Hi captain Lynn,
At least I was not bright red, out of puff and perspiring.
I looked cool and casual in my size 12 USA.
🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴 🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴

Saw my friend to Laugh and cry with.
Then to the shops, stocked up in Iceland especially the fish pieces.
I could not get emotionally involved with salad, I think I have had enough of it, so I went for Ireland’s frozen veg.
See, I am trying to mix it up.
I have only had two meals today and I am feeling full.
Chicken for the main meal, with yogurt and mint. Yup weird, but great.

How you all doing.
And what are you all up to?

Love Lucia xxxxx

Well, lucia I went shopping for a white cardi and came home with two cardies and two frocks. I got carried away when I realised they looked ok on me. I’m going to wear one out to lunch on Wednesday! I even walked out of the cubicle to ask an assistant to zip the back of one frock up. Haven’t done anything like that for YEARS! I. Lovethis diet! 🙂

Well done Hashimoto – lovely feeling to get into something you did not expect to – congrats.

Thanks orchid, its lovely not to look 6 months pregnant in a dress at 63! 🙂

I am on the eve of my last day on the eight week diet, I have just fed 12 for dinner, with chocolate cake, scones and Easter eggs, I did succumb to a bit of scone! Daughter and husband decided to share one between them so I had a third of hubbys, plus a square of green and blacks choc, ( still under 50 g carbs though)’it will have played havoc with my last weigh in, On Monday but hey you have to join in the celebrations some times don’t you? This was a late Easter gathering and an early birthday party (for me) so I allowed myself forbidden fruits!
Tomorrow is my last day on the diet! I am going to try and be good, chicken for lunch (for 12 again) and no dessert for me, honest, I had my naughty fling this evening,
On a totally random point, what is happening to our forum posts? I just logged on and there are, it seems, thousands of unrelated posts on numerous errors topics with phone numbers etc, what’s going on?

Judith – if you carry on with this progress you’ll have men queueing up to offer assistance with unzipping your dress 😃.

Lucia – frozen veg is often better than salad. I read once that for every day fresh veg sits on a shelf it loses 10% of its vitamins, whereas frozen veg is frozen soon after harvest so providing you don’t drown them totally when cooking you are getting the vitamins and not the drain. Anyway there is nothing better than green beans briefly sautéed with a knob of butter and a clove of crushed garlic. Although your colleagues might not agree 😃

Christi well done on making it this far and don’t leave us!

Julia that made me giggle !
My father always says the same re frozen veg. 🙂

Did you see the news about kale being superceded by another range of veg? It included things like the leaves off brocolli et al ? Really?? It’s new? My dad is 90 and he has always said you should cook the cauli leaves with the cauli etc. That cabbage water was too rich in vitamins to throw away – you drank it or added it to the gravy rather than plain water. His is the generation that ate butter,cooked their roasties in goose fat etc. Looks like they knew more than us! 🙂

Well done christi, keep posting when over the 8 week line! 🙂

What’s all this about phone numbers! X

Hi julia18 Togo

I will stay on the full diet next week, then next Sunday we go off to Tenerife for a week, where I will eat mainly Mediterranean food with the occasional coffee latte or a piece of choc or ice cream, then when I get back it will be back to the diet until I feel happy with the weight, then do the 5-2 or again occasional 800 week whatever I feel comfy with.
I’m hoping my sugar addiction will have been kicked into touch, however I know I won’t be able to resist certain foods, my daughter who has come for the weekend, with her husband and three of her four boys, was impressed that I had resisted the chocolate cake with cream and mint icing! And ! She noticed straight away that I had lost weight, so I feel that was a real positive for me.

I hadn’t seen the news, but funnily enough I was in the orange supermarket a few hours ago and saw a bag of brocolli leaves. That was a new one on me and I did a double take to check I really had read the label right! I always cook the whole head, leaves, stalks and all but was surprised that folk would pay for leaves only. And yes I was always taught to add veg water to soup or gravy too. These days I tend to steam them in the microwave though so not much water to add.

Hi hashimoto,
When I logged on earlier there were thousands of posts with phone numbers very weird, then when I had finished my post I went back on the forums they were all gone, obviously a bit of a blip!
Be seeing you on the eight weeks and after forum on Monday! See you yippee
Christine

So glad I’m not the only one who enjoys the leaves! I’m especially fond of cauli leaves they are tender and sweet. I use the stems of broccoli in stir fries, coleslaw and soups. My Mum taught us to save the water veg was cooked in to use for gravy and soup. I think those people who grew up in the war time rationing appreciate the need to use all the food and vitamins.

I agree cherrieanne, my dad says it wasn’t to do with the war as his father trained the family that way, but dad was born 1925 so his dad had gone through the first world war and dad was born only 7 years after it ended. Perhaps people prior to WW1 were so much more savvy than todays generations? It ties in with food history in Tudor, Victorian and edwardian times. We are the lucky ones whose grandparents and parents knew the old ways.

I love cauli leaves too. Brocolli stems have more nutrients than florets etc. Now some fat cat is.making mega bucks from stripping leaves off veg and selling it as super food!. They’ll do the same with turnip tops when they realize they are edible. 🙁

Hi Lucia,
I seriously believe you are an author in disguise! I love your posts so much. I would buy your book if you wrote one??!! I am in Australia and am just starting day 3 of the BSD. I have read some but not all of your posts. Together with Bill, Hashimoto and Cherianne I feel like I belong here. (I haven’t read everyone’s posts) 😊
Are you all happy with the weight loss you achieved in the 8 weeks? I can’t find anywhere if you have said how much you lost? You are all so inspiring! I am starting to feel better already.
I hope I get to chat with you along my 8 week journey.
I’m going to the kitchen to make my breakfast – an egg with avocado! Yum!!
Chat soon
Love MerryMary xo

Hi merrymary, I. Started out at 11stone 10lbs and am now 9 stone 1lb and now have a bmi if 21.7 so I’m pretty happy with that. I increased my calories a few weeks ago and according to the ketostix I am still fat burning – I’m losing ounces rather than pounds but I’m hapy with that. I’m wearing clothes which haven’t seen the light of day for over 10 years!! Today I treatedmyself to 2 new frocks. I have only worn jeans fir years asthey helped to disguise mybelly fat!

This diet is wonderful!

I agree with you about lucia’s posts, she should be a newspaper columnist!! 🙂 x

I love avocado mmmmmmmmm

X3 to have Lucia made an author 🙂 She posts some of the most entertaining stuff about, a bit like a favourite newspaper column, the one you turn to first.
Merrymary, the thread you need is the “Over the 8 week line and beyond” in the fast 800 forum.
I just hit the 2 stone loss mark on week 9 and their are folks in there who make that look like a drop in the ocean.
Wishing you all the success you would wish ypurself.

Lucia, you are inspiring! Thank you. Go girl!

Hi MerryMary, I agree about Lucia, her posts are a pure golden stream of consciousness narrative. I love em 🙂
BTW Lucia, we have found your lost hour! Our clocks went back last night in South Australia, so we had it. I made the most of every minute lol. Will give it back at the end of our winter xxx

Hi merrymary
I am about to finish my eight weeks on this diet, tomorrow morning will be my final weight in, and I will start my ninth week.
I started the diet because I was diagnosed as pre-diebetic, after a prescription review, where I was weighed had blood test done, and found to be wanting, I had already read about this diet so I discussed it with the doctor who encouraged me to do it if I thought I could do it,
On the first Monday I got naked stepped on the scales and I was 14.9, shock horror I was heavier than my husband, ( he is a very fit man, doesn’t know what the inside of a doctors surgery looks like) I was determined to do the diet, however by teatime I was convinced a couldn’t continue I felt so awful, then I decided at bedtime, I would have to carry on, I had spent so much money buying all this weird and wonderful food, we have two fridges, one in the kitchen and an overflow one ( which we acquired when mother in law died) in the garage, both were full of this food I had to eat, fortunately both husband and daughter, who is with us at the moment, said they would try the food too, supplementing the meal where needed.
I am at this moment 13.2, hoping to have lost at least another pound by morning! (Wishful thinking?) I would like to lose at least another stone, if not more, thinking that if I then start eating 5 -2 I might put a few pounds on?
I ama sugar addict, I still hate tea without any sweetness in, so have started having a tiny, tiny amount of Truvia, the diet in that respect has worked, I can only have a little, as it’s too sweet otherwise.
I have also been trying to keep my carbs down to 50g or less, a day, today I found out from eldest daughter who was here for the weekend, that I could have coffee with a little cream in as cream has no carbs in! Revelation, my first coffee in eight weeks.
I hope this long missive has been helpful, cheers for now.
Christine

Hi gang,
I have been out walking until now, I expected all of you to be doing the same , but no you are all jangling (slang for gossiping, chatting).

Let me tell you my version of the philosophy of Doctor Michael.

First, ditch the white stuff, sugar, flour, rice etc.

Second,move your butt. Even if you just march on the spot during the tv commercials. Or take one cup out to the sink, come back, take another cup to the sink. Walk to the end of the garden, or path and back. Pretend that you are checking the gate hinges, if you feel you need a reason. Go smell the fresh air.
Build on this.

Third numbers count. Count your calories, count your carbs, check your bmi, check your blood sugar levels. Reduce them, gradually , slowly if you prefer, but bring them down. I didn’t feel as if I could just start 800 calories, so my first week was ‘reduction’ week.

Fourth and the biggest one of all. Love yourself. If you can’t do that, then start by not giving yourself a hard time if you wobble. Then, realise what you are doing is blooming great. Look for the good in yourself. Look for something you like, even if it your eyelashes. It is something, then notice, there are hip bones, under the blubber. Admire the view of your toes, once the big tummy goes. Notice how you can put your socks on easier. How you can get everything into your tights (panty hose for our USA gang) love the idea you are doing something for you.
I love you, so why don’t you? You are my family. I can read and feel how you are all changing. You are all getting more confidence.

If you just work on one step at a time, even break it up to smaller steps. Say, change your cereal of a morning to yoghurt and fruit. Then change your luchtime butties to say, salad and chicken, Then a few days later change your spuds, bread and butter, your rice, in your evening meal to a big dollop of various, colourful veggies and a protein. I did it slowly. People told me I need to change this, that and the other, I took their messages with the love they were sent with, but I did it under my own steam. The sloth won the race, or was it the koala, or was it the turtle? Anyway something not so fast got their in the end.

Step five, what happens if you eat rice, or a bowl of cornflakes or a slice of buttered toast?
Will I still love you and be here for you?
yup, you bet your sweet potato I will be here.
But what will I say, will I tell you off and tell you to leave the BS800?
Nope, I will compliment you on your coming back and speaking on the forum, for your honesty in dropping a clanger. And I will compliment you as I know , that as you are still here, you want to carry on with this great plan.
Sometimes you learn the biggest lesson in having a wobble. How will you know we are here as a family with all our arms reaching out to support you? You only notice this love and support when we help you stand back up. I am human, I make mistakes, just read my blogs, especially when I was so hungry I talked to the food cooking In The oven.

And finally, the future……

We will all be blogging each other, keeping in touch, when we are all writing on the ‘after eight weeks and still here’ blog.
We may have a recipe, we may find an ingredient we may want to share, We may see an article about Michael.
We may just want to chat about life, the universe and all that.

This is what I believe in.

Please take the time to read all the above, and it was written by someone who was a coach potato on 8000 calories a day, only a few weeks ago.

My love to each and everyone of you.

Love Lucia
Xxx

Went out to look for another pair of shoes as the broken ones are unreparable and are sadly in the bin.
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Sorry to hear that Lucia. I can hear my dad saying ‘Get sturdy brown lace-ups’.. he always said that to my mother when she had to take us for new shoes. The one and only time he had to take us we came back with white patent leather shoes. My mother was not pleased. ‘Well they really wanted them’ he said. You can imagine the rest….

Hope your new shoes are kind to you 🙂

Hi Miss Lucia, I am taking exercise. Honestly. I’m digging and weeding my veggie patches and coming in to post when my back hurts too much. Honest!!

Don’t walk too much in your new shoes until you wear them in. We don’t want a Freda to marry Fred, now do we?
Love, Judith xxx

Well done your daughter re the cream in your coffee! 🙂 And welcome to the veterans tomorrow! 🙂

well said Lucia – you are correct, this is a complete life-style change and not only a diet! Many people eat whilst stressed or unhappy – loving yourself a little more each day can help break that destructive habit.
Can I add that I now march on the spot whilst cleaning my teeth 200 extra steps twice a day :-).

Hi hashimoto,
Just read your post, I am also wearing clothes I haven’t had on in two years, I have given a load of skirts and trousers to charity that I had been keeping, some I’ve had for over ten years, thinking I would get into them one day! I still have lots of clothes I can now wear, and a few trousers I’m still waiting to get into, it’s such a lovely feeling isn’t it?
We’ve had a busy weekend with family down from Scotland, 12 for dinner Saturday evening and 12 again today for lunch before they headed back home, Emily my daughter told me I could have coffee with a little cream as cream has no carbs, so I had my first coffee in eight weeks, with tiny bit of Truvia in, it was lovely, I didn’t even succumb to the desserts today, like I did Saturday evening!
How did you start to increase your carbs, did you put weight on, I think I am still worried that I will put it all back on as soon as I increase the carbs, it’s getting a bir paranoid! Also what are these ketostix?
I am amazed how many people you respond to, it takes me all my time just keeping up with the few I do keep up with, where do you find the time?
In the morning I have to get ready for another daughters visit on Thursday, with two of her children, she lives in Bristol, and is calling in on her way back from her sister who has just gone back home from here to Scotland, then she goes home on Saturday and we fly off to Tenerife on the Sunday morning, I often feel like I am chasing my tail,
In the morning is my final weigh in on the eight weeks, then I will join you all on the eight week and after.
Cheers for now
Christine

Hi Hashimoto,
You need to give me more than two cardies and two frocks. I need, where from , the colour, the shape etc etc.
Don’t leave a girl hanging.

Jealous that you have been out of the changing room, half naked, looking for a dishy man to zip you up.

63. Years old eh. How about we all revere our ages? I dub you 36 in our little magical kingdom here. This will be great for everyone except me. 55 can’t be switched around. I know I will half it. 27 1/2 yup, that will do me nicely.

Love Lucia
Xxx

Hi Christine, no I am still losing tiny amounts, a few ounces at a time some days. The ketostix say I am still fat burning. I just eat the same food but a bit more of it! I might have 2 bowls of soup and a piece of cheese. Or a meal followed by some nuts. It was the thing that worried me too – will I pile the weight on when I increase my calories. It seems if you stick to the low carbs it is fine. So a bigger piece of beef, a large chicken breast, perhaps with nuts on the salad. It seems to work!!

Sounds as if you are VERY busy, I hope you get a proper chill out on holiday 🙂

Hi Christie 1948,

Last day of the 8 weeks, you jammy dodger. I am so jealous, I wish I had started earlier, maybe 30 years earlier 👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇👿😇😇👿😇👿👿😇👿👿😇😇👿😇

Regarding the long list of phone numbers, they were for Hashimoto’s streaking in the clothes shop. They all have warm hands and are able to assist with zips.
They probably disappeared when Hashimoto downloaded and printed them off.

Tenerife next Sunday, just think of all the money you will be saving…..
Less body, less suntan cream. ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Please let us know how you felt being slimmer on a well deserved holiday.

Love Lucia
Xxxxx

Hi Julia 18 to go,

The ask, I agree with you about the frozen veg, I am just neuking them with a little water as they have lots of water already.
Mmmmmmmmm, they taste so good.
🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆

Grateful for any simple cooking tips for vegetables.

Love luciaxxxx

Hi Lucia
Hahahaha, oh that was funny , I can just imagine hashimoto streaking, I never thought of not needing as much sun cream! Looking forward to swimming in the pool and not feeling self conscious about all the flab!

Lucia I wish I could photograph them and post it!
One dress is a rich blue thick cotton with a dark ,navy flower print, some flowers ringed with a little pink or green. It has a dark, navy sash around the waist – because, yes I have a waist again. It is mid calf length and sleeveless.

The other frock is a kind of crinkly material, easy for packing. It is mostly purple and deep blue, with some teal thrown in and some light pink accents. It is also sleeveless and mid calf length.

My description makes them sound very much alike, but they’re not.

One cardi is a navy blue kind of shrug with short sleeves – do they have a name?

The other is a long white cardi with a lacy kind of pattern. Neither have buttons. I just wanted something to hide the tops of my arms and keep me warm on chilly nights!!

The long length helps to hide the enormous long scar on my leg ( courtesy of a bad skiing accident).

You go with 27 and a half, Lucia!! I’m quite happy with 36 as well!! 🙂

Hi merry Mary,

A million thanks for the compliments about my writing. Have a look at my previous blog and you will see I started to write these as a diary just for me, didn’t know I would attract anyone crazy enough to read my ramblings.
Don’t forget whatever you do, you can easily lead Bill 1954 astray. ( read later blog)

In Australia? You must know cherri Anne.
Keep the tips for Australian shopping etc going as sometimes the translation of things may not work for people further than Manchester 🌏🌏🌏🌍🌍🌎🌎🌎🌎🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌍🌍🌍🌏🌏🌏🌏🌏🌏🌏
Day three, may I give you a GO GIRL!!!!!!. I have been to day three, I ate the same thing each day, just getting used to a pattern. Now I am switching things around. I think I have been on this plan for a few years now, no? Okay a few weeks.

What’s in season over there, what’s your favourite things to eat in the programme?

Will wait here for a reply………….
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi on a Healthy high,

Thanks for your encouragement, you will force me to write more you know 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃
May I return the compliment.
Go girl!!!!!!

Keep in touch.

Keep going.

Love Lucia
Xxxxx

Hi cherri Anne,
Thank goodness you have found my last hour.
No, you can’t keep it until the winter, please mail it back to me as soon as possible
😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi Hashimoto and Bill 1954.

What are you two up to?

You like my blogging?? just shows you that you are both as daft as me.
😀😀😀😀😀

Need you both.
If we are shopping ages around, are you in your teens bill?

Isn’t it fun?

Keep blogging,
Keep losing
Keep going

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Lucia, I have just seen the post about me streaking….made me laugh too. Forgot to say the dresses were from M and S. I’m not over fond of shopping so it was a case of going to one shop only, walking through to look for a white cardi – spotted 2 frocks in the right colours for me. Serendipity!! It would never have happened had I actually been looking for a dress!

Well, phone numbers and warm hands eh? ……….

🙂

Hi christi 1948

Your starting weight is so similar to mine.
Me too, I am 2.5 stone heavier than my husband. Would love to be in the same weight bracket as him, or , dare I say it? Lighter than him.

You at 2 tiny pounds away from being in the 12 stone zone. Wow I am so jealous of you.

I am working through a lot of stuff at the moment, so as long as I keep losing and getting healthier, that is all I am about.
I am in a better frame of mind, which is huge to me.

Keep in touch.

Love Lucia

Xxxxx

That picture of marching on the spot while brushing teeth is going to be burned into my brain. I love it. I’d do it but I fear I would drool toothpaste everywhere! 🙂

Oh Lucia, you make me laugh out loud! My dog thinks I’ve gone bonkers sat here chuckling to myself! Thank you so much for your witty, clever, affectionate take on the BSD and life in general. Please, please do write more, I just can’t get enough of your posts.

Hi gang,
After all the praise I am now going to be professional.
On our website someone uses ketostix.
So I was a smarty pants and looked it up.
Instructions, you have to widdle on the end of them, eeeeeeeeyuk.
They mark the card in different shades of pinky purple.
Purple means as you need a gallon or three of water?
Pink means you are still alive.

So I haven’t a clue and have confused myself even more.

One website said it wasn’t testing what you ate today but what you ate yesterday.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Maybe I should leave this one for another time.

Hi,

I never thought about marching in the spot whilst brushing my teeth. Usually I follow my hubby after his visit to the bathroom.
As I brush my teeth with one hand, I am picking up his wet towels off the floor, scrunched towels I straight out.
Move the germolene onto a higher shelf as I have cleaned my teeth with it, more than once, and it is difficult to get off the bristles of the brush. I clean the mirror, pick up the clothes and put them into the laundry hamper. Then I rinse my teeth, clean the sink down, put the empty toilet roll tube in the bin and then hang up my brush.
So if I do all the above and March, lifting my knees higher, I can burn more calories.

Thanks for all the tips.

Love
Lucia
Xxx

Hinhashimoto,
It is the ratio of slobber to toothpaste you are not calculating correctly.
Love Lucia
Xxxx

Blackbirds are having a fit on the lawns outside, just now as it goes dusk at 7:45pm.
They fly so low across the path of oncoming cars too.
Why?
Are they playing chicken?
And shouting their heads off.

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Hi gang,
You know that cartoon that I enjoy, pickles?
Well after the marching when cleaning your teeth, today’s pickles comic strip as so apt today. Look what Earl does with the TVs.

I hate this computer, I type a sentence then as I start in the second sentence, it goes back and changes words in the first.
Why can’t it alter it as we go, so I know what I have said, after I have said it, rather than read the blog later and say Eh?

Love Lucia
Xxxx

Sorry lucia it will be a case of love is in the air for those blackbirds.

Your brushing teeth routine sounds so relaxing, are you sure you couldn’t fit in a bit of soldierly marching while correctly calculating the amount of slobber to toothpaste? Xxxx

Get some ketostix lucia, you haven’t got enough to do in the bathroom, inject a bit of science fun xxx

Hi hashimoto
Where do you get these ketostix from and what do you do with them and why?

Hi Christie 1948

All I know that they are like a litmus paper, when you tinkle on it, it changes colour. They colour reveals if your body is in the mood to lose weight.

I am sure someone will over a more scientific description.

I do not know if they are worth using.

Can anyone help with these answers please.
Love Lucia
Xxxx