. Interesting that he says that is ‘the single vital factor for success’!

‘Dear Lynne,

Thank you very much indeed for taking the time to let me know about your success. Well done! The single vital factor for success is that of personal motivation, and clearly you have this. The long term challenge now is to ensure that your weight does not creep up.
Very best wishes for future health’

Have a great weekend everyone.

Brilliant results Captainlynne. All your hard work and determination has paid off. I am only on week 3 but keep reading your posts to inspire me as I have a lot to lose and hope one day to be in the 100 club. After years of thinking I will never be slim and am destined to enter my later years as an obese person I now see it doesn’t have to be that way. Congratulations, enjoy your success !

Thanks Peapod.

Thinking I would never be slim meant I had no small sizes to get out of storage!

My birth certificate says I’m 66 years old, but my brain thinks I’m about 19. Plenty of life in this old girl yet. And my aim is to make the most of it. Losing the weight will help.

I’ve just worked out that I’ve lost 45% of my starting body weight 😱😀

I started at exactly the same BMI as you, captainlynne, 42.3! Thanks for sharing the response from Professor Taylor, it will be a challenge for all of us when we reach our goals to stop the weight creeping on again, but as long as we regard it as a way of eating changed for ever we should be able to succeed.

Hi Mixnmatch

How are you doing on the BSD?

Doing really well on the 800 calories at the moment. Starting my seventh week tomorrow, but my weigh in this morning gave me a total drop since I started this phase of 1 stone 6 pounds so far, which I am very pleased with. I don’t think I’m asking too much to make the two stone before the end of the 8 weeks, which has me just into the healthy weight bracket, and also at the weight I was when I got married. Todays BMI is 25.6. Even if I don’t make it before I start 4:3 again after the 8 weeks, I could still make it before Christmas which is fantastic.

Great result Mixnmatch

I lost 27 pounds in my first 8 weeks. Best wishes for hitting your target.

Started 800 8 week diet 4 weeks ago and have only lost 5 pounds. Have stuck to it so don’t understand why the weight is not coming off. Can anyone offer any advice?

MazzyG

Have you got much weight to lose? Are you eating low carbohydrate as well as 800 calories? Are you drinking enough water? Are you eating enough protein and fat? Are you diabetic/other health condition/on medication?Are you losing inches?

More information please. It will help us help you.

HI CL

I sent a message about your weight loss improving maths skills with your percentages … a great side effect but it didn’t post. Blame the earth quake, yes we are at it again. We have moved many hours south of where we were in the 2010 2011 events but we sure felt last night’s. I will watch my weight closely with interest, during the months of aftershocks then I lost 5kg without trying. ..I called it the QUAKER diet. They upset your system, no sleep, even if I am not frightened by them…they give you a FRIGHT. Thoughts go to those most effected, resilience in that area has been tested too much these past 6 years.
N

Take care Nettle.

Hi Nettle

Please take care of yourself. I saw it on the news earlier.

Hi Nettle,
Thinking of you and your fellow Kiwis – nasty thing, earthquakes – I was surprised to hear that a relative of mine is minus her apartment in Wellington due to it. My thoughts are with you during this time.

Captainlynne. I have approx. 4 stone to lose and diabetic. I am eating no main carbs such as bread, potato, rice or pasta and no cakes/biscuits or sugar products. Typical day, breakfast – Eggs, lunch – own veg soup or fish and salad, dinner – meat and salad or veg. Probably don’t drink enough water. Drink tea and coffee with milk but take that into account. Have counted cals on and off for 40 years so should know what I am doing. Will carry on but increasingly frustrated!

Captainlynne. Forgot to mention on Thyroxine for underactive Thyroid and a beta bloker, maybe this is not helping. Any docs out there to advise whether this would make any difference?

MazzyG

Sorry but can’t help about medication. Someone else might be along to answer that.

Don’t forget it’s not only calories, but carbs too. Many of us have needed to go really low carb to move both weight and blood sugar. Are you on diabetes medication? How are your blood sugars?

My suggestion would be to drink more water and watch portion control. Veg grown above the ground, and restrict fruit. Berries are best.

It’s easy to let things slip when we’ve been doing something for a long time – sometimes we need to go back to basics.

Morning anyone who is still reading this.

Weighed today at 8st 10lbs – one pound down from last Saturday.

Hope everyone is ok.

Hi captainlynne
Well done on your weight loss. So pleased you are still documenting your incredible journey.

Although I am still 3lb off target I would like to post here because I feel those 3lbs are part of my transition from the losing weight phase of BSD to maintenance. I like the idea of being on maintenance but still losing – just like you are. My goal of 9.7lbs puts me right in the middle of healthy BMI for my 5′ 6″ but I would like to go lower. At end of October the diabetes nurse and consultant said I must not go any lower (although the consultant did agree I could go 4lbs lower but no more. I think this might be because I am 68 and they might not like older people getting too thin). So I am – in their eyes on maintenance already.